My name is Sarah Abara and I am a highly motivated student that consistently impresses all with her organization and leadership skills. Throughout all of my personal, academic, and personal challenges, I have continued to be a devoted member of my school community. I have founded two clubs: Global Politics and Culture Club and Model United Nations Club. These clubs spark my interests in global policies and politics, which I was able to further explore in my internship on Capitol Hill. On-campus, I serve as a Residential Assistant, bringing enthusiasm and new ideas to the table. As a student leader, I passionately advocate on behalf of all boarding students. In my free time, I am learning how to play the piano. In the fall of 2021, I am excited to attend Northwestern University. I plan on double majoring in Political Science and Economics to prepare myself for a career in law. My goals, my work ethic, and my values all come from the amazing support system I had around me throughout high school. My friends, my family, and my role models were all there to uplift me and direct me on a path of absolute greatness. Moving through life with grace, resilience, and good humor, multiple role models have taught me important lessons on achieving success, embracing who I am, and being a leader. Pushed to choose a person that has inspired me most as a leader, I would say Viola Davis and specifically her character in How to Get Away With Murder, Annalise Keating. She is intelligent and hungry for success. She fiercely defends the innocent and harshly prosecutes the guilty. Her determination to serve justice, debate, and solve mysteries inspired me to pursue a career path in law. Moreover, Viola Davis and Annalise Keating have taught me that leaders always look like team players. They are authentic and true to themselves, pushing beyond negative mindsets of stagnancy. True leaders navigate failure and success with grace, confidence, and perseverance. Over the summer of 2020, the world experienced an upheaval as the inherent racism of many institutions was revealed nationwide. Fueled with the drive to make an impact, I reflected on my own community and its issues. As a student leader, I am in a position to uplift the voices of black students. I wrote a proposal to the school administration with the help of my black friends to address the demands and struggles of black students. Hearing positive feedback from the headmistress and other students solidified this proposal as one of my proudest achievements. Many students messaged me, thanking me for using my voice to take a stand against the racist practices in my own community. They saw me as a beacon of progress and allyship who feels comfortable when discussing the uncomfortable. Like Viola Davis and Annalise Keating, I did not let the negative mindset of stagnancy hinder me from creating progress for my school community. In my life, I hope to achieve justice for all. One of my favorite quotes is by Marsha P Johnson in which she states "There is no pride for some us without liberation for all of us." This quote resonates with me because it inspires me with the drive to create a better world for all those who inhabit it. I want to become a lawyer and an activist to help those that need their voices uplifted. With the knowledge I possess and the skills I hope to gain, I know that becoming a lawyer is the correct life path for me.

The sound of rain pattering my dorm window fills my mind as I try to block out my pain. Like mentos dropped inside of a coke bottle, I was on the verge of exploding into a carbon dioxide science experiment. During the chaos of moving into a new boarding school and trying to maintain relationships with my old friends in public school, my mom told me that we were moving to Kentucky. Over summer break, I went there for the first time, and I hated every moment. I dreaded being stuck in a small town where I could not escape financial stressors and familial pressure. I bottled my feelings up and trudged on, waiting for an avalanche of happiness to wash away my sufferings. I lost myself. From this, I recognized signs of poor mental health, and I communicated with my mother on how I felt. We made a detailed plan on how to get out of the house and focus on my goals. I held myself to a disciplined schedule where I got out of bed early and used my time wisely. I shadowed law professionals, volunteered at the church, and read books that uplifted me. I chose to live to the fullest and find positivity. I’m so glad that I put the work in to create a happy environment and stake a claim in my future. I realized that no matter how much a certain moment sucks, everything is temporary, and there is a lesson in everything. From my own experiences, I recognize that it is so important to listen and be patient with those that battle mental illness. I hope to positively impact those that battle with mental illness and show them that days do get better.

In terms of my college major and possible careers, taking Calculus and Statistics has changed me. I went from thinking my college experience was going to be pretty straight forward with a major in Political Science. However, due to these classes challenging me in unique ways, I started to absolutely love math. I never realized how satisfying it is to work with numbers and concrete answers after a long day of interpretations and in-depth thinking. These classes forced me to be okay with failure and forced me to refrain from being burnt out after a hard assignment. Every moment at the beginning of the year, I thought I would stop being interested in math because the theorems and intervals were so confusing, but I was wrong. The class pushed my limits and offered me the gift of thinking outside of the box. Therefore, I would love support with Calculus and Statistics. Though I have never had a math tutor, I believe math tutoring will push me to analyze and creatively find solutions to complex problems. As a high school senior, I want to prepare myself for college math and end my last year in high school with good grades.

From a young age, my mom fantasized that I would never have to work. She stressed that school should be my main priority because she struggled to squeeze in a full-time education while working 40 hours a week. When the global pandemic hit, that fantasy could no longer be entertained. Moving from Kentucky to Georgia—again—became expensive, and my mother did not have enough funds to balance all of our needs. Every night, I watched her struggle over bills and numbers, so I made up my mind and got a job. Within 2 weeks, I became a cashier at Zaxby’s. However, transportation was difficult. Both of us had to share one vehicle, so I often had to take Uber rides. On my first morning shift at Zaxby’s, I patiently waited for my Uber outside of my apartment. I felt like my childhood had abruptly come to an end, and I was granted a peek into what adulthood looks like. Instead of my confidence increasing because I was taking a step to improve my future, anxiety took over as I became nervous to enter a car with a complete stranger. Was I ready to take this big step? Would I ever be able to balance all of my responsibilities in life? The fear of losing sight of my goals invaded my mind, causing me to question my decision in getting a job. Slowly appearing in front of my eyes, the friendly driver called out “Uber for Sarah?” I nodded quickly and entered the car as silent as a mouse. I was lost in my thoughts, and all I could recognize were my flaws. Somehow sensing my distress, my driver sparked up a conversation. His name was Thadius, and he was about 25 years old, which surprised me because most of the drivers that I’ve had have been older. He made light conversation asking me about my job, and I conveyed to him my nervousness and jitters. In an attempt to comfort me, he shared his similar experience at his first job. He expressed that growing up, he went through hard times that put a damper on his mental health. To avoid the negative influences in his life, he worked long hours at odd jobs. No matter what, he never let his faults or doubts cloud his dreams of being an entrepreneur and lawyer. Being an Uber driver was an amazing opportunity for him because it afforded him the ability to study hard in law school, make enough money to balance his needs, meet diverse people, and fully explore his hometown on his own schedule. Captivated by this enlightening conversation, I felt that our situations were similar in that Zaxby’s was just another chapter in my life. Every moment is a learning experience that helps you go from one point to another. Soothing my inner turmoil, I resolved that my self-doubts should never drown my aspirations. As I stepped out of his Honda Civic with a new perspective, I recognized the importance of balance to lead to a happy, successful future.

Moving through life with grace, resilience, and good humor, I have acquired multiple role models that guide me through challenging parts of my life. Each role model has taught me important lessons on achieving success, being vulnerable, embracing who I am, and creating my own happiness. But if I had to choose a person that was the most influential role model in my life, I would have to say Viola Davis and specifically her character on How to Get Away With Murder, Annalise Keating. Annalise Keating is intelligent, strategically direct, honest, and hungry for success. She fiercely defends the innocent and harshly prosecutes the guilty. Her propensity to serve justice, debate, and solve mysteries inspired me to pursue a career path in law. Too often, I see violent images of black and brown bodies plastered all over the media. It pains me to see broken families falling victim to the wrongdoings of a system intended to grant them life and liberty. Society has become extremely desensitized to violence and terrifying images, causing people to become detached and less empathetic. I want to be able to remind the global community that the people seen in these awful viral videos and photos are people too. They are brothers, fathers, sisters, mothers, and children. I cannot continue to sit in ignorance and ignore the struggles of marginalized communities around the world. With the development of the Internet, to remain purposefully ignorant on horrible political or social situations is to remain implicitly biased. Even though I may feel the pressure to pursue medicine by my family, I know that I was destined to follow my own passions and make a global impact. Annalise Keating's character only stimulates my desire to change the oppressive ways of the world and liberate people. She is authentic and true to herself in the scenes where she takes off her wigs and shows the audience her natural hair. As a black woman, hair is my crown, and a lot of my insecurities stem from my hair. But seeing Viola Davis be vulnerable in that scene was one of the most powerful things that I have ever seen on television. It affirmed that I was beautiful in my most natural state, and nobody could dim the light of my inner beauty. Viola Davis's determined attitude makes her even more influential. Her remarkable talent and continuous effort to be the best in her field inspire me to work hard and put out the best version of myself. Failure is a harmful mindset that can push a person into dark moments. But, Viola Davis and Annalise Keating have taught me that navigating through failure with grace and confidence is one of the most important things in life. Her perseverance has allowed her to achieve multiple Tony and Oscar awards. In the moments that I am scared about the future or overwhelmed by self-doubts, I think of the powerful words of Annalise Keating and Viola Davis to carry me and provide me with the strength to put my all into everything I do. What started as childhood entertainment unveiled my lifelong purpose to combat discrimination and injustice by pursuing law.

Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve always had questions. I was incredibly curious, and I always sought to understand how and why things worked the way they did. I found my answer within a variety of books. I read my mom’s medical books, fiction books from my library, historical biographies, and autobiographies. My mind was on an endless carousel seeking answers for some of life’s biggest questions, and I never wanted off. Then, I discovered writing. I fell in love with dropping my pen to the paper and writing anything on my mind. Soon enough, my dramatic words turned into poetry, short stories, and other forms of writing as I continued my education. I became enamored with reading and writing; learning and creating on a constant loop after school was a daily routine I loved to stick to. My mom introduced me to owning technology later than most of my classmates. I was upset at the time because I wished to fit in with the other kids and talk about the newest games on the newest devices. As I look back, I realize she only wanted me to have a strong foundation rooted in the appreciation of reading and writing. I was never allowed to watch TV during the week. When I finished all my school work, I had to read and complete my Kumon homework, a math and reading program designed to improve a student’s aptitude and skills. Only on weekends was I allowed to watch TV and go out. I might not have liked the work, but when I wanted a new book to read or understand a passage from a book, I always went to the nearby Kumon center. Learning this balance between my academic, personal, and social life helped me get my priorities in order and develop habits I will keep for the rest of my life. I found myself drawn to darker, more mysterious subjects. It instilled a deep admiration for reading psychological thrillers and watching investigative shows such as Criminal Minds, Law and Order: SVU, and more within me. I adored the lawyers and prosecutors in shows and books like these because they inspired me to find justice in the truth, which only stimulated me into pursuing the profession of law. Too often, I see violent images plastered all over the media. It pains me to see broken families falling victim to the wrongdoings of a system intended to grant them life and liberty. This society has become extremely desensitized to violence and terrifying images. I want to be able to remind people that the people seen in these awful viral videos and photos are people too. They have brothers, sisters, mothers, cousins, fathers, and friends. I cannot continue to sit in ignorance and ignore the struggles of black people in America and even internationally. With the development of the Internet, to remain purposefully ignorant on horrible political or social situations is to remain implicitly biased. Despite feeling the pressure to become a doctor by my family, I pioneered my own passions and staked my claim in the future. As I aspire to debate, solve mysteries, and serve justice like the onscreen detectives, lawyers, and judges on Criminal Minds and Law and Order: SVU, I realize that these shows, reading political articles, and the encouraging influence of my mother shaped me into the confident, passionately driven woman I am today.

Sometimes, getting out of your chair and dancing is the key to happiness. My friend and I taught an impromptu dance class to a retirement home in our local community. I opened my mind to music from the '60s, '70s, and '80s and happily danced with residents of all ages. After the dance class, many residents told my friend and I that we had positively impacted their lives and attitude.

Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve always had questions. I was incredibly curious, and I always sought to understand how and why things worked the way they did. I found my answer within a variety of books. I read my mom’s medical books, fiction books from my library, historical biographies, and autobiographies. My mind was on an endless carousel seeking answers for some of life’s biggest questions, and I never wanted off. Then, I discovered writing. I fell in love with dropping my pen to the paper and writing anything on my mind. Soon enough, my dramatic words turned into poetry, short stories, and other forms of writing as I continued my education. I became enamored with reading and writing; learning and creating on a constant loop after school was a daily routine I loved to stick to. My mom introduced me to owning technology later than most of my classmates. I was upset at the time because I wished to fit in with the other kids and talk about the newest games on the newest devices. As I look back, I realize she only wanted me to have a strong foundation rooted in the appreciation of reading and writing. I was never allowed to watch TV during the week. When I finished all my school work, I had to read and complete my Kumon homework, a math and reading program designed to improve a student’s aptitude and skills. Only on weekends was I allowed to watch TV and go out. I might not have liked the work, but when I wanted a new book to read or understand a passage from a book, I always went to the nearby Kumon center. Learning this balance between my academic, personal, and social life helped me get my priorities in order and develop habits I will keep for the rest of my life. I found myself drawn to darker, more mysterious subjects. It instilled a deep admiration for reading psychological thrillers and watching investigative shows such as Criminal Minds, Law and Order: SVU, and more within me. I adored the lawyers and prosecutors in shows and books like these because they inspired me to find justice in the truth, which only stimulated me into pursuing the profession of law. Too often, I see violent images plastered all over the media. It pains me to see broken families falling victim to the wrongdoings of a system intended to grant them life and liberty. This society has become extremely desensitized to violence and terrifying images. I want to be able to remind people that the people seen in these awful viral videos and photos are people too. They have brothers, sisters, mothers, cousins, fathers, and friends. I cannot continue to sit in ignorance and ignore the struggles of minorities in America and even internationally. With the development of the Internet, to remain purposefully ignorant on horrible political or social situations is to remain implicitly biased. Despite feeling the pressure to become a doctor by my family, I pioneered my own passions and staked my claim in the future. As I aspire to debate, solve mysteries, and serve justice like the onscreen detectives, lawyers, and judges on Criminal Minds and Law and Order: SVU, I realize that these shows, reading political articles, and the encouraging influence of my mother shaped me into the confident, passionately driven woman I am today.