Beans: black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, ranch-style beans, bean sprouts. Beans of any kind are my favorite superfood. When I was younger, I grew a connection to beans through my grandma. As a woman from Honduras, some of her fondest memories are intertwined with food and she would teach me about her culture and traditions through these foods. However, my favorite was always her refried black beans, she would work in the kitchen from morning to night. I would awake with the sounds of pots and pans clinging in the next room, the biggest one filling with water for what seemed like an eternity as I buried my head further into my pillow. Eventually, I could avoid the kitchen no longer, I would follow the scent of onions, peppers, and her signature seasonings like a cartoon character following the wafting scent of a pie. She would then assign me the mundane task of stirring the beans every minute until she said so, which now that I have grown up I realize is my favorite part of cooking. I would watch the beans simmering in the pot, bubbles slowly rising and falling, carefully stirring so as not to spill any or burn the beans at the bottom. Eventually, they would transition from the whole bean and become like a smooth paste waiting to be snuck into my mouth before dinner time between my grandma's supervising glances. As I stirred endlessly, I would watch as my grandma chopped my favorite vegetables to accompany the main dish. Tomato seeds covered her vintage cutting board, avocado seeds piled in the trash can, and lettuce most uniformly chopped waited in a bowl nearby. Once they were ready, we would sit around the dinner table as a family, most likely celebrating someone's birthday or a holiday yet no one would speak because our cheeks were full and we were so entranced with this wonderful refried bean dish that took so very long to make and such a short time to disappear. Now that I am older and family meals are few and far between, I try to replicate those same joyous feelings by eating beans almost every day. I enjoy black beans the most on my salads, on a fresh tortilla, with eggs and chorizo in the morning, or even straight out of a can - probably to my grandma's discontent. I have grown to love every bean I can think of because it connects me with my past and inspires me to connect to others who might share my love for beans or learn about others' cultures through food.

One instance that challenged me was summer weights before my sophomore year. That was my first real experience of a high school sport outside of club sports. I could not run a mile and I had not completed such intense workouts ever before. I dreaded going every day because I knew I was going to end up last. In spite of my doubts, I mustered the courage to go back the next day and the day after that. Although I lacked the ability to run a mile, I googled how to run faster and more efficiently and followed the WikiHow steps. Gradually, I got better. I learned to alter nutrition to fit my goals and even went to bed early, which is extremely rare for me. As much as I dreaded going to weights each morning, I realized that I was learning more about myself as a leader and the importance of having a team. Some days, we ran around campus, it didn't matter what speed, just that we stayed together as a team. Other days, we ran three miles to QuikTrip and back. The comradery I felt carried me through each difficult moment, which was really EVERY moment. I learned during summer weights that I could always give ten more seconds to finish a circuit, jump a few inches higher, and run a little bit farther. I discovered that I don't have to be the best, I just have to give my best, because my team will be there to fall back on. Where I once thought, I can't, it soon became, I can't give up. To me, the most valuable lesson I learned in this experience was that it doesn’t always make the best or most vocal athlete become a great leader, it takes someone who will put a team before themself and lead by example. As you may have realized by now, I was not the best athlete, but I used my strengths in perseverance to show those around me that if I hadn’t given up yet, they could keep going. I think that my resilience shown during that summer has helped shape me into the person I am today because I learned how to use my strengths to uplift those around me.

I would like to be considered for this scholarship because it could help me immensely in designing my future. When I was younger, I volunteered as a Junior Black Belt Instructor at domestic violence shelters with a non-profit my mom founded (Elements Martial Arts, 501(c)3). It was my job to relate to the other kids and help them feel comfortable and safe. It made a huge impact on me to see how grateful the kids were to my mom, and some even became my friends. It didn't seem that I was doing much, but every time we arrived at the shelter to teach a class or to take the kids to a martial arts related activity, there was an overwhelming sense of happiness and excitement. I've held onto those memories and developed my own plan to give back to society by working in the Criminal Justice field. I would like to be the compassionate voice in my profession one day, to connect people with resources and help redirect lives toward healing instead of incarceration. I understand firsthand how trauma can affect a family for generations. Although my family is breaking the cycles associated with generational trauma, other families are not so lucky. I believe that with the proper education and experience, I can intervene and help children and families heal so that they have the tools they need to be healthy people. My grandmother was abandoned as a child and endured various types of abuse even into adulthood. I've witnessed the serious mental health challenges she faces and the struggles my mom has been through because my grandma never received the help she desperately needed. The ACE study shows that children who have been impacted by trauma are often more likely to have issues with substance use, mental health, and experience instability in the future. This study also shows that these long-term effects can be prevented by learning social/emotional skills, connecting with mentors, being involved with positive activities, and having a safe space. I think that my family's experience with trauma, as well as what I've worked with my mom to do in our community through martial arts, gives me a unique perspective to be able to pursue my dream career in Criminal Justice and Sociology. If awarded this scholarship, I would love to put it towards my dream and hopefully, I can achieve what I have always strived for which is to be a prominent voice and advocate for others.

One experience that has shaped who I am today was summer weights before my sophomore year. That was my first real experience of a high school sport outside of club sports. I could not run a mile and I had not completed such intense workouts ever before. I dreaded going every day because I knew I was going to end up last. In spite of my doubts, I mustered the courage to go back the next day and the day after that. Gradually, I got better. I learned to alter nutrition to fit my goals and even went to bed early, which is extremely rare for me. Some days, we ran around campus, it didn't matter what speed, just that we stayed together as a team. Other days, we ran three miles to QuikTrip and back. The comradery I felt carried me through each difficult moment, which was really EVERY moment. I learned during summer weights that I could always give ten more seconds to finish a circuit, jump a few inches higher, and run a little bit farther. I discovered that I don't have to be the best, I just have to give my best, because my team will be there to fall back on. Where I once thought, I can't, it soon became, I can't give up. To me, the most valuable lesson I learned in this experience was that it doesn’t always make the best or most vocal athlete become a great leader, it takes someone who will put a team before themself and lead by example. As you may have realized by now, I was not the best athlete, but I used my strengths in perseverance to show those around me that if I hadn’t given up yet, they could keep going.

I would like to be considered for this scholarship because it could help me immensely in designing my future. When I was younger, I volunteered as a Junior Black Belt Instructor at domestic violence shelters with a non-profit my mom founded (Elements Martial Arts, 501(c)3). It was my job to relate to the other kids and help them feel comfortable and safe. It made a huge impact on me to see how grateful the kids were to my mom, and some even became my friends. It didn't seem that I was doing much, but every time we arrived at the shelter to teach a class or to take the kids to a martial arts related activity, there was an overwhelming sense of happiness and excitement. I've held onto those memories and developed my own plan to give back to society by working in the Criminal Justice field. I would like to be the compassionate voice in my profession one day, to connect people with resources and help redirect lives toward healing instead of incarceration. I understand firsthand how trauma can affect a family for generations. Although my family is breaking the cycles associated with generational trauma, other families are not so lucky. I believe that with the proper education and experience, I can intervene and help children and families heal so that they have the tools they need to be healthy people. My grandmother was abandoned as a child and endured various types of abuse even into adulthood. I've witnessed the serious mental health challenges she faces and the struggles my mom has been through because my grandma never received the help she desperately needed. The ACE study shows that children who have been impacted by trauma are often more likely to have issues with substance use, mental health, and experience instability in the future. This study also shows that these long-term effects can be prevented by learning social/emotional skills, connecting with mentors, being involved with positive activities, and having a safe space. I think that my family's experience with trauma, as well as what I've worked with my mom to do in our community through martial arts, gives me a unique perspective to be able to pursue my dream career in Criminal Justice and Sociology. If awarded this scholarship, I would love to put it towards my dream and hopefully, I can achieve what I have always strived for which is to be a prominent voice and advocate for others.

I would like to be considered for this scholarship because it could help me immensely in designing my future. When I was younger, I volunteered as a Junior Black Belt Instructor at domestic violence shelters with a non-profit my mom founded (Elements Martial Arts, 501(c)3). It was my job to relate to the other kids and help them feel comfortable and safe. It made a huge impact on me to see how grateful the kids were to my mom, and some even became my friends. It didn't seem that I was doing much, but every time we arrived at the shelter to teach a class or to take the kids to a martial arts related activity, there was an overwhelming sense of happiness and excitement. I've held onto those memories and developed my own plan to give back to society by working in the Criminal Justice field. I would like to be the compassionate voice in my profession one day, to connect people with resources and help redirect lives toward healing instead of incarceration. I understand firsthand how trauma can affect a family for generations. Although my family is breaking the cycles associated with generational trauma, other families are not so lucky. I believe that with the proper education and experience, I can intervene and help children and families heal so that they have the tools they need to be healthy people. My grandmother was abandoned as a child and endured various types of abuse even into adulthood. I've witnessed the serious mental health challenges she faces and the struggles my mom has been through because my grandma never received the help she desperately needed. The ACE study shows that children who have been impacted by trauma are often more likely to have issues with substance use, mental health, and experience instability in the future. This study also shows that these long-term effects can be prevented by learning social/emotional skills, connecting with mentors, being involved with positive activities, and having a safe space. I think that my family's experience with trauma, as well as what I've worked with my mom to do in our community through martial arts, gives me a unique perspective to be able to pursue my dream career in Criminal Justice and Sociology. If awarded this scholarship, I would love to put it towards my dream and hopefully, I can achieve what I have always strived for which is to be a prominent voice and advocate for others.

Whimsical lines, dark colors, abstraction - Starry Night. My favorite piece of art is Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. Although this choice may seem too popular or predictable, this piece of art means a great deal to me. When I look at Starry Night, a feeling of comfort and safety overwhelms me. The rich dark colors provide me with a sense of winter and cold which is my favorite season. I enjoy looking at this piece and imagining looking down on a small town at night, lit up with each house’s lights and warmth, smelling the crisp cool air - possibly a waft of pumpkin pie. Starry Night evokes a nostalgic feeling of nights at the pumpkin patch or sitting around a campfire with my family. This painting means comfort and warm happiness to me. That is why out of all the pieces of art I could’ve chosen, I chose this piece because it is a reflection of my memories.