Women’s healthcare is often overlooked and is incredibly expensive. According to the National Institute of Heath, on average women have 420 periods lasting 2 to 6 days every 28 days from ages 12 to 51. On average a woman will use 11,154 pads throughout her life. I live in a small community with high levels of poverty. I recognized that many girls in my school are not able to afford period products and miss out on school and extracurricular activities or suffer through days of bleeding through their clothes in public. This affects not only their education, but also their social interactions with peers and their inclusion. In response to this issue, I founded and organized a community service program called The Period Princess. The Period Princess is dedicated to providing all public schools in the county with pads and tampons for those who need them. I applied for and was awarded a $5000 grant, every penny of which is going directly to purchasing pads and tampons. This grant alone will be able to supply enough pads and tampons for roughly 750 periods within the school districts. I have worked with managers at CVS to get products in bulk at a discount, the Health Care Foundation of Miami County to receive the grant, United Way, Helping Hands, and the guidance departments at all the schools in the county to build bridges between each organization, person, and financial situation. In the coming months, I will also be mentoring a few underclassmen, so when I move to college, they are able to keep The Period Princess alive and continue to do good in the community. The Period Princess exists because all girls deserve a sense of belonging.

I have been playing piano since first grade and flute since sixth. My dad is a choir teacher and professional musician, so I have always been surrounded by and in love with music. I joined band in sixth grade and since my freshman year I have been in Jazz Band, Marching Band, Concert Band, and Pep Band. I am now section leader in each of those esembles. I have seen many kids grow and thrive throughout the entire music department, but particularly within the band program. Band give students from all backgrounds a safe place and sense of belonging. As a musician I strive to connect with and creat lasting relationships with my fellow ensemble members. Band has given me countless memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Many of the students in the bands come from more difficult circumstances than I do. Band gives them a family and the support that they need. They know that they always have someone to sit with at lunch, someone to give them a ride, a shoulder to cry on, someone to help them with homework, and someone who will grab them food on the way to rehersal or a game. When I am having a bad day I am able to walk into the band room and know that I will have someone to talk to or cry with, and for so many kids the only way they get that is being in band. It is crucial for kids to have support and to feel like they belong. Band is able to provide this to so many kids. Band has also taught me the importance of dedication and perseverance. Marching band has taught me the importance of precision and paying attention to detail. Jazz band, on the other hand, has taught me how each individual sound and person can do their own thing while purposfully aligning with the group to create a masterpiece. Music and insturmentation is truly a form of art that so many take for granted. At the very least the beauty of the connections within the group and through the group is phenomenal and an art in itself. I would not be who am I today if it were not or music, and especially if it were not for the memories and lessons and connections that I got through being in band. Every single kid deserves to feel like they belong (because they do) and band is a phenomenal way to do that.

I have chosen to pursue my degree in theatre because acting makes me feel alive. The beauty of live theatre is that it is a fleeting art. Once the final echo of a line dissipates that exact moment in time is over. Theatre, like all art, reflects the world while simultaneously acting as a distraction from the very same world it reflects. Theatre is exactly what each individual member of an audience needs it to be at that moment of their life. As a little kid I sat in theater seats applauding the actors as they took their bows and then left the theater replaying the scenes in my head, thinking through the minute details and processing the story I had just witnessed. It is my dream to share stories and create once in a lifetime memories with new audiences every night. Simply put, my dream is to be an accomplished actor on Broadway. Upon further inquiry, however, my goal is to share the spectacle and art of theatre with people of all walks of life and give them the reflections and distractions they both want and need. I come from a very small town in Indiana with very limited opportunities for me to take classes and experience true theatre. I have worked very hard to not only expand my knowledge of theatre on my own, but to also provide resources to other students and adults alike who are also interested in theatre. I have helped restart and grow my schools drama club and a proud to say that our current show has a full cast with a remarkable ensemble of over 20 underclassmen. The numbers from my freshman year pale in comparison with less than 10 kids involved. Establishing a career in theatre open the door for me to create a platform on which I will be able to speak out against injustice and support those in marginalized communities. Theatre has helped me find who I really am as a person and truly hope to have the same impact on countless others who feel lost in the world right now. My dreams have been fueled by support from my family and friends as well as encouragement from those who are currently in the industry. This has had a major impact on how I see theatre as a viable job. Subsequently, I hope to provide inspiration and mentorship to the next generation of aspiring actors.

The Harry Potter movies have had the greatest impact on my life. My mom introduced me to Harry Potter when I was only four years old. As I grew up she read me the books, and then showed me the movies, and then I read the books and watched the movies myself. I then got to watch my younger brother also grow up reading the book and watching the movies. As I got older I rewatched the movies and was able to connect with them in new ways. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic I leaned on the series to get me through. The movies were familiar and consistent and served as a stark contrast from everything going on in the world. Right now in particular, I have been relating to the golden trio in their experiences through Deathly Hallows. When I need an escape I can get lost in the magical wonder of it all. When I need connection I can find it in the relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. When I need family I can find it in the Weasleys, in Sirius, in Lupin and Tonks. I grew up with the movies, and they grew with me. In Deathly Hallows the golden trio experiences a lot of difficult emotions of not knowing what will happen next and trying to be in control of as much as they can and make the best decisions with the information they have. I feel very similarly right now with the college application process. Next year I am movie from a very small town surrounded by corn in Indiana to New York City. That is a huge leap of faith that the universe will catch me. The Harry Potter series has shown me that I sometimes just need to jump in and trust that my friends and family will be there for me as I get through it. The series has also shown me that it is ok to rely on my support system. Harry through the entirety of the series relies on Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, the Weasley's, and countless others for support and advice. The Harry Potter movies have always been there to comfort and guide me as I have grown up and faced new challenges. I have learned countless lessons from the films and have been able to relate to the characters and emotions throughout my life. I am always able to look at the story and find comfort, escape, validity, and home in the characters, in the realtionships, and in Hogwarts much like Harry, Ron, and Hermione.