Throughout middle school and high school, I compared myself to other girls I saw walking in the halls. I would think about how skinny and pretty they were. I would obsess over their clear skin and cool clothes. There were certain people in my class that I thought were perfect, and they would make me feel like an outcast. Middle school starts your teenage years, and when all your insecurities blossom. Everyone you look at is perfect, and you pale in comparison. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Lacy” from her newest album, GUTS, perfectly exemplifies the feeling of comparing yourself to others. Specifically, the lyric "Lacy, oh, Lacy, I just loathe you lately, and I despise my jealous eyes and how hard they fell for you; yeah, I despise my rotten mind and how much it worships you." This lyric expresses the deep jealousy teenage girls often have for each other, constantly comparing their hair, weight, height, face, and everything else. Olivia explicitly focuses on her longing to be like another girl, Lacy. She expresses how much she hates but also loves Lacy. This experience resonates with me because when I was younger, there were certain girls I wanted to be like so badly that I would hate them yet also worship them in my head. Olivia also says she hates how much her mind worships Lacy, which I think is very relatable because jealousy is difficult to control. No matter how much you love yourself, you can easily get caught up in comparing yourself to others. My generation grew up with social media like Instagram and Snapchat, apps where pictures of yourself and your body reign supreme. You couldn’t scroll for five minutes without seeing someone’s photoshopped body. Suddenly, you could find yourself “doom-scrolling” on a model's Instagram page while realizing you look nothing like her. My generation’s idea of beauty was shaped by celebrities with massive amounts of plastic surgery, and we knew we weren’t up to society's standards. Now that I am an adult, I can recognize that someone else's beauty does not take away my own. I have reflected on my experiences with insecurity and learned how to be confident in myself. I still sometimes compare myself to others, but I can recognize when I need to step back and appreciate my beauty and someone else’s at the same time. When I heard “Lacy” by Olivia Rodrigo, I felt all the emotions of being an insecure middle schooler again because this song perfectly captures the jealousy that comes with teenage years.

- Helping those around me - Growing as a person - Building communities wherever I go When asked to create a list of three important things, this is what I arrived at. I chose these three things because they are fundamental to who I am. I have always felt a passion for helping others and making them feel better. This is an essential part of being a cosmetologist because your job aims to help people feel better about themselves and their appearance. When I help a client feel better about themselves, it makes me feel like I have made a tiny part of the world better. I'm passionate about making the world a little happier and building communities wherever I am. The people I go to cosmetology school with are like family, including the instructors. Anytime a student needs help with a client or is having a hard day, it's amazing to get to help them and come together as a small beauty school family. When I am a part of a community, it allows me to grow as an individual. Through the community at my cosmetology school, I find myself becoming a more loving and kind person. I am also growing through the connections I make with clients because I hear other people's life stories and advice. In ten years, these things will still be important to me because they are what I live by. They have always been important to me and help me daily as I grow into an adult and a working cosmetologist.

It's winter break, and I'm sitting with my sister in a fort made of sleeping bags and chairs. The Christmas tree is glowing as I watch my sister play one of our favorite games, Super Mario Galaxy. The iconic Nintendo game features the famous plumber, Mario, saving Princess Peach after Bowser kidnapped her by flying her away on his space pirate ship. While playing as Mario, the player shoots into space, searching each unique universe and planet for Peach. The player unlocks new galaxies to explore as they collect space shards and defeat bosses. My favorite memory of playing this game is with my sister during winter because we would take turns playing a difficult level we could not seem to beat. The level included a big space water park where you must ride on a penguin's back across a big river of water; however, it was very fast-paced and incredibly easy to fall off the track. Eventually, we figured out that if we added a second player, they could slow down the obstacles on the track. We definitely exploited this feature because we would always play together, with one of us slowing down the enemies so we could beat the game. Everything about this game was fantastic, from the music to the graphics, but the best part was being able to play it with my sister and make memories together as kids. Because of this, Super Mario Galaxy will always be my favorite Nintendo game and will always have a special place in my heart.

During my academic career, I have had many obstacles, but none as great as the struggle with my panic disorder. I have always had depression and anxiety, but suddenly, I began having intense panic attacks during my first year of high school. These panic attacks went untreated for years until my junior year when my panic attacks became so bad I couldn't drive, work, or go to school. I started therapy and got medicated for depression and my new diagnosis of panic disorder. I wish this treatment solved everything and things were back on track, but that would be a lie. My panic attacks were to the point where I would throw up and sometimes even pass out. During this time, I felt incredibly discouraged and defeated because everything I had worked for was crumbling away. This led me to become very depressed, which only added to the problems with my mental health. Thankfully, my story doesn't end there. I realized that I had worked my whole life to be successful, and this struggle would not defeat me. I decided to achieve my goals regardless of the obstacles I was facing. I began meditating and working on how I spoke to myself. One of the most helpful things was forcing myself to do activities I found scary, like going to the store or driving a car. I would intentionally put myself in difficult situations to face my fears. Slowly, the panic attacks became less frequent and less intense. I finally began to regain my confidence and determination. I have always had a deep passion for helping others and making them happy, but I never knew exactly how I wanted to do that in my future profession. After my experience with panic disorder and other mental illnesses, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I am now incredibly passionate about helping others with mental illnesses and have decided I want to become a psychologist. I want to help others with similar issues as the ones I have faced in my life. I will be attending IU Indianapolis next year to start completing my bachelor's degree in psychology. I then want to work toward a master's degree and a Ph.D. to work as a clinical psychologist. I know I will have to work very hard to complete all of the schooling necessary, but I am hard-working and dedicated to helping others. I know I will achieve my personal and professional goal of helping people with mental illnesses.

During my academic career, I have had many obstacles, but none as great as the struggle with my panic disorder. I have always had depression and anxiety, but suddenly, I began having intense panic attacks during my freshman year of high school. Maybe it was the pandemic, the stress of starting high school, the toxic relationship I was in, or a combination of all three. These panic attacks went untreated for years until my junior year when my panic attacks became so bad I couldn't drive, work, or go to school. I started therapy and got medicated for depression and my new diagnosis of panic disorder. I wish this treatment solved everything and things were back on track, but that would be a lie. My panic attacks were to the point where I would throw up and sometimes even pass out. During this time, I felt incredibly discouraged and defeated because everything I had worked for was crumbling away. This led me to become very depressed, which would only add to the problems with my mental health. Thankfully, my story doesn't end there. I realized that I had worked my whole life to be successful, and this struggle would not defeat me. I decided to achieve my goals regardless of the obstacles I was facing. I began meditating and working on how I spoke to myself. One of the most helpful things was forcing myself to do scary things. I would intentionally put myself in scary situations to face my fears. Slowly, the panic attacks became less frequent and less intense. I finally began to regain my confidence and determination. Through my own experience with mental health, I became incredibly passionate about helping those like my younger self. I want to become a clinical psychologist so I can help people with serious mental disorders and hardships. When I attend therapy, it always seems like the therapists do not understand what I am going through or what I am feeling. I want to be a psychologist who can relate to my patients and make them feel understood. To achieve my dream, I plan to attend IU Indianapolis for my bachelor's degree in psychology. Then, I plan to pursue a master's degree and a Ph.D. to become a licensed clinical psychologist. I am a dedicated and hard-working student, so I know if I put my mind to it, I can achieve anything. I will never let my mental health obstacles get in the way of pursuing my dream to help others!

The perfect Disney Channel crossover would be between A.N.T. Farm and Phineas and Ferd. Not only are these two my favorite Disney Channel shows, but they would also create a fantastic crossover storyline. A.N.T. Farm stands for Advanced Natural Talents. The show follows a group of talented kids who manage their way through a special school for talented kids. The main characters are Olive, Chyna, and Fletcher. Olive is known as the smart girl because she always has knowledge to share. Chyna is known for her musical talent and sometimes performs for the school. Lastly, Fletcher has a talent for art and paints pictures of other characters. Of course, anyone who has seen Phineas and Ferd would know precisely why they would fit perfectly in A.N.T. Farm. Phineas and Ferb are two brothers who love to create amazing inventions to pass the time over the summer. They create things like roller coasters, haunted houses, and time machines. Phineas is a red-headed genius who is known for being very extroverted. Ferb has green hair and hardly ever says anything. Their sister, Candice, hates it when they invent things in the backyard. She always wants to get them in trouble for their antics. Since they are so talented, they would fit perfectly in the A.N.T. Farm school. I imagine the storyline for the episode entitled "New Kids on The Block" would go a little something like this: On a usual summer day of Phineas and Ferb inventing, Candice finally gets their mom to see what they are up to. However, instead of their mom getting upset like Candice imagined, she sends them to a school that would help them grow their talents, A.N.T Farm. When they arrive, Olive attempts to greet Phineas and Ferb, but she is sadly surprised that Ferb says nothing to her. Chyna, Fletcher, and Olive show Phineas and Ferb around the school and even have some classes together. However, Phineas and Ferb become bored with the lack of inventing they can do in school. They decide to solve this problem by inventing things to help Olive, Chyna, and Fletcher with their talents. Phineas and Ferb invented a special guitar for Chyna that can sound like various instruments, including a piano and violin. For Olive, they invent special glasses that tell her amazing facts about whatever she looks at. Finally, for Fletcher, they invented a pen that could draw in the air. However, the students start abusing the power of their new machines. As Phineas and Ferb create more inventions for students, the school slowly becomes chaos. Soon, the principal must expel Phineas and Ferb to stop them from giving students high-powered machines. When the boys return, Candice is upset she now has to watch them invent in their backyard once again.

"Autism isn't an accomplishment. It's something I was born with. You wouldn't write an essay about having ten fingers and ten toes, would you? No, because that would be really, really, really, really dumb." -Sam Gardner from Atypical on why he refused to write his college essay about having autism. Atypical is a story of a boy named Sam who has autism. His special interests are Antarctica and penguins, so throughout the show, he explains his feelings through metaphors using facts about Antarctica. The audience is able to follow Sam's journey through starting college, navigating his parents' divorce, and trying to find love, all of which can be very difficult for someone with autism. Throughout four seasons, Atypical explores the struggles and successes that come with navigating life with autism. Sam's mom ends up cheating on his dad, which causes a huge disruption in their household. This big change can be hard for someone with autism to deal with, which is why it is fantastic that Atypical shows how Sam can handle the change and be successful. The show also follows Sam's younger sister, Casey. She is a track star at her high school and is working hard to get a track scholarship. Throughout the show, Casey struggles with her parent's divorce, discovering her sexuality, and feeling overlooked by her family. Atypical is the kind of show where you can't help but see yourself in each of the characters. Atypical's storyline is one that almost everyone can relate to in some form or another. The characters are incredibly realistic and dynamic, which makes the show feel very personal. I love that this show brings awareness to challenges that come with autism, mental disorders, and finding your sexuality. There is still a stigma around autism in society, so it is important to spread awareness about the challenges that come with it and how we can better accommodate people who are neurodivergent. I personally relate to the characters in Atypical. I have a panic disorder, which causes me to feel defeated at times, just like Sam feels. I also struggled with my sexuality as a kid like Casey, so it is very heartwarming to see that represented in media. No matter the genre that you're a fan of you will love Atypical. It can be heartwarming in one moment, and full of drama in the next. This show was life-changing for me to watch, so I absolutely recommend it as your next binge-watch.

Since I was a kid, I loved hair, skin, and nails. When my mom would go to the hairdresser, I would play salon games on her phone and show the stylist my work. I loved getting to create cute designs for hair and nails. As I grew up I dyed my own hair every color of the rainbow and I always did my nails each week. I particularly loved getting to wear long fake nails when I was a kid, which I still wear now. A lot of people know me based on my long, colorful fake nails. The moment I knew I wanted to pursue cosmetology, was when my school went on a tour of a career center nearby. There were a lot of different programs, many of which I had no interest in. Then, we came to a room full of mirrors and salon chairs: the cosmetology program. I immediately knew I wanted to join the program because it was such an amazing opportunity that I was passionate about. A few years later, I joined the cosmetology program through Area 31 Career Center, so I now attend Pj's College of Cosmetology. I love being able to learn about the theory of hair, skin, and nails and I love being able to work with clients! The school is a working salon, so we take client tickets and perform all the services. I still have a year left until I graduate, but after I get my license I want to work at the salon my family always went to when I was a kid. The stylist to whom I would show my little salon games is the owner of the salon, and she has already offered me a job there. I am so excited to be able to make people feel beautiful and taken care of. Cosmetology is not just about making people look good, it is about making people FEEL good. The most fulfilling thing you can do for someone is make them feel comfortable in their own skin, and I am so excited to be a part of that. I am thankful for the opportunity to pursue something I am so passionate about. I am attending this program during high school, and by the time I graduate, I will have my cosmetology license as well. That is an opportunity that not many people get, so I will always be so grateful for that.

"There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn't that kind of the point?" - Pam Beesly I resonate deeply with Pam Beesly because she has a huge character arc where she learns to stick up for herself and live life to the fullest. She also has a slow-burn office romance that shows the genuine emotions that come with love and heartbreak. She is truly the most realistic and multifaceted character in the office. At the end of the series, you can see how she has grown, which is inspiring because even if you live a mediocre life like she did, you can still see beauty in small things. I have been watching The Office since I was probably too young to be doing so. My family always had it on the TV, even when I was a toddler, so I grew up with a more mature sense of humor. Even though I may not have understood all of the jokes that were made, the deadpan delivery and jokey tone of the show rubbed off on me. Additionally, I feel as though this exposure to a workplace dynamic as a young child impacted how I worked at my own job. For example, I was a shift lead at Crumbl Cookie, and I always found myself trying to make work more fun for other workers (like Jim Halpert), gossiping about pop culture (like Kelly), or just wanting to go to sleep (like Stanley). Overall, this show was a big part of my life and definitely impacted how I grew as a person.

In Spiderman: No Way Home, we saw all three Spidermen join together to fight their most iconic villains. While it's undeniable that all three of them are iconic and work well together as a team, everyone has their pick on who is truly the best Spiderman. It is important to remember Spiderman is also Peter Parker, so not only does the actor have to be a superhero, but they also have to be a nerdy, not-so-popular high school boy. In my opinion, the best person to portray Peter Parker was Andrew Garfield. The best person to portray Spiderman was Tobey Maguire. However, the best actor to portray BOTH aspects of the character is the current actor Tom Holland. Tom Holland brings the nerdy, fun-loving nature to Peter Parker, while also bringing a hero-like passion for helping others that are needed to play Spiderman. Tom Holland will also be the only Spiderman actor to get more than three movies once the fourth Spiderman movie comes out which is confirmed to be in the works. There is also something to mention about the running joke of Tom Holland's Spiderman movies, where "home" is always in the title. The trilogy of his Spiderman movies is known as the "Home" trilogy named after this running joke. Overall, Tom Holland is the top Spiderman actor, despite the other two actors being fantastic as well.

The perfect trio of supernatural fighting characters would be Steve Harrington, Jim Hopper, and Robin Buckley. This would be the perfect trio because all aspects of monster fighting and storytelling are covered by these characters. My first choice is Steve because he is passionate and brave, as we see throughout the show with him fighting demo dogs and saving the kids he babysits. My second choice would be Hopper because his police background and traumatic past give him the passion and drive to help those around him. My last choice for the Trio would be Robin because she is shown throughout the show to be smart enough to create a plan, while also having the comedic timing to make a good story. This monster-fighting trio would make an amazing team because in Stranger Things they are all shown to be dynamic and multifaceted characters. A potential new supernatural monster could be a demo fish. In season 4 we see a new gate to the upside down open under the water. This monster could be from the upside down and cross through the lake portal to haunt the waters. This monster could be discovered when Steve and Robin are hanging out at the lake, and when they discover it they call the police chief, Jim Hopper. Then, the adventure begins!

Zendaya's acting career is amazing, she plays a huge range of characters and does it in a way that feels so authentic. I recently read that Zendaya was chosen for the role of Rue in Euphoria over another actress who had similar life experiences to Rue. Zendaya was chosen over the other actress because they thought Zendaya would be able to embody the feelings of Rue better than her. This is so amazing to me, because Zendaya can act feelings and situations that she has never experienced better than someone who has actually experienced them. One of my favorite roles of Zendaya's is MJ from Spider-Man. Zendaya plays an edgy teen turned main love interest in a way that feels so authentic you forgot it's acting. She puts her whole self into her characters and can portray stories in such a meaningful way. Another favorite role of Zendaya's that I love is her character in The Greatest Showman. The best thing about this role is she did all of her own stunts (even the trapeze work). Not to mention her vocals in the movie are always on point. Zendaya's acting is always fantastic. It's genuinely inspirational to see someone out all of their love into their work to create beautiful works of art.

I have been playing Minecraft since I was a little girl, it captured my heart and made me a total nerd for life. Every time I load up the game, I can't help but think about what cool creation I will make. There are endless possibilities in Minecraft and I love to build things and let my creativity flow. You can create worlds, storylines, towns, anything! This is what I love the most about Minecraft, I can make whatever I want, however I want. I still love this about Minecraft. Sometimes when I come home after a long day all I want to do is make a little house and garden in my signature style (all dark oak wood). I remember when I was a kid, it was my sister's birthday and I didn't know what to get her, so I made her an amusement park on Minecraft full of all her favorite things. Anytime my friends would come over I would build us a town to live in together. When it was a holiday, I wanted to build a holiday-themed world. When I became obsessed with Harry Potter, I built a Harry Potter world. The comfort that Minecraft brings me is immeasurable, the control you have in your own little world is so calming. Minecraft was such a huge part of my childhood, and it's still a part of my life to this day.

If I could have everyone in the world read one book, it would be "I'm Glad My Mom Died" by Jennette McCurdy. The title is striking, to say the least, but the book holds a lesson worth taking to heart. Jennette describes her upbringing as a child actor, and how her mother desperately tried to keep her young by teaching her an eating disorder. She wasn't even a teenager before she was paying their family bills with her acting, which her mother forced her to do. It follows her life from birth, up until her mom dies from cancer. Everyone should read this book because it talks about death and trauma in a way that is not angry or sad (unlike what the title suggests) but rather in a mature, complex way. She discusses the abuse she faced at the hand of her mother, and, despite Jennette's love for her, the relief she felt when her mother died. If everyone in the world read this book, I think many people would be able to grow from their traumas and apply this mature mindset to the challenges they may face in their life. This book heightened my own emotional maturity, and I think it could do the same for many other people. It would also bring awareness to child abuse and the development of eating disorders, two very pressing issues in society at the moment. Personally, after reading this book, it genuinely changed me for the better and I think everyone should read it.

Clean by Taylor Swift is my favorite song from the 1989 album. This song holds a special place in my heart because it helped me heal from an abusive relationship. The first time I listened to Clean it immediately connected with me. I had just broken up with my abusive boyfriend whom I had dated for 2 years. We were in love for a little bit, but the relationship turned sour when my ex-boyfriend would scream at me, call me slurs, cheat on me, and manipulate me. Breaking up with him was extremely hard because I loved him, but I finally felt free. "When I was drowning that's when I could finally breathe" I packed up his things, threw them away, and desperately tried to heal from a love that was turned against me. He would consistently try to contact me to accost me and tell me that I was an insane, horrible, shame of a woman. I had to block him on every platform imaginable, as well as block all the fact accounts he made to try and contact me. I started eating healthier, working out, cleaning, and doing anything to move forward and progress from the two years I spent stuck in a fight or flight mindset. "Gone was any trace of you I think I am finally clean" When people talk about abusive relationships, you always hear about the bad things. No one ever talks about the good times, the times you actually were in love. Abusive relationships are not horrible all the time, because how could the abuser get you to stay if things were always bad? There were moments when he supported me or cared about me. The worst part is watching someone you thought loved you, turn into someone who only seems to want to hurt you. It feels like a knife in the back, an uncovering of a masked criminal. "When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst" It had been months since I had broken up with him and I had spent them healing and preparing for the new school year (something quite scary in a pandemic). I was sure I wouldn't have any classes with him because he wasn't in any advanced classes. When school started I had gone through my whole day without seeing him, until my last class. My heart dropped, shattered, and jumped all at the same time. I was panicking, I wanted to drop the class, but I persevered knowing I couldn't let him win. "Ten months sober I must admit, just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it" Now I am healed from my awful years with him, and I will never let him scare me again. Clean perfectly illustrates my experience with him, and there is something healing about knowing that a thing so traumatic can be made into such a work of art.

She is consistently reaching for higher achievements, striving to help people, working hard at her passion for psychology, and knowing that every sacrifice she made to get here paid off because now she can truly help people achieve their dreams too.

Everything from work schedules to government structures is impacted by human nature. But somehow, human nature is something that is often disregarded or miscommunicated. Psychology is putting human nature under a microscope, looking at it on individual levels. Psychology and behavioral studies are increasingly important in a world that is fracturing because if we can understand each other, we can truly work together to fix issues we are all facing on a daily basis. An example of this is the transgender bathroom issue. This is an extremely controversial topic, but understanding human behavior to its fullest extent can help people see each other's points and come to a conclusion that makes everyone comfortable. More awareness about gender dysphoria and how it works can help people better understand this issue and understand each other. Another example of this is climate change. When we better understand behavioral science we can truly see why some people may care deeply about this issue, and why others choose to ignore it. We can also see how single-use plastics are very compliant with human nature because they are convenient, however, they are not good for the environment. So, small solutions to climate change need to work with human behavior to make them applicable to everyday life. One big issue is spreading awareness about human nature, behavioral science, and psychology. There is a huge stigma against psychology in politics because people think feelings should not be apart of big controversial issues. But I would argue that psychology is the basis for politics and political issues because people's experiences and morals impact how they feel politically or how they feel about large issues like climate change. The government should work for the people, and if we cannot understand how people work, then the government can never truly work for us. This is similar with every other structure like hospitals, schools, banks, etc. They need to understand the people they are meant to be serving. Human behavioral science is an incredibly important part of our society, which is why I love studying and learning about it. Behavioral science and psychology have always been so facinating to me, and I plan to become a psychotherapist. I want to attend IUPUI for a bachelor's degree in psychology and then reach for my master's degree. I plan to take classes on things like organizational psychology and sociology, which both are the basis for behavioral science.

My mother and I were visiting my grandma, she lived far away and I didn't like the long drive because I was so young. She lived in a trailer by a dirty river, but my mom always insisted we go to visit her. When we arrived, I remember feeling uneasy. As I entered the trailer I saw baby clothes stapled to the walls, trash everywhere, and her abusive husband sitting at their kitchen table. I didn't like him, he smelled bad and always joked about teaching me how to drive a boat. My grandma has many undiagnosed mental illnesses, some of which were passed down to my uncle. My uncle has bipolar schizophrenia, but he is one of the most wonderful people you will ever meet. He has a wife, two kids, and a stable job. To me, he is an inspiration. I have only ever met two people on my dad's side of the family: my grandpa and my cousin. The rest of the family was cut off after my cousin's birthmother abused him and sent him to the military. I've never met her but she is said to be a very unstable, abusive person, just like my dad's mother. My family tree is full of mental illness, so of course the apple wouldn't fall far. I have always had severe anxiety ever since I was young, but with age, I developed depression and suicidal thoughts. In middle school, I started having intense physical panic attacks that once sent me to the hospital. I have always gravitated toward psychology, maybe just to make sense of myself. I was fascinated by learning about mental illnesses and the impacts of trauma. I always loved when my friends would come to me to talk about their issues because I could truly help someone. I would wait for psychology textbooks to go into the clearance sections of stores and buy them as soon as possible. My love for psychology has bled into every aspect of my life, including my relationship with my boyfriend of almost two years. We both have mental health issues, so our relationship can sometimes get complex. Understanding psychology has helped me to communicate and love in a healthy manner, unlike so many in my family. I am thankful for being exposed to mental illness and mental health issues as a young child because it has made me a more understanding and patient person. I apply that patient and understanding nature in my everyday life when interacting with people by listening to and caring about how they feel, helping them when they need help, and being a person that they can come and talk to. Now, my goal in life is to become a psychotherapist and help people who have severe mental health issues. It is truly my passion to help people grow and overcome adversity. I plan on going to IUPUI for a bachelor's degree in psychology and then reaching for my master's degree. With the education of my dreams, I will be able to work as a psychologist and a therapist to help people on an individual and personal level.

My career of choice is as a psychotherapist. I am passionate about psychotherapy because helping people live better and happier lives, helps me live a better and happier life too! Listening to people's stories and hardships to help them understand how to overcome them is a way that I can make a true impact on the world. Every person is unique and lives unique a life, so listening and getting to help people improve is so fulfilling. I have had two therapists and both helped me immensely. I was always passionate about psychology but after the experiences that I had with them, I knew I truly wanted a career in psychology. Ever since I was little I was always fascinated by psychology, and I have always felt a calling to serve my community and the world. Something about understanding people helped me better understand myself too. As I got older, I gravitated toward books about mental disorders, talk therapy, trauma, etc. I would wait for psychology textbooks to go into clearance at bookstores and buy them as soon as possible. Soon, I found myself always acting as the "Therapist Friend" and always being the one to help people with their problems. I realized that this was something I could do for the rest of my life. To practice psychotherapy, you have to have a master's degree. I come from a big, lower-middle-class family, and knew that if I wanted the education and career of my dreams, I was going to work very hard and find my way to pay for college. My school offered a program to enter a career center where people learn skills like welding, firefighting, and cosmetology. I immediately knew that if I could work in a salon, I could make money and get tips to save for college. Plus, I knew salon work also helps serve communities. I applied to enter cosmetology school and ended up getting accepted. Now, I am in my first year at PJ's College of Cosmetology and I will be able to graduate high school as well as get a professional license in cosmetology. It is incredibly hard work, but I know that it will give me an outlet to make money and save for the education and career of my dreams. Public service and social work are truly my passion, nothing makes me happier than helping my community and serving those around me.

Victoria's Secret by Jax is about how society pressures young women to be as skinny as possible and look perfect. The song went viral on the internet for calling out body standards and empowering women and feminine people to love themselves and be happy with their bodies. This song really hit home with me because I struggled with body issues for many years, always thinking I was too fat or too skinny or too pale, etc. I listen to this song on my daily commute and singing it at the top of my lungs always makes my day better. It helps me love myself. My favorite line from the song, "I know Victoria's secret and, girl, you wouldn't believe she's an old man who lives in Ohio making money off of girls like me", calls out how men created the image of the perfect women and used that image to profit off of women's insecurities. This song has helped many people love themselves and get over their body issues. Victoria's Secret by Jax inspires me to help people love themselves and feel beautiful. I want to major in psychology and be some type of therapist, so helping people feel better about themselves and work through their internal issues is my passion. Body issues have a huge impact on mental health and are important for us to work on as a society. This song makes me even more passionate about helping people heal.

According to the National Association for Gifted Children, gifted children experience higher levels of depression and suicide. I will work to change that. The intellectual needs of gifted children are met and often exceeded through public, home, and private schooling, sometimes schools even push gifted children past the limits of what they can handle. What is genuinely neglected in our society is gifted children's emotional and social needs. I want to be a psychotherapist so I can help people with the same traumas and experiences that I have. I was labeled a "gifted kid" in fourth grade. Ever since then, I have been pressured to keep working and working and taking harder and harder classes, until eventually I get so burnt out and depressed I don't even enjoy learning anymore. All you are is a pile of AP classes and class ranks when your mental health is horrible. Gifted kids are also often perfectionists and can be extremely hard on themselves and hold themselves to a very high standard. This is the case for so many young gifted kids, and it only gets worse in high school. The emotional needs of gifted children are often overlooked because they are labeled as "mature" for their age. Gifted children are also emotionally gifted and can understand the emotions of others very deeply, and understand their own emotions very well. The emotional and social needs of gifted children are not being met through a school system that pressures them to do nothing but challenge themselves intellectually instead of learning about themselves. This can cause a lot of gifted children to get ahead in their education, but behind in their mental health and social development. From my personal experience, I know how mental health can impact your love for learning, and something that is extremely important to me is helping people with traumas they have picked up from being overworked and overpressured since they were young. I want to major in psychology and become a psychotherapist to be able to understand, listen, and help those in need.

I was always interested in psychology. In retrospect, I think I was so interested in psychology because it helped me understand my own issues. I was obsessed with learning about mental disorders and illnesses. I was only a tween and I felt so educated on such a big topic, but one thing I never learned about psychology was its rotten underbelly. Abuse, manipulation, gaslighting, and setting boundaries were things I never learned about. I would soon enter an abusive relationship that would last almost two years, and after that, my need for psychology and understanding grew deeper. My ex would threaten me, corner me, manipulate me, and berate me with insults. After finally leaving about two years into the relationship I started my healing journey and learned more about relationship dynamics. It was the only way I could understand what had happened to me, and what I had gone through. My mental health from grade 7 to grade 9 was the worst it had ever been (the same time as my abusive relationship). I had horrible panic attacks, one of which sent me to the emergency room. I wanted to die, I couldn't understand why I was so unhappy, scared, and hurt. I had a therapy appointment the same day that I finally left my ex. My therapist is the one who finally got it into my head that I needed to leave because I was not being treated right. I could never thank her enough for the contribution she has made to my life. She inspired me to pursue a career as a psychotherapist and help people the same way she helped me. My mental health wildly improved after finally leaving the relationship, I felt free and happy. Of course, it was a long road to full healing and accepting everything I had gone through, but the moment I left my ex my life drastically changed for the better. I want to help make that same change for other people as my therapist did for me. After the experiences I have had, mental health and healing from trauma have taken precedence in my life, relationships, and career aspirations. After going through such a traumatic relationship, I started to notice that the relationships of those around me, including my parents, were riddled with manipulation and abuse. I also began to notice behaviors in people that showed they didn't know how to love or be loved. This furthered my passion for psychology and helping people. I love understanding people and how they think about the world. Listening and understanding why people do the things they do brings you a great understanding of everyone around you. My journey through my own mental health issues and trauma has influenced every part of my life, especially my career aspirations. In every relationship I have I try to listen and understand what people are going through to help them heal and grow in their own mental health journeys. And help people grow is exactly what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Over the past year, I left an abusive relationship that I had been in for two years. During the relationship, my ex would yell, threaten, and manipulate me. After leaving my abusive relationship, I was harassed by my ex. He called me slurs, threatened me, and gaslit me. I remember him saying I was stupid, crazy, and delusional. After I left, I couldn't eat for days. I was at my lowest point, and then I realized I need to start moving forward and healing from the trauma. I started working out and eating healthy. I meditated and wrote numerous pages of feelings trying to help myself out of the hole I was in. I began my journey of healing and loving myself, and now I am in a better place than I ever have been. When I was in my past relationship I was having frequent panic attacks and was severely depressed. After going through my healing journey, I hardly ever have panic attacks and am medicated for depression. I have learned to live confidently and am safe from my ex's harassment and threats. I went into my relationship with dedication and self-love, but I came out the other side broken and beaten down. Thankfully I have brought back my self-love and passion for life. Not only did my own work help me heal, but also therapy and medication. If I were to compare myself right now to one year ago, I would be unrecognizable. I look back on my 15-year-old self when she met my ex for the first time. It's hard knowing that I cannot rewrite my past or ever stop what was going to happen. But I take comfort in knowing that I grew from the abuse and ended up safe and healed. If I were to summarize what I have learned through my journey of self-discovery, it would be to keep moving forward and always be there for yourself. In times when I had no one and was facing abuse, I always had myself to keep me safe and sane. I always had myself to motivate me to move past the trauma I had faced. My past has inspired my future, I want to become a psychotherapist to help people who were in situations just like me. I want to work with people who have faced abuse or have severe mental health issues. My healing journey doesn't stop here, it's a lifelong journey.

Get a planner (online or physical) and write down all of your plans in it, and stick to it throughout the year to know when tests are happening or when projects are due. I have a big planner that has 2 years' worth of calendars in it, and it is really helpful for knowing everything that is going on. It helps me not feel as overwhelmed, and I can cross off days when they are over to help me feel more accomplished. Personally, I color-coded my planner to help me stay organized and find things I am looking for quickly.

Throughout my school career, I have been a part of numerous clubs. But, to be a leader you do not have to be a part of a club, you just have to inspire and help people. Helping people is my passion, especially helping people with their mental health and the beautification of their lives. I am a member of the National Honor Society, so I do a lot of volunteering throughout the school year. I have volunteered many times working at our school sporting events, at our first annual culture fair, at our school's art club, and many other things. These volunteer opportunities have given me amazing experience helping people and getting to lead others to do the same. Not only do I consistently volunteer at my school and local sporting events, but I also help lead academic teams as well. In our most recent round of academic team competitions, I was captain of the social studies team as well as the art team. Being able to help my teammates make study guides and learn was an amazing opportunity. Being a leader takes dedication and perseverance. I try to exemplify these traits daily, whether it's persevering through mental illness, personal struggles, or school work. Being very involved in my community and school comes with many responsibilities, which can feel overwhelming sometimes, but being dedicated to my community helps me stay inspired to lead and volunteer. My own mental health struggles inspired me to help others and help people learn about how they can take care of themselves. Volunteering with different people has helped me to learn about all different personalities and mannerisms. My love for mental health and helping people has led me to try and become a psychotherapist and help those with extreme mental disorders and personal struggles. I am very passionate about mental illness and abuse awareness, so having the option to become someone who works in those areas is amazing.

"This old town can slow you down, people taking the easy way, but I know exactly where I'm going, I'm getting closer and closer every day" My favorite Disney character is Tiana from Princess and the frog. This movie came out in 2009, I was only four at the time, but this movie and its star, Tiana, made a huge impact on me. Tiana has a big dream of owning a restaurant and she works multiple waitress jobs to save up for a downpayment. Her determination and self-discipline rubbed off on me at a young age and inspired me to work as hard as I can to achieve my dreams. Towards the start of the movie, we see Tiana getting home from work and putting change into tins before falling asleep, only to wake up a few hours later and go back to work. This reminds me a lot of my schedule. I wake up at 5:30 every day to commute half an hour to a cosmetology school which I will stay at for four hours before going back to my home school and taking three classes, two of which are AP classes. Then I go home and do homework and study until I go to bed around 11-12. Tiana is an inspiration for persevering through hard schedules because you know that is how you will achieve your dreams. "People down here think I'm crazy, but I don't care. Trials and tribulations, I've had my share, there ain't nothing gonna stop me now, 'cause I'm almost there" Another thing I admire about Tiana is her perseverance through her trials and tribulations, she is a black woman in the south trying to start her own business, which of course comes with many obstacles along the way. As a queer woman in Indiana, I can relate to her obstacles in achieving her dream, but her character always inspires me to work hard and get closer and closer every day. She does not let anything or anyone stop her, even getting turned into a frog and seeking out the help of a witch to turn her back into a human. Just like Tiana, I will achieve my dreams and live happily ever after.

November 24th, 2020 I had woken up with a pounding in my chest. I knew it was another panic attack, I had been having them for almost a year. I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't. No one was home, my mom was at work, so I felt alone and hopeless. I checked my phone only to see multiple missed calls from my boyfriend, who later I would realize was abusing me. An hour passed, my heart was still pounding and I began to feel lightheaded. I sat in the bathroom barely able to breathe, so I called my mom. I desperately asked her to come home. Another hour passed, and my mom was finally here to drive me to the emergency room. I had been having a panic attack for over two hours and when I arrived at the emergency room my vision was blurry. It was now 10 am and I was leaving the hospital, they had told me it was just a panic attack and to take some Motrin for the chest pain. This was just one of the incidents caused by my rapidly declining mental health. I had started having intense physical panic attacks ever since I started dating my (now ex) boyfriend. We had been dating since January 1st of 2020 and would continue dating until two years later. I now look back on this as a very dark time in my life that pushed me into dark places. I was being verbally and emotionally abused by him, and only realized it until after I left the relationship; however, this experience lit a fire inside me. I always knew I wanted to help people, but I never knew how to do so. After this relationship, I realized I want to help people who have been abused work through their struggles and mental health issues. I want to get at least a bachelor's degree in psychology and work at a women's shelter or prison to help people in their darkest moments. One of my main goals is to fund a women's shelter to help women who are dealing with addiction and abuse. Whether it's mental illness, addiction, abuse, or poverty, I want to help people get back on their feet and understand themselves. Mental illness and abuse are incredibly personal and important to me. It is my life goal to help people understand themselves deeper and find the strength inside themselves to reach their full potential.

I wish to see a world where there is less queer-based and gender-based abuse and discrimination. This is because of the personal challenges I have faced as a young queer woman in the 21st century. I am a queer woman who has faced years of verbal and emotional abuse. I was 14 when I met the man who would abuse me for 2 years, putting me in severe depressive episodes and developing intense physical panic attacks. During the relationship, I was called slurs, screamed at, emotionally manipulated, and other things I have never told anyone. I left him when I was 16, and the moment I left him my life changed forever. I slowly began to realize the abuse I had gone through, and a fire was lit inside me. I have always had a deep desire to help people, but I never knew *how* exactly I wanted to help them. After leaving my abusive partner, I finally knew. I wanted to become a psychotherapist so I could help people work through their mental issues. I thought that if I became a psychotherapist I would have the ability to uplift women and queer people to make our communities more positive and healthy. It is also a main goal of mine to help fund a women's shelter and work there to help women and girls who have faced abuse overcome their struggles and find their fullest potential. Women face much higher rates of abuse, so it is extremely important to me that I offer help and resources to women in danger. When I was being abused, my partner would often call me queer-based slurs as well as tell me I was below him for being a queer woman. This lit a fire inside me to help the queer community become more normalized and stop queer hate. I am passionate about the well-being of humanity, and I am determined to help make the world a better place. I will do this by uplifting the mental health of queer people and minorities. I also want to create safe spaces for queer people at any job I work at in the future, I want to make sure queer people are heard and their struggles are seen and helped. As a queer person and someone who is passionate about mental health, I would have the experience and passion to make our community stronger. However, I am not just passionate about queer people, I am passionate about all people's mental health and well-being. My plan is to be the change I wish to see in the world. I will accomplish this by getting at least a bachelor's degree (possibly a master's) in psychology so I am able to help people who have gone through similar things as I have. After graduating I want to find a job at a women's shelter and possibly work at the Trevor Project, a suicide hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. This will enable me to make an impact on the queer community and create a safe place for people who have gone through similar things as I have.

I have struggled with severe depression and anxiety for most of my life. My mental health went off the deep end when, from 2019 to 2021, I was in a verbally abusive relationship. My ex would call me slurs, tell me I was not enough, and even yell at me and tell me I was schizophrenic. I was 14 to 16 years old during the relationship, and it left a lasting impression on me. I developed panic attacks and still suffer from flashbacks because of trauma. One sunny day, in march of 2021, I finally left my ex. When I left, I was harassed by him over the phone. He told me I was delusional and insane because I broke up with him. I still see him every day at my high school, but I persevered through the hard times and kept my eyes set on my goals. I am trying to improve my attitude toward life and become more motivated to reach my goals. I have begun therapy and taking medication to help my mental health and have started to have a better relationship with myself and others. I have become much healthier, more hygienic, and more motivated. I have found healthy coping mechanisms for panic attacks and depression, and now I am ready to keep moving forward. I am working towards becoming a psychology major to become a therapist or psychologist. I have always loved psychology, but after the abuse I faced, I fell in love with why people do the things they do. I was hurt and wondering what I did to deserve what I had been through, and then I started reading about the dynamics of abuse and mental illness. I fell in love with the idea of helping people with mental illnesses or people in abusive relationships. My ideal career would be as a correctional psychologist who works in jails. I have always been passionate about the rehabilitation of inmates in hopes of healing people and giving them a second chance. Also, it's a life goal of mine to help financially fund a women's shelter to help women and children escape abuse and have resources for their safety. These are my dreams, but I will make them a reality with hard work and dedication to the well-being of humanity. I want to go to IUPUI and work towards a bachelor's degree in psychology, and then I would like to work towards a master's degree or a PsyD. This scholarship would help me work towards my dream of helping and healing people to give them a second chance at life.

We have all heard the meaning of life is to be happy, and of course, that is true. But, everyone has different things that make them happy. The meaning of life is not a one-size-fits-all pair of socks, instead of it is something that is entirely dependent on the true passion of each individual person. Julia Robert's passion is probably acting, Adele's is probably singing, etc. My passion is to help and heal. I have always had a passion for listening and hearing about the struggles that people face. I have learned to be empathetic and analytical when it comes to the ongoing of different people. This led me to a love of psychology. I love to analyze why people do the things they do so that they can find the best strategies to heal and become the best version of themselves. I particularly have an interest in the struggles of women who have faced abuse, criminals, people with PTSD, and fighting couples. It may sound terrible to say I have an interest in those things, but I love getting to look into people's minds and see how they work so that people can heal and understand themselves better. I want to go to IUPUI for psychology in pursuit of a meaningful career in helping people. That would fulfill me and bring my life meaning.

As someone who loves psychology, I love to know people's love languages. There are five of them, words of affirmation, physical touch, acts of service, quality time, and gift-giving. Personally, mine is words of affirmation. When I started dating my partner, I found out their love language was physical touch. I am not a physically affectionate person most of the time, but as our relationship got stronger we both learned how to express our love in a way we both understood. Anytime I see my partner I make sure to greet them with a hug or kiss, and when I am proud of them I will show them through hugs. They will use words of affirmation to make me feel loved too. My mother's love language is gift-giving and acts of service. For mother's day last year, I bought her a candle she loved and cleaned the downstairs of our house. It is in our nature to love people, but sometimes our love might not translate, which is why it's important in relationships of all kinds to learn how people feel loved so that you can love them in a way they understand.

I have struggled with mental illness my whole life, I have severe anxiety and depression. Over the years I have found a few ways that help me calm down and find a little peace in life. My favorite ways to clear my mind include exercise, writing, taking a shower, and doing my makeup. Exercising is proven to help mental health because of the endorphins your body releases. It also gives you time to work your emotions out physically and mentally. This is one of my favorite ways to deal with my mental health because it greatly improves my emotions while also helping me get stronger. Writing is also a great way to help your mental health. Whenever my friends are having a hard time I always suggest that they write down their problems because it's a good way to make everything feel less chaotic. You can also release a lot of emotions through writing. Taking a shower or bath is another great way to take care of your mental health because it gives you an opportunity to take care of yourself and you can also listen to music and clear your mind. Sometimes when you take care of yourself it makes you feel more confident, and that can always improve mental health. The last way I personally take care of my mental health is by doing my makeup. This helps me express myself creatively while also making me feel put together. I do my makeup every day and it helps me feel confident and on top of things. Mental health is incredibly important to me, so important in fact that I plan to major in psychology. I want to help people find their own ways to take care of their mental health. It has always been my passion to listen to and help people. This being said, having my own ways to clear my head are important because I can suggest them to other people as well as practice healthy self-care. Sometimes people can't clear their own heads, and that's when it's good to use a helpline, such as the suicide hotline or Love-Is. I have used helplines many times and they are very helpful, talking it out with someone is an amazing way to clear your head and take care of your mental health. Along with majoring in psychology, it is one of my life goals to work for a suicide hotline so I can help people in crisis.

I believe a lot of my success as a student has come from my hard work and my dedication to studying. Of course, how I study depends on the subject I am studying for, but there is one fundamental idea I always apply to my studying: Don't practice until you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong. This is something I can apply to everything from solving chemistry formulas, to hitting the perfect high G on my French Horn. Practicing until I can't get it wrong is something that gives me a goal, and supports active learning. Studying for an hour doesn't mean you learn the concept it just means you studied for an hour. Reading a chapter of your textbook doesn't mean you learned the material. But studying until you can't get the concept wrong means you really did learn it. I apply this strategy to my study life by taking my time with each subject and picking something I struggle with, and I practice it until I can't get it wrong. This has shown effective in my academic life, I have straight A's in five AP and/or honors classes. I work hard and really learn what I am doing to be successful and I want to continue doing so as I reach for higher education.

I was in an abusive relationship for a year and a half, my ex always told me I was too opinionated, too loud, too bossy, and how much he hated angry, talkative women. During this relationship I felt so held down, I felt like I could never express myself or my feelings and opinions. I finally left in March of 2021 and I am now free of the abuse and hold that the relationship had on my voice. I can now express myself freely and always speak my mind and it has never felt better. After my thoughts and opinions had been so restricted, now I always speak my mind and share how I feel because it feels so good to do so. You never know how much you need something until it's gone, and when I finally got my voice back I realized the freedom I had. I now use my freedom to speak my mind when I am upset, annoyed, interested, or have any opinion on a subject. I will continue to speak my mind and opinion for the rest of my life and I will never let someone restrict me again. Being a queer woman, I want to use my voice to fight for LGBTQ+ rights as well as the rights of women. I want to represent queer women in STEM and never stop sharing my ideas and opinions.

2D and 3D animation is something that inspires me. Animation is a way of telling a story that can visually be whatever you want. It can be used to tell stories, show movement, show different perspectives, and spread awareness about situations. One example of animation making a difference in the world is the animated short called "If Anything Happens I Love You". This is a short film about school shootings. The way that this story comes alive on a screen to bring awareness to an issue is incredibly inspiring to me. This type of technology and the ability to animate stories is exactly why I want to become an animator/ VFX artist, I want to make stories come alive to bring awareness of other perspectives in the world. Other points of view are important to represent on the big screen, and animation allows people to create art from any perspective and about any topic. They can also use stylized animation to tell their story even better. Animation can also be used to bring live-action films into a world of imagination. Special effects can be used to make the real world look like it's filled with magic and wonder. Movies like Harry Potter and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are great examples of how special effects and animation can be used to enhance the real world. This is so amazing and inspiring to me because they keep wonder and imagination alive even when the world seems bleak. This also allows filmmakers to create art to their fullest potential. Overall, animation and special effects inspired me to strive to be a 3D animator/ VFX artist to continue to bring wonder, imagination, and different points of view onto the big screen.

It was 2020, I was at my grandparent's house, in a guest bed trying to fall asleep. My phone lights up and my heart drops. I am what people call the "Therapy Friend", the one you always text if you need help, need to rant, need advice. So, I have learned to expect the worst when my phone dings. I grab my phone and open it to find a Snapchat message from one of my best friends. She said she had just swallowed a whole bottle of pills trying to commit suicide and she didn't know what to do. "Everything will be okay, I am here for you, try to make yourself throw up and then try to eat, then drink lots of water. You need to let your parents know." The advice I had given more times than I'd like to admit. I stayed up with her until she felt better, was physically safe, and fell asleep on facetime. I am used to doing this, not exactly suicide texts, but sometimes it was a breakup, a mental breakdown, a fight with their parents, a bout of anxiety. I pride myself on always listening and helping others when they need it. I want everyone I know to know that they have a place to go and talk when life feels hopeless. Being the "Therapy Friend" has taught me a lot about empathy. It taught me about helping people and genuinely caring for them. Empathy is something that comes naturally to me and it's something I love extending to people. I will continue to be as helpful, caring, and empathetic as I can as I go into my future college and future career.

I breathe in and smell the rainy air. As I convince myself I know spring is coming based on the smell, I walk down my sidewalk and can't help but notice the tightness in my chest. While I am walking I think about the situation I am in, online school, a pandemic, an unhappy relationship, panic attacks, and a general sense of hopelessness. Fast forward a year, amazing grades, an amazing partner, no more panic attacks, and feeling happier than I ever have. How can this be? If you had asked me last year what made me happy, I would have told you happy is just a word you play in scrabble when you need to get rid of your P's. I didn't think I could really be happy. At that time I was in an abusive relationship and isolated from my friends. My mental health was the worst it has ever been. But soon I left that relationship, I went back to school and I found genuine happiness. Taking care of myself, taking care of my community, and spending time with my new partner brings me genuine joy. Volunteering in my community and helping my school is something that is so rewarding that I was not able to do last year. Taking care of myself, like cleaning my face and eating healthy was something my mental health deterred me from last year. Having a partner who lets me sleep, cares about me, and doesn't insult me was something I could have never imagined last year. These things are what turned my life around. They brought me so much happiness and still bring me joy now. I all three of those things and I will continue to do them as long as I am able to.

My challenges motivate me, because if I succeeded under hard circumstances then my achievements are even greater. Spite also motivates me to prove everyone wrong. After I ended an abusive relationship I had been in for a year and a half, I was harassed and accosted by my ex. He called me slurs, insulted my looks and intelligence, and called me other things like delusional and insane. These words motivate me because I know what he said is not true, and it motivates me to prove him wrong. I have, indeed, proved him wrong by being in the top 15 students of my grade, having a 4.16 GPA, being involved in 7 different clubs, painting a mural in my school hallway, and looking fantastic as I do it. Challenges, like juggling AP and honors classes while being the captain of two academic teams, motivate me because I know if something is hard then it makes it even more of a challenge and an even better achievement. If someone won the Olympics it would be amazing, but if they won with a broken leg it would be legendary. I have always known I was good under pressure and good at handling hard things. My ex was right about one thing, I am insane when it comes to taking on challenges. Because I know how to depend on myself and I know at the end of the day I can do whatever I put my mind to. No matter what I commit to I will find the time, I will find the strength, and I will find the motivation.

This piece is called "African Sontana" by Vladimir Kush. Surrealist paintings are inspiring in general because there is always a deeper meaning and it shows different points of view; however, I chose this specific painting because it has a sense of fun to it, it shows how sounds and sights are all connected and beautiful. One of the beautiful things I love about this painting is its use of connotation with sound. The elephant is a tuba, because of its deep full sound and its big bell mimics the trunk of an elephant. The gazelle has a greek lyre harp for horns because of its shape and its high delicate sound. This painting inspires me to look at the world differently and play with different shapes in art. For example, the clouds in the sky are music notes and the smoke coming out of the volcano is a treble clef. These are small details you don't notice at first glance because the shapes are so well hidden. This piece makes me want to create beautiful art that transports you to another world. As a french horn and mellophone player for over 5 years, this piece is so fun to look at and it makes me think about sound in a whole different way.

Everyone has something that brings them comfort in hard times. For me, this was Marvel movies. Being transported to another world where you're always protected by inspiring people with powers. It's a comforting idea when you are trapped in an abusive relationship. At the age of 14, I met someone I would soon start dating. We would be together for a year and a half after that. During the relationship, I was emotionally and verbally abused without anyone else's knowledge but mine. I was a kid, I didn't know what I was experiencing was wrong. Slowly the relationship took an extreme toll on my mental health, and I soon developed almost daily panic attacks. Throughout this time Marvel movies were my comfort, they calmed me down and I genuinely loved watching them. They also helped me gain the courage to finally leave my ex when I was 16. Throughout the breakup, he harassed and accosted me and it was very difficult to get over. Marvel movies helped take my mind off of it and made me feel safe. I am almost 17 now and no longer have panic attacks. I am now healthy and strong again. These movies inspired me to become a VFX artist and work on special effects and CGI. The magic of Marvel movies made me feel like I was in another world and I want to help other people feel the same. I want to make amazing effects that can help people escape from their bad situations and hardships. I want to create worlds where people feel safe and mystified by magic coming alive on a screen. I want to give people what those movies gave me, comfort.

Most things on a bucket list are adventures, they are exciting things meant to give our life meaning, like visiting Switzerland or seeing Beyoncé in concert. But, I'm not going to talk about the little things I wish were going to happen, I'm going to talk about the meaningful things on my bucket list that are not just dreams, they are goals. Financially supporting a women's shelter is at the top of my bucket list. As someone who has experienced abuse, this is extremely important to me. I want to donate to causes that help protect women from terrible situations and help them get back on their feet. Working on CGI for a Marvel movie is also on the bucket list. Marvel movies helped me get through some hard times. I love animation and CGI so getting to work on a Marvel movie would complete my life. I want to help people get through hard times by bringing them the comfort these movies brought me. Another important thing on my bucket list is advocacy for free menstrual products for anyone who uses them. I plan to attend many protests for women's rights including free menstrual products. At my school, the tampon and pad dispensers are never refilled and there are multiple people who depend on them for menstrual care. I will sometimes leave a few pads in each stall to try and help those people. I want to continue to advocate for this as I gain the right to vote and gain more power as an adult. My bucket list is full of things, and some of them are very important. I want to complete all of them, especially the ones that improve the well-being of humanity.

Confidence to me is being unapologetically yourself. It's living life freely and believing in your individuality. Confidence is understanding that what others say does not define you, and it doesn't matter what other people think. As a queer woman, I have had to learn that what others say should never make me feel differently about myself. I have been called slurs, experienced sexism, and homophobia throughout my school experience. Being a queer woman also comes with the fear of being fetishized. Despite the discrimination I have faced, and the world around me telling me to change, I stay true to myself. This is true confidence to me. Walking into a room knowing people hate you and still believing in your power is true confidence. In the future, I plan to continue being true to myself and confident even as I face hard times and prejudice. I also plan to help others feel more confident by representing queer women in STEM and normalizing things that are still seen as negative. I want other LGBTQ+ people, as well as other women, to see someone going into a field where their representation isn't common. I want to inspire others and make them believe they can do whatever they put their mind to.

"I'm Still Here" by Sia This song holds an incredibly special place in my heart. Lyrics like "Oh, the past, it wanted me dead. Oh, the past, it tormented me. But the battle was lost. 'Cause I'm still here" really resonate and inspire me to keep fighting a daily battle with my past and my mental health. The first time I listened to this song was the day after I left an abusive relationship. It had lasted for a year and a half and was the hardest time in my life. Listening to this song inspired me to keep healing, and keep winning the battle against hardship. The song has a very uplifting and victorious tone, which made me feel so empowered. This song still inspires me to this day and reminds me of the courage I had to leave an abusive partner. This song will continue to make me feel empowered and inspired as I reach for higher education in spite of everything that has happened in my past.

The world is busy, noisy, scary even. Sometimes you need to take a break and take care of yourself. I do this by taking a day to clean up my room and clean my laundry. Then I'll take a bath and do a face mask. Sometimes I'll paint my nails and put on a good show. I'll get into a fresh, clean, soft pair of pajamas and relax in bed. With all the hectic stuff going on in my life, and in the world, it's hard to find a moment of peace. When I am able to fully relax and take care of myself it's so refreshing. There is nothing like putting your hair up and finally being able to take a breath. I would consider myself somewhat of a workaholic. If I am not working I'll stress out about all the work I could be doing, and shame myself for not doing more. This is why these days are so important because it allows me to truly set a goal for the day, that goal being relaxation, and see it through. Everyone needs some rest sometimes, and cleaning yourself up is the best way to do it.

An obvious answer would be coffee and black tea, maybe even lemon popsicles when it rains outside, but there are many more things that fuel my life. Some of them include my boyfriend, my big dreams, my family, but the biggest driving factor in my life would have to be spite. Yes, I know how that sounds, stubborn, recalcitrant, hateful even. But when I think of spite, I think of resilience. I think of everything that has tried to keep me down, and succeeding anyway. I think of breaking glass ceilings, of breaking stereotypes. Spite is the thing that fuels my life and I'm not afraid to admit it. Women can't be in STEM? Watch me do it anyway. I'll never amount to anything? I already have. I dream too big? They aren't dreams, they're goals and I'll achieve them all. I want to get out into the world and make a name for myself, make a good life, and bring people joy while doing it. And I'll do it in spite of everything.

The most inspiring book I have read is "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter". This is an inspiring tale of a young Hispanic woman whose sister has died. As she is coping with the death of her sister she finds out a dark family secret. Throughout the book we see the main character persevere through the hardships of living in the inner city and exploring her youth. I read this book in eighth grade and it made a huge impact on me. The main character shows that you can get through hardship and despite how you grow up you can always create a good life for yourself. The main character becomes a successful writer and goes to college, even though no one expected her to graduate college. Will I use the inspiration I found from this book to catapult myself into success? Indubitably. I am a hard-working and determined queer woman who is set on a path to create amazing art to inspire the masses.

I am going to cosmetology school my junior year through a career center, to do this I have to pay about $600. If I had $1,000 to spend I would pay for that, as well as three summer classes I have to take online to make up for school missed while at the career center. These classes would cost a total of $750 but I would use my remaining $400 from the $1,000 to pay off some of the cost. I believe that this would be the best way to spend the money because it's important to invest in myself and my future. Bettering myself with education and getting the opportunity to get a beautician license is very important to me. I am making the decision to get a beautician license because it will give me a good job opportunity to work my way through college. I want to graduate from college with as little debt as possible and that is why if I had $1,000 I would invest it in myself and my future career and education. If I actually did win this scholarship it would be $1,000 of college debt I would not have to have on my shoulders.

I plan to go to cosmetology school this next coming school year, I will be a junior. I will get my beautician license by the end of my senior year. I will then be able to work my way through college at a salon. I plan to attend IUPUI and major in computer graphics technology with a concentration in motion graphics. One goal I have is to pay off my debt as soon as possible. After I graduate college I hope to find an internship in animation/CGI. I then want to find a permanent position where I can work my way up to be a head animator. My life's goal is to be a head animator on a Marvel or Pixar movie. With my income, I would like to financially support a women's shelter as well as donate to causes to help fight climate change. My plans are well drawn out, and I'm dedicated to making my life the best it can be. Higher education would help me achieve success in my dream field of animation and CGI.

My heart drops, I forgot to turn in an assignment. I feel a wave of self-hatred wash over me. I *never* forget to turn in assignments. I get up from my chair and scoff at my foolishness, I knew this was due last night so why didn't I turn it in? An hour passes by as I finish my assignment in a doleful mood. I hit submit and feel a weight lift off my shoulders as I realize I put too much blame on myself for making a simple mistake I don't often make. This was the moment I learned a valuable lesson: every mistake is an opportunity to show yourself forgiveness and love. I have high standards, especially for myself, so when I make mistakes I often get very upset at myself; however, I have recently learned that the most productive thing to do after making a mistake is to tell yourself you forgive yourself and you will do better next time. By doing this I have grown as a person and I continue to use my mistakes as a list of ways to grow even more. Everyone has an assignment slip their mind, but growth is understanding how to use that mistake as a good reminder of how you can still improve. Keeping this mindset will help me grow not only in academics but also in my personal and social life.

Helping your community is your duty as a citizen, but helping your community is also a great way to give back to the world and to help humanity. Humanity is made of communities and is one itself, so if we all made our communities the best they could be then we would live in an amazing world. I personally have given back to my community in many ways including organizing a recycling drive, helping to make an eco-bricked garden, volunteering at our first annual culture fair, helping with fundraisers for our local county home, painting a mural in our school, and volunteering at our local orchards festival. All of these things were amazing experiences that made me fall in love with community service and helping people. It's amazing to make a positive impact even in the smallest of communities because seeing the good effects it can have is so rewarding. I plan to continue to help my community in the future by donating to women's shelters, volunteering, and bringing representation to women in STEM. I want to help make the world a friendlier and more beautiful place to live, as well as bring joy to everyone that I can along the way.

I have always loved movies, Marvel, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games. These movies brought me comfort in hard times, and I have always been astounded by the beauty of movement and color, so naturally, I fell in love with animation and CGI. Special effects are so amazing to me, they use color and texture to perfectly blend into reality and can create things on a screen that could never exist in real life. I want to become a visual effects (VFX) artist so I can work on movies and perfect CGI to make movies even more magical. My goal is to become a head VFX artist/director at either Pixar or Marvel studios. Making meaningful and magical entertainment is my goal because I want to bring people comfort and make people happy in times when they need it most. But, I also want to help make movies that play with color and style. Movies like "The Little Prince" and "La La Land" play with color and style in a way that holds so much symbolism and meaning. Overall, CGI and visual effects are amazing to me, and I want to be an artist in these fields to create stunning art for all to enjoy.

It's 2020, I am 14 years old and doing school online to avoid the pandemic ripping through the world. All through social media people are talking none stop about recent news, a black man was killed at the hands of a police officer in Minnesota. I heard people talking about the systemic racism in the US and I had no idea about it, I was very much living in a state of white privilege. I began doing research on the systemic problems people of color face in America and was shocked by everything. This completely changed my perspective of America and changed my views forever. Thanks to people of color speaking out on their experiences, I, and other people of privilege, are aware of the issues facing them in their day-to-day life. Now I advocate for systemic change and the betterment of communities to help people who are historically oppressed in America. This learning experience forever changed my views, and forever changed how I see the system we live in. My perspective had completely shifted and I'm glad it did because ignorance is not bliss, especially when so many people suffer because of it.

Friendship, to me, means enjoying a deep connection with each other. It is being there for them, keeping each other company, and making each other laugh. I have a few really good friends, which is how I like it. Having a few close friends is great because you can harbor a deep connection with them rather than spreading a shallow connection over a large group of people. A deep friendship is one that can last even when you're busy and can't hang out, even when you're far apart, and even through tough times. An example of a friendship lasting through all three of these situations is the one I have with my best friend Chloe. We met in the sixth grade, but in the eighth grade, Chloe moved to North Carolina. I wasn't able to see her, and Covid-19 was about to strike the US. We were stuck without each other while trying to survive high school and a pandemic. We wouldn't see each other again until the summer before sophomore year. Seeing her again was amazing, and it showed the true strength of our friendship because we picked up right where we had left off. True friendship stands the test of time.

One of the most valuable things I have learned about myself is that I am extremely determined and hard working. This to me is valuable because it has helped me throughout my academic career and has led me to the achievements I have today. I am very dedicated, therefore if I put my mind to something I know I will work hard to achieve it. I realized I have this character trait when I started middle school. Anytime I struggled in a subject I put my mind to it and worked hard until I knew exactly what to do. This in turn led me to have straight A's and incredible determination. I am especially dedicated to learning all I can learn because I believe education is extremely important, especially for young women. Throughout my high school career, I have shown hard work and determination by joining two academic teams, joining four clubs, painting a mural, getting straight A's, taking five AP/honors classes, winning gold at an ISSMA solo event, and helping organize a Culture Fair as well as a recycling drive all at the same time. I am dedicated and determined and I will carry on this attitude as I pursue higher education.

As a queer woman with mental illness, I have a lot to fight for in my community. I live in a small town in Indiana, so women, people of color, and queer people are often not represented and treated properly. I see this commonly in my school with bullying and the use of slurs. I have tried to positively impact my community by making a petition to add excused mental health days into our attendance system to help people with mental illness. I collected many signatures, but the school system would not change. I also talked to our vice principal about the bullying of queer people and how we can stop the struggling of queer kids. Our school now openly promotes the Trevor Project and a small presentation was given on it in a class by our guidance system. This is a small change, and there are so many other changes to be made to our school and our local community. As I reach for higher education I plan to attend protests for change, including women's rights. I want to make an impact, and I want to help people. As a 16-year-old, I don't have much power now, but I will continue to make the most of the power I do hold.

Scrolling through social media like normal, until I see a video showing the effects of climate change. It shows animals trapped in plastic, streets flooding, and gives information about the ozone layer. As I watch this video something changes inside me. I start doing more research and learn that only 10% of plastic in the world has actually been recycled. I also learn that plastic will never biodegrade, it will only break down into tiny particles which can kill fish when leaked into the ocean. Since that day I have taken steps to reduce my carbon footprint. These things include only buying biodegradable beauty products, no longer buying fast fashion, buying biodegradable feminine products, picking up trash in my local park, and signing and advocating petitions for climate control. Individual attempts to help climate change won't make much of a difference, but when we all try it can help. Companies have a big hand in climate change. This is why I advocate petitions made by people in my government to limit company carbon admission as well as waste. I advocate this by sharing it with people who will sign as well as posting about it on my social media. Climate change is a threat to our humanity, and we all need to try to do something about it, regardless of how small of a change.

I deserve this scholarship because I am amazing at giving wrong answers and amazing at spending money. I've never achieved anything, so this is right up my alley. I've never answered a question right in my life. I want to become a bagel baker who only makes red velvet bagels. Red velvet bagels are my passion, I've loved them since I was a kid. Getting a degree in computer graphics technology would help me design the logo for my red velvet bagel business, which I will name Bethany's Bussin' Bagels. No, my name is not Bethany. I have overcome many obstacles in my life. I was born at a very young age, I couldn't walk, speak, or even boil a bagel. I am now 16 years old, and I can walk and speak with mild to moderate success. Overcoming this obstacle gave me the skills I needed to bring the world happiness through a whole lot of red food dye and a little love.

My favorite hobby is doing my makeup. This may sound vain to some people, but makeup is so much more than just looking good. It's painting, but instead, you bring out the beautiful features of yourself and others. You make people into living art. Makeup is a way to express yourself and your style and then wear your art for all to see. It is also very interesting how all the different textures and consistencies of makeup work together. Makeup also involves chemistry which is also very interesting to me. It is one of my core beliefs that humans are works of art, and makeup is a way to enhance the beauty that everyone was given. I enjoy doing my own makeup, as well as others. I will be doing my sister's makeup for her wedding as well as the other bridesmaids. I have always enjoyed watching people do makeup, it looked so interesting and therapeutic. I started actually doing my makeup in 2020. Throughout the pandemic, I had time to practice doing my makeup while quarantining at home. Trying different types of cosmetics is so interesting, seeing how it reacts with other types of makeup and different consistencies. Finding the best way to blend, or the perfect eyebrow color. It's all so interesting. And having the opportunity to make people feel beautiful and confident is something so amazing. I love to make people love themselves and feel confident, so being able to do that through makeup is a beautiful opportunity in my opinion. I plan to go to a career center during my Junior and Senior years of high school to get a beautician license. This will help me find a job at a salon and work my way through college in hopes of paying off loans to start my life right.

I love art in every medium, I also love beauty and expressing myself through style. Therefore, of course, my hobbies would be makeup and nails! I have been doing my own nails since sixth grade, and I am now a sophomore in high school and I can do everything from extensions to acrylics. Any shape, any color, any style. I improve this skill every time I do my nails, which is one a week. My friends have me do their nails too, so I get extra practice sometimes. I also improve my skills every time I try a new nails product. For instance, the poly gel is an acrylic nail substitute. You use nail forms and monomers to mold the poly gel into the shape you desire. This is a new way to do nails that I tried, and every time I try something new I can tell my skills are improving. This is just a hobby and I do not intend to be a nail tech as a full-time career. However, in my junior and senior years of high school, I will be attending a career center to become a certified beautician. This means I will be able to use my skills in beauty to work at a salon, this will help me work my way through college and pay off loans.

My name is Samantha Horning, I'm a 16-year-old high-achieving queer woman. I have played the french horn and mellophone for almost 6 years. I am a participant in the Spanish club, Art club, Social studies academic team, Art academic team, Rotary interact club and environmental science club. I recently won Student of the Month out of my high school. I am also in the top 15 for my class. Enough about academics, I am passionate about Art, Politics, and People. I am currently painting a mural in my school, and I plan to become a VFX artist.

A small conservative town in the middle of Indiana isn't the place you would expect to be accepting. As a queer woman, I know how hard it can be to feel welcome in spaces that were not made for you. Computer labs, robotics clubs, academic teams, etc. It's impossible to walk the halls without the daunting feeling that you were never meant to be here. When so many people feel like this, it's only a matter of time until they form a community with each other to feel accepted. This is exactly what our school's Art Club is. A place filled with queer youth who want a place to go to feel safe. This club is important for me because it instills the love for art in young people who need an outlet to express themselves freely. All forms of art, and people, are present in this club, and when you walk in you can't help but feel a sense of humanity. This club has made me feel safe and accepted, and I want to continue to help people feel the way that club made me feel. One way I will continue to support equality and diversity is by representing queer women in the STEM world. I want to get a degree in motion graphics and become a VFX artist to continue to make queer women seen and represented in media and entertainment. I also want to be a part of the making of entertainment that minority youth can feel represented by, and take comfort in.

My favorite way to help others is to listen to them. I love to listen to people's problems and help them through hard times. I am what the internet calls "The Therapist Friend". Everyone knows they can come to me at any time and rant to me about whatever is troubling them. I love to comfort people and make them happy, it's something that brings me a lot of joy. This includes giving friends advice, comforting them, or trying to distract them from whatever is making them worried or upset. I love to help others no matter the person. Humanity's mental health is very important to me and it makes me feel so fulfilled when I can bring someone joy. This is why I want to go into VFX art/CGI so I can help make entertainment that is magical and can be an escape for people going through hard times. Helping people and making them happy is my passion, so getting to do that through art would be a dream come true.

One of the most difficult situations of my life that I persevered through was being in a year and a half long abusive relationship. I had started dating them when I was 14, and finally left when I was 16. This relationship happened before and during a pandemic, as well as during a year's worth of online school. I am 16 now, and reflecting back on that relationship gives me panic attacks, but it is also inspiring to know that I made it through, and I had the courage to leave. Throughout the relationship, I was verbally and emotionally abused via gaslighting, manipulation, threats, screaming, and control. When I finally had the courage to leave I was harassed and called things, including slurs, by my ex. This was an extremely hard time in my life. But with perseverance and determination I made it through, and I am now free of my ex, and I am thriving. My mental health is better than ever. I recently became "student of the month", won gold at a band competition, and have continued to receive straight A's. I have done amazing things, I have persevered through extremely hard times, and I will continue to do so as I reach for higher education.

A simple pleasure in my life is watching the rain and drinking tea. This seems like something most people would overlook, but I love it. It is so calming to listen to the sound of the rain, especially with the window open or as you sit outside on a porch. The tea makes it even cozier because it warms you up. I do this whenever it rains. I have loved rain even since I was little and I always play rain sounds when it's not raining to help me focus or sleep. Tea is also something I have loved since I was young, and I don't think I have gone one day without a little bit of tea. It's just something that keeps me going despite its small impact on my life. Tea and rain is a simple pleasure, but so calming it can get you through your rough times in life.

Throughout my life, I have struggled greatly with mental health issues. But things got even worse when I entered a relationship when I was 14 that would soon turn abusive. I left that relationship when I was 16, which is the age I am now and have been left with flashbacks, panic attacks, trauma, and terrible depression and anxiety. This impacted me greatly and I am still dealing with the effects of a relationship that should have never begun, but this impacted me in some positive ways. I am now extremely passionate about helping abuse victims and helping women leave abusive relationships. This led to an ambition of mine which is to make enough money in my life to help financially fund a women's shelter. This relationship also gave me incredible amounts of determination to be successful and to make a good life for myself and others. I want to de-stigmatize mental health and also help fund mental health resources in the future. One of my goals in life is to make enough money to financially support myself as well as financially support a women's shelter for women who have mental health problems and/or are escaping abusive situations. I also want to be a part of the making of media and entertainment that represents people with mental health disorders and destigmatizes mental illness. I will also be pursuing a beautician license during my junior and senior years of high school because not only do I want to be a VFX artist, I also want to make people feel beautiful and confident in themselves. Mental health, especially for women, can be based on how you look, so I want to help people by making them feel confident in themselves and love themselves again to help their self-esteem.

Living in a small town in Indiana, it's hard to have the beliefs and lifestyle that I do. However, every day I stay true to myself by voicing my opinions and expressing myself as I like to. I grew up in a conservative Catholic home, so being a bisexual socialist is hard. But I make it work, and through staying true to myself I have found many people who also stay true to themselves despite the backlash. In my school, which is very conservative, I actively try to fight for LGBTQ+ rights as well as better mental health accommodations. Despite the fact that many ways I have tried to make an impact have failed, I still stay true to my beliefs and keep trying to make our community better. I will stay true to myself throughout my life including as I pursue higher education where I hope to make an impact by being a part of the making of diverse media and entertainment.

To help others in my life I volunteer for organizations, and I also try to help people individually. I am a part of many service organizations, and I try to help others in my life in and out of school. I am part of my school's Rotary Club, and we have done many fundraisers for after-school programs as well as fundraisers to help our local county home. I was a part of the National Junior Honors in middle school where we did fundraisers for animal shelters and helped clean our environment and community garden. I also volunteer yearly at a marathon to help hand out water as the marathon goes on, this includes driving to Indianapolis at about 5 in the morning and then dragging tables and stacking cups to set up a station, each station has about 10 tables. I also volunteered with my local Spanish Club to help set us our first-annual Culture Fair. We had food/music/dancing from many different countries. I love helping my community and others in my life and I aspire to continue making the world a better place as I reach for higher education.

An experience that has shaped who I am today is going to an all-girls STEM conference at a private school. It was a one-day event where you can take classes about anything relating to STEM. This shaped who I am today because I found a passion for animation and was inspired to not wait for female representation in STEM, but to rather be the representation. This is when my passion for animation and special effect first started, and then ever since that point I have noticed how much animation and CGI goes into movies. This experience also shaped who I am today because I met so many inspiring women who were passionate about all different types of STEM and who were determined to learn all they can about it. Being around people who are passionate makes me passionate too and that's exactly what happened. I went to this conference again the following year and took different classes. Once again I was inspired by everyone I met and was so intrigued about all the different aspects of STEM.

I love how much I can depend on and trust myself. I love this because it's so important for academic and career success. I can always depend on myself to keep a commitment and to work hard on things. This has to be my favorite aspect about myself because it's something that I don't see a lot in others. Whenever a friend or a family member is unsure of themselves it seems very foreign to me because I've not been sure of myself or put the utmost trust in myself. This is shown in my academic life because I can join multiple academic teams at a time knowing that I'll still put my all into each one. I can also take multiple AP classes at a time without any doubt that I will be able to handle anything that those classes through at me. This will help me be successful in my future career(s) because I know I will always work my hardest and trust myself to excel in anything I put my mind to.

Art and music are both incredibly important to society because they highlight the uniqueness in each of our minds. Creating art or music is an important mode of individuality and can be used to make our lives more colorful. Art in any medium from painting to 3D art can be used to express things that words can't. Art and music bring justice to feelings that are hard to put into words, for example, love or anxiety. This is important to society because we can communicate our feelings and individuality to anyone, despite language barriers. Just like Devin Chase Vancil I too am a lover of music and art. I am part of my local art club and part of our art academic team. I have also been a part of my school band for about 6 years, I play French Horn and Mellophone. I have been a part of the Indiana All-Region Honor Band as well as the Indiana All-District Honor Band. When I think of art I can't help but think of my favorite piece of art from an art museum in Indianapolis. It is a large room with speakers hanging from the ceiling and connected with colorful string. The speakers play words whispered between loved ones. The words are at different volumes to mimic the soft and rough parts of a landscape. This to me expresses the essence of art, larger meanings through modes people would never expect. The use of not only words but also, space, color, and sound are incredible to me in every way. When I think of music and its meaning I cannot help but think of my favorite piece "Le Carnaval des Animaux" by Camille Saint-Saëns. This is not only a beautiful piece that perfectly exemplifies beauty through sound but also a piece of music that perfectly expresses the feeling of love. In fact, I once told my partner that I could not fully express my love for them by just saying "I love you", and instead I showed them this piece because I felt it exemplifies love more than my words could. This is why music is so important because it can perfectly capture a feeling and express it even deeper than words can. A society without art or music would be grey, and bleak, with no individuality. I have a passion for animation and the art of movement, so I often like to think about how humans are walking pieces of art from how they dress, their features, how they walk, and the inflections of their voices. Humanity itself is a work of art; therefore, a society with no art is one with no humanity. I want to become a VFX/animation artist to highlight the most beautiful parts of people and movement. This is something that I think is lacking on the big screen, the celebration of humanity and therefore the celebration of art itself.

Independence to me is being fearless, fearless enough to do things alone, and to trust yourself. Having the courage to trust yourself is something that comes with independence because you get used to having to trust yourself once you start doing things by yourself. However, independence is also having the courage to ask for help when you need it. It is not doing things completely alone, it is just having the initiative to try. Independence has impacted me throughout my life as I have always been a very independent person. I have no fear of being by myself or trusting myself completely. I have always had to do things for myself and this leads me to be the incredibly independent and self-trusting woman I am now. I believe my independent and determined nature had lead me to the success I have in my academic studies. I will continue to work hard and stay independent throughout my young adult life while getting higher education.

My favorite book is called "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika Sánchez. I love how this book illustrates the experiences of growing up, the good and the bad, while also having an overarching mystery to it. Julia, the main character, experiences things including catcalling, abusive parents, the death of a loved one, and applying for college. This book is written in the first person and is extremely captivating. Everyone loves a book you just can not put down, and this is one of those books. This book is one that unintentionally makes you feel powerful as you experience hard things with the main character, and yet she perseveres through them. The book also has a sense of mystery as Julia is investigating the sudden death of her sister, Olga. She soon finds out Olga had many secrets and was someone that Julia never really knew. While navigating her turbulent mother, she finds out what happened to Olga and gains many new experiences along the way.

Generosity to me is not only giving material things but also your time and effort to people who need them. Unlike material gifts, putting time and effort into a connection or relationship with someone shows that you genuinely care about them. This can be shown in ways including volunteering either your time or physical labor to help people. People with generous spirits might love to give gifts, but you know it's genuine when people are generous with their time. I can not help but be reminded of the five love languages and how all of them can be generous in one way or another. Someone can be generous through gifts, time, physical affection, words, or action. Someone who is truly generous would know what means the most to people and express their generosity in that way. Generosity is an extremely important trait because it can help to build connections and relationships with people, which is a staple in society. For me, people who are generous with their actions and words are so important because they can talk generously and also express it through actions which shows that it is a true act of generosity because they follow through with it.

I have struggled with mental health since I was young; however, things would become much worse once I hit the age of 14. I met and started dating, someone who would come to abuse me for the next year and a half. Throughout the relationship, I was yelled at, degraded, gaslighted, and manipulated. This relationship would last for a year and a half until I had the courage to leave despite being emotionally codependent. During the relationship, I started experiencing heart palpitations and panic attacks. I would soon find that even after the relationship was over I continued to have panic attacks and could not escape my memories of the relationship. When I broke up with my ex, he began accosting me and spreading terrible rumors about me. I am now 16, and thriving in my mental state as well as helping other women get out of abusive relationships. That experience made me a stronger and more determined woman who is prepared to stand up for herself and her boundaries. I have helped multiple of my friends leave unsafe relationships after leaving my own. The abuse that I endured lit a fire in me that inspires me to this day to work hard and be the best I can be after being told I was nothing. I want to become a VFX artist to not only represent women in STEM but to be a part of the entertainment that will represent women, minorities, and people with mental health issues. I have also made it a goal in my life to help financially fund a women's shelter to help women with mental health issues, and women who have escaped abusive situations. This is incredibly close to my heart and I believe women, minorities, and mentally ill people need more resources to help their safety and mental health.

My favorite community service experience was with Klove, a radio station. A group of people, including my family and me, drove to Indianapolis early in the morning to set up multiple water stations for the marathon that would take place in a few hours. We dragged tables out of trucks and began setting them up, each station had about 10 tables. Then we began setting out small cups over the entire table and we would fill them with water. After doing this on each table we would place a long piece of cardboard over the cups and began stacking more. Each table had 3-4 layers of cups. This took us about 3 hours to complete before the marathon began. My family and I participate in this volunteering activity every year. Handing out water at a marathon is a memorable experience because there are so many different types of people who come to participate. Everyone including elderly people, people with disabilities, people in high heels, came to run in this marathon. Seeing people from all different walks of life push through and accomplish something incredibly hard was truly amazing. You cant help but feel as though you are witnessing a celebration of humanity after seeing so many unique and hard-working people. Not only do you feel inspired after seeing amazing people run a marathon, but you also feel motivated after working so hard as a team. We didn't know anyone there and yet working together to set things up so early in the morning was an amazing experience because we were able to accomplish something together.

Everyone needs someone to lean on. In my life, I try to be that person for everyone I know. I always try to make people happier and let them know that they have someone rooting for them. This is something I think can have a big impact on the world if everyone had the mentality that we need to take care of each other. I try to stand up for people as well as listen to them when they are stressed. Helping people and bringing them joy is my main goal in life. I will continue to do this as I pursue a degree in motion graphics and become an animator/ VFX artist to bring people joy through movies and media. I want to be a part of entertaining and making people happy by transporting them to a whole new world of possibilities with the help of computers. People take comfort in movies, which in the long run can have a lasting positive effect on humanity.

There are many problems facing the world right now including climate change, gun violence, student debt, police brutality, and hate crimes. However, all of those problems affect one thing- mental health. The mental health crisis is an epidemic that can be seen not only across America but the whole world. Suicide is the third leading cause of deaths ages 10-23. This is a major problem, and solutions seem unclear. It is hard to pinpoint the cause of rising mental health issues when they can be caused by so many different things for different people. However, one thing that could help the general public is free therapy. I believe therapy should be required to be provided for free by all insurance providers including government insurance. This would give people one less reason not to go to therapy without having to worry about the cost. This would also give low-income people access to therapy which could prevent violence and suicides in at-risk communities. The mental health crisis is something that impacts everyone regardless of if they personally struggle with mental health problems. It affects family, friends, and people we know. It is our duty as a society to take care of each other and value each other's health, physically and mentally. There is no clear cause of the mental health crisis, but we know it's there, and we know it's our duty to fix it. One way I plan to help this crisis in the future is by representing more mentally ill people on screen and in media. The normalization of mental illness could help more people seek help and therapy to hopefully live a happier and more healthy life.

I am passionate about bringing people joy through entertainment and storytelling. When I was younger movies helped me through very hard times, and now I want to bring people the same joy. I want to be a VFX artist so I can work on movies that will transport people to a whole new world. My favorite movies are Marvel movies, and they would never be possible without texture or CGI. Everything about animation and CGI is absolutely fascinating because somehow a computer can make imaginary things look so realistic. CGI is a job that can help to bring people entertainment and joy in the best way- storytelling and imagination. Movies transport people to entirely different worlds, worlds where their worries seem small. I am also extremely passionate about the representation of women and minorities in media and in this job I could help someone see themselves on the big screen. Overall, I am passionate about the well-being of humanity, and every part of me wants to bring them happiness through my work.

My favorite piece of art is "The World Full of Lemons" a painting by Russian artist Vitaly Urzhmov. This is my all-time favorite piece of art because I love how surreal and fresh the painting looks. You can imagine yourself sitting in this world of lemons completely at piece surrounded by fresh smells. This piece is calm and comforting and brings me so much joy to look at. Art that brings people joy is so important especially in a world today where entertainment and media can sometimes be hateful. Art like this piece is so surreal and can be comforting to look at because it transports you into a whole new world. This piece is also amazing because you can use your imagination to think about how this would feel, and what it would be like to live there. It's an amazing piece that illustrates the imagination and surrealism that the freedom of art fuels.

In my dream life, I am ahead VFX artist for marvel studios, I am rich but use my money to donate to causes that help women and queer people, and I am able to go back to college to continue learning about art. This may be my dream life, but it's something I know I can make a reality. I am hardworking and dedicated and I know whatever I put my mind to I will achieve. I want to have enough money to live comfortably and donate money to women's shelters and projects like the Trevor Project and Love Is. Along with being a VFX artist, I would love to volunteer in my free time at Helpline services and advocate for LGBTQ+ and women's rights.

Higher education is something that only very few people can afford, and this is a problem. In a world where people are going to space and flying on private jets, there shouldn't be people struggling to pay for education. We need to make higher education free for everyone. The student debt crisis is something that is plaguing this generation and will only hurt the next one even more. It is easier to learn and become passionate about a trade when you don't have to worry about thousands of dollars of debt. This will not only eliminate student debt but will also open up the opportunity for students who otherwise could not have gone to college. It will also make it easier for students to start their adult life on the right foot without the burden of loans. Students should not have to desperately search for scholarships in order to fund their future, their country should have already invested in it by making their higher education free. This will also impact the major that students pick. Some students decide not to do a major they are passionate about because it will cost too much, for instance, medical or law school. It is important to do something that you are passionate about so you will work hard at it, and at your job, while still enjoying it. Investing in the future generation means investing in their education, skills, and determination by funding their future. No one should live in a world where you have to decide if you need to eat or pay off your debt.

One practical way we can help people with mental health struggles is to implement an excused mental health absence in school attendance systems. This may seem like common sense, but many states, like Indiana, do not make it compulsory to offer excused mental health days from school. This would not only give high-achieving students a break from keeping their perfect attendance but also help kids whose only option is to skip school when struggling with mental health, which in turn impacts their attendance record. At my school, I started a petition to implement mental health days and the support showed that many other students are supportive of this proposition. Sadly, I talked to our vice-principle and he said there was nothing they could do to change the attendance system. Mental health in schools needs to be taken more seriously, especially because suicide is the third leading cause of death for ages 10-24. Mental health days are just one way schools can reach to make a safer and healthier environment for students. Other ways that schools could help the mental health of their students include lightening the homework load, hiring more student counselors, and implementing self-care into the health curriculum. Mental health is something very close to my heart, and in the future, I hope to bring awareness to the stigma by helping to illustrate it in movies and media. When I was younger, movies gave me comfort in very hard times, and I hope to bring that same joy and comfort to others.

Mental health is something that not only I struggle with, but also people in my family and community. Personally, I have anxiety and depression as well as spontaneous panic attacks due to relationship trauma. These struggles have helped to shape my goals by motivating me to create art that makes others feel happy and understood. For me, marvel movies are a big comfort whether it's during a depressive episode or the aftermath of a panic attack. This motivates me to be a part of the making of entertainment that can comfort, and also represent, people with mental illness. Someone with mental illness who is incredibly inspiring to me is my uncle. He has severe mental illness including schizophrenia, but with hard work and dedication, he has been able to live a normal life with a wife and kids. He is an inspiration for me that nothing can hold you back, even your own brain. His story is something that has motivated me to try and stop that stigma around mental health in my school. This includes making a petition to include mental health days in our attendance system, as well as a fundraiser during finals week where students could buy donuts in the morning in the cafeteria to help make their day better. The money from that fundraiser was used to donate gift cards to the Danville County Home whose residents are not able to drive/live on their own. Overall, mental health is an extremely important thing in my life. I will work throughout my future to not only fight the stigma of mental health but to also help those impacted by it.

Skincare is my favorite way to practice self-care. I have cystic acne, so skincare has always been something I have had to focus on, but I really started to love it after I hit a very traumatic time in my life. I had just ended an abusive relationship that lasted a year and a half. My skin, and hygiene in general, had suffered due to the stress of the relationship and the act of leaving it. This is the time that I started to focus on self-care and skincare. The simple act of washing your face or body is very hard when you are in a depressed mindset, but after you do it you feel empowered. The act of taking care of yourself is also the act of taking back your power and confidence. I still focus on skincare and self-care to this day. However, contrary to popular belief, self-care is not just skincare or doing your nails, and it's not always aesthetic. Sometimes self-care is as simple as brushing your teeth, taking your medication, or doing the dishes. Self-care is essential for everyone, and the importance of it should be shared.

Someone I admire from history is Madam C.J. Walker. She built her business from the ground up by making hair care products for textured hair and soon became America's first self-made female millionaire. I greatly admire her persistence through hardships including an abusive marriage, racism, and sexism. Not only did she persist, but she thrived as she lead the way for many women in business. She used her fortune to advocate for women, African-Americans, and the arts. She inspires me to follow my passion and persist through hardship. I work hard to inspire others as she did me by having confidence, working hard to achieve my goals, and always persisting through struggle.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I have ever received is "make a wise budget and stick to it". When you have a strict budget and stick to it, you'll be able to save money more efficiently. Budgeting can transform your finances from a hassle into a mode of freedom and responsibility. This advice has proven helpful in my own finances. Personally, I make a spending budget for different categories of things I need to buy including clothes and food. After making a budget, it is important to evaluate leftover funds that can be saved or pick up hours to accommodate for extra expenses. I plan to continue using this budgeting method as I get a job to pay for summer high school classes.