Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice. Through these experiences, I have grown to sincerely value my capacity for empathy and sharing my voice, and I want to help others develop that same value. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice.

While he is more well known for his television series than his academia, Bill Nye has always inspired me to approach science not just with a logical and critical thinking point of view, but also with a passion and energy to share my discoveries with others. His pursuit of STEM education across all ages has taken him far, whether it be his hit television series playing in my classroom, or his field studies in the arctic sampling ice cores to better chart CO2 levels and global warming. His goal is not just to solve the world's most urgent problems, but to also share this urgency with the next generation of scientists who want to make a difference, myself included. Many scientists throughout history, while having made an enormous impact on the progress of humanity, often do not connect to today's students. They made be seen as "boring" or "out-of-date", yet Bill Nye has managed to captivate both our generation's minds and hearts. He approaches STEM education at an angle very few people before him had tried, and he has succeeded in an unprecedented fashion. He inspires me to pursue my passions no matter the opposition, and he is a guide for all those who wish to leave the world better than they found it.

Generosity encompasses many traits relating to selflessness and the service of other, but at a deeper level, it must also embody empathy. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. I would have shown generosity myself while imparting this value on a younger generation that can carry it through the rest of their lives.

Through my experiences during Covid, I have grown to sincerely value my capacity for empathy and sharing my voice, and I want to help others develop that same value. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice.

Whenever I consult my parents or teachers on how to better protect my financial future with saving, they always remind me to make my money work for me. Often, people might pour their savings into an account where it grows very little over time. They do not maximize the opportunities presented to them. In my financial management class, we learned a great deal about the free market and how it functions, and we learned about concepts such as mutual funds and employer retirement accounts. Often, those who with to earn the greatest amount of wealth in the shortest amount of time immediately investigate the validity of day trading, crypto, meme stocks, and other volatile trades. What is safer and more secure about mutual funds is their relatively low volatility yet high return over a long period of time. I have been advised time and time again to invest most of my disposable income into such mutual funds, since I could trust that my money would grow without needing me to monitor it. The same goes for my future employment opportunities. many work places have retirement plans that workers can take advantage of, and by directing the maximum portion of my income I can into these plans, I will get the most out my money in the long term.

Music is a piece of my life I am certain I could not live without. From soft jazz to heavy rock, I can always find a song that satisfies my mood and provides an extension for my emotions. Music transcends all the physical factors in my life that can provide me joy, whether that be sports or food. It reaches me on a spiritual level that I believe is a core part of my identity and true joy. One band that I have connected deeply with is U2. Specifically, I have grown to love their song “Where the Streets Have No Name” as my favourite of all time from any genre. As a tribute to pursuing new and exciting experiences, regardless of fear towards the unknown, it embodies my will for discovery and my passion for growth. Beginning with a soft, ambient hum, a guitar rift suddenly swells into a fantastic sprint. Your body and mind now move with the song as Bono’s voice pierces the atmosphere with a heartfelt ring in his voice that cries to be set free, free to find a place where no one else has yet gone to. This song speaks to the feeling of wanting a fresh start, one where you are given a blank state to print your identity onto. From a shell of weakness, torment, and fear, one can break free into their true identity more powerful than ever. I have carried this song with me for years now, and I have not yet found a counterpart equal in grandeur and message. Whenever I must remind myself of my greater purpose or inner strength, I turn to this masterpiece of love, loss, and freedom to guide me on the road to greater things: to where the streets have no name.

Music is a piece of my life I am certain I could not live without. From soft jazz to heavy rock, I can always find a song that satisfies my mood and provides an extension for my emotions. One band that I have connected deeply with is U2. Specifically, I have grown to love their song “Where the Streets Have No Name” as my favourite of all time from any genre. As a tribute to pursuing new and exciting experiences, regardless of fear towards the unknown, it embodies my will for discovery and my passion for growth. Beginning with a soft, ambient hum, a guitar rift suddenly swells into a fantastic sprint. Your body and mind now move with the song as Bono’s voice pierces the atmosphere with a heartfelt ring in his voice that cries to be set free, free to find a place where no one else has yet gone to. This song speaks to the feeling of wanting a fresh start, one where you are given a blank state to print your identity onto. From a shell of weakness, torment, and fear, one can break free into their true identity more powerful than ever. I have carried this song with me for years now, and I have not yet found a counterpart equal in grandeur and message. Whenever I must remind myself of my greater purpose or inner strength, I turn to this masterpiece of love, loss, and freedom to guide me on the road to greater things: to where the streets have no name.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school second quarter, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness and communicated with my teachers about my absence. During this time, I directed my attention to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a Writing Center Tutor.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. Through my treatment, I took notice of just how many diverse adolescents were in a similar situation. I was surprised at just how widespread these issues really were among young adults, and I was taken by how little attention is given to this problem. This was a call to action; change needed to be made both within myself and in society as a whole. The knowledge that others were struggling just as I was motivated me to help on a greater scale. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I have reestablished my inner hope for a bright future, and I feel compelled to impart this same optimism on younger generations that I relate with.

Silence permeates the late hours of Christmas evening. My family sleeps from the exhaustion of a long day of celebration. Wrapping paper still litters the living room floor, and the night is stagnant; meanwhile, I sit at our dining room table with sore legs and bruised fingers completing one of several large Lego kits. Hard at work and weary from an early wake-up, my only sensation is pure joy. I refuse to give into sleep, hoping I might assemble one more bag of bricks before morning. I have no intention of rushing my project, however, as I know this would break the silence and intimacy of the moment. I persist, and with the passing of several more hours, my Lego police station is complete. This is not the delighted realm of a young child enjoying the greatest Christmas of his lifetime; rather, it is the joyful memory of a 17-year-old boy. For years I have carried with me the unhindered love for Lego and its diverse pallet of bricks. Each model has its own unique set of intricacies and techniques, and I enjoy using my patience to assemble them. After all, it would be almost impossible without patience to complete one of these models in such a small time frame, much less enjoy doing so. To see anything in its complete and unified form takes time. The notable quote “Rome was not built overnight” points to how our most ambitious life goals must incorporate our time, will, and passion to see through. I cannot expect myself to succeed without accepting my limitations as a human. Momentary satisfaction will never outweigh the value of pursuing a long term goal, and I should allow myself time in order to accomplish that which I most desire: a fulfilling life.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school second quarter, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness and communicated with my teachers about my absence. During this time, I directed my attention to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a Writing Center Tutor.

Whenever I consult my parents or teachers on how to better protect my financial future with saving, they always remind me to make my money work for me. Often, people might pour their savings into an account where it grows very little over time. They do not maximize the opportunities presented to them. In my financial management class, we learned a great deal about the free market and how it functions, and we learned about concepts such as mutual funds and employer retirement accounts. Often, those who with to earn the greatest amount of wealth in the shortest amount of time immediately investigate the validity of day trading, crypto, meme stocks, and other volatile trades. What is safer and more secure about mutual funds is their relatively low volatility yet high return over a long period of time. I have been advised time and time again to invest most of my disposable income into such mutual funds, since I could trust that my money would grow without needing me to monitor it. The same goes for my future employment opportunities. many work places have retirement plans that workers can take advantage of, and by directing the maximum portion of my income I can into these plans, I will get the most out my money in the long term.

Generosity encompasses many traits relating to selflessness and the service of other, but at a deeper level, it must also embody empathy. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. I would have show generosity myself while imparting this value on a younger generation that can carry it through the rest of their lives.

While he is more well known for his television series than his academia, Bill Nye has always inspired me to approach science not just with a logical and critical thinking point of view, but also with a passion and energy to share my discoveries with others. His pursuit of STEM education across all ages has taken him far, whether it be his hit television series playing in my classroom, or his field studies in the arctic sampling ice cores to better chart CO2 levels and global warming. His goal is not just to solve the world's most urgent problems, but to also share this urgency with the next generation of scientists who want to make a difference, myself included. Many scientists throughout history, while having made an enormous impact on the progress of humanity, often do not connect to today's students. They made be seen as "boring" or "out-of-date", yet Bill Nye has managed to captivate both our generation's minds and hearts. He approaches STEM education at an angle very few people before him had tried, and he has succeeded in an unprecedented fashion. He inspires me to pursue my passions no matter the opposition, and he is a guide for all those who wish to leave the world better than they found it.

Whenever I consult my parents or teachers on how to better protect my financial future with saving, they always remind me to make my money work for me. Often, people might pour their savings into an account where it grows very little over time. They do not maximize the opportunities presented to them. In my financial management class, we learned a great deal about the free market and how it functions, and we learned about concepts such as mutual funds and employer retirement accounts. Often, those who with to earn the greatest amount of wealth in the shortest amount of time immediately investigate the validity of day trading, crypto, meme stocks, and other volatile trades. What is safer and more secure about mutual funds is their relatively low volatility yet high return over a long period of time. I have been advised time and time again to invest most of my disposable income into such mutual funds, since I could trust that my money would grow without needing me to monitor it. The same goes for my future employment opportunities. many work places have retirement plans that workers can take advantage of, and by directing the maximum portion of my income I can into these plans, I will get the most out my money in the long term.

Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice. COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a writing center tutor. By further educating our youth on not only mental health awareness but also speaking out, we can create a more functional generation, both emotionally and socially, that will help make the world a better place.

While he is more well known for his television series than his academia, Bill Nye has always inspired me to approach science not just with a logical and critical thinking point of view, but also with a passion and energy to share my discoveries with others. His pursuit of STEM education across all ages has taken him far, whether it be his hit television series playing in my classroom, or his field studies in the arctic sampling ice cores to better chart CO2 levels and global warming. His goal is not just to solve the world's most urgent problems, but to also share this urgency with the next generation of scientists who want to make a difference, myself included.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a writing center tutor. Through these experiences, I have grown to sincerely value my capacity for empathy and sharing my voice, and I want to help others develop that same value. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a writing center tutor. Through these experiences, I have grown to sincerely value my capacity for empathy and sharing my voice, and I want to help others develop that same value. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a writing center tutor. Through these experiences, I have grown to sincerely value my capacity for empathy and sharing my voice, and I want to help others develop that same value. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a writing center tutor. Through these experiences, I have learned to sincerely value my capacity for empathy and sharing my voice, and I want to use my opportunities in higher education to advance this value. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a writing center tutor. Through these experiences, I have come to sincerely value my capacity for empathy and using my voice, and I strive to share these qualities with others. This summer I had the chance to get out and explore the West Coast. With COVID travel restrictions loosening and programs being reinstituted, I decided to jump into the wild and embark on a three-week hiking and backpacking trip in Washington. Accompanied by six other teens from across the country, we journeyed through the Olympic and North Cascades national parks, as well as kayaked through the San Juan Islands. Always on the move from morning to dusk, we passed forests and valleys imposing in their grandeur yet inviting in their challenge. Equipped only with our backpacks, boots and iron grit, we trekked through cities of timber and corridors of stone. From the peaks of mountains clambering to touch the clouds, I could view the landscape and ponder its formation: neighboring mountaintop snow caps might feed into rivers that over centuries carved valleys through the now flourishing natural habitats. Each supper was accompanied by rounds of laughter and cheers echoing from our campsite. On one particularly starry evening, we shared memories of our homes and families, chuckling at the thought that we were ever nervous to escape our comfort zones and opt for a more dynamic world. While our time together this summer was limited to a handful of weeks, our friendships will span much farther into our lifetimes.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a writing center tutor. It is through these experiences that I have come to value my capacity for empathy and using my voice. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a writing center tutor. At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotionally and socially mature and can share their experiences with others. Mental health is an issue that should be further advocated for amongst all adolescent age groups, and I hope that my efforts as an experienced mentor will help guide those struggling to reach out and share their voice.

At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotioanlly and socially mature and can share their experiences with others.

At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotioanlly and socially mature and can share their experiences with others.

At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotioanlly and socially mature and can share their experiences with others.

At my high school, we have a program called Senior Helpers. These volunteer senior students help to mentor incoming freshmen through our unique advisory program. Some of these freshmen haven’t been to in-person school since 7th grade, and it is important now more than ever to give them an upper-class example of how to succeed. Remembering back to my freshman year, it is now apparent that many dispositions I had about high school coming into my 9th grade year were often misguided and based on false assumptions and stereotypes. I want to be able to guide freshmen who may be struggling coming out of COVID, since many social and extracurricular activities were delayed if not cancelled entirely. Should my mentorship be successful with these students, not only will I be supporting a more inclusive and intimate school environment, I would also be providing the world with young adults who are emotioanlly and socially mature and can share their experiences with others.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. Through the process, I was surprised at how common these mental health issues actually were in my community. We must goes beyond awareness to solve this pressing issue. The most ideal outcome through a mental health education program would be a widespread normalization and acceptance of the presence of mental health struggles in our society.

COVID-19 hit like a speeding bullet. Plans and ambitions were swept away with little hope of their return on the horizon. Being someone who was often self-sufficient, I felt a certain emptiness when my only possible outlet for academic and extracurricular expression was Zoom calls. Balancing school responsibilities in high level classes with little social interaction took its toll. While I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to appear as a strong and accomplished student, my mental health swiftly deteriorated throughout the first quarter of junior year. I soon realized I needed help; I reached out to therapists and worked through a variety of treatments I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since I could not participate fully in school, I decided to take an “M” (medical leave) in Kinetic Wellness as well as communicate with my teachers about my long-term absence to direct my time to learn new ways of thinking. I am proud to have accessed tools to help me thrive and to have finished junior year so strong in my High Honors and AP course load. With newfound confidence in my abilities and future pursuits, I feel happy to be back in my rigorous academic schedule while supporting others as a Senior Helper and a writing center tutor.