In the bible it states “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” This verse is a reminder that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to be involved in our community, helping anyway we can. I have aspired to be involved in the community. I enjoy volunteering and have many opportunities to help others through the National Honor Society and other outreach programs, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Kansas Special Olympics and Kids 4 Kids, an organization that helps children who have been abused. Being a part of all of these organizations has provided me with a better understanding of others and struggles they may face. It has taught me that everyone has unique life experiences. I have realized that I want to be there for others as they walk through the hard parts of their lives. This realization has helped set me on the career path of nursing. I love the idea of being around people who just need a little kindness in their lives. Showing kindness goes a long way, not just with the patient, but also with their family. I work as a Certified Nursing Aide for a memory care facility for the elderly. I have been able to grow relationships with family members as I assure them of their family members' health and ensure them of great care from our team. Working here has become a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know the residents as I assist them in their daily needs. In memory care, the residents wake up confused and unsure of their surroundings. They are often very worried, confused, or agitated. As their caretaker, I am there to comfort them and let them know that everything is ok. This part can be hard as they are confused and frightened. Once they are comfortable and calm, they often begin to open up and share stories of their past experiences as I help them through their day. At the end of each shift I am grateful to have the opportunity to help them. I strongly believe that I have been called to help others by being a compassionate caregiver that creates a positive influence in my patient’s lives. I am excited to begin my journey to achieve my dreams in nursing school.

In the bible, it states “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” This verse is a reminder that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to be involved in our community, helping in any way we can. I have aspired to be involved in the community. I enjoy volunteering and have many opportunities to help others in the community. Being a part of all of these organizations has provided me with a better understanding of others and the struggles they may face. It has taught me that everyone has unique life experiences, including mine. My family dealt with a massive custody battle that had a major impact on our lives for so many years. It is still traumatic to this day. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. She put me down and made me believe for a long time that I was not capable of achieving my dreams. Fortunately, I had an amazing father and stepmother who pushed me to be the person I am today. They helped me understand that my dreams can be infinite and they would do anything they could to help me reach my goals. I realized that no one can determine how I live my future, but myself. So, I overcame her abusive words, lived with my dad full time and put my future as my top priority by getting involved in my education. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could to help myself reach my goals. I have realized that I want to be there for others as they walk through the hard parts of their lives. This realization has helped set me on the career path of nursing. I work as a Certified Nursing Aide for a memory care facility for the elderly. I have been able to grow relationships with family members as I assure them of their family members' health and assure them of great care from our team. Working here has become a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know the residents as I assist them in their daily needs. In memory care, the residents wake up confused and unsure of their surroundings. They are often very worried, confused, or agitated. As their caretaker, I am there to comfort them and let them know that everything is okay. Once they are comfortable and calm, they often begin to open up and share stories of their past experiences as I help them through their day. At the end of each shift, I am grateful to have the opportunity to help them. I strongly believe that I have been called to help others by being a compassionate caregiver that creates a positive influence in my patient’s lives.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? I have experienced every single one of these things and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are being faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved and never be accepted. I hated myself and my life. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. Then, one Sunday my dad and stepmom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a Christian growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. He explained that God would be there for me and I felt as if he was talking to me. Everything just came crashing down, like the walls of Jericho. My dad spoke the truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, stepmom, and I worked to get through everything. After talking to my dad for the first time, it was easier to stand up to my mother and fight for my well-being. Now, two years later, I am disconnected from my biological mom. I have no contact with her. No phone calls. No visits, she does not even pay child support. It took a lot of custody battles, fights over email and the phone, and fear of abuse, but it was worth it for my health! My dad took full custody of me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I am making stronger relationships with my dad and stepmom. I love my life now. Yes, it took a long time. Yes, I still deal with all of the hardships now, but I have never felt so happy in my life. I am excelling in school, taking college courses along with AP courses. I graduated high school with my associate's degree and one step further into my college career! I am very happy and could not have asked for a better dad and stepmom. Hard work pays off when you are focused on the right things. Finally, I learned so many valuable life lessons along the way that have changed my life forever. First, talk it out, no matter what the other person might say, always reach out to someone that you trust. Second, do not let anyone tell you that you can not do something, you most certainly can achieve anything! Lastly, have faith that God has a plan for you, put your whole trust in him and he will reward you with amazing things! I have a lot of education ahead of me as I want to attend medical school, so I hope my dad and stepmom's encouragement can help me pursue my dreams.

In the bible, it states “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” This verse is a reminder that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to be involved in our community, helping in any way we can. I have aspired to be involved in the community. I enjoy volunteering and have many opportunities to help others in the community. Being a part of all of these organizations has provided me with a better understanding of others and the struggles they may face. It has taught me that everyone has unique life experiences, including mine. My family dealt with a massive custody battle that had a major impact on our lives for so many years. It is still traumatic to this day. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. She put me down and made me believe for a long time that I was not capable of achieving my dreams. Fortunately, I had an amazing father and stepmother who pushed me to be the person I am today. They helped me understand that my dreams can be infinite and they would do anything they could to help me reach my goals. I realized that no one can determine how I live my future, but myself. So, I overcame her abusive words, lived with my dad full time and put my future as my top priority by getting involved in my education. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could to help myself reach my goals. I have realized that I want to be there for others as they walk through the hard parts of their lives. This realization has helped set me on the career path of nursing. I work as a Certified Nursing Aide for a memory care facility for the elderly. I have been able to grow relationships with family members as I assure them of their family members' health and assure them of great care from our team. Working here has become a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know the residents as I assist them in their daily needs. In memory care, the residents wake up confused and unsure of their surroundings. They are often very worried, confused, or agitated. As their caretaker, I am there to comfort them and let them know that everything is okay. Once they are comfortable and calm, they often begin to open up and share stories of their past experiences as I help them through their day. At the end of each shift, I am grateful to have the opportunity to help them. I strongly believe that I have been called to help others by being a compassionate caregiver that creates a positive influence in my patient’s lives.

In the bible, it states “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” This verse is a reminder that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to be involved in our community, helping in any way we can. I have aspired to be involved in the community. I enjoy volunteering and have many opportunities to help others in the community. Being a part of all of these organizations has provided me with a better understanding of others and the struggles they may face. It has taught me that everyone has unique life experiences, including mine. My family dealt with a massive custody battle that had a major impact on our lives for so many years. It is still traumatic to this day. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. She put me down and made me believe for a long time that I was not capable of achieving my dreams. Fortunately, I had an amazing father and stepmother who pushed me to be the person I am today. They helped me understand that my dreams can be infinite and they would do anything they could to help me reach my goals. I realized that no one can determine how I live my future, but myself. So, I overcame her abusive words, lived with my dad full time and put my future as my top priority by getting involved in my education. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could to help myself reach my goals. I have realized that I want to be there for others as they walk through the hard parts of their lives. This realization has helped set me on the career path of nursing. I work as a Certified Nursing Aide for a memory care facility for the elderly. I have been able to grow relationships with family members as I assure them of their family members' health and assure them of great care from our team. Working here has become a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know the residents as I assist them in their daily needs. In memory care, the residents wake up confused and unsure of their surroundings. They are often very worried, confused, or agitated. As their caretaker, I am there to comfort them and let them know that everything is okay. Once they are comfortable and calm, they often begin to open up and share stories of their past experiences as I help them through their day. At the end of each shift, I am grateful to have the opportunity to help them. I strongly believe that I have been called to help others by being a compassionate caregiver that creates a positive influence in my patient’s lives.

In the bible, it states “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” This verse is a reminder that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to be involved in our community, helping in any way we can. I have aspired to be involved in the community. I enjoy volunteering and have many opportunities to help others in the community. Being a part of all of these organizations has provided me with a better understanding of others and the struggles they may face. It has taught me that everyone has unique life experiences, including mine. My family dealt with a massive custody battle that had a major impact on our lives for so many years. It is still traumatic to this day. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. She put me down and made me believe for a long time that I was not capable of achieving my dreams. Fortunately, I had an amazing father and stepmother who pushed me to be the person I am today. They helped me understand that my dreams can be infinite and they would do anything they could to help me reach my goals. I realized that no one can determine how I live my future, but myself. So, I overcame her abusive words, lived with my dad full time and put my future as my top priority by getting involved in my education. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could to help myself reach my goals. I have realized that I want to be there for others as they walk through the hard parts of their lives. This realization has helped set me on the career path of nursing. I work as a Certified Nursing Aide for a memory care facility for the elderly. I have been able to grow relationships with family members as I assure them of their family members' health and assure them of great care from our team. Working here has become a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know the residents as I assist them in their daily needs. In memory care, the residents wake up confused and unsure of their surroundings. They are often very worried, confused, or agitated. As their caretaker, I am there to comfort them and let them know that everything is okay. Once they are comfortable and calm, they often begin to open up and share stories of their past experiences as I help them through their day. At the end of each shift, I am grateful to have the opportunity to help them. I strongly believe that I have been called to help others by being a compassionate caregiver that creates a positive influence in my patient’s lives.

In the bible, it states “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” This verse is a reminder that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to be involved in our community, helping in any way we can. I have aspired to be involved in the community. I enjoy volunteering and have many opportunities to help others in the community. Being a part of all of these organizations has provided me with a better understanding of others and the struggles they may face. It has taught me that everyone has unique life experiences, including mine. My family dealt with a massive custody battle that had a major impact on our lives for so many years. It is still traumatic to this day. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. She put me down and made me believe for a long time that I was not capable of achieving my dreams. Fortunately, I had an amazing father and stepmother who pushed me to be the person I am today. They helped me understand that my dreams can be infinite and they would do anything they could to help me reach my goals. I realized that no one can determine how I live my future, but myself. So, I overcame her abusive words, lived with my dad full time and put my future as my top priority by getting involved in my education. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could to help myself reach my goals. I have realized that I want to be there for others as they walk through the hard parts of their lives. This realization has helped set me on the career path of nursing. I work as a Certified Nursing Aide for a memory care facility for the elderly. I have been able to grow relationships with family members as I assure them of their family members' health and assure them of great care from our team. Working here has become a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know the residents as I assist them in their daily needs. In memory care, the residents wake up confused and unsure of their surroundings. They are often very worried, confused, or agitated. As their caretaker, I am there to comfort them and let them know that everything is okay. Once they are comfortable and calm, they often begin to open up and share stories of their past experiences as I help them through their day. At the end of each shift, I am grateful to have the opportunity to help them. I strongly believe that I have been called to help others by being a compassionate caregiver that creates a positive influence in my patient’s lives.

In the bible, it states “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” This verse is a reminder that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to be involved in our community, helping in any way we can. I have aspired to be involved in the community. I enjoy volunteering and have many opportunities to help others in the community. Being a part of all of these organizations has provided me with a better understanding of others and the struggles they may face. It has taught me that everyone has unique life experiences, including mine. My family dealt with a massive custody battle that had a major impact on our lives for so many years. It is still traumatic to this day. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. She put me down and made me believe for a long time that I was not capable of achieving my dreams. Fortunately, I had an amazing father and stepmother who pushed me to be the person I am today. They helped me understand that my dreams can be infinite and they would do anything they could to help me reach my goals. I realized that no one can determine how I live my future, but myself. So, I overcame her abusive words, lived with my dad full time and put my future as my top priority by getting involved in my education. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could to help myself reach my goals. I have realized that I want to be there for others as they walk through the hard parts of their lives. This realization has helped set me on the career path of nursing. I work as a Certified Nursing Aide for a memory care facility for the elderly. I have been able to grow relationships with family members as I assure them of their family members' health and assure them of great care from our team. Working here has become a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know the residents as I assist them in their daily needs. In memory care, the residents wake up confused and unsure of their surroundings. They are often very worried, confused, or agitated. As their caretaker, I am there to comfort them and let them know that everything is okay. Once they are comfortable and calm, they often begin to open up and share stories of their past experiences as I help them through their day. At the end of each shift, I am grateful to have the opportunity to help them. I strongly believe that I have been called to help others by being a compassionate caregiver that creates a positive influence in my patient’s lives.

In the bible, it states “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” This verse is a reminder that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to be involved in our community, helping in any way we can. I have aspired to be involved in the community. I enjoy volunteering and have many opportunities to help others in the community. Being a part of all of these organizations has provided me with a better understanding of others and the struggles they may face. It has taught me that everyone has unique life experiences, including mine. My family dealt with a massive custody battle that had a major impact on our lives for so many years. It is still traumatic to this day. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. She put me down and made me believe for a long time that I was not capable of achieving my dreams. Fortunately, I had an amazing father and stepmother who pushed me to be the person I am today. They helped me understand that my dreams can be infinite and they would do anything they could to help me reach my goals. I realized that no one can determine how I live my future, but myself. So, I overcame her abusive words, lived with my dad full time and put my future as my top priority by getting involved in my education. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could to help myself reach my goals. I have realized that I want to be there for others as they walk through the hard parts of their lives. This realization has helped set me on the career path of nursing. I work as a Certified Nursing Aide for a memory care facility for the elderly. I have been able to grow relationships with family members as I assure them of their family members' health and assure them of great care from our team. Working here has become a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know the residents as I assist them in their daily needs. In memory care, the residents wake up confused and unsure of their surroundings. They are often very worried, confused, or agitated. As their caretaker, I am there to comfort them and let them know that everything is okay. Once they are comfortable and calm, they often begin to open up and share stories of their past experiences as I help them through their day. At the end of each shift, I am grateful to have the opportunity to help them. I strongly believe that I have been called to help others by being a compassionate caregiver that creates a positive influence in my patient’s lives.

In the bible, it states “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” This verse is a reminder that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to be involved in our community, helping in any way we can. I have aspired to be involved in the community. I enjoy volunteering and have many opportunities to help others through the National Honor Society and other outreach programs, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Kansas Special Olympics and Kids 4 Kids, an organization that helps children who have been abused. Being a part of all of these organizations has provided me with a better understanding of others and the struggles they may face. It has taught me that everyone has unique life experiences. I have realized that I want to be there for others as they walk through the hard parts of their lives. This realization has helped set me on the career path of nursing. I work as a Certified Nursing Aide for a memory care facility for the elderly. I have been able to grow relationships with family members as I assure them of their family members' health and assure them of great care from our team. Working here has become a passion of mine. I enjoy getting to know the residents as I assist them in their daily needs. In memory care, the residents wake up confused and unsure of their surroundings. They are often very worried, confused, or agitated. As their caretaker, I am there to comfort them and let them know that everything is okay. Once they are comfortable and calm, they often begin to open up and share stories of their past experiences as I help them through their day. At the end of each shift, I am grateful to have the opportunity to help them. After I finish nursing school, I plan to pursue being a travel nurse. I want to travel to smaller towns that don't have as much access to health care as some of the larger cities. Everyone should have the availability to seek healthcare when needed. I can not wait to get out into the world and help others through healthcare. I strongly believe that I have been called to help others by being a compassionate caregiver that creates a positive influence in my patient’s lives.

@aloha_pineapple17

I have a biological mother who was emotionally and physically abusive. From the start, she never believed in me and told me time and time again that I was worthless and did not deserve to have my dreams. I was under her manipulation for many years, until I was fourteen. She always told me that I was dumb, or ugly, and sometimes she told me that my dad and stepmom were terrible people. Everything she did led me down a path that has taken years to overcome. I am still trying to figure out life in a positive way. As I got older, I was able to comprehend her manipulative attitude and realized that nothing that she said made sense. I went to my dad and stepmom as I was concerned for myself and my brother that we were being treated the wrong way. They encouraged me to pray about it and really think about what I wanted. As time went on, my biological mother was more and more abusive, so I told my dad that I could not live with her anymore. She could not treat my brother and me like that, so we took it to court, and now I am happy living with my dad. Furthermore, my brother and I have tried to make amends with our biological mother, but when we see her she is always trying to manipulate us again, after several years, and continues to disappoint us. One time we met at a park to tell her how we really felt about everything and how we needed her to support us and let go. However, as we talked she made hateful faces, said terrible things, and continued to disrespect us. I remember one thing that she said, “If you don’t have me in your life then you will never be good enough for the world.” As she said this, I completely went the other direction. I was not going to let her talk to us like that. I was not going to let her continue to abuse us. And I was not going to let her have an impact on our lives. So, my brother and I left. We left the park, we told her that she was not going to cooperate, and left. I have not seen her in three years, she has not tried to reach out, or do anything else other than making our lives difficult. If I was still being manipulated by her, then this would hurt; to not see my mother ever again. However, I have grown past that and I will not let her offend me. She has no say in what I can and cannot do. I decided not to let her words affect my life. I have learned to be careful with the people you get close to and no matter what others say about you, do not take offense, and especially, do not let it affect your future My mental wellness is so much more important than trying to make amends with my biological mother. My mental wellness has been cracked and scrambled, but over time and being with positive and encouraging people has helped me my mental health. I want everyone to think of me as a positive person who they can come to for help. I have walked a hard path, but I will not let that effect my mental health. Additionally, other people’s mental health is equally as important to me and I hope to help those in the future.

"What's your name?" "Sarah" The next day, "My Sarah is taking me to math! This communication happened during the first week of the second semester of high school this year. I was a teacher's assistant for the FAA (special needs) classroom at my high school. In this class, I enjoyed the playful interactions of eight incredible students with physical or mental disabilities. These students often do not leave the classroom all day and complete English, Math, Science, History, and common life-skills practice at the same desk and at the same time every day. The rarity of a student leaving the classroom for another class requires paras and assistants to help walk them. Fortunately, I got to walk a kid named Joe (name inaccurate to protect identity) to his math class every day. Joe is a very bright student who has a problem staying calm in class and on the days he needs extra help, I stay with him in his math class even though I am not gifted at easy math. If you give me a quadratic equation, I could solve that instantly, but if I am given a triple-digit multiplication problem, it may take me a minute to solve. Anyways, I loved walking him to class as after that first week, I had always been "my Sarah" to him. This interaction, including others in the classroom, has inspired me to help others with disabilities. I have known since I was little that I wanted to be a doctor because of my grandpa who is a surgeon. He is my biggest role model and I want to make him proud. Luckily, I share the same passion for helping people as he does. Since I decided this, it has been a roller coaster of what other topics I am passionate about that I want to pursue as my specialty. It has gone from a NICU doctor to a pediatric oncologist. Now, I want to do something with special needs kids. I have thought of a speech therapist or a behavioral analyst. Becoming a teacher's assistant this year has really helped me put my career into perspective and what I am going to be passionate about pursuing. Additionally, I have created a project in my hometown to provide life-sustaining skills for adults with any kind of disabilities. After high school, many people with disabilities stay at home or in nursing homes until they pass away because they can not find a job they qualify for that will help them prosper in this world. I am working on putting the project and details together right now, and this is how I want to make a difference. I want to help those that need a little extra push to be independent. I hope to be an inspiration to others with the same passion as me in the future.

"What's your name?" "Sarah" The next day, "My Sarah is taking me to math! This communication happened during the first week of the second semester of high school this year. I was a teacher's assistant for the FAA (special needs) classroom at my high school. In this class, I enjoyed the playful interactions of eight incredible students with physical or mental disabilities. These students often do not leave the classroom all day and complete English, Math, Science, History, and common life-skills practice at the same desk and at the same time every day. The rarity of a student leaving the classroom for another class requires paras and assistants to help walk them. Fortunately, I got to walk a kid named Joe (name inaccurate to protect identity) to his math class every day. Joe is a very bright student who has a problem staying calm in class and on the days he needs extra help, I stay with him in his math class even though I am not gifted at easy math. If you give me a quadratic equation, I could solve that instantly, but if I am given a triple-digit multiplication problem, it may take me a minute to solve. Anyways, I loved walking him to class as after that first week, I had always been "my Sarah" to him. This interaction, including others in the classroom, has inspired me to help others with disabilities. I have known since I was little that I wanted to be a doctor because of my grandpa who is a surgeon. He is my biggest role model and I want to make him proud. Luckily, I share the same passion for helping people as he does. Since I decided this, it has been a roller coaster of what other topics I am passionate about that I want to pursue as my specialty. It has gone from a NICU doctor to a pediatric oncologist. Now, I want to do something with special needs kids. I have thought of a speech therapist or a behavioral analyst. Becoming a teacher's assistant this year has really helped me put my career into perspective and what I am going to be passionate about pursuing. Additionally, I have created a project in my hometown to provide life-sustaining skills for adults with any kind of disabilities. After high school, many people with disabilities stay at home or in nursing homes until they pass away because they can not find a job they qualify for that will help them prosper in this world. I am working on putting the project and details together right now, and this is how I want to make a difference. I want to help those that need a little extra push to be independent. I hope to be an inspiration to others with the same passion as me in the future.

"What's your name?" "Sarah" The next day, "My Sarah is taking me to math! This communication happened during the first week of the second semester of high school this year. I was a teacher's assistant for the FAA (special needs) classroom at my high school. In this class, I enjoyed the playful interactions of eight incredible students with physical or mental disabilities. These students often do not leave the classroom all day and complete English, Math, Science, History, and common life-skills practice at the same desk and at the same time every day. The rarity of a student leaving the classroom for another class requires paras and assistants to help walk them. Fortunately, I got to walk a kid named Joe (name inaccurate to protect identity) to his math class every day. Joe is a very bright student who has a problem staying calm in class and on the days he needs extra help, I stay with him in his math class even though I am not gifted at easy math. If you give me a quadratic equation, I could solve that instantly, but if I am given a triple-digit multiplication problem, it may take me a minute to solve. Anyways, I loved walking him to class as after that first week, I had always been "my Sarah" to him. This interaction, including others in the classroom, has inspired me to help others with disabilities. I have known since I was little that I wanted to be a doctor because of my grandpa who is a surgeon. He is my biggest role model and I want to make him proud. Luckily, I share the same passion for helping people as he does. Since I decided this, it has been a roller coaster of what other topics I am passionate about that I want to pursue as my specialty. It has gone from a NICU doctor to a pediatric oncologist. Now, I want to do something with special needs kids. I have thought of a speech therapist or a behavioral analyst. Becoming a teacher's assistant this year has really helped me put my career into perspective and what I am going to be passionate about pursuing. Additionally, I have created a project in my hometown to provide life-sustaining skills for adults with any kind of disabilities. After high school, many people with disabilities stay at home or in nursing homes until they pass away because they can not find a job they qualify for that will help them prosper in this world. I am working on putting the project and details together right now, and this is how I want to make a difference. I want to help those that need a little extra push to be independent. I hope to be an inspiration to others with the same passion as me in the future.

I believe that I am a very curious person. I am compassionate and willing to learn. In a team, understanding other people's perspectives and backgrounds can help us to connect as a whole. I am understanding and I believe that everyone's perspectives matter. We should consider their thoughts just as much as ours when we decide what the best action is for the goal in mind. I want to help others as much as possible and help them persevere in life, so I do everything I can to make sure they have the right resources to succeed. I believe everyone has strong abilities and allowing others to share their abilities is always best for the team. I also believe that being smart is a strong quality as well. My biological mother was emotionally abusive and always told me that being smart was stupid and a waste of time. She said that I would never be smart enough to be a doctor. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. Now that I have grown past that I have realized that she is wrong, being smart can help me achieve many goals. Living in today's society has offered many opportunities to gain knowledge and experience. For example, my high school has a dual enrollment program where I will graduate high school with my associate's degree. If she still impacted me, I would not have imagined that I could do this program. Being smart can help you look better on paper. Being smart can help you shape a good future. Being smart allows you to excel higher than you could ever imagine. Understanding that education is important was a big advancement for me. I can now aim for a higher career that I would never have thought I could do if I still believed in my biological mother. I believe that being smart can take you farther in life than anything else. Being happy with your career and yourself is the most important.

Growing up, my mom would always talk bad about my dad and make him seem like an awful person. She was a manipulator and an abuser. I always felt like something bad was going to happen to me if I did not play along with her game. However, I felt like my insides were telling me to stop and that I do not have to make her happy all the time. I would go some days where I would listen to my emotions, and then some days I was just trying to stay out of trouble. I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster. My emotions were always changing, probably because I was becoming a teenager, but it still had an impact on my life. The way my days were depended on the mood of my mom and whether or not she was in a good mood. She has bipolar depression and does not do anything to help it. She could be really hard to manage sometimes and it made me worn out as well. When I was younger I loved watching "Inside Out", but now that I am older, I can relate more to Riley in a way I never thought I would. Riley's emotions of Joy and Sadness get sucked up into the Long Term Memory and it is up to Anger, Fear, and Disgust to help Riley get through her days. Obviously, these emotions can not help her be a better person, but they try to at least not destroy everything. She ends up being angry with her parents, destroying relationships with her friends, and almost running away. While they separated, Joy and Sadness go through a lot of realization as they travel their way home and come across obstacles. They make it just in time and become better friends because of it. This movie helps me realize more of my emotions. I know that there are not little people controlling my every move at a control desk inside my head, but it helps me realize that some days are just going to be harder than others. It is not always going to be a sun-shining, everyone's-laughing kind of day. However, it is up to me what I decide to do with that day and how I am going to make it the best day ever. I am able to be who I want to be, my mom can not control that or make me feel bad for showing my true feelings. I have come to love being around my dad and stepmom and I am able to control my feelings better. I hope that everyone will someday realize that your emotions are what you make them.

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:27 "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act." I love this verse, it reminds me that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to get involved in our community, so that is what I am going to do. When we think of being in a community, "each member belongs to all the others" (Romans 12:4-5). This is something that I often forget. Sometimes, I go down a dark path of believing I am not as good as everyone else. They have more money, more friends, and more availability. However, this is not true and it has taken some time for me to realize this. We are all included in the community together, equally, and with one thing in mind- to be more like Jesus. I sometimes think I am better than others as well. I walk down the "poor" neighborhood or I see homeless people on the street and I believe to myself "well at least I am not them." I think this is something a lot of people struggle with understanding. We are called to help others, we are called to see others as equals, and in this crazy world, that can get sidetracked from our perspectives. Once I put myself out there and got involved in the community, my life changed for the better. I dedicated so much of my free time to helping out with events and fundraisers in my area. I have helped raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Special Olympics, Kansas Honor Flight, Kansas Humane Society, and Kids 4 Kids (a group to raise money for abused kids). Not only have I helped out with these organizations, but I participate in community events through my National Honor Society Chapter. There is always something going on in our community that we can help out with and as the Committee Leader of our Service Group, I get a bigger picture of how many people want our help. I also work as a CNA for a memory care facility in Wichita and I have found a new meaning for life there as well as I help take care of people and make them feel better. There is nothing grosser than getting up close and personal with my residents, but I love every other aspect of working there. If everyone could experience some sort of volunteer work, I think that they would have a new perspective on life. They would be able to see it as God sees it and develop kind hearts. Earning this scholarship will help me to continue my education. Everyone knows that college is expensive and it is really expensive for my parents of six kids. They can not just take out $20,000 loans for each kid. We have to help in any way possible if we want to go to college. Any money helps and counts toward my education. I want to help people in this world by becoming a pediatric oncologist; someone who is dedicated to helping children with cancer. This has been a passion of mine for many years and the time has come to live it out. I just need the funds to make it happen. I would be incredibly grateful if I were to win this scholarship.

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:27 "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act." I love this verse, it reminds me that helping others is what we are called to do. God wants us to get involved in our community, so that is what I am going to do. When we think of being in a community, "each member belongs to all the others" (Romans 12:4-5). This is something that I often forget. Sometimes, I go down a dark path of believing I am not as good as everyone else. They have more money, more friends, and more availability. However, this is not true and it has taken some time for me to realize this. We are all included in the community together, equally, and with one thing in mind- to be more like Jesus. I sometimes think I am better than others as well. I walk down the "poor" neighborhood or I see homeless people on the street and I believe to myself "well at least I am not them." I think this is something a lot of people struggle with understanding. We are called to help others, we are called to see others as equals, and in this crazy world, that can get sidetracked from our perspectives. Once I put myself out there and got involved in the community, my life changed for the better. I dedicated so much of my free time to helping out with events and fundraisers in my area. I have helped raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Special Olympics, Kansas Honor Flight, Kansas Humane Society, and Kids 4 Kids (a group to raise money for abused kids). Not only have I helped out with these organizations, but I participate in community events through my National Honor Society Chapter. There is always something going on in our community that we can help out with and as the Committee Leader of our Service Group, I get a bigger picture of how many people want our help. I also work as a CNA for a memory care facility in Wichita and I have found a new meaning for life there as well as I help take care of people and make them feel better. There is nothing grosser than getting up close and personal with my residents, but I love every other aspect of working there. If everyone could experience some sort of volunteer work, I think that they would have a new perspective on life. They would be able to see it as God sees it and develop kind hearts.

Every day I wake up and think about what my future holds. I do not want to let any moment pass me by without making something of it. My dedication to school encourages me to do this. When I started my freshman year of high school, I enrolled in a program that allowed me to be on a college campus and take high school classes. This was a great chance to learn the way campus life looked and how college courses operated. I excelled very well in this program and began to realize how important the courses I took were. Due to my dad's career, we have had to move around almost every year of my High School career. Unfortunately, the school that I attended during my sophomore year did not offer a college program, so I decided to take as many honors classes as they would allow. I wanted to be certain I was continuing to excel. Now, at my new high school, I am taking dual enrollment courses through a community college that allows me to be a high school student and a college student at the same time. This incredible opportunity will enable me to graduate high school with my associate's degree. I am very excited to continue this path and stand out amongst the crowd. I am incredibly proud of this because I will be a first-generation college graduate in my family. Furthermore, I have a strong belief in helping others. I have committed most of my free time to volunteer in the community and helping others. For example, I am in my school's National Honor Society Chapter where we reach out to people every week who need volunteers. I also volunteer at the Kansas Humane Society during my free time to continue my outreach. I aspire to do good and help inspire others to do the same. I strive to be the best person I can be and a bright light in the community. Meaning, that I believe we should be encouraging others at school, and in our community. Although I am often the new kid in school, I never want anyone to feel left out or not good enough. I try to be the person that reaches out to others that need assistance. We should all strive to be more accepting and loving of others, no matter their background, race, gender, etc. I hope to be an inspiration as I walk through this life and pursue my future career in the medical field as a pediatric oncologist. This has been a dream of mine for a long time and I can not wait to make it happen. I want to help change the lives of children that need it.

Every day I wake up and think about what my future holds. I do not want to let any moment pass me by without making something of it. My dedication to school encourages me to do this. When I started my freshman year of high school, I enrolled in a program that allowed me to be on a college campus and take high school classes. This was a great chance to learn the way campus life looked and how college courses operated. I excelled very well in this program and began to realize how important the courses I took were. Due to my dad's career, we have had to move around almost every year of my High School career. Unfortunately, the school that I attended during my sophomore year did not offer a college program, so I decided to take as many honors classes as they would allow. I wanted to be certain I was continuing to excel. Now, at my new high school, I am taking dual enrollment courses through a community college that allows me to be a high school student and a college student at the same time. This incredible opportunity will enable me to graduate high school with my associate's degree. I am very excited to continue this path and stand out amongst the crowd. I am incredibly proud of this because I will be a first-generation college graduate in my family. Furthermore, I have a strong belief in helping others. I have committed most of my free time to volunteer in the community and helping others. For example, I am in my school's National Honor Society Chapter where we reach out to people every week who need volunteers. I also volunteer at the Kansas Humane Society during my free time to continue my outreach. I aspire to do good and help inspire others to do the same. I strive to be the best person I can be and a bright light in the community. Meaning, that I believe we should be encouraging others at school, and in our community. Although I am often the new kid in school, I never want anyone to feel left out or not good enough. I try to be the person that reaches out to others that need assistance. We should all strive to be more accepting and loving of others, no matter their background, race, gender, etc. I hope to be an inspiration as I walk through this life and pursue my future career in the medical field as a pediatric oncologist. This has been a dream of mine for a long time and I can not wait to make it happen. I want to help change the lives of children that need it.

I have a biological mother who was emotionally and physically abusive. From the start, she never believed in me and told me time and time again that I was worthless and did not deserve to have my dreams. I was under her manipulation for many years, until I was fourteen. She always told me that I was dumb, or ugly, and sometimes she told me that my dad and stepmom were terrible people. Everything she did led me down a path that has taken years to overcome. I am still trying to figure out life in a positive way. As I got older, I was able to comprehend her manipulative attitude and realized that nothing that she said made sense. I went to my dad and stepmom as I was concerned for myself and my brother that we were being treated the wrong way. They encouraged me to pray about it and really think about what I wanted. As time went on, my biological mother was more and more abusive, so I told my dad that I could not live with her anymore. She could not treat my brother and me like that, so we took it to court, and now I am happy living with my dad. Him and my stepmom were always there to help me. They have continued to encourage me in school work and have supported me in all ways. They have gotten me through my high school career as I will graduate with my associate's degree. Since middle school, I have wanted to be a doctor. Although, I have changed my kind of doctor many times; from NICU doctor to pediatrician. However, I have decided on becoming a pediatric oncologist. This is a doctor that works with children that have cancer. I know that this is what I want to do. I believe that I can help these children live and maybe one day help find a cure for cancer. I hope to continue to make my parents proud.

Every day I wake up and think about what my future holds. I do not want to let any moment pass me by without making something of it. My dedication to school encourages me to do this. When I started my freshman year of high school, I enrolled in a program that allowed me to be on a college campus and take high school classes. This was a great chance to learn the way campus life looked and how college courses operated. I excelled very well in this program and began to realize how important the courses I took were. Due to my dad's career, we have had to move around every year of my High School career. Unfortunately, the school that I attended during my sophomore year did not offer a college program, so I decided to take as many honors classes as they would allow. I wanted to be certain I was continuing to excel. Now, once again at a new school, as a junior in high school, I am taking dual enrollment courses through a community college that allows me to be a high school student and a college student at the same time. This incredible opportunity will enable me to graduate high school with my associate's degree. I am very excited to continue this path and stand out amongst the crowd. I am incredibly proud of this because I will be a first-generation college graduate in my family. Furthermore, I have a strong belief in helping others. I have committed most of my free time to volunteer in the community and helping others. I aspire to do good and help inspire others to do the same. I strive to be the best person I can be and a bright light in the community. Meaning, that I believe we should be encouraging others at school, and in our community. Although I am often the new kid in school, I never want anyone to feel left out or not good enough. We should all strive to be more accepting and loving of others, no matter their background, race, gender, etc. I hope to be an inspiration as I walk through this life and pursue my future career in the medical field as a pediatric oncologist.

I have a biological mother who was emotionally and physically abusive. From the start, she never believed in me and told me time and time again that I was worthless and did not deserve to have my dreams. I was under her manipulation for many years, until I was fourteen. She always told me that I was dumb, or ugly, and sometimes she told me that my dad and stepmom were terrible people. Everything she did led me down a path that has taken years to overcome. I am still trying to figure out life in a positive way. As I got older, I was able to comprehend her manipulative attitude and realized that nothing that she said made sense. I went to my dad and stepmom as I was concerned for myself and my brother that we were being treated the wrong way. They encouraged me to pray about it and really think about what I wanted. As time went on, my biological mother was more and more abusive, so I told my dad that I could not live with her anymore. She could not treat my brother and me like that, so we took it to court, and now I am happy living with my dad. Furthermore, my brother and I have tried to make amends with our biological mother, but when we see her she is always trying to manipulate us again, after several years, and continues to disappoint us. One time we met at a park to tell her how we really felt about everything and how we needed her to support us and let go. However, as we talked she made hateful faces, said terrible things, and continued to disrespect us. I remember one thing that she said, “If you don’t have me in your life then you will never be good enough for the world.” As she said this, I completely went in the other direction. I was not going to let her talk to us like that. I was not going to let her continue to abuse us. And I was not going to let her have an impact on our lives. my entire life, she messed with me and made me feel like a nobody. However, when I went to school, I never let her words get into my head. I was the kindest person who was always there for my friends. I even earned the nickname "My sweet Sarah" from many of my teachers. I was always there to be helpful and respectful. Parent-teacher conferences were always hard though because of the way I was treated by my mother. My teachers would brag about me and say how sweet and kind I was, then when we were done she would always say "why can't you be 'sweet and kind' at MY house, why only at school and your dad's house? You must hate me." She always played the petty card. Now I know that I was not the problem, and I continue to be the sunshine in everyone's day. It has encouraged me to continue being "sweet Sarah" and love life.

My biggest hurdle in life started when I was in second grade and continued until I was in my freshman year of high school. My family dealt with a massive custody battle that had a major impact on our lives for so many years. It is still traumatic to this day. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. She put me down and made me believe for a long time that I was not capable of achieving my dreams. Fortunately, I had an amazing father and stepmother that pushed me to be the person I am today. They helped me understand that my dreams can be infinite and they would do anything they could to help me reach my goals. I realized that no one can determine how I live my future, but myself. So, I overcame her abusive words, lived with my dad full time, and put my future as my top priority by getting involved in my education. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could to help myself reach my goals. I think that having some directional control over your life is a great way to not allow others to manipulate and push us around. I have learned to not let others' opinions of me determine what I think of myself. Their opinions are not the most important, mine is. Even though I am still recovering from the years of abuse, I strive to help other students and teenagers who are going through similar situations. I do not want other kids to feel alone or worthless. That is why I am involved in my school's Kids 4 Kids club which fundraises for abused kids organizations in our areas. I hope to continue helping abused kid's organizations when I go to college.

I have a biological mother who was emotionally and physically abusive. From the start, she never believed in me and told me time and time again that I was worthless and did not deserve to have my dreams. I was under her manipulation for many years, until I was fourteen. She always told me that I was dumb, or ugly, and sometimes she told me that my dad and stepmom were terrible people. Everything she did led me down a path that has taken years to overcome. I am still trying to figure out life in a positive way. As I got older, I was able to comprehend her manipulative attitude and realized that nothing that she said made sense. I went to my dad and stepmom as I was concerned for myself and my brother that we were being treated the wrong way. They encouraged me to pray about it and really think about what I wanted. As time went on, my biological mother was more and more abusive, so I told my dad that I could not live with her anymore. She could not treat my brother and me like that, so we took it to court, and now I am happy living with my dad. Furthermore, my brother and I have tried to make amends with our biological mother, but when we see her she is always trying to manipulate us again, after several years, and continues to disappoint us. One time we met at a park to tell her how we really felt about everything and how we needed her to support us and let go. However, as we talked she made hateful faces, said terrible things, and continued to disrespect us. I remember one thing that she said, “If you don’t have me in your life then you will never be good enough for the world.” As she said this, I completely went in the other direction. I was not going to let her talk to us like that. I was not going to let her continue to abuse us. And I was not going to let her have an impact on our lives. So, my brother and I left. We left the park, told her that she was not going to cooperate, and left. I have not seen her in three years, she has not tried to reach out, or do anything else other than make our lives difficult. If I was still being manipulated by her, then this would hurt; to not see my mother ever again. However, I have grown past that and I will not let her offend me. She has no say in what I can and cannot do. I decided not to let her words affect my life. I have learned to be careful with the people I get close to and no matter what others say about me, do not take offense, and especially, do not let it affect my future.

Like every child, I had a big dream of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always found this question to be an easy answer, a doctor. The difficulty, enjoyment, and discovery that this career choice provides have always interested me. As time went on, this choice molded me into wanting to be a type of pediatrician. I knew that I wanted to work with children, as there has not been a child I met that has not loved life and everything about it. Children are so pure and righteous and they have many amazing stories if you're willing to listen. By my freshman year of high school, I knew that I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist. I loved when my science class went through modules on how cells worked, what they did, and how it affects people. This process fascinates me and I want to continue diving deep into further studies. I feel that children in need should be surrounded by people that are positive, determined, and understanding of their situation. As they work to improve this life-changing event, I want to be the rock they can lean on. As part of my education, I hope to see the world around us from a new view and share all that I have learned. Going beyond classwork, I have spent time learning and growing more aware of what others in third-world countries experience, such as not having access to education, healthcare, and many other things taken for granted here at home. Around the world, people live in a completely different world than those of us in the United States. Someday I hope to travel the world to third-world countries and bring healthcare and knowledge to the people. I think that it is important to share our knowledge and skills with the world to help others live in a brighter and healthier environment.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? Have you ever experienced severe mental problems because of what your mom has said about you and your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared of reaching out. Then, one Sunday my dad and stepmom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a Christian growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. Everything just came crashing down. I began to tell my dad everything that was happening, I admitted my life journey, yet he was so understanding and supportive of my future. My mom would never have reacted like that, I would have been kicked out of the house for talking the way I did, yet my dad didn’t. My dad spoke the truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, stepmom, and I worked to get through everything. After talking to my dad for the first time, it was easier to stand up to my mother and fight for my well-being. Now, two years later, I am disconnected from my biological mom. It took a lot of custody battles, fights over email and the phone, and fear of abuse, but it was worth it for my health! My dad took full custody of me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I am making stronger relationships with my dad and stepmom. I love my life now. It took a long time and I still deal with all of the hardships now, but I have never felt so happy in my life. In fact, I am excelling in school, I will graduate high school with my associate's degree and one step further into my college career! I am very happy and could not have asked for a better dad and stepmom. Hard work pays off when you are focused on the right things. I think that it is important for us to have someone in our life that is encouraging and does nothing but build us up. However, they also may struggle with things as well. My parents have six kids to look after and they need as much support as I do. Therefore, I should also be there for my parents. Just like anyone else, if they fill your bucket up, they need someone else to fill their bucket up. I know that having someone there to support me through this, makes life a lot more comfortable.

Every day I wake up and think about what my future holds. I do not want to let any moment pass me by without making something of it. My dedication to school encourages me to do this. When I started my freshman year of high school, I enrolled in a program that allowed me to be on a college campus and take high school classes. This was a great chance to learn the way campus life looked and how college courses operated. I excelled very well in this program and began to realize how important the courses I took were. Due to my dad's career, we have had to move around every year of my High School career. Unfortunately, the school that I attended during my sophomore year did not offer a college program, so I decided to take as many honors classes as they would allow. I wanted to be certain I was continuing to excel. Now, once again at a new school, as a junior in high school, I am taking dual enrollment courses through a community college that allows me to be a high school student and a college student at the same time. This incredible opportunity will enable me to graduate high school with my associate's degree. I am very excited to continue this path and stand out amongst the crowd. I am incredibly proud of this because I will be a first-generation college graduate in my family. Furthermore, I have a strong belief in helping others. I have committed most of my free time to volunteer in the community and helping others. I aspire to do good and help inspire others to do the same. I strive to be the best person I can be and a bright light in the community. Meaning, that I believe we should be encouraging others at school, and in our community. Although I am often the new kid in school, I never want anyone to feel left out or not good enough. We should all strive to be more accepting and loving of others, no matter their background, race, gender, etc. I hope to be an inspiration as I walk through this life and pursue my future career in the medical field as a pediatric oncologist; helping kids who need someone to be by their side as they walk through life in a challenging way.

I have a biological mother who was emotionally and physically abusive. From the start, she never believed in me and told me time and time again that I was worthless and did not deserve to have my dreams. I was under her manipulation for many years, until I was fourteen. She always told me that I was dumb, or ugly, and sometimes she told me that my dad and stepmom were terrible people. Everything she did led me down a path that has taken years to overcome. I am still trying to figure out life in a positive way. As I got older, I was able to comprehend her manipulative attitude and realized that nothing that she said made sense. I went to my dad and stepmom as I was concerned for myself and my brother that we were being treated the wrong way. They encouraged me to pray about it and really think about what I wanted. As time went on, my biological mother was more and more abusive, so I told my dad that I could not live with her anymore. She could not treat my brother and me like that, so we took it to court, and now I am happy living with my dad. Furthermore, my brother and I have tried to make amends with our biological mother, but when we see her she is always trying to manipulate us again, after several years, and continues to disappoint us. One time we met at a park to tell her how we really felt about everything and how we needed her to support us and let go. However, as we talked she made hateful faces, said terrible things, and continued to disrespect us. I remember one thing that she said, “If you don’t have me in your life then you will never be good enough for the world.” As she said this, I completely went in the other direction. I was not going to let her talk to us like that. I was not going to let her continue to abuse us. And I was not going to let her have an impact on our lives. So, my brother and I left. We left the park, told her that she was not going to cooperate, and left. I have not seen her in four years, she has not tried to reach out, or do anything else other than make our lives difficult. If I was still being manipulated by her, then this would hurt; to not see my mother ever again. However, I have grown past that and I will not let her offend me. She has no say in what I can and cannot do. I decided not to let her words affect my life. I have learned to be careful with the people I get close to and no matter what others say about me, I do not take offense, and I especially, will not it affect my future. That is why going to college is so important. To prove to myself that I can do great things in this world without my abusive mother.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? Have you ever experienced severe mental problems because of what your mom has said about you and your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. Then, one Sunday my dad and stepmom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a Christian growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. He explained that God will be there for me and I felt as if he was talking to me. Everything just came crashing down, like the walls of Jericho. I began to tell my dad everything that was happening, I admitted my life journey, yet he was so understanding and supportive of my future. My mom would never have reacted like that, and I would have been kicked out of the house for talking the way I did, yet my dad didn’t. My dad spoke the truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, stepmom, and I worked to get through everything. After talking to my dad for the first time, it was easier to stand up to my mother and fight for my well-being. Now, two years later, I am disconnected from my biological mom. I have literally no contact with her. No phone calls. No visits, she does not even pay child support. It took a lot of custody battles, fights over email and the phone, and fear of abuse, but it was worth it for my health! My dad took full custody of me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I am making stronger relationships with my dad and stepmom. I love my life now. Yes, it took a long time. Yes, I still deal with all of the hardships now, but I have never felt so happy in my life. In fact, I am excelling in school, taking college courses along with AP courses. I will graduate high school with my associate's degree and one step further into my college career! I am very happy and could not have asked for a better dad and stepmom. Hard work pays off when you are focused on the right things. I think that it is important for us to have someone in our life that is encouraging and does nothing but build us up. However, they also may struggle with things as well. Especially as a parent. My parents have six kids to look after and they need as much support as I do. Therefore, I should also be there for my parents. Just like anyone else, if they fill your bucket up, they need someone else to fill their bucket up. I know that having someone there to support me through this, makes life a lot more comfortable. Finally, I learned so many valuable life lessons along the way that have changed my life forever. First, talk it out, no matter what the other person might say, always reach out to someone that you trust. Second, do not let anyone tell you that you can not do something, you most certainly can achieve anything! Lastly, have faith that God has a plan for you, put your whole trust in him and he will reward you with amazing things! I have a lot of education ahead of me as I want to attend medical school, so I hope my dad and stepmom's encouragement can help me pursue my dreams.

I have a strong belief in helping others. I have committed most of my free time to volunteer in the community and helping others. I aspire to do good and help inspire others to do the same. I strive to be the best person I can be and a bright light in the community. Meaning, that I believe we should be encouraging others at school, and in our community. Although I am often the new kid in school, I never want anyone to feel left out or not good enough. We should all strive to be more accepting and loving of others, no matter their background, race, gender, etc. I hope to be an inspiration as I walk through this life and pursue my future career in the medical field as a pediatric oncologist. My biggest inspiration is my grandfather. He worked on a farm for most of his childhood, then went to school to become a band teacher. During his time there, he realized that it was not for him and he changed his major to chemistry. He has put so much work into his career as he is a colon and rectal surgeon. I want to be just as dedicated and focused as he is. Since middle school, I have wanted to be a doctor. The difficulty, enjoyment, and discovery that this career choice provides have always interested me. As time went on, this choice molded me into wanting to be a type of pediatrician. I knew that I wanted to work with children, as there has not been a child I met that has not loved life and everything about it. Children are so pure and righteous and they have many amazing stories if you're willing to listen. By my freshman year of high school, I knew that I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist. I loved when my science class went through modules on how cells worked, what they did, and how it affects people. This process fascinates me and I want to continue diving deep into further studies. I feel that children in need should be surrounded by people that are positive, determined, and understanding of their situation. As they work to improve this life-changing event, I want to be the rock they can lean on. As part of my education, I hope to see the world around us from a new view and share all that I have learned.

I have a biological mother who was emotionally and physically abusive. From the start, she never believed in me and told me time and time again that I was worthless and did not deserve to have my dreams. I was under her manipulation for many years, until I was fourteen. She always told me that I was dumb, or ugly, and sometimes she told me that my dad and stepmom were terrible people. Everything she did led me down a path that has taken years to overcome. I am still trying to figure out life in a positive way. As I got older, I was able to comprehend her manipulative attitude and realized that nothing that she said made sense. I went to my dad and stepmom as I was concerned for myself and my brother that we were being treated the wrong way. They encouraged me to pray about it and really think about what I wanted. As time went on, my biological mother was more and more abusive, so I told my dad that I could not live with her anymore. She could not treat my brother and me like that, so we took it to court, and now I am happy living with my dad. Furthermore, my brother and I have tried to make amends with our biological mother, but when we see her she is always trying to manipulate us again, after several years, and continues to disappoint us. One time we met at a park to tell her how we really felt about everything and how we needed her to support us and let go. However, as we talked she made hateful faces, said terrible things, and continued to disrespect us. I remember one thing that she said, “If you don’t have me in your life then you will never be good enough for the world.” As she said this, I completely went in the other direction. I was not going to let her talk to us like that. I was not going to let her continue to abuse us. And I was not going to let her have an impact on our lives. So, my brother and I left. We left the park, told her that she was not going to cooperate, and left. I have not seen her in three years, she has not tried to reach out, or do anything else other than make our lives difficult. If I was still being manipulated by her, then this would hurt; to not see my mother ever again. However, I have grown past that and I will not let her offend me. She has no say in what I can and cannot do. I decided not to let her words affect my life. I have learned to be careful with the people I get close to and no matter what others say about me, do not take offense, and especially, do not let it affect my future.

I have a biological mother who was emotionally and physically abusive. From the start, she never believed in me and told me time and time again that I was worthless and did not deserve to have my dreams. I was under her manipulation for many years, until I was fourteen. She always told me that I was dumb, or ugly, and sometimes she told me that my dad and stepmom were terrible people. Everything she did led me down a path that has taken years to overcome. I am still trying to figure out life in a positive way. As I got older, I was able to comprehend her manipulative attitude and realized that nothing that she said made sense. I went to my dad and stepmom as I was concerned for myself and my brother that we were being treated the wrong way. They encouraged me to pray about it and really think about what I wanted. As time went on, my biological mother was more and more abusive, so I told my dad that I could not live with her anymore. She could not treat my brother and me like that, so we took it to court, and now I am happy living with my dad. Furthermore, my brother and I have tried to make amends with our biological mother, but when we see her she is always trying to manipulate us again, after several years, and continues to disappoint us. One time we met at a park to tell her how we really felt about everything and how we needed her to support us and let go. However, as we talked she made hateful faces, said terrible things, and continued to disrespect us. I remember one thing that she said, “If you don’t have me in your life then you will never be good enough for the world.” As she said this, I completely went in the other direction. I was not going to let her talk to us like that. I was not going to let her continue to abuse us. And I was not going to let her have an impact on our lives. So, my brother and I left. We left the park, told her that she was not going to cooperate, and left. I have not seen her in three years, she has not tried to reach out, or do anything else other than make our lives difficult. If I was still being manipulated by her, then this would hurt; to not see my mother ever again. However, I have grown past that and I will not let her offend me. She has no say in what I can and cannot do. I decided not to let her words affect my life. I have learned to be careful with the people I get close to and no matter what others say about me, do not take offense, and especially, do not let it affect my future.

I have a strong belief in helping others. I have committed most of my free time to volunteer in the community and helping others. I aspire to do good and help inspire others to do the same. I strive to be the best person I can be and a bright light in the community. Meaning, that I believe we should be encouraging others at school, and in our community. Although I am often the new kid in school, I never want anyone to feel left out or not good enough. We should all strive to be more accepting and loving of others, no matter their background, race, gender, etc. I hope to be an inspiration as I walk through this life and pursue my future career in the medical field as a pediatric oncologist. My biggest inspiration is my grandfather. He worked on a farm for most of his childhood, then went to school to become a band teacher. During his time there, he realized that it was not for him and he changed his major to chemistry. He has put so much work into his career as he is a colon and rectal surgeon. I want to be just as dedicated and focused as he is. Since middle school, I have wanted to be a doctor. The difficulty, enjoyment, and discovery that this career choice provides have always interested me. As time went on, this choice molded me into wanting to be a type of pediatrician. I knew that I wanted to work with children, as there has not been a child I met that has not loved life and everything about it. Children are so pure and righteous and they have many amazing stories if you're willing to listen. By my freshman year of high school, I knew that I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist. I loved when my science class went through modules on how cells worked, what they did, and how it affects people. This process fascinates me and I want to continue diving deep into further studies. I feel that children in need should be surrounded by people that are positive, determined, and understanding of their situation. As they work to improve this life-changing event, I want to be the rock they can lean on. As part of my education, I hope to see the world around us from a new view and share all that I have learned.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? Have you ever experienced severe mental problems because of what your mom has said about you and your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are being faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. Then, one Sunday my dad and stepmom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a Christian growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. He explained that God will be there for me and I felt as if he was talking to me. Everything just came crashing down, like the walls of Jericho. I began to tell my dad everything that was happening, I admitted my life journey, yet he was so understanding and supportive of my future. My mom would never have reacted like that, I would have been kicked out of the house for talking the way I did, yet my dad didn’t. My dad spoke the truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, stepmom, and I worked to get through everything. After talking to my dad for the first time, it was easier to stand up to my mother and fight for my well-being. Now, two years later, I am disconnected from my biological mom. I have literally no contact with her. No phone calls. No visits, she does not even pay child support. It took a lot of custody battles, fights over email and the phone, and fear of abuse, but it was worth it for my health! My dad took full custody over me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I am making stronger relationships with my dad and step mom. I love my life now. Yes, it took a long time. Yes, I still deal with all of the hardships now, but I have never felt so happy in my life. In fact, I am excelling in school, taking college courses along with AP courses. I will graduate high school with my associates degree and one step further into my college career! I am very happy and could not have asked for a better dad and step mom. Hard work pays off when you are focused on the right things. I think that it is important for us to have someone in our life that is encouraging and does nothing but build us up. However, they also may struggle with things as well. Especially as a parent. My parents have six kids to look after and they need as much support as I do. Therefore, I should also be there for my parents. Just like anyone else, if they fill your bucket up, they need someone else to fill their bucket up. I know that having someone there to support me through this, makes life a lot more comfortable. Finally, I learned so many valuable life lessons along the way that have changed my life forever. First, talk it out, no matter what the other person might say, always reach to someone that you trust. Second, do not let anyone tell you that you can not do something, you most certainly can achieve anything! Lastly, have faith that God has a plan for you, put your whole trust in him and he will reward you with amazing things! I have a lot of education ahead of me as I want to attend medical school, so I hope my dad and stepmom's encouragement can help me pursue my dreams.

Like every child, I had a big dream of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always found this question to be an easy answer, a doctor. The difficulty, enjoyment, and discovery that this career choice provides have always interested me. As time went on, this choice molded me into wanting to be a type of pediatrician. I knew that I wanted to work with children, as there has not been a child I met that has not loved life and everything about it. Children are so pure and righteous and they have many amazing stories if you're willing to listen. By my freshman year of high school, I knew that I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist. I loved when my science class went through modules on how cells worked, what they did, and how it affects people. This process fascinates me and I want to continue diving deep into further studies. I feel that children in need should be surrounded by people that are positive, determined, and understanding of their situation. As they work to improve this life-changing event, I want to be the rock they can lean on. As part of my education, I hope to see the world around us from a new view and share all that I have learned.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? Have you ever experienced severe mental problems because of what your mom has said about you and your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are being faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. Then, one Sunday my dad and stepmom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a Christian growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. He explained that God will be there for me and I felt as if he was talking to me. Everything just came crashing down, like the walls of Jericho. I began to tell my dad everything that was happening, I admitted my life journey, yet he was so understanding and supportive of my future. My mom would never have reacted like that, I would have been kicked out of the house for talking the way I did, yet my dad didn’t. My dad spoke the truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, stepmom, and I worked to get through everything. After talking to my dad for the first time, it was easier to stand up to my mother and fight for my well-being. Now, I am disconnected from my biological mom. No phone calls and no visits. It took a lot of custody battles, fights over email and the phone, and fear of abuse, but it was worth it for my health! My dad took full custody of me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I am making stronger relationships with my dad and stepmom. I love my life now. Yes, it took a long time, but I have never felt so happy in my life. I am very happy and could not have asked for a better dad and stepmom. Finally, I learned so many valuable life lessons along the way that have changed my life forever. First, talk it out, no matter what the other person might say, always reach out to someone that you trust. Second, do not let anyone tell you that you can not do something, you most certainly can achieve anything! Have faith that God has a plan for you, put your whole trust in him and he will reward you with amazing things! I have a lot of education ahead of me as I want to attend medical school, so I hope my dad and stepmom's encouragement can help me pursue my dreams.

I do not have experience with Sickle Cell Disease, but I do hope to help others and make a positive impact through my healthcare career. Like every child, I had a big dream of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always found this question to be an easy answer, a doctor. The difficulty, enjoyment, and discovery that this career choice provides have always interested me. As time went on, this choice molded me into wanting to be a type of pediatrician. I knew that I wanted to work with children, as there has not been a child I met that has not loved life and everything about it. Children are so pure and righteous and they have many amazing stories if you're willing to listen. By my freshman year of high school, I knew that I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist. I loved when my science class went through modules on how cells worked, what they did, and how it affects people. This process fascinates me and I want to continue diving deep into further studies. I feel that children in need should be surrounded by people that are positive, determined, and understanding of their situation. As they work to improve this life-changing event, I want to be the rock they can lean on. As part of my education, I hope to see the world around us from a new view and share all that I have learned through medical school and my experiences already in the health field. Currently, I am a CNA at a memory care facility. This takes a lot of patience and communication skills, but I have really enjoyed helping others. My biggest inspiration for this field is my grandfather. He worked on a farm for most of his childhood, then went to school to become a band teacher. During his time there, he realized that it was not for him and he changed his major to chemistry. He has put so much work into his career as he is a colon and rectal surgeon. I want to be just as dedicated and focused as he is. I know that this is what I want to do. Not just because it is the same path that my grandfather walked, but because I feel that I have a calling to healthcare. I believe that I can help these children live and maybe one day help find a cure to cancer.

I do not have experience with Sickle Cell Disease, but I do hope to help others and make a positive impact through my healthcare career. Like every child, I had a big dream of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always found this question to be an easy answer, a doctor. The difficulty, enjoyment, and discovery that this career choice provides have always interested me. As time went on, this choice molded me into wanting to be a type of pediatrician. I knew that I wanted to work with children, as there has not been a child I met that has not loved life and everything about it. Children are so pure and righteous and they have many amazing stories if you're willing to listen. By my freshman year of high school, I knew that I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist. I loved when my science class went through modules on how cells worked, what they did, and how it affects people. This process fascinates me and I want to continue diving deep into further studies. I feel that children in need should be surrounded by people that are positive, determined, and understanding of their situation. As they work to improve this life-changing event, I want to be the rock they can lean on. As part of my education, I hope to see the world around us from a new view and share all that I have learned through medical school and my experiences already in the health field. Currently, I am a CNA at a memory care facility. This takes a lot of patience and communication skills, but I have really enjoyed helping others. My biggest inspiration for this field is my grandfather. He worked on a farm for most of his childhood, then went to school to become a band teacher. During his time there, he realized that it was not for him and he changed his major to chemistry. He has put so much work into his career as he is a colon and rectal surgeon. I want to be just as dedicated and focused as he is. I know that this is what I want to do. Not just because it is the same path that my grandfather walked, but because I feel that I have a calling to healthcare. I believe that I can help these children live and maybe one day help find a cure to cancer.

I have a biological mother who was emotionally and physically abusive. From the start, she never believed in me and told me time and time again that I was worthless and did not deserve to have my dreams. I was under her manipulation for many years, until I was fourteen. She always told me that I was dumb, or ugly, and sometimes she told me that my dad and stepmom were terrible people. Everything she did led me down a path that has taken years to overcome. I am still trying to figure out life in a positive way. As I got older, I was able to comprehend her manipulative attitude and realized that nothing that she said made sense. I went to my dad and stepmom as I was concerned for myself and my brother that we were being treated the wrong way. They encouraged me to pray about it and really think about what I wanted. As time went on, my biological mother was more and more abusive, so I told my dad that I could not live with her anymore. She could not treat my brother and me like that, so we took it to court, and now I am happy living with my dad. That same year that everything was at its climax, my dad got me a dog for christmas. His name is Chocolate Chip, but we just call him Chip or Chippy. This dog became my pride and joy! He was there to be my emotional support through all the long nights of nightmares about my biological mom doing something to make life harder for us. My dad and stepmom were always there and helped me in every way that they could, but I don't think they were aware of the long sleepless nights. This tiny teacup yorkie has witnessed many tears, but he never stopped loving me. I think that this was something I needed. I needed someone to love me at all times and just cuddle me. I could never be more grateful for my dad and stepmom as they provided me with such a gift of joy. He is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am sad that while I am at college for ten years, I will not be there with him everyday. He will always be in my heart and soul as I complete my degree.

I have a biological mother who was emotionally and physically abusive. From the start, she never believed in me and told me time and time again that I was worthless and did not deserve to have my dreams. I was under her manipulation for many years, until I was fourteen. She always told me that I was dumb, or ugly, and sometimes she told me that my dad and stepmom were terrible people. Everything she did led me down a path that has taken years to overcome. I am still trying to figure out life in a positive way. As I got older, I was able to comprehend her manipulative attitude and realized that nothing that she said made sense. I went to my dad and stepmom as I was concerned for myself and my brother that we were being treated the wrong way. They encouraged me to pray about it and really think about what I wanted. As time went on, my biological mother was more and more abusive, so I told my dad that I could not live with her anymore. She could not treat my brother and me like that, so we took it to court, and now I am happy living with my dad. Furthermore, my brother and I have tried to make amends with our biological mother, but when we see her she is always trying to manipulate us again, after several years, and continues to disappoint us. One time we met at a park to tell her how we really felt about everything and how we needed her to support us and let go. However, as we talked she made hateful faces, said terrible things, and continued to disrespect us. I remember one thing that she said, “If you don’t have me in your life then you will never be good enough for the world.” As she said this, I completely went the other direction. I was not going to let her talk to us like that. I was not going to let her continue to abuse us. And I was not going to let her have an impact on our lives. So, my brother and I left. We left the park, we told her that she was not going to cooperate, and left. I have not seen her in three years, she has not tried to reach out, or do anything else other than making our lives difficult. If I was still being manipulated by her, then this would hurt; to not see my mother ever again. However, I have grown past that and I will not let her offend me. She has no say in what I can and cannot do. I decided not to let her words affect my life. I have learned to be careful with the people you get close to and no matter what others say about you, do not take offense, and especially, do not let it affect your future.

Every day I wake up and think about what my future holds. I do not want to let any moment pass me by without making something of it. My dedication to school encourages me to do this. When I started my freshman year of high school, I enrolled in a program that allowed me to be on a college campus and take high school classes. This was a great chance to learn the way campus life looked and how college courses operated. I excelled very well in this program and began to realize how important the courses I took were. Due to my dad's career, we have had to move around every year of my High School career. Unfortunately, the school that I attended my sophomore year did not offer a college program, so I decided to take as many honors classes as they would allow. I wanted to be certain I was continuing to excel. Now, once again at a new school, as a junior in high school, I am taking dual enrollment courses through a community college that allows me to be a high school student and a college student at the same time. This incredible opportunity will enable me to graduate high school with my associate's degree. I am very excited to continue this path and stand out amongst the crowd. I am incredibly proud of this because I will be a first-generation college graduate in my family. Furthermore, I have a strong belief in helping others. I have committed most of my free time to volunteering in the community and helping others. I aspire to do good and help inspire others to do the same. I strive to be the best person I can be and a bright light in the community. Meaning, that I believe we should be encouraging others at school, and in our community. Although I am often the new kid in school, I never want anyone to feel left out or not good enough. We should all strive to be more accepting and loving of others, no matter their background, race, gender etc. I hope to be an inspiration as I walk through this life and pursue my future career in the medical field as a pediatric oncologist.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? Have you ever experienced severe mental problems because of what your mom has said about you and your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are being faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. I was failing classes at school, yelling at my siblings, and even punishing myself. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life, I could hardly get through the day without crying. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. Then, my dad and step mom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a christain growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. He explained that God will be there for you and I felt as if he was talking to me. Everything just came crashing down, like the walls of Jericho. I told my dad everything that was happening, I admitted my life journey, yet he was so understanding and supportive of my future. My mom would never have reacted like that, I would have been kicked out of the house for talking the way I did, yet my dad didn’t. My dad spoke the truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, step mom, and I worked to get through everything. After talking to my dad for the first time, it was easier to stand up to my mother and fight for my well-being. Now, two years later, I am disconnected from my biological mom. I have literally no contact with her. No phone calls. No visits, she does not even pay child support. It took a lot of custody battles, fights over email and the phone, and fear of abuse, but it was worth it for my health! My dad took full custody over me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I am making stronger relationships with my dad and step mom. I love my life now. Yes, it took a long time. Yes, I still deal with all of the hardships now, but I have never felt so happy in my life. In fact, I am excelling in school, taking college courses along with AP courses. I will graduate high school with my associates degree and one step further into my college career! I am very happy and could not have asked for a better dad and step mom. Hard work pays off when you are focused on the right things.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? Have you ever experienced severe mental problems because of what your mom has said about you and your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are being faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. I was failing classes at school, yelling at my siblings, and even punishing myself. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life, I could hardly get through the day without crying. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. Then, my dad and step mom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a christain growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. He explained that God will be there for you and I felt as if he was talking to me. Everything just came crashing down, like the walls of Jericho. I told my dad everything that was happening, I admitted my life journey, yet he was so understanding and supportive of my future. My mom would never have reacted like that, I would have been kicked out of the house for talking the way I did, yet my dad didn’t. My dad spoke the truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, step mom, and I worked to get through everything. After talking to my dad for the first time, it was easier to stand up to my mother and fight for my well-being. Now, two years later, I am disconnected from my biological mom. I have literally no contact with her. No phone calls. No visits, she does not even pay child support. It took a lot of custody battles, fights over email and the phone, and fear of abuse, but it was worth it for my health! My dad took full custody over me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I am making stronger relationships with my dad and step mom. I love my life now. Yes, it took a long time. Yes, I still deal with all of the hardships now, but I have never felt so happy in my life. In fact, I am excelling in school, taking college courses along with AP courses. I will graduate high school with my associates degree and one step further into my college career! I am very happy and could not have asked for a better dad and step mom. Hard work pays off when you are focused on the right things. I think that it is important for us to have someone in our life that is encouraging and does nothing but build us up. However, they also may struggle with things as well. Especially as a parent. My parents have six kids to look after and they need as much support as I do. Therefore, I should also be there for my parents. Just like anyone else, if they fill your bucket up, they need someone else to fill their bucket up. I know that having someone there to support me through this, makes life a lot more comfortable. Finally, I learned so many valuable life lessons along the way that have changed my life forever. First, talk it out, no matter what the other person might say, always reach to someone that you trust. Second, do not let anyone tell you that you can not do something, you most certainly can achieve anything! Lastly, have faith that God has a plan for you, put your whole trust in him and he will reward you with amazing things! I have a lot of education ahead of me as I want to go to medical school, so I hope that my dad and step mom's encouragement can help me pursue my dreams.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are being faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. I was failing classes at school, yelling at my siblings, and even punishing myself. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life, I could hardly get through the day without crying. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. Then, my dad and step mom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a Christian growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. He explained that God will be there for you and I felt as if he was talking to me. Everything just came crashing down, like the walls of Jericho. I told my dad everything that was happening, I admitted my life journey, yet he was so understanding and supportive of my future. My mom would never have reacted like that, I would have been kicked out of the house for talking the way I did, yet my dad didn’t. My dad spoke the truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, step mom, and I worked to get through everything. Now, two years later, I am disconnected from my biological mom. I have no contact with her. No phone calls. No visits, she does not even pay child support. It took a lot of custody battles, fights over email and the phone, and fear of abuse, but it was worth it for my health! My dad took full custody over me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I am making stronger relationships with my dad and step mom. I love my life now. Yes, it took a long time. I am excelling in school, taking college courses along with AP courses. I am very happy and could not have asked for a better dad and step mom. I think that it is important for us to have someone in our life that is encouraging and does nothing but build us up. However, they also may struggle with things as well. Especially as a parent. My parents have six kids to look after and they need as much support as I do. Therefore, I should also be there for my parents. Just like anyone else, if they fill your bucket up, they need someone else to fill their bucket up. I know that having someone there to support me through this, makes life a lot more comfortable.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? Have you ever experienced severe mental problems because of what your mom has said about you and your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are being faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. I was failing classes at school, yelling at my siblings, and even punishing myself. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life, I could hardly get through the day without crying. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. However, My dad and stepmom have contributed to making me a better person. I think that it is important for us to have someone in our life that is encouraging and does nothing but build us up. However, they also may struggle with things as well. Especially as a parent. My parents have six kids to look after and they need as much support as I do. Therefore, I should also be there for my parents. Just like anyone else, if they fill your bucket up, they need someone else to fill their bucket up. I know that having someone there to support me through this, makes life a lot more comfortable. Gaining three thousand dollars for free is a key way for me to continue the future of my education without the burden of debt. Everyone understands the underlying significance of debt, and how it can affect a person's future, years after they graduated from college. I want to go to medical school and a great university that will prepare me for medical school. There are many years ahead of me, and a lot of debt that can continue to grow over time. My family is very large and we do not gain a lot of money every year. I have five siblings that will eventually attend college and if my parents paid full price for each child my parents would encounter a lot of financial debt. Therefore, if I can help my parents pay for my college, it can help me financially survive in the years following college. I want to be a pediatric oncologist. I plan to push past my adversity and help children with cancer have a better life. This is my key goal in helping others and changing my future for the better!

My biggest hurdle in life started when I was in second grade and continued until I was in my freshman year of high school. My family dealt with a massive custody battle that had a major impact on our lives for so many years. It is still traumatic to this day. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. She put me down and made me believe for a long time that I was not capable of achieving my dreams. Fortunately, I had an amazing father and stepmother that pushed me to be the person I am today. They helped me understand that my dreams can be infinite and they would do anything they could to help me reach my goals. I realized that no one can determine how I live my future, but myself. So, I overcame her abusive words, lived with my dad full time and put my future as my top priority by getting involved in my education. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything I could to help myself reach my goals. I think that having some directional control over your life is a great way to not allow others to manipulate and push us around. I have learned to not let others' opinions of me determine what I think of myself. Their opinions are not the most important, mine is. Even though I am still recovering from the years of abuse, I strive to help other students and teenagers who are going through similar situations. I do not want other kids to feel alone or worthless. I am always looking for ways that I can be brave and push past these years no matter what happens in life.

I come from a long history of divorce and custody battles. I was physically and emotionally abused my entire life by my mother. It was hard to deal with and I felt empty inside. I could not find happiness, nor did I want happiness. Life was hard and I started flunking classes and disrespecting my parents. Then I started sixth grade and started band class. I had finally found something that interested me. Something that I could escape life with and just live in the moment. The sound and rhythms just put me in a better place than I was before. Now, I continue to pursue this passion and I am actually really good at it. I love to play and express myself in many ways. I get to connect with the music, and with other people. I just get to escape home and escape the bad parts of the world. Today, I remind myself of this quote so that I continue to be grateful and selfless toward my happiness, " Live life to the fullest and focus on the positive" - Matt Cameron ( an inspirational drummer for Pearl Jam).

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? Have you ever experienced severe mental problems because of what your mom has said about you and your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are being faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. I was failing classes at school, yelling at my siblings, and even punishing myself. Life became misery. I hated myself, I hated my life, I could hardly get through the day without crying. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. Then, my dad and stepmom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a Christian growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. He explained that God will be there for you and I felt as if he was talking to me. Everything just came crashing down, like the walls of Jericho. I told my dad everything that was happening, I admitted my life journey, yet he was so understanding and supportive of my future. My mom would never have reacted like that, I would have been kicked out of the force for talking the way I did, yet my dad didn’t. My dad spoke the truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, stepmom, and I worked to get through everything. Now, two years later, I am disconnected from my biological mom. My dad took full custody of me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I making stronger relationships with my dad and stepmom. I love my life now. In fact, I am excelling in school, taking college courses along with AP courses. I am very happy and not have asked for a better dad and stepmom. I think that it is important to give back to the community in many ways. There are many organizations that contribute to adversity in small neighborhoods and towns. In my town, there is not one of these organizations. So, when I become president of the National Honor Society, my biggest impact on the community is to set up community events and donations for these people that are having problems like me. I can understand what these people are going through and can help them have a better future.

Have you ever been kicked out of your house simply because you stood up for yourself? Have you ever been punched in the face because you told your mom that she was mistreating you? Have you ever been told that you would not amount to anything in your life? Have you ever experienced severe mental problems because of what your mom has said about you and your life? I have. I have experienced every single one of these things, and more that are too painful to talk about. Life can be hard when you are being faced with adversity, I would know, I went through it...a lot. I walked through life thinking I would never be loved, never be accepted, and never be smart. I was failing classes at school, yelling at my siblings, and even punishing myself. Life became a misery. I hated myself, I hated my life, I could hardly get through the day without crying. I had no one. No one to talk to, no one to stand by my side, no one to love. However, I had no one because I did not want anyone. My mom told me that people will bring you down and hurt you more than anything. So, I was scared; I was scared of reaching out. I went through this struggle alone for many years. Then, my dad and step mom took me to church and I was able to connect with God in a way that I never had before. I had always been a christain growing up, but I never connected to the messages the preacher was saying. The preacher was talking about how you are good enough for God. He explained that God will be there for you and I felt as if he was talking to me. Everything just came crashing down, like the walls of Jericho. I told my dad everything that was happening, I admitted my life journey, yet he was so understanding and supportive of my future. My mom would never have reacted like that, I would have been kicked out of the force for talking the way I did, yet my dad didn’t. My dad spoke truth and encouraged me, and together, my dad, step mom, and I worked to get through everything. Now, two years later, I am disconnected from my biological mom. My dad took full custody over me, and we moved to a new state. I have never felt more relief in my life. I have continued to grow in my faith, and I making stronger relationships with my dad and step mom. I love my life now. In fact, I am excelling in school, taking college courses along with AP courses. I am very happy and not have asked for a better dad and step mom. I think that it is important for us to have someone in our life that is encouraging and does nothing but build us up. However, they also may struggle with things as well. Especially as a parent. My parents have six kids to look after and they need as much support as I do. Therefore, I should also be there for my parents. Just like anyone else, if they fill your bucket up, they need someone else to fill there bucket up. I know that having someone there to support me through this, makes life a lot more comfortable. I have a lot of education ahead of me as I want to go to medical school, so I hope that my dad and step moms encouragment can help me pursue my dreams.

Being patient has helped me grow closer to God and my family. My biological mother was very abusive, emotionally and physically. She manipulated me for years, however, the path that it took me to realize this included patience and trusting in God. I began to realize that she was not a very good person around my fourteenth birthday. I tried for so long to convince my brother, and further convenience my dad as well. After I convinced them, it then took a while for the case to go through the courts. Especially because the major custody battle happened right when COVID-19 began to impact our state. The courts were shut down forever and moved very slowly through the court cases. When the court acknowledgment finally happened, it took several months for the court hearing to take place because my biological mother continued to push the date farther back. This was a massive struggle, and it never went the way that I wanted it to. This was God's way of teaching me patience. He taught me that everything will come at a time and place when he thinks I am ready. Even though I was angry at God at the moment for pushing it farther back, I can look back now and see that he was doing what was best for me. As I had to wait for the court hearing to happen, my emotional stance was in a terrible place. I was struggling severely with mental health and other factors of life, like school and family life. However, dealing with this helped me grow closer to my dad and stepmom as well. I was able to connect with them deeply and work through the court situation with them. I have learned that patience is key to a relationship with God.

I believe that I am a very compassionate person. I want to help others as much as possible and help them persevere in life, so I do everything I can to make sure they have the right friends to succeed. Due to my dads' career, we move around a lot, so I am constantly the new kid at my school. This helps me understand the importance of knowing that you exist and matter to the rest of your peers. Whenever I see someone sitting alone or looking upset, I take it as a chance to go meet someone new. This has helped me grow in my relationships with my friends, as many of them I met through my compassionate personality. My best friend in the entire world was a very quiet, but determined, person who always sat alone. When I went to chat with her, as I have with many others, I felt an instant bond and we have grown to be great friends. We have helped each other grow in faith and to be encouraging to others. Now, my friend and I work as a team to go talk to others that are in the same situation that we have been in. I enjoy meeting new people. I have grown so much as myself and hopefully, I have helped others to realize that they matter as well. Everyone can persevere if they have a little encouragement, so I try to help those that need an extra push.

My creative outlet is not always what people would think of when they think of me. I receive comments all of the time that I seem nothing like a band person or someone that enjoys music. However, I very much am a person that loves music, specifically the band. I am a part of my schools' Jazz Band and within Jazz Band, there are improv solos, which means the player creates notes and music off the spot. I enjoy doing these, getting to make up new rhythms and play notes I do not always get to play, is really enjoyable and allows me to be creative through this exercise. You can make up any rthymn, as long as it works with the music, and in the end, you created a new piece of style and creativity. I enjoy being creative in this way as it allows me to escape reality and just live in the song.

I have been through a lot as a child of divorced parents. I had an emotionally and physically abusive biological mother who did not believe that I would amount to anything. However, I have grown to not let that hold me down. Whenever I listen to the song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, I remember that happiness is what matters in the world. No matter what other people say about my future, I will always do what would make me happy in the long term. These lyrics stick with me every day: "Well I should probably warn you I'll be just fine, No offense to you don't waste your time." Whenever I think about these lyrics I think about how my biological mother will never stop me from pursuing my dreams. I can achieve anything if I have the will to do it and this song helps me keep this in mind every day. Another lyric that I find inspiring in that way is "Can't nothing, bring me down, My level's too high to bring me down." This continues to remind me that no one, not even my biological mother, can put me down in any way. My self-confidence is high now, so I will never let her words hurt me again. I believe that happiness is important for everything. If someone is not happy, then they are not living to their fullest potential. I think that the song "Happy" can help those remember that they are important and they can do anything despite what others say.