When I was younger, I watched my uncle go in and out of New York City for auditions, I watched him work with actors like Winona Ryder and Jim Carrey. Ever since then, it was a passion, but it never seemed realistic until my freshman year of high school when I auditioned for the school play. Freshman year I went to see my school’s production of Matilda for extra credit in my English class, nothing more than an assignment. However, seeing the dancers on that stage and hearing my school's Jimmy-nominated performer Alyse Negroni sing, I instantly felt motivated to audition for the next play. So in the spring there, I was auditioning for Alice in Wonderland. When I got cast as one of the nine Cheshire cats. Never been on stage before I was excited, and could've never imagined where I am today, every friend I have made since then has come from doing a show or being in my theater classes. Naturally the next year I auditioned for every show and enrolled in a theater class. However, I was not cast as anything more than an understudy for our only two big shows of the year. The next year I auditioned for junior company at my school and got in. From that moment, I was in every show my school did, including my first musical Mean Girls High School Edition. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I realized my teacher always gave me the obscure character, and whenever I would ask her why her response was always “I guess you’re just my muse.” Whether that was to boost my confidence or the truth, it grew my passion even more. My mom was always proud of me for being so committed to my passion and would always go full out even if my character was weird. My mom help me rehearse for everything and always encourageme to make big character choices so that she could see me as a lead. I went to the Open Jar Institute in New York for a summer intensive for musical theater. I learned so many new skills while I was there and made so many connections with current Broadway actors who were in the shows that we would then later, see at night. It was the most incredible experience of my life, being able to meet Jeremy Jordan and speak to many actors like Emma Pittman further proved to me that I want nothing more than, to be honest on stage and touch people's hearts. Whether it was laughing with Casey Likes as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, or crying with the entire audience when Joy Woods sang My Days in the notebook, knowing that everyone was touched by those actors telling their stories was enough to confirm that this is my path. Even as I’m writing this, my instinctive reaction is to write in the past tense as if I’ve already done it because in my mind there is no question, I will be an incredible actor one day and nothing can stop me. Ever since going to New York this past summer, I have been more motivated to commit to everything I do whether it’s writing a script, directing a scene, or performing. because of that dedication, I finally got a lead in my class one act. My mom’s dream was for me to get a lead and now it’s come true. From a girl who was unsure of what her future would hold to a girl knowing the destination and enjoying the amazing journey.

Since I was 12, I wondered what it would be like to live with just my mom or just my dad. Now, at 17, my parents are going through a divorce after being separated for two years. My dad hasn’t worked since I was around one year old because of an injury at work that caused him to be disabled, which made it very hard for my mother Being the source of income for me and my dad and when I turned 12 also being a source of income for my little sister. Doing it alone was hard for her and she was always working or stressed out with work. Because of my dad’s injury, we not only funding ourselves but also his two surgeries and many doctor visits there have been numerous times throughout my life when money had been tight to the point where just getting in the car to go out of the house was too expensive because of gas. Money has always been tight, and my mom recently lost her job. Relying on my grandparents for income, I am currently the only one with a job and I don’t start for another week. On top of not having a lot of money, both me and my mother for a very long time when undiagnosed with depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar. Because of our finances, we haven’t been able to go to therapy and will soon need to pay out of pocket for our meds. In school always had a hard time paying attention and with reading comprehension when I could’ve taken some Adderall and been fine. I struggled during my sophomore and junior years of high school. I got COVID-19 at the beginning of my sophomore year and then I had a problem with my immune system and I get sick very frequently. Having a four-year-old sister in school constantly brings home germs from other kids she’s around. I was getting sick at least once a month. Missing all that time from school was already going to hurt my GPA but not being able to focus made it so much worse. I went from having a 4.0 GPA in my freshman year to having a 3.0 GPA. My worst sections of my ACT were English and math because I couldn’t understand what I was reading and I couldn’t focus long enough to figure it out so I would give up choosing something random and move on. I wish I had been diagnosed earlier. Despite these challenges, watching The Notebook on Broadway made me realize the power of storytelling and its potential to bring awareness to mental health issues. My dream is to share my own story through a Broadway production and evoke emotions in the audience. Prior, I had already wanted to be an actor. If I could one day beyond that stage until a story of a 17-year-old girl, just being diagnosed with a full soundtrack and choreography and at the end, feel the emotions of the audience then I would live a happy life.

I was undiagnosed for 17 years, I have depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar. For a large portion of my life, I was easily irritated by small things like the feeling of the water or the way someone spoke and I assumed it was mood swings when really I was bipolar and I could’ve just taken medication instead of brushing it off. In school always had a hard time paying attention and with reading comprehension when I could’ve taken some Adderall and been fine. I struggled during my sophomore and junior years of high school. I got COVID-19 at the beginning of my sophomore year and then I had a problem with my immune system and I get sick very frequently. Having a four-year-old sister in school constantly brings home germs from other kids she’s around. I was getting sick at least once a month. Missing all that time from school was already going to hurt my GPA but not being able to focus made it so much worse. I went from having a 4.0 GPA in my freshman year to having a 3.0 GPA. If I had been diagnosed earlier, I guarantee my grades wouldn’t have suffered so much. My worst sections of my ACT were English and math because I couldn’t understand what I was reading and I couldn’t focus long enough to figure it out so I would give up choosing something random and move on. If I would’ve been diagnosed sooner, my academics would’ve gone completely different. I truly believe that before entering high school all students should go through a screening just like they need to get a physical. If all students got screenings, you would help the ones who needed it and the ones who didn’t it would be a doctor's appointment just like any other. Then you could truly make sure that all of your students are getting the help that they need whether they need help focusing or they need help communicating at least they would know their families would know and they could truly thrive in a school environment where everyone is just trying to better themselves. And knows how to. At all times I keep a sensory sticker. That’s so purpose is to help ground myself in case I lash out or get very overwhelmed very quickly. So it’s not to say that every student who receives the screening needs to take medication when something as simple as a sticker can help. I have lashed out at my friends for the smallest most insignificant things and caused big arguments for no reason and I didn’t notice that I had been doing that until I missed my pills one day. If I hadn’t been already diagnosed. I can’t imagine how bad this situation would’ve been. I probably could’ve lost a friend. I didn’t think anything of it. I assumed everything would go as normal because I had to lived my life so long without taking them that nothing different would happen if I missed them until my best friend made some very poor planning decisions and I was stuck 30 minutes away from my home for about, three hours because he miss planned multiple aspects of his event. Normally, this would irritate me I would just text one of my friends to go hang out and come back. But this day because I missed my pills instead of doing that I lashed out and was overwhelmed and stressed for no reason I’ve realized after giving myself some space that it was such an insignificant thing and that’s when I realized it was because I missed my medication. This now makes me realize how many times things like this have happened before I was diagnosed. So then this past summer when I got the opportunity to watch The Notebook on Broadway and see how everyone in the audience could feel the pain that all goes through with Alzheimer’s, I realized not all Broadway performances have to be lighthearted and that serious topics like mental illness and scary topics like death can be on that stage with beautiful music and still tell the story effectively. Before that, I wanted to be an actor but at that moment, I realized the importance of being an actor, it’s not about being on stage and performing. It’s about the story that you get to tell and the idea that I could tell a story similar to mine on that stage one day motivated me even more. If I could one day beyond that stage until a story of a 17-year-old girl, just being diagnosed with a full soundtrack and choreography and at the end, feel the emotions of the audience then I would live a happy life.

When I was younger, I watched my uncle go in and out of New York City for auditions, I watched him work with actors like Winona Ryder and Jim Carrey. Ever since then, it was a passion, but it never seemed realistic until my freshman year of high school when I auditioned for the school play. Freshman year I went to see my school’s production of Matilda for extra credit in my English class, nothing more than an assignment. However, seeing the dancers on that stage and hearing my school's Jimmy-nominated performer Alyse Negroni sing, I instantly felt motivated to audition for the next play. So in the spring there, I was auditioning for Alice in Wonderland. When I got cast as one of the nine Cheshire cats I could've never imagined that my life would begin. Never been on stage before I was excited, and could've never imagined where I am today, every friend I have made since then has come from doing a show or being in my theater classes. Naturally the next year I auditioned for every show and enrolled in a theater class. However, I was not cast as anything more than an understudy for our only two big shows of the year. I was in both minor shows my school puts on with multiple roles in each show, but not in anything big. Good thing it did not stop me. It only fueled me for the next year, so I auditioned for junior company at my school and got in. From that moment, I was in every show my school did, including my first musical Mean Girls High School Edition. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I realized my teacher always gave me the obscure character, and whenever I would ask her why her response was always “I guess you’re just my muse.” Whether that was to boost my confidence or the truth, it grew my passion even more. To this point, I went to the Open Jar Institute in New York for a summer intensive for musical theater. I learned so many new skills while I was there and made so many connections with current Broadway actors who were in the shows that we would then later, see at night. It was the most incredible experience of my life, being able to meet Jeremy Jordan and speak to many actors like Emma Pittman further proved to me that I want nothing more than, to be honest on stage and touch people's hearts. Whether it was laughing with Casey Likes as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, or crying with the entire audience when Joy Woods sang My Days in the notebook, knowing that everyone was touched by those actors telling their stories was enough to confirm that this is my path. Even as I’m writing this, my instinctive reaction is to write in the past tense as if I’ve already done it because in my mind there is no question, I will be an incredible actor one day and nothing can stop me. Ever since going to New York this past summer, I have been more motivated to commit to everything I do whether it’s writing a script, directing a scene, or performing. I have committed to everything I have done and there’s no stopping me from here. To look back where I was only a few years ago, it’s incredible to see how much I’ve grown. From a girl who was unsure of what her future would hold to a girl knowing the destination and enjoying the amazing journey.

When I was younger, I watched my uncle go in and out of New York City for auditions, I watched him work with actors like Winona Ryder and Jim Carrey. Ever since then, it was a passion, but it never seemed realistic until my freshman year of high school when I auditioned for the school play. Freshman year I went to see my school’s production of Matilda for extra credit in my English class, nothing more than an assignment. However, seeing the dancers on that stage and hearing my school's Jimmy-nominated performer Alyse Negroni sing, I instantly felt motivated to audition for the next play. So in the spring there, I was auditioning for Alice in Wonderland. When I got cast as one of the nine Cheshire cats I could've never imagined that my life would begin. Never been on stage before I was excited, and could've never imagined where I am today, every friend I have made since then has come from doing a show or being in my theater classes. Naturally the next year I auditioned for every show and enrolled in a theater class. However, I was not cast as anything more than an understudy for our only two big shows of the year. I was in both minor shows my school puts on with multiple roles in each show, but not in anything big. Good thing it did not stop me. It only fueled me for the next year, so I auditioned for junior company at my school and got in. From that moment, I was in every show my school did, including my first musical Mean Girls High School Edition. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I realized my teacher always gave me the obscure character, and whenever I would ask her why her response was always “I guess you’re just my muse.” Whether that was to boost my confidence or the truth, it grew my passion even more. To this point, I went to the Open Jar Institute in New York for a summer intensive for musical theater. I learned so many new skills while I was there and made so many connections with current Broadway actors who were in the shows that we would then later, see at night. It was the most incredible experience of my life, being able to meet Jeremy Jordan and speak to many actors like Emma Pittman further proved to me that I want nothing more than, to be honest on stage and touch people's hearts. Whether it was laughing with Casey Likes as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, or crying with the entire audience when Joy Woods sang My Days in the notebook, knowing that everyone was touched by those actors telling their stories was enough to confirm that this is my path. Even as I’m writing this, my instinctive reaction is to write in the past tense as if I’ve already done it because in my mind there is no question, I will be an incredible actor one day and nothing can stop me. Ever since going to New York this past summer, I have been more motivated to commit to everything I do whether it’s writing a script, directing a scene, or performing. I have committed to everything I have done and there’s no stopping me from here. To look back where I was only a few years ago, it’s incredible to see how much I’ve grown. From a girl who was unsure of what her future would hold to a girl knowing the destination and enjoying the amazing journey.

Ever since I was around the age of 12 I have been asking my parents questions like what would it be like if I only lived with mommy or I only lived with Daddy at the time my parents thought were silly now at the age of 17 my parents have been separated for about two years and only now going through their divorce. My dad hasn’t worked since I was around one year old because of an injury at work that caused him to be disabled, which made it very hard for my mother Being the source of income for me and my dad and when I turned 12 also being a source of income for my little sister. Doing it alone was hard for her and she was always working or stressed out with work. Because of my dad’s injury, we not only funding ourselves but also his two surgeries and many doctor visits there have been numerous times throughout my life when money had been tight to the point where just getting in the car to go out of the house was too expensive because of gas. Even currently my mom has just lost her job and we are relying on my grandparents for income I am currently the only one with a job and I don’t start for another week. On top of not having a lot of money, both me and my mother for a very long time when undiagnosed with depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar. which now, in addition to being unemployed, neither of us has been able to see our therapist and soon we have to pay for our medication out of pocket because we don’t have insurance either. As I previously mentioned my parents are currently going through divorce. It’s not a pretty one because my dad lived a very hard life as a child and it has made him also embody a gritty mindset, one that not only was passed down to me but affected my entire household. My trauma and hardships don’t come from what happens outside of my house, outside is my Safe Haven but inside that’s our life sent my obstacles. my mindset is my brain's way of keeping me safe, safe from manipulation and fear. My mindset was built in this home, but has kept me safe from the rest of the world. My home is never been the safest place for me mentally. My mom is my best friend and I love my sister to death, But my dad is Not delicate enough, and the world has made him too hard to have a happy and healthy family. When I Say that his gritty mindset was passed down to me I mean through what I have had to endure day after day, week after week, and year after year, none of it has been easy, but I strive every day to soften my mindset and be a soft version of myself. A version of myself that is more trusting and open not one who is closed off and has no hope in the world. My gritty mindset has started in my home, but I hope going to college will be a new start for me and I can also leave it at home.

When I was younger, I watched my uncle go in and out of New York City for auditions, I watched him work with actors like Winona Ryder and Jim Carrey. Ever since then, it was a passion, but it never seemed realistic until my freshman year of high school when I auditioned for the school play. Freshman year I went to see my school’s production of Matilda for extra credit in my English class, nothing more than an assignment. However, seeing the dancers on that stage and hearing my school's Jimmy-nominated performer Alyse Negroni sing, I instantly felt motivated to audition for the next play. So in the spring there, I was auditioning for Alice in Wonderland. When I got cast as one of the nine Cheshire cats I could've never imagined that my life would begin. Never been on stage before I was excited, and could've never imagined where I am today, every friend I have made since then has come from doing a show or being in my theater classes. Naturally the next year I auditioned for every show and enrolled in a theater class. However, I was not cast as anything more than an understudy for our only two big shows of the year. I was in both minor shows my school puts on with multiple roles in each show, but not in anything big. Good thing it did not stop me. It only fueled me for the next year, so I auditioned for junior company at my school and got in. From that moment, I was in every show my school did, including my first musical Mean Girls High School Edition. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I realized my teacher always gave me the obscure character, and whenever I would ask her why her response was always “I guess you’re just my muse.” Whether that was to boost my confidence or the truth, it grew my passion even more. I proceeded to go to the Open Jar Institute, summer intensive and it was the most incredible experience of my life, being able to meet Jeremy Jordan and speak to many actors like Emma Pittman further proved to me that I want nothing more than, to be honest on stage and touch people's hearts. Whether it was laughing with Casey Likes as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, or crying with the entire audience when Joy Woods sang My Days in the Notebook, knowing that everyone was touched by those actors telling their stories was enough to confirm that this is my path. Ever since going to New York, I have been more motivated to commit to everything I do whether it’s writing a script, directing a scene, or performing. I have committed to everything I have done and there’s no stopping me from here. I would love nothing more than to be able to share other people's stories about things that they have gone through and even maybe one day things that I have gone through in the world. To look back where I was only a few years ago, it’s incredible to see how much I’ve grown. From a girl who was unsure of what her future would hold to a girl knowing the destination and enjoying the journey.

When I was younger, I watched my uncle go in and out of New York City for auditions, I watched him work with actors like Winona Ryder and Jim Carrey. Ever since then, it was a passion, but it never seemed realistic until my freshman year of high school when I auditioned for the school play. Freshman year I went to see my school’s production of Matilda for extra credit in my English class, nothing more than an assignment. However, seeing the dancers on that stage and hearing my school's Jimmy-nominated performer Alyse Negroni sing, I instantly felt motivated to audition for the next play. So in the spring there, I was auditioning for Alice in Wonderland. When I got cast as one of the nine Cheshire cats I could've never imagined that my life would begin. Never been on stage before I was excited, and could've never imagined where I am today, every friend I have made since then has come from doing a show or being in my theater classes. Naturally the next year I auditioned for every show and enrolled in a theater class. However, I was not cast as anything more than an understudy for our only two big shows of the year. I was in both minor shows my school puts on with multiple roles in each show, but not in anything big. Good thing it did not stop me. It only fueled me for the next year, so I auditioned for junior company at my school and got in. From that moment, I was in every show my school did, including my first musical Mean Girls High School Edition. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I realized my teacher always gave me the obscure character, and whenever I would ask her why her response was always “I guess you’re just my muse.” Whether that was to boost my confidence or the truth, it grew my passion even more. To this point, I went to the Open Jar Institute in New York for a summer intensive for musical theater. I learned so many new skills while I was there and made so many connections with current Broadway actors who were in the shows that we would then later, see at night. It was the most incredible experience of my life, being able to meet Jeremy Jordan and speak to many actors like Emma Pittman further proved to me that I want nothing more than, to be honest on stage and touch people's hearts. Whether it was laughing with Casey Likes as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, or crying with the entire audience when Joy Woods sang My Days in the notebook, knowing that everyone was touched by those actors telling their stories was enough to confirm that this is my path. Even as I’m writing this, my instinctive reaction is to write in the past tense as if I’ve already done it because in my mind there is no question, I will be an incredible actor one day and nothing can stop me. Ever since going to New York this past summer, I have been more motivated to commit to everything I do whether it’s writing a script, directing a scene, or performing. I have committed to everything I have done and there’s no stopping me from here. To look back where I was only a few years ago, it’s incredible to see how much I’ve grown. From a girl who was unsure of what her future would hold to a girl knowing the destination and enjoying the amazing journey.

When I was younger, I watched my uncle go in and out of New York City for auditions, I watched him work with actors like Winona Ryder and Jim Carrey. Ever since then, it was a passion, but it never seemed realistic until my freshman year of high school when I auditioned for the school play. Freshman year I went to see my school’s production of Matilda for extra credit in my English class, nothing more than an assignment. However, seeing the dancers on that stage and hearing my school's Jimmy-nominated performer Alyse Negroni sing, I instantly felt motivated to audition for the next play. So in the spring there, I was auditioning for Alice in Wonderland. When I got cast as one of the nine Cheshire cats I could've never imagined that my life would begin. Never been on stage before I was excited, and could've never imagined where I am today, every friend I have made since then has come from doing a show or being in my theater classes. Naturally the next year I auditioned for every show and enrolled in a theater class. However, I was not cast as anything more than an understudy for our only two big shows of the year. I was in both minor shows my school puts on with multiple roles in each show, but not in anything big. Good thing it did not stop me. It only fueled me for the next year, so I auditioned for junior company at my school and got in. From that moment, I was in every show my school did, including my first musical Mean Girls High School Edition. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I realized my teacher always gave me the obscure character, and whenever I would ask her why her response was always “I guess you’re just my muse.” Whether that was to boost my confidence or the truth, it grew my passion even more. To this point, I went to the Open Jar Institute in New York for a summer intensive for musical theater. I learned so many new skills while I was there and made so many connections with current Broadway actors who were in the shows that we would then later, see at night. It was the most incredible experience of my life, being able to meet Jeremy Jordan and speak to many actors like Emma Pittman further proved to me that I want nothing more than, to be honest on stage and touch people's hearts. Whether it was laughing with Casey Likes as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, or crying with the entire audience when Joy Woods sang My Days in the notebook, knowing that everyone was touched by those actors telling their stories was enough to confirm that this is my path. Even as I’m writing this, my instinctive reaction is to write in the past tense as if I’ve already done it because in my mind there is no question, I will be an incredible actor one day and nothing can stop me. Ever since going to New York this past summer, I have been more motivated to commit to everything I do whether it’s writing a script, directing a scene, or performing. I have committed to everything I have done and there’s no stopping me from here. To look back where I was only a few years ago, it’s incredible to see how much I’ve grown. From a girl who was unsure of what her future would hold to a girl knowing the destination and enjoying the amazing journey.