As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am excited to share about this topic. I've experienced firsthand the immense and powerful benefits of being part of this incredible community can bring. It provides a much-needed sense of belonging, access to a variety of resources and support systems, and the ability to advocate for ourselves and our rights at large. Being part of this community has been positively transformative for me, and I'm excited to continue being involved in the future to pay back this positive impact it has had on me and my development. That is one reason I am pursuing a business education. I want to be a leader in the business world that helps continue to build toward greater equity and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ and all other marginalized communities.

Where is all the good T.V I sit in front of my box of gleam troubles of the day it wipes clean It is not as good as it once has been the brightest of writers lost their sheen I ask where is all the good T.V but I know one day I must concede problems not in the box but in me -Seth Anderson Coffee Brown and bitter in my cup Every morning I drink you up Only cream no sugar syrup Brown and bitter in my cup I like you fresh, hot, or iced A cortado freshly sliced Few sips from you makes me nice I like you fresh, hot, or iced -Seth Anderson

I love my cats so much. Their names are Sammy and Phantom. They are both shelter rescues. They have opened my heart and given me a new outlook on life. I had a hard very unstable childhood and that led me to be emotionally locked down. Having my cats has helped me pull down these barriers. This has given me the ability to have more fulfilling relationships with my partner, friends, and family. I am so thankful for them and all the healing they have brought to my life. Sammy and Phantom changed my life and to me they are the perfect representation of how powerful pets can be.

I am Incredibly passionate about personal finance and its benefits. This is a subject of immense importance not given the proper attention in most formal education institutions. It is a skill set that can change one's life dramatically with simple lessons. The act of budgeting for example is necessary for seeing your financial health on a larger than day-to-day basis. Another powerful lesson is seeing the impact compound interest has on personal savings and investments over a lifetime. This is important in getting people to be able to see how they can be rewarded with the fruits of their labors with a bit of patience. No matter the skill each of them on their own and more so together can change someone's life and the life of their family. That is why I am so incredibly passionate about personal finance no matter how dull it may seem at a glance.

I am majoring in finance. I am doing this not only because I love numbers and problem solving but also because of the financial resource a career in that field can provide. I want not only to be able to care for myself and my family but others as well. I see a world full of people who give back much like the people on this site. These are the people whose actions I hope to emulate. I feel if I am to leave a mark and be remembered this is the way it should be. Leaving your mark on this world is a big responsibility. You must ensure that this mark leaves the world better or it is just selfish vanity. "Iyya Kowa" in the Choctaw language literally means broken foot however, it is a phrase that is synonymous with public and communal service. These words symbolize that we all need help and all must help others from time to time. Honoring my ancestors' words and history is why I will work tirelessly to ensure my legacy is one of kindness and generosity.

Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 by Marcel Duchamp is a special and inspiring work to me in a very personal way. It was first introduced to me by a fellow artist who just happens to be my older brother. We do not have much in common so art has always been key in how we connect with each other. He showed it to me almost two decades ago to cheer me up when I was down. I had complained about my attempts at more realistic representations of humans. I had been struggling and still struggle with that style. My brother showed this work to me to show me that art was not constrained by the bounds of realism. I will always carry that realization with me thanks to Marcel Duchamp and of course my brother. That realization opened my eyes to possibilities and a whole new world of art and art appreciation.

Earthman's Burden By Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson is my favorite and a deeply meaningful book for me. It is an incredibly imaginative and humorous collection of stories about teddy bear-like creatures discovered by spacefaring humans. These creatures are master emulators and their reenacting of various human stories from history and fiction drives the humor of the story. Behind this happy facade, the book is a deep criticism of European colonialism around the world. It is this duality that has truly endeared this book to me. It shows in truth the old adage don't judge a book by its cover. These silly little stories approach colonialism in a way that is kind and respectful to natives people while at the same time showing the deep and long-lasting cost bore by them even after the end of colonialism. I highly recommend this somewhat niche science fiction fantasy from the 1950s as it truly is my favorite.

Listening is one of the single greatest actions one can take to make someone feel loved. I have been married for 3 years to an amazing partner that I have shared almost 10 years of my life with. I have seen in this time how comfortable they have made me feel by simply keeping open ears and open arms to me whenever I need them. I think this can go for friends and others as well. It is always important that they know they can talk to you and you will listen to them. This unconditional giving of your time and attention can be very rewarding for both the speaker and the listener. We all know that the heart is the obligatory symbol of love but maybe we should consider a new symbol, the ears. If that is going too far at least we can agree on the sentiment behind the argument.

In March of 2020, I was laid off from my job. I was a restaurant manager and Covid-19 had brought the industry to a standstill. I was devastated as I had been with this company and my store for 5 years. It took some time but I realized that this could be a blessing in disguise. I decided to finally give college a try and make some of my other dreams possible. I began attending Tarrant county college and fell in love with being in school. I excelled as well, achieving placement on the dean's list and becoming a member of Phi Theta Kappa. I was accepted as a transfer student to Texas Wesleyan University receiving their top transfer honor, the aspire scholarship, and will be starting classes there in the fall of this year. This journey started with tragedy but I feel like with the love and support of those around me I was able to turn it all around.

I have a lot of hobbies that really help me let go of the stress that life amply brings to us. My favorite is playing video games. They have always been a big part of my life and something that always brought my family and now me and my partner together. Video games provide a wonderful opportunity to collaborate or in the contrast be alone with yourself depending on the experience desired. This diversity of the media can make it a great stress reduction tool and leisure activity. I feel like releasing stress is a very personal experience that everyone needs to approach with a solution as unique as people are. I also visit a licensed mental health counselor at my community college on a regular basis. Professionals can help you find all those little nuanced ways of managing stress and other mental health aspects. This can help you be happier and really get the most out of life in my personal experience. In conclusion, find the little things that make you happy and ask for help whenever you feel like it might make a difference even a little.

The power of compound interest is one of the most amazing discoveries of my life. knowing its enormous power is key to understanding why personal finance is important to one's life no matter their interest or goals. It also shows how important time can be in the equation of financial growth and success. Seeing how the fruits of your labor can grow and work for you can be a truly emotional experience. This seeing how hard work and discipline can pay off makes all the other lessons of personal finance easier to swallow by knowing the results are monumental. This can be so easily experienced without the help of a financial advisor or math genius. The number of free reliable compound interest calculators online is staggering and most are very user-friendly. I truly believe and hope that everyone can be inspired by this special little math phenomenon of exponential growth.

My favorite scientific discovery is the integrated circuit. Not only are they the backbone of nearly all the electronic devices and services we use today but also a huge part of our global economy. They are one of the largest export markets in the world and the technology they drive is crucial for many other sectors of the economy. The size reduction and simultaneous speed increases they are responsible for have enabled our technical and computing landscape today. I believe it is hard to see a more important human discovery or invention when framed this way. It is also my favorite for a more simple reason. I love computers of all kinds from the laptop I am writing on to the phone in my pocket. The growth of the internet and computers defined my childhood and development. In a roundabout way, I am the person who I am because of the integrated circuit.

The simplest pleasures provide the greatest joys. The smell of coffee in the morning is one of my favorite experiences in life and I get to experience it nearly every day. The sound of rain in the distance or that weird chirping sound my cat makes when she sees a bug. The list of these pleasures is as long as human experience. It is so incredibly easy to forget about the simple pleasures in life so it is a great exercise in awareness to truly experience them. Sometimes they bring joy in spite of their simplicity and sometimes because of it. The simple pleasures in life are what you choose them to be and what you make of them in the end. This is part of what makes them elusive. They are unique to every individual and experience. I would encourage everyone to slow down and find their simple pleasure.

The best way to live a long and healthy life is holistic. There is no magic bullet to being healthy, especially in the long run. This means one must focus on many factors in a wide range of areas of your life. There is a diet that is foundational to not only heart health but many other medical conditions that may have dietary contributions. There is also exercise that can be accomplished through many forms of an active lifestyle and intentional workouts. Stress reduction is also a key component and one that is highly unique to each individual. Community and family are proven to add years to life for many people as well as add meaning and happiness. All of that being said the best way to live a long and healthy life is holistic and requires all of the components in balance to be achieved to their fullest potential.

"A penny saved is a penny earned" This quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin has always stuck with me. It is a profoundly simple statement on the power of saving and compound interest. The best choice anyone can make in investing and saving is to do so. Time has been kind to those in the market far more often than it has been against them. The loss of returns faced by not investing and saving is sometimes equal to or more than all the proceeds of one's lifetime labor. I remember the wonder experienced seeing the first few cents of interest in my childhood savings account. This wonder lives on in every dividend and interest payment I receive to this day. It is like watching a beautiful force of nature playing out on your account statements. I can with great confidence say I have never regretted a penny saved and I truly have taken this advice to heart.