I have always viewed college as an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty within my family. I want to be the one who makes a difference, especially by helping others in the process. After taking a sociology class my sophomore year, I realized that I find the study of the human mind and its contribution to our behavior to be extremely intriguing. I had never developed genuine interest and curiosity in any other classes before until this class. I found myself taking thorough notes and asking questions to gather more insight about different topics. I believe the main cause of this is the fact that I desired clarity about my feelings my entire childhood. I started researching more and found that psychology focuses on individual traits, characteristics, and tendencies. As someone who has struggled with anxiety, but never understood exactly what triggered it; I was determined to learn more about how the individual can retrain their brain’s way of thinking and processing information. While self reflecting, I realized that I fear the unknown and disappointing people. It causes me to become anxious in situations where I am exposed to the possibility of these fears becoming a reality. As a volleyball player in high school, these worries and doubts made game days extremely difficult. The pressure of the coaches and crowd heightened its intensity, which slowly made me lose the love for the sport. However, the psychology class I took my senior year taught me that anxiety does not have to control my life. It does not have to stop me from doing the activities that I enjoy. Instead, there are ways that I can retrain my brain to think positively and optimistically. It also taught me that the thoughts I have about myself are results of my self-talk. As I researched about career paths in psychology, I discovered information about the career of an adolescent therapist: a professional who provides psychological evaluations for young children and teens. They regularly create observations and resolutions that will best help their patients overcome specific challenges in their life. This career will allow me to teach younger generations how to determine the feelings they are experiencing, as well as tend to them in healthy ways. There are multiple branches of our health: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental. It is crucial to listen to our mind when it attempts to balance out the various aspects of our health. I want young adolescents to know that wanting or needing therapy does not make them broken individuals. They should understand that asking for help is not a symptom of weakness, but rather a sign of great strength. Releasing our emotions in front of others can be terrifying, but with the proper environment it can result in peace and comfort. As someone who has experienced holding my feelings in and turning to alternatives that numb the pain, I want all young adolescents to be given the opportunity to deal with their pain in healthier ways.

I have always viewed college as an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty within my family. I want to be the one who makes a difference, especially by helping people in the process. As I researched more about psychology, I discovered information about the career of an adolescent therapist: a professional who provides psychological evaluations for young children and teens. After taking a sociology class my sophomore year, I realized that I find the study of the human mind and its contribution to our behavior intriguing. I had never developed genuine interest and curiosity in any other classes before. I believe the main cause of this is the fact that I desired clarity about my feelings my entire childhood. As someone who has struggled with anxiety, but never understood exactly what triggered it; I was determined to learn more about how the individual can retrain their brain’s way of thinking and processing information. While self reflecting, I realized that I fear the unknown and disappointing people. It causes me to become anxious in situations where I am exposed to the possibility of these fears becoming a reality. I’ve always longed for this sense of understanding regarding my body and mind, in which I desire to help others do the same. My career goal is to become an adolescent psychiatrist: a professional who provides psychological evaluations for young children and teens. They regularly create observations and resolutions that will best help their patients overcome specific challenges in their life. This career will allow me to teach younger generations how to determine the feelings they are experiencing, as well as tend to them in healthy ways. There are multiple branches of our health: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental. It is crucial to listen to our mind when it attempts to balance out the various aspects of our health. I want young adolescents to know that wanting or needing therapy does not make them broken individuals. They should understand that asking for help is not a symptom of weakness, but rather a sign of great strength. Releasing our emotions in front of others can be terrifying, but with the proper environment it can result in peace and comfort. As someone who has experienced holding my feelings in and turning to alternatives that numb the pain, I want young adolescents to be given the opportunity to deal with their pain in healthier ways.

I define a leader as a passionate individual who embodies creativity while problem-solving. As the varsity volleyball captain, I had to constantly be thinking about what would help improve our team. Throughout the season, I often had one on one conversations with my coach to help her understand the issues on the court from a player’s perspective. We discussed the strengths and weaknesses within the team, as well as how they could be distributed in a strategic way. It resulted in players being relocated to different positions, shifting our focus to maintaining fundamentals under pressure, and learning how to be proactive on the court. These new ideas helped our team in terms of skills, however I realized that there was still an overbearing struggle: mentality. As someone who has heavily struggled to maintain a strong mentality in an athletic environment, I completely understood the challenges some of my teammates were facing on the court. I had battled with anxiety before joining volleyball my sophomore year, and unfortunately the pressure of the coaches and crowd heightened its intensity especially during games. My internal conflict was extremely difficult and isolating, as I loved the sport and community of powerful female athletes but was constantly worried about my performance. I became determined to change my mental attitude and use volleyball to release my anxieties rather than feed them. When I noticed similar struggles among my teammates, I was able to determine that the root of this problem was the environment in which we practiced. To make practicing a more positive experience, I implemented motivation and encouragement into our routine. I would constantly be talking to my teammates on the court to assure them I had their back. During games and practices, when they would make a mistake, I would reassure them that they would fix it next time. Overtime, my verbal encouragement influenced my team to express the same support. Soon enough, positivity began to radiate throughout the court. These acts of leadership hold significance, as I did them with a genuine attitude and the proper intentions. I aspired for success for my team, for we are all hardworking student athletes. I saw the potential within our team, and I acted upon it by helping my peers overcome mental obstacles. My vision and confidence in my team helped lead us to our participation in the CIF Southern Section for the first time this century.

At only three years old, I was a child of a broken family. My parents, who had been married for twenty years, got a divorce after my father had an affair. He moved out immediately after my mother found out, leaving his wife a single mother with no financial support. Our world completely flipped upside down, as she now had to provide for three children and work long hours to save the house we all grew up in. I could tell my mother constantly felt the heavy weight of her financial burdens, yet did not want to share that stress with us. So, I tried my best to not add to her stress. I did not ask for the newest toys or money for school activities. Instead, I tried to be grateful for what I did have and understand our circumstances. This does not change the fact that I envied many of my friends for the way they lived. When I would go to their houses, I would admire how they had their own room, new clothes, or a pool for the summertime. I wanted to have all these things, yet I understood that my mother’s lack of education hindered her ability to provide us a financially comfortable life. My mother had been a homemaker since the beginning of her marriage, where her high school diploma was enough. However, when she transitioned into a woman in the workforce, a high school diploma was not enough to get her even interviewed for well-paying jobs. It taught me the significance of being an independent individual where I am responsible for my own life. I refuse to grow up and live my adult life financially reliant on my romantic partner. I have dedicated a lot of time to expanding my education and involvement in college readiness programs, as I understand the value of a degree in the workforce today. I strive to break the cycle of poverty in my family. I witnessed the financial struggles and challenges my mother faced throughout my childhood, and it was not long until I realized that this was not a life I wished for myself. I want to go to college because it will provide me with various connections and opportunities for networking, employment, and personal growth. It will not only help me earn access to well-paying jobs, but allow me to grow as an individual in the process.

As the varsity volleyball captain, I had to constantly be critically thinking about what would help improve our team. Throughout the season, I often had one on one conversations with my coach to help her understand the issues on the court from a player’s perspective. We discussed the strengths and weaknesses within the team, as well as how they could be distributed in a strategic way. It resulted in players being relocated to different positions, focusing on maintaining fundamentals under pressure, and learning how to be proactive on the court. These new ideas helped our team in terms of skills, however I realized that there was still an overbearing struggle: mentality. As someone who has heavily struggled to maintain a strong mentality in an athletic environment, I completely understood the challenges my teammates were facing on the court. I had battled with anxiety before joining volleyball my sophomore year, but unfortunately the pressure of the coaches and crowd heightened its intensity. My internal conflict was extremely difficult, as I loved the sport and community of powerful female athletes. I was determined to change my mental attitude and use volleyball to release my anxieties rather than feed them. When I noticed similar struggles among my teammates, I determined that the root of this problem was the environment in which we practiced. To make practicing a positive experience, I implemented motivation and encouragement into our routine. I would constantly be talking to my teammates on the court to assure them I had their back. When they would make a mistake, I would reassure them that they would fix it next time. These acts of leadership hold significance, as I did them with a genuine attitude and the proper intentions. I aspired for success for my team, for we are all hardworking student athletes. My vision and confidence in my team led us to our participation in the CIF Southern Section for the first time in over a decade.

I define a leader as a passionate individual who embodies creativity while problem-solving. As the varsity volleyball captain, I had to constantly be thinking about what would help improve our team. Throughout the season, I often had one on one conversations with my coach to help her understand the issues on the court from a player’s perspective. We discussed the strengths and weaknesses within the team, as well as how they could be distributed in a strategic way. It resulted in players being relocated to different positions, shifting our focus to maintaining fundamentals under pressure, and learning how to be proactive on the court. These new ideas helped our team in terms of skills, however I realized that there was still an overbearing struggle: mentality. As someone who has heavily struggled to maintain a strong mentality in an athletic environment, I completely understood the challenges some of my teammates were facing on the court. I had battled with anxiety before joining volleyball my sophomore year, and unfortunately the pressure of the coaches and crowd heightened its intensity especially during games. My internal conflict was extremely difficult and isolating, as I loved the sport and community of powerful female athletes but was constantly worried about my performance. I became determined to change my mental attitude and use volleyball to release my anxieties rather than feed them. When I noticed similar struggles among my teammates, I was able to determine that the root of this problem was the environment in which we practiced. To make practicing a more positive experience, I implemented motivation and encouragement into our routine. I would constantly be talking to my teammates on the court to assure them I had their back. During games and practices, when they would make a mistake, I would reassure them that they would fix it next time. Overtime, my verbal encouragement influenced my team to express the same support. Soon enough, positivity began to radiate throughout the court. These acts of leadership hold significance, as I did them with a genuine attitude and the proper intentions. I aspired for success for my team, for we are all hardworking student athletes. I saw the potential within our team, and I acted upon it by helping my peers overcome mental obstacles. My vision and confidence in my team helped lead us to our participation in the CIF Southern Section for the first time this century.