Misfortune. Misfortune is a word that many have used to describe my upbringing. I grew up lower middle class, some would consider poor. There was a point when, my mom, my younger sister, and I were homeless. We lived from relative’s house to house and even lived in hotels. When people think of hotels they think of the luxury and expensive side, but these hotels were filled with prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers, and addicts with a sweet cost of 50 dollars. I and my little sister were not allowed to go outside for fear of running into them. My mom was in a serious relationship. This was her last official relationship and she’s never gotten with anyone after their breakup. She was so blindly in love with him that she did not realize how abusive it was to all of us. He was a strong religious man who forced his beliefs into a belief-less family. Everything we did was under surveillance. We were not allowed to see people kiss or show affection. We were not allowed to have male friends or even hang out with our cousins if they were male. We could not have male dolls or toys either. Nowadays, I realized why he was so strong on the anti-men rule because he was an undercover sex offender. He had cheated on my mom multiple times and even physically punched and slapped me, my sister, and my mom. He also could not keep a stable career, which caused my mom to struggle more. Then he left us. Leaving us was the greatest thing that he could ever do. However, my mom was never the same again. My mom had me at nineteen years old, and she met him around twenty-five, so that’s all she knew. She was now in her thirties and a child again. My mother became very mean. I grew a great depression in late middle school and early high school. My close friends were not close anymore, and I had no one. I locked myself in rooms and I attempted suicide on multiple occasions. I’ve also gotten sexually assaulted. Despite it all, I am still here. 20 years old and pursuing a biology degree with a focus on dentistry. As healthy and as free as ever. However, I would not say that I am misfortunate. I am very fortunate to live a life of adventure and creativity. I am very fortunate to go to university. I am very fortunate to have three meals a day. Most importantly, I am very fortunate to help others in more adverse and difficult communities. I have volunteered for Hands of Homeless, and Jabbok Christian Fellowship. I also donated clothes and food to local communities with my current school organizations. I and my friends have spent designated weekends and days giving back to these communities. I don’t want anyone to go through the pain and loneliness that I have gone through growing up. I will forever keep those memories and trauma a part of me. I will continue to fight for you. To fight for us.

The human body is a temple. We are made to protect and heal ourselves from every negative aspect of the world. It inspires others to be leaders and followers reflecting positive energy. Without self-healing, the world would be a harsher place. Unfortunately, it has taken years for me to understand that. I did not have the best upbringing. My father was repeatedly in and out of jail for drugs, and my mother worked a slightly above minimum wage factory job. My mother would go on to remarry a man of my nightmares. He heavily struggled with addiction and violence issues. I and my younger sister would wonder if we could eat from meal to meal every day. We couldn’t do what most kids our age did, and there were times when we didn’t have proper transportation and hygiene. We had to sell our clothes and items for money to pay bills. It felt impossible to leave that lifestyle. No child should grow up in that environment. Everyone in our town felt bad for us, and we felt bad for ourselves as well. Years later, my mom would eventually have enough to afford a new apartment. Life seemed to be getting better and I would now focus on gaining relationships with the community around us. I shut myself out in fear of being judged. Then it hit. Sadness hit harder than I expected. My mom did not believe in mental disorders and refused to take me to a psychologist, so I never got diagnosed. I stopped attending family events, and most of the days would be spent alone in my room. I couldn’t even bear to look at myself in the mirror anymore. I neglected my health by not eating, showering, or sleeping. My room became a mess. I was not myself anymore. Eventually, I would meet online friends in an attempt to seek therapy. These friends encouraged me and supported me. I started to feel a lot better. Just when I thought it was over, I found my grandfather’s deceased body in his bedroom. I have never let more devastated in my life. That moment was different. It inspired me to keep trying in life. It made me acknowledge that I am a survivor. It has taken a while for me to love myself and appreciate what I have in the world. How can I love a world that has treated me so poorly? How could I learn to love myself when there was no loving in the first place? My guide for healing your body and loving yourself is simple. Meditation, subliminal, exercising, and building healthy relationships is the answer. Although it is a simple concept, the work for it is not. During meditation, it is hard to stay focused and it is hard to ignore the environment around you, but I would be lying if I said that it did not work. Following mediation, subliminal messages, and affirmations you can record yourself for encouragement. Think of it as a friend motivating you, except it is self-motivation. Self-motivation is the most effective motivation. When you’re feeling down, you can listen to it and smile. Exercising is key to building muscle and having positive energy. Building healthy relationships is the most important factor in healing. You reflect the people that you surround yourself with. Sometimes you need a shoulder to cry on, and you need a friend to comfort. Human interaction is the strongest interaction that you’ll ever have. Friends that will support you and help you reach your goals.

The greatest achievement is within us. Being the greatest can mean many things. Some people consider The Rock, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, and others to be great at what they do. They’re strong at dedicating their lives to their ambitions. As someone has also made many achievements in their lives, what do I consider the greatest? My upbringings weren’t favorable. My parents were high school dropouts who were making just above minimum wage in their careers. It was hard for any of them to have stable jobs. My mom worked in factories and my dad quit work and sold drugs. I hardly saw my father because he would serve jail time repeatedly throughout my childhood, and my mother would go on to date someone new. My stepfather was struggling with addiction and emotional disorders. We were so poor that I and my younger sister would wonder if we could eat from meal to meal every day. We couldn’t do what most kids our age did, and there were times when we didn’t have proper transportation and hygiene. No child should grow up in that environment. I had to sell clothes and items for money to pay bills. We were lower-middle class and sometimes we couldn’t eat for days. As the years passed, I began to have a love for science. I started to research chemistry and biology careers for my future. I started to annually attend dental and health clinics for insight into dentistry and medical health. I knew that I couldn’t afford university without student loans and scholarships, so I had to research my future in the eighth grade to get a head start. It was during a time when I became severely depressed and hardly even attended school anymore. My grades were declining, and scholarships weren’t looking like the best option. So, I didn’t submit essays throughout my entire high school years attending. The student loans came with issues as well. Since my parents did not know about further education, I had to learn about the loan and registration process alone. It was not easy and there were many times when I felt like giving up on school completely. It all worked out in the end. Currently, I am attending the University of North Texas in Denton Texas. I am amazed at the community and diversity here. Being a part of this school has been the best experience of my life. I would not change it for the world. I have met many new friends and family who care about my future and education. I feel more loved than ever. The ability to make that switch from high school to university is my greatest achievement. Growing up with a mindset that I wouldn’t be able to attend college and school, being an involved college student is admirable. I cannot wait to continue to make inspirational and healthy decisions and achievements throughout my lifetime.

Dogs are a woman’s best friend as well. Growing up, I always had a fear of any type of dog. It ranged from chihuahuas to pit bulls. My mom would tell me articles about vicious attacking dogs, and it made me afraid of them even more. In 2012, my grandparents were researching miniature dogs and breeds to lounge around their house. As someone who always visited, I was not thrilled to hear about this. My first response would be to beg them to return the dog. I had a rising fear of death and they made my anxiety strike up. Sometimes, they would leave me with him, and he would pee and poop all over the place. Dogs were so messy and unappreciative, I thought. However, the longer I stayed with the dog, the closer we became. The “dog’s name is Tango, and he is a light brown Yorkie-Poodle. His mother suffered an autoimmune disease and could barely carry her children. Tango saved my life. We would walk around the town together and would bring sticks and leaves for me to throw. People started to ask me what event happened that made me start to love dogs. I loved the way his fur glided in the wind, and how he spins in a circle when seeing me again. We were both excited to see each other again. He would be there for me during my worst times as well. I suffered from depression in my high school year and shut myself out from friends and family. I wouldn’t attend events or sometimes even call. I felt alone and betrayed by the world, even though I wasn’t. Tango stayed by my side the whole time. He would lay and cry with me. It’s like our emotions were connected. In 2018, my grandfather passed away from colon cancer. Not only was it a hard time for me, but it was a hard time for the rest of my family as well. Family members turned to alcohol to help their grieving. It pained me to see this because my grandfather had a heavy alcohol addiction which we believed was the main cause of his cancer. It was a horrifying sight. For days, I cried, and no one was there to comfort me, except Tango. I never expected a dog to show more emotions to me than my loved ones. Now, it is 2022 and Tango is an old man. His days are limited now and I’m afraid for the day that he passes. He no longer jumps and spins as much as he used to. He no longer gets excited over his favorite snacks anymore. We will still be buddies in the afterlife. I know that he’ll wait on me because we are like two puzzle pieces together. I would have never expected to care for an animal like this in a million years, but I’m glad that I did.

A mother’s love is stronger than anyone else. A sentence that may be true in some circumstances, but not all. I’d like to think that my mother is my biggest inspiration, even though we’re not on the best of terms. Everything that I’ve learned in life has been from her. Without her, I am not me. I come from a broken background. My family wasn’t always the light and happy-hearted one they are now. I grew up lower-middle class and extremely poor. My mom dated an ex-prisoner trying to make better for his life. So, we thought. He would eventually lead us down the worst paths in our lives. He would verbally abuse, gaslight, and physically abuse us. My stepfather would also rarely have a job to support our family but would live with us for free. My mom had to work a low pay factory job to feed me and my sister. Some days we went unfed. Some days we had to walk to get across town. It seems unimaginable for children to live that lifestyle, but it was normal. I and my mom would start to clash with one another. I didn’t like the person that she was becoming, but I didn’t have much of a say. I eventually ended up moving in with my grandma and leaving completely. Even though we didn’t have the best relationship, I still admired her. She would work every day and would max out her hours at work every week. She was dedicated to getting us out of that life. My mom got pregnant at an early age and dropped out of high school to support me and my siblings. She wanted to attend college to be a nurse, but she knew that wasn’t possible. She made sacrifices to keep us alive. A few years later after their breakup, I moved back in. We still lived at hotels at first, but she finally saved enough for a vehicle and a proper apartment. The situation inspired me to work as a teen. I wanted to help support her so that I wouldn’t go back to that world again. Now, I am attending the University of North Texas aspiring for a bachelor’s degree in Biology. I couldn’t afford college, so I took out student loans. I didn’t know anything about the scholarship process and registration because I was a first-generation student. There was no one to help, I learn about college, but me. UNT was my first and only option, but I wouldn’t leave it for a thing. We could only afford one application fee. Now, it’s my second year and I’ve earned a lot about the scholarship process. It's not easy, but it pays off. Finishing scholarships will make you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulder. My bachelor’s degree will allow me to attend dental school. My career goal is to obtain the dental hygienist profession. The responsibilities of being a dentist are not easy. My job is to take care of patients and to make sure their oral health is maintainable. I must complete x-ray exams, whitening, cleanings, and so much more. Even though it is highly demanding, many people consider dentistry to be a stressful career. I want others to receive the proper healthcare that I didn’t have growing up. Oral care is important, and without it, we can be exposed to many cancers and diseases. It is my goal to help and transform people’s ideas of modern healthcare.

Everyone deserves to be mentored. Being a human is hard. As someone who has been an adult for a year now, there are a lot of things that we don’t learn as children. We don’t learn much about finances, interests, politics, and many other concerns that affects every day lives. It can be stressful and hard figuring these out alone. In 2020, I was given the opportunity to mentor my autistic friend. Autism is a very common birth disease that is also commonly undiagnosed. Those affected brain will work much differently than with someone who doesn’t. A lot of people are in denial and are afraid because of the negative stigma surrounding the disorder. People with autism should be treated as equally as everyone else. My friend had a hard time accepting and showing their emotions and would often get stressed about easily fixable situations. They were afraid of therapy and afraid of other’s opinions. I would stay up late every night watching professional videos and scheduling appointments to comfort my friend and make him feel more comfortable with me and everyone around him. It was not easy. There were times where it was extremely hard to even agree with each other. Eventually, his parents and him allowed me to give him extra school tutoring. I excelled in my Math's and English in high school, so it went well. This has been a huge learning experience for me, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

For most of my life, I couldn’t find much community. My hometown was so small that everyone knew of each other a little “too” much. There were so many arguments and negativity surrounding neighboring families, and we didn’t feel united. In 2020, we saved up enough money for me to attend university in a bigger city. I was excited to get to know new people and the diversity in Denton is huge! I’ve never seen anything like it before. Everyone here had their own friends, goals, and aspirations that were unique to me. I worked up the courage to join a student organization called ‘Hearts of Homeless Texas”. The organization allowed students to work in clinics and hospitals to perform blood tests and health scans for homeless and poor individuals in the city. We would attend every Monday and Thursday, and then do community service on Saturdays. We’d encourage our friends and families to help us clean the roads and the forests to lessen the pollution in the areas. I would have never in a million years, have thought about joining an organization with a cause this important to our environment. I become a big inspiration for those around me, and I want to continue to be one. Even if no one is there to help the community and environment around us, I will. Denton is my new home. We protect and make sure that our homes are safe for everyone.

Books can take you on an adventure that you’d never expect to happen in your lifetime. A good book will have the ability to pull you into the stories it withholds. My favorite book is “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It’s a tale of the unfortunate marriages of a famous Hollywood celebrity. The book has everything from interview sections to childhood discussions. Evelyn’s childhood wasn’t favorable, but she still worked up the courage to make a name for herself. Although the title can seem misleading when the book is mostly about Evelyn’s character, it draws readers in effectively. They go in thinking they’re going to read about one topic when It’s a completely different one underneath. It deals with death, betrayal, addiction, and sacrifice. She’s unsure if she’s asexual while dealing with discrimination for being a bisexual woman at a time when LGBTQ rights were seen as immoral. Evelyn goes through similar events that many younger adults now can relate to. She’s seen as a celebrity figure, but she's not seen as overpowering. Evelyn must also give up her old beliefs to truly find love. The beliefs that were always within her. It tells a narrative, so fantastic that I wish there was an actual movie to go along with it. The book tends to pull you in and out of the story because It’s set in the present time. The interviewer speaks with an older Evelyn about her past life, and it feels like we’re there.

When you’re physically fit, it helps gain your confidence back but also helps your body maintain health. Many people have different definitions of “fit”, but it means to feel like your body is being regulated and taken care of. Recently, I’ve transformed my body from being severely underweight, to the average weight that I should be. It’s taken a while to truly love myself. Two factors that encouraged my poor eating habits are social media and opinionated individuals It's taught that your family wants what is best for you. Unfortunately, that is not always true. I’ve struggled with body images my entire life. Growing up, I thought I had an undiagnosed eating disorder because I would starve myself and force myself to walk a certain number of miles every day. The idea of skinny being “perfect” is unhealthy and not good for your mental health. My parents would often comment on my body and express what they disliked about my features. They would point out my face fat, my breast size, my stomach, and so much more. Not only did I feel overweight, but everyone around me also agreed. In reality, I was a perfectly normal size for a child. My family would usually try to back up their opinions with the BMI. The BMI is also extremely outdated, and it doesn’t take into consideration of ethnic groups. Skin and bone shouldn’t indicate “overweight” when there’s another issue that’s in place. My generation grew up in the age of technology and social media. Everything that a child consumes online will be in their brains forever. Specific beautiful women and men get more attention than others. That doesn’t mean that the other groups aren’t beautiful, but the media is very one-sided. Lots of other people have body issues and they help promote skinnier individuals or individuals with extreme muscle definition. At the time, it may not feel like It’s affecting me, but it is. Later that day, I’d watch workout videos and dieting stories. My physical and mental health only started to decline greater. Sometimes, I still neglect food and only drink water. I’m not proud of it, but it is the summertime, and I haven’t been particularly athletic. I would like to change my mindset on that. My friends and doctors think that I’m perfectly healthy. It’s still engraved into my mind that I’m “fat” and it’s a process to recover. I’ve been attending counseling sessions to help further my knowledge on the topic of being “fit”. Having an eating disorder has been one of the most stressful aspects of my life. I hope one day, I can see myself for who I am.

Being a black woman who was raised in a lower-income household and making it to university is the most inspiring thing that has happened to me. I used to be homeless and had no form of transportation during my upbringing. Every day I go to work at my part-time campus job and attend classes right before that. I have learned to balance work and school while still having free time left over. Black girl magic is expressing yourself and being extraordinarily you. I used to not have a voice. I was very shy and had little to no friends. I avoided social events for fear of making friends. If I had friends, they would see the personal life that had. I wanted to portray to be someone else. I wanted to come off as rich and snobby, while we could barely afford meal to meal every day. I was embarrassed about what I grew up with. I should have appreciated what I had because my mom worked hard for me and my sister’s education and resources. Recently, I’ve worked up the courage to finally express myself. I didn’t know who I was at the time, and I was in denial about many personality traits. I’m a bisexual woman, and I didn’t even fully accept myself until last year. My family and I were raised to be strict Christian women and I felt like I went against their beliefs. Being bisexual encouraged me to become open-minded. I used to be to myself and judge others around me in fear of being judged as well. I would hate on protests and petitions because I didn’t like how people expressed themselves when I couldn’t. Now, I am a strong activist for the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ alliance, pro-choice, and black women protection organizations. I deserve to be able to express myself, and I was the only one holding me back. I can be the voice for those who feel like they can’t be themselves and speak up. A lot of young children feel inspired by me because not only did I survive mental abuse, but I also gained self-confidence. Whether It’s my natural hair, braided hair, skin color, or makeup, I promote being a beautiful black woman. Every black woman is beautiful, and some haven’t found themselves yet. I want little black girls to see me and feel motivated to be themselves and not live in fear of judgment and other people’s opinions. Black excellence is within you. It’s within me and every other little black girl out there. Showing the world our impact and power is inspiring on its own. There was a time when black women couldn’t even walk outside without covering up their faces. Now, we can be the voice for those unheard.

Domestic Violence is one of the world’s leading abuse categories. Even though it is quite common, it is usually not taken as seriously in Black households. I have heard older family members blame this on a sexism issue whereas women are disrespectful to men and deserve abuse, or men are not strong enough to raise a family. Neither of those are truths. Physical and mental abuse are to be taken seriously because not only could it damage an individual, but it can also damage others around them. I grew up in an abusive household that my extended family knew about, but never spoke about. My stepfather would punch holes, damage our clothes, throw away our toys, give strict religious rules, and physically abuse our mother right in front of us. He was also a registered sex offender who tried to cover it up but played victim to his concerned friends. We were extremely poor, and the lack of income would cause him to lash out at everyone in the house. He also refused to get a job and made my mom work a factory job that barely paid above minimum wage at the time. It caused me to go into a deep depression where I was not able to raise my grades or sometimes attend school. If I did not attend school, I would come home in fear that I would get slapped or chased with knives and other weapons. It was like my mother was so blinded by his love that she did not concern herself with me and my younger sister’s health. When their relationship ended, my mom was heartbroken. She would not take care of us for months and did not listen when I asked to see a therapist. She told me that she did not “believe in therapy” and that it was made up by white people to control us. She did not take her mental health seriously, so why would she take mine. I sought out advice and therapy for school friends and that helped tremendously. Even though it was not proper counseling, I still felt like my voice was heard. With a higher education in health-related careers, I can be the voice that a few Black women need. I am a biology student seeking in going into pre-med or pre-dentistry. Those careers are not therapy, but sometimes women seem to feel better talking to other doctors. Nurses and dentists both can see signs of physical abuse. We are also taught to see signs of poor mental health. I am an African American female with an experience just like theirs. No one will experience what It is like to be a Black woman in this society, but other Black women. Most Black women feel comfortable with having a black doctor or caretaker because the medical field does not see Black women like everyone else. Black women have the largest morality birth rates out of every other race in the United States. Some other statistics and articles prove that Black women are not treated fairly. African American Female health care professional rate is quite low, and I am glad to be a part of the rise.

On June 8th, 2018, I found my grandfather dead from stage four colon cancer. In direct response, my family members began to drink their sorrows away. Alcohol is the main cause for him getting colon cancer. It was a rough time for me because my grandfather raised me when my mother and father could not. My parents were heavily affected by drug abuse, and I refused to live in an abusive household growing up for a few years. Even though my grandpa drank, he was genuinely nice and seemed healthy, and I did not think that it would have gotten that bad. I was frozen for the rest of the month. I could not process what had happened. One day it all just came crushing down on me. It was the worst experience of my entire life. Even though I felt horribly, I stayed positive. Death should not be melancholy; it should be celebratory. Celebratory that he lived a long and impactful life. My family were all still hurt from this, and I would pray with them and wish them all the best in life. He would not have wanted us grieving for months, he would have wanted us to be happy and still thriving at life. I been through a lot of negative events in my life and that has never stopped me from achieving my goals. It has ever stopped me from working hard. We should continue to be positive no matter what because life is worth being happy. It is worth living.

Climate change is very real and nerve-wracking. Pollution fills the air, while trash fills the ocean. This summer has been one of the hottest summers in the past decade. Recently, I’ve been volunteering with student organizations to pick up trash and clean the city every Sunday. I like to promote fewer plastic products and more effective glassware, so we don’t throw much away. My university campus encourages insulated water bottles that can fill up at water stations around campus. I’ve seen most students use them and they are to promote less plastic bottle usage. Saving less energy by handwashing clothes in sinks rather than washing and drying them in a washer or drier occasionally. It gets the job done in a reasonable time with better pay-off. I also turn off lights and heat in rooms that I am not in to lessen electricity usage. These activities work well for me, but I am only one person. I try to encourage everyone to follow my way of living, but everyone is free to do what they feel is right for them.

It would best to learn about credit and interest at an early age. At my high school, I took a finance class and it taught me a little about credit scores, deposits, and down payments, but it was an elective course. Many high school students aren’t going to want to go to school to talk about money while living rent free under their parents’ roof. Even though I took a class on it, I still didn’t fully understand until I became an adult and had to take out student loans and rent out an apartment to stay in. To this day, the process can be stressful and confusing. Sometimes It’s better to have a calculator and a friend to help you calculate your spending and savings.

STEM careers always interested me. I was very fond of the world of science and mathematics from a very early age. The companies behind video games and pharmaceuticals were key interests for me. Unfortunately, even though I enjoyed learning about them, I knew that I could not have a career in those fields. My upbringings weren’t favorable. My parents were high school dropouts who were making just above minimum wage in their careers. It was hard for any of them to have stable jobs. My mom worked in factories and my dad quit work and sold drugs. I hardly saw my father because he would serve jail time repeatedly throughout my childhood, and my mother would go on to date someone new. My stepfather was struggling with addiction, violence, and was a sex offender. We were so poor that I and my younger sister would wonder if we could eat from meal to meal every day. We couldn’t do what most kids our age did, and there were times when we didn’t have proper transportation and hygiene. Although I enjoyed healthcare, it felt impossible to leave that lifestyle. No child should grow up in that environment. I had to sell clothes and items for money to pay bills. We were lower-middle class and sometimes we couldn’t eat for days. As the years passed, I decided to revisit my love for science. I started to research chemistry and biology careers for my future. I started to annually attend dental and health clinics for insight into dentistry and medical health. I knew that I couldn’t afford university without student loans and scholarships, so I had to research my future in the eighth grade to get a head start. It was during a time when I became severely depressed and hardly even attended school anymore. My grades were declining, and scholarships weren’t looking like the best option. So, I didn’t submit essays throughout my entire high school years attending. February 2021, I got accepted into the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. It felt like a relief because the city’s population is bigger than my hometown and there’s more community there. I didn’t even know that I was going to college until a few months before. The loan and enrollment process was not easy. Since none of my parents attended college, they refused to help me figure it out. I had to read articles, call, and watch videos on what to do. It was very stressful, and no student should go through this process alone. It took months, but eventually, I figured it out. I wouldn’t change accepting UNT for the world. During my first year, I visited multiple dental offices and gained insight into their professions and environments. If I was still living in my hometown, that would not have happened. My primary goal is to graduate from the University of North Texas with my bachelor’s degree in biology. Afterward, I will attend dental school and get a certificate to be a hygienist. The responsibilities of being a dentist are not easy. My job is to take care of patients and to make sure their oral health is maintainable. I must complete x-ray exams, whitening, cleanings, and so much more. Even though it’s highly demanding, many people consider dentistry to be a stressful career. I want others to receive the proper healthcare that I didn’t have growing up. Oral care is important, and without it, we can be exposed to many cancers and diseases. It is my goal to help and transform people’s ideas of modern healthcare

Equality doesn’t exist. Growing up, I was raised in a primarily white Christian town, and attended a small school as a bisexual African American woman. All my friends were white, and we were super close and supportive of each other. I never once felt out of place with them. Occasionally, I would hear people around me speak about how whitewashed and privileged I was to fit in that environment. If the equality protests in 2020 did not happen, I would probably not believe them. The Black Lives Matter movement opened my mind about how closeminded I was. I was in denial that I was bisexual because everyone around me was severely homophobic. I was in denial that I was whitewashed when other black children were getting bullied in the halls. During the days where my people were getting brutalized in the streets, my friends said nothing. Sometimes they would even poke fun about the deaths and follow up with “it’s just a joke”. It isn’t a joke. My mind began to process and evaluate every past conversation that I’ve had with my friends. How, I was never in relationships, and they were always in them. How, I was never invited to many hangouts. How, sometimes they wouldn’t consider me as their friend. It was because I was black. They would begin to gaslight me, while simultaneously posting about how my people being murdered is hilarious. Everyone was not looking out for me. Some were against me. In a world where we want equality, not everyone does. I’m such an accepting person and It’s taken me so long to understand that equality doesn’t exist. It won’t exist, until we all have equal rights. So far, that hasn’t been happening.

My favorite piece of art is “Perseus with the Head of Medusa” by Benvenuto Cellini. Growing up, I was always drawn to art pieces, especially realism. I would draw bodies and faces around painted canvases of nature. As I grew older, my love for painting changed to admiring statues. Statues are like paintings, in a way that they both can portray emotions and realism in their own ways. Perseus with the Head of Medusa can be interpreted in many ways. Medusa was seen as evil and a sign of negativity and death. So, that Perseus’ killing her was a victory to humanity. Another interpretation was that Perseus silenced Medusa. She is seen as a sign of sexual assault survivor and many women and men across the world have tattoos and piercings to signify their struggles with sexual abuse. The statue could say that Medusa was treated horribly and died without justice. I believe that Cellini designed this statue without meaning. This event did happen in the mythology books, but he took his own spin on the text.

The beauty of science can be defined in many ways. New discoveries and technology advancements are made every day and It’s hard to imagine a world without it. One of the most popular scientific discoveries is the World Wide Web. The internet was a unique concept that no one thought of before its release. It’s a hard concept to grasp and thirty years ago, people were more excited to hear about the telephone creation. Nowadays, the internet is apart of everyone’s daily lives and most careers and education requires you to have a form of internet access. It’s intriguing how something so little could impact our lives forever. Little as in comparison to other technology advancements. The internet is not “little”. It has grown rapidly over the course of tens of years, and now you can find almost anything with a simple google search. You can email, video call, text, play video games, order food, online dating, copy novels, and so much more that would be nearly impossible to do without. As someone who was born and grew up in the age of computers and cell phones, most things that I’ve done in life has involved one or the other. It’s so fascinating that one day an individual like me or you, had an idea of something that they didn’t know would be so powerful and effective in today’s world.