My bookcase overflows with a variety of books, many that I already read, and still more that I hope to read in the future. While I may outgrow a few of them, others I will keep and treasure throughout my life. Several of my books represent distinct parts of who I am and shape me as an individual. The first favorite book I ever read was “The Seven Chinese Sisters.” Beginning at a young age, my dad read books to me every night and this one was superior to all the rest. I insisted that my dad read it so often, that I soon memorized it and, before I could even read, could recite it by looking at the pictures. This was when my love for reading first started and it continues to this day. This passion came from my dad, an avid reader, who is always there to recommend an engaging book to me. Even today my dad and I read books together, although we have moved past dragon fighting sisters and now read murder mysteries. Another meaningful book to me is “Extra Yarn.” The book was a gift to my knitting teacher when she first opened her yarn shop, but when the yarn shop closed and she stopped giving lessons, she gave the book to me. This book reminds me to be generous with the talents God gave me. Knitting gifts is just one way for me to show others that I care about them. Furthermore, knitting is calming and provides me with time to think and clear my mind. Although the process takes time, the outcome is always worth the wait. My shelf also contains a book with the title Flourish. This Bible study devotional helped me to develop a closer relationship with God and to learn to love reading His word. My church paired older women in the church with younger women to be their mentors and read through the book together. I gained much spiritual knowledge from my mentor’s wisdom and grew deeply in my faith. A slight outlier on my bookshelf, but frequently used nonetheless is my “100 Classical Themes for Flutes” book. I have played the flute for six years and greatly enjoy playing, especially classical music. All of my favorite songs in the music book are dog-eared and well practiced. The book provides a variety of songs, some that challenge me and others that I can play at a whim. I love to perfect these songs on my own in the summer. I am currently reading through the book Short Stories in Spanish. I have been learning Spanish in school for three years and hope to continue my studies of Spanish in college and to become fluent. Languages and cultures fascinate me and learning more about them allows me to connect with others and understand different ways of life. In addition to my school studies, I learn Spanish on Duolingo and by reading books in Spanish. Reading in Spanish helps me to learn new vocabulary, improve my grammar skills, and have fun while doing so. My bookcase is a collage that reminds me of my interests, along with the adventures I have taken to discover new places, events, and people through books. This scholarship would allow me to attend a Christian college where I will major in English, minor in Spanish, and play the flute in band, pursuing all of my passions and interests. I can not wait to see my bookcase grow as I learn and try new things in this next stage of my life.

"It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives." - Fred Rogers. When I was young, I used to pretend to time travel. I could go anywhere in the world at any time. My best friend and I would run under the mini soccer net in my yard, flip in over our heads, and run out the other side, now in another world or time period. I guess that is why I love reading so much. I can go anywhere and learn about different peoples, places, and cultures. My dad read the whole Magic Tree House series to me and I loved to learn about the places that Jack and Annie adventured to. I still love reading books that transport me to places across the globe or to a culture hundreds of years ago. In high school, when I started taking Spanish classes, I loved learning about Spanish culture and languages. Now, I am continuing to learn Spanish and Catalan on Duolingo. In college, I am going to major in English and minor in Spanish. I will continue to read and learn more about the world and the diverse cultures and places in it. I hope to study abroad in Spain and discover more about the culture there and become fluent in Spanish. Ultimately, I want to travel. It has always been a desire within me, even as a child. I want to have a job one day that allows me to see the world and learn about different places. For this reason, I want to teach English as a second language. I want to show students the benefits of reading and teach them about the amazing and diverse world where they live. Teaching will help me to impact students' lives and encourage them to follow their own passions. Teaching abroad will allow me to still be able to learn more, even after graduating from college. I can continue to pursue my passion of learning languages and experiencing cultures that differ from my own. As it turns out, it was the adventures I took as a child, whether in my back yard or the school play ground, that led me to my passion for the future.

Leaders are not always the people up front. Leaders are not just the ones who take command. Leaders serve, even if nobody is watching. Leaders work hard for what they believe in. Leaders don't have to be the loud ones that call the shots. I certainly am not. When I think of a leader, I think of someone willing to make sacrifices for the good of others. I think of my father, who opened a soup kitchen, even though it cost him a lot financially. I think of my mother, who works behind the scenes at the soup kitchen, organizing donations and making the schedule of volunteers. She sacrifices her time without expecting a reward or appreciation. These are the leaders that I look up to. They are people who want change to take place in our community, even if they are not recognized for it. I am a leader. Not because I'm the president of some club or because I take charge during group projects. I am a leader because I want to help people. I volunteer at my families soup kitchen, preparing meals and organizing donations. I volunteer at my church, helping take care of the children so that their parents can worship without distraction. I became a student leader at my youth group, helping to set up events and clean up afterwards. I serve because Christ first served us. As a Christian, I am called to serve others just as Jesus did while on earth. This means that I serve not for my own glory or self-fulfillment, but to honor God and show others the love of Christ. Leaders should not think of themselves as better than others, but should humbly serve their family, friends, and community. In my family, I am a leader for my younger sister. Just as I look up to my parents as examples of the leader I desire to become, she looks up to me and my actions. I hope to inspire her to be a leader who serves like the rest of our family. I want to lead her by example so she becomes a woman of God who works hard to help others in whatever way God calls her to. By positively influencing the next generation, I can be a leader. Leaders lead others to be leaders. And ultimately, that is the type of leader I feel called to be.

In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Edgar Allen Poe uses a clock to represent the presence of death and to prefigure the night’s disastrous finale when “Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.” This essay elaborates on Poe’s use of the clock to describe death and the meanings of the description of the clock. It explores the ideas of the clock used to foreshadow death, death’s quality of inevitability relating to the clock, and the masqueraders’ pursuits to avoid the fear of the unknown. The clock foreshadows death’s forthcoming and warns the prince and his guests of the dwindling time that remains for them to live. The clock predicts this fast approaching death by chiming every hour to alert the party of the amount of time persisting. “when the minute-hand made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis that, … while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused revery or meditation.” The clock's chilling melody invokes the people to feel solemn and to cease their dancing and music in order to meditate and dwell on the lament of the clock. Its melancholy tone dampens the mood of the masquerade, causing the people to recognize that their time of pleasure grows short and to bring awareness of death’s scheme to overtake them. The clock’s music hourly augurs the masquerade guests with feelings of dread and horror, causing them to avoid the clock’s presence. Additionally, the clock’s physical characteristics further demonstrate the ways in which the clock represents death. “It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony. Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang.” The clock, positioned on the western wall, sits in the direction that the sun sets. As the sunset marks the termination of a day, so the clock, representing death, calls to attention the end of life. In addition, the clock, described as gigantic, displays death’s power and definite presence from its vast size and vociferous volume which the visitors hear throughout all the chambers at the masquerade. The clock, built of ebony, consists of the colors black or dark brown. These hues often represent death and decay as they prompt feelings of gloom, and mourners often wear them to funerals. Ebony is a wood from tropical trees, therefore displaying death as a mysterious and foreign concept that humanity finds not fully comprehensible. Symbolism in features such as location, immensity, and color portray the relation between the clock and death. The clock at the masquerade not only foreshadows death, but it also illustrates death when the visitants endeavor to avoid both death and the clock. “But to the chamber which lies most westwardly of the seven, there are now none of the maskers who venture; … and to him whose foot falls upon the sable carpet, there comes from the near clock of ebony a muffled peal more solemnly emphatic than any which reaches their ears who indulge in the more remote gaieties of the other apartments.” Just as the masqueraders hide from the Red Death in order to spare their lives from death and disease, the people also refuse to go near the clock or even to enter the room it rests in. Despite their efforts, the visitants remain unable to escape the dismal chime of the ebony clock as it reaches their ears from another room. Similarly, the inescapable Red Death also finds the party guests and consumes everyone. The clock displays characteristics of the Red Death because both exist outside of human control. Just as the guests attempt to avoid the sounding of the clock, the people try to evade death, failing at both endeavors as both the clock and death are inevitable. The clock and the Red Death provoke feelings of fear, specifically fear of the unknown, within the guests at the masquerade, causing them to try to circumvent the clock and death. The crowd avoids the clock due to fear of not knowing why it chimes and why it provokes in them sensations of horror and dread. Likewise, the uncertainty of what takes place after death leads them to fear death itself. Humanity longs for safety and security, and they dislike feelings of fear or worry. “But these other apartments were densely crowded, and in them beat feverishly the heart of life.” The guests feel very lively and comfortable in the other chambers, but the room with the clock in it reminds them of their final destination, something they wish to ignore. The clock provides several warnings of death’s coming, while the masquerade, or the pleasures of life, consume society's thoughts and distract them from the imminence of death. The fear of the unknown causes people to aim to hide or distract themselves from inevitable occurrences such as death, and in this way, dispose of all the negative emotions that come with the uncertainty of death. The clock warns the masqueraders of death with its mysterious chimes and its physical attributes, but it also represents death and its inevitability as the people struggle to avoid it. The masqueraders try to steer clear of the Red Death and the clock in order to rid themselves of fear, especially the fear of the unknown because humanity prefers security and comfort rather than uncertainty. Society attempts to hide itself from death and its warnings by distracting themselves with amusements and festivities, but in the end, death remains out of human control; its warnings only ignored for a short time before the inevitable arrival of death. I have attached a link below that leads to a PDF with a full copy of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death." https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/the_mask_of_the_red_death.pdf

My bookcase overflows with a variety of books, many that I already read, and still more that I hope to read in the future. While I may outgrow a few of them, others I will keep and treasure throughout my life. Several of my books represent distinct parts of who I am and shape me as an individual. The first favorite book I ever read was “The Seven Chinese Sisters.” Beginning at a young age, my dad read books to me every night and this one was superior to all the rest. I insisted that my dad read it so often, that I soon memorized it and, before I could even read, could recite it by looking at the pictures. This was when my love for reading first started and it continues to this day. This passion came from my dad, an avid reader, who is always there to recommend an engaging book to me. Even today my dad and I read books together, although we have moved past dragon fighting sisters and now read murder mysteries. Another meaningful book to me is “Extra Yarn.” This book was a gift to my knitting teacher when she first opened her yarn shop, but when the yarn shop closed and she stopped giving lessons, she gave the book to me. This book reminds me to be generous with the talents God gave me. Knitting gifts is just one way for me to show others that I care about them. Furthermore, knitting is calming and provides me with time to think and clear my mind. Although the process takes time, the outcome is always worth the wait. My shelf also contains a book with the title Flourish. This Bible study devotional helped me to develop a closer relationship with God and to learn to love reading His word. My church paired older women in the church with younger women to be their mentors and read through the book together. I gained much spiritual knowledge from my mentor’s wisdom and grew deeply in my faith. I am currently reading through the book Short Stories in Spanish. I have been learning Spanish in school for three years and hope to continue my studies of Spanish in college and to become fluent. Languages and cultures fascinate me and learning more about them allows me to connect with others and understand different ways of life. In addition to my school studies, I learn Spanish on Duolingo and by reading books in Spanish. Reading in Spanish helps me to learn new vocabulary, improve my grammar skills, and have fun while doing so. One summer, my younger sister and I decided to build a fort together in my room. My sister and I do not share many interests and hobbies and our personalities are complete opposites. In our blanket fort, we did two of the few activities we both enjoy doing; playing cards and reading. We read a choose your own adventure book called Spies: Noor Inayat Khan. Reading this is one of my favorite memories of spending time with my sister. There are numerous books neatly lined up in my bookcase and, at first glance, they may simply appear to be rows of words on covers. At a closer look you will find that my bookcase is a collage that reminds me of my interests, along with the adventures I have taken to discover new places, events, and people through books. I will always love reading and will pursue this passion by majoring in English in college, where I hope to encounter even more fantastic books.