As I went through my first two years of high school, I thought I was confident in myself and my abilities. Unfortunately, in junior year, I realized I still placed too much of my self-worth in the hands of others. Junior year was an emotionally destabilizing time for me in my personal life as two very important relationships ended. This did not disrupt my work at school, but it disrupted my self-image. After an extended time of diffidence, I began to focus on internal security. Primarily, this moment revolved around my boyfriend and best friend. These relationships ended around the same time. First, my boyfriend broke up with me. It seems like a minuscule thing, but in the eyes of a teenage girl, a breakup is an earthquake. I had established a foundation of confidence when because of my boyfriend, and when he broke up with me, that confidence was shaken. Not to mention, he was my first serious boyfriend. However, the loss of that relationship could not compare to the mourning I felt with my best friend. I decided to end that friendship when I realized that my best friend was no longer treating me like a priority in her life. I felt like I was being cast to the side. The part that hurt the most was that I understood that I had made the right choice, but I also knew I would always love this person because she had been such a significant figure in my life. Thus, my insecurity sprouted from these two relationships. When my boyfriend broke up with me, I began to question whether I was good enough to date anyone. Then I began to question if I really deserved the attention of a close friend. I internalized all this pain and anger. I began to lose sight of myself. After majority of the storm had passed, I sat with myself and realized that all the pain I felt was because I was basing my identity off of the external, not the internal. So, I began to prioritize finding confidence within myself and started focusing on my emotional journey. I am a very creative person, specifically with music. I began to write songs about my experience with both relationships and I explored the complex emotions I felt. There was anger, grief, and most importantly, love. Then, I turned my attention to my internal perspective. With the help of friends and family who loved me, I accepted the fact that my self-worth is based on my perception of myself, not anyone else's. Also, there were still many people who loved me for who I was. We all can make improvements as we grow as human beings, but I learned I did not need to change the core of my being to be happy with someone else. I also did not need to accept the feeling of being pushed to the side. In this moment, I began to think of the quote from "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"; "We accept the love we think we deserve." I knew I was worth more than the love I was receiving. I just had to act like it In summary, this moment in my life has prepared me for the future by leading me to find confidence within myself rather than the words and actions of others. As I continue to live and grow, I know there will always be someone to love and support me. I know I am worthy of the love of those around me, and I should love myself.

I grew up in Macon, Georgia. It’s a smaller town with a big heart and big community. One way I have seen community be exemplified in Macon is through its churches. The church I attend has multiple resources that allow it to connect to the community and help others. Through the church I have found a passion for community service in opportunities that bring me closer to God and to other Christians. Throughout high school, I have participated in my church’s annual event known as River of Life. This is an event that consists of repairing and painting houses for senior citizens or citizens with disabilities. This event is open to high schoolers and adults. I have always been on the painting crew. Also throughout the event, multiple churches and youth groups are involved. The churches that participate have the opportunity to worship together and learn about how to honor God in everything we do. During my walk with God, I have struggled to find where I belong in a community of faith. In my church and youth group, I have found that sense of connection and belonging. Events like River of Life help me find my purpose within the church and community. Additionally, River of Life has taught me resilience. The people we help often suffer from some kind of disease, but the people we help always treat the volunteers with grace and joy. When the people who face some kind of every day difficulty muster up the strength to encourage us and pray with us, it teaches me to treat everything as a gift. To let go of fear and to seek support. I have learned resilience in other ways during River of Life. It is a summer event, and because we usually do work on the exterior of houses, we typically work directly in the heat. Of course that is always a challenge, but I have grown to see the hard work as something that benefits someone else. My perspective has changed from viewing what we do as labor to viewing what we do as a way of becoming God’s hands and feet. Finally, River of Life has taught me a great deal about kindness. I have seen how it applies within my church community. At the end of the day when everyone is done painting or building, it is such a joy to see everyone come together and laugh, and smile, and pray with one another. It is one thing to see kindness within a church on a Sunday, but it is an entirely different thing to see kindness when all the volunteers are basically living together for a week and dealing with exhaustion. We still find ways to support each other, whether that is through prayer or simply laughing over someone spilling paint. The point is, you are never too tired to be kind, so be kind whenever you can. As we live in a broken world, my church and events such as River of Life give me hope for the future because of the many different kinds of people I have seen come together to help one another. People of all ages treat each other with respect, and we become a family under God instead of dividing ourselves as children and adults. It is also a beautiful thing to see multiple churches come together and blend and create a whole new community. I believe that if churches from all across the Middle Georgia area can come together peacefully, then so can other churches, and so can other different groups of people.

I’ve always known I’ve never wanted an office job. I want to pursue some kind of creative career. At this point in my life, I want to work in film, and that’s what I plan on studying in college. The movies and shows we see today are not as unique as they once were, and unfortunately many of the unique ideas out there are not well-known. When I begin my career in film, I want to work with independent studios and be part of the people who bring back original ideas. First, I don’t have any prior knowledge of film, all I have are ideas and goals for what I want to work on. I want to go to college so I can study not only essential techniques for filming, but also the meaning behind intentional design. Currently, I want to operate cameras, work on animation, and possibly work on storyboards. As a beginner in the world of film, I understand my main weakness is knowledge of the technicalities and business administration. However, I believe I can bring to the surface ideas people have never explored or explore old ideas in new ways. I think a lot of films today are all about money, creating sequels or over-used plots because filmmakers believe the audience wants something nostalgic or comforting. This comfort creates boredom. I want to work with others to bring life back to movies and tv shows, and people’s curiosity. That’s why I want to work with independent filmmakers, like A24 Studios or directors like Wes Anderson. Additionally, through film I want to focus on stories that mean something to people without losing creativity. For instance, in the most recent Disney movie in which they took an iconic Disney princess and completely changed her character because they felt it would please the audience. We should create new characters with these attributes instead of trying to alter old characters. It’s important to focus on global issues in film, but it needs to be done in a creative and nuanced way that draws people in and makes them feel invested in a story. Speaking of important stories, the most significant adversities I’ve faced in my life are my parents’ divorce and the loss of my relationship with my grandfather. With my parents’ divorce, I understood it was for the best, but as a young teenager I had to get used to the end of a relationship that had existed for all my life. As far as my relationship with my grandfather, my mother’s father, I haven’t seen him since I was six years old. He’s still alive but no longer communicates with my family. My mother always hoped she would have a good relationship with her father, so I grieve for a relationship both my mother and I will never have. Through both monumental events in my life, I have learned to channel my emotions into a creative medium. I write songs that help me understand what I’m feeling, especially about darker topics. Music is significant in my life, so it will remain a constant. As for film, I’ve grown up watching classics like The Goonies, and Dead Poets Society. Movies are a form of comfort for me, and I’ve always enjoyed noticing the little details. I’m excited to learn how to be a filmmaker, and I’m excited to pursue something that feels like home.

I have always been a musician, and throughout high school I have discovered my style and the reason why I create music. Through all the lonely moments, the anger, and the emptiness, I have turned to my guitar, or my favorite song. I turn to music to ground myself. I turn to music to connect with others. During my high school years, music allowed me to explore my place as a musician, and it has allowed me to turn the darkest moments of my life into art. To begin with, I have always been a songwriter. My mother always tells me that when I was little, I had a song for everything. Not much has changed. Now I explore deeper emotional topics than “why is the sky blue?” and “today as a great day”. Throughout high school, beginning in the summer after ninth grade, I attended the Otis Redding Music Camp. At this camp, students write songs together or individually, they work behind the scenes mixing and producing music, and we all learn about the business side of the music industry. At this camp I have explored how to collaborate with others in a creative setting, and I have discovered my writing style, and what subjects most significantly impact my music. Also, this camp has significantly impacted my music career because of an award I won through the camp. Two summers ago, I won the Summer Songwriter of the Year award, and I had the opportunity to film a music video and have the song put on Spotify. Although I’ve been writing songs since I was little, I’ve always doubted if I was good enough or talented enough. With this incredible opportunity, I learned that I shouldn’t doubt myself and that someone will always want to listen to my music. Also, even if music isn’t my primary career goal, I can still pursue it as a passion. I plan on attending the Otis Redding Music Camp for the last time this year as a camper, and maybe in the future I can return as a counselor. Finally, music has taught me to be in tune with my emotions. I tend to struggle with talking to people about how I feel on a day-to-day basis, especially when it is a depressing topic or something with which I don’t fully understand my emotions. With music, specifically writing my own songs, I develop a stronger understanding of myself. I can take events from my life that I’ve struggled with emotionally and I can turn them into something beautiful. Also, I’ve discovered that my goal with songwriting is to write music that others can connect to. We all live different lives, but we also all understand what it means to be angry, to feel hurt. I want to create music that makes sure people no longer feel alone. In the end, music has affected my life in my high school years because it has moved me to understand myself and my relationship with others. Songwriting is something I’m going to carry with me for the rest of my life. Whether it is my focus or my hobby, it will continue to be something that is emotionally grounding. With music, I can write about things that have changed me and defined me, and I can write songs that connect others.

My name is Sophia Clarke. I am a senior in high school, and music has always been a part of my life. Ever since I was little, I have been writing songs. It has felt like an innate part of my being to create music. While I do not plan on majoring in music in college, I still plan on studying music as a minor academic interest.. Specifically, I want to study audio production and recording technology. Outside of school, I plan on pursuing a career as a musician. This is a dream of mine, so even it is not my main career goal, I am still working towards it. First, music has helped me focus more on my journey as a Christian. I have started writing worship songs, but also some worship songs written by other worship writers perfectly describe my relationship with Christ. The stories told through music drive me to learn about Biblical stories. While music may not be the biggest factor in my faith, it is still an anchor. Music has always helped me connect to memories and the ones I love. A lot of my musical taste is influenced by my family, thus, it is also an important familial connection for me. My grandpa and mother are probably my biggest musical influences. My grandpa has played in a band for most of his life, and ever since I picked up guitar, he has been enthusiastic about sharing his favorite artists and songs with me. I have also done the same, and now we have plenty of conversations based on music. He has also helped me record a song of my own, and this has brought us closer together. With my mom, I always listen to songs with her in the car. Bands like Fleetwood Mac and artists like John Mayer have been a part of my life since before I could talk (or sing) because of my mom. These artists, especially Fleetwood Mac, are part of my musical inspiration. As far as my career aspirations go, I have discussed my dream to become a musician. I know it may not happen, but I have decided to not doubt myself when it comes to achieving this goal. If I doubt myself, then others will too. Also, I already have a good foundation for this career. I have a music video for a song I wrote, "Monsters", thanks to the Otis Redding Music Foundation. I have also posted a song I wrote with the help of my grandpa, called "No Person". I think as long as I'm posting music, this dream of mine could become a reality. I have also accepted the fact that not everyone will like my music. It doesn't matter to me how many people like my songs, I just want to share messages that everyone can connect to. Like any musician, I want to be heard. Most importantly, I want to help others no longer feel lonely.

In my life, wrestling is a vital sport that is about passion, drive, and discipline. Through wrestling, I have had to condition my brain as well as my body to not give up the minute I am tired. To not quit the instant feel pain. It is a sport that pushes me to go beyond my limits. I have not been wrestling for a long time, but I was prepared for the sport because of another physical activity I am involved in; Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This sport, like wrestling, is based on grappling, and some of its main principles are discipline and working hard. I have been doing BJJ for three years now at a martial arts gym in my hometown. At the gym, I am one of few girls in my BJJ class, and often I am the only girl. I am also little compared to a lot of the men and teen boys on the mat, but that hasn’t stopped me from moving forward in the sport. I have learned that I shouldn’t let my size stop me, even in the face of big opponents. It is all about mentality. This is why I have picked up wrestling. It is a sport within my comfort zone, if a little more difficult. I am about to go into my second season, and I am ecstatic, not only because I had a great first season (seven wins) but because my team is supportive of each other. I feel like I belong with them. I belong to my gym too, but there is a difference between making a place for yourself among adults and fitting in with people your age who are just as determined as you to succeed. I have also never been driven to a spot more than wrestling. After doing martial arts for so long, all other sports seem boring to me. I also see purpose in wrestling. It’s relevant to real life. One day I might need to defend myself, and while I won’t expect an attacker to pull a shot or do a hip toss, I know I will be prepared if a dangerous situation occurs. Finally, at the end of a long day at practice, or after a match ends, I always feel proud of myself. I know I have done the best I can in the moment, even a little more than my best, and I did not give up.

For as long as I can remember, music has always been a part of who I am, something I can't live without. I have always been exposed to many different forms of music, from listening to Fleetwood Mac with my mom to listening to music from my Grandpa's band. This has had a positive impact on my life because it has inspired me to create music of my own, typically through songwriting with my guitar. Through songwriting, a hobby I've had since I was a little girl, I have not only gained an understanding of my own emotion, but I've also experienced writing through other perspectives that I don't normally think of. Hopefully, in the future, I am able to pursue a career as a music artist to open people's eyes to the perspective of others. First of all, music has always been a part of my life even before I started songwriting. Like I said, with my mom I used to listen to bands like Fleetwood Mac, Dave Matthews, Tom Petty, and other individual artists like John Mayer. Although these artists may not always be my top inspiration in music, they are my foundation and have influenced my sound. As for my grandpa, he has probably been the biggest musical influence in my life. When I picked up guitar in 7th grade, that's when I started songwriting, and my grandpa has always encouraged that hobby. He has also influenced my musical taste by listening to different bands and songs with me when I visit at his house. We have grown closer together because of music, and I am very grateful for both. Another way music has positively influenced my life is through the Otis Redding Music Camp based in Macon, Georgia, where I have lived all my life. This camp offers middle schoolers through high schoolers the opportunity to write their own songs and work with professional musicians who understand the music business. I have been gone to this camp for the past two years and I plan to go again next year before college. This camp has had a phenomenally positive impact on my life. It has inspired me to pursue a career in music. It has also given me the opportunity to film a music video. Last year I won the Summer Songwriter of the Year Award, I was the first recipient of the award, and I won the opportunity to film a video for the song I wrote at camp called "Monsters". Finally, I want to focus on what I plan to accomplish though a music career. Being a music artist isn't the only music-based career I have considered. I also want to go into music engineering to work as a music producer with other artists, not only to learn and produce my own music one day, but to have unique and amazing experiences with new artists or even artists I admire. Of course, my first choice in music is to be a music artist. My goal with this would be to produce unique music, and to go beyond just one genre. I want to create songs that all sound like me, but also don't fit into one box- basically, music in different styles. Of course, I also want to create music that focuses on mine and other's emotional experiences so no one feels alone in what they experience. At the very least, I want to create music that everyone feels connected to. (The link below is for my music video)

“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet."- Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar (sourced from goodreads.com). In The Bell Jar, this is just one scene that dives into the main character's, Esther Greenwood's, descension into madness because of the pressure she feels from surrounding society. Esther explores the great fig tree that represents all the choices she could make in her life and all the people she could be or be like. Like any young woman, she struggles to decide what decision will make her happy as well as those around her. However, I also believe this scene represents how some decisions may be growing out of her reach. One of the things that stands out to me the most in this passage is that the author chose to go with a fig tree, when many other examples could be used to represent indecisiveness, like a river splitting up, or a road that turns into different paths. I think the significance of the fig tree is that it restricts Esther to a time limit. Trees grow, and like I stated earlier, this specific tree takes with it the choices it bears the longer Esther takes to decide what she wants to do with her life. Even some of the choices on the tree are limited by time. One specific example could be Ee Gee, the editor that Esther works for, who pushes Esther towards her other goals such as being involved in fashion articles. This is limited by time because Esther may one day outgrow her position with Ee Gee if she doesn't pursue other things within her field. Another example is the path of the husband and family. In the early 50's and 60's, and unfortunately, sometimes today, women were expected to marry young and have children young and dedicate their lives to the house. In the context of the story, Esther is a fairly young woman and is worried about waiting too long to take this path for fear she will be considered undesirable or even unneeded, if she even chooses this path. The point is, Esther is feeling the strain of all these decisions because of time, if not her own time and age. This path increases in significance when you consider how it so often defines the lives and situations of young women who are trying to decide what careers they want, what kind of family life they want to have, and what kind of women they want to be. So very often, these choices are decided by time, and not the women themselves.

All my life, I have never been so passionate about anything as I have been for art and music. Creation has always felt like a calling to me, as I'm sure it has for all other artists. The impact of art on my life is difficult for me to put into words, but it is such a natural feeling for me to put pen to paper to write or draw, or to create music. I don't know who I would be without art or what I would do with my life. In fact, the only kind of careers I've imagined for myself are creative ones. I think it is a beautiful thing that we live in a world where art doesn't just have to be a hobby, it can be a livelihood. As for myself, music is my true passion and every day there are more opportunities for young music artists to make something of themselves. However, all art is beautiful, because it is the most beautifully vulnerable thing in the world to trust yourself and others when you create something and share it with the world. First of all, on the subject of inspiration, with both my music and physical art, I want to inspire people to create anything. You don't have to create a profoundly meaningful work of art to make a masterpiece. A masterpiece is created when you open up the world inside your head to transform the piece of paper in front of you, the canvas, the sheet of music, whatever your medium is. To me, that is the truly magical thing about art. So many things mean something different to so many people, and I want to remind others every day that if something means something to you then you have the right to share it. Following inspiration, the easiest way I can evoke emotion in others is through music. I applaud anyone who can recreate what they're thinking through imagery, but that has never been the space where I can let my thoughts roam. I've only ever understood what I felt when I wrote it down. Maybe it's because music has always been the foundational art for me, but melody and words together bring out a different part of my soul that I've never really encountered with any other form of art. Therefore, I think the best way I can share my emotions with others, and therefore bring out emotion in them, is to write songs. In fact, for the past few years of my life I have participated in Otis Music Camp in Macon, Georgia. It is a songwriting camp named after the late Otis Redding, and it has been one of the few places where I felt I was surrounded by others who had a strong need to create music. Through this camp I won the opportunity to create a music video with my song "Monsters", and it was the first time in my life where I felt like I really reached people with my music. Finally, about my purpose, my vision for my art, I want to connect people. I want to remind them that whatever they are feeling, they are not alone. We all feel differently, but we all FEEL. After all, our emotions are what make us human.