My life changed in unexpected ways after I lost my cousin in a terrible car accident. I had always looked forward to our annual trips; she was just thirty-two, lively, and full of life. Our time together was restricted because we lived in different states, but every visit was valuable. In addition to being family, my cousin was a friend, role model, and mentor with whom I could discuss anything. In addition to leaving a gap, her death caused a significant shift in how I view relationships, life, and the value of time. Despite our distance, my cousin and I had a unique closeness. Whether we were sitting in comfortable silence, visiting her city, or catching up over coffee, she had the unique ability to make every moment feel important. She was full of wisdom, kindness, and humor, and I always felt better and more understood by her. It was like coming home when I visited her every year. She was the one I turned to for support and direction, and I felt happy and stable knowing that I would see her every year. My initial reaction upon learning of her accident was one of incredulity. I found it incomprehensible that someone so vibrant and someone I greatly respected should be stolen from me so abruptly. Her passing rocked me to my core and made me reevaluate my views on the justice and predictability of life. Although I had heard of catastrophes involving other people, this one was personal. I battled severe grief and bewilderment, finding it hard to comprehend how someone so young and cherished could disappear so quickly. Her absence made me feel disoriented and disempowered, but it also made me re-evaluate what I held important. I realized how frequently I had taken time for granted in the months following her death, and I struggled with intense remorse over missed calls and the times we never spent together. Her absence taught me to live with a greater feeling of thankfulness, to prioritize the people in my life, and to make time for those who are important. I also had to reevaluate my priorities after losing her. Before, I rarely stopped to think about who I wanted to become and instead concentrated on my daily accomplishments. I now make an effort to emulate her warmth, friendliness, and enthusiasm for life. She placed more value on experiences than material belongings, therefore I started to value forming bonds and making memories over amassing material belongings. I was strengthened by her memories, which made me more grieving-resilient. Even while the sadness is still there, it has inspired me to live a life that respects her legacy. I strive to live fully, love deeply, and make her proud by using the values she taught me.

When I think about what inspires me to get involved in my community, I think about the people. The people are what drive my strive to help. I feel passionate about helping my community and it can never get better than helping those in need. I've helped by volunteering at different food banks and helping those in need in any way I, as a college student, can. My strive for helping in food banks comes from being a small child in a country that was not as developed as the USA. My family struggled to make ends meet and our days began with hunger but also ended with hunger most of the time. It wasn't until my community and surrounding neighbors saw me and my sibling's needs that they stepped in. They helped bring in food to my small household, invited us over for dinner, and made sure we weren't going hungry to the best of their ability. This all stemmed from their giving hands and they didn't have much either, but with what they had, they helped my family and me. I am forever grateful for those people that helped me and I'm sure helped others in our community in Colombia. Now that I'm in the U.S., I carry that kindness with me and try to give back to my community, just as they have helped me. Also, I'm sure you can tell by now that I am a firm believer that no one should have to go hungry. No kids nor family should have to wonder where their next meal will come from or if they'll have to go to bed hungry that night. I've had a life-changing experience and if I can be helped by someone's giving hands, then I can help those in my community and surrounding communities as well. Lastly, my volunteering in food banks stems way back to 9th grade. I did many community hours and have put in well over 200 hours of community service by now. I've also helped in different food pantries and local food banks at different churches. My family and I have also invited others over to eat with us and have helped those who are less fortunate than us. Not only have I helped in those areas, but I have also helped my community by working for the WIC program. This program helps provide nutritious foods, nutrition education, and healthcare access in order to help low-income women, infants, and children. Helping my community has been the most rewarding thing, and it genuinely puts a smile on my face because I know how it feels to be helped. Giving back to my community has been one of the simplest ways that I have gained satisfaction from life which is by dedicating my time to help my community. It has also helped me gain life skills while not only just improving myself through the process, but my community as well.

As a student who is pursuing a degree in nutrition clean living is not only essential to me but something I strive to incorporate into my everyday routine every chance I get. The many different ways I do this is by not only being aware of what I put into my body but by also being aware of what goes on my body. Clean living to me is also about mental health and the environment you surround yourself with. In addition, the reason I believe in cleaning living is that I am aware of how many harmful chemicals, toxins, and substances are out there. It is important that we do our best to live a clean life, by eliminating the harmful things that affect our well-being. The way I incorporate clean living is by looking at what I consume and drink on a daily basis. I make sure I get my vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, as well as eat clean wholesome foods. When I incorporate clean living I try my best to avoid additives/preservatives, eliminate foods with added sugars, avoid processed sugars, avoid fast food, and by choosing more whole foods plus ingredients. I've noticed that by incorporating clean eating my body has never felt better. Furthermore, I incorporate clean living by making sure I am aware of the products I use on my body. I personally am someone who loves using different lotions, makeup products, products for hair, or any beauty product you can think of. Doing so I make sure that what I put into my body is just as important as what I allow to be on my body. I make sure that every time I purchase a product I am looking at the ingredients and choosing products that don't have any toxins in them. By incorporating this I have seen so many changes in my skin and hair. There are other ways I incorporate clean living like by trying my best to have a clean/clear mind. As well as by being aware of what I allow in my environment. For example, my home is an environment I'm in every day, and by making sure I am aware of what products I use to clean with, candles I buy, or just anything I use in my space. I make sure that I'm using clean products that don't have toxins or chemicals that could be harmful to me and my space. Additionally, the way I try my best to have a clean/clear mind is by managing my stress and thoughts, and by surrounding myself in a good environment with people who lift me up. To me, this is personally one of the harder aspects of clean living, but it is something I strive to incorporate into my everyday life. Lastly, in our modern world, everything that isn't good for us is so accessible that so many people don't even know the harmful things they're allowing in their lives. As a Nutrition major, I am aware of such things and strive to make a difference in not only my life but other people's life. I plan to live a healthy clean lifestyle every day because I have seen how much it has not only helped my mental health but my body as well.

Tell me a little about yourself you may ask where do I even start? Well, let me start by saying that I am a 21-year-old Hispanic college student who loves helping others and wants to pursue a Master's degree to become a Dietitian. I currently reside in Arizona, but I haven't always lived in Arizona though. Now here comes the story about my childhood that I've told more than I can even count, but I don't mind! At the age of seven, I was adopted from Colombia by a wonderful single mother whom I call my hero. Like they say not all heroes wear capes. As you can recognize my mother plays a huge role in my life and plays a big part in who I am today. She is a special woman whom I look up to and see as a mighty woman who always stands up for herself no matter what. My mother is one of the many empowering women in my life, but I also have my boss and other women in my life who are all-powerful. Furthermore, the reason I say this is because I know that as a woman we don't get the same recognition nor the same salary as men. My mother and boss are prime examples of this evident situation that takes place. Although women are made to believe this, the women in my life never back down and always stand up for themselves. They taught me at a young age that women don't get the same recognition, I get told stories about how they're put down by their male counterparts just because they're women. The woman in my life though stand tall, take pride in themselves, and work hard, if not harder than the men they work with. As the years passed, they did start getting recognition, raises, and higher positions above most of the men in their jobs. The reason for this is that they stood up for themselves, had encouragement from other women, and are just powerful women overall. In addition, growing up with such powerful women who were the best examples for me helped me to see that I too wanted to be a powerful woman like them. I want to be able to impact the world positively in so many different ways. Although I'm one person I know I can't change the whole world by myself, I do have the power to make a positive impact little by little every day. The way I plan on doing this is by pursuing my dream as a Dietitian and volunteering in all different ways to help those in hunger. I have been volunteering at food banks, kitchen soups, and food pantries since 9th grade because I want to help those in hunger. I want to be able to change the lives of others by giving back to my community and surrounding communities. I believe that no one should go hungry and since I came from a country where I had no food to eat some days and when I did it was just from kind giving hands who saw a little girl in need. From that experience, I knew I wanted to help others not only live a healthier life but do what I can to help those who are hungry or who have to worry about where they'll get their next meal at. Lastly, this is how I plan to make a positive impact on the world by helping those that I can and by being a prime example of an empowering woman who always stands up for herself.