Simples pleasures can bring a mountain of joy for those of us who can appreciate the value of the smallest moments. I have three children who are growing up in a world far removed from the one I knew when I was their age. Together we have gone through the highs and lows of life, but no challenge has been greater to raise happy, mentally healthy children through a pandemic. What these trying times have shown me, is that while trips to Disney World sound fantastic, my children and I have found the most enjoyment in the smallest of things. What is the simplest pleasure to me? A cup of coffee on a cold winter day. This might sound too simplistic, but for a mountain girl born and raised in a cold climate living in the South, this simple pleasure doesn't come around too often. I come from a country where seasons are rich with the smells of rain dampening the forests, the first snow silencing the sounds of life around the city, leaving nothing but a blanket of white, crunchy snow and the bird's songs greeting every early riser in the spring. I took these seasons for granted while growing up, naively assuming that these seasons would be part of life's constant. This childhood understanding of the world has shifted into a mother's view on climate change and what this could mean for those glorious mornings for my children. So together we are contributing what we can to save this wonderful planet. From recycling to consuming less, I am teaching them that the smallest moments can bring the most lasting memories, some of which happen during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.

My journey to higher education has been driven by knowing my children are watching me work hard to achieve my goals. They were in virtual school when I applied at SNHU, and when I started in January we were cheering each other on to work as hard as we all could in our schools. I quickly realized that the reason I had prevented myself from attending school, was the same motivation I had to apply to University and become the best version of myself I could become. My children are my driving force, they are by my side every day and believe in me on the days when I feel my plate overflowing. I overcame my own fears when I applied to school, as I had struggled with dyslexia and had become convinced that people like me weren't capable of earning a degree. I am proud to say that despite all the challenges I had to overcome, I have worked hard to earn my 3.9 GPA while raising three children alone, in a pandemic. I am pursuing a degree in Political Science with a minor in Psychology, with the goal of working towards improving the world they will be living in and raising their own children in. We are on the cusp of burning the very planet our children will be living on, their future lies in our hands. I hope to join the United Nations, to improve policies and communications between nations, and work together to ensure our planet can last another century. The generations before us fought for our freedoms, now it is time for my generation to fight for a healthy planet, as it is our responsibility to give them the best we can. My children know the important challenges we are facing now, and we discuss these issues together and take the necessary steps we must to help the problem instead of contributing to it.