“Tick Tock.” The clock struck midnight in my hometown, Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. My mother woke me from my slumber. I jolted awake, because I had remembered the most exciting thing was to happen tonight. I was going to America. As soon as I got out of the car, I screamed “America is here!” and jumped for joy. What my three-year-old self didn’t know was that I had just reached the Chennai airport and there would be at least twelve hours before my feet would touch American soil.

“You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.” This was the lyric to pull me out of a mindless drive home. Usually, when I drive home, I like to throw on some tunes and mindlessly listen to them. Sometimes, the lyrics of a song pull me out of my hypnosis and force me to listen to the lyrics. Chappell Roan’s songs showcase her artistry and her dramatic fashion is a huge part of her image. She has many strengths, but I believe her most valuable asset as an artist is her personality. She is bold, lovable, and fierce. My favorite song of hers is Pink Pony Club. The lyrics really hit hard for me, because I am an immigrant. The lyrics talk about how Chappell Roan wanted to leave Tennessee to go to Los Angeles and Chappell Roan leaving her mother behind. I had to leave my family in order to come here, so I could relate to Chappell Roan’s experience. Her fashion is amazing. She wears these stylish pieces that catch your eye. She makes this image of herself that stays in your mind. However, she not only shows herself as this untouchable star. She also shows slips of the real Chappell Roan, Kayleigh Rose Amstutz. An actual person who can feel offended, joyful, sad, and hurt. As a child, my mother would always tell me to look up to the girls who fought for themselves in a world full of horrid men. Since I realized that there are good men in the world, I always followed the first part of my mother’s advice. Chappell Roan is one of the best examples of a girl who resists the injustice of this world. I remember watching multiple clips of her standing up for herself against creepy fans and paparazzi. These really inspired me to become more bold myself. Chappell Roan is one of my biggest inspirations I have in my life right now. I love her fashion, boldness, artistry, and many more things about her. I hope that I can reach my goals in life and inspire people like Chappell Roan has.

My favorite song on Charli XCX’s album Brat is Girl, So Confusing. Girl, So Confusing is such a good song, because it is more than just catchy lyrics, a catchy beat, and just being a danceable song. Girl, So Confusing is a meaningful and relatable song, with catchy lyrics and a groovy beat. In the first verse, Charli XCX sings the lines “Sometimes I think you might hate me. Sometimes I think I might hate you. Maybe you just want to be me.” This verse makes me already love the song, because these emotions are so relatable as a teenager. There’s always someone that you mutually hate, and you always think they are jealous of you. This could be the case, but this could also not be the case. Maybe you are the jealous one, or maybe you’ve done something to hurt the other person. One thing that could help you fix this problem is communicating effectively. Have a genuine conversation with curiosity, not judgment. Another one of my favorite lines is this one: “Sometimes it feels a bit awkward. ‘Cause we don’t have much in common. People say we’re alike. They say we’ve got the same hair.” These lines talk about how people pit girls against each other, saying that they are similar, just because they have the same hair. The girls themselves might have nothing in common, but since they have the same hair, they are the same. It makes the girls feel like they have to be the better ones. Instead of uplifting women together, this mindset rips them apart and makes them enemies. Girl, So Confusing truly is a relatable song with many layers to dissect. The verses show the emotions that come with being a teenager and how people put two girls against each other, because they look similar. I doubt we will fully learn the true meaning of this song, because it can mean so many things to different people. That is the beauty of art. People can have many interpretations and stories about it. Brat, a work of art, truly was a world-changing, phenomenal album.

I’m usually the girl who goes for lovey-dovey songs, but there is only one artist who is able to make me want to cry my heart out to her music. This soulful, emotional artist is none other than Billie Eilish herself. Her music has always had a special place in my heart. Something instantly clicked when I first discovered her music. Although I hated picking my favorites from her flawless discography, Birds Of A Feather, THE GREATEST, and Wildflower have always held a special place in my heart. Birds of A Feather is a song where you can vibe while crying or smiling. This song is such a mix of so many emotions combined. My interpretation of this song was wanting someone you loved to stay and never leave. I felt the breathy vocals and overall vibe was more of a platonic love song. This song reminds me of my best friend, Rini, who lives across the country. We still stay in touch, and Birds of A Feather makes me miss her even more. If my interpretation of the song was happy and longing for the person you miss the most, Billie Eilish’s interpretation is on the other side of the spectrum. I remember watching an interview with Billie Eilish, and she said that Birds of A Feather isn’t a happy song, but a song about getting pulled apart about someone you’ve lost. Although it’s quite haunting, I find that message so beautiful and touching. Next, THE GREATEST is a song to me about feeling angry about the amount of effort you put into a relationship, and the other person is giving you nothing. I’ve been guilty of both sides before. One instance where I’ve not put effort into a relationship is when I was talking to my friend about K-pop, something I love. When she wanted to talk about horses, something she loves, I pushed her away. Slowly, we stopped talking, and I still feel regretful and guilty. I’ve been improving myself, and our relationship has gotten better now. I’ve also been angry at others for not putting in time and effort. I had this one guy I liked, and we were close enough to be friends. The problem was that he would never email me first or talk to me unless I took the initiative. He even admitted to not noticing that I hadn’t been talking to him. It infuriated me so much that I lost all the feelings I had for him. He made me feel the exact way that Billie was feeling in THE GREATEST. Finally, Wildflower, to me, is about the classic story of a couple breaking up, with the best friend getting in the way. Although it sets up as the classic story, Billie sings about her best friend, who has just gone through a breakup. Billie talks about how all she could do after the breakup was to hold her best friend. She talks about being afraid she crossed the line. It’s a song I listen to when I feel scared of the world. Sometimes, I feel like I’m just a little girl in this big world. I’m scared. Billie Eilish is a true artist. Her overflowing talent at such a young age is something I admire. She puts vulnerability, fear, anger, and many more complicated emotions into her music, making her songs relatable, yet beautiful. She can write fun, catchy songs like Bad Guy and she can write songs that have many interpretations, such as Birds of A Feather. She is an artist who only appears once every thousand years.

“Have dreams, because whatever you dream of will come true.” This is what my kindergarten teacher said to the class. Although not everything will happen, I’ve learned that if you work for it, it will happen. No matter the challenges, it will come true, because hard work is always rewarded. My ambition is also commendable. I know where I’m going, and I’m doing everything in my power to help me get there. Ambition and hard work are qualities that help me persevere through the hardships on the rocky path to my dreams. Combining proactivity, ambition, and hard work is the formula to success in achieving dreams. I’ve always listed hardworking as one of my biggest qualities, but what exactly do I do that’s so “hardworking”? I hate not giving my best work for everything. Even in simple acts like dancing, I vow to never give anything less than my best effort. My best effort one day isn’t always equal to my best effort another day. As long as I know I put in all of my effort, I will be content and push myself to further heights. Due to my vow, I find life more gratifying. I never feel guilty about slacking off. I’ve gotten opportunities, such as being the captain of Mock Trial because of my dedication. However, I faced sexism with my male co-captain, who wanted to be the only captain. He even said, "You're just a girl. What can you do?" To this, I felt my blood boiling, but I forced myself to calm down, thinking of the third-graders who still need my help at the literacy center. I went to my Mock Trial coach and promptly reported the incident. My effort put into relationships instills me into life-long bonds, full of love and trust. My dedication to volunteering at the literacy center helps me relieve my stress by assisting kids learn concepts that they are struggling with. Ambition is another quality that makes me deserving of achieving my dreams. Ambition, by the dictionary, is “a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.” Tying back, my hard work is a significant part of my character. My ambition is like a compass—it keeps pointing me in the right direction, no matter how stormy the path. My ambition is the trait that is the most beneficial. Ambition, by itself, is merely a dream. Proactivity is what sets your compass correctly to start off with. My ambition and proactivity have led me to some chances I wouldn’t have imagined I would get. A few of these opportunities are being promoted in the literacy center so that I could teach more of the upper-level students and be able to write for online competitions, the competitions for which I researched and put in the necessary effort. “Dreams will change like the seasons, but the light of spring’s first shining will always lead you to flourishing.” This is a metaphor that resonates with me. For me, my hard work and ambition are as warm as the first light of spring. They guide me towards the purpose of life. The only obstacles are the challenges ahead. Sexism has always been a significant obstacle. I've been put aside on teams, because I enjoy showcasing my femininity. In P.E., I barely ever touch the ball, even if the boys are worse than me. I usually ignore it, but recently, it has gotten worse. Although I might face challenges like sexism, I plan to focus on myself and know that my values will lead me to a happy ending.

One unexpected pop song cracked open years of perfectionism I didn’t know I was still carrying. I have supported Sabrina Carpenter since she was on Adventures in Babysitting. Although I’ve supported her here and there, I’ve never called myself a fan of hers. That all changed when the Short n’ Sweet album dropped in August of 2024. Suddenly, I heard this summer-y and fun pop song all over my feed. I knew Sabrina Carpenter had released a few songs, but I had not expected this masterpiece of an album from her. I found myself enjoying her insanely soft and heavenly vocals and dancing along the beat. I searched up the lyric video and I found myself in more awe than humanly possible. To me, a song has to be more than just a fun beat. I value the meaning and tone of the song. Sabrina Carpenter’s playful and warm vibe she had with this album completely matched the vibe of the lyrics. This satisfied my perfectionist self, who loves cohesiveness. Not only does Sabrina have amazing music, but she also has a lovable character. In every interview she does, she shows that she’s not only a perfect celebrity who doesn’t have emotions. She shows the character of a normal, relatable adult. She laughs out loud. She smiles and she cries. She is human. This really helped me get over my perfectionist mindset. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always pushed myself to be the best of the best academically and in extracurriculars. I always wanted to perform my best everywhere. This mindset led me into a depression of some sort. Once I started to get out of my depression, Sabrina’s music felt like the light at the end of the tunnel. Sabrina Carpenter is a wonderful artist and an amazing influence in general. I would love to meet this young and capable artist with creativity flowing through her veins. Thanks to her music, I’ve started embracing my own light instead of chasing perfection.

One day, I opened up Youtube to listen to some music and my tunes were delayed by an advertisement. As everyone can relate to, I sighed and slumped over. “Why not pay attention to the ad, because I have nothing else to do right now?” I thought. Listening to my thoughts, I started to pay attention to the advertisement. I started to become intrigued. I recognized Ariana Grande and was shocked to find out that she was one of the leads. I have been a pretty casual listener of hers and forgot that she had acted before. My childhood was filled with Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. I had never been allowed to watch Victorious, which Ariana Grande had acted in as the red-haired Cat Valentine, but I had loved Sam & Cat, a show combining iCarly and Victorious. Going back to the ad, I soon heard people talking about it at school. I didn’t pay it any mind at the time. In a few months, people start talking about it again. I still don’t pay any mind to it. This was until I heard that it was coming out soon. For context, my parents and I love a good deal. Of course, we couldn’t pass up a sweet deal that movie theaters near us did on Tuesdays. Instead of 10 dollars per person, they halved the price to a sweet 5 bucks. If I were even the slightest interested in a movie, I would ask one of my parents to come with me the next Tuesday to go see it. Another reason I would want to go see a movie is when everyone on the internet or at school is raving about it. I’m not one to follow the herd, but I do trust them on their movie taste. I went with my mom to see Wicked at 7:30 P.M. on a Tuesday. I hadn’t accounted for how long it was, and I was very sleep-deprived the next day. Another thing I hadn’t accounted for was how much I would love it. Wicked has catchy songs and fun characters. Galinda was portrayed as good. In the beginning, she was a bit arrogant and stuck up. I didn’t like her at all, but I warmed up to her after she sang “Popular”. Elphaba is considered bad, but has a good heart. She seems genuinely nice and misunderstood. “Popular” was my favorite song of the whole movie. The vocals were on point throughout the whole movie, but the catchiness of “Popular” stood out to me. Once I got home, I couldn’t stop singing it. I also loved the choreography that Ariana did for “Popular”. As a dancer, the amount of prop usage kept the viewer’s interest, but wasn’t excessive. The one line Elphaba has in the song added a fun element to the song and made it more fun to sing along to. A week after watching Wicked, I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen next. Therefore, I researched so much. I found out that Wicked was connected to The Wizard of Oz, which I hadn’t realized for some reason. The Wizard of Oz was in Wicked, but I had just not connected him to the movie with Dorothy and the rest of the bunch. Before I knew it, my mother was calling me down for dinner. Time flew by. Wicked draws you in, seeing as I spent a very long time thinking about the movie and its rich lore, making it a wonderful movie that I would recommend to everyone.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to be successful, so that I could be wealthy. As I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that being rich isn’t the only result of success. Being successful means different things to different people. To me, being successful is achieving small goals over a period of time in order to fulfill a larger goal. Being successful is satisfying your ambition slowly and methodically. Being successful can lead to prosperity, but this is not the goal of someone aiming to be successful. Success is not only in life, but in everything you do. First, being successful is taking baby steps towards a rock of accomplishment. I prefer to complete tasks in a single, continuous effort, regardless of the time and effort it may require, as I find it more efficient to focus and finish everything at once. This is the situation with food, assignments, and this essay. Although I like doing everything in one go, I’ve realized how much better quality everything is when I break the subject into bite-sized pieces. You can take this and apply it to the end goal of success. Make small goals, such as starting early on an assignment or practicing a hobby. This scholarship will help me achieve my baby step of winning at least one scholarship, in order to lighten my future self and my parents' burden. Secondly, being successful is the thing that is slowly quenching my thirst for success. I’ve always been ambitious, but I’ve never had a reason for my ambition. I simply want to be the best I can be in my career, my soul, my life. I want to be at the top of the world. Tying back to my earlier point, small successes nourish my desire for success. If I win, this scholarship will help me reach my ambitious peak, because it will ease my financial worries, leading me to focus on my studies. `Finally, being successful can lead to prosperity and wealth, but it will not necessarily always lead to that. As a kid, I thought your success was tied to your wealth. Now, I realize how wrong I was. Everyone has succeeded in something every single day, no matter how small or huge the success is. We think of success as this huge, hard-to-attain thing. In reality, success is everywhere! It’s in the air. It’s all around you. Although winning this scholarship will help me financially, it’s not only about the money. It’s also about reaching my goals and becoming an exemplary person that people will look up to. Being successful is a phrase that has lost its original meaning. Nowadays, successful is used to talk about rich people, who have amazing careers. However, success is in every one of us. It happens to us every day, even if it’s not recognized. My successes are valuable to me and I recognize them, even if someone else doesn’t. They keep me going, even when I feel blue. Success, to me, is getting to the rock of accomplishment, being content where I am, and recognizing that success and wealth don’t go hand-in-hand.

Categories are below. The reason for each is in parentheses right next to the category name. 1. Words ending in the word "lash" (The reason why I thought of this category was because of a song that I've been obsessed with ever since it was released. The song is Whiplash by aespa. I was thinking of making it words from the song itself, but decided against it, because not everyone would had heard the song and know the lyrics. Therefore, I decided to make it words that ended in lash. One of the words, "whip" pays homage to my original idea, because you get Whiplash (by aespa!) if you combine "whip" and "lash".) 1. Whip 2. Eye 3. Back 4. Backs 2. Things associated with Cowboys (When I was watching the music video of Whiplash again, I see my favorite member Ningning in these really cute boots. I talk to my friend about the boots, and she mistakes them for cowboy boots. This gives me an idea for another category. One of the words from the previous category is "back" and cowboys ride on the back of horses. I made one of my words for this category is ride!) 1. Ranch 2. Cow 3. Ride 4. Boots 3. Sports ending in the word "ball" (When I think of cowboys, I think of horses doing hurdle jumping. What is hurdle jumping? You guessed it, a sport! I started thinking of sports and I start thinking about previous words I used, such as eye. "Hand is a body part and Handball is a sport. It'll be the perfect trick!" I thought.) 1. Base 2. Basket 3. Hand 4. Soft 4. Things associated with Education (Finally, I had one category left! I did the same thing I did for the other categories. I thought of words I had used before. I had been using a lot of verbs, such as "Ride", "Back" (as in back up), so I decided to use 2 more verbs, "write" and "teach". Technically, "book" is also a verb, as in booking a hotel room. I also saw "cow" as one of the words I had used before. When I think of cows, I think of India and cow bells. Bells also could mean dismissal bell, as used in the phrase "Saved by the bell".) 1. Bell 2. Book 3. Write 4. Teach

As a young, Indian immigrant, I have lived in the United States for most of my life. I speak English better than Tamil, my mother tongue. I have grown so accustomed to the climate and culture here that whenever I go to Tamil Nadu, I get overwhelmed. I have gone to school in the United States for my entire life and have had no schooling in India. Although I haven’t lived in India for the past decade or so, I still feel pride for my country and this country as well. A fun fact about me is that I will be the first person in my family to go to college in the United States of America. Growing up, I heard about this mysterious thing called “the American Dream”. From what I understood as a child, I thought it meant everyone having the same materialistic items, such as houses and cars. Now, having researched more about it, I realize how wrong I was. The true definition of the American Dream is having the same opportunities as everyone else. No one will be denied an opportunity. Hard work and talents are valued more than familial background and aristocracy. As a hard worker, I am happy to be in such a country. In India, we have a similar system, although not as famous. My favorite example of an Indian celebrity who came from an impoverished family is Rajinikanth. Rajinikanth is an immensely successful Tamil actor, who was born in a poor family and lost his mother at the age of 5. He is one of my biggest inspirations to achieve greatness. Now, I’m not in India. I’m in America, the land of the American Dream. I can achieve just as much here. The only thing holding me back is not having a green-card or, even better, a citizenship. I’ve clicked on so many competitions just to see that I am not able to enter, due to the fact that I’m on a visa. I can’t apply for certificates, like the President's Volunteer Service Award, making my volunteer hours less acknowledged. Although my visa situation has held me back from some opportunities, there are plenty more. I have more opportunities here, such as the public library system, volunteering, extracurriculars, and many more! Due to the public library system, everyone can read a variety of books. The opportunities to volunteer and give back to the community are so plentiful. 71.7% of Americans don’t volunteer, missing out on the pleasant people and the wonderful experiences. I love volunteering. My favorite place to volunteer is at the local literacy center. I help little kids who need help with reading or math. It has been a stress-relieving experience for me, because talking to little kids with a completely different worldview than the people I meet every day helps me learn about other perspectives. It helps me become a better person. The last of the opportunities I mentioned is extracurriculars. In India, my parents hadn’t done anything but schoolwork. They didn’t have any opportunities to go to a courtroom or play in basketball tournaments. I currently do a lot of extracurriculars that my parents didn’t even dream of in India. I’m grateful for the opportunities I have here. My definition of the American Dream is that all people have the same amount of chances as everyone else. No one shall be excluded from a wonderful window of opportunity. As the Declaration of Independence states, all people are created equal. Therefore, equal people have equal chances to succeed based on nothing but sheer willpower, hard work, and talent.

I’ve been a casual listener of Olivia’s, but her GUTS album brought out my feelings. I’m not one to sob to music or anything really, but this album resonates with me on every level possible. As a young teenager, I’m going through the same things that she sings about in this album. One lyric that stood out to me and has stuck with me is from “making the bed”. Olivia sings this song so beautifully and emotionally. She sings this one line that goes something like this, “and I’m playing the victim so well in my head, but it’s me who’s been making the bed.” I often dismiss the other person’s side of the argument. I focus on myself and how they are wrong. I never think about how I could be wrong. I always play the victim, because I’m so centered on my point. Recognizing this flaw has been difficult for me. I always feel horrid after arguing and never taking time to understand others. I’ve not been great at being empathetic either. I’ve hurt people before. I’ve left people behind. I’ve lost contact with so many wonderful people, because I couldn’t understand them. My brain has constantly repeated the phrase, “Stop being so apathetic!” I’ve never listened to the advice that was innate to me, because of my apathetic pride. Although I have been working on it, I have never fully overcome it. Since I’ve been working on my flaws, I know I am a better person than I was yesterday. One of the quotes I’ve always kept close to my heart is from my father. He said, “It doesn’t matter if you’re better than your friends. It matters, to me, that you are better than you were yesterday.” I often surf the internet in order to learn tips and tricks to help me. Another thing that has helped me grow as a person is asking my friends for their honest opinion on things. I’m grateful to them, because they won’t make fun of me, nor will they lie to me and say I’m flawless. Growing as a person isn’t easy and it never will be. However, having humility is key to growing. The dictionary definition of humility is “a modest or low view of one's own importance or humbleness”. Humbleness is a virtue that everyone wants, but not everyone strives to be humble. A way to stay humble is to work to be a better person, at least by one percent every day. Since you are humble, you won’t only think of yourself and victimize yourself. You will think of others and become a better person. This all will have happened because of Olivia Rodrigo’s song “making the bed”.

Becoming My Own Star: A Tale of Confidence and Growth I’m indebted to a person, who I do not know personally. One mundane day in 2021, I felt off. I felt like something was missing. That something hadn’t been stolen or taken away. It was just a hole, an endless black pit, both the size of Mount Everest and a small shrub. I spent the next few hours pondering why I felt this way and came up with a simile for it. The simile went something like this: “I feel like I am diligently rowing and rowing my little boat across the slow, lazy river of life. The river has started to speed up, overwhelming me and I was slowly falling victim to the pressure.” The next day, I woke up and decided to watch some Youtube mindlessly to escape my anguish from the day before. Back then, Youtube felt like the only thing that could distract me. I was mindlessly scrolling, until I laid eyes upon the prettiest girl I had seen in my life. Her name, which I had found quite easily in my research process, was Jang Wonyoung, a popular K-pop idol in South Korea. She’s so popular that she has been crowned the title of, “The 4th Gen It-Girl”. She lands brand deals on the daily. She sells out whatever she touches. She’s known as the perfect, princess-like celebrity. The more tragic part of her story is that she gets hate for anything. For the everyday things you do, without a thought in your mind, she could get hate. She went into the idol industry at the tender age of 13. This is terrifying to me, as I am almost the same age and still attached to my parents, while she was making millions and making a name for herself. Her perfectness intimidated me so much, even if I or anyone I knew hadn’t even met her. I entered a vicious cycle of comparison. This has haunted me for months on end. I went into a phase, as I call it, of hatred and jealousy. Then, one day, I saw this video detailing the horrible, mean comments about Wonyoung. When I saw the amount of hostile comments towards this 18-year-old girl, I realized the girl, who became almost monstrous in my mind, was a human. She has emotions. She is equal to me, even if she’s older than me. She isn’t always perfect or always princess-like. I pondered my envious feelings and felt I should be inspired by her success, not jealous of it. I decided to be proactive and stop wishing upon a star to change my life. From then on, I started using Wonyoung as a motivational force to better myself. I joined clubs, I formed passions, and I worked hard at school. I vowed to myself to not return to the Tartarus, the endless abyss of envy and self-doubt, I had made for myself. That was the past. I’m not going to look down until I reach the top.

Becoming My Own Star: A Tale of Confidence and Growth I’m indebted to a person, who I do not know personally. One mundane day in 2021, I felt off. I felt like something was missing. That something hadn’t been stolen or taken away. It was just a hole, an endless black pit, both the size of Mount Everest and a small shrub. I spent the next few hours pondering why I felt this way and came up with a simile for it. The simile went something like this: “I feel like I am diligently rowing and rowing my little boat across the slow, lazy river of life. The river has started to speed up, overwhelming me and I was slowly falling victim to the pressure.” The next day, I woke up and decided to watch some Youtube mindlessly to escape my anguish from the day before. Back then, Youtube felt like the only thing that could distract me. I was mindlessly scrolling, until I laid eyes upon the prettiest girl I had seen in my life. Her name, which I had found quite easily in my research process, was Jang Wonyoung, a popular K-pop idol in South Korea. She’s so popular that she has been crowned the title of, “The 4th Gen It-Girl”. She lands brand deals on the daily. She sells out whatever she touches. She’s known as the perfect, princess-like celebrity. The more tragic part of her story is that she gets hate for anything. For the everyday things you do, without a thought in your mind, she could get hate. She went into the idol industry at the tender age of 13. This is terrifying to me, as I am almost the same age and still attached to my parents, while she was making millions and making a name for herself. Her perfectness intimidated me so much, even if I or anyone I knew hadn’t even met her. I entered a vicious cycle of comparison. This has haunted me for months on end. I went into a phase, as I call it, of hatred and jealousy. Then, one day, I saw this video detailing the horrible, mean comments about Wonyoung. When I saw the amount of hostile comments towards this 18-year-old girl, I realized the girl, who became almost monstrous in my mind, was a human. She has emotions. She is equal to me, even if she’s older than me. She isn’t always perfect or always princess-like. I pondered my envious feelings and felt I should be inspired by her success, not jealous of it. I decided to be proactive and stop wishing upon a star to change my life. From then on, I started using Wonyoung as a motivational force to better myself. I joined clubs, I formed passions, and I worked hard at school. I vowed to myself to not return to the Tartarus, the endless abyss of envy and self-doubt, I had made for myself. That was the past. I’m not going to look down until I reach the top.

Book-To-Movie - Which One Is The Best? When a beloved book is adapted onto the black, wide screen in theaters, debates pop up like weeds in a garden. Book fans love to complain about how any film won’t be able to size up to the original and movie-goers praise the visual spectacle. However, I find one series, particularly amazing on both paper and film. Harry Potter has readers head-over-heels and has also managed to grab the eternal love of movie-goers, with multiple marathons across the globe. Harry Potter differentiates itself from the rest, due to its dedicated actors, staying true to the core of the story, and successfully bringing the magical world to new and old audiences alike. Harry Potter’s author, J.K. Rowling was incredibly involved in the film herself. She surprisingly had the final say on the cast choices. If the author, the one who brought this mystical wonderland to life through books, chose the actors and actresses herself, it stays extremely true to the author’s vision when imagining the characters. Harry Potter also had multiple actors, who were very committed and had acting skills that would awe their audience. According to SCREENRANT.com, the movie’s golden trio was praised by saying they were the best-fitted people, “who perfectly portrayed the characters created by Rowling.” Many fans, including myself, especially enjoyed Rupert Grint, who portrays the lovable and loyal side-kick, Ron Weasley. For Harry Potter’s 20th Anniversary, the cast got together and was asked to write an essay on their character. Grint hadn’t even done the assignment, because he believed Ron wouldn’t do it either, staying true to his character. Second of all, Harry Potter distinguishes itself as the best book-to-movie series, because the directors didn’t take too many creative liberties, as a movie such as Percy Jackson or The Giver. These two movies angered book fans, because the plot and delicate balance had drifted astray from the original course. Harry Potter does have some instances, where it angered book fans. In the book, it says “Dumbledore asked calmly”. The movie shows Dumbledore throwing a fit and bursting with anger. Snape, in the book, loves to mention Harry has his mother’s eyes. In the movie, their eyes aren’t even similar! There were many other infamous inaccuracies, but these are barely anything compared to other adaptations. The characters remained true to their goals, values, and core. The plot remained similar to the books. These similarities helped settle fans of the series and pull the attention of new fans. Harry Potter successfully brings the magical world alive. The movies are filled with new and exciting elements, like wands and pet owls. Hogwarts has moving staircases and magic fills the air, everywhere. The movie brings J.K. Rowling’s words to life and sucks the viewers in, hooking them onto the movie. The characters are well-written and lovable, but they also have depth and flaws. The main characters are basically just teenagers growing up, making for a relatable story. Although there are plot holes and mistakes, the movies make for an enjoyable watch. Marathoners and new audiences are able to enjoy it. Harry Potter is truly a magical read and an equally magical watch. Bibliography: Tyler, A. (2022, January 4). How the Harry Potter reunion proved Rupert Grint was the perfect Ron. ScreenRant. https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-reunion-rupert-grint-ron-perfect-reason/