To the public, Shake It Off is arguably Taylor Swift's most popular, and one of her most annoying songs. Everyone was forced to listen to it while they shopped for their weekly groceries. It played while trying on new clothes for the new school year. Even for years after, the radio bombarded the iconic (and extremely catchy) lyrics to their listeners. During freshman year I realized I could not "shake off" my anxiety or a worldwide pandemic. It changed the trajectory of many futures and relationships. I had dealt with anxiety my whole life but it took years to put a name to the paralyzing feeling. My anxiety and fear was definitely aggravated that year; though I am thankful for my blessings, my family, and the friends that stuck with me. In my sophomore year, I realized having "nothing in my brain" was affecting my school work and friendships. After trying to recover from the year before, there were other concerns. School continued to become more challenging. Friends were changing and people were outgrowing each other. Junior year "what they [didn't] see" was that my depression was slowly eating me up inside. I had been holding back from telling most people about my deep hurts. It has since been my greatest relief to tell people, to educate, and to empathize with others who also struggle and hurt. Finally, by senior year I realized "heartbreakers [going to] break" was a reality. I had gone through a breakup that, while I can realize it was not the end of the world, it felt like it. Along with those feelings, I had many "friendship break-ups." Swift's lyrics were not words on paper anymore, but the reality of my high school years slipping away. I needed my groove to live back, so I took a chance. I played 2014's worst nightmare. But it was not a terrible song, the beat was not cheesy, and the lyrics meant more to me than I remembered. If Taylor Swift could make it through fake friendships and heartbreaks, depression and anxiety, I could too. For the first time, the lyrics let me express that it was alright to acknowledge hurts, but it was okay to let them go. The words people say did not have to define you. As Swift says, "shake them off." I learned to love this song. It was not because of a single listen or years on repeat. Instead, I learned to love this song through trials and finding myself in one (out of many) of Swift's lyrics. Shake it Off is, to this day, my favorite song from Swift's album 1989.

My family has adopted two dogs in my whole lifetime. My aunt keeps a crowd of two to four dogs at a time, but as a family, we only have one dog at a time. That is how it has always been. We called our first family dog "Bailey." He was an energetic greyhound, with eyes that always seemed to be sad, though he was the sweetest and happiest dog. Though I never really knew Bailey, he was essential to my older siblings' childhood. I hope he is running around in fields in heaven with his other greyhound buddies, healthy and happy. In 2011, a sunny California Christmas rolled around the corner. We usually spent the holiday at my aunt’s house, the one with a myriad of dogs. But there was a bigger surprise waiting for us this year. While my three siblings and I were hanging out in my aunt’s spacious backyard, my mom walked up behind us. I turned to see the most beautiful puppy flocked with golden, yellow fur. She was the epitome of puppy dog eyes, dark ones. We named the small labradoodle “Sunny Ray.” Sunny has always been the family dog, sleeping in my parent's room, in my brothers’ rooms, and my room. She does not withhold her love from any of my family members, and she loves to be a part of everyday activities. I have a confession: I had been more of a cat person. But anyone who has owned a cat knows that they can be mean. Cats are weird creatures, who would sell you out for a bird-watching expedition. However, after adopting a family dog, I learned to love the new member we brought into the family. When I was younger, I tried to walk Sunny. Now, this seems like a manageable task, but she has never been leash-trained. But I did not want to give up without giving her a chance. For about a week, I attached the leash to her pink collar and took her outside. Though eventually, she found everything too fascinating to walk calmly beside me, it was lovely to spend more time with her. She taught me patience. Sunny has taught me to love dogs, and to trust them more. She has convinced me that dogs are loyal and too good for us. I am so glad that she is my best doggy friend. I have made it through life with two dogs by my side. Neither of which I would trade for the world.

For the first eight months of my life, I was plunged into a world of parental abuse, chaos, and change. I had little sense of what was happening around me. Most of my early memories are made up of police statements. This was the entirety of “home life.” Before I could turn nine months old, I was placed in a foster home. Most children should only be in those homes for a few days. I spent three weeks there. I do not have many memories of this home, the people who cared for me, or the environment. On August 26, my social worker located a family, my current family, that wanted to house and care for me. This family had already decided they wanted to foster and adopt a child. I was their answered prayer. While they worked through the logistics, they seemed to stop at every roadblock. The foster care system likes to give biological parents (especially mothers) many chances to change. Studies show that 52% of biological parents make a court-approved change in their behavior to keep their kids. Mine did not. Visits with biological parents are required, even when the kid kicks and screams. That kid was me. I did not want to stay on visits to the point of social workers getting the visits canceled. The trauma and commotion this caused were less than preferable. Finally, at two years old, my biological parents signed away their parental rights. I have been with my adoptive family since. The foster care system caused plenty of trauma and confusion. It includes things I will have to work through later and things I have already conquered. I have always thought of children as the future, they deserve to grow in environments of love. My biological mother never held me at birth, and I am very doubtful she loved me. I cannot control the decisions of biological moms and I cannot erase the trauma and hurt from a kid's mind. But as of late, my career goals have been to help the youth. From a young age, I wanted to be an elementary teacher. I took inspiration from Miss Honey from the movie Matilda. I do not want to add stress and hurt to growing minds, I want to help them achieve their best. Their best does not have to be anyone else's best. I have always been interested in how and why the mind works. Why do biological parents find themselves addicted to drugs? Why do biological parents choose alcohol over their children? Where does that motherly instinct retire to? This also includes how mental illness can form, develop, and become rooted in a youth's mind. The human mind can be fascinating, and that is where my interest in psychology originated: my own experiences. My newest fascination is social work. I have had and met several social workers over the years. It is not an easy job. But I want to give kids a safe space and the kindness they may not be experiencing otherwise. My foster care experience did shape some of my beliefs in unfortunate ways. But I want to be the change. Instead of only helping myself, I want to break generational chains. I want to grow into my own person, one who helps others.

For the first eight months of my life, I was plunged into a world of parental abuse, chaos, and change. I had little sense of what was happening around me. Most of my early memories are made up of police statements. This was the entirety of “home life.” Before I could turn nine months old, I was placed in a foster home. Most children should only be in those homes for a few days. I spent three weeks there. I do not have many memories of this home, the people who cared for me, or the environment. On August 26, my social worker located a family, my current family, that wanted to house and care for me. This family had already decided they wanted to foster and adopt a child. I was their answered prayer. While they worked through the logistics, they seemed to stop at every roadblock. The foster care system likes to give biological parents (especially mothers) many chances to change. Studies show that 52% of biological parents make a court-approved change in their behavior to keep their kids. Mine did not. Visits with biological parents are required, even when the kid kicks and screams. That kid was me. I did not want to stay on visits to the point of social workers getting the visits canceled. The trauma and commotion this caused were less than preferable. Finally, at two years old, my biological parents signed away their parental rights. I have been with my adoptive family since. The foster care system caused plenty of trauma and confusion. It includes things I will have to work through later and things I have already conquered. I have always thought of children as the future, they deserve to grow in environments of love. My biological mother never held me at birth, and I am very doubtful she loved me. I cannot control the decisions of biological moms and I cannot erase the trauma and hurt from a kid's mind. But as of late, my career goals have been to help the youth. From a young age, I wanted to be an elementary teacher. I took inspiration from Miss Honey from the movie Matilda. I do not want to add stress and hurt to growing minds, I want to help them achieve their best. Their best does not have to be anyone else's best. I have always been interested in how and why the mind works. Why do biological parents find themselves addicted to drugs? Why do biological parents choose alcohol over their children? Where does that motherly instinct retire to? This also includes how mental illness can form, develop, and become rooted in a youth's mind. The human mind can be fascinating, and that is where my interest in psychology originated: my own experiences. My newest fascination is social work. I have had and met several social workers over the years. It is not an easy job. But I want to give kids a safe space and the kindness they may not be experiencing otherwise. My foster care experience did shape some of my beliefs in unfortunate ways. But I want to be the change. Instead of only helping myself, I want to break generational chains. I want to grow into my own person, one who helps others.

"Mental health isn't real." If I had a dollar every time I heard some form of that statement, I would not currently be applying for college scholarships. If mental health is not real, why do students struggle in school and with their education? If mental health is not real, why do so many people struggle with isolation and loneliness? If mental health is not real, why does someone commit suicide every twelve minutes? As a general statement, I believe in mental health. During my childhood, I had what I now realize are symptoms of anxiety. In the summer of eighth grade, I also found myself struggling with (light) depression. My mental health is important because of useless labels, because of denial, and because of my freedom. I refuse to be defined by sadness and anxiety, but I want people to know that it is a real and current issue. It is not just saved for that weird girl in inaccurate psych ward movies. In about seventh grade, I was told that I could not have anxiety. For years after, I was upset that no one would help me because it would only be "putting words in my mouth." Anxiety was the only definition I could find to ease some of the unknown worries these new feelings gave me. Now I know many people were confused and uninformed. But at that time in my life, it was harmful to my delicate mental health. With high school flying by, it has been quite the uphill climb. There are many days when I am disappointed in the lack of items on my resume and on college applications. I want to hit rewind in my high school years. I want to take away the pain and months of depression and crippling moments of anxiety. But I know that now I would not be the person I am today if I erased those years. It took several years of therapy, to root out my underlying issues. I took up dance for a few months to get out and active more. I met new people and made new friends to expand my social life. I took up songwriting to compose my feelings and thoughts into art. One of my favorite ways to keep up my mental health is night runs. Though some worry about my safety, I live in a decently safe neighborhood. Running a mile in the cool night air helps me to disengage from my negative thoughts and focus on running. My other favorite way to refocus my emotions and distract myself is to read. In the past three years, I have dedicated myself to reading over three hundred and fifty books. My mental health is real, but it does not need to define me. It does not need to define anyone. Whether it is seasonal depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, it should not define. It will only be an obstacle course to navigate into a stronger and better version of yourself.

Born to abusive and uneducated parents, I want to better myself to treat others kindly and educate myself and others. Adopted into a Caucasian family, I want to better learn how the human brain works, and how different and similar we all are. Along with my mental illnesses, past traumas, and differences, I care to be the change in my family line, and that's my dream life goal.

It is no surprise that mental health affects a student’s education. But is it a full cycle when school affects a student’s mental health? Before the worldwide pandemic began, mental health was more stigmatized and less understood. However, since 2020, when the world was plunged into some of the darkest and most challenging times, mental health has become a growing concern. Especially the mental health of students and teens. Low mental health can cause plenty of issues in the ever-increasing mind of a young adult. It greatly affects self-esteem, and motivation, and increases feelings of hopelessness. The summer after seventh grade, my mental health struggles became more prevalent in everyday life. I have since been diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I found myself less like my peers and classmates, and more isolated and anxious. At first, I did not know what these things meant and how to handle them. But after meeting with a therapist for many years, I am learning how to better myself daily through healthy coping skills. When school assignments seem to take all day, piling up higher and higher, it is easy to neglect my physical, mental, and nutritional health. For a long time, my work-school balance was off and both my health and education suffered. However, I have found several self-maintenance tips that work for me. My physical health can be protected in several ways. For example frequent and brisk walks in nature, yoga, and at-home exercises. When I was in middle school, I spent (at least) three days a week in the gym. However, to take care of my mental health as well, I decided I could take care of myself in other ways. I tend to push myself too hard in competitive physical challenges. My mental health is also very important to me. After years of wondering if it was genetic, environmental, or seasonal, I have found that coping skills do not need any of these reasons to be effective. One of the smallest adjustments, which makes one of the biggest differences, is taking breaks. I start by planning out my days in my favorite pastel planner. I have newly stopped giving myself time limits to finish each subject. Each break must be designated to a specific hobby or task. Sometimes I like fifteen-minute walks, five-minute runs, or practicing my favorite instrument, the ukulele. If it is a longer break, I may take time to make myself a snack, or bake a tasty treat. Lastly, to take care of my nutritional health during the months of school, I look to my mom. My mom is the best cook in the world. She has taught me that cooking can be easy and that making healthy recipes does not have to be grueling. My whole life she has encouraged healthy foods, and I have made those my favorites. I love to snack on brain foods like salmon and edamame. Some other delicious (and healthy) foods include pluots, carrots, pears, plums, cherries, Brussel sprouts, and broccoli. Another way to increase blood flow to the brain is by drinking lots of water. Recently, to help clear my brain, I have been attempting a sugar-free diet. I started slowly by cutting extra candy I would find myself nibbling on during economics lectures and after history tests. Together, all of these tips and tricks have benefitted my mental health and allowed me to clear my brain to complete my tasks and assignments. I am always looking for new tips to challenge myself and learn to better myself.

Stitch, the famous blue, extraterrestrial alien from Lilo and Stitch, is my favorite Disney character. Originally from another far-off planet, Stitch takes a mission and bravely flies to earth. At first, Stitch is a cranky, grumpy, and lonely creature. He ends up in a Hawaiian dog pound after his unexpected crash landing. But along comes a kind and hopeful young girl named Lilo. Even though the others think he is a weird-looking dog, Both Lilo and I find him adorable and endearing. He is feisty, small, and has the biggest smile (when he wants to be happy). I can contrast this in my own life with my own mental health, including my struggle with depression. Though I do not believe Stitch is depressed or struggles with mental health, he initially seems lonely and some might think he can be explosive and unlovable. Lilo, without judging her new “pet,” and seeing the best in him, claims him as ”ohana,” or part of her new found family. Stitch did not have to act lovable to be loved. He was loved because Lilo was willing to love him. Stitch eventually, and quite quickly, learns to love Lilo as she loves him. He forms a strong bond of loyalty I can only aspire to in my own life. Although he is technically a pet, he becomes a best friend. And then, he becomes family. Lilo did not give up on his bad days and she found a family in the feisty little guy. Not to mention that he is the coolest and cutest and funniest sidekick. He’s the best friend a girl could ask for. Plus he can play guitar, dress flawlessly like Elvis Presley, and hula dance like nobody’s business. Just because Stitch was created to fight, did not mean he could not learn to love. This is why Stitch, from Lilo and Stitch, is my favorite Disney character.