It's essential for each person to take responsibility for the world and the community in which they live. Without personal accountability, our world cannot improve, thrive and flourish. While the government can do much good for our towns and cities, it is also important for each person to work toward improving their own small corner of the world. After graduating from high school, I joined a Catholic religious order (convent). I had the privilege to serve people in many parts of the world. I worked in preschools in Italy, at an international place of tourism and pilgrimage in Turkey, and at a national shrine in Slovenia. The opportunity to welcome visitors at the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy, was special. During my time there, it was also part of my job to do guided tours for visitors. The places where I served became my own community during the time I lived and worked there. While I ultimately did not stay in the religious community, I enjoyed many opportunities to enrich the lives of others while also gaining so many good experiences. After returning to the United States, I did some volunteering at a local food pantry, where I interacted with patrons and trained to work as a food counselor. In the future, I plan to work with patients and clients in the capacity of a speech-language pathologist. I will begin my graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders this fall 2021. It will be a gift to be able to interact with patients who are struggling with the various aspects of communication, speech, swallowing, or feeding disorders and challenges.

This was the first time I took my daughter to the playground. These pictures are a snapshot in time of an ordinary moment in the extraordinary experience of motherhood.

Legacy is that which one leaves behind, like the wake behind a boat on water. Legacy can take on various meanings, from material goods, to memories, to feelings, to words, and more. To me, legacy is most importantly the heritage of warmth, kindness, caring and positivity that a person creates by living life with passion while doing good and improving the lives of others. I believe that it is not necessary to be the most famous, most wealthy or most admired to leave behind a valuable legacy. Instead, a legacy of living each day with purpose, and making small, consistent steps toward improving one's own character is key. There are no doubt many kinds of valuable legacies. For instance, the legacy of a beautiful painting, an inspiring piece of music, a non-profit organization that serves the underprivileged, are all wonderful and noteworthy gifts to pass on to posterity. I'd like to leave behind a legacy of positive change for those I have met in life. I'd like for my children to benefit from my example of a life lived with purpose, kindness, dedication, and generosity. I'd like for the people with whom I've worked to remember me with a smile on their faces. It would be a tremendous honor to know that I have brought joy to the lives of others through even simple interactions and encounters. I think that the legacy I would most like to leave behind is one of having been a loving and lovable person.