There are so many people in the world who are not fortunate enough to have the simplest luxuries of life. Some work their hardest but in the end, things are not in their favor. I was lucky enough to have good grades and make it to college, unlike my family members. I didn't grow up with the ideal lifestyle of two parents, stable income, and a good home, but I had enough to get me through my childhood. Psychology has always been an interesting subject to me. I find myself wanting to learn more and more about the layout and workings of the mind with every piece of information I learn. I am constantly thinking about the things I've learned and subconsciously apply them in my life. I have only learned a small fraction of information under the topic of psychology and I want to continue to learn. When I was around seven years old, my half siblings went into foster care. It was only for a short time but that was the introduction to the career for me. Now that I'm older, I've realized that social work for foster children is what I want to do. There are so many children in the world without homes and families that need help; I want to help those children. My friends and peers have always confided in me for help. I'm not sure why but something about my demeanor makes them feel comforted and as though they can trust me. I find myself leading groups and succeeding because of this trust they have for me. I was drum major of the marching band for my senior year. In this role, I had to answer thousands of questions, help others before myself, and be constantly watching out for my band. At times, I felt as though I was doing more than my co drum major and my band director. This role came with a lot of hardships but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Every band member trusted me and felt as though they could come to me for anything and I feel honored to have such a privilege. Helping people is what I want to do. Whether it be as a social worker or buying a meal for a homeless individual. I love helping others and want to continue to do so as I age. It is going to take a lot of hard work and dedication to get through college to go on the career path I desire, but I am willing to do what I can to achieve my goals.

I grew up not making much in a household. I always got free lunch and never had the money for the book fair. My mom made sure I had a roof over my head, food in my stomach, and clothes on my back. I never had the newest phone or the nicest piece of furniture in my house. My mom worked hard to make sure I had enough growing up. She would work extra hours leading up to Christmas to make sure I wouldn't miss out on gifts. I didn't have the newest Barbie or the nicest pair of shoes, but I did have toys that I liked and clothes that I liked to wear. And as a kid, that was enough. Growing up without a father figure faced some challenges. I never got to know what it was like to have two parents in a house. I never got to call someone "Dad." I missed out on so many opportunities that my friends had. I didn't know it wasn't normal to only have one parent. Since the day I was born, it was just my mom and brothers. That was it. When I was seven, my father showed up. This was life-changing. I finally had a dad but many questions arose. I wondered where he was, why he wasn't around, would he stay. I asked my mom all these questions but she shielded the truth from me for years. It took me a few years to realize that my father was not going to be a constant figure in my life. In my seventeen years, I've seen him a handful of times. I've never spent a birthday with him or received a Christmas gift. But you know who was around? My mom. She was there for every birthday, every Christmas, every performance, and every moment in my life. I am utterly grateful to have a parent who loves me unconditionally and has put in so much effort to make sure I have enough. Now that I'm almost an adult, the time for me to go on my own has begun. Going to college is the first step of that. There's still a lot I have to learn but I know that I will have my mom in my corner to help me. She has helped me so much throughout life already and if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be who I am today. If not for her, I would not be the hardworking person I am. I watched her be independent growing up and mimicked that, realizing that I can do things by myself. She pushed me to work hard for my academics and that if I set my mind to something, I can do it. When I'm older, out of college and have my own job, I want to live a life like my mom. I don't want to make the same choices or mistakes as her, but I want to live a life where I work hard for everything and even through tough times, can prove to be reliable for those in my life. My mom is the strongest person I know and if I grew up to be like her, I would know I did something right in life.

I grew up in a single-parent household. I never knew what it was like to have two parents around. I grew up watching my mom singlehandedly pay the bills, fixing things around the house, and supporting me and my two brothers. As I got older, I realized that this household arrangement I had was not normal. However, that did not change my mindset at all: I wanted to be like my mom. My mom did not go to college and moved out at the age of eighteen. She was quick to financially support herself and continued to do that into adulthood. She worked many jobs to support herself and eventually, to support her kids. My father did not show up in my life until the age of seven. And even then, he didn't stay around long. He never helped pay for any of my things and to this day, he still does not. Knowing that my father would not be an avid person in my life put a lot of things into perspective for me. I realized that some people aren't reliable and that doing things yourself is a good route to take. I watch my mom work hard and in return, became a hard worker. I've always done things to the greatest ability and put 110% into everything. I strived to get good grades and do well on tests. In the end, the hard work paid off. I didn't have anyone telling me to work hard. I never had my mom begging me to do my homework and to study. When it came to academics, I did everything on my own. I set my academic standards high and in the long run, it paid off. I am in the top ten of my class, have a high GPA, and my grades have maintained high A's. I have put in so much work when it comes to my academics, and also my electives, and I will continue to do so throughout college. I know going to college isn't cheap. My mom has always said "We'll figure it out," and to this day, I believe that is true. She doesn't know what it's like to go to college, and neither do my grandparents. I have applied to colleges, filled out scholarship applications, and in general, done everything on my own when it comes to college by myself. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that if I continue to work hard, I will get some type of reward.

At age five, I wanted to be a firefighter. At age nine, I wanted to be a teacher. At age eleven, I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. At age thirteen, I wanted to be a teacher again. At age fifteen, I wanted to be a social worker. At age sixteen, I wanted to be a therapist. I have gone through my life imagining what job I wanted to do. I haven't settled on one career but one thing I know I want to do is help people. I've always loved helping others. I find joy in providing services to those I can and assisting those who need help. I've also always been interested in the mind. There has always been a curiosity in me about how the mind works and the science behind why people do what they do. I took a psychology class in my junior year, to see if I even liked the subject. I enjoyed every second I was in that class. I didn't have the best teacher but I took it upon myself to learn as much as I can and I find myself still wanting to know more. I researched jobs that psychology could be used. One of my friend's mom is a physical therapist and told me about occupational therapy. I researched the career and believed I could enjoy that job, combining my two interests in a career into one job. However, I may have found something that interests me even more. When I was a kid, my half-siblings went into foster care for a short time. I didn't know what foster care and DCFS were, but that was the first time I had heard about those things and for a while, they piqued my curiosity. As time went on, I learned more about foster care and social services and found myself wanting to be involved in that occupation. I eventually stopped thinking about that as a career but now, at the age of seventeen, I find myself wanting to do that again. Yes, many financial and health benefits come with the job, but that's not why I want to go into the field. The foster system is not a fun job. There are many sad stories about children in the foster system and I empathize with them. I want to help people. I want to help make a difference in people's lives. That's why I want to go into social work. With my skills and love for helping others, I truly believe I can make a difference in people's lives. And that's what I want to do.

I've always tried to be a good person. I hold to door open for the person behind me, compliment the worker at the drive-through, or randomly give my friends a drink they like. These tasks may not seem like much but in my experience, simple acts like these can go a long way. My mom has always told me I have a good heart. It's in my best interest to help others and be kind to those around me. I never believed her. Why? Because I was so sure that being a nice person was something that everyone was. I believed that everyone had kindness in their heart and showed that kindness to those around them, even if it was someone they didn't know. As I got older, I realized how wrong I was; how cruel the world was. But one thing I pride myself on is the fact that even in a cruel world, I try to be kind. In my sophomore year of high school, I gained the role of one of two junior drum majors. This role didn't mean much, except for the fact that I would be the drum major for the marching band my senior year. I had an idea of what being drum major meant but I was in no way prepared for what was yet to come. Before band camp had started my senior year, I spent weeks working on my conducting. I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing so I could help others out at band camp. Once band camp came around, I was nervous. I didn't know how many new members there were or what I was supposed to do. I got there early and just waited until others showed up. I greeted everyone and introduced myself to the new folks. I did what I thought a drum major should do. I've always been an extroverted person so during the breaks, I would mingle with other students and just make sure they felt welcomed. The other drum major stayed more to herself. She never really connected with others or even tried to. As the season went on, my co-drum major was absent more. She missed many practices so I had to do the work of two people. I didn't mind taking on a little extra work but doing a job designed for two people made practices a little more difficult than usual. However, doing that job helped show others my dedication to the job and how mature I was. Throughout the season, I continued to show the parents and staff that I could step up to the plate and I did just that. I attended every practice, stayed until everyone left, and helped others at every opportunity. I became a reliable person in the band. If anyone needed something, they came and asked me first. Even though the marching season is over, I am still trusted by the band parents, other students, and even the band director. I've proven that I'm a reliable person and that people can come to me. Holding that kind of power, to be trusted, is something that I don't take lightly. I cherish the trust others have in me and I am utterly grateful that others can confide in me. In the long run, taking on a larger role than I was originally given has helped me form connections with amazing people. I have made connections with many people and I know connections like those are some that I will have for a long time. There were a lot of hardships that came with the role of drum major but I persevered through. I was taught lessons but ultimately, I proved to others that I am hardworking and can step up to the plate when given any challenge.

I've always enjoyed reading. Being able to read words on a page and shift into a whole new world has always been something I've loved. Every time I open a book, the world around me goes silent and I am suctioned into a different world, where my problems are of no concern. In elementary school, I was invited to join the school's book club. Once a week, we, a group of about six students, would report back on what happened in the last couple of chapters, discuss how we felt about it, and then begin reading the next chapter together. The librarian provided snacks and drinks at the meetings, but as much as I love food, I went to the meetings for the book itself. The book the librarian chose was called Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty. The story is a historical fiction and fantasy novel that is set at the Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina. The book had just come out and I had never heard of it before. It was an easy read. I remember being so upset that I couldn't keep on reading so my peers and I were on the same page. The sentences kept me on the edge of my seat. The imagery pulled me into the world and I had a front-row seat to the action. This book made me feel as though I was Serafina and living through her life. But when I closed the book, I realized I was myself and was back in the real world. Ever since I finished that book, I began to read more. I found myself in the school library as often as I could. I read at least one book a week. When I didn't find anything more at the school library that interested me, my mom got me a card for the public library. I went there every couple of weeks, picked out a few books, and would go back to the library when I finished them all. As the years have gone on, I found an interest in writing books. I started by writing interesting sentences, then poems, and eventually short stories. My teachers were impressed by my writing for my age and pushed me to continue. I found an app that allows me to write stories for free. I would have writer's block at times, but I wrote as much as a teenager could in her spare time. Now, I don't read or write as much as I want to, or as much as I use to. I use to read at least fifty pages every day and would write until my hands hurt. I've gotten older and my schedule has been more hectic but every chance I get, I open my current book and let myself live the life of the main character. My friends never understood why I liked to read so much; I mean I have a whole bookshelf of books, many waiting to be read. And sometimes, I forget why I like to read. I mean, it is time-consuming and takes some effort. But when I open the pages and read the words written, I remember feeling like my ten-year-old self and I allow myself to succumb to the written world of the book in front of me.

A little over a year ago, I lost my grandmother on my mom's side. Her death was unexpected and a shock to us all. I remember waking up that morning to a text from my mom that told me my nana had passed. I went over to the house as soon as I could. Immediately upon entering, I noticed a change in the atmosphere. I hugged my mom so tight that day. My nana was only allowed to see 16 years of my life. She was always so proud of me and every time I saw her, she would want an update on what was going on with band or theatre or my job. She tried to be as included as she could and up to date on my life. Now that she's gone, I can't update her on my achievements and all that I've accomplished since she passed. However, I know that she would be proud of me. I've never been a big fan of cooking. I would rather just eat what has been made rather than make it myself. As I've gotten older, I've tried to cook more. It started with french fries or dressing for thanksgiving, side dishes instead of a meal. When I finally made a meal by myself, all I wanted to do what show her. She loved cooking and baking and a part of me has always wanted to be just as good as her. I shared the meal with my family and all of them told me that she would have been proud of me. My nana was proud of me before she passed; she told me herself. I don't know if she can see me where she is now, but when I do everything, whether it be an audition, interview, or just a simple test, I try my hardest to do the best I can. I do everything as if she were still here, ready to tell her how I did on my audition and how well I did on that test.