Writing is my passion, reading is my escape. At only thirteen years old three of my poems were accepted and published in a literary journal I still have to this day. I write about people who aren't average, rather below average in one way or another learning to excell in one way or another. I write about far off lands, magic, and the power of being your most authentic self. To be powerful and brave in the best way you can. To try your hardest, to not back down because your not like everyone else. I do this because it's what I needed growing up. Teachers, readers, and my peers have fallen in love with the words on page I provide. My writing is beautiful and meaningful. A window into the world of a short person. A window into the world of someone who society sometimes sees as less than. I've been told my descriptions are beautiful and easy to visualize. My story's can guide readers to feel deeply. I'm not average height. I'm not even close to it. I'm only 4'9" tall, and it's a struggle every single day. I work hard though, I drive to do better and to be better. To lead by example, to not be the one person who can't simply because they're small. I utilize my size, getting in where others can't. I push through my chronic pain, so that it doesn't run me even when I'm in massive amounts of pain. I fight to be more than my disadvantages so they don't define me. So I'm not limited to what they restrict me to. And I write my experiences into every piece I put out. Whether it's a blog post or a short story or a poem. I want others who struggle as I do to see that there is so much more to life than what they're not. It is what I needed growing up, and it's what I am determined to give others. A way to show them their short comings aren't their downfall, but their leg out because they learn how to manage it in a way no one else does. This scholarship will go towards paying for my illustrative design degree. It will be how I show the world how I see everything. Characters to visually draw kids in, show them that they're enough no matter how they look. My words on the page will tell them that they can preserve even if it's hard.

I'm a middle child, an eldest daughter and society likes to think there's no challenge to that. There is. From a young age I had to govern myself, I had to watch after my little sister, Make sure my older brother avoid too much trouble. Often times I'm the ears that listen to my parents troubles. Growing up I got called things like mature, people said I had an old soul. At the time, I thought these things were cool. I was memorable beyond being my mother's daughter, my siblings sister. But as I grew older I learned that it wasn't cool. I took on more responsibility by the age of 13 than most kids that age. I stopped playing with toys and hid myself away in the world of fiction. I expressed myself through art. During the years when I should have been a child, I wasn't. At fourteen, my brother went to Juvie. At fifteen my dad briefly left my mother due to her pain med addiction. I was the one who helped her through her withdrawals when she quit. I was the one cooking for my family and making sure my sister got on the bus. When my father came back no one ever mentioned it again. I never got thanked. I never got an apology, because the weight of adulthood had weighed on my shoulders while both my parents were absent. I never got to be a kid. I developed anxiety and depression. I had only a few friends, most of whom never saw the version of my family I grew up with. My medical conditions, asthma and chronic migraines to make a few, always took a back burner. I wasn't the perfect daughter, I wasn't the strong son. I was the spare. Or at least, I felt like it Therapists pointed to my parents as the problem. Said their treatment of my wasn't that of a parent with a child. Parentified oldest daughter syndrome. All these things have made me stronger in the end though. I know the way I want to treat others. I know I want to help others. I know that while I'm smart, art and writing have always been my path. I can share a more beautiful realm to the world. I can paint a more beautiful picture to make up for the one I was forced to see. This is who I am, and this is the kind of future I want to help others like me escape- even if it's only for a little while. This is me.

Why am I passionate about pursuing a certification/degree in trades or technical fields? Because my passions growing up were denied to me due to practicality. I was meant to do as I was told, to not dream for myself. To live out my mother's dream. A dream that dealt in things well outside my interests, hopes, and dreams. My mom wanted me to be a lawyer. To become some big name hot shot she could brag about. As if being a Graphic Designer and an author was something to shun and hide away from. Growing up art and were my escapes. As a middle child, the parentified daughter, I was always put into a position where I had to be the adult. I had to ignore my wants and dreams to help out and show a, "Good example," for my little sister and older brother. My art was seen as a cute little hobby I would grow out of with time. My writing a good tool for communication. But they were always far more to me. So my dreams of becoming a highly regarded and beloved artist and author were crushed. Now that I'm 25, officially on my own and separated from the family that pushed me from my dream I have a shot. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design can help me reach this. Especially after achieving my career certificate through Penn Foster. I can finally focus on my dream of creating through words and art. A dream I believed was miles and lifetimes away. I can carefully craft art that not only appeals to others, but speaks to people just like me. Trapped under what their parents wanted unable to reach the stars that are their dream. Penn Foster is giving me the foundational tools I need to navigate the professional world. They're teaching me how to conduct myself as a business woman and how to make my mark on the world of art. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design will give me more in depth training. Focusing and expanding my techniques in shading, coloring, sketching, and learning the art of animation and website design. Every single thing I learn from both these schools helps me to conduct myself in a way I can be proud. From business, to skills and techniques, to different varieties of art. Everything is at my fingertips. I just need a way to fund what Financial Aid won't cover.

My Barbie Deam House has always been nestled into a beautiful clearing in the woods, surrounded by mighty oaks, towering pines and leafy maples. The house itself is a cute little cottage made of stone and cement. The front entryway houses a cheery wooden door with fillagree designs on the surface settled into a hobbit hole style doorframe. The windows at the front would be bay windows, stained a deep cherry tone to match the doors. Bellow the windows would be an arrangement of orchids, dahlia and tulips all in an array of colors. The walkway would be made of tight-packed gravel surrounding larger stepping stones, along its edges would be bluebells. The roof would be shingled in a light brown so that when the sun hit it just right it would appear almost pink. The cottage would have a second floor complete with lovely circle windows that would spin to let in light and fresh air. The trim and detailing would be very fantasy-like, looking like metalwork vines. Hanging plants would sit by each window and by the front door. The front door would open into a very warm living space, bookshelves covering the far wall with a fireplace against the east wall, a few feet away would be a delicately arched doorway leading to a set of stairs to the second floor. On the west wall would be a beautiful sofa with a throw blanket tossed over the back. End tables would sit on either end and a cherry wood coffee table would sit between the fireplace and the couch. The floors would be hardwood, a soft almost grey color to create the illusion of space. The walls were a pale yellow, the crown molding pure white. In the hall where the stairs sit would be another archway into the kitchen and dining room. The kitchen would be modern but not extreme, white cabinets and dark appliances, the walls a grey to match the floor with a white shimmering backsplash. The floors are the same grey as the hall and living room. There would be a bread box in the corner with a toaster, beside that a small potted plant. In the dining room, the walls would be the same yellow color as the living room, hardwood floors grey again and at the heart of the room would be a round table, cherry wood to match the rest of the house. The chairs wouldn't match but it would look purposeful and cheerful. A rug will sit under the table and a collection of cabinets will sit against the east wall to add for storage. Behind the table on the far wall would be another door, this one leading to a simple half bathroom. Upstairs would be a loft-style space, with grey hardwood floors throughout it. A small area would be sectioned off for a full bathroom. The rest of the space would be dedicated to the bedroom. A beautiful white metal frame and a soft yellow net curtain hanging from the ceiling surround the bed. The bedding would be the same shade of yellow as the curtain. A tan rug would be nestled under the bed. On either side will be matching white night stands. A collection of bookshelves will ring around the circle window giving a view of the front. A chair will sit by the bookshelf and a desk will sit to the side full of writing equipment. That is what my Barbie Dream House would look like.

When I think back on my childhood, the earliest memory I can recall is my tiny childhood body laying in bed listening as my father read me a bedtime story. Yurtle the Turtle, Oh The Places You'll Go and Cat in the Hat were my nightly stories. I loved these moments because my dad would finish off a day at work and spend time with me in the world of fiction. A world I never want to be parted from. Because in a world of fiction, you learn things that real life and a good portion of adults don't want you to know. Anything is possible if you work hard enough and have faith in yourself. The first book I remember reading for myself was The Magic Tree House, always adventures about finding the thing you are best at and using it to help others. Jack and Annie used their skills to get them home after being whisked away to far-off lands they read about in their own books. These books were the first that I finished in one sitting. They were the first books to open my eyes to a world outside of rhythm and rhyme. The Magic Tree House was my gateway to fantasy. The book series that shaped me the most, however, wasn't The Magic Treehouse books. It was the Percy Jackson series. Percy Jackson, a twelve-year-old boy with ADHD went off on a quest to save his world and the world he knew nothing about. The best part, his ADHD wasn't seen as a setback or a pitfall for him. It was a saving grace. Percy, using his own unique set of skills, managed to save his friends on multiple occasions while saving the world over and over again. These books showed me that just because I have ADHD, Anxiety and Depression didn't mean that I was any less than my peers. It just meant that I was capable of doing things differently. That I belonged in a different way. That it was okay to struggle with something because everyone has their struggles. The Percy Jackson series revealed to me a world of mythology and magic and monsters that drew in and captured my attention even to this day. My love for this series, and the influence it has on me, inspired me to pass on the YA series to my cousin. The YA series has inspired me to write my novels, hoping to show the world the same things. Hoping that my work will help to some day remind kids like me and my cousin that the world might not always be fair, but that just means we have to find the loopholes to make sure we are included.

When I was a child, barely old enough to attend my first year of school, I was asked the all-important question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And like most little girls, I said I wanted to be a princess. As a child, we hear stories of princesses that grow up in towers and princesses that sleep until true love comes and whisks away the curse. I never wanted to be those kinds of princesses. I wanted to be like Belle. A girl whose love of reading marked her as odd but granted her the love of a man who looked past appearances to the heart. I wanted to be like Belle who had a large, beautiful library gifted to her. I wanted to be like Belle who found love without truly looking for it, the dresses weren't bad either. Of course, my teacher didn't have any insight into my brain and assumed I meant a real princess. A princess like Diana. With all the gentleness of a bull, I was informed that I couldn't be a princess and that I needed to find another choice for my future. With the indignation of childhood and the determination to prove that teacher wrong, I decided I would create a world where I could be a princess. That would show her. From that moment on, I devoted my time to reading about new and strange fantastical worlds where royalty existed. Where princesses like Belle not only existed but were celebrated and loved. I drew myself in those worlds, in swishing dresses and gleaming crowns. I wrote myself as some long-lost princess. I wrote myself as the princess to long-forgotten kingdoms. I dreamed of these worlds. As I grew older those dreams adjusted to what they are now. To write novels like the ones I read and dreamed about in childhood. To create just as beautiful and complex worlds as I had once read about. To create them not only for myself and the little girl that dreamed but for all the children out there who shared those dreams as well. For all the little kids who were told, "That's not possible, pick something else." This scholarship, If I won, would be applied to my program at Full Sail University where I will be working on my Bachelor's in Creative Writing and Fine Arts. A Program that will put me in touch with those that have already reached their goals and dreams. A program that will give me new tools and hone the ones I've already got, so that I can reach my dreams. A Dream to create worlds where children like myself could live out the lives we were told were possible. I want to create worlds where happiness isn't something you have to work for, It's something everyone is guaranteed.

Gryffindor with their red and gold, Brave and Courageous are the adventurers. Ravenclaw with their blue and bronze, smart and creative, are the intellectuals. Slytherin with their green and silver, cunning and ambitious are the doers. Hufflepuff with the yellow and black, their loyalty and their friendliness marks them as the easily overlooks but the most dedicated. It's hard to pin one person as one specific set of traits or another. Growing up, I would have had a 100% answer for you. I was a Ravenclaw through and through. I love learning and creating. I love the way you can paint the world to others with just your words and your way of thinking. As I got older though, I began to see that I wasn't just straight Ravenclaw. While I was and may always be a creative person... I am ambitious and cunning too. I know exactly what to say and when to say it from years of observing people. My greatest weapon is my words, my way of utilizing them marks me as the ambitious person I am. From the moment childhood left me behind and I was thrown into the world of adulthood I had to adapt, and by adapting my house changed. I am now a Slytherin. The Wizarding World Online Webpage had me sorted from 2012 to 2018 as the perfect Ravenclaw. Now, in the year 2023, I am marked Slytherin. My first real job occurred in 2019 at Walmart. With the drive and ambition I have, I was able to move from carts and maintenance to Asset Protection in less than a year. I managed to maintain my position for two years before I decided to leave for a better environment. My current job is as a cashier at my local pizza place, however, any time one of my co-workers needs assistance or needs a shift covered I am the first to volunteer. The more hours I work, the better my paycheck and the easier it is to live my life. Now my ambition has led me to return to school to achieve my bachelor's degree in creative writing and fine arts. A degree that calls to the person I have always wanted to be. Two years at a school well outside of my comfort zone doing something I love. As soon as I graduate I will have the option of several well-paying jobs. Jobs that will allow me to live, thrive and be happy with who I am. I am a Slytherin now, but I was a Ravenclaw. I will always carry traits from each of those houses. However, Slytherin is the house I am certain I belong to.

The dream vision of my future self is sitting in her own personal office, behind a modest sized desk surrounded by books with her novel draft before her.

During most of required schooling career (6th-12th grade), I felt disabled in a way up until recently I couldn’t describe. I would wake up every day for school with a pit of nausea in my stomach and a pounding heart. The thing was, I knew it had nothing to do with school. I love learning, sitting down and reading or writing or taking notes on something new. I loved it, but something in me felt sick at the idea of leaving my house every day for seven hours of learning. It wasn’t until I started to speak with the school counselor during my 7th grade career (after another student made terrifying threats at me) that I began to get clues why. Why I felt like I was being dragged through hell to attend classes I love everyday. Depression and Anxiety paired with chronic migraines apparently do that to a person. To test out the potential diagnosis (and get away from the other student), I was hope schooled for a year and a half. I still woke up stressed about assignments but the nausea and the fast heart beat began to ease. It obviously wasn’t a magical cure all. There were still days I woke up feeling numb. Days where the idea of even washing my hair was too much work. There were days were even being around my family had me spiraling. Thinking things like, “should I wear this or will they notice and judge me. Should I say this, how will it be received.” There were days when I could have full conversations in my head about each phrase I wanted to say to any one person. Halfway through this period of time I began seeing someone at my local mental health center. We spoke about family, family history, life and what moments pushed me to far one way or another. After two sessions I had been officially diagnosed with Social Anxiety and Depression. Going into high school knowing this, didn’t make it any easier. Because my therapist wasn’t a mess provider, I wasn’t placed on any kind of medication to tame the thoughts and feelings. All through High School I struggled. Group projects made me sick, sent me spiraling into my depression so bad my friends helped remind me of my coping mechanisms. Amy time there was a presentation I felt like the world was heating, spinning and those thoughts got loud. At this same time I began getting treatment for my migraines, which further separated me from my peers. Graduating was a breath of fresh air. I got a job working one on one babysitting. Then spent three years at Walmart where I was finally medicated. It freed my mind and changed everything. Before I saw personal relationships and friendships like a punishment. My dream of getting a degree in English or creative writing seemed too far away. After, I realized that what was really hell was the mental health issues I had that I couldn’t cope with or escape. My dream suddenly seemed possible again. It’s almost debilitating knowing that for years, I was walking around resenting my friends and family. It was terrifying to see that my depression and anxiety nearly pushed me away from my dreams. Finding coping mechanisms that work and taking my medication saved me from loosing who I was and who I wanted to be. It save me from losing those I care about.

Why is it important to help others? There are a lot of answer so such a question. My favorite answer is easy; Helping people shows the world that kindness isn’t gone. Helping people shows each individual person that they’re worth the recognition and the time spent. Helping others makes the world a better place. It wouldn’t matter if it was morally, personally or just instinct motivated. It could make or break someone’s day. Growing up in the early 2000’s, right around the time of the 2008 issues, meant my parents struggled. Between my mothers medical bills and my father working two jobs we barely scraped by. Sometimes, bills would have to be outsourced to my grandmother because my parents couldn’t afford them and feeding three kids. It was tough. We didn’t go on vacations or go camping. We made do with what we had on hand. From mac and cheese lunches to pb&j breakfasts. As a child I didn’t know any better. But every year without fail our community would start their toy and joy fundraisers. Collecting books and puzzles and coats and toys, I looked forward to it every year. It amazed me then and now that people would buy items they’d never use- just so that not so well of kids like I was at the time could have a holiday. I remember how it made me feel every time. A kind of warmth that made my cheeks ache from smiling and everything feel right. Without events like Toy and Joy, or strangers paying the remaining balance when your card doesn’t have sufficient funds- they mark a goodness. It reminds me that the world isn’t all bad. That just because I’m doing better now as an adult in her twenties- doesn’t mean there aren’t children or adults struggling like my family and I had. Now I pay it forward in coffee lines, I tip delivery drivers and service workers. If someone looks stuck or lost or like their day is ruined I try to offer aid. Even if all I have on hand is a kind word or a wrinkled dollar bill. So I’m answer to the question, Why is it important to help others? It’s important because it shows that despite the darkness we see in the world, there is a light waiting somewhere we least expect it to shine through. It’s like that song says, “in a world full of hate, be a light?” Helping others is important because without that light- what do we have but a room of darkness.

If I could have everyone in the world read just one book, that book would have to be The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins. The Hunger Games is a Dystopian Science Fiction novel depicting the post-apocalyptic country of Panem and the life of sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen. After her little sister is chosen for the Hunger Games, a battle to the death between a boy and girl from all twelve districts, she volunteers to stop what would have been a cruel death for such a young girl. She might win the games but the Capitol of Panem won't let her do it easily- especially when her win is a direct slap in the capitols face. I believe everyone in the world should read this book because it shows a clear picture of what corrupt absolute power can do to a society and a people. While the world and characters are fiction, real-life easily imitates fiction all the time. The best way to prevent finding ourselves in a real-life meets fiction world is to read and digest and understand media that warns against it. No matter what we do, there will always be President Snow's and President Coin's in the world but with this novel, we're given our best shot at finding them and making sure they don't get and keep the power they seem to crave. It also gives us a fantastic example of story-building and character analysis. And a novel were a romance isn't the main point of the novel.

Your mind is your greatest asset, and for some your greatest weakness. Sometimes it's a simple headache, great bouts of debilitating depression or even just strong anxiety. For some people, like myself, it can be a combination of all three. For some people, like my mother and brother, it's neither of those specific conditions. But their conditions affect their mental health and in turn their lives. So many people search for mental health professionals to assist them, and so many others aren't qualified for it because of insurance or lack of availability. But what so many insurance companies and even some employers don't understand- Mental Health can be and is more debilitating than a simple cold. Without proper treatment, depression can lead to suicide, without proper care anxiety can lead to deeper physical medical problems. So many of our mental health diagnoses can directly be linked to a decline in physical health. It's even been proved that stress can lead to physical sickness, so why would mental health be any different? My mental health is monitored by a mental health professional. I've been taught coping mechanisms to get through my terrible depression and ways to get my breathing under control when the anxiety hits too strong. Sometimes those coping mechanisms don't work, so I take medication daily to keep my symptoms from getting too bad. I take mental health days, days where I put myself into a state of mind away from my responsibilities and stress, to push the things I enjoy into my brain. Doing this allows my mind to relax and pull away from the bad things. Mental Health days, done often, help to keep the stress down and get you into a system of using your coping mechanisms even when you don't need them. It allows the correct chemical release in your brain to keep it as close to "healthy" as you can get it. My mental health days consist of sitting down in a nice quiet space, curling up under a warm blanket and reading. If I've exhausted my book collection, I'll turn on a TV Show or Movie that I have watched frequently enough that the storyline is familiar to me. The familiarity, comfort and warmth keep my brain in a good place. It keeps me from feeling anxious, numb, broken and sad. Your mind is the palace, your body is the shield. If it's compromised from the inside, everything on the outside crumbles. If your mental health declines due to something like depression or anxiety, then your body is sure to follow. For some people, it's incredibly easy to handle and tend to. For others, it's a crippling problem that can make or break their entire life. Having the necessary help around can greatly increase the quality of life, but we don't always have access to such. We should, taking care of our mental health is key to taking care of our physical health. Especially when we are physically healthy but not mentally.

When you think of Disney, you think of Mickey Mouse and you think of the princesses. But what do you think of when you look underneath the mouse and the princesses? Disney has always had a somewhat bad rap for not being inclusive enough. From a few leading LGBTQIA characters or shows to only casting POC actors in minor roles. I can see why those thoughts are out there, for a long time quite a few industries weren't very inclusive either. But over the years Disney has gotten better. Over the years Disney has taken steps to make the world they hold domain over welcoming for all. The first time I saw a POC character in Disney, it was Teddy Duncan's best friend in Good Luck Charlie. The second time I saw a POC character was only a few years later with Shake it Up, followed by Casey Undercover. As the years have pressed on, they've introduced Moana who has made so many little girls and boys happy. Then there was Encanto, Rava and just recently The Little Mermaid live-action movie. It has shown the world that just because media has a large casting of white people, doesn't mean they're content to let the world only see that. Which allows people like my little sister's best friend to have the representation she deserves. To see that she is not alone. The LGBTQIA community, just like the POC community, faces a lack of representation as well. In most media, you have to fight tooth and nail to get even a background character with a different view, belief and love. Disney has been good at that, especially in recent years. From LaFoe (The New Beauty and The Beast) to even Mulan. While their stories aren't in your face about it, they are there. As far as I'm concerned they shouldn't have to be in your face about it, because that perpetuates a stereotype. A stereotype Disney has been good at not continuing. People like my best friend can relate to the struggles of those characters and explain them to me in a way that I can understand. They allow true allies to come out and show their support. I think the best thing Disney has done in recent years though, was their fight against the anti-trans governor of Florida. Stating that they wouldn't be allowing the hurt and pain and discrimination he was putting into the world. As a company, Disney sided with humanity and not with pain and prejudice. Disney's rise towards inclusivity and acceptance has allowed people like my best friends, my sister's best friend and even strangers to know they are not alone in the world. And that there are people who will fight against those who want to stop or hurt them.

Applying for college is an important step in your life after high school, but so are the steps after college. The job part. Without a job that you love, whether you're well-paid or not, your life will drag. Your heart will feel a void. Everything will feel like more of a hassle than it's worth. Choosing the first job after college is important, but I firmly believe it should be your dream job. The potential career I'm currently exploring and planning to explore while in college is writing projects. Editing a paper here, writing a short story for a contest, or even just writing an article for a paper. Anything to do with writing is where my focus will be whilst in school and after. Writing makes me feel alive, it allows me to spread the way I see the world around to show others. To help people feel as I feel, see what I see. To allow them an escape from the world we live in. Whether that is in the form of fantasy, science fiction, or even romance. I want to help build a world where everyone has a place. Even editing works like this allows me to contribute to the happiness of the world through books. If work regarding writing is unavailable, I have experience in retail to fall back on. As a cashier, receipt checker and even as maintenance. I may not enjoy them, but I'm not afraid to do a menial job or dirty job to support myself. Someone has to do them, and while it's not the dream job or the job that makes me feel alive, they are jobs that allow me to help others live a life clean and happy. Ringing in items, checking receipts and cleaning up messy spills help in ways not many people would think they would. In the world we live in, there are plenty of moments we chose that don't make us happy. In the world we live in, our job is where we spend a good fifty percent of our waking hours. Due to this, why on earth would we settle for less than the dream or something that allows us to feel like we have a purpose? Whether you're like me and wish to write and dream, or someone who enjoys numbers and science. Choosing a job while in school should be just as fulfilling and happy. Choosing a job while in school shouldn't be tourture. So for me, anything involving the writing process or helping in regards to every day life is a job worth pursuing whilst I learn to reach for my dreams.