The world is a big place. Though we are small, our impact affects our planet as we venture into space, our galaxy, and beyond. It is important to understand our effects on our planet and the things we interact with so that we can keep living here as time goes on. It is important for humans to understand what we do affects things around us and, if the Lorax showed us anything, our actions can have great effects on our world and our society. I currently recycle and try to use low waste /zero waste items to do my part in protecting our planet. We walk to the store when we can and even walk to work when it is warm enough. Though my actions are small, if everyone did similar, it would have a great effect on our world, and in return, our universe. In another lifetime, I would have been studying astronomy, but that is not how the cookie crumbled for this lifetime. I have always been curious about what's out there and what effect we have on the universe but was never given the opportunity to express these questions. If we as humans begin to understand what it is we are affecting, we can adapt and protect the universe so that we do not cause damage that lasts past our expiration date. As I complete my degree in marketing, my goal is to promote the most eco-friendly forms of marketing and be eco-conscious of my own living. It is important that we adjust ourselves from what we have been exposed to do what is right and what we should be doing. Understanding what is out there gives us a purpose and understanding of what we should do and what we shouldn't do. Adapting to the needs of our universe and studying what is out there can maybe extend the life of humans and the life of our planet as a whole. My hope is that my actions on this earth can have an effect on the Earth and universe in a positive way. Donating to studies is another way I hope to assist the understanding of the nature of our universe as I do not have much power in exploring our universe. Knowing what our actions are doing by seeing other parts of the universe can provent us from further damaging the areas around us and protecting our home land. Though I have little effect on the Universe, I want to do my part to provent further hurting it.

My favorite Disney character is Rapunzel from the movie "Tangled". For years, I have loved this movie, its story, and its characters. Out of all the princess love stores, this one has been, by far, my favorite with Eugene and Rapunzel. They meet in a unique way and over the course of a short time, they find themselves and they find each other. It has the most real romantic feeling out of most Disney romances and with how sheltered Rapunzel was, Eugene helped her find herself. Rapunzel has a carefree adventure personality, she loves to make people happy and be free. I strive to have the same way of life as she does. Everything hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows though as she has a lot of trauma from parental figures and nearly losing Eugene, her dream. This stuck with me as a lot of Disney things have a sad background but hers a lot of kids, sadly, who can relate to and it shows happiness at the end of the tunnel. Rapunzel shows resilience and longing for freedom many of us feel today. After 18 long years of being used by her "mother", she finally gets to be free. She meets new people, finds an amazing man she ends up marrying, and has an adventure she will never forget. In the end, she finds her real parents and that she is a princess and she finds a happily ever after ending. My favorite scene is the lantern scene, it's beautiful and very romantic and we can see what Rapunzel is thinking at the moment. She finally feels like she can trust Eugene and that she is safe and happy. Overall, Rapunzel holds a spot in my heart and always will. Tangled has always been my go-to movie on sad days and I remember begging for the movie for my birthday as a kid when it first came out. Rapunzel is one of the most relatable Disney princesses and is the most non princess princess as she didn't know she was one for a long time.

Many students come from broken families. Divorce hits families all over the US regularly, but I didn't get the traditional sperated parents ordeal. My family moved from Michigan to Nebraska for my dad to find a job, a year later my mom left him, drove us back to Michigan and I rarely saw him. I understand why she left, he was a terrible spouse, but as a kid, it hurt when people would complain they didn't get to see one of their parents for a week when I got to see my dad once a year if I was lucky. My mom did move on, she met a guy, but this actually was worse. He would hit us, this abuse continued for 8 years before my mom found out and left him. Besides these things we also didn't make much money. At the age of 2, my mom had just left my dad for the first time, we lived in a car and couch hopped until she went back to him. After leaving my dad, we had to live with my aunt, my aunt was not a clean person. I would wake up to a chicken walking on the kitchen table, and defecation in the house. This stay was not long thankfully and then we moved into an apartment. A year later we moved into a house which we stayed in until it foreclosed on us. A big thing that happened to me as a kid is that I almost lost my little brother. I was 7 and he was 3 and he got pneumonia that progressed and caused a collapsed lung. He was lucky to be alive and was in the hospital for 10 days, it was over my 8th birthday. I didn't see any family that day at all, not even my mom. I learned that life isn't fair and that it's important to not take for granted what you have. This all shaped me to know my worth. To know that just because you love someone doesn't mean you have to stay. Watching my mom's heart break for these terrible people hurt me. The sad thing is it didn't stop, she welcomed people with open arms and they scammed here. So much so she was in serious debt because someone took her card and she couldn't prove it. I now do not trust as easy, I do not open up as easy but I still care. I know that what happened in the past has made me stronger, though it wasn't good, it happened and I have had to move past it. I work hard to stay positive, a lot of bad things do happen to me, but they happen to everyone. I keep pushing forward, I keep trying to be the best me I can be. I know there is someone out there struggling and my issues are small in comparison. I keep a positive outlook and push through whatever comes my way each and every day. My dream is to be happy. To find a place in this world that feels so distant. Happiness is a great medicine, if you are stressed, your health can take a toll, being happy and understanding things are out of your ability to change can help you. I want to graduate college, create a career I enjoy and live a long, healthy life with my husband and maybe start a family. Keeping a positive outlook is a great way to solve problems that you can't control. I want to know true joy and happiness and love, I want to gain knowledge through my education and create a life for my husband and I that we can retire and be happy at the end of our years.

Knowledge is one of the most important things you can gain in this lifetime. Money and tangible items come and go but knowledge stays. To me, having knowledge will not only give me a successful life, but an enjoyable one too. Growing up I was always told to not go to college, that it is a waste of money, you wont use your degree and things of that sort. I am not going to get a higher education for anyone or anything other than myself. Even if I do not use it, I will feel accomplished and have a form of knowledge I can use in life. Many people do not have any education past high school, some do not even have a high school diploma and that doesn't make them any less if a person but for me, I want to gain knowledge to help others. I would rather regret going than regret not trying at all. I worked hard and graduated High school as year early, paid for college out of pocket to avoid loans by going to a community college and now I have transferred to a university, I want to continue to gain the knowledge I wouldn't be able to achieve alone. Not everyone gets the chance to go to university or college and I do not want to take for granted the opportunity I have been given thanks to financial aid and the ability to save money. This all didn't come easy and a lot of the aid is thanks to situations that happened when I was younger. Being a substitute teacher, I will see students trying their best to reach where I am at and thanks to a higher education, I am able to help them reach a little more. A higher education is something I always saw as out of reach due to financial situations and i am so thankful to be where I am, two years away from my bachelors degree. I hope someday soon I will reach that level of higher education I have always longed for and be able to help students in every way I can by motivating them to reach just as I had. It isn't easy but Knowledge is a great thing to have and I want anyone who is able to and wants to, to be able to reach for it and achieve it as well. Knowledge is a gift only you can achieve, it isn't handed out, I cannot wait to reach it and continue to.

In February I drove 4,000 miles from Michigan through Canada to Alaska alone with my two cats. At 18, I packed up my life to go live with my husband who is stationed in Alaska, I drove 12-hour days with two cats, was scammed, had car problems and more car problems but I made it to Alaska in 5 days. This adventure starts on Friday, February 25th, at 5am, I set off with my cats in the middle of a snow storm. three hours in my speed sensor broke. Not knowing what it was I thought a tire was falling off as two weeks prior a tire fell off and the same dash lights came on but I had to keep going. I got to Nebraska, after driving 13 hours and my dad took over, drove me 10 hours as far as he could to the border where I dropped him off and started back onto my drive, crossing the border and entering Canada. My issue arose in Fort Nelson, I woke up got my car packed and it didn't start. After an hour or two, two men were able to get it started. I get to White horse and the next day same issue, this time I was scammed out of $140 for some loose wires. Turns out I have a wiring issue to the starter that needs to be replaced. This trip had me gripping the steering wheel the whole time terrified to turn off my vehicle even for gas in fear my car wouldn't start. I made it to Alaska Monday, March 1st, and got to see my husband for the first time in four months. This trip taught me to never give up on my goals even if it's scary as you only live once.

Dogs are always there when you need them. Growing up we always had a dog, Bubba, and Storm were our first two dogs, we had bubba until he passed when I was 2.5 years old. I was strongly bonded to bubba, he would wake me up to go outside in the morning, follow me around, and always had to be near me. He scratched my forehead on accident when I was little and I still have the scare, it reminds me of him. I used to wear his tags in a necklace as a kid to carry him around, even after he passed he was still with me. Storm was feisty, she got her name because almost as soon as my mom got her, she got out. There was a huge storm and a day or so later she reappeared, surviving the storm even though she was a 5lb yorkie chihuahua mix, getting her name, storm. She was older than me, we moved from Michigan to Nebraska and back with her but when we moved back the apartment we had didn't allow pets so my mom had her at my grandma's house. Sadly, my grandma's door got open somehow when she was showering and storm got out and was hit. It devastated the family, we had finally gotten a house and were getting her soon to live with us. Some time passes and we get Bones, bones lived with us for five years, he was essentially my dog, he slept with me, was always near me, never left my side. Sadly, my brother scared him after I had yelled at him and he yelled back and got in Bones face and he bit my brother. Out of fear, my family rehomed him. This broke my heart, bones was more my pet than anyone else and to this day I miss him. We also fostered dogs we found on the street twice until we found their owners, we had Beauty(shadow was her actual name) she was a golden lab, she loved me. Then we had mister brown, he was an unfixed male dog who loved everyone. We eventually found the owners and returned them. Shortly after all this we got Blade, he was a black lab. Blade was great, he would sing with me, had such a personality. It was all fine until he bit my brother twice due to my brother being young and pulling his tail. my mom chose to rehome him, devastating me. We went a year without a dog at this point until I found Bella. She was a 6 month pure bred Siberian husky. After a 2 hour drive and a $200 rehoming fee, we brought her home. Bella has been amazing, she has taught me love and I wish I could have taken her to Alaska when I moved, she would love it. Now, why do I love dogs? As you read, I have had my fair share of dogs, not mentioned was my aunt's dog who had clawed my arm and to this day left the most noticeable scar, that even 13 years there is still a scar, I should be scared of them. I'm not though, dogs are only as good as their past and how they were raised, all of our pets were adopted from dark pasts. Dogs have shown me the purest kindness you can find, they know nothing but love for their families and they have helped me grow so much as a person. I am so thankful for every dog that I have come across in my life.

Knowledge is something that can't be bought, it can cost money to achieve it but you wont truly have knowledge or an education without actually trying and learning. I have noticed though, even with knowledge, it doesn't make people great. The recent actions of our government, people with educations and knowledge, have proven that knowledge really means nothing if you are close minded. The world is set up to only be successful for the rich and educated folks, but for those who struggle financially, doors that are open for others need pried open for us. In 2020, I was accepted to a private university in Meadville PA and awarded a scholarship of $130K but even with that, I needed $19k a semester. I was still going to try, take loans, all of that, but then Covid hit, I was one week from my road test to get my license, due to this, I no longer had a way to the college as I couldn't drive, and my parents made me quit my job in fear of covid. I now lost any chance of going to this university due to financial reasons and location, that door of my life closed. But I didn't give up, I went on to a community college, got my associates degree and am now going to the university of Michigan, working hard to not have to get a loan, as I have learned it is one of the worst things you can do for yourself in your quest for knowledge and an education. I have seen that the more education you have, the better life will work out for you, but also that education is what is keeping us safe now. Thanks to people with an education, we have cures, vaccines, medication, and inventions. All around the world, people are getting an education and helping grow our world knowledge and creating a better place for everyone. Overall, my world view due to education isn't high, as anyone can go get an education with the right amount of money and enough drive to actually learn but it doesn't mean they will use what they know for good or to help anyone other than themselves. So many people are in a situation where they can't support themselves financially enough to attend college and get an education without going into tremendous debt. Education should be free or a lot more affordable for those who want it, it shouldn't be out of reach for low income people.

Why have a favorite book when you can have a favorite series? My favorite book series for years has been "The House Of Night" by PC cast and Kristian Cast. a twelve-book series followed by several side books telling individual stories of the professors plus "The Other World" series which is just a continuum of the original series but instead follows the main characters brother, Kevin, in a different world as well as the main character, Zoey Redbird as the door between worlds opens. But all this won't make sense without reading the first twelve books. We meet Zoey, A high school student who is worrying about a math test and goes to get her textbook but stumbles into an empty hallway where a tracker marks her to be a fledgling, which is what they are called before they make the change in the next four years and become a vampyre. Sadly, Zoey's parents are completely against it, as if she had a choice in being marked, and forbid her from going. This would be a death sentence because fledglings who aren't around vampyres will die. She leaves home and goes to her grandma's where she passes out from not being around vampyres and meets the Goddess Nyx, who tells her she will be Nyx's eyes and ears on the Earth. Zoey wakes up at the house of night and we meet Neferet, the high priestess (principal). Over the next few years or so, Zoey meets and loses friends, there is death, love, and magic at every corner of this book. Not only will you cry happy tears but sad tears as well. You will learn to love, always love, and that there is more to see than what meets the eye in this small town of Tulsa.

Growing up I watched my mom struggle, she was the one with the degree, why was my dad doing better without one? There were days we didn't eat, we even lived in a car for a short period of time but she always tried her best. She struggled while my dad lived in a different state, didn't pay child support, and rarely saw us. He worked in a factory making more than she did, she worked in a child services office and was being scammed by the owner. I watched her try so hard and work hard to get to where she is now in a different company making over $64k a year, which I am happy for her but this recent promotion happened this year, and I am happy my younger brothers get a life a bit better financially off than when I was living with her. My mom always told me how important it was to get an education, encouraged me to do the best I could, get straight As, do sports, be in honors courses. This wasn't as easy as it seemed though as I grew up two full grade levels behind in reading and spelling. I remember in third grade feeling so embarrassed that I couldn't read well, we had silent reading for half an hour a day and I would read nursery books "Do your ears hang low" and a sign language book as there was little reading in both. I once had to read with another student who was reading a Michigan Chillers chapter book and I couldn't keep up, I would still be on the first page and he would be ready to flip pages. This only made me want to try harder, seeing as I had trouble with words, I excelled in numbers. I loved math, my favorite being long division. Had I had a different fourth grade teacher I wouldn't be where I am, somehow I jumped two grade levels ahead in my reading halfway through fourth grade, going four full grade levels up in reading, I was still behind in spelling which, looking back is more than likely dyslexia but I was never diagnosed so I do not claim to have it. This teacher pushed me to be the best me I can be, she was also the deciding factor on what university to go to when I transferred. Education to me is a way to be successful but also a way to be enriched in life. knowledge is something you can't buy, it takes work, sadly, you do have to pay for college, it would be nice if it wasn't that way but it is. I worked hard throughout high school, saving up and paying two of my years of college without loans, thanks to assistance it wasn't high but it still was between $500 and $1k a semester. Education is something I have seen fail my mother, something that my father lacked yet still had a better life than us, something I saw as unfair and unneeded. Yet here I am, attending a university for business, why? Because the only way to change how I feel is to go, is to gain the knowledge I struggled for years to achieve in school, the one thing that seemed so unfair. Knowledge is something not everyone gets the chance to have and I am so grateful I have the chance. I am now 19, I graduated high school a year early, married, and moved to Alaska, a lot has changed. But knowledge never changes, it grows and expands.

Growing up, I only had my mom. She left my dad when I was only 6 and raised me from then on. She worked long hours to support my brother and me, she made sure we had a life she didn't have. My mom has always been my rock, she holds me down and has always supported me in everything I have done. From deciding to do my last bit of high school online allowing me to graduate a year early, to deciding to get married at 18, she has supported me in it all. By her allowing me to do school online, I graduated a year early with a 3.82 GPA, attended a community college, and received my associate's degree in Business Administration with a GPA of 3.61 and high honors and I am now attending University, set to graduate in two years with a bachelor's degree in Finance. Today, she supports me from a distance as I just moved 4,000 miles to be with my husband. She has pushed me to be the best person I can be, allowing me the freedom I wanted and needed to grow. She has been the one supporting me when others doubted me. Without my mother, I would have turned out very different and probably wouldn't be here where I am now. She has shown me kindness and love, giving me the space to try new things and grow into my own person rather than the person she wanted me to be. She always is here, ready to give me advice, accepting whatever I choose. Just recently when I told her I wanted to continue my education past just an associate's degree she was all for it. Normally she is against the idea because she never uses her degree, but she supports my choices and has always been that way. Without my mom's guidance, I wouldn't have gone down the path I am. She has shown me how exciting math is and how helping others is an important thing to do because you never know their story. My mom has helped me find jobs, helped support me financially as well as helped me grow into the woman I am today. I don't know if I would have made the same choices had I not had her, I don't even know if I would have gone to college, but thanks to her, I am here, going to a new university, studying finance and halfway done with my educational career. My mom has been my biggest supporter and my guild in life.

I have always had pets, my first pet died when I was only 2 1/2 due to health issues and getting overly stressed. This was the first memory I had as it was very traumatic to me at such a young age. The first pet that was specifically mine was a cat. We found this small, baby kitten, alone in the bushes in front of my house, he was alone and cold. I was only 5 but took him in and named him butterscotch. Butterscotch lived with us and our small yoriki chihuahua for just a year before my mom left my dad and moved away and shortly after my dad left my baby cat, alone, outside and moved away. When I heard the news I was devastated. I was not allowed to bring my cat with us on our move and my dad abandoned him. That is when I began to research pets, learning all I could about cats. A few years went by and I got three more kittens in 2017. These kittens, two male and one female, were born of the same litter. All were fixed and up to date on shots and I loved them greatly. Sadly, my mom had friends over who had little boys who ran through the house, stepping on the girl. No one was punished for it and it was denied. I lost my kitten because of kids not being properly taught how to act around small animals. In her last moments, she had a seizure and died on the way to the animal hospital. That is when I vowed to my two cats that I would take care of them as the cause of a lot of animal deaths are due to ignorance. I nearly lost another cat due to a wax melter, I didn't think he would get near it and because of my own negligence, he dipped his tail in it and had to have half of his tail amputated, I never forgave myself for it. Today, I make sure to look into things like flowers, different types of food, and anything that is left out or burned to inure that my cats are safe and nothing will happen to them. Something so many people do is declaw cats. This practice is one of the cruelest forms of animal altering there is. Not only does it remove their only form of protection if they somehow get out, it can cause lifelong pain, arthritis, and other issues. People also dock tails on dogs so that they don't knock things over so that they look how others of the same breed look and for aesthetic purposes. this to me is sickening, unless it is medically necessary, why do it? Animals are not toys, they cannot speak for themselves. They have lives and feelings just as we do. I think it is sick and twisted some of the things people do to other animals just because they are stronger and more advanced than the animal. When it comes to pets, we are all they know and trust and we should give them the best life we can, they are only here for a blink of our lives and deserve a lifetime of love. I feel everyone who adopts or owns a pet needs to go through a training course to protect everyone involved. I advocate for animals as they cannot advocate for themselves. We are all these animals have and we need to do our best to learn and protect them.

I was told to not try. I didn't have family backing me up, cheering me on, wanting me to continue my education. In fact, my family did the exact opposite. My mom graduated with a bachelor's degree while raising me while my dad dropped out during the first semester. My mom makes less than my dad and doesn't use her degree. She told me not to go, it's a waste of money, it's useless, my dad told me to move to his state and work at the factory he works at. My parents separated when I was 6, uprooted from Michigan to Nebraska at 4, and back to Michigan at 6 after kindergarten. Sadly, this wasn't the first time my mom left my dad, but it was the last. When I was 2 or so, my mom left my dad and we lived out of a car, couch hopping occasionally, homeless for a short period before she went back to him, she had no choice. I started my education at a disadvantage, with no father in my life, and a disrupted life, we moved back to Michigan. My mom didn't have money so we moved in with my aunt, I went to 1st grade in a new city and state. I only got a few months in, maybe two, before we moved to a city 3 hours away, where I went to another 1st grade again, making it my second move in 5 months, my third school in 6. Here we lived until I finished the year, then, again, uprooted and moved an hour away into my mother's boyfriend's house, where we lived for another 3 or so years, another new school. This story doesn't end here. My mom worked long hours, she was the only one, in a house full of 3 other adults, my mom's boyfriend, his friend, and his mother, she fully supported them and 5 children. this didn't last and soon she couldn't afford to pay for it, we lost the house to foreclosure and moved once again, thankfully we still lived close enough to my school so I didn't switch schools. Just three short years later, my mom had her third child and we moved again, I am now in my 5th school, entering into a new one in grade 7. Finally, my last school was 10-12th grade which I finished in two years instead of three, online. Thankfully this is my last move, but not the end of my story. This part is hard to speak on but I had to overcome hardships at home, my moms now ex was not very kind to us and often would hit and yell at us. I put myself into school dreading the end of it, afraid to go home. My mom was unaware as she was at work all day and he was home. Once she found out, I was in 7th or 8th grade, she left him, and I was finally free from that after years. These hardships made education hard for me, I was also dyslexic and it went undiagnosed, I was behind 2-grade levels in reading and spelling until the end of 4th grade. This made it exceptionally more difficult to keep up in all aspects of school. Though I did get much better at reading, spelling is still something I struggle with. Because of these being things I struggled with, I was surprisingly good at math, which is what I excelled in and chose to major in. I will be studying finance or accounting this fall, expanding my knowledge on the topic of math. I love math and business and plan to open up a business of some sort using what I learned in my associate's degree in business administration as well as what I learn in the next two years to better prepare me. I want to show others that even with the hardships, anything is possible. After getting married this summer, I learned that even with such a hard life, you can grow and change for the better. I want to work hard so that I can create a life for my family and myself . Something that we can grow with and be stable in and hopefully something I can pass on to my children. I want to become stronger and someone my family can rely on and look to when they are in need. My goal is to open something involving books, an antique shop possibly, something that reduces waste and shows others things from the past and different cultures. I am willing to devote my life to creating a better life for my family, my husband also had a rough childhood, moving around often. I want to create something he will be proud of. Even with the drastic change that just happened, as I just moved 4,000 miles alone, driving through Canada, I want to achieve my goals no matter the circumstances, no matter what stands in my way. Life doesn't stop for anyone, it is full of unpredictable changes that can be good or bad and your life is what you make it out to be, I will make the most of mine.

My mom is my rock, she has always been there for me, even when she physically couldn't be. As a kid, my parents separated when I was 6, one living in Nebraska while my mom moved us back to Michigan where we lived. For most of that she was single, being the bread winner, the only income. My mom tried hard to give us the best life she could for us, she worked day in night, often so late that I would spend most the night with the daycare or babysitter until well after midnight. She would work so hard to do her best for us, giving up food and sleep so that we could eat. We even were homeless for a second but she never showed me and made it seem like an adventure as we slept in the car. This whole experience has made me stronger. Yes, I wish I had been able to spend more time with my mom, I wish she hadn't had to work so much and wasn't gone so often but because of her sacrifice, I was raised in a safe home, with food and clothes. Having just her I have been able to watch her grow and find herself, to see her blossom and become her own person, not controlled by the things she has been through. My mom also went through college and worked full time too while raising me. This showed me that hard work pays off and today she is being moved up in her company. Thanks to her hard work, I have a high value for my education, working hard to get my associates and now I am going for my bachelors degree. I apricate hard work, I understand that if I want something, I must work hard to achieve it myself, things don't just get handed out. She inspires me to be the best me I can be and that no matter the situation, I can thrive if I try hard enough. She sacrificed so much for my brother and I so that we wouldn't hurt while she held the world around us. Often times, people are raised in split families, they often live at broth parents homes, in my situation i barely saw my father growing up, thanks to my mom, I realize she is all I needed, she was my parents, she was my protector. I hope that someday I can be as strong as my mother.

I didn't go to church growing up. I wasn't raised in church or really around religious stuff until 5th grade. This is when I found God and myself. I began going to church with a friend from school, she is the pastors daughter. Thanks to her, I discovered a love for God and the amazing grace of his presence. From then on I slowly began to find my place with God and received the Holy Ghost in 2015. I began to identify as Apostolic Pentecostal and have since. In life, God has guided me and kept me safe in so many situations in which I believed there would be no way out. From the age of 6 to the age of 13 my mom was with an abusive man, she did not know he was. At 10 I discovered God and he protected me and was my safe haven from the situation. Again, God was there for me when I nearly fell out of a roller-coaster when my seatbelt, the only thing holding me in as the bar was far too lose, came undone right before the drop, I was buckled and protected the rest of the ride. I want to create something that teaches others about God and allows them to chose their own believes. I want a career that makes someone feel what I felt at 12, alone, in church begging God to tell me how to save my uncle and actually feeling Gods presence, the compelling need to contact my uncle and get him in to church. I want everyone to feel how light and joyous it feels to be in Gods presence and I want to do it for a living which is why I am going for a degree in business. God has done so much in my life, he has shown me kindness and love and have blessed me greatly and for that I will always give him praise. I want to potentially go on missions in the future and do missionary traveling to other countries to spread his word through programs available and help others know his love. I know that whatever I do in life, God is there for me and is watching over and protecting me. I know that he is all knowing and I trust him in every aspect in my life. Not only has he saved me but he has guided me and given me an amazing husband and the ability to move to Alaska and explore. I thank God every day for the little things and pray that he works through me so that others can see him in me.

Life is an adventure waiting to be explored, one step at a time. My name is Trinity Chatley, I am 19, newly married, just moved to Alaska from Michigan. I drove 4,000 miles over 5 days alone with two cats to get here and would do it all over again. I recently finished my associates degree and am working to continue my education. I grew up moving from upper Michigan, to Nebraska and then back to Michigan where we settled in Flint area. I strived to fit in in a place where I moved so much that I didn't have childhood friends. I got involved in church and helped my community where I could which ultimately decided my degree and what I wanted to do in this world to help those around me. Having a divorced split family, I was an odd ball, my father lived in Nebraska while my mom was in Michigan. I was often alone and we struggled to afford things, we lost our home and had to move deeper into Flint which ended up being a blessing in disguise. Had we not, I would have been very different and not studying what I am now. I am a business major, I went for my associates at a community college for business admin and I am now transferring for either finance or accounting as those are topics that greatly interest me. I choose my area of study as I found myself surrounded my family who was in debt and struggling my whole life. I grew up in Flint Michigan, surrounded by people barely getting by and struggling. Many of my friends, including my own family, struggled to keep food on the table and the lights on. We then all went through the water crisis together and many were poisoned by led in their water. I want to be able to help those around me by teaching others financial opportunities and how to open a business. I want to make a difference in my community and help others become financially stable. As mentioned, I did just move to Alaska but only as my husband is stationed here via the Army and it is a short term stay until we move back home. To me, home is where I grew up, I was very active in my church, I would help those around my community and what I saw the most is that many families didn't understand finances and didn't know what options are there for them. I want to help the families I grew up around learn how to become stable and secure in life to support themselves and their families.

My whole life I was told NOT to go to college. That it was useless, that my dad made more than my mom and my mom had a bachelors degree and my dad didn't even finish a semester. I saw my mom struggling to afford to feed her three kids and keep the lights on while my dad had no debt and was drinking and out at bars. This is the life of a separated family, constantly seeing two very different people who compared each other. Despite seeing all the cons and things going against me, my proudest and greatest achievement to date is getting an associates degree and living my life my way. I grew up in a broken family, my parents lived in different sates, one with and education one without, hearing the bad of both. I am so proud of myself that against everything said and seen, I not only graduated, I am going for my bachelors degree, I am now married and I moved myself to Alaska, driving 4,000 miles alone through Canada with two cats. These things have shown me that I am strong and independent and that I am more than what meets the eye. Just because it was one way with my parents, it doesn't have to be that way for me. I have discovered that I am resilient. I do not give up. This year was hard for me. I not only had a wedding and honeymoon in the middle of the school year, I also moved states and drove across the continent all while attending college. I was going to be finished, not continue my education and be done with my associates when I remembered how this was a dream of mine, I have always dreamed of finishing college, of going on to higher things and being the best me I could be. No matter what stands in my way, I plan to use what I have gone through to better me and to finish my education and be successful. In the future I hope to achieve my bachelors degree, have children and have a well paying, stable career in which I can support my family and our lifestyle without worrying how I will afford groceries. I hope to better help others and be there for my family. I strive to be the best person I can be and hope to achieve greatness in my lifetime and to do good in the world. I strive to be different, and I plan to achieve it.

I care about others greatly, I always have. As a kid, I would go out of my way to ask people if they were ok, try to make them happy and do whatever I could to bring joy to people around me. This continued into my adulthood where I would give homeless people change, cans, anything I can that can get them something to go off of. This behavior comes from my mom doing the same my whole life. I was taught to treat others with kindness and always do what I can even if I don't have much to give. On my wedding day, I stopped allowed someone to borrow my phone to call someone for a ride on the way to my honeymoon. Yes, this can be inconvenient to some but I find joy in helping others. This quality makes me, even with everything I have been through, kindness and generosity is something I will always have. For my 18th birthday I took a trip to LA with my mother which was the first ever vacation I had ever been on. This trip I noticed so many homeless people and it hurt me greatly. We stumbled upon someone passed out on Hollywood boulevard and panicked, called 9-1-1 and stayed with him. Had we not backed up a little we would have been in danger as he then had a seizure and was very obviously not doing well and under the influence of something. He then attacked someone once the ambulance arrived and I realized that I did him a favor by saving him but I put myself and my mother in danger. This taught me to be more cautious but not to stop being kind and caring. Had I not called for help, he could have hurt others or himself worse than he had once they arrived, little kids were walking past him while this was going on. These things have shown me that kindness doesn't go unnoticed. Just because nothing is given to you doesn't mean to not be kind. Making others happy makes me feel great. I will go out of my way to help someone by holding a door, offering my services and advice, really anything I can as you never know what people have gone through or will go through. I treat others how I want to be treated, I know that it has made me a better person by being kind to others and helping them out. It has shown me that most people are kind and life is more enjoyable if you treat others with kindness.

Have you ever seen the Northern rocky mountains in Canada in the winter, covered in snow? Or the lakes surrounding Michigan that are so great? Or even the mountains and rivers of Pennsylvania? I grew up in the great state of Michigan, seeing the beautiful lakes regularly, swimming, boating, tubing and camping in the area. Surrounded by the beauty of nature on each side, Michigan left such a big impact on me, but not in the same way Pennsylvania has. After a trip to Franklin Pennsylvania for my honeymoon, I have fallen in love with the area. The gorgeous cliff sides, the excitement of kayaking down the rivers and even camping on an island. I fell in love with it and my husband grew up in that environment which is why we have chosen to put our roots there, but even this doesn't compare to Canada. In February of this year, 2022, I did a 4,000 mile, 5 day trip alone with my two cats from my beautiful home, Michigan, to my now home, Alaska. On this trip, I got to drive through and up mountains, next to valleys and lakes, and I got to see animals in their natural habitat. The side of the cliff on one side and the valley on the other, nothing compares to the beauty. Today, I get to see mountains just a 20 minute drive in Alaska, I can camp regularly and I get to to see nature as it is in its raw state. Animals are often spotted, especially moose who love our back yard and the winter we get to experience the Northern lights. Nature has always been around me and I have never been without, I don't think I could find the peace I have without it today.

Growing up, reading and spelling were a struggle. However, math came easy. I found an enjoyment in math. Starting in second grade, my love for addition, then fourth, my love for division, how I loved long division. I was part of a group in 4th grade called the 3 musketeers. The kids that were part of the three musketeers were the top three preforming students in math in our grade and class. I loved long division and found it very enjoyable to take such a big number and bring it down to a little one. To see how it fit that many into it, it was very interesting and exciting. From then on, I worked hard to stay good at math and was in advanced math classes all through out middle school and high school. I loved figuring out the problems, memorizing the rules and the satisfaction that came with getting it right and figuring it out. I loved how systematic it was, there was no surprises, it was set and stone. My degree was decided from then on. I am now pursuing a degree in accounting, the best of business and math. I absolutely enjoy both and wanted something that would use math, but also use business. I can grow in this and advance in it. I love that math is consistent, what it was yesterday it will be today, and tomorrow, and the day after that. It is stable, it will always need to be used and it is beautiful. We can take a complex problem, watch as it flows into a solution that we never believed could have come from it. It feels almost like an art in a way. I am excited to use math daily in my work as an accountant, helping others understand math. Math is so important in the world. It is all around us, everything is made up of math, something that was built, used math, our food used math, even our bodies. Something like cooking, we use math to cook as we measure things. we use math to build tables, desks, couches, homes. Math is such a big deal in everyone's life yet very few realize it. Without math, we wouldn't have a lot of what we have today. Math makes up our world, everyone uses math daily, to pay for things, to count, even to park, its like a math equation.

Distance. The biggest thing I have overcome is the distance. My husband got stationed in Alaska before we got married and by the time we got married I had to drive 4,000 miles to be with him, all while in school. This drive was from Michigan to Alaska, through Canada, across the continent alone with two cats. Yes, alone, I did this drive completely alone, over five days. I had to get ahead in school work and even do an assignment when I was in Canada. Over these five days, I drove to Nebraska, 13 hours of driving, then my dad drove me 10 hours from there to the airport nearest to Canada. From then on, I drove in 11-13 hour days with two cats. The first day we were in a car for 35 hours straight besides an hour or so stop in Nebraska where we all, including the cats, stretched our legs. On this trip I hit some bumps and had issues. Because of my vehicle being old, there is corrosion on a wire that causes it not to start all the time. I was stranded in Canada, not once, but twice and was scammed out of $140 as a mechanic got my car to start and said that was the cost and I couldn't argue. Sadly, these issues weren't even the beginning of my issues on this trip. Back on the first day, the very first 3 hours my cars speed sensor went out and I was terrified it was my tire following off as just a month before this trip it had. Besides all these issues, I had to be able to pack my whole life in a car, move across country with two cats, alone. I was only 18 at the time, I am 19 now, this was a few months ago. The biggest struggle was trying to get ahead in school, pack, and spend time with my family before I moved on my own for the first time. This story doesn't end with me reaching my husband in Alaska. I do reach him the fifth day, but its short lived. After being married seven months, being away from him for four months and finally being with him, he gets a last minute push into a field detail, a week after I had gotten to Alaska. Once again, I was alone in a different state, 4,000 miles from anyone I knew with no working car and my husband wasn't allowed to have his phone. I was not yet finished with the semester so I stayed busy with my schoolwork, which proved harder than it should have. I had a lot of assignments that needed me to explain what I did over spring break, specifying that i cannot say I just stayed in but in reality I had just stayed in. I also had a project that required a demonstration but I didn't have material to do one since I was living in a hotel at the time. Thankfully, 2 1/2 weeks went by, we moved into our house, I finished my associates degree and I am onto my next challenge as a spouse, finding a job in a new state and attending a new college for my bachelors degree this fall.

I wake up every day from a nightmare and go to sleep sad. Mental health is a big part of my life. I am in a constant battle I wonder if I will lose to. All this, and I don't give up, I wont. I have used my mental health to keep myself going forward. Even with how difficult it is, I try hard to make myself better. I do this so my husband and cats will have a life they deserve. So that once I have kids, they will be raised in a safe, stable environment because that is one of the reasons for my own mental health problems. I want to be able to build myself and be able to protect my family from things that fly at us and not be crushed under my own problems. Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and autism are very common in my family, I see so many of the people closest to me struggle with it. I see them loose a battle they never should have had to fight. A battle with themselves and no one else. It is not fair that so many people struggle and there isn't much there for people who need help. My mental health has definitely put a strain on relationships in the past, which is another reason I work so hard. I try so hard so that no one has to deal with how bad it can get, so that no one, including myself, has to regret what they said or did. Being with someone who has similar mental health problems as you makes a relationship hard sometimes. We have to work harder together to better each other and to make sure we are happy and safe. A big thing we both came from is poverty. Neither of us had a stable household, I was even homeless as a kid for a second. These situations have definitely contributed to our mental health and put us to where we are now, trying hard to be stable, to have a career that will support our family, keep a roof over our head and food on our plates, so that one day, if we have kids, they will not know of the same struggles we went through. My mental health has made me think of others differently, I do not know what they are going through and what they might be struggling with daily. I always think before I speak, and give others the benefit of the doubt because everyone deserves it. All of this and more have caused me to work hard and do my best to get a career in accounting and be the best I can be for my family so that the future generations of my family are safe and happy, so that none of them have to go through what my husband and I have gone through. I work hard to prove that I am more than my mental health, I am more than a diagnosis, I am more.

Does anyone know what the meaning of life truly is? Often times we are told it is to get an education, go to work, raise a family and inevitably die. I find that the meaning of life truly doesn't have a meaning. We do not know if there is an after life, we do not know anything really about death, so why live a life that leaves us unsatisfied? Since we will die either way, I believe the meaning of it is to live it how you want. Not under anyone's personal opinion, not following what is told to us. I want to live every day like its my last, I want to go to sleep smiling thinking of all the things I did and how happy I am just in that very moment. How full and satisfied I am with my life and my choices in it. I want a life that is rich, full of laughter and excitement. A life that changes often and isn't the same day to day. A life where I am surrounded by those who love me, doing what I love and being happy. That is the meaning of life. Happiness. In the end, life is what we make of it and living inside a box created by someone else is not how we are supposed to live, so live it how you want to live it.

The greatest thing you can give is selflessness. People will remember you for it and you will be liked and feel good about it. I want to ensure everyone is happy and will put others above me, helping them succeed in life. I always offer help even when I don't have much to give because you never know what someone else is truly going through and you might be the only person who has been nice to them in a very long time. People are social creatures, not only will it make the person you are helping feel good, you will feel good as well. I want to make the most of life and make the biggest difference I can, even if its small. If others see you being selfless, they might follow suit, and the person you helped will feel better and might help others when they have the ability to as well.

In this moment, I am in one of the most beautiful states in our country, getting to experience something many people haven't, with my husband and two cats. We just finished dinner, are both working on things in our home enjoying each others company. Tomorrow I will be out exploring Alaska, the state we live in, next year I will be driving through Canada again, as I did in February and will be on to a new adventure in a different state. These things, small, yet so impactful, let me appreciate life for what it is. Things only happen once, we often regret what we didn't do and look back at what we did. I have learned a lot since moving to Alaska, especially on having gratitude for what you have. I get to wake up to the sun being up all day, stay up late into the night as the sun doesn't go down. In the winter I get to feel the glorious cold, see the beautiful snow trickle out of the sky like falling stars. I wake up every day grateful that I am alive, that I get to live here and experience things many people haven't. Had I not been given the life I have, I wouldn't be able to live in Alaska. Had I not lived in Alaska, I wouldn't have gotten to see the moose outside my window in my back yard just days ago eating our grass. Life isn't easy, but I am grateful for everything I have, even the small things. I have a house in a beautiful state, with my amazing husband and our two cats. I get to continue my education and explore this gorgeous state with my family.

My dreams are simple in a way. I want to be happy and be able to have a secure income so that all our needs are met without struggle. I am attending college this fall for a bachelors degree in accounting and will follow that up with the CPA test and work from there. I want a job that makes good money, is secure and enjoyable and that I can make a difference doing. My dream career would be able to work a comfortable schedule, getting off before 5pm so that I can spend time with family and have a good life/work balance. Many people work to come home to work and sleep. They miss out on family and life events to work and keep working until they can't. I want a career that allows me to take breaks to go on family vacations and to be happy and not stressed as so many jobs are stressful.

My goals for the future are both short term and long term. To start, I plan to get an intern position this summer if I can, if not, a job that pays well to begin saving for the fall semester as I just moved to Alaska. A goal for me is to have a job by middle of June that pays $17 or more. Another goal for me is to save enough to either afford a new car or afford to fix my current one. This goal, though not career oriented, is needed to get to and from work. My long term goal is achieve my bachelors degree in accounting in the next two or three years. Another goal following this is to keep my GPA a 3.5 or higher and graduate with Honors. Finally, my goal after all that, is to pass the CPA test and get a job working as an accountant. I plan to achieve these goals by giving everything my best and ensuring I don't lose track of what is important to me and my future.

I began life as a normal baby would, happy, in a loving family. Around the age of 4 my parents had my brother who I practically raised from birth, I loved him so much. I then got up rooted a few months later and moved out of state where I attended kindergarten. I was placed in a special Ed class but later was removed as they had no reason to put me in there other than being shy, no diagnosis, nothing. This caused me to fall behind and put me behind for years to come. I struggled with reading and spelling until 4th grade in which suddenly I could read great, spelling didn't change much. At this point, I had moved back to my home state, my parents had separated, I lived at my aunts, an apartment and my moms boyfriends house and was moving again to a different house. This was my fourth school and would stay that way until I moved yet again in 6th grade and this time switched districts. I had some things happen to me that made me very antisocial as a kid, afraid of people. Another school, I was isolated since most kids found their clicks and it got to the point that in 9th grade, I decided to switch to an online high school and ended up finishing high school two years later, one year early. I discovered I enjoy math and reading and went with that. I went to college and got my associates degree in business admin and here I am today, going for my bachelors degree in accounting at 19, married, with two cats living in Alaska. I drove 4,000 miles here and have put my rough past behind me but it definitely shaped me. I have never been happier.

The thing that fuels me the most in life is my family. My husband and cats are my everything and I know if I gave up, not only would I be hurt, but so would they. They need me to try my best and do what is best for all of them. Getting my education will not only make us financially secure but also give me more of a purpose than a house wife. Getting my education is one of my biggest goals. That, as well as creating a career for myself that I will feel satisfied and happy going to every day. That cannot happen without the other and the need to do that fuels me every day. It will create a stable income that will support my family, especially when we decide to expand it and have children. Knowing that this will benefit us for years to come, I am trying my hardest for them and for myself.

I used to be scared. Fear is one thing that keeps you quiet, keeps you from letting others know what you are thinking and feeling. Being silent prevents you from moving forward, it gives someone else the opportunity you wanted. Not speaking your mind holds you back. Because of this, I am working hard to ensure I always speak my mind when it is appropriate, and sometimes even if it is not because if you don't try, you can't succeed. I would often just go with the flow, if someone wanted this or that for a project or for even just dinner, I would go with it, but I discovered I was greatly unsatisfied with life. Keeping it to yourself only hurts you and holds you back. To ensure I never fall back into old habits, I think about both outcomes before speaking, if I speak my mind versus if I don't, almost always, I am more happy with speaking my mind.

One of my talents is knitting. I knit often to insure that I do not forget how to and to keep my skills growing. Knitting is something I find peaceful and I actually plan to create a business off of it by spinning my own yarn and knitting it myself. Knitting is like an art, it isn't particularly difficult but it isn't easy either. I often have to stop due to hand cramps and have found that by watching a movie while knitting, it goes by much easier. I will knit different forms to get better all around and expand my knowledge of it as it is something that I once forgot how to do. By practicing different forms, I can grow and create more complex pieces of art that I will enjoy and can also give to others to enjoy as well. Knitting is definitely one of my talents that I hope I can one day share with the world.

I do my best to be the best for others. I always tell people to go for it and to try their best because the best is all you have. If they go for it and fail, at least they tried versus not even trying at all. If they are scared I help them overcome it and think of ways to go about it without being afraid. I found that most people who need encouragement are scared of something. I try hard to help them feel better about it and be able to do it. Most of the time the fear is due to them being worried they will fail, they will not fit in, things of that sort, and I always try to help them understand that without trying they will never fail, yes, but they will never succeed either. Little kids often need encouraged to try new things, I usually do this by doing it before them or with them. As a kid, I was terrified to go down this waterslide and wouldn't go down it without my dad going first and waiting at the bottom for me. Life is like that waterside, sometimes you need someone to show you nothing bad will happen if you just try.

Driving 4,000 miles across country and continent through Canada to Alaska alone with two cats, sounds fun right? I know first hand as I just finished the drive in March. I packed myself up and my two cats, drove from Michigan to Alaska and enjoyed every second of it. Being alone was definitely scary but I got to go at my own pace, do things I wanted, and got great pictures! Not only did I get to explore the US, I got to check out Canada, see the beautiful scenery and all it had to offer including mountains and lakes and everything in between. After driving 12 hour days, I definitely have more driving experienced than I ever expected to have but can't wait to do it again when we leave and move back to the lower 48. How about shooting at a range with a M4 A1? My husband is in the army and I got to ride in one of his work vehicles, shoot a gun and keep the target paper, something I never thought I would get to do. As for my bucket list, I want to explore the world, see countries I have never been to, go places I would normally never go to. Starting here in my new home, Alaska, I want to finish my education and explore the area, camp and hike the beautiful nature.

Confidence means not caring what others have to say, what others think about something and overall, others opinions on me. Confidence is something I struggle with. I was often belittled as a kid so everything I did I thought wasn't good enough, wasn't enough to show off. I was often nervous and struggled to do things. I was like this until recently when I took a public speaking class that I found showed me that others are like me and that there is no reason to not be confident. Life is full of choices, full of sour people, by being overly nervous and not confident, the only person I am hurting is myself. I am working hard to stop focusing on the scary unknown, and focus on the good, the positive and being confident in what I have and what I do. Confidence is attractive, in school and in work. By being confident I will better myself and be more carefree which is a positive thing.

Mental health is so important, even more with everyone being stuck indoors alone. I have found that going outside and taking in the world is the best way to relax. If that isn't an option, I enjoy a bath with a book, together or apart. I also enjoy watching a movie with my husband to relax or spending time with him. Another way I have found to focus on my mental health is to shop for me, no one else, actually spend money on myself such as new clothing, food or décor, things that I enjoy. I often limit myself such as only buying clearance and not getting things I truly like so this is a way I put myself first. Stepping back and breathing is a big thing I try to do to help my mental health and to be more happy and I have found that by doing so, I have better ideas, remain calm in stressful situations and overall feel less stressed.

I always step back and listen before speaking. I need to fully understand how they feel and how I feel before speaking. Empathy is something everyone should have but not everyone has. By stepping back, I can insure that everyone's feelings are fully understood to better help people and not hurt anyone as everyone deserves to be treated equal and fairly. Growing up around people in church has taught me that empathy is a human right and everyone deserves some level of it. I always show kindness even when someone is upset because it can change their day and make it better. People in their raw state, are usually kind and I need empathy to properly understand them. Step back, breath, gather your thoughts and be kind. Empathy can be hard sometimes, feelings are hard to handle and to be around and shutting people out can seem easier but without empathy, the world would be lost and would fall apart.

One of my favorite hobbies is knitting. I used to arm knit a lot and in the past year have really gotten into actual knitting. So far I have been working on a blanket and a scarf, the scarf is nearly done and will be given to my husband. The yarn of choice is alpaca fur which is great as we live in Alaska. I hope to open a business with my husband around knitting and a book store. Kitting is an art, it is beautiful how you can create these pieces of clothing or decorations with yarn and your two hands. From hats and scarfs to blankets and sweaters and even dolls, there is so much for anyone who gets into the art. I would love to spin my own yarn and actually make my pieces from scratch with sheep and alpaca fur as those are my two favorites to work with. Kitting isn't as common as you'd expect and I want to spread my love for it to others and introduce them to the beautiful hobby it is.

I have great hope for the future both for myself and for the world. My family and cats give me great hope for our personal future. For the world, I have hope as the next generation seems to care much more about the world than previous generations. I have hope that a difference will be made in the future because of how much this current generation cares. Life has not always been easy, I have worked for years and achieved an associates degree yet it seems nothing is coming but I have hope. I know once I achieve my bachelors degree in accounting I will be able to support my family and the future will get better. I have hope I will be able to support my family because with the degree I will open more doors for careers. I have hope for the world because so many more people are worried about the environment, people and all things in between. As this generation gets older, we will fill positions of power that can make a difference in the world making the future better. Even with everything happening today about women's rights and peoples bodily rights, I have great hope a different will be made for the better and life will get better as so many people care. We will not go down without a fight and a difference will be made. To conclude, The thing that gives me the most hope that the future will get better is that so many people care and are willing to make a difference to better not only themselves but the world around them and the people around them. There is so much bad but I hold onto the good and that there is a whole generation who cares greatly about the world and the people who live in it.