Early-morning studying sessions, the rush of adrenaline after landing four flawless pirouettes en pointe, and the sweet smell of my abuela's flan—Joy is made up of the little things, life's simple pleasures. One of my greatest sources of happiness is my love for learning. Illuminated by the first few rays of sunlight, my fingers flick through the pages of a thick textbook, and my eyes open wide with awe. Notebooks of detailed, color-coded notes, the thrill of solving a complicated math problem, and the warm, flush of excitement in my cheeks when I understand something new, fills my heart with satisfaction and joy. "Five, six, seven, eight," I whisper, leaping into the air. I feel my muscles stretch as my feet leave the ground, gliding like a dolphin jumping out of water . Adrenaline rushes through my body, and my face glows with exhilaration. Ballet, although so physically demanding and impossible to perfect, fills me with joy. Each successfully executed move makes me swell with pride, as years of hard work have led me to these moments. Finally, I find happiness in the little moments I spend with my abuela. I love her warm embrace, her funny stories, and the fragrance of my favorite traditional foods. I even love to listen to her bicker with my mother or berate me on my choice of clothing. With my grandmother, every second is precious. I seek out joy by appreciating all these moments. I'm so grateful for the little things, the simple pleasures that make every day special and exciting. Although each individual moment of bliss may seem insignificant, like a single drop of water in a never-ending void, all together each drop accumulates to form an ocean of fulfillment and joy.

Here is a link to my creative introduction! Enjoy! https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/116tZxMvvOCL9JmJv-ddMna4HMPqXfDUri9V3hp71ivA/edit?usp=sharing

Early-morning studying sessions, the rush of adrenaline after landing four flawless pirouettes en pointe, and the sweet smell of my abuela's flan—Joy is made up of the little things, life's simple pleasures. One of my greatest sources of happiness is my love for learning. Illuminated by the first few rays of sunlight, my fingers flick through the pages of a thick textbook, and my eyes open wide with awe. Notebooks of detailed, color-coded notes, the thrill of solving a complicated math problem, and the warm, flush of excitement in my cheeks when I understand something new, fills my heart with satisfaction and joy. "Five, six, seven, eight," I whisper, leaping into the air. I feel my muscles stretch as my feet leave the ground, gliding like a dolphin jumping out of water . Adrenaline rushes through my body, and my face glows with exhilaration. Ballet, although so physically demanding and impossible to perfect, fills me with joy. Each successfully executed move makes me swell with pride, as years of hard work have led me to these moments. Finally, I find happiness in the little moments I spend with my abuela. I love her warm embrace, her funny stories, and the fragrance of my favorite traditional foods. I even love to listen to her bicker with my mother or berate me on my choice of clothing. With my grandmother, every second is precious. I'm so grateful for the little things, the simple pleasures that make every day special and exciting. Although each individual moment of bliss may seem insignificant, like a single drop of water in a never-ending void, all together each drop accumulates to form an ocean of happiness.

Early-morning studying sessions, the rush of adrenaline after landing four flawless pirouettes en pointe, and the sweet smell of my abuela's flan—Joy is made up of the little things, life's simple pleasures. One of my greatest sources of happiness is my love for learning. Illuminated by the first few rays of sunlight, my fingers flick through the pages of a thick textbook, and my eyes open wide with awe. Notebooks of detailed, color-coded notes, the thrill of solving a complicated math problem, and the warm, flush of excitement in my cheeks when I understand something new, fills my heart with satisfaction and joy. "Five, six, seven, eight," I whisper, leaping into the air. I feel my muscles stretch as my feet leave the ground, gliding like a dolphin jumping out of water . Adrenaline rushes through my body, and my face glows with exhilaration. Ballet, although so physically demanding and impossible to perfect, fills me with joy. Each successfully executed move makes me swell with pride, as years of hard work have led me to these moments. Finally, I find happiness in the little moments I spend with my abuela. I love her warm embrace, her funny stories, and the fragrance of my favorite traditional foods. I even love to listen to her bicker with my mother or berate me on my choice of clothing. With my grandmother, every second is precious. I seek out joy by appreciating all these moments. I'm so grateful for the little things, the simple pleasures that make every day special and exciting. Although each individual moment of bliss may seem insignificant, like a single drop of water in a never-ending void, all together each drop accumulates to form an ocean of fulfillment and joy.

Early-morning studying sessions, the rush of adrenaline after landing four flawless pirouettes en pointe, and the sweet smell of my abuela's flan—Joy is made up of the little things, life's simple pleasures. One of my greatest sources of happiness is my love for learning. Illuminated by the first few rays of sunlight, my fingers flick through the pages of a thick textbook, and my eyes open wide with awe. Notebooks of detailed, color-coded notes, the thrill of solving a complicated math problem, and the warm, flush of excitement in my cheeks when I understand something new, fills my heart with satisfaction and joy. "Five, six, seven, eight," I whisper, leaping into the air. I feel my muscles stretch as my feet leave the ground, gliding like a dolphin jumping out of water . Adrenaline rushes through my body, and my face glows with exhilaration. Ballet, although so physically demanding and impossible to perfect, fills me with joy. Each successfully executed move makes me swell with pride, as years of hard work have led me to these moments. Finally, I find happiness in the little moments I spend with my abuela. I love her warm embrace, her funny stories, and the fragrance of my favorite traditional foods. I even love to listen to her bicker with my mother or berate me on my choice of clothing. With my grandmother, every second is precious. I seek out joy by appreciating all these moments. I'm so grateful for the little things, the simple pleasures that make every day special and exciting. Although each individual moment of bliss may seem insignificant, like a single drop of water in a never-ending void, all together each drop accumulates to form an ocean of fulfillment and joy.

"Da-ding..." A faint, two-toned chime echoed from my phone, across the room, the sound surging towards me like a tidal wave. Instantly, I felt every muscle in my body tighten and my fists clench, digging my fingernails deep into my flesh. That was the fourth email in one hour. "Reminder: LACOE's Youth Advocacy Leadership Conference," the subject line read. My eyes glazed over the rest of the email, several pages long. I definitely didn't need reminding. The conference had been the only thing on my mind since Beach Cities Health District nominated me as a workshop leader five months prior. I was responsible for leading two 45-minute presentations about substance abuse in an event with hundreds of middle-schoolers, high-schoolers, influential community leaders, and professionals in the field. Although I was thrilled to have been selected for such an amazing opportunity, after five months of grueling labor—brainstorming, planning, researching, writing, rehearsing, refining, consulting with my mentors, and incessant trial-and-error—all the enthusiasm I held in the first few months turned into anxiety and self-doubt. I feared disappointing my mentors at BCHD, and, most importantly, I feared disappointing myself. Emails flooded my inbox daily, setting new parameters to my presentation and reminding me of pressing deadlines. As the conference date approached, I felt completely overwhelmed. Despite my anxiety, I was able to persevere through passion. I am truly passionate about advocating for the mental health of my peers and educating them about the dangers of substance abuse; this passion gave me the strength to persevere. In the end, the conference was a total success! Several community leaders were so impressed with my work that they offered me even more leadership opportunities. Overall, this experience taught me that even in the face of seemingly insurmountable expectations, with enough perseverance, I can achieve anything!