I am a seventeen-year-old Christian and Freshman at the University of New Mexico. I graduated from Temescal Canyon High School in California with a 4.1 GPA and I was also the editor of my school's yearbook for two years. I was on in our Girl's Volleyball program for four years and was on the Varsity team for two years, and I played club softball for 10 years. I received varsity defensive player of the year awards for both 2023 and 2024 and was a captain on both my volleyball and softball teams. All of my high school experience prepared me for leadership positions and lead to my dream of being an officer in the military, as their core values and program is focused on teamwork and working for a greater purpose. I moved away from my home in California to attend school and I currently live on campus in the dorms. It was a very hard decision because I left behind the beautiful beaches that I fell in love with and so was leaving behind everyone I knew for this new experience in another state. However, I am very excited for the new opportunities that will arise as I prepare to join new clubs and communities on campus and throughout my city. I am planning to major in Business and minor in Spanish as I received the seal of Biliteracy on my high school diploma and can efficiently speak, read, and write Spanish. I also plan to minor in Military Studies, and I'm apart of the AFROTC Detachment 510 at my university. My dad was a former member of the U.S. Navy and he served for 25 years then retired in 2017. I grew up as a Navy brat and grew accustomed to the lifestyle, and was inspired by the discipline and structure of the military. It aligned with my beliefs of serving others first and protecting the rights that allow my freedom. As I become more integrated in my campus I joined an all women bible study/ christian fellowship club. I also joined a local church called Calvery Chapel where I am apart of the young adults group and life groups. In my life group it is solely Spanish speaking as I hope to further my education of the language and gain experience only acquired by immersion. I do plan to do a semester abroad in Spain or another Spanish speaking country while earning my minor in Spanish. I also hope to commission as an officer of the Air Force the same year that I graduate and have a career in whatever field there is a need for. I initially applied for the NROTC scholarship however I did not receive it and therefore have to pay for school out of pocket. My family and I currently owe $7,000 for the rest of the year and I really don't want it to lead to a financial burden. This scholarship would free us from student loans and debt while I wait to have the opportunity to go to basic training and compete for scholarships after my sophomore year.

For so long I said I wanted to have a job in engineering and business because that’s what my mother and father had done, but I had yet to discover the thousands of other career paths that I became aware of as I became exposed to life experiences. My love for understanding human behavior and emotions sparked when I started attending therapy for myself. I found joy and finally realized that my infatuation for understanding how humans function had a category to be placed into: Psychology. As I pursued my fascination for psychology, I acquired more knowledge through my time spent as a volunteer for the San Diego Psychological Association (SDPA). As a volunteer, I spent time working at events and conferences. At these conferences, I had the opportunity to sit alongside doctors listen to highly educational speakers for their continued education (CE) credits, and network and connect with numerous doctors. Being a part of SDPA and its history allowed me to give back to the future community of my dream profession and feel like I belonged to a family I had unknowingly been searching for. My father had helped lead the ROTC program at the University of New Mexico (UNM) 20 years ago, and upon researching my opportunities in October, I realized I get the same chance to follow his footsteps and join either NROTC to help pay for schooling and in hopes of obtaining a career in the military with my Masters. Now I plan to attend UNM as a legacy student, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Business, all while being a part of the ROTC program and being involved with the endless possibilities UNM offers. I hope to use my education to become a psychologist to help others navigate their mental health.

I have played softball for 10 years and have been conditioned to respond quickly and efficiently in every play and circumstance. The thousands of hours dedicated to training have developed my greatest skill of performing well under pressure. It allowed me to think at a high level and react at an even higher one. At 13 years old I started showcasing my talents on the field in front of hundreds of college coaches, in hopes of receiving recognition, and a possible connection to athletic scholarships. At first, the feeling of being watched and evaluated created anxious pressure that made me feel so insecure with every error and mistake. The practice of performing while ignoring these thoughts allowed me to learn how to mold my mind into an impenetrable armor to allow me to solely focus on succeeding, despite who was watching. This skill brought confidence in who I was and granted me the title of captain for the next four years on my softball team. The athletic preparation followed me off the field and onto the court when I started playing volleyball. I played for all of high school and was selected as captain on JV and Varsity for demonstrating reliability and confidence under pressure. Being an athlete simultaneously challenged my mental and physical capacities and continued to break me down and rebuild my mindset to teach me to execute despite the tangible or intangible discomfort. This skill set has allowed me to take lessons from sports and apply it to my classrooms, where I operated intricately to create masterpieces within an hour in the demanding climate of AP tests. Other classes presented the challenge of presentations and public speaking. Despite the chills of publicly embarrassing myself creeping at me in the back of my mind, every presentation was backed with flowing conviction in how I executed every word and thought while remaining composed. Learning composure and how to perform efficiently in various circumstances has been the life skill that is my foundation in tryouts, job interviews, and presentations, but most importantly, shaping me to be prepared for any difficult scenario in life. I used my experiences in sports environments and am now pursuing a career in the military. I think the camaraderie of the military as well as the values matched up perfectly, so now I can show my dedication to my country as an Officer in the military.

Softball gave me memories and sisterhood experiences that I can't get from anything else. I’ve played softball for 10 years and have been conditioned to respond quickly and efficiently in every play and circumstance. The thousands of hours dedicated to training has developed my greatest skill of performing well under pressure. It allowed me to think at a high level and react at an even higher one. At 13 years old I started showcasing my talents on the field in front of hundreds of college coaches, in hopes of receiving recognition, and a possible connection to athletic scholarships. At first the feeling of being watched and evaluated created anxious pressure that made me feel insecure with every error and mistake. However, the practice of performing while ignoring these thoughts taught me how to protect my mind with the impenetrable armor of confidence to allow myself to solely focus on succeeding, despite who was watching. My confidence was seen by my coaches and they granted me the title of captain for the next four years on my softball team. Being a captain made my relationships with my teammates even more meaningful because they had trusted to follow me with respect and confidence in my abilities. Being a softball player simultaneously challenged my mental and physical capacities that continued to break me down and rebuild my mindset to teach me to execute despite the tangible or intangible discomfort. It was difficult to learn confidence in a game centered around failure, but has been the most rewarding experiences of my life. Playing softball has allowed me to travel all around the country starting in my hometown of southern California, to Virginia on the east coast, and even to Canada. The game has given me best friends and amazing cultural experiences, while preparing me for college. Softball helped foster a connection with my dad on a deeper level because he is my coach. He helped me get through the hard moments like strikeouts, to celebrating my successes when we would rewatch my highlight clips together. He has been my biggest supporter and the best coach, all thanks to softball. Softball also allowed me to connect with other coaches like my current coach, Jon Stern. He has been like another father to me because of the unique connection we had created on the field. When I had bad days, he always found ways to bring a smile to my face at practices or crack jokes about anything. He gave me hugs and words of encouragement when it seemed impossible to get to the next day and has always been patient with me as a player and a person. Both my coaches have a kind and genuine soul that made my softball team like a family. Since I started getting recruited in 9th grade it prepared me to look for certain aspects in colleges and helped me narrow down my wants to find the school of my dreams. Currently I play for the San Diego Renegades, and if I don't play in college I see myself being a team manager to help others succeed in the sport that I hold so dearly.

I support Chappell Roan because of how her music resides with me and my life experiences. Her album, "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" has 9 songs that I can relate to because I have experienced it. From heartbreak in April, to leaving California. I love Chappell's music because she sings about the honesty of a woman's true feelings. I think Chappell is also amazing because she is a celebrity who didn't merge into a celebrity lifestyle. She's unapologetically honest in media interviews and had humble beginnings. She makes songs that are so catchy and grab ahold of our deepest emotions connected to a universal woman's experience in today's world. By singing this album she addresses the issue of wanting to pursue her passions, yet longing for her home life, similarly to how I feel as I prepare to move to another state for college. Her song "Coffee" is also relatable because of the wanting to meet up with people from our past, but knowing that we really can't because we are putting our mental health and needs first, and doing what's best for ourselves. I think she's incredibly creative in her song titles, one of my favorites being, Femininomenon," a phenomenon that describes the harsh reality of dating in the modern world, with expectations not being met and trying to work out relationships that are bound to be unhappy. She sings about the want to travel and having an identity outside of a relationship, but also the longing for human connection. Chappell is a feminist artist who highlights issues that women are constantly faced with, and by addressing them, it brings relief in knowing I'm not going through these unique experiences alone.

My name is Veronica Garza and I got to Temescal Canyon High School. I have a history of being a boys volleyball manager at my high school for two years when I wasn't in sports. Being a manager allowed me to still be involved in sports, but also help other athletes advance in theirs, and feel the rush of them succeeding. Being a manager showed me how much love I have for sports and helping other athletes get the most thrilling and exhilarating experience possible. I also have a background in playing softball for the past 10 years and grew up to have an appreciation for the quality of playing surfaces. Now I get to do that for other athletes as they pursue their careers furthering in baseball. As soon as I turned 16 I started the job hunt and landed my first job at Storm Stadium as a member of the grounds crew. I was the first female ever hired and I got to prepare the fields before Storm games. I loved that job and it was always the highlight of my week. It gives me such an adrenaline rush to drag the fields quickly between innings and is such a bonding experience with me and my coworkers. It has been such a blessing to receive such an amazing opportunity to see my work contribute to the success of our local storm team. This week they made it all the way to the southern league championship and only came short of becoming champions by one run. However, I did get to participate in preparing the fields in fun designs for the beginning of the series play-offs, another reminder to the athletes that they made it this far, and we care. I hope to go to school in San Diego and get a job as grounds crew for the Padres, they are Storm's major league affiliates. A stadium represents more than just a game. Stadiums host a variety of entertainment, from concerts to wrestling matches that draws in a diverse crowd, still connected in the community of a stadium. I think it's such a unique experience working in the stadium industry with the energy of fans coming from all over the world to support their home team. It provides such a sense of unity and excitement that you can't feel behind the screen of a TV. This is why I'm so passionate about the work I do. I have such a fun time getting home plate picture perfect and seeing our crew's hard work come together to create the masterpiece of a ballgame.

I am a fan of Sabrina Carpenter because I started watching her as a little girl when her career started on "Girl Meets World". It has been such a unique experience having her play such an influential role as the sassy best friend who always has Riley's back, to see her turn into a relatable advocate for many girls and women who understand the pain of her lyrics. I think her acting was a launch pad to provide her an easier platform to reach the audience globally. Her music is catchy and trendy, however the messages in her songs encourage women to be more confident but also understood. Her recent song, "Espresso" is a perfect example of her having confidence in who she is and how influential she is. It allows young girls to look up to her and aim for having her belief in creating a higher version of yourself. Her music also allows many fans to come together enjoying the message of her music but also understanding the relatability. Her other song 'because i liked a boy" is targeting her heartbroken fans who understand her hurt of having good intentions that turned wrong, leading to bullying and harassment, because of her conflicting feelings of liking a boy.

"teenage dream"-Olivia Rodrigo "When does wide-eyed affection and all good intentions start to not be enough?" This lyric captures the emotion of losing your innocence and seeing and understanding the world for what it really is through experiences that you've never had before. When you start high school is when you can truly see the shift in an adolescent's experience. They are introduced to serious curiosities and struggles such as drugs, drinking, peer pressure, bullying, depression, and even suicide. I think you really can understand the shift in mindset when as a senior you look back onto your freshman years when you thought everyone would be friends and high school would be such a positive experience. However, there were so many culture shocks and learning experiences that come from four years of teenage interactions. Some of the biggest shocks were loss of innocence, heartbreak, and temptations. According to cdc.gov suicide rates are the third highest leading cause of death among 14-18 year olds. Almost 50% of high school students reported feeling mentally unwell and having feelings of depressions, sadness, or hopeless. There is something about a high school experience that poisons the young mind leaving behind so many mental health issues that you had no idea even existed. In the beginning of high school I believed all I needed was to be open, friendly, and always have good intentions, however the majority of kids who were already exposed to these toxic environments no longer have that as their main concern and love to take advantage of new teens and high schoolers who have yet to understand a fraction of what their world really is. I learned that you can't be open and inviting to everyone into your environment because you must discern the true intentions of people and why they actually want to be close to you. I learned that the people you surround yourself with start to influence your thoughts, opinions, and decisions, and if you don't have good company, your morals and lifestyle can be corrupted very easily and very quickly. Heartbreak was a new experience that is not for the weak. And I'm not just talking about romantic heartbreak, while that is an experience on it's own, what hurts in a different way is being betrayed by those who you thought were your closest friends. I used think that I would be best friends with every one who I had an interaction with and we could grow a relationship based off of having fun times and moments of dependency where you could trust each other to be there for each other no matter what. There is a period of confusion, betrayal, and misunderstanding of what you did in order to deserve that type of treatment by someone who you always had good intentions with.But the biggest learning moment is understanding that the young adolescent mind is very impressionable and in an age of wanting to fit it people will say or do whatever they have to do in that very moment to be liked by whoever they're around. This leads to the issue of peer pressure and wanting to stay true to your intentions you had with a younger version of yourself, but also being aware of the judgment among your peers and telling yourself "maybe this once". The sad truth is I've seen so many friends try something just once and now they are addicted to substances such as marijuana, nicotine, and other drugs. You have to learn that although your intentions were good, the environment isn't and make decisions to always protect yourself.

My name is Veronica Garza, I am a 15-year-old student in California, Lake Elsinore. I've been playing softball since I was 7 and have spent many years training for a higher level. My goal is to attend a university while playing softball at a college level. Being one of the youngest on the team is difficult because I'm expected to be more mature and work just so I could play at the same level as them. I've never used it as an excuse only a motivation to continue to work hard and become a leader for the rest of my team. My team started putting us into tournaments and showcases so we could display our skills in front of college coaches. I was confident but also extremely nervous and however I played at the time was what was going to determine my emotions. My first couple of showcases went all right but nothing made me special. I was still growing into my body and abilities to perform exceptionally. I would put in the work and even more just to feel like I measured to be enough. I started as a nobody and now I've made myself a good player, and even though I was good, I wanted to be great. I felt like I was good but I still feel like I needed to prove myself, and that I belonged with these amazing players I get to call teammates. I also felt like I needed to prove myself to my dad, he is my coach and has always been my coach. I feel like I need to constantly prove to him that I can make it and that I'm going to take advantage of the many opportunities he's provided for me. So I trained, and while most ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen-year-olds got to sleep in, party, hang out, go to the mall, and go on family trips; I had to practice, and train, and gain muscle, and condition, and stay in shape. I had to schedule everything around softball, even to the point where I would do distance learning in the car. And it has been a responsibility that I am proud of. So when the time came I performed and saw no result for myself. I would see teammates getting pulled aside to talk to coaches, and after a while of working hard and seeing no result, I broke down. I felt empty and like a failure, because no college coaches had pulled me aside to say I was doing great, and none of my friends knew how I felt or what effort I would put in just to be disappointed with the final product. Then it finally happened, my first college coach pulled me aside complimenting me on how I had played and that he wants to follow me as an athlete and player. This was a first-time experience that I would never forget. I will never forget the feeling of accomplishment and pride that I finally felt like I was on the right path this is what motivates me to the present. I couldn't be more grateful for the people, teammates, and coaches that have helped me get to where I am today.