Hi! My name is Victoria, and I should be selected for this scholarship because I won't waste the opportunity it grants me. I am the youngest child of about 7 siblings, and it definitely has its pros and cons. Of course, it was great when my siblings came home from work and asked me if I wanted to go to McDonald's with them. However, my parents didn't have an easy time supporting all of us financially. As my turn to graduate comes along, the college fund is looking slim to none. It would be a lie if I said I wasn't stressed about my future and how I'm going to support myself and my education. However, I like to look on the bright side of things and plan ahead so I have less to worry about. I apply for scholarships, fundraise occasionally for summer internships, and I have started a business to help me(although not very successful, but I'm working on it!) So I'm definitely active in my road to college and beyond. After I graduate from high school, I plan on attending community college to save money and then transferring to a 4-year university. Then I plan on attending medical school and completing my residency. I will make a positive impact by existing and just spreading positivity and a helping hand. I know it may sound like a corny sentence, but I don't believe I have to be a top doctor to start making a positive impact. Throughout all my educational years, I will be volunteering as much as I can, as well as making friendships. Many people don't truly appreciate the value of friendship. Simply saying hello to someone every day or complimenting them can brighten their whole week. That is one of the main reasons that I want to work in the medical field when I grow up. The medical field demands patient and compassionate individuals. I am one of those individuals. I want to help as many people as possible, even if that help is facilitated through a smile or a wave. It is the little things that count. If I am awarded this scholarship, I will use it to launch my post-high school education. I save a percentage of birthday and holiday money to put aside for college. However, $5 here and there will not cover much. The scholarship money would go straight to the school, and I can worry about other expenses such as room and board costs as well as textbook fees. Scholarships offer so much to passionate students who need them. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to be selected for one of these opportunities. I hope you consider me for one of the three fortunate winners. Thank you!

Volunteering at Waldo Pafford Elementary School gave me a sense of happiness that none of my other community service hours could give me. There was a field day that was being hosted, and I helped out wherever I was needed. I helped the kids who fell down, and I cheered them on when they began to cross the finish line. Waldo Pafford was my elementary school. I loved that school, and going back to help the kids made me very reminiscent. This community event made me think a lot. I thought about how fast time truly flies by. It felt like just yesterday I was on the playground swings with my friends, but in reality, I was at the end of my freshman year in high school and was already planning my future. I developed a deeper appreciation for the principal at the elementary school. I had always liked her, but when she noticed I came back to help, she started a conversation with me and genuinely seemed interested in what I had to say. She was very involved in the field day, and I realized how many hours she had invested in the children. Watching the little kids run around and chase each other while I stood back and chaperoned was an unfamiliar feeling. I wasn't used to being the older kid who was in charge. I was transitioning between being catered to and being the one catering. That field day was a big moment for me. Not only because it made me realize how fast I was growing up, but because it made me realize that I have to help protect the little kids from growing up too fast. I wish I had cherished my elementary and middle school days a little more. Used my phone a little less and had more sleepovers. Even though I'm not pursuing a career in youth education, I still value the importance of making sure children are safe, happy, and flourishing. I view children as the present and future, and they should be treated as such. Going forward, I would hope that people realize they need to just live in the moment. Planning for the future and events that you know will happen is amazing and beneficial. However, sometimes bright and beautiful things are right in front of you, and you miss them because you are looking at what is behind the light. The same can be applied to phones and irrelevant distractions. Children are handed a phone too early in life, and they miss out on crucial information and experiences that they can take with them for the rest of their lives. They miss connecting with people, like a principal that you might run into again five years down the line. I hope everyone felt how I felt at that field day. I hope that children and adults realize there is more to life than screens or a nine-to-five. That life is so grand and vast, and anything is possible. Inspiration is everywhere, but if you don't break down whatever is blocking you from receiving that, you won't be able to see it. Volunteering at the field day at Waldo Pafford opened my eyes to a lot, but most importantly, it made me see how beautiful and joyful life can be.

Moana isn't just a movie. It is a testimony to how strong people really can be and what they can achieve. Moana is a beautiful movie that tells the story of a young girl who can do anything she puts her mind to. She is strong, brave, and ambitious. She does not listen to what other people say she cannot do. She is a leader, and a fearsome one. When I first watched Moana, I was in awe of her. She represents something more than just a character on a screen. Moana is a representation of myself and the strong young women fighting for what we know we can achieve. Watching Moana, I can connect with her. I can feel her passion and her thirst for more in life. Moana knows what she wants and breaks every barrier in her way. This movie further instilled the beauty of perseverance in me. Even when everyone tells Moana her quest is too dangerous and not worth the risk, she does it anyway. She knows what is right for her and what she can handle, just as I have learned what I am capable of and how much I can push myself to be better and achieve bigger. Unfortunately, the journey is not always smooth sailing. From the beginning of my voyage to the end, I am sure to encounter rocky and turbulent waters. Moana taught me that I can either let the tides send me plummeting headfirst into the endless sea, or I can hold on tight to the boat and lift my sails upright. I chose to lift my sails because I will never reach land if I give up halfway through the storm. I must keep the end goal in mind throughout the storm because if I have no purpose, then I have nothing at all. All of the hard work and effort that I am exerting is for the ones that I love. Like Moana, I have very strong family values. When I saw the lengths that Moana went to keep her family safe, it sparked something inside of me. It encouraged and reassured me that I truly could create a life for my family that they deserve. I could do things for them that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Just as they have done for me Watching Moana for the first time felt like seeing myself in the past, present, and future. I've always known I wanted to keep those closest to me safe and happy. I've always known I want to make a difference in people's lives, whether it's a smile on a random Tuesday or a life-changing impact that they will remember until the end of time. Right now, I am in the ocean. The waters are rocky, and I'm uncertain about where the ocean will take me next. I just have to hold on to the boat and stand tall as I ride the tides. I am unsure what my future will look like because my story is far from being over. However, I do know that one way or another, I am going to reach land.

Shared community spaces play a vital role in preserving Hawaii's beauty and improving its cleanliness. Hawaii and every other island are very vast. It will be difficult for them to truly flourish if a single person works on improving them. Hawaii demands a community. It needs multiple hands to heal it and look out for it. The work will be continuous and the goals will always become larger, however, if a community works to improve the environment, the goals will be accomplished much faster. Multiple people working on the islands will bring different ideas and skills to the table, and the results will be extraordinary. The future of Hawaii is inseparably linked to the health of its environment. If the environment thrives, Hawaii's future will thrive. Volunteerism is extremely important to me. I enjoy making a difference and helping in any way that I possibly can. Although most of my volunteering efforts are put towards helping feed low-income households and helping people directly, I would like to branch out and engage in more environment-focused volunteering. As I pursue college and a career, I must make the active decision to go out and search for volunteer work. I do not believe that it will be as accessible in the future as it currently is because I have many volunteer hours through my school. I will set aside time to ensure I am being an active member of my community. Volunteerism is a part of who I am, and that will not stop once I pursue college and a career. Hawaii is quite an expensive place to live. My dad and I thought that our finances would be okay when the military moved us to Hawaii but we were wrong. Usually, the military pays for our moves but they did not pay for this one so it set my dad back a lot financially. He makes a decent amount of money but we still barely get by every month. He makes enough money for us to live off of, however, it is not enough to help me through college. I want to become an anesthesiologist and the cost of college will be extensive. Hopefully, once I get a job in college I can pay for at least the first four years of college but I will still need at least $50,000 to get through medical school. Even though I will need a lot of help to pay for college I know I can do it because I have a vision and I am determined to make that vision come true.

The military kept me alive. If it was not for the military I do not know if I would be where I am today. Everyone thinks that if you join the military you receive great benefits and great pay and it will make life easier financially. While that may be the case for some, it is not for all. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the group that benefitted from the military. Sure, the moves were involuntary and the adjustments were hard, but the military kept us afloat. My household had many expenses. We had four active kids living in the house and my mom did not work. My dad had to provide for us all and he did that through the military. Everything was going well until my parents divorced and my mom took half of what my dad had. We went through costly custody battles and my dad paid for most of the expenses since my mom had a lower-paying job, and my dad offered. After those expenses were paid the military had me and my sister move to Hawaii with my dad. He was paying much higher rent rates and he had all of our medical bills to take care of. My mom did not pay child support like she was supposed to and my dad funded our extracurriculars and hobbies. My sister turned 18 and my dad had to buy her a car and pay for her insurance. He took all of the financial weight and it was only possible because of the military. The military paid well enough that we were not out on the streets. When my sister moved out we could even afford to move into a better home. Everyone has different experiences when it comes to the military. Some people hate it because it tears relationships apart. Some people love it because it pays well and they get to experience new places. I love the military. It is not perfect or flawless but it creates a sense of family and community. Wherever you go you can bond with other military children and adults. It keeps families afloat during hard times. When other jobs are firing their employees you know you can count on the military to have your back. My dad is still working hard and earning multiple degrees because of the military. It allows him to enroll in college classes at much cheaper rates. The military is an important aspect of my life and I do not know where I would be without it.