Whenever I was a child, I used to sit at the window and look out at the fields and forests. I looked out of the window at all the possibilities that I could never touch. I was raised in a religious cult where everything was hidden behind red tape. I lived in a crystalized world where time paced in sloth movements rather than an ever-growing contemporary environment. When you’re walking through water, you can neither run nor breathe. Because of my family’s religious affiliations, I wasn’t allowed to do many simple activities that other children my age were. Something as trivial as locking the bathroom door led to brutal warfare and bloody clashes across our living room as if we were crusaders in a far-off land– not a family in a small home. Moreover, I was never allowed to watch television or read books without my parent’s approval first. Everything was monitored down to my clothes and body. Growing up, I only had a piece of paper and a pen. While some never valued it, a world opens when you find a piece of paper. I began writing and creating my own inner world where anything was possible. No chains or ropes or tapes could stop me from exploring the deepest depths of the human experience, even if I wasn’t allowed to experience it for myself. I learned the strength to stand up and say no more and who I am. During my time with my parents, I was imprisoned. For 19 years, I was never allowed to do or be anything besides the perfect child who got excellent grades and never made mistakes. In addition, I was physically abused and raped for issues that were never concerning me. My life nor my body deserved the thrashing my parents and their community gave me. After the ordeal, my father’s side of the family shunned me and refused to help me despite the terrible conditions I had endured. The day I left that garrison, I pledged never to let that torture happen to anyone. Whenever I was trapped, writing was my inspiration to keep going. It was an excellent way to educate myself about the world throughout the horrid conditions I faced. Therefore, I decided to work to become an English professor to give others the knowledge and strength to liberate themselves. In addition, I sought to advocate for my community in order to engineer a safe, creative, and diverse learning environment for my future students. I became a member of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance to help those who disagreed with cisgender heteronormative society feel accepted and understood within our world. Through my work, I have learned that there are tons of people who have suffered terrible experiences that hinder not only their learning but also their lives. Because of my discovery, I am working with a professor at my school to record the history of a segregated African American school andinvestigate the Jewish experience in colonial Georgia. I also volunteered to take an African American Literature course in order to further educate myself about the black experience in America. I have also made it a point to share my poetry and publish it in different literary magazines to inspire others in my situation. Despite our challenges, we all deserve equal rights and protection under the law. Throughout my life’s journey, I intend to advocate for those in need and help them feel understood and excepted within the educational experience for a better tomorrow.

Whenever I was a child, I used to sit at the window and look out at the fields and forests. I looked out of the window at all the possibilities that I could never touch. I was raised in a religious cult where everything was hidden behind red tape. I lived in a crystalized world where time paced in sloth movements rather than an ever-growing contemporary environment. When you’re walking through water, you can neither run nor breathe. Because of my family’s religious affiliations, I wasn’t allowed to do many simple activities that other children my age were. Something as trivial as locking the bathroom door led to brutal warfare and bloody clashes across our living room as if we were crusaders in a far-off land– not a family in a small home. Moreover, I was never allowed to watch television or read books without my parent’s approval first. Everything was monitored down to my clothes and body. Growing up, I only had a piece of paper and a pen. While some never valued it, a world opens when you find a piece of paper. I began writing and creating my own inner world where anything was possible. No chains or ropes or tapes could stop me from exploring the deepest depths of the human experience, even if I wasn’t allowed to experience it for myself. I learned the strength to stand up and say no more and who I am. During my time with my parents, I was imprisoned. For 19 years, I was never allowed to do or be anything besides the perfect child who got excellent grades and never made mistakes. In addition, I was physically abused and raped for issues that were never concerning me. My life nor my body deserved the thrashing my parents and their community gave me. After the ordeal, my father’s side of the family shunned me and refused to help me despite the terrible conditions I had endured. The day I left that garrison, I pledged never to let that torture happen to anyone. Whenever I was trapped, writing was my inspiration to keep going. It was an excellent way to educate myself about the world throughout the horrid conditions I faced. Therefore, I decided to work to become an English professor to give others the knowledge and strength to liberate themselves. In addition, I sought to advocate for my community in order to engineer a safe, creative, and diverse learning environment for my future students. I became a member of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance to help those who disagreed with cisgender heteronormative society feel accepted and understood within our world. Through my work, I have learned that there are tons of people who have suffered terrible experiences that hinder not only their learning but also their lives. Because of my discovery, I am working with a professor at my school to record the history of a segregated African American school andinvestigate the Jewish experience in colonial Georgia. I also volunteered to take an African American Literature course in order to further educate myself about the black experience in America. I have also made it a point to share my poetry and publish it in different literary magazines to inspire others in my situation. Despite our challenges, we all deserve equal rights and protection under the law. Throughout my life’s journey, I intend to advocate for those in need and help them feel understood and excepted within the educational experience for a better tomorrow.

When it comes to the education system here in the United States, many feel that there is more to be desired. Our education system lags behind other powerful and rich countries, and little is done to improve the current conditions of our public educational system. In terms of artistic expression and creative education, the United States has left many programs with minimal funding and importance. What do art and creative intelligence have to do with our current state of education? The United States education system needs to be revitalized with completely different pedagogical techniques, and I intend to lead the charge toward a better America. John Maeda, MIT graduate and former President of The Rhode Island School of Design, wrote on the current state of education, saying, “with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, I am certainly not one to diminish its value. Yet even supremely dedicated geeks have begun to question advances from purely technological innovation” (Maeda 955). Academic officials worldwide are questioning the current view on artistic education. It is essential to break down what it means to be intelligent to determine the function of creative education. Intelligence is using critical-thinking skills to evaluate an issue and solve it correctly. Critical thinking involves analyzing a problem issue from multiple angles and perspectives to find the best solution. Artistic expression is considered the use of a physical medium to detail an emotional, physical, or philosophical experience. Whenever one sees artistic expression, one uses critical thinking skills to analyze the grievances and connections to the idea. Unfortunately, whenever the United States defunds creative programs, students suffer from gaining the full scope of what it means to be an analytical thinker. To improve our current system, I intend to gain first-hand experience inside the classroom and experiment with different creative teaching methods to appeal to a larger audience. I am not earning a degree to teach students what Mary Shelley wrote on page six of Frankenstein. Instead, I am gaining a degree to teach undergraduates why that matters and how to approach human communication. My end goal is to prepare students to explore the entirety of their creative intelligence and use these diverse methods to express themselves through artistic mediums. Altogether, I wish to rethink my current pedagogy and establish a new system based on open communication, experimental teaching methods, and updated psychological learning techniques.

When it comes to the education system here in the United States, many feel that there is more to be desired. Our education system lags behind other powerful and rich countries, and little is done to improve the current conditions of our public educational system. In terms of artistic expression and creative education, the United States has left many programs with minimal funding and importance. What do art and creative intelligence have to do with our current state of education? The United States education system needs to be revitalized with completely different pedagogical techniques, and I intend to lead the charge toward a better America. John Maeda, MIT graduate and former President of The Rhode Island School of Design, wrote on the current state of education, saying, “with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, I am certainly not one to diminish its value. Yet even supremely dedicated geeks have begun to question advances from purely technological innovation” (Maeda 955). Academic officials worldwide are questioning the current view on artistic education. It is essential to break down what it means to be intelligent to determine the function of creative education. Intelligence is using critical-thinking skills to evaluate an issue and solve it correctly. Critical thinking involves analyzing a problem issue from multiple angles and perspectives to find the best solution. Artistic expression is considered the use of a physical medium to detail an emotional, physical, or philosophical experience. Whenever one sees artistic expression, one uses critical thinking skills to analyze the grievances and connections to the idea. Unfortunately, whenever the United States defunds creative programs, students suffer from gaining the full scope of what it means to be an analytical thinker. To improve our current system, I intend to gain first-hand experience inside the classroom and experiment with different creative teaching methods to appeal to a larger audience. I am not earning a degree to teach students what Mary Shelley wrote on page six of Frankenstein. Instead, I am gaining a degree to teach undergraduates why that matters and how to approach human communication. My end goal is to prepare students to explore the entirety of their creative intelligence and use these diverse methods to express themselves through artistic mediums. Altogether, I wish to rethink my current pedagogy and establish a new system based on open communication, experimental teaching methods, and updated psychological learning techniques.

When it comes to the education system here in the United States, many feel that there is more to be desired. Our education system lags behind other powerful and rich countries, and little is done to improve the current conditions of our public educational system. In terms of artistic expression and creative education, the United States has left many programs with minimal funding and importance. What do art and creative intelligence have to do with our current state of education? The United States education system needs to be revitalized with completely different pedagogical techniques, and I intend to lead the charge toward a better America. John Maeda, MIT graduate and former President of The Rhode Island School of Design, wrote on the current state of education, saying, “with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, I am certainly not one to diminish its value. Yet even supremely dedicated geeks have begun to question advances from purely technological innovation” (Maeda 955). Academic officials worldwide are questioning the current view on artistic education. It is essential to break down what it means to be intelligent to determine the function of creative education. Intelligence is using critical-thinking skills to evaluate an issue and solve it correctly. Critical thinking involves analyzing a problem issue from multiple angles and perspectives to find the best solution. Artistic expression is considered the use of a physical medium to detail an emotional, physical, or philosophical experience. Whenever one sees artistic expression, one uses critical thinking skills to analyze the grievances and connections to the idea. Unfortunately, whenever the United States defunds creative programs, students suffer from gaining the full scope of what it means to be an analytical thinker. To improve our current system, I intend to gain first-hand experience inside the classroom and experiment with different creative teaching methods to appeal to a larger audience. I am not earning a degree to teach students what Mary Shelley wrote on page six of Frankenstein. Instead, I am gaining a degree to teach undergraduates why that matters and how to approach human communication. My end goal is to prepare students to explore the entirety of their creative intelligence and use these diverse methods to express themselves through artistic mediums. Altogether, I wish to rethink my current pedagogy and establish a new system based on open communication, experimental teaching methods, and updated psychological learning techniques.

Loving Him By: William Ellis I’m falling into a field of your lavender soul. Your lips taste like cherries, And I want to take a bite. I want to take my time. Let me savor the sugarcane on your skin. His body is a new land I wish to explore and conquer. He’s built like a mountain with the heart of a rock A mind fierce as the wind And a smile like the ocean’s aquamarine mystery. I want to kiss you the way you kiss me. I want to touch you as you see through me. Then I turned to the mirror and said “You’re my journey My desire The fruit of destiny’s orchard, And I want to love you the way you love me. Sir, I do.”

When it comes to the education system here in the United States, many feel that there is more to be desired. Our education system lags behind other powerful and rich countries, and little is done to improve the current conditions of our public educational system. In terms of artistic expression and creative education, the United States has left many programs with minimal funding and importance. What do art and creative intelligence have to do with our current state of education? The United States education system needs to be revitalized with completely different pedagogical techniques, and I intend to lead the charge toward a better America. John Maeda, MIT graduate and former President of The Rhode Island School of Design, wrote on the current state of education, saying, “with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, I am certainly not one to diminish its value. Yet even supremely dedicated geeks have begun to question advances from purely technological innovation” (Maeda 955). Academic officials worldwide are questioning the current view on artistic education. It is essential to break down what it means to be intelligent to determine the function of creative education. Intelligence is using critical-thinking skills to evaluate an issue and solve it correctly. Critical thinking involves analyzing a problem issue from multiple angles and perspectives to find the best solution. Artistic expression is considered the use of a physical medium to detail an emotional, physical, or philosophical experience. Whenever one sees artistic expression, one uses critical thinking skills to analyze the grievances and connections to the idea. Unfortunately, whenever the United States defunds creative programs, students suffer from gaining the full scope of what it means to be an analytical thinker. To improve our current system, I intend to gain first-hand experience inside the classroom and experiment with different creative teaching methods to appeal to a larger audience. I am not earning a degree to teach students what Mary Shelley wrote on page six of Frankenstein. Instead, I am gaining a degree to teach undergraduates why that matters and how to approach human communication. My end goal is to prepare students to explore the entirety of their creative intelligence and use these diverse methods to express themselves through artistic mediums. Altogether, I wish to rethink my current pedagogy and establish a new system based on open communication, experimental teaching methods, and updated psychological learning techniques.

In essence, books are meant to make the reader question what they find to be true. Books explore the many themes of life and find creative ways to either approve or disprove their legitimacy. Without a doubt, I can say that Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is my favorite book because of its scope of imagination. During Mrs. Shelley's time, science had seen major improvements. Researchers had found out the secret to the nervous system in that muscles move due to electrical impulses. Because electricity proved to be a driving force in homeostasis, many people started to question how close science of the time would come to recreating life out of organic material. Shelley intends to use the narrative to make the reader question scientific discovery and the role of humanity. Victor Frankenstein payed dearly because he tried to learn the secrets of God and Mother Nature without realizing that he is neither. Victor was in fact a flawed human who lacked the foresight to properly create life. Victor should have realized as a man of science that he was meant to learn from Mother Nature instead of playing God. In this way, Frankenstein also questions what we think about science. Are the biological experiments in Seoul, South Korea ethical? Have we reached past the line drawn in the sand? Is modern science more of a plague than a blessing? Altogether, Frankenstein is a revolutionary book that brings about themes that question much of what we have been taught to be true.

If one were to turn on any news station open to the public today, it would be clear to the individual the value of a human life. Crime, disease, natural disaster, and even serious accidents claim the lives of many innocent people. Because death is part of our everyday life, the value of mortality seems to have decreased. In addition, new age thinking has led many to lose a sense of responsibility. Abortion has become a hot button issue in modern times due to society’s lax nature. Despite modern thinking, abortion is a logical fallacy and lawful murder in according to morality. Throughout my life, science has been a major part of my life. Biology is such a vast subject. It encompasses all living creatures and even studies the structure of cells and other factors of life. However, my conscience cannot stand to listen to doctor’s justification for abortion. When a sperm fertilizes an egg, an intelligent life form is created. That is simple life science. Sadly, anyone can try and debate that a child is not ‘living’, but it does not change the fact that intelligent life starts at conception. Furthermore, abortion has become widely accepted because of the United States’ cultural beliefs. Women are told that the “right to their bodies” is empowerment and freedom from oppression. However, abortion simply gives men more power over women. Men can have intercourse with women (whether consensual or not) and never have to claim responsibility for the child or their actions. Abortion encourages men to not have to raise their children in a time when fatherless families are a major issue. Because of my love of science, I have decided to become a medical doctor. As a Pro-Life advocate, I intend to never advocate for abortion unless the birth of the child will interfere with the woman’s life. My mother was told she could never have a child, and I was the only child my mother ever had. Her witness influenced me to think about how important children are and how not everyone is blessed with fertility. Therefore, it is completely unimaginable that someone would mercilessly kill a child under the guise of freedom. Freedom should not impede the lives of others, especially since all citizens of the United States are guaranteed the right to the pursuit of happiness. Altogether, abortion is morally wrong. All of my personal experiences prove the unborn deserve a chance at life just as much as everyone else. Just because something is legal does not mean that it should be supported. Many Pro-Choice advocates tend to neglect the true science behind an abortion and the consequences of ending a life. After all, an aborted child could have gone on to revolutionize modern medicine, win an Olympic gold medal, or even win a Grammy for their musical talents. However, that child was never given a chance to be what they were meant to be. All in all, it is our duty to stand up for our children so that they have a chance at their future and a chance to change the world.

In many ways, science is meant to change the way one thinks about reality and life, and I think Marie Curie embodies that perfectly. Curie was a scientist before women were allowed to work in the field; because of her gender, she was seen as less than and was even forced to use a separate laboratory than the men used. Despite her challenges, she helped her husband with his research on radioactivity, winning both of them the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics, and discovered both Polonium and Radium through a special technique involving isolating radioactive isotopes, winning her the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. All in all, Mrs. Curie worked to better society in all facets and even started two research facilities that continue to contribute medical research to this day.

My father was a construction worker; he would build something up, while my mother tore it down. She was always different- she was sweet, she was angry, and she was deceitful at the same time. She was bipolar, and life wasn’t easy for her or the family in general. As a child, I never understood why she acted so. My mother was like a broken record saying the same three words all over again. She would go from normal to rock bottom to fiery anger. None of it made any sense. Sadly, her problems ran rampant until she fell farther into the pit of despair. She would get caught up in waves of paranoia and blame her co-workers for her misdoings. Her behavior became erratic, and she would go into depressive moods very easily. I loved my mother, but our relationship was fading. The pillars of our family were cracking, and the foundation can only do so much. As things got progressively worse, my mother started to control my high school career. She burst into my school counselor’s office without any warning and assaulted them with her words once. She turned my teachers against me, and I wasn’t allowed any leniency in my classes. That was when I realized I needed to help my mother with her issues. I would catch my father while my mother was not around and spoke up about some of the problems she was having. Eventually, my father confronted my mother about her problems and told her that she needed to start opening up about what was really happening. My mother started telling her psychologist what was going on and how her behavior was effecting everyone else. Because my mother was honest about her condition, she was able to get a better diagnosis and better care. Unfortunately, my mother has developed a neurological disorder called Essential Tremor where her hands shake profusely; she loses balance very easily, so she had to quit her job and apply for disability. However, my mother tried her best to recover and raise in the only way she knew.

My career and education can be summed up in one specific statement. Time doesn't exist. One might be shocked, appalled, or confused to hear such a statement, but time doesn't exist in the way that we see it. Throughout my life, I have wanted to explore the secrets of the universe through physics, chemistry, and biology. After many years of self-reflection, I believe the journey starts with the statement that time doesn't exist. To begin, let's define the word time. Time is a measure of length from the start to the finish of an event. It describes whether an event will happen sooner or later than we expect. For example, it will take fifteen minutes to heat up a frozen pizza from the store. This is important because fifteen minutes is quite different as compared to fifteen years. Time was created for the sole purpose of organization. Otherwise, civilization as we know it would probably not exist due to the lack of structure. Without the correct day, week, month, year, or historical record, our lives would be void of any sort of control. Because time was created, trains were created on a large scale (time zones revolutionized railway travel), chemical reactions were measured, and civilization as a whole grew in popularity. However, what this means is that time is simply a human construct rather than a mathematical principle. Time does technically exist because time is the result of gravity. On the other hand, not all planets have the same gravity field that Earth has. In comparison, Earth's acceleration due to gravity is -9.81 meters per second squared while Jupiter's acceleration due to gravity is -25.89 meters per second squared. Because Jupiter is a larger object, the amount of gravitational force acting on it is higher. Therefore, time on Jupiter would pass differently on Jupiter than it would Earth. In the vacuum of space, gravity may be scarce due to the lack of large masses, so time wouldn't pass as we see it on Earth. All in all, gravity and time are relative to each other. Time, despite being in many different aspects of nature and space, is less rigid than we as humans see it. Time is rather fluid in this way, and out universe is a mysterious realm filled with many different secrets we have yet to unlock. Time is simply the symbol for this because it is a peculiar phenomenon in space and nature. While it may seem more or less like a tangent, time represents my curiosity. I have always wondered about the heavens and how they play into our lives. Mathematics, music, and physics are all subjects that are flawed. Due to the fact that numbers go on into infinity, no one has ever been able to fully prove a mathematical formula. In order for a rule to be considered a mathematical law, it must be true for all numbers. In addition, music measures pitch by using natural pitches for most notes and sharps and flats to account for pitches that lie between natural pitches. Unfortunately, those sharps and flats fail to realize that technically anything that is ever so slightly sharper or flatter is technically a pitch on its own, and their are probably an infinite amount of pitches between two natural pitches. On the subject of physics, the amount of rules that we currently have for energy and movement only account for about 20% of all reactions in the universe. In sum, there is still so much to know and improve on, and I hope to be able to explore science throughout my career.

My father was a construction worker; he would build something up, while my mother tore it down. She was always different- she was sweet, she was angry, and she was deceitful at the same time. She was bipolar, and life wasn’t easy for her or the family in general. As a child, I never understood why she acted so. My mother was like a broken record saying the same three words all over again. She would go from normal to rock bottom to fiery anger. None of it made any sense. Sadly, her problems ran rampant until she fell farther into the pit of despair. She would get caught up in waves of paranoia and blame her co-workers for her misdoings. Her behavior became erratic, and she would go into depressive moods very easily. I loved my mother, but our relationship was fading. The pillars of our family were cracking, and the foundation can only do so much. As things got progressively worse, my mother started to control my high school career. She burst into my school counselor’s office without any warning and assaulted them with her words once. She turned my teachers against me, and I wasn’t allowed any leniency in my classes. That is when I realized I needed to take charge of my own life and prove that I wouldn’t be bullied into submission. I studied my mother’s every move and carefully found all her weaknesses. Soon, I was able to show my father what she had done and had her removed from major decisions in my life. Others realized that I was quite wise and mature for my age due to my hardships, and I became a trusted confidant. I was the one to ask for advice because of my mental maturity. Many times, I saw others struggle, and the pitcher of my mind would want to pour out the words like lemonade; unfortunately, I have found it is better to learn on one’s own merits. As time went on, I became a pillar of my school and community, taking leadership roles and pivotal positions around me. Because of my new-found image, I started thinking of creative problems. After all, creative problems bring out creative solutions. I started thinking, “What am I doing for those who need me most?”; “What is my purpose?”; “Who am I supposed to guide?” The answer came naturally: medicine. One summer, I vacationed in South Africa, and I noticed major differences. For example, Africans do not look at life and death the same way as the rest of the world does. In many ways, the African people seem desensitized to the effects of death. In addition to noticeable cultural differences, I also saw a need in South Africa. Many of the people who live in rural South Africa have to travel for miles to get to major cities capable of treating them. Some are lucky enough to benefit from “flying doctors” or doctors who fly from place to place treating different patients; however, medical services are under a lot of stress. From that moment, I knew I wanted to help provide adequate healthcare to those who needed it, and I wanted to become a mission doctor. Since that day that my mother changed my life, I have remained the number one in my life, and no other person has power over me that I don’t give them. Due to that power struggle, I learned much about life and about what it has to offer. In that way, I am unlike any other; my ability to handle situations involving others as well as my ability to think two steps ahead has set me apart from my peers more times than one can count. While confidence is a strong word, I am proud to be the strong individual I have become. My story has not ended; on the contrary- it has just begun. I have only recently started opening up my doors and living for myself, and I honestly don’t know what it means to live only for oneself; however, the view is stunning from here, and I can’t wait to explore what it means to be simply me.

To whom it may concern, my future plans are to live a life of service. For my formal education, I plan to attend an engineering school and major in Bioengineering in order to gain the basics for a medical program. Afterward, I hope to pursue a medical school and a medical career. I wish to dedicate my work to the healing of others. For my undergraduate study, I intend on majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in genetics and pre-med. Many chose my specific path because it is popular and offers a cushy job with a high salary. However, I plan on being able to learn the basics of being a doctor so I can become more involved in the community. Many doctors of our day and age look for their paycheck instead of actual happiness. I want to look at how we care for people from a different perspective so that I can look at those around me in a different light. After all, growth is the most important aspect of one’s life in regards to working with people. As stated previously, my end goal is to go to medical school and specialize in internal medicine. I plan on becoming a Hospitalist after my residency. Hospitalists aren’t widely known, and it’s understandable. Hospitalists are the doctors who act as primary care physicians for those who come to the hospital and do not have a doctor otherwise. They monitor the treatment of patients after emergency care specialists have finished caring for the patient. I want to be a Hospitalist because I want to be there when someone may have just experienced the most traumatic moment of their life. After I have completely paid off my loans, I intend to move to Africa. Since my younger years, I have been fascinated with mission work. Many people today talk about how many problems they have in their everyday lives whether it be due to work or morality. I want to be that moral change that gets people thinking about what is truly important. I want to go to a third-world country, work for pennies on the dime, and slave away in the blazing heat in order to set the foundation for a happier tomorrow. In order to take a civilization higher, we have to be the change that gets the ball rolling. The world isn’t like it was during the Dark Ages because someone had to be bold enough to make the first move. I think we can all agree that nations like Sudan and Afghanistan need our help, but we need to add force to our words before they lose meaning. In closing, I will say that I understand why one might have a hard time choosing with so many applicants, but I will say that I intend to use my education and skills in order to form a more perfect union between the modern world and poverty.

To whom it may concern, my future plans are to live a life of service. For my formal education, I plan to attend an engineering school and major in Bioengineering in order to gain the basics for a medical program. Afterward, I hope to pursue a medical school and a medical career. I wish to dedicate my work to the healing of others. For my undergraduate study, I intend on majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in genetics and pre-med. Many chose my specific path because it is popular and offers a cushy job with a high salary. However, I plan on being able to learn the basics of being a doctor so I can become more involved in the community. Many doctors of our day and age look for their paycheck instead of actual happiness. I want to look at how we care for people from a different perspective so that I can look at those around me in a different light. After all, growth is the most important aspect of one’s life in regards to working with people. As stated previously, my end goal is to go to medical school and specialize in internal medicine. I plan on becoming a Hospitalist after my residency. Hospitalists aren’t widely known, and it’s understandable. Hospitalists are the doctors who act as primary care physicians for those who come to the hospital and do not have a doctor otherwise. They monitor the treatment of patients after emergency care specialists have finished caring for the patient. I want to be a Hospitalist because I want to be there when someone may have just experienced the most traumatic moment of their life. After I have completely paid off my loans, I intend to move to Africa. Since my younger years, I have been fascinated with mission work. Many people today talk about how many problems they have in their everyday lives whether it be due to work or morality. I want to be that moral change that gets people thinking about what is truly important. I want to go to a third-world country, work for pennies on the dime, and slave away in the blazing heat in order to set the foundation for a happier tomorrow. In order to take a civilization higher, we have to be the change that gets the ball rolling. The world isn’t like it was during the Dark Ages because someone had to be bold enough to make the first move. I think we can all agree that nations like Sudan and Afghanistan need our help, but we need to add force to our words before they lose meaning. In closing, I will say that I understand why one might have a hard time choosing with so many applicants, but I will say that I intend to use my education and skills in order to form a more perfect union between the modern world and poverty.

My father was a construction worker; he would build something up, while my mother tore it down. She was always different- she was sweet, she was angry, and she was deceitful at the same time. She was bipolar, and life wasn’t easy for her or the family in general. As a child, I never understood why she acted so. My mother was like a broken record saying the same three words all over again. She would go from normal to rock bottom to fiery anger. None of it made any sense. Sadly, her problems ran rampant until she fell farther into the pit of despair. She would get caught up in waves of paranoia and blame her co-workers for her misdoings. Her behavior became erratic, and she would go into depressive moods very easily. I loved my mother, but our relationship was fading. The pillars of our family were cracking, and the foundation can only do so much. As things got progressively worse, my mother started to control my high school career. She burst into my school counselor’s office without any warning and assaulted them with her words once. She turned my teachers against me, and I wasn’t allowed any leniency in my classes. That is when I realized I needed to take charge of my own life and prove that I wouldn’t be bullied into submission. I studied my mother’s every move and carefully found all her weaknesses. Soon, I was able to show my father what she had done and had her removed from major decisions in my life. Others realized that I was quite wise and mature for my age due to my hardships, and I became a trusted confidant. I was the one to ask for advice because of my mental maturity. Many times, I saw others struggle, and the pitcher of my mind would want to pour out the words like lemonade; unfortunately, I have found it is better to learn on one’s own merits. As time went on, I became a pillar of my school and community, taking leadership roles and pivotal positions around me. Because of my new-found image, I started thinking of creative problems. After all, creative problems bring out creative solutions. I started thinking, “What am I doing for those who need me most?”; “What is my purpose?”; “Who am I supposed to guide?” The answer came naturally: medicine. One summer, I vacationed in South Africa, and I noticed major differences. For example, Africans do not look at life and death the same way as the rest of the world does. In many ways, the African people seem desensitized to the effects of death. In addition to noticeable cultural differences, I also saw a need in South Africa. Many of the people who live in rural South Africa have to travel for miles to get to major cities capable of treating them. Some are lucky enough to benefit from “flying doctors” or doctors who fly from place to place treating different patients; however, medical services are under a lot of stress. From that moment, I knew I wanted to help provide adequate healthcare to those who needed it, and I wanted to become a mission doctor. Since that day that my mother changed my life, I have remained the number one in my life, and no other person has power over me that I don’t give them. Due to that power struggle, I learned much about life and about what it has to offer. In that way, I am unlike any other; my ability to handle situations involving others as well as my ability to think two steps ahead has set me apart from my peers more times than one can count. While confidence is a strong word, I am proud to be the strong individual I have become. My story has not ended; on the contrary- it has just begun. I have only recently started opening up my doors and living for myself, and I honestly don’t know what it means to live only for oneself; however, the view is stunning from here, and I can’t wait to explore what it means to be simply me.

To whom it may concern, my future plans are to live a life of service. For my formal education, I plan to attend an engineering school and major in Bioengineering in order to gain the basics for a medical program. Afterward, I hope to pursue a medical school and a medical career. I wish to dedicate my work to the healing of others. For my undergraduate study, I intend on majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in genetics and pre-med. Many chose my specific path because it is popular and offers a cushy job with a high salary. However, I plan on being able to learn the basics of being a doctor so I can become more involved in the community. Many doctors of our day and age look for their paycheck instead of actual happiness. I want to look at how we care for people from a different perspective so that I can look at those around me in a different light. After all, growth is the most important aspect of one’s life in regards to working with people. As stated previously, my end goal is to go to medical school and specialize in internal medicine. I plan on becoming a Hospitalist after my residency. Hospitalists aren’t widely known, and it’s understandable. Hospitalists are the doctors who act as primary care physicians for those who come to the hospital and do not have a doctor otherwise. They monitor the treatment of patients after emergency care specialists have finished caring for the patient. I want to be a Hospitalist because I want to be there when someone may have just experienced the most traumatic moment of their life. After I have completely paid off my loans, I intend to move to Africa. Since my younger years, I have been fascinated with mission work. Many people today talk about how many problems they have in their everyday lives whether it be due to work or morality. I want to be that moral change that gets people thinking about what is truly important. I want to go to a third-world country, work for pennies on the dime, and slave away in the blazing heat in order to set the foundation for a happier tomorrow. In order to take a civilization higher, we have to be the change that gets the ball rolling. The world isn’t like it was during the Dark Ages because someone had to be bold enough to make the first move. I think we can all agree that nations like Sudan and Afghanistan need our help, but we need to add force to our words before they lose meaning. In closing, I will say that I understand why one might have a hard time choosing with so many applicants, but I will say that I intend to use my education and skills in order to form a more perfect union between the modern world and poverty.

This is my full-blooded Jack Russell. Her name is Jessie, but we call her Jessie Lou because we live in the South. She is naturally excitable and playful, but she loves her down time. This photo was taken when she wanted to take a nap at the end of the day. Jessie's normal hobbies include chasing squirrels in the yard, cuddling up underneath a blanket, and warming up in front of a portable heater.

My father was a construction worker; he would build something up, while my mother tore it down. She was always different- she was sweet, she was angry, and she was deceitful at the same time. She was bipolar, and life wasn’t easy for her or the family in general. As a child, I never understood why she acted so. My mother was like a broken record saying the same three words all over again. She would go from normal to rock bottom to fiery anger. None of it made any sense. Sadly, her problems ran rampant until she fell farther into the pit of despair. She would get caught up in waves of paranoia and blame her co-workers for her misdoings. Her behavior became erratic, and she would go into depressive moods very easily. I loved my mother, but our relationship was fading. The pillars of our family were cracking, and the foundation can only do so much. As things got progressively worse, my mother started to control my high school career. She burst into my school counselor’s office without any warning and assaulted them with her words once. She turned my teachers against me, and I wasn’t allowed any leniency in my classes. That is when I realized I needed to take charge of my own life and prove that I wouldn’t be bullied into submission. I studied my mother’s every move and carefully found all her weaknesses. Soon, I was able to show my father what she had done and had her removed from major decisions in my life. Others realized that I was quite wise and mature for my age due to my hardships, and I became a trusted confidant. I was the one to ask for advice because of my mental maturity. Many times, I saw others struggle, and the pitcher of my mind would want to pour out the words like lemonade; unfortunately, I have found it is better to learn on one’s own merits. As time went on, I became a pillar of my school and community, taking leadership roles and pivotal positions around me. Since that day, I have remained the number one in my life, and no other person has power over me that I don’t give them. Due to that power struggle, I learned much about life and about what it has to offer. In that way, I am unlike any other; my ability to handle situations involving others as well as my ability to think two steps ahead has set me apart from my peers more times than one can count. While confidence is a strong word, I am proud to be the strong individual I have become. My story has not ended; on the contrary- it has just begun. I have only recently started opening up my doors and living for myself, and I honestly don’t know what it means to live only for oneself; however, the view is stunning from here, and I can’t wait to explore what it means to be simply me.

To whom it may concern, my future plans are to live a life of service. For my formal education, I plan to attend an engineering school and major in Bioengineering in order to gain the basics for a medical program. Afterward, I hope to pursue a medical school and a medical career. I wish to dedicate my work to the healing of others. For my undergraduate study, I intend on majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in genetics and pre-med. Many chose my specific path because it is popular and offers a cushy job with a high salary. However, I plan on being able to learn the basics of being a doctor so I can become more involved in the community. Many doctors of our day and age look for their paycheck instead of actual happiness. I want to look at how we care for people from a different perspective so that I can look at those around me in a different light. After all, growth is the most important aspect of one’s life in regards to working with people. As stated previously, my end goal is to go to medical school and specialize in internal medicine. I plan on becoming a Hospitalist after my residency. Hospitalists aren’t widely known, and it’s understandable. Hospitalists are the doctors who act as primary care physicians for those who come to the hospital and do not have a doctor otherwise. They monitor the treatment of patients after emergency care specialists have finished caring for the patient. I want to be a Hospitalist because I want to be there when someone may have just experienced the most traumatic moment of their life. After I have completely paid off my loans, I intend to move to Africa. Since my younger years, I have been fascinated with mission work. Many people today talk about how many problems they have in their everyday lives whether it be due to work or morality. I want to be that moral change that gets people thinking about what is truly important. I want to go to a third-world country, work for pennies on the dime, and slave away in the blazing heat in order to set the foundation for a happier tomorrow. In order to take a civilization higher, we have to be the change that gets the ball rolling. The world isn’t like it was during the Dark Ages because someone had to be bold enough to make the first move. I think we can all agree that nations like Sudan and Afghanistan need our help, but we need to add force to our words before they lose meaning. In closing, I will say that I understand why one might have a hard time choosing with so many applicants, but I will say that I intend to use my education and skills in order to form a more perfect union between the modern world and poverty.

The All American Drug By: William Ellis During my high school career, I have met many different people. After all this time, I can say that everyone seems caught up in a flurry of greed and self. So many of my generation become wrapped up in their own reflections that they forget what matters in life. When I started taking college classes, I decided to sign up for sociology in order to better understand culture and demographics. While I never expected to learn much, I found that culture is diverse, and it can be broken down into many different components. I saw this as an opportunity to break down my own culture, and I was absolutely appalled. I didn’t understand why we put so much emphasis on materialism until I looked into one of America’s oldest ideals-the American dream. Throughout our history as a nation, we have encouraged our young people to search for the golden light. ‘Reach for the stars’ is a common aphorism, but why do we follow it? The idea of the American dream has been around for decades, so it has become a commonly associated cultural staple. However, it is unhealthy how an older ideal has come to rule and dictate the lives of many American citizens. For this reason, many Americans see money-hungry workaholics as immoral. At the same time, there are still many corporate executives who work to gain their white picket fence story. If the populace understands how toxic money can be, why is wealth so important? What is it about American culture that defines one’s worth based on material standards as opposed to virtue? Why do we crave success so much? Why can’t we just be normal? In order to understand why the American dream isn’t healthy for us, we must first deconstruct it. After all, we cannot use a word without knowing the definition. The American dream is defined by the belief that hard work will lead to success, and financial stability is essential when it comes to happiness and satisfaction. However, this one-size-fits-all interpretation of life is extremely superficial. It doesn’t take into account someone’s current financial situation and what it would take to rise in ranks. When it comes to business, there is no exact algorithm of success because everyone succeeds due to their differences. As we can see, the ideal seems quite vague and plastic. In addition to its lack of clarity, the American dream doesn’t take into account what kind of happiness people truly want. The American dream says that money brings happiness, but is this really true? In order to accumulate wealth, some millionaires and billionaires spend their whole life working to achieve their goals. While their dedication is admirable, what does that money mean? Simply put, how much is that money worth? Money can’t be spent if one is too busy accumulating more. In addition, why waste your time? Money can’t afford a true friend or time. Personally, I don’t understand why one would want a private jet when they would lose all the time they could have with their loved ones. Furthermore, I have found that the American dream also perpetuates a “trendy” culture. Throughout high school, I’ve seen droves of unfortunate teens flock from one faulty fashion to another. While I’ve never been one to conform, I don’t understand why it is so important to follow someone else’s path. When we conform to cultural beauty and ideological standards, we surrender our individuality, creativity, and self-worth. Many offer up their souls to plastic idols in hope of popularity, and it’s so unfortunate. Instead of promoting following one person’s decisions, we should promote starting our own trends. Clearly, we can see that the American dream can spiral out of control if we don’t analyze how it affects us. The only question that remains is how do we stop it. It is simple: start your own culture. I learned in high school that we are not numbers-we can have our own opinions and beliefs. During my high school years, I created my own culture by refusing to conform. I decided to wear different clothes and believe in different principles that many of my generation did not believe in. After all, we can’t expect change if we don’t inspire it. Altogether, I want to change how we see ourselves and each other. We don’t all have to be looking for dollar bills all over the place. We can be lovers, explorers, or helpers. We can be anything that we want to so long as we are willing to work for it. In conclusion, we as a nation need to understand our unhealthy relationship with money and need to inspire a counterculture to stop our addiction.

Transcendent Character By: William Ellis My father was a construction worker; he would build something up, while my mother tore it down. She was always different- she was sweet, she was angry, and she was deceitful at the same time. She was bipolar, and life wasn’t easy for her or the family in general. As a child, I never understood why she acted so. My mother was like a broken record saying the same three words all over again. She would go from normal to rock bottom to fiery anger. None of it made any sense. Sadly, her problems ran rampant until she fell farther into the pit of despair. She would get caught up in waves of paranoia and blame her co-workers for her misdoings. Her behavior became erratic, and she would go into depressive moods very easily. I loved my mother, but our relationship was fading. The pillars of our family were cracking, and the foundation can only do so much. As things got progressively worse, my mother started to control my high school career. She burst into my school counselor’s office without any warning and assaulted them with her words once. She turned my teachers against me, and I wasn’t allowed any leniency in my classes. That is when I realized I needed to take charge of my own life and prove that I wouldn’t be bullied into submission. I studied my mother’s every move and carefully found all her weaknesses. Soon, I was able to show my father what she had done and had her removed from major decisions in my life. Others realized that I was quite wise and mature for my age due to my hardships, and I became a trusted confidant. I was the one to ask for advice because of my mental maturity. Many times, I saw others struggle, and the pitcher of my mind would want to pour out the words like lemonade; unfortunately, I have found it is better to learn on one’s own merits. As time went on, I became a pillar of my school and community, taking leadership roles and pivotal positions around me. Since that day, I have remained the number one in my life, and no other person has power over me that I don’t give them. Due to that power struggle, I learned much about life and about what it has to offer. In that way, I am unlike any other; my ability to handle situations involving others as well as my ability to think two steps ahead has set me apart from my peers more times than one can count. While confidence is a strong word, I am proud to be the strong individual I have become. My story has not ended; on the contrary- it has just begun. I have only recently started opening up my doors and living for myself, and I honestly don’t know what it means to live only for oneself; however, the view is stunning from here, and I can’t wait to explore what it means to be simply me.