How can you get the fulfillment of life and all its beauty and joy before it all ends? I haven't been asked this question very much and when I do, I usually don't know what to answer. I'm still young and it's a very difficult question to answer. I haven't even lived my life for very long so how would I know? Or that's what I thought for the longest time. Just because I haven't lived a long enough life, doesn't mean that my life experiences aren't valid. I've also learned a lot from the adults in my life. Receiving advice with the combination of making your own mistakes help for making great life experiences and lessons. That's what I believe helps you live a long and healthy life. Having life experiences and being able to tell stories to others, make life worth it. Having seen the world or trying different restaurants helps you become involved in the culture and happiness of life.

I'm probably one of the most impaitent people on this planet. I can be patient but majority of the time, I can't. However, growing up in a Mexican household with has taught me just how important patience is. My dad has truly shown me what being patient means. My dad has worked at the same place, doing the same thing for almost 22 years. He's worked there all my life but now that I'm a senior in high school it seems to be changing. My dad never hated working there but he never loved it either. I personally believe he's undermined especially being from Mexico and not having the greatest English all the time. But lately, he's starting to grow his side hustle and I cannot be more proud of him. He's been slowly putting in the time and effort to educate himself to become a great entrepreneur. It's taken him many months to prepare and it's really shown me what time can do. Not only has he shown me how small progress and changes can lead to your big accomplishments, but it also has shown me how patience is key.

I've been playing soccer since I was 5 years old. It's been an outlet for all of my life. It wasn't until I got into middle school in my 7th-grade year that I got introduced to new coaching styles. We first had a female coach that year but then into the 8th-grade year, we got a new coach. And he would be my coach up until my senior year of high school. I had no problem with his coaching style and I learned a lot from him. He saw my potential and we grew to have a close coach and athlete relationship. He always encouraged me to be a great leader and captain and wanted what was best for me. Or so I thought. It wasn't until senior year that I started to notice how bad and inappropriate his behavior was. He made all of my teammates and me uncomfortable at one point or another. He never listened to any of our suggestions and always switched the blame on us, never taking responsibility. I was a captain, but I felt like I was doing more than a regular captain should. All of my teammates and I (along with our parents) confronted him about his horrible actions and how we wanted to be heard. He took offense to it and ended up quitting with a month still left in our season. We ended up getting a new coach and had an amazing rest of the season. We almost made it to the playoffs and grew stronger as a team. I learned that I don't have to be treated with disrespect in order to go far in life. And that even important people in my life can be replaced because I don't deserve to be treated unfairly.

I never thought that there were ever mentorships that actually meant something. You have the time period of mentorship and afterwards, there isn't any communication. However, if there is a mentor that is truly dedicated to their mentorship and the betterment of their mentee, then it could be a great relationship. This is the goal that I strive for in a mentorship. I want to make sure that my mentee always knows that I care and I want them to do better for themselves. I think one of the key components in mentorship is making sure you're mentee has high self-confidence. This is one of the most effective and key ideas to making sure you're mentorship goes well. Since the mentorship is focused on the mentee and the betterment of themselves. I realize that through every mentorship whether it be an official agreement or not, you can't always guarantee a positive outcome. But, you can use all the tools you've been given and try your best to succeed and watch your mentee grow into an amazing person. That's what I strive for and hope happens with every mentee I have.

This is my four-year-old terrier/poodle mix, Benny! In this picture, my grandpa (his best friend) wanted to put one of his bucket hats on Benny while he was chilling on the couch. Luckily Benny just relaxed and let my grandpa put it on him while I took a picture

Everyone has the power and right to make positive changes towards climate change. What it all depends on is you taking the initiative. Whether it be small or big, there are many ways to have a positive impact on the planet. I love to have conversations about climate change and advocating the importance of fixing it. I stay up to date on social media and post about everything concerning climate change. Whether it be positive or negative, I always make sure to post and let others know about it. I sign petitions when I can and post about those as well. I also advocate for equal climate change meaning that climate solutions are accessible for everyone. Because when looking at climate change it's also about making sure that everyone has a healthy planet. Not just for cis-straight white men who are the ones who get the most benefit from society. But regardless, I always make sure that everyone is included in the climate change resolution and that we learn to advocate so we can act now.

Before Covid, all the news I would hear would go in one ear and out the other. Even if it made me upset, I only thought about it for a short while and then eventually forgot or moved on to the next story. If it didn't directly affect me than I wouldn't think too much about it. Now after the pandemic it helped made me realize that there were steps that I could do to help influence change and positivity into the world. Now I sign petitions and spread the word on certain events that are negatively affecting people. But most importantly, I'm having conversations with people around me and are no longer staying silent. I voice my opinion while also allowing people to voice theirs even if I don't agree with it. I believe starting conversations and continuing to have them is one of the simplest ways to make change in the world even if it's small.

I've read many books over the years and have liked some and not liked others. I'm usually into more fiction and fantasy books as they're my escape from reality. While I have many books that are my favorite for different reasons, there is one that I would read over and over again. The Cellar by Natasha Preston was easily one of the most capitavting books I've ever read. I've always loved crime stories and true crime. Once I read the back of the cover, I was instantly hooked. This story was about Summer, a girl who was kidnapped and her point of view while she's held captive. It also follows alongside her boyfriends point of view, who's trying to save her. I think I ended up liking this book so much not because of my love for true crime but how Natasha wrote each character. Summer's boyfriend and family felt so real as they all searched long hours and months for Summer. You could feel their emotions and just how tired and desperate they were to get Summer back. With the kidnapper as well, as scary as he was he also had a story as to why he acted the way he did. Even with Summer, as you read you could tell her personality changed and how she acted different as the chapters continued. While Summer was held captive, there were other girls in the cellar who were also being held captive. They way they acted together and were not only looking out for one another but also you could tell how lifeless they were. These details helped the book become more entertaining. It was overall written very well and made the reality for me as a woman of being kidnapped that much more engraved into my mind.

When you're young, there are a lot of people who think kids don't understand what's going on around them. To some extent they're correct but how much of that is true? When I was around 8-years-old my grandma got sick; very sick. I never really knew what it was but I knew that she was constantly having surgeries and we were constantly going to the hospital. My grandma being in the hospital was a normal thing for me. I used to go and play in the waiting room, I was obsessed with making bracelets so I would make bracelets until she got out of surgery. Every year up until January 2021, she had at least one surgery. But it wasn't until 2017 when I was thirteen when I found out that my grandma was breast cancer-free. I knew she was sick and had some sort of cancer but it was just an odd concept to me. It didn't really hit me that she was sick and that I could've easily lost her at the time because I was so young. But now she's a gem in my life. With the pandemic taken over the world and it got worse in my area, I felt like a kid again. My grandma is at high risk because of her past cancer, and I realized I could lose her again. But even with covid, she always makes sure I'm fed, happy, and feeling loved. Whenever I think of that hard time she had (and even now still dealing with the aftermath of cancer) she always has a good spirit. She has one of the biggest hearts in the world and she always wants what's best for me. Whenever I tell her about wanting to become a veterinarian she is always up for it. She always encourages me and never lets me forget my potential. I've admired her because of her perseverance and ongoing love she has towards others even when she isn't feeling good or in pain. I know that I want to help people and make their lives a little easier. I know that if we would've had an animal while she was going through chemo, she would've been a little more happy.

Trigger Warning: Suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts When I was 14 and people around me would talk about their future and what they were going to do, I never thought I would ever have to think about that; because I would be dead in a couple of months anyway. Whenever they asked me what I wanted to do, I would always respond with "I'm not quite sure yet" or I told them I wanted to become a veterinarian which was what I wanted to do. The thoughts were always there, no matter what I was doing. I remember sitting in my 8th-grade history class and we were having a fun day and watching a movie. I saw my cousin sitting at the table in front of me and I remember thinking that I was going to miss him and I hope he'll be able to be in class normally without me. Whenever I was doing an activity or having fun, I always had the thought that this might be the last time I get to do this or see my friends and family smiling. Every day I always had bittersweet moments because I would have so much fun but then I would remember that that might've been the last time. For a couple of months, I took multiple over-the-counter pills in secret. In the summer of 2018, I started to take even more because no one was home to watch me. But, I'm not sure if it was the guilt or the slight feeling of not wanting to actually die but on August 28 I decided to tell my parents what I had been doing. I'll never forget their reactions and how broken they sounded that day. They took me to the ER and luckily I didn't cause any serious damage to myself. The traumatic part was hearing and seeing my friends and family heartbroken and scared for me. I thought I was a burden that whole time when in reality I didn't realize how much they actually loved and cared about me. It's been almost three years since then and I'm really glad to still be alive. This was one of the hardest experiences I had ever had to go through. I think what made me snap out of it was being in that hospital bed and seeing how much pain I caused everyone. I never want to put my family members through that again and it clicked in my brain so I'm determined to never let that happen again. But it taught me to appreciate everyone around me. Whenever I feel like giving up, I remember all those days where I wanted to end it all and how hopeless I felt. I never want to feel like that again, so I always make sure to do things that make me happy and to remind myself that I am enough and worth it. It's always a constant battle but I'm happy with where I'm at. I'm glad I get to enjoy the little victories and being excited to accomplish the big ones like going to college. It has made me more appreciative of life and how I want to grow old with my family and live a good life. I'm not perfect but I hope that I can make the best of whatever time I have on this earth. I always try to look on the bright side of things and how we can all come together and fight these battles. There are so many people who have these kinds of battles every day, some lose while others survive and continue to fight. I want to show people that even with these struggles you can do whatever you want and make yourself happy.

My Instagram is @yasi.04 I'm proud to be a woman because of how much we can endure through a day and still do whatever needs to be done. Even with all the odds stacked against us, we still strive for greatness and don't settle for less. We stick up for each other and have each other's backs when needed without needing anything in return.

Mental illnesses are a new concept in my family. I live in a Mexican household with my parents and grandparents. My mom is the only one who understands mental health because she works in mental health for our county. But to my dad and grandparents, it’s a new concept. My brother and I get stressed out from multiple things and he suffers from anxiety while I haven’t been diagnosed, I do have days where it’s hard to function. We’ve both been to therapy and we want others around us to understand that mental health isn’t a taboo topic. Living in a Mexican household, it’s hard for us to express our emotions. Or whenever we take a day off for our mental health, we feel as though we haven’t accomplished anything that day. My grandpa and dad are people who believe that if you didn’t complete a project or cleaned the house etc. That you didn’t do anything productive that day. We need to help children understand that taking mental health days and realizing our limits is a normal thing. Being in school is so much harder than some people realize and we have to understand that you might be suffering unnecessarily without even realizing it. There are days where I want to give up and throw in the towel. I don’t feel as though I can accomplish anything great when that’s not true. Having mental health issues isn’t great but that doesn’t mean we need to allow it to set us back in life. That no matter what you suffer through, everyone has a different way of dealing with it and we have to realize that.

Being a first-generation college student is hard enough as it is. However, pursuing a career in medicine is even more difficult. Being first-generation has been such a huge factor in my pursuit in the healthcare field. My grandfather came from Mexico and his family owned a farm and he absolutely loved working on the farm. Now that I'm pursuing a career in becoming a veterinarian, he beams with joy. He loves telling me stories about when he was on the farm and also tips on how to do certain things like how to milk a cow properly. That was a way that we bonded and having a career in the healthcare field is very dear to my heart. I've always wanted to help others and being in the healthcare field as a first-generation student has given me the extra drive and determination. Hearing about the struggles that your family went through just to get here and having that not impact your career choice would be a waste in my eyes. I want to do better, not only for myself and those around me but especially for my family. They love that my brother and I are pursuing great careers and how much of a difference in the world we want to make. I want to be able to pursue a great career while also loving my background. I want to help other kids realize that no matter what your background is, you can do whatever you want to do as long as you work hard for it. I've realized that being first-generation can be seen as a setback in certain aspects. However, I like to see it as something that makes me who I am. My family didn't get to have the opportunity to go to college and get a good job. They had to get whatever job helped them make ends meet. My mom has a job as a medical assistant but she wasn't able to get any higher than that. She always tells me that she wishes she could go back to school and that she doesn't want that same outcome for me. My dad who is a manager at a grocery store, tells me the same thing. He always tells me to never sell myself short and to always reach for the stars. My dad immigrated from Mexico and he was only able to get his high school diploma because he left Mexico at such a young age. My parents have always supported me in my decisions and without them, I wouldn't be pursuing a career in the healthcare field.

Growing up I lived in a small town in Oregon. I was raised by my parents and my grandparents on my mom's side. I also had an older brother with who I share great memories. I had a pretty good home life because everyone loved my brother and me. My dad and grandpa are both immigrants from Mexico and they come from different towns. However, growing up no one spoke Spanish to my brother and me, even though everyone is fluent. Of course, when living in a small town that is mainly white and Mexican, not everyone liked me and my brother because we only spoke English. I had my fair share of bullying but I had friends and family who liked me but, I didn't allow myself to care. As we got older and I was in middle school while my brother was in high school, I began to have an identity crisis. However, once I entered high school, my identity crisis grew. I had just recovered from the summer prior where I had a lot of mental health issues which almost cost me my life. But, my school required two years of a foreign language to graduate and I barely knew Spanish. Most of the kids in my class were white and they questioned my ethnicity based on my ability to speak the language. However, I laughed it off and pretended it didn't bother me. But, my brother was my biggest motivation to overcome the bullies. He is becoming a history teacher and is also taking classes to help him become more fluent in Spanish. My parents are also my biggest motivators to become something bigger because they both had my brother and me when they were teenagers and didn't have the opportunity to attend college. Now I want to attend college and become a Vet tech to help others and their animals. My grandpa grew up on a farm and loved taking care of cows and he is one of the reasons I choose this field. I want to show others that no matter the circumstances of where you came from or who raised you, that shooting for anything less is dishonoring your worth.

Climate change has never been more serious like right now. The uprising problem of climate change and of those who say it doesn't exist is a crisis for everyone in our world. One of the major problems that interest me is plastic pollution and just how badly it is becoming. Of course, wanting everyone to live a zero-waste lifestyle would be awesome but being able to live that way is a privilege itself. I believe in order to truly change our society and save our lands and oceans we need big brand companies to change their packaging. By using recycled plastic or plastic that has already been made instead of new plastic would be a great change. I know this problem isn't the worst of them all but it truly isn't one to be ignored as well. I believe that if our economy made it easier for low-income families to be able to afford alternatives like that would be awesome, instead of making it harder for them to access things like that. Companies using recycled plastic, offering plastic-free products, or becoming plastic neutral can truly change our world for the better.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" -Wayne Gretzky This may sound basic or just another quote for athletes but it really is a great quote. During middle school, my physical education teachers would post a motivational quote each week and leave it on the whiteboard for everyone to see for the entire week. One week they decided to put this quote on the board and at first, I didn't really pay attention to it until I went to soccer practice that same day and my coach mentioned it. When he said that I was shocked because I didn't fully process it the first time I heard it. Now being a junior in High school I tell that all the time to the other younger girls on my soccer team. Especially the ones who can shoot at the goal really well but are just too scared too. Although I am not a forward who is the one that mostly shoots on goal, I always try and incorporate this mindset whenever I'm on the field. Of course, even when I'm not on the field you can incorporate this mindset into your daily life. There are multiple events and instances where you're not sure whether or not you should do a certain action or not. This quote helps me to remind myself that no matter what I do there are always going to be consequences afterward, no matter if I made the "right" or "wrong" decision or not. Instead of having the regret of "I wish I did this" why not have the thought of "I didn't like the outcome but at least I now know".

Why would people in my own race be so cruel to their own? Ever since I was little I've always been picked on and bullied for not speaking Spanish or not knowing it as well as others. Both my parents are fluent in Spanish (my dad is a Mexican immigrant) but they just didn't teach my brother and me Spanish so we never learned. Of course, the majority of the kids I grew up with had Mexican parents who don't speak English so they grew up fluent in Spanish. I didn't realize I was different from them until late elementary school because that's when little Mexican girls would talk to me in Spanish and called me weird for not understanding what they were saying. Now being a junior in High school I've taken a Spanish class each year in High school and I take the extra time using Spanish learning apps, watching tv shows in Spanish, etc. I want to prove to everyone that learning a language you were "supposed" to know isn't a bad thing. There have been times where I grew discouraged and wanted to stop but I had to keep reminding myself that I'm not weak or less than because of this one thing. Now whenever those same people try talking to me about my Spanish I talk to them right back and each time I get a surprised and shocked reaction. This will never define me but it is a hard challenge I've had to overcome multiple times.

This is my mom and I. She is the most strongest and kindness person I’ve ever met. She always has my back and has my best interest at heart. She always says “don’t mess with my kids” and she truly does mean it. Even through her own struggles of having my older brother and I at a young age and dealing with mental health struggles, she always gives us nothing but the absolute best and the absolute most love in the entire world. She truly is my first best friend and I’m so thankful that she has shown me what real love is. She makes me feel valuable and that my life is worth living and she always makes me feel warm inside with love. She is gods greatest blessing and I couldn’t ask for more.

Not that long ago I couldn't even stand to look myself in the mirror. Self-love is such a long and vigorous process it seems yet once you can achieve a level of self-love that brings you happiness, that's the best feeling. Of course, this journey and process doesn't come easy and even when you do achieve that goal sometimes it is easy to fall right back into the whole issue. My personal journey of self-love has been a very long ride but I couldn't be happier to be where I am today. My self-detriment started at a young age I believe when I was around 10 or 11. I used to get jealous of my friends who knew the teachers really well and I seemed like an outcast. Then later as I progressed into middle school it got worse. In middle school, it turned less into being an outcast to not liking how my body looked compared to others. The odd thing was that nobody was telling me that my body looked bad, it was all in my own head. I didn't like how "big" my body was compared to the other girls at my school who were a lot thinner than I was. However, once I got into high school and went into my sophomore year I realized that now I like my body while the other girl's whos bodies I wanted mine to look like, wanted my kind of body type. It sort of hit me that women "most desirable bodies" (according to society) are always changing and we shouldn't be comparing our bodies like that. Once I started to love my body I began to compliment other girls more on their attributes and appearance. Once I became happy I wanted to uplift other girls as well and help them understand and love their bodies. My journey has definitely helped grow my relationships not only with other women but with my mental health as well. I want to help other women love themselves and know how strong they are. It's always going to be hard but why make that journey towards self-love more difficult? Instead, we uplift our men, women, and non-binary to help them to achieve self-love.

Every achievement is one to be celebrated. Whether it was small or large each once should be celebrated because it is a signal of growth. Being from a low-income family and not having as great of an advantage as some of my other peers were difficult to come to terms with. Sometimes I wondered if I was ever going to be able to succeed as well because of how I came up in life. However, I've learned to celebrate each achievement because it is nice to stay humble and remember your blessings. When thinking of an achievement that was my greatest is definitely a difficult one to think about. There have been multiple achievements in my life that I can count as my greatest. However, there is one in particular that even though I still struggle today with sometimes, it is the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. Back in 2018 when I was only fourteen years old at the time, my life was going great. Of course, there were moments that were great and ones that weren't so great but it was a nice balance. However, my mental health was absolutely terrible. I've never understood what changed in my brain exactly because my home life was good, my friends were great, and I was doing well in sports and school. I realize now that just because you have a "perfect" life does not mean you are immune to those demons. As the days past it began to get worse and worse and I didn't realize how bad I was deteriorating inside. After an incident happened I finally told my parents and they helped me get the help I needed. The point of the story is that my greatest achievement was gaining the strength to tell my parents how I felt and gaining the courage to be vulnerable with my parents and friends. I realized that asking for help doesn't make me weak but proves just how strong I am. This experience made me and my parents closer and it showed me how much they truly love me. I also learned from this experience that telling someone your problems and opening up to them about how you're truly feeling doesn't make you a burden. I needed to understand that the people in my life had my best interest at heart and I was open to telling them my problems. I learned that I needed to take my mental health seriously but especially also the mental health of others. I realized that mental health is so easy to conceal and it is easy to hide your sadness under a facade of fake happiness. Because of this experience, I understand that in the future I always try and be nice to everyone regardless if we have different opinions, views, etc. In the future, I always hope I can be that one person for someone who helps them get out of that dark space and help them feel loved and not alone. I want others to know that they are not alone and that there are many people out there who are willing to help and understand them. I want everyone to feel loved.

When I was fourteen years old my history class was looking at the types of classes we could take during our high school career. When I found yoga as an option I was excited because it wasn't like PE or a weight lifting class. I figured yoga was that perfect in-between and I knew I could use the stretching because I was an active athlete who didn't stretch as much as I should. Finally, when my sophomore year came and I was taking that class I was so excited. Within the first week and the second something clicked and I instantly fell in love. My body is pretty messed up from soccer so doing something like yoga that is so diverse in the routines and movements was perfect for me. After doing yoga for a few weeks I noticed a difference in my back pain and it wasn't occurring as often. That's when I figured it was a good fit for me. When I was in the yoga space with my classmates and teachers I always felt comfortable and it was interesting learning what my body could and couldn't do. I do believe that showing others the wonderful world of yoga and how much it has greatly affected my life could help those leaning on the fence to try it. Yoga should not only be something that helps with your body but it can also help with your mind. I believe it should be advocated by athletes like myself because it truly changed my life for the better.

Education is a basic necessity for all children to have. Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to have access to free education. As for education and how it has played a role in my life is definitely an interesting question and it can be a little bit difficult. Education has always been a top priority in my life. I do catch myself sometimes being too dedicated and it is hard for me to separate school from my other parts of my life. Ever since I was an elementary school I would hate it when I would have to miss school for whatever reason. I was always worried I was going to miss something important or get too far behind and not be able to fully catch up with my peers. Another part of education that has been in my life is knowledge and gaining new information. I love learning and learning something new, especially when I learn about other cultures and how they live etc. I do believe education should be available for everyone and it is unjust that it isn't. Especially as a woman, I know how important education is for us because it helps us make it in a world that favors men. I understand that I need to take my education seriously and not wait for something to be handed to me. I've learned at such a young age that education isn't an easy ball game but it's important to stay on top of things and advocate for yourself. Not only has education been an important factor in my life, but it has also taught me some great lessons in life and that I will not take for granted.

Becoming something great and that will make your immigrant parents proud is a must. My father was born in Mexico while my mother was born in the US. However, neither went to college which makes my brother and I the first to attend college. Of course, being first-generation college students is challenging and isn't always an easy path. Ever since I was a child and even now I've always been bullied for never being able to properly speak Spanish. This also never made my mental health any better and it soon became a struggle to stay focus and continue on the right path. It has taken me years to be comfortable with who I am and how far I've prevailed. It still is a struggle that I fight every single day but I've learned from my loving family that no matter who you are or how you grew up doesn't determine your future; you do. I've learned that moping around and complaining about how life is terrible gets you nowhere and it's your responsibility to make that change no matter how hard it can be. Especially when you cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel. You have to find it within yourself to understand and be determined to do whatever makes you happy and successful however you see fit. This experience of self-hate and detriment has truly shown me how strong I am and how far I can go if I truly put my mind to it. Mental health is difficult and it's easy to fall back into your old habits but understand that you've come too far to let it happen again. I've learned that no one has your back like yourself and to treat yourself with the respect and with the love that you deserve.