Our phones are a source of technology we use every day in our lives, and to me, I think that's very inspiring. New models are always being made, and updates on our phones give us access to newer material or improved material. It always fascinated me how such a small device could hold so much power. From flip phones, to now modern-day touch screens, the change in technology has changed a lot over the years. I always find myself wondering, "well what comes next?" The power our phones hold is truly powerful. We can download apps onto our phones and celebrities use this to influence their audience and spread awareness of situations going on. It's a great way to spread information, and it's essential for any criminal case as well. Our phones have tracking devices, which help locate where someone is in case of an emergency. Many people would seem to differ from me saying our phones make the world a better place because although there are benefits to using these devices, there are also consequences. These devices can fall into the wrong hands and hurt someone else, but if we look on a more positive note, phones lead us one step forward into the future. These devices have block buttons and reporting options that we can pick from. New models come out almost every year and there's a variety of cellular devices to choose from. It's convenient when you're looking for something most suitable for yourself. As time progresses, I'm sure phones will be better adapted for future purposes. They can help our future by allowing us to stay connected to one another, and gain allies along the way. To receive support and enter a healthy environment, all just one click away.

Most people are fortunate enough to have their school costs paid. It's beneficial and sacrifice isn't necessarily required when you accumulate money with ease. However, in my case, financial struggles have always been prominent in my household. I can say that my brother has paved a way for me to better my education, due to him being a first-generation college student, but money is, and will always be a struggle. Fortunately enough for him, college was mostly covered for him. As for me, I've found myself in the midst of struggle. It's a great thing to go to college. As people always say "You'll get experience out of it" or "It will lead you to a better future." These things are true, but what happens when your needs can't be met due to a lack of money. I've always viewed the world as fair and just, but as I grew older, I came to realize that money is very important in everything. Even our education. I was fortunate enough to have a roof over my head and food on the table. I am grateful for everything I have and everything I don't have. I've worked hard to obtain the grades I have, and I've done everything in my power to save as much money as possible. I learned how to save money very quickly; I learned what it's like not to have much on the table or nice shoes and clothes. I learned the struggles that come with no money, and I've learned the joy money can bring. I always let my circumstances determine my character, thinking I wasn't good enough of a person because I lacked a few bills. On the contrary, I met amazing people who support me, and love me, not because of money. I've had friends who also struggle/ struggled financially. We are each other's support. Over time, I came to realize just how important money was. Not just for myself, but for people who live without it as well. Through my own struggles, I've learned to value what's important to me, which is other people's happiness. "Money can't buy you happiness," but money will get me into college, and wouldn't college make not just myself, but also my family happy? I want to create a world of justice for everyone. To give people opportunities that others wouldn't give them. I've learned that money can get you places, but I'll never forget where I was before money. It's all about humbling yourself and reaching out to others; It's all about that drive to work towards a better future for all.

Living another day in a world that has changed, can be difficult to fathom. I, for one, have had my fair share of losses of friends who took their own lives before their life was just about to blossom. I've struggled with comprehending why the people around me were never happy or, if they were happy, why did they have to die? Guilt, shame, and anguish chastised my mind and corrupted my fragile heart to those events. I wasn't strong. I lost to those emotions and for years now, they've centered my life, never leaving those losses behind to rest. But I wanted to change. I wanted to be strong to see the endeavors of my work come to fruition; to see the life beyond my current age, a life they never got to see. There are 5 stages of grief and I was still stuck in denial. Denial because I knew they should still be here; denial because it simply wasn't fair and my small mind wouldn't grasp their existence suddenly being erased. In most scenarios, I chose to stay in denial. Why? Because it was better than moving forward and escaping my pallid life without them. Later on, I realized that it wasn't healthy and I was only doing myself more harm than good. I had friends around me, family as support, strangers from places I volunteered in, I had a group of people waiting for me to come back. With the constant reminder of their presence, I knew I wasn't alone. The meaning of life was to continue living. It was to explore the environment around me and meet new people who would support me. My existence means something to someone. If I could become a pillar for someone; if I could advocate for them in the same way, then that for me, is more than enough. I've learned that I want to become a voice for those suffering in silence. To save as many people so that others won't have to suffer the loss of someone dear to them. I want to fight for a shared world of happiness. To create a world seemingly easier to find comfort in. A world that my friends would never get the chance to see, but I know that they'll be watching me from above, proud that I'm living on their behalf. Proud that I've finally found my joy once more and can continue this life without them. I've learned that what matters most, is the bond we share with others. To understand why we exist and why we were created. It's the connection on an emotional level. To me, the people around me are most important and I've learned to value them even more. I want to bring many people closer together and give them an environment where they feel safe. If the world can be a safe haven for even one person, I will rejoice in knowing one life has been saved through me and others working together, to create a better future for all.

What people don’t understand is the irony of Mental health. A living weapon of self-destruction that wants to save people. I’ve had my fair struggles in dealing with mental health, mainly corrupting my personal relationship with myself. It truly has taken a toll on me, to the point where the surface is slipping further away from my reach. I’m drowning in something I don’t know how to swim my way out of. And if by some miracle I chose to swim, I’d still reach the surface suffocating. I’ve always wanted to live a life of simplicity. Put on a smile for others since it was so easily done by those close to me. My relationships with others, at some point, came to an end because some people chose to not understand me. There were people I met who were the sun for me, and there were others I met that were the light within the darkness. Mental health has now been normalized, where we can talk about it freely, but there is still some stigma around it. Luckily, I now have people who connect with me more on an emotional level. I’ve found a family who accepts this flawed version of me. My goals varied from time to time, depending on where I was mentally. I think the hardest part for me, was sticking to one thing and believing it could happen, and seeing myself accomplish it in the long run. I wanted to be a musician; I wanted to be a doctor; I want to do art and now I’m stuck on writing. I think I’m not good enough for one thing, and sometimes I saw myself not even living past the age to see it all happen. My endeavors often felt inferior to those of others. When I thought about what I wanted to do, my heart was chained to the distorted reality my mind painted. I knew my own faults and flaws better than anyone else; I knew the version of myself I hated most, and I also knew the version everyone loved. All this, I learned through trial and error, using myself as the experiment. It was in thinking that I had to categorize myself to fit other people’s standards, that I lost the version of myself I loved the most. I loved the me that was born into this world; the me who accepts the struggle within herself. I wish back then I would’ve known how loved I would be. That my existence was needed to also save others. The meaning of life, was for me to understand that I’m not alone. I wanted others to save me, but I knew other people needed the same thing. My existence means something to someone. In the end, it was love that won. And it is love that’ll always win. It is the cruelest curse of them all, but it is also the most important to learn.

As an avid reader of manga and webtoons, I’ve come across many pieces that have led me to tears and at the same time, brought me joy. Omniscient reader's viewpoint is a webtoon that clearly embodies how fictional characters can potentially save your life. In this webtoon, the protagonist Dokja is the sole reader of a web novel called Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World. The web novel Dokja read soon became reality — becoming the world he now lived in. The fictional characters he read on-screen, entered his world, and throughout the series we see how he navigates this new world, with the help of friends he made along the way. Dokja — like myself – relied on fictional characters to take us out of our miserable everyday life. It was because of that web novel, Dokja was able to continue to find a reason to live.

Recently, I was asked by a teacher what my plans for 10 years from now were, and to be frank, I haven't given it much thought. I always looked ahead a few months from now or 1 year from now but never regarded 10 years +. The more I think about it, the more I think about graphic design because, in my ideal future, it's still present. Even without giving it much thought, I couldn't discard it. I dream about enhancing my graphic design skills into something that's never been seen before. I want to create live fictional characters that you can interact with and actually get to know them as a person rather than a character. I decided this is what I want to do because fictional characters have helped me a lot during the past years, and I thought that if everyone got to meet the character that saved them, it could be therapeutic. It truly is a beautiful thing, which I want people to experience, and bring them joy.

He was rather different Green complexion Long fluffy fingers Anyone could mistake him for the Grinch But he always claimed he wasn’t Though they both wore that sly smile That stole Christmas I was always one to attract the most unimaginable of creatures My friends always seemed odd And I was the most normal among them Which oddly enough Felt surprising to me They weren’t your normal Brown, black, and white complexion Rather they wore vibrant colors That you wouldn’t even think to see on a human Other than a smurf But even that was mere fiction Why can't they look like princesses? Pretty royal dresses and different tiara’s That match their kind personalities Instead of having monsters for friends Trying to make them out to be from those of Disney Small talking dragon Thinking it was Mushu Big-eared elephant Thinking it was Dumbo Talking round puffer fish Thinking it was Flounder Why can’t I have pretty things? Where is my prince? “You seem troubled,” the green figure says to me And I simply turn my head around Annoyed that he was talking to me Or maybe it was a she Or maybe it wasn’t even human But whatever it was I wish I could unsee And as I turn my head around I gaze upon creature upon creature Surrounding me It was never-ending, it seemed They came in bright yellows and oranges Colors I despised the most ‘for no particular reason I guess Or maybe there was and these creatures made me hate it more Well maybe not hate Because I could tolerate it I tolerated it and I didn’t know why “Why are you troubled?” The green figure came behind me “You created us after all Because you were lonely” Lonely? How could that be? I was always around my peers Making conversation and talking the day away There was never a moment I was alone And if there was It was just fine Because I could always find another person to talk to And then another after that And another And another and another... “You hate it when you’re alone” The green figure walked passed me Making its way into the crowd with all the other creatures Standing there with my wide-eyed gaze I stare past them A scene unfolding in the near distance It was me when I was younger Always alone It was in suppressing those memories That I always moved forward It was the only way I could forget those horrible times When there was no one around No parent figure to take me into their arms No friend I could converse with properly I blink my eyes once Then a second and third While I’m at it, maybe even a fourth In the end, I blink as many times as I can And before me What was still there Were those creatures I always found odd Those creatures that became my friends Unconsciously, Somewhere in my mind, I must’ve created them to avoid the loneliness within my heart Not from appearance They made my pallid world into something beautiful Though I was the only one who could see them “Oh, I remember now,” I smiled at the green creature “Max” I manage to say and he looks at me weird As if I’m the weird looking one But it makes me chuckle that he can’t see himself the way I do And if the world saw him They’d laugh with me too “You were my first friend” I never needed Disney

"As Max would've said, timing was everything," a line from one of the most inspiring books I've ever read. Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts is a book I've come to admire because of the realistic nature it holds. From a boy who lived for no one but himself, to then become someone who lived for others, became a story I engrossed myself with. A story that brought me out of the discouragement I felt, and showed me that anything is possible. It showed me that having the right people in your life can save you. Nora Roberts writes her characters in such a way you'd think they were real people. Each character's personalty brings much significance to the entire story - one character compensates for what the other lacks. I've come to find myself relating to Luke, the main character, because of his development throughout the story. He was once someone who cared for himself, who lived for himself, who thought only of himself, until it all changed. Until he met people who he wanted to live for, care for, and think for. He's the only character from all the books I've read who I can vividly recall his story. The only character who brings excitement in me everytime I mention his name. The reason why this book is so inspiring to me is because of the way in which it was written. The reality of this world all portrayed so perfectly in this hardcover I own. The way Nora Roberts brings value into what she writes, really intrigues anyone who reads her books. This book specifically has taught me that "timing is everything." That when everything is perfectly set, I will be the one with the happy ending in the end.

Happily ever after? Wishing upon a star? Is that what it takes to reach this goal of mine? If so, I’ve tried it so many times, yet I’m still far from where I want to be. You see, I’ve been wandering all this time, settling down is something I simply can’t do. I like to imagine a future for everyone, a future for me, a future for you. I want to reach people, just like many others do. However, If I can’t meet what I expect of myself, then how can I confidently say, that I’ve put in all i’ve got? Like many other people, I have a goal. It’s probably cliche as the rest, but nevertheless, I believe it to be a valuable goal. I want to graduate highschool, and make my mom proud. I want to attend college, and meet new people. My goal is very simple you see. It’s to make it to the next level, confidently. I want to prove to myself that I’m capable of many things, because I want freedom for everyone. That is my main goal. That is what I’m working towards. Freedom for all people and things. But first, I must graduate, in order to see this freedom I talk about, become a reality. My why? Living for 17 years is my why. Seeing the people around me, the environment I grew up in, the home I loved so much, I want to protect that. I want everyone to feel comfortable, to feel safe in their own neighborhood. I don’t want to keep this freedom to myself, I want it for others too. Everywhere I go, there’s always something happening. There’s always a limit to what one can do, and the government is so corrupt, that kids like me, are forced to take action, and we’re only 17. But, I’m more than happy to use this brain of mine, for something good. I want to be useful, and protect this world. Protect everyone who can’t protect themselves. Because I was once like them, afraid of everything. But with one step forward, we can change everything. This may be a long shot; It may never happen. However, It doesn’t mean I’ll stop there. I want to keep trying, because I know I can place smiles on people’s faces. I know I can do things out of my comfort zone. Seeing people happy, is enough for me. I’m sure that once we all have freedom, everything will look slightly more beautiful. I don’t want to create something perfect, I want to create something sustainable. Something that’ll last even when I’m not here. The goal isn’t to live forever, it’s to create something that will.