I can’t think of a greater honor than earning a law enforcement badge and being invited to join a community where I can impact the children that call that area home. My goal is to be a liaison officer for a school district. Where I can fill the vital role in the education system, serving as a bridge between law enforcement and local youth. I want to impact the young people in the community by being proactive and fostering positive relationships. Children should see law enforcement as friends and protectors, looking to officers for help and guidance and not see the badge as the enemy. Even small interactions with a police liaison can have a significant impact on students’ feelings towards officers. A child’s life can change just by being kind and caring, treating everyone with respect and dignity. Spending time with young people is an opportunity to make an imprint in their minds of what an interaction with law enforcement can be like. In the end, they may not remember exactly what I said but they will remember how I made them feel. By working collaboratively with the administration, teachers, and staff I will be able to be active and visible, build a foundation of respect and trust with the students. One of the guiding principles that can change a bad decision before it can be made is setting the groundwork, so all students know what to expect and that it is going to be fair. Guiding the children of today to understand that mutual respect and trust cannot be given or demanded; it must be earned. I want to strive for them to take responsibility for their actions and expect the consequence. This can only happen through consistent enforcement of the laws. Kids are not inherently bad in fact I believe there are times it develops because it is the only thing adults see. The ultimate compliment for a child is to trust and be trusted. Trust is knowing what to expect and that it is going to be fair. When an officer trust kids, it means they will act as expected and honestly. Respect is trust in action. Respect is what is earned based on the history of your actions. This foundation of trust and respect fosters a comfort level of knowing what to expect. Despite what many think, kids like boundaries and the feeling of being trusted and respected. Inevitably, mistakes will happen but with trust and respect, the relationship will be strong enough to last and the officer and child will take steps into the future together. The concept is very simple if we all know the expectations and take an honest look at our actions, the consequences should not be a surprise. As a school police liaison officer, I would like to serve as a community advocate for bringing activities for the youth back into the community. I believe it is essential to strike a balance between restricting activities to protect children and allowing them the opportunity for exploration, learning, and independence. I want to provide experiences that allow students to learn independence before they become adults at risk of having negative police interactions.

I can’t think of a greater honor than earning a law enforcement badge and being invited to join a community. I want to work with young people, being proactive and fostering positive relationships that see law enforcement as friends and protectors. I want children from an early age to look to officers for help and guidance and not see the badge as the enemy. Being mindful that even small interactions can change someone’s life path, my interactions will be kind and caring treating everyone with respect and dignity. Spending time with young people is an opportunity to make an imprint in their minds of what an interaction with law enforcement can be like. In the end, they may not remember exactly what I said but they will remember how I made them feel. My goal when working with children of all ages is to be active and visible, building a foundation of respect and trust. Guiding the children of today to understand that mutual respect and trust cannot be given or demanded; it must earned. I want to strive for them to take responsibility for their actions and expect the consequence. This can only happen through consistent enforcement of the laws. Kids are not inherently bad in fact I believe there are times it develops because it is the only thing adults see. The ultimate compliment for a child is to trust and be trusted. Trust is knowing what to expect and that it is going to be fair. When an officer trust kids, it means they will act as expected and honestly. Respect is trust in action. Respect is what is earned based on the history of your actions. This foundation of trust and respect fosters a comfort level of knowing what to expect. Despite what many think, kids like boundaries and the feeling of being trusted and respected. Inevitably, mistakes will happen but with trust and respect, the relationship will be strong enough to last and the officer and child will take steps into the future together. The concept is very simple if we all know the expectations and take an honest look at our actions, the consequences should not be a surprise. My beliefs and goal to become a police officer were heightened the day Deputy Sheriff Eric Overall became our school liaison. Deputy Overall, filled our school halls with a powerful comfort. He guided students through the expectation and worked with them to discover why they chose the wrong path. Being a Sheriff, enforcing the rules and assigning consequences are part of the job but that is not what made Deputy Overall special. He excelled at making connections and getting to know each student. He was always there, in the drop-off line in the morning, in the halls, out on the playground, in the classroom and at the end of the day, to say goodbye. He instilled his “Never Give Up” belief into each community member. His big heart and huge smile held high expectations for each student, and he believed they could do it! He was our friend, protector, and biggest fan. Thanksgiving Day 2017 he did everything possible to keep our community safe. The deliberate actions of someone took him from us. Although our hearts hurt, it was no surprise that he died while trying to protect us. Deputy Sheriff Eric Overall had a way of caring beyond measure but being tough when necessary. The day his last call was broadcast across the airways, I knew someday I wanted to try to fill his shoes.

My life changed on February 4, 2014, when my mom suffered a spinal cord injury moving a box in her classroom. I was young when this happened, but I know my life would be completely different if it hadn't happened. In the last few years, she has had over 20 surgeries, spent countless days in the hospital, and spent many hours at doctors. In addition to having to stop her beloved teaching job, she had to relearn some basics. Despite constant pain, she smiles every day. Please don't misunderstand, I would give anything to have my mom pain-free, but I have learned so much through her. Until that day, we lived a traditional family life full of activities and were always heading in different directions. Life's little things seemed huge. We were a family full of love and laughter but time moved quickly and memories flew by. The ups and downs that occur when a family member has a catastrophic injury can be paralyzing. Even before the first surgery, my mom told us she was going to be fine but might just need to do things differently. My family did not run and hide when times got tough. We rallied together to be stronger and celebrate each victory. She taught me how to look at challenges and discover the best possible solution and figure out a way to make it work. Directions were not included with her spinal cord injury and my parents always told us “We would figure it out”. To this day every time I leave the house, I receive a kiss on the head and am told “Go make memories”. That is exactly how my parents do everything. Life is all about making the best of what we have. Life slowed my mom but never stopped her. I was made to grow up quickly and always knew my job was to be a kid. We have lived our lives making the most of every situation and making memories of a lifetime since her injury. The days of worrying about the little things, making others happy, and following perceived rules are gone. As I have gotten older, I have discovered the real story behind some of the decisions. I discovered right after my mom got hurt we had months without pay and we were struggling to put food on the table. Our house is small but has lots of stairs. In order to alleviate the situation, my parents packed us up and brought us to Missouri, just outside Six Flags, where we lived in a camper. My brother and I thought we were living a dream life spending the day in the park, our evenings fishing, and around the campfire roasting marshmallows. I later discovered that this was a financial decision, it was cheap and a "much better size" than living in the house. My parents used our savings to purchase Six Flags season tickets with a meal plan. This nontraditional decision gave us a roof over our heads, we were guaranteed two meals a day plus a snack, and we could play taking our minds off everything. The life I was given because of her injury is very nontraditional. But I believe I have learned tomorrow is not a given so value what is import to you, live life to the fullest and always look of opportunities to make memories. An injury may have changed the way my family looks at life, but I am happy it shaped me into the person I am today.

I envision taking STEM into nature where it can be utilized to save the lives of countless people. This will change the way people see and interact with national parks. As a National Park Ranger, I plan on using technology to give people the freedom to explore while knowing they are safe. One such invention that helps accomplish this is using Google Earth to make the world smaller. Chris Sheldrick, Jack Waley-Cohen, Mohan Ganesalingam, and Michael Dent divided the world into 57 trillion squares, three meters by three meters. What3Words was born. What3Words was built out of necessity to deliver band equipment to different venues and has evolved to save lives. Wrong addresses, streets that do not exist, and confusing GPS coordinates can leave anyone lost. On the side of a mountain, the situation can get scary quickly. It is difficult to get help when the location is unknown. What3Words has developed different ways to use its application based on real situations. If there is a cell phone signal click Find Me and send the 3-word location to the rescue crews. They will know the location within 3 meters by 3 meters. In the National Parks, there are locations without a cell phone signal or WiFi, What3Words has safeguards to help find people. If the sky is visible, the app uses satellites to find the 3-Word location. Enter the 3-Words in compass mode and follow the arrows to the location. You can use the 3-words to navigate to that location using the turn-by-turn navigation app that has been loaded for offline use. The app includes 50 different languages to ensure everyone can understand the words. The What3Words application is already changing how cities save lives. With What3Words, 911 callers no longer need to struggle with describing their location. Click the Find Me icon and the app generates 3-Words that mark the exact location. By sending the 3-Words to the rescue department, valuable time is saved. The exact location can also help decide what agency to send and what supplies are needed. The equipment needed is different if the location is in the ocean versus the forest. The Los Angeles City Fire Department has saved over 170 lost and injured hikers. What3Words has even helped find people buried in rubble after a tornado once a cell signal was found. As part of the National Park Services, I hope to change the way we locate lost and injured visitors. This will enable us to quickly get them the help they need and not put rangers in additional danger. The What3Words app has other uses when visiting national parks. These include guiding guests to a location and allowing them to feel confident when moving about the park. This would also assist with getting the application on visitors’ phones. I feel technology such as this is critical to the National Park Services, because it can change the way they operate and make the experience for visitors safer and more enjoyable while not affecting the beauty and national significance of the park itself. As a National Park Ranger in Law Enforcement, I hope to advocate for the safe and responsible use of technology in rescue situations. I believe there is a way to respect people’s privacy and still use technology to save lives. In the United States, we have the infrastructure available through satellites to detect problems and locate victims. However, currently, subscriptions for services and a lack of personal smart technologies are creating inequity in people that can be located and saved.

Being an athlete on a team looks, feels, and sounds familiar to most people. I believe there is a better way to communicate in sports, but it's difficult to implement because of old habits. I believe in the statement “I want to beat you on your best day.” This simply means I want to raise you up so you can be your best, and if I win, I know I earned it. Athletics has become a place where athletes do whatever is necessary to win. As a result, the targeted athlete is emotionally hurt, and the sport is no longer enjoyable. I am a female young adult who shoots competitive archery. Archery is a physically and mentally demanding sport. Because archery is an individual sport, archers must be able to control their nerves and adjust and repair their equipment on the range alone. This alone can be overwhelming. Now add an opponent who is trying to make their competitor feel like less of a person or deliberately creating problems. This can lead to archers quitting. During the tournament, a competitor made me the target, and I vowed not to let it happen again. This was the start of my journey to change archers' interactions. My goal was to build the sport and bring out the best in all archers through communication. After a long day of shooting, I discovered that no matter if an archer won or lost they talked about how the competition made them feel. That is a lot of power they are giving their opponent or are they taking it? They are opponents, not enemies. It is wrong to be miserable doing what you love. This is when I vowed to see the best in my competitors. I began with simple acts of goodwill and kindness, such as letting someone know they had a good shot. When that worked well, I quickly progressed to conversations. I found myself listening and asking questions. Archers travel from all corners of the country, and we discovered what we have in common and what we can learn from each other. Ultimately, my acts of kindness didn't change the way I shot that day, but I was so much happier. In the next tournament, I focused on ownership. Archery is a self-scoring sport, so honesty and trustworthiness are required. But taking ownership is one of the most challenging lessons to learn. Mistakes will happen, but offering excuses and laying blame is a quick way to divide a group. To change the way archers interact, I had to lead by example. I made my first mistake, and I placed the blame on myself, and I could almost feel their respect growing. When my competitor made a mistake, I countered with encouraging and supportive comments. As the tournament progressed, our group talked through the good and the bad. We became more comfortable, confident, and shot without fear. My idea of improving competitors' interactions was tested when a competitor had an issue with her equipment and faced disqualification. My decision happened quickly and without thought, but I wasn't the only one. We all circled to support her and repair her equipment. Finishing the tournament, we all shot better and stronger. Coming off the course the conversations and laughter continued. The competitive spirit is still strong but without poor sportsmanship. It seems to recognize someone’s achievements and celebrate their victories does not make you less of an athlete, it makes you a good sport. We need to look at the future of archery to continue to grow and that is exactly who we are.