Dr. Taylor Allison Swift is a master of so many things, one is writing songs that stick with people about their most personal experiences. The album 1989 is one I didn't think about a whole bunch compared to Reputation or Red (Taylor's Version). That was until I seriously started to listen to all of her music, and 1989 quickly grew into one of my favorites. While I enjoy songs like "Shake It Off" and "Out of the Woods" which are fun to sing, they are not the ones I immediately thought of when reading the prompt. Of all the songs from the album, "Clean" is one that sticks with me. It has lyrics that are looping in my head when I walk to class. There are many lyrics in this song that represent my battles with depression and anxiety. One in particular that hits hard is "The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud / But no one heard a thing,". I struggled for many years and despite me having panic attacks nearly every week, it felt like no one was seeing or hearing me struggle. It felt like I was screaming for help, but people couldn't hear me. The issues I was dealing with made it hard for me to breathe literally and mentally. I couldn't take a step back, and let myself take a breath. It felt like I was drowning with all the mental issues I was dealing with while going through grade school and the pandemic. While I did struggle, the song continues to say, "When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe,". When I reached my lowest and had some of the worst panic attacks in front of my family, they finally saw to the true extent what I was dealing with. They finally heard my screams and were able to find me help. It wasn't the last time I felt like I was drowning, but I finally could breathe knowing they know what I was going through and realized that I needed help right away not from guidance online, but from a medical professional. I got help about two years ago as the pandemic slowed and therapists started taking new patients. I got the help I needed and I am proud to say that I have been clean for nearly 8 months from bulimic tendencies and over a year clean from self-harm. This leads to the net major lyric set, "Ten months sober, I must admit / Just because you're clean, don't mean you don't miss it / Ten months older, I won't give in / Now that I'm clean, I'm never gonna risk it". Taylor is a master of bridges and this is one of my favorites. This bridge represents me getting better and that it's ok to struggle with sobriety. I do sometimes struggle with staying clean, but I know how bad I felt during the time I wasn't, and I don't want to go back. I don't want to risk going back to how I was before. I sometimes miss the control that I thought I had back then, but I wasn't in control, my mental illnesses were and I don't want to risk that happening again. In the end, "Clean" is the song that I cannot stop thinking about off the 1989 album. It's much more than a song, it is a reminder of who I once was. It's a reminder that I am older now and that I can finally breathe knowing I have the help I need. It's a reminder that I am finally clean.

1. I love my life. While I would like for many things to be different, they have made me stronger and have helped me grow as a person. From suffering from an undiagnosed learning disability until I was nearly 18 and other mental health issues to bullying. These experiences have built me up to be the person I am now and while I wish it was easier sometimes, these disadvantages have pushed me to be stronger, more determined, more motivated, and more persistent in my life. I love to play games, sketch, photograph, listen to and play music, and much more, but my favorite thing to do is think. Think about new technology that would make things easier for people or new medical technology that would help health issues that affect my family. Think about new technology that can catch breast cancer early for women who are at high risk like the women in my family. A new device that will control the tumors from Parkinson's' dementia in Vietnam veterans (like my grandfather) or others with the condition. I imagine myself bringing an active part of my community. I want to give back and help the people. I plan to regularly donate to organizations for the homeless, women, and LGBTQIA+ community. I also want to help out by buying supplies those communities need. That would be essentials, such as clothing, hygiene products, food, and much more. I would also like to donate items to help improve the quality of life outside the essentials. This would include books, art supplies, toys, and for the LGBTQIA+ with gender dysphoria, I would like to help them with items that would make their body feel right to their gender identification. 2. I have been interested in stem careers since I was young. I knew I wanted to be in a lab coat helping others by making a difference in the world. I thought about being a doctor or a nurse, but I knew from a young age that it would be too much for me and I couldn't handle the heartbreak that comes with that career. no matter the good, the bad would be too much. Since my first teaching of engineering in 4th grade through circuits, I knew that I wanted to be an engineer. I always liked to be hands-on with my school projects and go through creative and testing processes in projects. As I got older I learned about the different principles of engineering and learned about biomedical engineering and the more I read about it, the more hooked I was on the idea of becoming a biomedical engineer. One thing I want to do to make a positive impact in my career field is to develop new women's reproductive health treatment for conditions such as endometriosis, for which the only treatment is hormone therapy, a surgery to remove the tissue every few years, or a hysterectomy. A new treatment that didn't require multiple surgeries or life-altering bodily removal would make a big difference to so many women out there. I want to do my part to help since I know how much pain this disease causes because I and all the women in my family suffer from this condition as well and those treatments are my future. 3. I have been facing my biggest challenge since I was born and I didn't even know it until September 2021 at 17 years old. As stated earlier I suffer from a learning disorder called non-verbal learning disorder (NVLD). This condition means that my brain processes visual elements and stimuli a lot slower compared to the average person, and one characteristic is having very high verbal comprehension speed. Essentially for me, my brain is trying to run at a very fast level, and it is understanding the verbal part, but it is going too fast for what my visual processing needs. This is a condition I was born with and there is no treatment or cure. the worse part is, is that many medical professionals do not recognize this condition and the big book of mental disorders, don't recognize it as an official condition. this is due to the similarities of this condition with autism and ADHD. Many people on the autism spectrum also have this condition and it is misdiagnosed as ADHD due to the executive functions issues that can come with the condition. NVLD is also determined to cause many anxiety disorders, for which I suffer clinically for 6 different types. How is this condition my biggest challenge? For my entire life, I was processing everything slower than my peers. It took me longer to finish tests, understand passages, and other comprehension activities for books, films, and lesson videos. For standardized exams like Istep, SAT, and AP exams, I took the full time and was never able to complete well and be proud of my work. It was either vague, loose, and sloppy or not finished but written better. I had to learn how to work harder at my tasks to help make up for the reduced speed. I had to learn a lot at home to keep up in class as well. This year I was granted time and a half on all tests when needed and that extra time has helped me relax more during tests and take things my speed versus the bell schedule. My work has been better and more accurate since then. Luckily for me, I have put 13 years into making up for my disability without knowing, I have been able to still able to take many tests within the normal time limit. As my family has put it, I taught myself how to learn, because of how much harder I have to work to keep up with my classmates. I have learned to live with my disability and while I will have to live with it forever, I know how to manage it in some ways and learned patterns to cope with my disadvantages.

Anxiety, depression, eating issues, and PTSD have all affected me since I was still in elementary school. During psychological testings, the results came back with me testing clinically for at least 5 different anxiety disorders. For me, it wasn't until I started therapy a year and a half ago that I was able to find the root of issues and begin recovering, treating, and accepting my issues and healing from what happened to me. Therapy is the biggest tool in my healing process and I believe we need more ways for more people to get access to basic therapy. In school, we need free access to professional psychologists and therapists for students that aren't doing things such as scheduling, unlike current school counselors. These counselors don't often don't provide genuine connections to the students, but having a therapist who focuses purely on your mental health would be helpful and create better connections for the students. They would be bound to not tell parents without permission in case these students' families don't want them in therapy, but they would still be mandatory reporters in case of abuse. Students could meet before, during, or after school and they can be just one-offs when needed, or reoccurring and the therapists could help provided outside resources or links for students outside of school to reach out for help as well. People with mental health issues just need to be heard and this solution would help allow more to get that access, especially those in low-income households who cannot afford current therapeutic costs. I believe this would help so many more people and I know many more would have used these resources if it was available for them.

I love my life. while I would like for many things to be different, they have made me stronger and have helped me grow as a person. From suffering from an undiagnosed learning disability until I was nearly 18 and other mental health issues to bullying. These experiences have built me up to be the person I am now and while I wish it was easier sometimes, these disadvantages have pushed me to be stronger, more determined, more motivated, and more persistent in my life. I love to play games, sketch, photograph, listen to and play music, and much more, but my favorite thing to do is think. Think about new technology that would make things easier for people or new medical technology that would help health issues that affect my family. Think about new technology that can catch breast cancer early for women who are at high risk like the women in my family. A new device that will control the tumors from Parkinson's' dementia in Vietnam veterans (like my grandfather) or others with the condition. With my education, I want to create better medical devices for women's health. I want their conditions to be treated seriously and not just told to live with it. My biggest goal would be to make a device that prevents the growth of endometrial tissue outside the issues caused by endometriosis. Currently, the main treatment is surgery to remove this tissue and just pain management. Even if I cannot solve this issue, I still want to make a difference in women's health treatment by developing new technology. I have been interested in stem careers since I was young. I knew I wanted to be in a lab coat helping others by making a difference in the world. I thought about being a doctor or a nurse, but I knew from a young age that it would be too much for me and I couldn't handle the heartbreak that comes with that career. no matter the good, the bad would be too much. Since my first teaching of engineering in 4th grade through circuits, I knew that I wanted to be an engineer. I always liked to be hands-on with my school projects and go through creative and testing processes in projects. As I got older I learned about the different principles of engineering and learned about biomedical engineering and the more I read about it, the more hooked I was on the idea of becoming a biomedical engineer. For my engineering capstone senior design project, I even wanted to design a new type of prosthetic to help people who are planning on getting their leg amputated. All though it didn't work out due to several factors, it still gave me a taste of biomedical engineering and proved that this is the career I want to go into.

My biggest goal is to become a biomedical engineer (BME). I want to help people live better lives with the aid of medical technology. I plan on achieving this by studying biomedical engineering at a 4-year college. If I can, I will continue and get a master's for it as well. I plan on completing my bachelor's at Purdue University. I will work hard to achieve good standards and set myself above to get into a medical research job or work in a hospital to help develop these technologies. During college, I plan to intern for different companies that will help get me the work experience for BME. My other goal is to help my community. I want to give back and help the people. I plan to regularly donate to organizations for the homeless, women, and LGBTQIA+ community. I also want to help out by buying supplies those communities need. That would be essentials, such as clothing, hygiene products, food, and much more. I would also like to donate items to help improve the quality of life outside the essentials. This would include books, art supplies, toys, and for the LGBTQIA+ with gender dysphoria, I would like to help them with items that would make their body feel right.

I was diagnosed with a condition called Non-Verbal Learning disorder (NVLD), but it not reconginzwd by The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth edition. The condition means that my brain doesn’t comprehend and react as quickly to visual tasks, such as reading assignments, videos, and social cues. It is caused by the fact my verbal processing operation very fast above average, but my visual processing are below averageare It is also similarly shared by those who are diagnosed somewhere on the autism spectrum, and I can have milder symptoms shared by those with autism. I suffered from this all my life and wasn’t diagnosed until I was tested for dyslexia when I was 17. The disorder can also mimic symptoms of dyslexia, ADHD, and can cause multiple types of severe to mild anxiety disorders and other mental health issues. I have taken this diagnosis in strides and learned ways to help manage my condition. The biggest impact this condition has on my life is my learning ability. It take me a lot longer to process reading in books and I often struggle to answer questions about it such as theme, main idea, and authors purpose these question about understanding the deep meaning and comprehension take me longer to answer and the more stress I am under, such as a time constraint make it harder to process. All these years I have not given up because i didn't understand. I worked harder than my classmates. I studied more to make sure ei understood the concepts. I put more time to make sure I could maintain good grades and not give up saying it is to hard. Even when I didn't understand why I had these issues, I pushed further to be the biggest achiever i can be.

Many people, especially those who are Gen Z have already shown that they will not let the mistakes and beliefs of the older generations ruin their lives. They will fight for equality for all and not let anyone tell them no. They will risk their lives to help others live better ones. They fight so BIPOCs can have the same treatment that whites do and women have the same freedoms as men. They are embracing everyone no matter the gender, sexuality, race, religion, ethnicity, or any other factor. Not only does Gen Z fight for more equality, but they also fight for a better lifestyle for our and future generations. They are fighting for more climate change action to help save the earth. They are fighting for better healthcare so everyone both rich and poor can get lifesaving treatments and not have to worry about if they can afford it. They are fighting for better access to basic needs for everyone no matter their financial status. They are fighting to end unfair taxes to products "designed" for women from period supplies to a bike costing extra because it is pink and not blue. They will offer more ways for everyone to get mental health treatment that won't minimize your experience or have another adverse effect on your mental health unlike some of the current treatments. When these people get into positions of power, the world will be freer. People like me who are LGBTQIA+ won't have to fear for their lives that they will be killed for loving differently. Women won't have to fear if a pregnancy will be forced upon them because they were raped, if their birth control didn't work, or any other reason they have an unwanted pregnancy. Poor families will be able to get the medicine to treat their cancer and still afford to have food and live in their homes. New policies will be in place to help reduce the amount of damage we have done to the world and ways to help undo the damage we can undo. In the future, if Gen Z can implement progressive beliefs, then the world will be a safe place. Gen z is my hope, and as a Gen Z, I know we can do it if we keep fighting.

My biggest goal is to become a biomedical engineer (BME). I want to help people live better lives with the aid of medical technology. I plan on achieving this by studying biomedical engineering at a 4-year college. If I can, I will continue and get a master's for it as well. I plan on completing my bachelor's at Purdue University. I will work hard to achieve good standards and set myself above to get into a medical research job or work in a hospital to help develop these technologies. During college, I plan to intern for different companies that will help get me the work experience for BME. My other goal is to help my community. I want to give back and help the people. I plan to regularly donate to organizations for the homeless, women, and LGBTQIA+ community. I also want to help out by buying supplies those communities need. That would be essentials, such as clothing, hygiene products, food, and much more. I would also like to donate items to help improve the quality of life outside the essentials. This would include books, art supplies, toys, and for the LGBTQIA+ with gender dysphoria, I would like to help them with items that would make their body feel right.

One of the biggest issues is the release of carbon emissions. The United States has released 5.41 gigatons of carbon in 2018. Carbon emissions are one of the biggest contributors to global warming. At the current pace, when the global temperature rise increases to two degrees celsius, the oceans will rise by 1.8 ft and nearly all coral will be bleached by 2100, and by 2050, nearly one billion coastal citizens will be displaced. For an AP project, I researched the effects it has and with my team, we provided suggestions on how we can help ease the effects. We devised a system of taxation for those producing carbon emissions. The companies who use 50% or more clean energy, will be provided a tax cut because they are trying to help the environment get better. the companies who use 75% or more unclean energy, releasing these carbon emissions will face a high taxation rate due to harm they are creating to the environment. In addition to company taxes, citizens can receive a tax cut if they use an electric car. Those who use hybrids will get a tax cut, but it won't be as much since they still have a partly gas-powered car. This plan would give companies 10-years to make the switch to green power sources. this plan would also likely need help from the government by providing grants to help ease the cost of switching to green sources. This solution would help ease the emissions given off and hopefully prevent the devastating impacts carbon emission have on our world. The world needs to put a plan in place to help prevent the disastrous effects that will affect every single person on our planet.

I will admit, I am a White woman in a privileged area of America. I have a lot of privileges that many others don't have. While I do face issues from being poor, a woman, and LGBTQIA+, but I know that my struggles are as severe. My home town is filled with white and privileged people and has lots of racist historical actions and still faces racist acts to this day. I never wanted to be a part of that. I wanted everyone to have equality and not be separated by gender, race, or sexuality. In school, I am a member of the GSA where we spread awareness about LGBTQ issues and support our fellow members, both out and in the closet. We also teach ourselves and allies more about our history and the injustice the community has faced in the past and present. My school doesn't have a club for the support of people of color. If they did then I would join it in a heartbeat. I would like to make it a club but I simply don't have time to help run an additional club. One thing I do to help support equality is by educating myself on issues surrounding the BIPOC community. I have signed many petitions to try and help bring awareness and support to the community. I have given a speech in class about how Indiana has failed to bring equality and how other states have done it right and how our state can improve. I have talked to my BIPOC friends and learned about their experience and how living in our area has affected them and their stories about it. I learn from them and watch my actions to make sure I don't cause them those issues.

I faced lots of issues from others not having empathy for my emotions and outright denying my situation or feelings. It hurt me a lot growing up and I still have issues having empathy for myself today, but I know how much it hurts being denied and how much it can impact a person's mental health. I always try my best to treat people with kindness and empathy so the people I care about don't go through the heartbreak of feeling ignored and uncared for. I listen to them and what they are going through. If they need to cry they will always have my shoulder. If they need my advice, I will give them my advice, and if they don't I won't. That's the greatest lesson I have learned. Sometimes they don't advice or a solution to their issue, they just need to be heard and just let what they are feeling out. My family and friends know that I am always there for them and they can talk about anything with me. Even if i disagree, I will put our differences aside and be there for them, because that is what they need from me at the moment. They know that I will not judge them for what they believe with some limits on human rights issues. The few times they have done that, i will hear them out, acknowledge how their stance hurts me or others, and why it may cause further issues for them, but let them know that even though we disagree, i will still be there for them anytime and i still care about them. My empathy towards others may not have been perfect and it never will be but every day I get better and hope to make a difference in others' lives.

I love music. I participate in my high school's orchestra and at home, I also play the ukulele. I listen to music all the time at home and just listening to it helps me relax and detach from stressful situations. When I have more time, I like to bake and cook. I like trying new recipes and providing new sweet treats for my family. One Christmas in 2021, I spent six hours in one day making many sweet treats to drop off for my grandparents who tested positive for covid-19. I also like to draw/paint. I am not the best, but it helps me relax by seeing my thoughts on the canvas. I have improved a lot, and it has also helped me manage my aphantasia, (I have no mind's eye/visual imagination, so when I close my eyes and picture something I cannot see anything) by allowing me to see the description my brain gives me.