Bracelets…Water…Veterans…Museums These 4 words sum up my journey of advocacy. With my rainbow loom bracelet set, I befriended a mute classmate. After months of one-sided blacktop chats, the day she finally spoke was a triumphant moment. I accompanied her to speech therapy sessions, supporting her through the challenges of learning to express herself verbally. While she claimed I showed her the power of her voice, I believe she did the same for me. In freshman year, I noticed students fainting during school and sports practices due to improper hydration. After presenting my case to the school board, our district implemented a policy to ensure students have access to water bottles and clean water sources. Moving every couple of years, I’ve always valued opportunities to learn from diverse perspectives. At Girls State, I led discussions with other youth delegates about what we can best do to support our veterans. The stories I’ve gathered empower me to seek out veterans and other military children everywhere I go. The Dahlgren Heritage Museum is a highlight of my community’s history, and hopefully soon, a hot spot of STEM education. To lead the museum’s outreach program, I am connecting Dahlgren’s rich Naval history with at-home experiments. In classrooms or at home, I am committed to improving access to STEM education for youth, especially those in rural areas. As I reflect on my high school experiences with advocacy, Dolores Huerta’s words speak to me: "We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things," she said. "That is what we are put on the earth for." As I enter college, her wise words remind me that my purpose is bigger than myself—it’s about uplifting those around me. However, achieving these goals comes with financial challenges. A college education is essential for me to continue my advocacy, yet it is also a significant financial burden on my retired Navy father and self-employed artist mother who must also pay for college education for my two younger sisters. Receiving this scholarship would relieve some of the financial stress, allowing me to focus fully on pursuing a degree that empowers me to build upon my past experiences and take them even further. Whether it’s advocating for STEM access or supporting veterans, higher education will equip me with the knowledge and skills necessary to make a lasting impact. This scholarship wouldn’t just support me—it would help me support others. By reducing the financial strain, I’ll have more time and resources to continue my community work, both in college and beyond. With the financial assistance, I can continue turning my passions into meaningful projects, like expanding STEM opportunities for youth and advocating for veterans and military families. Every effort I’ve made so far has been a stepping stone toward creating a future where I can dedicate my life to service and innovation.

Math is my secret language. A code with which I can communicate with the stars in secret. As my whispers have transformed from talk of fractions to the complex world of derivatives, I've learned of math's ability to remain a constant in our evolving world. Even as the stars migrate across the night sky, numbers and equations define their patterns. However, what I love most about math is its ability to create stories and connect with others. Since I was young, I would count the stars with my dad. "1, 2, 3..." we went on for what seemed like hours, "1001, 1002, 1003..." until our eyelids grew heavy and my dad would carry my tired body inside. Our counting adventures transformed into breakfast mayhem when I started to learn about fractions. "Okay, so what is one half of 3/4 cup," my dad would ask me. "3/2," little me would say with a grin spreading across my face. Fractions never came easy to me. It took months of our breakfast calculation ritual to understand them, but by the time my final assessment came around, I aced it! All the late nights and early mornings I spent with my dad trying to make sense of the world through math are some of the fondest memories I have of him. Even though some of the topics I am starting to explore now with trigonometry, calculus, and statistics are beyond the reach of my father's memory, I still take time to sit down and narrate my story of the world through math. My most recent fascination has been quantum probabilities, specifically when describing neural networks. Although some of the equations and symbols are above me, I have made it my goal to understand how they work. Pointing to the equations on printed-out pages of physics journals, I try to explain to my father the ins and outs of quantum tunneling, superposition, and the difference between classical and quantum probabilities. Although we sometimes get nowhere. The melody of the mathematical language used between the lines gives us solace that these obscure concepts are somehow rooted in nature. My relationship with my dad would not be the same without math. Math is the language that connects us through our love of making sense of the chaotic world. Math is our timeless bond beneath the stars.

From California to Virginia, I spent most of my childhood in constant motion. Being a military child meant moving every couple of years—uprooting my life and having to form a whole new one each time. Changing places also brought changing faces. In each place I lived, I met new kinds of people and came to understand the meaning of diversity. It became second nature for me to just go up to someone and start asking questions, trying to learn about what makes them unique. Although I found many similarities between the places I lived, each person always happened to be distinctive. Cherishing this diversity is what ignited most of my childhood. I was always the kid on the playground who made sure to include the person no one wanted to hang out with. I accompanied my friend to their speech therapy class to help them feel confident in using their voice. While these acts seemed like small gestures of kindness to me, they meant the world to some of these kids. When I saw that my other classmates would not only refuse to help some of these kids but also outright make fun of them, I made it my mission to advocate for inclusivity and kindness wherever I moved. My early experiences showed me how much I enjoy advocacy. Not only was I able to help others, but I could make a lasting change in the world. Debates over inclusion on the playground became debates over gender equality, racial injustice, and constitutional rights. At the same time, my family settled into our final home in a small rural community in Virginia. I quickly came to realize that my new community did not share my values of inclusivity. This is what brought me into the world of politics. In my first election there, I decided it was time to take my passion for advocacy into the realm of politics. I took my experience as a military child to be able to talk to and understand different types of people and their opinions. Being able to connect with people through shared experiences and mutual understanding defined my approach to advocacy. I staffed tables to inform community members about candidates, wrote postcards to potential voters, and attended meetings for the King George Democrats as the only youth attendee. While we were often unsuccessful in local elections, the experience I gained learning about the political process was invaluable. However, I do not plan to stop there. Recently, I formed the King George Democrats Youth Committee, a place where other youth can come to make their voices heard. I want to continue to grow this community, bringing in more voices and opinions to grow support for many of the issues that often seem to be ignored. As I pursue higher education and plan to leave my small community, I will continue to bring my passion for advocacy and helping others wherever I go. In exploring the world, meeting new people, and coming to understand society, the lessons I've learned from the school playground to the election booth will forever define me. My early experiences with injustice defined my perspective on civic engagement. I want to work for a world where no person will have to feel alone and excluded just because of being who they are. If I spoke to a little me who had to leave their friends for the fifth time, she would be amazed by the immense impact of the military child experience. I am no longer frustrated by change; I am ready to harness it to change the world.

I have always been captivated by the beauty of nature. From the perfectly repeating petals of a blooming flower to the coordinate plane that is the starry night sky, the natural world never ceases to amaze me. However, it was through my love for mathematics that I truly began to appreciate the underlying beauty and harmony that permeates every aspect of nature. Mathematics is the language that describes all relationships within the fabric of our universe. In uncovering its boundless mysteries, we unravel some of the greatest secrets of the natural world. It stands as the sole means through which humanity can articulate and unravel the indescribable beauty and elegance that are captured in every snapshot of our existence. When I was younger, I would spend hours walking through the gardens behind my house, mesmerized by the beauty of what I saw. Each plant held within it perfect patterns that left me in a state of astonishment. I couldn't help but marvel at the harmonious coexistence of untamed wilderness and flawless precision. In the classroom, I delved into studies of symmetry within my math classes. I sat eagerly as the teacher explained the various types of symmetry. After the lesson, I rushed home to inform my mother of my new insight into math in nature. As I deepened my understanding of complex geometries in the following years of math courses, I came to realize that one of the most astonishing manifestations of mathematical beauty in nature is found in the concept of symmetry. The perfect reflection of a moth's wings and the flawless repetition of stems on a cactus, all seen in my very own backyard, owe their impeccable beauty to the magic of mathematics. Mathematics serves as a bridge between the abstract and the tangible. A bridge that directs the interconnectedness of all things. A bridge that creates underlying order amidst the chaos of our universe. It provides a unique insight into the exquisite balance and harmony that exist in every living organism, every celestial body, and every moment of human existence. My love for mathematics stems from its ability to reveal the inherent beauty in nature. Through its language, I can decipher the intricate patterns, symmetries, and proportions that help us define the world around us. As I continue my studies of mathematics in pursuit of a mathematics-based degree, I aim to find a deeper connection with nature and an enduring appreciation for its innate beauty.

I have always been captivated by the beauty of nature. From the perfectly repeating petals of a blooming flower to the coordinate plane that is the starry night sky, the natural world never ceases to amaze me. However, it was through my love for mathematics that I truly began to appreciate the underlying beauty and harmony that permeates every aspect of nature. Mathematics is the language that describes all relationships within the fabric of our universe. In uncovering its boundless mysteries, we unravel some of the greatest secrets of the natural world. It stands as the sole means through which humanity can articulate and unravel the indescribable beauty and elegance that are captured in every snapshot of our existence. When I was younger, I would spend hours walking through the gardens behind my house, mesmerized by the beauty of what I saw. Each plant held within it perfect patterns that left me in a state of astonishment. I couldn't help but marvel at the harmonious coexistence of untamed wilderness and flawless precision. In the classroom, I delved into studies of symmetry within my math classes. I sat eagerly as the teacher explained the various types of symmetry. After the lesson, I rushed home to inform my mother of my new insight into math in nature. As I deepened my understanding of complex geometries in the following years of math courses, I came to realize that one of the most astonishing manifestations of mathematical beauty in nature is found in the concept of symmetry. The perfect reflection of a moth's wings and the flawless repetition of stems on a cactus, all seen in my very own backyard, owe their impeccable beauty to the magic of mathematics. Mathematics serves as a bridge between the abstract and the tangible. A bridge that directs the interconnectedness of all things. A bridge that creates underlying order amidst the chaos of our universe. It provides a unique insight into the exquisite balance and harmony that exist in every living organism, every celestial body, and every moment of human existence. My love for mathematics stems from its ability to reveal the inherent beauty in nature. Through its language, I can decipher the intricate patterns, symmetries, and proportions that help us define the world around us. As I continue my studies of mathematics, I find a deeper connection with nature and an enduring appreciation for its innate beauty.

I have always been captivated by the beauty of nature. From the perfectly repeating petals of a blooming flower to the coordinate plane that is the starry night sky, the natural world never ceases to amaze me. However, it was through my love for mathematics that I truly began to appreciate the underlying beauty and harmony that permeates every aspect of nature. Mathematics is the language that describes all relationships within the fabric of our universe. In uncovering its boundless mysteries, we unravel some of the greatest secrets of the natural world. It stands as the sole means through which humanity can articulate and unravel the indescribable beauty and elegance that are captured in every snapshot of our existence. When I was younger, I would spend hours walking through the gardens behind my house, mesmerized by the beauty of what I saw. Each plant held within it perfect patterns that left me in a state of astonishment. I couldn't help but marvel at the harmonious coexistence of untamed wilderness and flawless precision. In the classroom, I delved into studies of symmetry within my math classes. I sat eagerly as the teacher explained the various types of symmetry. After the lesson, I rushed home to inform my mother of my new insight into math in nature. As I deepened my understanding of complex geometries in the following years of math courses, I came to realize that one of the most astonishing manifestations of mathematical beauty in nature is found in the concept of symmetry. The perfect reflection of a moth's wings and the flawless repetition of stems on a cactus, all seen in my very own backyard, owe their impeccable beauty to the magic of mathematics. Mathematics serves as a bridge between the abstract and the tangible. A bridge that directs the interconnectedness of all things. A bridge that creates underlying order amidst the chaos of our universe. It provides a unique insight into the exquisite balance and harmony that exist in every living organism, every celestial body, and every moment of human existence. My love for mathematics stems from its ability to reveal the inherent beauty in nature. Through its language, I can decipher the intricate patterns, symmetries, and proportions that help us define the world around us. As I continue my studies of mathematics, I find a deeper connection with nature and an enduring appreciation for its innate beauty.