As a person who’s life has changed a lot in the past, the future is always important to look forward to. Right now I am shooting for an honors diploma, and right now it is just barely out of reach. Unfortunately for me, there is 86 kids in my senior class and I am ranked 11th among them. After I graduate high school I plan to attend Cottey College in Nevada Missouri. I chose this college because although it offers everything I’ve ever wanted from a college, it’s also conveniently close to my home. I plan to study hard for the next four years a receive a teaching degree in Secondary Education. After I graduate my boyfriend and I plan to get married, and I couldn’t be more excited! For now though, I just have to get through high school!

From the beginning of time women have been looked down on. We have always been seen as pretty faces. Through the decades we have fought that stigma and risen through the ranks struggling to become equal with a man that was simply given his privilege because of his gender. As a young woman growing up in the 21st Century I have been faced with my adversity than I ever imagined was possible, and although I have had more set backs than I thought was humanly possible, I have also seen women perform some of the most amazing acts. In this time in age, women inspire women. I believe that society can most effectively inspire women through using other women to fight for our rights. A great example of an amazing women is Emma Watson. She is widely know for her extremely popular role in the Harry Potter movies, but she is also known as a strong feminist. Without bold women like her, we wouldn’t have the amazing advancements throughout our society. Additionally, I believe our society makes woman feel handicapped, not physically but mentally. Women are told they are unable to pursue certain professions, obtain impressive achievements, and work for their lively hood. It goes without saying that these beliefs are dated and should not be followed in this day in age. In order to ensure that women are given the equal opportunities as men I believe the first step is to push for equality in the work place. In some professions woman are still paid less than men, and this is completely unacceptable. After getting equal wages I believe the next vital thing woman need is to see more women within our government. After all, society follows our government, and in this day in age, it is only right that women get a say in it.

The word joy has meant many different things to me over the years. At age 3 my joy came from eating popcorn with my dad while we watched old westerns. At age 7 joy came from playing with my outside in the yard with my sweet puppies. At age 12 I found joy in playing Xbox games with my two brothers, and now at age 17, I find joy getting an A on and test, and spending time with my best friends. See, I found joy in a variety of things, but they all had one common quality; they made me happy. At age 17, I have lost many of the things that brought me joy. My father died, my puppies passed away, my older brothers left home, and my friend group changed. However, that doesn’t mean I’ve lost my joy. I’ve found ways to bring joy into life that I never imagined. I live by the motto “nothing lasts forever”. Many people believe this motto is sad, but for me it means hope. Hope for a new tomorrow and hope for better days. I seek joy in my life everyday through the little things. I spend time with my family and enjoy the little moments where we laugh and cherish the ones where we cry. I find joy within my family, and joy within my friends. Once you look at it like that, it’s hard not to find joy everywhere you look.

Throughout my life I’ve had many moments where perseverance was a necessary skill. The best example of my perseverance was when I was only in the 5th grade. I became a foster kid, and my life was turned upside down. Looking back, I remember almost failing 4th grade, and all of the abuse I had suffered from a young age. My mother was preoccupied with everything but her children, and my fathered died when I was three. There was multiple instances in my life that led up to my big life changing moment. On one crisp Fall afternoon I sat in the afternoon pick-up line waiting for my Aunt to pick me. I was extremely shocked when I saw my stepdad waiting for me outside. I broke down into tears and absolutely refused to go outside. I told the principal all of the awful things my stepdad had done, and needless to say I did not go home with him. After that, I went to more court cases than I could count, more therapy sessions than I needed, and had forced contact with my mother. I grew up and studied hard in-spite of my setbacks. I have been on the A honor roll for the past 7 years. I’ve grown massively as a person, and also as a leader. I went from almost failing 4th grade to being in line for an honors diploma. It has been a long road to recovery from a rough past, but with perseverance anything is possible.

My name is Carolyn Huff, and I am a Senior at El Dorado Springs R2 Schools! I am involved in multiple clubs and organizations including: show choir, speech and debate, National Honors Society, Future Farmers of America, where I currently serve as my Chapter Treasurer and Area Secretary, and Marching band- I compete on the color guard team. My long term goal is to graduate from Cottey College and graduate in four years with a Bachelors degree in secondary education. It is extremely important to me to become a teacher because teachers have had such an impact and played a key role in shaping me into the person I am today. As someone who has been in foster care for eight years, I understand the importance of having a good role model to look up to when you are young. I’ve only ever had one personal encounter with drunk driving in my life, but it was enough to change the course indefinitely. I was only two years old when it happened. My father was driving through his paper route, as he was a paper delivery man, and it was early in the morning. The drunk driver ran into my fathers car with his own, and he was rushed to the hospital immediately. Since I was only three when he died I don’t have a great understanding of what happened on that early morning, but what I do know is that it changed my life forever. When the drunk driver hit my father he caused a large amount of brain damage. Suddenly, when my dad came home he wasn’t the same person. He got angry fast and had an extremely short fuse. As the days went on my fathers mental and physical health declined rapidly, as did my mothers. A few days before my fathers’ birthday, he died, and I was delivered the news. I screamed and held the pillow I was given from the hospital. Now, I had a father that had passed away and an unstable mother. It would take years for anything to change. After years of abuse, abandonment, and neglect from my mother, I was placed into faster care. I now live with my great aunt and uncle, but sometimes I wonder what would have happened if my father hadn’t been struck by the drunk driver. Would my family still be together? Would my father still be here to walk me down the isle on my wedding day? I’m thankful for my second chance, but I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if the drunk driver had just stayed home.