I have always been quiet, but it was not always by choice. When I was younger, I was never encouraged to use my words. I never had to have a voice until I started school and found myself alone. Finding my voice took time; being away from my biological mom was helpful in the process of mental recovery. My biological mom was no help in my development and in important milestones, such as talking. My sister became my voice; when my stepmom asked if I wanted a certain flavor of something my sister would answer for me. She would already know what I would like. This made it easy for me not to talk and she didn’t mind speaking for me. But, I learned quickly that what is easy is not always best. Today is the first day of second grade. Last year, I didn’t talk in class. Instead, I worked on developing my voice at home. Now that I live with my dad and stepmom, talking is easier. They help me talk and teach my sister not to speak for me. As I walk into my second-grade class, I know it will differ from first-grade. My teacher is extremely nice. My ultimate goal was not to shut down, but to talk and push myself out of my comfort zone. My experience taught me that I need goals to run through daily life. Having something to work toward is very useful in trying to achieve success. I need to set a goal to complete my work and check off my to-do lists. Now that I’m older, these lists are becoming daunting. But, I know I can’t give up so I continue to complete these tasks. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. She started to call me back to her table and we would talk about how my day was going. This helped me become more comfortable with talking to people outside of home. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. I am forever grateful for my second grade teacher. She helped develop my confidence in class. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. My life could have been completely different without her. I continue to introduce myself to scary situations in hopes of growing and learning from them. It has become a big challenge for me in middle and high school. When high school started I decided to immerse myself in clubs like Student Council, FBLA, & Educators Rising. I decided to join an extracurricular the summer before my Sophomore year: my school's tennis team. I could not have accomplished this without stepping out of my comfort zone and joining things I never thought I would join, like sports and clubs. For example, when I was younger, I wanted to join volleyball but was too scared; I was too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. Now that I have joined tennis I am glad I pushed myself because it is my favorite sport ever. I never gave up on myself; my stepmom, dad, and second grade teacher never let me either. None of my biological family has gone to college. Most of my family hasn't even graduated high school. I am determined to be the first of my biological family to graduate high school. Not only just graduate, I want to graduate with all A's. My education is extremely important to me and I look forward to furthering my education at Missouri State University. I am dedicated to becoming a Middle School Teacher and the money from this scholarship would help with my dream. I will be the second child in my extended family to attend college, but the first will be in my biological family. I have seen most of my siblings give up on themselves and not try in school despite being smart. This is why I am determined to exercise my potential and not give up on myself. I have been allowed to learn and grow through college and I will not throw that away. Just as I haven’t thrown away my high school career. School is important not only for learning about the world but also for learning about yourself. Through school, I have learned so much about the way I go about things in life. I learned that I am determined and I don’t give up even when the work is hard. I am thankful for my education, and I can’t wait to see what I will learn about myself in college. I have always been quiet, but it was not always by choice. When I was younger, I was never encouraged to use my words. I never had to have a voice until I started school and found myself alone. Finding my voice took time; being away from my biological mom was helpful in the process of mental recovery. My biological mom was no help in my development and in important milestones, such as talking. My sister became my voice; when my stepmom asked if I wanted a certain flavor of something my sister would answer for me. She would already know what I would like. This made it easy for me not to talk and she didn’t mind speaking for me. But, I learned quickly that what is easy is not always best. My experiences when I was younger taught me that I need goals to run through daily life. Having something to work toward is very useful in trying to achieve success. I need to set a goal to complete my work and check off my to-do lists. Now that I’m older, these lists are becoming daunting. But, I know I can’t give up so I continue to complete these tasks. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher because of the help from my teachers and family when I was younger. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. My life could have been completely different without her. I continue to introduce myself to scary situations in hopes of growing and learning from them.

When I was younger, my parents went through a rough patch in their marriage that ultimately ended in divorce. My biological mom was not ready to take care of kids when she had three at that point. She was drinking, doing drugs, and partying day and night. It was not an environment my dad wanted to be in. He wanted out so he moved out of the house and moved to Arkansas with his parents for a while. They got a divorce sometime in between there and after a bit, he met my stepmom. I still remember the day that my dad had left, my brother went with him. I was left with my older sister who acted as my mother for a while when my mother never did. After a year or two, my mom and dad decided to trade kids because my brother was becoming an issue at the other house. At this point, my dad had moved in with my stepmom and her children. I was young enough to not think anything of it then but now looking back I can see how complicated the situation was. I loved living with my dad and stepmom way more and grew immediately closer to my stepmom. After a few years, my older sister had started to act out for some reason. This had an impact on my stepmom and dad's marriage because at this point they had gotten married. So they too considered divorce, I remember hearing their fights and how bad they had gotten. It was a really bad time because I knew they were mad at each other and my stepmom had given my dad his ring back. But, it all ended up being resolved and all was well. From that time I had always been terrified that it would happen again. Every time they fight and it gets bad I get afraid that they might divorce and I might lose the one true mother that I have ever had. My childhood was riddled with this because of my older sister who was always acting up and causing problems in our lives. It really impacted me as a person so I am scared of marriage and I am hoping that when or if I have kids they don't act up like my sister. But, after my sister decided to move back with my mom, my life became more peaceful and my parents hardly fought anymore. And if they do, it's not as bad as it used to be. The result of this is that I know to be cautious in my relationships so that I find the right person for myself. I know that my dad ultimately found the right person and I am happy for him. I just want to make sure I really know the person I am getting with before I marry and have kids with. I want to be sure that they are ready to settle down with me and help take care of my kids.

I got saved when I was 7 and I have been a Christian ever since. I didn't start developing my faith with God when I was 15 and now I feel closer than ever before. I went from being a shy child who didn't talk to anyone because of what happened when she was younger to a vibrant child who loves to help. I have always wanted to become a teacher and I believe that is what God has designed me to do. I have always been good at teaching and helping my peers. My church has a school and I am thinking about a job there. I also want to become a teacher in the public school system, I just don't know what grade yet. I know my faith in God will tell me what grade I am called to do and where I am supposed to do it. A lot of people think teaching isn't a good job, and that is why we are losing teachers. But, that is also why we need teachers that are willing to teach no matter the conditions or pay. I believe God will provide a source of income that is just right for me. I know He wouldn't leave me without good pay if when teaching is what I am called to do. I believe I can help kids through whatever may be going on in their lives. I am excited to be a teacher because of the relationships I get to build with every student. I know God will use me to get to kids who are in tough situations and I hope to be a source of light for all of the kids I encounter. I know God used my second grade teacher to help me overcome my shyness. She was one of the only people that got through to me and helped me step out of my comfort zone. She helped me create goals for myself and I started to make friends and talk in class more. I will forever be grateful for her because I know God put her in my path. If I had never stepped out of my shell then I would not be the person who I am today. I still have that shy part of me but it is so much less prominent than it used to be. I know that God will use me in the same way for students who need help in all areas. I volunteer at the kids area in my church and I notice that a lot of the quieter kids gravitate toward me, so I know that is for a reason. I know that I am supposed to help kids like me step out of their shell. But, I also want to help just each and every kid. Not every quiet kid is like me and some kids that are loud went through the same issues as me. I know everyone is different and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me when I become a teacher. I know how hard it is to struggle with finding your voice and wondering if today will be the day everything changes. From a very young age, I struggled with not talking and being painfully shy. If I ever did talk to anyone it was quieter than a mouse and I would always be told to speak up. The thing is, if I did speak up people would expect that from me from then on. And I got way too comfortable with not talking. The first friend I had was my step-sister because she pushed me to talk at home. My second friend didn't happen until second grade, her name was Vanessa and we became very good friends. She convinced me to join the math team and she helped me realize that I can speak to others. Math team was one way I stepped out of my comfort zone. Teaching has been a dream of mine since third grade. I have had so many wonderful teachers who have inspired me to become a better person. My teachers constantly helped me grow and just become a better version of myself. I am so grateful for them and for their influence on me. Because of Mrs. Burton, I want to become a teacher.

I have struggled with my confidence, and it was especially evident as a child who didn't speak. From grade one to grade two, I simply didn't speak. It was a really hard period in my life because I wanted to talk to others but didn't speak loud enough. I was always told to speak up by everyone I talked to, so that made me not want to speak at all. After years of struggle, I was met with an opportunity. My second-grade teacher was extremely gracious. She knew I had a voice waiting to be released, and she helped me develop confidence. The thing is, I had answers to questions she would ask the class, but I wouldn't say it because of fear of being made fun of. This teacher would always look at me to see if I had an answer, and she would only ask me if she knew I had an answer. This helped me because I wouldn't have stepped out of my comfort zone without her help. I am extremely grateful for her, and I look up to her. A couple of years passed, and I realized that I love helping others and I am a great teacher when it comes to helping someone understand a concept. I discovered this passion in fourth grade. I was told a lot when I was that age that "It will change, usually, you say you want to become a teacher, then it becomes something else." But I wonder why people say that to children who are trying to discover who they are. Luckily enough, I was confident in who I was meant to be, so I didn't take it too close to heart. Another thing is when people are like, "Oh, I could never do that." or "Wow, so you don't care about money." It's frustrating to me because passion is different when choosing a career. I am passionate about the concept of teaching kids to become world changers. It is not a chore and I don't care about the money. Some people survive off of less money than what a teacher makes and still, that doesn't even matter to me. In middle school, I remained confident in my path to becoming a teacher. I had a teacher in eighth grade who became a teacher I really respected and admired. She was the teacher I aspired to be, and that is why I want to teach middle school English in the future. I am going to college for Education just in case the grade I want to teach changes. Ever since I wanted to become a teacher I made it a goal of mine to gear my education towards that path and stay on it. A lot of people don't find out what they want to do so early. But, I have known for a long time and I am super grateful. I look forward to teaching every single day and I can't wait until my dreams become a reality.

I have struggled with my confidence, and it was especially evident as a child who didn't speak. From grade one to grade two, I simply didn't speak. It was a really hard period in my life because I wanted to talk to others but didn't speak loud enough. I was always told to speak up by everyone I talked to, so that made me not want to speak at all. After years of struggle, I was met with an opportunity. My second-grade teacher was extremely gracious. She knew I had a voice waiting to be released, and she helped me develop confidence. The thing is, I had answers to questions she would ask the class, but I wouldn't say it because of fear of being made fun of. This teacher would always look at me to see if I had an answer, and she would only ask me if she knew I had an answer. This helped me because I wouldn't have stepped out of my comfort zone without her help. I am extremely grateful for her, and I look up to her. A couple of years passed, and I realized that I love helping others and I am a great teacher when it comes to helping someone understand a concept. I discovered this passion in fourth grade. I was told a lot when I was that age that "It will change, usually, you say you want to become a teacher, then it becomes something else." But I wonder why people say that to children who are trying to discover who they are. Luckily enough, I was confident in who I was meant to be, so I didn't take it too close to heart. Another thing is when people are like, "Oh, I could never do that." or "Wow, so you don't care about money." It's frustrating to me because passion is different when choosing a career. I am passionate about the concept of teaching kids to become world changers. It is not a chore and I don't care about the money. Some people survive off of less money than what a teacher makes and still, that doesn't even matter to me. In middle school, I remained confident in my path to becoming a teacher. I had a teacher in eighth grade who became a teacher I really respected and admired. She was the teacher I aspired to be, and that is why I want to teach middle school English in the future. I am going to college for Education just in case the grade I want to teach changes. Ever since I wanted to become a teacher I made it a goal of mine to gear my education towards that path and stay on it. A lot of people don't find out what they want to do so early. But, I have known for a long time and I am super grateful. I look forward to teaching every single day and I can't wait until my dreams become a reality.

I used to really struggle with thoughts of the world being better off without me or just thinking I will never be good enough. This really had an impact on me and my outlook on the world because I felt like anything I did never mattered and so I might as well not put my whole effort into it. I noticed my grades started to drop and my overall energy and emotions as well. Middle school was a really hard time for me because I never told anybody I was struggling mentally like this and so I continued on until it felt like too much. I started self-harming and that was the last straw for me when my parents found out. I realized living my life like this isn't going to work. I cherished my relationships but during this time I felt unimportant and unloved. Which was completely wrong because my family always showed their support in everything I did. I knew they were worried about me but I never told them what was wrong. In this time, I had gotten social media which is what led to my body dysmorphia and overall depression. I now know that social media is not good for my mental health and it is most likely the same for others. Social media promotes really high standards that even the people in the picture don't meet on a day to day basis. Social media only shows the world the best parts of your life. So it leaves other nieve toung teenagers like myself to ask, "what is wrong with me?" When the true answer is theres nothing wrong with you but there is something wrong with social media for promoting false standards. I learned from my middle school experience and I am so grateful that I learned it before high school. Not many teenagers have great influences as parents who tell them the things I was told. I am grateful for my parents for telling me what I needed to hear even though I felt it was unfair at the time. I realized after this that I actually enjoy being a student and getting good grades. I also knew since elementary school that I wanted to become a teacher so now my goals were solidified because I want to help out young teenagers in their lives navigate the world. In some weird way I am glad I struggled because it taught me the importance of maintaining a balanced life and a healthy view of yourself and the world around you. It taught me that people tend to look at the world with rose colored goggles and look at themselves with negative broken goggles. I am grateful for my struggles because it taught me who I am and how I handle negative situations. It also helped me become closer with my family and with God and I am forever grateful for that. I am grateful that I have sources to confide in if I ever start to struggle again.

I know how hard it is to struggle with finding your voice and wondering if today will be the day everything changes. From a very young age, I struggled with not talking and being painfully shy. If I ever did talk to anyone it was quieter than a mouse and I would always be told to speak up. The thing is, if I did speak up people would expect that from me from then on. And I got way too comfortable with not talking. For a while, it was just me and my thoughts. It was me battling with myself, thinking about the benefits of having friends and conversations. I knew I wanted to have friends and to do that I needed to talk. The first friend I had was my step-sister because she pushed me to talk at home. My second friend didn't happen until second grade, her name was Vanessa and we became very good friends. She convinced me to join the math team and she helped me realize that I can speak to others. Math team was one way I stepped out of my comfort zone. But the person that helped me the most was my second grade teacher, Mrs. Burton. She knew I was trying to make more friends and step way out of my comfort zone. I knew my comfort zone was dangerous because it was limiting me, and it possibly could limit me for the rest of my life. But, no, because of this teacher, I am who I am today. I felt like myself but instead of it just being at home or on the inside, I was able to be myself in school and make a ton of new friends. I constantly push myself out of my comfort zone because I learned that what I think is best is not always the best for me. Teaching has been a dream of mine since third grade. I have had so many wonderful teachers who have inspired me to become a better person. My teachers constantly helped me grow and just become a better version of myself. I am so grateful for them and for their influence on me. Because of Mrs. Burton, I want to become a teacher. I now constantly push myself to excel in my schoolwork and in my classes. I push myself to make friends and go to things I wouldn't usually go to. I worked hard for a reason, I worked hard and it taught me to not give up. No matter how hard I want to give up I know I need to push on no matter what. The result is so much better than the current pain or struggle. Diamonds don't just come how they are, they are formed under immense heat and pressure, and the final result is always beautiful. I strive to challenge myself no matter the struggle because I am always happy with the result. This scholarship would help me with my goals of completing my bachelor's degree in education and becoming a teacher.

This is my poem called "Dream" It is a free verse. I seem to be fighting... wait, is that a dragon? No, that’s a bat. Thank goodness, I was not prepared to fight a dragon. Ok, this is weird. Now it’s an airplane? Oh no, the airplane is crashing... Suddenly, I am flying the airplane I save it, I don't even know how to fly a plane. I get out of the seat, everyone thanks me Why are they screaming now? I thought I helped... Wait a minute, I still need to fly the airplane... whoops Ok, ok, we are good again. Where is the annoying buzzer sound coming from? Ugh, why can’t I find it? Oh, here it is. It must be something to do with the plane. Of course, it's the airplane frog! A frog shouldn't make that sound, though... Wait, there's no such thing as an airplane frog. Hmm... that's weird. I continue to try and turn this annoying frog off, how do you do that again? It won’t turn off... Suddenly I woke up, what a weird dream. Ok, still searching for that annoying buzzer sound. Oh yeah! My alarm has been going off. For 20 minutes... Now I'm late!

I have struggled with my confidence, and it was especially evident as a child who didn't speak. From grade one to grade two, I simply didn't speak. It was a really hard period in my life because I wanted to talk to others but didn't speak loud enough. I was always told to speak up by everyone I talked to, so that made me not want to speak at all. After years of struggle, I was met with an opportunity. My second-grade teacher was extremely gracious. She knew I had a voice waiting to be released, and she helped me develop confidence. The thing is, I had answers to questions she would ask the class, but I wouldn't say it because of fear of being made fun of. This teacher would always look at me to see if I had an answer, and she would only ask me if she knew I had an answer. This helped me because I wouldn't have stepped out of my comfort zone without her help. I am extremely grateful for her, and I look up to her. A couple of years passed, and I realized that I love helping others and I am a great teacher when it comes to helping someone understand a concept. I discovered this passion in fourth grade. I was told a lot when I was that age that "It will change, usually, you say you want to become a teacher, then it becomes something else." But I wonder why people say that to children who are trying to discover who they are. Luckily enough, I was confident in who I was meant to be, so I didn't take it too close to heart. Another thing is when people are like, "Oh, I could never do that." or "Wow, so you don't care about money." It's frustrating to me because passion is different when choosing a career. I am passionate about the concept of teaching kids to become world changers. It is not a chore and I don't care about the money. Some people survive off of less money than what a teacher makes and still, that doesn't even matter to me. In middle school, I remained confident in my path to becoming a teacher. I had a teacher in eighth grade who became a teacher I really respected and admired. She was the teacher I aspired to be, and that is why I want to teach middle school English in the future. I am going to college for Education just in case the grade I want to teach changes. Ever since I wanted to become a teacher I made it a goal of mine to gear my education towards that path and stay on it. A lot of people don't find out what they want to do so early. But, I have known for a long time and I am super grateful. I look forward to teaching every single day and I can't wait until my dreams become a reality.

I have always loved to help teach my peers and I found that I'm good at it as well. I have had a passion for all subjects because I just love to learn in general. English is easier for me but science and math have always challenged me. That's why those are my favorite subjects, they teach me not to give up even when I'm struggling to learn the things being taught. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher because of the help from my teachers and family when I was younger. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. She started to call me back to her table and we would talk about how my day was going. This helped me become more comfortable with talking to people outside of home. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. I am forever grateful for my second grade teacher. She helped develop my confidence in class. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. For kids who struggle in science or math, I want to be able to help them realize their potential instead of deciding that it is their least favorite subject. That's what happened to me. I decided that science and math were not for me just because they were harder. As I grew I realized something challenging is better for you because easy things don't give you space to grow. I know it's not easy to learn a subject and like it when you're struggling with it. But, some students do like math and science because of how much they struggle with it. I like the challenge and so I continue to immerse myself in advanced math and advanced science to learn more about the world and expand my knowledge. I would love to teach middle school math or science in my future career as an educator. I want to make an impact in the world and I would love if that was through being an educator. I believe female teachers are great because kids tend to feel more comfortable with them. I have heard many kids accidentally call a female teacher "mom". I believe that's because female teachers provide a comfortable presence for students at school. I love the idea of being able to have that impact on generations of kids. I strive to be every kids favorite teacher because I care about them, not because I want to be that one "cool" teacher. I want to have a relationship with my students that is rewarding for them and their education. I'm ready to change the world by raising leaders!

I used to really struggle with thoughts of the world being better off without me or just thinking I will never be good enough. This really had an impact on me and my outlook on the world because I felt like anything I did never mattered and so I might as well not put my whole effort into it. I noticed my grades started to drop and my overall energy and emotions as well. Middle school was a really hard time for me because I never told anybody I was struggling mentally like this and so I continued on until it felt like too much. I started self-harming and that was the last straw for me when my parents found out. I realized living my life like this isn't going to work. I cherished my relationships but during this time I felt unimportant and unloved. Which was completely wrong because my family always showed their support in everything I did. I knew they were worried about me but I never told them what was wrong. In this time, I had gotten social media which is what led to my body dysmorphia and overall depression. I now know that social media is not good for my mental health and it is most likely the same for others. Social media promotes really high standards that even the people in the picture don't meet on a day to day basis. Social media only shows the world the best parts of your life. So it leaves other nieve toung teenagers like myself to ask, "what is wrong with me?" When the true answer is theres nothing wrong with you but there is something wrong with social media for promoting false standards. I learned from my middle school experience and I am so grateful that I learned it before high school. Not many teenagers have great influences as parents who tell them the things I was told. I am grateful for my parents for telling me what I needed to hear even though I felt it was unfair at the time. I realized after this that I actually enjoy being a student and getting good grades. I also knew since elementary school that I wanted to become a teacher so now my goals were solidified because I want to help out young teenagers in their lives navigate the world. In some weird way I am glad I struggled because it taught me the importance of maintaining a balanced life and a healthy view of yourself and the world around you. It taught me that people tend to look at the world with rose colored goggles and look at themselves with negative broken goggles. I am grateful for my struggles because it taught me who I am and how I handle negative situations. It also helped me become closer with my family and with God and I am forever grateful for that. I am grateful that I have sources to confide in if I ever start to struggle again. My mental health journey has taught me to become a better Christian as well. I have always been a Christian but I had never been so close with God until He brought me out of the darkness. I learned that my relationship with the creator of the universe is very important if I was looking for a change. Once I became closer with God I saw my life do a complete 180. I felt joy again, I felt peace. I started to make friends and become closer with my parents. When I was struggling I would push people away because I would have rather sat in my sadness. I now put a lot more effort into my relationships because the people I pushed away were the people who ended up helping me the most. I also started to take my education way more seriously. I had a goal of becoming a teacher and for a while there I didn't know what I wanted. Now I am more dead set on becoming a teacher than I have ever been. Because I know that there are many students out there who are in a constant struggle to pull themselves up from out of the water. I want to be that teacher that they look forward to coming to my class and they look forward to coming to school because I cherish having a relationship with everyone of my students. My struggle with mental health was not easy and I would say I still struggle. But, I learned better coping mechanisms and I learned more about myself and how to prevent myself from going into those downward spirals. What is beneficial is not always easy and that is why some people choose to stay where they're at, or they simply don't have the strength to do it alone. That is why close relationships are important. I am appreciative for my family. I believe everyone should have a person they can go to who will help pick them up when they are down.

I think empowerment makes me feel better about myself and my ability. Something I recently learned about myself is that I can thrive in stressful conditions when it is something I am interested in and passionate about. I recently started to volunteer at my church and I was a bit scared because I am young and no one I know was going into the same area as me. I learned the significance of figuring things out by myself without the help of my parents, sister, or a friend for confidence. I learned to build my own confidence in myself and my ability. Where I volunteer is in the toddler's area and people drop off their kids there while they watch the service. We provide snack time, playtime, and story time. Since I am above the age of 16 I am able to be a room leader, similarly, since I am a female above the age of 16, I control potty time for all of the kids. At first, I was unaware of my responsibilities and got little guidance on what I needed to do. But, funny enough, this is what taught me to learn and fend for myself. I usually get placed in the room with workers who are younger than me and so I had to learn to work with them and lead them to what they should be doing. It has taught me a lot about my leadership style and how I handle stressful situations. Since I want to become a teacher, I will have to learn about my leadership in situations like this. Since I now know how I am as a leader, I can continue to grow and elevate that part of myself. e Empowerment, especially in the situation previously mentioned, was extremely beneficial to me and I am very grateful to God for giving me that opportunity to learn more about who I am and how I handle situations. I feel so much more confident in my abilities to lead a room and so it makes me very excited to become a teacher. I know that I am able to be clear and that I am able not only to manage a room but do so efficiently. I also learned that learning from others is a good thing especially when I had never done anything like what I am currently doing on those Sundays before. Overall, my experience with empowerment has been extremely rewarding and a learning experience.

I have always been quiet, but it was not always by choice. When I was younger, I was never encouraged to use my words. I never had to have a voice until I started school and found myself alone. Finding my voice took time; being away from my biological mom was helpful in the process of mental recovery. My biological mom was no help in my development and in important milestones, such as talking. My sister became my voice; when my stepmom asked if I wanted a certain flavor of something my sister would answer for me. She would already know what I would like. This made it easy for me not to talk and she didn’t mind speaking for me. But, I learned quickly that what is easy is not always best. My experiences when I was younger taught me that I need goals to run through daily life. Having something to work toward is very useful in trying to achieve success. I need to set a goal to complete my work and check off my to-do lists. Now that I’m older, these lists are becoming daunting. But, I know I can’t give up so I continue to complete these tasks. My goal is to become a teacher because of the help from my teachers and family when I was younger. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. She started to call me back to her table and we would talk about how my day was going. This helped me become more comfortable with talking to people outside of home. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. I am forever grateful for my second grade teacher. She helped develop my confidence in class. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. My life could have been completely different. I continue to introduce myself to scary situations in hopes of growing and learning from them.I never gave up on myself; my stepmom, dad, and second grade teacher never let me either.

My favorite athlete to cheer for is Hunter Woodall because he races in the Track and Field portion of the Paralympics. He is my favorite athlete because he worked hard to get where he is and he doesn't take it for granted. That is extremely inspiring to me because I realize that working hard can be rewarding in all situations. Him being an amputee didn't stop him from racing extremely well in the Olympics. At the summer Olympics he won a Gold medal in 400m T62 event. He trained extremely hard for this with his wife Tara Davis-Woodall who also competed in the Olympics. She too brought home a Gold medal and there is famous footage of him being extremely supportive of her win. She is also very supportive of him and has been there to cheer him on during his events and cheered him on during his events. I am impressed by his strive to achieve his goals no matter how hard it may seem. As a couple, they post videos on YouTube showing their daily routines and how they train. I love that as an audience we can see into the lives of athletes and determine what makes their careers so successful. For them, they push each other to strive for excellence in their events. Overall, I believe that the athletes on team USA are inspiring but I am most impressed by Hunter Woodhall as a person and by his goals.

I know how hard it is to struggle with finding your voice and wondering if today will be the day everything changes. From a very young age, I struggled with not talking and being painfully shy. If I ever did talk to anyone it was quieter than a mouse and I would always be told to speak up. The thing is, if I did speak up people would expect that from me from then on. And I got way too comfortable with not talking. For a while, it was just me and my thoughts. It was me battling with myself, thinking about the benefits of having friends and conversations. I knew I wanted to have friends and to do that I needed to talk. The first friend I had was my step-sister because she pushed me to talk at home. My second friend didn't happen until second grade, her name was Vanessa and we became very good friends. She convinced me to join the math team and she helped me realize that I can speak to others. Math team was one way I stepped out of my comfort zone. But the person that helped me the most was my second grade teacher, Mrs. Burton. She knew I was trying to make more friends and step way out of my comfort zone. I knew my comfort zone was dangerous because it was limiting me, and it possibly could limit me for the rest of my life. But, no, because of this teacher, I am who I am today. I felt like myself but instead of it just being at home or on the inside, I was able to be myself in school and make a ton of new friends. I constantly push myself out of my comfort zone because I learned that what I think is best is not always the best for me. Teaching has been a dream of mine since third grade. I have had so many wonderful teachers who have inspired me to become a better person. My teachers constantly helped me grow and just become a better version of myself. I am so grateful for them and for their influence on me. Because of Mrs. Burton, I want to become a teacher. I now constantly push myself to excel in my schoolwork and in my classes. I push myself to make friends and go to things I wouldn't usually go to. I worked hard for a reason, I worked hard and it taught me to not give up. No matter how hard I want to give up I know I need to push on no matter what. The result is so much better than the current pain or struggle. Diamonds don't just come how they are, they are formed under immense heat and pressure, and the final result is always beautiful. I strive to challenge myself no matter the struggle because I am always happy with the result.

My military family member is my dad. He was in the Army but he was shot and was given an honorable discharge. My dad has a lot of personality, he is extremely funny and thoughtful. He is always there for his family and is a great provider. Over my 17 years, he has taught me a lot of important lessons but the most important lesson he taught me was about work. He taught me this through his work ethic and just by telling me. He is a very hard worker, he is a district services manager for The Home Depot but he didn't start that high. For roughly 20 years, he has been working for The Home Depot. He started with a low salary as a normal worker but worked very hard up the ladder. Our family was on the poorer side during that time because of how young he was. Before me, there was my older sister and brother who he worked hard to provide for. My biological mom barely did anything for us and used her earned money to buy cigarettes and other addictive substances. I was young, so I never understood that we didn't have money until we started getting money much later. A couple of years fast forward and we move states and my dad is with my now stepmom. She worked and he worked and their money together was enough to provide better for us. Because now there were 5 of us kids, she had two. I noticed that he had been working more because around this time I was 7. I didn't understand the concept of work but I knew my parents had jobs. Now looking back, I realize how hard my parents worked to successfully provide for 5 kids when they were in their early 30s. Once my dad got promoted to store manager, my stepmom became a stay-at-home mom. She wanted us to have the best childhood we could and she wanted to be there to experience it. When my dad got promoted we started to live better in terms of situation. I know now how hard my dad worked to provide for his family. He worked long shifts that I knew were stressful because I could hear him talking about them to my stepmom once he got home. No matter what happened to him at work and how mad he was at his coworkers, he never gave up on that job. That's a real commitment because I know a lot of people would have just tried to find another job. Instead, he put in the same amount of effort each day, more than everyone else at that job, to succeed and rise. After a couple of years working as a store manager, he got the opportunity to work at a different location. This location needed help and they didn't have the best manager before so it was a mess. This job would help him prove to the higher ups that he was special and was a very hard worker. This was unfortunately right before Covid-19 and lock-down. He wanted to move his family back but by a promotion. I remember him going to the interview for the job of district services manager and coming back confident. We prayed as a family because we wanted out and next thing you know were moving back and he got the job. When all his children move out, he will get promoted again to corporate. His hard work has always paid off and that's something that he taught me: work hard no matter the circumstances.

My all-time favorite Billie Eilish song is Lovely because it was the first of hers I have ever heard. Listening to her music helped me genuinely appreciate music because she puts a lot of time and work into making it sound good. This song resonates with me because I was in a rough season at that time and listening to her music helped me through it. I hadn't heard of her before I heard that song but I remember thinking, "Wait, who is this?" because I thought she sounded so amazing. At the time, I was in 6th grade and Covid-19 was just around the corner. I loved her so much and listened to her music a ton during quarantine. I loved every song she made and have listened to them so much even now as a 12th grader. My second favorite is Birds of a Feather which is more recent but it is arguably the best song on her new album. The artistry of this song is phenomenal and I believe it has the potential to win Song of the Year at the Grammy's. It is a very pretty song and I listened to it so much, I believe it resonates with me so deeply because it is a more lightweight song than her old music. She is mostly known for her sadder music, but this song is less sad and very beautiful. My third favorite is called idontwannabeyouanymore. The reason this song resonates with me is because I listened to it during difficult time in my life and the song is pretty much ingrained into my brain. I love the lyricism and the artistry of this song, I know she worked hard to convey a point. She touches on the concept of insecurity and the lack of self-love in our society. I related to the song because of the lyrics and because the lyrics were how I felt at that time. I am a fan of Billie because she is not afraid to touch on hard topics because she went through them herself. Even though I am not currently through a rough patch, I appreciate her ability to reach other people just like I used to be. She fully deserves to be as popular as she is today because she works very hard on her music and she gives credit to her brother. I like that lets people know that he does help on the songs, but as the years progress she has learned how to make her own music and he has become more of a producer than a writer. I appreciate the fact that she works on her albums and makes them extremely artistic and have amazing, thoughtful lyrics.

My first goal is to become a middle school English teacher. I have always wanted to become a teacher and have geared my education towards teaching. I have taken classes such as Infant Education and Toddler Education because they don't have anything higher geared toward children. But I did these things so I could understand human development. I also took AP Psychology this year to learn about the human brain in general because I believe it is interesting and I know it will apply in my career. I have already been accepted to Missouri State University, but I will need financial aid to pay off all four years of my Bachelor's degree and more when I get my Master's degree. Over the next four years, my Bachelor's degree will cost $100,192 before financial aid and scholarship money. My parents will also help pay for my college, but it would be nice to help them. I am planning to contribute with scholarship money and through my job. I second goal is to become an Interior Designer and I have taken classes geared toward this. I have always loved interior designing, and I am good at it. In college, I plan to double major in Interior Design and Education. I know in the future I want to be an Interior Designer, but I know I want to teach first. Once I get my Bachelor's degree in education I plan to start teaching in Springfield, Missouri immediately. While doing this I will continue my education because as a teacher you are required to brush up on your teaching courses, they're called professional development courses so I will do that. I will also get my Master's degree by either taking online courses or going back to school after I have taught for a bit and my debt is paid off. This requires an extra 1.5 to 2 years and about $18,000. I will pay this off with money saved over the years I have taught. I plan to start in middle school English to see how I like it and either stay or go to elementary school. I love elementary school kids and I would be happy to work with them. I would want to work as a teacher for 10 years or so before I work my way up to principal. By the time 10 years is up, I will be around 35. I want to become a principal because it pays well and I know I have great leadership skills. I am unsure how long I would work as a principal, but I think 5 years. After my job as a principal, I want to retire from teaching and become an Interior Designer. At first, I want to be a designer for a business because that makes my start easier; I can learn the ins and outs. After a couple of years of being an Interior Designer, I would love to start my own business through a website first. Professional websites for a business can cost from $500-$2,000. I would love to spend how much I need to make the website clean and professional. I would advertise my website and business online and through shops. I would also have social media pages showing my past designs from my old company to showcase my skills in the field. Starting a business costs money, I would have to save up from my past job as an Interior Designer. I will work hard have on my advertising and business validity to be successful. After this job, I will either retire or go back to teaching.

My education is important because I hope to influence the next generation. It has been a dream of mine since elementary school to become a teacher because of my past teachers. I now know the type of impact teachers can have on students and I want to leave a lasting impact on my students. I have always been quiet, but it was not always by choice. When I was younger, I was never encouraged to use my words. I never had to have a voice until I started school and found myself alone. Finding my voice took time; being away from my biological mom was helpful in the process of mental recovery. My biological mom was no help in my development and in important milestones, such as talking. My sister became my voice; when my stepmom asked if I wanted a certain flavor of something my sister would answer for me. She would already know what I would like. This made it easy for me not to talk and she didn’t mind speaking for me. But, I learned quickly that what is easy is not always the best. My experiences when I was younger taught me that I need goals to run through daily life. Having something to work toward is very useful in trying to achieve success. I need to set a goal to complete my work and check off my to-do lists. Now that I’m older, these lists are becoming daunting. But, I know I can’t give up so I continue to complete these tasks. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher because of the help from my teachers and family when I was younger. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. She started to call me back to her table and we would talk about how my day was going. This helped me become more comfortable with talking to people outside of home. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. I am forever grateful for my second grade teacher. She helped develop my confidence in class. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. My life could have been completely different without her. I continue to introduce myself to scary situations in hopes of growing and learning from them. I never gave up on myself; my stepmom, dad, and second grade teacher never let me either. I will tell my future kids my story so that they learn that anything you dream is possible when you pursue it and makes goals to reach it. I will have college funds for my kids as well even before they're born because I believe education is that important in our society.

I used to really struggle with thoughts of the world being better off without me or just thinking I will never be good enough. This really had an impact on me and my outlook on the world because I felt like anything I did never mattered and so I might as well not put my whole effort into it. I noticed my grades started to drop and my overall energy and emotions as well. Middle school was a really hard time for me because I never told anybody I was struggling mentally like this and so I continued on until it felt like too much. I started self-harming and that was the last straw for me when my parents found out. I realized living my life like this isn't going to work. I cherished my relationships but during this time I felt unimportant and unloved. Which was completely wrong because my family always showed their support in everything I did. I knew they were worried about me but I never told them what was wrong. In this time, I had gotten social media which is what led to my body dysmorphia and overall depression. I now know that social media is not good for my mental health and it is most likely the same for others. Social media promotes really high standards that even the people in the picture don't meet on a day to day basis. Social media only shows the world the best parts of your life. So it leaves other nieve toung teenagers like myself to ask, "what is wrong with me?" When the true answer is theres nothing wrong with you but there is something wrong with social media for promoting false standards. I learned from my middle school experience and I am so grateful that I learned it before high school. Not many teenagers have great influences as parents who tell them the things I was told. I am grateful for my parents for telling me what I needed to hear even though I felt it was unfair at the time. I realized after this that I actually enjoy being a student and getting good grades. I also knew since elementary school that I wanted to become a teacher so now my goals were solidified because I want to help out young teenagers in their lives navigate the world. In some weird way I am glad I struggled because it taught me the importance of maintaining a balanced life and a healthy view of yourself and the world around you. It taught me that people tend to look at the world with rose colored goggles and look at themselves with negative broken goggles. I am grateful for my struggles because it taught me who I am and how I handle negative situations. It also helped me become closer with my family and with God and I am forever grateful for that. I am grateful that I have sources to confide in if I ever start to struggle again.

I have always been quiet, but it was not always by choice. When I was younger, I was never encouraged to use my words. I never had to have a voice until I started school and found myself alone. Finding my voice took time; being away from my biological mom was helpful in the process of mental recovery. My biological mom was no help in my development and in important milestones, such as talking. My sister became my voice; when my stepmom asked if I wanted a certain flavor of something my sister would answer for me. She would already know what I would like. This made it easy for me not to talk and she didn’t mind speaking for me. But, I learned quickly that what is easy is not always the best. My experiences when I was younger taught me that I need goals to run through daily life. Having something to work toward is very useful in trying to achieve success. I need to set a goal to complete my work and check off my to-do lists. Now that I’m older, these lists are becoming daunting. But, I know I can’t give up so I continue to complete these tasks. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher because of the help from my teachers and family when I was younger. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. She started to call me back to her table and we would talk about how my day was going. This helped me become more comfortable with talking to people outside of home. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. I am forever grateful for my second grade teacher. She helped develop my confidence in class. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. My life could have been completely different without her. I continue to introduce myself to scary situations in hopes of growing and learning from them.I never gave up on myself; my stepmom, dad, and second grade teacher never let me either.

I have always been taught that kindness is easy and you should practice it on a daily basis. I love being kind and helping people out when they need it. When my mom needs me to do a chore or get groceries because she's worn out, I always help out. One of my greatest character strengths is compassion and kindness. My family always tells me that I am very kind and I never noticed until it was pointed out, that I was just being me. I see that when I compliment someone it could change their mood. sometimes even the little things like complimenting someone's hair can change their outlook of the day. I know this from experience because I complimented this girl's hair and it seemed like she lit up. I know I feel very good when people compliment me because people don't often compliment others. That is why I am inspired by my mother who compliments everyone when she sees a good quality or trait. I like to do little things like hold the door open for someone or grab someone's shopping cart to put it up for them. I know that when I do these things people are surprised but very appreciative. Sadly, kindness is not common in the world today. That is why I want to be as kind as I can without putting myself in danger. I don't like to put myself in situations where I could get hurt just because I want to be kind. I love volunteering at my church as well. I take care of the toddlers while their parents are watching the service. It is a very rewarding experience because the children are very nice and they are usually easy to take care of. The parents are always very appreciative of us because sometimes toddlers can interrupt the service because they don't know any better yet. I also help when my church does productions for special holidays or events. They need a stage team who helps move props on and off the stage and so I help out with that. The church needs people willing to help out with heavy lifting and moving for that and not many people are available for that. I believe that the more kind we are to the people around us, the less likely they are to bully. Sometimes people bully others because they haven't had someone be nice to them. I often advocate for teenagers to not have social media because I believe that it is easier to bully online than it is in person. Some teens are the ones bullying and some are the victims, sometimes its both. I always tell my friends that social media is unsafe. If I ever see someone bullying someone else I try to step in because I know what its like to be bullied and no one helping me out. My parents are paying for my college but it is a lot of money and will take a while to pay off. I am hoping to help by filling out scholarships and contributing myself. I am fortunate enough to have parents paying for my college but they also have another kid who is already in college that they are also helping provide for. So by filling out scholarships I am hoping to ease the financial burden that could be. Especially since I am the last of the kids and they are planning to settle down soon, it would be nice to settle down not in debt. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have to help out.

I have always been taught that kindness is easy and you should practice it on a daily basis. I love being kind and helping people out when they need it. When my mom needs me to do a chore or get groceries because she's worn out, I always help out. One of my greatest character strengths is compassion and kindness. My family always tells me that I am very kind and I never noticed until it was pointed out, that I was just being me. I see that when I compliment someone it could change their mood. sometimes even the little things like complimenting someone's hair can change their outlook of the day. I know this from experience because I complimented this girl's hair and it seemed like she lit up. I know I feel very good when people compliment me because people don't often compliment others. That is why I am inspired by my mother who compliments everyone when she sees a good quality or trait. I like to do little things like hold the door open for someone or grab someone's shopping cart to put it up for them. I know that when I do these things people are surprised but very appreciative. Sadly, kindness is not common in the world today. That is why I want to be as kind as I can without putting myself in danger. I don't like to put myself in situations where I could get hurt just because I want to be kind. My mom always told me that I shouldn't give to people on the side of the road when it's just me because not every person is who they say they are. But, we give through our church because they organize events where they give food to the homeless and provide for the homeless through our giving. So when I am older I will be giving to the church so that homeless people can get taken care of too. I believe every human being deserves a chance at a stable life. I love volunteering at my church as well. I take care of the toddlers while their parents are watching the service. It is a very rewarding experience because the children are very nice and they are usually easy to take care of. The parents are always very appreciative of us because sometimes toddlers can interrupt the service because they don't know any better yet. I also help when my church does productions for special holidays or events. They need a stage team who helps move props on and off the stage and so I help out with that. The church needs people willing to help out with heavy lifting and moving for that and not many people are available for that. I have always been a natural teacher and so I look forward to being able to teach kids in the future. Not many people fantasize about becoming a teacher, but I do. I love the idea of forming relationships with kids who need an adult figure who is kind and caring. I look forward to teaching kids who will help make the world a better place. I want to help improve the world by becoming a teacher who knows and cares about each student equally. The generation I will be teaching will need extra kindness and support because the world is getting less compassionate and less kind. One small act of kindness or volunteering could help the world become a better place.

I have always been gifted at being a helper. I have had a few friends come to me saying they were struggling with suicidal thoughts and didn't know what to do. I know this struggle because I have been through the same situation when I was in middle school. I can give advice through my personal struggles and direct them to a trusted adult. Currently, I talk to any of my friends when it seems like they may be struggling with mental health issues. Because school is hard and takes a mental toll on some of us. I like to check in and make sure my friends are doing ok. I am naturally gifted as a teacher but would love to become a school counselor one day. I would still love a degree in psychology, which would help me understand brains and mental illnesses better. I have always been extremely interested in psychology because I love learning how the human brain works. I know that kids usually don't understand what they're going through and see it as a burden. So they usually don't go to anyone to talk to before its too late. That is why I want to be able to determine the signs when I become a teacher. I would feel good about knowing when a student is struggling and being able to help them accordingly.

One of my favorite book-to-film adaptations is The Hunger Games. I watched the movies before I read the books and I just loved the movies so much more. The movie gives the person watching a whole new way to look at the emotion and intensity of the scene. Emotion and intensity are things often overlooked in books which is why a film adaptation could help understand the book better. the best adaptations happen when the author of the book has a say in the movie because the audience knows that what was put into the movie had approval from the author. I truly love The Hunger Games books and find them invigorating. However, it is easier for me to enjoy both of them by looking at them separately. They both have their perfections and their imperfections. For example, the books are narrated by Katniss Everdeen, the main character, while the movie shows all perspectives. Sometimes an internal perspective can be helpful but I prefer looking at The Hunger Games books through a wider perspective. This is because they picture a different society after things go downhill in modern society. People often question whether the world could come to the same society as The Hunger Games. In the movies, the director chooses the perfect person to portray each character. Whether it was a small role or a huge role, every single actor puts in a ton of effort to give us the performance of their lives. I really enjoyed watching how each actor brought their characters to life. I loved the artistic adaptation of each scene. I loved the clothing and makeup because it is true to the books and help the audience see how peculiar the Capitol people are. I know a lot of people usually like the movie over the book but I like both the book and the movie in this case. Usually a lot is changed in the movies because of having to shorten the movie and make it watchable. But, I believe a longer movie is better than a film that leaves the audience unsatisfied. The Hunger Games is a trilogy but there are four movies. This is because they chose to split up the last book to fully provide the essence of the book. If they hadn't chose to do this and just left the audience wanting more then I wouldn't like these movies as much as I do. The director did a great job artistically and I appreciate the work put into the movies to make the audience enjoy them.

I used to really struggle with thoughts of the world being better off without me or just thinking I will never be good enough. This really had an impact on me and my outlook on the world because I felt like anything I did never mattered and so I might as well not put my whole effort into it. I noticed my grades started to drop and my overall energy and emotions as well. Middle school was a really hard time for me because I never told anybody I was struggling mentally like this and so I continued on until it felt like too much. I started self-harming and that was the last straw for me when my parents found out. I realized living my life like this isn't going to work. I cherished my relationships but during this time I felt unimportant and unloved. Which was completely wrong because my family always showed their support in everything I did. I knew they were worried about me but I never told them what was wrong. In this time, I had gotten social media which is what led to my body dysmorphia and overall depression. I now know that social media is not good for my mental health and it is most likely the same for others. Social media promotes really high standards that even the people in the picture don't meet on a day to day basis. Social media only shows the world the best parts of your life. So it leaves other nieve toung teenagers like myself to ask, "what is wrong with me?" When the true answer is theres nothing wrong with you but there is something wrong with social media for promoting false standards. I learned from my middle school experience and I am so grateful that I learned it before high school. Not many teenagers have great influences as parents who tell them the things I was told. I am grateful for my parents for telling me what I needed to hear even though I felt it was unfair at the time. I realized after this that I actually enjoy being a student and getting good grades. I also knew since elementary school that I wanted to become a teacher so now my goals were solidified because I want to help out young teenagers in their lives navigate the world. In some weird way I am glad I struggled because it taught me the importance of maintaining a balanced life and a healthy view of yourself and the world around you. It taught me that people tend to look at the world with rose colored goggles and look at themselves with negative broken goggles. I am grateful for my struggles because it taught me who I am and how I handle negative situations. It also helped me become closer with my family and with God and I am forever grateful for that. I am grateful that I have sources to confide in if I ever start to struggle again.

A thing that I am really good at is being kind and serving others without expecting anything back. When I can help I do because I know that God calls me to be a helper. I volunteer at my church every Sunday to work in the toddlers' area. This experience taught me much about myself and my relationship with God. I am old enough to be a "room leader" which means I am usually the adult in the room so I make the calls. I have never been the oldest in the room so I had to learn how to take control of things I am in charge of. I usually manage about ten toddlers who range from 3-4 years old along with junior workers who are usually in middle school or just younger than 17. This has taught me a lot about how I work as a leader and how to take control of the situations I am in. About two Sundays ago I experienced my most stressful volunteering shift in the toddlers' area. The toddlers were going insane and I had two younger workers in the room with me along with a new adult who didn't know what to do. I had to help teach this woman how to work in a room while also managing the kids. This taught me that just because the day was stressful and I failed a few times doesn't mean I am not good at leading. I enjoy serving at the church because it is an environment where I feel safe and like I can go to one of the leaders for guidance and help if I need it. Other than volunteering at my church, I love to do little tasks for people here and there to help out. If someone needs me to open the door for them I volunteer my help and hold open the door. If my life group leader needs my help for a production at church then I volunteer my time and help. For example, we had a Christmas production a couple of weeks ago where we had to practice a lot throughout the week. I offered to help out and the production turned out so well and I was so grateful to be able to help and to offer my service. I am a person who just likes to help and offer my extra time to help things happen. I strive to strengthen my skill of kindness through volunteering because I know it is good for me and I know it is something I am called to do.

I find that on the days I am feeling sad or a little more down than usual I don't do my best at school. That is why it is important to me to make my mental health a priority over my education. A healthy brain is important for school. I am Christian and when I spend time with God I feel better. So, I try to pray and ask God for peace when I am feeling upset. I have struggled with my mental health in the past so I need to keep a healthy brain. When I was in middle school, I got extremely depressed and I fell away from God. I started doing things I never thought I would do because I wanted to feel okay again. At this time, I was also falling behind in school and my grades were the worst they'd ever been. If I notice that maybe I'm feeling more sad than I usually feel then I talk to my sister or my parents. When I'm feeling happy I tend to do better in school in general. But, most days it is a struggle to balance between the happiness and the intense stress I feel daily. That is why I pray to God and He helps me balance my feelings. Sometimes the stress builds up, and it makes me feel down and I feel like I'm always on the verge of tears. This makes my work hard to do in general. That is why I try and prioritize my health in these situations because I know that my health is more important than school. I would not want to jeopardize my future mental health by not taking care of myself. My academics are very important to me so it is hard to prioritize myself over them. That is why I take breaks from my school even though it is hard. I take care of myself on the weekends because that is one of the only times I get breaks. Even then I have a busy schedule with church and volunteering at my church. But, those are things that I truly enjoy so I continue to do them. When I am at school, I try and talk to my friends and keep my morale up because I find that helps me. School is hard on my mental health but I try and balance it with things I enjoy. But the mental toll school took on me is the reason why I take breaks when I need it and get my work done on time.

I didn't play sports for my entire high school career, because I was scared of them. I didn't realize that there is nothing to be afraid of when playing on a sport that you're passionate about. Passion can create talent and that's how it was for me when playing Tennis. But, it wasn't the case when I wanted to play Volleyball. Volleyball is the sport that I have always been passionate about, but I was always way too scared to be part of a team. I didn't know what it was going to be like and I was too anxious to find out. I went to a summer Volleyball camp to learn more but gave up because I didn't know anyone and was just comparing my skill level to others. My passion for Volleyball never died down, but I did find a passion for Tennis a couple years after I gave up on Volleyball. The summer before freshman year I did summer school P.E. and we played a bunch of Tennis during that time. I am happy that one of the P.E. teachers for summer school was a Tennis coach and he told me I should join the Tennis team because I was a natural. That was something I was told for Volleyball too but I was way too scared to tryout for Volleyball. But, in Tennis we didn't need to try out and we basically had an automatic in on the team once we showed up on first practice. I was excited to finally be part of something but again I was struggling because I didn't know anyone on the team. But, I quickly found friends and felt a lot better about the sport. I learned from this that you should go for what you want or you will miss out on the experience. I missed out on being on a Volleyball team and I still regret not joining in middle school. Playing tennis in high school has taught me a lot about my role on a team and how I work on a team. I love improving myself while also helping others improve as well. I also learned the importance of balancing school work and other outside activities. I know that this is an important lesson to learn for when I am in college, and so I am glad I was able to learn in through playing sports. I learned that school is more important than sports, but you should still prioritize the things you love doing because your mental health is important too. I have loved being an athlete in high school, and I would highly recommend it to any kid who thinks they want to do sports. It is a highly rewarding experience and playing sports teaches you a lot more about yourself.

None of my biological family has gone to college. Most of my family hasn't even graduated high school. I am determined to be the first of my biological family to graduate high school. Not only just graduate, I want to graduate with all A's. My education is extremely important to me and I look forward to furthering my education at Missouri State University. I am dedicated to becoming a Middle School Teacher and the money from this scholarship would help with my dream. I will be the second child in my extended family to attend college, but the first will be in my biological family. I have seen most of my siblings give up on themselves and not try in school despite being smart. This is why I am determined to exercise my potential and not give up on myself. I have been allowed to learn and grow through college and I will not throw that away. Just as I haven’t thrown away my high school career. School is important not only for learning about the world but also for learning about yourself. Through school, I have learned so much about the way I go about things in life. I learned that I am determined and I don’t give up even when the work is hard. I am thankful for my education, and I can’t wait to see what I will learn about myself in college. I have always been quiet, but it was not always by choice. When I was younger, I was never encouraged to use my words. I never had to have a voice until I started school and found myself alone. Finding my voice took time; being away from my biological mom was helpful in the process of mental recovery. My biological mom was no help in my development and in important milestones, such as talking. My sister became my voice; when my stepmom asked if I wanted a certain flavor of something my sister would answer for me. She would already know what I would like. This made it easy for me not to talk and she didn’t mind speaking for me. But, I learned quickly that what is easy is not always best. My experiences when I was younger taught me that I need goals to run through daily life. Having something to work toward is very useful in trying to achieve success. I need to set a goal to complete my work and check off my to-do lists. Now that I’m older, these lists are becoming daunting. But, I know I can’t give up so I continue to complete these tasks. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher because of the help from my teachers and family when I was younger. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. My life could have been completely different without her. I continue to introduce myself to scary situations in hopes of growing and learning from them.

I have loved being a student-athlete because of how rewarding it is. Not only is the sport I play fun, but the relationships I have made are amazing as well. I started playing Tennis in my sophomore year and have played ever since. I was introduced to the sport during summer school P.E. and realized that I am a natural at it. I felt like it could be my sport. I had tried Volleyball, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed playing Tennis. When I play Tennis, I feel confident in my abilities and I enjoy the competition. I like being challenged in my sport to do better because it helps me become a better athlete. Being a student-athlete has prepared me to set goals for myself and continue to do that. I learned that if I want to progress I have to set goals. So I have a goal set for myself about my career and what I want to do in my life. I want to be a teacher and I have goals set for myself in order to become a teacher. I am a very goal-oriented person so I am happy to have goals set for my future. Outside of sports, I am an English enthusiast. I love reading and writing and I am very passionate about it. I often read in my free time, I usually read about 100 books a year at most. I love writing and I especially love writing poems. My favorite subject in school has always been English and I don't think that's ever going to change. There is just something about books that resonates with me forever. I also love music so much, I am a singer in my school choir and have been for many years now. I love learning new music and I often listen to music in my free time. I always listen to music while I'm doing assignments because it helps me focus. Music and literature are the two types of art that are my favorite because of how much I love them. I also love staying healthy and playing Tennis has helped with that, it is a sport that requires a lot of endurance and cardio. Playing Tennis and having to do school has taught me a lot on how to balance my work. I often had long practices after school, and sometimes had tournaments after school. Playing sports in school has been a very enriching experience and I am forever grateful to my past self for participating in Tennis.

I watched the movie Interstellar and was just in awe afterward. The way that movie was crafted made me both emotional and amazed. The writer and producer of that movie were able to convey what our world could really look like in the future. The producer provided the audience with a realistic family in their time of struggle. Every time I rewatch the movie I end up emotional at the end, no matter how many times I've watched it I have the same reaction. Not just because of the emotional ending, but because of the impactful and realistic story it tells. Our world could end up having the same type of struggles and one hero could do the same thing the protagonist in the movie did. I never really watched science fiction movies about space because I was never into those types of things. That is why I put off watching it for so long, but I am so glad I watched it because it is one of the best movies I've seen. The movie is very convicting and it is definitely supposed to be and that is why I believe it is a good movie for all to watch. The first time I watched Interstellar I really didn't want to watch it but my sister told me that it was an extremely good movie. I softened up to it as soon as it started because it wasn't like every other Science Fiction movie I was forced to watch. I immediately knew that Interstellar was more futuristic than it was aliens. I was automatically invested as soon as the movie showed pictures of the world at its end. I wanted to learn more and see if they'd ever fix what was already long gone due to pollution. Interstellar is the tale of the last generation on Earth due to the current pollution of our resources. This movie is so strikingly realistic while still being Science Fiction left me amazed. I was amazed by the plot and storytelling, the action-packed scenes that weren't about fighting aliens, and the tear-jerking moments thrown in the movie here and there. The soundtrack of the movie was something that was masterful and fit into each and every scene. That is what gave each scene what it needed, and it is what made me angry or sad when that was what I was meant to feel.

Music has been a great friend to me throughout my high school years. I have been in choir since freshman year and have enjoyed it. I love singing but also the relationships you can find from being in a choir. Many of my friends also share a passion for singing and music in general and that's something I love. In my free time, I find myself putting in my AirPods and listening to music. I listen to music while I do homework and while I read. Music is a huge part of my life and during high school, it helped me get through the days when I was tired and felt like doing nothing. My mood can depend on the playlist and what type of mood I want to be in. If I needed to be hyped up, I put on my hype playlist and vibe to that. I never thought I would be the kid who loved choir and had a passion for it. But, I found myself learning my music and loving it. My favorite part is the concerts when they're happening because I know the crowd will witness the work we all put into the music. At first, I took choir as a filler class because I could sing and knew my sister was in the program as well. But, as I immersed myself in the experience of choir and the opportunities I loved it more and more every year. I am so grateful that I cured my fear of being in a choir and just joined. I was terrified that I would have to sing in front of people and now I love singing so much I wouldn't care if I sang in front of a crowd. Because I knew they would see the passion I put into my singing and being in the choir. As an alto, the lowest female part, we sing the underappreciated female part. But, no matter that I still love choir because we may think we are unimportant, but I know that we help bring the whole thing together. Because without the altos, the choir could not be balanced or complete. I am happy to be part of a mini society where I can make friends in high school. In school, it is important to find your place and where you belong because without a place of belonging then you could get lost and end up lonely. I've been there before in middle school. But, I am glad that in high school I chose to join choir and go out of my comfort zone. I am forever grateful that I pushed myself and never gave up. I would love to one day be a music teacher and teach kids what I am passionate about. I would love to have the same influence on them.

I find that on the days I am feeling sad or a little more down than usual I don't do my best at school. That is why it is important to me to make my mental health a priority over my education. A healthy brain is important for school. I am Christian and when I spend time with God I feel better. So, I try to pray and ask God for peace when I am feeling upset. I have struggled with my mental health in the past so I need to keep a healthy brain. When I was in middle school, I got extremely depressed and I fell away from God. I started doing things I never thought I would do because I wanted to feel okay again. At this time, I was also falling behind in school and my grades were the worst they'd ever been. If I notice that maybe I'm feeling more sad than I usually think then I talk to my sister or my parents. When I'm feeling happy I tend to do better in school in general. But, most days it is a struggle to balance between the happiness and the intense stress I feel daily. That is why I pray to God and He helps me balance my feelings. Sometimes the stress builds up, and it makes me feel down and I feel like I'm always on the verge of tears. This makes my work hard to do in general. That is why I try and prioritize my health in these situations because I know that my health is more important than school. I would not want to jeopardize my future mental health by not taking care of myself. My academics are essential to me so it is hard to prioritize myself over them. That is why I take breaks from my school even though it is hard. I take care of myself on the weekends because that is one of the only times I get breaks. Even then I have a busy schedule with church and volunteering at my church. But, those are things that I truly enjoy so I continue to do them. When I am at school, I try and talk to my friends and keep my morale up because I find that helps me. School is hard on my mental health but I try and balance it with things I enjoy. In my community, I seek to help any student who is struggling with their mental health. If a friend is in need of help I talk to them and I refer them to an adult. The struggles I've gone through give me enough knowledge about mental health and the importance of taking care of the mind and body simultaneously.

I got saved when I was 7 and I have been a Christian ever since. I didn't start developing my faith with God when I was 15 and now I feel closer than ever before. I went from being a shy child who didn't talk to anyone because of what happened when she was younger to a vibrant child who loves to help. I have always wanted to become a teacher and I believe that is what God has designed me to do. I have always been good at teaching and helping my peers. My church has a school and I am thinking about a job there. I also want to become a teacher in the public school system, I just don't know what grade yet. I know my faith in God will tell me what grade I am called to do and where I am supposed to do it. A lot of people think teaching isn't a good job, and that is why we are losing teachers. But, that is also why we need teachers that are willing to teach no matter the conditions or pay. I believe God will provide a source of income that is just right for me. I know He wouldn't leave me without good pay if when teaching is what I am called to do. I believe I can help kids through whatever may be going on in their lives. I am excited to be a teacher because of the relationships I get to build with every student. I know God will use me to get to kids who are in tough situations and I hope to be a source of light for all of the kids I encounter. I know God used my second grade teacher to help me overcome my shyness. She was one of the only people that got through to me and helped me step out of my comfort zone. She helped me create goals for myself and I started to make friends and talk in class more. I will forever be grateful for her because I know God put her in my path. If I had never stepped out of my shell then I would not be the person who I am today. I still have that shy part of me but it is so much less prominent than it used to be. I know that God will use me in the same way for students who need help in all areas. I volunteer at the kids area in my church and I notice that a lot of the quieter kids gravitate toward me, so I know that is for a reason. I know that I am supposed to help kids like me step out of their shell. But, I also want to help just each and every kid. Not every quiet kid is like me and some kids that are loud went through the same issues as me. I know everyone is different and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me when I become a teacher.

I find that on the days I am feeling sad or a little more down than usual I don't do my best at school. That is why it is important to me to make my mental health a priority over my education. A healthy brain is important for school. I am Christian and when I spend time with God I feel better. So, I try to pray and ask God for peace when I am feeling upset. I have struggled with my mental health in the past so I need to keep a healthy brain. When I was in middle school, I got extremely depressed and I fell away from God. I started doing things I never thought I would do because I wanted to feel okay again. At this time, I was also falling behind in school and my grades were the worst they'd ever been. If I notice that maybe I'm feeling more sad than I usually feel then I talk to my sister or my parents. When I'm feeling happy I tend to do better in school in general. But, most days it is a struggle to balance between the happiness and the intense stress I feel daily. That is why I pray to God and He helps me balance my feelings. Sometimes the stress builds up, and it makes me feel down and I feel like I'm always on the verge of tears. This makes my work hard to do in general. That is why I try and prioritize my health in these situations because I know that my health is more important than school. I would not want to jeopardize my future mental health by not taking care of myself. My academics are very important to me so it is hard to prioritize myself over them. That is why I take breaks from my school even though it is hard. I take care of myself on the weekends because that is one of the only times I get breaks. Even then I have a busy schedule with church and volunteering at my church. But, those are things that I truly enjoy so I continue to do them. When I am at school, I try and talk to my friends and keep my morale up because I find that helps me. School is hard on my mental health but I try and balance it with things I enjoy.

I have always been quiet, but it was not always by choice. When I was younger, I was never encouraged to use my words. I never had to have a voice until I started school and found myself alone. Finding my voice took time; being away from my biological mom was helpful in the process of mental recovery. My biological mom was no help in my development and in important milestones, such as talking. My sister became my voice; when my stepmom asked if I wanted a certain flavor of something my sister would answer for me. She would already know what I would like. This made it easy for me not to talk and she didn’t mind speaking for me. But, I learned quickly that what is easy is not always best. My experiences when I was younger taught me that I need goals to run through daily life. Having something to work toward is very useful in trying to achieve success. I need to set a goal to complete my work and check off my to-do lists. Now that I’m older, these lists are becoming daunting. But, I know I can’t give up so I continue to complete these tasks. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher because of the help from my teachers and family when I was younger. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. She started to call me back to her table and we would talk about how my day was going. This helped me become more comfortable with talking to people outside of home. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. I am forever grateful for my second grade teacher. She helped develop my confidence in class. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. My life could have been completely different without her. I continue to introduce myself to scary situations in hopes of growing and learning from them.I never gave up on myself; my stepmom, dad, and second grade teacher never let me either.

I find that on the days I am feeling sad or a little more down than usual I don't do my best at school. That is why it is important to me to make my mental health a priority over my education. A healthy brain is important for school. I am Christian and when I spend time with God I feel better. So, I try to pray and ask God for peace when I am feeling upset. I have struggled with my mental health in the past so I need to keep a healthy brain. When I was in middle school, I got extremely depressed and I fell away from God. I started doing things I never thought I would do because I wanted to feel okay again. At this time, I was also falling behind in school and my grades were the worst they'd ever been. If I notice that maybe I'm feeling more sad than I usually feel then I talk to my sister or my parents. When I'm feeling happy I tend to do better in school in general. But, most days it is a struggle to balance between the happiness and the intense stress I feel daily. That is why I pray to God and He helps me balance my feelings. Sometimes the stress builds up, and it makes me feel down and I feel like I'm always on the verge of tears. This makes my work hard to do in general. That is why I try and prioritize my health in these situations because I know that my health is more important than school. I would not want to jeopardize my future mental health by not taking care of myself. My academics are very important to me so it is hard to prioritize myself over them. That is why I take breaks from my school even though it is hard. I take care of myself on the weekends because that is one of the only times I get breaks. Even then I have a busy schedule with church and volunteering at my church. But, those are things that I truly enjoy so I continue to do them. When I am at school, I try and talk to my friends and keep my morale up because I find that helps me. School is hard on my mental health but I try and balance it with things I enjoy.

I have always loved to help teach my peers and I found that I'm good at it as well. I have had a passion for all subjects because I just love to learn in general. English is easier for me but science and math have always challenged me. That's why those are my favorite subjects, they teach me not to give up even when I'm struggling to learn the things being taught. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher because of the help from my teachers and family when I was younger. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. She started to call me back to her table and we would talk about how my day was going. This helped me become more comfortable with talking to people outside of home. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. I am forever grateful for my second grade teacher. She helped develop my confidence in class. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. For kids who struggle in science or math, I want to be able to help them realize their potential instead of deciding that it is their least favorite subject. That's what happened to me. I decided that science and math were not for me just because they were harder. As I grew I realized something challenging is better for you because easy things don't give you space to grow. I know it's not easy to learn a subject and like it when you're struggling with it. But, some students do like math and science because of how much they struggle with it. I like the challenge and so I continue to immerse myself in advanced math and advanced science to learn more about the world and expand my knowledge. I would love to teach middle school math or science in my future career as an educator. I want to make an impact in the world and I would love if that was through being an educator.

I have always been quiet, but it was not always by choice. When I was younger, I was never encouraged to use my words. I never had to have a voice until I started school and found myself alone. Finding my voice took time; being away from my biological mom was helpful in the process of mental recovery. My biological mom was no help in my development and in important milestones, such as talking. My sister became my voice; when my stepmom asked if I wanted a certain flavor of something my sister would answer for me. She would already know what I would like. This made it easy for me not to talk and she didn’t mind speaking for me. But, I learned quickly that what is easy is not always best. Today is the first day of second grade. Last year, I didn’t talk in class. Instead, I worked on developing my voice at home. Now that I live with my dad and stepmom, talking is easier. They help me talk and teach my sister not to speak for me. As I walk into my second grade class, I know it will differ from first grade. My teacher is extremely nice. My ultimate goal was not to shut down, but to talk and push myself out of my comfort zone. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. She started to call me back to her table and we would talk about how my day was going. This helped me become more comfortable with talking to people outside of home. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. I am forever grateful for my second grade teacher. She helped develop my confidence in class. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. My life could have been completely different without her. Ever since then I have done everything in my school career to prepare for becoming a teacher. I truly believe that teaching is my calling and I will continue to work for it. My brain is wired specifically for teaching and helping others. Now that I am a Senior I plan to continue my education unto college and get a bachelors degree in Education. I am not completely sure what grade I want to go into yet but I know that I want to teach.

Tennis has taught me so much about myself and how I work on a team. I had always wanted to join a school sport but never knew which one I would like the most. Like many other people playing tennis, it was between volleyball and tennis. Something about tennis for me was so comforting and I felt at home. Every time I got on the court I knew I had chosen the right sport for me. I had a very basic knowledge of how to play tennis before I joined the team. When I joined I was scared that I wouldn't be good and that everybody would be better than me. However, when I joined I soon realized that I was pretty skilled at tennis. I continued to put my all into practice every single time so that I could do my best. I learned that there will always be people who are better at you than serving, but on the other side, there will always be someone not as good as you. You have to even yourself out and not think about either of those things because it can start to affect the way you play if you're not secure in how you play. Once I started to get more confident in my abilities I realized that I did better in tournaments and I continued to work my way up in the rankings. I learned a lot about the way I play tennis and I just started to develop a passion for the sport. I started playing tennis my sophomore year and continued my junior/senior (I'm graduating a year early) year. I made a lot of friends and I learned how easy it is to build relationships and bond over sports. This helped me in my process of making friends because not everyone has to be your friend but you still should be friendly to them. That was a big thing for me and I am glad I learned that lesson. I have always had struggles with finding healthy friendships and I definitely found some great friends through tennis. I know that I will always play tennis because it is such a great sport but I am extremely grateful for the lessons that it has taught me. I learned good sportsmanship and to push yourself so that you can achieve things you didn't know you could achieve. I didn't know that I was good at serving until I pushed myself to practice and get it right. Never judge a skill that's not done developing.

When I was in middle school I got into the wrong crowd because I wanted to fit in and I wanted to be popular. But, I learned that longing for popularity is a very unhealthy way of going about life. I unfortunately had to learn that through consequences of my own doing. When I was 14 I was extremely depressed and home life wasn't very well because of my biological sister. When I went back to school after Covid-19 everything went downhill. I was seeking social but I felt so alone and scared. I felt like I had many friends but I knew the relationships weren't good. At this time, I was not allowed to have any social media but I felt pressured to get it anyways. I thought that being cool and having friends was all about social media. I already had insecurity issues, anxiety, and depression at this time and social media did not help. When I got SnapChat I would add people I knew and people I didn't know. When I added this one girl I thought she was nice and she seemed very cool. She didn't go to my school, and I didn't personally know her. Me and her talked for a couple of weeks when I found out she was suicidal and was doing self-harm. I was very susceptible to peer pressure and I wanted to find a way to cope with the pain of the world. So I also started to do the same things she did. I did it once and a couple of times after but stopped doing it. Doing this was the worst thing I could have done because it only made things worse. I am grateful to my parents for taking this seriously when they found out and getting me the help I needed. I was not happy with my life or myself and I often had thoughts that the world would be better without me. I don't know where I would have been if my parents hadn't found out. But, I know now that I am happy and thriving. I learned from this experience and I know I never want to try and fit in again like that. I want to be myself and make friends that are okay with that. I also became much closer to God because of this experience and He has helped me through so many tough times. I have always felt called to be a teacher and I want to influence kids and help them when they are feeling upset. I sometimes still feel that I am not good enough, but my goals and past helped push me to improve. Now that I am more grown I look on that experience wondering why I would do that, and it's hard for me to comprehend now. I was very sad and didn't know any way out my sadness. Now when I feel upset or down, I pray and relax because I know that God will help me.

I appreciate such a supportive blended family system. I am forever grateful to my stepmom, who helped me push myself out of my comfort zone to become my best self. Sometimes, the hard things are the best for you. I know that I learned from my experiences and became better because of them. When I was very young my parents got a divorce, I didn't remember anything I just knew they weren't together anymore and I felt ok with that. But then again I was only three. When my dad left I was stuck with a mentally abusive mom who neglected to take care of me and my other two siblings. She left the oldest, my brother, who was 8 at the time, to take care of us. That was a really hard time for me because it had such a lasting impact on my life and who I am as a person. I was always known as quiet because no one in that household ever listened to me. After all, I was the youngest. But, when I moved in with my dad and step mom, I felt so seen and understood. My step mom cared for me and she became my mother figure. I will never not call her my mom and I will never call my biological mom that because she never earned that title. My mom helped me make a relationship with my second-grade teacher to help me talk at school and that teacher became my favorite teacher. Mrs. Burton was so kind and taught me so much about myself and how resilient I am. After her class, I was not shy, quiet Chloé. I was strong Chloé, the one who got out of the hard times and could fight for what she wanted. This version of me continued to grow to become who I am today and now I know I want to become a teacher as well. I want to help kids just as Mrs. Burton helped me. My step mom was also a teacher and so I am inspired by her kindness and compassion for that job. I know that I want to be better than my biological mom and graduate high school, and graduate college. I want to do something in my life that will have a lasting impact on people. I know I am made to become a teacher and there is nothing stopping me from that future.

None of my biological family has gone to college. Most of my family hasn't even graduated high school. I am determined to be the first of my biological family to graduate high school. Not only just graduate, I want to graduate with all A's. My education is extremely important to me and I look forward to furthering my education at Missouri State University. I am dedicated to becoming a Middle School Teacher and the money from this scholarship would help with my dream. I will be the second child in my extended family to attend college, but the first in my biological family. I have seen most of my siblings give up on themselves and not try in school even though they are smart. This is why I am determined to exercise my potential and not give up on myself. I have been allowed to learn and grow through college and I will not throw that away just as I haven’t thrown away my high school career. School is important for not only learning about the world but learning about yourself as well. Through school, I have learned so much about the way I go about things in life. I learned that I am determined and I don’t give up even when the work is hard. I am preparing myself to be first generation by thanking my parents for the opportunity because I am very grateful for them helping out and encouraging me to work hard. I am thankful for my education, and I can’t wait to see what I will learn about myself in college. I am very appreciative of my opportunity to go to college because I know a lot of students, like my parents, choose not to go to college because of the debt. By applying for scholarships I am trying to help prevent the debt and also help my parents out. I also know that the career I want to do, middle school education, requires ample knowledge in that area and is not something you can achieve without college. But, a career in education has always seemed important to me. I have never thought of not going to college after high school. I have taken my education seriously so that when I go to college I will be prepared with all of the things I have been taught. I am nervous to be the first in my biological family but at the same time excited because I am the first.

I have always been quiet, but it was not always by choice. When I was younger, I was never encouraged to use my words. I never had to have a voice until I started school and found myself alone. Finding my voice took time; being away from my biological mom was helpful in the process of mental recovery. My biological mom was no help in my development and in important milestones, such as talking. My sister became my voice; when my stepmom asked if I wanted a certain flavor of something my sister would answer for me. She would already know what I would like. This made it easy for me not to talk and she didn’t mind speaking for me. But, I learned quickly that what is easy is not always best. My experiences when I was younger taught me that I need goals to run through daily life. Having something to work toward is very useful in trying to achieve success. I need to set a goal to complete my work and check off my to-do lists. Now that I’m older, these lists are becoming daunting. But, I know I can’t give up so I continue to complete these tasks. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher because of the help from my teachers and family when I was younger. I was terrified to step out of my comfort zone but it was the only way to help myself. My teacher encouraged me to answer questions and to talk to people at my table. She started to call me back to her table and we would talk about how my day was going. This helped me become more comfortable with talking to people outside of home. Soon enough, I started talking to people in my class and raising my hand to answer questions. My issue wasn’t me not knowing the answer; it was not being able to find my words. I am forever grateful for my second grade teacher. She helped develop my confidence in class. She made me want to become a teacher. She holds a special place in my heart and is the most prominent teacher I have ever had. When I become a teacher, I want to impact kids' lives as she did for me. My life could have been completely different without her. I continue to introduce myself to scary situations in hopes of growing and learning from them.I never gave up on myself; my stepmom, dad, and second grade teacher never let me either.

Music has been a great friend to me throughout my high school years. I have been in choir since freshman year and have enjoyed it. I love singing but also the relationships you can find from being in a choir. Many of my friends also share a passion for singing and music in general and that's something I love. In my free time, I find myself putting in my AirPods and listening to music. I listen to music while I do homework and while I read. Music is a huge part of my life and during high school, it helped me get through the days when I was tired and felt like doing nothing. My mood can depend on the playlist and what type of mood I want to be in. If I needed to be hyped up, I put on my hype playlist and vibe to that. I never thought I would be the kid who loved choir and had a passion for it. But, I found myself learning my music and loving it. My favorite part is the concerts when they're happening because I know the crowd will witness the work we all put into the music. At first, I took choir as a filler class because I could sing and knew my sister was in the program as well. But, as I immersed myself in the experience of choir and the opportunities I loved it more and more every year. I am so grateful that I cured my fear of being in a choir and just joined. I was terrified that I would have to sing in front of people and now I love singing so much I wouldn't care if I sang in front of a crowd. Because I knew they would see the passion I put into my singing and being in the choir. As an alto, the lowest female part, we sing the underappreciated female part. But, no matter that I still love choir because we may think we are unimportant, but I know that we help bring the whole thing together. Because without the altos, the choir could not be balanced or complete. I am happy to be part of a mini society where I can make friends in high school. In school, it is important to find your place and where you belong because without a place of belonging then you could get lost and end up lonely. I've been there before in middle school. But, I am glad that in high school I chose to join choir and go out of my comfort zone. I am forever grateful that I pushed myself and never gave up.

I believe success is achieving something wholly and doing it well. I believe that in order to achieve success you must be driven and be willing to face adversity. I believe success doesn't come without a few failures in the process. If you persevere through your failures, you are more likely to succeed. When I fail, I think of it as my path to success because maybe the thing I fail at isn't what I am meant to do. If I keep this mindset in life I will be more successful because then I'll stop looking at some of my failures as the end of the world. I will start thinking of them instead as learning points in my life. I believe people my age don't think the way I think. I think teens have a more pessimistic view of their failures because they haven't learned that failure isn't the end of the world. It is important to understand that everybody fails, but the way you pick yourself back up from failures leads to your success.

I believe kids should have an environment to learn what they can for their future. Whatever they are interested in, I would encourage them to pursue that. I believe children should learn all they can through their education throughout every year. I was brought up with ample education resources and I was always very school-oriented. I enjoy learning about how I like to learn and what I want to do and I believe every child should have that opportunity. In my classroom, I would make sure each kid learns and understands the curriculum because it is important to learn. If a kid is not understanding, I would encourage them to spend some extra time with me to really understand the information. I know that the experiences a person has in school impacts what they want to do in the future. As a kid, your experiences are molded around school. For that time most of your life is school, so it is important to take advantage of the resources provided. Which, as a teacher, I would make sure to provide. I want each student to feel comfortable in my classroom and I want them to feel like they can learn and grow without judgement. School is a scary place socially, but what really matters is the education. A lot of students tend to focus on what others think about them rather than their school work. I would encourage kids to talk to each other but focus more on learning. I want to impact my students and help them feel confident in their knowledge of the curriculum. If a kid feels inadequate or like they don't understand I want to make them feel comfortable and safe. I will let myself learn and mold my teachings around how my students react with my teaching. I want my students to help me learn as an educator; the kids I am teaching is more important than sticking to the exact curriculum I plan. If something doesn't work in the classroom then I would change it according to the students I am teaching. I have always been interested in the way my teachers teach their students. Their lessons stay the same, but they change the way they teach it according to the generation of students. I hope to teach my students like this because I know I want to be for a teaching for a long time.