A dark, enclosing space, gasping for breath... as I feel the life leave me, I wonder just how much longer I have. Words are powerful. They have the ability to transport us to a different reality. They can lift us up or explore difficult truths. To the delight of every English lover, words can tell a story. That is why from a very young age, I have been an avid reader. It is also why, at a later time, I began to cultivate my own skills as a writer. An adolescence immersed in the literary world is a very pleasant one: exploring new genres, dabbling in poetry, leading book club, but above all, letting your enthusiasm and passion bubble over and touch people around you. I remember getting so excited in English class that my peers would either give me the weird side eye or get excited with me. It was as I went through high school that I realized I didn't just have a passion for English, I had a passion for sharing English with others, and one day I was going to teach English at some level. Today, that is still my dream. I think of more contemporary works such as The Kite Runner and Purple Hibiscus and how they teach people about different cultures. I think of classics such as A Tale of Two Cities and Pride and Prejudice and how they give us a window into the past. Truly, there is no limit to what can be learned from picking up a book. That is why English never gets old. There is always something new (or old) that has yet to be explored. So while my passion for English stems from having read ferociously from a young age, it is fueled still by what I have yet to discover and share with others. Studying English at the college level has opened a whole new set of doors for me. I have read Shakespeare alongside like-minded people who appreciate his talent as a playwright instead of bemoaning his complex and beautiful language. I have peers who are excited about the progress of my poetry and who challenge me to push the envelope further and dig deeper. I have knowledgeable professors who not only care about my progress as a student but care about me as a person. The university environment has only made my passion for English grow stronger and more vibrant. I have grown so much as a reader, analyzer, writer, poet, and person, and I can't wait to see how I will grow in the future.

My first passion is English; my second passion is teaching. These two things translate very nicely into a career, but I often ask myself, “How am I attending to the other things that are important to me in life?” I have found ways to weave my interests into my many activities so that my hobbies - that I otherwise might not make time for - don’t get left behind. For example, cooking and baking are activities I enjoy, but don’t often make time for. So, I have built a place for them in my everyday life. On Tuesdays, I make dinner for my family (and I can usually work with few limits because the meal has to feed 7 people). As president of my high school’s book club, I bake something of my choice for our monthly meetings (when we meet in person, that is). These are just two examples. Photography has found its place in my volunteer work and at family gatherings. My love for music has translated into a long-term musical project that I hope to produce one day. Writing became the basis for creating my own blog and submitting to various competitions and literary magazines. The list goes on. To the best of my ability, I work towards the goal of ensuring that everything I do is for the greater good. It is my personal belief that we all have some God-given purpose in life to fulfill, and that purpose will contribute to the world in some way, making earth a better place. I believe my purpose is teaching, specifically teaching English to high school students, and I see the path to fulfill that purpose very clearly set before me. However, I believe that as a teacher, I will be in a position to make an impact beyond simply providing students with an education. As my high school teachers have impacted me in ways that extend beyond the classroom, I hope to impact my students in a similar way. Whether that be by improving their characters, leading them to uncover a hidden passion or interest, helping them to realize the reality of life and just how much the world extends beyond them - I would be thrilled with any difference, however small, I could make by working a job that provides the means to positively impact society and fight for equal access to education. In the meantime, I focus on making a difference in the ways I am able to right now as a senior in high school. I am grateful for the opportunity to put my passion for teaching into practice with a small class of 5 homeschoolers (in grades first through third), as a kindergarten CCD teacher at my parish, and as a childcare provider and tutor for families in my community. I am also excited to be working on many writing projects this semester, including an argumentative paper on the existence of systemic racism towards African Americans that still exists in the USA. My interest and passion for inclusivity and confronting intolerance head-on also finds its place with the Diversity and Cultural Education project I am a part of at my local public high school. As head of the “videos committee,” I have the opportunity to compile first-hand video accounts of people explaining their culture, race, gender, or religion for others to understand in an effort to promote respect over hate. Finally, I am an active volunteer in my community. I strongly believe that service to others is at the heart of leadership, and it is critical in my mission as a person. Although COVID-19 interrupted my normal volunteer activities, it provided me the opportunity to branch out and find new creative ways to give back to the community. Right now, for example, I am in the middle of two service projects with a group of girls who share my motivation. We are putting together church bags for families with young kids who aren’t able to attend services, and we are sending hand-made cards to individuals in nursing homes who haven’t been able to visit with anyone due to COVID-19 restrictions. It is easy for me to feel that my impact is small or that I could always be doing more, but I have learned to accept my limitations as a human being. I have learned the importance of not attempting too much at once so that the work I am doing can be done well. Perhaps most importantly, I have learned that I will always be limited in the impact I can have in the world, but that is no excuse to stop.

My first passion is English. My second passion is teaching others. Together, these two things have shaped the way I spend my time and what I want to pursue in life. As a senior in high school, I am eager to graduate and earn my high school diploma, excitedly anticipating my future at a four-year university. By continuing my education, I hope to increase and broaden my knowledge, particularly in the areas of English and Education. For me, "the fear of sunk costs" is indeed very real, and I often question if investing time and money in a 4-year university education experience is the right next step. It doesn't matter how much money I have and continue to save from the jobs I am working. It doesn't matter how many college and AP credits I have already earned to help lessen the burden of paying for college. Thoughts of future expenses (ex: college, transportation, moving out, supporting myself) are thoughts I like to avoid because they invite a great deal of unwanted stress with them. But I have to remind myself that if I want to teach in America's public school system, a 4-year university education is the right next step. It is the right next step for me to gain the skills and qualifications necessary to share my passion with future generations through teaching. It is the right next step if I want to be an educator and help promote equity in education, a great failing - in my opinion - of America's public education system as it is today. I know that I am not a candidate with the greatest financial need. If I needed to take out loans to cover the cost of my education, I could. However, one of my primary goals for my undergraduate career is to graduate without debt. I have learned from my parents the position graduating from college with student loans can put one in. It is a position that unfortunately many people are in today, but it is one I hope I can avoid. Receiving this grant would put me one step closer to paying for a bachelor's degree, but not just any degree. One that would represent the training and instruction I would receive for developing my English and teaching knowledge and skills. One that would put me closer to making a difference - no matter how small - in America's public education system. My teachers have opened my eyes in ways I never could have imagined, and I hope to be able to do the same for someone else one day. Thank you for considering me as a potential recipient of this grant; I really appreciate your time!

When I was little and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told them I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher or have some job that involved working with young kids. Surprisingly, my dream job hasn’t changed too much, although the thought of instructing twenty 5-year-olds at once does make my head spin. Now, having grown and changed as a person (my future plans changing and developing with me), I hope to pursue a career as a high school English teacher. Teaching has always brought me joy and English is what excites me, setting off firecrackers in my mind, making my blood pulse a little quicker; simply put, English is my passion and I want to share my passion through teaching. I credit my education for my love of English, and in this way, education has played a significant role in my life, leading me to discover what I want to pursue after I graduate from high school. My education, however, has been far from typical. The classroom that introduced me to literature has been ever changing, taking various forms over the years. It moved from public school, then to cyber school, to traditional homeschooling, and back to public school starting my freshman year of high school. Now, as a high school senior, I am once again homeschooling, and I continue my education in the name of learning. As people, we are always learning simply by taking in the world around us. Education, however, is a methodical and purposeful way of learning, and so I believe another significant role of education in my life has been helping me in my pursuit of knowledge. I am grateful for the way my education twisted and turned because it provided me with an experience of variety and the ability to encounter the world through different lenses with my own unique perspective. In addition to contributing to my career aspirations and helping me learn, there are my current jobs in which education plays an important role. As a childcare provider I take great joy in teaching kids through play, and as a tutor with Catholic Schoolhouse - a homeschool organization - I get to educate others in a more traditional manner. I myself am also receiving a kind of education from these work experiences; teaching others also teaches me something. And so I find great joy and value in this third role of education in my life which allows me to continue learning while passing my knowledge on.