In my sophomore year, I did not plan on attending college. I struggled to discover my identity and saw no value in accomplishing anything. The world seemed bleak, and school was the furthest thing from my mind. However, my Latino father urged me to pursue college to obtain a stable job and honor for our family. I understood his concerns about my financial security, but was that more crucial than my happiness? He tried to convince me by pushing me academically and mentally to my limit. His negative comments and judgments on who I would become plummeted me further into a depressive state. The pressure was building, and my suicidal thoughts began. I knew that something had to change. As a result, I was forced to confront the most harrowing experience of my life: my trauma. I journaled, conversed with multiple therapists, and discovered myself. I accepted that my father's expectations were his dreams, not mine. I agreed on two things: not allowing anyone to hold me back and supporting myself consistently by showing up. The new version of myself gave me the confidence to return to in-person school junior year. Of the many classes to choose from, I took honors chemistry. I loved exploring what makes up every part of the universe and the significance of science. Chemistry is one of the foundations of human life and sustainability. When difficulties arose due to my mental health, my passion for science was unchanged. This class challenged me and taught me how to reach out to others, learn for understanding, and how powerful my grit is. Chemistry has propelled me into a new field of academics, and personal growth. The sciences reignited my interest in attending university. However, I still didn't know how to integrate chemistry into a job, yet. While exploring science, I also studied Intro Law and Criminal Law. These classes taught me leadership and empowered my inner voice. We would debate many different political topics, and learn how science influences our current laws. One of the social issues that science affects is false imprisonment. Forensic investigations help free falsely incarcerated individuals. However, many people are imprisoned as a result of forensic analysis errors. Many people have been wrongfully accused based on defective forensic evidence, such as different DNAs mixing in blood, saliva, etc. Because of forensic scientists' errors, the system has ripped innocent people away from their families, friends, and their rights. Incarceration injustices have fueled my desire to advocate for equity for the unheard. I intend to push for reform and bring in my love for science. By learning more about chemistry, I hope to advance the field of forensic science. The one happy ending to this story is I can proudly state that I was able to redefine and discover who I am. Whether I am adventuring into the atomic composition of our universe, or fighting for change, I don’t allow others to determine my identity. My self-journey has taught me that challenging yourself and others leads to new opportunities. Now that I have graduated high school, I am glad to say that I will be attending the University of Oregon this fall for a major in chemistry and a minor in Criminology. Above all else, I strive to be a Forensic Lab Technician determined to confront our current law system through science and advocate for unheard individuals. I would be honored to have this scholarship be a part of my journey to create better programs, analyses, and methodologies to enhance forensic accuracy. Thank you for reading.

Why STEM? In my sophomore year, I did not plan on attending college. I struggled to discover my identity and saw no value in accomplishing anything. The world seemed bleak, and school was the furthest thing from my mind. However, my father urged me to pursue college to obtain a stable job. I understood his concerns about my financial security, but was that more crucial than my happiness? He tried to convince me by pushing me academically and mentally to my limit. His negative comments and judgments on who I would become plummeted me further into a depressive state. The pressure was building, and my suicidal thoughts began. I knew that something had to change. As a result, I was forced to confront the most harrowing experience of my life: my trauma. I journaled, conversed with multiple therapists, and discovered myself. I accepted that my father's expectations were his dreams, not mine. I agreed on two things: not allowing anyone to hold me back and supporting myself consistently by showing up. The new version of myself gave me the confidence to return to in-person school junior year. Of the many classes to choose from, I took honors chemistry. I loved exploring what makes up every part of the universe and the significance of science. Chemistry is one of the foundations of human life and sustainability. When difficulties arose due to my mental health, my passion for science was unchanged. This class challenged me and taught me how to reach out to others, learn for understanding, and how powerful my grit is. Chemistry has propelled me into a new field of academics, and personal growth. The sciences reignited my interest in attending university. However, I still didn't know how to integrate chemistry into a job, yet. While exploring science, I also studied Intro Law and Criminal Law. These classes taught me leadership and empowered my inner voice. We would debate many different political topics, and learn how science influences our current laws. One of the social issues that science affects is false imprisonment. Forensic investigations help free falsely incarcerated individuals. However, many people are imprisoned as a result of forensic analysis errors. Many people have been wrongfully accused based on defective forensic evidence, such as different DNAs mixing in blood, saliva, etc. Because of forensic scientists' errors, the system has ripped innocent people away from their families, friends, and their rights. Incarceration injustices have fueled my desire to advocate for equity for the unheard. I intend to push for reform and bring in my love for science. By learning more about chemistry, I hope to advance the field of forensic science. The one happy ending to this story is I can proudly state that I was able to redefine and discover who I am. Whether I am adventuring into the atomic composition of our universe, or fighting for change, I don’t allow others to determine my identity. My self-journey has taught me that challenging yourself and others leads to new opportunities. Now that I have graduated high school, I am glad to say that I will be attending the University of Oregon this fall for a major in chemistry and a minor in Criminology. Above all else, I strive to be a Forensic Lab Technician determined to confront our current law system through science and advocate for unheard individuals. I would be honored to have this scholarship be a part of my journey to create better programs, analyses, and methodologies to enhance forensic accuracy. Thank you for reading.

My Health Journey The word nOrMAl...the worst word ever created. "Normal" describes weight loss gimmicks, beauty products, and pediatric checkups. Corporations spend millions on billboards, commercials, or Instagram to push their products onto impressable young girls and boys. The idea of normal influences the way humans interact with others. For example, comments under anything women post saying “ur too pretty”, “You are too big” and “Oh, I did not know they let fat girls model”. Do not worry the pressure only starts there! Most women fear not having the right body shape, comparing their thighs to others, and gym locker rooms. Not only are peers influenced by social standards, but sometimes your family. Every time I stepped on the scale, the numbers would scream in my father’s voice and sting like my starving stomach. I was never light enough compared to his standards. He would enforce workout times and schedules. I remember the burning in my lungs after running 2 miles at least twice a week and intense weight lifting to fill in the gaps. My restricted diet consisted of three small meets a day. My sophomore year of high school was the worst year of my life. I only weighed 96 pounds. I would starve myself to feel better about who I was, and it determined how confident I felt. The empty feeling and more pressure from my father on my future didn’t help. Slowly drowning in fear of my future, and the judgment of my father, my depression peaked. I knew something had to change. So, I faced the most painful experience of my life: my trauma. I began journaling, exploring my mental state/eating disorders with multiple therapists, and finding what makes me happy. I stood up to my father's standards and mental state. I accepted that my father's standards were his dreams and self-image issues, not mine. It was time to explore myself. I agreed on two things: not allowing anyone to hold me back and making it my goal to support myself consistently by showing up. I taught myself the value of perseverance and consistency. I took back my life by teaching myself and being mentored by doctors about well-balanced meals, and how to properly work out. Currently, I step on the scale with a smile on my face. There is no more fear of looking chubby, or too skinny. I can eat ice cream and cookies without counting calories. I control my life, not my food or exercise. I learned that my painful past does not determine who I am. I can be whoever I want as long as it makes me happy. So, for now, I am a person who enjoys exploring what the world has to offer through balancing my mental health and health journey. I know that my eating disorder is a battle worth fighting for the rest of my life. My self-journey has taught me the importance of self-leadership brings opportunities into my life and self-confidence in inspiring others to reach out if body image is difficult to manage. The only happy ending to this story is I have the confidence to say that my life was hard. It was exhausting and rough, but my past helped me transform into the confidently healthy person I am today.

My Health Journey The word nOrMAl...the worst word ever created. "Normal" describes weight loss gimmicks, beauty products, and pediatric checkups. Corporations spend millions on billboards, commercials, or Instagram to push their products onto impressable young girls and boys. The idea of normal influences the way humans interact with others. Example one, comments under anything women post saying “ur too pretty”, “You are too big” and “Oh, I did not know they let fat girls model”. Do not worry the pressure only starts there! Most women fear not having the right body shape, comparing their thighs to others, and gym locker rooms. Not only are peers influenced by social standards, but sometimes your family. Every time I stepped on the scale, the numbers would scream in my father’s voice and sting like my starving stomach. I was never light enough compared to his standards. He would enforce workout times and schedules. I remember the burning in my lungs after running 2 miles at least twice a week and intense weight lifting to fill in the gaps. My restricted diet consisted of three small meets a day. My sophomore year of high school was the worst year of my life. I only weighed 96 pounds. I would starve myself to feel better about who I was, and it determined how confident I felt. The empty feeling and more pressure from my father on my future didn’t help. Slowly drowning in fear of my future, and the judgment of my father, my depression peaked. I knew something had to change. So, I faced the most painful experience of my life: my trauma. I began journaling, exploring my mental state/eating disorders with multiple therapists, and finding what makes me happy. I stood up to my father's standards and mental state. I accepted that my father's standards were his dreams and self-image issues, not mine. It was time to explore myself. I agreed on two things: not allowing anyone to hold me back and making it my goal to support myself consistently by showing up. I taught myself the value of perseverance and consistency. I took back my life by teaching myself and being mentored by doctors about well-balanced meals, and how to properly work out. Currently, I step on the scale with a smile on my face. There is no more fear of looking chubby, or too skinny. I can eat ice cream and cookies without counting calories. I control my life, not my food or exercise. I learned that my painful past does not determine who I am. I can be whoever I want as long as it makes me happy. So, for now, I am a person who enjoys exploring what the world has to offer through balancing my mental health and health journey. I know that my eating disorder is a battle worth fighting for the rest of my life. My self-journey has taught me the importance of self-leadership brings opportunities into my life and self-confidence in inspiring others to reach out if body image is difficult to manage. The only happy ending to this story is I have the confidence to say that my life was hard. It was exhausting and rough, but my past helped me transform into the confidently healthy person I am today.

The biggest failure in my life was consistency in myself. Steadily pursuing my identity in this crazy world was difficult. Whether that is speaking up or learning to be silent, it is the power one upholds for change. The only person that can transform my life is myself. Consistency takes discipline, courage, and time. In everyone's life, some obstacles challenge individuals constantly. From my personal experience, this is true. The hardships I faced tested my grit to show up for myself. As my life continued, it was hard to see the joys when all I saw were my disillusions. The first trial was my mother and father unprepared for parenthood. I grew up watching abusive relationships, divorce, and a single mother. Many underestimated me; however, it only propelled my tenacity to achieve. I had to play my cards just right. My goal was to establish myself apart from my family by getting involved in school, volleyball, and with my friends. I was constantly running into success for validation from others. However, at the same time, I battled for anything that made me feel like a kid. I was growing up too fast. So, my distraction-masked spirals spent long into the night and the suffocating thought of ending my life. I soon learned that there was a breaking point. Though most kids looked forward to college, it was hard for me to fathom completing sixth grade. All the memories of my stepfather's abuse screamed in my mind. His vicious usage of “beaner”, “you are only a woman”, and profane vocabulary tore me down. His physical violence even though healed over time, it still bruises my soul. After years of the never-ending cycle, I attempt suicide in seventh grade. It failed. My mom put me in therapy to fix me. Instead, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I never let that get to me. How could I be so broken if so many people depended on me? I inspired my teammates in volleyball to succeed; I excelled in my classes, and friendships were never a problem throughout middle and high school. But, I neglected the empty feeling that grew. Then covid hit my sophomore year, and all classes transferred online. I was doing okay in this period because I continued playing volleyball and kept up with my 4.0 gap. My facade was working and even fooling myself. But, when students transitioned back to in-person school, I felt more alone than before. I lost all my close friends, quit volleyball, and struggled to get out of bed in the morning. Something had to change, or I wasn’t going to survive my next suicide attempt. I faced the most painful experience of my life: my trauma. I began journaling, exploring my mental state with multiple therapists, and finding what makes me happy. I am my hero. I made it my goal to support myself consistently by showing up. Consistency is a part of my growth journey. I learned that my painful past does not determine who I am. I can be whoever I want as long as it makes me happy. So, for now, I am a person who enjoys exploring what the world has to offer. Consistency has redefined me through my studies, finding a new sport, skateboarding, and my amazing new family: my closest friends. The only happy ending to this story is I have the confidence to say that my life was hard. It was exhausting and rough, but my past helps me change into the person I want to be. My inner hero was willing to explore the unknown parts of myself and face my mental health to become a better person for myself.

The biggest failure in my life was consistency in myself. Steadily pursuing my identity in this crazy world was difficult. Whether that is speaking up or learning to be silent, it is the power one upholds for change. The only person that can transform my life is myself. Consistency takes discipline, courage, and time. In everyone's life, some obstacles challenge individuals constantly. From my personal experience, this is true. The hardships I faced tested my grit to show up for myself. As my life continued, it was hard to see the joys when all I saw were my disillusions. The first trial was my mother and father unprepared for parenthood. I grew up watching abusive relationships, divorce, and a single mother. Many underestimated me; however, it only propelled my tenacity to achieve. I had to play my cards just right. My goal was to establish myself apart from my family by getting involved in school, volleyball, and with my friends. I was constantly running into success for validation from others. However, at the same time, I battled for anything that made me feel like a kid. I was growing up too fast. So, my distraction-masked spirals spent long into the night and the suffocating thought of ending my life. I soon learned that there was a breaking point. Though most kids looked forward to college, it was hard for me to fathom completing sixth grade. All the memories of my stepfather's abuse screamed in my mind. His vicious usage of “beaner”, “you are only a woman”, and profane vocabulary tore me down. His physical violence even though healed over time, it still bruises my soul. After years of the never-ending cycle, I attempt suicide in seventh grade. It failed. My mom put me in therapy to fix me. Instead, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I never let that get to me. How could I be so broken if so many people depended on me? I inspired my teammates in volleyball to succeed; I excelled in my classes, and friendships were never a problem throughout middle and high school. But, I neglected the empty feeling that grew. Then covid hit my sophomore year, and all classes transferred online. I was doing okay in this period because I continued playing volleyball and kept up with my 4.0 gap. My facade was working and even fooling me. But, when students transitioned back to in-person school, I felt more alone than before. I lost all my close friends, quit volleyball, and struggled to get out of bed in the morning. Something had to change, or I wasn’t going to survive my next suicide attempt. I faced the most painful experience of my life: my trauma. I began journaling, exploring my mental state with multiple therapists, and finding what makes me happy. I made it my goal to support myself consistently by showing up. Consistency is a part of my growth journey. I learned that my painful past does not determine who I am. I can be whoever I want as long as it makes me happy. So, for now, I am a person who enjoys exploring what the world has to offer. Consistency has redefined me through my studies, finding a new sport, skateboarding, and my amazing new family: my closest friends. The only happy ending to this story is I have the confidence to say that my life was hard. It was exhausting and rough, but my past helps me change into the person I want to be.

In my sophomore year, I planned not to go to college. I felt lost, like I couldn’t achieve anything, and was pressured to meet my father's standards. My father urged me to complete college to have a stable job because being economically stable was more important than my happiness. This would cause me to plummet further into a depression state that I already was drowning in. It was rough…but, as a junior and at the end of my sophomore year, I made a goal to overcome my father's standards and depression. I accepted that the standards pushed on me are my father's dreams, not mine. It was time to explore myself. My depression will follow me throughout my life, but I will learn and adapt my coping skills. I wouldn’t let anyone else or myself hold me back; I would show up for myself. This pushed me to explore many different electives throughout my journey in high school. At South Medford High School, Intro Law and Criminal Law were my favorite classes. These classes motivated, inspired, and showed me the power one holds. My grasp of the law, governmental structures, and how systemic racism impacts minorities has grown through my studies. It sparked my desire for change by advocating equity for those unheard. I intend to push for reform and bring in my love for science. However, in my honors chemistry class, I achieved a B throughout the year until I scored an A in the last grading period. This class was able to challenge me and test my determination to learn. The teaching style and material were presented poorly to the class. This class taught me how to reach out to others, learn for understanding, and how powerful my grit is. My passion for science didn't stop. From there, I discovered Forensic Lab Technicians and their positive/negative aspects. Many people have been falsely accused based on faulty forensic evidence like differing DNAs mixing in blood, saliva, etc. By learning more about biology and chemistry, I hope to improve this situation and advance the field of forensic science. I hope to bring justice to those who have been failed by the law system through science and to be active in the community about these injustices happening currently. This scholarship will help me pay for my chemistry degrees at the University of Oregon, furthering my goal to create better programs, analyses, and methodologies to enhance forensic accuracy.

Something that excites me and motivates me is social justice. It is something that has fascinated me since I was little. I remember hearing the news in the background as I ate dinner with my grandfather and asked why things happen in the world. At the time, my grandpa would tell me the pg version of it; however, as I got older and took a few history classes, more information revealed the truth of America's dark history. At the beginning of 2020 covid year, the killing of George Floyd hit every channel. People would know him from either memorials being aware or wanting to give the police a badge of honor. His traumatic death exposed me to something I understood but only through the eyes of my family. My curiosity sparked and encouraged me to take Intro to Law and Criminal Law at South Medford high school. I was able to drive deeper into the Constitution, amendments, and the branches of our government. We would also debate the topics that the school admission wouldn’t let us talk about like abortion rights, gun control, and the prison system. We would spend about 2 weeks discussing deeply rooted systemic racism that flows through all issues. Minorities aren’t just affected by interpersonal relationships but by the generational economic status that was created through the law systems of desegregation, and discrimination. This doesn't just affect the policing or imprisonment but also expands through health care, abortion rights of women of color, and voting availability of colored. From here I learned that social justice is about education. My inspiration for social justice stems from wanting knowledge and exploring the knowledge and ideas of others. By encouraging others to become educated on their stances on topics they become better debaters, and better individuals, and can justify their position based on strong evidence. They are about to see through the propaganda thrown around in the country to divide but rather they show empathy and unity for one another. So when I stand for justice it isn’t just based on what I feel but through the power of knowledge that I use to help seek justice for the minority. So, I say their names and educate the community around me: Breonnan Taylor, Daunte Wright, Andre Hill, Manuel Ellis, Atatiana Jefferson, George Floyd, and Rodney King, the first recorded video of police brutality against minorities on March 3rd of 1991.

The biggest failure in my life was consistency in myself. Steadily pursuing my identity in this crazy world was difficult. Whether that is speaking up or learning to be silent, it is the power one upholds for change. The only person that can transform my life is myself. Consistency takes discipline, courage, and time. In everyone's life, some obstacles challenge individuals constantly. From my personal experience, this is true. The hardships I faced tested my grit to show up for myself. As my life continued, it was hard to see the joys when all I saw were my disillusions. The first trial was my mother and father unprepared for parenthood. I grew up watching abusive relationships, divorce, and a single mother. Many underestimated me; however, it only propelled my tenacity to achieve. I had to play my cards just right. My goal was to establish myself apart from my family by getting involved in school, volleyball, and with my friends. I was constantly running into success for validation from others. However, at the same time, I battled for anything that made me feel like a kid. I was growing up too fast. So, my distraction-masked spirals spent long into the night and the suffocating thought of ending my life. I soon learned that there was a breaking point. Though most kids looked forward to college, it was hard for me to fathom completing sixth grade. All the memories of my stepfather's abuse screamed in my mind. His vicious usage of “beaner”, “you are only a woman”, and profane vocabulary tore me down. His physical violence even though healed over time, it still bruises my soul. After years of the never-ending cycle, I attempt suicide in seventh grade. It failed. My mom put me in therapy to fix me. Instead, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I never let that get to me. How could I be so broken if so many people depended on me? I inspired my teammates in volleyball to succeed; I excelled in my classes, and friendships were never a problem throughout middle and high school. But, I neglected the empty feeling that grew. Then covid hit my sophomore year, and all classes transferred online. I was doing okay in this period because I continued playing volleyball and kept up with my 4.0 gap. My facade was working and even fooling myself. But, when students transitioned back to in-person school, I felt more alone than before. I lost all my close friends, quit volleyball, and struggled to get out of bed in the morning. Something had to change, or I wasn’t going to survive my next suicide attempt. I faced the most painful experience of my life: my trauma. I began journaling, exploring my mental state with multiple therapists, and finding what makes me happy. I made it my goal to support myself consistently by showing up. Consistency is a part of my growth journey. I learned that my painful past does not determine who I am. I can be whoever I want as long as it makes me happy. So, for now, I am a person who enjoys exploring what the world has to offer. Consistency has redefined me through my studies, finding a new sport, skateboarding, yoga, weightlifting and my amazing new family: my closest friends. The only happy ending to this story is I have the confidence to say that my life was hard. It was exhausting and rough, but my past helps me change into the person I want to be.

The biggest failure in my life was consistency in myself. Steadily pursuing my identity in this crazy world was difficult. Whether that is speaking up or learning to be silent, it is the power one upholds for change. The only person that can transform my life is myself. Consistency takes discipline, courage, and time. In everyone's life, some obstacles challenge individuals constantly. From my personal experience, this is true. The hardships I faced tested my grit to show up for myself. As my life continued, it was hard to see the joys when all I saw were my disillusions. The first trial was my mother and father unprepared for parenthood. I grew up watching abusive relationships, divorce, and a single mother. Many underestimated me; however, it only propelled my tenacity to achieve. I had to play my cards just right. My goal was to establish myself apart from my family by getting involved in school, volleyball, and with my friends. I was constantly running into success for validation from others. However, at the same time, I battled for anything that made me feel like a kid. I was growing up too fast. So, my distraction-masked spirals spent long into the night and the suffocating thought of ending my life. I soon learned that there was a breaking point. Though most kids looked forward to college, it was hard for me to fathom completing sixth grade. All the memories of my stepfather's abuse screamed in my mind. His vicious usage of “beaner”, “you are only a woman”, and profane vocabulary tore me down. His physical violence even though healed over time, it still bruises my soul. After years of the never-ending cycle, I attempt suicide in seventh grade. It failed. My mom put me in therapy to fix me. Instead, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I never let that get to me. How could I be so broken if so many people depended on me? I inspired my teammates in volleyball to succeed; I excelled in my classes, and friendships were never a problem throughout middle and high school. But, I neglected the empty feeling that grew. Then covid hit my sophomore year, and all classes transferred online. I was doing okay in this period because I continued playing volleyball and kept up with my 4.0 gap. My facade was working and even fooling me. But, when students transitioned back to in-person school, I felt more alone than before. I lost all my close friends, quit volleyball, and struggled to get out of bed in the morning. Something had to change, or I wasn’t going to survive my next suicide attempt. I faced the most painful experience of my life: my trauma. I began journaling, exploring my mental state with multiple therapists, and finding what makes me happy. I made it my goal to support myself consistently by showing up. Consistency is a part of my growth journey. I learned that my painful past does not determine who I am. I can be whoever I want as long as it makes me happy. So, for now, I am a person who enjoys exploring what the world has to offer. Consistency has redefined me through my studies, finding a new sport, skateboarding, and my amazing new family: my closest friends. The only happy ending to this story is I have the confidence to say that my life was hard. It was exhausting and rough, but my past helps me change into the person I want to be.

In my sophomore year, I planned not to go to college. I felt lost, like I couldn’t achieve anything, and was pressured to meet my father's standards. My father urged me to complete college to have a stable job because being economically stable was more important than my happiness. This would cause me to plummet further into a depression state that I already was drowning in. It was rough…but, as a junior and at the end of my sophomore year, I made a goal to overcome my father's standards and depression. I accepted that the standards pushed on me are my father's dreams, not mine. It was time to explore myself. My depression will follow me throughout my life, but I will learn and adapt my coping skills. I wouldn’t let anyone else or myself hold me back; I would show up for myself. This pushed me to explore many different electives throughout my journey in high school. At South Medford High School, Intro Law and Criminal Law were my favorite classes. These classes motivated, inspired, and showed me the power one holds. My grasp of the law, governmental structures, and how systemic racism impacts minorities has grown through my studies. It sparked my desire for change by advocating equity for those unheard. I intend to push for reform and bring in my love for science. However, in my honors chemistry class, I achieved a B throughout the year until I scored an A in the last grading period. This class was able to challenge me and test my determination to learn. The teaching style and material were presented poorly to the class. This class taught me how to reach out to others, learn for understanding, and how powerful my grit is. My passion for science didn't stop. From there, I discovered Forensic Lab Technicians and their positive/negative aspects. Many people have been falsely accused based on faulty forensic evidence like differing DNAs mixing in blood, saliva, and ect. By learning more about biology and chemistry, I hope to improve this situation and advance the field of forensic science. I hope to bring justice to those who have been failed by the law system through science and to be active in the community about these injustices happening currently. This scholarship will help me pay for my chemistry degrees at the University of Oregon, furthering my goal to create better programs, analyses, and methodologies to enhance forensic accuracy.

Something that excites me and motivates me is social justice. It is something that has fascinated me since I was little. I remember hearing the news in the background as I ate dinner with my grandfather and asked why things happen in the world. At the time, my grandpa would tell me the pg version of it; however, as I got older and took a few history classes, more information revealed the truth of America's dark history. At the beginning of 2020 covid year, the killing of George Floyd hit every channel. People would know him from either memorials being aware or wanting to give the police a badge of honor. His traumatic death exposed me to something I understood but only through the eyes of my family. My curiosity sparked and encouraged me to take Intro to Law and Criminal Law at South Medford high school. I was able to drive deeper into the constitution, amendments, and the branches of our government. We would also debate the topics that the school admission wouldn’t let us talk about like abortion rights, gun control, and the prison system. We would spend about 2 weeks discussing deeply rooted systemic racism that flows through all issues. Minorities aren’t just affected by interpersonal relationships but by the generational economic status that was created through the law systems of desegregation, and discrimination. This doesn't just affect the policing or imprisonment but also expands through health care, abortion rights of women of color, and voting availability of colored. From here I learned that social justice is about education. My inspiration for social justice stems from wanting knowledge and exploring the knowledge and ideas of others. By encouraging others to become educated on their stances on topics they become better debaters, and better individuals, and can justify their position based on strong evidence. They are about to see through the propaganda thrown around in the country to divide but rather they show empathy and unity for one another. So when I stand for justice it isn’t just based on what I feel but through the power of knowledge that I use to help seek justice for the minority. I would spread the message of the many injustices Black American face on my social media. This type of protesting helps me take leadership in the fight for those who are being unfairly treated and dehumanized. Seeing many different ways of protesting for BLM online, walking with signs, and becoming educated, encouraged me to create my protest with my sister. On May 15, 2022, a small group of friends and family and I would protest in person for the right to abortion for colored women, and any self-identifying women. I took action looking into the history of abortions, and birth control, and access to these opportunities helps women achieve higher education, with traumatic experiences of rape and incest, and this influences the right to women's bodies. Seeking Education online, through textbooks, and my classes at my high school encourage me to be confident in my leadership to help the voices of the minority being silenced.

My mental health is important to be important due to my struggle in showing up consistency for myself. Steadily pursuing my identity in this crazy world was difficult. Whether that is speaking up or learning to be silent, it is the power one upholds for change. The only person that can transform my life is myself. Consistency takes discipline, courage, and time. In everyone's life, some obstacles challenge individuals constantly. From my personal experience, this is true. The hardships I faced tested my grit to show up for myself. As my life continued, it was hard to see the joys when all I saw were my disillusions. The first trial was my mother and father unprepared for parenthood. I grew up watching abusive relationships, divorce, and a single mother. Many underestimated me; however, it only propelled my tenacity to achieve. I had to play my cards just right. My goal was to establish myself apart from my family by getting involved in school, volleyball, and with my friends. I was constantly running into success for validation from others. However, at the same time, I battled for anything that made me feel like a kid. I was growing up too fast. So, my distraction-masked spirals spent long into the night and the suffocating thought of ending my life. I soon learned that there was a breaking point. Though most kids looked forward to college, it was hard for me to fathom completing sixth grade. All the memories of my stepfather's abuse screamed in my mind. His vicious usage of “beaner”, “you are only a woman”, and profane vocabulary tore me down. His physical violence even though healed over time, it still bruises my soul. After years of the never-ending cycle, I attempt suicide in seventh grade. It failed. My mom put me in therapy to fix me. Instead, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I never let that get to me. How could I be so broken if so many people depended on me? I inspired my teammates in volleyball to succeed; I excelled in my classes, and friendships were never a problem throughout middle and high school. But, I neglected the empty feeling that grew. Then covid hit my sophomore year, and all classes transferred online. I was doing okay in this period because I continued playing volleyball and kept up with my 4.0 gap. My facade was working and even fooling me. But, when students transitioned back to in-person school, I felt more alone than before. I lost all my close friends, quit volleyball, and struggled to get out of bed in the morning. Something had to change, or I wasn’t going to survive my next suicide attempt. I faced the most painful experience of my life: my trauma. I began journaling, exploring my mental state with multiple therapists, and finding what makes me happy. I made it my goal to support myself consistently by showing up. Consistency is a part of my growth journey. I learned that my painful past does not determine who I am. I can be whoever I want as long as it makes me happy. So, for now, I am a person who enjoys exploring what the world has to offer. Consistency has redefined me through my studies, finding a new sport, skateboarding, and my amazing new family: my closest friends. The only happy ending to this story is I have the confidence to say that my life was hard. It was exhausting and rough, but my past helps me change into the person I want to be.