I admire her social media presence the most. I love how she doesnt get into online drama and is confident enough to not clap back at all the hate comments. She is graceful and positive online. I also just loved how she started so young, Shake it Up was my favorite and I loved how she acted in it. Also In the movie zapped she danced so good and I admire all her work. She inspires me to be more aware when posting or commenting online because social media should be fun and it shouldn't be a platform of hate. She has shown me that less is more and I'm not going to be liked by everyone and I have to be ok with that. Zendaya's fashion sense is incredible and I love how quirky she can be but also how professional she can look. It was fun watching her style developed as she grew out of her Disney channel phase and onto her movie career. She portrays so many different characters and on all different ends of the spectrum, for example, she played as fun bubbly Disney channel characters on Shake it Up and KC Undercover, but then more recently she is know as Rue from Euphoria.

Overcoming life obstacles can be challenging to those who can't see the other side of the mountain. It is more challenging for the individuals who can't picture themselves being around long enough to see the beautiful grassy fields on the other side. It took time for me to fully understand why I had to climb my mountain while my peers went through a tunnel. Freshman year I relapsed on pills and ecstasy landing me into the pediatric ICU for three days. From there, I was immediately admitted to the psychiatric hospital for the third time in less than one year. I had been released and put into numerous programs to try to help me stay sober. I expected nothing different from this visit and expected to be out in a week, but I was wrong. I was told I wasn't going home anytime soon. Residential hospitalization was my only option, and California was where I was going. I was discharged from the hospital and spent the night at my home before flying out the next morning to the residential facility with my parents. It was strange because I wanted to be excited to go on a plane for the first time but it was hard to think positively when I knew I was going to be isolated from friends, family, and life at home. I just couldn't stop thinking about how all my friends were going to move on with their lives and forget about me. I kept thinking: Why is this happening to me? Why am I so messed up in the head? Why can't I just be normal? I have a hard time remembering any emotions I was feeling, but I remember being so mad. I was so mad that all my friends back home got to live normal teenage lives and I had to disappear for 2 months to be normal like they were. It wasn't fair. Right off the plane my parents drove me to the residential facility. While saying goodbye to my parents I could see how much my addiction had hurt them; I could see the pain behind their eyes and I knew this was my last chance to change, to get better, and to no longer be a burden to my family. Saturday mornings one of the group leaders took us hiking. My first hike the group leader, Chad, ran beside me all the way to the top of the mountain. When we reached the top he told me that I was not an average kid and the program I was in was going to be a lot of work. I would have to climb all the way until I reached success. I couldn’t stop halfway and had a relapse. He repeated, “climb, conquer, and move on.” Those words stuck with me. I completed my program in California. My climb was not over though. I spent the next five months in an intensive outpatient program. I balanced my sobriety while attending my sophomore year of high school, reconnecting with friends, and playing sports. I watched how easily my friends lived each day while I battled to get out of bed. Chad’s words stuck with me: “climb, conquer, move on.” I have been drug-free for over two years now. Some days I see the top of the mountain in sight, and I keep on climbing. Other days I rest. I may have stumbled and lost some ground, but I have never gone back to the bottom. My next climb will be as I start my college career. That is an adventure I have prepared for more than most of my peers. My struggle almost cost me my life, and I know just how strong I am and what I need to do in order to overcome any boulder, hill, mountain, or storm life throws my way. Climb. Conquer. Move On.

My struggle with my mental health forced me to climb many mountains. At the end of freshman year, I overdosed on drugs and spent three days in the PICU. This was my third suicide attempt in a year. I had previously been released and put into numerous programs to help me stay sober from drugs and self-harm. I expected nothing different from this visit and expected to be out and in a new program in a week, but not this time. I was being sent to a residential facility almost 2000 miles from my home. Upon discharge from the hospital, I boarded a flight to California with my parents. I wanted to think positively but I knew I was going to be away from my friends, family, and life at home for the next few months. I just couldn't stop thinking about how all my friends were going to move on with their lives and forget about me. I have a very hard time remembering any emotions I was feeling, but I remember being so mad. I was so mad that all my friends back home got to live normal teenage lives and I had to disappear for 2 months to be normal like they were. It wasn't fair. Once we landed in LA, my parents drove me to the residential home. While saying goodbye to my parents I could see how much my addiction had hurt them; I could see the pain behind their eyes and I knew this was my last chance. My last chance to change, my last chance to get better, and my last chance to no longer be a burden to my family. Every Saturday one of the group leaders took us hiking. On my first hike, the group leader ran beside me to the top of the mountain. At the top, he told me that I was not an average kid, and the program I was in was going to be a lot of work. I would have to climb until I reached success. I couldn’t stop halfway and have a relapse. He repeated, “Climb, conquer, and move on.” Those words stuck with me. I wanted to escape the prison of pain my mind had built for me. I decided it was time to take control of my mind and my life. When I completed my program in California my climb was not over; I spent the next five months in an intensive outpatient program. I balanced my sobriety while attending my sophomore year of high school, reconnecting with friends, and playing sports. It took a very large toll on my mental health when I came home and saw that the world and the people I love moved on without me. I had to tackle that mental block, "Maybe they don't need me here". “Climb, conquer, move on" stuck with me. I have been drug-free for over two years now and I see how much of an impact I make in this world. Some days I see the top of the mountain in sight, and I keep on climbing. Other days I rest. I may have stumbled and lost some ground, but I have never gone back to the bottom. My next climb will be as I start my college career. That is an adventure I have prepared for more than most of my peers. My struggle almost cost me my life, and I know just how strong I am and what I need to do to overcome any boulder, hill, mountain, or storm life throws my way. Climb. Conquer. Move On.