Hobbies and interests
Drawing And Illustration
Cooking
Reading
Adult Fiction
Novels
Philosophy
Contemporary
I read books multiple times per month
Max Lardschneider
1,455
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FinalistMax Lardschneider
1,455
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
I am the daughter of a German father and an African American mother. They have been a huge support system throughout my life. I have had to deal with many health issues that threatened both my mental health and my academic proceedings.
My multiple trips to the hospital and having to manage both my health and continue through life took their toll on me and although my parents were a large support system for me they were always the most supportive and did what they could, as I am moving into this next phase of life I am learning how to be there for myself as I begin teaching myself more financial and emotional independence.
I have been told that I am a force to be reckoned with. I have dealt with many circumstances that tried to slow me down but my drive continues. when I care about something I give it my all and I care about finding my next steps through further education.
College is many people's first thrust into adulthood and often comes with many additional struggles whether they be financial, learning needs, etc. I want to be able to focus on what matters; learning.
I grew up with allergies to dairy eggs nuts soy and shellfish (and a couple of other misc. things) had a severe calcium deficiency due to my hypoparathyroidism, got an essential tremor in my hand, and was diagnosed with a rare syndrome but I still found things that I love. I love to draw and I haven't let that stop although it has definitely become more difficult I love to cook and find ways to create things avoiding my allergies.
I don't know what I want to do yet but I do want to strive for greatness
Education
Smith College
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Anthropology
Minors:
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Brooklyn Friends School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
- Marketing
- Psychology, General
- Agricultural and Food Products Processing
Career
Dream career field:
Marketing and Advertising
Dream career goals:
Creative director or artist
Social media marketing
SYEP2022 – Present2 years
Sports
Volleyball
Junior Varsity2016 – 20193 years
Arts
- Visual ArtsPresent
Public services
Volunteering
Horizons — assistant teacher2020 – 2020
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
"Forbidden Foods" Scholarship
I have deadly food allergies. Seven of the top ten food allergies, to be exact. Diagnosed as a mere baby, I had never lived a life without allergies. I felt isolated throughout my childhood. I resented being the only one who couldn't find anything at restaurants or had to decline baked goods because the people didn't know the ingredients. Searching for a place where I could eat when out with friends made me sad - I was embarrassed by my allergies. It felt like my allergies were robbing me of my self-esteem and something else I loved -- food. Out of those experiences grew knowledge. I learned the importance of reading labels and advocating for myself at restaurants. How many five-year-olds could read words like "soy lecithin," let alone understand them? But most importantly, I learned to cook.
Growing up in a multiracial family that loved to cook, I was exposed to many different foods. We cooked at home almost every day. This atmosphere sparked my interest in food and inspired me to begin cooking. I would come home from school, and with my parents still at work, I would "cook" something for myself. Watching the Food Network and various food YouTubers made me think about how I could make versions of the food that were safe for me. Instead of just moping, when I saw something delicious in the bakery window, I just wondered how I could make this for myself. With the help of my parents, I tried to make what used to be inaccessible - accessible. It was fun to figure out how to make something from scratch, and it was special since, due to the restrictions of my allergies, I had to substitute "essential ingredients." Every new recipe became an experiment.
My mom pointed out that millions of others face similar problems, and many do not have the same support system as me, so why not share the results of my "experiments" with others? Why not give them the resource I never had but had to figure out through trial and error? From that, "The Max Alternative" was born. It's a place to share safe food tips, recipes, ingredients, and information for people with food allergies. With the help of my parents, I started documenting my attempts at creating allergy-friendly recipes and sharing them. By doing that, I showed that it is possible to make a yummy cake without dairy, eggs, etc. While there may be failures along the way, all that matters is that I tried. I want to turn my cooking into a business to help those who either have allergies or a person with allergies in their life. I can share my knowledge and become a resource that I never had.
I like knowing that my experiences weren't for naught. I'd like to think that I am helping or inspiring at least one other person who may feel ostracized due to their allergies. I've learned that, like life, food allergies are what you make of them. I am a part of something larger than myself. This scholarship would help me to be able to turn my dream into a reality. When I attend college, I plan on studying marketing and food science to turn my experience with food allergies and my passion for cooking into a business that can help. It is just an Instagram page currently, but I want to expand it into something bigger. I am one of 32 million Americans that have food allergies. Now, I don't mind being different if it means I can make a difference.