In 2012 when I was seven years old, the apartment I lived in got broken into, and my favorite things were stolen. Weeks later, my mom brought home a tiny chihuahua and weenie-bred puppy. She was the cutest and quiet thing ever. She was small, short-haired, and golden brown. I couldn't keep my hands or eyes off her when I first saw her and I would pick her up and softly pet her as she kept her eyes closed. She was only about a few weeks old when we first got her. My mom soon named her Zora after one of her favorite writers, Zora Neale Hurston. Zora will be turning ten years old on November 4, 2022, and I will be eighteen very soon. She has grown up with me and watched me from being this little girl to becoming the young lady I am achieving to be. For me, Zora is my first best friend, she is a protector, one I can play with and also cry with. She definitely has been with me every single day since we've gotten her and I believe she is one of the most important living animal in my life. I wouldn't trade her for another dog. One memory that I will never ever forget, and that really showed me that Zora is a protector. One week I was sick, and my mother had made soup for my sore throat. I had finished the soup and tried to get up out of my bed, but I was extremely weak and very ill. She felt my energy and started barking on the top of the stairs. She barked for five minutes straight until my mother came to the bottom of the stairs. I remember my mother asking Zora why she was barking. Zora then ran into my room barking and my mother rushed up the stairs. Once my mom came into my room, I softly told her I was finished with my soup and she took it for me. At the time, I didn't realize the significance of Zora's actions and how she was there for me. She knew I wasn't feeling my best, and even now as I am writing this essay I hear her by my room door. She is one part of me that is solid. For almost ten years I have been with Zora. Through all the hard times at home, and nights where I've cried myself to sleep she has always laid next to me. I will be graduating high school in May 2023, and just the thought of me leaving her has me teary-eyed. Words cannot explain how grateful I am for her. She is the highlight of my life.

Being a captain in a marching band isn't easy. From the 8 am to 8 pm band camps, to getting yelled at by your coach takes a toll on you. One thing that puts the icing on the cake is my chronic auto-immune disease, which is called Hidradenitis Suppurativa. I know what you are thinking, "What is that?". Well, it's more common than you think, there are more than 200,000 cases per year in the United States. Hidradenitis Suppurativa is a chronic skin condition where painful lumps are produced in areas that our body sweats in. As an athlete sweating is inevitable, but there are ways to calm down the flares. August 2020 was one of the worst months of my life. I began my sophomore year in high school on a computer, not knowing when I would go back to school. It started as a small bump and then grew and grew until I couldn't walk any longer. The pain was out of this world, I couldn't eat, sleep, or even take shower. I ended up going to the hospital down by my house around 3 a.m. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, which left me clueless. I was in bed for a total of 7 days and I also missed virtual school due to my being in so much pain. It didn't last forever though, after I was relieved I was able to return to my normal life. was diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa a little over 2 months after the first flare-up. I continued to get them and they were horrible. Fast forward to my junior year of high school, I made the dance team for the second time. I was excited about the football games and showcasing my talent to the world. My condition was being treated with an antibiotic but it didn't stop the flares from coming. During my Junior year, I missed about 3 weeks of school, 2 football games, and 5 marching band practices. Missing the things I value, really hurt me and once I healed from my flares, I would feel extremely unmotivated. had to realize that a couple of days of pain, shouldn't dictate the rest of my life. I became co-captain of my dance team, a member of Ladies of Distinction, a member of the Student Government Association, and also passed all my classes with a 3.6 GPA. Two years later, and now I am a senior in high school. I am the captain of my dance team and am still a part of those clubs. My flares up have calmed down over the months with the help of my Humira pen. I am extremely grateful for what I have accomplished since I was diagnosed with HS. I learned how to be patient with my body and learned what triggers my flares. Most importantly, I've learned how to live with HS. There isn't any cure for it, I have to make the best of every situation. I've entered my senior year stronger than ever, I want to finish this last year of high school with a diploma in my hand and an acceptance letter from Jackson State University. In the months to come, I plan to major in environmental science and also take dancing to a collegiate level. I believe that God gives the strongest people the toughest battle, and I've won the war.