1. Get to Know Me
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Describe an experience from your own life and explain how it has influenced your development of who you are today.
In 2013 my grandfather passed away. I was still young and didn't fully understand the gravity of the situation at the time, but since then I have learned a lot about myself. I vividly remember standing up at my grandfather's funeral to recite the 100th Psalm. When I looked up my heart dropped at the amount of sad people I saw. Initially I wondered why people who weren't related to my grandfather were so sad. Then I looked to the row my family was sitting in and saw even sadder people. I recited the Psalm and sat back down, however in the back of my mind I couldn't get passed the fact that people I knew didn't know my grandfather came to his funeral . Since then I have realized the type of love and community my grandfather surrounded himself with. Growing up in a small town, yet having nearly 100 people at his funeral was surprising to me. I now understand that this happened because my grandfather showed love and compassion to everyone he knew, and in turn people showed him the same love and compassion back. My grandfather's funeral taught me to always be kind, compassionate, and loving towards people and they will do the same. Who in your life has been your biggest influence and why? How can you take those qualities and become a mentor for others? My biggest influence in my life is my dad. He is the most caring person I know and goes out of his way to make the people he loves feel supported. I aspire to be the same type of leader as my father. In the face of adversity, he pushes himself and his colleagues to keep going. One thing I love about my Dad is what he stands for. Coming from a very small town in the panhandle of Oklahoma, my father grew up to become a liberal. I respect my father's ability to figure out for himself what he believes in politically and challenge the norms of the society he grew up in. How has your family background affected the way you see the world? Both of my parents come from very small towns in Oklahoma. My father grew up on a third generation ranch in a small town called Forgan. As I have grown up I have heard many stories about my ancestors and the hardships they faced to acquire this land. The first generation of Oklahomans, me being the fourth, who settled in the small town of Forgan were not only original pioneers, but Dust Bowl survivors. The second generation of my ancestors, my grandfather, grew up experiencing a number of hardships but was able to get a college education and better himself. This type of hard work has been a pilar of my family for many years. By learning about my family's rich history of survival and success I have also learned that through focus, hard work, and dedication I can achieve not only my goals, but survive many of life's challenges. What are your top five character strengths? How do you expect to use two of your top five strengths in your leadership next year? My top five characters strengths from the VIA character test were: bravery, love, humor, gratitude, and fairness. I expect to use bravery as a factor in my skills to lead a group. Not being afraid to speak up and voice my opinion. I can use my love and humor traits to make people around me feel comfortable. Lastly, through my belief in gratitude and fairness, I believe I can be a good team player who has the ability to step into everyone's shoes. It is important to me that the people around me feel like they are being heard and are able to express themselves. List three adjectives that you feel accurately describe any areas of needed improvement of your personality. Specifically, how are you working to improve? An adjective to describe one of my weaknesses would be procrastinate. As my work load started to increase, specifically this year, I continue to find myself procrastinating my homework. To combat this struggle, I have started to set a specific time in which I must start working. Another weakness I possess is a fear of conflict. Not in small terms like a challenging problem in my school work, but an anxiety towards over-booking myself. In other words, I do not like committing myself to things I know I cannot handle at the time. Lastly, sometimes I find it easy to close myself off to others. When I'm not engaged I find myself having not spoken for a while or making little effort to encourage a conversation. To combat this I've learned to ask more questions to keep myself as engaged as possible. Describe how you have demonstrated leadership ability both in and out of school. This year I got into a Youth Leadership Exchange OKC program. The program, Youth in Action, consists of around 20 students who are acting as a mini foundation. Through this program I have learned many things about being a leader and representing smaller organizations. I really enjoy our monthly meetings and have found Youth in Action to be both challenging and exciting to get out into the world and make connections with important and courageous people. In school I am a Junior Class Officer. As an officer, I specifically am responsible for Homecoming. My partner and I were able to help Mrs. Heil plan a lot for kick-off week, homecoming week, and the homecoming dance this year. I really enjoyed using my leadership skills to help with their Lip Sync as well. Discuss two causes or issues in your community you are passionate about. I am passionate about issues regarding mental health and racism in our community. Being immersed in the athletic world at my school, I remember a certain act of racism at a basketball game. At a Midwest City versus Norman High basketball game the announcers forgot to turn off their mics and were heard calling Norman High players the n-word for kneeling during the national anthem. In the media the BLM movement is very relevant, but when something this close to home happens, in a gym I was in a week ago, it makes things feel very real and serious. An instagram account was created by one of my classmates called "blacks at HH". The account is highlighting black and minority students at Heritage Hall. I recently came across the account and it opened my eyes to how people at my school are really being treated. People share their experiences with teachers and students and these instances are posted, while keeping everything anonymous. It is inspiring to see this light be brought up at my school by our student body. Mental Health is a big issue the youth of Oklahoma City is facing. This week at my Advisory Council meeting, I completed an online simulation created to teach students how to help a friend who's struggling with mental health issues to contact a parent or adult. I think mental health is not being taken very seriously in Oklahoma schools because many schools do not have enough resources to identify a kid who needs help. What is your favorite quote? Why? "Not forever, but for now." Oddly enough, I found this quote today in my math notebook. I think I wrote it down thinking it was a song I needed to look up later. I like this quote because of its optimistic, yet pessimistic feeling. It reminds me to live in the moment, but to remember it won't always last. No matter if am I struggling or excelling, whatever is going on will eventually end and something good or bad will begin. This quote makes me remember how young I am and how many chapters there still are in my life. Define success in your own words. Do NOT use any quotes or other sources in your answer. How will you work for success? To me success is finding happiness in every aspect of your life. My career, friends, family, and community are all aspects of life I wish to find happiness in. If this is possible, for even a few years, I will consider myself successful. I will accomplish this by staying curious. Always asking questions and challenging norms are traits I think help a person grow and ultimately find happiness. I value a happy healthy life that in turn will make me feel successful in the life I create. How do you feed your intellect beyond your required coursework? Recently I have found myself reading books. An adult in my life told me that they would tell their younger self to read more and by doing so I would never imagine the world I would unlock for myself. For me, finishing a book or a project I began on my own feels more satisfying than completing work I am assigned. Also reading books makes me feel more mature and scholarly. |
My dad, sister and I circa 2011 from my Aunt's wedding. 
My dad in Forgan, OK on the same land that has been in my family for four generations. 
My group and I for the Youth in Action program. Here, we are practicing a pitch to a donor.
My entire YLX youth in action class during one of the full-day monthly meetings.
My "For Now":
Pictures that highlight the chapters of my life I've lived so far. During High School, I have loved going to concerts. 
My mom and I circa 2005 in the backyard garden at our old house.
During the summer, my friend and I volunteer at St. Anthony Hospital. 
Me at the San Diego Zoo in 2010. 
Lastly, in the chapter of my life happening now, my favorite thing to do is get dinner with my friends.
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2. My Perspective on Peer Leadership
Will your reputation within the student body help or hurt your influence as a Peer Leader? Explain why you believe so.
My reputation at Heritage Hall will help my influence as a peer leader. I have a strong group of friends at Heritage Hall and I believe I have the ability to make each of my relationships meaningful. I am respectful to all my teachers and have always been a eager student. I like to go out of my way to make my friends and classmates feel like they can come to me with anything. Being new to Heritage Hall as a freshman, I have a soft spot for all new students. I try to make as many as possible feel like Heritage Hall is the place they should be.
What unique experiences, skills and values will you bring to the Peer Leader Program?
As a peer leader I believe I can introduce freshman to high school in a fun and meaningful way. I remember all of my peer leaders and had a blast getting to know them. If I become a peer leader, I want my peerlings to feel the same way. I also want to be a peer leader that freshman aren't scared to talk to and a friend they can come to with advice. I also like to think I am creative, so making a lesson fun should be easy.
What do you imagine will be the greatest challenge for you if you serve as a Peer Leader?
For me, the biggest challenge I may have as a peer leader would be having a voice in a room full of my peers. Sometimes I find talking to younger students easier than leading a room full of my peers. Speaking up and voicing my opinion will be a challenge I believe will be easier to overcome as I grow closer to the students in my grade and my peers.
Is there a difference in what 7th or 9th graders want from a Peer Leader and what they need? Explain.
I think middle school is some of the most formidable years for students, so a lot goes on between seventh and ninth grade. Once you reach high school, students have a new sense of eagerness and confidence then what they were experiencing in middle school. During seventh grade I felt like middle school would never end and I would be this awkward forever, but by ninth grade I felt like I was ready for whatever high school would throw at me. Needless to say, the transition into freshman year was rocky, I still found a new sense of confidence in myself that I believed transpired in middle school. As a peer leader I want to offer a place for freshman to go and be themselves. Finding where you fit in in high school is difficult, but Peer Leadership should be a place everyone can be themselves.
What is one way that you would improve Peer Groups? Explain your answer.
I would like to change the preconceived notions regarding peer groups. When I was a freshman, everyone always dreaded going to peer groups because they just wanted to eat with their friends at lunch. If I become I peer leader I want to ensure that every freshman has a friend in the group. I understand this may not be possible for every student, however I think by making peer groups a fun and comfortable space freshman can find a friend in me. I also want to make sure the lunches stay busy and directed towards the lesson. My freshman year, the conversation would often die. I think by making all the freshman comfortable, the lunches can be more fun.
What are your greatest concerns, if any, about the Wilderness Trip?
My greatest concern regarding the Wilderness Trip is just not knowing what to expect. I have never really gone camping or backpacking like this before, so I don't know how I will like any of it. I expect to like the first few days, but by the fourth be pretty tired. Another concern of mine is white water rafting. I do not enjoy it. Besides the unknown and white water rafting, I do not have many concerns regarding the Wilderness Trip.
In your own words, how would your participation in the Wilderness Trip strengthen you as a Peer Leader?
While on the Wilderness Trip I will learn to adapt to new situations and become closer with my classmates. These experiences will help me be a more successful and effective peer leader. If I can make relationships with the people around me, I will be practicing the warm and inviting environment I intend to make peer groups.
My reputation at Heritage Hall will help my influence as a peer leader. I have a strong group of friends at Heritage Hall and I believe I have the ability to make each of my relationships meaningful. I am respectful to all my teachers and have always been a eager student. I like to go out of my way to make my friends and classmates feel like they can come to me with anything. Being new to Heritage Hall as a freshman, I have a soft spot for all new students. I try to make as many as possible feel like Heritage Hall is the place they should be.
What unique experiences, skills and values will you bring to the Peer Leader Program?
As a peer leader I believe I can introduce freshman to high school in a fun and meaningful way. I remember all of my peer leaders and had a blast getting to know them. If I become a peer leader, I want my peerlings to feel the same way. I also want to be a peer leader that freshman aren't scared to talk to and a friend they can come to with advice. I also like to think I am creative, so making a lesson fun should be easy.
What do you imagine will be the greatest challenge for you if you serve as a Peer Leader?
For me, the biggest challenge I may have as a peer leader would be having a voice in a room full of my peers. Sometimes I find talking to younger students easier than leading a room full of my peers. Speaking up and voicing my opinion will be a challenge I believe will be easier to overcome as I grow closer to the students in my grade and my peers.
Is there a difference in what 7th or 9th graders want from a Peer Leader and what they need? Explain.
I think middle school is some of the most formidable years for students, so a lot goes on between seventh and ninth grade. Once you reach high school, students have a new sense of eagerness and confidence then what they were experiencing in middle school. During seventh grade I felt like middle school would never end and I would be this awkward forever, but by ninth grade I felt like I was ready for whatever high school would throw at me. Needless to say, the transition into freshman year was rocky, I still found a new sense of confidence in myself that I believed transpired in middle school. As a peer leader I want to offer a place for freshman to go and be themselves. Finding where you fit in in high school is difficult, but Peer Leadership should be a place everyone can be themselves.
What is one way that you would improve Peer Groups? Explain your answer.
I would like to change the preconceived notions regarding peer groups. When I was a freshman, everyone always dreaded going to peer groups because they just wanted to eat with their friends at lunch. If I become I peer leader I want to ensure that every freshman has a friend in the group. I understand this may not be possible for every student, however I think by making peer groups a fun and comfortable space freshman can find a friend in me. I also want to make sure the lunches stay busy and directed towards the lesson. My freshman year, the conversation would often die. I think by making all the freshman comfortable, the lunches can be more fun.
What are your greatest concerns, if any, about the Wilderness Trip?
My greatest concern regarding the Wilderness Trip is just not knowing what to expect. I have never really gone camping or backpacking like this before, so I don't know how I will like any of it. I expect to like the first few days, but by the fourth be pretty tired. Another concern of mine is white water rafting. I do not enjoy it. Besides the unknown and white water rafting, I do not have many concerns regarding the Wilderness Trip.
In your own words, how would your participation in the Wilderness Trip strengthen you as a Peer Leader?
While on the Wilderness Trip I will learn to adapt to new situations and become closer with my classmates. These experiences will help me be a more successful and effective peer leader. If I can make relationships with the people around me, I will be practicing the warm and inviting environment I intend to make peer groups.
HOW I PLAN TO CHANGE THE WORLD:
4. Learning From Mistakes
Which historical figure do you most closely associate with and feel best illustrates your outlook on life? Be sure to explain your outlook and how you have applied or will apply your learning from this person.
David Bowie is an important pop culture figure who I greatly admire. Bowie made a huge impact on music culture and spawned many movements and genres of all kinds. He had a "make the best of every moment outlook on life" and a live in the present philosophy. Both of these ideas are important to me and how I live my life. As an artist, David Bowie created things that still resonate with the world today. For me, being a peer leader would mean I leave my final impact on Heritage Hall. Like Bowie, I want to leave a positive message that I can be remembered by.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
A setback that has effected who I am today is when I moved schools. My middle school ended in eighth grade, which meant I needed to find a high school to attend starting freshman year. The transition was hard for me. I had left all the people I had been going to school with for 12 years. At the time, I didn't realize how thankful I would be today for the change. I think now, knowing how I adapt to new schools, I will be better prepared for college. I also think getting out of my comfort zone and making new friends was good for me. Although the transition was hard, I am thankful I went through it. My high school career has been everything I wished for so far.
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
More recently, my college decision process has started to begin. As I tour more colleges I am learning what I do and do not like. As I have started to become more serious about my future and analyze what I want from it, I have learned a lot about myself. My dream is to go to an out of state college. I have always known that is what I wanted to do. However, as the time to actually go to college keeps getting closer, I am starting to regret this dream. The thought of leaving my friends, family and everything I have ever known it scary, yet exciting. This process has help me realize who I am and how I must put myself in uncomfortable positions to achieve my goals.
David Bowie is an important pop culture figure who I greatly admire. Bowie made a huge impact on music culture and spawned many movements and genres of all kinds. He had a "make the best of every moment outlook on life" and a live in the present philosophy. Both of these ideas are important to me and how I live my life. As an artist, David Bowie created things that still resonate with the world today. For me, being a peer leader would mean I leave my final impact on Heritage Hall. Like Bowie, I want to leave a positive message that I can be remembered by.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
A setback that has effected who I am today is when I moved schools. My middle school ended in eighth grade, which meant I needed to find a high school to attend starting freshman year. The transition was hard for me. I had left all the people I had been going to school with for 12 years. At the time, I didn't realize how thankful I would be today for the change. I think now, knowing how I adapt to new schools, I will be better prepared for college. I also think getting out of my comfort zone and making new friends was good for me. Although the transition was hard, I am thankful I went through it. My high school career has been everything I wished for so far.
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
More recently, my college decision process has started to begin. As I tour more colleges I am learning what I do and do not like. As I have started to become more serious about my future and analyze what I want from it, I have learned a lot about myself. My dream is to go to an out of state college. I have always known that is what I wanted to do. However, as the time to actually go to college keeps getting closer, I am starting to regret this dream. The thought of leaving my friends, family and everything I have ever known it scary, yet exciting. This process has help me realize who I am and how I must put myself in uncomfortable positions to achieve my goals.
5. College Applications
- One of my identities is curiosity. I began to realize how curious I was about the world around me when I became obsessed with binge-watching crime documentaries. Many people wonder what makes a person commit fraud or murder and I fell down the same rabbit hole. My curiosity began because I knew there was no definitive answer, but there had to be something these criminals have in common. Most of the series I was binge-watching were centered around psychopaths and sociopaths. Personality disorders are often defined by their traits and characteristics but lack evidence of their origins. This is the part I am most interested in. What changes in a person between infancy and adulthood? In many cases, this question still remains unanswered. My obsession with the criminal mind made me realize how much more I want to learn about the world. I hope my light of curiosity never dulls.
- Advocate: I chose the theme “advocate” because I try to advocate for those who do not have the same privileges or opportunities. Last year, I participated in a leadership program with the goal of raising awareness of a problem in my community. As a group, we brainstormed twenty problems that the youth in my area were facing. We finished the day with a mission statement tackling the need for programs that will provide training for essential life in financial literacy, sex education, and mental health services. By the end of the year, our Youth Leadership Oklahoma City group raised $20,000 for the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club. Part of the money raised funded mental health services to Boys and Girls Club members, contracted through a local mental health service. The other part helped fund two different programs, S.M.A.R.T. Moves and Money Matters, which teach sex education and financial literacy. As the next chapter in my life begins, I want to carry on the lessons I learned from this community-focused program and advocate for those who are struggling within their communities. The program sparked a passion for change within me while also exposing me to a more diverse demographic.
- When I began freshman year, I wanted to be an athlete. I was inspired by the dedication and perseverance of my peers. After that year in basketball, I realized that in a physical sense, sports were not for me. However, I still wanted to develop the skills that inspired me when I began. Luckily for me, when a new coaching staff came in my sophomore year, they were more than willing to let me continue to be a part of the team. I would still be a part of the basketball family, which is what I wanted more than anything, but I was faced with a challenge: how do I create a purpose for myself on a team that I do not play for? I worked with the coach to fulfill the position of team manager. I knew I would have strength as a manager if I could express my creativity. I approached the coach and asked if I could become the social media manager as well. At first, he was hesitant, only because the social media for the sports teams were usually run by adults, but he warmed up to the idea and was willing to give me a try. I was working with an account with just under one hundred followers. The posts had not been updated since 2015, back when you could post a random object and caption it with one word. So far, I have grown the account to just over two hundred followers. I post reminders, game times, recognitions, events, big moments in good games, and awards of each of the players. I have received many compliments about how helpful and creative the account is. It’s been three years since I became the social media manager for the girls basketball team, and I can easily say that the family we have become will be something I miss dearly in college. Expressing my creativity has always been one of my strengths, and finding new ways to do so has helped me keep that spark alive.
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RESUMÉ
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CHARGER CODE
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APPLICATIONS
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