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My river begins in Washington DC where I was born. I have been living in Maryland my whole life.

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I switch schools in the during middle school. In sixth grade I went to a very big public school and in seventh grade I went to a small private school. The transition between these two schools really changed my personality and expanded my world view. By going to a new school with different people, I was exposed to different ideas that impacted my life. I had a lot more opportunities at my new school and I also learned a lot more about myself and the world. For example, I learned more about the government and other countries. I also made new friends that introduced me to new styles and music. I realized that I was very privileged to be able to go to this new school and I was able to be grateful for my school.

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One cultural event that really impacted me was when I found out what race was. My mom is black and my dad is white. I grew up in a very diverse setting and I didn't understand that race was an issue in the world. When I was in elementary school we learned about segregation. Throughout my school years I started seeing racism everywhere. Often times black and hispanic people were portrayed as being criminals or being poor in the media. The more I learned, the more I wanted to do something to change how minorities were discriminated against. To this day, I think racial justice is extremely important and I want to do my part to end systemic racism.

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When I was in fifth grade, I ran for student president and I won. This may not seem like a big deal, but this win gave me confidence. I always wanted to lead in some way, and this was the biggest leadership role at my school.

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My river would have maybe four or five bends. These bends are from major changes in my life that impacted who I am or the way I think. I think my perspective has always ended up changing or expanding. I think in the future my river will also bend.

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I think that my river will be smooth flowing at times and then it will have places that are a bit rocky. The rocky places are where I am facing challenges. In the end, I think my river will end up being smooth.

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There have been many people who have impacted my life. My parents have been very influential. I think I get a lot of my character traits from them. I also had a lot of really great teachers who pushed me to be myself and to work hard. I've had many friends come and go, but I think they all taught me something. My family and friends combined have shaped my values and taught me so much.

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Right now I am in a smooth part of the river preparing for a turn. I am about to go into my junior year and I am going to start preparing for college. I think that when I go to college I will meet a lot of new people and be exposed to new ideas that will shape who I am. I think that in my future I will have more leadership opportunities that will impact me. I also think that in. my future I will be doing more of what I want to be doing to make an impact in the world.