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This piece is about someone who struggles with life and wants desperately to have hope. It is essentially a reflection on their thoughts and emotions as they work through their life, and also centers around the support of their best friend.

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I find hope in the sight of a small droplet growing into a larger one, a reminder that even the tiniest gestures hold significance. Much like numerous small droplets amalgamate to form a larger one, minor efforts add up to create a profound impact. This gives me hope as it shows that every individual, regardless of the scale of their action, have the ability to contribute to a greater cause.

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I am hopeful because there are many opportunities for each child to explore and experience the world's beauty in their own way.

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I find hope in the resilience of humans because I can simile that despite my imperfections and difficulties present in my life. This positivity is clearly portrayed through the image of a girl, seated among the destroyed buildings. Her bright smile in contrast to the catastrophe around her vividly captures this unwavering hope. Moreover, her stained jacket symbolizes all the imperfect features that individuals have, yet it does not diminish the radiance of her unshaken optimism. We can glimpse the determined power of the human heart to find hope and joy in the face of hardships.

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Upon Seeing Again The Thriving is a piece for modified wind ensemble. The piece starts in a state of stress, but then retreats to a state of relative serenity. A few calming melodies contemplate what it means to hope. Then, a melancholy section introduces a variation on the original motif. The conclusion, a march, provides a new variation on the original motif in a major key, solidifying hope and a glorious vision of the future. The unifying motif carries the piece through stress and depression, helping us reach better times ahead.

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My poem, "You Are Bold To Believe," celebrates those who exercise incredible patience, optimism, and hope even when everyone else has given up. In today's toxic landscape both on social media and in real life, people who have the patience to listen, understand, and help others are rare gems. My work uses alternating stanza lengths to indicate instability and uses metaphors to convey the point of hope in a world where everything feels ablaze. Ultimately, I am hopeful because of these people in my life who are able to provide me with stability and security.

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This piece portrayed a Native-American-Chief who is engraved with a solemn expression, symbolizing the historical challenges endured by indigenous people. As an immigrant, I greatly emphasized with Native Americans and recognized the similarity in our shared experiences of adaptation to a new culture. The chief's grim expression shows the hardships he faced over the years, serving as a powerful representation of hope. Despite the solemnity, the vibrant colors and subtle symbols convey my hope to pursue my dreams. This artwork reminds us that despite the adversities you face, hope remains the force that droves us toward a brighter future.

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Many times in life, one moves forward alone, but one encounters many people, stories, and scenery along the way. They formed hope. I am hopeful of hope because if I continue to walk firmly on the road of life, I will see more hope.

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In a world where most see things negatively, my poem provided us with even more hope. It talks about the immense amount of hope already present in our world and how everyone should look for it instead of losing it.

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A photograph taken of a piece of art made by students to stand with those suffering with breast cancer. This shows the immense amount of hope left in the world with people working together and standing against the sickness and hate in our world.

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I am hopeful because of the people around me. In the background, I have the words family, friends, me, and you to indicate the people that give me hope. The reds, blues, yellows, and greens give a sense of hopeful clarity, a new beginning that is full of colorful possibility. I drew myself looking expectantly, ready to face the future. 'Hope' is written on my arm and above me, showing how it is present in my mind and body. The surrounding colors blend into me, showing how the words of people I love, also around me, give hope to me.

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Hope means to wishing for a better future and achieving goals.

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My work shows a bird's egg being watched over by a dog and cat, three animals not usually together in the wild caring for a baby chick, and giving it gifts of a toy bone and fish. I am hopeful because of love and community, despite their differences people can care for each other and make the world a better place, as represented by the animal's compassion for each other.

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My work is related to the theme because of the symbolism relating to hope. The definition of hope is to cherish a wish or desire with anticipation. This is shown through the peace shown on the person’s face despite seeming to be broken. The flower growing out of her head is called the Star of Bethlehem, linked to the birth of Jesus as it was the name of the star leading the wise men to Jerusalem. This flower also represents hope and wishing for better times. Along with the Star of Bethlehem, Snowdrops also represent hope and renewal.

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Inspired by moonjellies I saw at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I've always admired how beautifully they swam around, seemingly unbothered by all sorts of visitors watching them. Jellyfish have survived as a species for over 500 million years. Imagine the amount of predators and environmental changes they must have adapted to in order to live on today. That's what gives me hope, if a simple brainless creature can survive in this world, why can't I?

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The painting shows a cream-colored dog by the window waiting for something—or people—to return home. The dog portrayed is my poodle, Haru. Haru has been with us for almost three years, and though her habits keep changing, there is one that has not: waiting by the window for us to come home. After a long day outside, we can expect to see her face peeking through the curtains by the window. Then we open our front door, and she's so excited that she jumps on all of us because she misses us or she's just starving.

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“I am hopeful because I will keep reaching higher and higher until, i’m in outer space.”

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“I am hopeful because I will keep reaching higher and higher until, i’m in outer space.”

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I will have a sun shining to represent a new start and happiness coming into life. I will have a bird that flies because it’s going up and going forward which everyone should do, to accept their life and move forward to have joy and happiness in their lives.

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I am hopeful because of my variety of Future

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I am hopeful because of my variety of Future

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The small car symbolizes my aspirations and the journey towards my future goals. The hair represents the ever-changing nature of the future. Above my sleeping portrait, I depict dreams that encompass a variety of possibilities. Through this piece, I convey that hope allows me to envision a brighter future filled with dreams and endless potential.

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I am hopeful because like the saying “turning lemons into lemonade”, something good will eventually happen or there are always positives to a situation. My piece includes strawberry lemonade, a lemon, a lime, and lychee lemon tea. Aside from the lime, these are various lemon products, conveying the variety of outcomes of a situation. Something may not seem positive at first, but something good can come out of something negative in many ways. I'm hopeful because I have a optimistic viewpoint.

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My art piece, Never Alone, represents me at a time when I felt alone but most people, even my close friends and family, didn't notice. It shows me feeling small and isolated in the world (the bathroom). The locked door keeps others out, and the mismatched colors and patterns represent my inner chaos, difficult to immediately see but also hard to miss once you know. The mirror, on the other hand, shows my hopefulness. Even when I was in a bad headspace, my friends, teachers and family made it clear that they were there to support me unconditionally.

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Within my work, I aimed to convey how every individual has their own unique way of getting through a tough time, and seeking hope in the process. I believe that everyone has a reason to be hopeful, and we just need to be able to find it. This was implemented throughout my dance choreography piece by contrasting textures and emotions within the song.

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Reflections 2023 Submission - Amanda Lai.MOV

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Butterfly is a symbol of hope! It starts its journey being ugly and morphs into a beautiful creature depicting how life can be dark at times, but could be transformed into a colorful phase with time! I am hopeful that we won't lose positivity in life where a small change might bring in a big change! Something that starts dull, dark and boring could transform into something bright and colorful with time. Just don't lose Hope!

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First Snow conveys the bittersweet goodbyes that come with growing up, connecting those complex emotions to the changing of the seasons. The piece starts off with a simple melody line conveying sadness over having to say those goodbyes, but as more harmonies are added, the music intensifies and a more hopeful melody shines through. This piece is meant to convey that even though the future may be uncertain, there is hope because every winter brings the coming of a new spring, and every period of goodbyes begins the start of a new chapter with unlimited possibilities.

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I am hopeful because there is always a tomorrow. With the dawn of a new day comes the opportunity to grow and flourish. Every day is another step towards the future, another reason to sustain hope. Hope is an eternal, undying flame, which is never to be lost, as there is forever the guarantee of tomorrow. This image is of the Grand Canyon bathed in the warm morning sunlight of a fresh day and symbolizes hope for the future, as the start of a new day is substantial reason maintain hope forever.

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I am hopeful because hope is inside everyone. Hope is what keeps everyone alive. The motivation to relish the new opportunities of tomorrow keeps every heart beating. Hope is an essential part of life and ties people together, inspiring unity and peace. My work is a haiku that encourages introspection and a deep analysis of the meaning of the word "hope" itself. Although my work is brief, every single word has an important meaning that ties back to the overarching theme of the importance of hope in our lives.

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A pale, miserable student lays flat in the darkness. Possessions scattered loosely around, with heaps of assignments piled nearby. Everything else can wait. What matters now is getting through these assignments. Soon he will have a break, and the blanket will fully cover and warm his tired self. The theme for the competition is "I am Hopeful Because.." In this piece, this theme is understood from a different viewpoint. Rather than a grand, overcomplicated reason, one can be just as hopeful for a little break from all the work.

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It's hard to imagine that there's nothing more to life than what we can see and touch. Perhaps there is a higher power, a force that binds everything together. I don't know for sure, but I choose to believe. My faith is my source of strength and hope, like the candle-light in a dark cave. Since it’s something intangible, it can’t be destroyed and is always a part of me. It allows me to call out to someone, when I feel happy, sad, grateful, depressed. My prayers are my hope for a better day.