My sophomore year has been an extremely formative one for me. I have experienced both joy and sadness, and learned how to cope with difficult situations. For example, when I was dealing with a disappointing development on Mock Trial, I did not allow the situation to change my entire outlook on life and school. Furthermore, I have spent half the year away from my best friend. While this has been difficult because I miss her, it has allowed me to create my own identity and continue to form as a person on my own, without an extremely strong influence from her. I have also learned the value of my family. Because I have spent so much time without them over the past year, I have started to cherish my visits home more and more. The food tastes even better, and my bed is even more comfortable. I believe that this appreciation for my family and my trips home has helped me to appreciate the other luxuries I have the opportunity to experience in my life. This summer, I will be taking on an exciting new internship that will allow me to make money, as well as learn about the field I want to go into. I will be staying away from my family for the first time, have to pay rent, and buy my own food. I feel like this year has allowed me to grow emotionally and become a more mature person. International Affairs Scholars has given me opportunities to learn about the world, other cultures, and international politics that I would have never otherwise received. This scholars program has been an integral part of my experience this year because it gave me the opportunity to learn about a field that I am passionate about- politics- and explain it to my peers. I feel that I have become a more capable, mature person over the past year, and I cannot wait to see what the upcoming years give me the opportunity to learn about myself.