Olivia Paniccia

My name is Olivia Grace Paniccia. I am 17 years old and will be graduating this June.

I recently was inducted into the National Honor Society. I was very excited to be chosen by my teachers to be a peer mentor for incoming freshman.

My life goals are to help make our planet a cleaner world and protect endangered species. I want to help make a mark during my lifetime by helping others and protecting our environment for my generation and those after me. My goal is to find a fulfilling career where I can make a difference and lead a happy and healthy life.

I am very passionate about helping animals and those that are unable to help themselves. I am also very passionate about family.

My mom has a rare neurological syndrome called Stiff Person Syndrome. It affects one in a million people. She used to run marathons and 7 years ago she started to have spasms that dislocated her shoulder three times. She can not have it fixed and she can no longer walk or drive. Because of this, she can no longer work and is on disability. Her only income is the money she receives monthly from disability. My sister and I help her the best we can. This has taught my sister and myself empathy and how your life can change in a moment. It also has taught me not to take the little things, like tying your shoes or getting dressed for granted. It has also taught me compassion.

I am going into Environmental Science and Sustainability to make the world a better place for mine and her future. I want her to inherit a clean environment and understand how we can contribute to making the world a better place and the importance to learn about politics and vote for candidates that share our same values and interests.

I am a very committed, responsible and above all compassionate about everything I do. Having financial assistance would enable me to take off the financial burden of my mom and pursue my goal of protecting our planet and all species that live here.
In 2023 over a dozen birds went extinct. Our pollinators are declining at an alarming rate. This needs to stop. as well as ensuring we have clean drinking water and our technology to help clean our planet is up to date and efficient.
Thank you for reading a little part of my story.