Brandon 340

     The Second Chance Foundation aims to give released prisoners the ability to find a new life and succeed in today's complicated world. There are around 600,000 people getting released from prison every year who struggle to get back on their feet and live a responsible lifestyle. However, in today's society, without any support or resources, it can be extremely difficult to make an honest living. Therefore, many people find themselves back in the positions that put them in jail in the first place. This is why the Second Chance Foundation was created.      Arguably, I have seen some of the worse of the incarceration side in this country. Unfortunately, my home state has an extremely high incarceration rate of 1,094 per 100,000 people which means it locks up a higher percentage of its people than any other democratic country in the world. I have seen friends, family, and strangers been arrested since a young age, and it is something that can have a lasting...

     From all standards, I am FAR from perfect. I overthink, overreact, underachieve, etc. I am the definition of imposter syndrome and not believing I am doing enough. However, one thing that I can say proudly say that I strive to do everyday is be grateful and happy. Wherever I go, I try to smile and look at the positive. I try to uplift others and "hold a mirror" to their faces, so they can realize how amazing they are because that is the truth. Humanity and everyone around us is amazing.     That daily goal of mine ultimately boils down to kindness. It is not hard to be kind. Be respectful, be understanding, and be aware that everyone is going through their own problems. I typically try to share my kindness through humor. I love when I can help people smile and laugh even if it is just for a second. All I want to do is try to make their day better.      So ultimately, in a world I dare to imagine, I think the first step is for everyone to be k...

     Every time I sent down to write this assignment, I have no idea where to start. I guess I am just do what I did last time and just treat this like a free write. It's odd that it is already April. The school year is extremely close to being over, and I cannot wait for summer. I plan on staying in LA for the summer, and it will be my first summer ever away from home. Honestly, I am both excited and sad. So for this post, I will talk about the pros and cons that I am anticipating for the upcoming summer.      I am excited because I feel like I have only been able to experience Los Angeles as a student. Most of my days and time are spent with the "Fryft" zone, and I am always busy. In summer, even though I will be working, my days will be more structured, and I can plan to do specific events based off this simple schedule. Additionally, one of my roommates will be staying in Los Angeles, and the rest are going across the country; therefore, we get to have ...

     For my second book, I read  Feel Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You  by Ali Abdaal. I decided to read this book because as the end of my college career nears, I found myself being worried about my future and where I am going to do after USC. I find myself concerned about finding a career that can sustain me financially but also give me happiness with the work that I put into it. Therefore, when I was reading the suggestions that Professor Hansen put online, I was struck by the following quotes used to describe the book: "The secret to productivity isn't discipline. It's joy" and " We think that productivity is all about hard work. That the road to success is lined with endless frustration and toil. But what if there's another way." These strong quotes convinced me to read the book because I wanted to learn how to happily and joyfully be productive.      I think it is clear that what I wanted to get out of this book was a...