In June 2022, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, it prompted me to seriously question many legal concepts and societal beliefs that I had long taken for granted. The decision made me reflect on how deeply ingrained ideas about rights and freedoms can be challenged and shifted, forcing me to reconsider what I believed to be unshakeable truths. It became clear that issues I thought were settled could be revisited, reshaping the way we view legal protections and social justice. This experience made me more aware of the fluidity of societal norms and the ongoing need to critically examine and question the foundations of the laws and beliefs we hold.

For my mini project in Advanced Composition, I created a detailed backstory for my movie monster mask, exploring themes of monstrosity and human nature. The story centers around Lontrell, a child with schizophrenia, a serious mental condition that causes a breakdown between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty perceptions, inappropriate actions, and withdrawal from reality. His condition manifests in hallucinations, where he screams at the sight of his parents, unable to recognize them, and experiences memory loss and strange confabulation moments. When his parents came to adopt, they noticed that Lontrell was unlike the other children they had met, his symptoms highlighting a deep sense of mental fragmentation. This project allowed me to develop my creative writing, analytical, and composition skills while diving into the complexities of mental illness and how it relates to the concept of monstrosity.