(16,CA, USA) Michaela - Passion Fruit

All my life, I never had a passion. I mean, I never knew what I wanted to pursue when I reached the age where one’s life drastically changes. With taxes, bills, rent, and the underlying stress of life, I never knew what I wanted to be as an adult. One day, I was walking outside my neighborhood to get a breath of fresh air. It was undeniably stunning. The clouds were in all shapes and forms; one even looked like a donut. As I was walking, I noticed a small figure in the bushes. It was moving chaotically and intrigued my curiosity. The figure was a small cat. It was ginger and had white spots all over its ears. I noticed the cat was a boy and had the most beautiful green eyes that one could remember for a lifetime. However, something was different about this cat. It was almost as if he was hurting. He was suffering. I analyzed him just to notice that he had a broken paw. I was quickly alarmed and unsure what to do next. All I remember feeling is a sudden rush of sadness and adrenaline. I needed to help him. I’m not sure why I was so bent on helping this random cat I just found. Then I remembered that I did not live too far from a vet. Therefore, I picked him up and quickly made my way to the vet near my school. I approached the front desk and gave him to the receptionist, who quickly passed him on to the doctor. The receptionist's name was Ruby, and she said, “It’s not many days we see people caring for injured animals. People are usually the ones injuring the animals.” In that moment, I knew. I had found my passion.