Growing up is arguably the most difficult part of life. It's a time for figuring things out and slowly becoming your own person. Honestly, adolescence is the part of your life in which you are the most fragile and vulnerable that you'll ever be. Growing up can be really scary and the pressure can be enough to make or break anyone.

I was lucky enough to have the best adolescence imaginable. Granted, growing up wasn't--and still isn't--easy, but there was one important factor in my life that made it all worth it: the arts.

Like many others, I spent my teenage years in a whirlwind of emotions. I was testing out the waters of the real world, wrestling with my own self-doubt and struggling with my efforts to fit in. During this trying time, I discovered my passion for acting, and I'm so thankful that I did. Becoming active in the arts through community theatre truly changed my life. I can't imagine living without my passion.

I am a better person because of my involvement with the arts. I have learned so many life lessons, ranging anywhere from responsibility and accountability to empathy and self-love. I'm living proof that the arts can really mold someone into the person they've always dreamed of being. With the arts, the possibilities are endless.

It is no secret that children are our future. It is imperative that we make the arts a priority in the lives of children and teenagers around the country. Doing so will teach them that the sky truly is the limit, and they can do anything they set their minds to. Determination is a powerful emotion.

Unfortunately, there is a man who wants to wipe the arts clean off of the map. Incidentally, this man also was just inaugurated as President of the United States. Apparently, Donald J. Trump and his transition team have decided that due to the country's outlandish amount of debt, it can no longer feasibly fund the arts. Evidently, .016% of a $4.6 trillion budget is too much to be allotted to something so vital to the future of this country.

Currently in the Unites States, the arts are on the rise. Creative minds from every corner of the globe are being hired to produce innovative new television shows (thanks, Netflix!), design stunning graphics (hello, Pixar), and perform show-stopping musicals (I'm talking about you, Hamilton). Entertainment is something we as a country are extremely invested in. However, with the proposed budget cuts and eradication of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, there will be no entertainment left to enjoy. Children and teenagers will not grow up in environments where they can learn the crafts that are the basis of the entertainment industry. More importantly, they will not grow up discovering their passions and true potential.

I mentioned earlier that determination is a powerful emotion. But it is exactly what we need in times like these. We must stand up for what we believe in. We must be resilient in the face of injustice. We must be determined to save the arts.