Alkenyatta Al Wilson Scholarship

As a young adult, you think you are invincible but life comes with many obstacles, as well as many lessons to be learned. The main three obstacles that I had to overcome were grief, mental health, and finances. During Covid, I lost many people, but the loss of my 17-year-old cousin is what truly changed my way of seeing the world. Hearing the news, it felt like the world went mute and my heart skipped a beat. 2 weeks before her passing I was able to tell her that I loved her and see her smile for the last time. Since my eighth grade year in middle school to now I have struggled with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Though I have had therapy throughout the years going to college and being away from family and friends in the life I know scared me. Being in a new environment in which I have no prior knowledge of how things worked, as well as taking courses at a different level and intensity, gave me the fear of failing. The biggest obstacle, which I feel like many students face is financial. But don’t Cookman is the current college in which I am attending and tuition is well over $30,000. Don’t get many scholarships. There is still some money that I have in which I have to pay every semester. Knowing, this made me fall back on which school I was going to attend because of the fear of having to put that financial strain on my family. After I lost her I made it my mission to graduate high school with the highest GPA I can get and get into an excellent college and get my degree. She wasn’t able to graduate high school and go to college like she wanted to, but her legacy and memories are what push and drive me to be the best I can be. When it comes to financial and mental health issues pushed me to attend an HBCU as well as be an advocate for black women and people of color everywhere who struggle through the situation. I was blessed enough to have an amazing family who can help me pay for my semester in college as well as help me with my mental health. This will forever motivate me to continue my education and not only make them proud but make myself proud.