Period poverty: “lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, waste management, and education.” As a Haitian-American who regularly sent boxes of supplies to family in Haiti, I’d always known what it was, but never had a name for it. My first experience with period poverty was the infamous 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, not because I was personally there, but because of the effect it had on me - even in America. Many of my family lost their homes, all of their belongings, and their livelihoods. I will never forget the moment my mother got the call that her aunt had died. I later found out that it was from toxic shock syndrome. She had always had heavy menstrual cycles, and after losing all her belongings, she was forced to use the same tampon for almost 24 hours due to attempting to ration what she had left. Because tampon use was not common in Haiti, she had to use them because of her heavy menstrual cycle, most people did not know the dire consequences of using one for such an extended period. Unfortunately, this would not be an uncommon occurrence. While toxic shock syndrome is rare, humiliation, infection, and starvation were rampant in not just Haiti, but also, to my surprise, in America. Some women have to miss work or school because they lack necessary hygiene products. Others have to choose whether they feed themselves that day or buy a box of tampons, which despite being an unavoidable necessity, are taxed as luxury items. I wanted to change things, but aside from care packages, I didn’t think there was anything I could do. Until it was discussed at one of the clubs I participate in at school, Women of Tomorrow. At a meeting, we were discussing potentially hosting a period drive in school with the club, and that got me thinking. At first, I was discouraged that we would only be able to host the drive for one month, once a year, because people menstruate for more than just one month out of the year. I had wished at the time that it would be possible for the club to do more in the efforts of supporting and bringing awareness to women’s hygiene. That’s when I realized that I didn’t need to rely on a club in school to make this happen. I was more than capable of taking the initiative and doing this myself. So, I started looking into what would be the best ways to help and how I could get more people involved in my cause. Through this, I dove deeper into what a non-profit is. Though I had previous business experience, I had never done something like and from that point on I decided that that is what I wanted to do with the goal. The task seemed daunting at first, but through doing my research I realized that this could soon become a reality. I then founded, Bleeding Hearts Across America. Within our first year, we were able to provide hygiene products to over 1,000 women and girls, bringing awareness to underprivileged/underrepresented communities, and an advocate for the women who aren’t in a position to advocate for themselves. I plan to make the world a better place by continuing to not only advocate for women but also educate and empower women to do the same for others.
I have made my school a better place by emphasizing the importance of friendliness. For two years, I was president of a club called Anchored4Life, which focused on helping new students at our school. However, I focused on more than just showing them around. I befriended our new students and helped them find their place in our school so they could continue growing. I also worked closely with the administration of my school and was told of any students that were having a hard time and just needed a friend; I always reached out and at least tried to befriend them, even when they were not receptive to my friendliness. During this time, I saw students who were anxious and barely wanted to talk to me turn into social butterfly's laughing and enjoying themselves with their new friend groups in the hallways. Witnessing this change validated my feelings on how important friendship is and encouraged me to continuously reach out and be a friend to my peers even if they did not want to be bothered.
I intend to keep up my dedication to friendliness and inclusion throughout my college career and beyond. Nursing is a tough job, and the difficulties faced during schooling and on the job can break the spirit of good people and their desire to be even better nurses. I believe my dedication to friendliness will allow my spirit to not be broken and allow me to persevere even when times are tough. You receive the energy you put out, and my friendliness will surround me with others that have similar mindsets and similar focuses on putting out positive energy.
All people deserve medical professionals that are optimistic and want to do more for them than just treat them and get them out as soon as possible. I believe my dedication to being friendly while helping my patients will make them feel comfortable in healthcare settings and encourage people to not avoid hospitals. There are thousands of people every year who suffer or pass away because of the fear of going to the hospital and being judged or not given the priority they need, and I feel that the environment I will create the healthcare facilities I am employed at will help fight this problem and encourage people to get help before it is too late. A healthy environment is essential for healthcare facilities, and I know that I will bolster the health of my environments, and subsequently the people we are helping.
“The past is where you learned the lesson, the future is where you apply it" - Anonymous. Most people allow their past to break them or they choose to leave it behind. I, on the other hand, decided to let my past form me into the person I am today. My past was very challenging, and I didn't have anyone that I could trust enough to talk to. Certain things allowed my mindset to mature too early but this allowed me to see life differently and really open my eyes to all possibilities.
I wanted to be the shoulder that other kids my age felt comfortable enough to lean on. I realized that I love helping and talking to children, and later found interest in the way they think and act. During junior year, I took a class called Business and Entrepreneurship. The teacher of the class took some of the students on a business pitch field trip. My partner and I began to focus on young girls our age because we are really in need of the most guidance at the moment, and we agreed on starting a mentoring program for young girls ages 5-18 called Sisterhood by J&D. The program helped them with their feminine wellness, provided them with free feminine products, and we taught one another how to cope with our emotions while letting each other know that we will always have someone to talk to when we feel like no one is listening.
I chose to change my path and seek knowledge in the psychology field. This scholarship would allow me to continue my journey of becoming a child psychologist to help children better cope with life, mental health conditions, and any other life issues they may be experiencing. I want to try my best to bring down the child suicide rate and help children find the help they deserve. I decided to join a lot of school clubs in Highschool to allow my voice and the voices of my peers to be heard. I am a great leader, listener, and communicator, and I love being involved in the community. I am in the National Honors Society and the Student Government Association serving as SGA Treasurer, and I am in the Marching Band holding the title of Miss Band and Percussion Section leader. I am also a mentor in a Senior-freshman mentoring program at my school so that I, as a senior, can give the freshmen advice on high school life.
