Growing up, I did not have access to the guidance, connections, or financial stability that many students around me seemed to have. I was raised in a low-income household where my family struggled with addiction, incarceration, and loss. College was never something that was carefully planned for me step-by-step. Instead, I found myself trying to navigate applications, scholarships, internships, financial aid, and leadership opportunities almost entirely on my own. I remember staying up late researching programs I had never heard anyone explain to me before, trying to understand deadlines, essays, FAFSA requirements, recommendation letters, and opportunities that many students learn about years in advance. I applied to college at the last minute because I simply did not know how the process worked or what resources existed.
What frustrated me most was realizing that so many talented students from low-income communities are not less intelligent or less capable, they simply lack access to information, mentorship, and support. There are students with incredible potential who never apply for scholarships because they think they are not qualified. There are students who never pursue internships because they do not know where to look or how to create a resume. There are students who miss deadlines because nobody taught them how important those opportunities could be. I know this because I lived it.
That experience is what inspired the legacy I hope to create. One day, I want to start a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income and first-generation students successfully apply for college internships, scholarships, leadership programs, and career opportunities. My goal is to create a structured support system that gives students the guidance I had to teach myself.
The nonprofit I envision would offer free workshops on scholarship essay writing, resume building, FAFSA completion, interview preparation, and internship applications. I also want to create a mentorship network that connects high school and college students with professionals, graduate students, and peers who can help guide them. Another major goal of mine is to build an online database that organizes opportunities specifically for underserved students so they can easily find programs that fit their interests and backgrounds.
In addition, I want the organization to travel directly into underserved schools and communities rather than expecting students to come to us. Many students in rural or low-income areas never hear about prestigious opportunities because outreach rarely reaches them. I want to change that by making access proactive instead of passive.
I already shine my light through leadership and community involvement. As a Community Organizer with Rhizome, I help engage young people in civic leadership and activism. I also co-founded Together We Can, a community-based organization focused on bridging racial divides, promoting restorative justice, and creating open conversations within communities. Through my involvement in leadership organizations, public policy work, and volunteer initiatives, I consistently try to uplift others and create opportunities for people whose voices are often overlooked.
My passion for entrepreneurship is not rooted in profit alone, it is rooted in impact. I want to build something that lasts beyond me, something that changes the trajectory of students’ lives for generations. My legacy will be creating access for students who feel lost, overlooked, or unsupported, and proving that where someone starts should never determine how far they can go.
I plan to create a legacy rooted in visibility, voice, and value, especially for black youth who often grow up feeling unseen or unheard. My dream business isn’t traditional. I want to build a creative media brand and storytelling platform that bridges personal identity, community history, and digital culture. It’ll be part production company, part community studio, and part educational resource; a space that invites people, especially those from marginalized communities, to tell their stories beautifully, unapologetically, and on their own terms.
Right now, I’m laying the foundation through my YouTube channel and photography projects, but this is only the beginning. My long-term goal is to expand into a full media company, one that offers workshops, production opportunities, grants, and storytelling mentorships for youth, especially those in underfunded schools or low-income areas. I want to disrupt the idea that you need fancy connections or expensive equipment to create something meaningful. I want to make creativity accessible.
I grew up watching people settle. Not because they weren’t ambitious, but because they didn’t have the resources or support. I want to shift that narrative. My business will be a place where young creators find tools, mentorship, and belief in themselves. Where art and entrepreneurship live side-by-side. Where storytelling is treated not just as entertainment, but as a form of liberation.
I shine my light through service, creativity, and connection. I've volunteered with Habitat for Humanity during an alternative spring break, worked backstage on community fashion shows, and taken on leadership roles in student organizations—all while continuing to show up for my peers emotionally and creatively. I’m someone who pays attention to the quiet pain in others and tries to transform it into something meaningful, whether that’s through helping someone organize their ideas, capturing their beauty through a photo, or simply listening when they feel invisible.
I also shine by refusing to shrink myself. As a low-income student of color, I’ve been told to play it safe, get a stable job, and keep my head down. But I believe safety comes from building something real, something that reflects who you are and uplifts those around you. That’s what entrepreneurship means to me: freedom, purpose, and impact.
This scholarship would help me continue my studies in management information systems, a field I chose because I believe digital tools can expand access and representation. My passion lives at the intersection of tech and storytelling, and I plan to use both to reimagine what’s possible for young black creatives.
Legacy, to me, isn’t just about personal success. It’s about creating something that outlives you, something that leaves doors open behind you. I want my work to echo long after I’m gone; to remind people that their stories matter, that their creativity can heal, and that with vision and community, they can change the world.
That’s the legacy I plan to leave behind.
