Redefining Victory Scholarship

I use to think I was Successful if I became popular or my net worth increased tremendously and I thought this was a true indicator of purpose. I would see famous people who I thought were "making it" and I would think "how I wish i could be like that?". I now see that many times in my life I had already been successful but just couldn't see it. For example their were times when I was treated rudely while working in the retail industry and I still pushed myself to show kindness to other customers throughout the rest of my work day. I realized that very few can deal with this and carry on rationally and ethically. I now realize a person's success has to be seen for its value by a person's own self. I had once wanted to be a rock star because I could see myself playing guitar for a big crowd and I never really understood till recently that I only craved the attention and validation of people because I had and at times still do have difficulty when dealing and communicating with other people. I have always been a very introverted person and saw people that could effortlessly communicate and I wondered how they could draw peoples attention in like they were built with some kind of super powered DNA imprinted charisma. My perspective on success has changed over the years and this in turn changed the way I think and I ultimately changed my long term life goals. I realized that my own personal definition success is the amount of work I put into helping others and it has to be done while they are not looking. Throughout my younger life I had to witness a lot of horrible crimes committed in person and more recently I have witnessed this online and it has affected myself, my family and my friends. I have seen people lose everything they owned and get labeled things they were not because of infiltration within their social media accounts. I do wish at times we could go back to the not so distant past and communicate in person but I realized this is something have no control over and I go nowhere fast fantasizing about worlds were people live outside their phones screen. It's been a long time coming but I got to know myself recently and I realized I am naturally a protector and I am drawn to always helping those in trouble and I feel with the rapidly changing state of our social environment since the rise of the internet and the smart phones that a person could no longer defend and protect others physically because very few would incur physically initiated crime in our future. Alternatively I do have options to protect others and have found a love for coding and understanding the criminal mind when it comes to cyber crimes. I have had the opportunity to protect family and friends from attacks that would have left them broke and without a home. I also have never told them about this and in fact they think I was the infiltrator of their accounts. Although I do feel much pain from their misjudgments I even more feel a sense of gratification from knowing I can help that outweighs this by far. I also know what I'm doing is right and gives me sense of purpose. It is the best feeling and requires no acknowledgement and they can think what they want till they know it isn't true. The truth will always come to light with a little patience. I know a question that could arise to you as a reader is that if I already have a knowledge for cyber security than why would I need to attend school? I can answer this question most simply by stating that less than a year's time I've seen an overwhelming rise in crime that takes form in programmers creating more intricate means to breaking personal accounts or hackers leaving traceless making it difficult for even professionals to recognize. They can even manipulate coding to make another person you know seem as if they are breaking into your account leaving people confused and untrusting of one another. That being said I no longer feel I have enough knowledge to deal with this increase and I need the help of others more knowledgeable. It's now that I want to seek further skills and I can see value in education and networking. I know this would be an asset to me starting my future business that would truly protect the welfare of others. And further off in the far future I ultimately could see me teaching others to find the same motivation and purpose that has made me feel most successful.

To me, success is the ability to achieve one's goals while simultaneously implementing positive change in the lives of others. I selected my field of interest to be in marketing. I chose to pursue marketing for two concrete reasons. The first reason I decided to go into marketing is to obtain a job as a marketing strategist for a major corporation and turn that job into a career. As a marketing strategist, I want to identify different mechanisms and algorithms that can reach different demographics of customers and help bring in greater revenue. Once I can bring my company more profits, I want to utilize my newly found mechanisms and algorithms and assist other companies in enhancing their social outreach. One of my main goals is to spend at least twenty years as a marketing strategist. I believe that by spending at least twenty years in the marketing strategy industry, I will have built a thorough resume as a reputable marketing strategist and my input and analysis will be sought after by various companies. By doing this, I can establish a successful professional career doing something I am passionate about. The second reason I decided to go into marketing is to help others gain a sense of individual style, teach others how to prioritize their image, and help others maneuver through life with a sense of confidence. As someone who did not always know how to showcase himself, I want to help others express themselves through their clothing. Another aspiration I have is to get a certification as an image consultant. Afterward, I want to merge my image consulting certification with my knowledge and experience in marketing and create a consulting firm to help men, women, and children market themselves to the public. By doing this, I will have made a career by helping others feel better about themselves and going on an entrepreneurial venture that will continue my legacy for several generations. While the financial aspects behind my career aspirations are important, I believe the greatest success I can have is utilizing my marketing skills to serve others and influence them to be better than what they once were. Earning the Redefining Victory Scholarship will help me achieve my educational and career goals in several ways. Firstly, being awarded the scholarship will cover most of my book expenses and my remaining tuition costs. The estimated total expense for books next semester will be around $1000 and my remaining tuition will be around $2000. While the scholarship does not cover the entire cost of books, it does help me substantially because I can avoid taking out a larger loan. The second way the Redefining Victory Scholarship can help me achieve my goals is by enabling me to be prepared for my classes. Without worrying about how I will cover the costs of my textbooks for the semester, I will be more composed and inclined to succeed in my classes. A third way the Redefining Victory Scholarship can benefit me is by helping me save money. As someone who does not have a stable income, covering collegiate expenses is rather difficult for me without taking out loans. If given the scholarship, I can avoid going further into debt to cover expenses for college. The fourth and final way the Redefining Victory Scholarship can assist in the achievement of my goals is by getting me closer to graduating college and starting a career in marketing. Once my expenses are covered, I can finish earning my credits and obtain my degree. After I acquire my degree, I anticipate starting a career as a marketing strategist and image consultant and can begin paying off my student loan debt.

I believe that true success lies in empowering others to achieve their own success through my actions. As a crisis counselor in the mental health sector, nothing brings me more satisfaction and fulfillment than helping lift those who are struggling to lift themselves. My journey into mental health began after witnessing my father struggle with alcoholism and mental health disorders. I realized that a significant part of his struggle stemmed from ignorance, lack of resources, and limited access to education. Observing my father's suffering, I vowed to become a vessel of information and support for anyone I encountered. This experience sparked a keen interest in understanding the power of the mind, learning how to harness its potential, and guiding others to transform their minds from adversaries to allies. From the start of my career, I committed to the belief that if I could help just one person regain their footing, my efforts in furthering my education would be worthwhile. Every person is indispensable; I refuse to discard anyone as society often does. Each individual brings a unique and valuable perspective to the world and deserves the best chance of success. My passion is to uplift those deemed unsuccessful by societal standards. I thrive when those around me thrive, not merely survive. My measure of success is defined by my ability to help others reach their full potential, whatever their vision of success may be. Too often, we are constrained by rigid standards and expectations of what success should look like. I reject these traditional notions of success. When someone learns to harness the power of their mind, a world of possibilities opens up to them. Helping someone achieve this guarantees their personal vision of success, which in turn fulfills my own. My happiness and sense of accomplishment come from serving those around me. I offer the world access to information, knowledge, and education. I believe in overcoming circumstances and creating one's own success despite the obstacles.This opportunity would provide me with the financial resources to pursue my master’s degree, enabling me to continue improving myself and better serve those around me. I’m still currently paying off my bachelor’s degree debt and have decided to accrue more debt for my master’s degree because my passion outweighs the cost of it. However, that being said, I do still need a significant amount of financial support and this opportunity would provide just that much more financial relief and would help me offset the cost of school supplies, my high cost of housing, and tuition. As the odds increasingly stack against the common person, knowledge gained through higher education remains the greatest equalizer. My goal is to assist people with essential mental health services, equipping them with the skills to advocate for themselves and live fulfilling lives long after our sessions end. The greatest gift one can give is teaching others to help themselves and maintain their well-being. My ultimate success lies in making mental health services more accessible, ensuring that everyone has the tools they need to succeed. That is what true success means to me and what I hope to achieve with this opportunity presented by you.

Success is working to live and not living to work. My answer to this question would’ve looked very different just a few years ago. I spent the first twelve years of my nursing career working in the emergency department and in the back of the helicopter as a flight nurse. I thrived on the chaos of critical care, and I poured myself into work. Being a nurse is what defined me as a person for a very long time. Being a nurse is definitely still a strong piece of what defines me as a person, but that’s just it, it is now only a piece. I am a single mother to two toddlers, aged two and three. They are the best thing that I have ever done and by far, require the most work and energy. I love that they are able to see me working and being successful professionally. But I also want them to see me succeed as a mother, as a family member, as a sister, a daughter, and a friend to the important people in our lives. I want them to see me be able to be there for them and for others as we navigate life. I want them to know I am there no matter what, for the important moments and for the insignificant laughs or tears after a long day. I am no longer defined by my career and yet, my career is what made me who I am. I don’t think that there is anyone who has worked in critical care for any period of time who can say that they were not affected in other areas of their life. Critical care shows you time and time again that life is short, and you should live it to its fullest capacity of your choosing. For the first twelve years of my career, I chose to thrive in the chaos and put my career first before anything else in my life. I have no regrets doing that. I immersed myself in knowledge and any available classes, I worked overtime to make the money that I wanted, and I advanced my career up the chain. While I loved being able to put my career first, I am no longer choosing that. I am now choosing to put my children first. I am choosing to put my family and friends first. I am honestly choosing myself first. For the first time in a long time, I am choosing myself first. For me, that entails returning to school to become a nurse practitioner. I have been accepted to the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Illinois State University. The program will take me two years to complete since I can only return part time in order to continue working full time to provide for my children. I do not receive any financial support for my children, and I manage on my own. Becoming a nurse practitioner will help me to increase my earning potential and give myself and my children the life and opportunities that I want. Being successful will look like me working a job that I love to be able to come home and spend the meaningful, important time in my life with the meaningful people to me. This scholarship will help me to pay for school so I can continue focusing on my children as their sole provider and parent. This scholarship would make a difference in me being able to spend more time with my children instead of working extra shifts to pay for school. This scholarship for me could be life changing. I appreciate your consideration.

My name I Ramsey Orr. I am a husband, father, veteran, and a college student. I come from humble beginnings but education was always a priority in my home. When I was in sixth grade my mom put me in a school for gifted children even though it created more expenses and meant that all three of her children would be in different schools that year. She did it because she recognized the value of that level of education and knew the impact that experience would have on me. For high school, my siblings and I attended a school that was 40 minutes away from where we lived. My mother put us in that school to take advantage of the scholastic and extra-curricular opportunities that the schools near us didn’t offer. I truly appreciated her sacrifice and her dedication to helping us become our own versions of successful. I graduated high school in May 2000 and decided to attend Southern Illinois University of Carbondale. I was excited to experience college life, then I got my first tuition bill. I hadn’t realized just how expensive college was, especially with out-of-state tuition. I had to leave school and decided to join the Air Force in February 2001. I joined for the education benefits, but on September 11, 2001, my motivation changed. I was in my initial military job training when I saw the Twin Towers fall. At that moment, I completely dedicated myself to my military career and everything else became secondary. College wasn’t on my radar. After a successful Air Force career with deployments, starting a family, and traveling all over the world, I honorably separated from the military in 2013. While stationed with my family in England, I finally had time and energy to devote myself to earning my degree and in May 2016, I received my bachelor’s degree in business administration. It was a long but rewarding journey of hard work, sacrifice, and determination. It may not have been the traditional way, but I was successful in my endeavor just the same. My family and I made our final move to Tampa, Florida in June 2021 and I decided to coach my kid’s soccer and volleyball teams and joined local community groups. Now at the young age of 42, my focus is on completing my master’s degree. To me, success looks like a happy family, a thriving community, and a career I can be proud of. I believe achieving this level of education will empower me to build my personal business and better serve my community. With my higher education, I plan on teaching young people financial literacy and techniques on saving for retirement. I also plan to embark on an even more fulfilling second career and secure the work/life balance that my family deserves after all the years of military service. A master’s degree will make me more appealing in the job market. Rebuilding after a military move can be daunting, but I am excited for the challenge and eager to make an impact. Earning a master’s degree is an important part of making that happen. If I am blessed to receive the Redefining Victory scholarship, it will provide the financial cushion my family needs while I continue my pursuit of success.

My name is Sasha Tanaka. I am a current UH Maui College student, entering my first year of the nursing program this fall. I am a returning student after being away from college for about 13 years. I am also a mom of three and will be the first person in my family to achieve a college degree. There are two primary motives for my success. Being a mom, stating that my life is “Busy” is an understatement. Regardless, I have been able to prioritize schooling and have maintained high grades. My first motive of success is to be able to lead my kids by example by showing them that they can achieve anything they dream of as long as they put effort and dedication into it. So far, my returning to school has shown them that achieving their dreams first requires courage. Having the courage to step out of your comfort zone to learn something that interests you can be hard for some, but in the end it will benefit you as an individual. My next motive of success is being able to care for the community that raised me. My primary reason for wanting to go into nursing was to be able to care for my loved ones. I believe it will give me the ultimate honor and self-fulfillment. There is a tremendous lack in healthcare resources here in Hawaii. Many healthcare providers struggle to fill vacancies that are critical for healthcare support because many move to the states after receiving their RN degree for more pay and the cheaper cost of living. Being rooted here, my intention is to be one of the few that will stay regardless of the “Price of Paradise.” I am committed to my community until the day I retire. In a nutshell, success is beyond being financially successful which I believe is what many people immediately allude to. I believe that success is what provides you genuine heartfelt satisfaction. It’s what makes you happy and proud of yourself. And when you achieve success, your loved ones surround you with love and pride for your accomplishment. It's something that you can look back on and say, “Wow, I did that.” After receiving my degree, my goal is to work in the ICU at Maui Memorial Medical Center where I currently work as an aide. I truly enjoy the diversity of care that the ICU provides such as trauma, heart conditions, and critical disease. Additionally, I would like to gain more experience in critical care by taking training courses on heart procedures so I am able to care for those who have undergone extensive heart procedures and surgeries. I feel that the more knowledge and certifications I obtain with my license, the larger asset I will become for my community. Returning to school has been quite expensive but I’ve managed to pay my tuition out of pocket thus far. However once I begin the nursing program in August, I won’t be able to work as much because of how rigorous the nursing program is. My husband will become the sole provider of our family. The fact that our family will experience a lack of income for 2 years definitely keeps me up at night. But I know that the end result will be a great advantage for our family. Which is why this scholarship would mean the world to me. This scholarship will help to alleviate the financial stress of affording college while maintaining a household. After attending the nursing program orientation I learned that the average cost per semester would be around $5,000. This includes tuition, supplies needed and testing software costs required for the program. The financial relief that this scholarship would provide would help me to remain focused on my studies, without the worry of how I’m going to pay for my classes and the tools I’ll need. It will also remove additional costs that my husband would have to financially cover. Thank you for your consideration.

Success, a concept often defined by societal norms and benchmarks, holds a deeply personal and unique meaning for me. It is the harmonious blend of professional achievement, personal growth, and the ability to positively impact the lives of others, particularly in the realm of mental health. This scholarship opportunity stands not just as a financial aid, but as a pivotal stepping stone towards realizing this multifaceted vision of success. In the professional dimension, success is the culmination of my academic and career aspirations in the field of clinical mental health counseling. It is about acquiring the knowledge, skills, and ethical grounding necessary to become a competent and compassionate mental health professional. However, professional success extends beyond personal accolades and qualifications. It is intrinsically linked to the impact I can make in the lives of those who struggle with mental health issues, especially in underprivileged communities where these services are often inaccessible. Success, in this sense, is measured by the number of lives transformed, the amount of suffering alleviated, and the societal barriers to mental health care that are dismantled. From a personal standpoint, success is a continuous journey of self-improvement and self-awareness. It involves constantly challenging myself to grow, both intellectually and emotionally, while maintaining a balance that fosters well-being. This journey is characterized by resilience in the face of adversity, the courage to step outside my comfort zone, and the wisdom to learn from every experience. Personal success is also about building and nurturing relationships that are supportive, enriching, and empowering. Beyond individual achievements, my vision of success encompasses a strong commitment to community service and social advocacy. True success is using my skills and knowledge to serve others and advocate for systemic changes that improve access to mental health services. It is about creating a ripple effect of positive change, contributing to a society where mental well-being is a priority, and support systems are robust and inclusive. This involves not only direct counseling work but also community education and engagement to break down the stigmas surrounding mental health. This scholarship opportunity is a crucial enabler in my pursuit of success. Financial barriers often pose significant challenges in the path of higher education, especially for students from non-traditional backgrounds or those with limited resources. By alleviating these financial constraints, this scholarship would allow me to focus more intently on my academic pursuits, engage more deeply in community service activities, and invest time in personal growth and professional development. It would provide me with the resources and freedom to explore innovative approaches to mental health care and advocacy, further enhancing my ability to make a meaningful impact. Moreover, this scholarship would symbolize a vote of confidence in my abilities and aspirations. It would reinforce my commitment to my goals and serve as a reminder of the responsibility I have towards myself and the community I aim to serve. It would also connect me to a network of like-minded individuals, broadening my perspectives and opening doors to collaborative opportunities for making a difference in the field of mental health. In conclusion, success for me is a multifaceted concept that transcends personal achievements and extends into the realm of community impact and social change, particularly in the field of mental health. This scholarship is not just financial support; it is a critical tool that empowers me to turn my vision of success into reality. It offers the means to deepen my academic and professional capabilities, strengthen my personal growth, and enhance my ability to contribute positively to society. With this opportunity, I am poised to not only achieve my own version of success but also to inspire and enable others to do the same.

On August 20, 2014, I woke up to the sight of my left leg amputated three inches above my knee. In that very moment, instead of being mournful over the absence of my limb, I became a man full of hope and purpose after internalizing the Bible passage Acts 26:16. This verse states, “But rise up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a minister.” The verse has defined what success and achievement mean to me. Success looks like rising up to endure strenuous hours of rehabilitation and standing up on the only foot I have left to finish my undergraduate degree and become a minister to college students for the last five years. Now, my intention in this personal statement is to convey how this scholarship opportunity will help achieve a new level of success by becoming a licensed mental health counselor that will impact the quality of life of people with disabilities. To begin, I have faced a great number of challenges that have molded me into the man addressing you today. My twin sister and I were born and raised in Houston, Texas by our single-mother tirelessly working to provide for us. In 2011, I was deemed the class Valedictorian and attended The University of Texas at Austin to earn a bachelor’s degree in film/television with hopes to become an independent filmmaker. Then, at 20 years old, tragedy came. I was involved in a car accident that resulted in the loss of my twin sister and my left leg. I never knew it was humanly possible to be in that much pain and the grief and rehabilitation forced me to discontinue college for almost two years. However, my story does not end in defeat. Over these last twelve years, I have been successful in various ways through the support of my family and church members. I have exemplified what it means to be resilient and have not let grief or physical limitations stop me from learning how to walk with a prosthetic leg with the help of a walker, crutches, and a cane to eventually march across the stage on my own at my UT graduation. On that day of commencement, I was crying with tears because I felt accomplished, not merely because of academic success, but because I personally persevered through so much pain, grief and limitations to make it to that point in life. That day of graduation, I learned that my success wasn't determined by my grade point average or degree, but it was about breaking through setback after setback to keep moving forward in my life. Over the years, I have refused to let my hardships hold me back from becoming a minister, enduring the physicality of walking for long periods for appointments and gospel outreach. So, I want it to be made known that I intend to pursue every single one of my educational and career goals, in spite of my disability. With that said, with the help of scholarship, my plan is to finish a Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Liberty University in the summer of 2026. Upon obtaining my professional counseling license, I will open my own private practice that will offer counseling services specifically to people with disabilities. This private practice will be available both online and in-person so that our community can easily access this depository of mental health services. My sole desire is that this counseling will be a haven of hope, healing and restoration for countless people with disabilities. In conclusion, I will achieve my aspirations in life, not for mere financial gain, but to leave an indelible mark on this world by using my gifts and talents as a disabled person as a platform in order to help other disabled people defeat their respective giants. This is ultimately what success looks like to me, finding fulfillment and passion in uplifting the disabled community and to essentially carry out Acts 26:16. I hope I have clearly demonstrated how I will use every dollar of this scholarship opportunity for it to come into fruition.