Ruebenna Greenfield Flack Scholarship

What does it mean to dream? To be able to dream is an opportunity to envision the wondrous possibilities of life. To dream is a beautiful experience that encourages all aspects of one’s aspirations and hopes to be pursued. To dream is to create a universe of one’s own. To me, dreams are part of what keeps us afloat and motivated. To dream is to wonder – to live – and to inspire. Like dreaming, reading has been my escape from reality, enabling my imagination to flourish past life’s limitations and struggles. Growing up, I could always rely on a good book to transport my mind and body to a whole ‘nother world of promising potential. Reading is an exceptional experience that takes the reader on an adventure while exposing them to bigger and better concepts. My unshakable love for reading has been with me since I was a young child and it’s only grown stronger since then. Nowadays, I’m not only an avid reader but also a creator of literary pieces that I’ve produced to induce individuals to strive for a difference in the world. And considering the brimming social issues, I’ve decided to further my education while devoting myself to a writing career, which is destined to supply the world a chance in continuing to dream despite its issues. The world today is burdened with many adversities. We live in a time when people endure and witness the cruelty and disorder of their society. As a country, we have continuously witnessed or experienced the same horrors to such a degree that we are now normalizing them and becoming desensitized. I’ve seen many who are no longer willing to fight for change or have hope. Instead, countless demoralized, tired, and traumatized individuals have accepted defeat. And because of this, I fear the darkness in the world will one day overpower anything and all that’s good – like dreamers. Those who dream have the incentive to influence the world. They bring a vision of hope that persuades themselves and others to achieve it while looking toward the future. A world without dreamers is a world without possibility. My faith in the restoration of this world has wavered more than I can remember. Unfortunately, people, myself included, can stomach the harsh events while pushing on with our lives. It’s awful how sometimes I’ve enabled myself to become complacent with the wrongdoings of others. And with me being Black in America, I’m more than acquainted with the ugly side of this country, which makes future instances less shocking. Growing up in a world that often spewed negativity and enforced limitations against myself and people of color swayed me into believing that my efforts of achieving greater were pointless. I thought there wasn’t a way for me to succeed in a world that constantly looked down on people like me. But with the help of some great books, I was granted the freedom to wonder, motivating me to push on despite all the bad. Life can be devastating. It’s understandable why people give in to the mounting world issues. But it’s important to remember that no matter the obstacle or how hopeless the world may look, there’s always a way. Always dream; because dreaming is the key to a better future. And to ensure the world has the opportunity to thrive, I plan to utilize my writing career to instill faith in humanity and promote unity and change.