I am writing today with a mix of vulnerability and resilience, laying out the stories of my life that have shaped me into the person I am today. Though it is terrifying and humbling to open up about my experiences, I believe that sharing my story is essential to fully understanding my journey and aspirations.
From the outside, my life may have appeared idyllic, but beneath the surface is a story of hardship and perseverance. I am a survivor of emotional abuse, enduring a childhood marked by turmoil and self-doubt. The wounds inflicted upon me were invisible to the eye, yet they cut deep into my sense of self-worth and belonging. My deepest kept secret, that I share with you today, is the fact that I am an unaccompanied minor under the McKinney Vento Act. My homelife has been inconsistent at best and has added yet another layer of adversity to my high school experience.
Growing up, I held deep inside the disparaging words of my parents and teachers, convinced of my own inadequacy. Hindered by undiagnosed learning disabilities and untreated mental health challenges, I struggled to keep pace with my peers academically, socially, and emotionally. Despite these obstacles, I refused to surrender to the limitations imposed upon me. Instead, I found strength in the concept of grit—a resilience born from adversity and nurtured by unwavering determination. I like the word grit; I think it describes me well. Grit is something that doesn’t come from ease and privilege. Grit isn’t something you can detect from a GPA or test score. Grit becomes a gift to those of us who come from hard places, but have the determination to dream so big that we find our way out.
My personal journey has been filled with setbacks and challenges, yet it has also been defined by growth and resilience. I refuse to be defined by my past; instead, I choose to celebrate the strength and fight that have carried me through life's darkest moments. Where I used to be overpowered with my depression, set off course by my ADHD, confused by the ups downs of my hormone dysregulation, or hiding in my dark room from the fighting below, today, I stand before you as a testament to the power of perseverance—a dented, yet unbroken, individual who refuses to settle for anything less than I am capable of.
My dreams extend beyond myself; they encompass a vision of service and compassion. My commitment to volunteerism is my proudest achievement. This year I will graduate as a Distinguished Service Graduate from Jenks High School, having completed well over 400 hours of service to my school and community.
I am unwavering in my commitment to becoming a pediatric nurse, offering comfort and care to children and families facing trials. This has been my dream ever since I started dreaming. I want to live a life in service of others, especially children during their most uncertain times. I am deeply committed to using my experiences to connect with and uplift those who hurt, offering them the same compassion and understanding that I wished for during my darkest moments.
Receiving this scholarship would allow me to attend the college of my dreams, something I am still fighting to achieve due to financial uncertainty. Receiving this scholarship would affirm my belief in the value of resilience and determination. It will also provide validation of my journey and the strength I have gained along the way. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to share my story with you and humbly request your consideration for this scholarship.
An impact moment that motivated me to be better in my life was finding out I was pregnant by my now ex-boyfriend. He was not only emotionally abusive, but also mentally, sexually and physically abusive. We'd been together for a year before I had gotten pregnant and things between us were great, or so I thought. It didn't take long after finding out for him to be a completely different person; but I just thought maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt which now I know was wrong of me. Me not leaving when he changed made him think he had some type of power over me which for a minute I believed he did.
During my labor I had to deal with him running off at the mouth and not being the comfort he should have been. I even had nurses ask me if they needed to kick him out of the room or have someone sit down and talk to him. Finally, after twenty plus hours in labor he had the audacity to get mad at me for not giving in to his advances. Well fast forward a month we had gotten back together because I thought he was changing for the better. He had been helping with our daughter Oakleigh, being a comfort to me, he was even helping my great grandmother with many things. Prior to my daughter turning three months we had broken up again only this time it was because I had found out he had a girlfriend.
Not long after finding out he had decided to come to my house one night with the girlfriend and throw all of Oakleigh’s pacifiers and blankets out of his car window and onto the road as well as my front yard. So, I went over to get her stuff and he tried to run over my toes. This night was like a switch for me because he had texted and said I needed to focus on my daughter, and he’d focus on his girlfriend. I had finally come to the realization that there's no point in me hoping he’ll be a better person.
Lastly, I had taken the things he put me through and used it to be better. I graduated high school with mainly all A’s, got accepted into colleges, found a babysitting job, and found someone who loves me and my daughter. I couldn’t bear the thought of my daughter growing up and seeing her mother getting put down and beat up every day because then she’d be like me. My mother was in abusive relationships all her life and instead of getting away she let it get to her and ended up in jail for twenty-two years. I must be a good example for my child. Someone she can look up too and say wow my mother went through a lot of things and still had the courage to go to college.
My past does not and will not ever define me. Now I know with only being eighteen there are many things to come, but I am not my mistakes nor am I someone who is willing to give up so easily. With my daughter now being one year’s old I’ll admit things are hard at times especially with barely any help from her father, but I can’t and won’t let that get to me. I strive to graduate college and have an amazing career so that my daughter can grow up in a healthy and non-struggling home.
