When I was 12 years old, in a case of mistaken identity, my family and I were victims of a drive-by shooting. Bullet holes riddled our house and car. I never imagined that danger could come so close to home. I learned early how unpredictable and fragile life can be. After that, my mom moved our family to a safer neighborhood. That was hard on me. I missed my friends, and our new house was smaller. I went from having my own room to sleeping in the corner of the dining room. It was expensive to move and since it was right before the holidays, there was not much money left for Christmas. That year, the Summer camp I attended, The Ron Burton Training Village provided my family with Christmas gifts. Feeling that love and witnessing my mom crying from gratitude, truly helped me understand the value of community. After my freshman year of high school, we moved again, this time to Florida. This was very difficult for me. In Florida, I was a fish out of water. I had a tough time making friends and adjusting to the Florida culture. I missed Massachusetts and felt no motivation to socialize and begin this new chapter of my life. I convinced myself that I would be an outcast whether I tried to make new friends or not. Most days were a chore as I only had going home after school to look forward to. After a few months of feeling down about myself, I stumbled upon my notebook from the Ron Burton Training Village. Each year at RBTV, we are given a notebook. The staff encourage us to record our thoughts, scriptures from the Bible, and lessons from professionals, pro-athletes, philanthropists, and leaders who come to speak to us. Going through my journals reminded me of what I learned at RBTV, and then I found this scripture from Psalms 30:5, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” The words seemed to leap from the page and into my heart. For the first time in months, I felt like there was hope for me. To me, the verse means that every day God provides a chance for me to make a change. To challenge and better myself. So, I decided to make a change. The next week, I tried to make small conversations each day. Small conversations became daily interactions, and daily interactions built strong friendships. In time, Florida finally felt like home. I even gained the confidence to be a leader in my school. I joined the Student Ambassador team, Key Club, and Student Government. Through these clubs, I was blessed with the ability to support new and old students in feeling welcome at school. My future is bright because I chose to take advantage of the opportunities given to me through life's trials. While my struggles have not been easy to overcome, they have taught me what I value most. I value community, faith, and the pursuit of excellence above anything else. As I am on the cusp of embarking on my college journey at the University of Central Florida, I hold these values close and I am passionate about sharing them with my new communities, such as the robotics club and Air Force ROTC. Here, I plan to share my story so I can establish a sense of belonging for everyone around me. I know what it feels like to be alone, and I will ensure those in my community never question where they belong.