Winning this scholarship would help me to pay for my books and tuition. I have applied for numerous scholarships, trying to obtain the funding necessary to finance my education. I also work part-time and am saving money toward my education. Every dollar I receive advances my education, toward completing my BS degree in Computer Science Management. I will work to achieve academic success, during my college education, along with working to supplement my finances. Thank you for giving my application consideration. My parents are both addicts, and on disability, and are unable to assist with paying for my college education, and frankly, do not care about it. I am fortunate to be living with my Grandmother, in Tennessee, away from the drama of my parents, and she has helped me to get on a path to success, in my life. I have lived with her and my Papa, for almost three years, after the Judge, in Michigan, gave guardianship of me, to them. My life is good now and I thank God for them, every day of my life. I want to get my education, and become a productive member of society, and make they even more proud of me, than they are. It is important for me to get as much financing together, as possible, to show them that I am mature and willing to work hard to pay for college, and get my degree. I want, someday, to mentor other young women or men, who may have gone through similar childhoods, growing up like wild weeds, being more a parent to my parents, than they were to me. I have struggled with Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome, due to the emotional abuse and neglect, during my childhood and hope to put my experiences to work, volunteering to help others, just as my grandparents helped me. During the past three years, my life has been stable and I finally feel loved and nutured. However, PTSD can rear it's ugly head at any time, causing me to withdraw and panic. Before I moved to Tennessee, I considered suicide, because I saw no other way to find peace. Now I realize that I was just looking for someone to love me, to help me, to guide me, and I am so fortunate to have my Grandmother now in my life. Unfortunately, my Grandpa died in December of 2021 and that has left a big hole in our lives. He was so special to me and made me feel special too. I miss him so much. These are some of the reasons I will get my education and live a happy and productive life. They have made me determined to succeed and nothing will stop me. Thank you.

Thank you for this opportunity to apply. Sometimes, to my detriment, I have never had a problem speaking my mind, and at times, it may have been better to listen than to speak. I have always been taught to speak up, when it matters to me, and I do. Sometimes I express my opinions and they are not readily accepted by others, but I believe what I believe and it takes a lot to change my mind. Some of my teachers are very liberal in their teaching, and I have conservative beliefs, and speaking my mind is not always good for my grades. School should be a place for discussions of all opinions, those we agree with and those we do not, and some teachers try to shut out differing opinions, but I always try to get my opinions across, in a nice and respectful way. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don't but I still try.

Technology makes the world a better place because we have access to knowledge about anything. We can access ways to make us safe, ways to keep the world cleaner environmentally, and ways we can make our world better. Technology has put the world at our fingertips. We can explore the world on our computer screens, and enjoy countries, continents, animals, flowers, undersea exploration and the wonders of the world, which far exceed the seven wonders of our beautiful world. Technology allows us to see how our world developed and how humanity developed. It also allows us to see the devastation of both natural disasters and those caused by humankind. It truly is a wonderful world and now it does not take travel or money to explore our planet and other planets around us. We are truly blessed to have the earth, moon and stars at our fingertips. Education is the steward of maintaining our world. As we explore, we learn to love our world and we want to improve it, not destroy it. Technology is wonderful.

Thank you for this opportunity. My greatest skill is perseverance, or perhaps stubbornness. My parents were both drug addicts and I was pretty much left to raise myself. I loved school, and was determined, from kindergarten forward, to get my education, because it was my way out of the turmoil, at home. I did well in school, because my teachers became my support system, along with my Grandmother and Grandfather, but they lived in Tennessee and I lived in Michigan. My Grandparents tried to intervene and get me and my brother rescued but years passed and the courts and Social Services would never do anything. Finally in the spring of 2018, my parents, long divorced, had a court hearing, regarding custody. My Grandmother appeared in court, and the judge let her speak, and at the end of that hearing, the judge gave her guardianship. I have been living in Tennessee and attending school since June of 2018 and I now have a stable, peaceful, loving life. I have finished high school early with a 3.4 GPA and have been accepted at two colleges and I am also interviewing for one of twenty positions, in a new program, BlueSky, through the East Tennessee State University and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. If I get accepted, it will be an intense 27 months of college courses, including an internship at Blue Cross Blue Shield, Upon completion, I will receive my Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. Also Blue Cross Blue Shield will offer me a position with the company. I will continue to persevere to obtain the life I have always wanted, and I hope to be able to help others, like my teachers and my Grandparents helped me.

My Grandma always taught me, from the time I was a little girl, "never spend all the money you have, save some, put it away, for a rainy day, when it is needed. She teaches me, every day, about the responsibility of money, the rewards of working, and how to be responsible, with the money I earn. I work part-time and get paid every two weeks. It was an adjustment for me, as my previous job paid me every week. It seemed like I had so much money, when I got paid, but then, little by little, I was short on money before the next paycheck. I remembered what Grandma had told me, to put a little bit away for a rainy day. I have a bank account, but with debit cards, it is easy to spend beyond your means, so I decided to really try to save each pay period. I made envelopes for everything I wanted to save money. Then each pay period, I would put money in these envelopes. Grandma told me to start saving for college and she would match me dollar for dollar, for everything I saved. This encouraged me to save more than I may have otherwise. I have found, if I do not have ready access to the money, then I am less apt to just spend my hard earned money on junk food, or other things that tempt me at the moment, but bring me no joy when I buy them. I am learning that there is job in looking at what I am able to save and I want it to become a lifelong habit. Thank you for allowing me to apply for this scholarship.

Beginning two years ago, when I begin my schooling in TN, I learned that our high school, Hixson High School, offered veterinary classes, and I love animals, so I took all the classes. I began to consider becoming a veterinarian, and thought it may be my life's calling. However, as we got deeper into the training, I realized that becoming a veterinarian would mean that all animals could not be healed and I would have to make life and death decisions, if I became a veterinarian. I love animals, all animals, and I came to the realization that making life and death decisions would destroy me, even though most of the time I would be helping animals. I just could not cope with those kinds of medical cases. I choose to love my cats and care for them, and play with them, and entertain them. This is the interaction I want and need with animals. Therefore, I am choosing a career in computer science, but will devote my spare time to animals, by volunteering at animal shelters, where I can love all of the animals, that need that kind of nurturing. Thank you for allowing me to apply.

Until 2018, I lived in Michigan with my Dad. He was a drug addict, and was very abusive both verbally and physically. I struggled to get good grades and do all of my homework, because school was my escape. My teachers thought highly of me, and they helped me to get through each school year. My dad never cared about my grades, would never give me praise when I got all A's, but I persevered through, until finally, two years ago, my Grandma, who lives here in Tennessee, was given guardianship of me. My life is so much better now and I have my Grandparents to thank. Life seems pretty easy now and I appreciate the peace which surrounds me. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

Joy means living every day in a peaceful environment, having no one yell and scream at me, and belittle me. My life ,with my Grandmother, has brought much peace and joy into my life every day. My friends can come over and spend time with me, and no one is yelling and I am not embarrassed to invite them over. I have privacy, my own room, a bonus room to entertain my friends, and peace and quiet when I am doing homework and studying. The only thing I can think of to bring me more joy, would be for my Grandpa to miraculously get better, but I know that will not happen. He has a terminal disease and has lost all ability to do anything, except to lie in his hospital bed and maybe watch a little television. I spend time with him, just talking to him and holding his hand.

Education saved my life. When I was six an started kindergarten, school was my favorite thing to do. I wanted to go every day and get all S's, so everyone would be proud of me. I loved pleasing people, and my parents never gave a darn, about how well I was doing. I lived with my Dad, most of the time, and he was a crack addict, who only thought about how to get more drugs. The only love he showed, was for the drugs. He was both physically and verbally abusive, but it was the verbal abuse that almost destroyed me. I continued to excel in school, in spite of my home life, and sometimes stayed up half the night, when it was quiet and I could think, do complete my homework Praise from my teachers and my Nana and Papa, kept me going. I realized, in junior high school, that education was my way out. My goal was to get good grades and get a scholarship, because I knew my parents could not and would not help me. Then a miracle happened, in May of 2019. Nana, my grandmother from Tennessee, came to see us and take us to home for the summer, as she always did. My mother and dad were fighting over custody, again, because custody meant more assistance and more food stamps. However, this time God was on Nana's side, and she went into the court room and raised her hand and asked the judge for custody. The judge knew my parents very well, as they had been before him, on numerous occasions, fight each other, to get the prize, me and my brother. At the end of that hearing, the judge granted my grandmother full guardianship. I have been in Tennessee, with Nana and Papa since then. I am about to complete high school early, at the end of the year, as I have a lot of credits. My GPA is 3.367 and I have been accepted at three colleges. I plan to pursue a career in computer science, after I get my Bachelor's degree. I have applied to the BlueSky program, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, and if I am accepted, I can get my degree in 27 months and have a job waiting for me at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. It is a dream opportunity, and I will know in January of 2022 if I have been accepted. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

Learning to save for the future is a lesson I am still focusing on. My parents never had much money, though my father made lots of money, in cash, working in restaurant refrigeration repair, but he never brought any money home, because he would spend all of his money on crack cocaine, then come home broke. We had food because of the food stamp program. We had a roof over our head, because my grandparents let us live in our house free. All the bills like utilities, taxes, etc. were paid by Grandma and Grandpa, because they knew that without them, we would be homeless. I began earning money when I was eleven, babysitting and I learned how to stretch a dollar, and hide my money so my dad did not steal it. I know what it is like to not have the necessities like tooth paste, shampoo, toilet paper, or even milk in the refrigerator. Now that I am working part time, an about to graduate from high school, I am mindful of the lessons of the past, and I am learning to put money away, each pay day, so I will never have to want to things like soap, toothpaste, toilet paper and the like. I will be a productive member of society, I will get my bachelor's degree in Computer Science, and if an when I have children, they will be my first priority, and I will make sure they always personal have the necessities of life. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

Staying true to myself has never been a problem for me. Even though I lived with my Mom or my Dad, through out my childhood, neither of them were very good as guiding me through the trials and tribulations of life. I found out, pretty young, that I loved school, and wanted to excel. School was my escape from all of the yelling, physical and mental abuse, from my parents. I decided at a very young age, that I would go to school every day, even though that meant setting my own alarm and getting up and walking to school. I would be so proud when I got all S's when I started school, but my parents seemed not to care. I decided that education was my escape and that is how I would grow up to b, e a responsible and self-sufficient adult. In June of 2019, The judge, in custody disputes, finally gave guardianship of me, to my grandmother. Since living here in Tennessee, staying true to myself, has been a lot easier. I am about to finish high school and in the fall of 2022, I will begin college. I plan on getting my Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. Along the path of my life, I hope to be able to help other girls and boys, who have experienced abuse, in their young lives, and show them how important education becomes for all of us. Thank you for making this scholarship available.

I finish my bachelor's degree in 27 months, get a great paying job, have a house full of pets, especially my cat friends. I am a success in my own right in spite of being berated, abused and attacked by my parents. I am worthy of happiness and thanks to my grandparents, I know I a capable of achieving great success, and making my mark in the world. I have overcome great sadness and even though I still suffer from Post-traumatic Stress Disease, I am dealing with my issues, because I now live with my grandparents in Tennessee, away from my mother and father, in Michigan. This allows me to heal mentally, and realize that I am already successful in my endeavors, such as graduating early from high school in December 2021, holding a job and making money for college, and being a part of our church family, which gives me much comfort. I thank God every day for the many blessings I have been given, and one day hope to be able to help some other young men and women, who suffer, due to parental abuse, while growing up. Thank you for allowing me to enter.

I am saving money from my job toward college. I plan to attend college locally, so I can live at home. I have applied for FAFSA and the Tennessee Promise as well being qualified for the Tennessee Hope Scholarship. I am applying for many scholarships to help me pay for college. My grandmother is also going to help me as much as she is financially able. Also I plan to work while attending college to avoid college debt. Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN is offering a college education in Computer Science, over a 27 month time period. The program was started by the Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield so assist with the companies shortage of qualified employees. The program is open to 20 high school seniors in Chattanooga. The program is thru East Tennessee State University but most of the classes will be at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN offices in Chattanooga, TN. It is an accredited program and if I am lucky enough to be one of the 20 students accepted, I will be able to get my BS degree in 27 months and will also be offered a job at Blue Cross Blue Shield. The cost of the entire program is approximately $60,000. and my goal to to have enough money to pay for it without having to obtain loans. My parents are both disabled, drug addicts and on disability and have never saved for my college, so they cannot help me. In fact, it has been my grandparents, who have provided for me though out most of my life. Finally in 2018, the courts in Michigan, gave my grandmother guardianship of me, and I have been living in Tennessee with her and my grandfather ever since. I have been diagnosed with Post traumatic stress disorder due to the emotional abuse from my parents though out my life, until 2018. My goal to to get my education, my degree and a good job and be a successful human being who can contribute to society and others with similar problems to mine. I do not want to rely on government programs to take care of me, like my parents have done, all of their lives. I am going to be successful in my endeavors, and live a productive and happy life. One day I hope to help another person, like myself, to reach their goals. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

The White Lion, a piece painted by my Aunt Melissa, a professional artist, looms large over the head of my bed and protects me every night. I love drawing and painting and created the logo for tee shirts this fall, for a school project and I was fortunate my work won and the tee shirts looked great. However, my Aunt is a true artist, who draws wildlife, mostly animals that are in danger of extinction, and I fall in love with each and every piece, from sloths, to blue nosed monkey to beautiful bees. My aspiration is to, one day, be able to bring my subjects to life, on canvas and to bring forth the passion she brings to her art. She travels all over the United States, with her art, and is presently in Arizona and California, at prestigious art shows. She is my mentor and friend and I look forward to her teaching me more about art and technique and to bring forth my passion in my art. In the meantime, White Lion is my favorite protector, in the dark of night as I sleep, and I wake each morning to this beautiful creature, which inspires me and makes me happy.

I learned at a very young age that I needed to be independent and focused on what I wanted, which was to get good grades in school, because my parents did not care or encourage me in any way, they were too busy using crack cocaine. In spite of their lack of parenting, I had the love and encouragement of my grandparents and I strived to do well to please them and myself. I remain as determined today as I was then. In 2022, I am beginning my college education in Computer Science and have applied to the BlueSky program which allows me to obtain my BS in Computer Science in 27 months. This program was developed by Blue Cross and is through East Tennessee State University. I have been accepted at ETSU and am completing the process for acceptance into the BlueSky program. I am determined to excel and get my degree, and I know it will be difficult, but I am an independent woman who will persevere though to accomplish my goal. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

My parents were drug addicts and finally at the age of 15, the courts granted guardianship of me to my grandmother, who has been there for me throughout the years, always fighting for me, and I learned perseverance from her. Never give up, just keep walking the walk and talking the talk, put your head down and do the very best to educate yourself, and hold your head high though the tough things that life throws at your. I love this never say die attitude that I have honed.