When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

To be a good leader, you sometimes need to travel the untraveled path and so I did. I traveled the path not taken when I turned in the form to join this unfamiliar organization called “FBLA”. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I had been pressured to join by my very own mother. She’d talked my ears off about all of her stories from her high school experience while in the organization. I’m not going to lie when I first heard of it I thought “Why would I want to be in something for business leaders when I don’t even know if I want to go into business?” and “What if I'm not a leader?”. These were the type of questions roaming through my mind until eventually, I gave in. I realized I had nothing to lose from joining, in fact, if only I knew how much I’d enjoy it, I would have joined sooner. I attend Cinco Ranch High School where I am a member of the National Honor Society – Cinco Ranch High School, Texas, Future Business Leaders of America – Cinco Ranch High School, Honor Society, and National Society of High School Scholars. I understand the importance of giving back to her community and I often take time out to support efforts to enrich the lives of those in need and those who are less fortunate. I support a student organization called Cougars4Charity and have volunteered at the Houston Food Bank and the Ballard House to name a few non-profit charitable organizations. In these efforts I have collected clothing and prepared and distributed food for people who aren’t capable of providing for themselves and their families. I am involved in various other organizations and clubs in which community service is their overall mission. My commitment to service has allowed me to learn more about the world we live in and has given me a vision of how to make it a better place. I am a member of the Church Without Walls (Brookhollow Baptist Church), under the leadership of Pastor Dr. Ralph Douglas West. Upon graduation from Cinco Ranch High School, I plan to further my education in the field of business marketing. I am attending Howard University currently and I have been on the Dean’s List each semester. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I plan to pursue a master’s degree. My career goal is to work for an international organization in the area of market and product development that serves at risk communities and fights to achieve climate control.

My journey to decide on where I would attend college was a wonderful experience. I studied a number of potential universities from across the country. I was accepted into more than 20 colleges and universities. My final review and decision making process was challenging. I had several friends that elected to attend college in Texas, Louisiana and other states. I went down another path in my final decision making. I wanted to be in DC for my college experience, so I focused on the four major universities in that area. When I studied Howard University I was overwhelmed by the cultural and historical significance of Howard. Howard has such a rich history and even before I visited the college I was swayed by what my future years would be with Howard in my plan. My family and I took a college tour to DC and we visited the universities in DC. My visit to Howard was awesome. I was so impressed by the campus and the student tour guides and their experience with Howard. My choice to attend Howard was the best decision I could have made. I have develop a circle of friends that will be forever present for the rest of my life. Yes, there are challenges with attending Howard, but the richness and the support I receive from the professors and administration have made it welcoming. I have excelled in my classes and I am proud to be a BISON! You Know HU!

One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few days visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and the more I learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all the tools I would need to start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Creating my inventory was a great accomplishment, but it made me start to think about the pricing I wanted to have for my products. At that moment I reflected on my high courses where we studied inputs and outputs of a business, and how business owners price their goods and services to make a profit. I worked with my father to come up with pricing for my products that would cover my costs of all supplies, my time and effort and leave me with a meaningful profit per each piece sold. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my Etsy online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few days visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all the tools I would need to start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Creating my inventory was a great accomplishment, but it made me start to think about the pricing I wanted to have for my products. At that moment I reflected on my high courses where we studied inputs and outputs of a business, and how business owners price their goods and services to make a profit. I worked with my father to come up with pricing for my products that would cover my costs of all supplies, my time and effort and leave me with a meaningful profit per each piece sold. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my Etsy online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences.

One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few days visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and the more I learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all the tools I would need to start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Creating my inventory was a great accomplishment, but it made me start to think about the pricing I wanted to have for my products. At that moment I reflected on my high courses where we studied inputs and outputs of a business, and how business owners price their goods and services to make a profit. I worked with my father to come up with pricing for my products that would cover my costs of all supplies, my time and effort and leave me with a meaningful profit per each piece sold. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my Etsy online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few days visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and the more I learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all the tools I would need to start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Creating my inventory was a great accomplishment, but it made me start to think about the pricing I wanted to have for my products. At that moment I reflected on my high courses where we studied inputs and outputs of a business, and how business owners price their goods and services to make a profit. I worked with my father to come up with pricing for my products that would cover my costs of all supplies, my time and effort and leave me with a meaningful profit per each piece sold. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my Etsy online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few days visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and the more I learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all the tools I would need to start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Creating my inventory was a great accomplishment, but it made me start to think about the pricing I wanted to have for my products. At that moment I reflected on my high courses where we studied inputs and outputs of a business, and how business owners price their goods and services to make a profit. I worked with my father to come up with pricing for my products that would cover my costs of all supplies, my time and effort and leave me with a meaningful profit per each piece sold. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my Etsy online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few days visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and the more I learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all the tools I would need to start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Creating my inventory was a great accomplishment, but it made me start to think about the pricing I wanted to have for my products. At that moment I reflected on my high courses where we studied inputs and outputs of a business, and how business owners price their goods and services to make a profit. I worked with my father to come up with pricing for my products that would cover my costs of all supplies, my time and effort and leave me with a meaningful profit per each piece sold. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my Etsy online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few days visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and the more I learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all the tools I would need to start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Creating my inventory was a great accomplishment, but it made me start to think about the pricing I wanted to have for my products. At that moment I reflected on my high courses where we studied inputs and outputs of a business, and how business owners price their goods and services to make a profit. I worked with my father to come up with pricing for my products that would cover my costs of all supplies, my time and effort and leave me with a meaningful profit per each piece sold. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my Etsy online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

What does leadership truly mean? Being a leader can mean different things to different people. Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, they have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. Growing up, I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. Additionally, they have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry with me all the wonderful knowledge and skills that I have learned for the rest of my life.

I have learned that to be a good leader, it is sometimes necessary to travel the untraveled path and sacrifice accordingly. Because of their excellent examples, I have traveled a path not taken by many of my friends. Over the years, I have been a part of Brownies, Girl Scouts, National Charities League, Jack and Jill, National Honor Society and Top Teens to name a few of the organizations. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to be able to learn, to grow and give back to my community. In many of these organizations I have been an officer and have learned much about the expectations and responsibilities of being a leader. I have participated in food drives, clothing drives, providing support to local facilities that serve cancer patients and provide services to the less fortunate. These experiences have made me more appreciative of my many blessings. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s team. In my sophomore year, I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Leaving volleyball created a personal void for me, but it forced me to grow. A part of this process of growing lead me to seek out a school club that focused on being a business leader. I researched the various options at my high school and decided that Future Business Leaders of America (“FBLA”) was the best option for me. FBLA is a national youth organization that helps high school students prepare for careers in the business world through academic competitions, leadership development, community service and educational programs I have gained so much knowledge and insight about careers and it has really made my career decision easier. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life after high school and college until joining FBLA. Being in FBLA has encouraged me to work harder and to strive towards my career goals. I started an online jewelry marketplace on Etsy in 2020 to provide a place for me and my friends to be able to purchase attractive jewelry at a reasonable price. I donate some of my products to teens that cannot afford to buy them because it is important to me to give back to my community. Being in FBLA has given be more insight into the world of business and how to grow my own business to satisfy the market for teens like me. Being in FBLA has greatly impacted me by giving me opportunities to volunteer, learn more about the world of business, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experience of running my own jewelry business and being in FBLA has convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. My past experiences in community service, playing sports, being in FBLA and running my own business have taught me the true value of being a good leader while at the same time giving back to your community. These experiences have allowed me to become more determined to pursue my dreams to pursue Marketing in college. All these experiences have provided the foundation for the person I will become in college and afterwards. My journey to date has been a great experience filled with fun memories that I will forever cherish, and it provides motivation to pursue all my dreams for the future – getting a college degree in Marketing, going to graduate school, being a great leader and giving back to my community.

Mr. Robinson was and is a symbol of the struggle and achievement for African Americans. His achievements are not only embodied in his career as a professional baseball player, he also was a leader and hero during his college career at UCLA. While at UCLA Mr. Robinson was an excellent student and he played multiple sports and received varsity letters in four sports. Mr. Robinson also served his country as an officer in the US Army cavalry unit. After completing his military service, Mr. Robinson was a college coach for a period. However, the opportunity to play professional baseball was too strong, and it led him to pursue the thing that he is most known by most people. After his baseball career ended, Mr. Robinson continued to be a leader in the country for all types of causes with a focus on creating opportunities for African Americans in all field. As most people will never play a professional sport, I believe his most important achievements are outside of professional baseball. Mr. Robinson's achievements in academics, social and racial leadership and business are very important achievements that many people fail to realize. These achievements provide critical lessons in patience, struggling, determination and achieving against all odds. For me as a African-American female, these are the achievements that stand-out the most and provide motivation for me to be determined to achieve all of my aspiration for college and eventually my business career as a leader. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

What Marketing Means to Me One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few days visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and the more I learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all the tools I would need to start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Creating my inventory was a great accomplishment, but it made me start to think about the pricing I wanted to have for my products. At that moment I reflected on my high courses where we studied inputs and outputs of a business, and how business owners price their goods and services to make a profit. I worked with my father to come up with pricing for my products that would cover my costs of all supplies, my time and effort and leave me with a meaningful profit per each piece sold. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my Etsy online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few days visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and the more I learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all the tools I would need to start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Creating my inventory was a great accomplishment, but it made me start to think about the pricing I wanted to have for my products. At that moment I reflected on my high courses where we studied inputs and outputs of a business, and how business owners price their goods and services to make a profit. I worked with my father to come up with pricing for my products that would cover my costs of all supplies, my time and effort and leave me with a meaningful profit per each piece sold. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my Etsy online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

The pursuit of a higher education has been a constant message from my parents for as long as I have memory. Both of my parents have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Each of them had to overcome challenges around finances to attend college. Each of them had to overcome personal and professional challenges to achieve their educational goals. They have always considered providing the best opportunities for getting the best education for me. They have spent a considerable amount for me to attend special camps and to get tutoring as needed. Their actions have instilled in me a love of learning and an understanding of the importance of hard work and dedication. Because of their emphasis on education and the financial sacrifices they have made over the years, I have been able to focus most of my time and energy on achieving academically. As I approach graduation, I am extremely proud that I have a 389 gpa at one of the most challenging schools in the state – Cinco Ranch High School. I have been a member of the National Honor Society, Honor Society and National Society of High School Scholars. Additionally, I have also been active in serving my local community through involvement in school organizations and community social organizations. Being a leader sometimes means that you must travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader My parents have made many personal and financial sacrifices to allow me to focus on education, entrepreneurial efforts and to serve my community. I am pursuing opportunities to secure financing to pay for college and provide some relief to my parents. Going to college and possibly pursuing a post graduate degree have always been a long-term goal for me and a dream for my parents. If selected to receive this scholarship, I will continue to apply the same level of hard work and dedication in my collegiate studies as I have throughout high school. I will always make education and service to my community my top priorities in life. I will always represent your organization in the highest manner and will always be willing to serve in any means possible to tell the important story of your organization and the scholarship opportunities. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

Mr. Robinson was and is a symbol of the struggle and achievement for African Americans. His achievements are not only embodied in his career as a professional baseball player, he also was a leader and hero during his college career at UCLA. While at UCLA Mr. Robinson was an excellent student and he played multiple sports and received varsity letters in four sports. Mr. Robinson also served his country as an officer in the US Army cavalry unit. After completing his military service, Mr. Robinson was a college coach for a period. However, the opportunity to play professional baseball was too strong, and it led him to pursue the thing that he is most known by most people. After his baseball career ended, Mr. Robinson continued to be a leader in the country for all types of causes with a focus on creating opportunities for African Americans in all field. As most people will never play a professional sport, I believe his most important achievements are outside of professional baseball. Mr. Robinson's achievements in academics, social and racial leadership and business are very important achievements that many people fail to realize. These achievements provide critical lessons in patience, struggling, determination and achieving against all odds. For me as a African-American female, these are the achievements that stand-out the most and provide motivation for me to be determined to achieve all of my aspiration for college and eventually my business career as a leader. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

Mr. Robinson was and is a symbol of the struggle and achievement for African Americans. His achievements are not only embodied in his career as a professional baseball player, he also was a leader and hero during his college career at UCLA. While at UCLA Mr. Robinson was an excellent student and he played multiple sports and received varsity letters in four sports. Mr. Robinson also served his country as an officer in the US Army cavalry unit. After completing his military service, Mr. Robinson was a college coach for a period. However, the opportunity to play professional baseball was too strong, and it led him to pursue the thing that he is most known by most people. After his baseball career ended, Mr. Robinson continued to be a leader in the country for all types of causes with a focus on creating opportunities for African Americans in all field. As most people will never play a professional sport, I believe his most important achievements are outside of professional baseball. Mr. Robinson's achievements in academics, social and racial leadership and business are very important achievements that many people fail to realize. These achievements provide critical lessons in patience, struggling, determination and achieving against all odds. For me as a African-American female, these are the achievements that stand-out the most and provide motivation for me to be determined to achieve all of my aspiration for college and eventually my business career as a leader. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university. It is wonderful when your passions can lead you to a future in college and an eventual career path after college.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry. I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals studying the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several weeks creating a name for my business, setting up banking arrangements, finding suppliers, and purchasing all the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After everal efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my online store for business, I was so proud, excited, and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I will be attending Howard University and pursuing a degree in their Marketing Program in the Fall of 2023. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

To be a good leader, you sometimes need to travel the untraveled path and so I did. I traveled the path not taken when I turned in the form to join this unfamiliar organization called “FBLA”. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I had been pressured to join by my very own mother. She’d talked my ears off about all of her stories from her high school experience while in the organization. I’m not going to lie when I first heard of it I thought…“Why would I want to be in something for business leaders when I don’t even know if I want to go into business?” and “What if I'm not a leader?”. These were the type of questions roaming through my mind until eventually, I gave in. I realized I had nothing to lose from joining, in fact, if only I knew how much I’d enjoy it, I would have joined sooner. I attend Cinco Ranch High School where I am a member of the National Honor Society – Cinco Ranch High School, Texas, Future Business Leaders of America – Cinco Ranch High School, Honor Society, and National Society of High School Scholars. I understand the importance of giving back to her community and I often take time out to support efforts to enrich the lives of those in need and those who are less fortunate. I support a student organization called Cougars4Charity and have volunteered at the Houston Food Bank and the Ballard House to name a few non-profit charitable organizations. In these efforts I have collected clothing and prepared and distributed food for people who aren’t capable of providing for themselves and their families. I am involved in various other organizations and clubs in which community service is their overall mission. My commitment to service has allowed me to learn more about the world we live in and has given me a vision of how to make it a better place. I am a member of the Church Without Walls (Brookhollow Baptist Church), under the leadership of Pastor Dr. Ralph Douglas West. Upon graduation from Cinco Ranch High School, I plan to further my education in the field of business marketing. I am still in the process of selecting which university I will pursue my college studies and I hope to make that decision in the next 90 days. Mt top choices of schools include Georgetown University, Howard University, George Washington University, Seton Hall University, University of Texas – Austin and University of Chicago. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I plan to pursue a master’s degree. My career goal is to work for an international organization in the area of market and product development that serves at risk communities and fights to achieve climate control.

I will be pursuing my education in the field of business marketing at Howard University and after obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I plan to pursue a master’s degree with my career goal to work for an international organization in the area of market and product development that serves at-risk communities and fights to achieve climate control.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

One may ask, what does leadership truly mean? Being a leader can mean different things to different people. Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. Growing up, I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. Additionally, they have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry with me all the wonderful knowledge and skills that I have learned.

One may ask, what does leadership truly mean? Being a leader can mean different things to different people. Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. Growing up, I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. Additionally, they have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry with me all the wonderful knowledge and skills that I have learned.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. Growing up, I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. Additionally, they have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry with me all the wonderful knowledge and skills that I have learned for the rest of my life.

One day in 2020, I woke up and imagined a world where I could run my own jewelry business online. I discussed the dream with my parents, and they expressed full support in me pursuing my dream. Although I had no idea what would be required and how to go about setting it up, I was convinced that I could bring my dream to reality. I always loved creating new things and I loved jewelry; I didn’t realize my two passions could lead to a business until I started researching. I spent the next few weeks visiting several online portals looking at the products and the marketing presentations used by each site. The more I researched and the more I learned, I became even more convinced that it was something I could accomplish. I spent the next several creating a name for my business, setting up some banking arrangements, finding suppliers and purchasing all of the tools I would need to actually start creating jewelry. Even after I had put all the preliminary things in place, I realized there was so much more that I had to do before I could really start operating my business. After several efforts to develop an inventory of rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces, I finally came up with enough pieces to populate my online site. Even after all of those efforts, I didn’t realize I had to spend even more time on coming up with displays and placement themes to market my jewelry to my target customers. When I finally completed everything and opened my store for business, I was so proud, excited and scared. Later, in high school business class, I learned that all of my efforts were the efforts of an entrepreneur and it really required marketing skills to bring it into reality. Marketing allows me to pursue my creative and academic passions and help people to see the beauty within themselves at the same time. Just as creating a business and offering my products to potential customers, I am very excited with marketing being the focus of my chosen career path. The emphasis on entrepreneurship and market development is what motivates me to study marketing in college and eventually work for a multinational company in marketing. I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary product development comes from individuals that have lived the experience and who are motivated by those experiences. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field at my chosen university.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. They have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry this knowledge and skills for the rest of my life.

To be a good leader, you sometimes need to travel the untraveled path and so I did. I traveled the path not taken when I turned in the form to join this unfamiliar organization called “FBLA”. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I had been pressured to join by my very own mother. She’d talked my ears off about all of her stories from her high school experience while in the organization. I’m not going to lie when I first heard of it I thought…“Why would I want to be in something for business leaders when I don’t even know if I want to go into business?” and “What if I'm not a leader?”. These were the type of questions roaming through my mind until eventually, I gave in. I realized I had nothing to lose from joining, in fact, if only I knew how much I’d enjoy it, I would have joined sooner. I attend Cinco Ranch High School where I am a member of the National Honor Society – Cinco Ranch High School, Texas, Future Business Leaders of America – Cinco Ranch High School, Honor Society, and National Society of High School Scholars. I understand the importance of giving back to her community and I often take time out to support efforts to enrich the lives of those in need and those who are less fortunate. I support a student organization called Cougars4Charity and have volunteered at the Houston Food Bank and the Ballard House to name a few non-profit charitable organizations. In these efforts I have collected clothing and prepared and distributed food for people who aren’t capable of providing for themselves and their families. I am involved in various other organizations and clubs in which community service is their overall mission. My commitment to service has allowed me to learn more about the world we live in and has given me a vision of how to make it a better place. I am a member of the Church Without Walls (Brookhollow Baptist Church), under the leadership of Pastor Dr. Ralph Douglas West. Upon graduation from Cinco Ranch High School, I plan to further my education in the field of business marketing. I am still in the process of selecting which university I will pursue my college studies and I hope to make that decision in the next 90 days. Mt top choices of schools include Georgetown University, Howard University, George Washington University, Seton Hall University, University of Texas – Austin and University of Chicago. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I plan to pursue a master’s degree. My career goal is to work for an international organization in the area of market and product development that serves at risk communities and fights to achieve climate control.

To be a good leader, you sometimes need to travel the untraveled path and so I did. I traveled the path not taken when I turned in the form to join this unfamiliar organization called “FBLA”. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I had been pressured to join by my very own mother. She’d talked my ears off about all of her stories from her high school experience while in the organization. I’m not going to lie when I first heard of it I thought…“Why would I want to be in something for business leaders when I don’t even know if I want to go into business?” and “What if I'm not a leader?”. These were the type of questions roaming through my mind until eventually, I gave in. I realized I had nothing to lose from joining, in fact, if only I knew how much I’d enjoy it, I would have joined sooner. I attend Cinco Ranch High School where I am a member of the National Honor Society – Cinco Ranch High School, Texas, Future Business Leaders of America – Cinco Ranch High School, Honor Society, and National Society of High School Scholars. I understand the importance of giving back to her community and I often take time out to support efforts to enrich the lives of those in need and those who are less fortunate. I support a student organization called Cougars4Charity and have volunteered at the Houston Food Bank and the Ballard House to name a few non-profit charitable organizations. In these efforts I have collected clothing and prepared and distributed food for people who aren’t capable of providing for themselves and their families. I am involved in various other organizations and clubs in which community service is their overall mission. My commitment to service has allowed me to learn more about the world we live in and has given me a vision of how to make it a better place. I am a member of the Church Without Walls (Brookhollow Baptist Church), under the leadership of Pastor Dr. Ralph Douglas West. Upon graduation from Cinco Ranch High School, I plan to further my education in the field of business marketing. I am still in the process of selecting which university I will pursue my college studies and I hope to make that decision in the next 90 days. Mt top choices of schools include Georgetown University, Howard University, George Washington University, Seton Hall University, University of Texas – Austin and University of Chicago. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I plan to pursue a master’s degree. My career goal is to work for an international organization in the area of market and product development that serves at risk communities and fights to achieve climate control.

Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. Growing up, I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. Additionally, they have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry with me all the wonderful knowledge and skills that I have learned for the rest of my life.

One may ask, what does leadership truly mean? Being a leader can mean different things to different people. Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. Growing up, I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. Additionally, they have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community.

Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. Growing up, I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. Additionally, they have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry with me all the wonderful knowledge and skills that I have learned for the rest of my life.

When I started the process of determining what I wanted to pursue as a college major, I started by taking a critical assessment of what my strongest talents were. Based on my high school education which included several business classes and my experience in creating and managing my own online business, I was immediately drawn to pursuing business. Within the field of business, I was drawn to the marketing arena. Marketing provides the opportunity to directly communicate to people and develop products and services that will have a positive impact on communities. After determining a major, I immediately started looking at universities with strong marketing departments, a commitment to serving disadvantaged communities, a focus on having a positive impact on climate change and the environment, and finally a student community that I felt would provide me the best opportunity to learn and grow. Howard University rated very high on all my criteria, and it is in the ideal location – in our nation’s capital and near the center of power and cultural richness. Finally, when my family and I visited in March 2022, I fell in love with the campus, the history of the university from its founding in 1867 and the knowledge of knowing of the leaders that have gotten their education at Howard University. I am convinced Howard University, (the Bison) is the perfect university for me to grow and become the leader I am destined to become.

Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. Growing up, I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. Initially, I was reluctant to join the organization because I was unsure if I could be a good leader in a business organization. In addition, I was not sure I wanted to pursue business as a future endeavor. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. Additionally, they have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry with me all the wonderful knowledge and skills that I have learned for the rest of my life.

To be a good leader, you sometimes need to travel the untraveled path and so I did. I traveled the path not taken when I turned in the form to join this unfamiliar organization called “FBLA”. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I had been pressured to join by my very own mother. She’d talked my ears off about all of her stories from her high school experience while in the organization. I’m not going to lie when I first heard of it, I thought… “Why would I want to be in something for business leaders when I don’t even know if I want to go into business?” and “What if I'm not a leader?”. These were the type of questions roaming through my mind until eventually, I gave in. I realized I had nothing to lose from joining, in fact, if only I knew how much I’d enjoy it, I would have joined sooner. Future Business Leaders of America. The organization which I had just joined is a national youth organization that helps high school students prepare for careers in the business world through academic competitions, leadership development and educational programs. During a time in my life when I had quit the sport that I loved, and felt rather insufficient without it, the wonderful advisers and members of FBLA welcomed me with open arms. Having this community to be a part of is something that I think is worth appreciating. I’ve only been in this organization since the beginning of 2021 but so far It has impacted me deeply. I’ve gained so much knowledge and insight about careers and it’s really made my career decision easier. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life after high school and college until joining FBLA. It made me realize that maybe choosing a path in the business field was something worth considering at the least. So far being in this organization has encouraged me to work harder and to strive towards my goals. Not only has it allowed me to become more determined and a better version of myself, but it also includes various opportunities available to all students. From volunteering in the school store to doing community service to playing games with the elderly. You get rewarded for your time through points which go towards senior scholarships. This is one of the best pros of being a part of FBLA. Furthermore, not every club is like FBLA in which the family you make and the loving people you meet are nothing compared to the others. You build valuable mentorships and relationships that will shape you as a person. I have had the pleasure of volunteering in the school store and helping during my lunch periods, along with a few other students and the school store Mom. Helping there has become something I do on the regular day now that I’ve gained a particular liking to it. It’s made me realize how much I enjoy helping others and doing things to make people happy. Being in this organization has impacted me and helped me improve on important skills. Finally, it just feels like home. If I could have seen myself five years ago, I never would have expected to be a part of an organization like this. If anyone asked me one thing, I regret doing it would be not joining sooner. However, I will continue to be a part of this wonderful community for the remainder of my time at CRHS.

Being a leader can mean different things to different people. Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. Some may say that the external environment plays a key role in shaping someone. As an only child, I believe that theory to be correct. I have been raised by two parents who are actively involved in numerous community and cultural organizations. They have both held leadership positions in many of them. My parents have continuously emphasized the importance of trying new things and giving back to our community. By this being instilled in me at such a young age, the flame was sparked to want to do more for myself. Being a leader sometimes means that you have to travel the untraveled path and make sacrifices accordingly. Over the years, I have been a member of Girl Scouts of America – Troop 17445; National Charity League - Azalea Chapter; Jack and Jill of America - Katy Prairie View Chapter; National Honor Society at Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian, in most of these. In all these experiences, I have made personal sacrifices to learn, to grow and give back to my community. They have also taught me how to take notes and manage an effective meeting. Through these lessons, I have become a stronger leader. Growing up, I was also an active athlete. I played volleyball for several years at the club level and as part of my school’s freshman team. Like many others, COVID-19 caused a shift in my priorities, and I made the difficult decision to give up volleyball and to focus on academics and service to my community. Although I felt a personal void when I stopped playing volleyball, it forced me to grow as an individual and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. A part of this process led me to seek out and join a school club - Future Business leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA focuses on encouraging and preparing students to become strong business leaders through community service and leadership opportunities. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being in FBLA and taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year, I gained more insight on the business world and how to be a better business owner. Also, I have been given opportunities to volunteer, improve on important social skills and learn how to be a better leader. The experiences of managing my own jewelry business and being in FBLA have convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. These experiences have taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to expand the growth of my business. Additionally, they have provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams - a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community. I will carry with me all the wonderful knowledge and skills that I have learned for the rest of my life.

One may ask, what does leadership truly mean? Being a leader can mean different things to different people. Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. I have been a part of Girl Scouts of America - Troop 17445, National Charity League, Azalea Chapter, Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated – Katy Prairie View Chapter, National Honor Society – Cinco Ranch High School, Katy, Texas, Future Business Leaders of America – Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few of the organizations. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian. Holding these positions have taught me how to take notes and to run an effective meeting. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to be able to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being a member of FBLA as well taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year has provided more insight into the business world and how to be a better business owner. The experience of running my own jewelry business and being in FBLA has convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. It has taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to push the growth of my company. My involvement in various organizations has provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams – a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community.

What does leadership truly mean? Being a leader can mean different things to different people. Many believe that a leader is not born, but the skills to be a leader are acquired through life lessons. There have been many lessons that have led me down the path of leadership and the pursuit of marketing as my career choice. I have been a part of Girl Scouts of America - Troop 17445, National Charity League, Azalea Chapter, Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated – Katy Prairie View Chapter, National Honor Society – Cinco Ranch High School, Katy, Texas, Future Business Leaders of America – Cinco Ranch High School and Top Teens of America – Humble Continental Chapter to name a few of the organizations. I have held officer positions that included, Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian. These positions have taught me how to take notes and to run an effective meeting. In 2020, I started an online jewelry business marketplace on Etsy to provide a place for people around the country to be able to purchase quality jewelry at a reasonable price. Being a member of FBLA as well taking an Entrepreneurship class my sophomore year has provided more insight into the business world and how to be a better business owner. The experience of running my own jewelry business and being in FBLA has convinced me that marketing is what I want to pursue in college. It has taught me the true value of being a good leader and learning how to push the growth of my company. My involvement in various organizations has provided the foundation for the person I will become and the motivation to pursue all my dreams – a college degree in marketing, graduate school, continuing to be a great leader and giving back to my community.