The lack of diversity and inclusion at all fronts is continuing to plague our world. We cannot consistently be in a white male world, not only is it boring but it doesn't achieve maximum results. Take a look at the world so far, it's been predominantly run by white men and we're in a catastrophe. Globalwarming, a worldwide pandemic, racism, sexism, and everything else because they have been made the center for whatever odd reason. But luckily for us and future generations, there has been a push for a more diverse voice in corporate, U.S administration, and at lesser levels. Forexample, Kamala Harris has been elected as the first Black woman VP in all of US history. She now represents and has set a precedent for all the young women of color to now see someone like them in power and feel the inspiration that they can do the same. And this works at all levels as I said previously, seeing an Asiandoctor and a Blackcardiologist, and even a woman racecar driver. As wonderful as all this representation andD&I sounds, we have to actively put in the work. It's easy to keep reverting to tradition and go the easy way but a push against the grain it was we need. We need white men willing to give up their power and transfer it to someone else and there are several ways they can do this. It could be as simple as being quiet in an office meeting to let a person of color voice their opinion or as large as stepping down from their position to make room for diversity. But either way, the person with the power in their hands has to be the ally and as the person highest in the privilege hierarchy, it falls on white men.

Ida B Wells is probably the most admirable and gifted mind in history. Usually, I end the statement right there but for this scholarship, I shall explain. As an aspiring journalist, she is the standard for Black women in this field. It doesn't get much better than her given the sacrifices she had to make just to uphold the journalistic code in her era. Not only being a pillar in the civil rights movement, a founder of the NAACP, and a reporter of the lynchings and general mistreatment of her people, but she also dedicated herself to teach as well. Her most famous bout with sacrificing herself and her safety to uplift the journalistic code was her crusade to report on lynchings happening around her for 2 months. Wells wrote newspaper articles decrying the lynching of her friend and the wrongful deaths of other African Americans. Putting her own life at high risk, she spent these months traveling in the South, gathering information on other lynching incidents. I admire her because of her strength and willingness to record these incidents so that decades later we might have the evidence to prove the consistent mistreatment of our people. She didn't do it alone, but it was her contributions and putting her life in constant danger that solidified her as the person I admire most from history. The strength, the perseverance, the unwillingness for our people to continue to suffer without recording it, and the Black girl magic has yet to be matched in this lifetime.

Did you know that 90% of online businesses fail within the first 4 months of operation? These numbers are astounding, but thanks to my family members and friend groups I am not one of those businesses. The pandemic changed a lot, I was fired from my previous job, no one was really hiring (especially not a chubby Black woman) and the job hunt began to be very discouraging. I applied to over 1,000 jobs from March 2020- May 2020. I received three interviews and apparently none of them were interested. This is where I gave up and started to vent to a friend while I was on Facetime with them helping with an English paper. They said, “Well hey, your help got me a 97 on my last paper. Why don’t you just start a tutoring business”. I thought they were crazy, I’d only ever helped family and friends but when I told my parents and they agreed I knew I had to try. So, on May 10th 2020 I started my online tutoring business called “ThEditors”. It was rocky at first, I definitely got discouraged after I hadn’t gotten any clients for a week and a half but right when I was about to give up, I got a client. We worked as hard as we could over Zoom and several Google docs and he got a 98 on his Spanish test. This was the client that inspired me to keep going and after his review on Instagram and Facebook, business was booming. But I didn’t always have the answers as smart as I may be. I consistently called on my mother and sister for help. My mother, being an educator of 12 years with 2 Master’s degrees, kept me organized and on the straight and narrow. She gave me the tools to teach my clients without giving them the answer straight away. As she put it, “You have to believe that can get to the answer on their own with some time and love and if they don’t, you need to re-evaluate your teaching”. That gem sticks with me every time I receive a client, I’ve even put the quote in my scheduling book as a reminder. My sister, as undoubtedly been the most supportive from beginning to end. Not only does she help out with lesson plans when I accidentally overbook but she has taken clients for me several times. She’s 2 years younger than me and this amazing so imagine how proud I am. My dad, often doubts me and how long I can keep this up. But even with his negativity he rarely gets in the way and honestly, motivates me to do what I do, the best I can do it. It’s not always easy, as he loved to remind me, but I’ve been going strong for a little over a year so I must be doing something right! A full description of my business would be, a tutoring service that mostly serves POC in underserved schools and universities to give them a leg up in the academic department. I’ve tutored and helped single mothers still continuing with school, which was the most rewarding. And I’ve tutored students that have never liked school a day in their life but are now excelling. What I do is so rewarding and all proceeds either go to my college fund or right back into serving my community. And I couldn’t have done it without my family and friends.

I strive to be a person that not only speaks for the people to voice concerns and otherwise but to truly listen to said concerns and relay them accordingly. I am active in my community, church, and school and I have been for most of my life. Even as a young child around the age of six or seven, I have been known to be outspoken and speak towards the injustices of my community, the Black community. This is the conservation and advocacy I participate in in my community. I’ve led many social media campaigns on my social media accounts as well as orchestrated conservation on my podcast, blog, and roundtables. This leadership has raised awareness and further education about abortion rights, BLM, women's rights, mental health, and more. This leadership is also displayed in my school life. I hold leadership roles such as president or vice president in several clubs at my school. I was the unspoken assistant direct and first chair flutist and drummer in my school band. Some of my most fond leadership moments and high school memories happened in the music room. The camaraderie in messing up, tuning instruments and finally getting it right taught me lessons I didn't know I needed to learn. We played from almost all our school's important events such as ARISTA and graduation. We also played for the superintendent and administration on several occasions. My leadership in the church is quite similar to both the community and school, as a now older member of my youth ministry I find myself being a voice of reason and wisdom amongst the younger ones. When it comes to leadership, advocacy, and even inspiration the truest trait lies in compassion and the ultimate willingness to be of service. I’ve had a passion for journalism my entire life but just recently (4 or so years ago) realized I could make this passion a career. I do want to learn a little bit of everything just to gain experience and find which specific role I really enjoy. But, what God placed on my heart involves me putting Black people in the best possible light possible. Through my written pieces and even a few episodes on my podcast, I hope to create a place where young Black people can find role models outside the typical artist or sports player. My main objective is to write and inform the world of everything good, bad, and indifferent. My educational goals are to complete my Bachelor's in Journalism and go on to receive 2 Master's degrees in PR and Political Science and later a Ph.D. My ultimate dream job would be to be the White House Press Secretary but that’s strongly dependent one who’s in office and if I agree and believe in their platform. My backup dream job would be to be a political commentator like JoyAnn Reid specifically on CNN or MSNBC. Later in life I want to write 2-3 books about my experiences in this field and I would also like to be a professor.

I have often been bestowed with the duty and responsibility of leadership and advocacy . I strive to be a person that not only speaks for the people to voice concerns and otherwise but to truly listen to said concerns and relay them accordingly. I am active in my community, church, and school and I have all my life. Even as a young child around the age of six or seven, I have been known to be outspoken and speak towards the injustices of my community, the Black community. My leadership in the church is quite similar to both the community and school, as a now older member of my youth ministry and usher board I find myself being a voice of reason and wisdom amongst the younger ones. I take my role model role as seriously as one possibly could. It's important to show younger members of any community that success and true service is attainable at any level in real life not just on TV or in the movies. A specific example of this is when I participated in the Viola Starling Educational competition sponsored by my usher board. A lot of my speech discussing the impact of the Black Panther was the representation that it gave the Black community. Especially in the lower-income neighbors, I tend to serve, they don't get to see Black people as generals and superheroes too often. Another example is when I create, coordinate, and teach my peers Annual Marches. I look forward to this program every year because it is an open collaboration and comradery amongst the usher board. From teaching everyone the steps to opening night, it's a joyful experience that boots everyone's confidence and coordination. When it comes to leadership, advocacy, and even inspiration the truest trait lies in compassion and the ultimate willingness to be of service.

Writing means the world to me. It represents freedom, liberation, and creativity for anyone with a pen or pencil and some paper. One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to overcome was racism in the education system. Before I started at my current highschool I’d experienced nothing but since 3rd grade. Teachers would consistently grade me unfairly or by another rubric when I wrote about systematic injustice or anything pro-Black. My outspoken and bubbly spirit was deemed as “unfit for the classroom environment” as my white 3rd grade teacher put it. Everytime my mother got involved by contacting the principal or coming up to the school, matters seemed to get worse. This realization that my parents could not help me, as they are Black too, I learned the important lesson of code-switching. Code-switching is a tactic many loud, bubbly and outspoken Black people like myself are well aware of. I absorbed myself in my writing, and learned how to academically code-switch. I read more to expand my vocabulary, I watched the news with my parents to stay updated on current events, and eventually I was no longer “unfit for the classroom environment”. While I am not proud of conforming to a system that told me my Black joy and brilliance was unfit, I am proud that I survived it. An internship I had with Councilmember Alicia Ampry Samuel was a defining moment in my life as well. While I had the tools of code-switching, a tool I learned earlier on than most, I still didn’t agree with its premise. Around my first couple of weeks, I sat in on a meeting where the councilmember was proofreading a speech. They spoke about different ways specific sentences could be revised to fit better the audience she was addressing. I assume she noticed my facial expressions during this process and explained why the changes were necessary. She emphasized that sometimes you have to ‘sneak diss’ or introduce topics subtly when addressing a specific audience. They couldn’t outright say or imply something that may offend some of the lighter audience members. This lesson didn’t sit right with me but nonetheless it was one I need to learn going forward with a career in journalism. Playing the system to achieve maximum results was the lesson at hand. And it was received, but as a journalist it’s my duty to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Whether it makes “the lighter audiences” upset or not.

Did you know that 90% of online businesses fail within the first 4 months of operation? These numbers are astounding, but thanks to my family members and friend groups I am not one of those businesses. The pandemic changed a lot, I was fired from my previous job, no one was really hiring (especially not a chubby Black woman) and the job hunt began to be very discouraging. I applied to over 1,000 jobs from March 2020- May 2020. I received three interviews and apparently none of them were interested. This is where I gave up and started to vent to a friend while I was on Facetime with them helping with an English paper. They said, “Well hey, your help got me a 97 on my last paper. Why don’t you just start a tutoring business”. I thought they were crazy, I’d only ever helped family and friends but when I told my parents and they agreed I knew I had to try. So, on May 10th 2020 I started my online tutoring business called “ThEditors”. It was rocky at first, I definitely got discouraged after I hadn’t gotten any clients for a week and a half but right when I was about to give up, I got a client. We worked as hard as we could over Zoom and several Google docs and he got a 98 on his Spanish test. This was the client that inspired me to keep going and after his review on Instagram and Facebook, business was booming. But I didn’t always have the answers as smart as I may be. I consistently called on my mother and sister for help. My mother, being an educator of 12 years with 2 Master’s degrees, kept me organized and on the straight and narrow. She gave me the tools to teach my clients without giving them the answer straight away. As she put it, “You have to believe that can get to the answer on their own with some time and love and if they don’t, you need to re-evaluate your teaching”. That gem sticks with me every time I receive a client, I’ve even put the quote in my scheduling book as a reminder. My sister, as undoubtedly been the most supportive from beginning to end. Not only does she help out with lesson plans when I accidentally overbook but she has taken clients for me several times. She’s 2 years younger than me and this amazing so imagine how proud I am. A full description of my business would be, a tutoring service that mostly serves POC in underserved schools and universities to give them a leg up in the academic department. I’ve tutored and helped single mothers still continuing with school, which was the most rewarding. And I’ve tutored students that have never liked school a day in their life but are now excelling. What I do is so rewarding and all proceeds either go to my college fund or right back into serving my community. And I couldn’t have done it without my family and friends. I’ve reached a total of 19 states and a few international but the goal is to expand even farther. Education is one of the keys that can be used to unlock one’s wildest dream and it’s sad that POC don’t get the opportunity to reap the full benefits. In the future, I hope to expand past just tutoring and provide clients with networking and interview workshops as well.

I chose an HBCU because I wanted to continue to be surrounded by Black Excellence. I’ve always been surrounded by it from my family to my church, to my school. I went to predominantly Black schools from 3rd grade to the present. I’ve attended a Baptist church my whole life and my family is full of doctors, lawyers, and professionals. It didn’t feel right going to a PWI given the track record that I have. I’m also on track to be a third-gen HBCU graduate. My dad and grandma went to Fisk University, and my aunts and uncles went to Hampton and Howard. But while I had a family connection to the brilliance and beauty that HBCUs represent, I chose Howard for a personal reason. Because of the Black Excellence, I’ve been surrounded by I’m often pressured to be the best of the best to fit in with the legacy of my family. Their purpose for my life often overshadows my own but choosing to attend Howard was my decision. While I visited the campus I was inspired, overwhelmed even, by the feeling of history and pride standing on an HBCU campus for the first time in my life. It made me realize both who I was, why it was important to continue my education, and who I was doing it for. Learning and growing in a community of my peers has been my dream from a young age and visiting the campus in my sophomore year of high school affirmed this dream. Institutions like Howard University, Spelman, NCAT, and several others are widely known because of their excellence and academic prestige. Their importance to me stems from their willingness to be of service to the Black community, the brilliance on their various campuses, and the game-changers they produce. And I will be one of those game-changers. My educational goals are to complete my Bachelor's in Journalism and go on to receive 2 Master's degrees in PR and Political Science and later a Ph.D. My ultimate dream job would be to be the White House Press Secretary but that’s strongly dependent one who’s in office and if I agree and believe in their platform. My backup dream job would be to be a political commentator like JoyAnn Reid specifically on CNN or MSNBC. Later in life I want to write 2-3 books about my experiences in this field and I would also like to be a professor. I’ve had a passion for journalism my entire life but just recently (4 or so years ago) realized I could make this passion a career. What God placed on my heart involves me putting Black people in the best possible light possible. Through my written pieces and public speaking, I hope to create a platform where young Black people can find role models outside the typical artist or sports player. My main objective is to write and inform the world of everything good, bad, and indifferent. In a world where fake news, false advertisement and clickbait runs rampant I’m making it my mission to do the opposite. The people of the world, especially Americans, need truthful and unbiased reportings of the news. Young Black men are not “thugs” or “gang members”, Hispanic Americans are not “rapists” and “stealing our jobs” and Black women are not “angry” and “fast” . They are human beings that deserve to be reported as they are, human beings, regardless of popular opinion. And it’s my duty to report them as such.

Around my matriculation from the 10th to 11th grade, my mother lost her job. She’d just gotten a job at a middle school a bit far away from home, but after she was laid off everything changed. My mother had always been my role model and the one I went to for every little thing as teenagers often do. I broke a nail, I called my mom. I got a grade of less than 100, I texted her to complain. But after I witnessed and experienced the shift in my house after she got laid off, that’s when I developed true independence and started questioning things. I noticed how my mother was struggling to get by and I felt extreme guilt going to complain to her about my adolescent worries. They were no longer important in the grand scheme of things. This is when I really buckled down on my school work and tried to get the very best grades possible. My mother, a teacher for 12 years, always emphasized the importance of higher education and learning has much as you can. I often worried about how I would be able to attend my dream school, Howard University, or any school at all. My mother had been laid off after 3 years at this school as she has all the experience in the world, 2 Master’s degrees, and certifications for days! If she couldn’t find a job with all that education why was she pushing me to get higher education. What was the point? But this situation taught me the value of perseverance and hard work in addition to the value of asking important questions. I shouldn’t have to just conform to whatever society or my parents say just because but I should go to college for me. And that’s exactly what I’m doing. Even though my mother was an indirect teacher in this instance, these are the skills that I use as my foundation to walk through life as I become an adult.

Writing means the world to me. It represents freedom, liberation, and creativity for anyone with a pen or pencil and some paper. My outspoken and bubbly spirit was deemed as “unfit for the classroom environment” so I put the energy into my art. I am an artist, and writing is my art form. Google docs is often my canvas, to continue with the painting analogy. I’ve had a passion for journalism my entire life but just recently (4 or so years ago) realized I could make this passion a career. But, the root of my passion involves me highlighting women and POC. Through my written pieces and public speaking events, I hope to create a place where marginalized groups, especially Black people, can find role models outside the typical artist or sports player. To truly admire and see the beauty and worth in figures other than the ones society has but on a very high pedestal for several years. My main objective is to write and inform the world of everything good, bad, and indifferent. My educational goals are to complete my Bachelor's in Journalism and go on to receive a Master's degrees in PR and later a Ph.D. I ultimately want to create a fun and inclusive platform that not only showcases my art, but other’s as well. This scholarship would help me get the training and experience to be the change I want to see in this world.

Writing means the world to me. It represents freedom, liberation, and creativity for anyone with a pen or pencil and some paper. One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to overcome was racism in the education system. Before I started at my current highschool I’d experienced nothing but since 3rd grade. Teachers would consistently grade me unfairly or by another rubric when I wrote about systematic injustice or anything pro-Black. My outspoken and bubbly spirit was deemed as “unfit for the classroom environment” as my white 3rd grade teacher put it. Everytime my mother got involved by contacting the principal or coming up to the school, matters seemed to get worse. This realization that my parents could not help me, as they are Black too, I learned the important lesson of code-switching. Code-switching is a tactic many loud, bubbly and outspoken Black people like myself are well aware of. I absorbed myself in my writing, and learned how to academically code-switch. I read more to expand my vocabulary, I watched the news with my parents to stay updated on current events, and eventually I was no longer “unfit for the classroom environment”. While I am not proud of conforming to a system that told me my Black joy and brilliance was unfit, I am proud that I survived it. My educational goals are to complete my Bachelor's in Journalism and go on to receive 2 Master's degrees in PR and Political Science and later a Ph.D. My ultimate dream job would be to be the White House Press Secretary but that’s strongly dependent one who’s in office and if I agree and believe in their platform. My backup dream job would be to be a political commentator like JoyAnn Reid specifically on CNN or MSNBC. Later in life I want to write 2-3 books about my experiences in this field and I would also like to be a professor.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to overcome was racism in the education system. Before I started at my current highschool I’d experienced nothing but since 3rd grade. Teachers would consistently grade me unfairly or by another rubric when I wrote about systematic injustice or anything pro-Black. My outspoken and bubbly spirit was deemed as “unfit for the classroom environment” as my white 3rd grade teacher put it. Everytime my mother or father got involved by contacting the principal or coming up to the school, matters seemed to get worse. This realization that my parents could not help me, as they are Black too, I learned the important lesson of code-switching. Code-switching is a tactic many loud, bubbly and outspoken Black people like myself are well aware of. I absorbed myself in my writing, and learned how to academically code-switch. I read more to expand my vocabulary, I watched the news with my parents to stay updated on current events, and eventually I was no longer “unfit for the classroom environment”. While I am not proud of conforming to a system that told me my Black joy and brilliance was unfit, I am proud that I survived it. This experience taught me the lesson of perseverance and hard work. I had to keep going and push through everything those racist instructors threw at me. It made me a better writer, it fed my work ethic and gave me the confidence to stand up for myself going forward. In a world where Black women are underpaid, unappreciated, these were skills I had to early on. It saddens me that I won’t be the last little Black girl to experience that, but it fuels my fire to change the world and system so that I’m one of the last. I’ve had a passion for journalism and writing my entire life but around 4 years realized I could make this passion a career. But, what God placed on my heart involves me putting Black people in the best possible light possible. Through my written pieces, I hope to create a place where young Black people can find role models outside the typical artist or sports player. My main objective is to write and inform the world of everything good, bad, and indifferent. My educational goals are to complete my Bachelor's in Journalism and go on to receive 2 Master's degrees in PR and Political Science and later a Ph.D. My ultimate dream job would be to be the White House Press Secretary but that’s strongly dependent one who’s in office and if I agree and believe in their platform. Later in life I want to write 2-3 books about my experiences in this field and I would also like to be a professor.

Challenges in the workplace as a Black women is virtually impossible to avoid. The intersectionality that I experience allows two giants of discrimination, racism and sexism, to run rampant. But with the guidance from the works of the great Audre Lorde, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Sharon Smith it’s possible to navigate it. Their respective works allowed me to identify exactly what happens to Black women in America, and when you clearly identify a problem the solution isn’t far behind. One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to overcome was racism in the education system. Before I started at my current highschool I’d experienced nothing but since 3rd grade. Teachers would consistently grade me unfairly or by another rubric when I wrote about systematic injustice or anything pro-Black. My outspoken and bubbly spirit was deemed as “unfit for the classroom environment” as my white 3rd grade teacher put it. While this isn’t workplace sexism and racism, it has undertones of similar struggles Black women experience today. It’s the issue of being too “pro-Black”, too outspoken having that deemed as angry and aggressive, the micro-aggressions are present. One way that I learned how to navigate these micro-aggressions and implicit biases of employers, teachers, administrations and others is the tactic of code-switching. Code-switching is a tactic many loud, bubbly and outspoken Black people like myself are well aware of. I absorbed myself in my writing, and learned how to academically code-switch. I read more to expand my vocabulary, I watched the news with my parents to stay updated on current events, and eventually I was no longer “unfit for the classroom environment”. While I am not proud of conforming to a system that told me my Black joy and brilliance was unfit, it’s necessary to survive. But in terms of addressing the problems that may arise head on, I would call them out directly. An example of this would be having someone explain an inappropriate joke. This tactic may seem elementary but it works because it allows the true aggressor to see their actions are not funny or amusing in the slightest. I would also pivot any and all conversations that aren’t professional. As a Black woman employers and administration often police the way I wear my hair or how I choose to dress even if they were both professional. I’ve been asked to “not wear an afro” or told “your hair is a bit too wild for this environment”. Both are aggressions and have nothing to do with my ability to work. So I would use the pivot strategy to address the remark briefly, and pivot to a professional question or conversation. It’s sad that these tactics need to be used but it’s the reality of Black women and POC women in the U.S. I shouldn’t have to pre-plan a plan of action to combat racism and sexism in the U.S workforce it should be obsolete.

Around my matriculation from the 10th to 11th grade, my mother lost her job. She’d just gotten a relatively new job at a middle school a bit far away from home, but after she was laid off everything changed. My mother had always been my role model and the one I went to for every little thing as teenagers often do. I broke a nail, I called my mom. I got a grade of less than 100, I texted her to complain. But after I witnessed and experienced the shift in my house after she got laid off, that’s when I developed true independence. I noticed how my mother was struggling to get by and I felt extreme guilt going to complain to her about my adolescent worries. They were no longer important in the grand scheme of things. This is when I really buckled down on my school work and tried to get the very best grades possible. I often worried about how I would be able to attend my dream school, Howard University, or any school at all. I managed the situation by helping with household budgeting, saving, and looking for as many scholarship opportunities as possible. I structured the household budget around things we truly needed to get by, rather than the wants that many others had. It took sacrifice, missing parties, and hangouts with friends, and a plethora of other things. But this situation taught me the value of perseverance and hard work in addition to time and money management. These are the skills that I use as my foundation to walk through life as I become an adult. My mother is my inspiration because even through all the things she’s been through she never let it break her. She never changed, she didn’t become bitter as many people do through extreme changes. She said the same mother I’ve known from mother and she has my utmost respect and admiration for that reason. She’s taught me to remain joyful and strong through tough situations and that’s a skill I’ll need for life.

Writing means the world to me. It represents freedom, liberation, and creativity for anyone with a pen or pencil and some paper. One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to overcome was racism in the education system. Before I started at my current high school I’d experienced nothing but since 3rd grade. Teachers would consistently grade me unfairly or by another rubric when I wrote about systematic injustice or anything pro-Black. My outspoken and bubbly spirit was deemed as “unfit for the classroom environment” as my white 3rd-grade teacher put it. Every time my mother or father got involved by contacting the principal or coming up to the school, matters seemed to get worse. This realization that my parents could not help me, as they are Black too, I learned the important lesson of code-switching. Code-switching is a tactic many loud, bubbly and outspoken Black people like myself are well aware of. I absorbed myself in my writing and learned how to academically code-switch. I read more to expand my vocabulary, I watched the news with my parents to stay updated on current events, and eventually, I was no longer “unfit for the classroom environment”. While I am not proud of conforming to a system that told me my Black joy and brilliance was unfit, I am proud that I survived it. An internship I had with Councilmember Alicia Ampry Samuel was a defining moment in my life as well. While I had the tools of code-switching, a tool I learned earlier on than most, I still didn’t agree with its premise. Around my first couple of weeks, I sat in on a meeting where the councilmember was proofreading a speech. They spoke about different ways specific sentences could be revised to fit better the audience she was addressing. I assume she noticed my facial expressions during this process and explained why the changes were necessary. She emphasized that sometimes you have to ‘sneak diss’ or introduce topics subtly when addressing a specific audience. They couldn’t outright say or imply something that may offend some of the lighter audience members. This lesson didn’t sit right with me but nonetheless, it was one I need to learn going forward with a career in journalism. Playing the system to achieve maximum results was the lesson at hand. And it was received, but as a journalist, it’s my duty to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Whether it makes “the lighter audiences” upset or not. This leads me to why I’d be a great recipient of this award. Not only do I have a deep respect and love for the art of writing, but I’d also be using my God-given gift for the betterment of the Black diaspora. This scholarship would help me pursue my dreams and help fund my education at the illustrious Howard University. I’m teachable, I’m always willing to be taught but above all else, I uphold the freedom, liberation, and creativity that writing represents.

Leadership and advocacy have never been my intentions but I have often been bestowed with the duty and responsibility. I strive to be a person that not only speaks for the people to voice concerns and otherwise but truly listen to said concerns and relay them accordingly. I am active in my community, church, and school and I have been for most of my life. Even as a young child around the age of six or seven, I have been known to be outspoken and speak towards the injustices of my community, the Black community. My leadership in the church is quite similar to both the community and school, as a now older member of my youth ministry and usher board I find myself being a voice of reason and wisdom amongst the younger ones. I take my role model role as seriously as one possibly could. It's important to show younger members of any community that success and true service is attainable at any level in real life not just on TV or in the movies. A specific example of this is when I participated in the Viola Starling Educational competition sponsored by my usher board. A lot of my speech discussing the impact of the Black Panther was the representation that it gave the Black community. Especially in the lower-income neighbors, I tend to serve, they don't get to see Black people as generals and superheroes too often. Another example is when I create, coordinate, and teach my peers Annual Marches. I look forward to this program every year because it is an open collaboration and comradery amongst the usher board. From teaching everyone the steps to opening night, it's a joyful experience that boots everyone's confidence and coordination. When it comes to leadership, advocacy, and even inspiration the truest trait lies in compassion and the ultimate willingness to be of service.

I’ve had a passion for journalism my entire life but just recently (4 or so years ago) realized I could make this passion a career. I do want to learn a little bit of everything just to gain experience and find which specific role I really enjoy. But, what God placed on my heart involves me putting Black people in the best possible light possible. Through my written pieces and even a few episodes on my podcast, I hope to create a place where young Black people can find role models outside the typical artist or sports player. My main objective is to write and inform the world of everything good, bad, and indifferent. My educational goals are to complete my Bachelor's in Journalism and go on to receive 2 Master's degrees in PR and Political Science and later a Ph.D. My ultimate dream job would be to be the White House Press Secretary but that’s strongly dependent on who’s in office and if I agree and believe in their platform. My backup dream job would be to be a political commentator like JoyAnn Reid specifically on CNN or MSNBC. Later in life, I want to write 2-3 books about my experiences in this field and I would also like to be a professor.

Around my matriculation from the 10th to 11th grade, my mother lost her job. She’d just gotten a relatively new job at a middle school a bit far away from home, but after she was laid off everything changed. My mother had always been my role model and the one I went to for every little thing as teenagers often do. I broke a nail, I called my mom. I got a grade of less than 100, I texted her to complain. But after I witnessed and experienced the shift in my house after she got laid off, that’s when I developed true independence. I noticed how my mother was struggling to get by and I felt extreme guilt going to complain to her about my adolescent worries. They were no longer important in the grand scheme of things. This is when I really buckled down on my school work and tried to get the very best grades possible. I often worried about how I would be able to attend my dream school, Howard University, or any school at all. I managed the situation by helping with household budgeting, saving, and looking for as many scholarship opportunities as possible. I structured the household budget around things we truly needed to get by, rather than the wants that many others had. It took sacrifice, missing parties, and hangouts with friends, and a plethora of other things. But this situation taught me the value of perseverance and hard work in addition to time and money management. These are the skills that I use as my foundation to walk through life as I become an adult.

Around my matriculation from the 10th to 11th grade, my mother lost her job. She’d just gotten a relatively new job at a middle school a bit far away from home, but after she was laid off everything changed. My mother had always been my role model and the one I went to for every little thing as teenagers often do. I broke a nail, I called my mom. I got a grade of less than 100, I texted her to complain. But after I witnessed and experienced the shift in my house after she got laid off, that’s when I developed true independence. I noticed how my mother was struggling to get by and I felt extreme guilt going to complain to her about my adolescent worries. They were no longer important in the grand scheme of things. This is when I really buckled down on my school work and tried to get the very best grades possible. I often worried about how I would be able to attend my dream school, Howard University, or any school at all. I managed the situation by helping with household budgeting, saving, and looking for as many scholarship opportunities as possible. I structured the household budget around things we truly needed to get by, rather than the wants that many others had. It took sacrifice, missing parties, and hangouts with friends, and a plethora of other things. But this situation taught me the value of perseverance and hard work in addition to time and money management. These are the skills that I use as my foundation to walk through life as I become an adult. I’ve had a passion for journalism my entire life but just recently (4 or so years ago) realized I could make this passion a career. I do want to learn a little bit of everything just to gain experience and find which specific role I really enjoy. But, what God placed on my heart involves me putting Black people in the best possible light possible. Through my written pieces and even a few episodes on my podcast, I hope to create a place where young Black people can find role models outside the typical artist or sports player. My main objective is to write and inform the world of everything good, bad, and indifferent. My educational goals are to complete my Bachelor's in Journalism and go on to receive 2 Master's degrees in PR and Political Science and later a Ph.D. My ultimate dream job would be to be the White House Press Secretary but that’s strongly dependent on one who’s in office and if I agree and believe in their platform. My backup dream job would be to be a political commentator like JoyAnn Reid specifically on CNN or MSNBC. Later in life, I want to write 2-3 books about my experiences in this field and I would also like to be a professor.

Around my matriculation from the 10th to 11th grade, my mother lost her job. She’d just gotten a relatively new job at a middle school a bit far away from home, but after she was laid off everything changed. My mother had always been my role model and the one I went to for every little thing as teenagers often do. I broke a nail, I called my mom. I got a grade of less than 100, I texted her to complain. But after I witnessed and experienced the shift in my house after she got laid off, that’s when I developed true independence. I noticed how my mother was struggling to get by and I felt extreme guilt going to complain to her about my adolescent worries. They were no longer important in the grand scheme of things. This is when I really buckled down on my school work and tried to get the very best grades possible. I often worried about how I would be able to attend my dream school, Howard University, or any school at all. I managed the situation by helping with household budgeting, saving, and looking for as many scholarship opportunities as possible. I structured the household budget around things we truly needed to get by, rather than the wants that many others had. It took sacrifice, missing parties, and hangouts with friends, and a plethora of other things. But this situation taught me the value of perseverance and hard work in addition to time and money management. These are the skills that I use as my foundation to walk through life as I become an adult.

My mother had always been my role model and the one I went to for every little thing as teenagers often do. I broke a nail, I called my mom. I got a grade of less than 100, I texted her to complain. But after I witnessed and experienced the shift in my house after she got laid off, that’s when I developed true independence. I noticed how my mother was struggling to get by and I felt extreme guilt going to complain to her about my adolescent worries. They were no longer important in the grand scheme of things. This is when I really buckled down on my school work and tried to get the very best grades possible. I often worried about how I would be able to attend my dream school, Howard University, or any school at all. I managed the situation by helping with household budgeting, saving, and looking for as many scholarship opportunities as possible. I structured the household budget around things we truly needed to get by, rather than the wants that many others had. It took sacrifice, missing parties, and hangouts with friends, and a plethora of other things. But this situation taught me the value of perseverance and hard work in addition to time and money management. These are the skills that I use as my foundation to walk through life as I become an adult and my mother was that inspiration.

Around my matriculation from the 10th to 11th grade, my mother lost her job. She’d just gotten a relatively new job at a middle school a bit far away from home, but after she was laid off everything changed. My mother had always been my role model and the one I went to for every little thing as teenagers often do. I broke a nail, I called my mom. I got a grade of less than 100, I texted her to complain. But after I witnessed and experienced the shift in my house after she got laid off, that’s when I developed true independence. I noticed how my mother was struggling to get by and I felt extreme guilt going to complain to her about my adolescent worries. They were no longer important in the grand scheme of things. This is when I really buckled down on my school work and tried to get the very best grades possible. I often worried about how I would be able to attend my dream school, Howard University, or any school at all. I managed the situation by helping with household budgeting, saving, and looking for as many scholarship opportunities as possible. I structured the household budget around things we truly needed to get by, rather than the wants that many others had. It took sacrifice, missing parties, and hangouts with friends, and a plethora of other things. But this situation taught me the value of perseverance and hard work in addition to time and money management. These are the skills that I use as my foundation to walk through life as I become an adult.

This pandemic's uncertainty has delayed several opportunities and caused some difficulty but I pride myself on perseverance and I have done just that. My paternal grandmother passed away just this March and it's been difficult for my family. It's been especially hard on me since college acceptances and other milestones have passed and I've been unable to call her and share the news we've worked years to prepare for. Her death took a toll on my mental health for the first few months as I went through the stages of grief. Quarantine measures also prohibited a proper farewell that was all the more difficult to endure. This pandemic has also stopped the progression of my senior year with events such as graduation as well as internship opportunities, the SATs, and clubs. But through all the disappointment and difficult circumstances, I am eternally grateful to be alive and well.

Leadership and advocacy have never been my intentions but I have often been bestowed with the duty and responsibility. I strive to be a person that not only speaks for the people to voice concerns and otherwise but to truly listen to said concerns and relay them accordingly. I am active in my community, church, and school and I have been for most of my life. Even as a young child around the age of six or seven, I have been known to be outspoken and speak towards the injustices of my community, the Black community. This is the conservation and advocacy I participate in, in my community. I’ve led many social media campaigns on my social media accounts as well as orchestrated conservation on my podcast, blog, and roundtables. This leadership has raised awareness and further education about abortion rights, BLM, women's rights, mental health, and more. This leadership is also displayed in my school life. I hold leadership roles such as president or vice president in several clubs at my school. I was the unspoken assistant direct and first chair flutist and drummer in my school band. Some of my most fond leadership moments and high school memories happened in the music room. The camaraderie in messing up, tuning instruments and finally getting it right taught me lessons I didn't know I needed to learn. We played from almost all our school's important events such as ARISTA and graduation. We also played for the superintendent and administration on several occasions. My leadership in the church is quite similar to both the community and school, as a now older member of my youth ministry I find myself being a voice of reason and wisdom amongst the younger ones. When it comes to leadership, advocacy, and even inspiration the truest trait lies in compassion and the ultimate willingness to be of service. I intend to further incorporating these learned skills at Howard University in their Journalism, Film, and Media school. It's my life's work to inform and entertain the public on important and sometimes controversial topics in the media and on the streets. I would like to go as high in my education as a Ph.D.

The song that inspires me is "get well soon" by Ariana Grande. This song has done wonders for my mental health as well as the mental health of millions of other people. The rest of the songs in this playlist elaborates on the calm and comforting vibe that Grande's song presents. These songs are best played for emotional support and background music for doing homework.

1. Just because some topics are so outrageously truthful. 2. I think we ALL felt this 3. Tweets are outlandish sometimes, we know this.