I was raised to believe that the amount of effort I put into something will determine how much I get out of it, that no dream was too big if I was willing to work for it, even when life was hard. As an immigrant of Guyana, a DACA recipient, and a proud New Yorker, my story is one of navigating uncertainty while holding onto hope. Growing up, my parents work tirelessly to build a life for our family so that my sister and I could have opportunities that they didn’t have. Their dedication taught me early on that grit and gratitude could carry me far, even when the road ahead was unclear. I have always been drawn to words and stories — writing poetry has been one of my quiet refuges. Words help me make sense of the world and remind me that every challenge holds a lesson worth capturing. It allows me to process my thoughts, hold my memories close, and turn even my hardest seasons into something meaningful. Words have given me a voice when I don’t always feel heard. They remind me that even the most difficult parts of my journey hold lessons worth sharing. Losing my mother suddenly at twenty-one due to deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism changed me in ways I’m still learning to name. It cracked open questions about faith, trust, and purpose. This journey has shaped my passion for public health. I am now pursuing my master’s degree at NYU’s School of Global Public Health, driven by the belief that everyday people deserve clear, honest information about their health and the systems that shape it. As a Copy Editor at a healthcare advertising agency, I use my love for words to make sure that messages about treatments, services, and health resources are accessible and trustworthy. I see this work as a small but important step toward my larger goal to shape policies and guidelines that protect people and help communities thrive. My dream is to take what I have learned—about resilience, about faith, and about the power of clear communication—and use it to uplift families like mine. I want my work to make my family proud and remind my community that their voices matter. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial strain of tuition expenses, allowing me to focus fully on my coursework at NYU and the opportunities that come with it. As a part-time student balancing school and work, it can be challenging to balance it all. This support would give me the freedom to dive deeper into research, collaborate with professors and classmates, and seek out leadership experiences that prepare me for policy work at the national and global level. This scholarship would help me keep moving forward, finish my degree with excellence, and step into every space where I can serve with integrity and hope.

Receiving this scholarship would be a turning point in helping me reach my educational and career goals, not only by easing financial burdens but also by expanding what is possible for me as a graduate student at NYU’s School of Global Public Health. As someone pursuing this degree part-time while working and balancing family responsibilities, I know that every dollar of support creates precious time and mental space to focus on my studies. This scholarship would directly support my goal of graduating without accumulating debt that could limit my ability to choose work that aligns with my values. I want to remain free to say yes to opportunities—internships, research projects, leadership roles—that strengthen my readiness to contribute meaningfully to policymaking and health communication. I dream of working for agencies like the FDA or WHO, where I can help craft guidelines and policies that protect everyday consumers, close gaps in healthcare access, and improve how life-saving information reaches the public. These roles require both advanced technical knowledge and the practical experience to navigate complex systems and translate science into clear, actionable guidance. Earning this scholarship would allow me to direct my energy toward these goals instead of worrying about tuition expenses or having to pick up extra shifts just to make ends meet. I want to graduate ready to serve—not constrained by financial stress but able to give back to my family and my community with ease. My father’s sacrifices and my family’s support have brought me this far, and I want to honor that by using my degree to open doors for others, especially for communities like mine that are often overlooked when health decisions are made. As an immigrant of Guyana, a DACA recipient, and a New Yorker who has seen health inequities up close, I feel a responsibility to stand in rooms where critical decisions are made and make sure they serve those who need it most. This scholarship would also make it possible for me to take what I learn at NYU and immediately apply it to my work as a Copy Editor in the health and advertising space. It would help me continue refining how complex health information is communicated so that everyday people can trust, understand, and act on it. Ultimately, your investment would empower me to complete my degree with excellence and step into a career that protects and informs the public, uplifts communities, and makes my family proud. Your support would remind me that I am not alone on this journey—and that what I do next with this education will make a difference far beyond myself.

Pursuing my graduate degree at NYU’s School of Global Public Health represents an act of faith, purpose, and hope. My path here has been shaped by moments of deep searching, moments when I felt close to God, and moments when I felt painfully far from Him. I grew up in the Nazarene Church, surrounded by a community of believers and a foundation of faith planted early by my mother and great aunts. But like so many believers, my personal relationship with Jesus did not fully take root until I claimed it as my own. At eighteen, I came to know the Lord for myself — not just through tradition but through genuine surrender and hunger for something greater than myself. I found myself questioning why I believed and if there was more to it than just following because this is the path my family chose generations ago. I allowed my curiosity to propel me into studying the bible to know God for myself, and to keep records of his blessings and goodness in my life. That turning point gave me the courage to believe I could dream beyond my circumstances. But my journey with faith has not been linear. When I was 21, my mother passed suddenly from deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism. My trust in God was shaken to its core. In my grief, I struggled to pray, to read my bible, to believe, and to understand how loss could coexist with a loving God. I was believing God for some many things in my life, and I couldn’t comprehend what my mother’s passing had to do with it, why she couldn’t have remained on earth with me. For over a year, my faith felt distant, almost out of reach, and I found myself angry with God. Yet even in the darkest seasons, hope tugged at me. It was a quiet reminder that God is patient enough to sit with my doubt and strong enough to carry what I could not. Through professional support, I returned to journaling. It’s a practice that filled several notebooks of mine as a teenager and I realized it still allows me to make sense of my thoughts and give language to emotions I struggled to verbalize. I explored Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) with my therapist to help release negative beliefs and emotional blocks, which gave me unexpected clarity and calm. Slowly, I found my way back into a Church community, into worship, and into conversation with God, even when I did not feel Him nearby. Some days, my hope looks like a simple, honest prayer: “Lord, help my unbelief”. Other days, it looks like offering my tears. This foundation of faith is what fuels my desire to contribute to public health. I believe that loving my neighbor is not just a feeling but an action. It’s showing up for communities who are unheard, underserved, and overlooked. After completing my degree, I plan to further my goals by working with respected health institutions like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), or other agencies that shape the health guidelines and consumer protections that touch millions of lives daily. In these spaces, I want to help translate scientific evidence into policies on food safety and medication access and enforce clear labeling and emergency response guidelines. I want to ensure that the people who often carry the greatest health burdens — immigrants, working families, communities of color — are represented when life-shaping decisions are made. As an immigrant of Guyana, a DACA recipient, and a New Yorker who has watched neighbors and family members navigate health crises without clear guidance or fair access, I feel a responsibility to stand in the gap. My dream is not just to sit in meetings where policies are drafted but to make sure the language is clear, the protections are strong, and the science is made real for the everyday person. In my current role as a Copy Editor at a healthcare advertising agency, I already live out a piece of this mission by ensuring that the healthcare messages I work on are accurate, responsible, and understandable for healthcare providers, caregivers, and patients. This work has taught me the power of words — how clarity can build trust or erode it, how transparency can empower a patient to make the right choice or leave them vulnerable when it’s missing. I see my job as practice for the larger work I feel called to do: shaping policies and campaigns that demystify health information so people can make informed, safe decisions for themselves and their families. While my purpose feels clear, the road requires sacrifice, perseverance, and support. Financial stability is part of my dream for this next chapter. I want to complete my degree without carrying burdensome debt that would force me to choose jobs based on salary alone, rather than on where I can serve most effectively. I want to be free to pursue opportunities — internships, research, and community work — that build my skills and credibility, rather than taking on extra jobs just to cover tuition. Being financially stable means I can give back freely and generously. I dream of supporting my father as he ages and helping my younger sister reach her own goals. I hope to create new memories with my family — moments of joy, travel, and rest — not overshadowed by financial anxiety but filled with gratitude for how far we’ve come. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial strain of tuition expenses, allowing me to focus fully on my coursework at NYU and the opportunities that come with it. As a part-time student balancing school and work, it can be challenging to balance it all. This support would give me the freedom to dive deeper into research, collaborate with professors and classmates, and seek out leadership experiences that prepare me for policy work at the national and global level. Furthermore, this scholarship would multiply my family’s sacrifices, and my faith walk into a testimony of what’s possible when perseverance and grace meet preparation. It would help me honor my mother’s memory by living a life that uplifts and helps others — the same way she did as a midwife and registered nurse. It would remind me that I am never alone on this journey, even when doubt creeps in. It would be another sign that the doors God opens for us are not meant for us alone but for the communities we are called to serve. When I envision the future this degree makes possible, I see myself building coalitions with scientists, policymakers, faith leaders, and community organizers to ensure that policies do not just sit on paper but make a tangible difference in everyday lives. I see myself mentoring students who, like me, wonder if they belong in rooms where decisions are made. I see myself writing guidelines, campaigns, and plain-language resources that help families make informed health choices with confidence, not confusion. In many ways, my entire path — from growing up in the Nazarene Church to claiming my faith at eighteen, to wrestling with loss and doubt — has brought me to this intersection of service and science. My faith may not always look the same as it did in my childhood, but the thread that ties it together is hope: hope that the work I do now will multiply into safer, healthier, more informed communities for generations to come. This scholarship is not just an investment in my education but in every life I hope to touch through my work. It will help ensure that when I graduate from NYU’s School of Global Public Health, I am ready — financially, academically, and spiritually — to step into what God has placed on my life. I hold onto the dream of making a difference and having a positive impact on days when I feel far from certain, trusting that the Lord who has carried me this far will see this work through. I am grateful for your consideration and for believing in students like me who carry both faith and purpose into the world’s most pressing work.

During the final semester of my undergraduate studies, my mother passed away. It was one of the most heartbreaking and defining moments of my life. She died suddenly from deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism. The grief was immense, and I found myself in a whirlwind of emotions as I attempted to navigate responsibilities and academic deadlines. I could have easily collapsed under the weight of it all, but instead, I chose to take things a day at a time to finish my undergraduate degree. The decision to do so changed the trajectory of my life and was the first time the concept of mental and emotional health was subtly at the forefront of my mind. By keeping busy with internships, getting my first job, and attending events with friends, I tried to dismiss how I was really feeling. But now and again, I would get triggered into uncontrollable tears. It wasn’t until July 2020, 6 years after her passing, that I was intentional about getting professional help. For a year and a half, I committed to therapy. In those sessions, I gave myself permission to grieve, to express emotions I had long buried, and to unpack the layers of pain that came with losing the person who had been my biggest support system. Therapy became my anchor, helping me process the loss and reconnect with myself on a deeper level. Through professional support, I returned to journaling. It’s a practice that filled several notebooks of mine as a teenager and I realized it still allows me to make sense of my thoughts and give language to emotions I struggled to verbalize. I explored Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) with my therapist to help release negative beliefs and emotional blocks, which gave me unexpected clarity and calm. I also learned how to honor my boundaries and began saying no without guilt, declining things that drained me or didn’t serve my healing. This shift in behavior taught me that self-preservation isn't selfish, it's necessary. By choosing rest over overextension, and presence over performance, I began to feel more in control of my life. To support my physical health and ease my anxiety, I started attending Pilates classes and riding my bike through my nearby park trail. These practices helped reconnect my body and mind, serving as a moving meditation that offered release and renewal. These all kept me grounded during moments when depression felt near. Each breath and each stretch became a reminder that I was still here, still trying, still living, and still healing. I felt awakened and for the first time understood the meaning of “tomorrow is not promised to anyone”. While I understand grief is not linear, I’m grateful for the tools I now have to process my emotions and make my mom proud through how I prioritize myself and live my life. And even though prioritizing my health was born out of grief, it has blossomed into a lifelong commitment to self-compassion, reflection, self-love, balance, and wholeness. Only this experience could've taught me the level of empathy and self-awareness that it did that has become foundation principles for me as a graduate student, colleague, and friend.

Living the life of my dreams looks like having a deep sense of peace and gratitude. It looks like being free from the burden of debt and achieving financial stability through meaningful and fulfilling work in public health. I would be creating positive changes in the world and actively contributing to breakthroughs in public health, working on initiatives that make healthcare more equitable, accessible, and inclusive. Whether I’m leading a campaign, editing a research policy, or building tools that help people understand their health better, I know my efforts are part of something bigger than myself. In this dream life, I am physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy. I prioritize my well-being, not as an afterthought, but as the foundation of my ability to serve others. My days are balanced, with time carved out for morning devotion and prayer to ground me, along with movement and nourishing meals. I have a productive routine that I look forward to and is flexible enough to allow spontaneity and joy. I play tennis regularly and have evolved from an amateur, I attend tennis tournaments yearly, and I’m able to be inspired by various cultures and people via traveling the world. I have a New York Times best-selling novel and continue to write poetry, using my words to reflect, process, and inspire others. What brings me the most joy in this dream life is the freedom to give back with ease. I'm no longer choosing between paying off debt and serving others; I have enough resources to give generously. I’m mentoring young public health students, especially other DACA recipients of Caribbean descent and first-generation scholars, offering guidance I didn’t have. I’m supporting community health programs through my time and funding, and I'm building partnerships that empower people in underserved communities to live healthier lives. Last but not least, in my dream life, I control how I spend my time. I have all the time to spend with my family and the people I love. My experiences are reflective of my values and what matters most to me. I’m always present at family dinners, cousin game nights, weekend outings, and spontaneous moments that turn into lifelong memories. I am the chief planner for my family’s Thanksgiving white elephant game, I can travel with loved ones, share experiences beyond the day-to-day, and celebrate milestones without hesitation. In this dream life, I am rooted in purpose and surrounded by love. I’ve built a life where my career aligns with my values, my health supports my ambitions, and my heart is full because of the connections I’ve nurtured over the years. My dream life is intentional, empowered, and deeply meaningful and I’m working towards that daily.