I was in fostercare from the age of 3 to 20. I was in over 20 placements in that time. I am proud to admit that I reunited with my biological mother at the age of 21 and fostercare did not strip me of the importance of "family". I do not know what age I was at the time, but I remember eventually learning that the system does not always know what is truly best for individuals and certainly did not know what was best for me because they ripped me from the forever home I was incredibly happy in because the mother was chronically ill and was on dialysis. They said, "he can't handle losing someone to such a tragic death, he is already fragile", so they took me away and put me into yet a new environment... At that point I started acting out and playing the suicidal role for attention and having outbursts and begun the inevitable cycle of mental hospitals and group homes... I am not proud of that part of my life; I just wanted attention and didn't care what form it came in but I eventually matured a little and now, to this day, I still seek attention but through making others laugh and smile rather than causing people to panic and question my motives. I am still socially awkward and still don't like dealing with new people, but I try to make everyone lighthearted as long as one familiar face is around. I am proud to be the awkwardly funny guy that people can be less serious around and temporarily forget the day-to-day problems that cause them panic and turmoil. That is my resilience tale and I hope it was a tale unique too me, but I fear that the cycle of the system creates many seemingly unique situations only to find out that nothing is unique in a cycle. My big heart extends love to every fosterchild, grown or still in the system because we are all a family united in our grief and tribulations that non fosterchildren could not fathom. Thank you for taking your time to read this essay and considering me for this scholarship. I could really use the financial assistance, but I am aware that there is always someone else much worse off than I am. May the very best person deserving of the scholarship be awarded the prize.

I am a student at Richland Community College, in the Diesel Tech program. I am 34 years old and am just now taking charge of my life, to do what I actually want to do. I am fascinated by vehicles and want to be a heavy-duty roadside technician, but I realize that it is a little late in my life to go down this path that is so demanding of the body and have decided to set my goal as a heavy-duty tow operator instead, so that I can help others keep moving goods across the country. I love helping others and driving so repairing vehicles and keeping logistics flowing would make me feel good about myself. I like to help others with mental illness figure out ways to avoid anxiety attacks, but I am not fit for being a social worker, so I volunteer in my time off instead while I work with my hands in the shop and learn how to repair trucks at school. I have written letters to congress trying to better the laws of prisoner treatment and rights. I have also volunteered at the local food pantries, packing food boxes so that families could have a free classic holiday meal. Back when I was fresh out of high school, I was taking culinary arts classes and our class catered both a Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the areas homeless and less fortunate that was completely free and I remember this older gentleman coming up to the tables where we were serving and he was so happy, grinning ear to ear while he got his plate. It was heart wrenching, and I actually cried when he thanked me. Sadly, I found out I dislike with a passion the stress of the kitchen and turned away from that career path early on. I have made my mistakes in life and have paid the price. I had some anger issues when I was younger and did a 7-year prison sentence, where I finally learned to control my emotions, found peace, and learned how to deal with even the most intense situations while also learning my limits and how to avoid getting to them. This scholarship would allow me to continue my education and not have to worry about the financial stress of loans or the hours I can't work because I'm in class. Thank you for taking the time to read this essay and may the best entry earn this scholarship.