I have been participating in community service all of my life. My mom is a member of a sorority and she took me with her to ALOT of her service activities. Even when I did not know what I was doing or why, I was helping in some form or fashion. From packing backpacks with school supplies, or passing out pieces of paper at voter registration drives, to preparing meals on Thanksgiving Day for the homeless, or donating clothes and toiletries for domestic abuse survivors, I was there to help. Being there with my mom and her sorority sisters allowed me to continue to serve when I became old enough to have a choice. I volunteer at my church and with an organization, Jeremy's Dream to help the less fortunate. I look forward to the Thanksgiving meal preps, and I am very active in various organizations at my school, National Honor Society, Student Ambassadors, Community Service Club, Student Council. Through these organizations, I have participated in clothing drives, packed toiletries, supported two children with Christmas gifts via the Salvation Army Christmas Angel program, and donated socks to the elderly. I am also a member of Delta Gems with the Chicago Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. This organization is service oriented but also allows teenagers to work on themselves to become better human beings. My mom works as a High school counselor. She has taken me to work with her often. I have been blessed to have things I need but also things I want. I see students at my mom's job, who are in need. It is hard for me to understand how some students do not have basic needs being met. My mom is always looking for ways to help and find resources for the students and their families. It makes me want to do more. Witnessing families in need, whether it be, food, clothes, shelter, shoes, it makes me sad. My mom talks about how she was close to being one of these families. Her family grew up poor and sometimes ran out of toothpaste, toilet paper, and food. They had to walk to her grandmother's house a few blocks away for food. She said she promised herself wen she was older, she would never be without for her family. She has kept her promise and thankfully, I have never had her experience. Her promise motivates me to continue to give back to my community. This motivation helps me to exemplify a spirit of excellence through giving back through service and helping others in need not just during the holidays but everyday.

Have you ever dreamed of playing a sport and having an ailment that prevents you from doing so? Welcome to my world. When I was 10, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. It was earlier than most kids but my mom noticed a hump in my back, and took me to see the doctor. I was fitted for a night brace that I had to wear EVERY night, (at sleep overs, at my grandparents house, on vacation, everywhere). I was embarrassed and did not want to go anywhere anymore. No one else had to wear a brace and I didn't want people looking at me or asking me about it. The brace was supposed to slow down the curvature to prevent surgery. After a year of wearing the brace, the curvature surpassed 60%, the threshold was 50%. My doctor shared the bad news, and my mom scheduled the surgery on my spine. I was so scared. I cried to my mom and asked if there was anything else that could be done besides the surgery. She had me talk to my dad. He had gone through the same thing when he was in high school. He shared his story with me, but it still didn't help. I guess my young brain could not comprehend why surgery was the only option. Surgery was on a Monday and the world shut down due to COVID 19 that following Saturday. We attended school virtually for 1 1/2 years (second half of my seventh grade and my entire eighth grade). After recovery, at my follow up visit a year later, my surgeon assured me I would be able to play any sport. During my high school career, I tried swimming, track and field, and tennis. I had issues with my back, legs, and feet that prevented me from being successful. I talked to my mom about it and we realized it was probably related to the scoliosis. I still wanted to be involved in sports, but understood being an athlete was not in the cards for me. So I became a manager for various sports (basketball, swimming, tennis, and track). This allowed me to still be able to be involved, just not a participant. This inspired me to pursue a career in sports management. I enjoy watching sports and still very much want to be involved. Since I can't play, I wanted to do something sports related. I want to be able to handle the business side of sports. I like the feeling of still being apart of a team and helping others be successful in their given sport of choice. This will allow me to combine two things that I love, sports and helping others.

have significant financial need as I enter college because it will help benefit me more in the future. Having the opportunity to be awarded scholarships will take away from the money I have to pay to attend college. It will also lift the burden of my parents having to pay for me or me having to take out loans and end up in debt once I graduate. I also think that it will benefit me because I want to work in college, but I know my paychecks won’t cover tuition and other expenses I will encounter while in college. Receiving this scholarship will let me focus on my education, work towards my long-term goals, and set myself up for success after college without the immediate financial strain. I try my best to keep children I know safe from cyberbullying and in-person bullying by keeping track of and monitoring what they do and who they’re talking to. Since there’s an age difference between me and the kids, I know they aren’t going to open up and talk to me, so the best I can do is just watch them to see if anything changes in their behavior and personality. As one of my senior classes, I chose to apply to be a teaching assistant (TA) for one of the teachers in my school. Going into senior year, I thought that I’d be a TA for a freshman or sophomore gym class. But to my surprise, I was placed in a seventh-grade science class. Initially, I wasn’t happy about the placement because it wasn’t what I wanted. So far, this experience has been very eye-opening to me. I received the opportunity to observe how seventh graders interact with each other and noticed in-person bullying. When conflicts happen, I try to work with the students to solve the problem, encourage them to treat each other with respect, and to apologize when needed. While it is a work in progress, I think that creating a positive and supportive classroom atmosphere will lower the chances of bullying and help students to have stronger relationships with each other. Through my role as a TA and the efforts I’ve made to guide kids, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of how to create and handle safe spaces where they can be themselves. This scholarship will allow me to continue my education and pursue my passion for making positive impacts in my community. Lessening the financial burden I may have will give me the opportunity and time to become a role model and advocate for others, making sure that everyone feels supported.