My name is Alyssa Drew Estime, and I am a senior at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts. I am one out of six children; my mother has five girls and one boy. I used to live in Long Island, New York. During my time in New York, my family and I faced a lot of struggles. We were jumping from shelter to shelter. My mom didn’t want us to live in a harmful shelter any longer, so she worked long days and night shifts at Walmart as a department manager, so we could afford to live in an affordable hotel suite. In the year 2015, we faced the hardest challenge of them all: we lost our grandma. Our mother had no time to grieve because she had to care for the 6 of us; her family did not offer to assist her at all. Shortly after this setback, my mother became a single parent after leaving a domestic relationship. When I was little, I used to enjoy spending time with my dad, until he started to take out his anger on me. After years of my mom and siblings facing abuse, the domestic violence worker told my mom it was best for us to leave, so in 2018, we moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts, to live with my aunt, and in 2020, we moved into our own place. I had to go to a new school, and I struggled a lot with learning and making friends. I compared myself to others. I was less social. I found out I had a learning disability, but that didn't change me. I continued to strive for academic excellence in my classes. When I was entering 7th Grade, COVID hit, and we were forced to be inside and couldn't be around people. I started to feel sad, struggling with my emotions, and I began to feel trapped in an overwhelming depression and anxiety. My grades dropped, and my attendance became low. I started therapy and mentoring to help manage my feelings, and I discovered that I love expressing my emotions through art and baking. When I started high school, I experienced a significant eruption of anxiety, and despite the challenges of forming friendships, I made an effort to concentrate more on my studies and my attendance, and I started getting straight A’s. Along the way, I realized that I wanted to be a Police Officer in the K9 Unit, helping people, and working with animals was something I had always wanted to do. I started to push myself to work harder. So I can achieve those goals. I picked up a part-time job as a barista to help my mom. Due to my hard work, I received academic rewards from Great Attendance, from English to Algebra, from Science to History, and from honors recognition to high honors. Then I received an invitation to apply to a national honors society, which I was very grateful for. I recently got accepted into Monroe University, where my mom is going to graduate in June. I was able to show my siblings that you can be diagnosed with a learning disability, depression, and anxiety, and still achieve everything you wish. Being granted this scholarship will provide me with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the legal mindset and the Criminal Justice System, and to embrace a new experience and social life.

My name is Alyssa Drew Estime, and I am a senior at Gloucester High School with four more months of School, I live in Massachusetts. I am one out of six children; my mother has five girls and one boy. I used to live in Long Island, New York. During my time in New York, my family and I faced a lot of struggles. We were jumping from shelter to shelter. My mom didn’t want us to live in a harmful shelter any longer, so she worked long days and night shifts at Walmart as a department manager, so we could afford to live in an affordable hotel suite. In the year 2015, we faced the hardest challenge of them all: we lost our grandma. Our mother had no time to grieve because she had to care for the 6 of us; her family did not offer to assist her at all. Shortly after this setback, my mother became a single parent after leaving a domestic relationship. When I was little, I used to enjoy spending time with my dad, until he started to take out his anger on me. After years of my mom and sisters facing abuse, the domestic violence worker told my mom it was best for us to leave, so in 2018, we moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts, to live with my aunt, and in 2020, we moved into our own place. I had to go to a new school, and I struggled a lot with learning and making friends. I compared myself to others. I was less social. I found out I had a learning disability, but that didn't change me. I continued to strive for academic excellence in my classes. When I was entering 7th Grade, COVID hit, and we were forced to be inside and couldn't be around people. I started to feel sad, struggling with my emotions, and I began to feel trapped in an overwhelming depression and anxiety. My grades dropped, and my attendance became low. I started therapy and mentoring to help manage my feelings, and I discovered that I love expressing my emotions through art and baking. When I started high school, I experienced a significant eruption of anxiety, and despite the challenges of forming friendships, I made an effort to concentrate more on my studies. I started getting straight A’s. Along the way, I realized that I wanted to be a Police Officer in the K9 Unit, I have always been deeply passionate about pursuing a career as a police officer working with animals and helping people in need, So I started to work harder to receive academic rewards. So from English to Algebra, from Science to History, and honors recognition to honors. Then I received an invitation to apply for a national honors society I was very grateful to get. Being rewarded this opportunity will provide me with the knowledge to gain a deeper understanding of the legal mindset and the Criminal Justice System, but also allow me to embrace a new experience and social life.

Hello, I’m Alyssa Drew Estime, and I’m a senior at Gloucester High School in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with just four months left in my school days. I’m one of six kids; my mom has five girls and one boy. I used to live on Long Island, New York. I’ve had my share of challenges, but I’ve never let them get me down. I have always been deeply passionate about pursuing a career as a police officer in the K9 unit. I’ve always felt a strong desire to give back to the community and support others in achieving their goals, especially since I share a unique bond with animals. I’ve always been a leader by offering my help to my sisters and friends. I strive to be honest, truthful, and kind, so my sisters, brother, and friends can admire and follow my example. I’m willing to make significant sacrifices to ensure my siblings and friends can rely on me in all situations. I take responsibility for my actions, no matter the outcome. And when I’m feeling down, I make sure to lift others so they don’t feel the same way. Which is exactly what a police Office does, I am deeply motivated by the desire to make a meaningful difference in the world as a K9 Police Officer, to be a source of support for those who are in need. Having been diagnosed with a learning disability and depression, and having been a child of domestic violence at the hands of my father, I have personally experienced the challenges and obstacles that come with these conditions. I want to be a beacon of hope and inspiration for folks dealing with the same thing, bring peace back to the community, demonstrating that if I can succeed despite these challenges, my mission is to make a positive impact in my own life. In conclusion, my career path is so much more than just a job; it’s a journey that I’ve been passionately committed to since I was a child. I’ve always been driven by a heartfelt wish to contribute to the community and lend a helping hand to those who are facing challenges, particularly those struggling with mental health and domestic violence issues. It’s a calling that fills me with purpose and excitement, knowing that I can be a source of support and hope for others. I am eager to continue on this path, embracing every opportunity to learn, grow, and make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.