Your parents don't always tell you that you're poor. I don't know if it's because they're ashamed or because they don't want you to worry. One thing I do know is that money is a "hush-hush" subject that no one likes to talk about. I grew up in the middle-class bracket. Unfortunately, things can happen at any moment and my social status had changed. Why? My dad, the sole breadwinner of the family, died. Thanks to my mom's budgeting skills, she managed to create the illusion that we were still middle class, but we weren't. We lived off her social security check and the savings my dad left for us. It was enough for a while, but of course, the well runs dry at some point. I never knew it was bad until I qualified for free lunch for school, and she started telling me to be frugal with the toilet paper. When she told me she couldn't afford to pay for my driving lessons, I had to wait till I was 18. It got to a point where she didn't even get her cavities removed because I needed braces. Financial struggle doesn't always look the same. It's not always holes in your socks and dirt on your face. It can be the shirt you've had for years, but no one knew because your mom sewed it in a different fashion to avoid speculation. My mom did a lot to preserve the image of stability, and she was good at it. She fooled everyone, including her own family. Thanks to my dad's impeccable saving skills, we were well off for years. When the money ran out, my mom's budgeting skills kept us off the street. I've been able to have a roof over my head because of the financial skills my parents learned. Anything can change in an instant, and you have to be prepared. It's important to save money for an emergency that can occur at any time. Due to the smart financial decisions of my parents. I learned that I should always pay off loans so I don't burden my family when I pass. To always be cautious and save money by being wary of how much I'm using and spending on expenses. why? You never know who you're affecting by having frivolous spending habits. According to The Institute For College Access And Success, 64% of students who got a bachelor's degree in college were weighed down with loans after graduation. (Bruecker 2).My hope is to be able to focus on how I plan to change the world rather than be burdened with financial hardships. This scholarship would help me reach my goal of being debt-free when I graduate. Being able to pay off my loans on time and be debt-free would increase my credit score, leading to endless financial opportunities.

"You have that good hair." That was said to me by just about every auntie in my black family. I never understood what good hair meant or why they would say it to me. Why? Because I never liked my hair, it wasn't straight. Social media and societal standards have had a deep impact on my family's and my mind about what good hair is. To my family, if it wasn't "kinky," it was good hair. I always wondered why they would think something so culturally and authentically black wasn't good. That's when it hit me: many people in the black community aren't confident with their natural curl pattern. They look at straightening treatments, perms, and wigs just to hide their natural curls. Not to say anything is wrong with getting those cosmetic procedures, but sometimes the reason for getting them is the pressure to fit in. In fact, according to an article in HR Dive, 60% of Black women change their hair for an interview, and 40% choose to straighten it. (Christ 1). Anyone going to a job interview knows they should dress professionally. My question is, why do so many black women think their natural hair is unprofessional? It's clear to me that the confidence of black women wearing their natural hair is at an all-time low. When was the last time you've seen a bunch of people rocking a beautiful big afro, probably not since the 1960's! Black people have been told time and time again that their hair is unruly and needs to be "tamed". This has caused self-hatred to arise in the black community without notice. Slowly but surely making most afros disappear one by one. My goal is to create a safe space for all women to feel secure with their hair type. A social media page dedicated to ‘Black Girl Magic” and educational articles on how to take care of hair, including positive affirmations and "how-to" videos showing black youth how to style their own hair. I would also like to become a businesswoman by opening my own salon and starting a hair care line dedicated to curly and coily hair. Instead of passing on the self-hate baton and teaching young girls and boys that their natural hair isn't good enough. It's my job as the future generation to crush harmful stereotypes and assumptions that black hair is messy and wild. Something that needs to be diminished with relaxers and pressed. Everyone deserves the choice on how to wear their hair; no one should be able to make the choice for them. Everyone has "good" hair, and that's a fact.