As the oldest child of three children to a single mother I know what hard work looks like all too well. I have not only witnessed my mother work, go to school, and give her all to her three children, but as the oldest child I have been often given the responsibility of helping my younger siblings when she just couldn't do everything on her own. This has given me an understanding of responsibility that many young people my age do not have. I am also a young black woman and the child of a father who has been incarcerated my entire life, so there have been many disadvantages that have come with that. I have chosen not to let those things define me or my future and have chosen a path that would allow me not only to help my family, but to also be a helping hand to those who grew up in circumstances similar to mine. Being from a minority or low income community should never be an obstacle to obtaining the life of your dreams, but for so many people it is. Lacking resources or access to adequate education is a barrier that so many students face, especially those who have similar upbringings as mine. Not only did I have to work hard, I also had to work with almost no financial support at times to do so. My mom always tried her hardest to make sure my siblings and I had everything that we needed but sometimes, she just wasn't able to provide things due to the burden of raising us on her own. Being awarded this grant would help me to enter into college without the worry or stress of being financially unprepared. It would allow me to focus on my studies without the added burden of worrying how I will be able to afford my degree. Choosing Social Work was not accidental for me, I chose that field of study because I wanted to be able to help children in the future who grew up in similar or worse situations than my own and be an example that your disadvantages do not define you, and with hard work and effort you can achieve all your goals. After my undergraduate studies are complete I plan to work towards my graduate levels degree and obtain all necessary certifications required to become a social worker so that I am able to make an impact in my community.

As the oldest child of three children to a single mother I know what hard work looks like all too well. I have not only witnessed my mother work, go to school, and give her all to her three children, but as the oldest child I have been often given the responsibility of helping with my younger siblings when she just couldn't do everything on her own I am also a young black woman and the child of a father who has been incarcerated my entire life, so there have been many disadvantages that have come with that. I have chosen not to let those things define me or my future and have chosen a path that would allow me not only to help my family, but to also be a helping hand to those who grew up in circumstances similar to mine. Being from a minority or low income community should never be an obstacle to obtaining the life of your dreams, but for so many people it is. Lacking resources or access to adequate education is a barrier that so many students face, especially those who have similar upbringings as mine. Not only did I have to work hard, I also had to work with sometime almost no financial support to do so. My mom always tried her hardest to make sure my siblings and I had everything that we needed but sometimes she just wasn't able to provide things due to the burden of raising us on her own. Being awarded this grant would help me to enter into college without the worry or stress of being financially unprepared. It would allow me to focus on my studies without the added burden of worrying how I will be able to afford my degree. Choosing Social Work was not accidental for me, I chose that field of study because I wanted to be able to help children in the future who grew up in similar or worse situations than my own and be an example that your disadvantages do not define you, and with hard work and effort you can achieve all your goals.

I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that grew up in similar or worse situations than my own. I am very passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far especially when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. I plan to not only support my immediate family, but also lift and support other young BIPOC who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who understands their struggles. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals and be that person. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community, social work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible.

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible.

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible.

I was raised as the oldest of three children by my mother. Growing up I watched my mother work very hard to supply my siblings and I with everything we needed, and to be honest most of what we wanted too. I watched her juggle kids, school, work, and life with so much grace. We moved around quite a bit when I was younger but have been situated for about the last ten years or so. In that time I got to see my mom finally earn her bachelor's degree which was so inspiring. Having the mother I did showed me that I am capable of anything, if she could do all the things she has done with three kids and no support from our father's, I know I can succeed as well. My mom has always been my biggest cheerleader and supporter. She taught me to move through life with confidence and compassion and to always have a good heart. My mom has motivated me to never give up, even when times are extremely hard. Watching that woman reach her goals and thrive in life has been everything to me and my goal is just to make her proud! Any time that I have a problem, big or small I know I can go to her for guidance, she always offers the best advice and never makes me feel bad for my choices even if they are not the choice she would have made. I think that is such an important characteristic to have because sometimes in life you will not agree with the choices someone makes for themselves but you should still always show them grace and compassion. I have learned from watching her that life can be hard sometimes, but you have to just keep pushing if you want to reach your goals. In the future I hope to be able to retire my mother so that she can finally rest, she has worked my entire life, going straight from work to school events, using her time off to help me with tasks, and even finding ways to allow us to experience vacations and fun times all without any support. My mom is an amazing woman and I hope that I can grow up to have the same qualities. The biggest takeaway that I can say I have learned from my mother is that sometimes life starts off rocky, sometimes our choices lead us down that rocky path, but that doesn't not have to define your entire existence. There is always a chance to start over and do better!

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible; your background is only the beginning to your story, it does not have to define the outcome. I just hope that through my chosen path I can make a difference in the lives of little boys and girls who may think that because of their circumstances they have nothing to look forward too. Social work in my opinion will allow me to make a change in the lives of others and I am really looking forward to blazing that path and one day hopefully having an independent firm in my community.

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work and eventually have my own firm to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible.

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible if they work hard and focus on their future, your background definitely plays a part in your journey but, it does not have to be the deciding factor of your success. Life gets hard for everyone, but if you want it, you can achieve it!

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. I hope to look back and know that I inspired other young girls like my little sister to know anything is possible in life.

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible

I am also daughter of a man that has been incarcerated for the majority of my life. My father was incarcerated when I was born, but was relased and spent about three months with me, during that time my younger brother was conceived, a week after my mother found out my brother was coming my father was back in jail. I am eighteen years old now and have seen him only about five times in my entire life. My father being in jail greatly impacted my childhood as I in turn was raised solely by my mother. And don't get me wrong, she did an amazing job considering she was doing it all alone, but not having access to see or really even talk to my father was very hard. Especially when events came father-daughter events came around and I could never participate. Seeing the impact raising myself and my siblings alone had on my mother was also very hard, she did her best and always made sure we had everything we needed, but she wasn't supposed to have to do it all. Not having the guidance of a father also impacted my younger brother and unfortunately he has had some run ins with the law as well, he is doing better now, but I feel like had he had a more positive male presence in his life, he wouldn't have ended up in some of the situations he ended up in. My father is still currently incarcerated and more than likely will still be by the time I graduate high-school, which means he has missed out on my entire childhood, and when or if he does get out, I will essentially have to meet him as an adult. I wish that he had made better choices so that my brother and I, along with my mother did not have to suffer in life because of his actions. Although the crimes he committed were none violent offenses, and essentially he was caught in the commission of the crime, he has spent the last eighteen years paying for it. Seeing how quickly life can change because of a stupid mistake has helped me to stay focused on my future and make sure that I do what I need to do pay my mother back for everything she sacrificed to make sure I had the best life possible within her means and has motivated me to take a path of social work so that hopefully I can be a guiding light to children who are growing up in circumstances similar to the one I did.

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible

As a young black woman it is my goal to pursue a degree in social work to help in communities like my own. I grew up as the oldest child of a single mother who worked so hard to provide the best life she could for me and my siblings. I witnessed her work and finally achieve her bachelor's degree in my senior year of high school and that has been such a motivating factor for me. Growing up we didn't have a whole lot, but my mom made sure we had everything we needed and it has always been my passion to try and help those that are similar or worse situations than my own. I am also the child of a father who was incarcerated my entire life, experiencing that made me more passionate about being able to help children who are the product of environments that they were placed in but had no control over. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced being in the system, but I was greatly affected by it. I watched my mother struggle to provide for three children on her own as a result of my father's incarceration. It is my goal to be able to help children and families in my community to find and utilize resources that will allow them to live freely and enjoy their lives. Hard work and determination can only get you so far when there are systems that are designed to work against you, and it is my goal to be an advocate and help those who may not be able to help themselves. The "strong black woman" trope is one that has so many negative connotations, but I veiw it so differently than the world would have me see it. I hope to be strong enough to not only lift and support my immediate family, but to also lift and support other young black women who are in desperate need of a well rounded educated person who looks like them to follow. It is my hope that I can reach my educational and professional goals to be that woman. There are many paths that could be chosen to achieve this goal, but community work and education is my chosen path. In the coming years I hope to look back and not only be amazed by my own progress but to inspire other young girls like my little sister and let them know, anything is possible.