To whom much is given, much is required." This simple phrase is my family's motto. It is inspired by my mother who grew up in a small town in Virginia and faced extreme poverty. She witnessed firsthand the power of the generosity of others as her family often received blessings from others that helped them keep the lights on, food on the table and clothes on their backs. Her experience made her passionate about giving back and she has instilled the value of being a blessing to others to my sister and I, now that our family is in a position to provide abundantly to others. Although I have been blessed to have never been in dire need, hearing my mother's stories and traveling to her home town for visits, is a constant reminder to me that there are still people who stand in great need. It makes me thankful for all the ways God has provided for my family and gives true meaning to the saying that "those who are blessed, should in turn be a blessing." Knowing that even in 2024, there are still families who struggle to make ends meet and children who go to bed hungry at night is my reason for being committed to community service. I am a firm believer in Jeremiah 29:11 and I believe that part of God's plan for my life involves being of service to others. To that end, I have more than 300 community service hours and am the two-time recipient of the Jack and Jill National Community Service Medallion. Currently, I am the community service chair for my chapter of Jack and Jill of America. Each month, I organize service projects for the teens in my chapter to give back to the community. This year, we donated more than 400 boxes of cereal to a local food pantry, prepared 300 snack packs for low income students who had been identified as being at risk of not having food over the Thanksgiving Break and organized two Shoreline Clean Ups to remove debris from the shorelines in Prince Georges County. I also am on the community service committee with Kappa League where we organize turkey giveaways, toy giveaways and toiletry drives. I also am a youth volunteer at my church and a peer mentor. I plan to major in sports management/exercise science and use my degree to teach young black athletes how to properly care for their bodies. Black athletes tend to start in sports at a younger age than most kids and their parents tend to put them in more rigorous programs at a younger age, such as AAU, to start them in the pipeline for college or the pros. Unfortunately, these youth suffer injuries and burn out from the constant grind of the sport and overuse of their young bodies. I want to create a curriculum that teaches both parents and athletes how to care for their mind and body, while pursuing their athletic goals. I want to create long-term success starting at a young age with injury prevention and mental preparedness and ultimately continuing into adulthood (once they get the college and professional deals) with financial, image and reputation management. Since sports is regarded as a way out by so many black families, I want to create a pipeline that ensures generational wealth and longevity.

Imagine always being the only one. Imagine always having to fit in. That has been my reality as an African American baseball player. I have had to listen to jokes that no one thought were inappropriate but me, primarily because they were about people who look like me. I've had to pretend to ignore racist words being used by my opponents on the field. I've even been told to go play basketball. But, it never deterred me. Baseball has taught me how to endure, it has taught me to focus and it has taught me to never let anyone make me lose sight of my goals. I belong in any room I enter. I just have to make sure others see my value. So, that is what I have done. I have worked hard and delivered results on every team. I have won over coaches who didn't think I had the mental IQ for baseball and I have proven to teammates that any sport I choose, is the sport for me. Because of my experiences, I want to major in sports management/exercise science and use my degree to teach young black athletes how to properly care for their bodies both physically and mentally. Black athletes tend to start in sports at a younger age than most kids and their parents tend to put them in more rigorous programs at a younger age, such as AAU, to start them in the pipeline for college or the pros. Unfortunately, these youth suffer injuries and burn out from the constant grind of the sport and overuse on their young bodies. I want to create a curriculum that teaches both parents and athletes how to care for their mind and body, while pursuing their athletic goals. I want to create long-term success starting at a young age with injury prevention and mental preparedness and ultimately continuing into adulthood (once they get the college and professional deals) with financial and image and reputation management. Since sports is regarded as a way out by so many black families, I want to create the pipeline that ensures generational wealth and longevity. More importantly, I want to be the one that teaches black athletes from an early age, that they belong, that they are worthy and that they can tackle and conquer any sport, from pickleball to ice hockey, with hard work, dedication and mental preparedness. In a world that often says we can't, I want black youth to know that they are more than basketball and football players.

To whom much is given, much is required." This simple phrase is my family's motto. It is inspired by my mother who grew up in a small town in Virginia and faced extreme poverty. She witnessed firsthand the power of the generosity of others as her family often received blessings from others that helped them keep the lights on, food on the table and clothes on their backs. Her experience made her passionate about giving back and she has instilled the value of being a blessing to others to my sister and I, now that our family is in a position to provide abundantly to others. Although I have been blessed to have never been in dire need, hearing my mother's stories and traveling to her home town for visits, is a constant reminder to me that there are still people who stand in great need. It makes me thankful for all the ways God has provided for my family and gives true meaning to the saying that "those who are blessed, should in turn be a blessing." Knowing that even in 2024, there are still families who struggle to make ends meet and children who go to bed hungry at night is my reason for being committed to community service. I am a firm believer in Jeremiah 29:11 and I believe that part of God's plan for my life involves being of service to others. To that end, I have more than 300 community service hours and am the two-time recipient of the Jack and Jill National Community Service Medallion. Currently, I am the community service chair for my chapter of Jack and Jill of America. Each month, I organize service projects for the teens in my chapter to give back to the community. This year, we donated more than 400 boxes of cereal to a local food pantry, prepared 300 snack packs for low income students who had been identified as being at risk of not having food over the Thanksgiving Break and organized two Shoreline Clean Ups to remove debris from the shorelines in Prince Georges County. I also am on the community service committee with Kappa League where we organize turkey giveaways, toy giveaways and toiletry drives. I also am a youth volunteer at my church and a peer mentor. I plan to major in sports management/exercise science and use my degree to teach young black athletes how to properly care for their bodies. Black athletes tend to start in sports at a younger age than most kids and their parents tend to put them in more rigorous programs at a younger age, such as AAU, to start them in the pipeline for college or the pros. Unfortunately, these youth suffer injuries and burn out from the constant grind of the sport and overuse of their young bodies. I want to create a curriculum that teaches both parents and athletes how to care for their mind and body, while pursuing their athletic goals. I want to create long-term success starting at a young age with injury prevention and mental preparedness and ultimately continuing into adulthood (once they get the college and professional deals) with financial, image and reputation management. Since sports is regarded as a way out by so many black families, I want to create a pipeline that ensures generational wealth and longevity.