At Howard University's fall 2022 organization fair I had the opportunity to be introduced to a campus organization called Juvenile Justices Advocates. This campus organization trains Howard University students to become mentors for incarcerated young men in juvenile detention facilities in the D.C. area. After completing the 5-week mentorship program it was clear that I wanted to work in some form of restorative justice, however, I did not want to change my major to do so. In today’s justice system, I see a lack of justice and a lack of awareness/disregard for ttttftg3fttfgftresources that can work toward restoration. For that reason, I have decided to dedicate my higher education to studying psychology and criminology to place me in the position to successfully serve as a psychologist for juveniles in detention centers, specifically focusing on those in marginalized communities with high retention rates. As a double major in psychology and criminology, I plan to be able to both provide therapy and rehabilitation to incarcerated youth as well as in communities in which the incarcerated youth are deriving as a means of lowering recidivism rates. Additionally, I plan to conduct research that focuses on tackling why retribution is often looked at as more important than rehabilitation and how communities that incarcerated juveniles are coming from, especially those communities that are considered “minority communities” or “ghettos,” are producing high rates of inmates due to lack of resources. I believe that the penalty does not serve as a positive or negative reinforcement but as a punishment, therefore incarceration without redirection serves no succinct purpose for the incarcerated individual. Punishment only tells individuals what not to do without guidance or direction of what to do. My philosophy is that the only way to evoke change amongst incarcerated youth is to provide a pipeline to success to replace the pipeline to prison they have so long been confronted with. Mentoring at a juvenile detention center during my first semester of college has not only prompted me to double major in psychology and criminology but has also motivated me to want to serve my community in a way that differed from the service that I wanted to come out of my education when I started studying at Howard University. Even though it is through the education that Howard University provides me that I will be able to work in juvenile justice as a psychologist and provide a positive impact, it is the positive impact that I received while mentoring that has given rise to my pursuit in pursuing this path.

At Howard University's fall 2022 organization fair I had the opportunity to be introduced to a campus organization called Juvenile Justices Advocates. This campus organization trains Howard University students to become mentors for incarcerated young men in juvenile detention facilities in the D.C. area. After completing the 5-week mentorship program it was clear that I wanted to work in some form of restorative justice, however, I did not want to change my major to do so. In today’s justice system, I see a lack of justice and a lack of awareness/disregard for resources that can work toward restoration. For that reason, I have decided to dedicate my higher education to studying psychology and criminology to place me in the position to successfully serve as a psychologist for juveniles in detention centers, specifically focusing on those in marginalized communities with high retention rates. As a double major in psychology and criminology, I plan to be able to both provide therapy and rehabilitation to incarcerated youth as well as in communities in which the incarcerated youth are deriving as a means of lowering recidivism rates. Additionally, I plan to conduct research that focuses on tackling why retribution is often looked at as more important than rehabilitation and how communities that incarcerated juveniles are coming from, especially those communities that are considered “minority communities” or “ghettos,” are producing high rates of inmates due to lack of resources. I believe that the penalty does not serve as a positive or negative reinforcement but as a punishment, therefore incarceration without redirection serves no succinct purpose for the individual who is incarcerated. Punishment only tells individuals what not to do without guidance or direction of what to do. My philosophy is that the only way to evoke change amongst incarcerated youth is to provide a pipeline to success to replace the pipeline to prison they have so long been confronted with. Although all communities are in need of some type of programming that works with youth and adults to curate methods and provide education on ways to lower recidivism rates and learn to live in communities that are considered high-risk without engaging in criminal activities as a newly released convict, some communities need it more than others. I remember during my senior year of high school a group of students invited police officers to come to our school to speak with us so that as marginalized youth we did not fear the men and women who were supposed to serve and protect us due to everything going on in the media and our community. Throughout the entire interaction with students and police, there were zero talks about how we should navigate in our “high-risk community,” the only advice given was to stay in school. But what about when we leave those school doors? When I graduate I plan to implement programming in schools and community centers that prove themselves to be more intentional with youth in their approach to educate and promote the pipeline to success, not just the message “stay in school.” Just as my work outside of the detention facilities will focus on education and a pipeline to success, my work inside detention facilities will do the same. Although I plan to work primarily as a psychologist because I believe that many of the individuals who are young and incarcerated simply need a trained professional to have an individual who will just listen to them, I also plan to serve as someone who shares resources across juvenile detention facilities that will best serve the youth when they go back into their respective communities. I will do this by taking an interdisciplinary approach and collaborating with individuals in different fields that share my vision but plan to execute justice for juveniles in different ways. Whether it is judges, community advocates, or correctional officers I will ensure that I am able to grant youth the opportunity of a fighting chance when they leave juvenile detention. This scholarship will help me in achieving my goals because it will help alleviate some of the financial burdens that I face with being a student at the number one public HBCU. Any college pursuit comes with a cost, however, I wanted to take my educational endeavors to a place in which I could nurture my education while also having the opportunity to take it out into the field. Receiving this scholarship would aid me in continuing to pursue such an education and community impact.

At Howard University's fall 2022 organization fair I had the opportunity to be introduced to a campus organization called Juvenile Justices Advocates. This campus organization trains Howard University students to become mentors for incarcerated young men in juvenile detention facilities in the D.C. area. After completing the 5-week mentorship program it was clear that I wanted to work in some form of restorative justice, however, I did not want to change my major to do so. In today’s justice system, I see a lack of justice and a lack of awareness/disregard for ttttftg3fttfgftresources that can work toward restoration. For that reason, I have decided to dedicate my higher education to studying psychology and criminology to place me in the position to successfully serve as a psychologist for juveniles in detention centres, specifically focusing on those in marginalized communities with high retention rates. As a double major in psychology and criminology, I plan to be able to both provide therapy and rehabilitation to incarcerated youth as well as in communities in which the incarcerated youth are deriving as a means of lowering recidivism rates. Additionally, I plan to conduct research that focuses on tackling why retribution is often looked at as more important than rehabilitation and how communities that incarcerated juveniles are coming from, especially those communities that are considered “minority communities” or “ghettos,” are producing high rates of inmates due to lack of resources. I believe that the penalty does not serve as a positive or negative reinforcement but as a punishment, therefore incarceration without redirection serves no succinct purpose for the incarcerated individual. Punishment only tells individuals what not to do without guidance or direction of what to do. My philosophy is that the only way to evoke change amongst incarcerated youth is to provide a pipeline to success to replace the pipeline to prison they have so long been confronted with. Mentoring at a juvenile detention centre during my first semester of college has not only prompted me to double major in psychology and criminology but has also motivated me to want to serve my community in a way that differed from the service that I wanted to come out of my education when I started studying at Howard University. Even though it is through the education that Howard University provides me that I will be able to work in juvenile justice as a psychologist and provide a positive impact, it is the positive impact that I received while mentoring that has given rise to my pursuit in pursuing this path.

At Howard University's fall 2022 organization fair I had the opportunity to be introduced to a campus organization called Juvenile Justices Advocates. This campus organization trains Howard University students to become mentors for incarcerated young men in juvenile detention facilities in the D.C. area. After completing the 5-week mentorship program it was clear that I wanted to work in some form of restorative justice, however, I did not want to change my major to do so. In today’s justice system, I see a lack of justice and a lack of awareness/disregard for resources that can work toward restoration. For that reason, I have decided to dedicate my higher education to studying psychology and criminology to place me in the position to successfully serve as a psychologist for juveniles in detention centers, specifically focusing on those in marginalized communities with high retention rates. As a double major in psychology and criminology, I plan to be able to both provide therapy and rehabilitation to incarcerated youth as well as in communities in which the incarcerated youth are deriving as a means of lowering recidivism rates. Additionally, I plan to conduct research that focuses on tackling why retribution is often looked at as more important than rehabilitation and how communities that incarcerated juveniles are coming from, especially those communities that are considered “minority communities” or “ghettos,” are producing high rates of inmates due to lack of resources. I believe that the penalty does not serve as a positive or negative reinforcement but as a punishment, therefore incarceration without redirection serves no succinct purpose for the incarcerated individual. Punishment only tells individuals what not to do without guidance or direction of what to do. My philosophy is that the only way to evoke change amongst incarcerated youth is to provide a pipeline to success to replace the pipeline to prison they have so long been confronted with. Mentoring at a juvenile detention center during my first semester of college has not only prompted me to double major in psychology and criminology but has also motivated me to want to serve my community in a way that differed from the service that I wanted to come out of my education when I started studying at Howard University. Even though it is through the education that Howard University provides me that I will be able to work in juvenile justice as a psychologist and provide a positive impact, it is the positive impact that I received while mentoring that has given rise to my pursuit in pursuing this path.

As a young Black Muslim, I believe that there is nothing more important than serving the community especially those that are underserved. Growing up Muslim I was privileged to have an upbringing and a path of guidance within my religion that allowed me to not have the same fate as other young people in my community. I am unapologetic in my Muslim identity as I not only visibly represent my practising of Islam but I am outspoken about how my higher educational pursuits and career aspirations all align with my obedience to Allah (SWT) in helping the community. At Howard University's fall 2022 organization fair I had the opportunity to be introduced to a campus organization called Juvenile Justices Advocates. This campus organization trains Howard University students to become mentors for incarcerated young men in juvenile detention facilities in the D.C. area. After completing the 5-week mentorship program it was clear that I wanted to work in some form of restorative justice, however, I did not want to change my major to do so. In today’s justice system, I see a lack of justice and a lack of awareness/disregard for resources that can work toward restoration. For that reason, I have decided to dedicate my higher education to studying psychology and criminology to place me in the position to successfully serve as a psychologist for juveniles in detention centres, specifically focusing on those in marginalized communities with high retention rates. As a double major in psychology and criminology, I plan to be able to both provide therapy and rehabilitation to incarcerated youth as well as in communities in which the incarcerated youth are deriving as a means of lowering recidivism rates. Additionally, I plan to conduct research that focuses on tackling why retribution is often looked at as more important than rehabilitation and how communities that incarcerated juveniles are coming from, especially those communities that are considered “minority communities” or “ghettos,” are producing high rates of inmates due to lack of resources. I believe that the penalty does not serve as a positive or negative reinforcement but as a punishment, therefore incarceration without redirection serves no succinct purpose for the incarcerated individual. Punishment only tells individuals what not to do without guidance or direction of what to do. My philosophy is that the only way to evoke change amongst incarcerated youth is to provide a pipeline to success to replace the pipeline to prison they have so long been confronted with. Mentoring at a juvenile detention centre during my first semester of college has not only prompted me to double major in psychology and criminology but has also motivated me to want to serve my community in a way that differed from the service that I wanted to come out of my education when I started studying at Howard University. Even though it is through the education that Howard University provides me that I will be able to work in juvenile justice as a psychologist and provide a positive impact, it is the positive impact that I received while mentoring that has given rise to my pursuit in pursuing this path.

At Howard University's fall 2022 organization fair I had the opportunity to be introduced to a campus organization called Juvenile Justices Advocates. This campus organization trains Howard University students to become mentors for incarcerated young men in juvenile detention facilities in the D.C. area. After completing the 5-week mentorship program it was clear that I wanted to work in some form of restorative justice, however, I did not want to have to change my major to do so. In today’s justice system, I see a lack of justice and a lack of awareness/disregard for resources that can work toward restoration. It is for that reason that I have made the decision to dedicate my higher education to studying psychology and criminology to place me in the position to successfully serve as a psychologist for juveniles in detention centers, specifically focusing on those in marginalized communities with high retention rates. As a double major in psychology and criminology, I plan to be able to both provide therapy and rehabilitation to incarcerated youth as well as in communities in which the incarcerated youth are deriving as a means of lowering recidivism rates. Additionally, I plan to conduct research that focuses on tackling why retribution is often looked at as more important than rehabilitation and how communities that incarcerated juveniles are coming from, especially those communities that are considered “minority communities” or “ghettos,” are producing high rates of inmates due to lack of resources. I believe that the penalty does not serve as a positive or negative reinforcement but as a punishment, therefore incarceration without redirection serves no succinct purpose for the incarcerated individual. Punishment only tells individuals what not to do without guidance or direction of what to do. My philosophy is that the only way to evoke change amongst incarcerated youth is to provide a pipeline to success to replace the pipeline to prison they have so long been confronted with. Mentoring at a juvenile detention center during my first semester of college has not only prompted me to double major in psychology and criminology but has also motivated me to want to serve my community in a way that differed from the service that I wanted to come out of my education when I started studying at Howard University. Even though it is through the education that Howard University provides me that I will be able to work in juvenile justice as a psychologist and provide a positive impact, it is the positive impact that I received while mentoring that has given rise to my pursuit in pursuing this path.

At Howard University's fall 2022 organization fair I had the opportunity to be introduced to a campus organization called Juvenile Justices Advocates. This campus organization trains Howard University students to become mentors for incarcerated young men in juvenile detention facilities in the D.C. area. After completing the 5-week mentorship program it was clear that I wanted to work in some form of restorative justice, however, I did not want to have to change my major to do so. In today’s justice system, I see a lack of justice and a lack of awareness/disregard for resources that can work toward restoration. It is for that reason that I have made the decision to dedicate my higher education to studying psychology and criminology to place me in the position to successfully serve as a psychologist for juveniles in detention centers, specifically focusing on those in marginalized communities with high retention rates. As a double major in psychology and criminology, I plan to be able to both provide therapy and rehabilitation to incarcerated youth as well as in communities in which the incarcerated youth are deriving as a means of lowering recidivism rates. Additionally, I plan to conduct research that focuses on tackling why retribution is often looked at as more important than rehabilitation and how communities that incarcerated juveniles are coming from, especially those communities that are considered “minority communities” or “ghettos,” are producing high rates of inmates due to lack of resources. I believe that the penalty does not serve as a positive or negative reinforcement but as a punishment, therefore incarceration without redirection serves no succinct purpose for the incarcerated individual. Punishment only tells individuals what not to do without guidance or direction of what to do. My philosophy is that the only way to evoke change amongst incarcerated youth is to provide a pipeline to success to replace the pipeline to prison they have so long been confronted with. Mentoring at a juvenile detention center during my first semester of college has not only prompted me to double major in psychology and criminology but has also motivated me to want to serve my community in a way that differed from the service that I wanted to come out of my education when I started studying at Howard University. Even though it is through the education that Howard University provides me that I will be able to work in juvenile justice as a psychologist and provide a positive impact, it is the positive impact that I received while mentoring that has given rise to my pursuit in pursuing this path. The Stacey T. Mosley Jr. Scholarship will help me with my future goals because it will allow me to relieve some of the financial burdens that come with attending college, specifically an HBCU that allows me to pursue my goals inside and outside of the classroom. Simply having the opportunity to apply to this scholarship has shown me how individuals who care for Black students can have an impact, and one day I hope to be able to have a similar influence.