Gun violence is nonsense violence. This particular essay is hard for me to write. I'm not sure that I can write it without tears. Nope, I can't. I have seen firsthand how gun violence has made black men an endangered species. Army enlistment moved my brother Greg and his family to Washington. Just like all the previous generations in our family, his children were sent back home to Missouri for the summer. Summer in Charleston is like no other place. Summer jobs included detasseling corn, mowing grass, chopping beans, and throwing potatoes. For those not working, shooting ball at Lincoln School, house parties, walking to the swimming pool and R & R candy store. It was safe, so safe. The call came around midnight. My sister's voice, "Li'l Greg is dead." I heard her wrong or I'm still dreaming. "He's been shot." The words not really registering but yet my heart is sinking. I move out of the bed and into the bathroom not to disturb those sleeping. There's a call waiting. My brother John confirms the news and that he is at the scene. Before I was the preacher in the family, I was simply TT. Short for Auntie. Seven days later from that phone call, I tried to console two very grieving families while I was grieving myself. No one wants to see the preacher crying during the eulogy or the words of comfort. I mustered up a few words to say that would offer hope in a time of inconsolable grief. As soon as the service was over, I slipped away to be alone with my grief and my tears. He was my first "baby", an entrepreneur, and a college graduate. 28 years old, with no children, and no criminal record, was visiting Charleston just to hang out with old friends that he had made over the many summers. DEAD! What pain! The second call came nine years later, while I was sitting in the drive-thru. The crying voice on the other end said, "Tony is dead!" My reaction, "Tony, who?" Yes, I knew that Tony was Lil Greg's brother and Greg's middle son. This can't be real and yes it was real. Tony was shot and killed about 2 blocks from his parent's home in Tacoma, Washington. I took the next plane to Tacoma. This was the longest flight ever. I thought to myself, maybe if I cry the whole way, I can use up all my tears and have enough strength to console my family. As the preacher, I am supposed to be the one who offers comfort. All while waiting on the coroner, I wanted this to be a case of mistaken identity. Tony really wasn't dead but that was not the case. I made funeral arrangements, consoled, wiped many tears, and prayed prayers that I never want to pray again. Stood at the graveside of another young man and tried to share words of comfort without tears. I was successful in public but as my best friend drove me away from Oak Grove Cemetery, the tears overwhelmed me. The grief consumed me. My heart hurts for my brother and his wife who has stood at the grave of two children and a nephew who became the last living son at 29 years old. I grieve for Malachi who loved his dad and now has lost his superhero. Gun violence leaves holes in more than flesh. It leaves holes in hearts. I am the creator of Charleston Made Me Vlog. Part of that mission is to eradicate gun violence. The work continues!

In the fall of 1992, I entered Arkansas State University as a freshman. As a first-generation college student, I struggled academically, socially, financially, and in every other way possible. My struggles were the result of bad advice, lack of knowledge, and not knowing the right questions to ask. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I also welcomed an eight-pound three ounces baby girl into the world. I chose to pause my education for one year, and when I returned to Arkansas State, the bottom fell out from under me. After a thirteen-year hiatus, I was 44 years old when I began my first semester at Athens State and graduated magna cum laude. I acknowledge that the work did not become easier and was actually more difficult to manage with a full-time job and children. Nevertheless, I was able to maintain academic excellence. I have known how important learning is since childhood. Being a single parent, my mother did not have the opportunity to attend college as she had to earn a living and take care of a family. It affected her career and earning potential. The value of education was at the forefront of our home. My older sister, tasked with babysitting me and keeping me out of trouble, taught me to read at three years old. I developed a passion for reading that continues to this day. I passed the same love for learning and reading on to my children. We have had limited resources but found ways to accomplish many things. One of my children was being neglected by the school system. She was a very well-behaved child who had a learning disability but could not get special education services in a particular Arkansas school district. I researched the laws and the school’s protocols and curriculum. I met with the teacher, the principal, and the district special education coordinator, and presented all the information that I had gathered. She was given an IEP and was successful in school. My daughters were with me throughout the process. I wanted them to learn how to advocate for themselves and each other. My children have always known my desire to help other people and to become an attorney. They have been part of the journey in so many ways. I never let the excuse of not having much be an excuse for not having enough to help others. When my daughter was in eighth grade, one of her classmates didn’t have a winter coat. She boldly declared to this young lady, “My mom will get you a coat.” I didn’t have the money or an extra coat that could fit her. I sent a group-wide email to the college employees and the next day my office had 24 coats and jackets. Just by asking, I had inadvertently organized a coat drive at the local community college where I worked. By the end of the week, there were more than 40 coats in my office. On the same day that I sent the email, the bursar called me and said, “I’ll be over to your office shortly.” She walked in with a brand-new coat that she bought just for the student in need. My children then became coat philanthropists. They sought ought individuals to bless with coats. Although we didn’t have the means to provide this one girl with a coat, I was determined to show my children how to get things done. We ended up blessing more people than we could have ever imagined.

I currently have about $36,000 in student loan debt. I am starting law school in the Fall at Southern University Law Center. The current cost of attendance at Southern University Law Center is $56,000 per year. The cost of completing a juris doctorate is greater than $160,000. The cost associated with attaining a law degree is astronomical and student loan debt is diabolical. I am applying for scholarships in every genre that I qualify for, including this one. I created a scholarship spreadsheet to track all the scholarships that I qualify for. As of April 16, 2023, I have applied for more than $250,000 worth of scholarships and am awaiting the selection. My goal is to get enough scholarship money so that I no longer need a student loan. I have kept my grades high attaining a 4.0 GPA so that I can qualify for merit scholarships. For both my bachelor’s and master's degree, I have worked a full-time job and/or owned my own business. I took advantage of the tuition reimbursement plan from my employer. In law school, I may have to return to a W-2 position at least part-time that offers tuition reimbursement. I am person that uses a written budget and constantly works towards zero debt. With the budget that I used, I paid off all my debt from credit cards, child support, and medical bills within 3 years. At the time, my annual salary was $35,000. Student loan debt was included in my budget. When COVID hit and student loan payments were suspended, I refocused my budget to paying off vehicles, adding to my savings account, and investing in my business. With the current student loan debt that I have and any that I might incur, it will be aggressively attacked. I have disciplined myself over the years to live below or within my means. I currently drive a vehicle that was manufactured in 2009 and plan to keep it for at least 20 more years. One of the ways that I have maintained budgetary discipline is by “rewarding” myself for small and great financial victories. I set a monthly goal and reward for each month. When I first started budgeting, one of my goals was to not overspend on groceries and find creative ways to use the food that we already had. This was a challenge for me because I had four children at home and a husband at the time. The reward for doing that was to buy a new pair of sheets. Lying in bed at night on those new sheets gave me a sense of satisfaction that I cannot begin to describe. When things got difficult, the rewards motivated me to stay on track. While I am in law school, I am going to live like a student and will continue afterward until my debt is paid. As a well-paid attorney, I will continue to live below my means and work toward zero debt. Student loan debt is financial bondage and can be debilitating. In my latter years of life, I want to enjoy financial freedom and peace that only comes from not having student loans.

My name is Angela Miller. In the Fall, I will be attending Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA to pursue a juris doctorate degree. As a public interest/civil rights attorney, I want to help eradicate systemic racism and barriers that continue to disenfranchise and marginalize underserved communities. My dream job is restoring rural communities, especially my hometown. As an attorney, I want to build a support system for my community that includes access to good healthcare, affordable housing, good jobs, and attorneys. In the fall of 1992, I entered Arkansas State University as a freshman. As a first-generation college student, I struggled academically, socially, financially, and in every other way possible. My struggles were the result of bad advice, lack of knowledge, and not knowing the right questions to ask. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I also welcomed an eight-pound three ounces baby girl into the world. I chose to pause my education for one year, and when I returned to Arkansas State, the bottom fell out from under me. Eight years later, I restarted my educational journey. My grades were awesome, but my money was not. After two semesters, I left my program to continue rearing my children. After a thirteen-year hiatus, I was 44 years old when I began my first semester at Athens State, and I earned a 4.0 GPA. I acknowledge that the work did not become easier and was actually more difficult to manage with a full-time job. Nevertheless, I was able to maintain academic excellence. I would bring this very same commitment to law school and the next phases of my life. Although I would be a non-traditional student beginning law school later in life, my goal is to make a difference in Mississippi County, Missouri. My path to law school has always existed; circumstances related to my finances and family have made my journey a bit longer, but I have remained determined to make it to this point.

In the fall of 1992, I entered Arkansas State University as a freshman. As a first-generation college student, I struggled academically, socially, financially, and every other way possible. My struggles were the result of bad advice, lack of knowledge, and not knowing the right questions to ask. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I also welcomed an eight-pound three ounces baby girl into the world. I chose to pause my education for one year, and when I returned to Arkansas State, the bottom fell out from under me. My grades tumbled from mediocre to failing. I was placed on academic probation and eventually academic suspension. Although I had a supportive network, it felt impossible for me to continue. I stopped out again during my junior year to work and care for my daughter. Eight years later, I restarted my educational journey. My grades were awesome, but my money was not. After two semesters, I left my program to continue rearing my children, as two girls had been added to the mix. After a thirteen-year hiatus, I chose Athens State University to complete my degree in Human Resources. I was 44 years old when I began my first semester at Athens State, and I earned a 4.0 GPA. I did not have anything less than a 3.8 at any time as a student at Athens State. I acknowledge that the work did not become easier and was actually more difficult to manage with a full-time job. Nevertheless, I was able to maintain academic excellence. There have been three major challenges that I have faced in my academic career. My biological daughter was pregnant with her first child and while pregnant contracted COVID. In addition to COVID, she had HG and gestational diabetes that was so severe that she was a high-risk pregnancy. My daughter lives about 2.5 hours away by car. There were a lot of hospital visits and scary moments. At one point, I had to move her to my house to nurse her back to health all while trying to study and work full-time. I am the caregiver for my 85-year-old mother. During one Spring semester, she complained that her eye was bothering her. We initially thought it was allergies. After meeting with the eye doctor, it was determined that she had a stroke in her eye. My mom resides in a nursing home in Missouri. Her medical treatment is reminiscent of chemo. There are several treatments that require me to drive 2.5 hours every 2 weeks. Those appointments last from 4-6 hours and then I drive back home. I have learned to travel with my laptop and work in the doctor's office. In December 2020, my 30-year-old cousin passed away. She was the mother of three children. At the time of her death, they were 2, 5, and 8. In 2022, those children have come to live with me. I have gone from an empty nest to a house full again. But through it all, I have maintained a 4.0 in the master's program. I have learned to study in peace and quiet between 2 AM and 5 AM. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.

My name is Angela Miller. In the Fall, I will be attending Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA to pursue a juris doctorate degree. As a public interest/civil rights attorney, I want to help eradicate systemic racism and barriers that continue to disenfranchise and marginalize underserved communities. My dream job is restoring rural communities, especially my hometown. As an attorney, I want to build a support system for my community that includes access to good healthcare, affordable housing, good jobs, and attorneys. Growing up in the face of relentless poverty in rural Missouri, my inquisitive nature to know what was beyond the stop sign, instilled in me a deep sense of determination. I lived in a situation that offered limited possibilities and prospects, being poor, African American, rural, and Pentecostal. At the raggedy, green house with the large yard, I lived with my mother, two sisters, three brothers, and a dog named Waggs. We were poor people. By my account, we were the poorest people on the block. We were just a few years removed from, “The Struggle and Integration.” As an African American female, I have seen and experienced these challenges. My journey to law school started when my mother – a poor, Black, single parent from rural Missouri – could not find an attorney to help her. Due to medical neglect and a misdiagnosis, my mom was left partially paralyzed at the age of 54. The medical profession failed her and forever altered her state of living. My mom wanted to sue the hospital and doctor. Maybe the law would have helped if we had access to legal resources. She could not find an attorney to take her case. For poor, rural, Black folks, there was and is very little to no help or access to affordable legal services. The only attorneys in our small town handle rich folks’ problems: estates, probates, wills, and trusts. Our town has a rich history of racism and injustice that still evident today, there is not one attorney in town that handles civil rights, nor is there one Black attorney in the county. In the fall of 1992, I entered Arkansas State University as a freshman. As a first-generation college student, I struggled academically, socially, financially, and every other way possible. My struggles were the result of bad advice, lack of knowledge, and not knowing the right questions to ask. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I also welcomed an eight-pound three ounces baby girl into the world. I chose to pause my education for one year, and when I returned to Arkansas State, the bottom fell out from under me. Eight years later, I restarted my educational journey. My grades were awesome, but my money was not. After two semesters, I left my program to continue rearing my children. After a thirteen-year hiatus, I was 44 years old when I began my first semester at Athens State, and I earned a 4.0 GPA. I acknowledge that the work did not become easier and was actually more difficult to manage with a full-time job. Nevertheless, I was able to maintain academic excellence. I would bring this very same commitment to law school and the next phases of my life. Although I would be a non-traditional student beginning law school later in life, my goal is to make a difference in Mississippi County, Missouri. My path to law school has always existed; circumstances related to my finances and family have made my journey a bit longer, but I have remained determined to make it to this point.

My name is Angela Miller. In the Fall, I will be attending Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA to pursue a juris doctorate degree. As a public interest/civil rights attorney, I want to help eradicate systemic racism and barriers that continue to disenfranchise and marginalize underserved communities. My dream job is restoring rural communities, especially my hometown. As an attorney, I want to build a support system for my community that includes access to good healthcare, affordable housing, good jobs, and attorneys. Growing up in the face of relentless poverty in rural Missouri, my inquisitive nature to know what was beyond the stop sign, instilled in me a deep sense of determination. I lived in a situation that offered limited possibilities and prospects, being poor, African American, rural, and Pentecostal. At the raggedy, green house with the large yard, I lived with my mother, two sisters, three brothers, and a dog named Waggs. We were poor people. By my account, we were the poorest people on the block. We were just a few years removed from, “The Struggle and Integration.” As an African American female, I have seen and experienced these challenges. My journey to law school started when my mother – a poor, Black, single parent from rural Missouri – could not find an attorney to help her. Due to medical neglect and a misdiagnosis, my mom was left partially paralyzed at the age of 54. The medical profession failed her and forever altered her state of living. My mom wanted to sue the hospital and doctor. Maybe the law would have helped if we had access to legal resources. She could not find an attorney to take her case. For poor, rural, Black folks, there was and is very little to no help or access to affordable legal services. The only attorneys in our small town handle rich folks’ problems: estates, probates, wills, and trusts. Our town has a rich history of racism and injustice that still evident today, there is not one attorney in town that handles civil rights, nor is there one Black attorney in the county. In the fall of 1992, I entered Arkansas State University as a freshman. As a first-generation college student, I struggled academically, socially, financially, and every other way possible. My struggles were the result of bad advice, lack of knowledge, and not knowing the right questions to ask. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I also welcomed an eight-pound three ounces baby girl into the world. I chose to pause my education for one year, and when I returned to Arkansas State, the bottom fell out from under me. Eight years later, I restarted my educational journey. My grades were awesome, but my money was not. After two semesters, I left my program to continue rearing my children. After a thirteen-year hiatus, I was 44 years old when I began my first semester at Athens State, and I earned a 4.0 GPA. I acknowledge that the work did not become easier and was actually more difficult to manage with a full-time job. Nevertheless, I was able to maintain academic excellence. I would bring this very same commitment to law school and the next phases of my life. Although I would be a non-traditional student beginning law school later in life, my goal is to make a difference in Mississippi County, Missouri. My path to law school has always existed; circumstances related to my finances and family have made my journey a bit longer, but I have remained determined to make it to this point.

My name is Angela Miller. In the Fall, I will be attending Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA to pursue a juris doctorate degree. As a public interest/civil rights attorney, I want to help eradicate systemic racism and barriers that continue to disenfranchise and marginalize underserved communities. My dream job is restoring rural communities, especially my hometown. As an attorney, I want to build a support system for my community that includes access to good healthcare, affordable housing, good jobs, and attorneys. Growing up in the face of relentless poverty in rural Missouri, my inquisitive nature to know what was beyond the stop sign, instilled in me a deep sense of determination. I lived in a situation that offered limited possibilities and prospects, being poor, African American, rural, and Pentecostal. At the raggedy, green house with the large yard, I lived with my mother, two sisters, three brothers, and a dog named Waggs. We were poor people. By my account, we were the poorest people on the block. We were just a few years removed from, “The Struggle and Integration.” As an African American female, I have seen and experienced these challenges. My journey to law school started when my mother – a poor, Black, single parent from rural Missouri – could not find an attorney to help her. Due to medical neglect and a misdiagnosis, my mom was left partially paralyzed at the age of 54. The medical profession failed her and forever altered her state of living. My mom wanted to sue the hospital and doctor. Maybe the law would have helped if we had access to legal resources. She could not find an attorney to take her case. For poor, rural, Black folks, there was and is very little to no help or access to affordable legal services. The only attorneys in our small town handle rich folks’ problems: estates, probates, wills, and trusts. Our town has a rich history of racism and injustice that still evident today, there is not one attorney in town that handles civil rights, nor is there one Black attorney in the county. In the fall of 1992, I entered Arkansas State University as a freshman. As a first-generation college student, I struggled academically, socially, financially, and every other way possible. My struggles were the result of bad advice, lack of knowledge, and not knowing the right questions to ask. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I also welcomed an eight-pound three ounces baby girl into the world. I chose to pause my education for one year, and when I returned to Arkansas State, the bottom fell out from under me. Eight years later, I restarted my educational journey. My grades were awesome, but my money was not. After two semesters, I left my program to continue rearing my children. After a thirteen-year hiatus, I was 44 years old when I began my first semester at Athens State, and I earned a 4.0 GPA. I acknowledge that the work did not become easier and was actually more difficult to manage with a full-time job. Nevertheless, I was able to maintain academic excellence. I would bring this very same commitment to law school and the next phases of my life. Although I would be a non-traditional student beginning law school later in life, my goal is to make a difference in Mississippi County, Missouri. My path to law school has always existed; circumstances related to my finances and family have made my journey a bit longer, but I have remained determined to make it to this point.

My name is Angela Miller. In the Fall, I will be attending Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA to pursue a juris doctorate degree. As a public interest/civil rights attorney, I want to help eradicate systemic racism and barriers that continue to disenfranchise and marginalize underserved communities. My dream job is restoring rural communities, especially my hometown. As an attorney, I want to build a support system for my community that includes access to good healthcare, affordable housing, good jobs, and attorneys. Growing up in the face of relentless poverty in rural Missouri, my inquisitive nature to know what was beyond the stop sign, instilled in me a deep sense of determination. I lived in a situation that offered limited possibilities and prospects, being poor, African American, rural, and Pentecostal. At the raggedy, green house with the large yard, I lived with my mother, two sisters, three brothers, and a dog named Waggs. We were poor people. By my account, we were the poorest people on the block. We were just a few years removed from, “The Struggle and Integration.” As an African American female, I have seen and experienced these challenges. My journey to law school started when my mother – a poor, Black, single parent from rural Missouri – could not find an attorney to help her. Due to medical neglect and a misdiagnosis, my mom was left partially paralyzed at the age of 54. The medical profession failed her and forever altered her state of living. My mom wanted to sue the hospital and doctor. Maybe the law would have helped if we had access to legal resources. She could not find an attorney to take her case. For poor, rural, Black folks, there was and is very little to no help or access to affordable legal services. The only attorneys in our small town handle rich folks’ problems: estates, probates, wills, and trusts. Our town has a rich history of racism and injustice that still evident today, there is not one attorney in town that handles civil rights, nor is there one Black attorney in the county. In the fall of 1992, I entered Arkansas State University as a freshman. As a first-generation college student, I struggled academically, socially, financially, and every other way possible. My struggles were the result of bad advice, lack of knowledge, and not knowing the right questions to ask. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I also welcomed an eight-pound three ounces baby girl into the world. I chose to pause my education for one year, and when I returned to Arkansas State, the bottom fell out from under me. Eight years later, I restarted my educational journey. My grades were awesome, but my money was not. After two semesters, I left my program to continue rearing my children. After a thirteen-year hiatus, I was 44 years old when I began my first semester at Athens State, and I earned a 4.0 GPA. I acknowledge that the work did not become easier and was actually more difficult to manage with a full-time job. Nevertheless, I was able to maintain academic excellence. I would bring this very same commitment to law school and the next phases of my life. Although I would be a non-traditional student beginning law school later in life, my goal is to make a difference in Mississippi County, Missouri. My path to law school has always existed; circumstances related to my finances and family have made my journey a bit longer, but I have remained determined to make it to this point.

I hate cancer! I hate the way cancer has crept in without warning and had the nerve to take over. Nobody invited Cancer to the party, the family bar-be-cue, or the grocery store, but somehow cancer shows up. Cancer is an unwelcome and unwanted guest in my life. I hate cancer. Cancer is a big liar and a great pretender. Sometimes it plays sleep. This is what the doctors call remission. Cancer even lets you ring the bell of celebration. It often reawakens and then spreads with vengeance to make up for lost time. It's as destructive as California wildfires and upsets life like an Alabama tornado. I hate cancer. I lost one of my best friends to the ugly disease. I lost two maternal aunts to the unrelenting beast called cancer. I simply hate cancer. I was the caregiver for my aunt and my friend. Although their diagnosis was years apart, it still was very hard. I saw cancer reduce my young friend into a frail old lady. She once had locks of hair that could make Rapunzel jealous. Cancer took her silky brown locks and exchanged them bald dome of a head. Though it did many things, cancer did not take her smile or damage our friendship. Cancer has made me cry and I really don't like to cry. Cancer made me cry when the doctor said that the best they could do would is to provide comfort care. There is nothing else we can do. Cancer made me cry the day that I had to call my family to my aunt's bedside knowing that she was in the last stages of life. I cried silently because my mom cried loudly. This was her sister, her first friend and now her best friend. Cancer made me cry because I could neither ease the pain for my aunt nor my mother. I hate cancer. Although cancer has taken so much from me, it has been a good teacher as well. Cancer taught me never to take anything or anyone for granted. Cancer changed my life by encouraging me to reexamine my priorities and relationships. As a rule, I do not miss a planned family event whether is our annual fish fry, family reunion, or Thanksgiving dinner. When it comes to my spiritual beliefs, I still believe that God is a healer. I also believe that if tuberculosis and polio can be eliminated so can cancer. Because my aunt was misdiagnosed with COPD, instead of cancer, she went a long time without proper medical care. I want to build a support system for my community that includes access to good healthcare affordable housing, good jobs, and attorneys. I will be one of those attorneys. I would build networks and pipelines for rural communities. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.

The book I would have everyone read is "Why I Stayed" by Gayle Haggard. This book changed my perspective on a lot of things. It also helped me really stand by my Bible convictions and principles of Galatians 6:1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in his fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one, considering yourself also, lest ye be tempted. The English Standard Version says "My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don't be tempted yourself. The book talks about her husband, Ted Haggard, who was a pastor of a mega-church and got caught up in sin. Part of his sin involved drugs and a male escort. She stayed with him during the roughest part of their life. The book discusses all the raw emotions that they endured as a married couple and as a family. It talks about how they were handled and mishandled by the church community and the mainstream media. I was very disappointed to see how the church leaders handled this situation. As a church leader, this book gave me a roadmap on how to deal with the unspeakable sins of a church leader. One of the themes in the book is God's grace. This book shows that God does not throw us away when we sin. As a matter of fact, he does just the opposite, he pulls us closer in his arms. This book also shows the dangers of letting people push you into positions and offices that God has not designed for you. Sin does not remove the mantle of God's love and grace. Get the book. You will not put it down. It's a page-turner. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.

Generational wealth is the transfer of wealth to the next generation. I would like to see the wage gap abolished between minorities and their white counterparts. Having a substantial wage gap makes it difficult for minorities to have generational wealth. I grew up in extreme poverty and never thought that having generational wealth was a foreign concept to us. When I learned of generational wealth, I used to think that the transfer of wealth would only happen at my parents' death. I thought that generational wealth was the equivalent of having an insurance policy that would leave your children some money after the funeral expenses were covered. However, I have learned better. While life insurance is still a part of generational wealth, there are several ways to pass on generational wealth. Although we were poor, my mom owned our house. In her seventies, while still living and in good health, she passed the house on to me. She also divided her assets with my siblings. We have taken these assets and started family businesses. We have five small businesses among six siblings. Having profitable businesses has paved the way for us to pass on generational wealth to our children. We still believe in having life insurance to leave a nest egg for our children. We own land and houses to further build our wealth. About four years ago, I was able to sell my business to my daughter for $1.00. My daughter grew up working for me, knew the business and loved it. I was ready to move on to other ventures. My daughter has taken the business and grown it. My daughter has become the employer and I have become the employee. She has a daughter who is "working" with her in the business as she did with me. If the trend continues, my daughter will pass this on to her daughter. My goal is to increase my personal wealth by increasing my investments in stocks and bonds. I will continue to have multiple streams of income. Please understand that I would love to leave the next generation a substantial amount of physical assets; however, I think the greatest generational wealth that I can leave my family is to love the Lord with all their hearts, mind, body, and soul. Secondly, to always be kind to others and to love and always stay connected to the family. Before we ever had any money, our family was the most important asset that we had. It is still that way today. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.

My dream job is restoring rural communities, especially my hometown. I want to build a support system for my community that includes access to good healthcare, affordable housing, good jobs, and attorneys. I will be one of those attorneys. I would build networks and pipelines to rural communities. I would love to oversee the program where highly skilled healthcare professionals work routinely in rural areas. Currently, my hometown has two doctors who either misdiagnose, untreat, or overmedicate Black and elderly patients. The only dental option for Blacks -both young and old is extraction, while our White counterparts are given a treatment plan with the option of a payment plan. I would love to work with established and newly practicing dentists to establish a dental clinic that specifically serves people with low incomes, no insurance, or who otherwise can’t afford care. Research has shown that when a person's oral health is suffering, it can decrease the quality of his/her life or exacerbate mental health issues and affect that person's self-esteem. In the late 90's all the good jobs left and so did the quality of living of many people. Affordable housing is non-existent and having access to legal services is equally dismal. My dream job would be to be a community lawyer and provide affordable housing solutions and help to eliminate the barriers to homeownership and do away with redlining. As a small-town lawyer, I want to provide access to legal services. I would orchestrate expungement clinics, work to amend laws that unfairly discriminate against Blacks and minorities and make rural communities whole again. I would partner with law schools to provide free legal clinics for low-income individuals. I would partner with small businesses to make them profitable and sustainable so they can grow and add to the economy. I would be part of the team that works with major manufacturing companies and other industries to bring good-paying jobs to the area. Work with the public school system to reinstate vocational training and home economics courses. Help to create a pipeline for students to be successful after high school. For some that would be college. For others that would be starting a career. Combating systemic racism requires aggressive action to address structures, policies, and practices that contribute to the wealth gap, health disparities, and to inequalities in educational access, outcomes, and beyond. My dream job is to empower people who look like me, share the load with other community leaders, and pass the torch to the next generations.