Being from Haiti, I was mostly aware that I was a minority woman because of the bullying and mockery that I was subjected to, due to my darker skin tone. As I came to the US, I fully understood the plight but also the empowerment of being a minority. My plight is the constant fight to forge a way among my peers and to be accepted and considered as beautiful as any other woman. Yet it is empowering because of the awareness of my unique identity and the physical features that set me apart. On a personal note, being a dark-skinned black girl has always been the big white elephant in my everyday life; from surviving colorism in my own country and racism here in the US. But as Maya Angelou said so eloquently "...yet I rise". It took a lot for me to consider myself beautiful and be confident in my own skin. The insults from classmates and the lack of representation of dark-skinned women in movies, during my childhood, also impacted my self-esteem. My dream is to become a researcher hence my interest in biochemistry. Nowadays, Black Women are the most educated group in the USA, but they remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Black Women hold only two percent of stem jobs. I intend on filling this gap by pursuing the career of my dreams. Since a child, I recognized the power of science and the value of always solving problems and cracking mysteries. Thus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics quickly became my favorite subject in classes. I could never be bored of them. I would be listening to teachers, giving answers and remarks in the hope of impressing them. The career path that I am choosing is the best way for me to have a direct impact on the improvement of the world we live in. Along with science, art is my favorite hobby. As young girl, I spent hours practicing at home, teaching myself from a book that was given to me as a Christmas present from my parents. Thus, I became one of the most skilled artist in my class. The admiration for my intellectual capacity and drawing talent was one of the few gratifications I could receive. When I won a national drawing competition in 2014 and when my art was exposed in the 2015 Calendar, I was known for more than one of the darkest girls at the school. It was only in my late teenage years that I started receiving compliments on my physical appearance from people that weren't family members boosting my confidence. Art and Science kept me going, they made me feel like I mattered. They made me feel important. Today I know how beautiful I am, but that little girl eight years ago didn't. She felt like she had to be perfect to be loved and to be seen. My journey as a minority woman might be hard, but I am thankful for the way it happened. It shaped me into the woman I now am.

I survived an earthquake in 2010 but leaving my country, my home, and my friends behind for an uncertain future is even more traumatic. It felt like I was jumping off a cliff without knowing how deep the end of it was. We did not even have a house to stay at. We only figured it out the day, we arrived in the United States. My mom and older brother got there a few months before my little brother and me. They were previously staying in a hotel room with some family members also homeless at the time. We were offered shelter by the cousin of my cousin's husband. It was an apartment without furniture and so we slept on the floor tired from the flight and the long ride we just had. My father, who took the flight with us went back to Haiti. Coming to the US, although the best decision we could have made, was the worst challenge I ever had to face. Shortly after we left the country, the situation of my country worsens, and the insecurity rose daily. We thanked God that we left when we did. My dad only came back once to see us since then. I learned English and managed to pass my SAT and ACT tests and graduated with honors in a matter of a year and a half. I graduated in 2020, completing the first challenge that was thrown my way. Since I came to the US with a tourist VISA, I was not eligible to go to College after graduation. So, here I was, with scholarship and grant offers from a few colleges of interest unable to pursue my dream of becoming a biochemist. I feel into depression. I spoke with an international student specialist and contacted many colleges to see which one was willing to enroll me. The option of applying for an F-1 visa was offered to me. But I was warned that I might be sent back to Haiti to wait for it, which wasn't an option since the country was falling apart and was worse than before. People were getting killed in the street and that was out of the question for my worrying mother. I was overwhelmed by the chaotic situation of my parent's divorces, and my crumbling dream for higher studies. I was having suicidal thoughts. The stress impacted my older brother's mental health. He fell into crisis and was admitted to the hospital. My little brother, Christopher was dealing with racism at his school. My mom and I were at a loss until we heard about a TPS program for Haitian immigrants in the US. I applied for TPS as I was eligible for it. I was now able to follow my dream of becoming a Biochemist Researcher. We applied at the non-profit immigrants' services where I volunteer as a translator. I got my papers, in august 2022, I applied to a few colleges. I applied at FSCJ, I learned that TPS was not eligible for In-state Tuition in Florida. I knew I would not be able to afford the out of state tuition. TPS Students are eligible for In-State Tuition in Massachusetts, I've moved there and applied at QCC. I will be attending in the Spring semester. I can proudly conclude that I have learned a lot over the past three years. I became more independent and learned that life was a succession of challenges. They forged your character and makes you grow. I know there will be more obstacle on the way but I am ready to face them.

Imagine saving up to 200 million lives simply by stumbling upon a fungus that kills Bacteria! My favorite Scientific discovery was made by Alexander Fleming in 1928. He was a Scottish physician-scientist who is recognized for discovering penicillin. The first antibiotic whose discovery earned Fleming and both of his colleagues the 1945 Nobel Prize. I first heard about this scientific discovery from my lab teacher Ms. Mycia. The story of the discovery of a drug that had such an impact on modern medicine amazed me. I think that this scientific breakthrough was a divine gift not only because of the time when it was discovered but also how it was discovered. Fleming served in the Army Medical Corps in World War I. Consequently, he observed the death of his fellow soldier not always by fatal wounds on the battlefield but also from infections in injuries that could not be controlled. They were also no effective treatment for infections such as Pneumonia, gonorrhea, or rheumatic fever. People were often hospitalized because of cuts or small scratches and doctors could do little for them but wait and hope. You see, it is not the discovery itself but the way it was made. Fleming accidentally left an uncovered Petri dish next to an open window. Nowadays, doing such a thing would be dangerous but luckily the outcome of the situation was amazing. A mold colony invaded the dish. Fleming later observed that the bacteria in the proximity of the mold were dying. As he continued his experiment, he concluded that the Penicillium genus was effective against all Gram-positive pathogens. He even said himself: "When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn't plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world's first antibiotic."