My grandad was born in 1938 and grew up in Alexandria, Louisiana. He served in the Navy and told me stories of eating rice and beans down below the deck. He worked for General Motors as a finance manager for thirty years, and he proudly drove a Lincoln. My dad is an alcoholic, and my granddad stepped up to raise my siblings and me. He picked us up from school in his Lincoln and attended all our sports games. He taught me to never make excuses for myself. My grandad's father passed away from alcoholism when my grandad was seven years old. He was shipped around to family members as a child and never had a victim complex about it. He believed your own future was in your own hands. He would often say, "If you need help, look at the end of your elbow." He meant don't expect others to help when you can do it yourself. When anything in my grandmother's house broke, he fixed it himself. He installed new plumbing, put up crown molding, and built his fireplace mantel. Well into his seventies and early eighties, he still woke up at 4 am every day. He would get a McDonald's coffee and sometimes a biscuit. At his local McDonald's, he was dubbed the unofficial police officer, watching over the cashiers and helping with small tasks. He always had his own special table reserved. At his funeral, the manager of our local McDonald's shared stories about him. I had no idea of his involvement at McDonald's until then. He passed away from cancer in 2020, and I still miss him. But I remember all the valuable things he taught me and apply them to my life today. I use my grief proactively and try to make him proud by building a successful future for myself. I used to be an addict, but I have been sober for three years and intend to stay sober the rest of my life. My grandad had thirty years of sobriety when he passed, and I hope to say the same one day. It’s been easy staying sober because I remind myself that grandad taught me not to make excuses for myself. I could have stayed a miserable drunk and entertained my personal pity party. However, I want to honor his life and honor my future by working hard and earning personal success. Another thing that has stuck with me about him is that he did generous acts and never expected approval. He built outdoor decks for friends, and carpooled my school friends. He never expected a thank you and was happy to help. That was the kind of person he was. I work hard today, not expecting praise. It’s just what you are supposed to do. As a future urban planner, I want to apply this mindset to my city office job.

My dad served in Desert Storm in 1991. He suffered from PTSD and alcoholism. His mood swings taught me the dangers of alchol and the effects it has on the brain. He would periodically take breaks from drinking and I would see life behind his eyes again. He was a public high school math teacher and would give students ties and dress shirts. In high school I would help him grade tests that were answer choice. He would hand me the key then double check my work after. Seeing the students varying scores taught me the importance of preparing for tests. After becoming sober in 2010, he started his own plant business called My Edible Nursery. He only sells plants you can eat, like Citrus trees or Nopales cactus. He'll do research and sell cross- strained plants like Okinawa spinach and Lovegivity spinach. ive cooked pasta dinners with both these plants. I sometimes work at plant shows with him and make his business signs, only if he wants extra help. He A few years ago I suffered from alcoholism myself and am now sober. I've been sober for three years now and am back in college. I resigned from Louisiana State University in 2019 when my drinking was out of control. The key is to stay busy and invest in yourself. My dad's example of rebuilding your life inspired me to go back to college after dropping out. i am now enrolled at Arizona State Univerisry to purse a bachelor's and master's degree in Urban Planning. I grew up watching my familt garden. in the past few years I've worked plant shows with my dad. With my passion for horcticulure and urban planning, i want to apply this to my career. In urban planning there are things called bio swells. this is where you plant trees, shrubs, etc near bike lanes and roads to help with flooding. My dad's love for plants has influenced my career. Nature can positively impact public city spaces. Through my dad's and my own sobriety journey I learned how short life is and I don't want to waste anymore time. I hope in after college to be an Urban Planner. My dad is sixty years old and finally built his own business. i see regret in him sometimes from his decades of alcohol. I hope when I'm in my thirties to live out my dreams. I am serious about specializing in street and sidewalk bioswells. Urban planning and geography go hand in hand. I am tired of seeing bad public architecture and infrastructure. My family taught me the importance of being intentional and the problems that occur when you arent. i see unitentional urban planning in my hometown of New Orleans. My field is so vast and fuels my curiousity. Just like my dad exploring plant strains, I explore city infrstrure. I look for bus stop benches, new or faded bus stop signs, and bike lanes. New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana ranks poorly compared to cities like Seattle and Chicago. I hope to change that when I enter the field.

I am an alcoholic and substance abuser in recovery for two years now. I plan to stay sober for the rest of my life, and I have immense gratitude for AA meetings. Growing up, my dad and grandmother were alcoholics, but my grandad, who was sober for thirty years, played a positive role in raising my siblings and me. My dad and grandmother still drink, which contributed to my struggles with PTSD and social anxiety. My dad served in Desert Storm (Gulf War) from 1990 to 1991. When he came back, he was very violent and had mood swings, made worse by alcohol use. My grandad saw my dad struggling and decided to raise us and drive us to school. Seeing the quality of life and love my grandad had kept me motivated to stay sober after my own addiction in my younger twenties. If I ever want to relapse, I ask myself, "Do I want to act like Dad or Grandad?" I abused substances from 18 to 26 and didn't realize I had a problem like my father until my siblings looked at me like I was a sketchy addict, which I was. Receiving the look of "I don't trust you" broke my heart. That was a pivotal moment in my life. My little brother's giving me the same look I give my addict father changed the direction of my life. I checked myself into Avenues Recovery rehab that year in 2023 and stayed for 45 days. It has not been easy, and fortunately, I'm in therapy now. I am learning healthy coping strategies instead of numbing or self-soothing. Now I'm very into fitness. I try to stretch with yoga and take care of my body. I’m taking care of my future because I’m back in college. It seems like night and day from the woman I used to be. I used to be an “artist” in the French Quarter and made my mom cry. Now, everyone in my family is excited for me that I'm pursuing a 9-5 career. My little brothers congratulated me on finding two part-time jobs and enrolling in school. I still get sad on occasion that addiction took away a decade of my life. I have regret for the lowly things I did. Sobriety taught me how precious every day is. I do not want to waste any more time without a college degree. I am set to become an urban planner with my future bachelor's and master's from Arizona State Online. I hope to be employed in my hometown of New Orleans or move to Chicago, Illinois. When I was couch surfing or broke, I relied heavily on public transportation. New Orleans bus routes can be inconsistent and often canceled due to road construction. In addition, many bus stops are missing signs or are damaged. Two years ago, I took the bus on St. Claude Avenue in the French Quarter. I couldn’t find the bus stop and kept walking past a bare pole. I took out the bus tracker app “Le Pass,” and it indicated that this bare pole with no sign was my bus stop. With my college degree, I will use it to improve bus stops. I will make sure every bus stop has seating, clear signs, and overhead coverings. In addition, I want to create more bike lanes and pedestrian crosswalks. I am blessed to have the help and support of family again, but I will never forget this past decade of having daily hardships in the French Quarter. I am a woman of faith, and I thank God for my new chapter in life because, like many addicts in the French Quarter, it's hard to get sober. When at a Planning Firm, I have firsthand public knowledge of waiting at bus stops, wanting a safe bike lane, and how city infrastructure can be made safer for its residents on foot. I am not satisfied with my hometown’s bus stops and bike lanes. The residents of the French Quarter in New Orleans and around the city should receive a higher quality of life. Even though I am pursuing a bachelor's at 28 and not 18, my real-life experience as an addict can help my field immensely. I am still pursuing a bachelor's and master's in Urban Planning, even if I don’t receive this scholarship. I still attend AA meetings and will continue to do so while pursuing my degree. I know it will be a challenge to remain sober; however, I have the support of those I love and the commitment to a college degree. Sobriety has given me possibilities I never imagined, such as serving my community through urban planning.

I originally saw Wicked live at the Saenger Theatre in my hometown of New Orleans. The singing was beautiful, and the set design was insane. I still remember this animatronic dragon on stage, moving its head and wings. It was not the original Broadway cast, but the cast members at the time were immensely talented. After seeing the show with my mom, I still remember pulling up the original Broadway soundtrack on my phone. I would listen to "As Long as You're Mine" as an excited teenager. The whole soundtrack captures the Wicked story beautifully. I was so pleased when the movie remake starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Envio contained all the same songs that made me fall in love with the movie in the first place. The new Wicked movie is by Theater kids for Theater kids. Ariana Grande was perfect as Glinda and did an excellent job, like Kristin Chenoweth portraying a bubbly, popular girl. Cynthia Envio is a powerful vocalist like Irina Menzel. The new movie moved me in the same way as the Broadway play. However, listening to the original Broadway cast's recording on Spotify in my bedroom will forever be my favorite part about Wicked. I was bullied in high school and was super shy and awkward. I related to Elphaba's outsiderness and getting mocked by her peers. I also loved the raw love between Elphaba and Fiero. For me, my wicked journey has been related to Elphaba's self-acceptance journey. I used to have bulimia and PTSD. Through years of therapy, fitness, and other healthy tools, I'm learning self-love. The original Wicked soundtrack in high school helped me believe that it's cool and okay to be an outsider. I was an addict in my twenties and am now sober. I am completing my college journey at 28. I wish I never dropped out of college. However, I am grateful to be enrolled in classes this year. I still feel like an outsider, like Elphaba, but I realized a lot of people have their Elphaba moments when dealing with mental illness. I still have anxiety and depression. My sobriety makes me feel like an outsider, but AA meetings help. Everyone is on their own journey towards self-love and success. I am grateful to be sober now and feel privileged to continue my college education. I hope that with my future bachelor's and master's in Urban Planning, I can become an Urban Planner in my hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. In my field, I hope to beautify and modernize bus stops and add more safe bike lanes throughout the city. During my addiction, I took the bus a lot or rode my bike around the city. New Orleans has outdated and dangerous public transportation, and I want to fix that.

I love her album Tortured Poets Department. I am a typewriter poet from New Orleans, Louisiana, and have sold poetry on my typewriter for six years. When she performed her ERAS tour in New Orleans last year, she brought an economic boom to my city. Bartenders, pedicappers, etc., received large tips from her concert attendees. I was already a fan of hers. I attended her ERAS tour last year in my hometown, then sold poetry the rest of the weekend. To see her reference typewriters really moved me. It was also brilliant to see all her personas come together. Taylor Swift is a chameleon but stays true to herself. For my personal reasons, I think Tortured Poets Department really showed her radical womanhood. I always thought she was a great songwriter, but that album and performance paired her with Beatnik Poets. Even though she is an international pop star, Tortured Poets Department shows she still has an indie artist spirit and writes to express herself. The fame is merely a result of her talent and genuine demeanor. I think Tortured Poets Department shows her passion for writing as well. So I would like to thank Taylor for showing how many different hats a writer can wear and for never limiting their own art. She is such a brilliant tortured writer, and Tortured Poets Department is perfect!

My dad served in the Gulf War in 1991, also known as Desert Storm. He served in the Army as a way of paying for college. He came back with severe PTSD and alcoholism. He never sought therapy for his PTSD and saw emotion as weakness. My childhood was filled with drunken violence and instability. Finally, in his sixties, my dad is seeking help through his VA benefits this year. I myself have PTSD now and anxiety. I struggled with addiction for a decade but am now sober. I used to hold anger towards my dad, but I see his shortcomings as a privilege and a lesson for myself. At 28, I'm sober and getting my life together instead of being sixty years old like him. I still have respect for the military, but due to my personal experience, I hope more programs are created to address military PTSD. It's a dichotomy because having a military parent gave me great attention to detail and a sense of pride in my work. However, I see a therapist once a week to work on my PTSD, anxiety, and paranoia. I hope any new military funding can go towards mental health. Even this year, my dad had trouble assessing his own military benefits. It seems after you serve, you get thrown away. That may be dramatic wording, but I am very passionate about military reform regarding mental health. Having a military dad has shaped my life and future. I became his caretaker, but I am not bitter because I became a giving person. Today, I am enrolled in college to become an urban planner. I want to improve bus stops and bike lanes. During my own addiction, I didn't have a car and wandered around New Orleans. In a full circle life moment, escaping my dad's violence and being on my own inspired my current career. So if I never had a military father, I may have become a teacher or nurse, which are amazing professions. However, I believe with Urban Planning, I have found my passion. If I had never forced to leave home due to violence and wander around bus stops, I would have never discovered my field. Having a military dad with alcoholism and PTSD was a never-ending nightmare growing up. I feel blessed with all the life lessons it taught me. Having a military dad will give me an advantage in my field of Urban Planning. Thank you for your time.

I have struggled with mental health since I was a child. My dad is an alcoholic army veteran, and he created a violent environment growing up. I felt like I was walking on eggshells. This turned me into an anxious child who cried easily, even when asked simple questions. He would call me fat or ugly, and abused my siblings and me. In high school, I was still very anxious and shy and did not have access to a therapist or medication. I found it hard talking to others, but I did manage to join the art club and work on props for the school play. In high school, I contemplated suicide and almost went through with it. Another girl in my class was bullied and ended her own life before my attempt; her name was Margot. I remember crying at school that day Margot’s death was announced. It made me realize my suicide ideation wasn’t healthy, and I never went through with it because of Margot. Instead, in high school, since I was still severely depressed and had no access to a therapist, I used to "self-soothe" by overeating and making art. Since then, I have healed from my eating disorder and still make art to release heavy emotions. When I went off to college, I did not want to overeat and wanted to slim down. I did not drink much in high school, but now had access to alcohol. I was a naive 18-year-old and didn’t put together that if my dad was an alcoholic, then I could be one too. I drank heavily through college and eventually dropped out. I started selling art in the French Quarter, like prints or poetry. However, I was naive and fell prey to the environment around me. I did hard drugs all over the quarter and entertained older men. I started visiting my family again and wanted to get sober. My little brothers would shoot me dirty looks, and I made my mom cry. I decided to go to rehab for 45 days so my family could genuinely trust me, and I could get proper help. I went to a treatment facility three years ago and learned that addiction is an illness you can treat and manage. Rehab was the best decision I ever made. I was explained AA meeting etiquette, AA literature, and how I’m not alone. Even though it’s going to be hard to stay sober the rest of my life, I still have a privileged life to maintain. I still smoke cigarettes and vape, but eventually want to quit those as well. I still have PTSD triggers and anxiety triggers that I work on in therapy once a week. I still struggle feeling comfortable in my own skin due to my dad, but physical fitness has helped with that. I was an addict from 18 years old to 25 years old. I'm now 28 and sober three years. Going to rehab changed my life and I learned to acknowledge my issues. I stopped making excuses for myself and am motivation to build a beautiful life for myself. I am committed to changing my life. I don’t want to be an abused addict, I want to become a successful urban planner. When I was homeless in New Orleans I took the bus or biked around. I want to improve my hometown's transportation infrastructure and make it safer.

My dad served in the Gulf War in 1991, also known as Desert Storm. He served in the Army as a way of paying for college. He came back with severe PTSD and alcoholism. He never sought therapy for his PTSD and saw emotion as weakness. My childhood was filled with drunk violence and instability. Finally, in his sixties, my dad is seeking help through his VA benefits this year. I myself have PTSD now and anxiety. I struggled with addiction for a decade but am now sober. I used to hold anger towards my dad, but I see his shortcomings as a privilege and a lesson for myself. At 28, I'm sober and getting my life together instead of being sixty years old like him. I still have respect for the military, but due to my personal experience, I hope more programs are created to address military PTSD. It's a dichotomy because having a military parent gave me great attention to detail and a sense of pride in my work. However, I see a therapist once a week to work on my PTSD, anxiety, and paranoia. I hope any new military funding can go towards mental health. Even this year, my dad had trouble assessing his own military benefits. It seems that after you serve, you get thrown away. That may be dramatic wording, but I am very passionate about military reform regarding mental health. Having a military dad has shaped my life and future. I became his caretaker, but I am not bitter because I became a giving person. Today, I am enrolled in college to become an urban planner. I want to improve bus stops and bike lanes. During my own addiction, I didn't have a car and wandered around New Orleans. In a full-circle life moment, escaping my dad's violence and being on my own inspired my current career. So if I never had a military father, I may have become a teacher or nurse, which are amazing professions. However, I believe with Urban Planning I have found my passion. If I was never forced to leave home due to violence and wander around bus stops I would have never discovered my field. Having a military dad with alcoholism and PTSD was a never ending nightmare growing up, however I feel blessed with all the life lessons it taught me. Having a military dad will give me an advantage in my field of Urban Planning. Thank you for your time.

My dad served in the Gulf War in 1991, also known as Desert Storm. He served in the Army as a way of paying for college. He came back with severe PTSD and alcoholism. He never sought therapy for his PTSD and saw emotion as weakness. My childhood was filled with drunk violence and instability. Finally, in his sixties, my dad is seeking help through his VA benefits this year. I myself have PTSD now and anxiety. I struggled with addiction for a decade but am now sober. I used to hold anger towards my dad, but I see his shortcomings as a privilege and a lesson for myself. At 28, I'm sober and getting my life together instead of being sixty years old like him. I still have respect for the military, but due to my personal experience, I hope more programs are created to address military PTSD. It's a dichotomy because having a military parent gave me great attention to detail and a sense of pride in my work. However, I see a therapist once a week to work on my PTSD, anxiety, and paranoia. I hope any new military funding can go towards mental health. Even this year, my dad had trouble assessing his own military benefits. It seems that after you serve, you get thrown away. That may be dramatic wording, but I am very passionate about military reform regarding mental health. Having a military dad has shaped my life and future. I became his caretaker, but I am not bitter because I became a giving person. Today I am currently enrolled in college to become an urban planner. I want to improve bus stops and bike lanes. During my own addiction I didn't have a car and wandered around New Orleans. In a full circle life moment, escaping my dad's violence and being on my own inspired my current career. So if I never had a military father I may have become a teacher or nurse, which are amazing professions. However, I believe with Urban Planning I have found my passion. If I was never forced to leave home due to violence and wander around bus stops I would have never discovered my field. Having a military dad with alcoholism and PTSD was a never ending nightmare growing up. However, I feel blessed with all the life lessons it taught me. Having a military dad will give me an advantage in my field of Urban Planning. Thank you for your time.

I plan to use my bachelor's and master's degrees in Urban Planning to improve public transportation and bike lanes. New Orleans has poor public transportation and bike lanes, which makes commuting around the city unsafe. I have witnessed unreliable bus routes and incomplete bike lanes. New Orleans’s lack of bike lanes and outdated bus systems causes a poor quality of life for its residents, with safety concerns. I will be addressing this issue further. It can be dangerous to bike around a city like New Orleans. This city has one of the highest bike deaths per capita. If bike lanes are not improved here, more deaths will occur. Throughout the city, there are white painted bicycles stacked together. These bicycles act as memorials for cyclists who have been struck. One memorial is on the neutral ground between Elysian Fields and Rampart Street. This specific memorial placement is due to Rampart Street’s bike lane ending before you reach Elysian Fields, a very busy street near the French Quarter. This causes cyclists to maneuver at the last minute and jump into the car lane, which has resulted in cyclist deaths. I have personally biked up and down Elysian Fields and Rampart, where bike lanes are inconsistent. One afternoon, I was riding in Rampart's bike lane. Once the bike lane disappeared, I checked my surroundings and got into the car lane. A car was speeding up behind me and getting too close. I decided to get off the road, and I rode onto the sidewalk. I slammed my bike brakes and stopped on the sidewalk before my tire entered Elysian Fields. At that corner of Rampart and Elysian is the bike memorial I previously mentioned. That day still scares me because I had the same route and solution as the deceased riders who didn’t brake in time before reaching Elysian. My goal as an Urban Planner will be to extend Rampart's bike lane through the Elysian Fields intersection. Another concern I hope to address with my college degree is New Orleans' buses. These buses are unreliable with unforeseen delays and cancellations. In addition, public transportation infrastructure is often dilapidated with missing signs. Two years ago, I was on St Claude looking for my bus stop. I circled the block multiple times and couldn’t find it. The bus stop sign was missing. The only marker remaining is a bare pole. Luckily, I have the NOLA bus app “Le Pass,” and it indicated that this bare pole was my bus stop. A good summary of New Orleans infrastructure is having a brand new bus app but no new bus stop signs. As a New Orleans urban planner, I hope to improve all transportation infrastructure, not just bits and pieces. With my degree in Urban Planning, I want to improve New Orleans bike lanes to look like safer bike lanes in Seattle, Washington. I also want to beautify bus stops and hold higher standards for public transportation. I hope to add more bike lanes throughout New Orleans, especially in lower income Neighborhoods where bike lanes are nonexistent. I want to thoroughly inspect bus stops, especially those on St. Claude Avenue, so each stop has a clear sign and a bench. I am hoping with improved public transportation and safer bike lanes, the quality of life in New Orleans can greatly improve. I believe with a better bus system and bike lanes, residents can easily commute to work, find even better jobs, and reach any store they please. I want to use my degree to give myself and other New Orleans residents a higher quality of life.

I hope to one day become an urban planner in Chicago, Illinois. My "pie in the sky" dream is to create a train infrastructure boom, resulting in more public train lines across the United States. In areas like Europe, everyone takes the train and can travel to other countries with ease. Within the United States, state-to-state travel is usually limited to cars. Amtrak's cross-country routes usually require connecting trains, and tickets are limited, similar to airlines. In addition, Amtrak's tickets are extremely expensive. I have to save up each time before booking an Amtrak trip. Amtrak does not compete with Europe's public train lines. I have used Amtrak to travel from Louisiana to Chicago. My obsession with Chicago led to my love of public transportation. I started to think about public transportation back home. I am from New Orleans, Louisiana, and have experienced the bad public transportation my city offers. Bus stops are missing signs, there aren't seating benches, and bike lanes are inconsistent. My steps to achieving my dream of becoming a Chicago urban planner are to first become an Urban Planner in my hometown and fix our broken infrastructure. Then, with a hefty resume, I hope to transfer to an Illinois firm. That's where my pie-in-the-sky idea comes from. I kept taking the 18-hour Amtrak ride from New Orleans to Chicago and wished everyone could take a cross-country public train from their city. This could help with receiving medical care, visiting family members, or interviewing for out-of-state jobs. America advertises itself as the land of opportunities, but many cities have outdated public transportation. This limits lower-income Americans who want to leave their small towns for better opportunities. My hometown opened my eyes to the fact that public infrastructure should be updated and improved every few years. Across the United States, train lines and buses are outdated, affecting Americans who don't own cars. I really hope to make it to Chicago as an urban planner, but if I remain in New Orleans, I'll be okay. In New Orleans, if I can make sure all bus stops are modernized with comfortable seating and overhead coverings, I will feel like I achieved something beautiful. In my city alone, there are so many potholes and broken sidewalks. In addition, I want to implement "green streets" like those in Amsterdam and Seattle, where bioswells are used to prevent flooding. New Orleans is prone to flooding. Adding more plant life around streets to absorb rain will help prevent flooding. Urban planning for me contains so many pie-in-the-sky dreams that I can achieve. I don't want my city to look dilapidated, I want to look around New Orleans and feel as if I'm in a modern, beautiful city, however still maintaining and respecting old history and beautiful architecture. Architects in New Orleans already maintain and carefully preserve historic buildings and iron fencing. I hope to do the same with my degree. To end my discussion, my ultimate pie-in-the-sky dream is to expand train lines in Chicago and across America.

I have struggled with mental health challenges shaped by my family environment. My father, an alcoholic and a 1991 Desert Storm veteran, created a violent home and never received treatment for his PTSD. As a teenager, I didn’t realize that the presence of alcoholism in my family meant I was also vulnerable to it. I went to college in 2016 to earn a bachelor’s degree in architecture. I completed two years out of a five-year program. I resigned after my drinking became a problem in the spring of 2019. Before I resigned, I had to take an urban planning course. Designing bike and bus lanes fueled my excitement for design. During my years of addiction, I didn’t forget about that one urban planning class and how I discovered my dream career. From 2019 to 2023, I was an addict and alcoholic in New Orleans, Louisiana. My health declined, so I started visiting my family again in 2023. I decided to go to rehab for forty-five days, so my family could trust me again. I went to Avenues Recovery in Louisiana. While in treatment, I would ask myself, “Do I want to do the hard work or keep making excuses for myself?” I've been sober for three years now and have the trust of my family back. I stopped making excuses for myself and know that my future depends on my own hard work. I am committed to building a successful career. AA meetings keep me on track today to stay sober. I dropped the narrative that I’m an addict; I want to become a successful urban planner. Recovery, to me, means you can’t make excuses for yourself. I currently talk to an online therapist once a week so I stay on top of my sobriety, school, and my job. After being sober for three years, I decided to go back to college. I applied to Arizona State University’s online program so I could balance work and AA meetings. I plan to receive a bachelor's and master’s in Urban Planning, with a concentration in transportation. When I was homeless in New Orleans, I took the bus or biked around. I want to improve my hometown's transportation infrastructure and make it safer. I plan on pursuing a master’s after my bachelor’s in urban planning. I’m excited to specialize in bus transportation and bike lanes. I want to design public infrastructure with intention and longevity. With a bachelor’s and master’s from Arizona State University, I can become an expert in my career field.

My dad was an alcoholic and still is. My grandad had thirty years of sobriety up to his death and raised us when my dad left. I was a naive 18 year old and didn’t put together that if my dad was an alcoholic then I could be one too. I started selling art in the French Quarter and did hard drugs with artists. My health declined so I started visiting my family again. My little brothers would shoot me dirty looks and I made my mom cry. I decided to go to rehab for 45 days so my family could genuinely trust me again. I went to a treatment facility three years ago. While in treatment I would ask myself, “Do I want to be like Grandad or Dad?” Meaning, do I want to do the hard work or keep making excuses for myself. Rehab was the best decision I ever made. I was an addict from 18 to 25 years old. I'm now 28 and sober three years. Online and in person AA meetings keeps me on track when intrusive thoughts come that I can “moderate” my drinking. I stopped making excuses for myself and am motivated to build a better future. I dropped the narrative that I’m an abused addict, I want to become a successful urban planner. Recovery means to me that you can’t make excuses for yourself. Recovery is the steadfast belief if you never give up, you can stay sober.

Relationships and Impact My father is an alcoholic and veteran with PTSD. When I was in kindergarten his father, my grandfather, saw us struggling and raised us. He had a sign in his greenhouse that said, “If Daddy says no, just ask Grandad.” My grandad drove me to school, went to my sports games and told me “I don’t care if you dye your hair or have tattoos just come and visit me.” Because of my grandad constantly showing up I don’t have father issues or crave that missing love from my actual father. My grandad gave me unconditional love, which is rare in some families unfortunately. My grandad taught me to always show up, stay out of drama, and to always try your best. He passed away five years ago so whenever I miss him I try to keep working hard and build a beautiful life for myself. I still struggle with the grief of missing him but at the same time it motivates me to not give up. I struggled with addiction from 18-25 years old. While in rehab I kept asking myself, “Do I want to be like Grandad or Dad?” Meaning, do I want to be an addict my whole life or have thirty years of sobriety like my grandfather. I am now three years sober and attend weekly AA meetings. My grandad shaped my life and to this day I’m an empathetic and understanding person. He was always willing to help others and would not do things for ego. He was such a character, he would do the biggest favor for you and say nothing and want no praise. Because I was raised by my grandfather, I help others just to help. I try not to give with conditions or seek praise. He used to say “Worry about yourself” and “If you need help, look at the end of your own arm.” This has helped me build healthy connections that are not codependent. I root for others success and my own at the same time. In a world of social media and comparisons, I feel lucky I naturally don't fall for this because of my grandfather. To this day, friends and family call me easy going, kind, and down to earth. I would like to thank my grandad for giving me permission to build my own happiness while cheering on and helping others. Because of him, I truly am worried about my own life and don't obsess what others are doing. I am currently pursing a degree in Urban Planning. I want to improve bus stops and bike lanes. New Orleans’ bus stops rarely have benches and some signs are missing. I don’t care about making a “name” for myself, I simply want to help and improve whatever I can for my hometown. Doing the right thing because it's the right thing is what my grandad taught me. I am hoping once I graduate I can modernize all bus stops in my city, and improve public transportation as a whole. Thank you for your time.

There should be a love island challenge where all male contestants wear fake pregnancy bellies while performing tasks along a race course. These tasks could include folding clothes on a table quickly then pursing the next table where they have the crack eggs and whisk them. The last table can be putting a diaper on a toy baby. Whoever finishes their tasks and makes it to the end first wins. While this challenge is going on for the men, the women have to open as many beer cans as possible and pour them out before racing to the finish line. In addition for the women, there can be fake strips of grass. Along the race course, the women have to lift up and roll the fake grass. This is simulating "cutting the grass" without the use of a lawn mower on the show. My challenge pokes fun at "gender bending" and "gender role reversal" so the male contestants can understand stay at home moms. While the women are awarded an almost easier challenge of opening beers and lifting up already removed sheets of rolls of fake grass. The men on the show will definitely be at a disadvantage having to wear heavy fake pregnancy suits.

I believe the best way to help others is through action. I am currently pursing a degree in urban planning to improve New Orleans' public transportation. I am from New Orleans and have always been involved in local politics. It's in my nature to help others and it's how people are raised here. My involvement helping homeless and canvassing in local elections has shaped who I am today. As I've gotten older, I want my 9-5 job to reflect public service. With a degree in urban planning I can create more bike lanes. I can add additional bus routes throughout the city. I can improve bus routes. I plan to use my bachelors and masters in Urban Planning to improve public transportation and city bike lanes. In cities across America people rely on buses and bikes to get to work or the grocery. New Orleans has poor public transportation and bike lanes, which makes commuting around the city unsafe. Through personal experience, I have witnessed unreliable bus routes and incomplete bike lanes. New Orleans’ lack of bike lanes and outdated bus systems causes a poor quality of life for its residents and safety concerns. I will be addressing this issue further. A concern I hope to address with my college degree is public transportation. New Orleans’ buses are unreliable with unforeseen delays and cancelations. If you miss a bus you often have to wait 45 minutes to two hours for the next one. In addition, public transportation infrastructure is often dilapidated and has missing signs. On St Claude Avenue near the French Quarter, some bus stops don’t have signs anymore and none have seating. Two years ago I was on St Claude looking for my bus stop. I circled the block multiple times and couldn’t find it. The bus stop sign was missing, there was only the bare pole left. Luckily, I have the NOLA bus app “Le Pass” and it indicted that this bare pole was my bus stop. A good summary of New Orleans infrastructure is having a brand new bus app but no new bus stop signs. I am hoping as a New Orleans urban planner to improve all transportation infrastructure, not just what is convenient. With my degree in Urban Planning, I want to improve New Orleans bike lanes to look like safer bike lanes in Seattle, Washington. I also want to beautify bus stops and hold higher standards for public transportation. I hope to add more bike lanes through out New Orleans, especially in lower income Neighborhoods where bike lanes are non-existent. I want to throughly inspect bus stops, especially those on St. Claude Avenue so each stop has a clear sign and a bench. I am hoping with improved public transportation and safer bike lanes, the quality of life in New Orleans can greatly improve. I believe with a better bus system and bike lanes, residents can easily commute to work, find even better jobs, and reach any store they please. Just because someone lives in New Orleans, they shouldn’t have to struggle every single day just to get to their job or buy groceries from Family Dollar.