Girls like me aren't supposed to chase their dreams. My name is Apoeseh, and I am a rising junior studying Fashion Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I grew up in a low-income immigrant household in Brooklyn, where domestic violence and homelessness shaped my early years. Spending time in shelters during my childhood left deep wounds and discouraged me from pursuing a creative career. I feared it wouldn’t provide the financial stability my family needed. Despite these challenges, I have always been driven to rewrite my story and help others facing similar obstacles. Today, my life's mission is to create a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing women of color from neighborhoods like mine with the resources, mentorship, and tools to break into creative industries. This dream is deeply rooted in my own journey of defying the odds and overcoming systemic barriers. In 2022, I made a bold decision to leave Howard University, where I was pursuing a degree in finance, and fully commit to my true passion: fashion. Without any connections or guidance, I took unpaid internships, worked long hours, and steadily climbed my way into the industry. While I found myself in spaces I once thought impossible to enter, I often felt a profound cultural disconnect, frequently being the only Black woman in the room, navigating unfamiliar and exclusive environments. During this transformative time, I rediscovered my love for apparel design and enrolled at SCAD to pursue my childhood dream. I took this second leap of faith with the belief that if I could overcome these obstacles and achieve my dreams, others could too, with the right support and exposure. My testimony inspired me to launch Lexington Femme, a nonprofit focused on advancing women of color from underprivileged backgrounds into creative fields. Through networking events, career development programs, mentorship, and resume training, Lexington Femme empowers women to turn their artistic dreams into reality. Currently, my studies focus on designing workwear for women—a niche that personally helped me gain confidence and respect in professional spaces early in my career. This work is deeply personal because I understand what it feels like to hesitate in pursuing dreams out of fear, and how something as simple as appropriate clothing can open doors. My story is proof that socioeconomic status does not define us. Girls like me are more than statistics. We have the power to rewrite our stories, shatter expectations, and pass the torch to future generations. Thank you for your time and consideration.