Courage is a word that is widely used but often misinterpreted. Courage is the ability and strength to do something frightening, courage can be used in the little and big things of life. A lot of people associate courage with big struggles like standing up to a bully, saving someone's life when you know it may cost you your own, speaking up against injustices, or fighting cancer. But, raising your hand in class, choosing the flavor of ice cream you want regardless of what your peers get, voicing your feelings to your parents, walking past your ex and their new partner, or applying for a scholarship you don't think you'll get are all examples of courage too. Even the smallest moments of life require courage whether we realize it or not. Throughout my life, I have been a military brat, growing up in different environments every few years. I have gotten used to picking up my life and placing it somewhere else only to do the same within a few years. Within each move, I lost many family members, friends, safe places, memories, and familiarity with my surroundings but I also gained a sense of what the world looked like in the lens of other people and learned of and adapted many cultures to my own. As a teenager, I still have a lot of life to experience. Growing up as a minority and with a parent in the military meant I was always the odd one out in every situation. From being one of the only black people in my classes to picking up my life and moving every 3 years, I know what it's like to make the best of every situation. My “uniqueness” made me a target for people to say whatever or do whatever they wanted without consequences. Having courage is scary but it is immensely necessary to learn who you are and should become. It guides me to strive towards big goals like becoming an architect and encourages me to share kindness with others. I want to help people through the world of design and architecture, guiding them to find a place they can call home and feel comfortable and safe within. My lifestyle gave me a chance to learn from my own and other people's mistakes, experience the world, and extend love and grace toward others. There's been multiple times in life where I've reluctantly had to face adversities. In those moments, it was challenging and I suffered but the beauty and growth I've made from those experiences have allowed me to be successful in my academics and socially.

When a child is brought into the world, each fiber, bone, and piece of DNA is grown inside the mother’s womb. By the 14th week of pregnancy, hair follicles start to form. Hair is a crucial part of a person’s body. Out of the many types of hair textures and names, I never would have thought to call mine “nappy,” until I heard it out of someone's mouth. Three years ago, I thought I was insecure about every part of my body until someone added a new one: my hair. The shame and embarrassment I felt in that moment should have never occurred and I do not wish that feeling on anyone. Growing up in the suburbs and predominantly white communities, I always knew I was different from everyone else, but I loved my uniqueness. I had my own identity separate from the people around me, not realizing that that uniqueness could and did become lonely. For centuries in society, being different meant you were outcasted and looked down upon. Having curly hair meant people looked at me twice when walking by or stopped me and told me how exotic my hair was while digging their fingers into my scalp. My “uniqueness” made me a target for people to say whatever they wanted about my hair without consequences. As a kid, I did not realize the importance of representation. When watching tv or reading books, I rarely saw people that looked like me. With each passing year, I traded my uniqueness with disdain for being different. Instead of complimenting my curls, I complained about the shortness of my hair. Instead of wearing my hair naturally, I begged my mom to get braids. Instead of gently caring for my curls, I impatiently combed them out. On the rare occasion I received compliments about my hair, I could not accept them nor internally believe someone would like the way my hair looked. It affected me in more ways than I thought. During Covid-19 was the first time I went to a curly hair specialist that changed my perspective on my natural hair and the way I should care for it. During those months of covid, I wore my hair in twists learning how to maintain its beauty and health. Those months forced me out of a negative mindset and to come to terms with my natural hair. I lived each day with the burden of my hair weighing me down instead of realizing the blessing my hair gifted me with. Hair anxiety and depression is very common in black communities often rooted from structural oppression, intergenerational issues, and internalized racism. For centuries, eurocentric ideals have been favorable and passed down from generation to generation. Learning to love and take care of my hair has been one of the most discouraging yet rewarding experiences in a society that has constantly excluded different hair types, specifically for people of color. Having 4c hair that is versatile opens so many more opportunities to express yourself through your hair. Every hair on my head has a purpose and a journey. Each strand matters and how you take care of it.

When we moved to Florida, I was excited to decorate my new room. I reminisced on the bright purple walls that lined my childhood room and capsulated many memories but was excited for the new walls that would hold my families many conversations, laughter, joy, and peace. Months later, we settled into our new house feeling weary, but hopeful, for the life ahead of us. Looking around my new room, planning where my bed was going to go or where my stuffed animals would lay, I was oblivious to my new reality. This would be the very bed where I would pull the covers over my head to muffle out my parents bickering, where the stuffed animals would soak up all my tears and the place where the movies my older sister would play to entertain me and my younger sister would take place, hiding her own fear with a plastered smile. Our reality changed as did our family. The hidden cracks and faults that my parents lousily patched up were crumbling from the weight of their past and things they buried. They hid their problems from us not realizing the tension it created in our family dynamics. My dad did not hit my mom but he would yell at her to get his point across, he didn’t hit her but he bickered and started arguments, he didn’t hit her but in anger he broke the dish holding our dinner for the night, he didn’t hit her but he threw water in her face, he didn’t hit her but he accused her of cheating, he didn’t hit her but he intentionally followed our car making us fearful for our safety, he didn’t hit her but he made her cry, he didn’t hit her but he made us call the police on him, he didn’t hit her but he mentally and emotionally scarred us. No family is perfect. We all come with a lot of scars and wounds. For the longest time, those events traumatized me. At certain times, I felt scared of my dad and unable to emotionally connect with him. As I grew up, my connection and relationship with my dad was surface level, I unknowingly held a lot of anger and resentment toward him. Sometimes in life the bad outweighs the good and sometimes the good outweighs the bad. However, no matter what my family is always there for one another. My parents, just like any other human, have made a lot of mistakes but they also have made many good memories for me. My parents push me out of my comfort zone and to be great because that's what they’ve instilled in me over the years and what they know I can become. When life is tough, it's my dad that pushes me past my obstacles with tough love and the strength to overcome. Through my mothers actions and words, she directs me to choose a life that makes me happy and shows me what it means to truly be a well rounded person with goals and ambitions. The past is the past and there's nothing left to do but keep moving forward and I am thankful everyday for the life my parents have given me, very different from their own, because it’s shaped who I am and my identity. Although I still have much more to learn and so much more life to experience, I can look back on the future and see how much of an impact my parents have made on me and the little girl I used to be and the young woman I am now. I have learned to be independent and what sacrifice is. I have learned how to be tough in challenges but also how to ask for help, cry, and relieve stress. I have learned to laugh at myself and to value life and people. I am imperfectly perfect and that is perfectly okay.

Throughout my life, I always knew I was different from everyone else, but I loved my uniqueness. Growing up as an African American and a military brat, I have faced many adversities and setbacks. To me, my uniqueness meant I had my own identity separate from the people around me, not realizing that that uniqueness could and did become lonely. Being different meant you were outcasted and looked down upon. Having curly hair meant people looked at me twice when walking by or stopped me and told me how exotic my hair was while digging their fingers into my scalp. My “uniqueness” made me a target for people to say whatever or do whatever they wanted without consequences. But it gave me a chance to learn from my own and other people's mistakes, experience the world, and extend love and grace toward others. As the military moved me and my family from place to place, I got used to picking up my life and placing it somewhere else, only to do the same within a few years. With each move, I lost many family members, friends, safe places, memories, and familiarity with my surroundings. However, I also gained a sense of what the world looked like through the lens of other people and learned of and adapted many cultures to my own. Being a military child never got any easier, but being able to experience life with a variety of people and scenery made me value and appreciate life so much more. I grew up in a childhood filled with love, care, creativity, and hardships but my perspective of the world grew when my family moved to Japan in 2019. I experienced culture shock not only in food and people but in the building and design world. Being in Japan made me appreciate the beauty, time, and effort that goes into the perfectly sculpted rooftops and gold-infused shrines and buildings, the ancient rituals to make green tea, and the gentleness and respect of the people there. Japan influenced me to not only take notice of their culture but in designs. I gathered more knowledge of the similarities and differences of arts and cultures all over the world. This experience guided me to realize the subtle elements that go into every aspect of life and inspire or uplift a multitude of people. I have experienced a full world of art and culture, taken multiple art classes and even became a gold key and honorable mentionee in the Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards. Experiencing that type of environment was life-changing and has made me into a better individual and artist.

In 2015, Misty Copeland became the first ever African American woman to become a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. When she walked into a room she commanded your attention and your eyes never wanted to leave her. Every turnout was extended and every pirouette was flawless. Not only was she graceful but she fought to be noticed in a world that has unrealistic expectations and standards. People like her paved the way for young black children like me to seek out our passions and dreams no matter our age, race, gender, or indifferences. Growing up in the suburbs and predominantly white communities, I always knew I was different from everyone else, but I loved my uniqueness. I had my own identity separate from the people around me, not realizing that that uniqueness could and did become lonely. For centuries in society, being different meant you were outcasted and looked down upon. My “uniqueness” made me a target for people to say whatever they wanted about my hair without consequences. As a kid, I did not realize the importance of representation. When watching tv or reading books, I rarely saw people that looked like me. With each passing year, I traded my uniqueness with disdain for being different. Over time, I became more observant of people's words and actions. I noticed how most of the time I was the only black person in my classes, or how none of the barbie dolls I played with looked like me. I began to notice how I was the only one people would call my hair “ wild or exotic” as they dug their fingers into my scalp, or how I learned to decipher the backhanded compliments people loved to give me. As I get older and become wiser, I realize the weight of those experiences on my life. Having the means to an excellent education and environment that will nurture minorities to become the best version of themselves and strive for the life they want isn’t and shouldn’t be an unreachable goal but rather a necessity of life. Going to college would further my education that I have worked my whole life for and plan on reaching. It not only benefits me from getting the best education and resources to a sustainable life but sets the opportunity for other minorities to have courage to step out and chase their dreams no matter what failure or obstacles are in the way.

When we moved to Florida, I was excited to decorate my new room. Looking around my new room, planning where my bed was going to go or where my stuffed animals would lay, I was oblivious to my new reality. This would be the very bed where I would pull the covers over my head to muffle out my parents bickering, where the stuffed animals would soak up all my tears and the place where the movies my older sister would play to entertain me and my younger sister would take place, hiding her own fear with a plastered smile. Our reality changed as did our family. The hidden cracks and faults that my parents lousily patched up were crumbling from the weight of their past and things they buried. They hid their problems from us not realizing the tension it created in our family dynamics. My dad did not hit my mom but he would yell at her to get his point across, he didn’t hit her but he bickered and started arguments, he didn’t hit her but in anger he broke the dish holding our dinner for the night, he didn’t hit her but he threw water in her face, he didn’t hit her but he accused her of cheating, he didn’t hit her but he intentionally followed our car making us fearful for our safety, he didn’t hit her but he made her cry, he didn’t hit her but he made us call the police on him, he didn’t hit her but he mentally and emotionally scarred us. No family is perfect. We all come with a lot of scars and wounds. For the longest time, those events traumatized me. At certain times, I felt scared of my dad and unable to emotionally connect with him. As I grew up, my connection and relationship with my dad was surface level, I unknowingly held a lot of resentment toward him. Sometimes in life the bad outweighs the good and sometimes the good outweighs the bad. However, no matter what my family is always there for one another. My parents, just like any other human, have made a lot of mistakes but they also have made many good memories for me. My parents push me out of my comfort zone and to be great because that's what they’ve instilled in me over the years and what they know I can become. When life is tough, it's my dad that pushes me past my obstacles with tough love and the strength to overcome. Through my mother’s actions and words, she directs me to choose a life that makes me happy and shows me what it means to truly be a well rounded person with goals and ambitions. The past is the past and there's nothing left to do but keep moving forward and I am thankful everyday for the life my parents have given me, very different from their own, because it’s shaped who I am and my identity. Although I still have much more to learn and so much more life to experience, I can look back on the future and see how much of an impact my parents have made on me and the little girl I used to be and the young woman I am now. I have learned to be independent and what sacrifice is. I have learned how to be tough in challenges but also how to ask for help, cry, and relieve stress. I have learned to laugh at myself and to value life and people. I am imperfectly perfect and that is okay.

Throughout my life, I have been a military brat, growing up in different environments every few years. I have gotten used to picking up my life and placing it somewhere else, only to do the same within another few years. With each move, I lost many family members, friends, safe places, memories, and familiarity with my surroundings. However, I also gained a sense of what the world looked like through the lens of other people and learned of and adapted many cultures to my own. Being a military child never got any easier, but being able to experience life with a variety of people and scenery made me value and appreciate life so much more. When I was around 8 years old I got my first LEGO set. I didn't think much of it but just enjoyed the simplicity of it and the ease that came with it in giving me something to do and focus my mind on. Every year after that I asked for LEGOs on each birthday, holiday, or any special occasion that I could. It engulfed me and gave me a sense of belonging that I desperately needed in the ever changing lifestyle of a military family. I felt safe. I craved them. And then I grew up, I became a teenager and like most teenagers, I hid my childhood interests and traded them for the approval of my peers. But even through middle and high school, I always found myself coming back to LEGOs and every so often I'd let myself become swept away creating for hours. Since the beginning, LEGOs light up something inside me and pave the way for an interest in architecture. Architecture inspires me to be a service to other people, not through my words or actions but by my mind and creativity. It guides me to have a strong foundation of creativity, individuality, and strength in academics. Another big influence of architecture was when my family moved to Japan in 2019. I experienced culture shock not only in food and people but in the building and design world. Being in Japan made me appreciate the beauty, time, and effort that goes into the perfectly sculpted rooftops and gold-infused shrines and buildings. Japan influenced me to take notice of their designs and to get more knowledge of the similarities and differences of architecture all over the world. This experience guided me to realize that the small and disproportional LEGO buildings I built could be turned into something beautiful and inspire other people as it did to me. My plan for a career in architecture is to earn a 5 year bachelor degree right after high school. I would like to complete as many internships as possible as well as get the opportunity to study abroad to experience the world of architecture in new ways. This will guide me to become a permanent interior architect at an architecture firm that includes a stable lifestyle for myself and my family. I want to pursue this major to show people, through designs, what I am capable of. I want to make "little me" proud and show her that her designs are good enough, that she is good enough.

Throughout my life, I have been a military brat, growing up in different environments every few years. I have gotten used to picking up my life and placing it somewhere else, only to do the same within another few years. With each move, I lost many family members, friends, safe places, memories, and familiarity with my surroundings. However, I also gained a sense of what the world looked like through the lens of other people and learned of and adapted many cultures to my own. Being a military child never got any easier, but being able to experience life with a variety of people and scenery made me value and appreciate life so much more. When I was around 8 years old I got my first LEGO set. I didn't think much of it but just enjoyed the simplicity of it and the ease that came with it in giving me something to do and focus my mind on. Every year after that I asked for LEGOs on each birthday, holiday, or any special occasion that I could. It engulfed me and gave me a sense of belonging that I desperately needed in the ever changing lifestyle of a military family. I felt safe. I craved them. And then I grew up, I became a teenager and like most teenagers, I hid my childhood interests and traded them for the approval of my peers. But even through middle and high school, I always found myself coming back to LEGOs and every so often I'd let myself become swept away creating for hours. Since the beginning, LEGOs light up something inside me and pave the way for an interest in architecture. Architecture inspires me to be a service to other people, not through my words or actions but by my mind and creativity. It guides me to have a strong foundation of creativity, individuality, and strength in academics. Another big influence of architecture was when my family moved to Japan in 2019. I experienced culture shock not only in food and people but in the building and design world. Being in Japan made me appreciate the beauty, time, and effort that goes into the perfectly sculpted rooftops and gold-infused shrines and buildings. Japan influenced me to take notice of their designs and to get more knowledge of the similarities and differences of architecture all over the world. This experience guided me to realize that the small and disproportional LEGO buildings I built could be turned into something beautiful and inspire other people as it did to me. My plan for a career in architecture is to earn a 5 year bachelor degree right after high school. I would like to complete as many internships as possible as well as get the opportunity to study abroad to experience the world of architecture in new ways. This will guide me to become a permanent interior architect at an architecture firm that includes a stable lifestyle for myself and my family. I want to pursue this major to show people, through designs, what I am capable of. I want to make "little me" proud and show her that her designs are good enough, that she is good enough.