Some people find their purpose through inspiration. I found mine through loss. On the morning of May 18, 2024, I would never forget my mother’s words “Get up, something happened to your granddad we have to go.” My grandfather, Roosevelt "Kent" Benjamin, life was cut short inside his own home in Fort Pierce, Florida by a stranger. My grandfather was deaf and raised four daughters, including my mom, and had nine grandchildren, including myself. My grandfather loved football, his favorite team was the Dallas Cowboys, even though they were horrible, and he loved his family more than anything. Losing him did not break our family to the very core of our hearts; it cracked the foundation that our family was established on. We have pushed to stay together as a family and tried to keep the dynamic just like when he was alive. The weight of his love, perseverance, and giving back to the community inspires me daily. That weight is exactly why I am committed to my education. I am a rising sophomore in college pursuing a political science degree with a focus on pre-law. Just like my grandfather, there are people in the world who are innocent bystanders who become victims of violent crimes. While everyone goes on, no one thinks about the families left behind without answers or closure. My family still carries questions that will never be fully answered. Why was my grandfather’s murderer released from prison just a month before? Why did the murderer choose my grandfather? Did he know he was deaf? My goal is to become someone who fights to make sure other families get the truth and the justice they deserve. I have learned over time our legal system sometimes fails people. There are so many individuals who do not understand our legal system and I want to help them with this process. Another motivation I have to finish school is my mom. My mom has taken on personal loans to give me opportunities my grandfather would have wanted me to have. Every loan she takes out secures me for a better future, while she takes on the financial burden. Earning this scholarship would not only help me but it would ease her financially and honor my grandfather who spent his life taking care of his entire family. I want to honor my grandfather by showing up for other people the way he showed up for his wife, daughters and grandchildren. Even when the world dismissed my grandfather due to his disability he was still there. I want to carry his spirit and his legacy into my education, community, and my career. While my grandfather could not hear the danger that morning, I heard the message his life left behind loudly and clearly, and I will not waste it.