"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. Sounds like a normal birth, right? But indeed, it was far from normal. For the last nine weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until two months after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt with, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy, but living in hotels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were five other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was kind of hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it will pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, and it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to make sure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push me to run a 5k marathon.

Denzel Washington once said, "At the end of the day, it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished...it's about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It's about what you've given back." This quote sums up why I continue giving back and volunteering when possible. As a kid, my childhood had its ups and downs, being raised by my grandmother. My grandmother had to seek help from local food pantries and the care center because she couldn't afford groceries and such all the time. So, as I got older and was introduced to volunteerism in grade school, I understood the importance of giving back, especially because I was helped when I was down. Since I can remember, serving others has played a significant role in my life and produced some of my greatest teen memories. In my opinion, nothing is more rewarding than what you gain from volunteering your time to assist smaller children, elderly people, or anybody who could use a skill you have. Participating in initiatives that offer small gestures of kindness that are thoughtful and important to others is much simpler and more fulfilling than I first imagined. To be completely honest, I've learned that giving service to others is a gift that provides both ways and has been ingrained in me my entire life. My first core memory of being given the opportunity to help others was in elementary school. A few other classmates and I were chosen to go to the local nursing home to give cards we made in class the day before and a goodie bag with comfy socks and other essentials. I also had the opportunity to perform the cup song with my best friend at the time and feed some of the elderly who needed help. It was an amazing experience to see the smiles on their faces from the gifts and the performances we put together. This volunteer experience was an event planned by now-former teachers when they helped establish the leadership group I was in. I now see how insignificant my time investment was compared to how the experiences helped me to get over my shyness, gain confidence, and feel good about changing someone's life. I am appreciative that I have been able to help others because, in doing so, I have acquired priceless qualities like dedication, responsibility, kindness, patience, and confidence. The joy that results from serving others, on the other hand, spreads like wildfire and is the greatest reward. All these encounters have convinced me that, when it comes to community service, the gift is in the giving since the rewards are frequently beyond measure and beyond all expectations. These experiences boosted my confidence in helping others so much that I want to do it medically. I have chosen the path of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Being that I am a first-gen college student and pursuing a career that requires a lot from me, including financially, it's hard because I don't have outside help from family members. So that burden of my financial stability is always hanging over my head, and this scholarship, if chosen as a recipient, will lessen that burden.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. Sounds like a normal birth, right? But indeed, it was far from normal. For the last nine weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until two months after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt with, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy, but living in hotels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were five other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was kind of hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it will pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, and it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to make sure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push me to run a 5k marathon.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. Sounds like a normal birth, right? But indeed, it was far from normal. For the last nine weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until two months after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt with, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy, but living in hotels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were five other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was kind of hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it will pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, and it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to make sure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push me to run a 5k marathon.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. Sounds like a normal birth, right? But indeed, it was far from normal. For the last nine weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until two months after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt with, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy, but living in hotels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were five other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was kind of hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it will pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, and it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to make sure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push me to run a 5k marathon. Now as much as I love the dedicated registered nurses, I didn't just want to stop there. I want to accomplish that and more. So I decided that being a Nurse Practitioner was the way to go for me. It'll be a long and hopefully not-so-hard journey but I know with the grace of God, I'll accomplish it and more.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. Sounds like a normal birth, right? But indeed, it was far from normal. For the last nine weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until two months after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt with, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy, but living in hotels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were five other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was kind of hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it will pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, and it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to make sure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push me to run a 5k marathon.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. Sounds like a normal birth, right? But indeed, it was far from normal. For the last nine weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until two months after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt with, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy, but living in hotels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were five other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was kind of hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it will pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, and it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to make sure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push me to run a 5k marathon.

Denzel Washington once said, "At the end of the day, it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished...it's about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It's about what you've given back." This quote sums up why I continue giving back and volunteering when possible. As a kid my childhood had its ups and downs, being raised by my grandmother. My grandmother had to seek help from local food pantries and the care center because she couldn't afford groceries and such all the time. So, as I got older and was introduced to volunteerism in grade school, I understood the importance of giving back, especially because I was helped when I was down. Since I can remember, serving others has played a significant role in my life and produced some of my greatest teen memories. In my opinion, nothing is more rewarding than what you gain from volunteering your time to assist smaller children, elderly people, or anybody who could use a skill you have. Participating in initiatives that offer small gestures of kindness that are thoughtful and important to others is much simpler and more fulfilling than I first imagined. To be completely honest, I've learned that giving service to others is a gift that provides both ways and has been ingrained in me my entire life. My first core memory of being given the opportunity to help others was in elementary school. A few other classmates and I were chosen to go to the local nursing home to give cards we made in class the day before and a goodie bag with comfy socks and other essentials. I also had the opportunity to perform the cup song with my best friend at time and feed some of the elderly who needed help. It was an amazing experience to see the smiles on their faces from the gifts and the performances we put together. This volunteer experience was an event planned by now former teachers when they help establish the leadership group, I was in. I now see how insignificant my time investment was in compared to how the experiences helped me to get over my shyness, gain confidence, and feel good about changing someone's life. I had the good fortune to realize throughout my high school years that taking part in charitable endeavors does not take away from my leisure time but rather creates unforgettable memories just waiting to happen. My freshman year of high school I was busy with academics in the Cambridge program at my local public school but was encouraged to join the Key Club sector at my school. Key Club International, or just Key Club, is an international service organization for high school students. As a student-led organization, Key Club’s goal is to encourage leadership through serving others. And that’s exactly what I did that year. I had the chance of uplifting the spirits of children at the local children’s hospital by creating superhero capes for them. I was even able to help run essentials drive to send gifts to troops overseas and much, much more in that year. I was doing so well I was appointed Vice President, but sadly I didn’t get the chance to serve even more because I was uprooted and moved back to my hometown. But I didn’t let that stop me. Once I was finally settled into this new school I started branching out into more organizations. I was in organizations like National Honor Society, Best Buddies, Sista 2 Sista etc. All these clubs I was in had an aspect of community service to them. Whether it was drives for food, clothes, or hygiene’s or even just helping around campus during or after hours. I did have a full circle moment in high school though when I was able to visit that nursing home from my childhood to give residents Christmas gifts like last time. Of course, I didn’t get to feed some or be as interactive as the first because it was during the peak of Covid, but it still felt good to make there day. As time progressed my grandmother started volunteering at a local food pantry and encouraged me to come with her some days. I, of course, didn’t pass up the opportunity to give back in that capacity because that same pantry helped us on multiple occasions. I am appreciative that I have been able to help others because in doing so, I have acquired priceless qualities like dedication, responsibility, kindness, patience, and confidence. The joy that results from serving others, on the other hand, spreads like wildfire and is the greatest reward. All these encounters have convinced me that, when it comes to community service, the gift is in the giving, since the rewards are frequently beyond measure and beyond all expectations. These experiences boosted my confidence of helping others so much that I want to do it medically. I have chosen the path of becoming a Nurse Practitioner.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. It sounds like a normal birth, but indeed it was far from normal. For the last 9 weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until 2 months after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy but living in hotels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were 5 other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it would pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, and it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to ensure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push me to run a 5k marathon. So if I were to win the scholarship, it would help tremendously with paying down student loans and help me save up to buy my first car.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. Sounds like a normal birth, but indeed it was far from normal. For the last 9 weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until 2 months after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy but living in hotels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were 5 other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it would pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, and it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to ensure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push you to run a 5k marathon.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. It sounds like a normal birth, but indeed it was far from normal. For the last 9 weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until 2 months after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy but living in motels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were 5 other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it would pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, and it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to ensure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push you to run a 5k marathon. If I were to win this scholarship, it would help me financially toward my goals because I would be able to pay off some of my student loans.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. It sounds like a normal birth, but it was far from normal. For the last 9 weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until a month or so after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt, right? By the time I was five, I'd been bounced back and forth from family member's house to family member's house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy but living in hotels the majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time when my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her, and there were 5 other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up, I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was kind of hard for me to make friends cause, in the end, I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I could in school because I knew it would pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to ensure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because, as a kid, I used to take care of my great-grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. I would make sure she took her medicine, whether pills or insulin. I started giving her insulin shots when I was 8/9 years old. Since then, I was the only one she wanted to do it. As time progressed, she got sicker and couldn't swallow well, so I crushed her pills and put them in her favorite Cinnamon Applesauce. She also had Alzheimer's, so it was amazing that she "remembered" me until the end. She passed just about ten years ago, and my mind is still set out on becoming a nurse. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I would change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push me to run a 5k marathon.

Albert Einstein once said, "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." To me, this means doing for others is how you will feel fulfilled in life. Community service has been a part of my life since elementary school. But, it wasn't until high school that I completely grasped it. Growing up, my family didn't make ends meet all the time, so sometimes that led to my grandmother having to go to food banks and such. Seeing the selflessness of those individuals who would get up at the crack of dawn to get everything prepared for individuals like us in need at the time made me want to give back and do the same thing when I got old enough to. My first volunteer experience was during my freshman year of high school. One of my clubs at the time was called "Key Club." Our first community service project of the year was a soup kitchen. We partnered with a Presbyterian church near our high school to help feed the less fortunate, and sadly, many of them were homeless. We were able to give them a hot meal, personal/ hygiene items, and food items that were non-perishable. It was priceless to feed many of them who didn't know when their next meal would be or how they would get it. It was an experience that I will cherish forever. This also awakened something in me, that light has yet to dull. Since then, I've done countless community service projects, from sending care packages to deployed soldiers to volunteering at food pantries and banks. So this is how I am making a positive impact on the world through volunteerism. While doing this, I'm also addressing many social issues like good nutrition for black communities. Being an individual who was once in need and needed help from different outreach programs around the city and seeing the different people help others, young and old, with a smile on their faces and no judgment in sight. It helped me realize that as much as the world has its ups and downs, good people will forever leave a good mark on you and it. So, I plan to keep contributing to this cause by volunteering in any way possible. The career field I'm going into is nursing, so even if it is just volunteering at the local free clinic, I will do it. People need to be just as healthy physically and mentally as they need food in their bellies.

Albert Einstein once said, "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." To me, this means doing for others is how you will feel fulfilled in life. Community service has been a part of my life since elementary school. But, it wasn't until high school that I completely grasped it. Growing up, my family didn't make ends meet all the time, so sometimes that led to my grandmother having to go to food banks and such. Seeing the selflessness of those individuals who would get up at the crack of dawn to get everything prepared for individuals like us in need at the time made me want to give back and do the same thing when I got old enough to. My first volunteer experience was during my freshman year of high school. One of my clubs at the time was called "Key Club." Our first community service project of the year was a soup kitchen. We partnered with a Presbyterian church near our high school to help feed the less fortunate, and sadly, many of them were homeless. We were able to give them a hot meal, personal/ hygiene items, and food items that were non-perishable. It was priceless to feed many of them who didn't know when their next meal would be or how they would get it. It was an experience that I will cherish forever. This also awakened something in me, that light has yet to dull. Since then, I've done countless community service projects, from sending care packages to deployed soldiers to volunteering at food pantries and banks. So this is how I am making a positive impact on the world through volunteerism. While doing this, I'm also addressing many social issues like good nutrition for black communities. Being an individual who was once in need and needed help from different outreach programs around the city and seeing the different people help others, young and old, with a smile on their faces and no judgment in sight. It helped me realize that as much as the world has its ups and downs, good people will forever leave a good mark on you and it. So, I plan to keep contributing to this cause by volunteering in any way possible. The career field I'm going into is nursing, so even if it is just volunteering at the local free clinic, I will do it. People need to be just as healthy physically and mentally as they need food in their bellies.

Albert Einstein once said, "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile". To me, this means doing for others is how you will feel fulfilled in life. Community service has been a part of my life since elementary school. But, it wasn't until high school that I completely grasped it. Growing up, my family didn't make ends meet all the time, so sometimes that led to my grandmother having to go to food banks and such. Seeing the selflessness of those individuals who would get up at the crack of dawn to get everything prepared for individuals like us in need at the time made me want to give back and do the same thing when I got old enough to. My first volunteer experience was during my freshman year of high school. One of my clubs at the time was called "Key Club." Our first community service project of the year was a soup kitchen. We partnered with a Presbyterian church near our high school to help feed the less fortunate, and sadly, many of them were homeless. We were able to give them a hot meal, personal/ hygiene items, and food items that were non-perishable. Being able to feed many of them who didn't know when their next meal would be or how they would get it was priceless. It was an experience that I will cherish forever. This also awakened something in me, that light has yet to dull. Since then, I've done countless community service projects, from sending care packages to deployed soldiers to volunteering at food pantries and banks. So to answer your question: "What has brought you to community service and disaster relief?" The answer to that is quite simple, actually. Being an individual who was once in need and needed help from different outreach programs around the city and seeing the different people help others, young and old, with a smile on their faces and no judgment in sight. It helped me realize that as much as the world has its ups and downs, good people will forever leave a good mark on you and it. So, I plan to keep contributing to this cause by volunteering in any way possible. The career field I'm going into is nursing, so even if it is just volunteering at the local free clinic, I will do it. People need to be just as healthy physically and mentally as they need food in their bellies.

My mom was, and sometimes I think still is an addict and suffer from substance abuse. Whether its alcohol or drugs, it has always been something. My life has been impacted by the skeletons in her closet since the day I was born. She was incarcerated the day I was born. Now, thank God it was a hospital not too far from the county jail or I would have been born in a prison cell. Even afterwards, she wasn't able to keep me so my aunt took me in for the time being. In case your wondering why my father didn't get me, well he was serving time during my birth as well and didn't get out until almost a month later. A couple weeks go by and she is free, of course she gets me but that doesn't last. She falls into the wrong crowd yet again. It all started with my dad though, my mom never told me how she got started with drugs but it didn't help that my dad was the neighborhood "candy man". I was the only child my parents had together but my mom had 2 more after me, JJ and Miracle. The drug problem got so bad she ended up losing them because of it. Now it wasn't just her fault, my family members played a role in this catastrophe as well but I don't have the right amount of time or word count to tell that story. I was almost entered into the foster system as well but my grandmother was granted guardianship of me until I turned eighteen. Now, I'm 19 in college trying to recover and become something I never had the chance to experience growing up. Being a great sister and a great mom in the future. To this day I don't know where those two are but I never stopped thinking about them and hopefully one day I will be able to reunite with them. My mom has been in and out of my life since I was a kid and each time it hurt even worst. She has hit me, yelled/cursed me out, called me out my name, and even stole from me because of this substance abuse. Now she of course has her dark days but she has her bright ones too, and on the days she tries to make up for the bad things she has done. Until recently, I came to a realization that no matter what she's still my mom and I love her but distance is the best thing for us. My mom issues probably hurt me the worst but I have been through an instance of domestic abuse/ violence. It was a Friday my junior year of high school. My older cousin got in an unnecessary argument with his brother and I tried to break it up. He eventually tried to shoot his brother but pulled the trigger by accident before it got him. I was standing just about 2 feet away and any closer I would have gotten shot in the back. I started yelling at him because of the adrenaline rush so he decided to snatch me up. I ended up calling the police and he got arrested. He was already on probation so he ended up going to jail until a family member bailed him out, my mom actually. Nobody really cared about the actions he committed but more about me dropping the charges against him. Of course, I had to cause they made me, did I want to not really. But resilience is all it took! So to answer your questions, getting through my childhood and being accepted into my dream college are my greatest achievements until this day. Getting where I am today taught me I can get through anything I put my mind to as corny as that sounds. Also, I know that God only gives is toughest battles to his strongest soldiers so it counts for something. My future aligns with me becoming a nurse and just being better and my true authenticate self.

"Agh Agh" was the sound you heard from a new baby girl in a delivery room at Bartow Regional. Sounds like a normal birth right, but indeed it was far from normal. For the last 9 weeks of my mom's pregnancy, she was incarcerated. Even after she gave birth to me on September 27, 2002, she was still incarcerated until Halloween that year. So, imagine being snatched away from the person you needed the most at the time due to some skeletons in her closet. You would think I had my other parent to nurture me through this time, but that would have been too good to be true. My dad was incarcerated as well at the time until a month or so, after I was born. But I had to make the best of the cards I was dealt with, right? By the time I was five I'd been bounced back and forth from family member house to family member house until my grandmother finally was able to be my legal guardian. Sounds all fine and dandy but living in hotels majority of the time until they'd finally find somewhere they could afford was tough. There was a point in time where my grandmother had 6 out of 11 of her grandchildren staying with her and there were 5 other adults in the house before they started moving out. So, you imagine how crowded it was at that 5-bedroom house. Fast forward a few years, being that I moved a lot growing up I switched schools a lot. I've been to seven different schools. So, it was kind of hard for me to make friends cause in the end I knew it was a possibility I might be uprooted again. But I didn't let that stop me from doing the best I can in school because I knew it will pay off in the long run. At all the schools I've been to, I managed to be on the Honor Roll and get many awards at the award ceremony at the end of the year. My future is the most important thing to me, it's something that I literally am thinking or planning for 24/7. I work my behind off every day to make sure I don't end up in situations like my parents. I love helping people, so I've always gone back and forth on whether I wanted to go into the medical or education field. But, as time progresses, I see myself leaning towards the medical field because as a kid I used to take care of my great grandmother, Alice Dawson. She is one of the main reasons why I like the profession of nursing. I would make sure took her medicine, whether it was pills or her insulin. I started giving her, her insulin shots when I was 8/9 years old. Since then I was the only one she wanted to do it. As time progressed she got sicker and couldn't swallow good, so I would crush up her pills and put them in her favorite Cinnamon Applesauce. She also had Alzheimers so it was an amazing feeling that she "remembered" me until the end. She passed just about ten years ago and my mind is still set out on becoming a nurse. Even though I've had some hard obstacles, I wouldn't change nothing about my life because it made me the most tenacious person with perseverance that'll push you to run a 5k marathon.