“How much do you want for this little girl?” a stranger asked as my mother whispered a price in my ear. The flea market was my first job. I started at two years old because my mama couldn’t afford a babysitter. As soon as I learned to count, I began negotiating sales, attempting to ease her burden. Work was tiring, but we needed the money. Growing up in East Atlanta taught me resilience and helped me believe in something bigger than myself. My mother raised me alone after my father’s suicide, soon before I was born. Growing up, I struggled with a need to understand why. Why did he kill my half-sibling’s mom? Would my grandfather have been my father figure if he hadn’t been killed by my father? Did he assume my mom would kill herself too? The quiet yet overwhelming emotional weight I carried built a solely co-dependent relationship with my mother. This made my mom depend on men for money, as my family never supported her financially, so she had no choice. One boyfriend figured beating my mom wasn’t enough, so he burned cigarettes on her back. I hated this man, but without him, we wouldn’t have food to eat or a home to stay in. I became engulfed in anger, missing assignments I was fully capable of completing, though my mind was too occupied with my mother’s struggles. At school, I felt anxious. After being sexually assaulted by a close “friend” in 2021, I blamed myself, thinking it was something I must’ve done wrong. I didn’t open up to my mom because she struggled with addiction and abuse at the hands of men, so I saw it was pointless to ask for help—she couldn’t even help herself, how would she protect me? I learned to bear the burden no child should have to. It wasn’t until I went to a mental hospital at 15 that my mom finally recognized my psychological distress. We worked to rebuild our relationship with the help of a school-appointed therapist, who diagnosed me with post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression. At first, I was embarrassed to be pulled out of class for therapy, but once I started medication, my racing thoughts slowed, and for the first time, I felt at ease. In high school, I joined Marine Corps JROTC, where I learned leadership, discipline, and advocacy. In addition, I volunteered over 130 hours through softball, National Honor Society, National Beta Club, and other organizations. This shaped my community service project where I mentored and tutored 12 middle schoolers from my former middle school, most of whom came from low-income households like mine. By the end of my initiative, most of their grades improved, but I focused on one particular student who didn’t improve because she reminded me of myself—disconnected and withdrawn from school. It made me realize how much I wanted to help others who feel like they have no one to turn to or just need a big sister. As a member of the Newton County Youth Commission, my peers and I focus on issues concerning youth. Through this role, I’ve learned how to advise local leaders, create programs, and organize events for youth development with county funds, such as recreational centers that create a safe haven from peer pressure or negative influences in the neighborhood. Looking back at my 15-year-old self, I thought my life was over after being diagnosed with PTSD, bipolar disorder, and depression. For a while, I didn’t know how to handle it. It felt like I was carrying a weight no one could understand. But with therapy and medication, I’ve learned to manage my mental health, and I’ve connected with others facing similar struggles. I’ve kept a 3.9 GPA and learned to embrace my journey, no matter how tough it’s been. This scholarship means so much to me. It would give me the chance to focus on my education without worrying about cost. I never had the financial resources that many others take for granted, and this scholarship would allow me to focus on my future and continue working toward my dream of becoming a Congresswoman. I plan to pay it forward by continuing to serve my community. By continuing to mentor the youth, as well as serving in homeless shelters, nursing homes, and community events, and eventually making a career in public service, I want to be the person who believes in others when they feel like no one else does. This scholarship is an opportunity for me to take another step toward making a difference in countless lives.

How much do you want for this little girl?" someone asked, as my mother whispered something in my ear. I worked at the flea market initially. I started at two years of age because my mama couldn't find a babysitter. As soon as I knew how to count, I began haggling over prices, attempting to ease her burden. Work was a drag, but we needed the cash. East Atlanta grew me up and taught me toughness and having faith in something beyond myself. I was brought up by my mother alone after my father committed suicide, shortly before I was born. Throughout my childhood, I struggled with a need to understand why. Why did he kill my half-brother's mother? Would my grandfather have been my dad if he hadn't been killed by my dad? Did he believe my mom would do the same thing? The unspoken but overwhelming emotional weight that I carried built a whole co-dependent relationship with my mother. This made my mom dependent on men economically, as my family never gave her any money, and thus she could not avoid it. One of my boyfriends felt it was not enough to beat my mom, so he burnt cigarettes on her back. I hated this man, but because of him, we would have something to eat and a roof over our heads. I became overwhelmed with anger, missing out on tasks that I was more than able to accomplish, though my head was too busy with my mother's situation. As I matured, I saw another direction that my life could have gone in the teens that I saw living on the streets day and night, with no home to go to after school. While the wealthy white individuals were gentrifying Atlanta on their own terms, displacing families with no second thought. Minorities' affordable housing was a distant dream, with little or no government intervention. High school was my haven, the place where I started a new stage of my life. I joined the National Beta Club, National Honor Society, and I've participated in softball for three years, earning over 130 volunteer hours. I've volunteered at food banks, festivals, middle schools, homeless shelters, nursing homes, Special Olympics, and a host of other community functions. Watching the impact of my acts of kindness inspired me to do even more. I started a solo service project with our next generation leaders by tutoring and mentoring students in the after-school program in my previous middle school. For three weeks, I spent two hours a day with 12 students individually and helped them improve their grades. There was this one student who was completely different. She would not participate or interact. I could see in her a younger version of myself—estranged, closed off, and troubled. This spurred my drive to keep working, knowing that I could make a difference. Through my social science pathway in the Academy of Liberal Arts at Newton High School, I’ve taken courses in MCJROTC, AP US History, psychology, and sociology. These subjects taught me how to advocate for policy changes, improve access to quality education, and invest in community development, stimulating awareness and solutions for a better quality of life for marginalized peoples. This scholarship means so much to me. It would give me the chance to focus on my studies without the weight of cost. This scholarship would allow me to continue working towards my dream of becoming a Congresswoman, making legal safeguards more powerful and advocating for the oppressed, so that every person has a voice and an equal opportunity in life.

How much do you want for this little girl?” another stranger asked as my mom whispered a price in my ear. The flea market was my first job. I started when I was two because my mom couldn’t afford a babysitter. By the time I learned to count, I was already negotiating sales, trying to help take some of the pressure off her. It was tiring work, but we needed the money. My dad’s suicide and my mom’s addiction shaped a lot of my early years. I felt lost and abandoned. Experiencing ambiguous grief, my dad’s family exiled me because my mom was blamed for my father’s death. They spoiled all the younger kids in the family, but I relied on a survivors benefit monthly check from the social security administration for a new toy rather than my aunties. My mom’s side wasn’t any better; most adults were high school dropouts and I was exposed to child on child sexual assault from a cousin. I let that define me for years but later in life I found God. Through faith, I realized there was a purpose for me, and it pushed me to draw away from the statistic of another black girl falling to the streets just because I’m raised by a low-income single mother. In high school, I joined Marine Corps JROTC, where I learned leadership, discipline, and advocacy. In addition, I volunteered over 130 hours through softball, National Honor Society, National Beta Club, and other organizations. This shaped my community service project where I mentored and tutored 12 middle schoolers from my former middle school, most of whom came from low-income households like mine. By the end of my initiative, most of their grades improved, but I focused on one particular student who didn’t improve because she reminded me of myself—disconnected and withdrawn from school. It made me realize how much I wanted to help others who feel like they have no one to turn to or just need a big sister. As a member of the Newton County Youth Commission, my peers and I focus on issues concerning youth. Through this role, I’ve learned how to advise local leaders, create programs, and organize events for youth development with county funds, such as recreational centers that create a safe haven from peer pressure or negative influences in the neighborhood. Looking back at my 15-year-old self, I thought my life was over after being diagnosed with PTSD, bipolar disorder, and depression. For a while, I didn’t know how to handle it. It felt like I was carrying a weight no one could understand. But with therapy and medication, I’ve learned to manage my mental health, and I’ve connected with others facing similar struggles. I’ve kept a 3.9 GPA and learned to embrace my journey, no matter how tough it’s been. This scholarship will give me the opportunity to focus on my future and pursue my dream of becoming a Congresswoman. Without a college fund or the financial resources many take for granted, I rely heavily on the generosity of donors to help make my educational goals possible. I plan to pay it forward by continuing to serve those who are misunderstood, overlooked as well in need of assistance . By continuing service in homeless shelters, nursing homes, and where volunteers are needed, and eventually build a career in public service, I also want to be the person who believes in others when they feel like no one else does. This scholarship is an opportunity for me to take another step toward making a difference in countless lives.