We are always told that one day we will have to choose a career and ensure it is the career we want. When growing up I was never told about the process we must go through in deciding what we want to do. I can attest that I have gone from marine biologist to cosmetologist to computer science then back to marine biology. It can be hard knowing that whatever career path we choose not only would this affect how our life goes through adulthood but it will also affect those whose paths we cross. Choosing a STEAM career was a no-brainer for me. Even as I struggled in math during my early education years, science has always been my love. There is something about discovering those new things or learning about the solar system and even learning how humans function. People who are truly in love with STEAM will always tell you it is something you have a passion for. I discovered my passion early on and something about animals just makes me curious. I have always wanted to deal with animals in any capacity that I could. If you had told me five years ago that I would be on a pathway to obtain my doctorate in veterinary medicine, I would one hundred percent believe you. There are so many things that I hope that I can achieve by obtaining this degree in hopes that I can make a difference in my life and those around me. It is not very often that you see someone who is African American and a female in the veterinary field. I want to give back to my community because not everyone can afford to take their animals to the vet. It can be very expensive and those people in the lower income communities should have access to people who can be affordable. I also want to build an animal rescue center injunction with owning my veterinary practice. Lastly, I want to hold monthly free clinics where people can bring their animals at minimal to no cost to get screened for any disease and receive their yearly shots. Everyone who would love to own an animal should be able to regardless if they are afraid of the cost it may impact on them. Overall scholarship will help me to continue on this path of making a difference. The impact I will see from this will help me afford school more easily and make this transition into higher education easier. Approaching the time when I will be deciding which veterinary schools I will be applying to this will help ease the cost for me. Life will forever be short for everyone but everyone should have the ability to chase their own dreams.

Community is the foundation of who we are as people. Not everyone is lucky to have such tight-knit-loving communities. Not everyone is as lucky to be in a community that has readily available resources. We are growing up in a world where people no longer support who you are because of their own personal judgments. I know once I have the opportunity once again to help my community, I will because seeing how communities suffer firsthand is not fun. My mother always made it known that we should always be grateful for what we have because there are people who have less. When I was a part of the non-profit organization for those four years I have seen a lot. I saw children who did not have clothes just the bare minimum. I seen parents who were struggling to feed their children because they could not find jobs that would hire them. I have seen hurt families, and broken families because gun violence has caused them to lose a loved one. I have always loved helping my community because some people just need a listening ear. I want to build a center for children to come to so that they will not feel alone. To have role models to look up to, someone that they can ask questions to. I want everyone to chase their dreams no matter how big or small that it might seem. I want to provide them with resources so that if they want to go to school, they can. If that person wants to be a singer, actress, or CEO, I want to help them achieve their dreams. I want to be a pillar of whatever community that I am in. I want to do food drives and clothes drives. I hope that the center I build for my community is not only a place of hope but a place of peace. Being someone who understands what it means to not have the basic needs, I do not wish that on anyone. This is important to me because you do not see other people doing that anymore. If they do it, it is for the recognition not because it is genuine. I want to do this because I want to help. I want to give whatever knowledge that I have to my community. While yes I am young, knowledge is not restricted to just one age. Once I finish graduate school, it will be my turn to give back.

Being passionate about animals has been ingrained into me from such a young age. From the day I was born until now, I have been around animals. It's the world I know and have grown up in. Even right now, I have six animals three dogs and three cats. Being passionate about animal advocacy is something I know and something I will forever do. My mom has always wanted us to be around animals. She believes not only does it teaches responsibility but also that you develop this bond with your animals. It's a loving bond and you learn how to care for animals. It's one of the reasons why I chose the field that I chose. I want to bring light to everything that happens behind the scenes. It's a lot of things people don't know what happens and they have their beliefs. My future career will be as a Veterinarian. I have an animal that has three legs. When he was born it was the night of Valentine's Day and the day before my mom's car was wrecked so we were not really having a good day. The pup's mom went into labor and we tried our best and everything looked fine. However, Maximus which is what we call him his leg was dead. It was literally hanging from his bone and you could see his femur. My mom thought it would be a good idea to put him down but I refused. I was in middle school so every day in the morning at 6 am I would bottle feed him and put him back with his litter mates. When I would get home after 4 pm, I would bottle feed him check his wounds make sure he would not get an infection, and spend time with him since he became the runt. He did have to eventually come in before the rest of the puppies but Maximus is a fully functioning dog that just happens to have three legs. He runs, plays, and chews on everything. I think with this life learning experience I was able to see what I could do with the future. I never would have thought being a Veterinarian would be for me if it was not for my mother introducing animals to me who knows what my career would have been? I hope that I do accomplish all those things about being able to work with animals and help educate those in our community. The more resources people have the better chance the animals will survive. This in turn will help our environment.

Every day I see people who have become the product of a harsh world. A world where if you do not have the resources at the beginning of birth you fall between the cracks. A place where people are no longer genuine and do things for the internet to become viral. However, I was one of those same people who did not have many resources when born. Born into a poverty-like life with hopes of becoming something bigger and something better. I remember the time my grandmother was very active in her very own community before becoming too ill. We would always have an event called the annual Health Fair and it would be held at Central High School in Arkansas. The day before my mother would take my brother and me up to the football field and stadium to help set up. Sometimes not leave until 9 pm and have to be right back up at 7 to go help all those vendors. The whole purpose of this health fair was to give the community an opportunity to get those resources and have accessible information at hand. We would have people who did insurance, vaccinations, a children's mini fair for the children about bullying, and very much more. As I got older I realized that this was not punishment but a lesson. A lesson to be grateful for what you have. Yes, I might not have had the best things in life but I had a home to sleep in at night. I had health insurance so whenever I would get sick I could go to the doctor. I had clothes and shoes that were not worn out. Being able to appreciate the things you have is something that humanity is lacking right now. There was a time when my mother was very hands-on with violence in our hometown. Little Rock has become known for its dangerous place. Between 2015-2020 there was an influx of male teenagers being killed. My mom helped formed an organization that was here to help with gun violence. The whole goal was to provide an outlet for children in low-income brackets to go somewhere that they could prosper. To not fall victim to this world at such a young age. A place where this could be somewhere that they could live out their dreams in a safe place. I was a teenager and people who were my age were dying. It felt different from my point of view because seeing these families without their children hurt differently. Not fully understanding why the world was cruel but my mother wanted to help them. We held different fundraising events and even had a day established in North Little Rock. Even partnering with schools so that families that could not afford Thanksgiving or Christmas have a way to afford it. I say all this to say I am glad my mother always instilled from a young age to give back to your community. As a young child, I did not fully grasp the whole concept of it but I understand now. Not only has this shaped me as a person but it has shaped my career. I want to do the same thing my grandmother and mother did. I want to create organizations to help my community. I want to provide outlets for my community. I want to be that bridging piece that will help my community become a safer and better place. With my career, I hope to make a non-profit organization that wants to make the environment better. With hopes of becoming a Veterinarian. I want to help the community by providing free veterinarian services to those who can not afford them. I also want to provide information on how we can make our environment cleaner and healthier for everyone including the animals. I also want to build a resource center where people can get the help they need. Whether it be food-related, school related, or just need a place to come to. A lot of people always question me why I feel like it is necessary to give back and it is because there is no reason not to. Everyone holds knowledge and the only way to help people progress is to spread that knowledge with everyone you can. Leaving your print on a world means a lot whether it is short-lived or long lived. Even if all I help is one person that is someone who is helped. Being ambitious is how you become accomplished.

Being an adult is a dream for everyone. No longer depending on your family members to take care of you. Higher education is a part of being an adult. In just my short time in higher education, I can say that I have learned a lot. College is a complicated path in life. Not only are you finding your dream career but you are also finding yourself. Truth be told, the hardest obstacle for me to overcome in the pursuit of higher education is me. You can be your own worse enemy when it comes to accomplishing the things that you want to accomplish. College for me has not been the hardest, but sure enough, it has not been the easiest. Balancing life between school, social life, and a job can get hard. You start to lose that motivation that you once had because you feel overwhelmed with all the tasks that you have to accomplish to get to your dreams. That obstacle can be dangerous when it comes to finding balance in all of it. That is all a part of college and finding you all at the same time. Most people say college can be complicated, but they never say it gets easier. I can say even though my support group is smaller than average, I have several people who have helped me overcome these obstacles that I face. All of my closest friends are in college and my mom has helped me be more proactive in achieving my college dreams. With my friends being in college, we all encourage one another to go to class and do our homework. It helps us know that we all are not alone in this. Just hearing that motivation from one another helps us continue to do good in class and be more proactive since it is others holding us accountable. My mom being my biggest supporter at home makes it even easier. She encourages me to do my best and even still go to school events to make those friendships. She regrets not finishing college so she always encourages me to do my best and finish as strong as I started. Obstacles are only temporary in life. However, once you get over one obstacle you always encounter another obstacle. You should always have people who support you in your group. Never underestimate the possibilities of higher education. Even in the end, it's always rewarding.

Family is such a vast topic in today's world. Family is no longer considered those to who you are related, but they are also considered the ones you call friends and close ones. I grew up in a split-family household. My mom came from a split family, and so did my grandparents. When you have those split family households it shows you the great things that can come from all those relationships, even the ones you aren't related to. My education and view of the family have greatly impacted the way that I see the world today. I recently just attend a memorial service for a family member and memorial/funeral services always bring a family together. I saw people I didn't even remember, but they remember me. Even from such a young age and taking care of me. What are the people I know who love and care for me? I grew up in a home where my father wasn't involved because he was sick and passed away. I grew up in a household where my father's family desired no relationship with me. I learned during the time I yearned for a relationship with them, that blood doesn't make someone family. No matter how much you are related to them. Younger me wanted a relationship so much that to the point I cried every so often. Even now, after high school graduation, I felt extremely guilty because I wanted that support from my father's family I never received to come and show up for me. To celebrate my hard accomplishments and even try to extend a relationship. My family background was never the traditional life that most people have. I had to accept and I learned to love the split family I have. I learned to see the support from other family members and friends. My mom taught me that the path and choices and relationships you desire aren't always meant for you. You can have the whole world and life planned for you, but that doesn't mean you will always end up in the spot that you wholeheartedly want. I had a dream of attending my dream school, Louisiana State University. Louisiana State has one of the best veterinarian programs to date. I learned real quick that, the straight shot wasn't for me. Even with all my volunteering activities, good grades, advanced placement courses, and sports activities; my hard work wasn't enough. The education that I received and put my heart into didn't stop there. High school isn't meant for you to go to school. High school is meant to show you the real world and how things don't always go the way that you want. I learned from high school, that you have to go that extra mile to where you want to get in life. Sometimes, the bare minimum isn't always enough. Sometimes, you have to face the music and accept that life doesn't always go the way you predicted. I learned from my family issues, changes in school, and post-high school life, that life is so unpredictable. I learned to follow the music for what it was and not for what I wanted. I learned to walk the path that I didn't pick. I won't let my feelings about having desired relationships stop me from achieving my dreams. I won't let the thought of me not attending my dream school stop me from going to the places I want. I won't let the fear of life stop me because I am here for a reason and it's to achieve the dreams that I want for myself and future generations.

Being passionate about animals has been ingrained into me from such a young age. From the day I was born until now I have been around animals. It's the world I know and have grown up in. Even right now, I have six animals three dogs and three cats. Being passionate about animal advocacy is something I know and something I will forever do. My mom has always wanted us to be around animals. She believes not only does it teaches responsibility but also you develop this bond with your animals. It's a loving bond and you learn how to care for animals. It's one of the reasons why I chose the field that I chose. I want to bring light to everything that happens behind the scenes. It's a lot of things people don't know what happens and they have their beliefs. I want to bring awareness to the number of strays that are everywhere. The trap, neuter, release program isn't promoted enough and it's why we have so many animals in the bigger city. Then, we have so many animals being dumped on the street or left in animal shelters and there aren't enough resources going around to care for them. I want to be impactful in my career and sometimes all you have to do is bring awareness and light to the situation. I hope that I can be that person who does bring awareness. My future career will be as a Veterinarian. As of right now, my major in college is animal science and I hope that I can start my animal foundation that not only teaches people how to care for animals but also gives back to the community. With the knowledge that I have from years of taking care of animals, I want to spread what I know. I want to promote a better earth environment that not only benefits us but also the animals since it's their environment too. I hope the vision that I will promote in the future is taken seriously. The journey I am taking, I want to be a positive journey. I believe people just don't care about these issues because it doesn't affect them directly. However, the number of strays we have and the fact that animal shelters are being overwhelmed and don't have the resources to care for these animals are concerning. If we were to get people to see the real truth, then I think this will help in the long run.

Living a healthy lifestyle or a life, in general, comes at a cost that some people don't realize. Sometimes it means that we have to exercise or cut out those foods that aren't good for us. That's just the physical aspect of it. Mentally, that means leaving that job that doesn't value you or losing friends who aren't adding to your circle and encouraging you to keep fighting every day for that life that you dream of. As I have aged and throughout my high school career I learned the difference between physical and mental health. I truly believed that my physical and mental health were all the same. If my body felt fine, then mentally I was okay. However, that truly wasn't the case and I learned that in my sophomore year. When my body was at the peak of health, mentally I was struggling with my first advanced placement and honor courses. My first time actually struggling with school and my grades reflected that indeed that I was struggling. However, during the pandemic, I did learn a huge difference in my life. I believe that it's important to live a healthy life physically and mentally because you can not only feel confident in what you are doing, but you can put your best foot forward. You can go to work and do everything you are supposed to do. Physical your body will last longer. You will live longer. Mentally, your mind will be peaceful even in stressful situations. You will be able to navigate your feelings and try your best at everything. Being physically and mentally healthy goes hand and hand and you can not forget about that. I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by setting boundaries in my life. There is always a time and place for where you mention work. You should only be concerned about work when you are at work. Never take work home with you. Also, when it comes to school I limit how much time I am spending every day all at once on homework. I make sure that I take breaks in between so that I am not as stressed and burnt out all at once. Lastly, when I am with my family and friends I make sure that I spend my time with them and enjoy it. Life will pass you by and you should want to enjoy every minute that you get with the people you love. It all comes down to time management and how you balance life. Being able to balance it all is what leads to a healthy lifestyle. Try not to stress over every situation, especially the ones you can't control.

Confidence is all about being comfortable in your own skin. Confidence can make you feel more empowered and even more fun. Not everyone is confident at first and that's fine. However, it's about showing that you can be confident. Everyone learns to be confident differently. I learned that being confident is not caring what other people think about you. No matter what you do there will still be people who will not like you. I learned that the more you stress over what people think, the less that you will be happy. During the covid pandemic that's when I learned to be more confident and not care what others think. I still struggle with being confident. It's all about being comfortable in your own skin. It's also about being true to yourself. If you aren't true to yourself then you won't be confident because you are hiding who you truly are.

Having different hobbies can mean that you have things you can do. You learn different things about yourself when you venture into new hobbies. I can say I did learn new things and I am proud of what I learned. One of my favorite hobbies at this moment is crocheting. My mom used to do it when I was younger. I took it up because I thought it was interesting and seemed relaxing. True enough, it was relaxing and fun to do. I also started back baking. I did a lot of that during quarantine. It's fun seeing all those different things you can cook and see how they taste. Hobbies allow you to see yourself in a different light. They show you all those things that you are capable of. Sometimes it even leads to a new career in life and that can end up making you more money and even happier. It's all about trying new things and seeing what works for you.

Having a parental figure in life is something that everyone doesn't get. I was lucky to have a mom who wanted to be a mother. As I realize that I am lucky that I could have just one parent who loved me unconditionally and wanted the best for me. My mom will forever be someone I look up to mainly because she never gave up. My father and mother separated when I was only six years old. After they separated I never really saw him again. My father died when I was 11 years old. I don't have many memories of my dad, just that he was my dad and he loved me. After becoming a single parent, my mom did what was best for my brother and me. She worked endless jobs, spent summers teaching us new things, and even while she had surgery still attend school all while attending to children. She has always been a hard worker. Even today, she is getting me ready to attend college all while working three jobs and running her own business. Having a one-parent household while having an autistic sibling was hard. I never really got that much attention when I was younger because everyone's time was spent on him. However, I understand now why things did turn out that way. My mom was the only person advocating for her children. We did spend time together. I think being raised by one parent has shaped me to be hard working. My mom didn't let her dreams and aspirations stop because she was a single parent. She showed me no matter how hard things are, that eventually, all the good things that you have put out into the world will come back to you. I'm grateful that I was able to have her as a mom and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Having a parental figure in life is something that everyone doesn't get. I was lucky to have a mom who wanted to be a mother. As I realize that I am lucky that I could have just one parent who loved me unconditionally and wanted the best for me. My mom will forever be someone I look up to mainly because she never gave up. After becoming a single parent, my mom did what was best for my brother and me. She worked endless jobs, spent summers teaching us new things, and even while she had surgery still attend school all while attending to children. She has always been a hard worker. Even today, she is getting me ready to attend college all while working three jobs and running her own business. To say that my mom is the best mom there is would be an understatement. She will forever be an important figure in my life as she didn't give up when it was hard. If she did, I know I can do it.

Memories of the people we lost are all that we have left once they leave. I grew up without my biological father. My mom and he separated when I was 5 years old. I didn't have that many memories of him, to begin with, but that was all I had. My father passed away when I was 11 years old. Before that, I had only seen him a handful of times in those 6 years of my life. One of the last memories I have of him is when I went to spend the weekend with him. My brother and I had to spend a weekend with him. I remember us walking to the gas station and it was a very sunny day. We went in and I always had a love for cookies. My dad wanted me to try those fudge-striped cookies. So he bought them and I tried them because he liked them. Those cookies have always been my favorite since then. Almost 12 years later, I still feel like I can see that memory so vividly that it's all I can remember. To say that it didn't affect me would be a complete lie. I slipped into a depression because the fact I felt guilty about not seeing my father in his last few months of life haunted me. I did believe that he would understand why. Losing a parent will never resolve itself, especially at such a young age. My father always told me to get those good grades because he truly believed that I would be something big, and I believed him. He was an amazing father to my brother and me. I only hope that I can live up to what he thought I can be.

My mom has always wanted us to be around animals. She believes not only does it teaches responsibility but also you develop this bond with your animals. It's a loving bond and you learn how to care for animals. It's one of the reasons why I chose the field that I chose. I want to bring light to everything that happens behind the scenes. It's a lot of things people don't know what happens and they have their beliefs. I want to bring awareness to the number of strays that are everywhere. The trap, neuter, release program isn't promoted enough and it's why we have so many animals in the bigger city. Then, we have so many animals being dumped on the street or left in animal shelters and there aren't enough resources going around to care for them. I want to be impactful in my career and sometimes all you have to do is bring awareness and light to the situation. I hope that I can be that person who does bring awareness. I hope the vision that I will promote in the future is taken seriously. The journey I am taking, I want to be a positive journey. I believe people just don't care about these issues because it doesn't affect them directly. However, the number of strays we have and the fact that animal shelters are being overwhelmed and don't have the resources to care for these animals are concerning. If we were to get people to see the real truth, then I think this will help in the long run.

In the future, I only hope that accomplish what I have planned right now. My first goal is to attend college to earn my bachelor's in animal science. Next, I want to become a veterinarian. Becoming a veterinarian that is the career choice that I want to do. I want to help animals and provide care for them. While I earn my bachelor's, I still want to actively be involved in my community. As I am involved in a non-profit organization that promotes non-violence in my community. I want to continue to do that. I also want to open my own non-profit to help rescue animals in the future. I want to be able to help rescue animals off the street, get them help, and re-home them so that they can live out the rest of their lives. I not only plan on achieving my goals, but I will achieve my goals. I want to earn my DMV so that I can practice veterinarian medicine. I do have a lot of goals but that's not going to stop me from completing them.

My mother has always made sure that we have had animals all my life. Whether they are senior dogs or a puppy who was only born six weeks ago. I love all animals; cats, dogs, hamsters, cheetahs; etc. However, something about a loving companion as a dog brings joy to life. It's one of the reasons why I chose the career that I am pursuing right now. I have had well over 20+ dogs since I have been alive. Right now, we have three dogs and three cats. All of our animals are usually rescued. They come from people who can't care for their animals anymore, they were going to end up in a homeless shelter, or we rescue them off the street. We have only had two litters of puppies and we make sure that we give them away to loving homes. My mother nor I breed them on purpose because that is more than breeding animals. They are animals who have feelings. My first dog was a Boston terrier. He was the first dog that I had to care for and I loved him. He not only provided me with some of the best times and fun times he was there for me emotionally too. Dogs not only sense when you are upbeat and happy but they sense when you are down and in about. Dogs bring so much happiness to life and it's a relationship that everyone should experience at the same time. As far as that, dogs have influenced my career choice. I want to become a veterinarian. I have a three-legged animal. His name is Max and he is one of the sweetest animals ever. Even with three legs, he doesn't let that hinder him from participating with our other animals. When I had to care for him after his injury, it showed me that I enjoyed doing that. Making sure that his nub was healing and wasn't bleeding badly. I had to bottle feed him three times a day because he become the runt of the litter and most started to neglect him which was expected. Many thought he wasn't going to live because of what happened, but I ensured that he was taken care of. Dogs can be very impactful and you will never know it. Just having the privilege to care for the animals that I have has been such a grateful experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I wish that all people can experience something like having companionship with dogs as I have. I can only hope that when I become a veterinarian I can show everyone else too.

My mother has always made sure that we have had animals all my life. Whether they are senior dogs or a puppy who was only born six weeks ago. I love all animals; cats, dogs, hamsters, cheetahs; etc. However, something about a loving companion as a dog brings joy to life. It's one of the reasons why I chose the career that I am pursuing right now. I have had well over 20+ dogs since I have been alive. Right now, we have three dogs and three cats. All of our animals are usually rescued. They come from people who can't care for their animals anymore, they were going to end up in a homeless shelter, or we rescue them off the street. We have only had two litters of puppies and we make sure that we give them away to loving homes. My mother nor I breed them on purpose because that is more than breeding animals. They are animals who have feelings. My first dog was a Boston terrier. He was the first dog that I had to care for and I loved him. He not only provided me with some of the best times and fun times he was there for me emotionally too. Dogs not only sense when you are upbeat and happy but they sense when you are down and in about. Dogs bring so much happiness to life and it's a relationship that everyone should experience at the same time. As far as that, dogs have influenced my career choice. I want to become a veterinarian. I have a three-legged animal. His name is Max and he is one of the sweetest animals ever. Even with three legs, he doesn't let that hinder him from participating with our other animals. When I had to care for him after his injury, it showed me that I enjoyed doing that. Making sure that his nub was healing and wasn't bleeding badly. I had to bottle feed him three times a day because he become the runt of the litter and most started to neglect him which was expected. Many thought he wasn't going to live because of what happened, but I ensured that he was taken care of. Dogs can be very impactful and you will never know it. Just having the privilege to care for the animals that I have has been such a grateful experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I wish that all people can experience something like having companionship with dogs as I have. I can only hope that when I become a veterinarian I can show everyone else too.

When you listen to people, you learn things that you never did before. Actively listening is giving someone your undivided attention so that you can show that you care. For me, listening means you pay attention to the person and what they are talking about. I actively listen to those around me by paying attention to what they are talking about. It means that you can hold the conversation and basically repeat everything that they said. When I actively listen to someone, I want to be able to remember what I am talking about. I want to show that I can give you the attention that is needed. When you actively listen you can have so many different discussions that can lead to various topics. Even by the end of the conversation, you might have found some new things that could help you or that person. Actively listening can mean different for many people. You should always actively listen. You don't want to come across someone who doesn't care about that person.

Having empathy is being considerate of people's feelings. I think my mom has always taught me to treat people will love and care because you never know what they are going through. I like to know what people like and love so that I can show them love in the best way. First off, I make sure that people are in a loving space. Sometimes giving someone an ear can show that you care and love them. When it comes to my friends, we spend a lot of time talking and on the phone. We like to hang out and it shows our love for one another. For my family, when we have fun days and can relax around one another. Sometimes even when we spend time out of the house and together as a family is how I show them, my love. I make sure that they know I love and appreciate them for all the great things that they have brought to my life. Even just telling someone you love and appreciate them is more than enough. Empathy is showing that you care about that person. Sometimes you show love, care, and consideration to show that you have empathy for someone.

Life has many ups and downs. There are days when it feels like you can take on the world. Other days, there are days that you feel like you can't do anything and become overwhelmed. However, there is one thing that brings me more joy than ever. The passion I have for helping animals and being around family brings me joy. I have been around animals my entire life. When I feel that I am providing them a space to flourish and be themselves I feel more accomplished than anything. When I'm around them and playing with animals, it's probably the less stressful I feel than I have been during the day. I have rescued a done of animals in my life. When I rescue an animal I feel happier than anything. The thought that I am offering them a home where I can give them food, shelter, and love makes me happy. Also, spending time with family brings me joy. Family can bring joy to your life. Those days you might spend watching movies, watching tv shows, or going out and spending time. I tend to cherish those moments most because we don't get a lot of those. Joy brings happiness and pleasure to life. Being around animals and spending time with family brings me joy in life. I truly believe that life has given me a lot to be joyful for and I can't wait to see what brings me joy in the next few years.

Life is something we all live for. However, it's more or so what do we do with the life that we can make mean something. We all have a short time here on earth. I truly believe that the meaning of life is that we live life to its full potential. Every day someone dies. Whether they be older people in the 70s or fairly newborns who will never get to experience it, someone always dies. We never know when our day comes. I always try to live every day that it's my last. People die with regrets about not doing the things that they wished they did. I don't want to grow up regretting the decisions and life choices that I made. Life is something not everyone get's to experience. However, when you do have the chance to experience life, live it to the fullest. Make sure you use it every day and the time that you get to its full potential.

In the future, I only hope that accomplish what I have planned right now. My first goal is to attend college to earn my bachelor's in animal science. Next, I want to become a veterinarian. Becoming a veterinarian that is the career choice that I want to do. I want to help animals and provide care for them. While I earn my bachelor's, I still want to actively be involved in my community. As I am involved in a non-profit organization that promotes non-violence in my community. I want to continue to do that. I also want to open my own non-profit to help rescue animals in the future. I want to be able to help rescue animals off the street, get them help, and re-home them so that they can live out the rest of their lives. I plan to achieve success by working hard and now giving up. The career I chose is hard. My goals for the future are very long. Just because they are future goals doesn't mean that I don't have to work for them now.

Time passes people by. History has a lot of things that you can learn from it. Whether it be the big event or a small event, everything is history. What people tend to forget is the people who were part of history. I have many figures who I admire for different reasons. However, it's one woman that I admire because of her great deal for standing up for what she believed in. Shirley Chisholm is a woman who I admire from history. Shirley Chisholm was the first African American to run for the democratic party nomination for president. She was also the first woman to run for the nomination in the parties history. Even during the time when she did that women were still not considering for major roles because many people being a president was consider a man's job. She didn't believe that. Chisholm also promoted women voting in the elections because she believed that they were a important part of how America was built. Shirley Chisholm was also a activist for women's right and African American right's. She support the Roe vs. Wade. She also support African Americans receiving the same education as all other races. Chishol was also apart of the NAACP which support African Americans voting rights and their civil rights. Shirley Chisholm did a lot during her lifetime. She support and stood for everything she believed in. As I hope that not only will stand for everything I believe in but also have the support of many other's as she did. Chisholm didn't let any outside factors stop her from doing what she thought was right. I hope that I can also do the same.

I see many people who struggle just to make ends meet. I have even gone through a time in my life when my mom struggled to make ends meet. I can say that is one of the main motivations why I want to succeed in life. I also see adults who regret not choosing their dream careers and life paths because something was holding them back. That's another motivation of mine. Being fueled by just my surroundings is what affects me daily. I want to make my dreams come true. I use my surroundings to motivate me. I see people who wished that they did chase their dreams. They wished that they made different decisions. People tell me every day to make the right choices in life so that I can make my dreams a reality. My mom is also a motivation for me. She wants me to do better in life than she did. She supports everything that I do no matter what it is. I hope that I can make the people who motivate me proud.

I remember during one summer in elementary most like third grade. My mom didn't have a lot of money. Considering she was the main caretaker during the summer she really couldn't work unless she had someone to watch my brother and me. We use to go to this local church that would be over the bridge. They always had lunch sacks that they provide to the community since it was a community of poverty. Another time, I remember going to the local family and there was a homeless man. He asked my mom for money. She doesn't carry cash, however, she did offer to buy him anything he needed out of the store. I grew up in a way, where I was always taught to give back when I can. You never know what someone is going through. A lot of people don't reach out when they need things, especially things they need to survive like food because they were embarrassed. Every year that we have a can food drive, I always donate. This year we had a donation drive for the local homeless shelter and I donated many things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotions, etc. Most people donate for recognition, but because I was taught that you should. In a way, I learned to appreciate the things that I have because not everyone has the things that I have. I will continue to give back and give my time when I can because knowing that I help people is something that I will forever be grateful for.

Adversity comes in many different shapes and forms. It can come from friends and family or even sometimes from people you never know. Life is adversity in itself. The number of problems and obstacles that you have faced and will most likely face in the future can determine and shape who you are. Every year of high school I have faced adversity. It would be my senior year. Being back in school after a pandemic and adjusting to the way things are now. I didn't know how much hard work went into doing scholarships and college applications and determining which college you want to go to. Not even including personal life issues like mental health or physical health. I think losing a physical year of high school can affect the way you see things. The consistent missing school, because I couldn't get my health under control or having to sit in the nurse's office for 15-20 minutes 3 days out of the week, was not something that I planned to go through. The pandemic and the school year that I lost showed me to appreciate the time that I have and the things that I have. It has also shown me that during a time of need where everyone was struggling that giving back was key for everyone to make it through those two years. I only hope that I will be able to give back to the community. I want to provide resources to those lower-income families and hopefully help them. I also want to inspire other children to chase their dreams and aspirations so that they can be happy in life with the decisions that they have made. All my dreams are coming true regardless of the adversity that I have faced and will face in the future.

In the future, I only hope that accomplish what I have planned right now. My first goal is to attend college to earn my bachelor's in animal science. Next, I want to become a veterinarian. Becoming a veterinarian that is the career choice that I want to do. I want to help animals and provide care for them. While I earn my bachelor's, I still want to actively be involved in my community. As I am involved in a non-profit organization that promotes non-violence in my community. I want to continue to do that. I also want to open my own non-profit to help rescue animals in the future. I want to be able to help rescue animals off the street, get them help, and re-home them so that they can live out the rest of their lives. I not only plan on achieving my goals, but I will achieve my goals. I want to earn my DMV so that I can practice veterinarian medicine. I do have a lot of goals but that's not going to stop me from completing them.

Love is an emotion that is indescribable. Everyone feels and witnesses love differently. I think my mom has always taught me to treat people will love and care because you never know what they are going through. I like to know what people like and love so that I can show them love in the best way. First off, I make sure that people are in a loving space. Sometimes giving someone an ear can show that you care and love them. When it comes to my friends, we spend a lot of time talking and on the phone. We like to hang out and it shows our love for one another. For my family, when we have fun days and can relax around one another. Sometimes even when we spend time out of the house and together as a family is how I show them, my love. I make sure that they know I love and appreciate them for all the great things that they have brought to my life. Even just telling someone you love and appreciate them is more than enough. Love is a language. It's different for every person. I make sure that I show my love through my words and actions. It's true when they say actions speak louder than words. I will forever show my love for the people who love me.

Life has many ups and downs. There are days when it feels like you can take on the world. Other days, there are days that you feel like you can't do anything and become overwhelmed. I think life has brought me a lot of happiness. However, there is one thing that brings me more happiness than ever. The passion I have for helping and being around animals brings me happiness. I have been around animals my entire life. When I feel that I am providing them a space to flourish and be themselves I feel more accomplished than anything. When I'm around them and playing with animals, it's probably the less stressful I feel than I have been during the day. I have rescued a done of animals in my life. When I rescue an animal I feel happier than anything. The thought that I am offering them a home where I can give them food, shelter, and love makes me happy. It's one of the main reasons I choose the career that I did. I want to be able to help as many animals as I can. If it wasn't for my mom I doubt I would even know how to interact with animals. It goes to show even the fur companions can bring you happiness.

I have read a lot of books in my lifetime. Some books were so amazing that when they ended I would read them all over again. Other books that I have read didn't really resonate with me and I have forgotten about them. I would say one of the most inspiring books that I have read would've been the Hunger games. When you look at the series as a whole you see how Katniss (main character) fights back against a government that isn't for the better of people. She fought for what she believed in. She didn't stop even when women weren't really considered an important part of society. She didn't stop even when the government was trying to silence her. I think for me why I see it as one of my favorite books. Just see as a female main character someone who is trying to make life better in a dystopian based life. It all goes to show that she only wanted to show how females can be seen as something different and not just problematic. She just wanted better for her life and family and would've done anything.

Friendship is something that you will develop in your life. I have been very grateful to have developed friendships in every year of my life. I am more than grateful for all the friends that I have made. Friendship means the world to me. I have made have taught me everything in life. Friends have offered me advice that has helped me during the hardest time of my life. My friends have always been a shoulder to cry on. They have offered me the greatest times of my life. I think what people don't tell you is that friendships can be something good. I have had friends for five-plus years. Even when I switched schools, I made friendships that I can see lasting a lifetime. It goes to say that I hold friendships to a great level in my life. I couldn't see myself without friendship. Friendship is just like having a family that isn't related to you. I will forever be happy for the friendships that I have received.

Self-care has been mainstream since the start of the pandemic. Many people used that time to make difference in their lifestyles for the better. I learned what self-care truly is. Self-care is different for everyone. For me, every school break the day before I practice self-care. First, I try not to do any school work after 5 pm on Sunday. I think going to school with a fresh relaxed mind is the best way you will start your day off. You won't feel as stressed and the work will always be there. Secondly, I do a face mask and I drink water for the rest of the day. Water is hydrating and it makes you feel better overall. Lastly, I watch some movies because I find that if you find a movie to watch, you will sit for a while. I think for me setting boundaries between home life and work/school life is important. If you take those pressures going into the following day you won't be as productive because you have a lot on your mind. It has made me more productive than ever. Self-care will always be one of my essentials.

During your senior year of high school, there are a lot of tasks that you need to complete before you graduate. You may need to take the ACT/SAT, take the test to get into the military, apply for your dream colleges, and even may need to decide where you want to be before you walk across that stage. This all goes to say that you spent the last 12-13 years getting your education for a future that is bright and has success written for you. No one has said that the last 12-13 years were easy. It was probably some of the hardest years because those have been the development years and your foundation. We are in a time where getting further education after high school is expected by many. Now, you don't need to have a college degree to have a successful life, however, you should look at it because many jobs do require that you have some type of college experience. For me, my mom has always stressed the importance of trying your best in school because that can affect your path in the future. It can be the determining factor whether you get those full rides and that money that can help you pay for college. You never know where your future can take you. It's always best to be prepared and education and knowing how much work you need to put into something that you are passionate about can benefit you. I have many goals that I want to accomplish in my post-high school life and that involves receiving higher education. I want to become a veterinarian. I need to receive my bachelor's and doctorate so that I can make my dreams come true. The knowledge that you receive in college can help you in your career and life. College in general prepares for those hard times in life and how they can be very difficult how life is. The amount of work you put in, those teachers who push you past the limits that you have stayed at for so long, and the clubs and organizations that you join can shape you as a person. That goes to say that higher education can be beneficial for anyone. Yes, you don't need it to be successful. You should want to experience that part in life where you have a stepping stone to experience everything you need to do.

I see many people who struggle just to make ends meet. I have even gone through a time in my life when my mom struggled to make ends meet. I can say that is one of the main motivations why I want to succeed in life. I also see adults who regret not choosing their dream careers and life paths because something was holding them back. That's another motivation of mine. Being motivated by just my surroundings is what affects me daily. I want to make my dreams come true. I use my surroundings to motivate me. I see people who wished that they did chase their dreams. They wished that they made different decisions. People tell me every day to make the right choices in life so that I can make my dreams a reality. My mom is also a motivation for me. She wants me to do better in life than she did. She supports everything that I do no matter what it is. I hope that I can make the people who motivate me proud.

Education has always been a huge part of my life. It has always been instilled into me that having an education is the key to making it something big in life. Now, that isn't as true anymore that having a higher education isn't important to have to succeed in life, however, it's still recommended depending on the career you might want to go into. I want to become a Veterinarian. That is my career, life, and education goal. By becoming a Veterinarian, I get to care for all the animals that people bring to me. For life, well that has been my main goal since 10th grade when I decided on my career. It's also my education goal because I would have to attend Veterinary school. This means that I would be a doctor of veterinarian medicine. I never thought I would become a doctor, but if that's what it takes I will do it. My mom has always wanted us to be around animals. She believes not only does it teaches responsibility but also you develop this bond with your animals. It's a loving bond and you learn how to care for animals. It's one of the reasons why I chose the field that I chose. I want to bring light to everything that happens behind the scenes. It's a lot of things people don't know what happens and they have their beliefs. I want to bring awareness to the number of strays that are everywhere. The trap, neuter, release program isn't promoted enough and it's why we have so many animals in the bigger city. Then, we have so many animals being dumped on the street or left in animal shelters and there aren't enough resources going around to care for them. I want to be impactful in my career and sometimes all you have to do is bring awareness and light to the situation. I hope that I can be that person who does bring awareness. I hope the vision that I will promote in the future is taken seriously. The journey I am taking, I want to be a positive journey. I believe people just don't care about these issues because it doesn't affect them directly. However, the number of strays we have and the fact that animal shelters are being overwhelmed and don't have the resources to care for these animals are concerning. If we were to get people to see the real truth, then I think this will help in the long run.

Valuable is something you can't put a price tag on. I know to myself that I am valuable because I bring so much to the people around me and myself. I truly believe that when I learned that I could be helpful to people when it comes to talking out their issues, I found that more valuable than anything. I wouldn't call myself a therapist or anything, it's just people find me easier to confide in and ask for my opinion on the situation. As I try to offer my best advice when asked, I think when people confide in you, that means they're comfortable. I want people to feel like they can relax and bring me any of their issues so that they can find a solution to them. Sometimes just talking out the situation can bring people clarification they didn't know they needed. Even though it doesn't seem like the most valuable thing someone could have, I'm pretty sure that it probably makes people feel better. Considering mental health is a worldwide issue, sometimes just releasing all of that makes you feel better. I'm glad that people feel like they can ask for help from me and that I offer it.

Being impactful can mean many different things. I hope that I do truly be impactful for all the right reasons. As I have strived to be impactful in my community, I want to be impactful in the world as well. I want to show people the different side of my career choice which is veterinarian medicine. Many people believe that you aren't a real doctor because you operate and care for animals and not people. Which in reality isn't true. I want to show people that you can be a doctor in anything. I hope that I aspire to those little children who are scared to be proud of what they love because of all those stereotypes in the career they picked. When I did pick Veterinarian medicine many people weren't as excited that I had picked that. I took it as that it wasn't a good career but in reality, it didn't matter to me because it was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I want to show everyone you shouldn't stop chasing your dreams because other people aren't rallying behind you. Being impactful can mean so many different things. Just sometimes being there is impactful. I hope that everyone can use my life and the choices that I made to continue to chase their dreams.

I have been very grateful for the life I have been given. However, I won't say that it hasn't been the hardest. I see the people who have done well in life. I see the people who struggle day to day in life. I have many hopes for the future that I hope that I can see in my lifetime. Poverty is what my life has been mostly. Going day to day not having all those cool things that the other kids had. Not going on vacations during school breaks because we couldn't afford it. Not being able to participate in some of the school events because we couldn't afford it. Avoiding everything that would cost money because we couldn't afford it. I hope in my future that I achieve everything that I said I was going to do. I hope that I do become the doctor that I dreamed of. I hope that I do open my clinic like I believe I can. I hope that soon people won't have to continue to live in poverty. These are all my hopes and dreams for the future. I truly believe that they will come true because we need people to come together. When people come together many great things happen and that's all we need.

Mental health is such an important key to living a healthy life. Your mental health is what helps you function from day to day life. I learned why my mental health was so important. Especially during high school which is such an important time in life, which can affect your mental health. During my sophomore year of high school, my mental health did take a hit. Not only it was my first time participating in varsity sports but it was my first time taking advanced and advanced placement classes. I remember staying up to 11 or midnight so that I could get my school work done. I was doing terrible in my harder classes because I didn't know what I was doing. It did start to affect my mental health to the point where I didn't care about the grades that I had gotten. I had used the summer before my junior year to learn more about myself. I learned how to relax. I had gone back to reading books. I learned how to crochet. I wanted to learn how to bake and try different foods. I found different ways to relax and release steam so that my mental health was at a healthy level. I learned that it's okay to decompress because the work will always be there.

My family has been forever impacted by the amount of gun violence that has gone on in my community. Every day we hear about a teenager who has died because of gun violence. Many of those teenagers are young males who are doing great things in life and who had plans beyond high school. One of those young males just happened to be my stepfather's cousin. He made it to see his 18th birthday. He had just graduated from high school. It's something that not all teenagers get to see. He lost his life on July 9th, 2015. His best friend had taken his life just to join a local gang because that's what's considered cool. Many believe that he did do it out of jealousy. However, it impacted our entire family life. We could see the trend in the deaths of young males. This shows that you can be an upstanding person in your community and still have your life taken from you without even doing anything. In his memory, we created an anti-violence organization. It was to promote non-violence amongst the community. We truly believed that young adults felt that they couldn't make it out of Little Rock. We believed that peer pressure made them choose those decisions that would affect their life without thinking of the consequences. We also wanted to provide help to our community since it was low-income. We have done fundraisers, secret Santa, Easter egg hunt, and the Christmas parade every year. It's also why I have been more involved with my community and want to help them as long as I can. Just seeing people who have made it out of low-income neighborhoods or in a community that has a lot of violence. I want to be someone who people can look up to. I want to help as many people as I can. It's one of the reasons why I keep pressing on. I know that I can give up because of just being able to say that I did that or is the reason why children want to help or get involved in their community. My motivation to keep pressing on is to show that even if you have been directly or even indirectly affected by gun violence that it shouldn't stop you from being involved in your community. It should make you want to be more involved so that you can promote non-violence. It also makes me want to achieve my dreams because not everyone gets to achieve the dreams that they want because their life was cut short.

As a black woman in America, there are already obstacles that you will have to face. I will face racism, sexism, and people unsure if I am even qualified to be in the career that I chose. Being in the Veterinarian field is mostly male-dominated. Yes, there are women but the amount is so small, that I probably won't see man black women in this career as it is. It shows that not only do I have to overcome the stigmatism that comes with the field, but also proving that I deserve to be there. Now, I'm going into a field where I won't see people of the same color and I will have to show everyone else that I can do it. I will have to work harder to gain the respect of all those people who don't want to see me win in this career. In general, this field is so much harder than some fields that not many people make it through the entire schooling. Even then, STEM fields are not the easiest fields that you can choose. It's all about putting the extra work in. Medicine in general is such a hard field. You have to remember all those diagnoses/illnesses. You have to make sure that you word everything correctly so that people don't get confused. You have to make sure that you prescribe the correct medicine or the animal might get worse. Some people are scared of the STEM field and it stems from the education you receive before college. I can attest to the fact that my science nor math classes were the easiest classes. It was mainly because it was harder than what people tell you. I want to make a positive view of STEM classes and show that they aren't hard. They just require more work ethic and sometimes more extra time spent on that work. I only wished that I have people to make a positive impact on my view in some of the science classes that I had. This all goes to show that the STEM field has been presented as a field that is extremely hard and not many people succeed in this field. I do believe when people are taught to love science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that they will succeed in that area. I never shyed away from that and I only want to show everyone else how beneficial the STEM field can be.

In the future, I only hope that accomplish what I have planned right now. My first goal is to attend college to earn my bachelor's for animal science. Next, I want to become a veterinarian. Becoming a veterinarian that is the career choice that I want to do. I want to help animals and provide care for them. While I earn my bachelor's, I still want to actively be involve in my community. As I am involve in a non- profit organization that promotes non-violence in my community. I want to continue to do that. I also want to open my own non-profit to help rescue animals in the future. I want to be able to help rescue animals off the street, get them help, and re-home them so that they can live out the rest of their lives. I not only plan on achieving my goals, but I will achieve my goals. I want to earn my DMV so that I can practice veterinarian medicine. I do have a lot of goals but that's not going to stop me from completing them.

One day in the future, our time on this earth will be over. We never know when our time will come, however, everyone's day will come. Many people leave legacies. Whether it be their family, business, or even a simple impact on their community. I hope that I leave a legacy that has a lasting impact on my community once I leave for my dream job. I want to leave a legacy that people can remember and look towards for good influence. Every day, we come across people and leave the first impression. I want my legacy to be the first impression. I want my legacy to be that I didn't stop at the obstacle and I accomplished everything I said that I was going to. I want to own my own business. I want to give back to the community so that they can have the resources to succeed in life. I want people to see that you shouldn't let something you didn't do good at stopping them. Having such a great influence on the community is what I want. Not a lot of low-income communities have local heroes that can look up to. I don't want to necessarily. I want to be someone who can see all the things I did, even when it did get hard. Sometimes, just being a part of a community is your legacy. I want it to be something that is memorable and greatly influences the next generations.

Summer of 2020 we saw one of the biggest social justice and equality movements since the civil rights movement. It was a moment in time. Being a person of color, there will forever be obstacles and injustices against me because of the color of my skin. Equality and diversity are not something that people of color have to continually have to fight for, especially in 2022. Equality is needed because the world of labor and work is not an equal playing field. Considering that there are still biases toward BIPOC and women to this day is concerning. History will continue to repeat itself until we as people try to fix the problems that we have caused. I support equality and diversity. I want to walk into a place where women nor African Americans are getting stares because it's not seen as something every day. Going into a male-dominated field like I am, I know I will get stares. However, I will get stared at because I am an African American woman, not because I am just a woman. People avoid fields because of the stereotypes that have been placed on them and against them. Equality isn't something that is still being asked for nor should be diversity. I will fight so that people can share the same space with minorities and feel comfortable. Diversity and equality are things that will continually need fight for and I will do it.

Simple pleasures in life can range from various things. Going on walks or just cooking a new meal you have never tried out, can be the simple pleasures that bring happiness. I grew up where technology was just starting to become a big thing in society and I never really relied on technology to bring me joy. Every year, during winter break, my mom would organize activities for my brother and me to do. We would play board games, make smores, watch movies by the fireplace, or even go out during those cold days to visit family. I believe that the simple pleasure for me was spending time with my family. As I got older, I understood that every day is not promised, especially when family members would pass. I started to treasure the time that I got to spend with those family members and friends. Just the joy and memories that I have from the winter breaks, even summer breaks make me miss those days. Most people as they get older, don't spend time with their family. I try to spend more time with family because you never know when it's going to be the last time that you see those family members.

I remember during one summer in elementary most like third grade. My mom didn't have a lot of money. Considering she was the main caretaker during the summer she really couldn't work unless she had someone to watch my brother and me. We use to go to this local church that would be over the bridge. They always had lunch sacks that they provide to the community since it was a community of poverty. Another time, I remember going to the local family and there was a homeless man. He asked my mom for money. She doesn't carry cash, however, she did offer to buy him anything he needed out of the store. I grew up in a way, where I was always taught to give back when I can. You never know what someone is going through. A lot of people don't reach out when they need things, especially things they need to survive like food because they were embarrassed. Every year that we have a can food drive, I always donate. This year we had a donation drive for the local homeless shelter and I donated many things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotions, etc. Most people donate for recognition, but because I was taught that you should. In a way, I learned to appreciate the things that I have because not everyone has the things that I have. I will continue to give back and give my time when I can because knowing that I help people is something that I will forever be grateful for.

Having a positive impact on someone or something of topic can greatly affect how it turns out. That says that everyone should want to have a positive impact on things that they can't control. I want to leave a legacy that other people can know and use to their advantage. Participating in a non-profit organization since I was 12 or 13, showed me that being positively impactful can affect someone else's life. I want to show people that hard work isn't something you should be afraid of. That when things get hard, which life is in general that it's okay to find a balance between the two. I also want to leave a positive impact on the communities where I grew up. Being involved in your community shows you all those things that can be fixed and all those things that are good. Since volunteering in a non-profit organization I got to see the influence that violence had on pre-teens and teens. I was involved in mentoring and tutoring children who did struggle at school. I was happy that I was able to help them, especially in a community that had significant violence. Being apart of that organization, I left a legacy and hope behind. That there is always something positive in life, even when it's hard. I only to hope to continue to do that in the future.

People dream of the things that they want for themselves when they grow up. Some people dream of being famous or having a ton of money. Others dream of living that secluded life and staying on a farm. For me, my dream life looks like not having to struggle in day-to-day life. I want my dream job and my dream home. I want to be able to afford all those things that I couldn't afford. I want to be able to give my mom the things that she wished she could've done for me. I want to also give back to the community. If it something that I can do I want to do it. Becoming a veterinarian is my dream job. Being able to help animals because it's a lot of people who don't have the monetary funds nor know how to properly care for their animals. I want to be able to provide that information and help them. Seeing that my dream is closer than every has continue to push me to continue to give my best foot forward. Living my dreams is something that I want to do. Not everyone is able to do everything that they dream of. For me being able to even have the opportunity, makes me overall grateful.

The United States has one of the most debt to ratio income in the world. Considering when you graduate from high school, you are expected to pay to further your education. This can come in scholarships or the least desired loans. Then if you want to buy a home you have to pay for it. You can use the money you already saved or the least desired, loans. Next, if you want to buy a car you can pay out of pocket or the least desired loans. As you can see in the world at least in the United States, you nearly have to take loans out wherever you go. I believe that the one personal finance lesson that I learned would be, don't take out loans when you don't have to. There are so many ways that taking out loans can affect you. They can affect your credit. When you don't read your contract, they are going to charge you interest every year that your loan isn't paid off. Especially for college, you have a month to find a job then they will start charging interest on your loans. There are so many things that can go wrong, in some instances it's best not to take out any loans. However, if you do need to take a loan out make sure it's minimal. If you can start paying it back as soon as possible. That's less stress and also you might not even have interest if you start paying it back as soon as possible. When you do pay, your credit boost and that can help you in the long run.

Seeking higher education in the United States is never easy. The amount of money and time that you have to put into receiving an undergraduate degree can seem not worth the hassle to a lot of people. However, you do at one point and time have to realize that some people just can't afford to go to college. You also at one point have to realize that not everyone has a support system and no matter how much they want to attend college it's just not possible. Growing up in a low-income household you are told that the only way to succeed and make something of yourself is to get good grades and go to college. They don't tell you though as you get older how much it's going to cost or the things that are important to know. That you need extracurriculars, high ACT scores, recommendation letters, or scholarships. These are the things that I wish I knew before I started to apply to college. They would have been extremely helpful in helping me pick the right college and choice for me. With the mother putting one child through college this year and having to put two kids through college 2023-2024 school year the money is going to add up. I will have to look for more scholarships and places that will help pay for college. I have applied to over 20 scholarships since I started applying for college last August. Once you look at the all-over amount of how much it's going to cost, you realize that you are going to need money. Even though some of the bigger scholarships that I applied to such as Coca-Cola or the Gates scholarship didn't accept me, I didn't let that stop me from applying to scholarships. Sometime during my college duration, I do plan on working. If I do get work-study I will also do work-study. If I don't get work-study, I will look for a part-time job nearby campus or on my college choice. That way I can alleviate the pressure of money and not have to stress my mom out as much. I do also plan on working during the summer so that I can have more money saved up so I don't have to rush to find a job either. It's all about the preparation and understanding of how to navigate it. These is just some of the things that I plan to do to avoid college debt.

Adversity comes in many different shapes and forms. It can come from friends and family or even sometimes from people you never know. Life is adversity in itself. The number of problems and obstacles that you have faced and will most likely face in the future can determine and shape who you are. Every year of high school I have faced adversity. You would think being a junior in high school during a pandemic would be my hardest time facing adversity. It would be my senior year. Being back in school after a pandemic and adjusting to the way things are now. I didn't know how much hard work went into doing scholarships and college applications and determining which college you want to go to. I didn't think it would be this hard but life has a way of humbling even the most unknowledgeable people. Not even including personal life issues like mental health or physical health. It has been a more difficult year for me since my sophomore year. I think losing a physical year of high school can affect the way you see things. The most challenging part for me would have been my physical health. Having chronic illnesses isn't fun especially when you're asthmatic. The consistent missing school, because I couldn't get my health under control or having to sit in the nurse's office for 15-20 minutes 3 days out of the week, was not something that I planned to go through. You never plan for obstacles and that's what happened to me. However, my high school years were not something I expected because of going through a pandemic during the most important time of my life. It can make it harder for you to see a purpose considering everything that is happening in your surroundings. The pandemic and the school year that I lost showed me to appreciate the time that I have and the things that I have. It has also shown me that during a time of need where everyone was struggling that giving back was key for everyone to make it through those two years. I only hope that I will be able to give back to the community. I want to provide resources to those lower-income families and hopefully help them. I also want to inspire other children to chase their dreams and aspirations so that they can be happy in life with the decisions that they have made. All my dreams are coming true regardless of the adversity that I have faced and will face in the future.

There are some issues that BIPOC have in the United States and really around the world. Whether they be political issues or racial issues sometimes those issues are very drastic for some. Considering how in America we have issues for our own born citizens. I would like to bring to light the number of resources that low-income communities do not have and how it can affect the development of young children and how it affects their adult life. In Arkansas, we are already considered a poor state meaning that the cost of living is relatively cheaper than our neighbors. Now when you get to poor neighborhoods you see torn houses, grocery stores that aren't up to quality, schools not having enough books or materials to go around, and even extreme rates of violence. When you look at the now adults they can tell you how they would have tons of shootings and that they would have to make $100 work for two weeks. They can also tell you how that they would be 6 people in a 3 bedroom home with only 2 bathrooms. It's more to state but those are just some of the issues that people who grew up in the 80s and 90s face. Children are heavily influenced by their surroundings. As a child, your brain has the thirst for knowledge and learning how to survive day-to-day life. Children only copy what they see. So, if they see someone who is struggling every day they will most likely grow up with not being able to correct balance money. If they see violence (drug dealings, shootings, etc.) they are most likely to copy what they see because that's all they know. When you look at higher-end neighborhoods where they have all the resources plus more to give to their families and families to come, you see how much better off that they are. They have more of a chance succeeding and being successful in life than those in low-income neighborhoods. When you feel like that you have all the necessary elements to succeed then you wouldn't doubt your abilities to do it. When people tell you that your going to stuck in a place you tend to believe them because you haven't seen anything different with your own eyes. I think it's about time that people realized all the things wrong in low-income communities and provide those resources so that they can succeed and chase their dreams just like those in high end communities.

Before you are born, there is a life that waits for you. Now many believe that your path is already pre-determined and that no matter the choices you make some things that you come across are already set in stone. Growing up in low-income neighborhoods and even some middle-class neighborhoods shows you those things that you wish for. After my mom was the sole provider for my brother and me she worked hard for those things that she earned. Even after her mother was diagnosed with ALS, my mother had to care for her for three years. Life has shown me, that no matter how successful you are those obstacles are unpredictable. Life is unpredictable. You can't account for those things you have not experienced and never will be. It's all how you decide to control the narrative and take charge of your situation. Good or bad life will continue to go on. Time stops for no one and you shouldn't either. Life has prepared me for success by giving me those experiences of hardship so when (if) I come across these I can be as prepared as I can. My definition of success reaching a point in your personal and career life where you are happy with where you are. Meaning that success shouldn't be defined by anyone else but you. If you are happy with your career choice, doesn't that mean you have succeeded and feel content? If your personal is where you dream from the past, doesn't that mean you accomplished what you wanted for your personal life? That all goes to show that success is different for everyone. For me, I want to become a veterinarian and open my clinic to partner with animal rescues so that I can help with all those animals that they rescue. When I accomplish that, I will feel that I succeeded in doing what 17 year old me dreamed of. In 20 years, I will be 47 which is crazy to think about. I hope to see that I did indeed get my DMV certification. I hope that I would have a family of my own. That I have opened my clinic and have helped animal organizations. Life can be amazing. You are here in a time when things are different from the year before. I just hope that not only that I received my DMV but that I also achieved everything that I wanted.

Hope is what gives humanity a chance to dream for better things. Growing up in Little Rock, you see all the violence and poverty that people go through in general and it can break your heart that those people didn't have the resources nor hope to dream of doing something better. Whether it be getting a high school diploma or applying for that better job. There are many things that give me hope that the future will be better and that humans will develop more compassion for those less fortunate. The main things that gives me hope is my generation. The generation with the first time every advanced technology and history. We as people are known to repeat history even if it's not intend that we do. If we learn from our past mistakes we can make those necessary changes where we wouldn't repeat history. It's more of a matter if we want change and how we can bring it about. My generation has the resources to develop our own political opinions, our own agenda, our own way of life, and our own opinions of how we can help the world. There are a lot of things that we need to consider as far as making sure that the world is a suitable place for many years to come, even after we are gone. Change is necessary if you want a better future and I believe that my generation has the tools that are necessary and can benefit our future. The goal in life has always been to become better than you were before. Whether it be for a job or a new environment, you want to be able to progress better as a person. If you are only here for a short while. My generation has the keys where we can make the world a better place. We have the hope and dreams that other generations didn't have. We have the willing to accept people for who they are and without judgment. Even in the greater circumstances, hope can help change the world.

During your senior year of high school, there are a lot of tasks that you need to complete before you graduate. You may need to take the ACT/SAT, take the test to get into the military, apply for your dream colleges, and even may need to decide where you want to be at before you walk across that stage. This all goes to say that you spent the last 12-13 years getting your education for a future that is bright and has success written for you. No one has said that the last 12-13 years was easy. It was probably some of the most hard years because those have been the development years and your foundation. We are in a time where getting further education after high school is expected by many. Now, you don't need to have a college degree to have a success live, however it's best that you look at it because many jobs do require that you have some type of college experience. For me, my mom has always stressed the importance of trying your best in school because that can affect your path in the future. It can be the determining factor whether you get those full rides and that money that can help you pay for college. You never know where your future can take you. It's always best to be prepared and with education and knowing how much work you need to put into something that your passionate about can benefit you. I have many goals that I want to accomplish in my post high school life and that involves receiving higher education. I want to become a veterinarian. I need to receive my bachelor's and doctorate so that I can make my dreams come true. The knowledge that you receive in college can help you in your career and life. College in general prepares for those hard times in life and how it can be very difficult how life is. The amount of work you put in, those teachers who push you past the limits that you have stayed at for so long, the clubs and organizations that you join can shape you as a person. That goes to say that higher education can be beneficial for anyone. Yes, you don't need it to be successful. You should want to experience that part in life where you really have a stepping stone to experience everything you need to do.

Growing up in poverty, there are things that you yearn for and dream of. I never knew what I wanted to do, especially a such a young age. All you see are famous people on tv living the dreams of 90% of Americans. Around 4th or 5th grade, I saw the movie dolphin tale. The way that the people were able to help Winter have a chance to live struck something in me that I never considered that I would do when it was time to head into the next chapter in life. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to involved with working with animals and providing them with a better life. Once you have animals of your own, you realize how short they are here with you. Their body ages so fast, before you know it they are senior animals. I have grown up with animals all round me. I never take for granted the times that I have with them because it's only one of them. I never will get to experience that specific personality every again. However, growing up we didn't have money for veterinarian trips because they are expensive if you don't have the funds to spare. Considering I did grow up low-income and some days there was barely enough money for us. I want to be able to help animals in ways that I wish I could've helped mine. I want to become a Veterinarian and using my knowledge to help them. I want to open my own clinic so that I can partner with rescue organizations and give them a discounted price so that they can afford to help the animals that they rescue from unfortunate situations. I also want to give back to my community in different ways. I want to encourage kids that were in my same position to chase their dreams no matter how far they seem. I want to give low-income communities a chance to help their companion so that they can live a long healthy animal life. Most books that I have read have some end goal to them. Whether that be fantasy to non-fiction. That they accomplished there present goal. It could be trying to make a sandwich to fighting the big bad monster at the end. It was that they didn't let the obstacles keep them from trying to accomplish there goal. That's what I want to do. I don't want to let my childhood obstacles block me in my adulthood.

Deciding in high school on your career that you want to do for your working life is not an easy decision. This decision can affect you and your future. The STEM field is not a easy field. Once you include the amount of time and work that you need to put in, it's something you really have to love and what to do. For me, deciding on the STEM field never occurred to me until my 9th grade. I loved learning about math and science and still do. My favorite class was Algebra 1 and biology mainly because of all those equations and cells you get to learn. That is what solidified my choice in being in the STEM field. Since 9th grade, I have took physical science, grade level biology and chemistry. I have took advanced placement biology, chemistry, and psychology. I also have took human behaviors and disorders. Taking a science every year for me is something that I wanted to do. Even though advance placement courses aren't necessary, the fact that I want the extra knowledge of the STEM field is more than enough for me. All these classes line of with the fact that not only the field I choose will deal with humans but animals as well. I want to purse Veterinarian medicine. Yes, that type of field is not a easy field. I have always had a love for animals and it's something that I enjoy. Even right now, I have animals all around me and being able to provide them with the things that they need and help is something that I truly love doing. When you account into all the science and math that you need to do, for me that brings me joy. I love learning about how this chemical might react to this chemical; or how this equation you have to do five different steps to get to that answer. I want to use my career to promote STEM to younger children who were (are) just like me. For me growing up, not having a parent who was good at science and math was very hard. I had to learn to get together with other people and learn those things that might help me pass the class. I want to show that even thought this is a hard field, you can do it. Especially, if you dream of it. I also want to give back to my community. I want to provide veterinarian services to be more affordable in low and middle income areas. I want to provide more ways that you can take care of your animal even if you can't afford a veterinarian visit. There are so many more things that I want to do with my careers especially being in the STEM field. Just being able to promote it and show that it's possible is more than enough for me.

Growing up, I use to hate science classes and struggled in math. I was an avid reader and love to learn new words. In middle school, I was asked to determine what kind of field or career that I wanted to do. I didn't really know but the movie Dolphin Tale and how all those people helped Willow and created her a tale it basically started the path of where I want to go some day. I always loved animals. Especially growing up there has never been a year that we haven't had a dog and recently we introduced cats into our home. I have had 17 dogs at once mainly because our dog was carrying a litter. We always tried to rescue dogs and take dogs that were going to be surrender to a shelter for a loving home. I enjoyed taking care of our animals, bottle feeding, potty training, and just overall caring for them. I knew then my career would be in an animal-based field. Veterinarians are basically animal doctors. You care for various different animals, do animal surgeries, prescribe medication, and spend your entire day with animals. I find that my passion about animals are very deep. The connections you can have with a animal are so different. They rely on you to care for them and show them affection. Even in those down days, your animal or companion can become your rock. Just giving them a loving home and showing people that not all animal breeds are "bad" because there is no such thing as a bad animal. Being passionate about something is basically showing that you have strong feelings and care for what you are doing. I want to be able to give back to our community. Veterinarian visit can be very expensive and I want to provide help for more affordable prices. I want to open my own clinic and partner with various rescue organizations so that I can help them with providing help for the animals that they are rescuing. I also want to give back to the local animal shelters so that they can have the funds for the animals in the shelter. I want to show that being in the STEM field can be so rewarding and have so many different benefits. Yes, it can be a hard field. However, the passion and drive for being in the STEM field can be something that you want to do.

Social Justice has been going on for years behind the scenes where people chose not to acknowledge what was happening in the United States. Over the last 10 years, I can say that more and more is being brought to light and we want justice for everything we have suffered. Growing up in the south, let alone Arkansas is unique in itself. I can say that yes, we do have people who still treat people different based on the color of their skin and there are some who accept us for who we are. Social justice in Little Rock is harder to come by however. Yes, we do have people of color in our law offices and police force however, they are doing their jobs and not fighting for what is happening in Little Rock. I can say with a proud purpose that we as people have come together as a community to fight that social justice taking place in Little Rock. I like to believe that we want better for our communities. First and foremost, we have chose to do peaceful protest just like the rest of the country to voice our heartache and pain that we have felt that, our political office has ignored. Our pleas for better homes in low-income places. Our pleas for better resources for our people of color. Our please for fair treatment and understanding. Secondly, we have created several murals to represent what has took place since June 2020. The morals show Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, etc. To remind people has they drive under the bridge that all this has took place and people have ignored it because it was our "norm". Our norm is longer that. Thirdly, we have had protests to promote better education for people of color. Meaning better resources in schools were it more than 50% students are African-American or BIPOC. There was a protest at Central High School were the first integration happened. It was to show that our roots go back so far and we have made progress. That's the same progress that we want to see in our community. Lastly, we have been more engage with the monthly city hall meetings so that we can tell them what is going on here in Little Rock that they don't see. Obviously, there is still more work to be done before the fight is every over. As that goes to say, our community has found a way to connect and it's social justice. Yes, the circumstances on why we were brought together is sorrowful and never should've took place. Yet, it showed what was wrong in this country and how we have put different people on pedestals.

My educational goals are firstly, to graduate high school. I want to graduate with honors mainly because I feel that it represents my hard work. Secondly, I want to attend a four-year institute. I want to earn my bachelors degree in biology with concentration of Animal Science or pre-professional Veterinarian medicine. Lastly, I want to earn my doctorate for Veterinarian medicine. I want to eventually open my own practice and work with rescue organizations in my career. I have faced many obstacles in life. Some of those obstacles were harder than others, and some easy that others. I believed that one of my most challenging obstacle would have to be my 10th grade year. That was my first year for any advanced classes and advanced placement courses. I also participated in varsity sports in 10th grade. It was very challenging for me learning how to properly balanced school work with having practice 5 days a week and having meets every 2 weeks. All while this was happening, I was having some health issues. I was missing school at least one day of week for doctor appointments and just trying to find a solution on top of it. Then, the pandemic happened and missed the second semester of my 10th grade year. One of the things that I truly believed I learned was learning balance in my life. If you are going to participate in extra-curriculars you need to find a key balanced in life. Learning how to work with the schedule you have so that you do have time for the homework that's due or for practice after school. I did struggle with those more rigor based classes because it was something I never exposed to. Especially since those were my first on top of doing varsity sports. Secondly, I learned to ask for help. I never needed help before with school work and somehow I was more ashamed because I never struggled in school before then. I went to tutoring for help with those harder classes. I study more so that I could do better in class and retain the information better. Sometimes I even set up study groups and we would pass our notes in between each other so that we all could pass that test or quiz that we had. Moral of the story, I learned that it's okay to struggle with new things at first. I learned it okay to ask for help even when you don't think you need it. I can say that with that life lesson, I got better at those harder class. I learned to take mental breaks and manage my time better so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed.