Through diligent and original research and lessons, I dream of molding myself into a socially conscious dermatologist who is capable of giving superior specialized care. Ultimately, I plan on opening my own practice and business where I will be able to heal the skin of all ages and colors. After being misunderstood in the world of science for decades, African Americans deserve treatment for their conditions instead of being passed over because of a false and outdated idea that we are built differently. I want to dedicate my career and focus my business on specifically melanated skin and skin treatments, as well as engineering things like lasers that darker Fitzpatricks can use without losing their pigment. To be excluded in the world of healthcare while simultaneously being disregarded as standard and civilized people is simply unfair. All races and colors should have the same protection under the law, as well as under the roof of a healthcare facility. We should feel safe in the presence of those who are supposed to take care of us, and we should take charge by being the change within the medical field. We must be the change we want to see. Having a diverse representation in STEM and specifically medical careers, will allow minorities to feel seen, secure, and safe in the presence of these professionals. Diverse environments foster this possibility because of the range of perspectives that come with varying representation. Diverse professionals inherently bring varying ideas and approaches to problems, which allows higher quality solutions, care, and knowledge. Personally, what I want to see is black communities being taken care of, especially those in situations where they cannot afford it. I want to offer my time and service to any person who needs it, rather than to any person who can afford it. I want racial diversity to be a norm rather than a topic that needs to be improved. Diversity in STEM isn't just getting more black people into the field, it is getting minorities from all backgrounds, cultures, and colors to join in all ways. It does not only mean we need diversity in the professional aspect, clients and consumers should be included in that diverse representation and in all situations. Diversity, representation, and inclusivity should not have to be begged for, and I want to make sure no one ever has to beg in a healthcare facility to be seen for what they truly are. Human.

Don’t talk to me about crayons. No, I do not want to draw and color a picture of my father; it wouldn’t be fair. The drawing would look nothing like him because his skin doesn’t match the “skin color” crayon. Since the beginning of my education, there has been very little room for me and my differences in the classroom. Whenever we played “family” at recess I couldn’t be the mom because I didn’t look like anyone's mom, so I had to be the dog. I had to sit in the back of the classroom, even though I had poor eyesight, because my hair was a “ mess” and the tight frizzy coils blossomed too big if I didn’t tie it up. My questions were shut down because I knew things most kids didn’t at my age, and it would only confuse them. At least I was good at art, so I could color and draw without a worry in the world. But not even the crayons had my back. I had to pass the “skin color” crayon to my friend so she could give her dad the picture she drew of him. I never drew pictures of my dad. Either the color was too light, or so dark you couldn't see his facial features. It felt as if even the crayons resented my differences and didn’t want me to succeed. When I got older, I bought myself a brand new 32-pack of colored pencils with colors in every shade. I understood that each hue was special in its own way, each tint contributed a new design, and each tone had immense value. The idea that something that is generally built the same could also be so vastly different eventually translated to science for me. Learning anatomy was incredibly intriguing as I realized that the differences that the crayons hated didn't define me. Yes, I looked different from my all-white classmates but that did not make me inferior and it was certainly nothing to feel bad about. I was capable of all the same things that my peers were capable of. This realization not only helped me progress into the person I am now, but also sparked a love for science, anatomy, and specifically skin. It took me a long time to be confident in my skin. The crayons seemed to tease me more than people did, but they are also what propelled me to accomplish my goals and now give others confidence. The crayons are what made me realize transforming, healing, and revitalizing skin is the passion I need to follow, and ultimately pursue as my career. Biology and Dermatology aren’t just areas of study for me, they provide fundamental concepts that can transform people's lives. The skin-colored crayon sort of broke my confidence, but now it is the reason I want to build up others.

The complexity of the human body cannot be described as anything other than absolutely fascinating. The intricacies within each anatomic feature is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I have never been so fascinated in a topic. Pursuing biology will be an extremely valuable opportunity on my journey to becoming a dermatologist. The numerous possibilities for research and laboratory learning will enrich my education in an important hands-on approach and help prepare me for medical school. I have had a passion for skin since 7th grade when my acne first started to appear. I’ve struggled with acne ever since and have become captivated by the science of the skin. My love for this protective tissue has grown far beyond my puberty acne. As a licensed esthetician, I have already taken a step into thoroughly learning about the skin and its tendencies but I can’t help but want to do more. With esthetics, I can help people treat their skin to an extent, but I can dramatically alter lives by pursuing dermatology and taking my first steps through an innovative biology department at a University. Through diligent and original research and lessons, I dream of molding myself into a socially conscious dermatologist who is capable of giving superior specialized care. Ultimately, I plan on opening my own practice and business where I will be able to heal the skin of all ages and colors. After being misunderstood in the world of science for decades, African Americans deserve treatment for their conditions instead of being passed over because of a false idea that we are built differently. I want to dedicate my career and focus my business on specifically melanated skin and skin treatments, as well as engineering things like lasers that darker Fitzpatricks can use without losing their pigment. To be excluded in the world of healthcare while simultaneously being disregarded as standard and civilized people is simply unfair. All races and colors should have the same protection under the law, as well as under the roof of a healthcare facility. We should feel safe in the presence of those who are supposed to take care of us, and we should take charge by being the change within the medical field. We must be the change we want to see. Personally, what I want to see is black communities being taken care of, especially those in situations where they cannot afford it. I want to offer my time and service to any person who needs it, rather than to any person who can afford it. I want racial diversity to be a norm rather than a topic of what needs to be improved. Racial diversity and inclusivity should not have to be begged for, and I want to make sure no one ever has to beg in a healthcare facility to be seen for what they truly are. Human.

Don’t talk to me about crayons. No, I do not want to draw and color a picture of my father; it wouldn’t be fair. The drawing would look nothing like him, because his skin doesn’t match the “skin color” crayon. Since the beginning of my education, there has been very little room for me and my differences in the classroom. Whenever we played “family” at recess I couldn’t be the mom because I didn’t look like anyone's mom, so I had to be the dog. I had to sit in the back of the classroom, even though I had poor eyesight, because my hair was a “ mess” and the tight frizzy coils blossomed too big if I didn’t tie it up. My questions were shut down because I knew things most kids didn’t at my age, and it would only confuse them. At least I was good at art, so I could color and draw without a worry in the world. But not even the crayons had my back. I had to pass the “skin color” crayon to my friend so she could give her dad the picture she drew of him. I never drew pictures of my dad. Either the color was too light, or so dark you couldn't see his facial features. It felt as if even the crayons resented my differences and didn’t want me to succeed. I haven’t touched a crayon since, but I have realized my worth. When I got older, I bought myself a brand new 32 pack of colored pencils with colors in every shade. I understood that each hue was special in its own way, each tint contributed a new design, and each tone had immense value. Diversity is so much more than my skin color being different from my mothers. Diversity is a beautiful array of differing opinions, lifestyles, cultures, and purposes. These differences are what keeps my world afloat. I want me and my fellow black peers to indulge in more than the “skin colored” crayon would ever want us to. To any person relating to my experience, I want them to allow difference to be normal and similarity to be rare. I want them to ensure each unique idea is shared and thoroughly examined and embraced, rather than disregarded. Creating a safe and comfortable environment for students is a big deal, and accepting differences is the first step. We need to be realize our worth, realize our skills, and allow others to realize the same. The “skin color” crayon never had my back, but I believe we should all have each others.

Dermatology has been the career of my dreams since my 8th-grade year. Helping people overcome their struggles with their skin and helping them regain confidence within themselves as well as better the quality of their life is unquestionably the career I would love to pursue daily. The rigorous 12 years of schooling to get to my dream is undoubtedly going to be exceedingly expensive and difficult to pay for, which is why I am extremely grateful for the opportunity of Cedrick'a Jackson's Memorial Scholarship. Although I do not have Sickle Cell, I do carry it, and by going into the healthcare field I can ensure I am able to help my future children to pay for their treatments if such is needed as well as have knowledge on the disease. This scholarship is an amazing opportunity to help pay for a portion of my schooling, which in the end, would go towards helping people.  Some don’t necessarily consider dermatology to be in the healthcare realm but healthcare is defined as “the organized provision of medical care” which dermatology falls under. As a dermatologist, I would be diagnosing, evaluating, and treating skin conditions as well as prescribing medications, and performing surgery. My overall goal would be to genuinely care for all of my patients and help them in every way possible. If possible I would try to make my treatments, advice, and services as affordable as possible so people can get help without having to sacrifice other things in the process. I believe that healthcare should be affordable to all and a guarantee so people aren’t forced to live at risk with their conditions untreated. Furthermore, by going into this field I can ensure that I will be able to help my children in the future if they do end up with my gene for Sickle Cell. I know Sickle Cell can be extremely hard to deal with both physically and financially, but having to watch my own children go through that would be a heartache that I wouldn’t know how to handle. Getting this scholarship to help with the cost of schooling in my future healthcare career would benefit me now, but long term it would also benefit my children to live happily and healthily as I would be able to have an understanding of the disease as well as afford their treatments from being able to go to college in the first place. While yes the healthcare field pays well, it also truly is my dream to be able to work in that field and help people be their best selves to live their best lives. Cedrick’a Jackson’s Scholarship would truly help me both now and in the future and I am extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to apply.