If given $1,000 right now I would immediately put it away to help pay for my first year of college. It would take away so much of the anxiety I have surrounding going off to school. Having this money means I could use the little money I do have saved for things that I hold close to my heart. When I go off to college in the Fall I'll be leaving behind my two younger brothers. Our home life has been far from ideal and as a resulted I've played the role of a second parent for much of their lives. I've taken care of them financially and physically for as long as I can remember and by being granted the $1,000 I would be able to leave some money behind for them while I am away from home. Their wellbeing has been heavy on my mind as the time for me to leave for college grows near and while money won't solve all of our problems it would help give me just a little bit more peace of mind when it comes to them being taken care of. More than anything I want my brothers to thrive, but I also understand that going away to college will be extremely beneficial to me. With this $1,000 I'd be one more step closer to achieving both of these goals.

My greatest achievement by far is graduating at the top of my class despite having my world crumbling around me almost the entirety of my high school career. I have always been academically inclined so excelling in school came easy to me, but my last three years of high school were nothing short of stressful and that jeopardized my success in school. Like many others, the pandemic upended my sophomore year of high school but little did I know that would just be the start of my troubles. Due to Covid, I did my second half of my sophomore year online and struggled with my mental health as a result. My home life has always been something that truly gave me a hard time and having to be confined at home only heightened that. My mental health was at its lowest point and I almost lost my life as a result of it. Throughout all of that, I still managed to do my assignments on time because my academics were the only thing I felt that I truly had going for myself. This was of course only the beginning The pandemic caused losses for so many people and my family was not exempt from that. The summer going into my junior year we found out that our landlord would not be renewing our lease and in less than a month we would have to find somewhere else to stay. For as long as I can remember, my mother has struggled financially so hearing news like this was absolutely devastating. We searched and searched for somewhere to live but due to financial restraints we were unsuccessful. We eventually ended up moving in with my Nana where my mom and two younger brothers slept in her second bedroom and I slept on an air mattress on her living room floor. Shortly after moving in with her, school started and I began juggling online school and my unpredictable home life all at once. It was so hard to find privacy to do my school work and I often found myself feeling like there was no hope. I was also responsible for helping my brothers do their work while my Mom worked. I remained invested in my academics throughout all of this andI managed to finish my junior year sitting at number two in my class. Fast forward to my senior year and things are starting to look up for me a bit, we finally find a place to call our own and I'm starting to get some of the privacy and independence I've always longed for. I still struggle with things at home and often feel as though I'm bearing the weight of the world. I've always played the role of a second parent to my younger brothers but my senior year is when things really started to take a toll on me. I sacrificed so many things to be there for them and even quit playing basketball so I could care for them while my mom worked since we could not afford childcare. I struggled with allocating my time to them while also taking care of myself. This went on for the entirety of my senior year and took a tremendous toll on my mental health. I cared for them financially and physically all while trying to navigate my senior year alone. To make matters worse, my mom lost her job halfway through my senior year so we struggled even more to make ends meet and it was always extremely tense in the house. My senior year tested me more than any other time in my life. Eventually May rolled around and I graduated 6th in my class. Even though my class rank dropped a few rankings I am extremely proud of myself nonetheless for finishing strong. This experience taught me that I can overcome anything, no matter the odds that are stacked against me. Many times it felt as though the storm would never pass but it did and it showed me that I am a resilient young lady with a lot to offer the world. I plan on attending the University of Houston in the fall and showing my siblings that it is possible to defy the odds! I hope to earn a degree in Management of Information systems and to someday ignite a flame inside others that inspires them to break down walls meant to keep them confined and out of touch with their passions and potential.

When glancing into a mirror, sometimes certain features are more prominent and other times they’re more subtle. The only thing that remains constant when glancing into a mirror is the intangible parts of my identity. In place of my hair, instead hangs the word “Curious”, perfectly framing what should be my face. Replacing my eyes is the word “Insightful” and the words “Articulate” and “Outspoken” shape my mouth. My arms twist and turn until they take the shape of the letters that spell out “Willing” and “Empathetic”. And at my core, where my stomach should be, lies the word “Vulnerable”. With insightful eyes, I see Bailey in her true form.