My name is Baleigh Morris. I am a senior at Commerce High School in Commerce GA. At the age of five I was put into foster care. I was separated from my siblings, and was constantly moving from home to home. When I would go back home with my birth mother, I would just end up in another foster home a month later. Thankfully I ended up in the same home with my siblings, and was adopted at the age of seven. Growing up I thought that what I went through was horrible, until I realized that my foster care experience was nothing compared to other people's stories. After years of believing that I wanted to go into the medical field, I finally realized that the best fit for me was a Social Worker. I never thought that I would want to go back, but then I realized that through Social Work I could help children and teens who had it like me or worse. The number one thing that I always wanted was someone who understood what I was going through on a personal level. That's when I realized that I could be an advocate for foster children. I could be someone who could relate to them while staying professional. I would never give up on them, and I would never have a blind eye when it came to what was best for them. While I was not able to permanently return to my biological home, I ended up in an even better place, a home, a place where I was loved and accepted. Once I become a social worker I will not give up until I find a home for where the foster child becomes part of a family, and does not have to feel less of the person that they are. I believe that through Social Work I can make a positive impact on my community through my career in social services by making sure that not only the foster children are safe, but by also making sure that the birth parents make the best decisions for not just their kid(s), but for themselves too. If a child goes back to a broken home, then it will only add to their trauma. Or if a parent could have fought but chose not to then regrets it later it would not do either side any good, because they would have a harder time getting them back. Overall when I become a social worker I plan to everything in my power to make sure that the foster children end up in the best possible place they can, and I will never leave them stranded in an unsafe environment.

My dream life is to be a Social Worker helping children. My main focus point is children in foster care, group homes, and even adopted children. I went into foster care at the age of four, and I didn't get adopted until age seven. While three years does not seem like a long time, it was for me, especially at my age. My parents now are amazing, but sadly not everyone has the same upbringing as myself. My parents are still fostering other children, and I have witnessed others who have been through torture and not just in their lives before foster care. They have had problems in foster homes, group homes, and former adoptions. Most former foster care kids would never dream of going back. In high hopes and dreams, I want to go back and help children who are struggling with the foster care process. The Foster Care System that is happening right now may look like a blessing from the outside, but if you get honest opinions from children and teens on the inside, you will understand how broken it is. While the system is a lot better than what it used to be, it could be better. Social Security's focus is making sure that all of the kids have a place to live (which is incredible); their attention now needs to be on the children's mental health needs. They need honest love, care, and support, not just charity. If given a chance, I would love to be the one to help provide these children with what they need and to be able to mend this broken system.

The song that most inspires me is Healing by Riley Clemmons, a Christian artist. This song most inspires me because I have been through so much pain in my life, and I know that hearing this from a 17 year old may sound weird, but if you take time to hear me out you will understand why. I was brought into foster care at the age of five. I was separated from my siblings, and most of the time I felt alone, and by myself. After about a year I was reunited with my siblings and we all ended up in the same home. I didn't fully understand why I was taken away from my home until I got older, and once I found out the truth I was terrified. I always thought that my mother loved me more than anything in the world , that was until I learned that she chose to be in love, even if her own kids were at stake. Learning this and fully being able to comprehend it is a lot to ask of someone. As I got older I described myself as broken. This song Healing describes what I'm going through now. I've been through so much and I blamed myself for all the pain. Trusting God and prayer has given me the ability to start healing and relying on myself and God to piece everything back together.

Staying true to myself is a very difficult task and is a lot to ask of a person. In today's society it's hard to be who you really are, much less accept who you are. I will admit I struggle with this task on a day to day basis. As I walk down the hallway of my school I constantly criticize myself. I look around and see people with normal lives. People who live with their birth parents. In my classrooms I am constantly hearing girls talk about how close they are with their mother. Then I think about how I wish that was me, because I have not seen my birth mother since I got adopted at the age of seven. There are times when I look in the mirror and point out all of my insecurities. I know how this sounds, it's not healthy but after I do that I look up and I tell those voices that they are wrong. That I am just as important as anyone else. That while my mother who adopted me and myself do not have the normal mother-daughter relationship, (that I sometimes long for) we do have our special moments. My past may not be beautiful; honestly it's damaged, broken, not fixable, but I will not let that define me. I will no longer let my past overtake me, and when it creeps up on me again I will bounce back stronger than ever. While this may not be the exact story you had in mind for this scholarship, this is my story, and this is my first step towards moving on, becoming something better then others describe me as.

The one sentence that I would share with the world would be "God doesn't make mistakes, he creates miracles." The reason I chose this sentence is because there is a lot of self-doubt and self-hate in the world. People are constantly saying that they are not good enough or that they are a mistake. One thing that they do not realize is that everyone was created for a reason, whether it was to help millions of people or just make an impact on one person. Not everyone knows why they were created, but if they just understood that they have a purpose, then the world itself would be better off. I just wish that everyone was fighting for the right reasons, not the easy ones, the popular ones, or even the ones that they most side with, but the ones that benefit everyone. If we could all come together, fight the same fight, and realize that we all have our purposes then life as we know it would change for the better. Thank you for taking your time to hear me out, and reading my sentence for the world.

The quality that I most value about myself is to be able to see the best in people. This is my favorite quality because growing up was a struggle. I was in foster care for a few years because I was abused and sexually harassed. I ended up getting adopted by an amazing family, whom I love dearly. While for most people going through this would make them see the worst in people, but that was not the case for me. A couple of years ago I finally understood what I had gone through, and I stopped blaming myself for what I went through. After that, I was able to at least understand people and why they do certain things. This is one reason why I never judge someone off on another person's preferences, but my own, because you can never understand a person until you get to know them. I feel like this quality will help me in my life journey because I want to become a social worker for children in foster care. For me to be able to have this job I have to be able to fully understand the kids. For example what they went through, and what's next for them. I love that I can do this because I will be able to relate to those kids on a personal level. Most people judge foster kids off of stereotypes, and some may follow through on those, but I do not believe that all have mental problems. I want to be able to use this quality of mine to help children who have been through a lot and need a person who can understand what the kid has been through, and who that kid is. One thing that I have learned through my journey is that when DEFAC's is asking foster parents to watch a child in foster care, that child is given a description list. What they look like, and what their history is. In my opinion, most of the information that is given is not important. A child should not be defined by what they look like, or what they have been through, but by who they are, and whom they choose to be. This is what I want to be able to be a part of. I want to become someone who can look past other people's insecurities and get to know the person. That is why I most value this quality of mine.

One experience that shaped a part of who I am today was going through foster care at the age of five. Before going into foster care I was abused and sexually harassed by my birth mother's boyfriends and newly wedded husbands. Growing up, I blamed myself for being taken away from my mom. It eventually got to the point where I would say that nothing happened, that I made it all up. I did this because I just wanted to go home. Now when I think upon those horrific experiences, I realize that none of it was my fault and that I made the right decision calling the police after being sexually harassed by stepfather number two. During the whole process of foster care, my mother did not care for us as much as she claimed she did. She remarried for the fourth time and started a new family. Myself and my three other siblings were adopted after being in and out of foster care for more than two/three years. When I think back to what happened then, I no longer wish that I did not pick up the phone, I am glad that I did. I would not be where I am today. I wouldn't have my four-year-old adopted brother, who is my world. A life without him is not something I would not live in. I more than likely would not be living with my three biological siblings. I would not know the family that I got adopted into. (Which by the way is far better than my birth family.) I would not be an honor roll student, or even applying for this scholarship right now. I do not know what my chances are of getting this scholarship, but scholarship or not, I'm proud of what I've overcome.

A turnaround story from my life that I'm proud of was going through foster care at the age of five. Before going into foster care I was abused and sexually harassed by my birth mother's boyfriends and newly wedded husbands. Growing up, I blamed myself for being taken away from my mom. It eventually got to the point where I would say that nothing happened, that I made it all up. I did this because I just wanted to go home. Now when I think upon those horrific experiences, I realize that none of it was my fault and that I made the right decision calling the police after being sexually harassed by stepfather number two. During the whole process of foster care, my mother did not care for us as much as she claimed she did. She remarried for the fourth time and started a new family. Myself and my three other siblings were adopted after being in and out of foster care for more than two/three years. When I think back to what happened then, I no longer wish that I did not pick up the phone, I am glad that I did. I would not be where I am today. I wouldn't have my four-year-old adopted brother, who is my world. A life without him is not something I would not live in. I more than likely would not be living with my three biological siblings. I would not know the family that I got adopted into. (Which by the way is far better than my birth family.) I would not be an honor roll student, or even applying for this scholarship right now. I do not know what my chances are of getting this scholarship, but scholarship or not, I'm proud of what I've overcome.