My name is Blair Burton. I am from a small town in Alabama, called Dadeville. I go to Beulah Baptist Church and am throughly involved in my church. I am a children’s church leader, nursery worker, and a VBS leader. I graduated from Trinity Christian School this past year. I enjoyed it there, although some days were harder than others. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be someone who worked in the health field. I am very compassionate and kind to everyone I meet, so I think I will thrive in this environment! I want to help others who may not be able to afford various things necessary for life. I love to volunteer because it feels like I am making a difference! I want to become a pharmacist! I want to work in either a retail pharmacy or an independently- owned pharmacy. One day, I hope to even open my own practice and have my own pharmacy! Pharmacy school takes six to eight years to complete. It is going to take a lot of hard work and money, but I know I can do anything that I put my mind to! I put 110% into everything I do, and I always put my best foot forward! I am super detail oriented, so I think this would also be a good career for me! We need more Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed far away from God. I want to help bring Christ back into our country by being a pharmacist! After finishing my college degree, I want to at least go on two mission trips a year through my future church. On these mission trips, I want to provide other countries with the pharmaceutical care they need! I want to let them hear the Gospel since this might be the first time they have heard it! I would love to go to Guatemala, France, or Italy for these trips! I cannot wait to share my testimony and to show them how Christ has changed my life! This past year, one of my dad's workers wrecked my dad's vehicle and trailer. Everything was totaled, so my parents had to buy a used truck, several used lawnmowers, and a new trailer. The worker did not pay anything: everything came out of my parents' pocket. We could have had extra money to put toward my college expenses, but a lot went towards buying new/used equipment due to the wreck. This has been a challenge for us as a family. Also, my dad experiences labor shortages currently. I have been applying to as many scholarships as possible so I can possibly attend college debt-free. I chose Auburn because I did not want to be in so much debt before attending pharmacy school! It would mean so much if I could win this scholarship because I would be one step closer to pursuing my dreams of becoming a pharmacist debt-free!

My name is Blair Burton. I am from a small town in Alabama, called Dadeville. I go to Beulah Baptist Church and am throughly involved in my church. I am a children’s church leader, nursery worker, and a VBS leader. I graduated from Trinity Christian School this past year. I enjoyed it there, although some days were harder than others. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be someone who worked in the health field. I am very compassionate and kind to everyone I meet, so I think I will thrive in this environment! I want to help others who may not be able to afford various things necessary for life. I love to volunteer because it feels like I am making a difference! I want to become a pharmacist! I want to work in either a retail pharmacy or an independently- owned pharmacy. One day, I hope to even open my own practice and have my own pharmacy! Pharmacy school takes six to eight years to complete. It is going to take a lot of hard work and money, but I know I can do anything that I put my mind to! I put 110% into everything I do, and I always put my best foot forward! I am super detail oriented, so I think this would also be a good career for me! We need more Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed far away from God. I want to help bring Christ back into our country by being a pharmacist! After finishing my college degree, I want to at least go on two mission trips a year through my future church. On these mission trips, I want to provide other countries with the pharmaceutical care they need! I want to let them hear the Gospel since this might be the first time they have heard it! I would love to go to Guatemala, France, or Italy for these trips! I cannot wait to share my testimony and to show them how Christ has changed my life! This past year, one of my dad's workers wrecked my dad's vehicle and trailer. Everything was totaled, so my parents had to buy a used truck, several used lawnmowers, and a new trailer. The worker did not pay anything: everything came out of my parents' pocket. We could have had extra money to put toward my college expenses, but a lot went towards buying new/used equipment due to the wreck. This has been a challenge for us as a family. Also, my dad experiences labor shortages currently. I have been applying to as many scholarships as possible so I can possibly attend college debt-free. I chose Auburn because I did not want to be in so much debt before attending pharmacy school! It would mean so much if I could win this scholarship because I would be one step closer to pursuing my dreams of becoming a pharmacist debt-free!

My name is Blair Burton. I am from a small town in Alabama, called Dadeville. I go to Beulah Baptist Church and am throughly involved in my church. I am a children’s church leader, nursery worker, and a VBS leader. I graduated from Trinity Christian School this past year. I enjoyed it there, although some days were harder than others. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be someone who worked in the health field. I am very compassionate and kind to everyone I meet, so I think I will thrive in this environment! I want to help others who may not be able to afford various things necessary for life. I love to volunteer because it feels like I am making a difference! I want to become a pharmacist! I want to work in either a retail pharmacy or an independently- owned pharmacy. One day, I hope to even open my own practice and have my own pharmacy! Pharmacy school takes six to eight years to complete. It is going to take a lot of hard work and money, but I know I can do anything that I put my mind to! I put 110% into everything I do, and I always put my best foot forward! I am super detail oriented, so I think this would also be a good career for me! We need more women Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed far away from God. I want to help bring Christ back into our country by being a pharmacist! After finishing my college degree, I want to at least go on two mission trips a year through my future church. On these mission trips, I want to provide other countries with the pharmaceutical care they need! I want to let them hear the Gospel since this might be the first time they have heard it! I would love to go to Guatemala, France, or Italy for these trips! I cannot wait to share my testimony and to show them how Christ has changed my life! This past year, one of my dad's workers wrecked my dad's vehicle and trailer. Everything was totaled, so my parents had to buy a used truck, several used lawnmowers, and a new trailer. The worker did not pay anything: everything came out of my parents' pocket. We could have had extra money to put toward my college expenses, but a lot went towards buying new/used equipment due to the wreck. This has been a challenge for us as a family. Also, my dad experiences labor shortages currently. I have been applying to as many scholarships as possible so I can possibly attend college debt-free. I chose Auburn because I did not want to be in so much debt before attending pharmacy school! It would mean so much if I could win this scholarship because I would be one step closer to pursuing my dreams of becoming a pharmacist debt-free!

My name is Blair Burton. I am from a small town in Alabama, called Dadeville. I go to Beulah Baptist Church and am throughly involved in my church. I am a children’s church leader, nursery worker, and a VBS leader. I graduated from Trinity Christian School this past year. I enjoyed it there, although some days were harder than others. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be someone who worked in the health field. I am very compassionate and kind to everyone I meet, so I think I will thrive in this environment! I want to help others who may not be able to afford various things necessary for life. I love to volunteer because it feels like I am making a difference! I want to become a pharmacist! I want to work in either a retail pharmacy or an independently- owned pharmacy. One day, I hope to even open my own practice and have my own pharmacy! Pharmacy school takes six to eight years to complete. It is going to take a lot of hard work and money, but I know I can do anything that I put my mind to! I put 110% into everything I do, and I always put my best foot forward! I am super detail oriented, so I think this would also be a good career for me! We need more Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed far away from God. I want to help bring Christ back into our country by being a pharmacist! After finishing my college degree, I want to at least go on two mission trips a year through my future church. On these mission trips, I want to provide other countries with the pharmaceutical care they need! I want to let them hear the Gospel since this might be the first time they have heard it! I would love to go to Guatemala, France, or Italy for these trips! I cannot wait to share my testimony and to show them how Christ has changed my life! This past year, one of my dad's workers wrecked my dad's vehicle and trailer. Everything was totaled, so my parents had to buy a used truck, several used lawnmowers, and a new trailer. The worker did not pay anything: everything came out of my parents' pocket. We could have had extra money to put toward my college expenses, but a lot went towards buying new/used equipment due to the wreck. This has been a challenge for us as a family. Also, my dad experiences labor shortages currently. I have been applying to as many scholarships as possible so I can possibly attend college debt-free. I chose Auburn because I did not want to be in so much debt before attending pharmacy school! It would mean so much if I could win this scholarship because I would be one step closer to pursuing my dreams of becoming a pharmacist debt-free!

My name is Blair Burton. I am from a small town in Alabama, called Dadeville. I go to Beulah Baptist Church and am throughly involved in my church. I am a children’s church leader, nursery worker, and a VBS leader. I have attended Trinity Christian School since the sixth grade. I am very compassionate and kind to everyone I meet. I want to help others who may not be able to afford various things necessary for life. I love to volunteer because it feels like I am making a difference! I want to become a pharmacist! I am planning to attend Auburn University to pursue a major in Biomedical Sciences. I want to work in either a retail pharmacy or an independently- owned pharmacy. One day, I hope to even open my own practice and have my own pharmacy! Pharmacy school takes an extra two to four years to complete after your undergraduate degree. It is going to take a lot of hard work and dedication, but I know I can do anything that I put my mind to! I put 110% into everything I do, and I always put my best foot forward! I am super detail oriented, so I think this would also be a good career for me! I want my customers to feel like they are appreciated and loved! I want to have lasting relationships with those in my community, and I want to make an impact on those surrounding me! Auburn has a solid pre-pharmacy program and great COSAM teachers! I know they will push me to achieve my best in everything I do! They prepare their pre-pharmacy students well for the PCAT which is what I will take! I am excited to make friends in the COSAM department who will be my biggest supporters! I cannot wait to start a new chapter in my life and pursue my future dreams! I hope the Auburn will be everything I have dreamed of! We need more Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed so far away from God. We need people who will stand up for the Christian faith even under pressure to conform! I want to help bring Christ back into our country and world. Today, people do what they want to do, regardless if it pleases the Lord. I want to be a light for Him every day and show others how He lives through me! I want to be a great role model for others, young and old, to look up too! This is why my goal in life is to help others! Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to work in the healthcare field. I know God calls certain people to fulfill this earthly duty. I want to give back to others since this is what He has called us to do. We are not to hoard our wealth; instead, we are to help the poor and less fortunate. After finishing my college degree, I want to at least go on two mission trips a year through my future church. On these mission trips, I want to provide other people with pharmaceutical care. I want to let them hear the Gospel of Christ since this might be the first time they have heard it! I want to either go to Guatemala, Mexico, or Panama for these trips! I am also thinking about minoring in Spanish so I can understand the people’s language better! I cannot wait to share my testimony with others and to show them how Christ has changed my life!

I see myself becoming a pharmacist who cares greatly for her community and her future family!

I want to become a pharmacist! I want to work in either a retail pharmacy or an independently- owned pharmacy. One day, I hope to even open my own practice and have my own pharmacy! Pharmacy school takes six to eight years to complete. It is going to take a lot of hard work and dedication, but I know I can do anything that I put my mind to! I put 110% into everything I do, and I always put my best foot forward! I am super detail oriented, so I think this would also be a good career for me! I want my customers to feel like they are appreciated and loved! I want to have lasting relationships with those in my community, and I want to make an impact on those surrounding me! We need more Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed so far away from God. We need people who will stand up for the Christian faith even under pressure to conform! I want to help bring Christ back into our country and world. Today, people do what they want to do, regardless if it pleases the Lord. I want to be a light for Him every day and show others how He lives through me! I want to be a great role model for others, young and old, to look up too! My goal in life is to help others! I know God calls certain people to fulfill this earthly duty. I want to give back to others since this is what He has called us to do. We are not to hoard our wealth; instead, we are to help the poor and less fortunate. After finishing my college degree, I want to at least go on two mission trips a year through my future church. On these mission trips, I want to provide other people with pharmaceutical care. I want to let them hear the Gospel of Christ since this might be the first time they have heard it! I want to either go to Guatemala, France, or Italy for these trips! I am also thinking about minoring in Spanish so I can understand the people’s language better! I cannot wait to share my testimony with others and to show them how Christ has changed my life! Even though I am still making decisions about my future, I know the Lord will guide me on the correct path. He knows where He wants me to be, and He will show me what career He wants me to do! He guides us through the valley of the shadow of death, and He will never leave or forsake us. This is what I tell myself every day when I become anxious about the future! I have got to trust that He has got this, His timing, and His plan for my life! We do not know what the future holds, but I am thankful to say that I know the One who holds it!

The game of tennis is very important to me. I have played since the end of sixth grade. I am passionate about my sport because you can play with anyone anywhere! Throughout the years, I have always doubted my worth on the tennis courts. It would always take longer for me to learn a new skill than others. I am a visual and kinetic learner, so I have to see a concept and do it before I can master it. In the seventh grade, I wanted to be on the team and I could have, but I knew I was not ready yet. I had a lot more to learn before I could start playing matches. I started the next year, eighth grade, on the team, and it was one of the best years of my life. I met some of my two very close friends and we had a blast together that year! In tenth grade, I met another close friend of mine. All four of us became inseparable and we are all very close still to this day! That summer, we all started playing tennis with each other. We played in tournaments, practiced in privates and clinics, played JTT together, and continued to play on my school’s tennis team together! The summer before eleventh grade was the best summer of my life! After we played our JTT matches, we would all go out to eat, preferably at Cookout, Chick-fil-A, or Panera Bread! I formed a deep bonding with them and knew that they always had my back, even in my hardest times! Eleventh grade year was the hardest year of my life. I had to make new friends at school, because my sold school ones ditched me( my tennis team friends are homeschooled). I was very anxious and sad that year due to the amount of stress caused by a work overload and drama in my class. I never thought that year would end, but towards the spring, it slowed down a little bit! School tennis started up and we played in a tournament. I won second place for #2 singles and second place for #1 doubles. I was very happy because I felt like I was finally the strongest I have ever been at tennis! We eventually went on to win our school’s state invitational! I knew all of our hard work had payed off! My tennis coach has been one of the biggest mentors in my life, and he continues to push me towards my goal of becoming a pharmacist! He encourages me on my dreams and tells me not to give up! I want to give back to my community by giving them pharmaceutical care! Even though my friends and I are going off to different colleges, I know I have made lifelong friends through the shared bond of one of the best sports in the game of life! Through all of this, I learned that tennis is a game that can be picked up at any point in your life, just like you can pick up new friends in your life when you are least expecting it. I have learned I do not have to be the best at my sport; I just have to be having fun! I have thought about playing at a Junior College, but instead, I will be playing Intramural tennis wherever I decide to go! My friends and I are going off to different colleges, but I know I have made lifelong friends through the shared bond of one of the best sports in the game of life!

My grandpa went to the hospital probably ten times or so this past year. He only had two arteries working in his heart, and he had a pacemaker. He did not want to be alone when he went to the hospital, so my parents or great aunt and grandma went to stay with him. He was a Vietnam War veteran and had a lot of depression and anxiety. In January, my beloved grandpa died. He went to so many different hospitals and rehabs before he eventually came home. We would go visit him, but he was just so weak, so he could not talk much. When I was coming back from Gatlinburg, my dad called and told me that hospice had come in. I knew that it was about to start going downhill. He lived just a little over two weeks after hospice came, but he fought so hard. It has been two months since he passed, and every day I miss him more and more. We were super close to each other. I have never felt this sad before in my life, and this has been the hardest time in my life so far. I know my Paw Paw is in a better place, but I cannot stop getting over how sad I am about it. He would tell me all the time how he loved me so much, and I know that this was because I looked like my grandma, his wife, when she was young. I am still working on overcoming this challenge, but it is getting better every day. My Paw Paw wanted the best for me in everything. He accepted me and my flaws: he thought that anything that I did was the best thing ever and amazing. He showed me how a lady should be treated, and he was nonjudgmental. He always supported my dreams and wanted me to pursue them. He just wanted me to enjoy life and be happy. Before he passed, he told me that he wanted me to pursue my dream of becoming a dentist and to not let anything stop me. I told Paw Paw that I did not want to go into debt for my first four years of college, and he told me that I would find a way and to not worry! He showed me that I need uplifting people surrounding me, especially in my darkest days. He wanted to make it to my graduation in May, but he told me “baby doll, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to your graduation.” I started sobbing because he wanted to see me walk down the aisle in my cap and gown. I told him that I would never forget him, and I decided that day that I will push myself and do everything for Paw Paw. He told me to never give up on my dreams, and I never will! Paw Paw has inspired me to become a doctor because we need more Christian doctors in our world. We need people who will stand up for the Christian faith even under pressure to conform! I also want to go on mission trips to provide other people with dental care that they may not be able to afford. I want to give them dental care and let them hear the Gospel of Christ! This might be the first time they have heard it! He has been such a strong Christian influence in my life, and I will forever miss him!

My name is Blair Burton. I am from a small town in Alabama, called Dadeville. I go to Beulah Baptist Church and am throughly involved in my church. I am a children’s church leader, nursery worker, and a VBS leader. I have attended Trinity Christian School since the sixth grade. I really enjoy it there, although some days are harder than others. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be someone who worked in the health field. I am very compassionate and kind to everyone I meet. I think I will thrive in this environment! I want to help others who may not be able to afford various things necessary for life. I love to volunteer because it feels like I am making a difference! If I won this scholarship, it would go towards my tuition for college. I want to become a dentist and I am thinking about either attending Auburn University or Samford University. I would love to attend Samford, but it it very expensive to go there. I am not going to get to go there if I do not get enough scholarships. When I stepped on the campus, I knew this was where God wants me to be! I felt so comfortable with everything there and it felt like home. I will be truly sad if I do not get to go there to start my pre-dentistry studies. Dental school takes four years, plus another two to three years for residency. This is going to take take a long time and a lot of hard work, but I know I can do anything I put my mind to! I want to be a pediatric dentist; I love to be around little kids because they make me feel like a little girl again! I really love to see everyone’s beautiful smiles; especially when they laugh! I would love to be able to help my patients become even more confident in their smile! We need more Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed so far away from God. We need people who will stand up for the Christian faith even under pressure to conform! I also want to go on mission trips to provide other people with dental care that they may not be able to afford. I want to give them dental care and let them hear the Gospel of Christ! This might be the first time they have heard it!

I think one of my strengths include kindness and standing up for injustice. The Lord calls us to be kind to everyone we meet and stand up for those that cannot stand up for themselves. I think I showed these two attributes well in the story below. I attend a private Christian school in Alabama so everyone is sheltered from what life is really like. Everyone is super kind and willing to help you in any way. When I was in ninth grade, I witnessed something I had never really seen before. It was at dismissal; everyone was getting ready to go home for the day. All my friends had gotten picked up for the day, so I was sitting by myself and watching the other students. I looked over at one point and saw someone (we will call him John) not letting another guy (we will call him Luke) not sit with them. John was one of the popular kids and believed he owned the school. Luke was considered weird and unpopular; he would always sit by himself and he did not seem to have any true friends. I felt so sorry for him and wished that I could help him in some way. I saw John push Luke away and told them he could not sit with them at their table. He walked away with a downcast look on his face, and I became so angry. I was so shocked that no one had seen what had happened. I thought about walking over and telling John just what I thought him, but I decided not to because it probably would not turn out pretty. I came home and told my mom what I had witnessed. I cried and told her I wanted to help him so badly, but I was so scared to. I was scared if I told on John that he would hate me forever and continue to bully Luke. My mom told me to tell my biology teacher (we will call her Mrs. Jones) about what happened and let her talk to both boys. At first, I did not want to tell, but after a good night’s sleep, I decided I would. I kept thinking about WWJD: What Would Jesus Do in this situation and realized I needed to act. I went to Mrs. Jones early that morning and told her everything. We both started crying because she said she knew how Luke’s class had bullied him. She told me that she knew he was a little different, but that he should not be bullied for it. She thanked me for telling her this, and hugged me. Mrs. Jones told me not to worry about it and that she would take care of the situation. A little later in the day, Mrs. Jones told me that the situation had been taken care of; John had apologized to Luke. I was thrilled that I had spoken up! Mrs. Jones hugged me again and told me thank you for speaking up and not just letting the incident pass me by. Ever since that day, Luke has made more friends and is included. He continues to thrive in acting and singing. John continues to play football and is still considered popular. Neither attend my school anymore, but it was great to know that they were on good terms! I think they even became friends! I know that standing up for others will help me through life because I think everyone should be treated fairly. I know that I am strong and that I can change the world!

The game of tennis is very important to me. I have played since the end of sixth grade. Throughout the years, I have always doubted my worth on the tennis courts. It would always take longer for me to learn a new skill than others. I am a visual and kinetic learner, so I have to see a concept and do it before I can master it. In the seventh grade, I wanted to be on the team and I could have, but I knew I was not ready yet. I had a lot more to learn before I could start playing matches. I started the next year, eighth grade, on the team, and it was one of the best years of my life. I met some of my two very close friends, and we had a blast together that year! In tenth grade, I met another close friend of mine. All four of us became inseparable, and we are all very close still to this day! That summer, we all started playing tennis with each other. We played in tournaments, practiced in privates and clinics, played JTT together, and continued to play on my school’s tennis team together! The summer before eleventh grade was the best summer of my life! After we played our JTT matches, we would all go out to eat, preferably at Cookout, Chick-fil-A, or Panera Bread! I formed a deep bonding with them and knew that they always had my back, even in my hardest times! The year of eleventh grade was the hardest year of my life. I had to make new friends at school, because my sold school ones ditched me( my tennis team friends are homeschooled). I was very anxious and sad that year due to the amount of stress caused by a work overload and drama in my class. I never thought that year would end, but towards the spring, it slowed down a little bit! School tennis started up and we played in a local tournament. I won second place for #2 singles and second place for #1 doubles. I was very happy because I felt like I was finally the strongest I have ever been at tennis! We eventually went on to win our school’s state invitational! I knew all of our hard work had payed off! Through all of this, I learned that tennis is a game that can be picked up at any point in your life, just like you can pick up new friends in your life when you are least expecting it. I have learned I do not have to be the best at my sport; I just have to be having fun! I have thought about playing at a junior college, but instead, I will be playing intramural tennis wherever I decide to go! My friends and I are going off to different colleges, but I know I have made lifelong friends through the shared bond of one of the best sports in the game of life!

My name is Blair Burton. I am from a small town in Alabama, called Dadeville. I go to Beulah Baptist Church and am throughly involved in my church. I am a children’s church leader, nursery worker, and a VBS leader. I have attended Trinity Christian School since the 6th grade. I really enjoy it there, although some days are harder than others. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be someone who worked in the health field. I am very compassionate and kind to everyone I meet. I think I will thrive in this environment! I want to help others who may not be able to afford various things necessary for life. I love to volunteer because it feels like I am making a difference! If I won this scholarship, it would go towards my tuition for college. I want to become a dentist and I am thinking about either attending Auburn University or Samford University. I would love to attend Samford, but it it very expensive to go there. I am not going to get to go there if I do not get enough scholarships. When I stepped on the campus, I knew this was where God wants me to be! I felt so comfortable with everything there and it felt like home. I will be truly sad if I do not get to go there to start my pre-dentistry studies. Dental school takes four years, plus another 2-3 years for residency. This is going to take take a long time and a lot of hard work, but I know I can do anything I put my mind to! I want to be a pediatric dentist; I love to be around little kids because they make me feel like a little girl again! I really love to see everyone’s beautiful smiles; especially when they laugh! I would love to be able to help my patients become even more confident in their smile! We need more Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed so far away from God. We need people who will stand up for the Christian faith even under pressure to conform! I also want to go on mission trips to provide other people with dental care that they may not be able to afford. I want to give them dental care and let them hear the Gospel of Christ! This might be the first time they have heard it!

The year was 2020: September 10, 2020 to be exact. As I was listening to a playlist on Spotify, a song by Marshmello and Demi Lovato popped up. At first, I did not dive too deep into the meaning of the song. Later on, I did and still to this day, it gives me the confidence I need to keep living life and tell others if I need help. COVID impacted my life so much. My grandparents that live right next door did not get to see my family that whole year. They are in their 80’s and very sickly. We wanted to make sure that they were staying healthy. This meant isolating from them and others. For five months, I did not see my friends or get to live a normal teenage life. I became depressed and full of anxiety. My fifteen year-old self did not see why we could not have fun and see the people we cared about. When I heard that song, I realized that it was ok and normal for me to be feeling like this. Others around me were feeling the same way too. “OK to Not Be OK” became my anthem song for the year. I had felt like no one cared about me, and I had no friends. Thankfully, my mom and I have a close relationship. I told her how I was feeling and she told me the exact words: it’s “OK Not to Be OK.” That meant so much to me because I knew she loved and cared about me. My family has always been there for me, and I hope one day when they are at their lowest, I can be there for them. Always continue to live life and tell others when you are hurting on the inside!

My name is Blair Burton. I am from a small town in Alabama, called Dadeville. I go to Beulah Baptist Church and am throughly involved in my church. I am a children’s church leader, nursery worker, and a VBS leader. I have attended Trinity Christian School since the 6th grade. I really enjoy it there, although some days are harder than others. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be someone who worked in the health field. I am very compassionate and kind to everyone I meet. I think I will thrive in this environment! I want to help others who may not be able to afford various things necessary for life. I love to volunteer because it feels like I am making a difference! If I won this scholarship, it would go towards my tuition for college. I want to become a dentist and I am thinking about either attending Auburn University or Samford University. I would love to attend Samford, but it it very expensive to go there. I am not going to get to go there if I do not get enough scholarships. When I stepped on the campus, I knew this was where God wants me to be! I felt so comfortable with everything there and it felt like home. I will be truly sad if I do not get to go there to start my pre-dentistry studies. Dental school takes four years, plus another 2-3 years for residency. This is going to take take a long time and a lot of hard work, but I know I can do anything I put my mind to! I want to be a pediatric dentist because I love to be around little kids because they make me feel like a little girl again! I really love to see everyone’s beautiful smiles; especially when they laugh! I would love to be able to help my patients become even more confident in their smile! We need more Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed so far away from God. We need people who will stand up for the Christian faith even under pressure to conform! I also want to go on mission trips to provide other people with dental care that they may not be able to afford. I want to give them dental care and let them hear the Gospel of Christ! This might be the first time they have heard it!

I either want to become a dentist or a pharmacist ,and I am thinking about either attending Auburn University or Samford University. I would love to attend Samford, but it it very expensive to go there. When I stepped on the campus, I knew this was where God wants me to be! I felt so comfortable with everything there and it felt like home. I will be truly sad if I do not get to go there to start my pre-dentistry or pharmaceutical studies. Dental school takes four years, plus another two to three years for residency. I really love to see everyone’s beautiful smiles. I would love to be able to help them become even more confident in their smile! I want to be a pediatric dentist because I love to be around little kids because they make me feel like a little girl again! On the other hand, pharmacy school takes six to eight years to complete. I am very detail oriented so I think this would also be a good career for me! We need more Christian doctors in our world today since our nation has strayed so far away from God. We need people who will stand up for the Christian faith even under pressure to conform! My goal in life is to help others! I know God calls certain people to fulfill this earthly duty. I want to give back to others since this is what He has called us to do. We are not to hoard our wealth; instead, we are to help the poor and less fortunate. After finishing my college degree, I want to at least go on two mission trips a year through my future church. On these mission trips, I want to provide other people with dental or pharmaceutical care that they may not be able to afford. I want to let them hear the Gospel of Christ since this might be the first time they have heard it! I want to either go to Guatemala, France, or Italy for these trips! I am also thinking about minoring in Spanish so I can understand the people’s language better! I want my community to have better smiles and teeth because they trust me to take care of them. This is the same for being a pharmacist! I want my customers to feel like they are appreciated and loved. I want to bring Christ back into our country and world. Nowadays, people do what they want to do regardless if it pleases the Lord. I want to be a light for Him every day and show others how He lives through me! I want to be a great role model for others to look up too! As of right now, I am letting my light shine for Him and I always try my best to uplift others by encouraging and listening to what they have to say! I want to show others that to have friends, you have to be a friend first. I want to try to bring a little bit of kindness back into the world! Even though I am still making decisions about my future, I know the Lord will guide me on the correct path. He knows where He wants me to be, and He will make a way for me to attend that specific college. He guides us through the valley of the shadow of death, and He will never leave or forsake us. This is what I tell myself every day when I become anxious about the future! I have got to trust that He has got this, His timing, and His plan for my life! We do not know what the future holds, but I am thankful to say that I know the One who holds it!

Night Dreaming I always thought about you, every day, and every night. I would lie awake and wonder, “Were you Mr. Right?” Throughout all high school, I would have done anything for you. I always pondered, “Did you like me too?” But I guess we’ll never know, because I never let my feelings show. I always caught glimpses of you, looking at me, even the time when you climbed up that tree. I seriously thought you liked me too, guess I didn’t even have a clue. But that was 10 years back, you went to a new train track. You moved to Chicago, Illinois with all of your boys. You grew up and I did too, but looking back, I get déjà vu. In one month, I’m going to marry the guy of my dreams named Harry. My mom and dad couldn’t be more happy, but why don’t I feel glee? They arranged the marriage and rented horse and carriage. But was this what I wanted? Your memory still leaves me haunted. I haven’t seen your face in years, but those good times bring me to tears. These things I pondered on quiet, still nights, alone in the dark at the Heights. Was this my dream though? Everyone sure thought so. What if it was supposed to be you and all the things we could do? Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, but seeing you this evening cut like a knife. I was happy and carefree, but only for a matter of time. I remembered all those years I wished you were mine. And as the night starts to fade, I wondered, “Did you like me in 11th grade?”

I’ve been a Christian since I was 12 years old. I made my profession when I was at VBS. That day when I talked to my pastor, I cried several times. I felt so many emotions and when I was baptized, I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. That day was September 25 of 2016. A few weeks before, I had started a new school, and was super nervous about making new friends. I have really bad anxiety and become really nervous about almost everything. Eventually I found great friends! Sixth grade came and went and then 10th grade came. While we were on Spring Break, we were notified that we would not be coming back to school because of COVID. During that time, I was really depressed. My parents wouldn’t let me have anyone over and I didn’t really see any of my friends that March through the whole summer. I prayed to God many a time that He would help me overcome my depression, but it just didn’t seem to be working. I cried out to God asking him why He had allowed this to happen? This was supposed to be the summer of my dreams because now my friends were getting their licenses and we could go do fun things together. God didn’t answer my question that summer. Summer ended and it was the start of my 10th grade year. In September, I got my license and was ready to go! There was nothing stopping me now! One day, it just clicked: my quarantine period was time to appreciate the little things in life and not taking life for granted. I had gotten a car, while some of my other friends hadn’t. God showed me that I needed to be thankful for what I have and not take things like having a car for granted. Eleventh grade came and it was one of the hardest years of my life, socially and academically. It’s been really hard to find true friends. I was having to find new friends, but all I could find were fair-weather ones. I prayed to the Lord over the course of that year to help me find true friends and for me to get through 11th grade. He answered both ways! I passed with all A’s and I gained 4 close friends! He even let one of my childhood friends come back into my life! He truly is a wonderful God! This year is my Senior Year! My relationship with the Lord is stronger than ever! The Devil has tried to get into my mind about doubting God, but every time this happens, I repeat Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.” I’ve been praying to God telling Him that I believe, but to help my unbelief! He has really helped me in this! As I am looking towards my future, I either want to be a dentist, orthodontist, or a nurse. I want to attend either Auburn University or Samford University. I really want to attend Samford University so I will be surrounded by like-minded people who lead me towards Christ and strengthen my faith, not weaken it. If I become a nurse, I want to be a bed-side nurse. I want to tell others about how Jesus died for us and how He loves us. If I become a dentist or orthodontist, I want to go on mission trips to give others a dental cleaning. I can tell others about Him through this! I know God will lead me to the right decision!

It’s a tale as old as time. When I was 7 years old, I fell in love with the movie Beauty and the Beast. I loved that movie; I had a Beauty and the Beast birthday party, and dressed up as Belle for several occasions over the years. I loved Belle due to the fact that we looked very similar. We both have brown hair, hazel eyes, love to read, and our favorite flower is a rose. Also, the color yellow really looks wonderful on my skin tone, just like her yellow dress looks beautiful on her. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized why Belle is my favorite Disney character other than the reason of looking like her; she is bold, brave, caring, and willing to fight for what she believes in. Belle did not care that she was different from the other townspeople. She continued to do what she liked, and was better because of it. In the end, Belle came out on top. This is something my mom tells me all the time. She says that people are going to be jealous of me, but don’t let it bother me because I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God. He loves all of us, no matter how we look. Belle has taught me that kindness goes a long way in life. Over my life, I’ve had some friends that have become distant and treated me awfully. Even though it has been really hard, I know that I should follow the Golden Rule: to treat others how they would like to be treated. I’ve continued to be kind to them and show them grace because everyone deserves a second chance. When Belle gave the Beast a second chance, he let his guard down and they eventually fell in love. This goes to show that actions can speak louder than words and that your words can have an impact on others. Belle has taught me how to be brave. One of my favorite scenes of the movie was when the Beast let her leave to go check on her papa. This scene inspires me so much since Belle travelled through a snowstorm to go and check on her sick papa. I’ve learned to be brave; I joined cheer and became more confident in myself. Belle is truly the most inspiring princess and we all should strive to be like her!