I believe that core principles are essential to creating positive change in my community and a better future. Having compassion, integrity, empathy, respect, and responsibility are necessary because the past 18 years of my life have given me experiences that scream, “Either take the chance or risk watching someone else seize the opportunity.” I was forced to experience the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why I will be a Sociology/ Political Science major at Tuskegee University. “Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness.” I carried the guilt of a choice I had nothing to do with, and the weight of that world was smothering my future's true potential. I have a younger brother, and I am going to be the example of the man he can see as a map for charting his path to success. I want to advocate for children and families who are left without access to necessary therapy. Advocating for justice but also creating programs that truly understand the weight of the trauma, anger, and fear that murder leaves behind. Life is not promised, so what I do now is the foundation for who I become and what I create. During those years, I felt lost, hurt, and confused. Transforming my grief into growth and my challenges into catalysts for positive changes in my life. Embracing my faith and continuing to allow gratitude to flow in the space where fear and anger once resided. I am not the only person who has suffered trauma, but I do have a foundation that surrounds our family. Life provided the tools that I realized are necessary for me to create change and impact individuals who are “forgotten or disregarded because their resilience is just that resilient. How do I plan to embody these same core principles in both my educational pursuits and interactions with others? First, I was raised in a single-parent household with a strong grandmother. Kind of typical, right? And my faith requires me to know God more deeply, love others intentionally, and serve my community. But, I have a responsibility to be more than the person life was trying to force me to be. I must be a light in the darkness that is impacting other children who feel like my brother and me. I am becoming who I needed to be and creating the community I needed during those darkest moments. In my educational pursuits and interactions with others, I strive to encourage everyone to see themselves and their situations as building blocks rather than stumbling blocks. The choices that affected my life were not my own, but they did not destroy my purpose. I am reminded that to become a man who understands that I set the bar high, not by my strength alone, but that it is attainable because I have God, my faith, family, and a church that not only believes in me but also prays and supports me. I respect others who have striven for excellence, but I eventually want to design a scholarship for those who do not fit the demographic. It will be an opportunity that not only supports their educational goals but also provides continuous learning for the community and the individuals I can impact, as well as ongoing emotional and spiritual counseling/therapy throughout their educational journey and life.

Attending a higher education institution will facilitate the core principles I believe are most essential to what I hope to achieve in the future. My future career field will require me to embody compassion, integrity, empathy, respect, fairness, and responsibility, because the past eighteen years of my life have given me experiences that scream, “Either take the chance or risk watching someone else seize the opportunity.” I was forced to experience the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why I will be a Sociology/ Political Science major at Tuskegee University this Fall. “Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness.” My motto was fostered out of the anger, pain, and guilt I felt during and after his death. I carried the guilt of a choice I had nothing to do with, and the weight of that world was smothering my future's true potential. I have a younger brother and want to, no, I am going to be the example of the man he can see as a map to chart his path to success. Discovering his own identity frees him from the darkness of this world. I know that sounds impossible, but I want to fight for children and families who are left without access to impactful therapu and closure. I want to not only fight for justice but also create a model of programs that truly understand the weight of the trauma, anger, and fear that a senseless murder leaves behind. Life inspires me; it is not promised, so what I do now is the foundation for who I become and what I create. During those years, I felt lost, hurt, and confused. I lost focus, abandoned my passion for sports, and fell behind academically. I resisted any help offered due to fear of further pain or facing something worse. Those difficult transitions in my life posed unique challenges, and I am grateful for my family's support. Listening to and watching them is helping me to transform my grief into growth and my challenges into catalysts for positive changes in my life. They have encouraged me to embrace my faith and continue allowing gratitude to flow in the space where fear and anger once resided. I am not the only person who has suffered trauma, but I do have a foundation that surrounds our family. Life provided the tools that were necessary for me to create change and impact individuals who are “forgotten or disregarded because their resilience is just that resilient. I plan to embody these same core principles in both my educational pursuits and interactions with others. First, I was raised in a single-parent household with a strong grandmother. Kind of typical, right? And my faith requires me to know God more deeply, love others intentionally, and serve my community. But, I have a responsibility to be more than the person life was trying to force me to be. I must be a light in the darkness, affecting other children who mirror my brother and me. I am becoming who I needed to be and creating the community I needed during those darkest moments. In my educational pursuits and interactions with others, I strive to encourage everyone to see themselves and their situations as building blocks rather than stumbling blocks. The choices that affected my life were not my own, but they did not destroy my purpose. I am reminded that to become a man who understands that I set the bar high, not by my strength alone, but that it is attainable because I have God, my faith, family, and a church that not only believes in me but also prays and supports me. I respect others who have striven for excellence, but I eventually want to design a scholarship for those who do not fit the demographic. It will be an opportunity that not only supports their educational goals but also provides continuous learning for the community and the individuals I can impact, as well as ongoing emotional and spiritual therapy throughout their educational journey and life.

Being raised in a single-parent, low-income household has shaped my life and given me the experience of the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why I will be studying Sociology/Political Science at Tuskegee University this Fall. "Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness." I have a younger brother and want to be the man he can see as a map for finding his own identity. My mom always said you are the first man your brother will admire. I want to fight for children and families who are left without access to impactful therapy and closure or justice that understands the weight of the trauma, anger, and fear that a senseless murder leaves behind. I felt lost, hurt, and confused. I resisted help. I persevered through the death of my father, which left in my heart and soul, and allowed me to transform anger and grief into growth. She encouraged me to let gratitude fill the space where fear and anger once rested. I am not the only person who has and will suffer trauma. Creating a space that invites peace as they progress towards a better version of themselves to become more than what life was trying to force me to be. A light in the darkness, impacting other children who feel like I did. To encourage others to see their situations as building blocks. I am becoming a man who understands the bar is high but can reach it. This is what my single mother taught me when the choices that affected her life were not her own.

I believe the most essential qualities to creating positive change in my community and future career field are compassion, integrity, empathy, respect, fairness, and responsibility, because the past eighteen years of my life have given me experiences that scream, “Either take the chance or risk watching someone else seize the opportunity.” I was forced to experience the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why I will be a Sociology/ Political Science major at Tuskegee University this Fall. “Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness.” My motto was fostered out of the anger, pain, and guilt I felt during and after his death. I carried the guilt of a choice I had nothing to do with. They have encouraged me to embrace my faith and to continue to allow gratitude to flow in the space where fear and anger once resided. I am not the only person who has suffered trauma, but I do have a foundation that surrounds our family. Life provided the tools that I realized are necessary for me to create change and impact individuals who are “forgotten or disregarded because their resilience is just that resilient. How do I plan to embody these same core principles in both my educational pursuits and interactions with others? First, I was raised in a single-parent household with a strong grandmother. Kind of typical, right? And my faith requires me to know God more deeply, love others intentionally, and serve my community. But, I have a responsibility to be more than the person life was trying to force me to be. I must be a light in the darkness, affecting other children who look like my brother and me. I am becoming who I needed to be and creating the community I needed during those darkest moments. In my educational pursuits and interactions with others, I strive to encourage everyone to see themselves and their situations as building blocks rather than stumbling blocks. The choices that affected my life were not my own, but they did not destroy my purpose. I am reminded that to become a man who understands that I set the bar high, not by my strength alone, but that it is attainable because I have God, my faith, family, and a church that not only believes in me but also prays and supports me. I respect others who have striven for excellence, but I eventually want to design a scholarship for those who do not fit the demographic. It will be an opportunity that not only supports their educational goals but also provides continuous learning for the community and the individuals I can impact, as well as ongoing emotional and spiritual counseling /therapy throughout their educational journey and life. Not everyone has the opportunity to participate in an environment that makes it easy to succeed. That is where I want to come in, providing a platform for those individuals who know they cannot compete with a 4.0 GPA but have the grit to fight through the weight anyway.

Being raised in a single-parent household shaped my educational journey not only because my life has given me experiences that scream, "Either take the chance or risk watching someone else seize the opportunity." But, because I was forced to experience the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why I will be studying Sociology/Political Science at Tuskegee University this Fall. My motto has become: "Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness." I have a younger brother and want to be the man he can see as a map for finding his own identity. My mom always said you are the first man your brother will admire. I want to fight for children and families who are left without access to impactful counseling and closure. I want to fight for justice that understands the weight of the trauma, anger, and fear that a senseless murder leaves behind. During the years when I felt lost, hurt, and confused. I lost focus, abandoned my passion for sports, and fell behind academically. I resisted any help offered due to fear of further pain or facing something worse. Those difficult transitions fostered gratefulness for my family's support, but especially my mother’s. She filled the empty spaces the death of my father left in my heart and soul. Her words and presence allowed me to transform anger and grief into growth. Challenges into catalysts within my life. She encouraged me to embrace my faith and to continue to allow gratitude to reside in the space where fear and anger once resided. I am not the only person who has and will suffer trauma. She exudes resilience, providing space for those around her to experience freedom as they progress towards a better version of themselves. Watching her for 18 years has made me hungry to know God more deeply, love others intentionally, and serve my community as a servant. The responsibility to be more than the person life was trying to force me to be. Knowing that I must be a light in the darkness, affecting other children who look like my brother and me. She encourages everyone to see themselves and their situations as building block, not stumbling blocks. She reminds me that to become a man who understands that the bar is set high, not by my strength alone, but that I can reach it because I have God, my faith, family, and a church that not only believes in me but also prays and supports me. Life also inspires me; it is not promised, so what I do now is the foundation for who I become and what I create. This is what my single mother taught me when the choices that affected her life were not her own. They have encouraged me to embrace my faith and continue allowing gratitude to flow in the space where fear and anger once resided. I am not the only person who has suffered trauma, but I do have a foundation that surrounds our family. Life provided the tools that I realized are necessary for me to create change and impact individuals who are “forgotten or disregarded because their resilience is just that resilient. I respect others who have striven for excellence, but I eventually want to design a scholarship for those who do not fit the demographic. It will be an opportunity that not only supports their educational goals but also provides continuous learning for the community and the individuals I can impact, as well as ongoing emotional and spiritual counseling/therapy throughout their educational journey and life.

Being raised in a single-parent household shaped my educational journey not only because my life has given me experiences that scream, "Either take the chance or risk watching someone else seize the opportunity." But, because I was forced to experience the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why I will be studying Sociology/Political Science at Tuskegee University this Fall. My motto has become: "Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness." I have a younger brother and want to be the man he can see as a map for finding his own identity. My mom always said you are the first man your brother will admire. I want to fight for children and families who are left without access to impactful counseling and closure. I want to fight for justice that understands the weight of the trauma, anger, and fear that a senseless murder leaves behind. During the years when I felt lost, hurt, and confused. I lost focus, abandoned my passion for sports, and fell behind academically. I resisted any help offered due to fear of further pain or facing something worse. Those difficult transitions fostered gratefulness for my family's support, but especially my mother’s. She filled the empty spaces the death of my father left in my heart and soul. Her words and presence allowed me to transform anger and grief into growth. Challenges into catalysts within my life. She encouraged me to embrace my faith and to continue to allow gratitude to reside in the space where fear and anger once resided. I am not the only person who has and will suffer trauma. She exudes resilience, providing space for those around her to experience freedom as they progress towards a better version of themselves. Watching her for 18 years has made me hungry to know God more deeply, love others intentionally, and serve my community. The responsibility to be more than the person life was trying to force me to be. Knowing that I must be a light in the darkness, affecting other children who look like my brother and me. She encourages everyone to see themselves and their situations as building block, not stumbling blocks. She reminds me that to become a man who understands that the bar is set high. But that I can reach it; not by myself, but with God, my faith, family, and a church that not only believes in me but also prays for and supports me. Life also inspires me; it is not promised, so what I do now is the foundation for who I become and what I create. This is what my single mother taught me when the choices that affected her life were not her own. My story is not unique, but it is mine, and my reason to succeed and reach my goals.

Ensuring that "everyone has a voice" is founded on the core principles I believe are most essential to creating positive change in my community and future career field: compassion, integrity, empathy, respect, fairness, and responsibility, because the past eighteen years of my life have given me experiences that scream, “Either take the chance or risk watching someone else seize the opportunity.” I was forced to experience the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why I will be a Sociology/ Political Science major at Tuskegee University this Fall. “Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness.” The motto that was fostered out of the anger, pain, and guilt I felt during and after his death. I carried the guilt of a choice I had nothing to do with, and the weight of that world was smothering my future's true potential. I began struggling with finding my voice. I have a younger brother and want to, no, I am going to be the example of the man he can see as a map to chart his path to success. Discovering his own identity frees him from the darkness of this world. I know that sounds impossible, but I want to fight for children and families who are left without access to impactful counseling or closure. I want to not only fight for justice but also create a model of programs that truly understand the weight of the trauma, anger, and fear that a senseless murder leaves behind. Life inspires me; it is not promised, so what I do now is the foundation for who I become and what I create. During those years, I felt lost, hurt, and confused. I resisted any help offered due to fear of further pain or facing something worse. Those difficult transitions in my life posed unique challenges, and I am grateful for my family's support. Listening to and watching them is helping me to transform my grief into growth and my challenges into catalysts for positive changes in my life. I am not the only person who has suffered trauma, but I do have a foundation that surrounds our family. Life provided the necessary doors for me to implement change and impact individuals who are “forgotten or disregarded because their resilience is just that resilient, because everyone has a voice that needs to be heard and represented. Incorporating these same core principles in both my educational pursuits and interactions with others? First, I was raised in a single-parent household with a strong grandmother. And my faith requires me to know God more deeply, love others intentionally, and serve my community. But, I have a responsibility to be more than the person life was trying to force me to be. I must be a light in the darkness, affecting other children who look like my brother and me. I am becoming who I needed to be and creating the community I needed during those darkest moments. In my educational pursuits and interactions with others, I strive to encourage everyone to see themselves and their situations as building blocks rather than stumbling blocks. The choices that affected my life were not my own, but they did not destroy my dream of creating a scholarship for those who do not fit the normal educational demographic. It will be a project that not only listens and advocates but also offers continuous support throughout their educational journey and life.

My experience with mental health struggles stem from the unavoidable consequences of the choices of one person. That choice has given me experiences that scream, either you take the chance or risk watching someone else seize the opportunity. I was forced to experience the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why I will be studying to become a lawyer at Tuskegee University this Fall. My motto is “Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness.” I have a younger brother and want to be the man he can see as a map for finding his own identity, one that drowns out the darkness of this world. Fighting for children and families who are left without access to impactful counseling and closure. I want to fight for justice that understands the weight of the trauma, anger, and fear that a senseless murder leaves behind. Life continues to give me insight into how one choice and one decision can either derail or inspire me; it is not promised, so what I do now is the foundation for who I become and what I create. During those years, I felt lost, hurt, and confused. I lost focus, abandoned my passion for sports, and fell behind academically. I resisted any help offered due to fear of further pain or facing something worse. Those difficult transitions in my life presented a unique set of challenges, and I am grateful for my family's support and the beginning of my faith. They allowed me to transform my grief into growth and my challenges into catalysts for positive change in my life. My faith continues to create a heart of gratitude in the space where fear and anger once resided. I am hungry to know God more deeply, love others intentionally, and serve my community. Why? Because I have a responsibility to be more than the person life was trying to force me to be. I must be a light in the darkness that is affecting other children who look like my brother and me. I am becoming who I needed during those darkest moments. Becoming the man who understands that the bar is set high, not by my strength alone, but that I can reach it because I have God, my faith, family, and a church that not only believes in me but also prays and supports me. Life also inspires me; it is not promised, so what I do now is the foundation for who I become and what I create. My future faith and career will influence me to create a scholarship that helps students with GPAs below 3.5 realize their educational goals. Sometimes, life is the reason young people give up on their dreams. Regardless of the mitigating factors, they should have the opportunity to obtain greater things. The students who go unnoticed because they are not the problem makers, the star athletes, or the children of friends. These are the students I want to focus on. The invisible kids that gangs and darkness draw. They just want to be seen, protected, and embraced. They are drawn to darkness because they are hidden behind the light of those receiving the applause. Connecting them with a counselor, a mentor, and a support system that reinforces Proverbs 3:27, “Don't withhold good from someone who deserves it, when it is in your power to do so.” My dreams, ambitions and relationships have helped to resurface my initial understanding of the world! Waiting for years for a day in court ended in watching another broken African American man becoming the fulfilled projection of choices and depleted dreams. Who is afforded the opportunity to receive mental health services may not have ended up here in a graveyard of dreams and ambition. But my grandmother reminds my brother and I that we are Latimer strong and we were born not only survive but to impact others for the better. Because most people just want to be seen for who they are and can be not for who they have no choice but to be. I have a vision and I am making it plain and by being intentional regarding my own struggles I can be more than a victim, more than a survivor, more than a shell; I am becoming an experience that will define the trajectory of young individuals who mirror my path and pain. I see the cloud forming in the distance and I know it’s going to rain. This scholarship can give a foundation to my educational journey and my future career path.

The persoanl achievement tha I am most proud of is relocating to Virginia my juionr year of high school because life was beginning to change and impact my grades and choices. The space where I now exist, represents the experiences that screamed, “Either take the chance or risk watching someone else seize the opportunity.” I was forced to experience the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why writing has impacted my life and how I can create meaningful change in the lives of those close to me and those that I will impact in the future. I never felt that writing was my gift until I started exploring how to communicate. I felt like all of the words that I wanted to say were resembling a game of Scrabble, and all of the vowels were missing. That in itself was a struggle to want to talk and feel like you don't have the words, but I had my grandmother. I believe in “Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness.” I have a younger brother and want to be the man he can see as a blueprint for finding his own identity, one that drowns out the darkness of this world. I want to fight for justice that understands the weight of the trauma, anger, and fear that a senseless murder leaves behind. I realize that words and actions are the key to making dreams happen. The words that burn deep inside are not just mine alone; they are the threads of life's blood that flow through every black boy who wants to become a man who gives something back to those who covered and protected him. Life has begun to inspire me; yet it is not promised, so what I do now is the foundation for who I become and what I create. During those years, I felt lost, hurt, and confused. I lost focus, abandoned my passion for sports, and fell behind academically. I resisted any help offered due to fear of further pain or facing something worse. Those difficult transitions in my life presented a unique set of challenges. Learning to transform my grief into growth, my challenges into catalysts. Embracing my faith, fears, and discomfort, and continuing to allow gratitude to reside in the space where fear and anger once lived. I am not the only person who has suffered trauma. I am hungry to know God more deeply, love others intentionally, and serve my community. I have a responsibility to be more than the person life was trying to force me to be. I must be a light in the darkness that is affecting other children who look like my brother and me. I am becoming who I needed during those darkest moments. I want to encourage others to see themselves and their situations as building block, not stumbling blocks. Becoming a man who understands that if the bar is set high, I can reach it not by my strength alone, but because I have God, my faith, and family who support me. Life has began inspire me; it is not promised, so everything I do now is the foundation for who I become and create. So the story I write is mine and the way I tell it is my voice and when I create change in myself I formulate the space to uplift others and give them a voice as well.

Creative writing and expression are vital to me because the journey to this place where I am now exists, and my life has given me experiences that scream, “Either take the chance or risk watching someone else seize the opportunity.” I was forced to experience the long arm of justice in relation to the murder of my father when I was ten years old, which is why writing has impacted my life and how I can create meaningful change in the lives of those close to me and those that I will impact in the future. I never felt that writing was my gift until I started exploring how to communicate. I felt like all of the words that I wanted to say were resembling a game of Scrabble, and all of the vowels were missing. That in itself was a struggle to want to talk and feel like you don't have the words, but I had my grandmother. My motto is “Never let someone steal your light because that is the one thing you were born with and the main thing that will draw and destroy darkness.” I have a younger brother and want to be the man he can see as a map for finding his own identity, one that drowns out the darkness of this world. Fighting for children and families who are left without access to impactful counseling and closure. I want to fight for justice that understands the weight of the trauma, anger, and fear that a senseless murder leaves behind. And words are the key to making that happen. The words that burn deep inside of me are not just mine alone; they are the threads of life's blood that flow through every black boy who wants to become a man who gives something back to those who covered and protected him. Life has begun to inspire me; yet it is not promised, so what I do now is the foundation for who I become and what I create. During those years, I felt lost, hurt, and confused. I lost focus, abandoned my passion for sports, and fell behind academically. I resisted any help offered due to fear of further pain or facing something worse. Those difficult transitions in my life presented a unique set of challenges. Learning to transform my grief into growth, my challenges into catalysts. Embracing my faith, fears, and discomfort, and continuing to allow gratitude to reside in the space where fear and anger once lived. I am not the only person who has suffered trauma. I am hungry to know God more deeply, love others intentionally, and serve my community. I have a responsibility to be more than the person life was trying to force me to be. I must be a light in the darkness that is affecting other children who look like my brother and me. I am becoming who I needed during those darkest moments. I want to encourage others to see themselves and their situations as building block, not stumbling blocks. Becoming a man who understands that if the bar is set high, I can reach it not by my strength alone, but because I have God, my faith, and family who support me. Life has began inspire me; it is not promised, so everything I do now is the foundation for who I become and create. So the story I write is mine and the way I tell it is my voice and when I create change in myself I formulate the space to uplift others and give them a voice as well.