Since becoming a mother at twenty-two I have always put my kids first. My dreams and goals got put on the sideline. Every decision I have made has been because of my children. I have three boys ages 10, 9, and 5. There is a struggle day to day balancing work life, school life, home life. I have learned over the years to make it work. Regardless of what is going on, I make it work. Any time I take a job, I make sure it will work with my children's schedules. I have to work daytime hours so that I can care for them in the evenings. My job also has to be close so that I can get them from school/daycare in the event they get sick or some other emergency arises. I have very understanding supervisors who also help out when I need time off. I am the primary caregiver of my children. My daily duties include getting everyone ready and out the door in a limited time, making sure everyone is bathed and fed. My workday does not end when I clock out. Then it's on to homework, suppertime, bath times, and bed for my little ones. It never stops. Once they go to bed I get cleaning, laundry, and my school work done. I stay up till midnight or later making sure everything is done to do it all again the next day. I am not complaining by any means, but every day is a 24-hour long job. This January, I decided that I was ready to go back to school to pursue my dreams. I wanted to show my children that you can achieve anything you set your mind to no matter the age or circumstances. I enrolled in the local community college. My first goal was to obtain a medical assistant degree. However, when I realized I would not be able to work full time and go to school I had to change my major. I am currently taking business healthcare technology. I have high hopes that once I obtain this degree I will be able to begin a career. I would like to run a doctor's office or manage a clinic. I want to be happy with what I am doing. The school has its own challenges. Balancing getting work done and tests done as well as being a mother isn't for the faint of heart. I am very glad I have a good support system. My parents help with the kids as well as my husband. With all of that, I am working hard for what I want. I am finally making time for me and my dreams. I will no longer put my goals on the back burner. I want to be able to walk across the stage in cap and gown and make everyone proud. To show my kids that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I am so glad to finally be living up to my full potential and doing something that not only benefits me but my family as well. We all know that being a mother there is never just YOU to take care of, and that is why I am working so hard for this.

Since becoming a mother at twenty-two I have always put my kids first. My dreams and goals got put on the sideline. Every decision I have made has been because of my children. I have three boys ages 10, 9, and 5. There is a struggle day to day balancing work life, school life, home life. I have learned over the years to make it work. Regardless of what is going on, I make it work. Any time I take a job, I make sure it will work with my children's schedules. I have to work daytime hours so that I can care for them in the evenings. My job also has to be close so that I can get them from school/daycare in the event they get sick or some other emergency arises. I have very understanding supervisors who also help out when I need time off. I am the primary caregiver of my children. My daily duties include getting everyone ready and out the door in a limited time, making sure everyone is bathed and fed. My workday does not end when I clock out. Then it's on to homework, suppertime, bath times, and bed for my little ones. It never stops. Once they go to bed I get cleaning, laundry, and my school work done. I stay up till midnight or later making sure everything is done to do it all again the next day. I am not complaining by any means, but every day is a 24-hour long job. This January, I decided that I was ready to go back to school to pursue my dreams. I wanted to show my children that you can achieve anything you set your mind to no matter the age or circumstances. I enrolled in the local community college. My first goal was to obtain a medical assistant degree. However, when I realized I would not be able to work full time and go to school I had to change my major. I am currently taking business healthcare technology. I have high hopes that once I obtain this degree I will be able to begin a career. I would like to run a doctor's office or manage a clinic. I want to be happy with what I am doing. The school has its own challenges. Balancing getting work done and tests done as well as being a mother isn't for the faint of heart. I am very glad I have a good support system. My parents help with the kids as well as my husband. With all of that, I am working hard for what I want. I am finally making time for me and my dreams. I will no longer put my goals on the back burner. I want to be able to walk across the stage in cap and gown and make everyone proud. To show my kids that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I am so glad to finally be living up to my full potential and doing something that not only benefits me but my family as well. We all know that being a mother there is never just YOU to take care of, and that is why I am working so hard for this.

I feel deeply that the stigma with mental health kills a lot of people. Everyone is quick to judge someone with a mental illness. I believe there should be more financially friendly therapists and such to help even the minority poverty-stricken people with mental healthcare. We live in a society where it is taboo to talk about our issues. While many people struggle with ways to cope. I feel workplaces would be better if there were therapists we could talk to and not have to worry about being labeled crazy, a basket case, psycho, etc. I feel on days where my anxiety is acting up that it is harder to be motivated at work. It makes me sick feeling and ill. I feel like there is an elephant on my chest. I just want to be able to talk to someone that won't judge me and hears me vent. My spouse doesn't understand anxiety or things like that. It makes it real hard to communicate with him when I am having bad days. It comes across to him as an attitude or me being moody. It affects him and the kids in a negative way. I have days I will wake up and hate my job and hate my lifestyle and things like that. I doubt my progress in school, I'm miserable at work, and all in all not one to want to be around people at the time. Again, I just really need someone to vent to. If you don't have some type of mental issues you really don't understand what people who do are going through. It is hard to get on someone else's level or train of thought. It's easier to judge and make assumptions about the person instead of helping them. I feel that mental health deeply affects every aspect of my life. I feel no one understands or listens. I feel lost and alone with anxiety. Or I feel if I talk to my friends about it, that I am just bothering them with my problems. I feel needy and aggravating. Mental health can slow your success down because you are battling your ownself. Regardless of how anyone else sees you, the battle is within. Anxiety has made me realize everyone is going through something and instead of judging to reach out to that person, see if there is anything you can do to make their life easier. Offer a listening ear. Plan a dinner or trip to get the person out of their normal element. Listen but don't talk unless prompted to. Having anxiety has made me better understand other people and have more empathy towards them and their issues.

I have learned that I should always be mindful of other people's perspectives on things. That holding grudges is wrong and that if you get the chance to talk through your problems with other people you can learn a lot about the other person, as well as yourself. My sister and I have really not had a relationship since she was 8 years old. We are 13 years apart and I used the motto she was young and dumb at the age of 18 and did not know a thing about life. We did not talk for a couple of years over a small disagreement. We recently met up and finally discussed a majority of the issues we held against each other. It was a real eye opener on her side of things. It was things that I never thought of, or though would affect her, yet they did. I let anger of of the misunderstandings keep me from having a relationship with my little sister. My children did not know their aunt. We both held onto a lot of hurt from our upbringings that should have never come between us. I am glad to say we are now at a better place and I hope we can continue to build a relationship. I hold it in my heart dearly that my children will get to know her and have a good relationship with her. It just goes to show, a simple conversation could have kept all of the anger, hurt, and resentment from building. As we would have been able to see each others side.

The world we live in right now is a scary and hostile place. The media likes to play everyone against each other, whether it be race or political stance. I feel that the world would be a much better place if everyone shut down social media and actually talked to other people. The world would have a lot less hate and crime. People just need to being able to talk and celebrate their differences. I have hope that after all this covid mess people of the world would have a deeper love for thy neighbor. That we can all come together as a united nation that everyone is proud of.

Brandi O’Berry Jameela Jamil I Weigh Scholarship August 3, 2021 Silent Superheroes: Living Donors and Recipients Flashy costumes, a cape, a telephone booth to change in. What comes to mind when you hear those things? If you are like me, I bet you envision superman, or a many of other superheroes, out to save the world. You probably do not see the everyday heroes hiding in plain sight. The ones that may not be able to change the world, but can change the life of someone in the world. I know I never did, at least not until I became one in the eyes of a child. I became a living donor for a tiny superhero, who changed for me what a superhero is. I never knew bravery, strength and resilience until I met Hunter. A little person with a big heart. Hunter faces challenges every day that most adults could not even fathom. He braves through kidney disease with bravery and strength that cannot be matched. He does not let his disease define him. He greets everyone he meets with a sweet, gentle nature and to know him is to love him. He may be tiny, but to me he is the biggest superhero I know. He saved me in more ways than he will ever know. He gave me a new purpose in life and the want for a better, healthier self. I get to be his superhero. I have always seen myself as a normal, nothing special plain Jane. That has all changed now. Now in the eyes of a child I am a superhero. I am a lifesaver. I am blessed to be able to say that I will be donating my kidney to Hunter. I do not like being in the spotlight and truly do not feel like a hero, but in his eyes I am. I get the honor of giving life to a small person who is going to do big things. I may not save the world, but I am saving him, and I know he has a humongous impact on many people in the world. So yes, in a way I am indirectly a superhero through him. When he grows up saving the world, I will know that a little piece of me helped him achieve that. I will also see how he saved me by making me obtain a healthier way of life so that I would be able to give him my spare kidney. I cannot wait to watch this little guy grow up and be the amazing superhero that he is.

I have always dreamed of doing big things, except I have taken a few detours and stops along the way. I put my dreams of a successful career on hold to be a mom. I did not go to college immediately and took substantial time off. After 14 years I decided it was time to take my life into my own hand and begin getting it together. I enrolled in online classes and began pursuing my career. It has had its own set of challenges and has not been easy. Not only am I a student, but I hold down a full-time job. Then my biggest and most rewarding job as a parent also throws me a little off balance. I have three boys that age ten, nine, and five. They are my reason why. They give me the drive to complete my goals so that I can have a better life for them. My ultimate goal in life is to make my family proud and achieve a career that I love. I loathe a job that is paycheck to paycheck and only allows my family the necessities. I want my children to have and do things that I only dreamed about as a child. I want to be happy with my career so that when I come home the happiness still radiates. I see myself being able to help people with my chosen career and allow the world to be a better place.

I think my greatest achievement to date is deciding as a full-time worker and mom at the age of thirty-two it was time to go back to school. This in itself is no small feat. I work hard every day juggling a full-time job and responsibilities as a mother and wife. I then go on to be a student in college. Do not get me wrong I do have a lot of support from my husband and family. However, the main tasks are on me. I have to make a schedule that works for all of my tasks as well as everyone else in my family. I have to make sure everyone else has everything they need to get through their day. So far this experience has taught me to never underestimate myself. I can do anything I set my mind and effort to. I am a strong woman who has a lot on her plate but does not allow it to discourage me from my goals. I have learned to better manage my schedule and to just breathe because with life nothing ever goes as planned. I prepare for the unexpected and pray a lot more than I ever have. Being flexible is another change I have learned. I now know not everything will go my way but that is no reason to give up or give in. The goals I have set for myself in the future are hard but very obtainable. I want to finish college and begin a successful career. Not a paycheck to paycheck job, but a career that I love doing. I do not want to feel miserable or stuck at my workplace. I want the enjoyment of being able to help people while doing my job. I want to be able to show my children you can achieve anything you set your mind to. It does not matter your age or circumstance. I want my children to know that hard work pays off and is recognized. My biggest goal is I want my family to be proud of me and my hard work. I want them to see that I made it through my struggles and did not give up.

My best friend was my grandfather. I called him Deda. He was the only real stable father figure I had growing up. He understood me and made sure I had everything I wanted and needed. Growing up he taught me how to drive, work on cars, etc. His house was the hang-out spot and he never met a stranger. I had nineteen years with him and I will forever cherish that. He was taken from me suddenly the weekend after Thanksgiving 2008. An aneurysm took my best friend. I never got the chance to say goodbye. He never got the chance to see me succeed. Losing my grandfather hurt me tremendously. There will never be anyone that can take his place. I even named my first child Allen after him. I was the first in my family to graduate high school. He was there for my graduation and I remember how proud he was of me. I fight hard now to achieve my goal of graduating from college. Not only do I want to make my family proud, but I also know he would be smiling down from heaven beaming with the same smile he had at my high school graduation. I know he would not be there in person, but I know he would be there in spirit. I have always wanted him to see me live out my dreams and goals. I want to graduate college and make him proud.

I am an aspiring entrepreneur, I am yet to catch my big break. I struggle every day waiting for my time to shine. I see other people succeeding in life and I start to feel down. I feel that I am not worthy enough. I feel sometimes like abandoning my goals and trying something else in life. I can not figure out why I keep doing everything right, but never getting ahead. It is very discouraging, to say the least. I have learned though that you can not judge a book by its cover. Just because something seems shiny and bright and looks good on the outside does not by any means mean that it is perfect and without its own flaws. I have learned everyone succeeds at their own pace and not to judge my gains by others. My biggest motivation is my children. I feel like that makes me a better person and makes me want to succeed in my dreams and goals. I want them to have a better life than I had growing up. My children drive me to go harder and do more each day than I ever thought possible. I believe if it was not for my children I would have given up a long time ago. Obtaining my degree and a successful career will not only improve my way of seeing myself, but it will also make my children proud of me. That through it all, mom never gave up. I never let the struggle win.

Brandi O’Berry Demetrius Mack Pay It Forward Memorial Scholarship 06/15/2021 Paying It Forward I grew up poor all my life; however, as a child/young adult, I never realized it. I never did without and many of my wants were always met. As with most children, I did not see the struggles that my mother and grandparents chose to make to provide for me. As an adult, I see it now. As a child, we got new clothes and shoes every August and Christmas. We would go to the outlet mall in St. Augustine and spend a day shopping for each time. I was never told no, regardless of cost. While I was in school name brand meant everything to me. I was picked on for not wearing the latest and greatest. I even remember the tongue of my shoe coming out and kids throwing it around the classroom. As soon as my grandmother caught word of this, she took me straight to the mall to get the latest Nikes. She did not want to see me upset or hurt. My Nanny was one of many children. She knew what it was like being poor and wanting more. She worked all her life as a cashier at Little Champ convenience store. My grandfather worked at a car lot. They worked hard to make sure I had all I wanted and needed. I did not notice they did without. My plan to pay it forward to the community would benefit, such as “adopt a school kid” Every school year, I would reach out to the local child and family services to find out the names of some children who had very little. Community members could adopt a child and take them to school shopping. The drive would start in mid-July. Everyone who signs up would receive the name and info on a child in the community in need. They would have their ages, sizes, likes, etc. The goal would be to provide that child with a complete weeks’ worth of new clothes and shoes. We would also provide all the school supplies the child would need to get off to a good start. We would take up donations as well in case someone could not afford to adopt a child but still wanted to help. The money raised through donations would get backpacks and school supplies. It would cover a backpack full of supplies for any child that was not adopted. Any extra, I would hold a book bag drive for everyone in the community. I have high hopes that no child in the community would go to school without the necessary supplies for their grade. I also hope that because it is for youth that many people would participate and help the challenge. I never want to see a child embarrassed or ashamed to go to school because they do not have a book bag or supplies. I want to see every child given the tools to succeed.

I feel deeply that the stigma with mental health kills a lot of people. Everyone is quick to judge someone with a mental illness. I believe there should be more financially friendly therapists and such to help even the minority poverty-stricken people with mental healthcare. We live in a society where it is taboo to talk about our issues. While many people struggle with ways to cope. I feel workplaces would be better if there were therapists we could talk to and not have to worry about being labeled crazy, a basket case, psycho, etc. I feel on days where my anxiety is acting up that it is harder to be motivated at work. It makes me sick feeling and ill. I feel like there is an elephant on my chest. I just want to be able to talk to someone that won't judge me and hears me vent. My spouse doesn't understand anxiety or things like that. It makes it real hard to communicate with him when I am having bad days. It comes across to him as an attitude or me being moody. It affects him and the kids in a negative way. I have days I will wake up and hate my job and hate my lifestyle and things like that. I doubt my progress in school, I'm miserable at work, and all in all not one to want to be around people at the time. Again, I just really need someone to vent to. If you don't have some type of mental issues you really don't understand what people who do are going through. It is hard to get on someone else's level or train of thought. It's easier to judge and make assumptions about the person instead of helping them. I feel that mental health deeply affects every aspect of my life. I feel no one understands or listens. I feel lost and alone with anxiety. Or I feel if I talk to my friends about it, that I am just bothering them with my problems. I feel needy and aggravating. Mental health can slow your success down because you are battling your ownself. Regardless of how anyone else sees you, the battle is within. Anxiety has made me realize everyone is going through something and instead of judging to reach out to that person, see if there is anything you can do to make their life easier. Offer a listening ear. Plan a dinner or trip to get the person out of their normal element. Listen but don't talk unless prompted to. Having anxiety has made me better understand other people and have more empathy towards them and their issues.

Let me start by saying I am a 32-year-old first-generation college student. I work full time and attend school full time. This scholarship would help me with my dream of a successful career, not just a job that barely pays the bills. I attended school in Georgia my entire life, until my mother moved us to Florida, the summer before my senior year. I graduated from a Florida high school. This past January I decided it was time to go back to school to better myself for my family. When I started applying for schools in Georgia I was told because I didn't graduate in Georgia I would not be eligible for HOPE scholarship. I now live in Georgia so I also am not eligible for any Florida scholarships. I would love to receive this scholarship because it would make a great impact on things like books, tuition, and purchasing a new laptop for my online classes. I work full time, but with my job, I live paycheck to paycheck, and there are not many scholarships for working adults.

The greatest inspiration in my life is my children. I gave them life but they give me a reason to live. I wake up each day and take on the task of raising three young boys into men. Let me tell you, it is not for the faint of heart. They are wild, rough, and crazy. My children drive me to do better for myself and them. I want a career, not just a job that barely pays the bills. I want them to be able to watch me walk across the stage in cap and gown and say "Momma made it!" They are the drive behind everything I do. I want them to always know you can achieve it if you believe it. It does not matter the age or circumstance.

"There's this love that is burning, deep in my soul. Constantly yearning to get out of control. Wanting to fly higher and higher. I can't abide Standing outside the fire."-Garth Brooks. This quote is actually a song lyric. However, I have always loved it. It holds a deep meaning to me. To me it means to don't put life on hold, to live every day to the fullest. It means don't fear getting burned, just jump right in. Never to fear the uncertain. Always give your best and go hard.

Since becoming a mother at twenty-two I have always put my kids first. My dreams and goals got put on the sideline. Every decision I have made has been because of my children. I have three boys ages 10, 9, and 5. There is a struggle day to day balancing work life, school life, home life. I have learned over the years to make it work. Regardless of what is going on, I make it work. Any time I take a job, I make sure it will work with my children's schedules. I have to work daytime hours so that I can care for them in the evenings. My job also has to be close so that I can get them from school/daycare in the event they get sick or some other emergency arises. I have very understanding supervisors who also help out when I need time off. I am the primary caregiver of my children. My daily duties include getting everyone ready and out the door in a limited time, making sure everyone is bathed and fed. My workday does not end when I clock out. Then it's on to homework, suppertime, bath times, and bed for my little ones. It never stops. Once they go to bed I get cleaning, laundry, and my school work done. I stay up till midnight or later making sure everything is done to do it all again the next day. I am not complaining by any means, but every day is a 24-hour long job. This January, I decided that I was ready to go back to school to pursue my dreams. I wanted to show my children that you can achieve anything you set your mind to no matter the age or circumstances. I enrolled in the local community college. My first goal was to obtain a medical assistant degree. However, when I realized I would not be able to work full time and go to school I had to change my major. I am currently taking business healthcare technology. I have high hopes that once I obtain this degree I will be able to begin a career. I would like to run a doctor's office or manage a clinic. I want to be happy with what I am doing. The school has its own challenges. Balancing getting work done and tests done as well as being a mother isn't for the faint of heart. I am very glad I have a good support system. My parents help with the kids as well as my husband. With all of that, I am working hard for what I want. I am finally making time for me and my dreams. I will no longer put my goals on the back burner. I want to be able to walk across the stage in cap and gown and make everyone proud. To show my kids that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I am so glad to finally be living up to my full potential and doing something that not only benefits me but my family as well. We all know that being a mother there is never just YOU to take care of, and that is why I am working so hard for this.

You have two kidneys, yet you only need one to live. So why not give one away to one in need. I am going through testing and doctors to be able to donate my left kidney to a tiny superhero! He is seven years old and one of the bravest people I know. I was evaluated to be a match, now we are going through the final testing to make sure everything will work 100% as it should. We are hoping to have the surgery sometime this summer.

My all time favorite movie is Titanic. I can relate to this movie because I was also in a dead end relationship looking for a way out. I relate to Rose on many levels. My husband actually calls me his "Rose". I also love documentary type movies based on real events.