I have been working since the second I turned 16. I wanted independence and freedom, and of course a car. I did a couple freelance jobs before then, painting murals at a kid's club and bussing tables on holidays at the buffet my aunt worked at. My first official job was Dunkin' Donuts. The free treats made working hard for $9 an hour worth it. But I was perfectly content because I was grateful to have a job. It was not easy to get hired and I went through a lot of stress applying to every store in town. balancing high school and part-time job was pretty easy for me. Although I was a very busy girl with being a full-time student and participating in several sports all year, I liked having something to do every minute of the day. After a year and a half of working there I had realized that I was working harder than most at my job and getting paid the same as them or less. We were told not to discuss our pay and that only made me realize that I needed to search for places that appreciated my work and to always shoot higher. I later found a restaurant that recognizes their employees' accomplishments and treats me very well. I worked there for a year before I had to leave for college and it was a sad departure. I chose to pursue an education in the arts because I am fascinated by the art of storytelling and the many different ways people have been able to portray characters and feelings through film and books. I have a big interest in writing books but where my passion lies is in film and television. Being able to utilize music, lighting, and actors to convey a story is what I am working towards and why I need an education. I want to be able to inspire other young people to create and do what they love through my films, just as I was. I think art and cinematography are very important for our community because it connects people through feelings and we as humans are very empathetic creatures. I anticipate many obstacles during my college education experience especially while going to a rigorous college with plenty of work that takes time and dedication. But as I have always done, I will stay committed to the work I have been given and power through. Being financially independent is my next biggest obstacle as I am managing school and working a part-time job at the same time. Which has proven to be a lot more difficult in a college setting than it was in high school. Although it can be very mentally and physically exhausting, my goal to become a successful director is what keeps me getting out of bed every morning and doing everything I can to finish my education and provide for myself. I am currently working on three passion projects that I hope will, one day, turn into successful blockbuster films. I am taking them each, one step at a time while I currently have a lot on my plate but I will not give up!

I am a very optimistic person, I see the good in everyone at first and allow myself to go through tough times with positive energy. I value this quality a lot because I think it allows me to attract positivity back to myself. Keeping up an optimistic mindset hasn't been easy for me since being diagnosed with depression in my freshman year of high school. Even though I always thought of my future as my main motivation and gave myself little goals to keep my mind occupied, I ended up finding myself in the darkness that overwhelmed me. I have always found comfort in watching movies as a child. I used to be so engulfed in everything I watched, placing myself in the setting. Because of this, I loved writing stories as well and picturing them in my head. During my time in grade school, there was an assignment that I loved very much. It was called "Young Authors" and every year during the second semester of school, every child was required to write a story and they would be able to make their own book. I was ecstatic over this project and I would prepare and write months before the project was assigned. This plays into my current life and passion for art as well. I am constantly writing and thinking of new stories to tell because that is where I am truly happy when I am storytelling. I chose to pursue an education in the arts because I am fascinated by the art of storytelling and the many different ways people have been able to portray characters and feelings through film and books. I have a big interest in writing books but where my passion lies is in film and television. Being able to utilize music, lighting, and actors to convey a story is what I am working towards and why I need an education. I want to be able to inspire other young people to create and do what they love through my films, just as I was. I think art and cinematography are very important for our community because it connects people through feelings and we as humans are very empathetic creatures. Being diagnosed with depression demolished my hope for a while and I found it hard to return to optimism but I realized that I wasn't going to succeed in my life if I continue to wallow in self-pity. I'm very grateful that I was able to overcome that and grow back into the optimistic person I used to be. I appreciate the world around me more every day and I feel that I use that to my advantage. I can take every opportunity and make it into something great.

My passion has always been to shed light on the personal issues people face everyday and help them realize that they are not alone. I feel that the best way I can do that is through art. When I was younger, I never felt like I belonged in any group of kids in my school, aftercare program, and sometimes even in my own family. I have a white mother and a black father and I didn't exactly fit into either side. On my mother's side of the family, her kids were the odd ones out, with the crazy hair and an intimidating father. Although no one dared point out the difference between my cousins and my brother and me, I still felt the disconnect at a young age. But on my dad's side, I didn't see them as much because they did not get along with my mom. They had different ways of raising their kids and my dad wasn't around to raise me himself. I feel like all that little girl needed was someone else like her to show her that she was not alone. There are other people with frizzy curly hair and melonated skin that varies in shade depending on the time of year. All it took was seeing people who looked like me, doing great things, to motivate me and make me realize that I was not alone. When people can see themselves in others, it creates a greater sense of community. When we feel comfortable with ourselves then we can truly connect with those that are different from us and share our experiences and thoughts with open arms. I have always loved watching movies as a kid. I used to be so engulfed in everything I watched, placing myself in the setting. Because of this, I loved writing stories as well and picturing them in my head. This plays into my current life and passion for art as well. I am constantly writing and thinking of new stories to tell because that is where I am truly happy when I am storytelling. I chose to pursue an education in the arts because I am fascinated by the art of storytelling and the many different ways people have been able to portray characters and feelings through film and books. I have a big interest in writing books but where my passion lies is in film and television. Being able to utilize music, lighting, and actors to convey a story is what I am working towards and why I need an education. I think art and cinematography are very important for our community because it connects people through feelings and we as humans are very empathetic creatures. My goal to inspire people and show them that they can do great has always stuck with me and I am dedicated to that.

Having to battle depression and high school has been very difficult to manage in the past. I was diagnosed with depression in 2020, which added to the list of the many things that have changed my perspective on life that year. After being diagnosed with depression I had the realization that I have had symptoms at a very young age starting around fourth grade. One thing that never changed despite having to deal with my mental illness, is my passion for making people happy. As soon as I stepped into school, I would consciously make the effort to smile and be the funny friend. Being alone in my room after school or on the weekends is when my depression was the most present. To distract myself from the feelings of numbness, I would watch TV or scroll through social media apps and watch others live happy lives. I would watch the family channels on YouTube, and picture myself in fantasy movies. I wrote many stories and drew pictures of happy characters that did all of the things I wanted to do. I found that the more often I put myself in the place of my characters and picture myself as strong or as beautiful, it would come true for me and others. Although I never had to go through the burden of suicidal thoughts, My mother struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts. Being the oldest with a single mother, I feel a responsibility to help her the most that I can. Growing up I can only remember one of her attempts and the memory of calling my aunt for help in elementary school remains in the back of my head during depressive episodes. I feel that the fear alone that I would have to live without my mother and the thought of her having to live without me never allowed me to think about suicide, and although I wish I didn't have to experience suicide at a young age, it made me aware of the consequences and impact it could have. The global events of 2020 have widened my view of mental awareness and my mentality. My depression has never left, I only learned how to manage it so it wouldn't interfere with my external obligations. I noticed that time away from social media helped with my mental health significantly because apps like Instagram and TikTok give off a false sense of reality and I became upset that my life wasn't meeting the expectations of others even though those expectations were not realistic. Meditation and exercising have also helped me a lot with my connection to my body. One of my biggest passions in life is making movies, that is what I want to accomplish the most because watching stories and seeing them with my eyes as a child and even now, puts me in a state of hopefulness and euphoria. As I've gotten older, I also realized how important representation is and I want to be able to show people that mental illnesses do not limit the abilities of a person completely. I want to be able to advocate for the kids who don't know they are as good as their classmates, the teenagers who feel that life is only getting worse, the adults whose oppression is being hidden, and anyone who needs a story to place themselves in and see their best self thrive, as I do.

I have always loved watching movies as a kid. I used to be so engulfed in everything I watched, placing myself in the setting. Because of this, I loved writing stories as well and picturing them in my head. During my time in grade school, there was an assignment that I loved very much. It was called "Young Authors" and every year during the second semester of school, every child was required to write a story and they would be able to make their own book. I was ecstatic over this project and I would prepare and write months before the project was assigned. This plays into my current life and passion for art as well. I am constantly writing and thinking of new stories to tell because that is where I am truly happy when I am storytelling. I chose to pursue an education in the arts because I am fascinated by the art of storytelling and the many different ways people have been able to portray characters and feelings through film and books. I have a big interest in writing books but where my passion lies is in film and television. Being able to utilize music, lighting, and actors to convey a story is what I am working towards and why I need an education. I want to be able to inspire other young people to create and do what they love through my films, just as I was. I think art and cinematography are very important for our community because it connects people through feelings and we as humans are very empathetic creatures. I anticipate many obstacles during my college education experience especially while going to a rigorous college with plenty of work that takes time and dedication. But as I have always done, I will stay committed to the work I have been given and power through. Being financially independent is my next biggest obstacle as I am managing school and working a part-time job at the same time. Although it can be very mentally and physically exhausting, my goal to become a successful director is what keeps me getting out of bed every morning and doing everything I can to finish my education and provide for myself. Being gifted this scholarship would help pay for my tuition and give me the higher education I have always wanted while also giving me a little relief financially as I work through college.

When I was younger, I never felt like I belonged in any group of kids in my school, aftercare program, and sometimes even in my own family. I have a white mother and a black father and I didn't exactly fit into either side. On my mother's side of the family, her kids were the odd ones out, with the crazy hair and an intimidating father. Although no one dared point out the difference between my cousins and my brother and me, I still felt the disconnect at a young age. But on my dad's side, I didn't see them as much because they did not get along with my mom. They had different ways of raising their kids and my dad wasn't around to raise me himself. So, I am an outcast on both sides of my family, great. But of course, my community and my school will accept me! Nope, I still did not feel the love. During the time of my adolescence, not many kids were taught acceptance. If you looked different than them, it was weird. I was still the chubby little mixed kid with crazy hair whose white mother didn't know how to take care of. I feel like all that little girl needed was someone else like her to show her that she was not alone. There are other people with frizzy curly hair and melonated skin that varies in shade depending on the time of year. But there weren't big enough voices yet. I went online and all the popular girls were white and skinny. I watched the movies in the theater and all the girls that anyone loved had gorgeous hair and perfect bodies and you guessed it, they were white. So I thought, maybe I don't have to be the prettiest girl in the room, I could be strong or the smartest or the most successful, but not that either. That usually went to the men. I felt discouraged during this realization and began to wonder, what is possible for me? It wasn't until 3 years ago that I started to see more people who looked like me, succeeding. I saw powerful women of color being activists and shining in the film industry, which jumpstarted my determination to do the things I loved that I didn't think I could do before. All it took was seeing people who looked like me, doing great things, to motivate me and make me realize that I was not alone. When people can see themselves in others, it creates a greater sense of community. When we feel comfortable with ourselves then we can truly connect with those that are different from us and share our experiences and thoughts with open arms.

When I was younger, I never felt like I belonged in any group of kids in my school, aftercare program, and sometimes even in my own family. I have a white mother and a black father and I didn't exactly fit into either side. On my mother's side of the family, her kids were the odd ones out, with the crazy hair and an intimidating father. Although no one dared point out the difference between my cousins and my brother and me, I still felt the disconnect at a young age. But on my dad's side, I didn't see them as much because they did not get along with my mom. They had different ways of raising their kids and my dad wasn't around to raise me himself. So, I am an outcast on both sides of my family, great. But of course, my community and my school will accept me! Nope, I still did not feel the love. During the time of my adolescence, not many kids were taught acceptance. If you looked different than them, it was weird. I was still the chubby little mixed kid with crazy hair whose white mother didn't know how to take care of. I feel like all that little girl needed was someone else like her to show her that she was not alone. There are other people with frizzy curly hair and melonated skin that varies in shade depending on the time of year. But there weren't big enough voices yet. I went online and all the popular girls were white and skinny. I watched the movies in the theater and all the girls that anyone loved had gorgeous hair and perfect bodies and you guessed it, they were white. So I thought, maybe I don't have to be the prettiest girl in the room, I could be strong or the smartest or the most successful, but not that either. That usually went to the men. I felt discouraged during this realization and began to wonder, what is possible for me? It wasn't until 3 years ago that I started to see more people who looked like me, succeeding. I saw powerful women of color being activists and black people shining in the film industry, which jumpstarted my determination to do the things I loved that I didn't think I could do before. All it took was seeing people who looked like me, doing great things, to motivate me and make me realize that I was not alone. When people can see themselves in others, it creates a greater sense of community. When we feel comfortable with ourselves then we can truly connect with those that are different from us and share our experiences and thoughts with open arms.

Don't you want a career that will actually make you money? I think many art students are familiar with that question and I know I definitely am. I am pursuing an education in film and it's not the most comforting career path. I have always loved watching movies as a kid. I used to be so engulfed in everything I watched, placing myself in the setting. Because of this, I loved writing stories as well and picturing them in my head. During my time in grade school, there was an assignment that I loved very much. It was called "Young Authors" and every year during the second semester of school, every child was required to write a story and they would be able to make their own book. I was ecstatic over this project and I would prepare and write months before the project was assigned. This plays into my current life and passion for art as well. I am constantly writing and thinking of new stories to tell because that is where I am truly happy when I am storytelling. I chose to pursue an education in the arts because I am fascinated by the art of storytelling and the many different ways people have been able to portray characters and feelings through film and books. I have a big interest in writing books but where my passion lies is in film and television. Being able to utilize music, lighting, and actors to convey a story is what I am working towards and why I need an education. I think that my career path will not only change my life trajectory but others as well. I want to be able to inspire other young people to create and do what they love through my films, just as I was. I think art and cinematography are very important for our community because it connects people through feelings and we as humans are very empathetic creatures. I also want to be able to have a career that I am passionate about and that I love. One of my biggest fears in life is being miserable and my career could have a major impact on that. Since most of my time here on earth will be dedicated to working I want to be as happy as I can while doing so, so that I can show others and prove to myself that it is possible to chase your dreams and succeed.

I have always loved watching movies as a kid. I used to be so engulfed in everything I watched, placing myself in the setting. Because of this, I loved writing stories as well and picturing them in my head. During my time in grade school, there was an assignment that I loved very much. It was called "Young Authors" and every year during the second semester of school, every child was required to write a story and they would be able to make their own book. I was ecstatic over this project and I would prepare and write months before the project was assigned. This plays into my current life and passion for art as well. I am constantly writing and thinking of new stories to tell because that is where I am truly happy when I am storytelling. I chose to pursue an education in the arts because I am fascinated by the art of storytelling and the many different ways people have been able to portray characters and feelings through film and books. I have a big interest in writing books but where my passion lies is in film and television. Being able to utilize music, lighting, and actors to convey a story is what I am working towards and why I need an education. I want to be able to inspire other young people to create and do what they love through my films, just as I was. I think art and cinematography are very important for our community because it connects people through feelings and we as humans are very empathetic creatures. I anticipate many obstacles during my college education experience especially while going to a rigorous college with plenty of work that takes time and dedication. But as I have always done, I will stay committed to the work I have been given and power through. Being financially independent is my next biggest obstacle as I am managing school and working a part-time job at the same time. Although it can be very mentally and physically exhausting, my goal to become a successful director is what keeps me getting out of bed every morning and doing everything I can to finish my education and provide for myself. I am currently working on three passion projects that I hope will, one day, turn into successful blockbuster films. I am taking them each one step at a time while I currently have a lot on my plate but I will not give up!

I have always loved watching movies as a kid. I used to be so engulfed in everything I watched, placing myself in the setting. Because of this, I loved writing stories as well and picturing them in my head. During my time in grade school, there was an assignment that I loved very much. It was called "Young Authors" and every year during the second semester of school, every child was required to write a story and they would be able to make their own book. I was ecstatic over this project and I would prepare and write months before the project was assigned. This plays into my current life and passion for art as well. I am constantly writing and thinking of new stories to tell because that is where I am truly happy when I am storytelling. I chose to pursue an education in the arts because I am fascinated by the art of storytelling and the many different ways people have been able to portray characters and feelings through film and books. I have a big interest in writing books but where my passion lies is in film and television. Being able to utilize music, lighting, and actors to convey a story is what I am working towards and why I need an education. I want to be able to inspire other young people to create and do what they love through my films, just as I was. I think art and cinematography are very important for our community because it connects people through feelings and we as humans are very empathetic creatures. I anticipate many obstacles during my college education experience especially while going to a rigorous college with plenty of work that takes time and dedication. But as I have always done, I will stay committed to the work I have been given and power through. Being financially independent is my next biggest obstacle as I am managing school and working a part-time job at the same time. Although it can be very mentally and physically exhausting, my goal to become a successful director is what keeps me getting out of bed every morning and doing everything I can to finish my education and provide for myself. I am currently working on three passion projects that I hope will, one day, turn into successful blockbuster films. I am taking them each one step at a time while I currently have a lot on my plate but I will not give up!

I have always loved watching movies as a kid. I used to be so engulfed in everything I watched, placing myself in the setting. Because of this, I loved writing stories as well and picturing them in my head. During my time in grade school, there was an assignment that I loved very much. It was called "Young Authors" and every year during the second semester of school, every child was required to write a story and they would be able to make their own book. I was ecstatic over this project and I would prepare and write months before the project was assigned. This plays into my current life and passion for art as well. I am constantly writing and thinking of new stories to tell because that is where I am truly happy when I am storytelling. I chose to pursue an education in the arts because I am fascinated by the art of storytelling and the many different ways people have been able to portray characters and feelings through film and books. I have a big interest in writing books but where my passion lies is in film and television. Being able to utilize music, lighting, and actors to convey a story is what I am working towards and why I need an education. I want to be able to inspire other young people to create and do what they love through my films, just as I was. I think art and cinematography are very important for our community because it connects people through feelings and we as humans are very empathetic creatures. I anticipate many obstacles during my college education experience especially while going to a rigorous college with plenty of work that takes time and dedication. But as I have always done, I will stay committed to the work I have been given and power through. Being financially independent is my next biggest obstacle as I am managing school and working a part-time job at the same time. Although it can be very mentally and physically exhausting, my goal to become a successful director is what keeps me getting out of bed every morning and doing everything I can to finish my education and provide for myself. I am currently working on three passion projects that I hope will, one day, turn into successful blockbuster films. I am taking them each one step at a time while I currently have a lot on my plate but I will not give up!

I am a very optimistic person, I see the good in everyone at first and allow myself to go through tough times with positive energy. I value this quality a lot because I think it allows me to attract positivity back to myself. Keeping up an optimistic mindset hasn't been easy for me since being diagnosed with depression in my freshman year of high school. Even though I always thought of my future as my main motivation and gave myself little goals to keep my mind occupied, I ended up finding myself in the darkness that overwhelmed me. Being diagnosed with depression demolished my hope for a while and I found it hard to return to optimism but I realized that I wasn't going to progress in my life if I continue to wallow in self-pity. I'm very grateful that I was able to overcome that and grow back into the optimistic person I used to be. I appreciate the world around me more every day and I feel that I use that to my advantage. I can take every opportunity and make it into something great. I think the best example of that is when I was given the chance to go to my number one school for a rising star program over the summer. My main goal is to become a director and create movies and short films to educate people about the beauty of the world and to create experiences that impact people. Avatar is the movie that motivates me to accomplish that the most. During the summer program, I took advantage of every resource I could and socialized more than I ever thought I would. My creativity flourished and I was able to write and direct a three-minute film with my classmates. Although there was a lot of competition with my peers in my film class, I never gave up. I spent my nights writing films in hope that mine would be picked to be produced with the class. I failed the first round but succeeded in the second project of the class proving to me that my optimism helped me work hard enough to reach my goals. Staying positive throughout my life journey will help motivate me to move forward. People tend to gravitate toward people who radiate positive energy and I know that would benefit me in the business of entertainment. The best way to make an impact on the world is to show them how much there is to look forward to and appreciate.

My main educational goal has always been to graduate high school and then go to college to study any career path that speaks to me. I am very close to my goal of graduating high school and have no doubt that I won’t achieve that goal because I have been working hard since middle school to maintain a good GPA and to learn how to prioritize academics in a healthy manner. I have placed my education as a high priority in my life because I know that even though I have high creative dreams for a career, I want to always be able to have a backup because of my academic background. I have been drawn towards motion media, more specifically film. I admire film so much because I want to be able to show real-world problems in a way that people can sympathize with and experience in a way that can't just be told but shared with every aspect of the issue. I want to go to college for film to gain the best understanding of how I can get a message across in my future creations. I have faced many obstacles in my life, but I think the one that has affected me the most was my relationships with father figures. Since the age of three, I haven't had the sense of a permanent father figure in my life and I believe that has brought me many social issues as I haven't been able to socialize as easily as I hope too. My father has been in prison since I was three and hasn't been out since, it has been hard having to talk to him only through written letters and phone calls. At the age of five I was introduced to my brother's dad and I had a lot of hope for him to be someone I could look up too as a father figure he too went to prison not long after meeting him. He was still in my brother's and I's life because for the next five years that he was in prison, we visited him every weekend. I held a lot of value in our relationship and truly wanted a family that spent time together like the one's in the children's movies, having dinner together, having game nights, spending time together listening to music, seeing extended family with each other. But unfortunately, when he got out, nothing went as I had imagined, nothing that my mother had promised would happen, did. After the fallout of my brother's father leaving, I felt a lot of pain, mostly because I had attached myself to an idea for so long that it physically hurt thinking about how wrong it went. But it made me a lot into the person I am today. I have incredibly thick skin and I am able to dream big but realistically, I put more time into making things happen rather than hoping they do, and I am grateful for the experience that made me driven. I learned from that experience that, truly, the only person that can be the most active in my life is me.

After the sixteen years I've been alive on this earth, the one thing I struggled with most was figuring out what I loved most about myself. I have also changed so much about myself throughout those years but the one thing that has never changed is my ambition, my drive to never give up. There have been a countless number of times where I wanted to give up and every time, I proved to myself that i was not going to let myself do that. I always finish every project I start no matter how long it takes and that has allowed me to accomplish many things in my past and I am very grateful for that trait of mine. It has helped me and encouraged me to succeed in my academics and sports, as well as pull me out of states of mental illness. The drive that I have to always reach the finish line is what is going to make me a successful person and I love that about myself.

Having to battle depression and high school has been very difficult to manage in the past. I have been diagnosed with depression in 2020, added to the list of the many things that have changed my perspective of life that year. After becoming diagnosed with depression I had the realization that I have had symptoms at a very young age starting around fourth grade. One thing that never changed despite having to deal with my mental illness, is my passion for making people happy. As soon as i step into school, I would consciously make the effort to smile and be the funny friend. Being alone in my room after school or on the weekends is when my depression was the most present. To distract myself from the feelings of numbness, I would watch TV or scroll through social media apps and watch others live happy lives. I would watch the family channels on YouTube, and picture myself in the fantasy movies. I wrote many stories of and drew pictures of happy characters that did all of the things I wanted to do. I found that the more often I put myself in the place of my characters and picture myself as strong or as beautiful, it would come true for me and others. Although I never had to go through the burden of suicidal thoughts, My mother struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts. Being the oldest with a single mother, I feel a responsibility to help her the most that I can. Growing up I can only remember one of her attempts and the memory of calling my aunt for help in elementary school remains in the back of my head during depressive episodes. I feel that the fear alone that I would have to live without my mother and the thought of her having to live without me never allowed me to think about suicide, and although I wish I didn't have to experience suicide at a young age, it made me aware of the consequences and impact it could have. The global events of 2020 has widened my view of mental awareness and my own mentality. My depression has never left, I only learned how to manage it so it wouldn't interfere with my external obligations. I noticed that time away from social media helped with my mental health significantly because apps like Instagram and TikTok give off a false sense of reality and I became upset that my life wasn't meeting the expectations of others even though those expectations were not realistic. Meditation and exercising have also helped me a lot with my connection to my body. One of my biggest passions in life is making movies, that is what I want to accomplish the most because watching stories and seeing them with my eyes as a child and even now, puts me in a state of hopefulness and euphoria. As I've gotten older, I also realized how important representation is and I want to be able to show people that mental illnesses do not limit the abilities of a person completely. I want to be able to advocate for the kids who don't they are as good as their classmate, the teenagers who feel that life is only getting worse, the adults who's oppression is being hidden, and anyone who needs a story to place themselves in and see their best self thrive, like I do.

I believe I can do anything. My optimistic mentality guides me through everyday life and influences many of my relationships and hobbies. I love yoga, reading, painting, and anything that allows me to be free and use my imagination. I like the thought of peace and softness. I surround myself with pastel colors, plants, and make it a priority to spend time with the people who make me happy.I dedicate a lot of my time in making myself a better person for myself and others because I think that is the least I can do to be a good contribution to society as a whole.