My favorite color has been yellow since I have been 16. For almost four years, this has been the color people associate me with; I have never fully understood why. To me, yellow represents youth, joy, energy, optimism, and happiness. The color itself was my yellow brick road leading me to my future. I have participated in two quinces since I was 16. In one, I was just a typical detail to the birthday girl, as I should be. On the other, everyone was assigned a specific color for our dresses. As each color was given, there was a detailed explanation for each of us. While hearing the color I was assigned, I blinked. My friend explained to everyone, that it pops and that my positive mind and undeniable true happiness fit the figurative meaning of yellow. My presence was appreciated when I was around just because I applauded every person I had an encounter with, regardless of if we were best friends. I took this to heart. I longed for deeper reasoning. I began to piece details of peers associating me with this fun, sometimes extravagant, and overall caring color that flooded my mind. Was it true? Did I make people feel included and reassure them that they do matter? Life went on and I eventually grew apart from these friends; nothing bad happened, we just drifted apart. While at home for a year, I experienced isolation from everyone, but having two sisters will lead you to never being alone. Using this time, I re-evaluated my life. When our country began to open the community little by little, my dance team got the opportunity to socialize safely together. When graced with my teammates' presence once again, many questioned how I remained sociable and did not have the urge to constantly, shut out the world; I just couldn't. I have never known how to stop having love for everyone. Having time to set my purpose in life and my goals ruptured the realization that my goals were never for me, they were meant for other people like me, who didn't always see themselves in the doctors' offices'. Yellow wasn’t just a color to me anymore, it was my purpose. Being someone's sunshine is how I want to spend the rest of my life. In a million years, I would never expect someone else birthday to give me my purpose in life. I always knew I wanted to be something, I just couldn't piece together what. Embracing my god-given qualities of being a genuine person who has a genuine heart and the urge to always be someone's shoulder to lean on opened my eyes to wanting to be a pediatric neurosurgeon. Around 330 pediatric neurosurgeons work in underprivileged communities and I aspire to join this outstanding list of people who are being the change they needed to see growing up; continuing to make people feel seen, represented, and loved in medicine. The healthcare system works for ALL, not just those who can afford it. This scholarship will help me fund my way into studying medicine and also pave the way for me to inspire many young African-American women who come after me with the same desire to practice medicine and be a difference maker. My love for people has always been there, and now I can share it with the world by doing what I love for everyone, but by building confidence in people like me that they can do incredible things.

My favorite color has been yellow since I have been 16. For almost four years, this has been the color people associate me with; I have never fully understood why. The color itself was my yellow brick road leading me to my future. I have participated in two quinces since I was 16. In one, I was just a typical detail to the birthday girl, as I should be. On the other, everyone was assigned a specific color for our dresses. As each color was given, there was a detailed explanation for each of us. While hearing the color I was assigned, I blinked. My friend explained to everyone, that it pops and that my positive mind and undeniable true happiness fit the figurative meaning of yellow. My presence was appreciated when I was around just because I applauded every person I had an encounter with, regardless of if we were best friends. I took this to heart. I longed for deeper reasoning. I began to piece details of peers associating me with this fun, sometimes extravagant, and overall caring color that flooded my mind. Was it true? Did I make people feel included and reassure them that they do matter? Life went on and I eventually grew apart from these friends; nothing bad happened, we just drifted apart. While at home for a year, I experienced isolation from everyone, but having two sisters will lead you to never being alone. Using this time, I re-evaluated my life. When our country began to open the community little by little, my dance team got the opportunity to socialize safely together. When graced with my teammates' presence once again, many questioned how I remained sociable and did not have the urge to constantly, shut out the world; I just couldn't. I have never known how to stop having love for everyone. Having time to set my purpose in life and my goals ruptured the realization that my goals were never for me, they were meant for other people like me, who didn't always see themselves in the doctors' offices'. Yellow wasn’t just a color to me anymore, it was my purpose. Being someone's sunshine is how I want to spend the rest of my life. In a million years, I would never expect someone else birthday to give me my purpose in life. I always knew I wanted to be something, I just couldn't piece together what. Embracing my god-given qualities of being a genuine person who has a genuine heart and the urge to always be someone's shoulder to lean on opened my eyes to wanting to be a pediatric neurosurgeon. The thought of me attending an HBCU was not always my top option, but it became one when I researched why it would be so much more impactful to my community and to 3-year-old Bria who loved to play doctor but never desired to become one. Around 330 pediatric neurosurgeons work in underprivileged communities and I aspire to join this outstanding list of people who are being the change they needed to see growing up; continuing to make people feel seen, represented, and loved in medicine. This scholarship will help me fund my way into studying medicine and also pave the way for me to inspire many young African-American women who come after me with the same desire to practice medicine. My love for people has always been there, and now I can share it with the world by doing what I love for everyone, but by building confidence in people like me that they can do incredible things.

I believe that to see the greatness that comes with change around, only one needs to initiate transformation when there is nothing; everything starts from somewhere, and you should turn nothing into something. As a pageant competitor, older sister, and leader in my community, I believe involving people around me in projects that I come across helps others to feel included; Everyone can make a difference. Over the past two years I have been a part of a community service organization, Gotta Have Faith, that promotes global change in the United States and Haiti. Over the past two years, we have collected donations for women’s shelters and played a positive role in our community encouraging others to do the same. This makes it difficult to point out just one social issue I am combating. Making an impact globally through pageantry is one of my favorite things to do, especially in my hometown of Houston. I love to make change globally, but especially in my city through the Houston Food Bank. Recently I took a trip to the Food Bank with my sister and her friend. My first time volunteering since maybe December made me remember why I love pageantry so much: I see the initiative others take to better those around them firsthand. While at the food bank, my group packed baby bags for new parents in the community who needed extra assistance stepping into this new role of being a parent. In the bags, there were baby books and resources to help set children up for the best possible future regardless of the circumstances they are faced with. This was like any volunteer opportunity until it wasn’t. About halfway through curling ribbon on books, a boy about half my size appeared from around the corner on the table. A few minutes prior, I had seen him across the room helping stack some of the pamphlets to place into the bags. He was so much of a rockstar that he needed something else to do because he had already completed his assignment and pulled his group so far ahead in prepping the baby bags he was no longer needed in that area of prep. This leader who was maybe only 7, took the books and began to stack them underneath the table to allow more room on top; A genius. Something so small made such a difference in our flow, allowing us more room to reach our maximum potential with this project. Eventually, we finished everything and had a chance to look back at our progress made in just a few hours. Everyone was mingling and spreading congratulations around the room as we were so grateful for each other being able to make this project a reality. It resonated with me multiple times throughout the session that so many families were going to have one less thing to worry about because of the many volunteers that worked this shift. I started becoming more active in my community at a young age because of pageants which taught responsibility, discipline, the importance of being kind, and confidence helping me to be a stepping stone towards positive change in my community. Over the years my love for changing the world has grown at a fast rate whether it be by volunteering to fight social change or as a pediatric neurosurgeon fighting the stereotypes of women in medicine. Now being eighteen, my heart warms seeing more youth being a part of change making me excited for the future. Excited for the many lives who get to experience kindness from strangers, big and small.

I believe that to see the greatness that comes with change around, only one needs to initiate transformation when there is nothing; everything starts from somewhere, and you should turn nothing into something. As a pageant competitor, older sister, and leader in my community, I believe involving people around me in projects that I come across helps others to feel included; Everyone can make a difference. Over the past two years I have been a part of a community service organization, Gotta Have Faith, that promotes global change in the United States and Haiti. Over the past two years, we have collected donations for women’s shelters and played a positive role in our community encouraging others to do the same. This makes it difficult to point out just one social issue I am combating. Making an impact globally through pageantry is one of my favorite things to do, especially in my hometown of Houston. I love to make change globally, but especially in my city through the Houston Food Bank. Recently I took a trip to the Food Bank with my sister and her friend. My first time volunteering since maybe December made me remember why I love pageantry so much: I see the initiative others take to better those around them firsthand. While at the food bank, my group packed baby bags for new parents in the community who needed extra assistance stepping into this new role of being a parent. In the bags, there were baby books and resources to help set children up for the best possible future regardless of the circumstances they are faced with. This was like any volunteer opportunity until it wasn’t. About halfway through curling ribbon on books, a boy about half my size appeared from around the corner on the table. A few minutes prior, I had seen him across the room helping stack some of the pamphlets to place into the bags. He was so much of a rockstar that he needed something else to do because he had already completed his assignment and pulled his group so far ahead in prepping the baby bags he was no longer needed in that area of prep. This leader who was maybe only 7, took the books and began to stack them underneath the table to allow more room on top; A genius. Something so small made such a difference in our flow, allowing us more room to reach our maximum potential with this project. Eventually, we finished everything and had a chance to look back at our progress made in just a few hours. Everyone was mingling and spreading congratulations around the room as we were so grateful for each other being able to make this project a reality. It resonated with me multiple times throughout the session that so many families were going to have one less thing to worry about because of the many volunteers that worked this shift. I started becoming more active in my community at a young age because of pageants which taught responsibility, discipline, the importance of being kind, and confidence helping me to be a stepping stone towards positive change in my community. Over the years my love for changing the world has grown at a fast rate whether it be by volunteering to fight social change or as a pediatric neurosurgeon fighting the stereotypes of women in medicine. Now being eighteen, my heart warms seeing more youth being a part of change making me excited for the future. Excited for the many lives who get to experience kindness from strangers, big and small.

My favorite color has been yellow since I have been 16. For almost four years, this has been the color people associate me with; I have never fully understood why. The color itself was my personal yellow brick road leading me to my future. I have participated in two quinces since I was 16. In one, I was just a typical detail to the birthday girl, as I should be. In the other, everyone was assigned a specific color for our dresses. As each color was given, there was a detailed explanation for each of us. While hearing the color I was assigned, I blinked. My friend explained to everyone, that it pops and that my positive mind and undeniable true happiness fit the figurative meaning of yellow. My presence was appreciated when I was around just because I applauded every person I had an encounter with, regardless of if we were best friends. I took this to heart. I longed for deeper reasoning. I began to piece details of peers associating me with this fun, sometimes extravagant, and overall caring color that flooded my mind. Was it true? Did I make people feel included and reassure them that they do matter? Life went on and I eventually grew apart from these friends; nothing bad happened, we just drifted apart. While at home for a year, I experienced isolation from everyone, but having two sisters will lead you to never being alone. Using this time, I re-evaluated my life. When our country began to open the community little by little, my dance team got the opportunity to socialize safely together. When graced with my teammates' presence once again, many questioned how I remained sociable and did not have the urge to constantly, shut out the world; I just couldn't. I have never known how to stop having love for everyone. Having time to set my purpose in life and my goals ruptured the realization that my goals were never for me, they were meant for other people like me, who didn't always see themselves in the doctors' offices'. Yellow wasn’t just a color to me anymore, it was my purpose. Being someone's sunshine is how I want to spend the rest of my life. In a million years, I would never expect someone else birthday to give me my purpose in life. I always knew I wanted to be something, I just couldn't piece together what. Embracing my god-given qualities of being a genuine person who has a genuine heart and the urge to always be someone's shoulder to lean on opened my eyes to wanting to be a pediatric neurosurgeon. The thought of me attending an HBCU was not always my top option, but it became one when I researched why it would be so much more impactful to my community and to 3-year-old Bria who loved to play doctor but never desired to become one. Around 330 pediatric neurosurgeons work in underprivileged communities and I aspire to join this outstanding list of people who are being the change they needed to see growing up; continuing to make people feel seen, represented, and loved in medicine. This scholarship will help me fund my way into studying medicine and also pave the way for me to inspire many young African-American women who come after me with the same desire to practice medicine. My love for people has always been there, and now I can share it with the world by doing what I love for everyone, but by building confidence in people like me that they can do incredible things.