I embody the essence of excellence as a woman who fearlessly steps into leadership roles within my predominantly white institution as a Black woman in America. With this, I defy the societal norms and expectations that have been placed centuries before my attendance at the university that favor anyone of White descent or male identity. Through my determination and resilience, I've shattered barriers and risen to positions of influence, becoming a beacon of inspiration for other Black students. As a trailblazer who has navigated adversity, I stand as a living testament to the transformative impact of perseverance and self-belief, inspiring others to embrace their potential and rewrite the narrative of what is possible. Throughout my academic journey, I have experienced many pivotal moments spanning around one question: What career do I want to pursue once I graduate? Initially, I aspired to be an astronaut traveling in space and exploring new worlds beyond Earth. Eventually, my focus shifted towards architecture. While traveling to different regions around the United States, I grew a fascination with the diverse building structures made by some of the most creative minds from the past and the present. I fell in love with how each element was placed to form a structure that appeared to defy the laws of nature at first glance. Yet, although I marveled at the idea of creating intricate structures for the world to see, I staged past that dream as I began exploring the world of Culinary Arts. When I dove deeper into the art, I realized that I had the ability to express my creativity through food. I grew an interest in taking traditional family recipes and infusing my own creativity and culinary perspective to create a unique dish. In favor of this, I wanted to dedicate more time to experimenting with the creation of new recipes. For every holiday my family hosts a potluck to celebrate. I used this time to attempt on making new dishes that I became inspired by, ranging from lunch to dessert items. Over time I have grown to learn the ins and outs of various recipes and how I can make them better to reflect not only my preferences but for the preferences of others who may have different tastes than me. I developed such a fascination for food that I intend to start a travel catering business where I make traditional foods for people around the world after I graduate college. With this being the start of my professional culinary career, I will have the opportunity to combine two things that I enjoy into one occupation: Culinary Arts and traveling. The inspiration for my dishes is to embody the authenticity of the country from which the dish was established. With that, I hope to ensure that my remake of traditional foods brings an essence of comfort to those who are traveling abroad and crave to get a taste of home. However, I don’t want to focus on making an impact solely after I graduate college; I want to create change within my university and surrounding communities as I pursue my bachelor’s degree. Before my admittance to Texas A&M, I made a promise to myself that I intended to uphold throughout the entirety of my college journey. Both of my parents attended and graduated from Texas A&M where they made their contributions to the campus. However, my promise to myself was to be better than my parents in every way possible when attending the same university. Prior to college, I wanted to do what was best for my personal development and to make a positive impact at Texas A&M. I did not want to be the student who dedicates every waking hour to studying in hopes of achieving the highest GPA possible. Although achieving the highest GPA possible is always a goal of mine, I wanted to invest my time in serving as a constructive student leader on and off campus. I want to graduate from Texas A&M knowing that I have made a lasting impact on present and future Aggies to experience a sense of acceptance and security whenever they step foot on campus. To accomplish this, I first started by applying to organizations that aim to make a lasting impact on present and future Aggies. Throughout the past two years in my university, I have become a Small Group Leader, Ambassador, Math Tutor, Marketing Executive, Senator, and President where I have contributed to providing mentorship opportunities, creating resolutions that aim to honor Black History Month and Women’s History Month, and ensuring that the needs of all marginalized groups are considered. Within these roles, I have learned how to become a trusted leader who communicates effectively with my peers because of the diverse team dynamics I’ve encountered. I’ve learned how to be adaptable and resilient in situations with drastic changes by navigating unforeseen circumstances. Lastly, I have learned how to foster a well-rounded environment that ensures everyone feels valued and welcomed by all members of the team. Additionally, I dedicated my free time to giving back to the community that has taken care of me in the pursuit of my education. Volunteering in the Bryan/College Station area, I provided yard services to the families in the area as a way to say “Thank You” for the love and support given to me and my peers. Furthermore, outside of Texas A&M, I volunteered at my Alma Mater High School as a Volleyball Coach where I coached elementary school to high school volleyball players who are looking to get better in the sport to shape the future of volleyball within the community. Because of the roles and contributions I have endured, I was privileged to receive awards dedicated to my hard work and leadership capabilities. Although I am proud of the achievements attained within the short span of my college career, I would not consider these titles and awards to be my greatest accomplishment. My greatest accomplishment throughout my college career was honoring the promise I made to myself prior to my commitment to the university. Adhering to a personal promise even when the promise I made will help me to grow as a person is challenging. Even so, external factors may arise that can pivot the commitment towards a goal. Despite various obstacles that have occurred, I did not let anything get in the way of pursuing my promise to myself. Throughout the past two years, I continued to push and stay motivated on my goals to provide as much of an impact as I could to my university and surrounding communities. I have done everything that I have dreamed of and more because of my perseverance, making that my greatest accomplishment.

I have experienced many major decisions during my time in school spanning around one question: What career do I want to pursue once I graduate? At first, I wanted to be an astronaut traveling in space and being able to explore new worlds beyond our modern-day Earth. Later, I wanted to be an architect. While traveling to different states and cities around the United States, I grew a fascination with different types of building structures. I fell in love with how each brick was placed to form a structure that seemed utterly impossible at first glance until I learned the basics of Physics. Eventually, I staged past that dream as I explored Culinary Arts, where I was able to express my creativity through food. I grew an interest in taking old dishes that my family makes and applying my skills and my tastes to create my own unique dish. With this passion, I have the ability to always explore new things and put my creativity to use for others to enjoy. However, as college approached, I was encouraged to choose my major. Although each major had their own unique characteristics about them that allowed me to pursue any career that I wanted, I chose to major in Business. With a business degree concentrated in Entrepreneurial Leadership, I plan to further my understanding of becoming a successful business owner where my inspirations are reflected within the business that I create. Learning the studies of business will put me ahead in life as I use my academic career to learn how to finance, create a business plan, and make wise management decisions as I spend my free time learning new recipes for me to perfect. My education has taught me so many things about running a business, but what has inspired me to create a business of my own? Well, I am inspired by cultural dishes all around the world. I grew fascinated with how each country uses various spices, herbs, and meats to create unique dishes that are different compared to dishes from other countries within the same continent. I developed such a fascination for food that I plan to pursue a career in the Culinary Arts. Once I graduate from college, I intend to start my travel catering business where I will get the chance to cook for people around the world. When I believe it is time to settle down, I will open a sit-down restaurant and hope to start a chain all throughout the United States, then eventually the world. I want my restaurant to embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. The theme of my future restaurant is for my customers to “Taste the World” where each customer will get the chance to try foods from all seven continents. I want my dishes to be authentic as possible so that those that are traveling from out of the country can still get a taste of home. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food.

I have experienced many major decisions during my time in school spanning around one question: What career do I want to pursue once I graduate? At first, I wanted to be an astronaut traveling in space and being able to explore new worlds beyond our modern-day Earth. Later, I wanted to be an architect. While traveling to different states and cities around the United States, I grew a fascination with different types of building structures. I fell in love with how each brick was placed to form a structure that seemed utterly impossible at first glance until I learned the basics of Physics. Eventually, I staged past that dream as I explored Culinary Arts, where I was able to express my creativity through food. I grew an interest in taking old dishes that my family makes and applying my skills and my tastes to create my own unique dish. With this passion, I have the ability to always explore new things and put my creativity to use for others to enjoy. However, as college approached, I was encouraged to choose my major. Although each major had their own unique characteristics about them that allowed me to pursue any career that I wanted, I chose to major in Business. With a business degree concentrated in Entrepreneurial Leadership, I plan to further my understanding of becoming a successful business owner where my inspirations are reflected within the business that I create. Learning the studies of business will put me ahead in life as I use my academic career to learn how to finance, create a business plan, and make wise management decisions as I spend my free time learning new recipes for me to perfect. My education has taught me so many things about running a business, but what has inspired me to create a business of my own? Well, I am inspired by cultural dishes all around the world. I grew fascinated with how each country uses various spices, herbs, and meats to create unique dishes that are different compared to dishes from other countries within the same continent. I developed such a fascination for food that I plan to pursue a career in the Culinary Arts. Once I graduate from college, I intend to start my travel catering business where I will get the chance to cook for people around the world. When I believe it is time to settle down, I will open a sit-down restaurant and hope to start a chain all throughout the United States, then eventually the world. I want my restaurant to embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. The theme of my future restaurant is for my customers to “Taste the World” where each customer will get the chance to try foods from all seven continents. I want my dishes to be authentic as possible so that those that are traveling from out of the country can still get a taste of home. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food. I am excited to continue my entrepreneurial journey because I will be able to pursue a career where I get to do what I love every day, cooking. I hope one day I will read back on this essay already accomplishing everything that I set forth to do within each of these paragraphs. I dream that one day, every customer will leave knowing that my food made their day better than before.

Earlier this year, I planned to secure a summer internship to gain job experience and accumulate enough money for rent and other college expenses for the next academic year. But I wanted an internship that aligned with my ideal career path, Culinary Arts. I developed such a fascination for food that once I earn my Entrepreneurial Leadership degree, I intend to open a sit-down restaurant where I embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food. However, to understand the culinary industry, I need to acquire a position in the industry to further understand how to operate a culinary business. With Culinary Arts in mind, I decided to go back to the job that I worked the previous summer, being a Kid’s Cooking Instructor. I loved my job not only because I got to be around such amazing kids who aspired to learn, but because I got to spend my summer doing what I loved to do most, cooking. So, I was extremely excited to join the team again this summer and work at more successful camps to raise money for the upcoming academic year. However, within two weeks of working, I received a call from my director stating that the rest of my summer camps were canceled because enrollment for the rest of the camps was too low. My heart sank and I realized that now I wasn’t going to be able to pay rent for the upcoming year. I never thought that I would experience the odds of being homeless until this very moment. I feared the possibility that I might have to drop out of my dream university to save money. But it was only the beginning of the summer, and I knew I could still find a job. One week of applying for jobs became two weeks and two became three. I grew hopeless thinking that I was never going to get a job in the middle of the summer. However, I was determined to find ways to make money on my own. In the end, all that mattered to me was to accumulate enough money to prevent me from becoming homeless and possibly dropping out of my university. I developed a sense of tenacity to where I was not going to give up until I figured out a secure way to accumulate money over the next couple of months. As I was looking for job openings, I stumbled upon opportunities to generate income from the comfort of my home. Eventually, I found interest in investing in stock trading and creating User Generated Content (UGC) where I could get paid to film videos promoting and reviewing products. After a couple of weeks, I managed to accumulate a steady income from trading stocks and creating promotional content for various brands. Many circumstances can cause me to lose my job whether I did something to cause it or not. This event completely changed my life by allowing me to recognize that the corporate world is never always a smooth journey. From this experience, I learned that it is best to invest in other forms of income early so that I never have to be worried about another situation like this again. Because of my tenacity, I have created a better path for myself coming into the new academic year.

Earlier this year, I planned to secure a summer internship to gain job experience and accumulate enough money for rent and other college expenses for the next academic year. But I wanted an internship that aligned with my ideal career path, Culinary Arts. I developed such a fascination for food that once I earn my Entrepreneurial Leadership degree, I intend to open a sit-down restaurant where I embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food. However, to understand the culinary industry, I need to acquire a position in the industry to further understand how to operate a culinary business. With Culinary Arts in mind, I decided to go back to the job that I worked the previous summer, being a Kid’s Cooking Instructor. I loved my job not only because I got to be around such amazing kids who aspired to learn, but because I got to spend my summer doing what I loved to do most, cooking. So, I was extremely excited to join the team again this summer and work at more successful camps to raise money for the upcoming academic year. However, within two weeks of working, I received a call from my director stating that the rest of my summer camps were canceled because enrollment for the rest of the camps was too low. My heart sank and I realized that now I wasn’t going to be able to pay rent for the upcoming year. I never thought that I would experience the odds of being homeless until this very moment. I feared the possibility that I might have to drop out of my dream university to save money. But it was only the beginning of the summer, and I knew I could still find a job. One week of applying for jobs became two weeks and two became three. I grew hopeless thinking that I was never going to get a job in the middle of the summer. However, as I was looking for open jobs, I stumbled upon opportunities to generate income from the comfort of my home. Eventually, I found interest in investing in stock trading and creating User Generated Content (UGC) where I could get paid to film videos promoting and reviewing products. After a couple of weeks, I managed to accumulate a steady income from trading stocks and creating promotional content for various brands. Many circumstances can cause me to lose my job whether I did something to cause it or not. This event completely changed my life by allowing me to recognize that the corporate world is never always a smooth journey. From this experience, I learned that it is best to invest in other forms of income early so that I never have to be worried about another situation like this again. On the other hand, receiving this scholarship would tremendously help me by ensuring that I have a place to stay as I am pursuing my secondary education. I want to learn all that I can without the financial worries of paying for textbooks, residency, and other possible financial emergencies. In addition, I want to use any leftover money to begin investing in my business in the near future by purchasing quality kitchen utilities and supplies. This scholarship will get me one step closer to achieving my goals and that is something that I will be forever grateful for.

I have experienced many major decisions during my time in school spanning around one question: What career do I want to pursue once I graduate? At first, I wanted to be an astronaut traveling in space and being able to explore new worlds beyond our modern-day Earth. Later, I wanted to be an architect. While traveling to different states and cities around the United States, I grew a fascination with different types of building structures. I fell in love with how each brick was placed to form a structure that seemed utterly impossible at first glance until I learned the basics of Physics. Eventually, I staged past that dream as I explored Culinary Arts, where I was able to express my creativity through food. I grew an interest in taking old dishes that my family makes and applying my skills and my tastes to create my own unique dish. However, this was only the beginning of pursuing a passion that will shape my future for the rest of my life. With this passion, I have the ability to always explore new things and put my creativity to use for others to enjoy. However, as college approached, I was encouraged to choose my major. Although each major had their own unique characteristics about them that allowed me to pursue any career that I wanted, I chose to major in Business. With a business degree concentrated in Entrepreneurial Leadership, I plan to further my understanding of becoming a successful business owner where my inspirations are reflected within the business that I create. I will learn to lead and manage a team to make effective decisions for the betterment of my future company through various case competitions and scenarios that will develop my leadership skills over the next three years. But what inspired me to pursue a career in entrepreneurship? Well, I am inspired by cultural dishes all around the world. I grew fascinated with how each country uses various spices, herbs, and meats to create unique dishes that are different compared to dishes from other countries within the same continent. I developed such a fascination for food that I plan to pursue a career in the Culinary Arts. Once I graduate from college, I intend to start my travel catering business where I will get the chance to cook for people around the world. With this being the start of my professional culinary career, I will get to combine two things I enjoy doing, cooking and traveling, into one occupation. When I believe it is time to settle down, I will open a sit-down restaurant and hope to start a chain all throughout the United States, then eventually the world. I want my restaurant to embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. The theme of my future restaurant is for my customers to “Taste the World” where each customer will get the chance to try foods from all seven continents. I want my dishes to be authentic as possible so that those that are traveling from out of the country can still get a taste of home. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food. I want to lead others to not only follow their dreams but to also keep pushing for the things that they want in life. I am determined to make my dreams come true and that is a characteristic that drives my progression to success.

Earlier this year, I planned to secure a summer internship to gain job experience and accumulate enough money for rent and other college expenses for the next academic year. But I wanted an internship that aligned with my ideal career path, Culinary Arts. I developed such a fascination for food that once I earn my Entrepreneurial Leadership degree, I intend to open a sit-down restaurant where I embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food. However, to understand the culinary industry, I need to acquire a position in the industry to further understand how to operate a culinary business. With Culinary Arts in mind, I decided to go back to the job that I worked the previous summer, being a Kid’s Cooking Instructor. I loved my job not only because I got to be around such amazing kids who aspired to learn, but because I got to spend my summer doing what I loved to do most, cooking. So, I was extremely excited to join the team again this summer and work at more successful camps to raise money for the upcoming academic year. However, within two weeks of working, I received a call from my director stating that the rest of my summer camps were canceled because enrollment for the rest of the camps was too low. My heart sank and I realized that now I wasn’t going to be able to pay rent for the upcoming year. I never thought that I would experience the odds of being homeless until this very moment. I feared the possibility that I might have to drop out of my dream university to save money. But it was only the beginning of the summer, and I knew I could still find a job. One week of applying for jobs became two weeks and two became three. I grew hopeless thinking that I was never going to get a job in the middle of the summer. However, as I was looking for open jobs, I stumbled upon opportunities to generate income from the comfort of my home. Eventually, I found interest in investing in stock trading and creating User Generated Content (UGC) where I could get paid to film videos promoting and reviewing products. After a couple of weeks, I managed to accumulate a steady income from trading stocks and creating promotional content for various brands. Many circumstances can cause me to lose my job whether I did something to cause it or not. This event completely changed my life by allowing me to recognize that the corporate world is never always a smooth journey. From this experience, I learned that it is best to invest in other forms of income early so that I never have to be worried about another situation like this again.

Before committing to my university, I knew that I didn't want to be a traditional student. I define a traditional student to be someone who goes to their classes, submits their assignments, becomes a member of a couple of organizations, and moves on with their lives as soon as they graduate. Traditional students typically only pursue a secondary education only for education and ways to improve their resumes for future job applications. However, there are many other ways that a student can use their secondary education to make a greater impact in the world, and that is by being a non-traditional student, in other words, a leader. A non-traditional student is not only pursuing a secondary education for the education and resume improvements, but they are also committed to creating a significant impact within their campus community. Leadership roles are one of the many ways that can take a student to be traditional to non-traditional. These roles allow the student to create positive changes within their community to better benefit the university as a whole. But what makes me a leader? Well, one of my goals before coming to my university was to make a positive impact within the community, whether it was big or small. I want to graduate from my university knowing that I did all that I could for the community and knowing that I left my mark on the university. I am involved in my campus community in several distinct ways. One of them is that I am a Senator for the Student Government Association (SGA) on my campus. I serve and represent the Off-Campus students, however, I influence the decisions and passing of legislation for over 70,000 students within the student body. Within the association, I am a part of the Diversity and Inclusion committee which aims to unify the university’s legislative branch through Diversity and Inclusion efforts. Being a part of the SGA as a Senator gives me the ability to create positive and needed change at my university. I want to be a voice for those who feel they are not heard. I want to ensure that every student feels comfortable and safe within the university community. I believe by taking the role of Senator, I can create positive changes in my university. Another way that I am involved in my campus community is by being a part of the Regents’ Ambassador Program (RAP) as a member, but recently I have been promoted to be an ambassador for the upcoming year. RAP is an organization that strives to benefit first-generation students who are admitted to the Business school by giving them a welcoming environment surrounded by people who are or have been in the same situation. As an ambassador, I will be in charge of creating a close and professional relationship with the incoming freshmen to ensure that their transition to college goes smoothly. I am grateful to be allowed to be a part of this amazing program. I have created many friendships along the way and will continue to do so next year. I love helping people when needed and ensuring that everyone feels comfortable within their environment, and now since I am an ambassador, I can be a part of this program for another year while also helping first-generation freshmen transition into a new life. These are just some of the few leadership roles that I take part in at my university, however, these two organizations mean the most to me because they drive me to be the best leader that I can be.

Earlier this year, I planned to secure a summer internship to gain job experience and accumulate enough money for rent and other college expenses for the next academic year. But I wanted an internship that aligned with my ideal career path, Culinary Arts. I am inspired by cultural dishes all around the world. I grew fascinated with how each country uses various spices, herbs, and meats to create the world's infamous, unique dishes. I developed such a fascination for food that once I graduate from college, I intend to open a sit-down restaurant where I embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food. However, to understand the culinary industry, I need to acquire a position in the industry to further understand how to operate a culinary business. With Culinary Arts in mind, I decided to go back to the job that I worked the previous summer, being a Kid’s Cooking Instructor. I loved my job not only because I got to be around such amazing kids who aspired to learn, but because I got to spend my summer doing what I loved to do most, cooking. So, I was extremely excited to join the team again this summer and work at more successful camps to raise money for the upcoming academic year. However, within two weeks of working, I received a call from my director stating that the rest of my summer camps were canceled because enrollment for the rest of the camps was too low. My heart sank and I realized that now I wasn’t going to be able to pay rent for the upcoming year. I never thought that I would experience the odds of being homeless until this very moment. I feared the possibility that I might have to drop out of my dream university to save money. But it was only the beginning of the summer, and I knew I could still find a job. I took this opportunity to apply to restaurants so that I can gain experience in an actual restaurant setting, that way when I start establishing my restaurant, I know how a restaurant typically operates. So, I looked for restaurants that were hiring for Back of the House positions. I applied to many restaurants and bakeries around my area hoping and praying that they would hire me on the spot. One week of applying for jobs became two weeks and two became three. I grew hopeless thinking that I was never going to get a job in the middle of the summer. However, as I was looking for open jobs, I stumbled upon opportunities to generate income from the comfort of my home. Eventually, I found interest in investing in stock trading and creating User Generated Content (UGC) where I could get paid to film videos promoting and reviewing products. After a couple of weeks, I managed to accumulate a steady income from trading stocks and creating promotional content for various brands. Many circumstances can cause me to lose my job whether I did something to cause it or not. This event completely changed my life by allowing me to recognize that the corporate world is never always a smooth journey. From this experience, I learned that it is best to invest in other forms of income early so that I never have to be worried about another situation like this again.

Before committing to my university, I knew that I didn't want to be a traditional student. I define a traditional student to be someone who goes to their classes, submits their assignments, becomes a member of a couple of organizations, and moves on with their lives as soon as they graduate. Traditional students typically only pursue a secondary education only for education and ways to improve their resumes for future job applications. However, there are many other ways that a student can use their secondary education to make a greater impact in the world, and that is by being a non-traditional student. A non-traditional student is someone who is not only pursuing a secondary education for the education and potential ways to build their resume, but they are also committed to creating a significant impact within their campus community. Leadership roles are one of the many ways that can take a student to be traditional to non-traditional. These roles allow the student to create positive changes within their community to better benefit the university as a whole. But what makes me a non-traditional student? Well, one of my goals before coming to my university was to make a positive impact within the community, whether it was big or small. I want to graduate from my university knowing that I did all that I could for the community and knowing that I left my mark on the university. I am involved in my campus community in several distinct ways. One of them is that I am a Senator for the Student Government Association (SGA) on my campus. I serve and represent the Off-Campus students, however, I influence the decisions and passing of legislation for over 70,000 students within the student body. Within the association, I am a part of the Diversity and Inclusion committee which aims to unify the university’s legislative branch through Diversity and Inclusion efforts. Being a part of the SGA as a Senator gives me the ability to create positive and needed change at my university. I want to be a voice for those who feel they are not heard. I want to ensure that every student feels comfortable and safe within the university community. I believe by taking the role of Senator, I can create positive changes in my university. Another way that I am involved in my campus community is by being a part of the Regents’ Ambassador Program (RAP) as a member, but recently I have been promoted to be an ambassador for the upcoming year. RAP is an organization that strives to benefit first-generation students who are admitted to the Business school by giving them a welcoming environment surrounded by people who are or have been in the same situation. As an ambassador, I will be in charge of creating a close and professional relationship with the incoming freshmen to ensure that their transition to college goes smoothly. I am grateful to be allowed to be a part of this amazing program. I have created many friendships along the way and will continue to do so next year. I love helping people when needed and ensuring that everyone feels comfortable within their environment, and now since I am an ambassador, I can be a part of this program for another year while also helping first-generation freshmen transition into a new life. These are just some of the few leadership roles that I take part in at my university, however, these two organizations mean the most to me because they drive me to be the best non-traditional student that I can be.

Earlier this year, I planned to secure a summer internship to gain job experience and accumulate enough money for rent and other college expenses for the next academic year. But I wanted an internship that aligned with my ideal career path, Culinary Arts. I am inspired by cultural dishes all around the world. I grew fascinated with how each country uses various spices, herbs, and meats to create the world's infamous, unique dishes. I developed such a fascination for food that once I graduate from college, I intend to start my travel catering business where I will get the chance to cook for people around the world. Once I feel that it is time to settle down, I will open a sit-down restaurant and hope to start a chain throughout the United States, then eventually the world. However, to understand the culinary industry, I need to acquire a position in the industry to further understand how to operate a culinary business. With Culinary Arts in mind, I decided to go back to the job that I worked the previous summer, being a Kid’s Cooking Instructor. I loved my job not only because I got to be around such amazing kids who aspired to learn, but because I got to spend my summer doing what I loved to do most, cooking. So, I was extremely excited to join the team again this summer and work at more successful camps to raise money for the upcoming academic year. However, within two weeks of working, I received a call from my director stating that the rest of my summer camps were canceled because enrollment for the rest of the camps was too low. My heart sank and I realized that now I wasn’t going to be able to pay rent for the upcoming year. I never thought that I would experience the odds of being homeless until this very moment. I feared the possibility that I might have to drop out of my dream university to save money. But it was only the beginning of the summer, and I knew I could still find a job. I took this opportunity to apply to restaurants so that I can gain experience in an actual restaurant setting, that way when I start establishing my restaurant, I know how a restaurant typically operates. So, I looked for restaurants that were hiring for Back of the House positions. I applied to many restaurants and bakeries around my area hoping and praying that they would hire me on the spot. One week of applying for jobs became two weeks and two became three. I grew hopeless thinking that I was never going to get a job in the middle of the summer. However, as I was looking for open jobs, I stumbled upon opportunities to generate income from the comfort of my home. Eventually, I found interest in investing in stock trading and creating User Generated Content (UGC) where I could get paid to film videos promoting and reviewing products. After a couple of weeks, I managed to accumulate a steady income from trading stocks and creating promotional content for various brands. Many circumstances can cause me to lose my job whether I did something to cause it or not. This event completely changed my life by allowing me to recognize that the corporate world is never always a smooth journey. From this experience, I learned that it is best to invest in other forms of income early so that I never have to be worried about another situation like this again.

I have experienced many major decisions during my time in school spanning around one question: What career do I want to pursue once I graduate? At first, I wanted to be an astronaut traveling in space and being able to explore new worlds beyond our modern-day Earth. Later, I wanted to be an architect. While traveling to different states and cities around the United States, I grew a fascination with different types of building structures. I fell in love with how each brick was placed to form a structure that seemed utterly impossible at first glance until I learned the basics of Physics. Eventually, I staged past that dream as I explored Culinary Arts, where I was able to express my creativity through food. I grew an interest in taking old dishes that my family makes and applying my skills and my tastes to create my own unique dish. With this passion, I have the ability to always explore new things and put my creativity to use for others to enjoy. However, as college approached, I was encouraged to choose my major. Although each major had their own unique characteristics about them that allowed me to pursue any career that I wanted, I chose to major in Business. With a business degree concentrated in Entrepreneurial Leadership, I plan to further my understanding of becoming a successful business owner where my inspirations are reflected within the business that I create. Learning the studies of business will put me ahead in life as I use my academic career to learn how to finance, create a business plan, and make wise management decisions as I spend my free time learning new recipes for me to perfect. My education has taught me so many things about running a business, but what has inspired me to create a business of my own? Well, I am inspired by cultural dishes all around the world. I grew fascinated with how each country uses various spices, herbs, and meats to create unique dishes that are different compared to dishes from other countries within the same continent. I developed such a fascination for food that I plan to pursue a career in the Culinary Arts. Once I graduate from college, I intend to start my travel catering business where I will get the chance to cook for people around the world. When I believe it is time to settle down, I will open a sit-down restaurant and hope to start a chain throughout the United States, then eventually the world. I want my restaurant to embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. The theme of my future restaurant is for my customers to “Taste the World” where each customer will get the chance to try foods from all seven continents. I want my dishes to be authentic as possible so that those that are traveling from out of the country can still get a taste of home. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food. My college education will serve as the fuel to my gift for others as I learn how to run a business efficiently and effectively so that others can enjoy the taste of diverse foods from around the world.

I have experienced many major decisions during my time in school spanning around one question: What career do I want to pursue once I graduate? At first, I wanted to be an astronaut traveling in space and being able to explore new worlds beyond our modern-day Earth. Later, I wanted to be an architect. While traveling to different states and cities around the United States, I grew a fascination with different types of building structures. I fell in love with how each brick was placed to form a structure that seemed utterly impossible at first glance, until I learned the basics of Physics. Eventually, I staged past that dream as I explored Culinary Arts, where I was able to express my creativity through food. I grew an interest in taking old dishes that my family makes and applying my skills and my tastes to create my own unique dish. With this passion, I have the ability to always explore new things and put my creativity to use for others to enjoy. However, as college approached, I was encouraged to choose my major. Although each major had their own unique characteristics about them that allowed me to pursue any career that I wanted, I chose to pursue Business as my first-choice major. With a business degree concentrated in Entrepreneurial Leadership, I plan to further my understanding of becoming a successful business owner where my inspirations are reflected within the business that I create. Learning the studies of business will put me ahead in life as I use my academic career to learn how to finance, create a business plan, and make wise management decisions as I spend my free time learning new recipes for me to perfect. My education has taught me so many things about running a business, but what has inspired me to create a business of my own? Well, I am inspired by cultural dishes all around the world. I grew fascinated with how each country uses various spices, herbs, and meats to create unique dishes that are different compared to dishes from other countries within the same continent. I developed such a fascination for food that I plan to pursue a career in the Culinary Arts. Once I graduate from college, I intend to start my travel catering business where I will get the chance to cook for people around the world. When I believe it is time to settle down, I will open a sit-down restaurant and hope to start a chain all throughout the United States, then eventually the world. I want my restaurant to embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. The theme of my future restaurant is for my customers to “Taste the World” where each customer will get the chance to try foods from all seven continents. I want my dishes to be authentic as possible so that those that are travelling from out of the country can still get a taste of home. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food. I want to use this scholarship to begin investing in my business within the near future by purchasing quality kitchen utilities and supplies. I want to learn all that I can without the financial worries of paying for textbooks, residency, and other possible financial emergencies. This scholarship will get me one step closer to achieving my goals and that is something that I will be forever grateful for.

I have experienced many major decisions during my time in school spanning around one question: What career do I want to pursue once I graduate? At first, I wanted to be an astronaut traveling in space and being able to explore new worlds beyond our modern-day Earth. Later, I wanted to be an architect. While traveling to different states and cities around the United States, I grew a fascination with different types of building structures. I fell in love with how each brick was placed to form a structure that seemed utterly impossible at first glance, until I learned the basics of Physics. Eventually I staged past that dream as I explored Culinary Arts, where I was able to express my creativity through food. I grew an interest in taking old dishes that my family makes and applying my skills and my tastes to create my own unique dish. With this passion, I have the ability to always explore new things and put my creativity to use for others to enjoy. However, as college approached, I was encouraged to choose my major. Although each major had their own unique characteristics about them that allowed me to pursue any career that I wanted, I chose to pursue Business as my first-choice major. With a business degree concentrated in Entrepreneurial Leadership, I plan to further my understanding of becoming a successful business owner where my inspirations are reflected within the business that I create. Learning the studies of business will put me ahead in life as I use my academic career to learn how to finance, create a business plan, and make wise management decisions as I spend my free time learning new recipes for me to perfect. My education has taught me so many things about running a business, but what has inspired me to create a business of my own? Well, I am inspired by cultural dishes all around the world. I grew fascinated with how each country uses various spices, herbs, and meats to create unique dishes that are different compared to dishes from other countries within the same continent. I developed such a fascination for food that I plan to pursue a career in the Culinary Arts. Once I graduate from college, I intend to start my travel catering business where I will get the chance to cook for people around the world. When I believe it is time to settle down, I will open a sit-down restaurant and hope to start a chain all throughout the United States, then eventually the world. I want my restaurant to embody all of the unique dishes that are created by every diverse culture. The theme of my future restaurant is for my customers to “Taste the World” where each customer will get the chance to try foods from all seven continents. I want my dishes to be authentic as possible so that those that are travelling from out of the country can still get a taste of home. I hope to serve as a beacon of inspiration for others to get out of their comfort zone and try things beyond their normal scope of life with my gift of food. I want to use this scholarship to begin investing in my business within the near future by purchasing quality kitchen utilities and supplies. I want to learn all that I can without the financial worries of paying for textbooks, residency, and other possible financial emergencies. This scholarship will get me one step closer to achieving my goals and that is something that I will be forever grateful for.

In the future, I want to be someone who continues to strive to be the best version of myself by making a significant impact anywhere that I can and developing my skills while chasing my dreams of being a CEO of a world-renowned sit-down restaurant.

Brianna Buffalo briannabuffalo1@gmail.com Your mentality can be a great power to how you perceive things to be. Your thoughts, opinions, and feelings derive from you but can be influenced by your relationships, ambitions, and beliefs. Everything in your control all starts with you, however the idea of yourself and who you are or can become changes through the perspectives that you surround yourself with. Self-love is key to the evolution of oneself which greatly impacts all that lies in your life and your life can greatly impact your journey towards self-love. A special day approached my parents in the year of 2004, I was born a healthy baby and brought light to my family’s life. A few weeks passed since my birth and my parents noticed rashes on parts of my body. At first the rashes were light with little notice, but as days turned into weeks with no sign of healing I was rushed to the hospital where I was diagnosed with Eczema, a condition that results in dryness, redness and rashes to the skin. Ever since then Eczema became a big part of my life. All the years that passed as I got older took a toll on my body as my condition spread all over my skin. Scars took place of what was once unblemished skin which was prominently shown on my legs, arms, and stomach. As scars scattered my body, I began to become self-conscious of the way I looked. On the days I would go out to enjoy time out of the house the outfits I planned on wearing were changed within seconds of looking in the mirror. I was scared to show too much skin or else I believed that people would ridicule me for the way I looked and at times I was right. It’s not every day that you see a person with scars on almost every part of their body and with that conscious I felt alone and separated from the world. My relationships with my friends became distant with the lack of stronger connections from not expressing on how I felt: as if no one would understand what I was going through. I became isolated because of my stagnation towards self-love. Every day tends to be a challenge for my journey towards self-love, but the lessons I learned have gotten me through the most difficult situations. When people describe me physically, I always hear that they refer to me as the girl with the scars on her body, sure it hurts that I am described that way, but nonetheless, why not embrace the very thing I am described with. My scars have been with me since I was a child, however that does not define who I am. People should not be defined by how they look but should be defined by how they act. People will always believe that they have flaws, but their flaws are what makes them unique from the crowd of people that want to perfect.

Brianna Buffalo briannabuffalo1@gmail.com Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” In a lifetime one is granted opportunities to either be exploited or abandoned. One tends to see these chances as unfulfilling, believing that there is no possible way that they can successfully do the work without thinking it is too much to handle. In March 2020, the COVID-19 virus spread throughout the entirety of the United States, forcing the nation to go into a strict lockdown. Mass citizens have been forced out of work, school, and other non-essential places and into their homes to prevent the escalation of COVID cases as much as possible. Diseases, viruses, and all sorts of pandemics have been claimed as destructions to mankind that prevent growth rather than society attempting to adapt to the new circumstances to have a better understanding of new diseases and how to cure them. A majority deemed this “crisis” as a loss of life, however, overtime, some sought the pandemic to connect with themselves once again. Whether that be a form of stress relief, going back to old hobbies, or working on tasks they postponed, people then pursued the pandemic as an opportunity. Granted, although COVID brought many challenges to the world that tested one’s flexibility, the pandemic became one of the most influential components into what made me who I am today. I realized the importance of grasping opportunities when given, instead of waiting for a supposed “right time” to finally get the work done when I can start the process now. Blinded with no former direction, quarantine came with an immense amount of personal free time. At a young age, volleyball became a big part of my life to where, present day, I am countlessly trying to improve my skills due to my competitive spirit. During my time with this sport, I have been denied, overlooked, and doubted by many coaches and teams, but I never stopped trying to improve myself as a player. Over the course of my high school years, time became a problem. Not only am I competitive on the court, but I am also competitive in school. From homework, to studying, to volunteering, I rarely had time to myself to work on specific athletic skill sets of my own. Fortunately, a new opportunity opened for me in the disguise of a pandemic. Now with the time in hand I was able to do some form of volleyball related exercise every day, whether that was adjusting my current skills or working on cardio to stay in shape for the upcoming fall season. Overtime I started with great consistency, I started from working out or playing volleyball every weekday. I was bolstered with enthusiasm from the progress I was slowly making in the first month of quarantine, yet the virus worsen as more cases were exposed in the United States, more events began to cancel, and plans began to push further back within the year, including my high school volleyball season. Hope became the only factor that I could rely on to even have a chance to play real volleyball again. With that in mind I took breaks from my physical routine. From working every weekday shifted to working every few days. It became hard for me to continue to physically work on myself if there was no motivation to keep me going. A few weeks later I recognized that situations like this influenced my decisions to wait for the “right time”. The pandemic was my opportunity to get better in all aspects of my physical health. With that time, I knew that I could not waste it because of COVID affecting my plans, so I planned the rest of my summer up to mid-August to work out at least 3-4 times a week and finding exercises that benefitted what I needed to work on the most. In the end I visualized my goals for each week so that I was always motivated towards growth. New forms of innovations shape the modern world, but technology is what continues the proceed for the modern structure. Technology has opened new gateways and possibilities all around the world, contributing to the ability of communication across sea, managing transportation, and providing warmth and light into a home. In the early ages of the 21st century, social media took over basic communication with a newfound way of expressing oneself. People began to post their accomplishments, businesses, and lifestyles because of how social media became a platform to spread information to other people, and with new ways to communicate came new ways of great and poor influence. Coming back to present day, the COVID pandemic provided more time for the abundance of opportunities, but on my resting days I tended to stay secluded and go on different social platforms to find new information of the world. Many times, I came across political, social, racial, and/or religious issues that greatly affected different places in the world. Without technology we become so secluded to the outside world that we forget that bad things happen everywhere even if we know nothing about it. Most of my media feeds, including Instagram, Twitter, and even YouTube, shared many cases of awful incidents that I felt needed help. A lot of the people being victimized did not have a strong enough back up platform to enforce change to the opposers, so petitions and charities were made to show the statistics of advocates who support the need for change. In effort for advocacy, I signed all the petitions that I sought daily. Prior to the pandemic I believed I could not contribute to major changes around the world, but I was given the opportunity to help in a way where I could become a voice of many to fight for change. A valuable lesson I learned was that the “right time” will never confer to me, but rather than be granted as awaited opportunities in disguise.