There are many many problems that unfortunately live in the world that I wish we as a whole could eradicate. The problem that I will be focusing on is racism. Racism has been on this Earth for as long as we know it. How it started we don’t know. But the true question is why is it still here and how can we get rid of it? I firmly believe that racism is taught and passed down from generation to generation. But what if we replace spreading hate with love? What if we teach our kids love and pass down love? The only way to beat hate is to beat it with love. Love conquers all. It does. As Martin Luther King stated, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” And with this quote I end it here by saying let’s beat racism. Let’s beat racism when we accept love and choose to spread love. one more change that i wish to see in the world is in the field of healthcare. in this world we live in we have many access to necessities and establishments that make our world the way it is. healthcare is just one of those things. the problem with healthcare nowadays is politics becoming involved with it. i wish we lived in a world - or country for that matter where healthcare didn’t have to be mixed with politics. a country where it was free. because how can something like access to health or a simple emergency room trip cause someone to worry about their financial status? And I get it it’s all easier said than done and there is a lot that goes into it but we must start somewhere. Some things we can do for starters is allowing health insurance to be purchased across different states ( as some states can have relatively cheaper insurances), make price transparency a priority. Letting patients directly know the cost of their treatment with no hidden fees is key and so patients can also compare costs with other companies. As we know it technology has advanced and has been incorporated in our lives way more than before. Why not use this in our healthcare systems? Incorporating telehealth or virtual appointments would be less costly and even less of a burden for people who struggle to make it to the doctors office on a regular. One final thing that I believe we can do to improve the health care system in America is allowing for the regulation of prices of drugs. With reason, based on the medicines benefit and the medicine itself , negotiating prices for medicines would drastically lower the cost America as a whole spends on drugs. The healthcare system in our country has a long way to go in so many aspects apart from cost but I have faith that my generation will be the one to change this and veer away from the politics of it and make it about the people. Healthcare should not be something one person has and another is denied access to - and it should never be something someone is denied the right to based on their financial status.

You probably have already read my first name as part of the profile of this application. Yes my name is Bridget. Bridget, Bridgit, Briget, Brigid or Brigitte is a Gaelic/Irish female name derived from the noun brígh, meaning "power, strength, vigor, virtue". An alternate meaning of the name is "exalted one". The backstory behind my name is one that is simple.. My mom told me that she named me after a friend she had in school back home in Ghana. I feel as though the name of mine that has the most impact and means more to me is my middle name and Ghanaian name. That name is Ama Homeda. It holds so much weight that I will discuss later. Before I explain it though I will give more insight on the Ghanaian names given to their daughters based on the day they were born. If you were born on Sunday your name would be Akosua, if you were born on Monday you would be called Adwoa,Tuesday borns are called Abena, Wednesday (the day mom was born), would be Akua, Thursday (my sister-Yaa), Friday is Afia , and last but not least my name Ama is Saturday. Homeda means Sabbath in Twi. This also has significance to me as I am a Seventh Day Adventist and I go to church on Saturdays. This has so much power to me to be able to be named after a day so special and so holy. I feel like it is a symbol of being God's gift being born on his day- the day SDA recognizes as the day God rested after creating the world. I'd like to add that there are a few other Ama Homeda not all Saturday born Ghanaian girls are called Ama Homeda as some are just regularly called Ama. To be called Ama Homeda in my humble opinion is so special and different from all the other Amas all over the world. I have been pretty much called Ama my whole life -mainly at home and church, and I wouldn't ask for any other name. Those closest to me have given me a few nicknames derived from my first name such as Brie or Bridge. I would not mind being called any of these names as I love all of them. My friends and I have had the conversation what we think our names would be if they weren't the names we already had and honestly I dont think there is another name that would suit me other than Bridget and Ama Homeda and they agreed as well.

Living a healthy lifestyle is as vital as ever as the COVID 19 Global Pandemic has proved this. Maintain a healthy lifestyle is so important as it directly impacts our productivity, overall happiness, and duration of life. Each and everyone has a different idea of what a healthy lifestyle means to them. For me, a healthy lifestyle includes both my mental health and physical health as mental health is just as important as physical health. I maintain my lifestyle in many ways. For one I try my best to eat a balanced diet. I have limited my sugar and soda intake as I have learned that too much soda and sugar can affect your skin terribly and impact your mood negatively. Eating healthy keeps your skin beautiful and may boost your overall dopamine levels and endorphins. I have also learned that going outside and getting fresh air is so important .. especially for melanated people like me. Getting vitamin D through supplements and vitamins is a choice but going outside and enjoying the gift of nature that we are blessed with is even better. Another thing I love to do in the meantime is riding my bicycle with my letter brother. Bicycle riding is beneficial as it helps your core (abdomen) and strengthens your knees and served as a cardio workout and leg workout all in one. Fun fact I didn’t learn how to ride a bike until I was about 14. And boy did I fall off numerous times. I don’t regret it though! Other important ways that I maintain my lifestyle that I feel I cannot leave out is how I take care of my mental health. After long stressful days, I like to kick back and listen to music whether it is soft r&b , rap, or pop it does the trick. A nap typically is in my schedule after a refreshing shower. After these things I tend to browse through my phone or watch a few videos on youtube. Something very very important that I cannot leave out is that in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle , everyone and I mean everyone should DRINK WATER. Fun fact the amount of water in the human body ranges from 45-75%. Drinking a great deal of water keeps you safe from numerous diseases out there and keeps your skin balanced as well as your insides clean and free from infections! Taking care of yourself is the best investment you do for yourself. It may be expensive at times but it is worth if it in the end. It is not always that you just be high end products to take care of yourself as organic products go a long way. You will reap the benefits of taking care of yourself at such a young age as your older self will surely thank you one day !

Something that my junior high teacher said that will always stick with me and changed my perspective on school as a whole. He had said that he didn’t believe in tests and that tests were just beneficial to good test takers. And I couldn’t agree way more with what he said that day. I feel like school itself and test taking is a lot about memorization and just passing rather than actually learning something and making it useful to your life. I’ve always felt as though grading systems as a whole didn’t really make me want to learn but just wanted to work to see that A on my paper. I never felt like i was actually doing to learn. Not that we should eradicate grades of course. In order to make education better for future generations I truly believe that we can make education better for our future children by making school less competitive and cooperatively. One thing I wish we can eradicate is the SAT. I know that this would be controversial but there are so many things with the test that I am not too fond of. The overall history of the test having a racist backstory to it is what threw me off firstly. I had learned that the test would use certain word verbiage and had certain elements to it that minority groups didn’t have access to and therefore wouldn’t be able to understand and would cause them to score less higher than their other white counterparts. Now this is changing I believe. However, when I took the test , I came across so many things I did not see before. Some portions of it are subjective to everyone as not everyone is on the same grade level or took the same classes to understand certain content. Standerized testing as whole isn’t something I am too fond of as I do not believe it showcases well all of students talents and creativity. Although I am entering another realm I also hope that in the near feature we can better the education system by hiring more diverse teachers as we now live in a very diverse world and it is important to see representation in a field such as teaching. I have always wanted to be taught by a teacher that looks like me and this is one of the reasons why I want to attend an HBCU. I can sit here all day and write about how we can better the education system. I hope we can start somewhere with my generation. Any small change means something. I hope my children and my children's children get to live and experience well developed school systems and enjoy their school experience. There is a lot that we have to get done but I am certain that we can and we will do it!

Although I am unsure what denotes an accomplishment .. I would say getting through my junior year of high school has been my greatest achievement so far. Whenever i think of an achievement i typically think about something like buying a car or getting a degree. The reason why I chose finishing my junior year as an accomplishment of mine is because of how difficult this school year was for me as a whole. Coming back to school from virtual school and the pandemic as a whole was very scary and nerve wracking. I had not seen anyone and been around so many people in a year. Over the last two years I developed depression and anxiety from some many unspoken traumas and situations that soon surfaced. I did not receive help for it until about October it was I believe. I remember spending time during the school year in the psychiatric hospital because it got really bad one day. I remember when I has gotten back my depression persisted and I soon got really bad insomnia. I remember vividly struggling to sleep and dreading going to school the next day because of it. It took me months to really get out of that dark space and it wasn’t until about April and May when I started to see progress with my mental health. I think it was me putting myself out there and allowing myself to make friends that uplifted me. I joined the school play and felt a sense of belonging. I started to enjoy school again and felt like I had a purpose. No one seems to talk about or know about how hard it is to actually focus in school when you have depression. I remember feeling dumb because of how hard it was for me to think and concentrate and get work done. Over time these feeling subsided towards the end of the year and I felt a sudden switch in my attitude and aura. I am proud to say that I got through my junior year. It was a year of many firsts and character development and I feel like I really needed it to grow as a person. This experience taught me that I am resilient and that I am able to withstand anything. It taught me that tough times don’t last forever but tough people do. In the future I hope that I continue to keep this mindset that I have now. The mindset that I can get through anything. I hope that in the future I get the degree that I want to college for. I hope that I am a mother one day and a wife one day. My goal is to be a great mother and provide my children with the best support system that I wish I had. To be able to love my children unconditionally and receive that same love back. I hope that with this scholarship I am able to fund my education and pay for all expenses as it is no secret that college is expensive and the cost only continues to rise. Thank you to the WCEJ Thornton Foundation for giving me and everyone this opportunity at this scholarship and for taking the time to read each and every single one.

I can definitely say that I’ve read an extraordinary amount of books. Out of all the books I’ve read the one that I can say I really like was The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I had read the book my junior year of high school in my IB Literature class and I enjoyed the novel so much. I think what really made me enjoy the book was the innocence of it as it was about a young girl, Liesel growing up in Nazi Germany. I also found it so cool how it was death narrating the story. It really showed Zusak’s creativity. Following the journey of Liesel’s life on Hummel Street during Hitler’s reign was remarkable. Especially her character development. Before Liesel came she was a quiet girl that had gone through so much and did not know how to read or write. With the help of Hans Hubermann, her foster father she gained the knowledge and experience of literacy. The story explored importance themes like love, war, literature and writing, and mortality. The power of books and writing is what really stuck out to me as I was reading this novel. Education served as an outlet and a source of imagination. Max, a Jew in the story that the Hubermanns hid in their home used his imagination and create visuals of him fighting the Fuher , Hitler. We often discussed in class how imagination and knowledge/ books are sources of power and was one of the reasons why Hitler and the Nazis wanted to deny the citizens their right to education. I believe that books themselves serve as outlets as power and imagination as reading books such as these open your mind and captivate you.

I have learned a lot about applying for scholarships. I think the first time I ever applied for a scholarship was probably the beginning or middle of my junior year. It was most likely one of the easy no essay scholarships. Lately I’ve been spending so much time applying for scholarships. It has become somewhat fun for me. Some things I have learned or tips I would give someone when applying for scholarships is to know the difference between renewable and non renewable scholarships. Renewable scholarships are scholarships that you can get money for every year as you can continue your higher education while non renewable scholarships are a one time thing. I have also learned that some scholarships you may have to pay back by doing something for that organization or paying a percentage of the scholarship back. I have also learned that the schools you apply to may also consider you for a scholarship based on merit. Merit based scholarships are essentially scholarships based on your academic profile (your GPA, test scores) etc. You may also be eligible for scholarships based on outstanding extracurricular activities or athletic profile and accomplishments. Some schools also have their own scholarships that they have that they give applicants. Typically the scholarships are automatically considered as part of your application to the school. As for applying itself i’ve learned that there are so many scholarships you can apply for. They can simply be for being a pet owner. I once applied for a scholarship where I had to say something I was proud of as part of pride month for in one sentence. There was another one similar that asked me who my hero was and another that asked me what my dream college was in one sentence. And then there are the easy ones that everyone loved; the no essay ones. However these tend to be probably the most competitive because of how easy they are too complete they will attract a higher applicant pool than a scholarship that requires an essay, your transcript you know the whole mojo. I have also learned that there is an unlimited amount of scholarships that you can apply for. There are scholarships that you can apply for almost everywhere and that you just have to go out there and find them! I’ve learned that applying for scholarships aren’t that bad and I hope that my efforts are worth it in the end!

There are many many problems that unfortunately live in the world that I wish we as a whole could eradicate. The problem that I will be focusing on is racism. Racism has been on this Earth for as long as we know it. How it started we don’t know. But the true question is why is it still here and how can we get rid of it? I firmly believe that racism is taught and passed down from generation to generation. But what if we replace spreading hate with love? What if we teach our kids love and pass down love? The only way to beat hate is to beat it with love. Love conquers all. It does. As Martin Luther King stated, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” And with this quote I end it here by saying let’s beat racism. Let’s beat racism when we accept love and choose to spread love. Imagine a world without racism. Imagine a world without hate. A world where we choose to love each other. An accept each other. No matter where we come from. No matter our gender. No matter our nationality. Despite how much money we have. We all bleed the same blood. We should all choose to be brothers and sisters. In numbers there is strength. There is so much beauty in unity. There is so much beauty when we choose to come together for one common cause. I hope that I get to live long enough to see a world where racism is almost completely eradicated. I know that my generation is one of the most progressives ones this Earth has ever seen and I know that we would have no problem being on board. The generations before us have a long way to go but we can be the generation to make that change. We must start somewhere and I want it to be my generation that really makes it a priority. I want my generation to be the generation to help fight systemic racism as it still exists. Systemic racism might be the most dangerous of all as it is very hard to see but it is all around us. My generation is so passionate in all that we do that I trust that we will make this change and continue the efforts our ancestors started. Their work and their accomplishments will never be in vain.

My favorite scientific discovery are definitely those from female scientists. There have been plenty female scientists in the past that have made monumental changes and improvements to science. Marie Curie’s findings for example have laid the foundation for modern X-rays to radiotherapy for treating cancer. So many other women have discovered great discoveries in the world of science that have gone unnoticed. I love Marie Curie’s though because it is a mix of technology and science involved. Because of X Rays healthcare has greatly advanced and we can spot cancer in its early stages before said disease gets worse. I actually learned about Rosalind Franklin this year in IB Biology and thought that she would be another perfect woman to mention. She is best known for discovering the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite. Using a technique called X-ray crystallography, she revealed the helical shape of DNA. Sadly enough two men get more recognition for the findings of DNA than Rosalind but when I found out this year about her I was nothing but thrilled. Veering from female scientists and discoveries, I think another one of my favorite discoveries would be that of electricity. I cannot imagine a world without electricity. How in the world would I eat? Cool myself down on hot summer days such as these. Or even type on this phone for this application that I am right now. Oh how dull the world would be. Thank God for electricity.

This was the very first time that I heard the saying taking up space in regards to women. From my own understanding when it comes to women, I think taking up space is having or doing something that is typically expected of a man to do or behaving in a way that goes against what society has decided is the way of life for women. I want to take this chance to take away the negative connotation involved with this quote and make it something new, something inspiring. I want women to take up space in laboratory labs. I want women to take up spaces in engineering positions. Computer science positions. I want women to take up space in any STEM related position. I and many others are so lucky that woman are being empowered nowadays to pursue a career in STEM. I know long ago many women weren’t given the platform or encouraged to choose such a field to go into. I know long ago that the very thought of getting a basic education was not on the table for women back then let alone a career in STEM. It is clear that we have made significant progress in terms of women in education and women in the workforce as stated that women make up nearly half of the workforce but what about the STEM workforce. It is vital more than ever that we encourage our young sisters, cousins, nieces, and daughters to pursue a STEM related career and if they have decided to do so to encourage them. Encourage them to reach for the stars and let them know that they too can do what it is that their counterparts are doing. Encourage them and allow them to feel that science, math, engineering, and math is not limited to just a man. In regards to my daily life when I think of taking up space I have reconstructed the saying for myself. I like to do what is known to be a “man’s job”. Simple tasks like take out the trash or vacuum the house. Because ultimately , there is nothing a boy can do that a girl can’t do. When the timer calls for it in the real world I will fill that spot and I will take up that space and be that scientist that I want to be. I want to break barriers and do what it is that they say I can’t do and I want more sisters to join me.

My decision to pursue a career in STEM did not come easily. I struggled to figure out what I wanted to do. But when I came across clinical laboratory science I knew it was right for me. The thought of being in a lab with my lab coat and analyzing and looking at specimens is thrilling to me. Knowing that I’ve made it into such an amazing field that is underrated and underrepresented as is makes me feel accomplished. I know anything stem related will not come easy but I want to do it to show that women too can do it and that the field does not only have to be dominated by males. We too matter. We too can make a difference. Who is to say that science can only be understood by men? There have been plenty female scientists in the past that have made monumental changes and improvements to science. Marie Curie’s findings for example have laid the foundation for modern X-rays to radiotherapy for treating cancer. So many other women have discovered great discoveries in the world of science that have gone unnoticed. Another reason why I want to go into STEM is because of the influence of a program I am in called Eureka! EUREKA is a five year all women stem program that encourages young girls to pursue careers in stem and reach for the stars. I know the staff at Eureka would be so proud to know that I’ve chosen a STEM career. About 75% of this years graduating cohort has chosen a stem related major just showing the impact the program has. I know majoring in Clinical Lab Science won’t be easy as anything involving science easy. But I know that my natural gravitational pull towards the art of the sciences will help get me through it. I know those chemistry courses will be tough for me as chemistry is not one of my favorite classes and will be part of the curriculum in my college courses. I will make it a priority though to get the extra help that I need from my professors and use the sources around me to get a better understanding of the material I will eventually be tested on. One last thing that will be hard for me to get through will be that exam that I will take when my program is over. Passing the ASCP exam is how those who major in MLS will be certified and able to work in all 50 states in the United States. Although some states do not require licensing I will still take the exam just incase. I am not an exam type of person but I hope when the time calls for it I study and pray hard and pass that exam. We need more women in STEM. Black women at that. I strive to be apart of that percentage of women that make this happen and I cannot wait to meet all the other women who choose to take this route too.

Science has evolved and has continued to evolve drastically over the hundreds of years humans have explored the subject. Thanks to science, our world was significantly changed and has even allowed us humans to live longer than our ancestors in terms of medical advances. With the combination of science and technology we have been able to create vaccines to fight off deadly diseases such as the infamous COVID-19, polio, smallpox and the measles. We now have access to screen and detect early onset cancers and take action and have the technology to help those who have lost limbs by creating prosthetic legs and arms. One main thing that science has helped us understand is how DNA works. Before the discovery of DNA, we didn’t understand how traits got passed down or how certain diseases ran rampant in genial lines. Because of science we have a profound understanding. We can prevent diseases or cancers from being passed down , prevent those with sickle cell from mating with those who also have the disease. Because of science humans are able to get from point A to point B with ease. Light up and cool their homes when they want to. Maintain and keep their food refrigerated for periods of time. Because of science we have access to drugs that can help us with surgery, aid women during childbirth which has in turn led to high birth rates that are successful. Because of science we have access to technologies such as X-Rays that allows for us to look inside our bodies and treat said problem. Doctors are more confident and skilled at accurately diagnosing diseases through well developed tests and scans thanks to science. The art of science has led to us living a world of better sanitation than our ancestors has. Through the science of chemistry we have developed efficient chemicals and formulas to create cleaning supplies and sanitations to improve our hygiene and take care of ourselves such as hand sanitizer or simple handle soap. Because of science we are able to eat almost whatever we want whenever we want without the fear of being poisoned or there being harmful bacterias in our food. We know what is safe to eat and what isn’t. We know what foods are worth buying and which ones we can go without. We know the benefits of certain foods and what they will do for our bodies. The impact that science has had on our lives and the impact it will continue to have is undeniable. Thank you science and to all those before me that have contributed to a field so valuable.

If I had 1,000$ dollars, I honesty don’t know what I would do with it right off the bat. We all know what the right thing to do would be though. It’s why we are all right here applying. For college. But if it weren’t about college I’d probably still use it for college because I know i’d regret it later. It doesn’t even necessarily have to go towards tuition. I’d probably spend most of it if not all of it on my dorm. That’s what i’m mostly looking to for college. If I had a thousand dollars I’d probably also pay for a flight ticket to any state in the U.S that i’ve never been too like California or a random place like Mississippi for the fun of it. Even though I’ve been to Miami I’d probably end up just going back. I love Miami. Another important thing that I just thought of that I could use the money for would be my senior year prom dress. The dress I want is going to be custom made and will most likely be almost 1,000$. Whatever I would use the 1,000$ for it must be something that I wont regret buying later and would actually benefit me. Clothes and hair can wait to be honest. Just this one time.

They say knowledge is power. I 100% agree. Knowledge takes you far and knowledge has taken me to high heights. Without my school education I really don’t know where I’d be or how i’d be like. It hurts me sometimes to think that in some countries not everyone has the opportunity at an education like I do simply because of their gender or even race. The importance of an education is far beyond helping you get a good job, it’s about teaching the generations that will follow us for centuries on and will hopefully build a better world or a better tomorrow. With education comes with ethics and building discernment- learning right from wrong. With education helps build equality, moral, and logical reasoning. With education helps build a developed society. Education gives those that are low income or live in poverty the chance to make a change in their life. It is said that countries with a high literacy rate are also those with the highest economic growth rates and also those with low child mortality rates. Education provides stability and I am sure those with a college agree can attest to this. My education has provided me with so much appreciation of life and the world around me because of what I have been blessed to learn in school. The people, the cultures and the world that existed before me. Science that has drastically developed and had allowed the modern world to progress and medicine to flourish is all apart of education. I love reading and writing as you can probably tell and without my education, I wouldn’t have this skill that I have been able to acquire. Reading and writing have provided me and outlet and has allowed me to debrief from the world outside and a way for me to channel my thoughts and I am ever so thankful. Education is vital to help us understand the world we live in today and to examine what needs to be done to further improve the world as we are far from perfect. With education we can spread awareness and teach those around us who don’t have access. We can build a better society and establish a better tomorrow with the power of knowledge and wisdom. Education provided me with a purpose ; I humbly believe that without my education I would be nothing as it has been the center of my whole life. We grow up learning about supermen and superwomen and their powers but we too have our own powers- one that exists in our head. Knowledge.

I always tend to talk about my past mental health disorders but I don’t usually speak about my addiction that came with it. Substance abuse and mental health illnesses are co disorders and the two usually clash. I used substances- mainly marijuana as a way to self medicate and suppress my emotions. My relationship with marijuana has been what I would call toxic. There were times where it made me feel good and other times where it made me feel absolutely horrible. I knew this and still kept my use going. I knew how it was hurting my pockets and i still kept using it. My parents discovered my use but I still kept using it. There were times where I was able to successfully abstain from the use of marijuana but then after some time I would relapse. My friends and peers didn’t make it any better and with the way cannabis is becoming legalized and heavily advertised it was hard to give up my use. It honestly wasn’t until I had a very bad reaction one day when I decided to stop. I had a very bad panic attack and extreme paranoia and decided that it wasn’t for me anymore. It just wasn’t worth doing anymore when all I was having was bad reactions and disappointing those around me. Although it is not much, I have been sober for a month now and my life has felt better than before. My skin is glowing and I look beautiful and I feel beautiful. I don’t carry the guilt of using and the tiredness of the after effects any longer. I think lucidly and my symptoms of depression and anxiety have greatly reduced since I stopped using. After stopping my use I was faced with many times where those around me would ask if I wanted to use marijuana with them. I would stop and think to myself I’ve made it this far why turn back? I’d only regret it and be disappointed in myself after and there is no feeling worse than being disappointed in your own self. And now a message to those out there: you can do it. You can do it just like I did. With persistence you can. Promise yourself today that you will take care of yourself and if you are under the age of 21 allow your brain to fully develop until you indulge in the use of illicit drugs. Save yourself , your brain, your skin and your mental health. You won’t regret it now and you wont regret it later.

My experience with mental health has been a long journey. During the years of 2020-2021 my mental health saw a sharp decline. The impact of the pandemic , virtual school, and isolation drastically affected me and so did my relationship at the time. After a while I am was on antidepressants and getting therapeutic services. I remember vividly struggling to sleep some nights and what made it worse was that I faced anxiety over not being able to sleep and literally dreading the next day because of it. The months from September to January were long and dreadful and winter did not make it any better. Eventually with time I did get better and decided to put myself out there and participated in after school activities and mentally started to improve. My progress and my testimony has significant changes my life and perspective in many ways. I’ve become so strong. The moments where I felt the weakest and how I was able to move on from them have given me strength in ways I can’t imagine. It has strengthened my confidence and given me courage knowing that I overcame depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety is not easy and is a battle not many have won but I made it through and for that a long I am beyond thankful. My experience with mental health has shown me that life does get better and that that the though days are only apart of the journey. Whoever is reading this I want you to ride it out. Because that feeling of happiness and content you get once it’s all over feels so good. My experience has humbled me 100% and has made me a better friend to those around me and more sympathetic to those dealing with mental illness as I know it is not easy. It is also why I have decided to major in a major that would allow me to work in a healthcare setting. Just knowing that everyday I am potentially making a difference in someone’s life no matter how small means so much to me. Besides exploring a career in the sciences I also hope that one day I have the opportunity to be a motivational speaker of some kind and speak words of encouragement and be a friend to those that have no one else. I want to be a voice and a guide for those who lack one and be that support system that I had always wanted for my own self. I want to be an advocater for mental health and spread awareness and eradicate the stigma that comes with it. I want to see a change in the world and if I want to see that change it must start with me first. Big ups to all those who have overcame a mental health struggle or are dealing with one right now. It is not easy but your suffering will not be in vain. One day you will smile again. I am living proof that this is possible. As cliche as it sounds , anything is really possible.

A quality or characteristic that I have that I value most in myself is my extroverted/ outgoing nature. We live in a world where it is important to know how to speak to people and network. Those who are the most successful have these attributes. I love people and I love social gatherings. I find it easy to make friends and meet new people because of this trait. Whenever i go somewhere I typically leave that place with at least one new friend or someone that I will remember based on how much we spoke. Meeting new people makes me happy. Even though I am an extrovert there are times too when I get shy and my social battery can be drained. But it always comes back sometime or another. I do feel like this quality will help me go far in life as it will help me in my next journey in life - college. If and when I do plan to go to a college in a whole new state I will more than likely have to find and make new friends from scratch and get to know my professors. Being an extrovert will really help me in these cases as it shouldn’t be too hard for me to get to know all the people I will get to know. And when college is said and done it will help me in the real world. Help me network- find a job, a house, you name it. It is very important to find connections san network as these connections can bring you far in life and opportunities you never knew were at your feet. Another trait I have that I am most proud of is my empathic nature. Being an empath is so important to me because with the world we live in nowadays it feels like this population of people is greatly reduced. Being able to feel others emotions and understand them is beautiful. Being able to connect with others is beauty in itself. It leads to the start of relationships and creates trusting long lasting relationships. Empathy in my opinion is a trait that is developed by those that have been through a lot themselves or have been through trauma. Their pain allows them to relate to others and want to heal the world. I truly believe that is where my empathetic trait came from. After much of what I went through my empathy tuned up a bunch. Mainly because I wanted to be that person that I needed. Being an empath is being part of the population of the world that provides evidence that there is still good out there after all.

I wish mental health was taken seriously just like physical health is. If you look at it your mental health can have a profound impact on your life just as your physical health can. If you mentally aren’t in a good place simple tasks like showering or brushing your teeth can become daunting. One practical solution for helping people who struggle with mental health is choosing to eradicate the stigma that comes with mental health and normalizing mental health and acknowledging that it actually exists. Because we can’t really see mental health and just spot it with the naked human eye it tends to go unnoticed. It is vital that we bring more awareness to mental health so the stigmas that came along with it go away. I’ve started to see mental health being taken more seriously nowadays and I am proud for my generation for it. I hope the generations before us and take it seriously too. We shouldn’t have to wait until it is too late in someone’s life to help them out or care. We should also stop throwing around words like depressed when we are far from depressed. Although this would enter a whole new realm regarding healthcare , we can help those with mental health by reducing the costs of therapy. My friend once came to me about therapy but couldn’t do so because of the services. I wish it weren’t something she’d have to pay for. We should be listeners to our friends when they don’t have anyone to turn to. Having someone listen to you and understand you does way more than one can think.

In life stress is inevitable and everyday we face some level of stress whether small or big. It’s all about how we de-stress that is important. And that is why developing healthy coping mechanisms is key. There is no definitive or correct way to destress and it all depends on you. Personally, for me there are a lot of things that I do to destress. I didn’t always have healthy coping mechanisms but I’ve found many healthy ways now. Music is an ultimate healer and something I indulge in almost everyday. It’s almost like a break from reality. Music is soothing. I like to throw on some soft r&b and lay back after a long day. Even something as simple as a hot shower is a stress reliever. Even a nap is a good stress reliever. Never feel lazy or feel guilty for taking time to yourself and letting yourself recharge. Throw on a movie or a book. Heat up some tea and read your favorite book if you want to. Sometimes when I am really stressed I will go in my notes app and write all my feelings in there. A journal is fine too and I probably should use a journal but I always have my phone on deck. We won’t admit it but sometimes our phones themselves can stress us out. Sometimes we may see things that aren’t the pleasant on our feed. It is 100% okay to put our phone down for a while and give ourselves a detox. Other ways I clear my mind are through positive affirmations and prayer. Both can really go hand in hand. Telling yourself that you can do it or that you’ll be okay can really go along way. And if you are religious and believe in God that relationship you have with what you look at as a higher power can really help you on days when you need it the most. I find that after I pray I feel very safe and feel peaceful afterwards. Almost like a weight has been lifted off my soldiers. Going on a walk or going bike riding can really help clear the mind as well. Nature is an ultimate healer. We can get caught up in behind inside and being behind our phones that we forget that there is a whole world out there just made for us that we can enjoy at any time of day. In a world that’s constantly on overdrive and ever changing it is vital that we find time to ourselves and kick back.

It took me a while to find my specific professional healthcare field of interest. For while I struggled with finding out what I wanted to do in college. At one point I wanted to major in psychology. I explored getting a Phd. Being a psychologist. I decided it wasn't what I wanted. Then I looked at nursing. I watched many videos. Searched up what it is that I needed to do and what it took. But it still didn’t feel right to me. I still couldn’t see myself being a nurse. It just wasn’t something I truly wanted to do for the rest of my life. Growing up I always loved science. It was always a breeze for me and a subject I truly enjoyed and took pleasure in. Learning about the world and learning about life could never be boring to me. Science is ever changing and that is what attracts me to it. I believe that science and STEM as a whole is a field that needs more black women to be apart of it. And that is why I chose clinical laboratory science. I want to be in that lab with my coat on busy and hard at work. I want to be a scientist. I want to be able to go to work everyday happy and proud of what I do and not dreading it. I’m not sure if my choice will change when my senior year comes to and end soon but as of right now it is what I am certain about and I’ve ever felt more certain about something before than I am now. I’m not sure if I want to be in the lab for the rest of my life. I may try to go for a higher position further down the line when I have more experience to my credit. In the next ten years, I hope to graduate - high school first of course and then college with little to no debt. Be working at a job that I am happy at, happily in love and hopefully with children and out of my parents humble abode. I want to be living my life with my own rules and traveling the world here and there. In ten years I hope to be a home owner and live a comfortable life. I don’t want to struggle. I want my children to have the best life and be taken care of in ways I never was. I want to give them everything I never had and more. I plan to be the best mom that I can be.

They say tough times never last but tough people do. I’ve never agreed with a saying as much as I agree with this one. I myself have had my fair share of tough times in my 17 years i’ve been alive. It hasn’t been that long but I’ve been through quite a lot. For the first time in a long time I feel content and happy after living through what felt like hell for the past two years. Sometimes there were sleepless nights. Nights I cried and wondered why what was happening to me was happening to me. I prayed to God to heal my heart and end my suffering. I’m glad to say he listened. They say if you’re going through hell keep going. Just don’t be surprised when life gets better for you. You deserve it. Getting through what I’ve gone through has taught me that if I can overcome depression, anxiety and PTSD, there is nothing else I cannot get through. It truly make me stronger. Because I thought that pain and suffering would end. I came a long way and I know i’m only going to continue healing. Depression is a battle I fought. It took time but I’ve learned that time is a healer. It’s true when they say this.

In this world we live in we have access to necessities and establishments that make our world the way it is. Healthcare is just one of them. I wish we lived in a country where healthcare didn’t have to be mixed with politics. How can something like a simple emergency room trip cause someone to worry about their financial status? And I get it’s all easier said than done and there is a lot that goes into it but we must start somewhere. Some things we can do for is allowing health insurance to be purchased across different states and make price transparency a priority. Letting patients directly know the cost of their treatment is key so patients can also compare costs with other companies. As we know it technology has advanced and has been in our lives way more than before Incorporating telehealth or virtual appointments would be less costly and less of a burden for people who struggle to make it to the doctors office on a regular. One final thing we can do to improve the health care system in America is allowing for the regulation of prices of drugs. With reason, based on the medicines benefit and the medicine itself , negotiating prices for medicines would drastically lower the cost America as a whole spends on drugs. The healthcare system in our country has a long way to go in so many aspects apart from cost but I have faith that my generation will be the one to change this and veer away from the politics of it and make it about the people. Healthcare should not be something one person has and another is denied access to - and it should never be something someone is denied the right to based on their financial status.

Whenever I think about someone monumental from history I sit and think for a minute and mind instantly falls on Martin Luther King Jr. I respect and love MLK so much because of his kind and loving nature and ambition. His love for civil rights and changing the world is what truly inspires me. His endless quotes of love and transforming the world make me so happy. His involvement in the Civil Rights Movement is undeniable and without him I just know our world would be so much different than it is now. And so for that I thank you MLK. I know if he were still here he would still agree that there is far more work that needs to be done in terms of social change rather than social change. But I know he would be proud of the latest federal holiday that was approved: Juneteenth. Juneteenth is now a federal holiday that celebrates the day the final slaves in the United States were freed. I know MLK would be proud. My favorite MLK quote is "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." This is what I love about MLK the most. How he preached about love. I believe the true way to eradicate racism is to spread love. Instead of spreading hate we should encourage each other to love one another. That was King’s message. I am forever thankful and lucky to have learned about Dr. King and his message and hope my children learn about him one day too.

Climate change has been an ongoing battle for a while now and it seems like only a small fraction of people really care. Whenever I step out and see the litter everywhere it saddens me to see how we as a society could care so little about the planet we call home. I always make sure that whenever I have food or something to throw away and there is no trash nearby that I hold on to it until I come close to one. For some odd reason littering just makes me feel extremely uncomfortable and when I see others around me do it. I appreciate the state highway fines and all but I wish we could just do more to take care of our Earth. The awareness that is being spread and the people that care know who they are and their efforts will not go unnoticed. I hope and believe that my generation will be the one to save the Earth and Save Earth Today to Survive Tomorrow.

Everyday in life I chose to make a decision that comes with the attribute of bravery. Even applying for this essay took a lot for me to do. The uncertainty of the outcome. But i go on and did it anyone. Simply walking into rooms. Doing that play- Annie that i did this year. Speaking in front of people in church or a presentation at school are all courageous acts. I’ve grown to love presenting work in school that i’ve worked hard in. Being bold is amazing because once you’ve completed your objective you feel so good inside and happy that you did what you did. Being bold makes you feel good. Being bold takes you far. I want to continue to strive to be bold and choose to be bold. The B in my name isn’t for nothing!