Growing up in a single parent, low-income household meant learning to survive before I ever had a chance to dream. My mother worked relentlessly to provide for us, while my father’s alcoholism created an emotional void that shaped much of my early life. We faced power shutoffs, eviction notices, and empty refrigerators more times than I can count. I started working at 15. Not for extra cash, but to help keep us afloat. I dropped out of high school when survival took priority over education. For years, I struggled with depression and alcoholism myself. But in June 2020, I got sober and chose to take back my life. Earning my GED in my late twenties was the first major step. Since then, I’ve stayed sober, maintained a 3.89 GPA, and am now pursuing my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on sustainability and supply chain analysis. Every challenge I’ve overcome has deepened my compassion and strengthened my purpose. I know what it’s like to feel invisible in systems that aren’t built for people like me. That’s why I’m committed to creating more equitable, transparent systems, whether in business, policy, or community work. I actively volunteer when I can, support others in recovery, and plan to mentor first-gen students like myself. My life has taught me that survival is not enough- we deserve to thrive. And I want to be part of making that possible for others. I carry my past not as shame, but as fuel. It’s what drives me to build a future that’s more just, more inclusive, and more human. I’ve lived through the gaps, I’m here to help close them!

There were nights when the lights were cut off, when we borrowed electricity through an extension cord run from a neighbor’s window. I remember my mother crying quietly in the next room, thinking I couldn’t hear her. I was old enough to understand we didn’t have enough, but too young to know how to help. My father struggled with alcoholism. His absence, even when he was physically there, left an invisible wound that shaped the rhythm of our lives. My mother raised me alone, scraping by on low-wage jobs, never letting on just how close we were to losing everything. I began working at fifteen, not for extra spending money, but because the rent didn’t pay itself. I dropped out of high school because survival took priority over schoolwork. I earned my GED in my late twenties, and a few years later I got sober after battling my own demons with depression and alcohol. That was June 2020. The pandemic stripped everything down to the core and I chose to rebuild. Now, I’m pursuing my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on sustainability and supply chain analysis. I’m holding down a 3.89 GPA while working and rebuilding my life from the inside out. I want to build systems that don’t leave families like mine behind, systems that prioritize dignity, equity, and sustainability. Being first-generation means I’m the first to walk this path, but I won't be the last. I want to make sure others like me can follow it without falling through the cracks. This degree isn’t just for me. It’s for my mother, who never got the chance. And it’s for every kid growing up in the dark, wondering if things will ever get better. I’m living proof that they can.

I was raised in a single parent household by a mother who carried the weight of everything; bills, meals, discipline, and love- while my father battled alcoholism and drifted in and out of our lives. My childhood was marked by instability, survival, and silence. I learned early on to read a room, to anticipate tension, and to hold my emotions in check to keep the peace. But even with all that effort, the weight of unspoken pain still crept in. As I got older, I internalized that pain. I carried the generational wounds of addiction and untreated trauma into my own adulthood, where depression slowly took hold. For years, I struggled with my mental health in silence. Alcohol became my coping mechanism, the same one that had fractured my family. I didn’t yet understand that what I was dealing with wasn’t weakness, but the result of untreated trauma and inherited cycles. I only knew that I felt broken, ashamed, and disconnected from the person I wanted to be. In June 2020, during a moment of deep personal reckoning, I made the decision to get sober. It remains the hardest and most important decision I’ve ever made. Since then, I’ve committed myself to recovery, therapy, and rebuilding my life, one day at a time. Sobriety didn’t just give me clarity; it gave me purpose. It allowed me to feel again, to connect deeply with others, and to understand the value of emotional honesty. My relationships have grown stronger and more meaningful because I now lead with vulnerability instead of fear. My experiences with addiction, mental health, and healing have radically reshaped what I believe. I no longer think that strength means pretending everything is fine. True strength is asking for help. It’s owning your story without shame. And it’s using that story to make space for others who feel alone. These beliefs now guide how I move through the world. They also shape my career aspirations. I’m currently earning my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on sustainability and supply chain analysis. My long-term goal is to help design ethical, transparent systems that put people first, particularly those historically excluded from power and profit. I want to lead with empathy in the business world, and use the skills I’m developing to create meaningful, values-driven change. My recovery taught me how systems; emotional, economic, and institutional, can fail people. Now, I want to help build better ones. I also give back through community work and mutual aid when I can. I know firsthand how impactful it is to feel seen and supported during a crisis, and I try to show up for others in ways I wish someone had shown up for me. Whether it's helping a friend apply for school or encouraging someone in early recovery, I consider it part of my purpose. Today, I’m a first-generation college student with a 3.89 GPA. I’m proud of the person I’ve become- not because I’ve had an easy path, but because I’ve done the work to grow from it. My past doesn’t define me, but it absolutely informs everything I do. My experiences with mental health and addiction have made me more compassionate, more resilient, and more determined to be a force for good. And while I didn’t choose the challenges I faced, I’m choosing what I do with them now.

I’ve spent most of my life learning how to communicate, connect, and hustle, long before I even realized those were the foundations of sales and marketing. I grew up in a low-income household with a single mother who taught me what perseverance really looks like. From a young age, I helped with bills, worked part-time jobs, and navigated systems most kids my age didn’t even know existed. What I didn’t realize at the time was that every one of those experiences was preparing me to thrive in a career built on strategy, persuasion, and purpose. My interest in business and marketing grew organically through years of hands-on work. I’ve worked in hospitality, health care, and nonprofit sectors. In each space, I found myself drawn to the challenge of messaging; how to tell the right story, how to connect with the right audience, and how to make people feel something that inspires action. Whether I was crafting a community outreach plan or training staff to engage with clients, I realized I was already doing the work of a marketer- I just didn’t have the title yet. The turning point came when I began managing a bar and restaurant in New York City. There, I developed an intuitive understanding of consumer behavior, branding, and local marketing. I learned how to build regulars by creating meaningful customer experiences, how to sell not just a product but a feeling, and how to adjust messaging depending on the audience. We weren’t just selling drinks-we were selling belonging, reliability, identity. That experience made me fall in love with the psychology of marketing and the power of brand storytelling. But my passion goes deeper than just strategy or sales numbers. What drives me most is the opportunity to use marketing and business management as tools for social impact. As I pursue my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on sustainability and supply chain analysis, I’m especially interested in ethical marketing: telling the truth while creating change. I believe the business world has a responsibility to communicate with integrity, to connect with consumers through authenticity, and to build trust in a world full of noise. I want to be part of the shift toward transparency and social consciousness in marketing and sales. Too often, these fields are viewed as manipulative or profit-driven, but I see them as powerful vehicles for empathy, education, and empowerment. Good marketing doesn’t just sell; it solves problems, creates value, and connects people to ideas and products that genuinely improve their lives. My motivation is personal. I know what it’s like to grow up without access to information, tools, or opportunities. I also know how transformative it can be when the right message finds the right person at the right time. I want to be the person behind that message. Today, I maintain a 3.89 GPA while working and preparing for a career that honors both my past and my vision for the future. I’m not chasing a career in sales or marketing because it’s trendy or lucrative- I’m pursuing it because I’ve lived the power of connection, and I want to help build businesses that mean something. That’s my inspiration, and that’s the heart behind everything I do.

I was five years old the first time I felt shame. My mother and I stood at the grocery store checkout line as she pulled out a booklet of food stamps. She carefully tore each bill-colored paper that looked more like Monopoly money than real currency. I remember the sound of that tearing, the perceived awkward silence behind us, and the feeling that everyone was staring. I didn’t understand poverty yet, but I knew we stood out, and I didn’t like how that felt. That was the moment I realized how deeply I wanted stability, and that I would do whatever it took to create a different future for myself. We didn’t always have heat. Sometimes we borrowed electricity from neighbors using an extension cord through our back window. Eviction notices were a familiar sight, and I learned young how to stretch a dollar, how to keep quiet when the grown ups were worrying, and how to help out without being asked. By 15, I was working to help my mom cover the bills. I became resourceful out of necessity, learning to hustle in whatever ways I could- babysitting, retail, food service. I didn’t resent it; I just knew that surviving took teamwork, and my mother had already done more than enough on her own. I put my education on hold when I should have been finishing high school. Bills needed to be paid, and I felt more useful at work than I did in a classroom that didn’t understand what I was going through. It wasn’t until my late twenties that I earned my GED. A milestone I reached with pride and a deep sense of ownership. By then, I’d learned that resilience isn’t just about getting through hard things: it’s about choosing to keep going when you have every excuse to stop. The moment that shaped me-that grocery store line when I was five, never really left me. But it evolved. At first, it haunted me. Then it drove me. And now, it grounds me. It taught me that innovation isn’t always flashy. Sometimes, it’s finding creative ways to survive when the system doesn’t work for you. It’s learning to navigate bureaucracy, stretch food budgets, share housing, and still find time to dream. Today, I’m pursuing my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on sustainability and supply chain analysis. I’m committed to creating systems that are ethical, efficient, and equitable. I’ve worked across industries, from hospitality to healthcare, and I bring with me a lived understanding of what it means to work hard without a safety net. That perspective shapes how I solve problems, manage teams, and build strategies. What I’ve learned is this: resilience is a muscle you build over time. Resourcefulness is a gift you sharpen through experience. And shame? Shame is something you unlearn when you realize your story isn’t something to hide-it’s something to honor. I used to believe that success meant erasing where I came from. Now I know better. Success is being able to carry that story with pride, to use it as a compass, and to create space for others to do the same. The challenge of my early years didn’t just shape me, it made me a more empathetic leader, a more determined student, and a more innovative thinker. And I’m just getting started.

I'll never forget the first time my grandmother suggested she read me a bedtime story over the phone. I was 8 years old and staying with a family friend. My mother had just left my father and unbeknownst to me, was sleeping in her car. I looked forward to my nightly check-ins with grandma, but read me a bedtime story over the phone? That was new. When I delightfully agreed, she began to read the book that would forever change my life, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. I had never before imagined such a wonderfully ridiculous world where the hero was a poor boy from an unknown town, who was bullied and an outsider. I was also a poor girl who was bullied for never having new toys or clothes and certainly never having money to spend on candy. Here I was, listening to a story, that was written in such a way that was inspiring and funny! What child wouldn't love a story about a trip to a chocolate factory, where everything was edible and nothing was off limits? Not only is this story one of redemption and hope, but in the end, Charlie, who is the most esteemable of the bunch is rewarded for just being who he is, an honest and loving child. That is when I first heard the message of what I wanted to be in life. A fun-loving person who didn't need to have the best or newest everything, as long as I was a decent human. Seems like a pretty deep realization for an 8-year-old right? Well, imagine what fun it would be if everyone was able to read such a great story with a beautifully simple message?

At 36, I have never been happier or more grateful to be who I am: I am an adult learner and proud! I am on the path to accomplishing a life goal I never thought possible, obtaining a college degree. I never thought at my age I would have what it takes to step into a classroom full of students that could be my children. But I have and will continue to do so until I reach my goal. Years ago, as I was struggling with mental health and addiction issues I was not able to dream I'd be where I am now. I was raised in a low-income, government-assisted household. My mother was a single parent, caring for two young children, and could never finish school. I was always in gifted classes and was a bright and loving child, but I had to begin working at a young age to support myself and help the family. I started drinking and abusing drugs as a teenager, and although I always dreamt of being the first member of my family to graduate from college, I could not graduate high school. I moved to NYC at 25 for a new start and received my TASC certificate, but I was still plagued with depression and continued to drink. Finally, after years of trying, I achieved sobriety, and my commitment to staying sober has helped me begin to live a life beyond my wildest dreams. I am a constant in my journey, instead of letting my life pass me by because I didn't feel deserving. Now, school brings me joy and happiness and helps me feel confident and independent. I know I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to, and my 3.96 GPA is proof of that. I would love to graduate with honors but have been unable to take the leap and try because of fear that I would be unable to find the time to study due to working a full-time job. I am currently a shift supervisor and a bartender. During the pandemic, I was grateful to be able to work in the field of recovery and help others who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, I could not continue working in my position due to financial reasons and had to return to restaurants. Although I am happy and do a great job, there is still a looming darkness in picking up bottles and making cocktails every night. My dream is to finish my Bachelor of Science in Sustainability from Baruch, be independent, and continue to learn as much as possible. Learning is my passion, and winning this scholarship could be a massive step in the right direction for me. I do not see my age as a disadvantage, and I am eager to do all that I can to ensure a healthy planet for future generations. I hope to secure a position with a company that is ethically responsible as a Sustainability Specialist or Director, where I can lead a team I am proud to be a part of. I share my story hoping to show someone who is struggling that sobriety is possible, and so is building a life for yourself that you can be proud of. Thank you for your consideration.

At 36, I have never been happier or more grateful to be who I am: I am an adult learner and proud! I am on the path to accomplishing a life goal I never thought possible, obtaining a college degree. I currently work as a shift supervisor and bartender at a small restaurant in Fort Greene. With 15 years of experience in hospitality, I have worked in almost every restaurant position, including various management roles, specifically Training Director, where I traveled worldwide, assisting with training and staffing new restaurant openings. While my bosses and coworkers are caring, flexible, and understanding of my devotion to school, I long to work a job that doesn't involve serving alcohol. My ultimate goal is to complete a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability from Baruch. Sustainability is a huge problem that I hope to help businesses address head-on with innovative ideas and years of workforce experience, complete with an array of tangible skills. I do not see my age as a disadvantage, and I am eager to do all that I can to ensure a healthy planet for future generations. I hope to secure a position with a company that is ethically responsible as a Sustainability Specialist or Director, where I can lead a team I am proud to be a part of. I struggled with addiction for many years, and have been sober for almost three. Sobriety has enabled me to pursue my dream of an education, and my commitment to education has helped me stay sober. Now, school brings me joy and happiness and helps me feel confident and independent. I know I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to, and my 3.96 GPA is proof of that. I would love to graduate with honors but have been unable to take the leap and try because of fear that I would be unable to find the time to study due to working a full-time job. My dream is to finish my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, be independent, and continue to learn as much as possible. Learning is my passion, and winning this scholarship could be a massive step in the right direction for me. Winning this award could help alleviate financial difficulties surrounding school costs by allowing me to pay off debts I accrued during difficult times in my life, as well as put towards my future education. Winning this award would mean everything to me- and would help prove to myself I belong among all the educated individuals of this world which I never felt worthy.