One financial goal that I hope to accomplish in the near future is graduating college debt-free. Accomplishing this goal will take me one step closer to having freedom over my opportunities. Being able to focus primarily on my studies, I can work on veterinary studies, myself, and my art. My talents, abilities, and interests include my love for art, community activism, and animals. I have used my love of art to illustrate a children’s book for the Memphis Challenge organization about the importance of maintaining your mental health and appreciating those who positively affect your life. I am the founder of the Cartoonist Club at my high school. I have participated in many organizations that have helped me succeed socially and academically. As a Bridge Builder collaborator for six years, I am a leader who can lay aside individual, social, economic, and cultural differences to work for the benefit of all. I have participated in community-building activities such as feeding people experiencing homelessness, cleaning the community, speaking out against gun violence, etc. I have worked for Pet Hospitals for two years, providing insight into daily operations, including vaccinations, diagnostic testing, and animal emergency issues. I look forward to growing in teamwork, knowledge sharing, and life experiences. I know this will not be a walk in the park, but challenging myself to experience new things with new people will be priceless. I consider myself a leader who can lay aside individual, social, economic, and cultural differences to work for the benefit of all. I am a genuine person motivated to better myself and those around me. I am passionate about making a difference as a public servant and a role model, and I plan to pursue a career as a veterinarian to achieve this goal. As an African American, I am aware that we represent only 2.2% of veterinarians, while the majority of veterinarians are white women. Representation is crucial for our community, as many black families own pets, and we need more veterinarians who look like us to care for them. Veterinarians can educate communities about animal diseases that could affect public health. They also play a vital role in ensuring food safety by inspecting eggs, meat, and poultry. By increasing exposure and access to this profession, we can provide hope for young people with a passion for caring for animals. Using my platform to bring awareness to this field within my community can positively impact its growth. In addition to realizing my dreams, receiving this scholarship will alleviate financial stress on my mother. She has devoted so much to my life by ensuring I participated in various activities, strengthening my character.

I am passionate about making a difference as a public servant and a role model, and I plan to pursue a career as a veterinarian to achieve this goal. As an African American, I am aware that we represent only 2.2% of veterinarians, while the majority of veterinarians are white women. Representation is crucial for our community, as many black families own pets, and we need more veterinarians who look like us to care for them. Veterinarians can educate communities about animal diseases that could affect public health. They also play a vital role in ensuring food safety by inspecting eggs, meat, and poultry. By increasing exposure and access to this profession, we can provide hope for young people with a passion for caring for animals. Using my platform to bring awareness to this field within my community can positively impact its growth. I have always had a passion for nature, and pursuing a career as a veterinarian is a natural extension of this passion. I find joy in watching the growth and change in the environment and caring for pets such as fish, dogs, and cats. I also love horses and farms. I cannot imagine my life without animals, as I grew up with a dog for 18 years and four goldfish from the state fair that lasted over 3+ years. They became the largest I had ever seen. When one of them was found floating upside down, I immediately researched and told my mom that we needed frozen peas because the fish had problems with its swim bladder. After listening to me, she tried that remedy, and it worked. The fish lasted another year or more. These experiences led me to work at The Pet Hospitals in Memphis and the surrounding areas, and I love my job. I enjoy interacting with animals, including a pet pig, every chance I get. I have been working at the pet hospital for nearly two years and recently shadowed a veterinarian to complete my high school's capstone project for the Honors Academy. During this time, I observed a Labrador Retriever with mastitis and a false pregnancy, and I learned how antibiotics were used to treat the infection. I also learned about the importance of fecal samples for detecting heartworms. Increasing my knowledge about food and agriculture science and spreading awareness in my community is how I envision making a difference as a veterinarian.

The topic of mental health, along with the people who often suffer through it, has faced stigmatization throughout history. Though in recent years, mental health has become a more recognized issue with more and more solutions being developed and offered, many of the stigmatizing beliefs that had existed in the past have been engraved into many aspects of people’s psyches and culture. A prevalent example of this is the issue of generational trauma. In many cultures, topics like mental health are often disregarded and attributed to “being lazy” or “not working hard enough,” primarily by parental figures or older generations. This treatment results from the same treatment being used on them when they were in their youth. Due to the lack of care being put onto them, lack of resources available, and existing stigma on said issues, these people could not seek treatment to improve themselves and, in turn, lived without truly resolving any existing or growing issues. This leads into adulthood, and when these same people begin to have children who exhibit mental health issues, they will subconsciously treat their children the same way they had been treated. This cycle inevitably repeats unless someone within the process can recognize and break it. However, these effects are lasting and can diminish the person’s desire to seek help because they view themselves as undeserving or not needing treatment. I have come to recognize the effects of generational trauma as an adult within my own family. Growing up, there had been a creeping strain on my relationship with my father. My father was not the type to show affection exceptionally, and along with his short temper, he tended to remain distant from me and my siblings. I grew up and grew to know him more. I understood the relationship between him and his father impacted his parenting skills. This knowledge and identification have helped me navigate my relationship with him and my issues with mental health. Generational trauma is a factor that can contribute to a person’s unwillingness to accept or seek help whenever they need it. It settles itself into someone’s way of life and forms of problem management, leading them to believe and spread whatever troubling ideology it has manifested. As a young adult, I am fortunate enough to recognize these factors within my life and seek help from professionals with knowledge of these issues.

I am passionate about making a difference as a public servant and a role model, and I plan to pursue a career as a veterinarian to achieve this goal. As an African American, I am aware that we represent only 2.2% of veterinarians, while the majority of veterinarians are white women. Representation is crucial for our community, as many black families own pets, and we need more veterinarians who look like us to care for them. Veterinarians can educate communities about animal diseases that could affect public health. They also play a vital role in ensuring food safety by inspecting eggs, meat, and poultry. By increasing exposure and access to this profession, we can provide hope for young people with a passion for caring for animals. Using my platform to bring awareness to this field within my community can positively impact its growth. I have always had a passion for nature, and pursuing a career as a veterinarian is a natural extension of this passion. I find joy in watching the growth and change in the environment and caring for pets such as fish, dogs, and cats. I also love horses and farms. I cannot imagine my life without animals, as I grew up with a dog for 18 years and four goldfish from the state fair that lasted over 3+ years. They became the largest I had ever seen. When one of them was found floating upside down, I immediately researched and told my mom that we needed frozen peas because the fish had problems with its swim bladder. After listening to me, she tried that remedy, and it worked. The fish lasted another year or more. These experiences led me to work at The Pet Hospitals in Memphis and the surrounding areas, and I love my job. I enjoy interacting with animals, including a pet pig, every chance I get. I have been working at the pet hospital for nearly two years and recently shadowed a veterinarian to complete my high school's capstone project for the Honors Academy. During this time, I observed a Labrador Retriever with mastitis and a false pregnancy, and I learned how antibiotics were used to treat the infection. I also learned about the importance of fecal samples for detecting heartworms. Increasing my knowledge about food and agriculture science and spreading awareness in my community is how I envision making a difference as a veterinarian.

I am passionate about making a difference as a public servant and a role model, and I plan to pursue a career as a veterinarian to achieve this goal. As an African American, I am aware that we represent only 2.2% of veterinarians, while the majority of veterinarians are white women. Representation is crucial for our community, as many black families own pets, and we need more veterinarians who look like us to care for them. Veterinarians can educate communities about animal diseases that could affect public health. They also play a vital role in ensuring food safety by inspecting eggs, meat, and poultry. By increasing exposure and access to this profession, we can provide hope for young people with a passion for caring for animals. Using my platform to bring awareness to this field within my community can positively impact its growth. I have always had a passion for nature, and pursuing a career as a veterinarian is a natural extension of this passion. I find joy in watching the growth and change in the environment and caring for pets such as fish, dogs, and cats. I also love horses and farms. I cannot imagine my life without animals, as I grew up with a dog for 18 years and four goldfish from the state fair that lasted over 3+ years. They became the largest I had ever seen. When one of them was found floating upside down, I immediately researched and told my mom that we needed frozen peas because the fish had problems with its swim bladder. After listening to me, she tried that remedy, and it worked. The fish lasted another year or more. These experiences led me to work at The Pet Hospitals in Memphis and the surrounding areas, and I love my job. I enjoy interacting with animals, including a pet pig, every chance I get. I have been working at the pet hospital for nearly two years and recently shadowed a veterinarian to complete my high school's capstone project for the Honors Academy. During this time, I observed a Labrador Retriever with mastitis and a false pregnancy, and I learned how antibiotics were used to treat the infection. I also learned about the importance of fecal samples for detecting heartworms. Increasing my knowledge about food and agriculture science and spreading awareness in my community is how I envision making a difference as a veterinarian.