"Knowledge is power." I'm not sure where I first heard this quote, but I am so glad I did because it has stuck with me ever since I was a child. It has actually shaped my perspective on education as a whole. As a kid, I understood that education was the key to a lot of things I wanted out of life, so I took it seriously. However, many African American students do not have this realization until it is too late. How can we show black children the importance of education and light the spark that changes a generation? I believe it starts with changing the stigma that blacks are less intelligent than whites. There is a damaging thought in the black community, that intelligence is for white people. I've had more people than I can count tell me "I sound white" for speaking intelligently, but why does intelligence need to have a color? Things can not change until the minds of our people change. There is also a lack of black representation in the school system. African American students do not have enough role models of authority who look like them, nor are they taught enough about the many historical role models they do have. How can they know they belong in an educational setting if they are not represented in this setting? My name is Charity McDowell. I am a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame with the plan of starting a non-profit organization centered around the educational experience of black students. Through this organization, I will be an educator, however not in the traditional way. Rather than being directly in the classrooms, I wish to impact children outside of school and send them back into the classrooms confident and ready to face any barrier they encounter. I plan for my program to be a safe space for black students. This program will give black students possible tutoring, mentors (older students and adults), black history knowledge, a space for community, and exposure to issues they may face in education and society. My mom is currently pursuing her masters in education, and I had the privilege of working with some of her students over a recent break. My heart actually beats faster just typing about it. There was one African American boy present who could not read... or so the teacher thought. He had failed his previous reading tests and his parents and teachers were highly concerned. While volunteering, I had the opportunity to conduct one of his reading tests. I was told that he would likely not make it past the first page, but when he began to read with me, his reading was amazing. After a couple of readings, I got excited and told him "Let's go! You so got this!" When I saw him get excited too and his confidence grow, my heart melted. We continued through the exam, and he passed with flying colors! For whatever reason, he did not read with the other teachers, but he did with me. I continually wonder why this was the case. Was he more comfortable with a person who looked like him? Did he see me as a role model he wanted to impress? Did he feel more encouraged by me? I'm not sure, but what I do know is that I want to make this impact on other black children around the world! Just being considered for a scholarship in honor of Marva Collins, an educational legend, is a privilege that I am very grateful for.

My name is Charity McDowell and I am a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame. I grew up in a very diverse district of Indianapolis, IN, however, after time I realized that my classrooms at school did not reflect this diversity. In high school I began to take AP and college level classes, and I found myself being one of the only, if not the only, black students in the class. This puzzled me because my classrooms looked completely different than the hallways. I knew my fellow African Students students had the potential to be in these classes, and I did not understand why they were not in them. I now believe it has to do with how the educational system is set up. There are barely any African American teachers or role models for black students to look up to, black students are not taught a lot of information relatable to themselves, and it is found that teachers have held lower expectations for students of color. Personally, in third grade I experienced this for myself. I had a B in a subject and my parents wanted to know how I could improve it. My teacher's response to them was "well she's already the smartest black girl in the class". This story has stuck with me because it goes to show that my teacher did not hold the same expectations for me as she did for her white students. I am grateful that my parents continually told me to aim high because being told to aim lower as a child from an authority figure can easily destroy confidence, determination, and motivation in school. This is just one of the barriers students of color encounter. Since then I have developed a deep passion for the educational system and how it impacts marginalized groups. I have recently volunteered at my old elementary school, and it has been eye opening to see the impact I can have on black students just by being in the classroom with them. One black student had consistently failed his reading tests, however when reading with me he passed with flying colors. Another black student noticed when I was gone and asked when I was returning. I was able to encourage yet another black student to continue trying. Just thinking about the impact I can have on the education of marginalized children makes my heart beat faster from excitement. On campus currently, I am conducting research on the factors that motivate black Notre Dame students to be academically successful. Many students who look like me do not make it into a prestigious institution such as the University of Notre Dame. Why? What helped myself and the black students at this university overcome the barriers of the educational system? This has always been a question of mine and I am beyond excited to get data back from the survey we conduct. What excites me the most is being able to pass this information to future generations of black students. It's so important that they know that they can succeed academically. The conclusions we gain from this study can be given to them so they can realize the mindsets that are important to have. In the future, I want to be in the medical field, but I also want to start a non-profit. In this non-profit, I plan to give black students a place to have access to tutors, learn black history, receive encouragement, and expose the potential barriers they may face in education and in society.

Like many others, my future is consumed by the goals I hold, however, as I think of the goals I hold, such as becoming a mother, wife, doctor, minister, and educator, I find a common denominator. All my mini goals seem to point to a larger goal: to make the lives of others better. I can say that I want to make a certain amount of money or be famous by a certain age, but what does that do? The truth of the matter is that tomorrow is not promised. I can't take money to the grave and instagram followers can't follow me to heaven, so why focus my life on it? Therefore, my goal for the future is not just something I can walk in after 10 years but something I can walk in tomorrow and the day after that. I can be a light in the life of people around me in an effort to help them enjoy their days, see the value their voice holds, and the love God has for them. Life is not easy, however we are all in it together, and in my opinion, a life striving to make others lives better is a goal worth chasing.

My favorite simple pleasures are my senses. I can taste food, hear music, touch my hair, see stars, and smell perfume. These are amazing abilities, however I believe we often overlook them. As humans, I think we become blind to the wonder we live in as time goes on. Babies look around at everything with big eyes. They are taking in the dreamland we call life. However, as adults we become so consumed with other things that we forget that we are living on a planet in the middle of a solar system and being held down by a force called gravity. We can hear sounds through frequency and see colors through light. We can taste millions of flavors and smell millions of scents. We can touch things and recognize what they are almost immediately. The beautiful abilities we hold become just everyday things. However, I make an effort to keep my wonder and remind myself that these are not normal things. These are powerful skills. When I keep my eyes focused on these things, it makes it hard for me to not smile. I am living in a wonderland. I was actually just thinking today that if one of my senses were taken from me, it would change my whole life. There are many people who never get to see the sun or hear a baby's cry, and while they are wrapped in a beautiful life different from my own, I am grateful for the senses which have become my pleasures. I can sometimes become so wrapped in one small thing that doesn't matter, and forget the mini miracles happening all around me. When I stop and look around at the wonderland I live in and the simple pleasures my senses have given me, I am overcome by gratitude.

In the Bible Jesus states, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). As a Christian, I take this statement to heart and work to align my life with it. I believe that it is important to give for several reasons. One of which is that giving provides me with the opportunity to sow into the lives of others. While I want to make an impact on the world around me through my own life, I understand that the best way to achieve this goal is through the lives of multiple people. I can make one person's life better, and I have the hope that they will make the life of someone else better as a result. The more people I can touch, the more people that will be touched over all. This truly does bless me because it is a deep desire of mine to see the lives of others improved, and it is amazing to see it come to pass. The heart of my Christian belief is that God gave his only son in order to save me. With this in mind, I can understand on a personal level how giving can impact a life. I understand that giving is essential and I have a deep desire to bless others similar to the way that God blesses me. Everyday I walk around my campus smiling to strangers and checking up on my peers with the hopes that I can make someone else's day better and be a voice of love in their life. This is how I give back and I believe this is the best gift I could ever give.