In my academic future, I plan to major in Theatre Education, theater has always been a big part of my life and I have always wanted to pursue something in the performance field. It has never mattered to me whether that be performing on the stage myself or teaching others to do the same. As I grew up the arts drew me in with musicals and stage plays and as I got into my teen years I committed to it and it grew to be my passion. In my high school years, I met the best teachers of the arts and I look up to them greatly. I have been introduced to many directors and I love that as I grow deeper into this community I become even more interested in it. They have made me the person I am today and gave me the dreams and the courage to reach for those dreams. They gave me a reason to come to school and participate in a way that I had never done before. With my degree, I will uplift teens the way that I was uplifted during my freshman year. To enrich them with the passion that I fell in love with. This is a career that I would choose with little to no pay as I have taken part in many free community shows just for fun. I want to provide these children with a family and a trusting and comfortable community where they can thrive because before theatre I didn't have one. These are the goals that I want to pursue in my career and I plan to follow through with every one of these goals because I want this family I have found to grow. Pursuing my passion for theatre education allows me personal stage experience, and a chance to help a large group of people express themselves through performing arts. I think I'd always support the arts in some form, or another. Perhaps someone similar to myself that is also shy. This scholarship would help me, and my family overcome some financial barriers I'm facing. Some day when you're not busy, get out and go watch a stage play. The effort these students put in to make the show a success is amazing. It's also good entertainment for your family, and friends. Remember art comes in all forms. From a picture, to sculptured pieces, to human art expressions, to stage plays, art refuels reactivity. My greatest accomplishments have been development of myself/personality, finding the things that I enjoy, being able to handle school requirements, extra curriculum activities such as two club, after school practice, a part time job, church, family, and my personal hobbies. These things have humbled me, and thought me that were all many movable parts that work in collaboration to show who and what we truly are. In the grand total of things I hope to accomplish success, and happiness.

Hi, I'm an energetic, smart, talented, African American, 17 yo student with a dream. I was raised with both parents and one older sibling. My father passed away January 2025 leaving my Mother,Sister and I surving. Both, my parents graduated high School, and went on to work full time jobs in there skill trade. However neither went to college. They provided a comfortable life for my sister and I. My sister graduated and Followed there footsteps. She works full time as a CNA. I found a love for theater acts in high school. I was shy and performing changed that. While bringing my characters to life it opened me up as a confident out spoken person. I've been blessed to perform on many stages audition at many venues while mastering my craft. I've created several friends and learned from gifted teacher and directors. Theater Arts has become a passion now. However, I've noticed many kids of my race, and gender don't share the same vision. Often I've been the only black female in a production/ play. My dream is to become a Performing Arts Teacher. This is why I plan to continue my education. I'd love the chance to teach other students to dream outside the box and overcome many barriers I've encountered throughout the years. I worked hard to maintain a good GPA. I,m a beta club member who volunteers and works fund raiser for the club I attend. I am a chorus/ choir member for my school, and church. Also I'm vice president of drama club and a talented actor. These are things that have motivated the desire to build my dream career. The main barrier to my dream is finding sources to back my education. Scholarship opportunities such as these are important to me. Thank you .

In my academic future, I plan to major in Theatre Education, theater has always been a big part of my life and I have always wanted to pursue something in the performance field. It has never mattered to me whether that be performing on the stage myself or teaching others to do the same. As I grew up the arts drew me in with musicals and stage plays and as I got into my teen years I committed to it and it grew to be my passion. In my high school years, I met the best teachers of the arts and I look up to them greatly. I have been introduced to many directors and I love that as I grow deeper into this community I become even more interested in it. They have made me the person I am today and gave me the dreams and the courage to reach for those dreams. They gave me a reason to come to school and participate in a way that I had never done before. With my degree, I will uplift teens the way that I was uplifted during my freshman year. To enrich them with the passion that I fell in love with. This is a career that I would choose with little to no pay as I have taken part in many free community shows just for fun. I want to provide these children with a family and a trusting and comfortable community where they can thrive because before theatre I didn't have one. These are the goals that I want to pursue in my career and I plan to follow through with every one of these goals because I want this family I have found to grow. Pursuing my passion for theatre education allows me personal stage experience, and a chance to help a large group of people express themselves through performing arts. I think I'd always support the arts in some form, or another. Perhaps someone similar to myself that is also shy. This scholarship would help me, and my family overcome some financial barriers I'm facing. Some day when you're not busy, get out and go watch a stage play. The effort these students put in to make the show a success is amazing. It's also good entertainment for your family, and friends. Remember art comes in all forms. From a picture, to sculptured pieces, to human art expressions, to stage plays, art refuels reactivity.

In my academic future, I plan to major in Theatre Education, theater has always been a big part of my life and I have always wanted to pursue something in the performance field. It has never mattered to me whether that be performing on the stage myself or teaching others to do the same. As I grew up the arts drew me in with musicals and stage plays and as I got into my teen years I committed to it and it grew to be my passion. In my high school years, I met the best teachers of the arts and I look up to them greatly. I have been introduced to many directors and I love that as I grow deeper into this community I become even more interested in it. They have made me the person I am today and gave me the dreams and the courage to reach for those dreams. They gave me a reason to come to school and participate in a way that I had never done before. With my degree, I will uplift teens the way that I was uplifted during my freshman year. To enrich them with the passion that I fell in love with. This is a career that I would choose with little to no pay as I have taken part in many free community shows just for fun. I want to provide these children with a family and a trusting and comfortable community where they can thrive because before theatre I didn't have one. These are the goals that I want to pursue in my career and I plan to follow through with every one of these goals because I want this family I have found to grow. Pursuing my passion for theatre education allows me personal stage experience, and a chance to help a large group of people express themselves through performing arts. I think I'd always support the arts in some form, or another. Perhaps someone similar to myself that is also shy. This scholarship would help me, and my family overcome some financial barriers I'm facing. Some day when you're not busy, get out and go watch a stage play. The effort these students put in to make the show a success is amazing. It's also good entertainment for your family, and friends. Remember art comes in all forms. From a picture, to sculptured pieces, to human art expressions, to stage plays, art refuels reactivity.

Hi, I'm Chrislyn Owens age 17, senior at Lumberton High School, Lumberton NC. I have worked hard to maintain a 4.1 weighted and 3.7 unweighted GPA. My interest are education with a passion for theatre arts. I found this passion via my school theater arts program. Currently I am vice president of the Drama Club, a Beta club participant, and chorus/choir member at my school and church. My Parents,Teacher,Sister, Classmates, Friends, Church/Choir members, and Play Participants all have been major parts of helping create the person I am today.I have participated in many stage plays throughout my town, and county. I enjoy and take pride in my accomplishments. I have been featured in my county newspaper and local flyers for advertising purposes. I do volunteer hours through Beta Club at several venues and offer my time in any way I can to help others. If I had an opportunity to start my own charity it would be giving back to the Arts programs. I would do this because the programs help transition a shy, quiet girl into a confident, expressive young lady I've become. My mission would offer financial help to underprivileged African American females to further there education. I'd choice this area to represent a sometime overlooked area of people like myself respectfully. This would serve a very large group of people in a large sector who normally would not get the chance to explore what there talents could become in there circumstance. The type of services I would also teach students and culture there acting skills. My dreams begin with organization and scholarships like this. I plan to graduate high school, and go on to complete college. My major is Visual and Performing Arts. I want to be a teacher in this area. My minor is accounting. With help I can accomplish my dreams and help others. I've planned for my future and now that I'm here it is an amazing feeling. My only barrier is being able to afford my college education. My Father recently passed away 1/13/2025. This left my mother as sole provider for my immediate family. This created a big change for my family finances. My father was the bread winner for us. We all are healing slowly. I missy Daddy daily. I graduate in June, and the most painful thing is knowing my Father won't be here to see me walk across the stage. I am grateful for an opportunity to be in a position to qualify for assistance through this scholarship. Hopefully I'll be considered for the scholarship ,with the prayers of qualifying. To the committee who reads this, I am excited ,and grateful.Thank you for your time, and a listening ear.

Hi, I'm Chrislyn Owens. I was born in a small town with limited growth opportunities. My family which consent of my mother and one sister since my father's passing in 1/25 have limited funds. I have worked very hard to maintain my grades in school which is a 4.1 weighted and 3.7 unweighted GPA. I will be the first in my family to attend college. Both my parents attended trade school. I found my passion in high school through the theater arts program at my school. I love acting, singing, and doing stage plays. It all came as second nature to me, and I wanted to continue the process .My desire is to become a theatre art teacher to secondary grade students. I feel it's my contribution back to community. I saw that there wasn't many kids of my race who found the same as rewarding, or interesting as I did.My family, church, school, and club participants have help shape my gift and feed my creative side. I made lots of friends. I met people I connected with that shared my vision.With there love, patience, prayers, transportation and push.Currently I'm in Beta club, choir, and theater. This is also accompany with a part time job at my local movie palace as a concession stand employee. I attend to attract more kids/ students to the arts program especially my own culture. We sometimes are overlooked simply because we don't have a voice, or a chance to display our talents. Theater gave me a voice. I felt proud to overcome my fear of stage fright. The first time I sang my voice trembled with fear. As time went on I grew stronger, my confidence grew and the fear seems like a distant de ja vu of someone who looked like me at sometime or another. With the help from scholarships, FAFSA, and college offers I'm finally to the point to make my dream a reality. It's humbling. Consider me as you view thousands of applications for this opportunity. Also remember my name Chrislyn Reyazmene Owens. I'm diffinitly going to leave my mark on the earth, many stages, sets and classrooms. For as I grow to be the person I'm building now started with an unwavering desire to first prove it to myself. That God gave me a gift, my parents cultured my dreams, many organizations funded my path, and I did the hard work that got me here. Thank you.

Janie R Floyd was an African American woman who birth 18 children and raised 20 during her life time.Born in Newark NJ, she moved south after traveling down south to find work. Theses were the olden days. She married my great grandfather at age 14. Her struggles included poverty, field labor , prejudice , and abuse from an alcoholic husband of whom was older than her, and the only person she knew down south. I've been told many stories passed down in my family. I admire my great grandmother's spirits. She was the heart and love of what turned out to be a very large family . Each of us with survival instinct, love, and strength. I have worked hard on my education due to knowledge that my great grandfather couldn't read , had speech issues, and was considered by towns folk as handicap, or retarded. My great grandmother was the strength to his weakness. Often times she would speak for him. She would read important mail to him, explain any misunderstandings he had, and address folks that made fun or put him down. She was the brains of there union. I've often times been compared to her. Not only for intelligence, drive to learn more, my manner and strong debate skills. My motivation behind participating in speech, stage plays, and choir has been letting my voice, opinion, and comments be heard.My family has been my biggest support system. I hope to embark on and successfully complete a new path for my family. I am a first generation college student in my immediate family. Many sacrifices have happened for me to complete my dreams. I am humbled at this opportunity. I am the underprivileged, deprived due to economics. I'm going to change that for my family, my generation, and black people as a whole. So that we don't loose focus, drive,ambitions. I feel that I can share my story by giving back to my community. With the hope of inspiring someone else. I could do that with help from scholarships to complete my education. Hopefully some day I'll have a scholarship to offer other deserving student on there journey. It takes a village in ones life to push them, encourage creativity, and a support team. I was the lucky one. For my family, friends, and church was that community I needed that out in my actions, and character. Thank you for listening.

My father passed away on 1/13/25. Both my parents have been supporting me on my educational journey through out my life. My father has pushed me to take chances on pursue my dreams and not worrying about fears. He always said I love you, I got your back, you won't know unless you try. Whereas my mother was somewhat reserved sticking to planning and timing. Losing my father brought fears, and doubts. It made me settle in to thoughts that if I'd fell in an quest. I've wasted time, money, and focus. Without his support I felt vonnariable, afraid, and powerless. Depression say in quickly. Luckily for me I still had my mother. I'm sure she was mourning as well. However, her words giving with tear were to me your dad always said you were a leader. He saw that in you very young. Your his only child. So he wanted a son, of course. When you were born a female. He said God didn't give me what I wanted, but he gave me just what I needed. She is beautiful but this one's different from any girl I've ever known. She is the female version of me. This is awesome.. throughout my life he challenged me through questions that picked my interest. I would search for answers to tell my daddy. Some times he have me write them down, and read them to him. After we would discuss my answers, then debate them. I'd like to honor his memory with my personal success. I won't give up on my dreams. I'm going to teach others how to accomplish there's, and be the best person I can be with the time God gives me on this Earth. His death has put an intensity on education, accomplishing my dreams and pursuing a life I deserve. I will start this path with successfully completing college. While doing so perform in some production so build my experience, creating a support system with teacher and community leaders. I will learn skills on how to teach upcoming theatre arts students to perform. Now I'm currently a child of a single family home which is out of my element. However with prayers, guidance from my mother, church leaders, and school student body. I can still set off in the right direction to successfully go on to become a visual and performing arts teacher. My father, mother and myself would be proud of. Thank you for this opportunity to express my, releive some bottled up feeling, and document the start of a new journey .