I am currently a senior at Bishop McNamara High School. I am a hardworking student who plans to use my education to not only create great opportunities for myself but also for those in my community. As a child of a single mother, I have learned many valuable lessons on hard work and perseverance. My mother has always instilled the value of education and how it can open doors to a better life. If you asked 100 teenagers what led them to volunteer in their community, most would probably say they started volunteering because of a parent or mentor. For me, it was my mom. I've watched my mom volunteer for many years as a mentor for her sorority's youth group, sing in the church choir, and help with events at my school. She often made me volunteer to help at our church, even though I would rather not have. I later realized that helping others without getting something in return can still benefit me greatly. Community service has helped shape who I am. I've been volunteering at my church since I was little. Through that, I have learned to help others and step up when help is needed. Being active in my church allowed me to see how leadership begins with serving others. One of my favorite activities within my church is helping the technology team. We provide live-stream services for people in our community who are unable to attend in person. Volunteering with the church's technology team allowed me to see how technology can connect people. I also learned many valuable skills, such as teamwork, responsibility, and dependability. When others are counting on you to do your job, you learn to take things seriously. This experience helped me decide to pursue a career in technology. One example of community service I've done outside of my church is being a part of the Kappa League. Kappa League allows me to help package care bundles for men who might need them. That experience opened my eyes to how small gestures can impact another person’s life. I have also volunteered at Heaven’s Tender Touch Day Care. I would help watch and take care of some of their younger children. I learned how to be patient and responsible at a young age, thanks to that daycare. I try to make an impact in my community by being reliable, helping out when needed, and giving back. In college, I will major in Computer Science. At home, I am the “IT guy.” I love the logical thinking that comes with working with technology. After college, my goal is to teach children to code or develop computer skills, especially for kids who do not have access to computers or the internet, as I did growing up. I want to show how technology skills can create opportunities and open doors that they thought were closed, and give them the confidence to have faith in their gifts and abilities. This goal will help me continue to help out in my community. As I focus on my goals, I’ve learned not to take opportunities for granted and to do my best in all that I do. It would be incredibly inspiring to know that the Shepherd E. Solomon Memorial Scholarship Committee believes in me. Receiving a scholarship would reduce some of the stress of paying for college and allow me to focus on reaching my goals. I think I have made an impact in my community by consistently showing up, helping people, and dedicating my spare time to serving those around me.

Receiving the Marlene Manning scholarship would significantly impact my ability to reach my future goals. I've watched my mom volunteer for many years as a mentor for her sorority's youth group, sing in the church choir, and help with events at my school. She often made me volunteer to help at our church, even though I would rather not have. I later realized that helping others without getting something in return can still benefit me greatly. I'm grateful that my mother guided me to that realization early on and that she taught me to care about something other than myself. It is an opportunity to meet new people, gain new skills, build connections, and find networking opportunities. As a child of a single mother, I have learned many valuable lessons on hard work and perseverance. My mother has always pushed the value of education and its potential to open doors to a better life. She made the sacrifice of sending me to private school, where I could focus and be surrounded by the best opportunities for success, but in 2024, she lost her job. My mom has taught me so much just by experiencing this with her. She ended up finding another job, but it paid less than her previous job. Those few weeks and months that we went through were difficult. But my mom remained so strong and positive, which helped everything seem less stressful. She taught me the value of working hard, never quit and to always do my best. My Mom also showed me how education can change my life. As my graduation from Bishop McNamara High School quickly approaches, I feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity to attend college. I am a hardworking student who is determined to use my education to create a great life for myself and help others do the same. Community service has also helped shape who I am. I have been volunteering at my church since I was little. Through that, I have learned to help others and step up when needed. Being active in my church allowed me to see how leadership begins with serving others. One of my favorite activities within my church is helping the technology team. We run live stream services for people in our community who are unable to attend in person. Volunteering with my church's technology team allowed me to see how technology can connect people. I also learned many valuable skills, such as teamwork, responsibility, and dependability. This experience helped me decide to pursue a career in technology. After college, I would like to teach children to code or develop computer skills, especially to kids who do not have access to computers or the internet, as I did growing up. I want to show how technology and technology skills can create opportunities and open doors they thought were closed, and give them the confidence to have faith in their gifts and abilities. As I focus on my goals, I’ve learned not to take opportunities for granted and to do my best in all that I do. It would be incredibly inspiring to know that the Marlene Manning Scholarship Committee believes in me. Receiving a scholarship would reduce some of the stress of paying for college and allow me to focus on my education and reaching my goals.

If you were to ask 100 teenagers what leads them to volunteer in their community, most of them would probably say that they started volunteering because of a parent or a mentor. For me, it was my mom. I've watched my mom volunteer for many years as a mentor for her sorority's youth group, sing in the church choir, and help with events at my school. She often made me volunteer to help at our church, even though I would rather not have. I later realized that helping others without getting something in return can still benefit me greatly. I'm grateful that my mother guided me to that realization early on and that she taught me to care about something other than myself. Community service is more than just something I do to graduate from high school. It is an opportunity to meet new people, gain new skills, find networking opportunities, and build a connection with your community. The neighborhoods I pass through keep me aware of the need in my community. I also sometimes do community service at Heaven's Tender Touch Daycare, the daycare I grew up in. Being able to work with children at such a young age taught me to be patient and to not lose my temper when dealing with others, which is a skill that still helps me today. Service also helps me stay connected to my community, which teaches me that my power lies in helping others, and that is why I want to use my degree to help others. I plan to receive a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Music, or both, and I am confident that this is the path that I want to pursue. Knowing that service is a lifelong commitment, I feel it would be helpful to have the resources to one day, once I have furthered my education, to go back to my community and teach coding, give music lessons, and or tutor, to help someone see their value and help them step out with courage to pursue their dreams. Through my research, I have found the life of Bishop Ron O. Beazer Sr. inspirational. The fact that he was willing to show up and give his time and energy to people is the core of what I hope to do, and I would be honored to have my name and works written alongside Bishop Ron O. Beazer Sr.