The last few years I have faced the most adversity. I switched from public school to private school for high school. Shortly after my family was severely impacted by addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. It has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict, and he struggled with it most during freshman and sophomore year. Additionally, my father has bipolar disorder, ADHD, and has attempted suicide twice. He went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my schooling since I attend a private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again for the same amount of time. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from where we live. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, my mother had me get my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with my mother to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, to get food, to help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober for over a year and a half. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY. That no matter what life throws at me I can overcome and be whoever God has called me to be and whatever my heart desires. My top goal is to attend college for free. I am working to improve my standardized test scores to increase my chances of getting merit-based scholarships. I apply for scholarships that I am eligible for weekly. I am also an avid runner and would like to run in college with an athletic scholarship. I will only run at school if the school I attend will support my academic and career goals as well. My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in involves obtaining my Biology major. I would love to attend Howard University. I hope to have my own practice and help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles.

Iowa Colony, Texas, has been my home since 2019, and I have loved it. However, upon starting high school, I began to feel a disconnect from my community. Instead of attending the local high school, I decided to attend Strake Jesuit, which is 25 miles away. My connection to my community quickly faded. I knew I needed to reconnect and found it through the Teen Advisory Committee of Iowa Colony, where I learned the value of service, developed leadership skills, and explored my future career. When I was selected for the committee with five others, I didn't know what to expect. At first, I thought the members wouldn't contribute greatly because we were only teenagers, but I was wrong. Our head representative, Kareem Boyce, has given us flexibility, allowing me to speak up on certain issues. The one that sticks with me the most is when I earned the "Police Challenge Coin" for addressing an unusual act of violence in our community—a student was wounded by a gunshot from another teenager in his vehicle. I spoke up at our local church, offering ideas on how to prevent this from happening again, as it brings the community down altogether. Not only do we address important issues in the committee, but we also host events like community service projects and fundraisers. We have organized events such as back-to-school supply drives and helped run our July 4th event at the stadium. Currently, I am brainstorming with the other members about a Thanksgiving fundraiser through a "turkey trot run." Being a part of the committee has made me grow as a person. Before joining, I hadn't actively participated in community service, but my involvement made me realize the impact of giving back. I discovered my love for serving others and that being self-serving isn't positive for the community. This realization sparked my commitment to making a positive difference and inspired me to continue seeking opportunities to serve those around me. Furthermore, learning these skills from the committee has helped me focus on my future career, as I was undecided about what I wanted to do for most of my life. I discovered that I love to serve others, which led me to consider becoming a dentist, as I always enjoyed going to the dentist growing up. I also not only want to become a dentist, but I also plan to be part of the HPSP scholarship program so that my dental school is fully paid for, while still being able to serve my country for four years as a dentist. Serving my community has been rewarding, and I want to extend that service to my entire country. Overall, joining the committee was a great decision. I have been able to help my community, lead others, speak on important matters, and learn leadership skills all as a teenager. Most importantly, I have regained the bond I originally had when I first moved to Iowa Colony, rather than the feeling of disconnection.

My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in involves obtaining my Biology major. I would love to attend Xavier University of Louisiana .The main obstacle between me attending XULA is the cost. I am determined to fill the gap of costs through hard work, dedication, and persistence. Following completion of undergraduate school, I plan to apply for dental school and the Health Professions Scholarship Program with one of the military branches. Serving my country is something I would like to do. Once I complete my commitment, I plan to pursue my end goal of becoming an orthodontist. I hope to have my own practice and help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles. I am most inspired by my immediate family. In the past few years, we have all been impacted by the disease of addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. It has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict with bipolar disorder, ADHD, and has attempted suicide twice. He went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two to three months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from home. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, I got my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with her to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, get food, help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober. The reason I say my immediate family has impacted me most is because I realized that despite circumstances we can push through. I did not know what I was capable of achieving. My mother and her dedication and commitment to support my father while very sick and continue to do her best to not disrupt our lives has been a miracle to see. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY.

My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in involves obtaining my Biology major. I would love to attend Xavier University of Louisiana .The main obstacle between me attending XULA is the cost. I am determined to fill the gap of costs through hard work, dedication, and persistence. Following completion of undergraduate school, I plan to apply for dental school and the Health Professions Scholarship Program with one of the military branches. Serving my country is something I would like to do. Once I complete my commitment, I plan to pursue my end goal of becoming an orthodontist. I hope to have my own practice and help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles. I am most inspired by my immediate family. In the past few years, we have all been impacted by the disease of addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. It has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict with bipolar disorder, ADHD, and has attempted suicide twice. He went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two to three months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from home. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, I got my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with her to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, get food, help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober. The reason I say my immediate family has impacted me most is because I realized that despite circumstances we can push through. I did not know what I was capable of achieving. My mother and her dedication and commitment to support my father while very sick and continue to do her best to not disrupt our lives has been a miracle to see. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY.

My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in involves obtaining my Biology major. I would love to attend Xavier University of Louisiana .The main obstacle between me attending XULA is the cost. I am determined to fill the gap of costs through hard work, dedication, and persistence. Following completion of undergraduate school, I plan to apply for dental school and the Health Professions Scholarship Program with one of the military branches. Serving my country is something I would like to do. Once I complete my commitment, I plan to pursue my end goal of becoming an orthodontist. I hope to have my own practice and help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles. I am most inspired by my immediate family. In the past few years, we have all been impacted by the disease of addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. It has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict with bipolar disorder, ADHD, and has attempted suicide twice. He went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two to three months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from home. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, I got my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with her to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, get food, help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober. The reason I say my immediate family has impacted me most is because I realized that despite circumstances we can push through. I did not know what I was capable of achieving. My mother and her dedication and commitment to support my father while very sick and continue to do her best to not disrupt our lives has been a miracle to see. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY.

The last few years I have faced the most adversity. I switched from public school to private school for high school. Shortly after my family was severely impacted by addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. It has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict, and he struggled with it most during freshman and sophomore year. Additionally, my father has bipolar disorder, ADHD, and has attempted suicide twice. He went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my schooling since I attend a private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again for the same amount of time. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from where we live. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, my mother had me get my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with my mother to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, to get food, to help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober for over a year and a half. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY. That no matter what life throws at me I can overcome and be whoever God has called me to be and whatever my heart desires. My top goal is to attend college for free. I am working to improve my standardized test scores to increase my chances of getting merit-based scholarships. I apply for scholarships that I am eligible for weekly. I am also an avid runner and would like to run in college with an athletic scholarship. I will only run at school if the school I attend will support my academic and career goals as well. My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in involves obtaining my Biology major. I would love to attend Howard University. I hope to have my own practice and help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles.

At 7 years old I qualified for the AAU Junior Olympics in the 1500 M run. I actually only started running so that I could be faster for football. Who would have known that running would become a true passion of mine. Here I am 10 years later and I still love to run. Every year I was able to qualify for the junior Olympics and one of the athletes I looked up too was Brandon Miller. Brandon Miller is a phenomenal 800 M runner, but he would also run the 1500 for fun or extra work. He was actually really good at it and would win that too. I followed him through his college journey and now professional journey. When he first started college I thought that he would make the Olympics the first time around, but disturbingly he didn't. I still rooted for him and wanted to see him make it. See the reason why he ran was because he also wanted to play football or basketball but was short and no one ever gave him a chance. So he took it upon himself to train really hard in running and actually became one of the greatest of all times. Not many people know who he is if you did not know him from AAU. But he came out this year and put in great effort and now is one of the athletes that are going to the Olympics. I admire his dedication, determination, and persistent hard work to get where he is and has always been. So for me. My favorite athlete of team USA is Brandon Miller and I will cheer him on!

It was my freshman year and just got word my dad almost lost his life to an overdose. I found out it wasn't on accident but intentional. I already lost my uncle and Grandpa to alcohol in the last five years. I didn't want to lose my dad too. This was the life changing event that led me to learn more about the disease and what I need to do to break the generational curse. I learned although at risk due to genetics I can do things to help mitigate me from following in their footsteps. I've made sure that when things aren't going the way I want them to that I have to evaluate what is and what is not in my control. I can't control others but I can control me. How I respond to situations has been key to my success in school, sports, and relationships. Although young, I have made efforts to spread awareness about addiction through my leadership roles in my community. I am part of my city's teen advisory council and use this to address substance and process addiction awareness. This gives me a sense of community and gives others an opportunity to be a part of a mentally healthy community. I know that my family members didn't have this opportunity but hoping I can help make change , even if it's just for one person.

The last few years I have faced the most adversity. I switched from public school to private school for high school. Shortly after my family was severely impacted by addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. It has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict, and he struggled with it most during freshman and sophomore year. Additionally, my father has bipolar disorder, ADHD, and has attempted suicide twice. He went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my schooling since I attend a private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again for the same amount of time. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from where we live. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, my mother had me get my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with my mother to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, to get food, to help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober for over a year and a half. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY. That no matter what life throws at me I can overcome and be whoever God has called me to be and whatever my heart desires. My top goal is to attend college for free. I am working to improve my standardized test scores to increase my chances of getting merit-based scholarships. I apply for scholarships that I am eligible for weekly. I am also an avid runner and would like to run in college with an athletic scholarship. I will only run at school if the school I attend will support my academic and career goals as well. My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in involves obtaining my Biology major. I would love to attend Howard University. I hope to have my own practice and help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles.

The most significant impact I have had on my community relates to my best friend, Nolynn Haygood. After he was hospitalized, everyone in the community rushed to the hospital to be there with him and his family. When it was confirmed which hospital he was in, I sent messages to people who knew him, informing them of what happened. I also informed them of the hospital's location and encouraged them to come, as their support would be appreciated by him and his family. I was under a lot of stress and sadness, but I knew I could not let those emotions overcome me. Instead, I needed to step up as a leader for my friend and his family. Looking back at the event, I know I did as much as I could, but I still wish I could have helped him more. With my leadership role as a part of the Teen Advisory Committee of Iowa Colony, I will try my best to speak about problems in the community, like the one that affected my friend, in the hope of stopping such problems as a whole. Additionally, I spoke up at the main church in our community to help address the problem. I was one of four different teenagers who volunteered to speak at the church. The entire conversation was streamed, allowing us to share our opinions with adults and teenagers our age to understand different viewpoints. After the discussion, my friends told me how powerful the conversation was and how it made them look at things differently. The violence that happened to my friend motivated me to take action for a change for him and others. My community is fairly new, and I want to help it because I have made so many memories within it, and I greatly appreciate the privilege that comes with it. While participating in this discussion I was asked by Wil Kennedy, mayor of Iowa Colony, to consider being on the new upcoming role of Iowa colony teen advisory committee. I applied and months later, after the city reviewed several other students applications, I was one of four chosen to be a part of this new committee. I am already being active in this role by attending city council meetings. I hope to make a major impact to other teens in my community and serve as a role model to the younger youth. I am excited and proud to be a part of this.

I demonstrate leadership well in the classroom. You can ask any of my teachers how attentive I am, and they will agree. I participate actively throughout class by asking questions and paying attention. For example, during the first semester of sophomore year, Mr. Sullivan wrote an email to my counselor praising how well I led class discussions. Another instance is in Mrs. Armstrong’s AC Geometry class. I was never afraid to ask questions or visit her in her office. Even in Mr. Scheller's class now, I am always engaged with the lectures. One of the leaderships roles I have is in the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy club. We visit the elementary school named “NEFF” where we lead children through conversations and games. It is a valuable experience. Moreover, I am a part of the National Honor Society, Crusader Crew, serve as a freshman retreat leader, and have been chosen to be house captain next year. Additionally, I am a member of the Teen Advisory Committee of Iowa Colony, the city I reside in. I am also a leader in the way I give back to my community and what I do in my free time. The most meaningful extracurricular activity/activities are running, editing, and volunteering. I have always been passionate about long-distance running and I enjoy it very much. I like how it makes me feel, and it is something that I can always work on to become faster. I started editing on my phone during middle school. I used to edit my friend’s football highlights. When high school started, I began using Adobe After Effects. I struggled at first but got used to it over time. I used to do it more often during the beginning of high school, but I have been busy recently because of school. Lastly, there is volunteering. I used to only volunteer to meet Strake’s minimum requirement, but over time I noticed I enjoyed it. I have been doing it in my free time now. The career plan I am currently interested in also shows how I am a leader at heart. I will obtain a degree in Biology. After that, I plan to attend dental school (four years). To have my dental school expenses covered, I plan on being a part of the HPSP scholarship. Every year, the Army, Navy, or Air Force will pay for my school, and in return, I will work as a dentist for them. So, after four years in the military as a dentist, I might go back to school to become an orthodontist, which will take three years. Eventually, I may open up my own practice after saving up. All the things discussed above exemplify how and why I am a leader.

Math, although puzzling, is very predictable. I love how there is always a right answer, unlike with reading you have to choose the "best" answer. The best answer seems to have an opinionated explanation, but not with math. Math allows you to prove your point through steps. There are several ways to get to the answer or answers, but the "best" answer in math is the correct answer, unarguably. I love that about math. Math has always come very natural to me to solve and is not overly stressful or boring. Math allows me to critically think and challenges me. I also love how math is a subject that you can always learn more about. There are an endless number of problems and situations that can be made up and solved. Math is used daily. Math helps me to be able to keep track of my earnings and spending. I can invest with math. Math also is very important in science. Math is used in research and can help others predict how things work or do not work. The way math helps me to feel organized decreases my anxiety. I feel informed when I use math to handle many situations in life. This is why I love math.

I have several goals I will achieve through hard work and persistence. One of my top goals is to attend college for free. I hope to be able to achieve this goal through scholarship opportunities. To achieve this, I have some short-term goals. First, I am working through studying to continue to improve my standardized test scores to increase my chances of getting merit-based scholarships. I apply for scholarships that I am eligible for weekly. I am also an avid runner and would like to run in college with an athletic scholarship. I will only run at school if the school I attend will support my academic and career goals as well. To run in college and get some financial assistance for running will require me to continue to work on lowering my times. Last year I had a femur stress fracture and had to rehabilitate myself to get back running without pain or risk of further injury. This summer I will be taking several workshops to improve my scores and participate in the preseason training provided by my school while working on increasing my explosiveness, strength, and flexibility outside of practice. My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in involves obtaining my Biology major (four years). I would love to attend Howard University. Being admitted to Howard is not impossible for me. The main obstacle between me attending Howard is the cost. I am determined to fill the gap in costs through hard work, dedication, and persistence. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I plan to apply for dental school. Once admitted to dental school, I want to apply for the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) with one of the military branches. This scholarship will allow me to attend dental school prior to serving my time in the military. I have not decided which branch I want to commit to, but serving my country is something I would like to do as well. With HPSP, I will be able to attend dental school for free and receive a stipend. Following dental school, I will either apply for an educational delay to attend additional training to become an orthodontist or serve out my commitment. Once I complete my commitment, I plan to pursue my end goal of becoming an orthodontist by applying for orthodontist school after I complete my commitment. Upon completion of this, I hope to have my own practice and help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles.

My only competition is me. I have always been competitive since I was a little boy. I wanted to make the winning shot, win first place, be the first to finish, and hated defeat. With time, I was quickly humbled and but show to learn that there is always going to be someone faster, smarter, and more talented. With that, I learned the only person that I need to beat is me. What I mean by that is, I shouldn't worry who is doing better than me but if I'm better than I used to be. This is in every aspect of my life. I strive to work on my mental health. My family has been effected my substance abuse and now the serenity prayer is something I hold near and dear. God, Grant me the serenity ( peace) to accept the things I cannot change ( other people and certain situations) , the courage ( be brave enough) to change the things I can ( my actions and choices) , and the wisdom ( knowledge) to know the difference. I've seen how this can be applied to any and every situation. So with that I find myself getting less upset from certain things I would previously see as failures and looking at them as opportunities to learn what could've been done differently or better. With most things I want to improve I focus on setting a goal and what things I need to do CONSISTENTLY to achieve that goal. I know that many times I start off doing something because of motivation, but the only real way to maintain it is though discipline. I've made it a habit to begin everyday with making my bed. I keep a calendar to stay organized. I create lists to make things manageable and prevent myself from being overwhelmed. I also write down realistic sustainable goals and create action plans to achieve them. I also make it a priority to tell my loved ones I love them because from life experiences I've learned at young age tomorrow isn't promised. All these things are to better myself. It's important to me to work on being better and a good person because it's what helps me from being negative and overwhelmed. It's easy to get into negative thinking and that ultimately will lead to taking my gifts and talents for granted. I am thankful for the love and support I've been able to have from family and friends. I am thankful for the gifts and talents I have been blessed with. Not working on me and taking responsibility for my growth would be the ultimate act of selfishness and that is not what I want to me known and remembered for.

In the past few years, my immediate family has been impacted by the disease of addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. Surprisingly it has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict, and he struggled with it most during freshman and sophomore year. Additionally, my father has bipolar disorder, ADHD, and during those years he attempted suicide twice. Because he was not in a good state, he went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two to three months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my schooling since I attend a private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again for the same amount of time. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from where we live. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, my mother had me get my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with my mother to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, to get food, to help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober for over a year and a half. This disease and the way my family has dealt with it helped me to realize that despite circumstances we can push through. I did not know what I was capable of achieving. My mother and her dedication and commitment to support my father while very sick and continue to do her best to not disrupt our lives has been a miracle to see. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY. That no matter what life throws at me I can overcome and be whoever God has called me to be and whatever my heart desires.

My family is the traditional family, mom, dad, sister, myself, and 3 dogs. We live in a suburban community. Both my parents grew up underprivileged and worked very hard to achieve their career goals. They support my sister and me in every way possible to help us achieve our goals. My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in obtaining my Biology major. I would love to attend Howard University. The main obstacle between me attending Howard is the cost. I am determined to fill the gap in costs through hard work, dedication, and persistence. Following completion of undergraduate school, I plan to apply for dental school and I want to apply for the Health Professions Scholarship Program with one of the military branches. I have not decided which branch I want to commit to, but serving my country is something I would like to do as well. Once I complete my commitment, I plan to pursue my end goal of becoming an orthodontist. I hope to have my practice to help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles. On the outside looking in our family seems "normal" and without much struggle. However, this seemed to be true until I entered high school. In the past few years, we have all been impacted by the disease of addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. Surprisingly it has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict, and he struggled with it most during his freshman and sophomore years. Additionally, my father has bipolar disorder and ADHD, and during those years he attempted suicide twice. Because he was not in a good state, he went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two to three months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my schooling since I attend a private school. When my father came back at the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again for the same amount of time. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from where we live. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and has ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, my mother had me get my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with my mother to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, to get food, to help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober for over a year and a half. The reason I say my immediate family has impacted me most is because I realized that despite circumstances we can push through. I did not know what I was capable of achieving. My mother and her dedication and commitment to supporting my father while very sick and continuing to do her best to not disrupt our lives has been a miracle to see. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY. That no matter what life throws at me I can overcome and be whoever God has called me to be and whatever my heart desires. I understand that although things are going well now, life can send you circumstances we are not expecting and seem impossible to overcome during this time. I will continue to strive to become the best version of myself and to love others in the process. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." - 1 Peter 4:8

In the past few years, my immediate family has been impacted by the disease of addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. Surprisingly it has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict, and he struggled with it most during freshman and sophomore year. Additionally, my father has bipolar disorder, ADHD, and during those years he attempted suicide twice. Because he was not in a good state, he went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two to three months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my schooling since I attend a private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again for the same amount of time. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from where we live. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, my mother had me get my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with my mother to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, to get food, to help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober for over a year and a half. This disease and the way my family has dealt with it helped me to realize that despite circumstances we can push through. I did not know what I was capable of achieving. My mother and her dedication and commitment to support my father while very sick and continue to do her best to not disrupt our lives has been a miracle to see. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY. That no matter what life throws at me I can overcome and be whoever God has called me to be and whatever my heart desires.

Thus far the last few years is when I faced the most adversity. I switched from public school to private school for high school. Shortly after starting school my family was severely impacted by the disease of addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. Surprisingly it has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict, and he struggled with it most during freshman and sophomore year. Additionally, my father has bipolar disorder, ADHD, and during those years he attempted suicide twice. Because he was not in a good state, he went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two to three months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my schooling since I attend a private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again for the same amount of time. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from where we live. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, my mother had me get my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with my mother to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, to get food, to help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober for over a year and a half. The reason I say my immediate family has impacted me most is because I realized that despite circumstances we can push through. I did not know what I was capable of achieving. My mother and her dedication and commitment to support my father while very sick and continue to do her best to not disrupt our lives has been a miracle to see. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY. That no matter what life throws at me I can overcome and be whoever God has called me to be and whatever my heart desires.

My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in involves obtaining my Biology major. I would love to attend Howard University. The main obstacle between me attending Howard is the cost. I am determined to fill the gap of costs through hard work, dedication, and persistence. Following completion of undergraduate school, I plan to apply for dental school and I want to apply for the Health Professions Scholarship Program with one of the military branches. I have not decided which branch I want to commit to, but serving my country is something I would like to do as well. Once I complete my commitment, I plan to pursue my end goal of becoming an orthodontist. I hope to have my own practice and help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles. I am most inspired by my immediate family. In the past few years, we have all been impacted by the disease of addiction. The times we faced during active addiction have shaped me into the person I am today. Surprisingly it has motivated me in many positive ways. My father is a recovering addict, and he struggled with it most during freshman and sophomore year. Additionally, my father has bipolar disorder, ADHD, and during those years he attempted suicide twice. Because he was not in a good state, he went to rehab twice during my freshman year. He was gone for about two to three months, and he couldn’t call or contact my family besides my mother. My father missed all of my cross country meets except the last one freshman year, and it was hard on me, especially since I had no contact with him. Because he was gone, we faced financial difficulties. My mother had to apply for financial aid to help pay for my schooling since I attend a private school. When my father came back for the end of the first semester, things seemed to get better. Sophomore year rolled around, and my father relapsed and had to go back to rehab again for the same amount of time. This time around, it was even harder. I was taking school more seriously, and I felt very stressed out. My mother was also stressed, because she had to take me to school, which is 22 miles away from where we live. Additionally, my sister does dance, has a learning disability, and ADHD. Our closest family members live 3 hours away. My mother had to take her to school, provide extra help with school due to her learning disability, and still go to work. Since my father was gone, my mother had me get my permit the day I turned fifteen. I would drive every time I was in the car with my mother to practice. Our situation was so tough that we applied for a hardship license and were successful. I started driving on my own legally at 15 to school, to get food, to help take my sister to her activities, and to practice. I was helping my mother out and still had to maintain school, sports, and grades. I dealt with this alone, because only our family knew what we were going through. Eventually, my father came back and has been sober for over a year and a half. The reason I say my immediate family has impacted me most is because I realized that despite circumstances we can push through. I did not know what I was capable of achieving. My mother and her dedication and commitment to support my father while very sick and continue to do her best to not disrupt our lives has been a miracle to see. It has motivated me to be the best person I can be. My father and his commitment to recovery for himself and our family has also been a miracle to see. I do not intend this to be a sad story but a story of VICTORY. That no matter what life throws at me I can overcome and be whoever God has called me to be and whatever my heart desires.

I have several goals I will achieve through hard work and persistence. One of my top goals is to attend college for free. I hope to be able to achieve this goal through scholarship opportunities. To achieve this, I have some short-term goals. First, I am working through studying to continue to improve my standardized test scores to increase my chances of getting merit-based scholarships. I am also an avid runner and would like to run in college with an athletic scholarship. I will only run at school if the school I attend will support my academic and career goals as well. To run in college and get some financial assistance for running will require me to continue to work on lowering my times. Last year I had a femur stress fracture and had to rehabilitate myself to get back running without pain or risk of further injury. This summer I will be taking several workshops to improve my scores and participate in the preseason training provided by my school while working on increasing my explosiveness, strength, and flexibility outside of practice. My end career goal is to become an orthodontist. To obtain this career goal I am currently interested in involves obtaining my Biology major (four years). I would love to attend Howard University. Being admitted to Howard is not impossible for me. The main obstacle between me attending Howard is the cost. I am determined to fill the gap in costs through hard work, dedication, and persistence. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I plan to apply for dental school. Once admitted to dental school, I want to apply for the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) with one of the military branches. This scholarship will allow me to attend dental school prior to serving my time in the military. I have not decided which branch I want to commit to, but serving my country is something I would like to do as well. With HPSP, I will be able to attend dental school for free and receive a stipend. Following dental school, I will either apply for an educational delay to attend additional training to become an orthodontist or serve out my commitment. Once I complete my commitment, I plan to pursue my end goal of becoming an orthodontist by applying for orthodontist school after I complete my commitment. Upon completion of this, I hope to have my own practice and help under-served communities and give others confidence through their smiles.