Early childhood trauma speaks to my inner child and is something that I know all too well. I also understand the demand we need for advocacy for children’s rights and futures. Growing up was not the most effortless journey for me. At two weeks old, I was placed in a foster home because my birth mother was addicted to heroin. Thank God I was able to stay with the family that fostered me and later adopted me at the age of 8. But my life was not filled with peaches and cream. I struggled with abandonment issues and mental health from as long as I can remember. I had a loving family, yes, but my new family came with its own set of struggles, and to this day at the age of 33, I still have to go to therapy and take medication. One of my earliest memories in life was being exposed to sexual violence by a family friend, and that went on for years. It was reported, but my and my god sister's voices were not loud enough for the police or even some of our family members. That was not the only time a man took advantage of me in my youth, which in turn, I think in hindsight, caused a massive rift between my mother and me. I felt she looked at me differently and treated me differently. My mother also suffered abuse as a child and was not believed, and I think she passed that trauma onto me because it was all she knew, and fear is real! The day after I graduated high school, the tension between my mom and I grew so thick I think she just couldn't handle that she couldn't beat me to silence me anymore because a judge told her two years prior that if she ever touched me again I would be taken from the home and she would go to jail. During those times, discipline physically was what I think my mom only knew. So when the day after graduation came, my items were packed, and I was forced to live with my now partner. All of these experiences shaped me in a way where rejection grew louder and depression grew more profound. It took me until I was 32 to get my needed help finally. Therapy and meds have saved my life. There were times in my life when I tried to end it all. I am grateful to love myself today and have a better relationship with my mom because I understand her and respect her for all she has done for me and all the lessons she has taught me, good and bad. Advocating for children is my passion and will be my life-fulfilling dream and legacy. I will do my best to help those who cannot help themselves. Thank you for the opportunity to share and maybe inspire others.

Speaking up about mental health and taking action to help others is my purpose and calling. The time to make changes for the better is now. I realized I was a part of the LGBTQ+ community at the tender age of around 8 or 9, but I could not accept it. I lived the life that everyone around me wanted me to live. I was sexually abused a lot as a child by two family friends. My mom did not believe my story. The level of trauma I experienced was challenging because the last time I was assaulted, I was 11, and the man almost succeeded raping me, but my brother came home from school. I thought I was going to die that day. I told my mom, and she brought this man to our house and family. I tried to commit suicide in the sixth grade. I struggled a lot as a child up into adulthood. I came out at the age of 17, and when my mom found out, she kicked me out of the house. I was homeless the day after I graduated high school. Shortly after that time, I was accepted into college, so I thought that would be my saving grace, but I didn't know a private college would be so expensive, so I had to drop out after the first semester. I struggled with mental health and rejection for a long time. Last year, I decided to live a better, more productive life. I am 34 now, and two years ago, I started therapy with anti-anxiety meds and depression meds. They have changed my life so much that I was able to get back to school and finish my degree in Psychology. That is why I am applying for scholarships now to live my dream that was deferred by rejection and because I was a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I have a passion to help anyone who is in emotional pain. My story is my drive and passion to help others who deserve their story to be told. I hope to save someone one day with the tools I learned with my psychology degree. The day I was rejected was not the end of my story, and I am grateful to have a chance to write a new chapter in my book. Become the main character and use the gifts that I was given to help and maybe save lives. Thank you.

Speaking up about mental health and taking action to help others is my purpose and calling. The time to make changes for the better is now. I realized I was a part of the LGBTQ+ community at the tender age of around 8 or 9, but I could not accept it. I lived the life that everyone around me wanted me to live. I was sexually abused a lot as a child by two family friends. My mom did not believe my story. The level of trauma I experienced was challenging because the last time I was assaulted, I was 11, and the man almost succeeded raping me, but my brother came home from school. I thought I was going to die that day. I told my mom, and she brought this man to our house and family. I tried to commit suicide in the sixth grade. I struggled a lot as a child up into adulthood. I came out at the age of 17, and when my mom found out, she kicked me out of the house. I was homeless the day after I graduated high school. Shortly after that time, I was accepted into college, so I thought that would be my saving grace, but I didn't know a private college would be so expensive, so I had to drop out after the first semester. I struggled with mental health and rejection for a long time. Last year, I decided to live a better, more productive life. I am 34 now, and two years ago, I started therapy with anti-anxiety meds and depression meds. They have changed my life so much that I was able to get back to school and finish my degree in Psychology. That is why I am applying for scholarships now to live my dream that was deferred by rejection and because I was a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I have a passion to help anyone who is in emotional pain. My story is my drive and passion to help others who deserve their story to be told. I hope to save someone one day with the tools I learned with my psychology degree. The day I was rejected was not the end of my story, and I am grateful to have a chance to write a new chapter in my book. Become the main character and use the gifts that I was given to help and maybe save lives. Thank you.

Generational Wealth is one of the most important topics when it comes to talking about finance and legacy. I have already started thinking about generational wealth when it comes to leaving a legacy behind for my children by going back to school and trying to start a small business. Some of the best concepts I have been taught about wealth building begin with, Insurance. Insurance is one of the best and easiest strategies for generational wealth building. Insurance is a financial safety net, that helps you and your loved ones recover after a tragic loss or a loss of material possession. It is an important financial tool to have because it allows you to live your life with fewer worries knowing you have a plan after a disaster. It will put your family at ease knowing a financial burden will not be put on their backs. Insurance has tax benefits, and pension plans and allows you retirement plans and to leave a legacy. A good example of Insurance creating wealth is Walt Disney. “Disney borrowed against the cash value of his whole life Insurance plan to start Disney Land. He ended up creating one of the most successful brands in America that produce over $70 million in revenue a year.” according to www.cashvaluessolution.com. The average American does not have to suffer before gaining value out of a life insurance policy.  In my 33 years on this earth, I have learned a lot about money management. The way I learned these strategies was not threw my successes but threw my failures. Finances control everything and learning how to manage them is one of life's most important lessons for stability, comfortability, and generational wealth. Through my life lessons, I realized how financial literacy is for myself and for Americans specifically. The strategy of budgeting leads us to talk about our saving plan. Having a savings plan brings security for future expenses known or unknown. This saving plan you create for yourself is like going on a cruise and making sure there is a life raft in case of a shipwreck. The ship may not reck but you feel safer knowing you have the life raft. The intentional act of saving money protects our emergency, retirement, and standard of living comfortability. While saving your money in a bank you will also earn interest with a high-interest return account which I would recommend. My money-saving plan consists of distinguishing between my needs and wants and eliminating debt. Generational wealth can change the trajectory of a poverty mindset and a legacy to be proud of because people you will never meet will be impacted by your disciplined decisions.

Being a second time around, college student who couldn't finish college the first time because of the financial cost makes this topic very important to me. Personal Finance is an important subject. Most people do not want to open up about their personal lives, especially when it comes to finances. But today more than ever having this discussion is going to save a lot of stress in the future when talking about college expenses. Some of the most important strategies I've learned about finance have been about Spending, Saving, and Investing.       In my 33 years on this earth, I've learned a lot about money management. The way I learned these strategies was not threw my successes but threw my failures. Finances control everything and learning how to manage them is one of life's most important lessons for stability, comfortability, and generational wealth. Through my life lessons, I realized how financial literacy is for myself and for Americans specifically.        Now let's dive deeper into the strategies I've learned that I believe can help the average American family with their own finances. First, let's talk about spending money. Spending money is a part of everyday life, we cannot avoid it no matter how much we may want to. We need it to live, and we also need it to have fun while meeting our daily necessities. Having the skills to manage our financial resources effectively determines our financial well-being. So the first step to spending our money wisely is having a budget. Keeping track of the money going in and the money growing out. This enables us to make short and long-term financial projections.      The strategy of budgeting leads us to talk about our saving plan. Having a savings plan brings security for future expenses known or unknown. This saving plan you create for yourself is like going on a cruise and making sure there is a life raft in case of a shipwreck. The ship may not reck but you feel safer knowing you have the life raft. The intentional act of saving money protects our emergency, retirement, and standard of living comfortability. While saving your money in a bank you will also earn interest with a high-interest return account which I would recommend. My money-saving plan consists of distinguishing between my needs and wants, eliminating debt, and paying myself first.       Paying myself first allows me to allocate funds to my investment plan. Investing is the next important step to financial literacy and wealth building. This provides a safety net while we are facing the future with uncertainties and adversities. A good example of why investing is an important strategy reminds me of a time when I needed a second source of income during a time of struggle. All of my income was exhausted due to my financial immediate needs, making long-term investments was a great vehicle to get good returns on my money over time so I was able too to quit my part-time job. Don't only think about investing for the short term, think about investing for the long term which leads to financial stability and an extra source of income. Investing does come with its own risks, so it is best to diversify your investment plan with strategies varying between fixed-income investments, cash investments, real estate investments, index funds, stocks, and commodities. Having your money working and moving will lead to a greater chance of success financially.        “If you fail to plan then you should plan to fail” These strategies I believe can help the average American family have to improve their financial situation and grow their retirement.

Growing up was not the easiest journey for me. At two weeks old I was placed in a foster home because my birth mother was addicted to heroin. Thank God I was able to stay with the family that fostered me and later adopted me at the age of 8. But my life was not filled with peaches and cream. I struggled with abandonment issues and mental health from as long as I could remember. I had a loving family, yes but my new family came with its own set of struggles, and to this day at the age of 33, I still have to go to therapy and take medication. One of my earliest memories in life was being exposed to sexual violence by a family friend and that went on for years. It was reported but my and my god sister's voices were not loud enough for the police or even some of our own family members. That was not the only time a man took advantage of me in my youth, which in turn I think in hindsight caused a huge rift between my mother and me. I felt she looked at me differently and treated me differently. My mother also suffered abuse as a child and was not believed and I think she passed that trauma onto me because it was all she knew and fear is real! The day after I graduated high school the tension between my mom and I grew so thick I think she just couldn't handle that she couldn't beat me to silence me anymore because a judge told her two years prior that if she ever touched me again I would be taken from the home and she would go to jail. During those times discipline physically is what I think my mom only knew. So when the day after graduation came my items were packed and I was forced to live with my now partner at the time. All of these experiences shaped me in a way where rejection grew louder and depression grew deeper. It took me until the age of 32 to finally get the help I needed. Therapy and meds have saved my life. There were times in my life when I tried to end it all. I am grateful to love myself today and actually have a better relationship with my mom because I understand her and respect her for all she has done for me and all the lessons she has taught me good and bad.

Personal Finance is a topic that I would consider to be a touchy subject. Most Americans do not want to open up about their personal lives, especially when it comes to finances. But today more than ever having this discussion is going to save a lot of stress in the future. Some of the most important strategies I've learned about finance have been about Spending, Saving, Investing, Insurance, and retirement planning.        In my 33 years on this earth, I have learned a lot about money management. The way I learned these strategies was not threw my successes but threw my failures. Finances control everything and learning how to manage them is one of life's most important lessons for stability, comfortability, and generational wealth. Through my life lessons, I realized how financial literacy is for myself and for Americans specifically.        Now let's dive deeper into the strategies I've learned that I believe can help the average American family with their own finances. First, let's talk about spending money. Spending money is a part of everyday life, we cannot avoid it no matter how much we may want to. We need it to live, and we also need it to have fun while meeting our daily necessities. Having the skills to manage our financial resources effectively determines our financial well-being. So the first step to spending our money wisely is having a budget. Keeping track of the money going in and the money growing out. This enables us to make short and long-term financial projections.      The strategy of budgeting leads us to talk about our saving plan. Having a savings plan brings security for future expenses known or unknown. This saving plan you create for yourself is like going on a cruise and making sure there is a life raft in case of a shipwreck. The ship may not reck but you feel safer knowing you have the life raft. The intentional act of saving money protects our emergency, retirement, and standard of living comfortability. While saving your money in a bank you will also earn interest with a high-interest return account which I would recommend. My money-saving plan consists of distinguishing between my needs and wants, eliminating debt, and paying myself first.       Paying myself first allows me to allocate funds to my investment plan. Investing is the next important step to financial literacy and wealth building. This provides a safety net while we are facing the future with uncertainties and adversities. A good example of why investing is an important strategy reminds me of a time when I needed a second source of income during a time of struggle. All of my income was exhausted due to my financial immediate needs, making long-term investments was a great vehicle to get good returns on my money over time so I was able too to quit my part-time job. Don't only think about investing for the short term, think about investing for the long term which leads to financial stability and an extra source of income. Investing does come with its own risks, so it is best to diversify your investment plan with strategies varying between fixed-income investments, cash investments, real estate investments, index funds, stocks, and commodities. Having your money working and moving will lead to a greater chance of success financially.          Insurance is one of the best and easiest strategies for generational wealth building. Insurance is a financial safety net, that helps you and your loved ones recover after a tragic loss or a loss of material possession. It is an important financial tool to have because it allows you to live your life with fewer worries knowing you have a plan after a disaster. It will put your family at ease knowing a financial burden will not be put on their backs. Insurance has tax benefits, and pension plans and allows you retirement plans and to leave a legacy. A good example of Insurance creating wealth is Walt Disney. “Disney borrowed against the cash value of his whole life Insurance plan to start Disney Land. He ended up creating one of the most successful brands in America that produce over $70 million in revenue a year.” according to www.cashvaluessolution.com. The average American does not have to suffer before gaining value out of a life insurance policy.      Retirement is the hardest to talk about when it comes to financial strategies because the average American believes that their job will supply all of their retirement needs. When planning for your retirement you must consider how you want your lifestyle to be after your career. You have to understand your financial goals for retirement years. Plan for inflation, expenses, vacations, emergencies, rising health risks, and personal luxuries that you need to maintain a productive life. Our future depends on the financial choice we make today!       “If you fail to plan then you should plan to fail” These strategies I believe can help the average American family have to improve their financial situation and grow their retirement.

This is a very tuff topic for me to talk about. I realized I was gay at the age of around 8 or 9 but I could not accept it. I lived the life that everyone around me wanted me to live. I was sexually abused a lot as a child by two make family friends. My mom did not believe my story. The level of trauma I experienced was very difficult because the last time I was assaulted I was 11 and the man almost succeeded raping me but my brother came home from school. I thought I was going to die that day. I told my mom and she proceeded to bring this man around our house and family. Ive tried to commit suicide in the sixth grade. I struggled a lot as a child up into adulthood. I came out at the age of 17 and when my mom found out she kicked me out of the house. I was homeless the day after I graduated high school. Thank God for my girlfriend because she has been there for me every step of the way. At that time I was accepted into college so I thought that was going to be my saving grace, but I didn't know a private college would be so expensive so I had to drop out after the first semester. I struggled with mental health and rejection for a long time. Last year, I decided to live a better more productive life. I am 33 now and last year I started therapy and anti-anxiety meds and depression meds. They have changed my life so much that I was able to get back to school and finish my degree in Psychology. That is why I am applying for scholarships now to live my dream that was deferred by rejection and because I was a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I have a passion to help anyone who is in emotional pain. My story is my drive and people's story like Elijah who deserves his story to be told. I hope to save someone like Elijah one day. The day I was rejected was not the end of my story and I am grateful to have a chance to write a new chapter in my book. Become the main character and use the gifts that I was given to help and maybe save lives. Thank you.