When my dad contracted COVID-19 during my senior year of high school, I watched his health decline day by day. One night, his condition worsened dramatically. He was carried out of our home on a stretcher, barely conscious. The doctor’s prognosis was harsh; my dad had developed pneumonia in both lungs, and his chances of survival were slim. I remember thinking if that would be the last memory I would have of my dad. During this troubling time, visitors were not allowed in hospitals, and all updates came over the phone. I will never forget the physicians assistant who kept us informed and let my mom drop off personal items for my dad. This compassionate care amidst this crisis left a mark on me, leading me to pursue a career in healthcare and the medical field. As an African American woman in STEM, now entering my third year at the University of Texas at Austin, I am majoring in Kinesiology with a focus on Health Promotion and Behavioral Science. I am also pursuing a certifiication in pre-health professions. My primary goal is to become a Physician Assistant (PA), a path inspired by the pivotal role the PA played in my dad’s recovery. In turn, I aim to contribute to health promotion within underserved communities, particularly among minorities who often face disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. Firstly, to achieve these goals I am committed to excelling in all my prerequisite courses, ensuring that I have a solid foundation in the necessary science courses for PA school. Courses in biology, chemistry, and human anatomy are critical, and I am dedicates to mastering these subjects. Secondly, I am actively seeking shadowing opportunities and patient-care hours. These experiences are not only prerequisites for PA programs but also invaluable for gaining practical insights into patient care and the healthcare system. By shadowing experienced PAs and volunteering in any healthcare setting, I aim to develop a deep understanding of the medical field and obtain the necessary skills to excel in it. Lastly, by participating in outreach programs and health education initiatives, I hope to give back to my community and inspire other women of color to pursue careers in STEM. In conclusion, the experience of nearly losing my dad to COVIID-19 ignited my passion for a career in healthcare. My journey towards becoming a Physician Assistant is driven by a desire to provide compassionate care and address health disparities. With a focus on academic excellence, practical experience, and research, I am determined to achieve my goals and make a meaningful impact in the STEM field of Kinesiology: Health Promotion and Behavioral Science.

The lively energy of the University of Texas at Austin campus always felt like home to me and was a place where I could grow personally and professionally. As a Black woman, I found strength and solace in organizations like the “Black Women Wellness Organization” and the “Fearless Leadership Institute”. These communities not only offered camaraderie but mentorship, and leadership, and provided a sense of belonging that was invaluable. However, the passing of the SB-17 bill, which cut off diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, threatened the existence of these organizations. I still remember the day I heard about the cancellation of these programs. The campus, once a light of diversity and inclusion, suddenly felt more hostile. Not only was the SB-17 bill just a legislative change, it was a direct attack on the progress we had made toward creating a more inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of race or background. The active founders and graduate assistants of the Fearless Leadership Institute, along with their organization, were among the 60 individuals who were terminated from their positions at the University of Texas at Austin as a result of the SB-17 bill. Determined to bring awareness to this sudden change and how it affects the majority of the students who attend the University of Texas, hundreds were gathered on the main walkway to class and in front of the Main Building, also known as the tower. To further address this social issue, my friends and I, along with hundreds of other students, began to spread awareness about the consequences of the bill being passed. Some meetings were held to discuss strategies on how to counteract the bill’s effects and to also educate our peers. There is even an Instagram page that has surpassed over 3,000 followers. Flyers were also designed and distributed that detailed how the bill not only affected people of color but the entire university. Through these efforts, I realized the importance of solidarity within the community and the power of collective action. Pursuing higher education has equipped me with the knowledge and skills to advocate for change and to address social issues head-on. I was also shown that personal fulfillment comes not just from academic achievements but from contributing to a cause bigger than myself, and by continuing to fight for equity and inclusivity, I hope to pave the way for future generations of students. This scholarship would not only support my academic journey but also enable me to continue advocating for social justice. With this support, I can further my education and continue to work towards creating a more inclusive society.

Almost two months ago while leaving school, I was involved in a very traumatic car accident, which involved me hitting a student who was walking across the street where there was no crosswalk. When it happened, the feelings of fear and distress hit my body like a ton of bricks. My legs and hands were trembling, and I felt as if my heart had stopped beating when I saw the 16-year-old girl being carried away on a stretcher into the ambulance. "Not your fault," you'd think hearing those words would take a load off your shoulders, but it didn't. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I slammed on my brakes even sooner, faster, or harder. The saying goes, “accidents happen”, however no one realizes how much it affects a person until it occurs to them. The aftermath of the accident left me with heightened anxiety, mild depression, and a vehophobia. It amazed me that I had experienced all of these ailments in such a short period of time. Although this event traumatized me for a while, this sparked my interest in studying psychology and the human mind even further. I am interested in psychology, because I have always had a passion for understanding how the mind works and analyzing human behavior. It is very intriguing to identify the normal processes that contribute to mental health disorders. I chose this major because I wanted to connect my studies to my future. I will be a first-year student at the University of Texas at Austin this fall studying Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts. During my studies, I will research and expand my knowledge on the significance of maintaining and improving the stability of mental health of individuals in my community but most importantly, to make an impact on the world through my career. My experience at the University of Texas at Austin will prepare me to help make a positive impact on the world. Being a part of this prestigious school and their top psychology program in Texas will provide me with an elevated level of education and will make me better equipped in my line of study. Through UT’s psychology in the liberal arts program, I will be able to extend my knowledge and be able to excel in the psychology field after I graduate. Psychology helps us see beyond noise and draw upon critical thinking skills that help us reason and create innovative solutions to improve lives. Psychologists contribute to societal well-being by assisting people in understanding their emotions and behaviors and in leading a better life. The contribution of a psychologist is present at every stage of human life, from early adolescence to adulthood. From enabling children to perform better at school to empowering adults to cope with relationships and life events, a psychologist's role in society is invaluable. I will make a profound impact on the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

Hi! My name is Daelynn Dobbins, and I am from Grand Prairie, Texas. I have a few interests like exercising and playing sports, but I am most passionate about volunteering and giving back to my community. One of my career goals is to have a career in the psychology field to guide others to alternative ways to enhance their lives and their physical and emotional well-being. I will be a first-year student at the University of Texas at Austin this fall studying Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts. During my studies, I will research and expand my knowledge on the significance of maintaining and improving the stability of mental health of people in my community but most importantly, to make an impact on the world through my career. I am interested in psychology because I have always had a passion for understanding how the mind works and analyzing human behavior. During my junior year in high school, I took psychology as one of my electives, and it piqued my curiosity. The study of psychology intrigues me because I am able to understand how the mind and body works and what causes humans to behave the way they do. It is very intriguing to identify the normal processes that contribute to mental health disorders. I chose this major because I wanted to connect my studies to my future. A few months ago while leaving school, I was involved in a very traumatic car accident, which involved me hitting a student who was walking across the street where there was no crosswalk. When I did, the feelings of fear and distress hit my body like a ton of bricks. My legs and hands were trembling, and I felt as if my heart had stopped beating when I saw the 16-year-old girl being carried away on a stretcher into the ambulance. "Not your fault," you'd think hearing those words would take a load off your shoulders, but it didn't. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I slammed on my brakes even sooner, faster, or harder. The saying goes, “accidents happen”, however no one realizes how much it affects a person until it occurs to them. The aftermath of the accident left me with heightened anxiety, mild depression, and a vehophobia. It amazed me that I had experienced all of these ailments in a short period of time. Although this event traumatized me for a while, this event sparked my interest in studying psychology and the human mind even further. My experience at the University of Texas at Austin will prepare me to make a positive impact on the world. Through UT’s psychology program, I will extend my knowledge and excel as a psychologist after I graduate. Psychologists contribute to societal well-being by assisting people in understanding their emotions and behaviors and in leading a better life. From enabling children to perform better at school to empowering adults to cope with relationships and life events, a psychologist's role in society is invaluable. Being a part of this prestigious school will equip me with an elevated level of education and will make me better equipped in my line of study. As a young black woman, I will make a positive difference in the lives of others by relieving psychological and emotional stress and, more specifically, by empowering my community and letting them know they are not alone. I will make a profound impact on the lives of individuals, families, and communities by assisting and educating them through steps.

Living a healthy lifestyle includes following a well-balanced diet and participating in fitness-related activities. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk of obesity, diseases, and other chronic illnesses. Living a healthy lifestyle is important to me because my family has a history of health problems, and it helps improve my mental health. A healthy lifestyle can be adopted in a variety of ways including drinking water, exercising, getting enough sleep, eating healthier, meditating, and positive thinking. Coming from a family with a history of health issues, I saw firsthand how serious an illness can become if proper precautions are not taken. Diabetes is a quite common illness in my maternal and paternal sides of the family, and it has had a significant impact on us. A decade ago, my father was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and it has caused my family and I to stress because poorly managed diabetes can lead to serious problems such as loss of eyesight, kidney disease, nerve damage, high blood pressure, heart disease, and much more. It was crucial for my father to lead a healthy lifestyle that included regular exercise and a balanced diet. My father needed to be transported to the hospital a few months ago because he was having problems breathing on his own. He tested positive for Covid-19 and pneumonia in both of his lungs, we later discovered. Due to his Type 2 diabetes, my father was entered at an elevated risk of developing complications from the infection and developing pneumonia. It was difficult to see my father weighing less than 230 pounds and relying on an oxygen tank to breathe. Although he exercised frequently to stay healthy, a well-balanced diet would have been more beneficial. This is just one of many encounters that have made me realize how crucial it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating properly. A healthy lifestyle has many benefits not only for the body but for the mind too. Going to the gym and practicing yoga has contributed to relieving any anxiety and stress by releasing good endorphins. All forms of exercise assist in the increase of positive emotions by allowing the brain to focus on the exercise rather than the negative thoughts in your mind. I most recently enhanced my exercise routine and began treating it seriously, and I have noticed a difference not just in my physical health but also in my emotional health. My self-esteem as well as my sleep and happiness have both improved. Being disciplined is a critical component of living a healthy lifestyle. My ability to focus and think clearly has improved as a result of living a healthy lifestyle.

Hi! My name is Daelynn Dobbins, and I am from Grand Prairie, Texas. I have a few interests like exercising and playing sports, but I am most passionate about volunteering and giving back to my community. Volunteering has been an integral part of my life that I committed over 200 hours to community service during my four years of high school. My career goal is to have a career in the psychology field to guide others to alternative ways to enhance their lives and their physical and emotional well-being. I will be a first-year student at the University of Texas at Austin this fall studying Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts. During my studies, I will expand my knowledge on the significance of maintaining and improving the stability of mental health of people in my community but most importantly, to make an impact on the world through my career. I am interested in psychology because I have always had a passion for understanding and analyzing human behavior. During my junior year in high school, I took psychology as one of my electives, and it piqued my curiosity. The study of psychology intrigues me because I am able to understand how the mind and body works and what causes humans to behave the way they do. I chose this major because I wanted to connect my studies to my future. A few months ago while leaving school, I was involved in a very traumatic car accident, which involved me hitting a student who was walking across the street where there was no crosswalk. When I did, the feelings of fear and distress hit my body like a ton of bricks. My legs and hands were trembling, and I felt as if my heart had stopped beating when I saw the 16-year-old girl being carried away on a stretcher into the ambulance. "Not your fault," you'd think hearing those words would take a load off your shoulders, but it didn't. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I slammed on my brakes even sooner, faster, or harder. The saying goes, “accidents happen”, however no one realizes how much it affects a person until it occurs to them. The aftermath of the accident left me with heightened anxiety, mild depression, and a vehophobia. It amazed me that I had experienced all of these ailments in a short period of time. Although this event traumatized me for a while, this event sparked my interest in studying psychology and the human mind even further. My experience at the University of Texas at Austin will prepare me to make a positive impact on the world. Through UT’s psychology program, I will extend my knowledge and excel as a psychologist after I graduate. Psychologists contribute to societal well-being by assisting people in understanding their emotions and behaviors and in leading a better life. From enabling children to perform better at school to empowering adults to cope with relationships and life events, a psychologist's role in society is invaluable. Being a part of this prestigious school will equip me with an elevated level of education and will make me better equipped in my line of study. As a young black woman, I will make a positive difference in the lives of others by relieving psychological and emotional stress and, more specifically, by empowering my community and letting them know they are not alone. I will make a profound impact on the lives of individuals, families, and communities by assisting and educating them through steps.

The Covid- 19 global pandemic has had a significant impact on everyone, but particularly on the black community, not only socially, but also psychologically and physiologically. During the pandemic, statistics show that more black people have died and the rate of depression and anxiety skyrocketed. “Approximately 97.9 African Americans out of every 100,000 have died as a result of Covid-19”. In which the mortality rate for whites and Asians is more than double that of Latinos. According to a study, a co-director of an anxiety disorder clinic discovered that, since 2020, the suicide rate among white resident has decreased by 45 percent, while the suicide rate among black resident has increased by 94 percent. As a young black woman, I intend to make a positive difference in the lives of many people, particularly my community of people, by relieving psychological and emotional stress by empowering black people through motivation and encouragement of letting them know that they are not alone. Sometimes empathy, the ability to relate, can go a long way. I will be attending the University of Texas at Austin this Fall where I have been accepted into the College of Liberal Arts to major in Psychology. During my studies, I will research and expand my knowledge on the significance of maintaining and improving the stability of mental health in black and African American people. I will also intently pursue a career in a health profession that will improve the mental and physical health of the black community. Being a black healthcare professional typically means having someone who will better understand your shared and lived experiences. Psychology helps us see beyond the noise and draw upon critical thinking skills that help us reason and create innovative solutions to improve lives. Psychologists contribute to the well-being of society by assisting others in understanding their emotions and behaviors, ultimately resulting in a healthier life. The contribution of a psychologist is present during every stage of human life, from early adolescence to adulthood. From enabling children to perform better at school to empowering adults to cope with relationships and life events. Ultimately, a psychologist’s role in society is invaluable. I will make a profound impact on the lives of individuals, families and communities. My service will help people navigate through difficult life situations, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, natural disasters, school stress and the loss of a job. I’m not only an observer of the broadcasted news observing the impact of Covid-19 on black people, I’m a surviving real time witness of it. My father was diagnosed with the awful disease during November of 2021. I watched him being carried away by dispatched first responders after my mother (thinking she was appearing calm), but panically calling 911 and managing the day to life of having my sister and I quarantined in a hotel, commute back in forth to the intensive care unit at the hospital assuring that he had his essential, all while continuing to work on her job full time everyday over a period of nine days of hospitalization. This does not include the isolation of after release home care that was required while he was on oxygen and viewing an under 220 lbs. protector of the family that was once over 250 lbs. muscular of a man. In conclusion, as much as the Covid-19 pandemic has not been a welcoming experience, it certainly has strengthened my assurance in identifying my role in this thing called life.

I am planning to address my future student loan debt by continuously applying for scholarships, work study and completing my degree program in Psychology within four years. I experienced firsthand the financial burden of college expenses (tuition, books, room and board, etc.) when my older sister attended and graduated from a four-year university. Not only did my sister graduate with a degree, but she and my parents incurred a significant amount of student loan debt in the process. Observing the hardship of this financial burden, scheduled to last over the next fifteen years or so, has made me more determined to pursue these initiatives until my college education is 100% debt free. With today’s economy a higher level of education is required to remain competitive and obtaining comes with a cost. To position myself for success, along with my commitment to higher learning, I have elected and been accepted to attend the University of Texas at Austin starting the Fall of 2022 where the estimated tuition rate for one year, without room and board costs, in my area of study is $10,858. I am planning to address my future student loan debt by applying to scholarships, participating in federal work study programs through my college and by graduating on time. First, being awarded scholarships will be most ideal as this avenue will afford me more study time to focus on my studies. This in turn will position me to achieve higher grades, with more focus and less distractions, which I am confident that I am able to accomplish. Higher grades result in a higher GPA and a higher GPA opens the doors for more opportunities upon graduating from college. Federal work-study provides part-time employment to undergraduate students that demonstrate the financial need. With the federal work study program, I will have the option of working on or off campus at jobs related to my course of study. I can also decide the method of payment of these funds, to be paid directly to my bank account or use the money to pay for educational-related fees. This program allows students to earn money to help pay for education, including the cost of books, transportation or room and board. By completing my undergraduate studies in less time, this will reduce my college expenses. Each additional year of study results in an additional year of debt. Ultimately, the longer that I am in school, the more expenses that are incurred, which could potentially increase the need for me to obtain student loans. In summary, the goal is to graduate debt free. If nothing else, I am determined to explore all avenues, including continuously applying for scholarships, apply to work under the federal work study program and complete my education timely, available to reduce the cost of my college debt as much as possible. This will not only assist me in avoiding post-graduation financial burden, but also be a relief to my family.

I expected my senior year to be more blissful and less stressful. Just when I thought making a decision whether or not to continue playing sports was difficult, I was hit with the hardest blow ever! I had my first car accident that involved hitting another student crossing the street. ​​It took me a bit to grasp everything that had happened so swiftly. When I did, those feelings slammed into me like a ton of bricks. My legs and hands were trembling, and I felt as if my heart had stopped beating when I saw the 16-year-old girl being carried away on a stretcher into the ambulance. After being interrogated by the police and speaking with witnesses, they established that the accident was not my fault. While automobiles were approaching, she had walked out onto the street with no crosswalk. "Not your fault," you'd think hearing those words would take a load off your shoulders, but it didn't. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I slammed on my brakes even harder or faster. Accidents happen, however no one realizes how much they affect a person until it occurs to them. All I could see when I closed my eyes was the girl's body reacting to the stopping force of my car. One of the most difficult aspects of the accident is listening to people talk about it, not realizing it was you, and spreading lies about what happened, and not being able to say anything. The aftermath of the accident left me with anxiety, depression, and vehophobia. It amazed me that I’d experienced all of these ailments in such a short period of time. Although this traumatized me, this event sparked my interest in studying psychology even more. From enabling children to perform better at school to empowering adults to cope with life events, a psychologist's role in society is invaluable. One of my career goals is to major in psychology and to graduate with a bachelor's degree. Psychology helps us enlist critical thinking skills that allows us to create innovative solutions to improve lives. Psychologists contribute to society by helping people understand their emotions and assisting them to lead a better life. ​As a result of this scholarship, I will be able to devote more time studying, learning, and achieving good grades. The “Dr. Meme Heineman Scholarship” will help make a big difference in my education because it will assist me in achieving my academic and career goals by removing many financial barriers and provide me with the opportunity to further my education by covering the cost of books and materials required for college.