I demonstrate selflessness by catering to others' needs. I learned the value of showing up for people growing up in a large household with eight kids. My mom always taught my siblings and me to care for others. She used to cook large meals not only for the family but to share with people who did not live in our household. The importance of giving and helping others that my mom drilled in me made me always seek opportunities to bless those around me, just as others have blessed me. The Bible says it is better to give than to receive. There is always someone to help; this is not limited to just financial situations. I strongly believe that your words are very powerful, and they can build or burn down a nation. A nation, to me, represents an individual. I am someone who tries to encourage others with my words instead of tearing them down with them. Life's a rollercoaster, and I have been around friends, family, and strangers who may just need a little help. My loved ones mean a lot to me, and I do everything I can to be there for them. For instance, my sister was recently in an abusive relationship, and to help her through, I made sure to check in on her and encourage her daily by calling her and ordering food. I followed up with prayer and ensured that she understood the plans that God had for her. Similarly, my childhood friend is experiencing turbulence in her relationship with her mother. Unfortunately, this has greatly affected her. Whenever she needs someone to talk to, she calls me, and I always answer. There have been instances where she needed financial help, and I was blessed enough to help with the little I had. Last week, as I waited at the checkout line at my school's cafeteria, I noticed that the student before me was having difficulties with her ID card. I saw frustration slowly creep on her face. I offered to pay for her items. I understood how it felt to be in that situation as I had been in one before. As seen, my selflessness is not always tied to those I am familiar with, or I also help people no matter the history of our relationship. Me assisting others to has nothing to do with them but with me. I try not to let my relationship with one hinder me from helping. A friendship ended a few years ago, and she reached out to me randomly, just wanting to talk. I was able to help her as she was going through a rough time in life. She needed a genuine friend who would help guide her to the right path. Now, we are growing from our past experiences, and I am always looking for a way to help her. Lastly, I also understand how expensive it is to start a new milestone in life, such as school, moving to a new house, getting married, etc. Therefore, when people post their wish lists online, I try to buy something to support and encourage them in their new journey. Also, when it comes to pages for funding fur surgery, burial, supporting a family who has lost a loved one, and more, I try to donate. As a college student, it might feel discouraging to donate as I can not contribute hundreds or thousands of dollars, but I remember that it is the heart posture, not the amount, so I give what I can. It is a privilege to help others in need.

I worked with the Marshall Riley Living Learning Community (LLC) at the University of San Francisco. The LLC was a space for about thirty first-year and sophomore Black identifying students to live together on campus. My role as a Resident Minister was to help support the students in faith based related situations. Throughout my time with them, my role expanded as I had a deep desire to do more than I was required to do. I made sure to create a space where they could talk to me about anything and not just faith related topics. When I stepped into their community, I was a stranger but I have grown to know them on another level. I always say that your words can build or burn down a nation. A nation to me represents an individual. I am someone who tries to encourage others with my words instead of tearing them down with it. In the beginning, I made sure to get to know the students first. I was able to achieve this by having 1 on 1s with most students. There have been times where people have come to me angry, sad, happy, or even with tears in their eyes. I could never guarantee that every individual who came to speak to me would leave with the exact solution but I always strived to guide them in the right direction. One thing that I was mindful of was to empower them to come up with solutions so that they had the skills they needed. I never wanted to be a crutch but more of a guide in self growth and awareness. Not only did I use my words to encourage them in their most vulnerable moments, I made sure that my actions backed up my words. I have acted as a mediator in conflict between the students and I have found myself in different conversations and situations that have made me more humble, and grateful in life. Each student was unique in their own way and I have learned so much from them. Not only was I there when they needed me, they were there when I needed them. I am an Afrobeats dance instructor and I hold weekly classes. 80% of my attendants are from the LLC. This was one of the best moments, when we all got to dance, have fun and connect more. Dance is very important to me. Even those who have never taken a dance class came to support me.When I had events, the students in the LLC were glad to help me set up and volunteered in different ways. They know that I am always a phone call away to help them to the best of my ability. In less than a year it was beautiful to see how the students have changed and are still changing to their best self. I will always cherish the hard and beautiful moments I have had. The LLC helped me understand the importance of mentorship. I was able to give them what I lacked when I was an undergrad. Having open communication made them learn from mistakes of my past. Pouring into them with my words has made them pour into me. Knowing that I was in their shoes not long ago is sometimes surreal. They have blessed me more than I can imagine and I am forever grateful.

A healthy lifestyle is important to me because I know the detrimental effects of not living one. My reason is not from first-hand experiences but the health complications of my mother. At a young age, I was informed that my mother was suffering from kidney failure. Living in Nigeria at the time, there was no way for me to comfort my mother. In 2011, she packed her bags and flew to the U.S. to seek medical help, which led to me seeing her once a year for the five years that ensued. Suffering from kidney failure has affected her life and the lives of everyone around her. It has robbed my mother of her freedom and me, precious childhood memories. When I moved back to the U.S, I got to see my mom more often. Although, it meant I saw her in pain. There were countless times where she had trouble getting good rest and will have to wake up early for her dialysis appointment. She would often call me to massage her back hoping that will help ease her pain. Seeing her struggle broke me; I would fight back tears and try to be strong for her. It felt like she had no control over her life. Her health complications determined when she could travel, go out, what she could eat etc. My mom would often talk about how she wished she was healthy to accomplish her goals and more. In previous years, my mom ate unhealthy food and also ignored signs from her body. She also did not go to the doctor for help in early stages which made things worse. Seeing the hindrance of not living healthy affect her physically, emotionally, financially and more helped me understand the phrase ‘health is wealth’. This saying came to life for me and my family. My mom would reminisce about her younger self and the strength she had. I am grateful that she was gifted with a new kidney but it does not change the fact that she has lost time she can never get back. She may be free from kidney failure but she still has health conditions. Now, she continuously speaks to me about being mindful of the health choices I make. From her numerous Whatsapp health videos, I have gained knowledge on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.When I want to slip back into old unhealthy habits, I remember my mother. I have made it my personal goal to take charge over my life and the best way to do that is by taking charge over my health. It has been challenging but I try to juggle classes and take care of myself. I eat healthy, drink a lot of water, eat a lot of fruits and exercise often, no matter how difficult it gets. When at the campus gym, I usually have an accountability partner who helps me focus on my goals at the time. Chloe Ting, who has a lot of Youtube workout videos, has helped me find what works for me. When I am not able to go to the gym, I watch her videos and workout in between classes. In addition; I am an afrobeats dance instructor on campus. Not only do I help others remain fit, I get to workout while having fun also. Through it all, I have learned that what works for someone else may not work for me and what works for me may not work for the next person. We are all unique but we all need to be healthy.

A healthy lifestyle is important to me because I know the detrimental effects of not living one. My reason is not from first-hand experiences but the health complications of my mother. At a young age, I was informed that my mother was suffering from kidney failure. Living in Nigeria at the time, there was no way for me to comfort my mother. In 2011, she packed her bags and flew to the U.S. to seek medical help, which led to me seeing her once a year for the five years that ensued. Suffering from kidney failure has affected her life and the lives of everyone around her. It has robbed my mother of her freedom and me, precious childhood memories. When I moved back to the U.S, I got to see my mom more often. Although, it meant I saw her in pain. There were countless times where she had trouble getting good rest and will have to wake up early for her dialysis appointment. She would often call me to massage her back hoping that will help ease her pain. Seeing her struggle broke me; I would fight back tears and try to be strong for her. It felt like she had no control over her life. Her health complications determined when she could travel, go out, what she could eat etc. My mom would often talk about how she wished she was healthy to accomplish her goals and more. In previous years, my mom ate unhealthy food and also ignored signs from her body. She also did not go to the doctor for help in early stages which made things worse. Seeing the hindrance of not living healthy affect her physically, emotionally, financially and more helped me understand the phrase ‘health is wealth’. This saying came to life for me and my family. My mom has eight children, and seeing how her health caused financial hindrance to my family made me value being healthy. They usually say you never know what you have until you lose it. My mom would reminisce about her younger self and how she did tasks easily such as cooking, running and many more. I am grateful that she was gifted with a new kidney but it does not change the fact that she has lost time she can never get back. She may be free from kidney failure but she still has health conditions. Even now, she has faced health complications. Now, she continuously speaks to us about being mindful of the health choices we make. From her numerous Whatsapp health videos, I have gained knowledge on what works for my body and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.When I want to slip back into old unhealthy habits, I remember my mother. To be very honest, I do not think I would have focused on living a healthy lifestyle if I did not see what happened to my mom. I have seen how being on dialysis affected her self esteem and how it causes her to wear long sleeves in public so as to cover her battle scars. I have seen how we’re unable to plan family trips because of the possibility that my mother may need to see a doctor. This is why I've made it my personal goal to remain healthy; from eating properly to exercising everyday, no matter how difficult it gets. I strive to live a healthy lifestyle because I do not want to go through what my mom went through. I do not want my children to experience what I went through. I want to take charge over my life and the best way to do that is by taking charge over my health. My mother, myself, and my future kids are the reason a healthy lifestyle is important to me.

As one raised in Nigeria, with experiences studying abroad in London and Paris, and now furthering my education in the United States, I have had the privilege of learning about different cultures. I have also gained a lot of information about different nations as I am currently getting my master's in International Studies with a concentration in Governance and Global Justice. I have devoted a great deal of time to researching other countries' values and justice systems. Despite the difference in location, I’ve realized that we all have much in common. Though we are located hundreds of kilometers apart, we can still benefit from others. Although we may have differences, we all aspire to grow and find greatness in various ways. Studying different cultures and nations allows us to see the importance of community as we need the support of others. We have the same values but express them differently. It also tells us that there is no community without individuals. There is beauty in being authentic. Embracing who we are as individuals is essential for the world to be where it is. Other cultures help us understand the role we have when it comes to loving, respecting, and understanding others. We see that we all have the ability to grow into the person we want to become. Exploring another country or culture feels like a home away from home. This is possible when one is open to listening and being vulnerable with people from all walks of life. There is power in diversity. Studying other cultures and nations teaches us that being different can be beneficial. Two opinions are better than one, and two cultures are better than one. We become more humble and develop better values when we learn from other nations. Global exploration offers the U.S. a variety of advantages. There is a saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”. The US. can go far and transform to greater heights in every area when we learn and work with other nations. Global exploration has helped with the import and export of goods and resources that can only be found in other countries. Studying African countries and using natural herbs for medicinal purposes helps the United States expand its medical practices. It has also helped improve ingredients used in the US for hair growth. Additionally, it can improve technology, broaden cultural awareness, and aid in the understanding of theories. Exploration of the world can help the U.S. become more self-aware of its prejudices and potential repercussions. Through cultural exploration, we learn that just because something is effective for us does not mean it is effective for others. Despite our many commonalities, we are unique, meaning we have different approaches to problems. Representation is a main result of global exploration. We already see steps taken to embrace different cultures through art, dance, food, etc. Global exploration can advance the U.S., making it a place people around the globe want to live in as it will have a rich culture and people can work together. The US is culturally rich and diverse, so learning cultural sensitivity is crucial. Global exploration benefits not only the United States but also other countries. They learn from us as much as we learn from them. Although the US. has previously benefited from international exploration, there is more to learn. Through global exploration, the U.S. can continue promoting positive relationships with other countries and peace.

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord is with you wherever you go” - Joshua 1:9 This is the bible verse that I live by. My faith is the most important thing to me and I want the whole world to know how great God is in my life. No matter what may come my way, I try to live a life that pleases God even if sometimes I go against what the world agrees on, and this, requires boldness. When I face opposition in life, I remember Joshua 1:9 which keeps me motivated to be brave. I always try to share the gospel with courage, even if it means I look crazy to others. I face situations where people do not like me or treat me differently because of my faith. Speaking up is not always easy, especially when you know others may disagree. I use my voice to speak the truth and uplift others. Even when I am afraid, I remind myself that it is all for a greater purpose. I have learned to stay true to my faith no matter the cost. Knowing that God is with me empowers me to be bold. Lord knows it is not easy for me to always be bold. I have learned to keep pushing and declaring my faith even if I might be afraid. Being a Christian requires one to be bold, especially now. I will forever stand for what is right even if I am standing alone.