The effects that I have had on women's empowerment would be being a leader for those under and above me, being an advocate for healthy lifestyles and personal well-being, and speaking up for those who are too afraid to fight and speak up for themselves in certain situations. I am young and just finished high school, but I have experienced many situations and been apart of topics that have been designed to bring a woman down and set them up for failure basically due to the unknown. There is power in transparency and encouraging others that they can accomplish and do great things with the dedication and assistance of others who do not mind guiding and advising others on how to do something. Black women are strong individuals and without us the world would be in an uproar far worse than it already is at this present time. I have demonstrated the empowerment of women in several ways and will go in detail within this essay. I am currently a high school graduate of 2026 who plans to attend the Grambling State University in the fall semester. I come from a strong background of single parent women who have demonstrated and taught me perseverance in any obstacle that may have arise in life. I have experienced being an outside child, going through a divorce with my mother, fighting breast cancer with my grandmother, losing a great grandmother, and assisting my blind and visually impaired mother with my younger siblings. Despite all of these things, I was still able to lead for my household in employment, school, and extracurricular activities. I have had to step up several times over the past few years for my mom, my siblings, and myself in leading the pack and showing them I am capable of remaining focused and showing up strong in every aspect of my life regardless of what is going on around me because I am surrounded by the empowerment of single motherhood. In high school, I was apart of a club called Youth Health Advocates. This club provided a platform for me to help others strive to create a healthy lifestyle physically and mentally for my peers and family. We hosted several health fairs provided health tips, mental health awareness, and a space to allow others to express concerns and seek help and encouragement to stay on track and maintain healthy behavior for longer life. I shared my setbacks and accomplishments with peers to encourage them to keep on pushing and believing they could reach their goals. I even shared my knowledge with family members to get them on track and provide them with information to get them to the place they were trying to get health wise. Many people fight daily to live or deal with everyday life, I realized this more so being a leader in this club and I empowered peers daily to keep on moving and stay the course to a healthier lifestyle. I have always been the voice of reason for others who are afraid to speak up and fight for themselves. Being the voice for others related to certain topics is very important because if you do not publicly express the issue and problem, a solution may not every be available to fix the issue. Some people are aftraid to speak up because the fear the consequences of doing so, but I have always spoke up and laid it all out on the table when it pertains to me or others that are being treated unfairly. Empowerment is important in our community.

1. One experience that sparked a period of personal growth for me was when I attended the TMFC SOAR program at Grambling State University. Before this experience, I never knew what it was like to live on a college campus and share a dorm with someone you just met. Over time, I began to meet new people from the program and also talked to mentors and others about the career I want to pursue. I realized that I wanted to attend Grambling State University and pursue Pre-Nursing. This realization changed the way I viewed my education, my goals, and even the challenges I faced in school. Another experience that sparked a period of personal growth for me was me attending AHEC programs. These programs gave me hands-on experience in the medical field. I began to understand that becoming a nurse requires dedication, responsibility, and compassion. Nursing is not just about medical knowledge; it is also about caring for people and taking care of them like family. When I started learning more about the profession, I gained a deeper appreciation for how important nurses are in healthcare. They comfort patients, support families, and work closely with doctors to make sure people receive the best care possible. Realizing this made me more motivated to take my education seriously and prepare myself for the future. This period of growth also helped me understand more about myself. I realized that I am someone who stays calm under pressure and genuinely wants to help others feel supported. I started to see that my strengths, like being patient, responsible, and caring, could be used in a career that serves others. Instead of just focusing on getting through school, I began thinking about how every class I take is helping me build the knowledge and discipline I will need in college and in the nursing field. At the same time, this realization gave me a new understanding of others. I began to see how everyone is going through their own struggles, even when we cannot see them. I also began to see how others act under certain circumstances and that you can’t let others' energy ruin yours. Attending the SOAR program also made me realize some people don’t take their future seriously and you can’t let that change your thoughts of your own future. Understanding this has helped me become more compassionate in my everyday life, whether it’s supporting friends, helping classmates, or simply being more aware of the challenges people face. Overall, deciding to pursue nursing sparked an important period of personal growth for me. It helped me understand my own strengths and motivated me to work harder toward my goals. It also taught me the value of empathy and understanding when interacting with others. This realization continues to shape who I am today and the person I hope to become in the future. By pursuing nursing, I hope to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others while continuing to grow both personally and professionally. 2. One volunteer experience that had a strong impact on me was helping at a community food distribution event in my town. Before volunteering, I did not fully understand how many families in my community struggle with access to basic needs like food. I worked a summer job that helped the community. This experience ended up changing the way I think about helping others and understanding their situations. At the event, my role was to help organize boxes of food and pass them out to families as they arrived. At first, I thought the work would just involve handing out groceries and moving on, but I quickly realized that it was much more meaningful than that. I saw parents arriving with their children, elderly people coming on their own, and many families who were extremely grateful for even small amounts of help. Some people shared short conversations with us while waiting in line, and it made me realize that many of them were facing challenges that others might not see or understand. One moment that stood out to me was when an older woman thanked me and said that the food would help her make meals for the entire week. Her gratitude showed me how something that may seem small to one person can make a huge difference to someone else. That moment helped me understand the importance of kindness and service within a community. This experience also changed the way I think about others. Before working at this job, I sometimes assumed that people who needed help were in those situations because of their own choices. However, after meeting different people and hearing parts of their stories, I realized that many people face difficult circumstances that are outside of their control, such as job loss, health issues, or family responsibilities. Volunteering helped me develop more empathy and a better understanding of how important it is to support others instead of judging them. As someone who plans to pursue a career in nursing, this experience was especially meaningful to me. Nursing is not just about treating illnesses; it is also about caring for people and understanding their needs beyond medical care. Volunteering showed me how important compassion and patience are when helping others, and it reinforced my desire to work in a field where I can make a positive difference in people’s lives. Overall, working at the Office of Community Service helped me grow as a person and meet new people. It taught me that small acts of service can have a large impact and that everyone deserves compassion and understanding. The experience changed how I view my community and reminded me that helping others is one of the most meaningful ways to contribute to society.

One goal I have worked hard to reach is preparing myself for a future career in nursing. I have always been interested in helping people, but I realized that becoming a nurse would allow me to turn that passion into a real career where I could make a difference in people’s lives. Nursing requires dedication, patience, and a strong work ethic, so I knew that if I wanted to reach this goal, I had to start working toward it while I was still in high school. To begin working toward this goal, I focused on taking my education seriously and pushing myself to do well in school. Even when schoolwork became challenging, I reminded myself why I was working so hard. I spent extra time studying, asking questions when I didn’t understand something, and trying to stay organized so I could balance my responsibilities. Learning to stay disciplined with my schoolwork has helped me build habits that will be important when I eventually attend college and nursing school. Another important step in reaching this goal has been learning more about the medical field and what it takes to care for others. I’ve participated in AHEC programs that gave hands-on experiences so I would be familiar with some requirements. I have tried to pay attention to the qualities that good nurses have, such as compassion, patience, and the ability to stay calm during stressful situations. These qualities are just as important as academic knowledge. By developing these skills now, I believe I am preparing myself not only to succeed in nursing school but also to become someone patients can trust and rely on. I’ve watched my Grandma who is a CNA take care of my great grandmother which made me realize that I wanted to become a nurse. Working toward this goal has not always been easy. There have been times when balancing school, personal responsibilities, and planning for the future felt overwhelming. However, these challenges have helped me grow and become more determined. They have taught me that reaching a meaningful goal takes persistence and effort over time. Instead of giving up when things feel difficult, I have learned to stay focused and keep reminding myself why I started. Looking ahead, my next goal is to attend college and continue working toward becoming a nurse. I want to gain the education and training necessary to provide quality care for patients and support families during difficult times. Eventually, I hope to work in a hospital where I can make a positive impact on people’s lives every day. The journey toward becoming a nurse is still just beginning, but every step I take now is helping me get closer to that dream. By continuing to stay focused on my education, develop strong work habits, and remain committed to helping others, I believe I will be able to achieve my goal and make a meaningful difference in the future.