My mother and father got divorced when I was going into the third grade. As a result of the divorce we moved in with my grandmother to allow my mother to take care of my sister and I. I have experienced many trials and tribulations and I realize that my childhood was not simple. My family and I endured my father's jealousy and demeaning treatment. He was verbally, emotionally and at times, physically abusive and it was unrelenting. His words lingered, making it difficult to see my potential. He felt like he should be a prominent person in my life although he brought such chaos. I witnessed first hand how my mother had to go to work whether she was exhausted, sick or just needed a vacation. I was often told no just because she simply did not have the money in her account. Watching my mother build her career while raising a family showed me that resilience is essential. Her quiet strength, despite every challenge, taught me that success is earned through perseverance and self-belief. Even though home life was difficult, I held on to a vision of my future- a future shaped by my dreams. I believe I am optimistic and highly motivated to be a mentor and share my story to help people know that they can achieve success through adversity. I believe this scholarship will allow me to be one step closer to achieving the dream of my life which is to complete a four year college degree at the college I have been accepted to. I would very much like to reach back and pull up the next generation. In Luke 12:48 "To whom much is given, much is required" I will be truly grateful and it will be a huge investment in my future.

I am well versed in growing up in a single-parent household. My mother and father got divorced when I was going into the third grade. As a result of the divorce we moved in with my grandmother to allow my mother to take care of my sister and I. I have experienced many trials and tribulations and I realize that my childhood was not simple. My family and I endured my father's jealousy and demeaning treatment. He was verbally, emotionally and at times, physically abusive and it was unrelenting. His words lingered, making it difficult to see my potential. He felt like he should be a prominent person in my life although he brought such chaos. I witnessed first hand how my mother had to go to work whether she was exhausted, sick or just needed a vacation. Watching my mother build her career working selflessly to not have to depend on his child support. She was not afforded missing a day because she was self-employed and if she missed a day of work, she did not make any money. I was often told no just because she simply did not have the money in her account. I saw how she often poured into others selflessly trying to always do the right thing for me and my sister hoping and praying that the circle of giving would continue in her circumstances. She volunteered in my and my sister's school as often as she could which in turn took away from her working and producing income. My mother worked extremely hard to not have to demand her very much needed child support. I think she felt that if she worked hard enough, she could do it on her own. She did a really good job, but the bottom line is that she did need her child support on a regular basis. Watching my mother build her career while raising a family showed me that resilience is essential. Her quiet strength, despite every challenge, taught me that success is earned through perseverance and self-belief. Even though home life was difficult, I held on to a vision of my future- a future shaped by my dreams. Last summer, I was accepted into NYU's pre-college program. Although financial constraints prevented me from attending, that acceptance affirmed my goals. I remember sharing the news with my mom, and the pride in her eyes reminded me of how far I have come. With all that I have experienced, I believe I am optimistic and highly motivated to be a mentor and share my story to help people know that they can achieve success through adversity. I believe this scholarship will allow me to be one step closer to achieving the dream of my life which is to complete a four year college degree at the college I have been accepted. I believe in Luke 12:48 "To whom much is given, much is required" I will be truly grateful and it will be a huge investment in my future.