Mental health is a conversation that I needed to have with my family because many people in my family including me have suffered from anxiety and moderate depression. In my life, I used to suffer from anxiety and moderate depression. It was made worse when I wasn't taken seriously about what I was expressing to the people in my family. When I was 12 years old, I attempted to take my own life because I believed the lie that I had no worth, and that I was not needed in this world. I believed the lie that my family, especially my parents would be better off without me. I was in my room, and about to use a chain to strangle myself, until I heard a voice tell me to stop. I knew it wasn't my parents' voice because this voice was so soft, yet so compelling. I stopped and I just cried because I was tired. From then on, I would battle anxiety and depression episodes, and I couldn't find a way out, but eventually, I did. I know many people do not believe in Jesus, but truly, he was my way out. In reading the bible and praying, I found a new peace, and it is a peace that will never leave anyone who grabs hold of it! This has helped me when it comes to my relationships with people and my beliefs because people feel as though they are helpless. People feel as though they have no way out and that they are going to stay the same forever, but through proper conversations, we can talk about Jesus Christ and how he can help us through every mental battle we go through. I have had to use that same logic with my mother when we suffered the loss of my grandma. My mother and her mother were very close, so when my grandma's death happened, my mother felt like her life was over. She would say things such as " I'm going to go crazy without my mother." It hurt me to hear my mother speak like this, but before I could tell her what I knew, Jesus spoke to me, telling me to listen first and to love her before speaking to her about him. That is something that has transformed my way of thinking. If we want to have a conversation about mental health, especially among people of faith, we have to be able to listen first before we diagnose. We have to understand where people come from because we try and give them the remedy for their mental health. This revelation has helped me and has made me consider a career in being a Christian Psychologist. The study of the brain and its patterns fascinates me, and helping people through the lens of Jesus also fascinates me as well. My experience with the mental health industry has never been bad, because I have met some people who actually care about the well-being of the person, and I hope one day, I can be a part of the group of people that takes care of people mentally.

There used to be a time when I thought life dealt me a bad hand, where I thought God hated me. I used to think he hated me because sometimes I didn't listen to my parents. I was constantly being bullied, gaslit( before I knew what gaslighting was), and looked down upon, and I couldn't take it anymore. When I was 12 years old, I tried to take my own life, because I figured since I could not make anyone happy around me, I might as well make everyone happy in my death. So what has helped me stay optimistic during tough times, whether they are external or internal? Jesus. That is the most straightforward answer I can give anyone, but it hasn't been easy. The world thinks that once they believe in Jesus Christ, they are free from all pain, pressure, and struggle, and that is the exact opposite. The only difference is you are not going through that turmoil alone. See, the world thinks that the only person you can consult with or " bet on" is yourself, but the problem is you change. Your view of the world changes every day. Your feelings change every day, so how can I bet on something or consult with someone that believes something one day and then believes another thing the next day? I have to find someone who is consistent and never-changing. I have to find someone who will never leave me when I am down and is only there when I am doing great, and that person is Jesus. I am not trying to force my relationship on anyone or my religion, but I want to explain to people that through storms and through turmoil, I am not going through it alone. I have a source; Jesus Christ.

My mother grew up in the small town of Frostproof, Florida. Yes; the same town that was in the news that wanted to establish Trump Week during Black History Month. As a young black girl in Frostproof, she lived in a shotgun house with herself, her sister, my grandmother, and their step-father. Trauma, Abuse, and fear were constantly plaguing my mother's household. Her life and the life of the women in the household were constantly in danger because of the step-monster that lived in the house with them. To my mother, there was no life outside of Frostproof. There was no other job except being a fruit-picker and working at the factory. The common theme was " Elementary school, middle school, high school, and the factory." The famous words of my step-grandfather towards her was " You ain't gon be nothing more than a fruit picker. That's all you will ever be." My mother, as resilient as she is, did not let the death that was spewing from the mouth of my step-grandfather stop her. Being 6'2, my mother was granted a 4-year athletic scholarship to the University of Louisville. She knew nothing about living up north, nor did she have any money to buy herself anything new, but she worked hard to get where she is now. What does her backstory have to do with me? My life was nowhere near as hard as her life was. My life was filled with everything I have ever needed and wanted. Never did I have to worry about when the next meal was going to come from, but my mom did. Never did I worry about if the lights were going to be cut off or if I was going to get new clothes for the new year, but my mom did. My mother has always told me at a young age, that she never wanted me to struggle. My mother helped me understand the importance of hard work and that in this life, the only person you can depend on is God, and even though times are rough, God is always present with us. As a current undergraduate student at Howard University, my mother has been a rock. My mother has helped me through everything. There are many nights where I wish I could summon my mother and grab a hug from her, but her constant reassurance that I am doing great work helps me get through the Howard University struggle. Her work ethic, her tenacity, and her willingness to make a better life for her family by traveling to Louisville Kentucky and obtain 3 degrees has helped me become the hard-working God fearing woman I am today. I thank God for a mother like her. I am so lucky to be the offspring of Sharon Richardson.

When I was 12 years old, I tried to kill myself. At that time, I was being bullied for 7 years, my grades were falling, and I felt like such a burden in life. When I was about to commit suicide, I felt a presence come into my room and I was overwhelmed with love and support. I knew it wasn't my parents, because there was no physical presence in my room. At that moment, I knew God walked into my room and saved me from myself. From that moment, I thought I would be okay and more serious about my walk with Christ, but it still didn't work. I indulged in things I shouldn't have and I let people and things persuade me and pull me away from God, but when I turned 17, I finally rededicated my life to God and got serious about my walk because I felt that God was not pleased with me and I needed to make a decision about who I was going to serve and where I was going. Now, I am a freshman in college at Howard University, but before I came to Howard, I asked God what was my purpose at Howard. I asked him what should I do when I hit the campus, and he told me that my purpose was to serve the community and lead. Now at Howard University, I am the programming leader of the Living in Truth ministries. Our mission this year is to plant seeds of Christ to people who want to know more about him. It has been hard this year with Covid, but God has given me ways to tell my story and to help people around the campus. I am a part of Reform University Fellowship, which is another faith-based organization that is dedicated to telling the campus about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are not here to convert anyone but to simply tell the campus that instead of choosing things like Alcohol and/or drugs of any point, you can choose an eternal source. We come together, speak about our weeks, study the bible, and speak about how we can change people's lives around the campus and I told people about the power of your testimony. Telling people about your story, what you have been through, and how Jesus turned it around for you can be the changing point in someone else's life. I have had to have difficult conversations with people about the gospel of Jesus Christ and they have never believed me, but when I tell them about my life and who I was before God changed me for the better, the phrase " I don't look like what I've been through" comes to life in their eyes. How do I plan on having a positive impact on the world through my faith? I plan on being HOT; Humble, Open, and Transparent. I plan on sharing my story about my life when people ask about how God has helped me. I plan on sharing the gospel through social media and always being transparent about the gospel and the bible. I understand that people may not necessarily want to hear about Christ, therefore I will not force them to, but for the people who want to know more about Jesus, I am here to tell them about his goodness and his mercy.

I was bullied. Not for a short time either. I was bullied from Kindergarten to my sophomore year in High School. I never understood why I was always getting picked on year-round. Was it my clothes? My eczema? My hair? My skin? I never understood. When you grow up hearing that you're ugly, you'll never make it in life, you should just kill yourself, or sometimes when people threaten your life, they never just go away. You can never just ignore the bullies. How do you ignore someone who is constantly in your face every day, and are present in your classrooms? Sadly, my story doesn't just involve kids, but adults as well. As young as 9 years old, I was told by a teacher I was going to be alone for the rest of my life, because I was upset someone stepped on the back of my shoe. I grew up with that on my heart and thought since that one teacher spoke that over my life, it was going to happen and I might as well not get my hopes up for a significant other. I had enough in 6th grade. All these voices in my head were constantly telling me I wasn't enough, I would never make it, and that I should just kill myself. I listened to those voices and tried to kill myself at the age of 12, but another voice rose up and told me to stop and that my life is going to get better. I call that voice The Voice of God. He spoke to me and pulled me out of all my misery and showed me that I am loved, I am Worth It, and I have a purpose on this earth. In the fall, I will. be heading off to Howard University, studying political science and psychology while working with the Mental Health Global Institute. I share my testimony to people all the time to show them that the power of life and death lie within your tongue, and that help is always on the way.

"We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and will go away, but there will always be science, engineering, and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics." These words were spoken by Katherine Jackson, a black woman who calculated and analyzed the flight path of many spacecraft during her more than three decades with the U.S. space program. During the time of the civil rights movement, she fought her way up to the top and verified John Glenn's flightpath all by hand. She is my favorite scientist because she brought down barriers at NASA while still facing racial tensions in her workspace. Katherine Johnson, along with 2 other black women, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson made history and inspired black girls all around the world to go for their dreams and to never let anyone stop them.

When I was in 4th grade, I lost my uncle very early in the year. He was like a best friend to me, and when I lost him, it was the toughest thing because I just saw him the day before and he was having fun with everyone. One afternoon during recess, I couldn't even play because I was so sad and my teacher, Mrs. Jody Crombie came to me to comfort me. She told me the story about how she was working in a management job in Disney, making a bucket ton of money, and then her 1st husband and her 1st daughter died in a car crash, and she thought it was the end of her world, but then she told me about how God helped her through her tough time. She then proceeded to tell me about how she wants me to know that " Yes you are going to grieve and you can take all the time you need, but just know that your uncle is in a better place, where he isn't hurting anymore." Mrs. Crombie was the best teacher I ever had. Even as I am about to graduate and pursue my education at Howard University in the fall, she is still the best teacher I ever had because she was the most relatable and she treated me with the love and respect that every child needs to be treated with. She treated me like I was one of her own children, and even though she really didn't talk about her college life much, she told each and every one of us that college was the best thing to happen to her because it gave her a chance at a better education and to become better than what she actually was brought up in. So, how did she impact my higher education journey? She showed me, love. She respected me. While teaching me the basics, she taught me the most important lesson of all; " Everyone deserves someone there that shows them, love."

Social Science has grown on me because of the political climate that we are in, but trying to fight the inequalities in the country, especially trying to start in your own community is very arduous work, and you become exhausted. You’re tired of people just not listening to you. You’re tired of people not willing to understand your point of view on certain things. You’re tired of people trying to convince you that maybe you are the problem. You get mentally drained and you don’t want to do it anymore, but a quitter never gets ahead. A quitter never gets the results of what they want. When it comes to challenging ideologies, I had to start within my own home. I had to change my parent's point of view so they can see what I see. Is it easy? No, it will never be easy, but giving up will never make it easier. After explaining all this, the question still has not been answered; " How will studying at Howard University help me achieve my overall goals?" Well, Howard University is known for having the highest number of lawyers to come from that institution. Howard University is known for having the best political science and law program and I want to be a part of that. Howard University is apart of the top 10 HBCU's in the land, and I want to be a part of that number because it proves that Howard University is dedicated to providing the best education for its students, but sometimes my reality does get in the way when it comes to gaining admission to Howard University. Do I have multiple chances to get a higher score before early admission? Yes. Can my extracurricular activities and talents make up for the score? Yes. Are there other colleges that would gladly accept me and possibly give me money to attend their school? Yes, but what do they have to offer that Howard cannot? Howard University; “ the Harvard of HBCU’S,” the college in the middle of all the political chaos, the college that provides internships with real magistrates and district judges so their law students can get a feel of what it feels like to be in charge, the college that when compared to others, reign supreme, the college who has all the right things for me. Could I get the same education at Hampton, Spelman, or even Xavier? I surely could, but Howard University has the location, the longevity of giving quality education to black students, the educators actually wanting their students to succeed, the notable alumni, and the all-around presence as the best HBCU in the country, and I know Howard would be a great fit for me. Being a part of multiple honor societies, black student union, and well-versed in my neighborhood with my community group called Delta Gems, it helps me with my career choices because it prepares me with leadership and it helps me with becoming the change I want to see in this country.

There was a time in my life where I was very, very down. I was in 6th grade, and I was getting bullied; even though that had been happening for some time, my friends were acting like my friends in my face but talking about me behind my back, my grades were slipping and my family was very disappointed in me. I felt so alone, and I was slipping down such a dark path. One night, I decided I wanted to lock myself in my room, take a metal chain from my purse, and tie it around my neck to strangle myself. While I was doing it, I heard a voice say " Stop!" It wasn't my parents, and I was alone, and the voice sounded so heartbroken as if they wanted me to keep living. I knew it was Jesus. After that, I turned my life over to him and things got so much better for me. My grades went up, I found better friends, my parents were expressing how much they loved me, and my mental health was so much better. I thought that was going to keep going until this year. I slipped away once again from God's grace and mercy and was back doing things that displeased him. I was trying to fit in with a group of people I barely knew, I was making excuses for everything, and that's when anxiety, conviction, and pure stress started to attack me from all sides. I went back to church one Sunday and the pastor was speaking of being born again in spirit and water, and not of the flesh. I prayed that night for Jesus to forgive me for falling astray from him and please help me as I fight this anxiety and to please help me grow more in him. I had to cut off so many things from my life that I used to and I had to stop talking to those people I considered my friends, but I didn't know it was for the better until I saw what I was actually getting myself into. Instead of feeling grateful, I was filled with so much shame, but Jesus reminded me, " You've asked me to forgive you of your sins. I have, and now, I am not worried about your past, but your future. This walk with me is going to be tough because people around you might look like they are moving faster than you and they might look happier than you, but I will provide you the joy, happiness, and peace you only receive from me. I have always loved you, and I will never ever leave you." After receiving that word, I turned from my worldly ways and out my full trust in him. I expressed to people that ask about my journey that having faith in Jesus is trusting and loving him. You trust him. You trust that he will guide you in the right direction, and you love Jesus because he has never failed you. I am still on my journey, but when I look back at it, I thank God for everything he has taught me and showed me. I am much happier and I have so much peace and joy that the world didn't give and the world cannot take away from me.

Social Science has grown on me because of the political climate that we are in, but trying to fight the inequalities in the country, especially trying to start in your own community is very arduous work, and you become exhausted. You’re tired of people just not listening to you. You’re tired of people not willing to understand your point of view on certain things. You’re tired of people trying to convince you that maybe you are the problem. You get mentally drained and you don’t want to do it anymore, but a quitter never gets ahead. A quitter never gets the results of what they want. When it comes to challenging ideologies, I had to start within my own home. I had to change my parent's point of view so they can see what I see. Is it easy? No, it will never be easy, but giving up will never make it easier. After explaining all this, the question still has not been answered; " How will studying at Howard University help me achieve my overall goals?" Well, Howard University is known for having the highest number of lawyers to come from that institution. Howard University is known for having the best political science and law program and I want to be a part of that. Howard University is a part of the top 10 HBCU's in the land, and I want to be a part of that number because it proves that Howard University is dedicated to providing the best education for its students, but sometimes my reality does get in the way when it comes to gaining admission to Howard University. Do I have multiple chances to get a higher score before early admission? Yes. Can my extracurricular activities and talents make up for the score? Yes. Are there other colleges that would gladly accept me and possibly give me money to attend their school? Yes, but what do they have to offer that Howard cannot? Howard University; “ the Harvard of HBCU’S,” the college in the middle of all the political chaos, the college that provides internships with real magistrates and district judges so their law students can get a feel of what it feels like to be in charge, the college that when compared to others, reign supreme, the college who has all the right things for me. Could I get the same education at Hampton, Spelman, or even Xavier? I surely could, but Howard University has the location, the longevity of giving quality education to black students, the educators actually wanting their students to succeed, the notable alumni, and the all-around presence as the best HBCU in the country, and I know Howard would be a great fit for me.

Social Science has grown on me because of the political climate that we are in, but trying to fight the inequalities in the country, especially trying to start in your own community is very arduous work, and you become exhausted. You’re tired of people just not listening to you. You’re tired of people not willing to understand your point of view on certain things. You’re tired of people trying to convince you that maybe you are the problem. You get mentally drained and you don’t want to do it anymore, but a quitter never gets ahead. A quitter never gets the results of what they want. When it comes to challenging ideologies, I had to start within my own home. I had to change my parent's point of view so they can see what I see. Is it easy? No, it will never be easy, but giving up will never make it easier. After explaining all this, the question still has not been answered; " How will studying at Howard University help me achieve my overall goals?" Well, Howard University is known for having the highest number of lawyers to come from that institution. Howard University is known for having the best political science and law program and I want to be apart of that. Howard University is apart of the top 10 HBCU's in the land, and I want to be apart of that number because it proves that Howard University is dedicated to providing the best education for its students, but sometimes my reality does get in the way when it comes to gaining admission to Howard University. Do I have multiple chances to get a higher score before early admission? Yes. Can my extracurricular activities and talents make up for the score? Yes. Are there other colleges that would gladly accept me and possibly give me money to attend their school? Yes, but what do they have to offer that Howard cannot? Howard University; “ the Harvard of HBCU’S,” the college in the middle of all the political chaos, the college that provides internships with real magistrates and district judges so their law students can get a feel of what it feels like to be in charge, the college that when compared to others, reign supreme, the college who has all the right things for me. Could I get the same education at Hampton, Spelman, or even Xavier? I surely could, but Howard University has the location, the longevity of giving quality education to black students, the educators actually wanting their students to succeed, the notable alumni, and the all-around presence as the best HBCU in the country, and I know Howard would be a great fit for me.

After taking many quizzes and tests on BuzzFeed to find out who I am, I finally realized that a website is not going to unlock your inner self. It doesn’t help you find yourself. It is just a combination of answers that they want you to pay attention to and hope that you will think about. That isn’t the way. I had to think about my life, what I stand, and who I stood up for. I had to think about me: Eja Alexandra Richardson, and not what playbuzz thinks. Eja Richardson, a proud Sagittarius, stands up to injustice for freedom and equality, not afraid of the repercussions from the authority. So what is my word? Fearless. My word is fearless. It may not make any sense now because you only see the exterior, but internally, there is a fire that just cannot be put out. You may just ask yourself; how can this 5’5 17-year-old black girl be filled with such fire when she barely will speak out in class? Half of the time, she won’t even turn on her camera. I ask myself that question all the time. How can I be shy to ask a waiter for extra utensils, but will protest in the middle of downtown Orlando in front of the police station, courthouse, and not care if anyone tries to stop me? The pure difference is my mentality. Asking a waiter for extra utensils will not affect the way I eat just because I don’t want to use silverware, but speaking out for the voiceless and for the peoples’ lives that were taken away by the police is going to affect my life forever. People always say “ It isn’t you so why do you care?” The answer to that question is simple: It could’ve been me. When I go outside for my afternoon walks around the neighborhood, who is to say that OCPD won’t come and mistake me for another person and shoot me? That’s the sad reality of my life. You can look up my name and see everything that I have done in my life. No jail time, no prison-time, no tickets, not even jaywalking will be under my name, but I have to live with the reality that my life could be taken away because of pure racial bias. Even when I should be living in fear, I am fearless, because of my hope. I can go on a rant about how bad this country and type a 100-page essay about the start of the world and how it went wrong, but what is the purpose of explaining what people already know about? That doesn’t show me. It wouldn’t help me at all. It wouldn’t help my purpose of this earth. Fighting in this country against people and ideologies that should’ve died a long time ago is hard. It makes you wanna quit and just whine because at least people will listen to you. You’re tired of people just not listening to you. You’re tired of people not willing to understand your point of view on certain things. You’re tired of people trying to convince you that maybe you are the problem. You get mentally drained and you don’t want to do it anymore. A quitter never gets ahead. A quitter never gets the results of what they want. I’ve had to test my parents' logic. The same people that feed and clothe me had to listen to me educate them about what’s happening in this world and why they need to be involved. Is it easy? No, it will never be easy, but giving up will never make it easier. It only makes it harder for people to understand and change. You’re just setting yourself up for failure by giving up. You don’t even give yourself the chance to make things better, and at that point, what were you even speaking about? I’m not a superwoman. I’m not Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, or even a Tupac Shakur, but it all started with a thought. A thought for change created a world movement. A thought of hope got laws into the hands of the president of the United States of America. A thought of forgiveness stopped a racially motivated movement in South Africa. A thought changed the course of the world, so why can’t I be apart of that as well? “ I’m not saying I will change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” Maybe, and I might be reaching, that spark was lit into my brain. Social Science has grown on me because of the political climate that we are in, but trying to fight the inequalities in the country, especially trying to start in your own community is very arduous work, and you become exhausted. You’re tired of people just not listening to you. You’re tired of people not willing to understand your point of view on certain things. You’re tired of people trying to convince you that maybe you are the problem. You get mentally drained and you don’t want to do it anymore, but a quitter never gets ahead. The college that is going to teach me how to change the world is Howard University. Howard University is known for having the highest number of lawyers to come from that institution. Howard University is known for having the best political science and law program and I want to be apart of that. Howard University is apart of the top 10 HBCU's in the land, and I want to be apart of that number because it proves that Howard University is dedicated to providing the best education for its students. I would be second generation in my family to attend college, but first generation to attend an HBCU. I am not just doing this for me, but for my family and my community.

The most terrifying/ exhilarating time of my life. This isn't my first protest, and sadly It will not be my last. I stood out of the roof of my moms car and pleaded with the people of Orlando that My Life matters, My fathers life matters, my mothers life matters and that every black person in this world life matters! As I did it, the deathly glare by the police pierced my skin, but I remembered that fear gets you no where. It was time for me to be courageous again. It was time to remind people that I matter.

I don’t come from the most promising community. Most people would consider my community, “ a place where dreams fail.” I live in what is considered the bad part of Orlando Florida. I live in an area that is more heavily policed than heavily funded. I live in an area that is never on the news when a backpack drive is successful, or a thanksgiving drive is successful, but rather when someone is killed, or someone’s house has been broken into. Pine Hills, Florida. A community that has raised me to be the best I could be. A community that taught me the importance of helping your fellow-man. A community that will prosper even though the state looks down on us. College is important to me because it is a way for me to further my studies in social science. Social Science has grown on me because of the political climate that we are in, but trying to fight the inequalities in the country, especially trying to start in your own community is very arduous work, and you become exhausted. You’re tired of people just not listening to you. You’re tired of people not willing to understand your point of view on certain things. You’re tired of people trying to convince you that maybe you are the problem. You get mentally drained and you don’t want to do it anymore, but a quitter never gets ahead. A quitter never gets the results of what they want. I’ve seen what college can do for people; especially my parents. My mother came from a small town in Florida named Frostproof, Florida where the dream job for everyone was working at a factory called “ The Duck.” The choices were quite simple; work at the duck, work at a grocery store as a clerk or be homeless. My mother didn’t like those options, so she put her best foot forward and did what she could do to make it out of Frostproof; play basketball all her middle and high school days. She got a full-ride scholarship to the University of Louisville, where she earned her bachelor, and then went on to earn her master’s from Troy University. Now, she resides as the Campus Director of Rasmussen College. I know there are a lot of success stories like my mother, but I truly do set her apart from everyone else. College has been important to me since I was born. I was always taught to value education because “ your education can take you miles into your future.” Very wise words that came from my mother and father every day of my life. My hard work and drive have awarded me with over 35 college acceptances, one being my dream school; Howard University. My parents and my community throughout my life have shown me the importance of college. Now, I am going to embark on a new journey and I want to dedicate my success to the people of my community and my parents.

Where I come from, the options are limited to what you can become. You can either become a mechanic, a junkie, or another statistic in the police brutality system. Where I come from, options are not directly in my face. When people hear that I am from Orlando Florida, the first thing people think of is Mickey Mouse, Universal studios, and wealth. I guess you can say that, but in my area, that is not even a reality. Both of my parents are hardworking people who have provided me with the best life and education any kid could dream of. They've exposed me to so much that the average Joe in my community could never think of; and for that, I have to repay them by going off to college and getting the highest degree I can possibly get. My dream school is Howard University, where I dream to graduate with my bachelor in Political Science and a minor in African American studies. I want to become a policymaker because I see how in my community and in Black communities everywhere, we are underserved by city officials; the same city officials we vote in based on "sweet nothings." As a person who has lived and been raised in the parts, coming back and helping the people who have helped me mature and become the person that I am today is the most important thing to me? Right now I am the vice president of a non-profit group called Delta Gems of OCAC, which are dedicated to making female leaders in this community; while learning the basics of financial literacy and mental health. Being apart of that group makes me feel so good because I know I am putting my best foot forward to help the women of my community. I have volunteered with my city commissioner on giving backpacks out to the people of this neighborhood during school time and giving out masks because we want our people to be safe, and I have participated in many local food drives and gift drives for the people in my community. Helping others that have helped me has been my drive since I came onto this earth. The best way I could service my people is by getting the best education I can get, and from a prestigious HBCU because that is where I know I will my money worth, with whatever money I can receive from them. Howard University; “ the Harvard of HBCU’S,” the college in the middle of all the political chaos, the college who provides internships with real magistrates and district judges so their law students can get a feel of what it feels like to be in charge, the college that when compared to others, reign supreme, the college who has all the right things for me. Could I get the same education at Hampton, Spelman, or even Xavier? I surely could, but Howard University has the location, the longevity of giving quality education to black students, the educators actually wanting their students to succeed, the notable alumni, and the all-around presence as the best HBCU in the country, and I know Howard would be a great fit for me. This isn't a pity story, but simply the story of my life, and how I want to change my life and my community life for the better.