For a Black, low-income family, a child’s education is a Golden Ticket – the fruit from the labor of a thousand ancestors. A blessing that breaks the chains of generational curses. Mine is no different – as a rising senior at the University of Richmond, I will be the first in my immediate family to graduate with a 4-year degree. Yet I constantly balance school with work and earn scholarships year-round to pay tuition. On campus, I’m a student manager of a small convenience store; during the summer, I’ve worked as a cashier and at paid internships to sustain my living and educational costs. Through those jobs and a strict budget, I’ve managed to keep my student debt low; however, I sacrifice a lot and frequently worry about paying for each semester as costs rise. I have even worked full 8-hour days on a sprained ankle to meet my saving goals. Furthermore, I try not to burden my mom, who raised me single, young, and in the service industry with the help of social welfare. Thus, I experience both the tangible price of attending an out-of-state private school and the intangible fear and self-limitation that comes from poor backgrounds. That upbringing is what inspired me to pursue social welfare and poverty policy as a Political Science major in university. Specializing in means-tested programs like SNAP, Medicaid, unemployment, and educational aid, I seek to eliminate the material and mental barriers that prevent social mobility. I’ve relied on these programs myself, witnessing the inadequate benefits and restricted access they provided and decided to advocate for their expansion. I remember my mom’s difficult bout of unemployment, lack of regular healthcare due to Medicaid, and living on Section 8 vouchers and food stamps. Thus, coming from a childhood where most enriching experiences and even some necessities were off-limits, I made the most of my resources and set out to examine the systems that disadvantage low-income people of color. During those studies, I earned a spot on the Dean’s List for 5 out of 6 semesters, participated in an activism and community-focused scholars’ program, and was inducted into the National Political Science Honor Society. Alongside my schooling, I applied my knowledge as the sole undergraduate intern at the prestigious National Academy of Social Insurance in its Economic Security Campaign. I engaged in pre-advocacy work by researching over 60 non-profits and policymakers, presenting opportunities for shared projects and networks. Working with the Policy and Communications Teams, I drew on my lived experience, strong writing, and creativity to translate the rigorous research of the Campaign into accessible content primed for advocates – including one-pagers, diagrams, and even playlists. Afterward, I was named an Associate Member of the Academy, acknowledging my efforts to preserve and improve systems of social welfare in the United States. Just like Mr. Costonis, I have carried the weight of my dreams on my back, as no one else could. Through perseverance, diligent study, and passionate advocacy, I will help craft bright futures for myself and other marginalized people in the U.S. – so they will not have to do it alone.

Assuming I took a $1000 paycheck home right now, I would divide it into three broad categories: giving, saving, and spending, which take specific percentages of my budget. For giving, I would reserve around $150 (15%), which mainly satisfies my religious financial obligations. As a devout Christian, I always dedicate the first 10% of my earnings to tithe - a mandatory offering of financial increase to God. Moreover, I bring a smaller, additional offering every time I attend a service to honor Him. All of these forms of giving are my priority, and I believe them to be keys to living an abundant, generous life. For saving, I would save around $600 (60%) towards my tuition, which is due next month. As a low-income student, I save more than others, since I cover my educational costs and insure against any small emergencies. I used the rest of my savings for last semester, so I have to replenish for the fall to avoid a larger loan. Finally, I would set aside $250 (25%) for spending money, which covers living needs and additional small wants. Currently living at home during break, my living expenses are lower; however, I have struggled with finding a summer job. This extra money would help pay for my personal hygiene and food throughout the day - and I could stop borrowing money from my mom. Otherwise, I have to renew my Apple Music subscription, because I cannot last another minute on Spotify Free.

Education and the quality I received thereof heavily influenced my political, social, and cultural view of the world, inspiring my chosen path. In my school district, our educational facilities followed a philosophy of separate and unequal reminiscent of segregation, even in my own middle school. Underfunded, directly tied into the school-prison pipeline, and boasting dismal passing rates, most students saw school as nothing more than a holding place. I watched as juvenile detention and alternative schooling were routinely threatened to jockey kids into obedience. Moreover, the curriculum was expectedly lackluster, with many students in low-level classes, barely learning enough to reach required district standards. My main option for high school was not much different; but when I received an offer to attend a magnet school, my world expanded. From my first day, I could see the divide between my middle school and schools with adequate resources – from the learning atmosphere to the intensity of the curriculum, there was a significant gap in quality. Most classes were college-level AP and IB courses considered some of the best in the nation, focusing on world knowledge like European languages, Russian music, and Belgian literature. Noticeably, many students had come from early magnet schooling, wealthy neighborhoods, and White or Asian descent, a strong departure from my background. While I was elated at the quality of my new education, I began to discover the intersections of class and race with societal outcomes, just as politics became my most significant interest in the wake of the 2016 Elections. Seeing the diverse knowledge education brought – as well as limited access to it and other social markers like wealth, status, and well-being – compelled me to pursue a career in policy to defend and elevate low-income, marginalized communities. Since entering the University of Richmond’s Political Science program, my conviction has only been strengthened by the scholastic material and social context of my education. Specializing in means-tested programs like SNAP, Medicaid, unemployment, and educational aid, I seek to eliminate the material and mental barriers that prevent social mobility. I have also researched the extensive social benefits that countries like Norway and Denmark offer their residents, in stark contrast to the limited assistance that low-income, minority communities receive in the U.S. I have analyzed deepening global inequalities between "developed" and "developing" economies and the effects of power and neocolonialism on the stability of poor countries. Learning the rosy conceptualizations of markets, politics, and social inequity by the privileged has exposed the systemic evils and failures in society's treatment of ethnic minorities and the poor. However, education has also revealed solutions to these problems and shed light on the leaders uplifting these communities. Therefore, education and its context within my life has empowered me to work against corruption, inequality, and waste in the world around me, while promoting the solidarity and well-being of the vulnerable.

My stomach rumbled loudly on our usual car ride home in the early afternoon. Lifting my head just above the ledge of the window, I spotted a familiar building with a ridged red roof and yellow geometric beams cascading down its sides. Turning my head to her, I asked, "Mom, can we have McDonald's?" Without looking back, she reflexively replies: "You got McDonald's money?" My head sinks, as anyone from a Black family would recognize that the answer was unequivocally no. Even if we DID have personal spending money. Because the underlying principle came from what my mom said next: "Okay, then. We got food at home." It was not that she did not recognize my hunger or did not treat me occasionally. However, growing up in a low-income, single-parent household, she taught me the value of money and the power of restraint. That single question directed me to adopt several healthy financial practices: recognizing my current needs, accounting for my resources, and evaluating which actions are sustainable. When I was young, that counsel was more disheartening than helpful; however, now paying my own personal and educational costs, it has become extremely valuable. For example, I resist purchasing luxuries like eating out in exchange for unlimited meals at my university's dining hall - which is already part of tuition. Furthermore, I substitute for expensive personal care products and optimize my existing ones. Most importantly, I save much more than I spend, following a modified version of the 50/30/20 budgeting method. Practicing financial mindfulness and self-control allows me to keep my future secure while satisfying my present needs. Now, as a young adult experiencing both the rising cost of living and the effectiveness of my financial lifestyle, I realize my mother was right - we do got food at home.

"Take therefore no thought of the morrow…Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." - Matthew 6:34 These are the words I repeated throughout the fall of 2020, as I struggled with the demands of working while in school. Since I entered college, I resolved to pay my tuition at the University of Richmond – a private institution – without the help of student loans. Knowing the impact of debt on my family's finances and low-income, Black communities, I worked to avoid that obligation. Budgeting carefully, I planned to save $2000 for the Fall 2020 semester, alongside leftover money from scholarships. So, I decided to work nearly 20 hours on weekends while pursuing my studies during the week, which proved to be one of the most remarkable achievements in my life. Without support from home, I found creative solutions to strict resources in a global pandemic. The university suspended its weekend shuttle during COVID-19, forcing me to find alternative transportation to work; I combined using the city bus with walking for 45 minutes and riding with a friend back home. Though I do not jump at the idea of hour-long commutes, I found ways to enjoy it, like listening to music and envisioning choreography for my dance crew along the way. As constantly buying Hot Pockets and pizza for lunch breaks became unsustainable, I began bringing meals from the university dining hall, saving more money and eating healthier every weekend. Framing these new choices as contributing to my physical and mental well-being helped me embrace them, approaching obstacles with an open mind. As time progressed, I ran into difficulties managing my work and faced several setbacks to my goal. Given multiple commitments outside of my job, including school, church, and personal upkeep, much of my time off work became constrained and stressful. Moreover, I suffered a bad ankle sprain my last few weeks, which was discouraging and proved a hindrance to work. Before I was able to get an ACE bandage, I – quite innovatively – put two cosmetic arm sleeves on my ankle for support and compression, spurring some laughs about the situation. Thankfully, a few of my friends offered me rides to and back from the store, which took a lot of pressure off my ankle. While I did have to stand at work in absence of a doctor's note and even walked to work once, I finished out my last shifts at the store, sprained ankle in tow. In the end, I still fell short of my savings goal and took out a loan. My hometown's store declined my transfer request and I had to pay for a family member’s car repairs, leaving me without work and with unpaid dues. However, I still count this ordeal as an achievement, because I pushed through adversity and adapted to my circumstances. I realized how ambitious and resilient I can be, and how my upbringing instilled great willpower and discipline within me. Conversely, knowing how difficult my situation was, I learned that I could rely on God and the people around me to pull me through where I could not control the input or the outcome. Repeating that verse from the Book of Matthew helped me remember to take each day at a time, without worrying about whether I would make it – I had to have faith that I would. It also emboldened my deep passion to prevent current and future generations from experiencing hardships like mine. As a Political Science major, I study means-tested programs like SNAP, Medicaid, unemployment, and educational aid, seeking to eliminate the material and mental barriers that prevent social mobility. I intend to expand social policy to ensure fair and equitable resources, which will help us better value the lives and livelihoods of all people in the U.S. and beyond. I hope to create a future where any job can satisfy basic needs and pursue opportunities like education without desolation or sacrifice. Doing that work may have been my greatest achievement, but I want to remove the need for anyone to reach it.

An orphaned baby is adopted by a princess and later leads a slave revolt against the state. A king sleeps with another man's wife, then has him killed to cover it up. In the end, a man clothed entirely in white descends from the sky, kills an ancient dragon, and throws it into a lake of fire. These are not scenes from the latest fantasy or adventure book on the NYT's Best-Sellers list; they are from some of the most prominent stories in the Bible: Moses, King David, and the Second Coming of Jesus. Regardless of belief, the Bible is full of compelling narratives that not only engage and entertain, but also reveal the complex nature of the human condition and interactions with the divine. For example, King David is often referenced today as the perfect analogy for an underdog: someone who conquers giants of adversity despite low social and economic stature. However, examining him closer shows his humility and kindness when he spares his toughest enemies and kneels before God, but also his pride and shame when he covers his crimes of adultery and murder. When I read his story, I see the chaos within the human spirit. Yet, as the Bible exposes that chaos, it also teaches ways to tame it. In David's case, his many songs praising God and apologizing for his many wrongs enshrine a strong example of integrity. With Moses, he became the inheritor of ancient Jewish laws that codified fair and humane treatment of people and property. Most importantly, the Bible's account of Jesus emphasized his lifelong lesson: to love freely and unconditionally, as God loves us. Thus, the Bible is not my favorite book only because of its visions, battles, and scandals, but also its encouragement to live a fuller, more impactful life.

Most remember him for felling a giant with a single stone. His arm wound back, slingshot in hand - a young boy from shepherd's beginnings, destined to rule over the flock of Ancient Israel. This encounter would become the perfect analogy for an underdog: David vs. Goliath. But with the modernization of his story, many define David simply as an underestimated force. However, he did not win just by some overlooked skill; rather, it was his humility before God and men that gave him victory. Growing up from a similar background, that is what distinguished King David as my personal inspiration. According to biblical texts, David was not a natural warrior. In fact, while his older brothers served in the army, he chose to shepherd the family sheep instead, and only ventured to battle to deliver food. Even when he won against Goliath, he thought himself too lowly to receive the reward: marrying King Saul's daughter and becoming heir to his throne. Despite being poor, he never sought glory or wealth, and only pursued his purpose - a strong example for gifted youth. Yet what I admire most about David's humility was how it consistently pushed him towards integrity. When King Saul tried to kill him out of fear, David spared him twice, grieved when he died, and later avenged him. When he committed adultery and murder, he begged God for mercy and suffered severe punishment to atone. Even when he became the most powerful man in the world, he continued to ask God for help and acknowledged his own weakness. David resolved to not let pride or self-interest cloud his righteousness and always admitted his faults - he considered himself a servant before a king. To me, that makes him the greatest king, and his footsteps worth following.

My stomach rumbled loudly on our usual car ride home in the early afternoon. Lifting my head just above the ledge of the window, I spotted a familiar building with a ridged red roof and yellow geometric beams cascading down its sides. Turning my head to her, I asked, "Mom, can we have McDonald's?" Without looking back, she reflexively replies: "You got McDonald's money?" My head sinks, as anyone from a Black family would recognize that the answer was unequivocally no. Even if we DID have personal spending money. Because the underlying principle came from what my mom said next: "Okay, then. We got food at home." It was not that she did not recognize my hunger or did not treat me occasionally. However, growing up in a low-income, single-parent household, she taught me the value of money and the power of restraint. That single question directed me to adopt several healthy financial practices: recognizing my current needs, accounting for my resources, and evaluating which actions are sustainable. When I was young, that counsel was more disheartening than helpful; however, now paying my own personal and educational costs, it has become extremely valuable. For example, I resist purchasing luxuries like eating out in exchange for unlimited meals at my university's dining hall - which is already part of tuition. Furthermore, I substitute for expensive personal care products and optimize my existing ones. Most importantly, I save much more than I spend, following a modified version of the 50/30/20 budgeting method. Practicing financial mindfulness and self-control allows me to keep my future secure while satisfying my present needs. Now, as a young adult experiencing both the rising cost of living and the effectiveness of my financial lifestyle, I realize my mother was right - we do got food at home.

In a world often defined by the mundane, creativity is what brings passion and solutions to the world. Some find it in more dedicated arts like music or theatre; personally, I am the president of a hip-hop dance crew at my university. However, I also find it in everyday tasks and jobs. As a low-income student, I work in grocery stores throughout the year to pay my tuition - and bagging is how I fulfill myself during each shift. The art of bagging is equal parts creativity and practicality; those who master it must balance speed, bag and item type, space, and customer preference together. There are certain guidelines, such as placing boxes on the sides of a bag and stacking items by weight. Yet many items can be substituted or stacked differently in several ways - like Tetris, I stack according to my personal vision and aesthetic. For example, one customer could bring a basket of TV dinners, canned microwaveables, boxed sweets, sodas, and chips. Generally, I would put the boxes on both sides of one plastic bag with cans in the middle, while the frozen dinners, sodas, and chips go in another. But if the bag is paper, I might put the dinners on top of cans to avoid wetting and weakening the bottom. Or if the chips are large, I may separate them across bags to allow more space for other items. These factors create infinite possibilities for how I assemble each bag per customer, per day, and per store. Creativity is simply self-expression through a given medium, which can be pleasant and helpful to the world. So when I use a pack of napkins to separate two glass bottles, my creativity shines - and both the customer and I leave the store happy.

Of course, I deserve it! When I was little, I snuck on a scientist's boat with my cousin Derrick, but we noticed nobody was at the helm. Well, the boat was already driving and we didn't want it to get lost; so we ran it into the port instead. Therefore, I think I should get the scholarship because I'm probably the only person who knows how to steer one. Unfortunately, I didn't get into nautical school, so now I'm studying Political Science in college. I've always wanted to be a lawyer, but I saw that Kim Kardashian had started studying law! So, I thought that I should explore other career paths too - I'm doing an unpaid internship as a ring light operator for Charli D'Amelio this summer. I hope to graduate Verified from TikTok in 2 years. Growing up Black, I had to overcome racism - but that wasn't very hard. Although one night, I was on a run and didn't want to go around a fence. So I climbed over it, but my pants got caught on a wire and ripped down the middle. I got over it, but it must have been difficult because even the police officer behind me had trouble with it.

In today’s world, generosity is often defined by monetary value, like a $20 bill given to the homeless or a $2,000 check to a non-profit. As such, generosity has also been considered as something to be recompensated – that same check is written off taxes. True generosity is done without expectation of reward and can exist in many forms. Love. Kindness. Time. These can be given generously to an effect that even money cannot reach, touching the core of a person’s being. I had to embody this generosity last summer, falling in love with my best friend as he fell for someone else. Day after day, he came to me with a new synopsis of events, detailing vividly the joy he felt as he navigated a budding relationship. I listened as he told each story: their first kiss, his poems about her, even his wish to marry her someday – my hope dying gradually each time. Though I wanted him as my own, I judged it more loving to encourage him to pursue his newfound happiness. I sacrificed my desires to give him the support he never had, suffering silently as my heart conflicted between that of a friend and a lover. Unfortunately, their relationship ended – the fallout nothing short of nuclear. His reports turned from sun-kissed delight to shadow-tinged sadness. I became his main comforter, spending many late nights on the phone, keeping my secret to soften the blows. I was mourning our stillborn future together, but now I had to lift him out of this. So, instead of fleeing, I stayed my time with him; I made myself ever-present, held and strengthened him, spoke life and love into him. Because sometimes, generosity is giving your full self to someone, even when they can’t return the same.