Growing up in a single-parent household is a lot like learning how to walk without your legs. Though things would be much easier with your legs, you don't let what you lack prevent you from living a healthy life and fulfilling your purpose. Living in a single-parent household has shaped who I am and my purpose in life by encouraging my creativity, building my discipline, and establishing my leadership skills. Times without number, my mother has shown me how creativity is central to the survival of a human being. As a child, I would watch her take inexpensive food items that were bland on their own and make them into something very palatable. She once made a delicious meal out of old rice and onions, a meal I still crave sometimes. She constantly communicates that the quantity of what you acquire can easily be transformed, when you don't let your circumstances limit your dreams. With this lesson in the back of my head, I am always encouraged enough to ask questions in class and grapple with challenges to improve the quality of life. My experiences have made it hard for me to just settle with the old onions and rice that life dishes out. Instead, I want to transform what I am given in this life to something that can change our world. Even when difficulties never seem to stop arising, my mom has never given up hope or quit. She just keeps focused on where she's headed. From the time that I was born until this day, my mom has worked several different jobs to make sure that I survive. Even when she came back in the evenings with a sore back and an injured hand, she never moaned or groaned. She made sure she paid the rent, paid for my field trips, put food on the table, and went back to work. I have learned from her that life's obstacles are not meant to destroy a person. Rather, they are opportunities to build character. The stronger one's character, the more that they will be able to accomplish. College is really hard, but because of this value of discipline instilled in me from my mom, I am not bothered by long, grueling nights of studying or having to pick up extra work shifts to cover my tuition. My character has been developed to withstand the pressures of life and I'm convinced that future pressures will not hold me back either. My mom is the physical manifestation of a leader. I was nine years old when my mom and dad divorced. Even at that young age, I saw how my mom pushed her own needs to the side to be all the love and support that I needed. We once shared a room in the house of a generous church friend. There was some kind of leak in the corner of the room that emitted a horrible odor, worsening as you neared the floor. Considering that I had severe allergies and the bed couldn't support the two of us, my mom told me to sleep on the bed while she slept on the floor. This memory brings me to tears because my mom displays so much selflessness and love. Her actions teach me that a leader is someone who shows love by serving people and sacrifices their own comfort so that others become the first priority. As a result, I want to display leadership as a medical professional by serving the needs of others and making their health and well being my first priority.

Growing up in a single-parent household is a lot like learning how to walk without your legs. Though things would be much easier with your legs, you don't let what you lack prevent you from living a healthy life and fulfilling your purpose. Living in a single-parent household has shaped who I am and my purpose in life by encouraging my creativity, building my discipline, and establishing my leadership skills. Times without number, my mother has shown me how creativity is central to the survival of a human being. As a child, I would watch her take inexpensive food items that were bland on their own and make them into something very palatable. She once made a delicious meal out of old rice and onions, a meal I still crave sometimes. She constantly communicates that the quantity of what you acquire can easily be transformed, when you don't let your circumstances limit your dreams. With this lesson in the back of my head, I am always encouraged enough to ask questions in class and grapple with challenges to improve the quality of life. My experiences have made it hard for me to just settle with the old onions and rice that life dishes out. Instead, I want to transform what I am given in this life to something that can change our world. Even when difficulties never seem to stop arising, my mom has never given up hope or quit. She just keeps focused on where she's headed. From the time that I was born until this day, my mom has worked several different jobs to make sure that I survive. Even when she came back in the evenings with a sore back and an injured hand, she never moaned or groaned. She made sure she paid the rent, paid for my field trips, put food on the table, and went back to work. I have learned from her that life's obstacles are not meant to destroy a person. Rather, they are opportunities to build character. The stronger one's character, the more that they will be able to accomplish. College is really hard, but because of this value of discipline instilled in me from my mom, I am not bothered by long, grueling nights of studying or having to pick up extra work shifts to cover my tuition. My character has been developed to withstand the pressures of life and I'm convinced that future pressures will not hold me back either. My mom is the physical manifestation of a leader. I was nine years old when my mom and dad divorced. Even at that young age, I saw how my mom pushed her own needs to the side to be all the love and support that I needed. We once shared a room in the house of a generous church friend. There was some kind of leak in the corner of the room that emitted a horrible odor, worsening as you neared the floor. Considering that I had severe allergies and the bed couldn't support the two of us, my mom told me to sleep on the bed while she slept on the floor. This memory brings me to tears because my mom displays so much selflessness and love. Her actions teach me that a leader is someone who shows love by serving people and sacrifices their own comfort so that others become the first priority. As a result, I want to display leadership as a medical professional by serving the needs of others and making their health and well being my first priority.

Growing up in a single-parent household is a lot like learning how to walk without your legs. Though things would be much easier with your legs, you don't let what you lack prevent you from living a healthy life and fulfilling your purpose. Living in a single-parent household has shaped who I am and my purpose in life by encouraging my creativity, building my discipline, and establishing my leadership skills. Times without number, my mother has shown me how creativity is central to the survival of a human being. As a child, I would watch her take inexpensive food items that were bland on their own and make them into something very palatable. She once made a delicious meal out of old rice and onions, a meal I still crave sometimes. She constantly communicates that the quantity of what you acquire can easily be transformed, when you don't let your circumstances limit your dreams. With this lesson in the back of my head, I am always encouraged enough to ask questions in class and grapple with challenges to improve the quality of life. My experiences have made it hard for me to just settle with the old onions and rice that life dishes out. Instead, I want to transform what I am given in this life to something that can change our world. Even when difficulties never seem to stop arising, my mom has never given up hope or quit. She just keeps focused on where she's headed. From the time that I was born until this day, my mom has worked several different jobs to make sure that I survive. Even when she came back in the evenings with a sore back and an injured hand, she never moaned or groaned. She made sure she paid the rent, paid for my field trips, put food on the table, and went back to work. I have learned from her that life's obstacles are not meant to destroy a person. Rather, they are opportunities to build character. The stronger one's character, the more that they will be able to accomplish. College is really hard, but because of this value of discipline instilled in me from my mom, I am not bothered by long, grueling nights of studying or having to pick up extra work shifts to cover my tuition. My character has been developed to withstand the pressures of life and I'm convinced that future pressures will not hold me back either. My mom is the physical manifestation of a leader. I was nine years old when my mom and dad divorced. Even at that young age, I saw how my mom pushed her own needs to the side to be all the love and support that I needed. We once shared a room in the house of a generous church friend. There was some kind of leak in the corner of the room that emitted a horrible odor, worsening as you neared the floor. Considering that I had severe allergies and the bed couldn't support the two of us, my mom told me to sleep on the bed while she slept on the floor. This memory brings me to tears because my mom displays so much selflessness and love. Her actions teach me that a leader is someone who shows love by serving people and sacrifices their own comfort so that others become the first priority. As a result, I want to display leadership as a medical professional by serving the needs of others and making their health and well being my first priority.

Growing up in a single-parent household is a lot like learning how to walk without your legs. Though things would be much easier with your legs, you don't let what you lack prevent you from living a healthy life and fulfilling your purpose. Living in a single-parent household has shaped who I am and my purpose in life by encouraging my creativity, building my discipline, and establishing my leadership skills. Times without number, my mother has shown me how creativity is central to the survival of a human being. As a child, I would watch her take inexpensive food items that were bland on their own and make them into something very palatable. She once made a delicious meal out of old rice and onions, a meal I still crave sometimes. She constantly communicates that the quantity of what you acquire can easily be transformed, when you don't let your circumstances limit your dreams. With this lesson in the back of my head, I am always encouraged enough to ask questions in class and grapple with challenges to improve the quality of life. My experiences have made it hard for me to just settle with the old onions and rice that life dishes out. Instead, I want to transform what I am given in this life to something that can change our world. Even when difficulties never seem to stop arising, my mom has never given up hope or quit. She just keeps focused on where she's headed. From the time that I was born until this day, my mom has worked several different jobs to make sure that I survive. Even when she came back in the evenings with a sore back and an injured hand, she never moaned or groaned. She made sure she paid the rent, paid for my field trips, put food on the table, and went back to work. I have learned from her that life's obstacles are not meant to destroy a person. Rather, they are opportunities to build character. The stronger one's character, the more that they will be able to accomplish. College is really hard, but because of this value of discipline instilled in me from my mom, I am not bothered by long, grueling nights of studying or having to pick up extra work shifts to cover my tuition. My character has been developed to withstand the pressures of life and I'm convinced that future pressures will not hold me back either. My mom is the physical manifestation of a leader. I was nine years old when my mom and dad divorced. Even at that young age, I saw how my mom pushed her own needs to the side to be all the love and support that I needed. We once shared a room in the house of a generous church friend. There was some kind of leak in the corner of the room that emitted a horrible odor, worsening as you neared the floor. Considering that I had severe allergies and the bed couldn't support the two of us, my mom told me to sleep on the bed while she slept on the floor. This memory brings me to tears because my mom displays so much selflessness and love. Her actions teach me that a leader is someone who shows love by serving people and sacrifices their own comfort so that others become the first priority. As a result, I want to display leadership as a medical professional by serving the needs of others and making their health and well being my first priority.

Growing up in a single-parent household is a lot like learning how to walk without your legs. Though things would be much easier with your legs, you don't let what you lack prevent you from living a healthy life and fulfilling your purpose. Living in a single-parent household has shaped who I am and my purpose in life by encouraging my creativity, building my discipline, and establishing my leadership skills. Times without number, my mother has shown me how creativity is central to the survival of a human being. As a child, I would watch her take inexpensive food items that were bland on their own and make them into something very palatable. She once made a delicious meal out of old rice and onions, a meal I still crave sometimes. She constantly communicates that the quantity of what you acquire can easily be transformed, when you don't let your circumstances limit your dreams. With this lesson in the back of my head, I am always encouraged enough to ask questions in class and grapple with challenges to improve the quality of life. My experiences have made it hard for me to just settle with the old onions and rice that life dishes out. Instead, I want to transform what I am given in this life to something that can change our world. Even when difficulties never seem to stop arising, my mom has never given up hope or quit. She just keeps focused on where she's headed. From the time that I was born until this day, my mom has worked several different jobs to make sure that I survive. Even when she came back in the evenings with a sore back and an injured hand, she never moaned or groaned. She made sure she paid the rent, paid for my field trips, put food on the table, and went back to work. I have learned from her that life's obstacles are not meant to destroy a person. Rather, they are opportunities to build character. The stronger one's character, the more that they will be able to accomplish. College is really hard, but because of this value of discipline instilled in me from my mom, I am not bothered by long, grueling nights of studying or having to pick up extra work shifts to cover my tuition. My character has been developed to withstand the pressures of life and I'm convinced that future pressures will not hold me back either. My mom is the physical manifestation of a leader. I was nine years old when my mom and dad divorced. Even at that young age, I saw how my mom pushed her own needs to the side to be all the love and support that I needed. We once shared a room in the house of a generous church friend. There was some kind of leak in the corner of the room that emitted a horrible odor, worsening as you neared the floor. Considering that I had severe allergies and the bed couldn't support the two of us, my mom told me to sleep on the bed while she slept on the floor. This memory brings me to tears because my mom displays so much selflessness and love. Her actions teach me that a leader is someone who shows love by serving people and sacrifices their own comfort so that others become the first priority. As a result, I want to display leadership as a medical professional by serving the needs of others and making their health and well being my first priority.

Growing up in a single-parent household is a lot like learning how to walk without your legs. Though things would be much easier with your legs, you don't let what you lack prevent you from living a healthy life and fulfilling your purpose. Living in a single-parent household has shaped who I am and my purpose in life by encouraging my creativity, building my discipline, and establishing my leadership skills. Times without number, my mother has shown me how creativity is central to the survival of a human being. As a child, I would watch her take inexpensive food items that were bland on their own and make them into something very palatable. She once made a delicious meal out of old rice and onions, a meal I still crave sometimes. She constantly communicates that the quantity of what you acquire can easily be transformed, when you don't let your circumstances limit your dreams. With this lesson in the back of my head, I am always encouraged enough to ask questions in class and grapple with challenges to improve the quality of life. My experiences have made it hard for me to just settle with the old onions and rice that life dishes out. Instead, I want to transform what I am given in this life to something that can change our world. Even when difficulties never seem to stop arising, my mom has never given up hope or quit. She just keeps focused on where she's headed. From the time that I was born until this day, my mom has worked several different jobs to make sure that I survive. Even when she came back in the evenings with a sore back and an injured hand, she never moaned or groaned. She made sure she paid the rent, paid for my field trips, put food on the table, and went back to work. I have learned from her that life's obstacles are not meant to destroy a person. Rather, they are opportunities to build character. The stronger one's character, the more that they will be able to accomplish. College is really hard, but because of this value of discipline instilled in me from my mom, I am not bothered by long, grueling nights of studying or having to pick up extra work shifts to cover my tuition. My character has been developed to withstand the pressures of life and I'm convinced that future pressures will not hold me back either. My mom is the physical manifestation of a leader. I was nine years old when my mom and dad divorced. Even at that young age, I saw how my mom pushed her own needs to the side to be all the love and support that I needed. We once shared a room in the house of a generous church friend. There was some kind of leak in the corner of the room that emitted a horrible odor, worsening as you neared the floor. Considering that I had severe allergies and the bed couldn't support the two of us, my mom told me to sleep on the bed while she slept on the floor. This memory brings me to tears because my mom displays so much selflessness and love. Her actions teach me that a leader is someone who shows love by serving people and sacrifices their own comfort so that others become the first priority. As a result, I want to display leadership as a medical professional by serving the needs of others and making their health and well being my first priority.

My dream goal is to be the physical representation of love, compassion, and motivation. My desire is to make every single encounter with me intentional and for everyone who meets me to feel like they are valued. I want people to learn from my the display of my heart that true joy is found in sacrifice and a willingness to be humbled so that others can stand.

Right now, my name is Elizabeth Akintujoye. But one day, people will call me Dr. Akintujoye. I have a strong passion for the well being of others because it is a privilege to save a life. My mom is largest inspiration. She has shown me what true love is and what leadership means. Through the lens of my mother, love is sacrifice and leadership is allowing others to be the priority. When I was a little girl, I got terribly sick and needed all kinds of medications. My mom would take me to many doctors visits and would hold my hand when I was afraid. She prayed for me when all I could do was cry. When I was cold, she would give me her sweater to wear and would hug me tight until I was warm. I am so blessed to have a leader as mother and entering the medical field to practice love and sacrifice would only be a blessing.

I practice bravery and live boldly by loving my stretch marks. Though they recently developed, I can see the color darkening and the marks are elongating. I had a phase where I did all I could to clear them. I went through a whole bunch of creams and oils hoping for a miraculous result but to no avail. Plenty of thoughts flooded my mind like "no more bathing suits for you" and "skip some meals because you're getting fat." However, those thoughts were counteracted by the loving voice of my sister telling me that I am absolutely beautiful with them. She let me know that they enhance my beauty instead of diminishing it. When I look at my "beauty marks" now, I realized that the form some kind of map showing me how far I have come and life, and how much is left of my journey. My body may not look like someone else's but there isn't one form of beautiful. Beautiful exists many different body shapes and skin colors. I live boldly for other girls whose body may not fit an aesthetic but is still a showstopper.

Writing is like a powerful medicine that heals and soothes the soul. Since I was a little girl, I have struggled with fear and anxiety. I felt like the weight of the world sat upon me alone and everyone's problems were somehow linked to the burden of my life. However, writing made me feel completely different. A simple act of writing on a page or applying forces of different magnitudes to the keyboard of a computer erect supernatural and mystic worlds into existence. The art of writing fosters creativity which is the backbone to survival. It challenges you to think outside of the norm and have faith in what people don't see. Through art, I make a positive impact on the world by writing poetry that encourages people to rise above the social constructs of the current social world and think more constructively. I encourage people to think about how their own action effect generations to come and how selfishness stunts the growth of one's lineage. The attached poem was recently submitted for a contest and hopefully publication.

Growing up in a single-parent household is a lot like learning how to walk without your legs. Though things would be much easier with your legs, you don't let what you lack prevent you from living a healthy life and fulfilling your purpose. Living in a single-parent household has shaped who I am and my purpose in life by encouraging my creativity, building my discipline, and establishing my leadership skills. Times without number, my mother has shown me how creativity is central to the survival of a human being. As a child, I would watch her take inexpensive food items that were bland on their own and make them into something very palatable. She once made a delicious meal out of old rice and onions, a meal I still crave sometimes. She constantly communicates that the quantity of what you acquire can easily be transformed, when you don't let your circumstances limit your dreams. With this lesson in the back of my head, I am always encouraged enough to ask questions in class and grapple with challenges to improve the quality of life. My experiences have made it hard for me to just settle with the old onions and rice that life dishes out. Instead, I want to transform what I am given in this life to something that can change our world. Even when difficulties never seem to stop arising, my mom has never given up hope or quit. She just keeps focused on where she's headed. From the time that I was born until this day, my mom has worked several different jobs to make sure that I survive. Even when she came back in the evenings with a sore back and an injured hand, she never moaned or groaned. She made sure she paid the rent, paid for my field trips, put food on the table, and went back to work. I have learned from her that life's obstacles are not meant to destroy a person. Rather, they are opportunities to build character. The stronger one's character, the more that they will be able to accomplish. College is really hard, but because of this value of discipline instilled in me from my mom, I am not bothered by long, grueling nights of studying or having to pick up extra work shifts to cover my tuition. My character has been developed to withstand the pressures of life and I'm convinced that future pressures will not hold me back either. My mom is the physical manifestation of a leader. I was nine years old when my mom and dad divorced. Even at that young age, I saw how my mom pushed her own needs to the side to be all the love and support that I needed. We once shared a room in the house of a generous church friend. There was some kind of leak in the corner of the room that emitted a horrible odor, worsening as you neared the floor. Considering that I had severe allergies and the bed couldn't support the two of us, my mom told me to sleep on the bed while she slept on the floor. This memory brings me to tears because my mom displays so much selflessness and love. Her actions teach me that a leader is someone who shows love by serving people and sacrifices their own comfort so that others become the first priority. As a result, I want to display leadership as a medical professional by serving the needs of others and making their health and well being my first priority.

Before I started college, I was a certain weight. I was warned about the freshman 15, but I didn't believe that I would fall victim of it. I had maintained a relatively healthy and aesthetically skinny body for pretty much all of my life. However, all the things that I had believed about my body completely changed after freshman year. In Fall of 2020, I entered college, ready for a fresh start. I was ready for a new slate at having the highest GPA and hoped that I would meet someone. I thought college would be smooth sailing since I had been working hard since elementary school, but that turned out to be a lie. I got my first job at school so I felt like an adult. I was learning to manage multiple tasks at once and I was doing alright in the beginning. Then, I was demanded to pick up multiple shifts at work and to put more work into my science class than I ever had before. In addition, I was unknowingly lacking in certain vitamins, so my energy was becoming low. The bright-eyed and bushy-tailed energetic girl I used to be was slowly become a sleepy, grouchy, irritated person. But the dessert table at my college cafeteria made me feel completely different. I felt like a conquistador and I didn't have to worry about someone asking me if I had drunk water or eaten a vegetable. With each bite of sugar, I felt like all my worries and inadequacies magically disappeared and it felt great. This abusive relationship with sugar sprouted slowly in freshman year and became full blown in sophomore year of college, until I caught COVID. Within that one year, I had gained between 30-35 points. I noticed that my back hurt a lot and my ankles and feet were so swollen. It really dawned on me that I needed to change when I received a fitness report in my lifetime fitness class and it basically came back telling me that I wasn't healthy. Although many people around me let me know that I still looked fine and that those fitness assessments are in a lot of ways controversial, I still felt very convicted about my eating habits and way of living. I don't just want to change, but I have been making active efforts to improve myself. I recently bought a 64oz. water bottle and I eat little to no sugar. I have already started seeing results and it feels great. I still haven't met someone, which can seem like your whole world is crumbling if you go to a "ring by spring" school. It's better that way because Lord knows that there is so much I need to explore and so much I need to love about myself. I've started focusing my attention on the more constructive things in life and I've learned that an idle mind is a distracted mind. In order to maintain this change, I will add more exercise into my normal routine by walking more and drinking more water. In addition, I will eat less sugar, while drinking the natural antioxidants and healthier options. I feel so much better about entering my junior year of college and I know that this is finally the beginning of college breakthroughs for me!

Amelia Boynton Robinson and Samuel William Boynton were historical black figures who contributed to the changes in the voting rights and civil protections of black people. Samuel William Boynton worked as a county extension agent for Alabama, while Amelia Boynton Robinson worked as a home demonstration agent for Alabama. Together, they were fortified in one effort to improve rights of black people through demonstrations and peace talks. Samuel Boynton died in 1963, but Amelia Robinson continued her work for the movement. In 1964, she became the first black woman to run for a seat in Congress in the state of Alabama. Moreover, she was also the first woman ever to run as the Democratic candidate and she was able to earn ten percent of the votes. Though seemingly insignificant, this feat was a milestone for black people because it showed that black people were fighting for more than just the right to vote. They wanted the right to be represented, which sounds similar to the argument that the early colonizers made about "no taxation without representation." Amelia Boynton later participated as a peaceful protester in the Selma to Montgomery March, which was originally meant to be peaceful but resulted in the harm of many black civilians. The march was organized in 1965 by Amelia Boynton and some other prominent leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to draw attention to how limited black people were when it came to voting and the right to hold positions in office. However, while the unarmed protesters were demonstrating, several policemen were sent to attack them, and many were critically injured. The image of Amelia Boynton's body beaten unconscious raised much alarm. This march also known as Bloody Sunday helped expedite the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which prohibited voting discrimination based on race. Samuel William Boynton and Amelia Boynton Robinson inspire me to pursue my current path because they were trailblazers and exemplars. They stood for marginalized people, even if it meant sacrificing their own life and identity. As a future medical professional, I pray that I will be like Samuel Boynton and Amelia Boynton Robinson and willing to sacrifice for my future patients. I really desire to help improve the lives of low-income families in hard neighborhoods, considering that I am from a low-income African family. My mom is very much like an Amelia Boynton Robinson for me because I have seen how she has stopped her own life and made sacrifices so that I could have a better life. Because of her, I have the privilege to be in college and to study biology. I am incredibly blessed to have learned about these two amazing black figures and I pray to be counted among them in the future.

I was nine years old when I met the glass door to the front of our house completely shattered. My heart was racing and I felt incredibly dizzy because I thought someone had robbed us. However, I was not prepared for the series of events that would follow that day. For the past eleven years since the incident, my family and I have endured the pains of divorce, homelessness, and joblessness. In 2011, my mother and father finalized their divorce and the significance of the broke door finally made sense to me. It represented the brokenness that I would have to navigate for the rest of my life. While trying to process what that meant for our family, our house foreclosed. The Lord led us to some helpful people along the way who would provide housing for us through the county Bridges program. However, when the management changed at this program, we were forced out of the house we resided in and we lived in a cheap hotel for months. That year, we had exhausted all of our funds and my mom told me that we probably wouldn't have enough money to take me out on my birthday. I told her that it was alright because we had each other. I don't know if one of the hotel workers overheard or if she just felt the leading of the Holy Spirit, but she gave my mom a really nice voucher to go to an expensive restaurant. And that was the first time in a long time that we had gone out to eat. Throughout the whole ordeal, I just kept telling myself that the Lord wouldn't allow me to go through all these things for nothing. I believe that our Heavenly Father put us on this Earth to shine light and make the world a little brighter. I intend to make the world a little brighter by becoming a medical doctor and providing affordable care to those who are suffering from financial hardships. The Lord has given me the grace to make it to college and I am so grateful to Him for this privilege. College is important to me because it is my meal ticket to make a change in this world. I know what is means to lack, so if I can use my education to help those who are lacking in resources, support, and love, my joy will be full. College has already been hard to pay for. Even with the use of students loans, over 2,000 dollars has come out of my pocket each year for the past two years of college. I am now in my third year of college and my bill has been raised to over 4,000 dollars. Even with my current work study position at school, I cannot afford these additional funds added to the bill. For the first time in my life, I almost doubted that I would be able to continue my education and fulfill the purpose that the Lord gave me. But, when I thought of the Lord's goodness, how He has provided for me, and how His promises never fail, I realized that this financial problem was only a bump in road. The Lord, who has delivered me from the things listed above and more, will surely deliver me from the current trial I am passing through. I really pray that you would consider me for this scholarship because I am like a lantern that just needs a quick flame to last for a long time.