One of my favorites quotes that comes to mind when regarding the importance of life, no matter what stage, ironically is from Dr. Suess' 'Horton Hears a Who' - "A person is a person no matter how small." As a practicing Christian and pro-lifer in today's society, I am bombarded by the things of this world daily. The life of a human being is something to be celebrated and protected no matter how old and no matter how young. As a student of a public university, there is no shortage of unbelievers and pro-choicers on my campus daily. You cannot walk very far without seeing the sad reality; that many live not knowing the Lord, and believing that abortion is ok. A reminder that I turn too often is found in Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed thee in the belly I knee thee; and before I thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." This verse is a reminder of both my walk with Christ and the importance of recognizing life in the womb. Before conception God knew us, had a plan, and saw fit to bring us into the world. God also called us to be a light and a witness to those around us before we were even born. The bible directly tells us that life begins in the womb despite what many will try to convince us in this world. As a psychology major pursuing a Bachelor's in Science of Psychology with an emphasis in Neuroscience, not only does the bible support life in the womb, but so does science. As someone on the pre-med track, many will emphasize their beliefs about the right to abortion and the 'simple' choice that women ought to have. However even science cannot deny the life that is held inside the womb. In my cognitive neuroscience class during the discussion of the prenatal development, one of the most fascinating things brought up is that the spinal and nervous system begin developing after just 20 days of conception. By day 24 the spinal column begins to show significantly and the brain begins to develop. The development of this complex process that is so vital to the functioning of our everyday lives is already developing in a child by 3-4weeks in their mother's womb. While pursuing a future in medicine is extremely tasking, I believe that as a Christian and a pro-lifer I would have access to a unique opportunity to spread the truth about the gospel and life inside the womb. Thank you for taking the time to consider my application and thank you for offering a scholarship that hits on such important topics! I pray that you would consider my application and have a blessed day.

Arne Garborg once said, "To love a person is to learn the song in their heart, and sing it to them when they have forgotten." Alzheimer's disease is a tragic and heartbreaking illness to watch anyone go through, especially a loved one. From an early age, I saw firsthand the sad reality of Alzheimer's disease in my great-grandmother and later in her daughter, my great-aunt. Both women suffered from the harsh disease and went on to gain their ultimate reward not long after. As someone who is fascinated by psychology and pursuing a career in the healthcare field, Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related illnesses have always been an interest of mine because of the role it has played in my family. As a child, I remember very little about my great-grandmother (or mamaw as we called her), besides her illness. She married my grandfather at a very young age and had three children not long after, two daughters and a son. Her two daughters named Jackie and Rhonda, and her son named Ronald Jr. Unfortunately, after my father was born, she and my great-grandfather lost my grandmother who died from colon cancer at age 24. After my grandmother's passing, my great-grandparents took my dad in as if he was their son. Growing up I remember driving to their house on weekends and holidays to spend time with them. At some point during my childhood, my mamaw developed dementia, in which her character and personality were almost unrecognizable. At first, the symptoms were manageable. Mamaw would forget things here or there. She would forget what day it was, an appointment, etc. However, not too long after, she began to forget more important things. Such as places she was going, things she had been doing in the house and eventually people. My great-grandfather, refusing to put her in a nursing home, accepted sole responsibility for caring for her. Like anyone who has witnessed Alzheimer's disease, they know that it is not simply forgetting things. Her personality, while still sweet, was now volatile and uncontrollable. One minute she was fine, the next she was accusing my great-grandfather of random things. She also had begun to hide things throughout the house. However, since she would forget where she had placed them, she was convinced people closest to her were stealing from her. Eventually, with my great-grandfather's declining health, he was forced to put her in a home, yet still visited her for hours every single day. Somewhere in between her moving into a nursing home, she had lost all ability to walk and talk. I remember visiting her and my family and I simply sitting there talking all together at her but never with her. Maybe a year before her passing, my great-aunt Rhonda was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. While my great-grandmother's illness was bad, my great-aunt's was much, much worse. From the time she was diagnosed to a little after my great-grandmother's death in 2015, she was completely consumed by the disease. She passed away about 6 months after my great-grandmother's death, also leaving behind her husband and family. Throughout this time, I have learned how serious Alzheimer's disease is and how important research for the illness should be. As of now, we have been able to identify certain genes related to the disease but have not found a cure. This is just one of the many reasons I find this aspect of future academic research fascinating. I would love to contribute to it in some way in the future whether researching potential treatments in a lab or working hands-on with patients for potential therapy. I also have seen through the heartbreak of the illness the joy that comes from letting your loved one know you love them and care for them. Even when I know my great-grandmother could not remember me any longer, every time we visited her in the nursing home, it put a smile on her face. I believe that Garborg understood this by saying "and sing[ing] it to them when they've forgotten." As loved ones of those suffering, no matter how hard it is when they have lost their song, we must always sing it to them.

I became inspired to pursue a career in the medical field because of my love for psychology, criminal justice, law, and medicine. During high school, I was struggling to figure out how to settle on a college path that would be fulfilling, and interesting, and still encompass the fields of study I love. During my sophomore year, I decided for college I wanted to pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in criminal justice. At the time I wanted to pursue medicine as well; however, I was unclear how it would fit into my program of study. After doing some research I became increasingly interested in the realm of forensic psychiatry and ultimately landed on the career in medicine that I am currently pursuing. I initially became interested in forensic psychiatry because it encompasses psychology, criminal justice, law, and of course medicine. After further research, I also saw what an impact forensic psychiatry plays on the correctional system in our country. While we are one of the most advanced countries in the world when it comes to medicine and rehabilitation, we have one of the most ineffective criminal justice systems in the world. I am shocked and deeply saddened by this statistic. Throughout school, I would be interested in researching more effective ways psychiatric services and rehabilitation could be used to prevent and rehabilitate criminals. According to statistics, 1 in 4 inmates suffer from mental health issues and over 50% of Americans will suffer or be diagnosed with a mental disorder. I believe that pursuing a career in psychiatry would enable me to help others overcome their mental health issues or at least learn to navigate life with them. I also think that pursuing this type of career in medicine will help in some way resolve the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Too often, many people joke about, disregard the severity of, and misinterpret mental illnesses/disorders. I am currently reading 'An Unquiet Mind' by Kay Redfield Jamison, a world-class psychiatrist and a sufferer of bipolar disorder/manic-depressive disorder. After truly understanding the mind of someone with bipolar disorder and the everyday appearance of the illness, I find that it is one of the most misunderstood disorders in my opinion. I constantly hear in strangers', family, and friends' conversations, where the term 'bipolar' disorder, is thrown around, and it couldn't be a more inaccurate representation of the illness. Unfortunately, this misrepresentation of the disorder just scratches the surface of the widespread misunderstanding of mental illnesses and why treatment can be so difficult. My goal as a physician would be to leave people more whole than when they first came under my care.

1. I believe I deserve this scholarship because of my already enormous wealth. In fact, I am not even sure why I am applying for this scholarship. 2. My academic goals are to pursue a college degree and then drop out a month before graduation. I think it would be great to get my friends and families' hopes up, then right before graduation time surprise them by dropping out. This would be a great story for any and all family events! 3. I would love to elaborate on how I've overcome an obstacle in my life. However, I never have. My parents got divorced when I was 9 (guess I handled it like a champ)! I think that obtaining this scholarship would be an obstacle I would not like to overcome!

I am interested in pursuing a degree in STEM specifically Forensic Psychology. I am currently working on my Bachelor's degree at the University of North Georgia with plans to transfer this Spring. In applying to other colleges, I hope to accomplish a Master's from the University of Georgia in Applied Behavioral Analysis or get a Master's from the Florida Institute of Technology. In the future, I also want to pursue MED school in hopes become a Forensic Psychiatrist. Many people do not realize just how male-dominated the STEM and Medical fields truly are, regardless of the progress our society has made towards equality. A study was done by the Association of American Medical colleges and they found that in all specialties of medicine combined, statistically, males made up 66.0% while females made up only 34.0%. Also, the American Association of University Women did a study on 'Women in STEM Occupations' and found saddening results as well. In STEM across occupations, women make up only 28% of the jobs in engineering, science, math, and technology. The gap between the male and female jobs in these areas is vast and tragic. I hope to pursue my degree and bring this gap closer to even. I have always been interested in the science behind the brain and forensics. I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in the Criminal Justice realm as well as the Medical field. I became interested in the science behind psychology during high school leading to my desire to study forensic psychiatry. In the future, I aspire to work for or with a government agency and one day even with correctional facilities. My goal would look towards improving the rehabilitation aspect of the US correctional system. I also enjoy the science of profiling and consulting. I want to be able to use forensic psychiatry as a tool to improve a hindered system, bringing about real change that benefits one life at a time. I also have been reading more and more on the neuroscience aspect of human behavior recently. I have become extremely interested in the science behind psychopathy and anti-social personality disorders. In the future, I would love to be able to partake/assist in research involving the treatment of these particular disorders as well as identifying causes or correlations. With the amount of school required for this particular degree, student debt will accumulate very fast in a short amount of time. This scholarship would be immensely helpful toward my educational goals.

One of my favorite discoveries as someone aspiring to study Forensic Psychiatry would have to be the discovery of DNA. DNA plays a crucial role in every individual, creature, and living thing. DNA is the genetic material that encompasses the ancestry of many individuals before us. It holds the key to scientific research, disorders, diseases, and other breakthroughs. In the future, I would love to study DNA as well as genetic components in antisocial disorders. With anti-social disorders, specifically psychopathy affecting such a large population of people, I would love to research the genetic predispositions of this disorder. As of today, psychopathy and other disorders are still much of a mystery on whether or not there is a genetic correlation that results in the disorder passed down from parent to parent. Some scholars argue there is while others argue there is not. However, finding a common cause or direct linkage to the disorder could prove influential in the future treatment of it.

Some of my top ways of relaxing involve spending the afternoon/night at home alone and recharging. While I love hanging out with friends and family, as someone who is very introverted, I enjoy recharging from a busy week by doing some of my favorite things in peace and quiet. On a typical self-care night, I will put on a face mask, fix my favorite dinner, and put on a TV Show I am currently watching. I also love reading and hanging with my dog as a means to destress. These activities help me clear my mind from the stress of situations and school after a long day or week. Another way I like to take care of myself each day is by working out. Exercising helps clear my head, focus my thoughts, and improve my mood every day. I enjoy working out and pursuing a healthy lifestyle while also listening to my body's needs. Most days my workout consists of weights or cardio, however, somedays my body just needs a light walk and stretching. Improving my physical health also benefits my emotional and mental health and puts me in a right place towards others. I am a firm believer in taking care of one's body and mental health. I believe that if you can't be in a right standing with yourself, you'll never be able to be in a right standing with others.

Hilaire Belloc once said, "We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment." I decided from a very early age in life that travel would be something very important in my future. Over the past couple of years, I have been curating and perfecting trips and destinations that I have dreamed of seeing. At the top of my bucket list, my goal is to visit every continent before I'm 30. Some of my top destinations are Greece, Peru, Australia, Canada, and many other destinations across the world. I plan to swim with manatees in Tampa, FL as well as hike the national parks across the US. Next summer my family and I plan to travel to Athens Greece. Each of these destinations has a rich attraction due to its beauty and history. Millions of people with different lives and cultures waiting to be explored. Another goal on my bucket list will hopefully aid in my travels one day and that is, to be fluent in more than one language. Right now, I am currently learning Spanish and Greek. I believe it would be amazing to explore Peru and have the ability to converse with people of another language. Another bucket list goal of mine is to have a good financial standing by the time I am 25. Right now, I am currently reading and saving my money in hopes to practice good financial habits. I would love to be able to pay off student loans in a timely manner after I graduate without a feeling of dread or overwhelming stress. Growing up and witnessing my parent's attitude toward money, my goal is to build wealth that prepares me for a future home, family, surprise inconveniences, and of course travel.

My name is Elizabeth Nelson and I am currently a freshman at the University of North Georgia. This fall, I will wrap up my Associate's Degree in Psychology and hope to attend the University of Georgia in the spring of 2023. At UGA I plan to pursue my Bachelor's/Master's degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis with a focus in forensics. I also have aspirations to attend Med school afterward in order to pursue a career in Forensic Psychiatry. Growing up, I have always been fascinated by the human mind and the way our brain operates. I also grew up with a love for all things investigative, analytic, and forensic-focused. This love during my developmental years has shaped my career aspirations and my outlook on the world. With a degree in Forensic Psychiatry, I would love to work with some type of government agency in the future. However, I also would love to work in developing a better rehabilitation system for convicted criminals. As of now, our Criminal Justice System loves using psychology to catch and analyze criminals (something I am all for and would love to do in the future) however we don't consider it when it comes to rehabilitation. According to 'Harvard Political Review,' "more than 600,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons each year. Another 9 million are released from local jails. [And] within three years of their release, two out of three former prisoners are rearrested and more than 50% are incarcerated again." Not only does this hugely affect the economic system within America but it also contributes to a huge population that's mental health is ignored. As citizens, law enforcement, government officials, etc. we love to take into account traumatic events, personal experience, and more when convicting criminals. Yet, we don't use this information as a tool for rehabilitating the mental health of those convicted. I would love to help introduce a program that focuses on the mental health of prison inmates. I also believe that the more invested the program is into first-time offenders as well as younger inmates, the percentage of re-offenders would shrink. As well as criminals, I also would like to help improve the mental health of those working on the front lines in catching criminals and protecting our country. Some of the most stressful jobs include those serving in our military, law enforcement, government agencies. I believe that if we were to help these individuals we would see improved mental health. I believe that every individual deserves the right to good mental health however, it's not talked about enough or normalized to receive help. I believe that breaking this stigma would help end the cycle of ignoring and hiding mental health issues. Thank you for taking the time to read this scholarship entry and for the opportunity. This scholarship would help me tremendously in the expenses I look toward in the future in pursuing my career.

Lila Rose once said, "my rights as a woman and human being do not include the right to kill my child. Period." Over the past couple of years, my pro-life beliefs have begun to grow as well as my knowledge about humans before birth. In today's society, it is regarded as total nonsense to claim the message of pro-life. People who say they are 'open-minded', an advocate of 'social justice, and so on become infuriated to hear that people are pro-life. In our education systems, we are taught that babies are not humans until after birth although science supports that a heartbeat arises anywhere from as early as 3-4 weeks up to 6 1/2-7weeks after conception. Being a Christian, the pro-life message should be of great importance to us all. However, I fear that many are silent out of fear from their peers and society. The message of the bible teaches us that all life is precious, no matter how small. As well as my biblical beliefs, my mother is also a Register Labor and Delivery Nurse. She gets to experience the joy of bringing life into the world everyday at work while also seeing the strategy that comes when a baby does not make it. She has made sure me and my siblings know the importance of life in the womb and the science behind the development of a human being. Growing up and experiencing the age of social media has only discouraged the pro-life message even more. It is horrific to see on Instagram posts the terrible comments regarding pro-abortionists as well as the hate from these individuals. The same women who claim 'my body, my choice' have no problem killing an innocent child whose body is not their own. While social media has brought to light the terrible actions of some regarding this topic, I have also been able to follow along and support pro-life movements such as LiveAction.org, Students for Life of America, and several others. I have been encouraged and inspired by women such as Lila, Rose, Autumn Higashi, and many more. These women have encouraged me to not be silent when it comes to pro-life matters. For Martin Luther King once said... "our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." I have been active on social media regarding pro-life, however, I would love to be more involved. In the near future I would love to go to a March for Life and experience and spread the pro-life message there. I also have been doing more research into human development in the womb to stop common misconceptions that abortion is ok. When brought up in public I want to be able to stand up for what's right while being knowledgable and calm about my defense. I am saddened to live in a world where we fret about death in every aspect however, 2363 a day die due to abortion and it seems that know one cares. We have international human rights efforts and international laws protecting the lives of humans, but in our own country we regard abortion as just another 'medical service.' How heartbreaking? Thank you so much for this opportunity as well as not backing down in your pro-life beliefs.

My goals for the future include bettering myself through my education, traveling and experiencing new cultures, and building financial stability. Growing up I have always been interested in the realm of criminal justice, law enforcement, and psychology. Right now I am majoring in psychology with a focus in forensics pursuing my Bachelor's degree. Within my college experience, I would like to complete my Master's in psychology as well as pursuing Med. school afterwards. In hopes to eventually work within the criminal justice system as a Forensic Psychiatrist. The only setback towards my goal is the financial cost. Apart from my education, I would love to travel and experience new cultures in the future. One of my goals is to travel to every continent before I die. I have always been mesmerized by different cultures, languages, regions, etc. Some of the top places on my travel list are... Peru, Russia, Austria, Lebanon, and many others. Right now I am studying Spanish as my language in college and would love to incorporate that into my travels in the future. The final goal of my top three is to build financial stability for myself in the future. I have always been very independent and from watching others suffer with finances, financial stability is very important to me. My of my top goals would be to avoid as much college debt as possible as well as being able to pay it off within a timely manner. I hope to be able to build up savings as well as begin investing within the next 5 years.

My experience with mental health started after the divorce of my parents. At around 11 years old, a couple of years after my parent's divorce, I began to show signs of constant sadness, withdrawal from social groups, and an unhealthy mental state. At the time, I felt normal as I always have, just sad. I didn't really understand the point of doing anything. After going to counselling, my mental state got better and ever since then I have been interested in the mental state and mental health of others. Along with mental health, growing up I have also always been fascinated with criminal justice. When in high school and considering future career paths, I always thought I had to choose between the two as a career. I never considered that the two could coincide. However, after developing a love for psychology, I discovered the realm of forensic and abnormal psychology. My interest sparked when learning about forensic psychology, which is now my major in college. As of right now, I am pursuing my degree in Applied Psychology with a focus in the forensic aspect. Within the next year and half, I plan to apply to the University of Georgia's double dawg program for Applied Bahvior Analysis which will enable me to get my bachelor's/master's degree within 5 years. Following the completion of this program, my aspirations are to attend MED school in pursuit of a degree in Forensic Psychiatry. With this degree, I will strive to figure out the criminal mind. I have been fascinated with the how and why criminals do what they do and how their brain functions actually play a huge role in their actions. One particular mental disorder that has always fascinated me when studying criminals is, Narcisstic Personality Disorder. In the future, I would love to possibly research and study this NPD more in depth. I believe that his disorder affects the mental health of many individuals. However, due to the nature of the disorder, the individuals' actions also effect the mental state of other's around them. In the future after receiving my degree, I would love to work in the private sector under a practice as well as for a government agency/consulting. I have always been interested in the Federal Burea of Investigation as well as the Central Intelligence Agency. While it has always secretly been a dream of mine to work one of these institutions, I believe that studying and working with mental health could prove very beneficial. I also would hope to make an impact in the legal community as well. Looking at individual's mental states and the differences between each and every individual's mind could play a crucial role in the prosecution and rehabilitation process. Not only would I strive to make an impact in the lives of criminals and victims, but I also would love to work with law enforcement professionals and veterans suffering with poor mental health. In today's society often in these fields, mental health is overlooked and underestimated; changing this could play a pivotal role in the lives of everyone and in the improvement of the criminal justice system.

A personal finance lesson that I found important is the idea of saving now to avoid panic later. As a student who is personally invested in furthering my education, college can be very costly. When looking at classes and college degrees, it can become overwhelming when looking at the costs. An important lesson that I have learned is the importance of saving and investing. In order to get ahead on finances and loans for the future. I can start balancing the scale by saving now. One important quote I read when researching good savings portfolios is the quote, "don't save what's left after spending, spend what's left after saving." Rather than spending my money frivolously, then saving what's left, it's important to establish good saving habits now that I can carry into adulthood. Another important lesson I would like to put into practice within the next year is investing. After researching the importance and positive aspects of investing, I feel that it serves as a great way to save and increase those savings. Rather than just saving and having that money sit in a bank account for a long period of time I would choose to invest it. By investing my money, I am putting the money back into the economy for good use while increasing its productivity for my benefit.

As a lover of psychology and the mind, I am pursing a degree in Psychology/Applied Behavior Analysis with a focus in Forensic/Abnormal Psychology. I am currently at the University of North Georgia obtaining enough credits with which I can apply to the University of Georgia's double dawg program. The double dawg program's Psychology degree is a combined Bachelor's/ Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. From there, I plan to attend Medical school in with a focus in Psychiatry. I aspire to work within the private sector as well as public. A goal of mine would be to one day work for the Central Intelligence Agency or the Federal Bureau of Investigation; as either a member or a consultant. I would one day also love to work with a practice of medical professionals or potentially have my own. I have always enjoyed understanding individual's thoughts and the choices people make on an everyday basis. While many individuals enjoy talking or encompassing other's attention, I prefer to watch how other's navigate social situations as well as conflict. I am very interested in how individuals develop into committing the different actions of everyday life; what makes a criminal do what they do? Are some individuals predisposed to commit crimes and others not? Or is it simply a nurturing factor? These are common questions that I am baffled by when studying psychology. I believe that psychology is an overlooked aspect of why people act and behave the way they do; especially criminals. Many times criminals are never apprehended or caught because people do not understand their motivations, desires, and or the reasoning behind their operations. Which, enables criminals to wander further and further from the law appearing as they can never return to society and enables for more victims to lie in wait of an attack. Also, many criminals after being caught never receive any sort of treatment to what is often times going on inside their head. Today's society simply dismisses these individuals as permanently damaged. However, sometimes individuals can change and simply don't because they have never known anything different. Or, something is imbalanced within their chemical or hormonal state. There are endless possibilities to the discoveries psychology could aid as well as the help it could bring to future perpetrators and their victims. The Dr. Meme Heineman Scholarship would help me immensely with future expenditures towards these degrees. While I believe college is a brilliant investment into one's future, it is very expensive. This scholarship would aid in the cost of classes and textbooks towards my desired goals. As well as cutting back on future student loans.

One of the most helpful pieces of financial advice I have ever received were the wise words, "Do not save what's left after spending; instead spend what's left after saving" Warren Buffett. As a college student as well as an individual in this complex and giant society, financial literacy can seem overwhelming and undervalued. After graduating high school and seeing the reality of expenses in today's world; I have begun to become very passionate about my personal finance and my financial goals for the future. After doing some research and reading on budgeting habits and savings I came across this quote by Buffett. Before reading his words, I had never really thought of savings that way. I also believed savings were the funds left over after all expenses (needs & wants). However, after reading I realized that truly becoming financially literate meant understanding the difference between saving and just gathering what's left. Rather than saving what's left after a shopping spree and weeks of eating out each time after a pay check, save after major expenses and bills are paid. Make saving a priority then see where you are able to splurge a little here and there. Entering the world of college and all the expenses to come, can be very overwhelming for a student. Thus, I am trying to learn as much as I can about financial literacy in order to set myself up for success later on. The importance of this quote has meant a lot so far which is why I have written down in the front of my planning/budgeting binder and notebook. This quote serves as a reminder to prepare for my financial future.