Throughout all of my 3 years of high school, and this year being my last I've had plenty of time to ponder on the decision of whether to attend college or take a gap year and put in perspective what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life, but later on, I had come to the realization that the determination I've gained to find success and to be successful was aiming for higher expectations that became through my academics and possessing the determination to outstretch my knowledge even further, so it became centered on the idea of attending college and pursuing a college degree. Many of the reasons why I'm pursuing a college degree are to positively highlight the necessary steps I had to take to finally be able to reckon the amount of hard work that had landed me in such a position. Specifically going for my undergraduate bachelor's degree in forensic science would grant me the amazing ability to obtain a career as a forensic technician or biologist, but climbing higher up the ladder through perseverance and even being awarded with my master's degree, would offer me the well-established knowledge within the area of sciences lending me an endless opportunity of career paths related to forensic science. Having the option of pursuing a college degree would benefit my parents as I would be able to see myself being financially stable and providing for them in the future as well as improving my self-esteem and even increasing my personal growth as it would directly set me up on the path that I believe would help me thrive and figuring out myself to clearly identify and appreciate all that has been presented in front me.

My goals have always been to permanently leave a footprint and guarantee that everything I did for someone or myself would forever be impactful and memorable, and know the people close to me would be influenced to simply reach for their aspirations and be proud of my accomplishments. Though my dreams have always felt out of reach, as though it would take a tremendous amount of effort, discipline, and a significant sum of motivation to achieve, I found my hard work had revealed to me these dreams that I thought were never in sight were only an arm's reach away.

I've always had a fond imagination of what my dream college would look like and envisioned taking all the classes and activities I took an interest in. When bringing to mind all the opportunities that many colleges offer, most of what excites me the most about the college experience is the possibility of building long-time friendships with others who support, teach and assist me in helping me grow positively. Having the hospitality of the staff and faculty and ensuring that I have their full support and assistance, getting to know my professors on a personal level and creating a great bond with them, finally the big day, graduation knowing as I conclude my final memories at college I'll be ready to face the real world complications. The way that I maintain a healthy mind, body, and soul amidst all the challenges that I encounter in school is by developing a routine for myself that I know will aid me and that I know will be simple enough for me to stay consistent with on a daily. Starting with my morning I try to wake a couple of hours early as the sun starts to rise, and do my morning devotion as doing so keeps me connected spiritually, and calms my mind having the awareness that I am ready to start my day, followed up with my morning stretch which in all takes 10 to 15 minutes. Considering how I try to stay healthy mentally when it comes to my academic aspects I set timers for myself to successfully complete the task at hand, have the right set of friend groups, and make sure I maintain healthy eating habits throughout the day. Overall I wouldn't say I'm someone that always has everything organized and knows what tomorrow will likely look like, but rather someone who makes sure that everything that I do will beneficially impact me.

As young women growing up African American in this world, society expects us to look up to historical figures in such ways they believe will inspire us, even more, to aim for a purpose greater than ourselves, we have come to understand society isn't always right. Reading the mini bibliography of Hester Richardson Powell in a sense had given me a clearer scope to look back on the accomplishments in my own life and the idea of whom she was and might've been as if to say, my own grandmother. Resilience to me significates the capability to withstand the barriers you've set up for yourself, and through lack of motivation, still rise up and get work done. The way that I've demonstrated resilience to inspire others is despite my adversities, I've found ways to remain positive and optimistic through freely expressing what I feel and possessing the self-awareness to apprehend my surroundings and others' emotions, understanding my ideas and opinions won't always be accepted by the right crowd and people, considering the buoyant side of my struggles, and continuing to find the motive behind my goals and objectives. Reflecting on my personal experiences of resilience was the necessity to shift from one place to another for a while, having no choice but to adapt to my environment as quickly as I could, presented with the knowledge of what I had yet to learn and the students I had yet to get acquainted with, surprisingly quickly and effectively I found myself becoming accustomed to my new life and surroundings. One of the aspects in my life that have helped me through most with my resiliency is my faith, growing up in a Christian household and having my personal occurrences, faith had giving me someone to lean on, it had given me the confidence that amid my times of hardships God had been and is always by my side, through my faith it had given me the wisdom that though I may not fully comprehend what is happening in my life at a specific moment, trusting God's plan will always leave me fulfilled. In the face of my hurdles and difficulties, resilience had thought me to be a team player, and even step up as a leader when no one else appeared to be fitting for the position, to bear the consequences of underperforming, or to celebrate the triumph of exceeding in a project. Applying resilience to my everyday activities guided me always to the belief that I could be anyone, go anywhere, and achieve anything.