As an LGBTQ+ individual, I have faced some challenges as well as victories. My journey in finding myself includes themes like self-discovery, strength, and commitment to make sure that my community is fought for. Through my desire to pursue higher education, I hope to gain the knowledge that will rightfully help me fight not just for my community but for other communities around me. One of the main challenges that I faced when it came to self-discovery was fitting in not only with my society but with myself. I do believe that it is true when they say that you have to love yourself before you can love someone else. I do believe that accepting myself is what helped me push through that threshold of the judgments of the society around us. I believe learning to love myself is what helped me embrace my true identity. There have been times like everything in life when you feel social isolation. The one tough ideology that I think I had to understand is that not everyone is going to support you. There will be moments of adversity where you do feel alone but it is our job to persevere. Education has also been a tremendous help in really using my knowledge to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. For instance, I am currently taking a Media Literacy class and we are constantly examining how the media manipulates our feelings and shapes our perceptions of different groups. Media Literacy has taught me how to read about certain topics and attempt to see from what perspective the news source is coming from and what is the agenda of the media source. I can use this for my future endeavors to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community because I can use the media responsibly and knowledgeably. I have chosen to pursue Business Marketing which I believe could be a very helpful tool in today's society to advocate for LGBTQ+ members like myself. For instance, we as individuals can promote inclusivity of all genders, sexual orientations, and more. As marketers, we can encourage local organizations to partner with LGBTQ+ groups or members to promote a safe and healthy environment in our community. We can encourage organizations to take part in Pride events as well as make campaigns that target some of the LGBTQ+ members. There are many ways in which I can use my degree to advocate for LGBTQ+ members. In receiving this scholarship I can get the chance to focus on my studies more and really attempt to intake all marketing concepts so I can use them responsibly. With this scholarship, I can also really begin to find new ways I can advocate for my community. Although I have struggled at times with my sexual identity I have continued to persevere. I hope to continue to gain more knowledge about advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. I also would like to thank Douglas Bicknese for allowing not just me but every other student to apply for a great scholarship.