Hi, my name is Embery! If I could give everyone in the world just one book, I believe it would be a book that each person themselves could write uniquely. With a book that every person could scribble down into for the span of their entire lives, in the most difficult corners of life they could just hand the book over and let the writing explain itself. Let the person see them in their happiest and most difficult moments, because too many people do judge a book by its cover! I have been an avid reader ever since I was younger and no one book is cut out for everyone. No singular book shows the depths of humanity and all sides of a person’s personality. Admittedly, my first thought when I read this prompt was the Bible, but I thought about connection. Yes, the Bible connects everything perfectly for me, but a book that each living person could document their lives into, a diary, where they could simply hand it over to explain themselves, to show everything they have overcome, works for everybody. Each person would possess their own unique copy with a maximum amount of pages determined for everyone. When they’re laid to rest, the book can go with them or stay. When they celebrate a birthday or wish to start a new job, they can use the book as a form of a life resume or choose not to hand it over. Thank you for reading my essay.

Hello, my name is Embery! I am an incoming freshman this Fall 2024, and I aspire to be a child and adolescent psychiatrist! I will be majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology, and have plans of attending medical school in the future and one day opening up my own practice. My top motivations come from my own experiences with hardships and emotional turmoil, along with a love for my community and viewing the need for mental health access in America. Although some of my hobbies consist of watching tornado chasing videos and trying different styles of pizzas, my dream job consists of helping others and erasing the taboo around self care as a psychiatrist. The broad category of STEM encompasses so many fields and opportunities to better this world. Our field is the driving force on this Earth, each letter representing a topic that touches at least every person in their day to day lives. I believe that I will be able to add more representation to STEM, as an African American and as a woman. As most know, the STEM field is typically seen as male-dominated, but when so many of our clients and patients are not only that, having them interact with people they relate to and who understand where they’re coming from can be insanely helpful. What excites me about STEM is the fact that new careers and opportunities are popping up every day now! You can work under someone else or jumpstart your own career, aiding in financial freedom for some who may not have previously thought it would be achievable for them. While I am not pursuing a career in information technology, I have always been a person that goes for things that I want- and need. I need this money, and by applying I’m reaching out on a limb that I may receive this scholarship that I would be very appreciative and grateful for. One of the greatest challenges I have overcome was enduring my turbulent childhood. I was raised in a single parent household but primarly raised by my grandmother; I am the older sister of younger brothers who I am so close with that I almost view them as my own, and the daughter of a father who was rarely present, then later passed when I was 15. I am the product of childhood bullying and being excluded, of being the odd one out and participating in various fine arts programs that built up my confidence. My life has constantly been a whirlwind, but some of the greatest support we all receive comes from the people you keep closest to you and the people you surround yourself with. Overcoming my emotions regarding the life I have had thus far was not easy. Trauma is not something that simply fades away, but something that you work through on a daily and come to cope with. It took faith and much self reflection, hard working and not compromising for anyone for me to discover who I truly was and what I really can achieve. I pushed aside the doubts that I would apply to college, that I would aspire to enter the field of psychiatry, and did just that! I wouldn’t allow myself to succumb to the hateful mindsets of others, to the things they believed would happen to me because of my upbringing and that alone. I have always been the quiet and shy girl, but now I step out and own my future and my own outcome. Receiving this scholarship will allow some of the financial burden upon my shoulders to lessen. My mother and grandmother will worry less about if I will be alright in college financially, and have time to relax after years of standing by my side and being the shoulders for me to lean on. I only want peace for them and to not have to worry if I will have to drop my classes not out of lack of knowledge but out of lack of money. Becoming a child and adolescent psychiatrist will allow me to help others and to aid a changing world that is now recently becoming open to the idea of therapy and mental wellness, and it will also allow me to achieve financial security of my own. I was able to overcome my rough childhood with the support of my loved ones and the community around me, and now I would love to give back and inspire those who are now in the shoes that I once was in. Thank you for your time.

Hello, I’m Embery! I enjoy reading scientific research, watching tornado chasing videos, and trying pizzas from all over the world! Would you ever guess that I want to become a psychiatrist? Via my obtainment of higher education, I aspire to become a beacon in the community; a role model to children that look like me and don’t, and a shoulder to lean on for the clients who consider my work. Since a young age I have been very active in the community from local plays, toy drives, STEAM and STEM camps, and other forms of volunteering. It was no surprise to me that I want to dedicate my life to others, and to lead them onto the best track of mental health that they can receive. Growing up, I was the product of a single family home, the older sister of younger brothers, and the daughter of a rarely present father who later passed when I was about 15. Going through the rough patches that I endured taught me that community is your best support when you need it, but that sometimes everyone’s form of support isn’t helpful. My interest in psychiatry begin to bud whilst looking for mental health resources online for myself. I fell in love with medical abstracts discussing mental health and other health related topics. Once I knew that the field of psychiatry was in my future, it was only a matter of what category. My love my children and my hope for raising a family one day inspired me to want to work with children and adolescents at my own practice. One day this will be my truth, and I am so excited for that day to come! As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I will serve low economic individuals at a lower cost, and aid in bridging the access gap that exists in America for those hoping to obtain mental health treatment. My field may be shrouded in taboo, but I believe that the more open we are all about each of our struggles, the easier we make life for the next person. As a Black woman, there aren’t many medical professionals out there who look like me, and being aware of this, I know that my success will also inspire others who feel they come up against doubt and stereotypes that they can do anything they wish to achieve! Still indulging in my hobbies, learning about storm chasing and whether deep dish is better with extra cheese or extra sauce excites me, but I know that psychiatry is the field for me! Receiving this scholarship will allow some of the financial strain upon myself and my family to be lessened. Becoming a child and adolescent psychiatrist will not only allow me to give treatment to those who need it, it will also allow me to achieve financial security. I am so excited to become a professional one day, as I am currently an incoming freshman to college! Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery! Ever since I was younger, one of my biggest Black inspirations was MLK. Participating in an MLK oratory in elementary school to getting to write about him for a scholarship means I have come a long way. He has always inspired me by how strong and courageous he was to take to the stage and speak the words that no one else dared to. At a time when Black voices were muted and forced away, he shone bright like a diamond and took on the people against a peaceful world. He has inspired me so, that I would like to become a community leader myself. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I will be able to stand as a role model for other people who look like me and don’t. When you become a strong pillar within your community, you inspire younger children and people who want to step out and make a change, too. For one, I know all about needing a role model in my life, coming from a single parent household with a rarely present father who later passed away. My goal in the field of child psychiatry would be to serve low economic communities and provide mental health services to those in need. The gap in the health care system must be bridged, and not only repaired but eliminated from future wear and tear in the future. Everyone deserves the right to appropriate health care, no matter how taboo the subject of mental health may be in America, and especially the Black community. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to further my higher education and to obtain goals easier achieved with my financial strain lessened. Right now, my mother and grandmother fund my college aspirations, and I plan to hold down work study employment. Martin Luther King once said; “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” As a Black woman in the medical field, our voices are far and in between. I hope to become an advocate for other professionals for Black patients everywhere. With my financial burden lessened, I will be able to worry less about where money is coming from and focus more on my studies and contributions to the community. I have volunteered my entire life, and now know what it is like to be on the receiving end of grace. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery, but you can call me Em! A bit of background about me is that I grew up in a single parent household and much of my sense of strength and community was budded by the strong women in my family. In an all girls’ household for the longest, I learned to face the world and to find strength in my insecurities and perfection in my flaws. When my mostly absent father passed, a burden fell onto my shoulders. Will I ever be good enough to achieve anything if my father never paid me any mind? The community around me and my loved ones helped me see that I could still aspire to do what I want no matter my background or circumstances. The emotional turmoil I endured during this time was heavy, but as always, when you have others to lean on this makes life much easier. To the person out there who may have went through similar thibgs, your community can be what years you down but it can also be what brings you up! The struggles of my childhood is actually what inspired me mostly towards psychiatry alongside a love for reading scientific study abstracts. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, my goal would be to serve low economic communities, bridging the gap that exists in mental health treatment in our country. Everyone deserves access to healthcare that benefits their life and health! But if the next person won’t step up to the plate and handle things, then I suppose it will be me. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist with my own practice I will become a role model to other people who look like me or don’t, to aspire towards something greater in life. Via my clients, I will treat them like humans and not just another buck and share my caring and my expertise through treatment. I was able to overcome some of the hardest moments in my life with a village, because after all it does take one- now it is time for me to give back and to help this village for once. Receiving this scholarship will lift some of the financial strain off the shoulders of myself and my family as I have two younger siblings still in school and my mother and grandmother live off of lower incomes. Becoming a psychiatrist will not only allow me to help others and to bridge a gap, I will also be securing financial stability for myself and the ones I care for. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery Guy! In a world where many of us often look out for only ourselves, it is good to lend a helping hand. Growing up, I experienced a childhood of bullying, and much isolation. I felt extracted from my peers and invisible oftentimes. Mostly, it took for a new friend to reach out and show me that others could still be kind to me for me to know that there was still a goodness in the world. You might believe that moments like those are what inspired me towards wanting to become active in my community, but not entirely. In my family, attending food drives and clothes drives never was a rare thing. My grandmother helped host them and serve the people that came to us in their lowest hour. Being that young and seeing the impact of reaching out and caring for the community around me was where my inspiration for helping others bloomed. Remembering drives around town and seeing people in states of need, wondering why no one was helping them piqued my curiosity. Doing those drives and committing to the community service hours that I have gave me an insight to the world of those people. But community service is not about the benefit of those acts of kindness towards the people who need them the most- it is about the impact that they have on those people’s lives. I come from a low income household, having used some of these pantries or toy drives myself, just as excited as the children I have served. One doesn’t have to be of a certain economic status to help those in need, one of the biggest stereotypes! Through every section of my life, I have always seen the example of becoming a helping hand. Losing my father, a rarely present man, in my early high school years and growing up in a single-parent household with only my grandmother as our main support taught me that life doesn’t always deal you the nicest dish. But just as myself and my family have overcame the obstacles that we’ve come across, I overcame the hardships of those experiences. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, my focus would be on treating individuals of low income backgrounds who otherwise might not be able to afford access to the treatment that they desperately need. There is a gap in our medical system as far as minority treatment and socioeconomic status; also much stigma around mental health in many communities of color. Becoming a beacon of success and change within my local community would mean that more children of all colors alike would see a role model in me and aspire to become something great. It would also mean that maybe I could help at least one person turn their life around before it is too late. Many people at the heel of the criminal justice system have suffered great trauma in their primary years or have an undiagnosed mental illness. With intervention from the start, we may have a better future on the horizon. With this scholarship, I will be able to ease some of the financial burdens upon me and my family’s shoulders as I pursue a higher education. I aspire to open my own practice and serve the Houston, Texas area. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery. The legacy I will create will continue to provide for myself and my family long after I pass. I hope to have my own psychiatry practice one day, as a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Serving low income families and aiding others in achieving happiness and tranquility is my main passion. While learning about tornado chasing and writing are some of my favorite hobbies to past time, once I applied to be a Biology major and Psychology minor, I knew that psychiatry was the career field that I would like to lean into. With my own practice, I could implement my own strategies and rules to best help my clients. The people that I help would not just be another ‘number’- I would treat my clients humanely. Creating an atmosphere that is open and friendly, indicative of my African American and Christian background, in my own office is also of equal importance to me. Most of the times, when you meet the next person mid-way, they are more likely to trust you when they see you as a person too. I tend to shine my light through helping others and being the optimistic person. I tend to easily find optimism in some of the hardest moments, and I become a ray of sunshine during the storm clouds. I’m inspired to offer my services to this demographic of individuals because their is a severe lack of professionals in this field who realize the lack of access most POC have to mental health treatment options. Closing the gap in the Texas community is one of my largest priorities. Growing up, I came from a low-income household myself and have struggled with my own fair share of troubles. I know firsthand that positive role models and access to knowledge on the things that the world pushes onto us can make or break someone’s psyche. When children are informed about themselves and the diversity of the people around them, they make better citizens and happier people. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to continue working towards my goal of higher education, and this will make the financial burden on my shoulder a bit lighter. Becoming a youth psychiatrist will not only allow me to help other people via my profession, I also will have a way to provide for myself and my family one day. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery. Family and giving back to the community are important to me. Growing up, I actively participated in food and clothes drives, and volunteered for events and camps in my area. Helping others is soothing to the soul and it also creates a positive cycle between you and the people around you. Helping someone out of a tough situation can quite literally change their life. Becoming a child and adolescent psychiatrist will allow me to achieve my goal of serving low-income individuals who may have slipped into the mental health crisis in America. There is a gap in treatment for POC and AA individuals, and if no one else is willing to acknowledge it, then I am. As someone with higher education and a well-paying job, I would serve as a role model to all that might look up to me, and even inspire a person here or there too. It’s very important for Black and Brown children to see people doing good, when much bad is portrayed about us out in the world that influences the youth. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to achieve my academic goals as well. Coming from a low-income household, experiencing the death of a rarely present father, and soaking up much of who I am today from my grandmother, I know what being strong and determined looks like. In school, my nose will be in the books and my eyes on the prize. I know that having a bit more money towards my schooling would allow some of the financial burdens upon me to lift. Not only will receiving this scholarship benefit me and my quest to help others; becoming a psychiatrist will elevate me out of a cycle of living paycheck to paycheck and allow me to care for those that matter the most to me. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery. I’m majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology. One day, I will become a child and adolescent psychiatrist, aiding communities suffering with economic issues and racial disparities. Filling the gap in available mental health treatment caught my eye awhile ago in my intermediate years. Indulging in scientific articles and psychoatric abstracts became one of my favorite past times alongside watching tornado chasing videos, of course. Coming from a low income household, handling the death of a barely present parent are some of the obstacles I had to climb over throughout my years. I’ve been in the shoes of someone suffering in silence, and knowing that I could make a huge, positive impact on someone’s mental encourages me. Ever since I was little, my grandmother served as one of my top role models. She herself was a pillar in her community, a teacher was strong and stern, but who gave out love freely and wouldn’t except anything but the best for herself and her community. Watching people come up to my grandmother in public and grinning, showing their accomplishments and retelling their lives. I have always aspired to make as much of a difference as she has, maybe even more, to give back. Community service, and more, I’m almost to the standard she has set for our family. Achieving higher education and happiness was something consistently preached throughout my life; that’s why it was no biggie when I let my family know I wanted to be come a member of the mental health field. Chasing our truths has always been a family trend, whether it was achieved or not. In college, I would love to learn more about weather! Learning about storm chasing and tornado hunting has been one of my favorite hobbies ever since I watched the movie ‘Twister’ when I was younger. Meteorology has appealed to me because of several reasons: The magnitude in which our Earth can produce things, the severity of natural disasters, and how we can better predict weather anomalies intrigues me. Although meteorology falls beneath my current major, my college track leans towards the field of psychiatry because of my Psychology minor, so I consider this to not be a topic related to my field of study, because I won’t be learning about any weather or things like that in my sort of classes. Although I know the career I wish to achieve, I will prioritize my own mental health and hobbies, my family and my finances as well. A healthy balance between work and your personal life is the key to maintaining your self in the field I would like to enter. All and all, this wonderful scholarship will help me achieve my goals for a better life for others and myself, too. Giving back to the struggle that I wish to overcome creates another positive cycle in this world, and it wouldn’t hurt to inspire others along my way to reaching these achievents. Thank you for your time.

Hello, I plan to major in Biology and minor in Psychology! My name is Embery, and I love children as well. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I would be able to serve low income individuals at my very own practice, reducing stereotypes concerning POC and reducing juvenile delinquency via catching mental health disorders early with these minors. I recognize that our health care system has a visible gap, but who is willing to really put a balm on this scar? I am. Since I was younger, I have been the one everyone has went to advice for and who held things down. I want to continue being an advocate and a comforting voice, this time now professionally. I am open to helping everyone and every patient that I can, but without everyone receiving equal access to the treatments that they need, then how will this continue to strive forward? As a psychiatrist, I would become a pillar in my community. A role model to some and an inspiration to others. Achieving things that most don’t get to see from people who look like me would leave a great mark on those younger than me. Coming from a low income household, dealing with the death of a relatively absent parent, and having as much assistance as my grandmother on a fixed income can give are only a few of the struggles that I have endured. But know that there are people out there who have had it worse- people that have only a few years of experience on this Earth handling all those big emotions! With access to the appropriate treatment, long lasting mental scarring doesn’t have to occur. Sometimes a person only needs someone else there in the moment to help them through a tough time, increasing the chances that in the end they’ll turn out mentally healthy. Often times, things don’t turn out that way. So you see, as a psychiatrist, I will benefit others and help them see a new light in life and to manage the cards that they have been dealt. My clients will not be just another ‘number’ or ‘patient’, but people I get to know and cherish! Receiving this scholarship would allow me to achieve my dreams and to fill my own financial gap in achieving higher education. College isn’t cheap, as we all know, but I am trying my best. Thank you for your time.

A participant of food drives, clothes drives, and STREAM camps- that’s me. Hello, my name is Embery and I would like to tell you about my impact on the community around me and how I would love to continue doing that. From a young age I have been besides others who share the same values as me, wanting to give back to the community and better it. Most of the community service I have participated in stemmed from AFT and Third Ward community projects that my aunt or grandmother were apart of. Seeing children my age and as I grew up, mentoring others beneath my age group, had a profound effect on me. Community service really made me ‘think’! Volunteering taught me compassion, and to not judge a book by its cover. That no matter your age or status, that we all have something that we can learn from one another. Coming from a low income household myself, I know all too well what it’s like to not be able to afford what you need. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I would be able to heal a gap in our mental health system, leaving out minors who need treatment.

Hello, my name is Embery Guy. Ever since I was small, I wanted to be an author and an illustrator, but only in my recent years have I differentiated between my hobbies and career interests. My passion for creativity and fun came from colorful children’s books, the fresh smell of the library, and wanting an escape from my turbulent childhood. My innovation and curiosity stemmed from a love of academic research and learning the way that the human brain thinks! As a child and adolescent psychiatrist I will help to foster positive mindsets and hold welcome long-lasting strategies into others lives. My primary focus would be on serving communities typically underrepresented or overlooked, people of a lower income status and of color. Through faith and psychiatric techniques I will be able to help others become their best selves and navigate their own minds. All of my clients will be treated like actual humans, and not just another ‘money maker’ or ‘number’. I want to be a role model within and outside of my community as I break stereotypes, barriers, and inspire the younger generation beneath me. Becoming a pillar within whatever community I eventually settle in, and wherever I work is the main goal. I have always loved to help others and I typically find myself becoming the compass some need to direct their lives. Growing up, I was raised in a single-parent household, with a rarely present father and a grandmother who helped my mother and I out as much as she could manage on a fixed income. Being able to help others going through the struggle would be an amazing way to not turn my back on what I’ve come from, and to help elevate others to where I wish to be. Many times, mental health is overlooked and is seen as a taboo subject in Western society. Even more, most people don’t consider that younger people might have complex emotions like adults. As human bodies change and grow and soak in life experience, things can go wrong or unprocessed, and that should never be taken lightly. What happens in a person’s childhood has an affect on the entirety of them. With this scholarship, I will be able to complete my education accordingly, and become the sort of person who can help others. There aren’t many psychiatrists with ‘patience’ and a ‘passion’ to fill the gap in mental health treatment for minors. Will you be my stepping stone?

Hello, my name is Embery and I will be a child and adolescent psychiatrist one day! Growing up, I came from a single-parent household with a mostly absent father who later became deceased a few years ago. Seeing my mother struggle through this time, while also trying to provide for me and my younger siblings left little space for us to connect as mother and daughter. Inevitably, my mental health weakened and only through my faith was I able to strengthen my wellness again. With such a strong role model in my life, I knew that I could achieve anything I wanted to, as our relationship improved and she encouraged me towards always having humility and helping others. Ever since I was younger I have been involved with the community with my nose stuck in a book. Over the years, reading fantasy and mystery have stuck with me, but once research began to crop up in my interests, I found myself exploring psychiatry. Reading medical articles and psychiatric abstracts online since middle school has been one of my favorite pastimes. Watching documentaries and YouTube videos on mental health terminology and case studies have also began to intrigue me. Because of my interest in these things, and my caring for others, I know that psychiatry will be the field for me. But what do I have to bring to the table? As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I will serve low-income individuals with affordability and accessibility concerns. I can provide a positive impact on the community of Texas by improving local mental health, and therefore eliminating some of the negative byproducts of it. A good percentage of individuals experiencing homelessness have mental health issues or suffer from emotional scarring as veterans. A good population of people who litter or indulge in fast food excessively have mental health concerns, using these things as coping skills or simply being unaware of their affect. Using psychiatry as a tool to improve the environment might seem like a far reach, but even research has proven that the happier a country is, the more clean and productive it results in being. As a psychiatrist, I will be able to instill good habits in others and as my clients learn from me, I will also be able to learn from them. Receiving this scholarship will not relieve some of the financial strain on the backs of my family and myself. I would really appreciate winning. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery Guy! Ever since I was eight years old, I’ve participated in community service events; a passion for helping others inevitably leading towards my interest in the psychiatry field. I have assisted with toy drives, food drives, and community outreach programs. Getting to work with the people of my community exposed me to various life experiences, personalities and inspirations. When I became aware of the mental health crisis in America, especially in the American American community, I knew that I wanted to do more than momentarily help- I wanted to make an impact. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I plan to serve low-income individuals struggling with accessibility and affordability needs in my own office. I see the gap in the psychiatric field for quality, low-cost care. Having financial issues shouldn’t keep anyone from receiving the appropriate health care that they deserve. Oftentimes we discuss rights, and what everyone should have access to no matter what. Why isn’t mental health treatment apart of that conversation? With poor mental health, you can have everything you’ve ever dreamed up and still wake up wanting to end it all! Access matters, and the more people who can be helped, the more happy and successful our nation will be. As a psychiatrist, I want to positively impact my surrounding community and potentially be a pillar within it. Seeing an African American Christian psychiatrist would set me up as a good role model for young girls and boys who might not think they can make something out of themselves from nothing. I personally come from a single-parent home, having a mostly absent father who then passed away a few years ago. I grew up seeing my mother struggle to make me happy while also keeping a roof over my head. No parent should have to walk the fine line between their child’s happiness and basic well-being. Doing all that I can to support a family during a rough time would be the center of my focus. Allowing a child to see their full potential and to evolve into their best self, not letting their unique circumstances affect them would be my goal. Having a client see someone who relates to them bridges the doctor-patient gap and can make them feel all the more comfortable. I’ll be an incoming freshman this Fall 2024. Receiving this scholarship would relieve some of the financial strain on myself and my family. Becoming a psychiatrist will not allow me to help others, I will also be able to relieve myself from a generational paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery! I’m an incoming freshman for the Fall 2024 semester. I have chosen to pursue a degree in the healthcare field because I am aware of what can be changed. There is no sugarcoating that can be done when mental health is ignored or when people are stereotyped and turned away, more so misdiagnosed. As an African American, I will bridge the gap between patients who might look at their doctor and believe that they won’t understand. I will help my coworkers better relate to my community, and provide diversity to the face of the field and wherever I seek employment. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I wish to provide quality care to low-income individuals who might otherwise be denied treatment due to accessibility and affordability concerns. I believe that everyone decides low-cost treatment, and that economic status should never get in the way of any form of health! I also would like to have my own practice eventually. As a woman, I will make a positive impact by not treating my clients as another number or a second-class being. I will listen to them and provide the warmth that they need. I will advocate for all of my clients, regardless of their backgrounds, and won’t stand for any injustices. I want to become active in my community, becoming a role model to other little girls and boys, so that they can see that life isn’t just about chasing the bag, that it can be about happiness too. I see the holes in healthcare, and while some may want to ignore them, I want to eradicate them completely, not just patch them up. Receiving this scholarship will not help me achieve my career goals via higher education, it will also help me pull myself and the single-parent household I came from the paycheck to paycheck cycle. Looking into work study opportunities and making myself aware of off-campus employment in hand with this money will allow some of the financial strain on us to be relieved. I can’t wait to begin college and immerse myself in the opportunities my professors provide me with. I am a hard worker and a typically straight A student. If I find myself slacking off in work, as I’m only human, I organize and reevaluate what I need to do. This is an approach that I also apply to any other problem I come across in life. With this scholarship, I will be able to great things! Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery Guy. My career goal is to become a child and adolescent psychiatrist. I plan to serve low-income individuals who come might come from a POC background, offering them comfort, affordability, and accessibility. I want to be the voice for those who have been wrongfully treated, historically unethically experimented upon, and who want to improve their lives. I have a personal connection to the field in the fact that I have a mother who has a degree in psychology and have had my own mental health experiences. I’ve been dealing with chronic sadness for awhile, and the death of my mostly absent father in my early high school years heightened it. I turn my grief into fuel, remaining the person that everyone always leans on, and turning the times where I could feel sorry for myself into opportunities to share my pain with my support system and supporting other people with some of my same issues through their own ordeals. Coming from a single-parent household, I know that there isn’t enough money to go around. Although my mother has the psychology degree, she doesn’t make much and I know that my family won’t be able to fund as much as my higher education as they would like, as I have two younger siblings in the home as well, ages 4 and 7. My grandmother will also try to give me as much as she can, but she is on a fixed income. I plan to check out work study options and off-campus employment, but college is expensive and I know that alone won’t be enough when I wish to achieve full-time schooling. I don’t believe that I deserve anything. I do know that I hope that I get this scholarship. Receiving the money will aid me along my journey of pursuing my own practice in the future and being a Biology major with a Psychology minor. Not only will I be able to help others as a psychiatrist, I will also be able to provide for the single-parent home I grew up in and for my other loved ones. I choose the field because I believe in it deep inside my heart. I want to be a voice for my community and to offer a diverse face to conformity and rigidity. As a psychiatrist, I will join the small population of African American, Christian mental health professionals. Thank you for your time.

My name is Embery, and I didn’t think I would make it past 16. The fact that I’ve even applied to colleges and gotten in, the fact that I can see a future for myself now is still, well…mind boggling! Before, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to go to college or if I would be able to even afford it. Now, I know that I want to go to college but I can’t afford it, ha! I didn’t let my setbacks influence where I would end up after awhile, but when I did my life was very hard. Switching from a negative mindset to a positive mindset helped me see that the things you expose yourself to and surround yourself in directly affect your life. My chronic sadness began in middle school. I wanted to fit in, my anger was coming out from my experiences in primary school (delayed but very strong), and I only wanted to find myself. Using the grief of losing a parent plus all of the trauma and bullying I had endured make me into the young woman that I am today. Sometimes I still wonder why bad things after bad thing seems to happen to me, but the difference between then and now is that I sit back and adjust my thinking. Dissecting what I’m doing and what I allow to enter into my space, organizing my schedule so that I won’t be stressed and so I won’t procrastinate. With a full-on support system around me, I have my mental health down now. I aspire to become a child and adolescent psychiatrist. I will serve low-income individuals from mainly POC backgrounds who might feel misunderstood or have accessibility and affordability issues. I want to push for further diversity and representation within the field, because there are some things from each other’s cultures we might not know or understood but the next person does. I want to challenge stereotypes and make the field more easier to understand, and more ethical. My clients will never be treated like numbers or like the next patient, the care will feel personal. I want to be an advocate for all people who receive mental health help, and I want the cost and treatment to be more humane, less stigmatized and more aware of its affects on people. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to help others, and it will also reduce some of the financial strain on myself and my support system as I pursue my long journey of owning my own practice. This fall of 2024, I will be an incoming freshman, starting fresh and new in college for the first time! Not only will this opportunity erase disparities, it will also allow for me to care for the single-parent household I grew up in, and to help others who care for me. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery! I haven’t always been this bubbly. My chronic sadness began in middle school, an emerging of bottled up emotions that originally stemmed in my primary years. I endured intense bullying and toxic friendships, struggling with who I was and who I liked until I was able to find myself. With faith and positive mindset strategies, I was able to see the better side of wellness. I was organized in my schoolwork and I wouldn’t proscrastinate as much. When before I didn’t see a future for myself, I now did. Putting aside the fact that I lost my mostly absent father, that I come from a single-parent household, and that I grew up seeing plenty of family members with degrees but varying results in life, I still decided that I could make a change in MY life with higher education! As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I will serve low-income individuals and bridge the gap of affordability and accessibility for POC. Regardless of whether you’re on the side of the argument that there is no gap, providing low-cost care for people is a goal that we all should be able to agree upon. Receiving this scholarships will not only allow me to help other people improve their lives, I also will be able to stop the cycle of paycheck to paycheck in my family, and be an amazing role model to my younger brothers. Although my father will never see me walk across the stage, and I don’t know for certain if he would have attended…I know that his attendance doesn’t define whether I’ll make it in life or whether I am worthy of graduating. I have plenty of love left here on this Earth, and I plan on continuing to share it. Thank you for your time!

Hello, my name is Embery Guy. Growing up in a single-parent household allowed me to witness financial responsibility and irresponsibility from a young age. As a child, I probably knew more than I should about bills and mortgages and fees for activities I got to see my other friends enjoy carelessly. When I wanted to quit something, the guilt that pressed on my chest knowing that so much money was going down the drain. There were many times when I had a want or a need, but I thought about how it would affect the family first. Always being money conscious might have seemed selfless at the time, but over the years, it only confined me to a broke mindset. Becoming a role model to my younger brothers will also show them that they can be something, and that just ‘chasing the bag’ isn’t the only goal in life- that chasing your happiness in a career or a field is equally important. ‘Don’t apply for this because you can’t afford it’, ‘don’t bother trying out for this because it will cost’, and that all stays in your head, even into your adult years! Seeing how my childhood was, I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t fall into that same trap. I didn’t want to live paycheck to paycheck, or have kids before I could afford them- not if I can help it. Becoming a child and adolescent psychiatrist will my ticket towards financial freedom, along with helping others. I plan to serve low-income individuals who have accessibility and affordability issues. I don’t want to ignore the groups that have been ignored far too long. I want to advocate for my community, and be the shoulder for someone else that I wasn’t. With a deceased father, using my grief as fuel will help me aid other people in their parental grief. Once mostly absent, and now gone, that is a unique combination of grief that no one around me understands, but hopefully I can be an ear to someone else who feels the exact same way. Receiving this scholarship will not only help me but bring my family out of the paycheck to paycheck pipeline. It will reduce some of the financial strain on my shoulders in my journey to owning my own practice and receiving higher education. I will be a freshman this Fall 2024, majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology, and I’m excited to begin college! Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery! Often times , I have been told that I have a bubbly personality, but it’s taken a lot for me to become that way. I’ve been through a lot throughout my life, trauma, bullying, and more. I won’t lie and say that I pushed through every roadblock with positivity and resilience, although I have before, I did not every time. There have been times when I have wanted to give up and to forget my goals when no one else believed in me. But there have also been times where I didn’t care if anyone was in my corner or not as long as I have myself, and my strategies to stay calm and collected. Learning to choose the positive option over the negative option is still a work in progress for me. I don’t choose to do the right things all the time. Sometimes I stay in bed instead of forcing myself to get up out of a slump, and sometimes I procrastinate instead of turning in that assignment on time. But I can say with utter confidence and honesty that now I choose the right option 90% of the time. I review what I’m doing wrong when I see that I’m slacking off on my work, I sit back and relax when I realize that I need it. I set an alarm for bedtime so I’m not midnight doomscrolling. I don’t let losing my father hinder me. A mostly absent parent, I lost him in my early high school years. Many people don’t speak about the pain of losing someone that you don’t know that well- that everyone else seems to know better! I struggled with support from family members who likely believed losing an absent parent didn’t affect me. I began to distance myself from others and I wasn’t using those positive mindset strategies to keep myself afloat. I wanted my father to see me walk across that stage, and even now, some part of me wonders if he would have even showed up. Pushing through the what if’s and why not’s is an everyday battle, one that won’t ever end. But I realized that I’m living life in the now and for the future, and unless I want to stay stuck in the past and focus on death and inevitably end up stuck in life, then I need to push on forward. Becoming a child and adolescent psychiatrist means the world to me. I want to advocate for those in the African American community, those who are low-income, those who are often overlooked or marginalized. As a mental health professional, I will challenge affordability and accessibility, providing treatment to the people that need it that may not be able to afford it. Because of my experiences, I want to help those who may be in similar positions as I was. Receiving this scholarship will not only allow me to help others, it will also allow me to reduce a part of the financial strain on my shoulders, and uplift myself and my family out of living paycheck to paycheck. I believe that my career will allow me to provide for my mother and brothers, and myself, and other family members. I can be the one who truly made it, and inspire my younger siblings to reach great heights as well. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery! Ever since I was little, I’ve always looked up to my mother and grandmother. I spent most of my childhood by the legs of my cocoa butter smelling grandmother, at luncheons and events as she advocated for students and the surrounding community near the school she taught at. While my grandmother raised me, my mother would attend college and work jobs with long hours. This brought us closer but pulled my mother and I further apart. Coming from a single parent home wasn’t easy, knowing that when I wanted something it out a strain on our finances, and not getting to see my mother much. In my high school years, my father passed away, and it hit me even harder despite the fact that he had been mostly absent during my life. I overcame these situations with my faith in my corner and using strategies to keep myself at peace and calm. Using organizational skills when I was swamped by work and knowing that even if no one could make it to my graduation and see me walk across that stage, I still deserved to achieve something. Having so many roadblocks made me feel like I wasn’t meant to achieve anything, but then I realized that if I entered the field of psychiatry, I could help children and adolescents who felt just like me come into their potential and improve their lives. I could set the foundation for their success. With my mother being in the field of psychology now, she has supported me the most in my interests! Helping me with topics that she learned about herself during her schooling and telling me about her work day. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I will serve low income individuals who might have trouble overcoming affordability and accessibility issues to the appropriate treatment. I’ve had an interest in general research and medical articles ever since middle school, and that has only continued to blossom in the form of watching documentaries, and reading through psychiatric abstracts in my free time. Receiving this scholarship would help some of the financial strain on the shoulders of me and my family. I plan on pursuing work study options and off-campus employment as well to handle some of the costs of higher education. Becoming a psychiatrist will not only allow me to help others who are often overlooked, the profit of it will also allow me to provide for myself and those closest to me. Thank your for your time.

Okay, here’s one you probably haven’t considered before! MRI machines. An MRI machine can help you view abnormalities and special observations of the brain. They can give you a hint to what might be going wrong, and they also can act as early prevention for some diseases and illnesses. MRI’s are apart of the future, and they have been ever since they were created. Ever since middle school, I have been fascinated by research articles and their abstracts when the articles themselves were too expensive to access. I like reading about experiments and studies in general, but psychiatric abstracts hold my heart the most! MRI’s tell you about physical illnesses, and they can also help in the diagnosis of mental illnesses and disabilities. I plan to become a child and adolescent psychiatrist because of my deep interest in the field along with my own struggles that I have had with mental health in the past. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist I will low-income individuals at my own practice to improve the care provided to marginalized communities who may be affected by affordability and accessibility. Without MRI’s, there are many developments in the brain that we would not be aware with. For example, gray matter plays a large role in mental health because of all of the connections that occur in that region. Some schizophrenia diagnoses and other illnesses on that spectrum have direct links to gray matter volume. Without MRI’s, it would make a lot of doctor’s lives harder, and we would lose even more lives. Thank your for your time.

Hello, I’m Embery! Over the years I have struggled with mental health, and I believe that it is a lifelong commitment that we should all have to manage our wellness, no matter the state of it. Middle school was when my struggles hit me the hardness. I was dealing with chronic sadness and my first love. I wanted to fit in like many teenagers do, and I was harboring a lot of anger within from dealing with years-long bullying. Towards the end of my intermediate career, going into my early high school years, I began to realize that surrounding myself around the right people and prioritizing my mental health was something that I needdd to do if I wanted to have a more positive outlook on life. Then my progress was halted due to the passing of my previously (mostly) absent father. And I had to navigate the fact that getting better is not always a linear process, and the difficulties of losing someone you really didn’t know. Not having the support that I needed because most people assume that you wouldn’t grieve an absent parent- truly it isn’t discussed enough. I began to get better at organization and handling my classes, getting friends who were motivated to BE SOMEONE in life, and who actually cared about actions and consequences. I found God, and I began to watch testimonials and enjoy a newfound peace within myself. When I feel my stress rising or the pressure increasing at school or in my family life, then I take a step back and look at how I can change my organizational skills. Maybe I could procrastinate less or this or that. I read or write as a hobby, or indulge in medical articles or psychiatric research abstracts, documentaries, etc when bored. Because of my experiences, and an interest in the field of research and psychiatry, I want to pursue a career in child and adolescent psychiatry. As a child and adolescent mental health professional, I will be able to serve low-income individuals and assist marginalized communities who otherwise cannot access the treatment that I need due to lack of accessibility or affordability. Receiving this scholarship and becoming a psychiatrist not only would allow me to help others, it will also me to help myself and my family be released from living paycheck to paycheck. I have always had the mindset to help those around me once I reach a higher platform. Thank you for your time!

Hello, my name is Embery! I’ve come a long way from the bullying that I experienced in my K-5 years, and the toxic friendships of my middle school years, but I know that those things still stay with you no matter what. The experiences you have in your formative years build you into what you are later on in life- how you think, act, and relate to others. Because of my experiences during my childhood, I want to be continue being the shoulders that others lean on, but in a more professional setting. As a psychiatrist, I’ll level up from being the friend that everyone goes to for advice, and I’ll be able to make a profound impact on the lives of children and adolescents in Texas, mainly Houston. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I will serve low-income, underserved individuals who come from marginalized communities. People who otherwise might not know what the first steps towards help might look like for them, and being able to afford treatment that should be easily accessible to everyone. Any time I witness an injustice, a part of me burns with passion to present the interests of the person who has been wrongfully affected. I come from a family of people who help advocate for others. My grandmother was a teacher, a strong beacon in her community for the way that she should up against her district, stood up for her students and the surrounding area, not taking just anything and any materials or treatment for her students. My mother helps inmates have a more positive and aware mindset upon leaving their facilities, and better integrate them into the world. All of my life, I have wondered what was wrong with me and why I went through what I did. I try to turn my hurt into something useful, so that other people won’t hurt the same way that I have. I know that pursuing higher education will be a hefty sum, especially for me and my family. I come from a single parent household, with a deceased parent, and a grandmother with a fixed income. I have younger siblings and I understand that my family won’t be able to provide me with much. I plan to join a work study program, and if that doesn’t fall through, I’ll be in search for off-campus employment. Receiving this scholarship and becoming a successful psychiatrist not only will allow me to help others, it will also allow me to pull my family and myself out of the generational ‘paycheck to paycheck’ pipeline in the long run, as I’ve always had the mindset that if I succeed then I will make sure that those around me will also be alright. Thank your for your time!

Hello, my name is Embery! Growing up, I went through a lot of things that scarred me mentally, and once I realized that keeping myself in a poor mindset would only continue to lead me into further situations such as those, I fixed my life around and began to prioritize my own wellness. From kindergarten to fifth grade, I was bullied for being the awkward friend, the girl who always had her head in a fantasy novel or a horror novel; not too great socially and an only child. Then, middle school came, and Hurricane Harvey- and then I had two younger brothers, now ages 4 and 7, and I dealt with trying to fit in along with a lot of bottled up anger from my previous experiences! I experienced trauma, things that I was forced to do that I wouldn’t have liked to. I had to understand that my mother didn’t have enough money for much because she became unemployed, and that I now had siblings, a few years later than I would have liked despite how much I had begged for them. Then COVID-19 came around, and my mother finally had a job, but I was stuck in a house with a family I quite frankly wasn’t used to being around that much. I had to learn to become organized and to find peace when it felt like I couldn’t breathe. Reading a nice book, writing a story, or watching an inspirational video helped center me. I noticed the more that I surrounded myself around good people, the more peaceful my life became. I didn’t let negative influences get in my way and I learned to stand up for myself, even if the odds were against me. Early in my high school years, my father passed. He had been mostly absent before, but it seemed like his death made him present in every aspect of my life. Once when I hardly thought about him, I saw him in everything. I had no one to lean on because the people around me assumed that I wouldn’t care about losing someone who hadn’t been around anyways. It is a different pain to lose someone who you don’t see everyday, who don’t know well. It’s the loss of never knowing if you would have grown closer, and the anger that you hadn’t been. I’ll never get to see him walk me down the aisle or see me walk across the stage at graduation. Then one summer everything changed for me. It was almost like I was yanked out of my negativtiy and enveloped in kindness and positivity. I began to read the Bible and watch testimonials. I changed the things that I listened to and cut off the people that weren’t looking to improve themselves. If I hadn’t tried to change myself for the better, I wouldn’t be able to see the future set out for me. I want to be a beacon for my community, to aid those in need. I will become a child and adolescent psychiatrist, aiding low-income indiviuals who might otherwise not be able to afford the services that they need. Receiving this scholarship going into my freshman year, would not only allow me to help others, it will also allow me to pull my family from a generational set-up of living paycheck to paycheck. I am beginning the long road to owning my own practice as we speak. Thank you for your time!

Hello, my name is Embery! Throughout my life, I have always been the shoulder to lean on, the friend that everyone comes to for advice. Always being involved in activities, but mainly preferring to read or write in a corner off to myself. I thought that I would become an author or an illustrator, but I found myself gravitating towards the field of psychiatry as my interest in non-fiction works, such as medical articles and psychiatric research abstracts began to draw my attention. As a child, there would be many nights I would sit up and console my friends via phone through hard times with their parents, sometimes with them being miles away and out of reach. I got them through those tough times, telling them what they needed to hear, but also being there when they just wanted someone to hear. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I plan to serve low-income individuals who otherwise might not have access to the appropriate treatment. Aiding marginalized communities that are often forgotten, not listened to, or stereotyped. I’ll be going into my freshman year Fall of 2024, majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology. With this scholarship, I will be able to lessen some of the financial strain on myself and my family in my pursuit to achieving a higher education. Coming from a single parent household, with a (mostly) absent father that is now deceased, I know that my mother won’t be able to do it all as far as money. I have two younger siblings in the house ages 4 and 7, and three siblings in total. My grandmother lives on a fixed income and while I know that my family will help me as much as they can, funding my college journey will be up to me. I plan to familiarize myself with work study options and off-campus jobs, but I know that even that will not be enough. Receiving this scholarship will not only allow me to help others, it will also allow me to pull my family and myself out of a generational line of living paycheck to paycheck. As a psychiatrist, I will be able to free myself and those around me out of monetary struggles; while simultaneously being able to provide crucial treatment to those in need of care. Thank you for your time!

Hello, my name is Embery! Growing up, I’ve always been the friend that everyone goes to for advice. Should I dump this girl? Should I choose this prom dress? But often times the people we lean on the most have no one to lean onto themselves. In middle school, I went through a pretty rough patch, struggling to adjust to newfound independence that I hadn’t had in elementary school, and new responsibilities that I wasn’t quite ready to accept. Switching classes more than five times and having over ten assignments a day, to name a few. It was during my intermediate years that I realized I was alone in who I could confide to, save the school counselor. I was helping my friends through rough patches, but what were they doing for me? Fortunately, I became aware that I needed a new change of my surroundings and of the way that I was feeling. Many people might realize these sorts of things much later on in life. I began to prioritize myself, and change the people that I hung out with. I stopped trying to fit in, and began to organize my schedule. The rest of middle school was easy, save COVID, and I came into high school only furthering the calming strategies and organizing techniques I found on my own from middle school. Mental health became even more important to me when my father passed in my early high school years. I remember feeling like I had no hope for a future if he couldn’t see me walk across the stage at graduation. Sometimes I still feel that way, but then I sit myself down and write or read to ground myself, and then I think about all of the good things that can come from my future! As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I will serve low-income people, and treat them not like numbers or the next patient, but as actual humans. All of my life, I’ve had a nature inclination to help others, even when I might not receive the same back for myself. I would like to improve their lives and give them a future when others, even the adults in their own lives, might not see that for them! Participating in toy drives and food drives, and having come from a low income home myself; I have been exposed to how the stereotype that ‘you will never succeed’ can root its way into your mind. With this scholarship going towards my education, and becoming a psychiatrist, I will not only be able to help others, I will also be able to help myself out of a generational cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. Thank you for your time.

Hello, my name is Embery! It is so nice to be able to write to you. Since middle school, mental health has been a major priority to me, even when it may seem that it’s too big of a topic for someone that young to comprehend. During my intermediate years, I struggled with sadness and a whole bundle of emotions that I just didn’t understand. Alongside also being around the teenage category, most people blew off these symptoms of me just growing up. It took for me to pull myself together and pick up the broken pieces of me so that I might have a blossoming future. But many people aren’t able to pick themselves up alone- much less at that age; that’s why I want to become a psychiatrist. I plan to serve low-income individuals and people from communities that might be knowledgable of the help they can receive. Often times, children and adolescents are overlooked, their emotions seem as regular or on the other side of the spectrum, too dramatic! I would like to be the voice that listens to them, having not been listened to myself. Utilizing the Internet, over the years I have cultivated different avenues for me to handle tough moments in my life. I have always been a book girl, and sinking into a good fantasy or horror novel, or writing out a story about my characters has always made my life more peacefully. Managing and organizing my day to day life, alongside keeping myself surrounded by positive, productive minds has improved the well-being of my life in unimaginable ways. Before, I poorly maintained my mental wellness and I wasn’t making the best decisions that I should have been. Now, I am not afraid to cut-off people who might be pouring toxicity into my life, and I would love the opportunity to be able to do that for others as well. With this scholarship, I will be able to provide some sort of funding towards my higher education in psychiatry. I will be a freshman this fall of 2024, and I am excited for what life will throw my way! I don’t have plans of getting behind on my work and slacking off, although I’m sure no one ever does, and I have organization strategies and a support system in my corner who will help me stay on track. Becoming a psychiatrist will not only allow me to help others, it will allow me to improve my own socioeconomic status, coming from a lower income household myself. Thank you for your time!

Hello, my name is Embery, and the mental health crisis in the U.S. is ready to be addressed. For centuries, African American voices have been ignored, but then came the year 2020, and we finally were heard. The mental health crisis in America has stretched on since we were first arrived here via ship. Our communities have been underserved and ignored, used for harsh experimentation and wrongfully diagnosed. We have been put away and forced to face a corner as a race, but our time has come! As a psychiatrist, I hope to serve low-income people and POC, allowing them treatment that they have been denied due to lack of accessibility or affordability. I would like to give back to the community when often times enough those that finally make it turn their nose up at ‘broke people’. Coming from a single parent home myself, with an initially (mostly) absent father to a deceased one, I know what it is like to hurt and have no community to turn to. Being the shoulder for someone else to lean on has always been in my gentle nature, along with the need to be caring and efficient. Growing up, I was always the shy girl with her nose in fantasy novels or horror or thriller, knowing that I would be an author or illustrator one day. Those hopes for me aren’t gone; they still remain heavy hobbies for me in my spare time. But being hardworking runs through my blood the most, getting that from my mother and grandmother. I spent a lot of my time at luncheons and at events that my grandmother attended, with her being a strong beacon in our community, advocating for her students and the surrounding area as a teacher formerly in North Forest ISD. Then we have my mother, who assists inmates with turning their lives around and changing their fixed thinking to more positive mindsets via a more so teaching-leaned mental health aspect. I get my strength from these beautiful women, and the rest comes from my own personal experiences. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to be able to pursue higher education and not only help others, but to also pull myself and my family after a long chain of surviving paycheck to paycheck. Being on the line between poor, but considered having just enough is a hard balance beam to walk. Not poor enough for food stamps but too poor to afford other things. My plans are to apply for a work study program or to search for an off-campus job to fund my college education, but I know that won’t be enough. My family supports me, but my grandmother is also on a fixed-income as a retired woman, and my mother has two young boys to raise, my amazing little brothers, ages 4 and 7. I know that funding my education will be up to me, so I take the initiave to search for different avenues that will aid me. Having this scholarship would mean the world to me; just think of all the good that will come from it. Thank you for your time!

Hello, my name is Embery! Have you heard about the mental health crisis in America? One day, I will be a psychiatrist with my own practice, able to serve low-income individuals who might come from POC backgrounds or other marginalized communities. Regardless of what walk of life my clients come from, I want them to be happy and have the ability to improve themselves without worrying about whether this treatment might have to be their light bill or water bill. Growing up, I knew that I would be an author or illustrator. I was always quiet with my nose in a book, and often times people could call my name and I wouldn’t even hear them because of how immersed I was. Once middle school came around, paychology called my name and then suddenly I knew that I wanted to be a psychologist. Eventually, I started to feed into my interest of medical research, finding scholarly articles online and learning about all manners of of the ‘human’. With my yearning to learn more about psychiatry and helping other people, I hope to change the world and provide care for underserved people in the state of Texas, primarily Houston. I love my city and my state, but I also know that a lot needs to be changed. Everyday, Texas loses more and more health professionals, when these are the people that we count on in our toughest moments. Joining the small population of Black Christian psychiatrists would give me the chance to open a window to erasing stereotypes in our communities, promoting a positive environment, and exchanging cultures. Priding myself on being a relatively consistent straight A student and someone who always gets the job done, no matter the compromise- I don’t see myself slacking off. Nothing’s lazy over here! I lost my father early high school, but for most of my life my mother has been a single parent. With two younger siblings, ages 4 and 7, and a grandmother on a fixed income, I know that most of my college experience will have to be funded by myself. Pursuing work study options and off-campus jobs are on my to-do list, and I take my lists very seriously! Receiving this scholarship would allow me to not have to worry about some of the financial strain already on my back. Having this career not only means being able to help others, it will also allow me to pull my family and myself up out of struggle. I watched my mother struggle through a rough patch of unemployment that caught all of us by surprise during middle school. Home was tense, and times were tough, especially as the pandemic came along. But she was resilient, and I’m proud to know that some of my hardworking genes come from her as well. I come from a family of people who have always given back to the community, my mother most recently helping struggling inmates with their mental health and my grandmother being an advocate for her students and the surrounding community as a teacher! These beautiful women made me who I am today. Thank you for your time.