In black culture having depression is not a topic usually discussed. Many parents pretend that it does not exist or just wait it out until they feel their child is over it. They fail to realize it is not something that you just get over it. Like an addiction in the fact that you have to wake up every day with the burden of depression weighing heavily on your soul. Going through depression without a support system is scary and can ruin many future relationships. Sometimes you get so used to being sad and hiding it that you forget who you really are. Around 8th grade, I fell into a deep depression. Thoughts of suicide swirled through my mind and I even reached the point where I wrote apology letters to my intermediate family for my entire existence. For five years, I tried to push away the pain and distract myself with activities and schoolwork. I limited my free time to just enough for sleep, so that I had less time to think or cry myself to sleep. When my family found out I was depressed no one helped me. I was told that I was being dramatic and that I had no reason to be sad. They even went as far as to tell me they thought it was “just a phase”. I was a child being told “if you feel so sad go find you a therapist”. It was scary and hard, but I have slowly been improving. When I began college, I had a ton of free time where I was sitting alone in a dark room just thinking and contemplating. I was a freshman taking the maximum number of hours and at some point I broke. I tried to push away everyone who was helping me, so I decided to start therapy and self-love journaling. I began to move towards a growth-minded, self-aware attitude, which has kept me in a much better mental place. My journey has taught me to find help within myself and eventually support will come from someone. I have now been conditioned to not let people in and stay to myself. A main goal in my life is to be the voice for the voiceless and a pivotal part in the change of the lives of the needy. I have had to relearn communication because my previous way was not healthy. It was not giving me the ability to withhold a long-lasting healthy relationship with anyone who showed me interest or love. I allowed myself to be walked over and abused. I had to teach myself how to stray away from what depression taught me was acceptable. Now as I enter Graduate School, I have learned how to cope with my depression, but I still have bad days. I complete daily journaling and prayer and learned how to say no when people ask me for things I do not have the capacity to provide. I founded a nonprofit organization in honor of my deceased cousin who also struggled with mental health issues, so that I could provide an outlet and resources to youth who are currently going through similar if not worse issues than my cousin and I. I think the fear of taking care of yourself comes from the idea of showing weakness being bad. Showing weakness is really showing strength that no matter what is thrown at you, you can handle it and still be human. The desensitization in the current culture is dangerous and I want to change that one child at a time because the youth are our future.

Have you ever heard the saying “A jack of all trades is a master of none”? It’s often told without recognition to the rest of the saying “but oftentimes better than the master of one”. Society convinces us that we should focus on one thing, have one passion, and be content with that. In reality, we are all multifaceted and unique and I actively choose to embrace that. During my matriculation in college I changed my trajectory when I decided to switch from Biomedical Engineering on the pre-med track to Elected Studies. I knew that choosing just one thing would never satisfy me, so I wanted a multifaceted education to match my multi-passionate lifestyle. I also knew that working for others did not fill my cup as much as it drained it. I decided that not only will I create the life I want and deserve, but I would become THEE Multifaceted Black Girl. I took my new mindset and ran with it. Not only have I become a spoken word artist, but I have also taken up space as a virtual assistant, business consultant, author, event planner, nonprofit founder, and whatever else I decide I want to conquer. From this journey, I learned that you can do whatever you want especially if you have a supportive community behind you and that is what I want to create with my business, The Multifaceted Collective. Each day I get a new idea that I want to pursue, but they all boil down to me wanting to be a connecting resource for others. Not only am I a recent graduate from Fisk University, but I graduated as both a first generation HBCU Student and Summa Cum Laude. I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and my mission in life is to create a multifaceted community and leave a positive impact through learning, serving, and authenticity. I am pursuing a Master of Science in Law at Northwestern University with the ultimate goal of receiving a Doctorate of Business Administration. The Master of Science in Law is a combination between Business, Technology, and Law. I chose this because it helps connect me to my STEAM roots, while also including my love for entrepreneurship and necessity of understanding the laws associated with both. I want to contribute to my community through both The Multifaceted Collective and my nonprofit organization, Mirkat Impact. I founded Mirkat Impact in honor of my deceased cousin who also struggled with mental health issues, so that I could provide an outlet and resources to youth who are currently going through similar if not worse issues than my cousin and I. I think the fear of taking care of yourself comes from the idea of showing weakness being bad. Showing weakness is really showing strength that no matter what is thrown at you, you can handle it and still be human. The desensitization in the current culture is dangerous and I want to change that one child at a time because the youth are our future.

Have you ever heard the saying “A jack of all trades is a master of none”? It’s often told without recognition to the rest of the saying “but oftentimes better than the master of one”. Society convinces us that we should focus on one thing, have one passion, and be content with that. In reality, we are all multifaceted and unique and I actively choose to embrace that. During my matriculation in college I changed my trajectory when I decided to switch from Biomedical Engineering on the pre-med track to Elected Studies. I knew that choosing just one thing would never satisfy me, so I wanted a multifaceted education to match my multi-passionate lifestyle. I also knew that working for others did not fill my cup as much as it drained it. I decided that not only will I create the life I want and deserve, but I would become THEE Multifaceted Black Girl. I took my new mindset and ran with it. Not only have I become a spoken word artist, but I have also taken up space as a virtual assistant, business consultant, author, event planner, nonprofit founder, and whatever else I decide I want to conquer. From this journey, I learned that you can do whatever you want especially if you have a supportive community behind you and that is what I want to create with my business, The Multifaceted Collective. Each day I get a new idea that I want to pursue, but they all boil down to me wanting to be a connecting resource for others. Not only am I a recent graduate from Fisk University, but I graduated as both a first generation HBCU Student and Summa Cum Laude. I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and my mission in life is to create a multifaceted community and leave a positive impact through learning, serving, and authenticity. I am pursuing a Master of Science in Law at Northwestern University with the ultimate goal of receiving a Doctorate of Business Administration. I want to contribute to my community through both The Multifaceted Collective and my nonprofit organization, Mirkat Impact. I founded Mirkat Impact in honor of my deceased cousin who also struggled with mental health issues, so that I could provide an outlet and resources to youth who are currently going through similar if not worse issues than my cousin and I. I think the fear of taking care of yourself comes from the idea of showing weakness being bad. Showing weakness is really showing strength that no matter what is thrown at you, you can handle it and still be human. The desensitization in the current culture is dangerous and I want to change that one child at a time because the youth are our future.

Question 1: I plan to begin law school in August 2024. I applied and was accepted into Northwestern University - Chicago. I plan on placing my seat deposit as soon as I save up enough money. Question 2: I pursue learning and intellectual growth through certifications, classes, and workshops. I am the founder of a nonprofit organization and the founder & CEO of my own company, so I take advantage of classes and workshops that will help me expand my knowledge and skill sets. I am pursuing a law degree because I think it is the foundation of success in business. You have to be able to understand the legal side in order to be prepared and be aware. I was given the opportunity to interview African American professionals who were successful and each one imparted knowledge on me. One in particular stood out to me because he saw the passion to help others in my eyes. He also admired my ability to think quickly on my feet and have an intellectual debate. He recommended law school for me and his belief in me is why I am here today. Question 3: Every year my best friend’s mom brings out an old video of me from middle school that used to make me shrink in my seat with every new person who encounters it. In the video you see multiple middle school students on a bus and two are having a heated discussion. One of which was me. I overheard a younger student laughing and making jokes about the body of a young woman. This made me uncomfortable not only because she wasn’t there to defend herself, but because no one came to her defense. The young men all laughed and condoned the behavior, but I refused to do the same. In the video you can see me talking to the bully and letting him know that talking about a woman and her weight when she isn’t even around to defend herself is wrong. Every time I see the video it reminds me of the bravery I have to stand up against the majority when the situation does not align with my values. I knew that people would call me sensitive or say I was being dramatic and taking the situation too far, but I knew that if I stood for nothing I would fall for everything even in 7th grade. Question 4: My current philanthropic initiative is called Mirkat Impact, which is a community geared towards empowering at-risk youth and promoting mental health awareness by providing comprehensive support, educational resources, and access to mental health services. I founded this organization in honor of my deceased cousin who also struggled with mental health issues, so that I could provide an outlet and resources to youth who are currently going through similar if not worse issues than my cousin and I. There’s a fear of taking care of your mental health in the African American community, which I believe comes from the idea of showing weakness being bad. However, showing weakness is really showing strength and proving that no matter what is thrown at you, you can handle it and still be human. The desensitization in the current culture is dangerous and I want to change that one child at a time because the youth are our future.

Have you ever heard the saying “A jack of all trades is a master of none”? It’s often told without recognition to the rest of the saying “but oftentimes better than the master of one”. Society convinces us that we should focus on one thing, have one passion, and be content with that. In reality, we are all multifaceted and unique and I actively choose to embrace that. During my matriculation in college I changed my trajectory when I decided to switch from Biomedical Engineering on the pre-med track to Elected Studies. I knew that choosing just one thing would never satisfy me, so I wanted a multifaceted education to match my multi-passionate lifestyle. I also knew that working for others did not fill my cup as much as it drained it. I decided that not only will I create the life I want and deserve, but I would become THEE Multifaceted Black Girl. I took my new mindset and ran with it. Not only have I become a spoken word artist, but I have also taken up space as a virtual assistant, business consultant, author, event planner, nonprofit founder, and whatever else I decide I want to conquer. From this journey, I learned that you can do whatever you want especially if you have a supportive community behind you and that is what I want to create with my business, The Multifaceted Collective. Each day I get a new idea that I want to pursue, but they all boil down to me wanting to be a connecting resource for others. Not only am I a recent graduate from Fisk University, but I graduated as both a first generation HBCU Student and Summa Cum Laude. I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and my mission in life is to create a multifaceted community and leave a positive impact through learning, serving, and authenticity. I am pursuing a Master of Science in Law at Northwestern University with the ultimate goal of receiving a Doctorate of Business Administration. I want to contribute to my community through both The Multifaceted Collective and my nonprofit organization, Mirkat Impact. I founded Mirkat Impact in honor of my deceased cousin who also struggled with mental health issues, so that I could provide an outlet and resources to youth who are currently going through similar if not worse issues than my cousin and I. I think the fear of taking care of yourself comes from the idea of showing weakness being bad. Showing weakness is really showing strength that no matter what is thrown at you, you can handle it and still be human. The desensitization in the current culture is dangerous and I want to change that one child at a time because the youth are our future. I would utilize the money I’ll be saving towards tuition, marketing efforts for The Multifaceted Collective, and as a catalyst to grow Mirkat Impact’s effect on the Chicagoland area. My increased education level will help me make better business decisions and an increased marketing budget will help me to reach the individuals who need this community, but aren’t aware it exists yet. Being awarded this scholarship is not only going to help me, but will be a driving force of encouragement and support for a large community of people who are dealing with mental health issues or struggling with just choosing one passion.

Have you ever heard the saying “A jack of all trades is a master of none”? It’s often told without recognition to the rest of the saying “but oftentimes better than the master of one”. Society convinces us that we should focus on one thing, have one passion, and be content with that. In reality, we are all multifaceted and unique and I actively choose to embrace that. During my matriculation in college I changed my trajectory when I decided to switch from Biomedical Engineering on the pre-med track to Elected Studies. I knew that choosing just one thing would never satisfy me, so I wanted a multifaceted education to match my multi-passionate lifestyle. I also knew that working for others did not fill my cup as much as it drained it. I decided that not only will I create the life I want and deserve, but I would become THEE Multifaceted Black Girl. I took my new mindset and ran with it. Not only have I become a spoken word artist, but I have also taken up space as a virtual assistant, business consultant, author, event planner, nonprofit founder, and whatever else I decide I want to conquer. From this journey, I learned that you can do whatever you want especially if you have a supportive community behind you and that is what I want to create with my business, The Multifaceted Collective. Each day I get a new idea that I want to pursue, but they all boil down to me wanting to be a connecting resource for others. Not only am I a recent graduate from Fisk University, but I graduated as both a first generation HBCU Student and Summa Cum Laude. I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and my mission in life is to create a multifaceted community and leave a positive impact through learning, serving, and authenticity. I am pursuing a Master of Science in Law at Northwestern University with the ultimate goal of receiving a Doctorate of Business Administration. I want to contribute to my community through both The Multifaceted Collective and my nonprofit organization, Mirkat Impact. I founded Mirkat Impact in honor of my deceased cousin who also struggled with mental health issues, so that I could provide an outlet and resources to youth who are currently going through similar if not worse issues than my cousin and I. I think the fear of taking care of yourself comes from the idea of showing weakness being bad. Showing weakness is really showing strength that no matter what is thrown at you, you can handle it and still be human. The desensitization in the current culture is dangerous and I want to change that one child at a time because the youth are our future. I would utilize the money I’ll be saving towards tuition, marketing efforts for The Multifaceted Collective, and as a catalyst to grow Mirkat Impact’s effect on the Chicagoland area. My increased education level will help me make better business decisions and an increased marketing budget will help me to reach the individuals who need this community, but aren’t aware it exists yet. Being awarded this scholarship is not only going to help me, but will be a driving force of encouragement and support for a large community of people who are dealing with mental health issues or struggling with just choosing one passion.

In black culture having depression is not a topic usually discussed. Many parents pretend that it does not exist or just wait it out until they feel their child is over it. They fail to realize it is not something that you just get over it. Like an addiction in the fact that you have to wake up every day with the burden of depression weighing heavily on your soul. Going through depression without a support system is scary and can ruin many future relationships. Sometimes you get so used to being sad and hiding it that you forget who you really are. Around 8th grade, I fell into a deep depression. Thoughts of suicide swirled through my mind and I even reached the point where I wrote apology letters to my intermediate family for my entire existence. For five years, I tried to push away the pain and distract myself with activities and schoolwork. I limited my free time to just enough for sleep, so that I had less time to think or cry myself to sleep. When my family found out I was depressed no one helped me. I was told that I was being dramatic and that I had no reason to be sad. They even went as far as to tell me they thought it was “just a phase”. I was a child being told “if you feel so sad go find you a therapist”. It was scary and hard, but I have slowly been improving. When I began college, I had a ton of free time where I was sitting alone in a dark room just thinking and contemplating. I was a freshman taking the maximum number of hours and at some point I broke. I tried to push away everyone who was helping me, so I decided to start therapy and self-love journaling. I began to move towards a growth-minded, self-aware attitude, which has kept me in a much better mental place. My journey has taught me to find help within myself and eventually support will come from someone. I have now been conditioned to not let people in and stay to myself. A main goal in my life is to be the voice for the voiceless and a pivotal part in the change of the lives of the needy. I have had to relearn communication because my previous way was not healthy. It was not giving me the ability to withhold a long-lasting healthy relationship with anyone who showed me interest or love. I allowed myself to be walked over and abused. I had to teach myself how to stray away from what depression taught me was acceptable. Now as I enter Graduate School, I have learned how to cope with my depression, but I still have bad days. I complete daily journaling and prayer and learned how to say no when people ask me for things I do not have the capacity to provide. I founded a nonprofit organization in honor of my deceased cousin who also struggled with mental health issues, so that I could provide an outlet and resources to youth who are currently going through similar if not worse issues than my cousin and I. I think the fear of taking care of yourself comes from the idea of showing weakness being bad. Showing weakness is really showing strength that no matter what is thrown at you, you can handle it and still be human. The desensitization in the current culture is dangerous and I want to change that one child at a time because the youth are our future.

Powerful, strong, independent, angelic, and world-changing are just a few words people have described me as. When people see my passion and hear my name they always say “you are going to change the world some day” or “you are going to do something big”. At birth my family had a feeling that I was special so they gave me a name that was unique and radiant, Eternity. Although a name can not define who you are, it can aid on the path towards who you become. “I will find the cure for cancer” is a statement that I told my dad when I was in kindergarten and although I may not find the cure, I am headed down the medical field so that I can make a difference in the lives of others. Everyday I work towards being the change I want to see in the world. I am a biomedical engineering major with the premed track working towards a career as a physiatrist. I am hoping to help build prosthetics and other medical devices to help with incapacitated people especially younger children and babies. I also want to start a non profit organization that helps rehabilitate impoverished neighborhoods and people because so many people can have a better life if provided with the proper resources including hope and support. Every person I meet in my life influences and inspires me to be the greatest version of myself daily. People who are having bad days and take it out on me influence me to be a little nicer than usual on my worst days. On the other hand, my biggest influence in my life is my friend Jenai. She was recently diagnosed with a rare type of cancer. She has to undergo many surgeries and treatments while also being a full time pre-med college student. She influences me to continue on the path towards being a doctor because I am reminded that people who look like me are not prioritized, but are treated differently than average people. When I go to the doctors office, it’s rare for me to see people who look like me which causes me to fear if I will be treated properly or dismissed. Fearing improper treatment is something I would not wish on anybody, which is a big reason that I want to join the field and help give people peace of mind when they enter the doctors office. In addition, her strength reminds me that no matter what life throws at me I can handle it if I strive to stay positive and hopeful through it all.

In black culture having depression is not a topic usually discussed. Many parents pretend that it does not exist or just wait it out until they feel their child is over it. They fail to realize it is not something that you just get over it. Like an addiction in the fact that you have to wake up every day with the burden of depression weighing heavily on your soul. Going through depression without a support system is scary and can ruin many future relationships. Sometimes you get so used to being sad and hiding it that you forget who you really are. Around 8th grade, I fell into a deep depression. Thoughts of suicide swirled through my mind and I even reached the point where I wrote apology letters to my intermediate family for my entire existence. For five years, I tried to push away the pain and distract myself with activities and schoolwork. I limited my free time to just enough for sleep, so that I had less time to think or cry myself to sleep. When my family found out I was depressed no one helped me. I was told that I was being dramatic and that I had no reason to be sad. They even went as far as to tell me they thought it was “just a phase”. I was a child being told “if you feel so sad go find you a therapist”. It was scary and hard, but I have slowly been improving. When I began college, I had a ton of free time where I was sitting alone in a dark room just thinking and contemplating. I was a freshman taking the maximum number of hours and at some point I broke. I tried to push away everyone who was helping me, so I decided to start therapy and self-love journaling. I began to move towards a growth-minded, self-aware attitude, which has kept me in a much better mental place. My journey has taught me to find help within myself and eventually support will come from someone.

In black culture having depression is not a topic usually discussed. Many parents pretend that it does not exist or just wait it out until they feel their child is over it. They fail to realize it is not something that you just get over it. Like an addiction in the fact that you have to wake up every day with the burden of depression weighing heavily on your soul. Going through depression without a support system is scary and can ruin many future relationships. Sometimes you get so used to being sad and hiding it that you forget who you really are. Around 8th grade, I fell into a deep depression. Thoughts of suicide swirled through my mind and I even reached the point where I wrote apology letters to my intermediate family for my entire existence. For five years, I tried to push away the pain and distract myself with activities and schoolwork. I limited my free time to just enough for sleep, so that I had less time to think or cry myself to sleep. When my family found out I was depressed no one helped me. I was told that I was being dramatic and that I had no reason to be sad. They even went as far as to tell me they thought it was “just a phase”. I was a child being told “if you feel so sad go find you a therapist”. It was scary and hard, but I have slowly been improving. When I began college, I had a ton of free time where I was sitting alone in a dark room just thinking and contemplating. I was a freshman taking the maximum number of hours and at some point I broke. I tried to push away everyone who was helping me, so I decided to start therapy and self-love journaling. I began to move towards a growth-minded, self-aware attitude, which has kept me in a much better mental place. My journey has taught me to find help within myself and eventually support will come from someone. I have now been conditioned to not let people in and stay to myself. A main goal in my life is to be the voice for the voiceless and a pivotal part in the change of the lives of the needy. I have had to relearn communication because my previous way was not healthy. It was not giving me the ability to withhold a long-lasting healthy relationship with anyone who showed me interest or love. I allowed myself to be walked over and abused. I had to teach myself how to stray away from what depression taught me was acceptable.