I'm a first-generation college graduate. My parents went to college, but once they became pregnant with me, they sacrificed their dreams and dropped out of college to provide a life for me. It was the many sacrifices they have done on account of our family. In May of 2024, I graduated Summa Cum Lade achieving a 3.89 GPA as I received a B.A. in Psychology and minor in applied statistics. I felt humbled to give my parents the honor for their continuous efforts of sacrifice. However, I didn't always know I wanted to go to college. It seemed like a logical option, but I was lost going into my freshman year. I felt fear for how my life would change and how it would impact the relationships with my family after moving away. I considered joining the military or starting a position with good benefits that required no additional education. Change is a scary concept especially with no cues of what direction you want to face. But, one day I was struck with a feeling of dedication to my parents and the need to set the standard of limitless opportunities for my 3 younger sisters. I wanted them to be proud of me, and I did my best across my 4 years at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). I tried to make the best out of my time as an undergraduate. It wasn't without challenges though. I grieved the loss of many family members during my undergraduate journey which was the hardest part of being at school. I lost my great grandmother who is one of the most humble, kindest woman you would've met on this Earth. Some days I struggled, but I knew she wanted more from me. So, I created opportunities for students of color to connect with others and promote their academic success. I persisted to study and ace my exams, and I worked multiple jobs to pay for college and my needs. I created a second family, found my independence, and identified my purpose and passion all while going through the daily obstacles that come with life. This fall of 2024, I will be pursuing my passion in graduate school. I am in the PhD program of School Psychology at IUP. Not only am I the first to graduate with a bachelor's degree in my immediate family, but I also am the first to go into a PhD program. It's almost like a fever dream to be going to graduate school when almost half a decade ago, I had no idea where I wanted to go or where I wanted to be. It's all because of my passion to help the youth discover their own passion and dreams. I aim to do this by supporting youth in schools by attending to their academic, social, and behavioral needs and promoting resiliency and growth. There are many challenges that students face due to marginalization, and it hinders their ability to access certain resources. This is why I want to create culture-centered safe spaces for any school that I service. My greatest hope is to complete a series of research studies that eliminate the school to prison pipeline that is encouraged by disproportionate school disciplinary procedures. In the field of school psychology, the research on this topic is extensive. However, there is not a practical model that exists to change this narrative. When a student faces detention or suspension, the student is removed from the classroom environment which decreases their opportunities to learn and are at-risk of a variety of negative consequences. This looks like school dropout, juvenile delinquency, truancy, and more. If I can shift the implicit biases that contribute to the disproportionately of school discipline, I will leave this world proud knowing that revolutionary change was made. Like Grandmaster Hyong, I, too, care for people. It is indispensable the opportunity to help others in need. I have witnessed many students struggle for support. There are a lot of youth in this world who just need someone to help them improve their academic engagement and prosocial behaviors just so they can have the opportunity to go to school like I did, make their parents proud, and lend a hand to the next person. This means I have to continue my education in School Psychology. Despite the costs of graduate school and the long hours of studying it may take, it will be worth it. I worked 3 jobs while being a full-time undergraduate for the entire semester of Spring 2024. I managed to receive a 4.0 on top of the stress I accumulated. Yet, this great achievement proved to me that I am beyond capable of reaching all my goals no matter how difficult the path may be. I am willing to put in the work to service others because serving other humans beings to promote their quality of life is the only thing in this world that truly matters.

Supporting people has always driven my purpose in life. It's how I operate, and how I treat people. I just graduated undergraduate school, and during this experience, I made the most impact at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) by supporting college students. I was particularly interested in uplifting students of color in their need for community, academic supports, and personal development. As the education chair of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for IUP's chapter, I tracked student's study hours to maintain their membership. I created educational presentations about the mental health in the Black community, voting policies and rights, and cultural awareness conversations. It was important to create a safe space for students of color as we attend a predominately white institution where we don't see a proportionate racial/ethnic representation for students of color. The conversations were engaging, empowering, and supportive. I loved guiding the conversations because it inspired the members to grow and affect change in the world. I also am really proud of the work I did in an organization called Collegiate Women in Progress (CWIP). In this student-led organization, I went from program coordinator to Vice President to President of the organization. We focused on supporting women college students and creating a safe space for them to create community, build their academic rapport, grow professionally, and serve IUP. Most of the supportive services I gave to the members in CWIP is very similar to what I gave to NAACP. However, I felt a greater sense of belonging with the group of women I met with weekly. Not only was I impacting them, but they were impacting me. We had study group hours, we participated in trainings or workshop developments together. It is an amazing group, and I am proud of our collective effort to receive hundreds of donations of menstrual products for those in need. We called this project, "Sneakergala: Helping Women Period!" I co-led the event with the executive board of CWIP. We were able to have a formal gala where you could celebrate womanhood. We presented awards to faculty and students. We brought out a variety of entertainment. We fed the audience with great food, laughter, and connection. They were only asked to donate unopened menstrual products. With all of the overwhelming support of the students and staff/faculty of IUP, CWIP raised enough menstrual products to place in various public locations of IUP. The members and I distributed them to cafeterias, the library, academic buildings, and recreational spaces. This is a memory I cannot forget, and I am so proud to have been part of. It is the people who drive me to support others. We are all deserving of unconditional support, in my opinion. Some need more than others, and some of us need it in various areas of our lives. I want to be a person that supports youth through adversity. I live by supporting others which is why I joined the School Psychology PhD program at IUP. I want to support youth in all areas of their life: social development, academics, and mental health. It is an honor to improve the quality of life of various individuals, and I want to do so as a long-term career. I plan to retract disproportionate disciplinary procedures in the classroom, increase academic supports, and promote mental health advocacy for each student I can reach. It's my responsibility and the legacy I want to leave.

My name is Erika Jackson, and I have 3 younger sisters. It has always been my priority to be the best role model for them and be there for them. Yet, there was one fear that I let hinder me for years. I was ashamed. I had a fear of driving. I had always been kind of a late bloomer. I learned how to tie my shoes late, ride a bike, and driving was the next challenge. Most teenagers are excited and maybe too confident to drive. But, I lacked my confidence. It was increasingly apparent as I noticed my anxiousness increased the more family members in the car. One day my parents wanted me to practice driving on the highway. I was 18 and had about a year of driving experience still just using my learner's permit. Both of my parents, and my 3 sisters were in the car with me, and I was afraid. About 5 minutes into driving, my leg shook compulsively on the brake, my heart paced, I started to sweat, and I thought the worst thoughts: what if I make a mistake that impacts the people I love the most. Once we finally reached our destination, I parked and immediately got out of the car. I needed to breathe and slow down my nervous system. From that day forward, I didn't drive again. This fear impacted my life for four years. I couldn't travel to academic conferences, placed a burden on my parents to pick me up and return me to and from college, and I couldn't work in certain places because it wasn't feasible financially. Public transportation while a necessary service had also many negative consequences like frequent stranger interactions, unsafe conditions, and can be unreliable in terms of time it takes to get to and from places. Yet right before my last semester of undergrad, I was determined to change the direction of my life. I contacted a local driver education company, and I planned to start classes. It also was relatively cheap, but I knew my on-campus jobs wouldn't cover this new expense. But again, I was determined. I knew if I put my faith forward; I would be alright. I wasn't in a rush; I just needed to try. I got a 3rd job located off-campus and worked weekends on top of my current jobs and classes. I took driver ed. courses once a week, and I took it one day at a time. 3 months passed, and I took my road test. I failed my first time, but I passed on the second try. It was an amazing moment for me, and it inspired me that anything is possible. I had faced an adversity and a block in my path on my own accord. It was up to me to challenge it. Now, I know all things are possible to overcome with faith and determination. I communicate that to all my close loved ones who let a fear, insecurity, or a stagnant road-block deprive them of their goals. Adversity will come, but it's all about how you face it. What will you do now that it exists? Once you change this mindset, it truly frees you from believing anything could stop you. I feel more free than I have ever felt in my life, and I hope that as a society we all can get to that place one day.

My name is Erika Jackson. I recently graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), as a first generation college graduate, with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Applied Statistics. Since I was born, I have felt a pursuit to help others. I knew if I was going to pursue a career it would have to service people and education. In fall 2021, IUP returned to somewhat normal procedures after shutting down due to COVID in 2020. I was ready to create community among the students. As a 2nd year undergraduate, I became the Education Chair of NAACP for our university's chapter. I also become the program coordinator for an organization dedicated to servicing women's needs on campus from academics to establishing community. In both these roles, I grew in leadership and became an advocate for the students of color attending IUP. I initiated a "say no to using slurs" campaign on campus, and I also co-led an effort to increase donations of menstrual products for people on campus. My favorite community project gained the attendance of over 200 students and faculty to celebrate culture visibility and promote cultural awareness. While I am proud of the community bridging that I've been part of, it serves to mention that my dedication to education is important too. I graduated summa cum lade with a 3.89 GPA in IUP's Psychology Honors' program. My passion for people and education holds high value for me. It was during a research experience where I gained considerable knowledge about disproportionate disciplinary practices that occur for students of color. During my research experience, I read about the negative effects of disciplinary procedures which can look like school failure, school dropout, etc. As a Black woman, it is vital to combat disproportionate disciplinary procedures while also encouraging the academic success of all students. It was in this moment, that I decided that I need to go into the field of school psychology. It is a field that combines psychology (mental health needs) and education (learning disorders, behavioral issues, etc.) together. These issues are vital to the state of youth today, but also for youth of color. I am proud to say that I was an early admit into the PhD School Psychology program at IUP and have been able to take classes during my undergraduate journey. Today, I continue my studies as a full-time graduate student in the PhD program. As I reflect on my undergraduate journey, I see how my passion for people and education has taken me so far in life. It's been appreciated by IUP by servicing me with awards. For example, I was the IUP finalist for the Ali-Zaidi award, received the SGA and Multicultural award for Inclusion and Advocacy for 2023, won homecoming court for my department, and received others. The money that I would save would help me focus on my studies. During my last semester of undergrad, I worked 3 jobs and achieved a 4.0 gpa at the end of the semester. I thought it would be impossible. With faith and hard work, I was able. Being in financial need, created a stress that I was not aware of until I came to college. As the older sister of 4, it is difficult to rely on my parents for my needs. Being a graduate student, the scholarships decrease and my time to focus on school increases. It would be a true blessing to have some support that could help with my debt, so I can focus on academics or other financial needs in my life like books, tuition, and food.

The most recent lesson I've learned is to wait. I wanted to get into graduate school. I was stressed because I needed my transcript to get into Indiana University of Pennsylvania's early admissions PhD program for School Psychology. It was - and is - my dream. However, I didn't have the money to access my official transcript. I was about $2000 in debt to my school. It had always bothered me that I was in debt because when I was recruited to go to school, I was told I'd have to pay nothing due to the scholarships that I received. I truly understand how blessed I am to have such a minimal balance compared to the hundreds of thousands of college students who have 20x+ more debt than I do. However, it was one of the things that made me rest at night knowing that I wouldn't have to pay anything. They didn't lie. For the first year of my undergraduate experience, I paid nothing. Yet, as tuition increased and I took my classes, my debt accrued more and more. For weeks, I stressed about how I was going to make $2000 before the deadline to submit applications. I was working for $15 an hour, but I still had other payments to make. It seemed like I would never reach my dream. So, I went to every scholarship on Bold.org that I was acceptable to apply for and applied continuously. I wrote over 3000 words for all the applications I applied to. I looked up what side hustles I could do and questioned if I could find another job. It was no use. I was overwhelmed day and night at how close I was to achieving my dream but the debt I have would win. But one day, I took a deep breath and realized that if I was supposed to get into this program at this means then it would've happened. No need to stress about something that isn't in the cards for you right now. Some may say that I gave up and stopped working. Yet, I know that I was letting go of my control and waiting patiently for what was aligned to happen. About a month later, the debt took another stab at me because I needed to get my transcript for an internship. It was frustrating to be stuck once again. So, I reached out to a trusted university professional and asked for help. I wanted to know if there was any way that I could access this transcript with a promise to do a payment plan that fit my current needs. I just wanted to advance. The trusted employee said that they would look further into my situation for me. Turns out there was extra grant money, and I was eligible to receive it and it covered all of my debt. I was thankful and grateful beyond relief. I thanked them profusely. I was so grateful I waited because I could've tried stretching every dollar I had to go towards my bill and still end up short impacting other bills. But, I waited and had enough money to go towards other needs. I was admitted into the School Psychology program. It taught me that sometimes a little patience is worth the answer. Don't give up but just wait until the time is right. With my degree, I plan to make a significant impact to shut down the School to Prison Pipeline. I also aim to financially support other students when I am able to just like I am in need of right now.

I have always wanted to do service for the people. But, there are some people in particular who have a harder time than others. This happens due to a number of reasons, such as systemic racism, suffer from low living wages, other forms of discrimination, and just certain unfortunate event. Sometimes the world doesn't treat these people who are different just wrong. I aim to support them. But, specifically help the youth who may come from these backgrounds because it can set up their future for when they're an adult. So, I am in college right now pursing a major in Psychology with a minor in Applied Statistics. After obtaining my bachelor's, I will obtain my doctorate in School Psychology. I want to be a School Psychologist. I want to be a School Psychologist because there will be various roles I can have. I will influence the way curriculum is taught do students or specific students with identified behavioral problems or learning disabilities. I will test and properly identify students with behavioral problems or learning disabilities. There are times when professionals have over or less identified students with certain behavioral or learning problems. The rise of falsely mislabeled students as "trouble" child is problematic. This student may have a behavioral problem that is psychologically developed and therefore needs proper treatment or intervention to help. Or in the other case with students over-identified, they have a few of the signs of a psychological disorder or learning disability. This is problematic due to the how some students are treated within the educational system. Stereotypes can be made, or teachers may expect less due to the labels they are put with. My goal is to discern whether students need this label properly, identify ways to help the students, and find methods that can help the student grow and be successful in life inside and outside of school. I hope to prepare students, and I am looking forward to this opportunity in my future career. Currently, I support my community by staying involved with my surrounding campus community and youth. At my undergraduate campus, I stay involved on campus supporting diversity in the classrooms, staff and faculty representation, and creating community. I am the Education Chair my campus chapter NAACP-IUP. With this position, I urge students and members to take their education seriously, study, and manage their academic goals. It's a passion of mine that academics for each student is a priority and that they remain successful. In the youth community, I work as a Summer Camp Counselor supporting young children build relationships, engage critical skills that are social or motor related, and I aim to keep them safe and support them making decisions and conversations. This is an ongoing process and journey that I am on. I aim to continue that support for these respective communities, and I will continue to support them through my career. As a School Psychologist, the amount of educational reform that can occur for Black and Brown youth is substantial. I can help future generations learn and use positive reinforcement to encourage certain behaviors. To change society, people have to be consistent. Pittsburgh is my community. While I would love to be in warm climates and in a city where productive change is already exhibited, my city needs consistency. I can't leave my city. I owe it to my younger self, and my younger self's brothers, sisters, cousins, friends who grew up to leave our city because it was a struggle. But, I believe I can make a difference. I believe we can make Pittsburgh a home again.

Over my teenage years, I have learned many lessons. I didn't grow up as the perfect child, learning on those first go around either. There were multiple lessons I had to learn over and over again. But the one that sticks out to me the most is the ability to accept people for who they are. What I mean by accepting people is not just being kind to people. It takes more than being friendly to people who are different than you to accept people for who they are. Accepting people means accepting their strengths and their flaws. It's accepting their good times and bad times, and it's about appreciating the person for who they are without trying to change them into who you want them to be. I've started to use this in my relationships. Conflicts never seemed easy until I started to accept this lesson. I would be stuck in arguments or left on bad terms because I felt that people should see things from my perspective. All of that changed when I accepted people for who they are. I can disagree with the behavior taken instead of being upset with the person. While I've been using this new lesson to maneuver conflicts, I think it also allows me to appreciate my loved ones more. Seeing them fully for who they are and not who I think they should be. My mom may be impatient at times but she works hard for her four children and husband. My dad may be harsh with his words but his means well. I have to accept that and not battle with the conflict behind it. I see them for who they are, as human with flaws and strengths. I think this is a lesson I can share with children. Accepting people to be them when they think or behave differently can impact the way children handle conflict with another. If they realize that a peer is acting in their individual perspective, it may remove the hurt that can come with conflict. They won't take it personally and will understand another's behavior has nothing to do with them individually. Learning this lesson has made me a more present family member and a better girlfriend to my boyfriend. I took actions personally, and I couldn't move past the conflict. Yet, I accepted the person and their disagreements, and I've been able to be a better person because of it. It's a lesson I'm glad I've learned that takes deeper than the ordinary education learned in the classroom.

1. Beyoncé. Do I need to explain myself any more? 2. My academic goals and career goals are not what you see in my Bold profile. My actually academic goals is to become a clown entrepreneur. Spreading laughter and smiles to families. But, my career goal is unrelated to my academic goal. My personal career of choice will without a doubt be a spy. The clown entrepreneur would be my cover. 3. More seriously, life is hard. One day I went to the movies, and I walked into the theater, and it was the wrong film. Or so I thought. I thought I was in the wrong theater because there was this short film before the movie. I was frustrated because my ticket said I was in the right place. So, I had to be patient. That was a difficult time.

I think about the climate of this country. With the devastating circumstances surrounding mass shootings, the quality of life has been appreciated more than ever. But with that, people are questioning the government that is supposed to keep us safe. Despite the political opinion on gun rights, citizens of America are wondering will the government be ambitious to make change in our society. It's something that we will have to wait and see. But, I know that I differ from many due to being ambitious. A lot of us hope, pray, and dream. We set goals and never see them come into fruition. It's not that people aren't determined, and there are a lot of barriers that prevent certain communities from advancing or achieving due to systemic obstacles present. However, I know my ambition will sever those chains that try to hold me down. I always had ambition, but I didn't know what it was. I knew I was always chasing a higher grade, pursuing a writing contest, advocating for people of color, or stepping up as an older sister. But, I didn't know why I did any of it. But, now I know what a blessing it is to have ambition. When it seems like the world is knocking me down, I still rise and push. I still fight to win. I still strive to be my best self. There was a time when my ambition was low, and I had no desire to do my best in school. I was depressed and lonely. It was due to the people I surrounded myself that I let my ambition lower. I let it get to their level. But, once I cut ties, I flourished. I pulled my grades back up, and I found myself being happier than ever. When I recognized this power that I had I knew I could use it to help others. I wanted to use my ambition to help my community of Black people. Us, as a community, have been through a. lot of trauma. I am putting my ambition to the forefront to create mentor opportunities for members of my college community. On top of that, I am trying to finish my degree so that I can start a nonprofit that allows students to learn trade skills, develop professionalism, and become emotionally intelligent. Doing the work to obtain my degree, and doing advocacy work now will put me in the place to do so. I speak of for the communities of color, and I tell people what they are need of. I am not afraid because my ambition won't let me shy away from people in power. I want to challenge them to help those in disadvantaged situations and being ambitious supports that frame of mind. I won't stop until change is present.

I think my biggest challenge is staying true to my who I am. I've experienced financial hardship, moved around frequently when I was 9 years old, and struggled with my own mental health. Attaching on to those experiences, I am a Black woman who's been called the n-word, racially profiled, and shutdown in conversations with men. Yet my biggest challenge wasn't the experience but it was staying true to who I was inside of each of my individual experiences. When I was in 3rd grade, my family and I (the 5 of us) moved into my aunt's house who had a daughter. My grandparents had also moved into my aunt's house a week prior. In this experience alone, I was met with a challenge to stay true to myself. I had 5 people acting as guardian, all with different expectations and rules for me to abide by. I didn't know who I was during this time of trying to follow who and what was right. When I moved into my aunt's house, I went to a new school. I didn't no anyone, and I struggled to fit in. So, I had to change who I was to fit in. This included dropping my grades from my previous school of As to Bs and Cs at the new school. I had to act out and fight for "who I was" so that no one could think that I was weak or a nerd. The most difficult part about this time was my dad who had to leave out of state to find work, I lost my sense of self and protecting my identity even more. I overcame this battle of finding out who I was and protecting that, but it took years. I didn't learn my lesson when I moved out of that school and back to my old. I didn't learn the lesson when my dad came back or when we had our own house. I didn't learn the lesson when I gained friends. I didn't learn the lesson when I was a freshman in college. I didn't learn my lesson until 5 months ago. Who am I? I lost myself over and over trying to please parents, befriend anyone, and be liked by any boy. I lost myself, and I lost the dignity that caused to be used and betrayed by the people I thought were real friends. It was a mistake I finally learned, and I am beyond blessed to finally realize. Knowing what I know now, I hope my education will allow me to meet other young boys and girls struggling to find themselves. It's hard for people of color who are already not seen by the massiveness of systemic racism, but it's harder when you have to undergo the tribulations most people face. It can be depressing not knowing your sense of worth when you're used or disliked by people. It can be hard to live with bullies that exist in the kid and adult world. But, I would urge to keep pushing and be strong. I already am in a program called Collegiate Women In Progress, that acts as a mentorship program for the women on my campus. However, I want to extend my resources to black girls struggling, too. Black girls face a lot of prejudice in the work place, education, and health care. I hope that I can be source to create opportunity especially in my field of school psychology. We need role models to show that its possible to survive even after the storm. I hope I can be that for others.

Hi, my name is Erika Jackson. I am a third-year undergraduate student at a predominately white institution called Indiana University of Pennsylvania. It's a school with approximately 8,000-10,000 attending students that is approximately 1 hour away from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That's where I am from. More specifically, I grew up mainly in a suburban area called Monroeville. Since the beginning of my childhood, I fell in love with reading. It was a practice of mine at the early age of four years old. I would go to the library weekly to check out books with my parents and grandparents looking for my next read. My grandma challenged me and my sister to read 200 books a summer as I got older, and it wasn't a chore for me. It was rewarding because each story was a new adventure and an underlying theme of friendships. This love for reading fueled my passion for writing. I wrote plays, songs, and stories in 4th grade, and I fell in love with the way the words could impact so much emotion. I felt every word I wrote, and so I intricately designed the words I used on a page. Now, I mainly write poetry. I have spoken a poem called "The Disease of White Supremacy" for which I was awarded 2nd place and prize money for the NAACP IUP Chapter talent show. This was my first time sharing my poetry, and the shared appreciation astonished me for some time. It is a beautiful memory I keep with me for the rest of my life. I wrote the poem in preparation for the talent show. I wanted to see if I had a talent that I kept close to my heart. With knowing the mission of the NAACP and wanting to capture the swelling emotion I felt with all of the acts of police brutality, and the discrimination present on my campus, I wrote this poem to let it all out. My awareness of the disenfranchisement of people of color has been something I knew for years. Yet, it was the unfortunate death of Antwon Rose that broke my heart. Antwon Rose is a name that will continue to live on forever in my heart. He was a Pittsburgh killed by a police officer in the back. During those times, I cried for days. I read books by Angie Thomas ("The Hate U Give"), Nic Stone ("Dear Martin"), Jay Coles ("Tyler Johnson Was Here"), and countless others to cope. It was then when I decided that I would do something for communities of color to save their lives. I struggled to decide what that would look like. I eventually decided to become a Psychology major because I believe that changing how people view people of color can have a psychological impact. So, now I am going into my junior year hoping to change the lives of Black and Brown kids of color which would impact their adult lives. I'm particularly interested in how I can make long-lasting effects. To do this, I have decided to become a School Psychologist. I feel school psychology is the perfect dynamic for me. As I stated earlier, I fell in love with books, and this led to an increased interest in education. Working in the education field is a great way to reach students before they hit an adult age. The duties of a school psychologist are to diagnose those with "eligibility for special services", help those with learning and behavior disabilities, and provide opportunities for growth in academic and social issues for students and faculty. As an advocate for mental health, providing equitable opportunities despite learning, behavioral, or other disparities, is a deep passion of mine. I would use my profession for a deeper goal of ending the school-to-prison pipeline. This should be achieved by helping faculty appropriately discipline students that do not include in-school or out-of-school suspensions. I know my passion comes from the soul, and I hope to continue my education and achieve a doctorate degree in School Psychology. I have dreams to attend Howard University as I have always wanted to attend an HBCU. Howard University has a fantastic school psychology program, and I am excited to possibly attend this grad program. Upon my graduation from grad school, I intend to stay in D.C. and work with students in the area. However, I am not limited to my profession to make a difference. I will use my profession and degree as leverage to possibly open up a non-profit program that benefits students and teaches children emotional learning skills, provides mental health awareness, instructs many trade skills, and is also a professional development program for children. I hope to end my life working with this non-profit and a library to connect all of my passions and create opportunities for the young, bright generations to come.

Dialogue. Creating conversations between all groups of people is the best way to create positive change for my community. I currently live on a college campus as a second year undergrad sophomore. I am in three organizations. In all of my organizations, I create presentations to guide conversations on a magnitude of topics: voting, advancement as a woman, mental health in men, the school to prison pipeline, racism, and more. In one of my organizations, Diversity Peer Educators, I act as a peer educator where I educate campus peers on the topic of racism. There are a lot of people who were not educated on the history of racism within America. Therefore, they suffer from an ignorance of not knowing how their comments or behaviors affect others. My specific presentations give a perspective on "How to be an Anti-Racist". It is comprised of the history of racism in America from the four forms of racism (structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized). Then, it gives examples of each form of racism. Lastly, it focus on the three steps of how to be an anti-racist. Those within this conversation are given two steps to being an anti-racist by acknowledging racism exists and learning the history of racism. The last step is to actively acknowledge self bias and correct others in the most respectful ways. This continues the conversation. Around my campus where I live in Indiana, Pennsylvania, there are numerous amounts of confederate flags. Confederate flags have said to be symbolic of Southern heritage and culture, but this is the North. I have presentations to create dialogue. We talk so as a community, black or white, no matter your ethnicity, you have a place to break down racial barriers and learn the truths of people.

I am dedicated to preventing the "school-to-prison pipeline" within the education system. There are many factors that contribute to mass incarceration. One factor that remains true is people of color are within the prison at a higher rate than their white peers. More specifically, 1 in 3 Black men and 1 in 6 Hispanic men are more likely to go to prison compared to 1 in 18 White men. This is problematic because minorities aren't more inclined to be criminals than their White peers. It's the unfair, discriminatory practice of high policing and higher sentencing for people of color. Statistics show that people of color as students are more likely to see themselves within the prison system, especially when they are labeled as a "troubled child". They are sentenced to more detentions and harsher disciplines than the white students and parallels to how those same students or same amount of students will end up in the prison system. How I am trying to combat the the "school-to-prison" pipeline is by influencing education for students of color. Using literature, documentaries, and discussion, I prepare powerful arguments on how to continue to pursue education as a way to fight systemic and institutional racism. I am in the NAACP youth program in my college's chapter. My role as Education Chair is to promote studying and use my knowledge to keep people within school. While most students of color are facing financial problems, I am hoping to keep students in college by boosting grades by more dedication to studying and creating academic dialogue about the pressures of attending a PWI. When students of color find a community, their chances of staying in college increase. That is my hope and desire, and by the end, prevent students from becoming a statistic regarding the prison system.

My dad calls it sensitivity. But, I call it empathy. I am empathetic to the emotions and needs of others, and I value this more and more each day. I thought empathy was a weakness because that was what I had been told. Being sensitive to your emotions wouldn't get you far in life; it wouldn't give you the respect you deserved. But, I needed empathy. While I was being empathetic to others; showing them kindness when one needed help or showing patience when no one tried to understand, I was able to find purpose. I was able to find that I was needed in the lives of others to take their next step. Whether the next step was passing the upcoming exam or providing food for those in need, I wanted to be there for those who felt alone. But, there is truth, that those who show a high level of empathy can be more gullible to being taken advantage of. I can admit that I found myself there a few times too many. I was always overextending myself to the needs of others. I was coming out of pocket financially, using my time to help others, and putting my mental health at the end of all priorities. I was lacking boundaries, and it hurt me. The people I thought I was helping were using me. The person I should've been helping was myself. I need to show myself empathy. When you show empathy, you are not just kind. That's the simple definition. Empathy is the ability to listen, have patience, give when needed, forgive yourself and others, and more. When I gave myself empathy, I had to show myself forgiveness. I had to forgive myself for not being kind to myself. I needed to give myself patience for when I made mistakes, and I had to listen to my heart and my mind for what was good for me. These are the strengths of being truly empathetic. Many people are suffering from many plagues within this country. Many suffer from the crushing weight of poverty, the constraints on people's freedom, and the lack of a second chance. In America, people aren't always forgiven, especially when you are a person of color or have a non-European ethnicity. In my future roles in life, I hope to have a position where my empathy can reach many. I will become a school psychologist. As a school psychologist, I will be able to reach my students in hopes to be of help. One thing many students face is the label of "trouble child". Education systems have set up a "school-to-prison pipeline" that has labeled students of color as bas, troubled, and write them off as delinquents with ADD. These children aren't delinquents or problems. They are children who need patience and guidance. My empathy will take them to wherever they want to go in life because I will have the perseverance to not give up on them. I will help teachers be more empathetic and create a culture of empathy to students where all students can succeed. I hope to be this for many students and fulfill my purpose: helping others with empathy.

I don't have "a" favorite book. As cliche as it may sound, I have many favorite books that I simply cannot choose just one. When I was three, I remember my grandma taking me to the Carnegie Library of Homewood. It was in the kids' section where I spent my days reading books all day and lying around in the big chairs. It was there in the library where a preschool teacher approached me, and asked me to attend school. It was my reading skills that impressed her, and I got introduced to the education system that I loved due to reading. My favorite book then was "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom". Then, I went to kindergarten and after a long day of school and homework, I got ready for bed. Every time before I slept, my dad and mom read a book to me. My favorite at that time was "The Lion and the Mouse." But, I grew up and read myself to sleep. I would read the "Daniel X" series, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "Dork Diaries." I read horror stories and mysteries. I felt as I had friends in these books. I was wrapped into their lives, and I wanted to help them. But, I never heard black voices in the stories I read. Until I read "Dear Martin," "Tyler Johnson was Here," and "The Hate U Give". I finally felt the trauma of what a black community goes through, I felt the tumultuous conflict of the main character. I felt the need to share these stories to others because black students need black stories, too. All the hurt from police brutality, explained in books, provided truths when I thought no one was listening. I love books, and I thank them for providing friendship, love, and truth.

Every one has mental health just like we all have physical health. When our mental health is weak, we have to train it just as one does with their body when their physical health is low. Ways to help people who struggle with mental health is by engaging with them. There may be people who suffer from depression, and they may say that they want to be alone. They might not want to engage with others or go outside. But, they need it. People with struggling mental health need to be heard. They need to be listened to and talked with. They should go outside and take in nature, and push themselves everyday to go out there. Because it's hard. It isn't easy to go out there and experience life while simultaneously feeling sad. Engaging with ourselves is helpful, too. It's the self-care, it's listening to what your body and mind tells you. Eating the right foods, drinking water, and getting those 8 hours of sleep. When you’re struggling with your mental health, it takes engaging with yourself, others, and other things in order to improve your mental health. Like working out one needs to be actively trying to improve their body. You cannot lie around and let life pass you by. You have to engage in life, and work your brain out. You work your brain out like a you engage in cardio. It takes time to adjust the breaths and pain of running if you've never done it before. Yet, overtime it would become is easier. That's how overcoming weak mental health can grow stronger. Engage.

"The Disease of White Supremacy" is a poem that means something to me deep to my core. From the videos we all have witnessed, we feel an immense amount of emotional pain. It could be our brother, sister, mother, or father. More than police brutality, this poem is the summarization of how White supremacy affects African-Americans and other minorities. I hope I will one day share my platform of poems that belong to us all and may positively affect minorities altogether. Let my words be the liberation.

I haven’t always been interested in saving and investing. I remember when I got my first job at a restaurant as a hostess. It was my first time making a whole lot of cash, or so I thought. So, when I saved my money for my phone bill, I also spent money on clothes. I believe the only necessary purchase I made was when I became a junior in high school. As a junior and senior in high school, all of my education purchases were solely funded by myself. I paid for school materials, clothes, money to fund my AP classes, and college application fees. It was beyond a lot of money for a 17-year-old, but I made it work. When I went to college, the money I needed to fund my college education plus outside purchases was a lot. I never realized how expensive college really is, and it’s hard to get a job on campus and regulate courses simultaneously. So, I have been making the effort to save. I want to save 30% of every paycheck and use the money to help fund my graduate education. I need the money for housing, a car for transportation, and regular living expenses. I cannot save for these necessities unless I start now. Overtime, this will add up, and I won’t plan to use it until I am able to pay for an expense at the right time. Money goes around and around. But the flow will soon stop if you don’t save and you don’t work for it.

I am solely motivated by my dream of becoming a School Psychologist. I am an African-American woman who experienced systemic and institutional racism, discrimination from peers, sexism, and a wavering mental health all while going to a public school. I endured all of this because based off of systemic racism, my African-American peers are discriminated against by their own teachers and white classmates. Teachers rid of their Black students as kids who will end up in jail or don’t even try. Yet, in the same instance, those teachers refuse to help or go beyond re-reading instructions to confused students. It’s a shame that students who deserve the right to an education get denied of it to this day. However, my dream is to change this historical, precedented course of action. I want to change the way teachers give information to students and create a healthy environment for minority students: and environment consisting of encouragement, help, patience, and respect. Too often the school-to-prison pipeline, prevents the pursuance of knowledge by African-Americans. It interrupts communities and families, and I think my work as a School Psychologist can prevent these historical damages from being inflicted on African-Americans and other minorities. Children deserve respect, and they deserved to be heard. When no one listens to them, as a society, we do them a disservice. My dream is to challenge to society to forget the penetrated racist theories and move to provide knowledge for all of humanity. Because they will be the leaders of our new world.

“A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim” (Maya Angelou). Today, I write as a second-year undergraduate who attends Indiana University of Pennsylvania. But, the woman I am today is not the woman I was a year ago. I was in a lost place when transitioning from the walls of my stable and grounding home to a dorm of silence yet filled to the brink with loneliness. I didn’t know how to adapt or hold on to any sort of independency. So, I befriended the wrong friends trying to replicate the family I love. It put me through a quite literal Hell. I was betrayed in all types of ways, and I almost lost who I was in those three months away from home. When I came home, there were tears in my eyes and fear in my heart because I could no longer face to see the person I had become. It took me some time to sever off the strings I knotted to those “friends” of mine. But, I did. Some people will judge you for the mistakes you made. Yet, I look at myself now, and I see the woman I am today is smarter, stronger, and more reliable in her own intuition. I am comfortable with who I am; and despite the tragedies I endured, I am a woman who survived. I am no victim, but an achieve. I chose not to seek vengeance. I choose not to be an enemy spewing out hate for another. I choose to sip in the luxurious taste of peace because chaos was all I knew. To those amid surviving, I commend you. When you make it, remember you are your own person belonging to no one or thing.