I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government at Harvard—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government in college—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government in college—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government in college—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government at Harvard—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education and this scholarship to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government at Harvard—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government at Harvard—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government at Harvard—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I’d reached double digits. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists”, a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we’d marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Student government, political science courses, and activism in my spare time have only intensified this passion throughout middle and high school. I’ve since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in political science in college—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. Simply existing as a person of color in a society not designed for my success poses an interminable obstacle, but I am determined to construct my own odds. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protesters. My little hands held up a sign that read, “We March To End Racial Profiling!” and my dad and sister stood on either side of me holding similar posters. That day, we marched through downtown DC for hours to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Thousands of bodies packed the streets that are usually occupied by bustling DC traffic and pedestrians pursuing their destinations. I had never been in a crowd so big, a crowd so united by grief and a desire for change. Surrounding me were souls wounded and broken by senseless injustices that seem to never end, their faces reflecting exhaustion and pain. Tears trickled down black and brown cheeks as we all lamented the loss of a valuable life. But what stood out most to me as I protested on that winter day in 2012 was that beyond all of the hurting, the crowd’s overwhelming spirit was of fire and determination. These people had witnessed the death of a member of our community—a son, a brother, a classmate, a friend, a black man—and refused to let it discourage them. They were not going to stop until their activism brought an end to situations like Trayvon’s. At just seven years old, I was both rudely awakened and inspired. This was my first official introduction to the concept of social justice. I knew then that the political and social institutions in place had failed Trayvon and I was committed to ensuring that no more people of color fell victim to the same fate. Since then, I have seized every opportunity to be an actor of change and educate myself further on these very important topics. Trayvon Martin was just the first protest out of many that I have attended with my dad, from the Women’s March in 2017 to several demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. My passion has bled into my academic and extracurricular pursuits, only growing more intense through an internship at a social justice-based publication, college courses like American Politics and Government, and engagement in the Black Student Union at my high school. I have since learned that true social justice requires systemic change, achieved through advocacy and legal reform. To move forward, we must dismantle the institutions that have allowed inequality to prevail for centuries. Studying political science would set me on the path to becoming a political change-maker and working towards rectifying those inequalities. This is why I aspire to major in government—it would provide me with the academic resources, diverse intellectual perspectives, and uplifting community needed to catalyze the change my seven-year-old self envisioned. I ultimately hope to apply to law school and use my degree to pursue a career in political leadership and advocacy. Whether I am presenting before the House of Representatives as a civil rights lobbyist or running for local office, I plan to use my power to represent and protect communities that are too often overlooked. I will use my college education to spark social change—so that I never again have to take to the streets of DC to protest police brutality and mourn yet another black or brown life.