I have always had college in the forefront of my mind. I remember in 4th grade we had to do a project about our future, most of my classmates had fun goals like skateboarding pro or rockstar, but mine? It said to go to UCLA and then Harvard. Just to give you an idea of how much education has meant to me. With that being said when college application time came around I knew I wasn't going to be able to afford it and that my parents wouldn't be able to help. My grandparents served in the Army/ WAC and my father was in the Army, I knew I wanted to be able to go to college and I have always loved my country (in 2nd grade we had to pick our favorite song, again most kids picked a jonas brother song or Britney spears, me? I picked "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood. Anyway back to high school, I knew I wouldn't be able to afford it and my love for my country led to to my recruiter's office in Bakersfield, CA. I joined the Army at 17 years old with my parent's consent, couldn't vote for my country but I was ready to defend it regardless. I served my entire contract which was 2.5 years since I didn't have long MOS training I could get a short contract. Unfortunately at the end of the contract, I was sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier. I wanted to extend my contract prior to my assault so I could obtain 100% of the GI bill not just 8-0% (going back to that shorter contract I got as a minor who joined with an 8-week AIT). Unfortunately, the incident left me traumatized and I didn't extend my contract. I had to pay for 20% of my nursing school tuition (which is not cheap) out of pocket, and most of it is covered I am just a little over $1,500 shy of paying it off entirely. If I won this scholarship it would take a weight off my shoulders. Serving my country meant so much to me as my goal has always been to help people, I did so in uniform and now I will do so in scrubs. I am honored to have the luxury of applying for scholarships in this beautiful country and to have fellow candidates with military stories of their own. Good luck to all applicants and thank you Mr. Franks for setting up this amazing opportunity. God bless.

I have always been crafty! I find so much joy in drawing and creating etc. I started my Etsy in 2021 and although many are still recovering from the Covid aftermath (financially) and that business may not be as well as I would like, I still enjoy working on my shop. Fairtradebyfer

I am not perfect, however I try to leave people, places, and things better than how I met them. I joined the Army at 17 because I didn’t want to put my parents in loan debt for my college ( I graduated as a minor so I was unable to take out any loans). I served my country and many may view that as selfless but I viewed it as doing my civic duty. Ever since I got my license at 16 I would spend my free time volunteering at the homeless shelter and feeding the people and playing with the kids. And to this day whenever I’m getting food and I see a homeless person nearby I make sure to get them and their pet a meal too, even if financially that means I have to get myself a smaller meal (I’m still a broke college kid). Although not much, I do what I can❤️

I'll be upfront, I am not one to always study. Having ADHD and being in nursing school isn't the most ideal pair, but I have been working and getting better with my study habits. I have a planner and pla put times of the day for each subject I'm taking so I can devote adequate time for each one, as some need more time than others. I also have a weekly study group meeting with friends, whether in person or on zoom (due to covid). I also make flash cards and my dad helps me study, he is my biggest motivator and my best friend. I would be honored to be rewarded for my study habits. I may not be the brightest student, but I have always been creative and make my own methods to study and learn.

Our planet was here well before you or I, and I truly hope it'll be here long after. Earth is the only human/ animal life sustainable planet (that we are aware of or that is in feasible distance). With that being said it is truly vital (no not just using that word for emphasis but genuinely for its definition) that we take care of our planet and her needs. With the fascinating progress we have made in technology here, we must focus some of that on its harms to earth and how we can help it. Our troposphere is the atmospheric layer that allows us to have human life (as well as water) because of this protection, many molecules are more stable in the troposphere than elsewhere in the atmosphere. This protection makes life possible on Earth. This all ties back into nature. Our wild animals in nature have slowly been losing their parts (tusks, horns, etc.) as well as homes due to things like climate change (and our polar bear population slowly dying out). Animals are a big reason I love nature so much, they were here before us and will be here after us. They love and are kind and protecting of their own. This is why i'm passionate about nature. Not only do I love animals, but I also would like to live. Nature is a life source for all.

I am Fernanda Llama. I am a Mexican Cuban American woman, third-generation military, second-generation college student. I am currently a determined nursing student at Las Vegas College. I am working towards my ADN and my goal is to transfer to either UNLV or the University of Washington Seattle to complete my BSN. After that, I aspire to be a travel nurse, with my specialty being ER. I graduated high school in 2018 with a 4.0 GPA. After that, I joined the U.S. Army. I proudly served my country for two and a half years. I was stationed in Fort Lewis, WA. I was a logistics specialist and while in I was a student with Arizona State University-online at the Cronkite School of Journalism. I was in journalism all four years of high school, and still have an earnest love for it. While in the military, paired with this pandemic I have realized that nursing is my calling. My passion is helping others and serving. I am eager to do that and hopeful that I can earn scholarships to help obtain those goals with less financial stress. I am a full-time student and work 30 hours a week at Starbucks. While my G.I. Bill covers most of my costs, it doesn't cover all. I have been working since I was 16, and now at 21, it would be nice to have some help from scholarships so I can just focus on my studies and not have to depend on 30 hours of work to help pay for school, for the first time since I was 15. I am eager to connect and network with fellow students and donors. Let's be bold!

My dad is my best friend. He has always been there for me and is my rock. I joined the military to follow in his footsteps. While I was on active duty, and living away from home the pandemic started. Every day I worried and prayed for him. Thankfully I still have my hero. Once my contract ended I moved back home and applied to nursing school. My father hasn't always been the healthiest and not all his fault. He had a rough childhood which caused some health issues, and he still has some today, one being diabetes. I lost my maternal grandfather to diabetes the night of my senior formal dance, so this issue is near to my heart. I chose to go into nursing because I love to serve people, hence why I joined the Army at 17. I hope to be a nurse that understands my patients and can relate to them, thus making their experience a more memorable and observed situation. With this scholarship, I can pay off the rest of the dues I owe my school the G.I. Bill won't cover and that would help so much with the severe stress I have been under financially. Best of luck to all applicants.

Growing up in this era, as the first generation to really be on the frontlines of cyberbullying and social media is not easy and should not be overlooked. All over social media, we see influencers and photos that are edited or bodies that have been modified. This slowly but surely alters our perspective on what we should look like and then the beauty standard. I remember first getting Instagram in 7th grade, 2012. Although posts were much more casual then and influencers weren't really a thing, a new platform for bullying people has just been born. I have been bullied often and on social media it spreads like wildfire. Rather than being internal in the school you are at, other kids in town at others schools can see it and be mean to you. With that being said I had to grow thick skin. In high school I gained more confidence. I was joining every club and it all AP and honor classes. After high school I joined the Army. In basic training you're getting bullied in a sense but for good reason, to be built back up as a soldier. I of course dealt with mean girls there too, but I dealt with it, with grace and confidence. The thing I love most about myself is my resilience. I always bounce back, from anything and everything. I am one of the strongest people I know, and that is what I love about myself. Best of luck to all participants, I know whoever is awarded this scholarship is deserving. -Fernanda Llama

Every day is a lesson, and every person is a teacher. Every day is a great chance to learn something new to brighten and or change our outlook on life. When I talk to a kid, I see the world differently, I see it in a carefree and joyful light. When I talk to adults older than me they can pass their wisdom from life experiences. Two things that have been taught that have stuck with me have been "you can't get worse, you can only get better." and "be the light." The first one was told to me in 7th grade by my cheer coach Rene. I was getting on to myself for not having high enough kicks (which I know isn't the end of the world) but he told me, "you can't get worse, you can only get better, you've done this before so you know how to do it and improve." That has stuck with me through high school, my time in the Army, and now in nursing school. The second, "be the light" was taught to e by my first-year Catholic confirmation teacher, Miss. Wendy. She always told us to be the light in any situation, and again that has stuck with me. I have had many pits and peaks in my life and times where I felt like there was no light. In basic training, my bible and that saying, paired with letters to my family, are what got me through it. Those words still mean a lot to me tofay. I am eager to read what other lessons students have gained over the years and in advance, congratulations to whoever wins, they are well deserving. Good luck to evryone.

I do what I can and pray that others do too before it's too late. The downward slope this planet has been on is heartwrenching, to say the least. Animals I grew up studying may not be alive by the time I have children, mind you I am only twenty right now. I recycle everything that I can, I purchased a hybrid, and I am cautious of my activities. Whenever I go to national parks I treat the land and animals with the utmost respect. We as a planet, notice how I don't try to separate us as nations, rather unite us, MUST hold large corporations and specific people accountable. Of course, everyone is accountable to an extent, but we must address private planes for these celebrities that can take regular flights. I know the luxury of a private plane is nice, but that should be reserved for a select few like the President. I would be lying if I said that I wouldn't want to ride a private jet, or go to another county at the snap of my fingers, etc. However with that being said, if my other option is having the beautiful planet's life cut short because of selfless humans who ironically lack the characteristic of being humane, well I will gladly book coach from here on out. I don't think asking for all nations to come together to address a global issue is too much to ask for nor do I feel that people should be begging for change, it should be innate that " hey the planet is dying" " I'm on it, we will fix that immediately." This planet needs help, there is no backup planet.

Our largest cage is a limited education. We must all take a stand to allow access to education to everyone, because that is the only way we can strive for a better future, for all. When we have full education access to all we allow for people to have better jobs/ jobs that address their interests and talents more. This leads to more people meant for a specific career field being in the said career field. This allows for more passion in these jobs and ideally / hypothetically better results. I also feel that we must learn from our history or else we are doomed to repeat it. With that being said I feel it's vital to learn about all subjects to be well-rounded, a perfect example is history. A lot of states in recent years have been wanting to editorialize history books by limiting what is said about a certain time and or remove it entirely. This only drives home to the fact that we must ensure all students are able to access education so that everyone has the opportunity to obtain their goals.

Words! As a journalism major turned nursing major, I have experience in writing and how wording and phrasing in media(as well as life and career fields) matter. I am also an Army Veteran, which means I have the first-hand experience in being a woman in a male-dominated field. Now men and women both have emotions, and reactions to things, almost like it's a human instinct. With that being said I have noticed the way things are portrayed and worded since I was a little girl. When I was practicing journalism I would notice how a woman could "overreact" about an event, but a man in that same situation could "react." Just that one word alone changes the narrative and paints women in this merry-go-round narrative that we are overly emotional, and can't grasp a situation properly, etc. This has happened to me firsthand in many instances, but especially in the Army. Although things have progressed massively (ie: women can now serve in combat arms) there is still underlying misogyny in many ways. When I first got to my duty station, I was the only female there, and I was personally fine with it and up for the challenge for lack of a better phrase. However, I would constantly get little comments that I just didn't comprehend, (ie: jokes about me being the smallest solider, which was ironic because I was stringer than some of the guys that would say that). Another instance was when I was sexually assaulted in the military, I was told I was overreacting and having too many emotions, whereas the assaulter didn't hence show how he was able to cope better than me (well that only makes sense, he wasn't assaulted). With all this being said I think the way women are and have been portrayed must be changed. Even when Hillary Clinton was running for president in 2016 that argument, and I use the word lightly, was that she's a woman she'll have her period and start a war. Well, 1. she was too old to even have her period and 2. all American wars have been started by men so? Anyway getting back on topic, words and phrasing matter. That is what I feel must change to empower women in the sense that it won't be bringing up down.

Although I didn't have too many struggles growing up, I know and understand the people that have. I couldn't afford to go to college straight out of high school. I worked so hard, I was in all AP classes, was always staying late doing and extracurricular, and was employed. I had to continue working hard to get most of my schooling covered, so I joined the Army. There I met people from ALL walks of life. I had one roommate who got her dream car when she turned 16, and one who was a teen mom and could barely afford diapers for her baby, and then me, somewhat in the middle of I had some luxuries, but not a lot. Prior to joining, I spent a lot of my free time doing community service. Whether it be helping at an underfunded church, volunteering at homeless shelters to make their food, or being a Disney princess for sick kids, I was always aiming to help someone in need. Now I'm the one in need. I served my country honorably and am no a veteran working full time while going to nursing school full time. I have to pay about $10,000 out of pocket and it would be nice to have some of that stress finally taken off my shoulders. Best of luck to all applicants, whoever wins is well deserving.

I believe that it is good for everyone, or at least I try to. I try to be optimistic, but I am also a realist. The world is full of selfish people, and this pandemic shows that now more than ever. People would rather make a deal about how THEY chose to not get the vaccine rather than getting it to help themselves and others around them. one thing I've noticed is that the younger generation is typically more progressive and not as selfish as the older generation. That is where my hope stems from.

AFFORDABLE TUITION I joined the Army at 17. I couldn't afford to go into severe debt when I could just earn tuition payment by serving my country. Now don't get me wrong I believe tuition is astronomically priced, however, a lot of people are avoiding the service because of a lack of selflessness and courage. I feel serving my country and still having to pay out of pocket because I'm opting for a more expensive degree, nursing, should show why I deserve this. Thank you

Being in the military I faced tons of adversity. I joined at 17 and when I got stationed at my unit I was the smallest soldier and the only female. (I was in a combat arms unit and they didn't have any females my first year). Now I had no problem working with the guys, heck I could live more than half of them. However the time I really faced adversity was when I was sexually assaulted in august 2020 by a fellow soldier. I trusted him, heck I trusted all my joes, were trained to go to war together, I would hope I could trust them. Now, this is in no way to paint the Army and or my unit in a bad light, but this situation and solider involved, are horrible. After being in the ER from midnight to 5 am I was able to go home only to change without having a chance to shower and proceed with my job. I had to see that person that same morning. I was able to continue working there and be more resiliant than ever. Now with a fulfilled contract, I am using my GI Bill to pursue nursing. Although the bill covers most, it does not cover all. Anything and everything helps, congratulations to whoever earns this, they deserve it!

Pay yourself first. I learned that in the Army, I would always save most of my paycheck (if I could). Thankfully after doing that I was finally able to buy my first car, after saving for four years. Now in college, my GI Bill doesn't cover everything and I need to pay almost 10k out of pocket. Anything and everything helps. Good luck to all the candidates applying, whoever wins is very deserving. -Fernanda Llama

My favorite scientist, Nettie Stevens. Not many know of her, she was a secondary school teacher in the victorian era. It wasn't until her late 30's that she decided to pursue higher education and obtain a BA then an MA. She did studies on mealworm beetles. With those studies, she was able to discover sex chromosomes. Stevens observed that male mealworms produced two kinds of sperm, one with a large chromosome and one with a small chromosome. She is known for XY sex-determination system. Truthfully any and all science that is prior to the 1950s is mind-boggling to me considering the lack of modern technology. Especially a female scientist. I mean today it is still a male-dominated industry, hence why many don't know of Nettie. Her preserving and hard work as a minority in this field to make such a discovery is why she is my favorite scientist.

My favorite teacher is my dad. My dad has always been there for me and has often been the only person supporting me at sporting events, debate team competitions, and all of my other achievements. He worked as a probation officer for 20 years and retired early to spend time with me before I joined the Army. during the pandemic, he was able to tap into something he has always loved, teaching. He is now a 5th-grade teacher and it is not a cheap career field, but it also doesn't pay well. I am also in school, for nursing. Although I really need this to help pay for my tuition, which the army doesn't cover, if I were to win this, I would give it to my father so he could pay for classroom supplies, especially as a first-year teacher. Good luck to all the candidates applying, I know whoever wins is very deserving. -Fernanda Llama