Hello, My name is Floyd Griffin III and I was born and raised on the Northside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Currently, I am pursuing a Master's Degree in Registered Nursing. My ultimate goal is to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. I am a male African-American and I have experienced first hand the impact of mental illness on my community. I feel that if African-Americans saw more people that looked like them working in therapy, counseling and psychiatric the negative stigma of mental illness would begin to diminish! By gaining further knowledge and deepening my level of education I will be able to help individuals learn about themselves and to diagnose where applicable a mental illness someone could be affected by. If people are not aware there is an issue they could potentially harm themselves and/or others. By furthering my education I will be able to achieve my educational and professional goals. These goals consist of creating group homes for the mentally ill in addition to working in my own practice as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Working in these avenues will give me the flexibility and ability to reach the target audience I desire. Although, earlier I mentioned the African-American population this would not be my only target group! Individuals of all ethnicities, nationalities and backgrounds are affected by mental illness. I am one person, however, I would use networking, grants and fellow Practitioners to reach as many individuals as I could. We are all of various backgrounds, however, I believe that when it comes to the human race we are all one. This may seem like a wishful thinking comment, however, it is something that I believe in whole heartedly. I have to children that I am raising as a single parent while I progress through my schooling. I try to teach them in a way that will make them well versed in education, finances, credit and most importantly that regardless of skin color we are all human and we need to co exist much better than we have been.

1) Community means to not forget where you came from and to find methods to increase betterment for your community. This consists of finding ways to increase awareness and access to health care providers and treatment. In addition to his finding ways to increase the effectiveness of the public school system, this includes encu0raging schools to teach about credit and financial literacy. This will allow students in poverty areas to learn that having a high credit score and maintaining it is better than having a certain amount of money. Also, community means having pride win where you come from and having a strong desire to see where your roots started grow and blossom into something that is beautiful and has longevity. I give back to my community by participating in volunteer events. This includes volunteering at the Wisconsin Humane Society and the Ozaukee County Humane Society. In addition to this I assist with organizing and participating in neighborhood clean up projects that cover a wide area in the city of Milwaukee. Also, due to my belief in a quality education I participate in tutoring in Math, English and Science. My tutoring ranges from 3rd grade all the way to the college level. I do not have an abundance of funds, however, I do what I can to see those in my community flourish. I never lose hope and never lose sight of wanting to see those around me succeed. This is whether we are related or not. I want success! 2) I am an African-American male born and raised on the Northside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I come from a family of 10 (Mother, Father, 1 sister and 6 brother, me being the middle child brings us to the family of 10). We were lived in poverty and would have been considered lower class. We lived in what would by todays standards have been the ghetto. Although, we did not have the most or the best of everything my parents always find a way to feed and clothe us. While at the same time always keeping a roof over our head. We were never without utilities and to this day I not know how my parents maintained everything so seamlessly. Due to my upbringing I learned to be humble and never take anything for granted. This has helped me develop the goal I have for the future. I would like to develop a group home or a non profit in that will be utilized to help people learn self-value and self-appreciation. Regardless of your background you will always have opportunities available to you. You do not have to settle for less. I feel that once people realize they are somebody they will develop the drive and the passion to seek out avenues for success. Ultimately, I want to see the world united, regardless of race, economic status, gender, religion or sexuality. We can all learn from and appreciate each other. The sooner we realize this the better off we will be!