The atmosphere of fantasy has always been one of Disney’s best characteristics and whimsical ways of delight. For me, Disney and the showcase of emotion have always gravitated my attention toward the screen at all times. As a kid, my favorite movies were The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Those movies, then and now, reflected an inner part of me that was destined for freedom. Characters like Belle and her independence and will to not only stand for what's right but to defend the ones she loves most; from my all-time favorite Disney film, Ariel and her immense curiosity to find out what's more to the world she sees and explore the edges, curves and kinks of the world. Both characters showed courage and meaning to emotion and passion for life including those around in life. In mentioning the showcasing of emotions as a Disney fan, I can not forget to mention some of the tearjerker works of the industry. Movies like UP, Encanto, Inside Out, the Toy Story series, and many more works display emotion like no other media piece can ever do. UP and Toy Story shows the value of appreciation and how much it means to have a friend, lover, or companion by your side in some of the happiest, to even saddest moments of your life. Encanto tells and proves that no one is limited to one attribute that they carry and instead is deserving of love for all attributes they carry, whether it's the ability to control the weather or even the simple ability to exist. Lastly, Inside Out is a depiction of life itself, in the most beautiful captured of ways. The said thing captured here is, well, emotions. Anger, Sadness, Joy, Fear, Disgust, and more layers of memories comes with it. Yes, it's through the lens of a young teenager, but yes, it can very well fit accurately to any age around the globe. The experiences of moving, growing up, starting school, raising a family, anxiety in sports, fear of losing loved ones, the exhilaration of rebelling, sadness in being alone, the terrible taste of broccoli on pizza; These are the very things that every single living being on Earth can feel and resonate with, and can say "I get that". That's the thing. That's the very reason why and what Disney means to me. No matter how anyone has grown up, the things we've seen in our lifetime, Disney has always created a moment to capture it and best reflect it in our lives. Emotion has been more powerful than anything in life, and for a small little cartoon company to see that little fraction that's placed in our hearts, it means the world to know and to tell about how the world of Disney has impacted me.

Growing up, I wasn't much of a typical mindset kid. We all aren't! We all grow up with aspirations and wild imagination. I was dubbed "The Ninja" in my house because I was so quiet and would mess and play with makeup; But more than anything, I was seen as very independent. Ever since a child, I was seen as a little figure in her own lane. My loved ones knew at a young age that with my way of thinking and self identity, I was destined to be strong and willed in my future. In my 19 years of life, I've had opportunities and moments of learning from life and close ones within. Being a black girl from the South suburbs of Chicago, IL, I wasn't given the overall "good" life; However, I didn't see anything past it. Not once was I reminded of how "rough" we got it or how "times were hard", because infact, times were hard; My young 20 and 21 year old parents made it their mission to show their child the "good" side before stepping them into a world where the reality wasn't that. In the process of developing and getting to know who I am, I grew to know the struggle of identity. Who am I? What do I like? How do others see me? How can I change myself?; At complicated ages, I went down roads that spiritually, mentally and emotionally weren't good for me. I felt like I wasn't seen. I felt no happy in my life and I hid that from ones that loved me. I felt waves of depression in my early teen days. Little by little, everyday was an internal struggle. I would put on comfort movies like Marvel's The Avengers and The Nightmare Before Christmas to distract my mind, and yet, more and more, I started to become increasingly involved and interested in the content I was feeding myself. I began my love for comic books and geek culture, and most of all developed my obsession with gaming. Video Gaming and the craft of play essentially felt like the key to get me out my funk. It was like a world or even multiple worlds to escape to and make it your own. I knew that, in these worlds, I could be whatever avatar, superhero, or even average human I could be. With the current path of life that I'm on right now as I speak, I'm projecting and using that same love to expand on my horizons. The exact impact that video games, comic books, and other pieces of media has left on me, I'm already tracing steps to leave on the world. As I'm starting my 2nd year in college, I plan to make this year and beyond count. With the grand prize of $10,000 gifted by the Barbara J. DeVaney Memorial Scholarship Fund, I plan to use this estate in money to invest and give chances to black little girls who were just like me. Who can't find what in the world works for them. Who have a love and passion for something yet is held back from the world by fear, anxiety, and depression. I aspire to use this exact money to build bridges for those who are just waiting to walk, and I hope readers and those receiving this sees the opportunity and vision just as I do. Thank you.

Organizations and schools can make belonging communities more even-handed and diverse by becoming knowledgeable about the community that is in place, accepting and welcoming any backgrounds approaching, and understanding times of failure and change. With having major grouped presences like schools, businesses, or organizations, there is an already such position of power in a community where, simultaneously, there are also existing individuals who do not fall under those categories. Being knowledgeable on the existing citizens who aren’t in an organization, who aren’t teachers or faculty for a school, who don’t own businesses or are CEOs of major projects, will give those of higher power a head starts on whos’ in the community, whos’ living here, who, above all, puts trust to thrive, raise and live there. Interactions like local politicians running for an election campaign have been one of the country's most modern ways of attempting to make a living community more equitable. On the contrary, most runnings have had regards based on the existing higher power and how that power comes from a sense of privilege. To fix this, there needs to be not just one session, but a series of hearkening to those who don’t come from a place of privilege and further grasp the concept of the failure that has occurred to those in the community. Grasping that exact thought of failure and less fortunate activities having occurred could make those of higher power with no experience of failure gather a different perspective and outlook on how life can be affected in ways they, themselves, haven’t yet seen. Different perspectives and origins of different ideologies allow those of power to think of existing parallels and what could cater to everyone, instead of focusing on a targeted audience. Changing from one idea and motive to another also needs to be understood as an essential part of making society just and fairer. With getting to know your community and the backgrounds that come from different pathways of life and people identify as parts of a spectrum, you grow to receive new information and new ways of thinking from a previous state of mind that didn’t include that information then. The missing puzzle piece for major organizations and/or heavily established businesses and schools to know their community, accept failures and adapt to changes is to act on them. Apply that knowledge of those in the community; Accept and acknowledge past mistakes from the community and/or obstacles that citizens carry with them; And now, bring in and welcome any backgrounds and identities. Connecting with citizens of different backgrounds and identities, coming from a stance of the ‘norm’ and privilege shows a sign of alignment and support. Having the platform that organizations have, they can lift and amplify voices and speak for those who will be silenced. The opportunities that schools give to children could allow children of color coming from low-middle income households to receive a better education, succeed academically, and reap accolades in their name starting at such a young age. Key parts like acknowledging, accepting, and changing, could very well cause better and more understanding in building a more equitable and just community not only for those who need it but for everyone involved in the community.

Within my community, there are a good amount of elders. What I do to helps these elders, whether they’re in my family or not, is support around their house and in emotional aspects. In my family, I help my great-grandmother with many things like navigation systems on her car and even moving large items around her house. She comes from a very religious background, so for the sake of her and potentially building myself in the process, I sit down and read bible verses and talk about aspects of life. As for outside of my family, I try to spread that same good energy to those whom I’m not familiar with as if they were in my family. During my time in volunteering programs, our mission was to send cards to a local elder care system. Each of the volunteers had the names of the elders we would each write to, and in my list of names, I’ve had a mix a cultures who speak different languages. I thought that within these letters, I’ll change my approach and speak in their language to build and better and more real and genuine purpose of the card to them. The leader of our program came back to the volunteers and said that “The recipient of your (me) letter thought it was heartfelt and they were touched.” That plus the little things I do wishing my family, makes me feel proud and happy on my contribution to elders in my community.

I’ve been told that qualities and characteristics of mine are rare to find in others. Which, itself is rare to me being that I never thought anymore of myself than the bare minimum: Smart, funny, nice. However, I guess you can spin that into a quality of itself. In short, I value how humble I am, knowing that there are sometimes obstacles and challenges in my way that will beat me or will get the best of me. My humbleness shows through everything I do, whether it’s in a team working environment or individually. Even in times where I do have the upper hand, where I do beat my obstacles and challenges in my way. Not only does my attributes of determination and pure skill show, but also my humbling experiences with telling me that “Hey. This isn’t the end. You still have more to prove. There’s level to this in life and you only overcame one level.” Of course with having humbleness, there is an easy slip of negativity that could come in. Sometimes you could get so “humbling” to the point where you’re just letting yourself down. To the point where you’re not giving yourself time to breathe, or even congratulate yourself. With me and my humbleness, I try not to let that interfere. I try to let myself know that my pure skills whether it’s academic or athletic got me here for a reason, while also saying there’s more to this and that I should keep my head up. The positive outlook on being humble is what genuinely keeps me going. Having positive humbleness in my life helps continue my journey in life by making me anticipated of what’s next to come. Being humble makes me prepared and ready for more; Ready to see where in life could my skills take me. So far in life, my humbleness have shown in the little to major interactions in my life. It has led me to a well reputation and a well attitude that is hungry for more while also being hungry for the best. Being humble isn’t always about shutting yourself out or making yourself feel like what you gave and contributed, be it small or big amounts, isn’t enough. With a positive outlook on life and yourself, being humble could be the best thing you could do for yourself: It gives you more and it makes you more.

1. Once upon a time, when I was a alien on my homeland of Zeckerbrick, I was enjoying and eating my favorite sandwich ever! A beetle bug deluxe with dog drool sauce! Ugh, it was fantastic, however what I'm here to say is that while eating the beetle bug deluxe, I spotted this weird body feature approach my homeland! It was white and seemed to be puffy and had a shield as a face! It had this blue, white and red striped flag, and just stuck it on my planet, and left! That was wild. 2. Did you know that the The FitnessGram PACER Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues? The test is used to measure a student's aerobic capacity as part of the FitnessGram assessment. Students run back and forth as many times as they can, each lap signaled by a beep sound. 3. Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress , Staring at the sunset, babe. Red lips and rosy cheeks, Say you'll see me again, Even if it's just in your wildest dreams, ah-ha , Wildest dreams, ah-ha.

Those close to me have recalled saying I'm pretty responsible and imaginative; That my mind has reached far and visual in moments where it wasn’t even needed. Through my lens, I can’t seem to describe myself in such a way. The thought of “me, me, me, me” is something I’d rather avoid. To see my future, however, it’s a must to develop a sense of acknowledgement to myself. That’s why I’m here. Growing up, being an African American girl, living in the United States of America, life has been like a complex puzzle, in a game where you can never exactly win. In Homewood, Illinois, I lived with my grandparents, parents, cousins and aunties. Music of the 90s and the years behind from R&B, to techno and bubblegum pop would play every night and the smell of spicy, wholesome, savory and ambrosial food resides in the air. African-American culture and livelihood flourished all throughout the house, and was my first grasp of me, and who and how I am. I never really knew the benefits or the multiple disadvantages to my life until I knew how to comprehend and feel as a kid. Seeing news, of people who look like me being hurt or even worse...to seeing people like me succeeding and breaking all time records of greatness. Being a part of a culture that has been put down in ways that lists from stereotyping, mockerys, denied access to essential human needs, stripped of basic human rights, police brutality, to missing mothers, kids, babies and more, You’d tend to find conflict in being ‘all about you”. We find conflict in expressing ourselves in our true form, because we’re always held in a box. A box of different sorts of stereotypes and minimizing. The box I’m in? Consists of all the inaccurate stereotypes that label me: The nonchalant, over-arrogant, loner, disrespectful, slang-speeched, wacky haired girl. When in reality, my box consists of aspirations, visual concepts, scenes and images at the right angle and right time, songs in my head where I paint vivid hues to the tune of the harmonies and emotions. Including stories made up in the deep corner of my brain about best friends turned enemies, in an epic battle of pain and sorrow. I’m more than a box; I’m more than stereotypes. I can see the art aspect of video games and interpret visual art, or literature with others. Art has always been my form. From living in a house full of women who expressed joy whenever their favorite song came on, to submerging to a world of infinite possibilities, with avatars and beings of different realms all through a screen and controller. That’s where I want to be. I want to be the visual and creative director of my world, not in the box where others categorize me. The only person that has the say to that, is me, so this is where I start.

Those close to me have recalled saying I'm pretty responsible and imaginative; That my mind has reached far and visual in moments where it wasn’t even needed. Through my lens, I can’t seem to describe myself in such a way. The thought of “me, me, me, me” is something I’d rather avoid. To see my future, however, it’s a must to develop a sense of acknowledgement to myself. That’s why I’m here. Growing up, being an African American girl, living in the United States of America, life has been like a complex puzzle, in a game where you can never exactly win. In Homewood, Illinois, I lived with my grandparents, parents, cousins and aunties. Music of the 90s and the years behind from R&B, to techno and bubblegum pop would play every night and the smell of spicy, wholesome, savory and ambrosial food resides in the air. African-American culture and livelihood flourished all throughout the house, and was my first grasp of me, and who and how I am. I never really knew the benefits or the multiple disadvantages to my life until I knew how to comprehend and feel as a kid. Seeing news, of people who look like me being hurt or even worse...to seeing people like me succeeding and breaking all time records of greatness. Being a part of a culture that has been put down in ways that lists from stereotyping, mockerys, denied access to essential human needs, stripped of basic human rights, police brutality, to missing mothers, kids, babies and more, You’d tend to find conflict in being ‘all about you”. We find conflict in expressing ourselves in our true form, because we’re always held in a box. A box of different sorts of stereotypes and minimizing. The box I’m in? Consists of all the inaccurate stereotypes that label me: The nonchalant, over-arrogant, loner, disrespectful, slang-speeched, wacky haired girl. When in reality, my box consists of aspirations, visual concepts, scenes and images at the right angle and right time, songs in my head where I paint vivid hues to the tune of the harmonies and emotions. Including stories made up in the deep corner of my brain about best friends turned enemies, in an epic battle of pain and sorrow. I’m more than a box; I’m more than stereotypes. I can see the art aspect of video games and interpret visual art, or literature with others. Art has always been my form. From living in a house full of women who expressed joy whenever their favorite song came on, to submerging to a world of infinite possibilities, with avatars and beings of different realms all through a screen and controller. That’s where I want to be. I want to be the visual and creative director of my world, not in the box where others categorize me. The only person that has the say to that, is me, so this is where I start.