I have called Hoboken my home for all seventeen years of my life. I have grown up in a very diverse community with people from all backgrounds. Hoboken High school is considered decently small compared to a lot of schools in the area which has led me to become very close with most of the student body. Due to its size, everyone knows one another, and that taught me the value of connection early on.. I often try to talk to people from different friend groups, countries, and schools since I think just having a simple conversation with someone can brighten up someone’s day or make them feel more included. While I am grateful for the community that I grew up in, it didn’t come without its challenges. As a mixed race individual with a white father and a black mother, I often felt stuck in the middle between identities. Certain individuals that I met from either race made me feel excluded, whether it was getting dirty looks from people at events that mostly had white people in them, or people making assumptions about my intelligence. Even when I would go to events that had a majority of black individuals, the very group of people that many categorized me with, I was often considered “too white” just because of small things like the way that I talk or the fact that I don’t often listen to rap music. People expected me to be a certain way or fit into a stereotype, often making me feel like I did not belong. These experiences made me feel isolated, especially as someone who was naturally quiet and hesitant to stand up for myself. For a long time, I internalized these feelings. It was during the isolation of COVID that I realized that I wanted to talk to people and build relationships with them; I no longer wanted to be a shy and quiet person. When the COVID-19 quarantines ended, I stopped worrying about being “too white” or “not black enough”; I was going to just be myself. I chose instead to embrace every part of my identity and step outside my comfort zone. I became a happier and more confident person. I started to do things that I had never done before. I created a chess club in my school. I interned at JPMorgan Chase. I even performed for my school as the Redwing, our school mascot. These all helped me create my own identity that was not restricted by a black and white world. The Bick Mile Square Scholarship would allow me to continue this growth. As I move on to college, financial support would allow me to pursue my dreams, easing the stress of having to pay for tuition and other expenses. My goal is to pursue International Business or Finance, where I can use my diverse background to understand others, making a more welcoming environment for clients and coworkers.