All throughout my life I have been working to achieve greatness. Greatness is the product of hard-work, trials and tribulations, and a lot of time put into what you want to accomplish. To begin with, growing up in a house with a single mother who has worked tirelessly in the United States Coast Guard has been an example of nothing less than strength and selflessness. Watching my mother inspired me to work hard for the things I wanted for my life. In addition to my goals, I ultimately want to be in a position where I can give back to my parents the things that they have put in to me. I have always big aspirations to play soccer in college and fulfill a career in the computer science field. Last year I had fallen very far from my pathway to success, but with resilience and a willingness to change the trajectory of my mindset, it resulted in the most significant turning point in my life thus far. Adversity appears in numerous forms, such as personal struggles, unanticipated circumstances, or pressures from societal influences. Within the past year, I have experienced a few obstacles that impacted my mental health, motivation, and overall self-confidence. As a soccer player, the process of recruitment can be very stressful and throughout my fourteen-year tenure I have grown to have a lot of respect and love for the game, which drove me to continue my career collegiately. But, once I began my recruiting process, I had not been as successful as I hoped and I felt stagnant. No emails, no calls, no texts. I began to lose hope. Then, the next weekend I played in a tournament and I went all in! As a result, I began receiving interest from my anticipated schools. But, just as interest came in from my top two schools, I had found out shortly after that both coaches had been released from their respective school positions. By this time, I had felt hopeless, my grades began to reflect this and soon after, everything got worse. I came home one evening to find out my uncle had been shot and killed. Imagine being placed in a room full of people, however, you still feel isolated and alone. Your loved ones grow concerned of your quietness. Questions begin to circulate. “What’s wrong?” “Are you okay?” This cycle was a reoccurring chain that needed to be broken. My process first began in summer school, where mindset shifted. Although I was not joyful about going, I started by taking accountability for the situation I placed myself in, which began my desire to excel at another opportunity to receive my credit because I knew I was capable. In doing so, I exceeded expectations and was the highest performing student in the class. In addition to this, I received interest from my top school, Howard University. I felt overwhelmed with emotions, and no words could describe how eager I am to attend. I plan to use my computer science degree, in hopes of joining Air Force ROTC next year, to work within cybersecurity in the military. This will benefit not only our community, but our country to provide safety. However, financially, I am still working to make my dream happen but I have remained committed to working through any obstacle I face and therefore I will do everything I can to reach my end goal of greatness.

When asked to talk about myself, I have a loss of words. No essay could capture the entirety of my life, however, I am driven and resilient. These two aspects of my character have been the key to my current success. All throughout my life I have been working to achieve greatness. Greatness is the product of hard-work, trials and tribulations, and a lot of time put into what you want to accomplish. To begin with, growing up in a house with a single mother who has worked tirelessly in the United States Coast Guard has been an example of nothing less than strength and selflessness. Watching my mother inspired me to work hard for the things I wanted for my life. In addition to my goals, I ultimately want to be in a position where I can give back to my parents the things that they have put in to me. I have always big aspirations to play soccer in college and fulfill a career in the psychological field. Last year I had fallen very far from my pathway to success, but with resilience and a willingness to change the trajectory of my mindset, it resulted in the most significant turning point in my life thus far. Adversity appears in numerous forms, such as personal struggles, unanticipated circumstances, or pressures from societal influences. Within the past year, I have experienced a few obstacles that impacted my mental health, motivation, and overall self-confidence. As a soccer player, the process of recruitment can be very stressful and throughout my fourteen-year tenure I have grown to have a lot of respect and love for the game, which drove me to continue my career collegiately. But, once I began my recruiting process, I had not been as successful as I hoped and I felt stagnant. No emails, no calls, no texts. I began to lose hope. Then, the next weekend I played in a tournament and I went all in! As a result, I began receiving interest from my anticipated schools. But, just as interest came in from my top two schools, I had found out shortly after that both coaches had been released from their respective school positions. By this time, I had felt hopeless, my grades began to reflect this and soon after, everything got worse. I came home one evening to find out my uncle had been shot and killed. Everything went still; I lost my motivation in all things and as a result I failed a class. Imagine being placed in a room full of people, however, you still feel isolated. Your loved ones grow concerned of your quietness. Questions begin to circulate. “What’s wrong?” “Are you okay?” This cycle was a reoccurring chain that needed to be broken. My process first began in summer school, where mindset shifted. Although I was not joyful about going, I started by taking accountability for the situation I placed myself in, which began my desire to excel at another opportunity to receive my credit because I knew I was capable. In doing so, I exceeded expectations and was the highest performing student in the class. In addition to this, I received interest from my top school, Howard University. However, financially, I am still working to make my dream happen but I have remained committed to working through any obstacle I face and this scholarship would lead me into the right direction!

Growing up, college was always a topic of conversation in my household. My brother and I knew nothing different than graduating high school and attending college. Additionally, I have been playing soccer for 14 years and it had always been a goal of mine to play on the collegiate level. To my surprise, I received an offer from Howard University in November of last year! But, even with all this, I want to attend college because I want a higher education for myself and I want to create an impact in my community. As I mentioned, soccer has been apart of my life since I was younger. Throughout my high school career, I volunteered to coach younger girls, which allowed me to leave a mark on the next generation and empower them to become the best they can be. In doing so, I found a love for educating others and becoming a support system. Moreover, in my own experience, I have dealt with mental health problems. These things have created the basis for my love of psychology. Adversity appears in numerous forms, such as personal struggles, unanticipated circumstances, or pressures from societal influences. Within the past year, I have experienced a few obstacles that impacted my mental health, motivation, and overall self-confidence. As a soccer player, the process of recruitment can be very stressful and throughout my fourteen-year tenure I have grown to have a lot of respect and love for the game, which drove me to continue my career collegiately. But, once I began my recruiting process, I had not been as successful as I hoped and I felt stagnant. No emails, no calls, no texts. I began to lose hope. Then, the next weekend I played in a tournament and I went all in! I began receiving interest from my anticipated schools. But, just as interest came in from my top two schools, I had found out shortly after that both coaches had been released from their respective school positions. By this time I had felt hopeless, my grades began to reflect this and soon after, everything got worse. I came home one evening to find out my uncle had been shot and killed. Everything went still; I lost my motivation in everything and as a result I failed a class. Imagine being placed in a room full of people, however, you still feel isolated. Your loved ones grow concerned of your quietness. Questions begin to circulate. “What’s wrong?” “Are you okay?” This cycle was a reoccurring chain that needed to be broken. My process first began in summer school, where mindset shifted. Although I was not joyful about going, I started by taking accountability for the situation I placed myself in, which began my desire to excel at another opportunity to receive my credit because I knew I was capable. In doing so, I exceeded expectations and was the highest performing student in the class. Growing up in a house with a single mother who has worked tirelessly in the United States Coast Guard has been an example of nothing less than strength and selflessness. Watching my mother inspired me to work hard for the things I wanted for my life. In addition to my goals, I ultimately want to be in a position where I can give back to my parents the things that they have put in to me. I have always big aspirations to play soccer in college and fulfill a career in the psychological field. By attending Howard, I can fulfill that dream while leaving my mark on its community as well.

All throughout my life I have been working to achieve greatness. Greatness is the product of hard-work, trials and tribulations, and a lot of time put into what you want to accomplish. To begin with, growing up in a house with a single mother who has worked tirelessly in the United States Coast Guard has been an example of nothing less than strength and selflessness. Watching my mother inspired me to work hard for the things I wanted for my life. In addition to my goals, I ultimately want to be in a position where I can give back to my parents the things that they have put in to me. I have always big aspirations to play soccer in college and fulfill a career in the psychological field. Last year I had fallen very far from my pathway to success, but with resilience and a willingness to change the trajectory of my mindset, it resulted in the most significant turning point in my life thus far.                                                                                                 Adversity appears in numerous forms, such as personal struggles, unanticipated circumstances, or pressures from societal influences. Within the past year, I have experienced a few obstacles that impacted my mental health, motivation, and overall self-confidence. As a soccer player, the process of recruitment can be very stressful and throughout my fourteen-year tenure I have grown to have a lot of respect and love for the game, which drove me to continue my career collegiately. But, once I began my recruiting process, I had not been as successful as I hoped and I felt stagnant. No emails, no calls, no texts. I began to lose hope. Then, the next weekend I played in a tournament and I went all in! As a result, I began receiving interest from my anticipated schools. But, just as interest came in from my top two schools, I had found out shortly after that both coaches had been released from their respective school positions. By this time, I had felt hopeless, my grades began to reflect this and soon after, everything got worse. I came home one evening to find out my uncle had been shot and killed. Everything went still; I lost my motivation in all things and as a result I failed a class. Imagine being placed in a room full of people, however, you still feel isolated and alone. Your loved ones grow concerned of your quietness. Questions begin to circulate. “What’s wrong?” “Are you okay?” This cycle was a reoccurring chain that needed to be broken. My process first began in summer school, where mindset shifted. Although I was not joyful about going, I started by taking accountability for the situation I placed myself in, which began my desire to excel at another opportunity to receive my credit because I knew I was capable. In doing so, I exceeded expectations and was the highest performing student in the class. From there, I gained my confidence back and voiced my need to speak to a professional in order to develop strategies for various situations. Soon after, I began to feel in a better position and back on my way to success. In addition to this, I received interest from my top school, Howard University. I felt overwhelmed with emotions, and no words could describe how eager I am to attend. However, financially, I am still working to make my dream happen but I have remained committed to working through any obstacle I face and therefore I will do everything I can to reach my end goal of greatness.

All throughout my life I have been working to achieve greatness. Greatness is the product of hard-work, trials and tribulations, and a lot of time put into what you want to accomplish. To begin with, growing up in a house with a single mother who has worked tirelessly in the United States Coast Guard has been an example of nothing less than strength and selflessness. Watching my mother inspired me to work hard for the things I wanted for my life. In addition to my goals, I ultimately want to be in a position where I can give back to my parents the things that they have put in to me. I have always big aspirations to play soccer in college and fulfill a career in the psychological field. Last year I had fallen very far from my pathway to success, but with resilience and a willingness to change the trajectory of my mindset, it resulted in the most significant turning point in my life thus far.                                                                                                 Adversity appears in numerous forms, such as personal struggles, unanticipated circumstances, or pressures from societal influences. Within the past year, I have experienced a few obstacles that impacted my mental health, motivation, and overall self-confidence. As a soccer player, the process of recruitment can be very stressful and throughout my fourteen-year tenure I have grown to have a lot of respect and love for the game, which drove me to continue my career collegiately. But, once I began my recruiting process, I had not been as successful as I hoped and I felt stagnant. No emails, no calls, no texts. I began to lose hope. Then, the next weekend I played in a tournament and I went all in! As a result, I began receiving interest from my anticipated schools. But, just as interest came in from my top two schools, I had found out shortly after that both coaches had been released from their respective school positions. By this time, I had felt hopeless, my grades began to reflect this and soon after, everything got worse. I came home one evening to find out my uncle had been shot and killed. Everything went still; I lost my motivation in all things and as a result I failed a class. Imagine being placed in a room full of people, however, you still feel isolated and alone. Your loved ones grow concerned of your quietness. Questions begin to circulate. “What’s wrong?” “Are you okay?” This cycle was a reoccurring chain that needed to be broken. My process first began in summer school, where mindset shifted. Although I was not joyful about going, I started by taking accountability for the situation I placed myself in, which began my desire to excel at another opportunity to receive my credit because I knew I was capable. In doing so, I exceeded expectations and was the highest performing student in the class. From there, I gained my confidence back and voiced my need to speak to a professional in order to develop strategies for various situations. Soon after, I began to feel in a better position and back on my way to success. In addition to this, I received interest from my top school, Howard University. I felt overwhelmed with emotions, and no words could describe how eager I am to attend. However, financially, I am still working to make my dream happen but I have remained committed to working through any obstacle I face and therefore I will do everything I can to reach my end goal of greatness.

Thee rippling effects came crashing down all at once. In the midst of my junior year, I discovered the tragic passing of my cousin, Mark. I became overwhelmed by my mental state as if it was a nightmare I could not wake up from. Moreover, due to the weight of depression on my shoulders it enabled the lack of motivation I had throughout my daily life; which was so moving that I stopped completing assignments and ended up failing my eleventh grade english honors class. Ultimately, I never thought I would not pass a course; it was an unimaginable situation to place myself in, knowing the goals I had set for myself. However, in the words of Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “It is your reaction to adversity itself that determines how your life story will develop.” Overcoming barriers are a common theme in many people’s lives. It refers to facing and conquering challenges or even setbacks. Adversity appears in numerous forms, such as personal struggles, unanticipated circumstances, or pressures from societal influences. But, the strongest battle I have ever had to fight, has been against myself. Within the past year, I have experienced a few obstacles that impacted my mental health, motivation, and overall self-confidence. Imagine being placed in a room full of people, however, you still feel isolated and alone. Your mind drifts off into nothingness, and you begin to feel as though you have no purpose and your soul is being ripped out of your body. Your loved ones grow concerned of your quietness and inability to complete simple tasks. Questions begin to circulate. “What’s wrong?” “Are you okay?” “What changed?” This cycle was a reoccurring chain that needed to be broken. Throughout my personal journey of overcoming these constraints, I have learned it requires resilience, determination, and a willingness to change the trajectory of your mindset. To begin with, I have learned to be highly independent from childhood. Growing up in a house with a single mother who has worked tirelessly in the United States Coast Guard has been an example of nothing less than strength and selflessness. However, independence does not mean help is not necessary, which is something that I fell short of. My silence became louder than words, I choked on them each time I would attempt to ask for retrieval out of the dark hole I fell into. Despite all of that, through the experiences and support I had throughout the summer, I discovered that hidden beneath the sadness and disappointment I felt, my drive was embedded within my spirit and my willingness to evoke it shined through. A major impact that shifted my mindset to be more optimistic was attending summer school. Although I was not joyful about going, I started by taking accountability for the situation I placed myself in, which began my desire to excel at another opportunity to receive my credit because I knew I was capable. In doing so, I exceeded expectations and was the highest performing student in the class. Although I can tell this story a million times, the internal feeling I had indulged is something specific to me that no one else will ever feel. No use of metaphors, repetitiveness, or “demonstration” can truly capture the amount of pride I currently have for being able to put myself in a better position and find happiness again. Overall, I am grateful for each experience I have faced because it has shifted me into the person I am today and sparked a passionate in mental health. Due to this, I will be studying and implementing psychological studies.