I am currently a Sports Medicine major in the Human Health, Performance, and Leisure department. I am aiming to become an athletic trainer or physical therapist depending on if I go to medical school. I am not able to afford my tuition myself so I may have to change my course of action but I have so much passion and love for STEM, especially as a black woman that is underrepresented in this field. I plan to not only get my degree this spring, but to show other black girls that it is possible to overcome the gender gap and race gap. I want to be an example for women like me and women in general and I want to give back to my community. It is easy to say that you want to be philanthropic but it takes a lot of time, passion, and drive to stay committed to helping others. I have that drive and passion. I have been tutoring today in impoverished communities since I was 12, block walking, putting together back to school drives, praying for families at jails, volunteering at soup kitchens, and I got hired as an in home nurse aid to take care of elderly women. After I finish with my studies and start my career, I plan to go oversees and give medicine and education to children in third world communities. I have been very fortunate in my life to have had access to such good resources and education and I hope to be able to spread the same opportunities to youth in communities where opportunity is a rarity. I also want to help those in similar conditions in my own city of Houston, TX. The education systems in this country are already so dependent on finances and in my city, many people are too poor to afford a better education. Cheaper housing tends to create unsafer living conditions that couples with underfunded school districts. I want to help bridge the gap and allow my own people to have equal opportunity and resources because it is unfair that your education quality is dependent on your zip code. I believe that I am qualified and a great candidate for this scholarship because I would never squander an opportunity and as a Howard student, I have an extensive alumni network and community of scholars that I could use to my benefit as well as the relationships I have created with the current Howard community.

My college career has been anything other than easy. I went to a PWI in southern Texas for my first 2 years of college and as a black female, I was treated horribly by my advisor. He would constantly talk down on me and refuse to help me because I was black. I felt like I had no control over my education anymore because he was the department chair and would take any opportunity to make me feel small, until I finally stood up for myself and reported him to the dean and president. I regret taking so long but after my second year, I transferred to thee Howard University, an HBCU, where I felt students like me would be better represented. That same semester, that advisor from my previous university was terminated because of his misconduct with students of color. This experience taught me to not doubt myself or my capabilities, even when everyone else does. I am currently a Sports Medicine major in the Human Health, Performance, and Leisure department. I am aiming to become an athletic trainer or physical therapist depending on if I go to medical school. I am not able to afford my tuition myself so I may have to change my course of action but I have so much passion and love for STEM, especially as a black woman that is underrepresented in this field. I plan to not only get my degree this spring, but to show other black girls that it is possible to overcome the gender gap and race gap. I want to be an example for women like me and women in general and I want to give back to my community. After I finish with my studies and start my career, I plan to go oversees and give medicine and education to children in third world communities. I have been very fortunate in my life to have had access to such good resources and education and I hope to be able to spread the same opportunities to youth in communities where opportunity is a rarity. I also want to help those in similar conditions in my own city of Houston, TX. The education systems in this country are already so dependent on finances and in my city, many people are too poor to afford a better education. Cheaper housing tends to create unsafer living conditions that couples with underfunded school districts. I want to help bridge the gap and allow my own people to have equal opportunity and resources because it is unfair that your education quality is dependent on your zip code.

I am currently a Sports Medicine major in the Human Health, Performance, and Leisure department. I am aiming to become an athletic trainer or physical therapist depending on if I go to medical school. I am not able to afford my tuition myself so I may have to change my course of action but I have so much passion and love for STEM, especially as a black woman that is underrepresented in this field. I plan to not only get my degree this spring, but to show other black girls that it is possible to overcome the gender gap and race gap. I want to be an example for women like me and women in general and I want to give back to my community. As 1 of 9 children, it had been hard to feel emotionally and financially supported by my family so I have had no choice but to work hard. Even through our financial struggles, my mom has made sure I went to good schools and never felt different than the rest of my peers. She also instilled in me the importance of philanthropy. I have been tutoring today in impoverished communities since I was 12, block walking, putting together back to school drives, praying for families at jails, volunteering at soup kitchens, and I got hired as an in home nurse aid to take care of elderly women, including my own grandmother. After I finish with my studies and start my career, I plan to go oversees and give medicine and education to children in third world communities. I have been very fortunate in my life to have had access to such good resources and education and I hope to be able to spread the same opportunities to youth in communities where opportunity is a rarity. I also want to help those in similar conditions in my own city of Houston, TX. The education systems in this country are already so dependent on finances and in my city, many people are too poor to afford a better education. Cheaper housing tends to create unsafer living conditions that couples with underfunded school districts. I want to help bridge the gap and allow my own people to have equal opportunity and resources because it is unfair that your education quality is dependent on your zip code. I believe that I am qualified and a great candidate for this scholarship because I would never squander an opportunity and as a Howard student, I have an extensive alumni network and community of scholars that I could use to make a difference.

I am currently a Sports Medicine major in the Human Health, Performance, and Leisure department. I am aiming to become an athletic trainer or physical therapist depending on if I go to medical school. I am not able to afford my tuition myself so I may have to change my course of action but I have so much passion and love for STEM, especially as a black woman that is underrepresented in this field. I plan to not only get my degree this spring, but to show other black girls that it is possible to overcome the gender gap and race gap. I want to be an example for women like me and women in general and I want to give back to my community. It is easy to say that you want to be philanthropic but it takes a lot of time, passion, and drive to stay committed to helping others. I have that drive and passion. I have been tutoring today in impoverished communities since I was 12, block walking, putting together back to school drives, praying for families at jails, volunteering at soup kitchens, and I got hired as an in home nurse aid to take care of elderly women. Online resources have significantly aided my life, creating ways to not only research different jobs but also apply. Career sites have given me the opportunity to find jobs oversees as well. I have already been applying for several teaching positions in Cairo and Brussels. After I finish with my studies and start my career, I plan to go oversees and give medicine and education to children in third world communities. I have been very fortunate in my life to have had access to such good online resources and education and I hope to be able to spread the same opportunities to youth in communities where opportunity is a rarity. I also want to help those in similar conditions in my own city of Houston, TX. The education systems in this country are already so dependent on finances and in my city, many people are too poor to afford a better education. Cheaper housing tends to create unsafer living conditions that couples with underfunded school districts. I want to help bridge the gap and allow my own people to have equal opportunity and resources because it is unfair that your education quality is dependent on your zip code. Teaching these students how to use online resources and to search for careers will be a pivotal approach. Knowing that jobs are not limited to fast food and that there are more opportunities than the jobs that you can physically see will change the lives of many. I believe that I am qualified and a great candidate for this scholarship because I would never squander an opportunity and as a Howard student, I have an extensive alumni network and community of scholars that I could use to my benefit as well as the relationships I have created with the current Howard community.

My college career has been anything other than easy and as a freshman, I would have benefited from some advice from an upperclassman. I struggled to figure out registration, housing, advising, and financial aid. As a senior, my first word of advice to freshmen would be to stay on top of your classes. It is easy to get caught up in new friendships, new found independence from families, and partying. Of course I would recommend new students to be social, but I have known many friends in the past who got too caught up in the social aspects of campus life and did not show up to class, resulting in academic probation and eventually, them dropping out or being expelled. Remaining focused on studies is the main goal of being in college and obtaining a degree, though it is easy to forget that. My second word of advice is to advocate for yourself and to become comfortable not relying on your parents to do so. I went to a PWI in Texas for my first 2 years of college and as a black female, I was treated horribly by my advisor. He would constantly talk down on me and refuse to help me because I was black. I felt like I had no control over my education anymore because he was the department chair and would take any opportunity to make me feel small, until I finally stood up for myself and reported him to the dean and president. I regret taking so long but after my second year, I transferred to thee Howard University, an HBCU, where I felt students like me would be better represented. That same semester, that advisor from my previous university was terminated because of his misconduct with students of color. It may seem like you are small and cannot do anything for yourself but you are mistaken. If no one ever spoke up there would be no change. Do not ever doubt yourself or your capabilities, even when everyone else does. My third and final word of advice would be to make sure to remember campus dates and deadlines. When registration rolls back around, you want to be in good academic standing and have no holds on your accounts or balances. With coursework and finals, remembering dates for registration, housing, and fafsa can be difficult but if you forget them, that could be the difference of if you are still a student for the following semester or have a bed to sleep in. Many students as freshmen do not know protocol for making sure fafsa has been done so you can receive the max amount of money for education and housing, so remembering that fafsa opens on Oct 1st every year is an important tip. I wish somebody had explained to me how important these deadlines were. My sophomore and junior year I ended up having to get an apartment off campus because I had not applied for housing soon enough and the campus had no more availability. My freshman and sophomore year I had to pay late fees for my student account because I had not signed up for a payment plan with the bursars office before the deadline. A few semesters I had registered late and was unable to take certain classes because there were completely full. Remembering campus dates and deadlines are extremely important for a successful college experience. Colleges are a melting pot of diverse people, cultures, and food that make for a great and new experience. But sometimes a clash in cultures take away the beauty of diversity and instead leave a racial gap, like the one I experienced at my first university. I found that transferring and being around other black people kept the same sense of diversity but took away that feeling of otherness. As a freshman, find your people that make you feel comfortable and accept you as you are. Being in college gives great life skills and lessons on top of the benefits that come with higher education. Graduating college is not only a pivotal step for better opportunity and career options, but it also showcases your individual strengths and motivation as a person. I believe that the opportunity that comes with an education and alumni network is invaluable and graduates should be proud of their work and discipline.

I am currently a Sports Medicine major in the Human Health, Performance, and Leisure department. I am aiming to become an athletic trainer or physical therapist depending on if I go to medical school. I am not able to afford my tuition myself so I may have to change my course of action but I have so much passion and love for STEM, especially as a black woman that is underrepresented in this field. I plan to not only get my degree this spring, but to show other black girls that it is possible to overcome the gender gap and race gap. I want to be an example for women like me and women in general and I want to give back to my community. It is easy to say that you want to be philanthropic but it takes a lot of time, passion, and drive to stay committed to helping others. I have that drive and passion. I have been tutoring today in impoverished communities since I was 12, block walking, putting together back to school drives, praying for families at jails, volunteering at soup kitchens, and I got hired as an in home nurse aid to take care of elderly women. After I finish with my studies and start my career, I plan to go oversees and give medicine and education to children in third world communities. I have been very fortunate in my life to have had access to such good resources and education and I hope to be able to spread the same opportunities to youth in communities where opportunity is a rarity. I also want to help those in similar conditions in my own city of Houston, TX. The education systems in this country are already so dependent on finances and in my city, many people are too poor to afford a better education. Cheaper housing tends to create unsafer living conditions that couples with underfunded school districts. I want to help bridge the gap and allow my own people to have equal opportunity and resources because it is unfair that your education quality is dependent on your zip code. I believe that I am qualified and a great candidate for this scholarship because I would never squander an opportunity and as a Howard student, I have an extensive alumni network and community of scholars that I could use to my benefit as well as the relationships I have created with the current Howard community.

I am currently a Sports Medicine major in the Human Health, Performance, and Leisure department. I am aiming to become an athletic trainer or physical therapist depending on if I go to medical school. I am not able to afford my tuition myself so I may have to change my course of action but I have so much passion and love for STEM, especially as a black woman that is underrepresented in this field. I plan to not only get my degree this spring, but to show other black girls that it is possible to overcome the gender gap and race gap. I want to be an example for women like me and women in general and I want to give back to my community. It is easy to say that you want to be philanthropic but it takes a lot of time, passion, and drive to stay committed to helping others. I have that drive and passion. I have been tutoring today in impoverished communities since I was 12, block walking, putting together back to school drives, praying for families at jails, volunteering at soup kitchens, and I got hired as an in home nurse aid to take care of elderly women. After I finish with my studies and start my career, I plan to go oversees and give medicine and education to children in third world communities. I have been very fortunate in my life to have had access to such good resources and education and I hope to be able to spread the same opportunities to youth in communities where opportunity is a rarity. I also want to help those in similar conditions in my own city of Houston, TX. The education systems in this country are already so dependent on finances and in my city, many people are too poor to afford a better education. Cheaper housing tends to create unsafer living conditions that couples with underfunded school districts. I want to help bridge the gap and allow my own people to have equal opportunity and resources because it is unfair that your education quality is dependent on your zip code. I believe that I am qualified and a great candidate for this scholarship because I would never squander an opportunity and as a Howard student, I have an extensive alumni network and community of scholars that I could use to my benefit as well as the relationships I have created with the current Howard community.