Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, I learned early that life doesn’t slow down just because things get hard. My story isn’t unique where I’m from, but it’s mine, and it’s shaped me in ways I’m still figuring out. Before my mom’s car accident on Mother’s Day, she walked to work every single day. It didn’t matter if it was raining, cold, or too hot she went anyway. She’d come home exhausted, but we never went without what we needed. She didn’t complain. She just kept going. After the accident, everything changed. My mom is now in a vegetative state, and my dad doesn’t work because he is disabled. We rely on food stamps and government assistance, and some months are harder than others. I’ve experienced what it feels like to not know if there will be enough food. Now, I volunteer at the Salvation Army. When I’m sorting donations or helping families, I don’t see strangers, I see people who are trying, just like my mom did. That experience changed how I see everything. It’s not just volunteering to me. It’s personal. It shaped how I want to live my life, and my goals. Living in poverty in the Mississippi Delta comes with challenges people don’t always see. It’s hard to focus on school when basic needs aren’t met. It’s hard when the people around you didn’t have access to opportunities either, so they have no advise to give you. But those challenges forced me to grow up quickly. They taught me how to keep going, even when things feel uncertain and hard. I want to do better not just for myself, but for my community. I've seen people stuck in cycles they didn't create, and I don't want that to be my life. I want to better for myself, my family and my community, and education is my way forward, but I'm not leaving to forget where I come from. I want to come back and help the people who need it the most. The Mississippi Delta made me who I am. It taught me to work hard, to understand people, and to want something better for myself and the people around me. I don't know exactly what that's gonna look like yet, but I know I'm gonna try. The people in my community deserve better, and I want to be someone who helps make that happen. If my story can inspire even one person, then it's worth it.