I am worth the dreams that I aspire to achieve because I have put in hard work and dedication towards achieving my dreams. My dreams mean so much to me because of everything I've put in to be everything I aspire to be. I'm constantly putting in the extra work to get closer to my dreams because I know that if I don't work hard for them, then nobody else will do it for me. An example of this can be seen in how hard I've worked to get my academic goals. It was a long journey for me, and it definitely wasn't easy, having only happened by staying up late many nights and reviewing and revising everything I did to make sure that I only showed my best work. When I first moved to North Carolina two years ago it was difficult for me academically. I had always been a good student, but I felt like the move had set me back. I moved to North Carolina at the start of my 8th grade year. This was already difficult for me because I had already built lasting friendships with people from my old school, which was already difficult because I didn't know anybody there either, since I had come from a school all the way across the city. When I moved, I felt hopeless because I had trouble making friends, and the material from Connecticut didn't always align with what we were learning here in North Carolina. I was confused and frustrated and felt like there was no way I was going to be able to catch up to where I felt all the other students were. By the end of the school year, I was able to pull my grades together, ending up with B's in most of my classes, but I felt that it wasn't enough. the summer before my freshman year, I was studied every day, going lessons for many hours of the day. During my freshman year, I was able to bring my GPA up to a 4.3, but I still felt that I could do better than that. The summer after freshman year, I worked even harder, and I was able to bring my sophomore GPA to a 4.5. This summer, I am continuing to work hard in order to maintain my 4.5 GPA despite going to a new school this year with more rigorous courses. So, the reason that I am worth my dreams is because I am determined to reach my goals, no matter what I have to do. I've had some hard times when I wasn't always sure I could do it, but in the end I have always been able to push myself because I believed and knew that I was capable of reaching my goals, and I wanted to show everyone else that I was capable as well.

My faith has influenced my leadership style because it has helped me to be a compassionate and Christ-filled leader. When I lead people, I want them to be able to tell through my actions and personality that I am a Christian. I want to use my leadership to reach the hearts of the people around me. By showing the people around me what being Christ-like looks like, I can change their perceptions of Christianity and the type of people that follow Christ. Especially in the times around us, there are so many negative connotations around Christianity and people who are Christians in general. Whether it's because of the actions of other Christians or because of things that happen in the church, many people view Christianity and the people who follow it negatively. I want to lead people in a way that shows what Christianity actually represents. This means leading with compassion and understanding, and patience with everyone around me. A time that I led others through faith was when teaching the children at my church. As someone who goes to a traditional church, I find that our lessons and what we do inside the church are geared more towards the older people in our church. I wanted to teach the youth at my church to show them a new approach to church and faith in a new way that engages them and makes them want to come to church and learn more. Instead of the kids losing focus or getting bored as usual, many of them were actually engaged in the activities and they were asking questions and seemed excited to learn more. This experience taught me a lot because it made me realize that I could make a difference in the lives of people around me, and help them grow closer to GOD in my own way. This shaped my vision for the future because I realized that it's not necessarily because people don't want to learn about Christ that they aren't coming to church, but rather because everyone learns differently and we need to make sure to cater to all of the people around us. I want to use this experience to start teaching not only young people around me, but people who might have never had the chance to grow close to GOD, whether old or young. Christianity is a beautiful religion, born out of love and compassion for us and the more people that get to experience it, the more people will find their lives changed. Even if I only am able to bring 5 people closer to GOD, it is still an accomplishment and a blessing to 5 more people.

One of the most significant influences in my life has been my father. He was a U.S. military veteran who served in the Marine Corps. His quiet strength, discipline, and selflessness have shaped the way I view my future and the field I want to go into. Growing up in a household led by somebody who served in the military with integrity made me a person who values service, perseverance, and using whatever tools you have to make a difference in the lives of the people around you. Although my father doesn't often speak about his time in the military, I have always been able to see the weight of the sacrifices and decisions he had to make while in the military, and I can see how his experiences have stayed with him. His strength, even when things are hard, has shown me that not all battles are seen, and. One of the most significant influences in my life has been my father. He was a U.S. military veteran who served in the Marine Corps. His quiet strength, discipline, and selflessness have shaped the way I view my future and the field I want to go into. Growing up, I became more aware of how veterans like my dad are often overlooked when it comes to mental health care. The support they ned isn't always accessible, and even when it is, it's not always welcoming to them or easy to reach. I also began noticing that this problem is true for people who aren't veterans as well. Many people, especially in the Black community and other underrepresented groups, don't get the mental health care they deserve. Sometimes it's because of a lack of resources, other times it's because it's not accessible to them. This problem is what inspired me to become a psychiatrist. I want to be someone who listens, understands, and helps create spaces where people feel safe. My goal is to work with both veterans and everyday people who have quietly been carrying pain for years, people who've been ignored or misunderstood by a system that wasn't built with them in mind. I've always worked hard in school and in my sports, to succeed, yes, but also to build a future where my voice is powerful enough to make a difference. My father's strength reminds me that healing is just as important as achievement and that true success comes from helping others feel seen and supported. I want to use my education to bring more empathy into the medical field, especially for people who are suffering in silence.

If selected, I would use my scholarship funds for school, including any books I need. Funding for medical school would be extremely expensive, especially for the field that I want to enter, which is psychiatry. This money would help me to take some of the financial burden off my parents' shoulders, especially considering that they still have my brothers to fund. I want to make sure that I can make this as easy as possible for them, so this money would be used to help me achieve my dreams without having to put too much pressure on my parents, even though I know they would gladly pay for it. The estimated cost of books alone for a psychiatry degree ranges from around $2,000-$6,500, so this scholarship money could be a big help in paying for medical school.

A time that I made my health a priority started when I was young. Ever since I was little I always used to do activities with my family, such as going on walks or hiking at least once a week. Growing up in a family that prioritized health has been a benefit to me now because all around me I see examples of what my life could be like if I hadn't stayed active from a young age. As I got older staying healthy manifested in different ways, such as sports. I did karate for 7 years, from the age of 5 to the age of 11. When I was 11, I then switched over to wrestling, becoming the state runner-up after just my first year. During the wrestling off-season I also did basketball and soccer, continuing both sports up until I was in 7th grade. While I was good at these sports, I feel that I did them more for the fun of it than competitively. This all changed when I moved to North Carolina right before the start of my 8th grade year. When I moved to North Carolina, I joined a team called High Point Blaze, where I started the year doing cross country with them. When I first started, it was extremely difficult. It was taxing on the body, and never before had I put so much hard work and time into something. During my first year of cross country, we had a state meet. It was my first race since joining the team and I was extremely nervous. At the meet I decided that I would just get out there and do my best, however it was truly a reality check as I got last place at the meet, and the golf cart was driving behind me. I will never forget the feeling of finishing 5 minutes after everyone else, and everybody standing at the finish line clapping for me. After that race I made it my mission to never let myself be in that position ever again. I trained hard in order to prepare myself for the coming season. I worked harder than I have ever worked for anything in my life. This ended up having a benefit for me because in the summer of 2023, I qualified for all my races in the Junior Olympic Games. This was the first big victory I have ever had, and I was so proud of myself because I knew that it was only due to my amazing coaches and hard work that I had gotten there. The year following that I was on the national champions 4x8 team for indoor track, and the national runner-up for the 4x8 at Junior Olympics. I also was on the national championship winning team for cross country in the winter of 2024. Most recently, I was on the indoor national winning championship team in 2025, the national runner-up 4x4 team, and 4th place in the 1500m, which made me a 6-time All-American. Sports have shown me how much you can do once you put your mind to it. No matter how far away your goals may seem, with the right amount of grit and hard work, you can achieve them. This shapes the way I act in life because there are many things that I struggle with that may seem hard now, but my experiences remind me that anything is possible with the right mindset.