One piece of art I treasure due to its relatability is the song Before and After (featuring Amanda Lindsey Cook) by Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music. I have struggled with insecurity, anxiety, and a sense of perfectionism for my whole life. I have always wanted to feel seen. Constantly, I strived for approval and the feeling of enoughness. But it gets exhausting and overwhelming. The summer of 2021 began one of the most challenging periods of my life. During this time in my life, I secretly acted on what I now know as my eating disorder to become a way for me to do something about the tensions and intense emotions I was feeling. The months to follow were difficult. I felt misplaced, isolated, and altogether wanted to give up. Ultimately, I opened up about what was going on to a friend. Thanks to her, I felt empowered to reach out to my parents about what I was struggling in. And from there, seek treatment; a start. Today, I thank God for using something traumatic to bring me into my life's purpose. I feel utterly transformed. The song Before and After intercommunicates my thoughts about this period in my life and where I am today. As the song states, "I'm a picture of Your faithfulness. I'm a miracle in process. God, I never would have guessed that You were working in the darkness...I thought it was over. I thought it was done. But You always have the last word, and the last word is love… I barely recconize myself". These lyrics are my testimony. I can empathize with the music effortlessly.

By pursuing business studies, one can acquire skills that apply to almost any kind of work. One of my earliest memories includes creating a business with my younger sister; It was nothing more than a cardboard box used as a desk with the words "for sale" inscribed boldly with navy blue Sharpie across the surface. There we "sold" plastic food and what we deemed to be treasures of our one-of-a-kind artwork. As silly as that may seem, little did I know; that my entrepreneurship spirit would soon develop into something more significant, a look into my future and pursuit in business. To this day, no female on my father's side of the family has completed a college degree. Over the next 2.5 years, I will obtain my Bachelor's degree in Marketing with a minor in Communications. One day, I will work as a Marketing Director for a not-for-profit organization. I would love to specialize in digital marketing and cutting-edge technologies. I know that if I approach the next four years with undivided drive and a can-do spirit, I will be able to achieve more than I could ever imagine. I can not wait to make myself and my family proud.

One of my earliest memories includes creating a business with my younger sister; It was nothing more than a cardboard box used as a desk with the words "for sale" inscribed boldly with navy blue Sharpie across the surface. There we "sold" plastic food and what we deemed as treasures of our one-of-a-kind artwork. As silly as that may seem, little did I know; my entrepreneurship spirit would soon develop into something more significant, a look into my future and pursuit in business. The momentum of this pursuit has not slowed down since. As I've grown my interest in acquiring a career in business, I've created countless small business ideas of my own. From stuffing local mailboxes with pamphlets in hopes of booking a babysitting gig or two to creating personalized jewelry pieces that created a buzz throughout my entire high school, I have not stopped imagining the endless things I can bring to fruition. A contributing factor to my success was how I marketed my items. I consistently used social media tools to attract an audience to my products. It was not until my senior year of high school that my love of business and entrepreneurship skyrocketed. I took a class called INCubator. I was able to begin professionally developing my brand Clique. I had the opportunity to pitch my brand twice in front of local successful businessmen and women. I fell in love with the rush that came along with having all the love and hard work I had put into my brand finally pay off when I received a contract offer after the pitch had ended. I look back on this monumental turning point in my life with so much joy and admiration. The broadcast of this pitch is something I refer back to when I need to remember why I started this journey in the first place. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA22ktB2hcw 1:13:07) By pursuing business studies, one can acquire skills that apply to almost any kind of work. Over the next three years, I will obtain my Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on marketing. The privilege I have to be able to attend a university this upcoming fall is not one I take lightly. However, there is currently one major obstacle standing in my way, cost, as I will be paying for my college tuition single-handedly. Now more than ever, I am confident that my education is critically valuable for who I am becoming and what I will acomplish.