"The pain that you are feeling cannot compare to the joy that is coming". Every circumstance, every situation, and every mental breakdown- that verse helped me go through one of the darkest times of my life. I didn't know God when I was younger, nor did I have an accurate representation of him, but knowing that he was always there made me feel less alone. I went through the first few years of my life going to church, watching VeggieTales, and attending Bible studies, but as I got older, my connection to him felt forced. I didn't know who he was, and I didn't know if he was still with me, so I left. I spent three years without Christ and with New Age Spirituality. Crystals, Tarot, Meditation, and learning spells gave me excitement and made me come to terms with who I thought I wanted to be and where I was going. But it quickly fell through when I realized that I still felt empty and purposeless even with all the shadow work, meditation, and "inner work" I had been doing. The pain slowly grew. Without having that spiritual crutch I had through new age, I felt alone, navigating life without guidance, learning I had PMOS, and truly learning conditional love for those I thought I was close to. I didn't know what my purpose was on earth, and that made the pain all the more unbearable. It was then that I started to see God; through people praying for me on social media, me relearning the Bible and what was sin, and most importantly, who he said I was. I am his. He came on this earth and died for my sins and stood on that when I didn't know him, when I didn't want to know him, and when I sought after him. He told me that I am loved and that I am wonderfully made in his image. He gave me structure through his reassurance, love through his actions, and grace through his lessons. He instilled my faith by showing me that he will always be there for me, and that has been my reason for going. I am currently a marketing student, and I believe that he is using me in the business world by using him as a foundation of how I serve, connect, and inspire people. I let my values shine through my work, and his voice is the backbone of it. I lead with service, not just selling, and I use the fruits of the Spirit stated in Galatians 5:22-23 to show up in the work that I do. He has given me purpose and joy that I spent what felt like my whole life searching for. I live the life that I do because he gave up his for me.

Growing up with a single mother shaped not only who I am, but how I understand my purpose. As the eldest child, I stepped into a role of responsibility early on, helping support my family as my mother worked tirelessly to provide for my sisters and me with little to no outside help. In the midst of those challenges, I began to develop skills and a mindset that became my source of strength, guidance, and stability. I learned that even when resources were limited, I was never without support. Whether it was researching local soup kitchens so my family could access meals or helping my younger sister with her homework by learning alongside her through online resources, I chose to take action. Through these experiences, I now see how those small efforts that I made in an effort to help my mom helped create meaningful impact, strengthening my belief that there is always a way forward. As a first-generation Haitian American, I was raised with the understanding that being born in the United States is both a blessing and a responsibility. Combined with my determination, this perspective shaped my desire to serve others and make a difference beyond my immediate circumstances. I am driven not only to support my family, but also to one day give back to Haiti and uplift communities that need encouragement, resources, and hope. My journey has also included personal challenges that tested my now-grown faith. I struggled with self-esteem and often relied on hyper-independence, feeling that I had to carry every burden on my own. Over time, I have grown to understand that true strength comes from trusting God fully and allowing Him to guide me, even when I feel uncertain. Learning to ask for help and lean on my faith has been a key part of my personal and spiritual growth. Today, my experiences and upbringing influence how I live, serve, and lead. I am committed to making a positive impact by volunteering, sharing helpful information, and using my voice to encourage others through social media and everyday interactions. I strive to be a reflection of God’s love and my Mother's hard work by supporting those around me and staying aware of opportunities to serve. Growing up with a single mother taught me resilience, but my faith gave that resilience purpose. I know that with God, I am never limited by my circumstances. Instead, I am empowered to grow, to serve, and to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Growing up in a single-parent household taught me the importance of resourcefulness and responsibility. As the eldest child, I felt a strong responsibility to support my mother as she worked tirelessly to provide for my sisters and me with little to no help. I learned early that helping does not always require money—it requires initiative and awareness. I found ways to contribute by using what was available to me. I researched local soup kitchens and helped coordinate schedules so my family could access meals. I supported my younger sister with her homework by learning alongside her through online videos or teaching her what I already knew. I made it a priority to stay informed and take action whenever I could. These experiences taught me that there is always a solution, even in difficult situations. Over time, I realized that resourcefulness is more than a survival skill—it is a strength that can be used to serve others. As a first-generation Haitian American, I was raised to see opportunity as a blessing and a responsibility. That mindset drives me to give back and uplift those around me. I am committed to making a positive impact by sharing helpful information, volunteering, and using social media to encourage and inform others. Through my education and service, I continue to grow and find ways to support my community and beyond.

Inspired by Booktok my inspired bookshelf would be Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. Typically I am more into mystery and horror, but I have been intrigued to read more books that are in the romance genre. Books that I would say are must-haves would be, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Looking for Alaska by John Green, I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy, and It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. Besides Looking for Alaska, I was influenced by TikTok to read, and even purchase these books based on the influence and popularity it was getting. Previously, I wasn't interested in reading romance but reading those books that were recommended on Tiktok, allowed me to branch out of the typical genres that I used to read and I became fascinated with the emotional storytelling that each book had. These titles have impacted Booktok through its mass following and its sudden surge in popularity. With the Booktok audience mainly being teenage girls, it's no no-brainer that romance would be the leading genre in the Booktok community. The supremacy the community has on TikTok has been seen as compelling to any audience who has come across it because of its dominating force on the app. With a few suggestions and commentary, people can generate acclaimed attention for these books. Booktok has become a powerful force in the publishing industry, which allows authors to boost their sales and their visibility to the public. These books such as It Ends With Us, They Both Die At The End, Verity, The Song of Achilles, and more have impacted the Booktok community due to word-of-mouth marketing, which is seen through multiple people advertising over the books. It creates a larger audience which makes it difficult not to indulge in what the culture isn't following. These factors and the impressionable and passionate audience have created a space on TikTok that has welcomed a new way to dive into new literature. These books have fostered previously taboo and important themes that have correlated with people who follow BookTok such as LGBTQ, and POC representation which has encouraged younger generations to give these books a try. Booktok has entered a global scene that has created such a dominating fandom that can influence beyond a book or an author but a phenomenon. Booktok has created a new and innovative way of how books are marketed and discovered which in a result has created a vibrant community that has reshaped the publishing industry, one recommendation (and a hashtag) at a time.

My church has always been passionate about helping our community. Since I started my involvement at my local church (through becoming a part of the young adults community as a connections host) I have found my passion amplified by helping others. Growing my faith and committing my time to helping others grow closer to God, has further pushed me to help around the community through numerous events and locations such as Soup Kitchen, Hurricane Relief, and more. Being more active in my community has placed me in a position where I can embody how God wants us to help each other. In verse 1 Peter 4:11 states "If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen" In Phillippians 2:3, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceir. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." These verses explain the importance of helping others and valuing putting others' needs above your own. I picked those two verses because they correlate with giving to others and being there for one another. Aside from helping people in need, another way my church involvement has benefitted the service I do for the community is through planning and taking action. My local church often planned ways to help contribute to our community through rigorous planning and effort to help lift others in need. This has encouraged me to take the initiative and develop leadership skills by creating ways to help cultivate our community. An example would be finding ways to spread the gospel in Palm Beach County, where I am located by gathering volunteers to help out the homeless in our community by donating resources. The lessons that being involved in my church has taught me to take it upon myself to find ways to serve my church and my community. What I found ironic is that both parties can complement each other and strengthen each other through uniting with one another. I have found that when being involved in church, doesn't just compel you to grow spiritually, but mentally and emotionally as well. The fruits of the present have magnified my life by HELPING others, LOVING unconditionally, BEING KIND to everyone I have come across, and more. I have always considered myself a caring person but helping others with the foundation of Christ with a body of like-minded Christians has allowed my heart to soften and assert my strength of being a servant to others. It has changed my life and I truly feel that it is my calling to assist others in whatever they need! As it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I thank God that he gave me the blessing of not only being able to help others but to enjoy it with my whole heart. Thank you Jesus!

My experience with mental health began when I was nine years old. At that time, still developing in my formative years, I didn't know why I felt that way, but I did know that I wasn't happy. The feelings of not being happy with life dominated my childhood and teenage years which resulted in me self-sabotaging myself and the relationships in my life. As I got older my habits and my mindset turned to the worse. In middle school, I started developing a mindset that made me victimize myself in every way possible. Whenever I had a falling out with a friend it made me believe that I wasn't lovable or that I wasn't capable of having friends. Whenever I failed a class, it brought up feelings of me not being worthy/ smart enough to pass a class. My mindset also made it very difficult for me to set any goals as I was just trying to survive each day and get through each week. My understanding of the world was very distorted because my inside world was very chaotic; I felt like I had these very intense and massive feelings that felt so large that I couldn't deal with anything else. I started self-medicating myself with music, TV, social media, and food to distract myself from what I was feeling. I felt like I couldn't trust anyone because I was scared of being rejected and or made fun of. This happened from age 9 to age 14 and when I went to high school, it continued to get worse in some ways and better in others. In some ways I did better because I started to genuinely want to do better in school; I played flag football for two years and I made friends that made me slowly start to be vulnerable around. I started to become aware of how I treat people, not that it was in a bad way but I gave too much of myself to others. I was (well, still am because I still have trouble setting boundaries) a people pleaser. However in other ways, I still wasn't comfortable in my identity, I didn't believe in myself or my abilities and I was still victimizing myself in every situation possible. I didn't start living until I was 17 years old. In the year 2021, I started working and I became eager to turn my life around. By then I was doing online school due to COVID, so I convinced my parents to let me go back in person. Academically, I started improving mentally as well. I also started journaling more frequently because I still felt that I was mentally overwhelmed with everything and that I didn't process any experience in my life. I started to become spiritual but down the line, I went back to Christ and it improved my mental health as well. When I graduated high school I was the happiest I have ever been because it gave me a sense of meaning and fulfillment in life. I felt as if I could accomplish anything and that the difficult stuff that I thought wasn't able to overcome, suddenly felt minuscule. When I started college, I realized then that I wasn't used to change so my mental health started to decrease because I didn't know how to adapt to new circumstances. As I started growing in my faith, journaling, and talking to someone, I realized that I didn't want to be like this anymore. I didn't want to regret every action I've made in the past, I didn't want to isolate myself from others and talk to them when I felt okay again. I didn't want to blame and degrade myself for everything that went wrong in my life. I didn't want to sleep another night with the feeling of failing in life and thinking that no one loved me. I mentioned before that I didn't start living until I was 17 years old but now as I am writing all of this I realize that I didn't start living until I was 19 years old. I became aware of the person I was becoming but I didn't act on it until last year ( I am 20 years old ). To live the life I wanted to live, I had to seek the uncomfortable. The question I had to ask myself to begin my healing process was "Why am I like this?". The reason I asked this question and not a more common one like "Who Am I?" is because that question is already daunting enough, but when I asked "Why Am I Like This", is because it separated who I am, and the actions I make, which builds a deeper awareness into the person I am. Doing this made me a better version of myself, and also shed light on who I want to be, and how I can effectively build my relationships, and has made me eager to actively live in this world, not just survive.

In my freshman year of high school, I was diagnosed with Depression. At that time, it felt like a relief that I could finally put a name to what I had been feeling my whole life but it marked me in a way that made me feel inferior. Beforehand I didn’t feel determined to live out my life or succeed in school. This all started when I was nine years old. Suddenly life had lost the colors that any child was supposed to have until they became teenagers; I began to feel down and questioned if I was ever doing enough. Not knowing how to deal with those feelings, I let it fester, and before I knew it I was in middle school and those thoughts became a mindset, which became actions and my reality. I didn’t like the way I looked, I let anyone and everyone walk all over me, I wasn’t trying in school anymore, and I just genuinely wasn’t interested in school or anything at all. I didn’t know what to do or who to turn to so I just let those thoughts continue to fester, and the only thing that seemed right to do was to self-medicate myself with social media and food. Before I knew it I was in high school and everything was the same but in a different atmosphere. This time, I attempted to get my act together but everything I had experienced prior just lingered within me, causing me to become stagnant in the past, not realizing until after I graduated high school that I wasn’t moving with time but I was looking backward. With two years going by in a flash I didn’t realize how much my mental health affected my academic career and my life in general until junior year. Junior year was the year when I evaluated my life and what I wanted to do after high school. Then I realized that I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school I couldn’t imagine life after high school because it took so much out of me to get through the day. All these thoughts I had hindered me from growing and living. I made myself minuscule against my fears and feelings that I couldn’t handle anything outside my bubble. After realizing that I couldn’t move forward without changing everything about myself. , mental health wasn’t built on a healthy foundation and that affected everything in my life. It shaped me because I was the one who caused my suffering but turned the knife that caused ongoing pain for nearly a decade. How I dealt with it after was by learning who I am and why I do the things I did. By talking to someone, who didn’t have to be a professional, journaling, and practicing affirmations, I was able to put myself into a better path, a healthier path! Fast forward to the present where I am now twenty years old, I am more confident in myself and what life has to offer; my advice to someone who is dealing with the same circumstances and or anyone who has that same victimizing mindset would be to ask yourself the uncomfortable questions, starting with “Why am I like this?”. Who am I is daunting as it is but when you ask yourself why are you the way you are it separates you from your actions and behaviors and in a way sheds a light onto the root of your mind.

Coming from a single-parent and low-income household has allowed me to make the most out of every situation through planning, and using my resources. Seeing my mom struggle to make due and yet still carry out taking care of my siblings and me, work, school, and being there for the rest of our family, especially when my Grandma got sick, was eye-opening. Watching her made me develop the mentality of adaptability and perseverance when life itself was a battle. As the eldest, I have much experience providing time and effort to others. Using my life experience, I would like to aid in helping others by using known resources and providing them to others, as well as giving my time to help others in need. I volunteer at a non-profit organization to fulfill those needs to replenish my community. These are just a few examples of me helping my community, from painting houses to participating in a toy drive. When I finish school with a degree in Marketing, I plan on working with organizations to build an audience and raise awareness towards critical causes such as homelessness and environmental conservation. Besides volunteering and attending school, I am actively working towards these goals by attending city council meetings, going to discussion groups, and going out of my way to talk to people. The biggest thing about helping others and being involved in a community is connecting with other people, which I love doing; everyone is battling with something no one knows about, but being involved and simply uniting with others is what can build a community and build a better world.

Growing up as a first-generation daughter in a Haitian household has taught me a lot. Growing up, My family's needs were to get by; by that, I mean to make sure that my siblings and I got an education, were safe, and had food to eat. While most of the time that was achieved, there were times when it was difficult for my Mom to bring food to the table. As I got older and began working and becoming more aware of finances, I realized that along with my Mom, my family had a hindered mindset on how to save and spend money appropriately. While I was growing up, I started to think more about my future, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. However, I learned from a young age that I wanted to make enough money so that neither my family nor I would have to worry. Growing up and seeing my family members, especially my Mom, worry, stress, and even cry about money gave me a negative connotation that I, too, should worry about money. One day, I heard my mom crying to my grandma, saying she was so tired of working, but she had to continue to take care of us, and seeing that at a young age broke me. When I became a teenager, I began to look for more ways to make money, such as downloading survey apps or shady games where they advertised online that I could make $100 in a day! I mean, what thirteen-year-old wouldn't fall for that?!? Of course, I never made the money, but I desperately tried to make money to support my Mother somehow. When I reached my sophomore year of high school, I decided that I wanted to go to school for business to learn the mechanics of owning a business and become an entrepreneur. At that point, I developed a plan that would lead me to become successful in school so I could get a career that would be financially stable. At the end of my senior year in high school, I majored in marketing and became a market research analyst. Selecting the route will aid me in positively impacting my community by advocating for social causes on social media. By doing this and working with non-profit organizations, I can raise awareness by promoting positive change in food insecurity, environmental conservation, or substance abuse. Now, I am a college sophomore, gaining knowledge to give to the world, help my mom, and enjoy life as much as possible.

My crossover episode would be between my favorite Disney Channel shows, Kim Possible and Proud Family. This episode would be "Shego zapped world in another universe." It would be composed of a three-part special with Kim Possible starting her day and going to school, but throughout the day, she mentions to her family and her friends Ron and Wade that "something doesn't feel good and even thinks to herself that "something bad is about to happen." While Kim is in school, Shego wakes up and hears Dr.Drakken talking to someone quietly about a plan to destroy the world. She interrupts him, and he hangs up the phone and changes the subject, signaling that he is hiding something from Shego and walking away. Shego, annoyed, is determined to find out what Dr.Drakken is planning and tries to suck up to him by defeating his other enemies and planning to take down Kim Possible once and for all. Going back to Kim, she goes to cheerleading practice and performs all her stunts when she gets a massive pain in her stomach when doing a back handspring. Ron and Rufus console her concerningly, and they all ditch school to Bueno Nacho. At Bueno Nacho, they're all eating, and when Kim starts to feel better, the restaurant begins shaking, and a big hole in the sky emerges, which no one notices but Kim. Back to Dr.Drakken, he is working on a portal with someone foreshadowing him (we cannot see him). He starts laughing and saying that it is almost complete. Unknowingly, Shego is watching this whole thing unfold, and she gets concerned because he didn't go to her about it, AND she doesn't know the person he is working with. Back to Kim, she is on her way to Dr.Drakken and is worried because Wade didn't inform her about it (She doesn't realize that the technology has been acting weird ). She bumps into a frantic-looking Shego, who she starts arguing with until she sees her visible worry. They agree to work together before the world begins to shake again, and they both see a huge hole emerge again, but this time even bigger. They both looked at each other, scared and ran to Dr.Drakken's lab to see him standing over a portal with someone behind him, trying not to reveal their face. "Goodbye, Kim," He says before turning the portal on once again and being sucked into the dark abyss. Kim wakes up in a dazed state before seeing a purple house in front of her. Hey there! I'm Penny, who are you?" Penny stated. "Where am I?" Kim questioned. "You're in Emilyville" Penny answered, "What's your name?" "I'm not sure," Kim answered.

The key to making a difference is to see a change you want to make in the world and go after it. The change I want to see in my community and the world is kindness. Being kind to one another and being kind to ourselves is the most beneficial thing we can do, being there for one another and letting someone know that you’re there for them is more than enough in someone’s life. Locally, I pursue this mission by actively participating in giving. Giving my time and my effort into homeless shelters, and soup kitchens, and just taking the time out of my day to donate to a reasonable cause. I envision everyone participating in making the world a better place by planting more and more ways into keeping this world safe and healthy. Using more environmentally friendly methods and using whatever tools and resources you can to initiate and make a difference is one of the things you can do to ensure a change in the world. I want to see people using more environmentally friendly methods such as using a bike whenever you can and turning off the light and or unplugging something when you or someone else isn't using it. Growing up, I was often bullied by both my classmates and family members because I was obese, and being called fat and big did nothing but bring my self-esteem and confidence down. Growing up that trauma followed me until I found people who loved me for me, also me saving up money from working gave me the opportunity to access therapy and get the help and healing I need. It is always vital to encourage and help those who are in need not only financially but mentally because everyone is going through a battle, whether internal or external that no one knows about. I live in Boynton Beach FL and with the multicultural backgrounds and the beautiful communities, it is still a city with people, especially minorities that still struggle economically and financially. Throughout my high school years, I managed to volunteer at soup kitchens and get to hear the stories of families who struggle to put food on the table and send their kids to school. It saddens me to see how many people there is to help but it gives me the courage to continue to work and help those in need. I strive to help those in need and spread the love and kindness that we desperately need in this world. A quote by Raktivist, also known as the Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation is "Kindness is doing what you can, where you are, with what you have." That quote deeply resonates with me because no matter who you are and what you have you always have the opportunity to give. There is so much work that needs to be done in this world and I will continue to strive and make an effort in the world with all I can, to help everyone one day at a time.

The loss of my grandmother has not only affected me but the rest of my family as well. My Grandma Anatalie was just 56 when she had passed away from pancreatic cancer and it tore my family apart. As I get older I realized how important her role was in the family; how she initiated every family event, every get together. From keeping my family in check to making someones' day by offering to babysit their kids and getting to know them and loving them as her own. I also realized how resilient she is in being active even in her last few months of her living. After her death it made me realized how important family is and how beneficial it is to have someone who cares about you in your life. I fight to achieve to spread kindness to the people who didn't have what I had growing up, love and kindness. Simply expressing compassion and a good attitude towards someone goes a long way because everyone is dealing with a battle in their lives, whether it is internal and external. I strive and fight to lead my life with the love, happiness, and joy that I always strive to implement in my life. I thank my family and friends everyday for giving me such an amazing gift, and I thank myself for loving and being the best version of myself I can be.

American author Brian Herbert said, "The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill, and the willingness to learn is a choice''. The first time I read this quote was when I was in my World History Honors class during my sophomore year. I deeply resonated with that quote because I always have enjoyed learning about a multitude of things, and knowing that there's so much untapped knowledge in the world fascinates me. Learning is important to me because we all have the chance to expand our knowledge into something larger than ourselves. I always say that knowledge is the one thing people can't take away. With the knowledge we each have as an individual, we are powerful, focused, and aware. From going to school and learning the American curriculum to watching ted talks, the opportunity to learn is boundless and that alone is essential to our society. The initial plans I have in order to continue this endless journey are to be open to the ways of the world, to always be ready and prepared to have lessons about anything and everything life has to offer because, at the end of the day, life is all about learning. You cannot grow as a being without learning along the way because that stunts your growth in the process. I also plan to continue learning throughout my life by going to college, and not just learning by being in class and doing the homework but by participating in clubs, networking, and becoming friends with people all over the ages all over. I also consider that as learning because what better way to learn besides books than to actively engage with people from multiple backgrounds? Another thing I want to do is pursue multiple careers and engage in multiple hobbies, learning as much as I can through books and ted talks and also taking the advantage of using social media because there is some good in using social media. I plan to learn through reading as much as I can, keeping my family close, and talking to them which results in learning from them as well. Taking care of myself and listening to myself and learning the ''rights and wrongs'' of this world, and gaining an understanding of the world and everything around it. The toughest lesson I've learned is to keep trying and growing, keep learning and keep moving forward.