When the words appeared on my computer screen, I was in disbelief. For the first time in my life, I was not defined by my skin tone, my economic status, or any other oppressive criterion, I was simply a Nole. “Congratulations, you have been accepted into Florida State University’s Class of 2026!”. My heart raced with excitement, this moment embodied all of my hard work in high school. Suddenly, every night studying after doing a closing shift at work finally mattered. However, this excitement dwindled at the realization that my family could never afford to fund my dreams of majoring in Criminology & Forensic Science. Growing up as a low income student has come with a lot of difficulties especially in regards to my education. Due to the fact that both of my parents do not have a college education, I had to resort to countless visits to my counselor's office and Youtube videos in order to teach me how to file for financial aid, and to write a scholarship essay that would guarantee me admission into my college of choice. Additionally, the wealth gap has led me to struggle to relate to my classmates who had siblings, parents, or relatives who were “legacies”at their desired university. Furthermore, I also was limited in my application process, as my parents only had the funds to allocate ninety dollars for application fees. However, I have hope that these hindrances, will just be a small obstacle in the course of my journey to my anticipated area of study. Furthermore, as someone who has a natural gravitation towards biology, and an inescapable desire for justice to be served, I am eager to study Criminology at one of the most respected programs in the nation. With my intended degree, the job scope is pretty broad however. I hope to specialize in DNA Profiling and work with other forensic scientists to advance the current technology we use to connect people to crimes. Since late middle school, I have grown aware of the injustices that happen due to lack of adequate scientific advancements. I hope to be a catalyst in the newly founded scope of forensic science, and be an inspiration for other young minority women to join STEM-related fields. To conclude, although lack of funds have caused my aspirations of wearing garnet,gold, and white to dwindle, I will remain hopeful that generous donors like yourself will be willing to fund the youth's future. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to be a candidate for this amazing scholarship. Although I was not born with the most economic stability, I will not let this be a hindrance to change the world with the use of logic, biology, technology, and reason.

Rita’s First-Gen Scholarship: 1 goal, 2 Obstacles, 3 Steps. Being accepted into your dream college is arguably one of the best moments of one’s life. Just last week, I was accepted into my dream school, Florida State University. For years I have dreamed of living in a brightly decorated dorm, and wearing a garnet, white, and gold uniform while cheering on the football team. However, this beautiful moment was snuffed out with the pressure to choose a socially acceptable major and lack of funds to support my education. To begin, coming from a lineage of Puerto Rican and Haitian immigrants, my decision to pursue a criminal justice degree was received with scrutiny. In my parent’s eyes, any career other than the medical field is not an option. However, being an avid lover of true crime and someone who has an inescapable desire for justice to be served, I would be ignoring my destiny if I did not pursue this field of study. To make matters worse, one of my goals is to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigations, as a Special Agent. What others may see as a decorated honor, my family saw it as another cultural conflict. Some of my family members have been incarcerated and had adverse reactions with law enforcement. Despite having the pressure of choosing a “socially acceptable” major, I am dedicated to not letting cultural barriers inhibit my dreams. I know that once my parents see me studying something I have been passionate about for years, they will eventually let the weight of “The American Dream” off of their shoulders. In the meantime, I will be educating them about my intended major, and convincing them one step at a time. Furthermore, because most people in my family did not attend college, I do not have a college fund or any other funds to help support me through my education. Because the cost of living continues to go up especially with the pandemic, coupled with my fathers fluxuations in income due to his job, money is not always readily available. In order to combat this issue, I am currently working not one, but two jobs in order to save for college necessities, such as room and board, textbooks, and housing. Oftentimes, I am up late studying for exams after a shift, or rushing to work after practice. Unlike most seventeen year olds, I have been tasked with applying for college alone, and using a portion of my checks for the future. Because I am working a minimum wage salary, it is baby steps that are helping me to get there. Despite generational financial illiteracy, I will work as much as I can until I reach my career goal. In conclusion, although there are many factors that inhibit me from my educational goals, I will never stop trying to achieve them. Winning Rita’s First-Gen scholarship will alleviate the economic burden of college off of my shoulders and finally allow me to have peace about my college acceptance. If I win, I will be able to pursue my goals of becoming a Federal Agent, where I can change previous stigmas surrounding law enforcement, and be a female pioneer in the force. With your generosity, I will be able to wear garnet, white, and gold without financial burden. Short answer questions: 1. Getting a college education means breaking down barriers in the Latino and Black community. Because my projected field of study is criminal justice, and most minorities have negative stigmas surrounding law enforcement, I hope I will be able to bridge the gap between minorities and law enforcement. 2. My outside of school endeavors include: Being a student leader at my church on Wednesday nights. I also work two part-time jobs in order to fund my education. I also have various domestic duties such as cleaning and tending for my younger sister. 3. My school has become a reservoir for me to pursue my passions. I am my schools’ Student Government Associations Executive President, I lead a Bible study group called Place of Discipleship(POD), as well as competing athletically for my school's Varsity cross country, track, and basketball teams, where I am a team captain. I am also in the top ten percent of my class, and enrolled in the World’s Most Rigorous academic program: The International Baccalaureate program.

My vision is to change the notions around female artists, specifically in the spoken word or rap industry. For as long as I could remember, music has been a force in my life. I remember being in my car seat, kicking my toddler legs, to Snoop Dogg in my dad's Cadillac Deville. I also remember listening to the melodic hymns in church that moved me to tears. These experiences taught me how music can have an emotional impact on the listener's lives. It amazes me how particular diction can create change, unite people from all walks of life, and inspire people to do better with their lives. My goal in life is to be a female pioneer in the music industry, and to put truth and lyricism back into music. If I have learned one thing from dad's Deville and the pews at church, it is that music is more than a cool beat and some words. It is a story, that helps to better the lives of its listeners. I plan to do just this with my legacy.

When tasked with the question, "How do you keep a growth mindset?", two words come to mind: accountability and vulnerability. In order to grow, you have to hold yourself accountable while being honest with yourself. To begin, accountability is a topic that a lot of people struggle with. We are either too easy on ourselves, making excuses for our shortcomings, and assuming that we have time to change. Or we are on the equally dangerous end of the spectrum, where we are too harsh on ourselves.This manifests itself in the form of being ashamed to fail, and critiquing every failure we encounter. To me, accountability is at a happy medium of the two, where you are are willing to extend grace to yourself when you slip up, while also getting up and trying again. An example of how I personally implement accountability is every night before I go to sleep. I read my New Year's resolutions that are taped to my nightstand, in order to remind myself of where I want to be in life. As I read off that list of goals, and think of ways to achieve them, I just tell myself that things will get better. The most satisfying part is crossing off something that I have worked so hard to accomplish. Not only is this an accountability tactic but it is also a method of being vulnerable. The concept of vulnerability is often seen as weak but, it actually helps you to grow. One's New Years Resolutions are often intimate, and by reading them to myself it shows that I am comfortable and honest with my growth process and to making steps to where I want to be. To conclude, two ways that I maintain a growth mindset is by holding myself accountable and being vulnerable.

My schedule is insane. From waking up at 4:00 in the morning to run, to a full day of school, to overseeing Student Government meetings, to basketball practice, to clinicals for pharmacy technician school, to church, to work, homework, college applications, and finally sleeping for three to four hours a night. With all of this chaos I found myself neglecting my hygiene, mental health, and well-being. I was being tugged in a million different directions, and I couldn't take it any longer. I did some reflecting, as one does in the midst of crisis, and I realized that I needed to have one day of rest a week, and at least one fun task that I can do a day. I call my free day "Self Care Saturday" and my daily tasks "mini treats". To continue further, Self Care Saturday is a day of rest. I sleep in on Saturdays, take my time to get out of bed, and watch movies. During this time I re-discover what I love, catch up on shows, true crime videos, and enjoy the comfort of my bed that I don't nearly get enough time in. Additionally, although Self Care Saturday is amazing, I didn't want to get trapped in the toxic cycle of waiting for one day to unload my stresses. I need a break every day. I call these "mini treats". I have to spend at least an hour a day doing something I love. That may look like, writing raps in my journal, volunteering at church, or even as simple as jamming out to Caleb Gordon with my sister. To conclude, implementing self care methods has made me have a more positive outlook on life. I am able to balance all of my extracurriculars while loving me.

In the Christian faith, we have sayings that are recognized in every denomination. Some examples include "Let your faith be bigger than your fears", "When God closes a door, He opens a window.", and my personal favorite "Do not put God inside of a box." The validity of these sayings, is a theological debate that can not be summed up in 250 words but the latter phrase is one that has always interested me. Being a Christian who is invested in my school's STEM program is seen as a paradox. Most people, do not associate STEM with religion. In fact, a huge concept taught in a Theory of Knowledge class that I am required to take, is that religion, and areas such as natural sciences, technology, engineering, and math are not to be intertwined. But, as mentioned earlier, you cannot put God into a box. After knowing the heart of God, He can use anything to further the Kingdom. In my specific case, I have felt led to use technology in order to do so. I have used my background in STEM, and my passion for God and started a webinar series on my Instagram, which includes informative videos, songs, and graphics about God. My goal is to educate others in our progressive society who has adverse views about religion. The webinar has been an amazing way to intertwine two areas that seem vastly different. In conclusion, my passion for technology is not a limit to God, but an opportunity.

"Black people do not need therapy", my mother told me after requesting that she seeks help for her years of generational trauma. This is a common reaction, especially in the Black community, when asked to face mental health. Whether it's your parents or grandparents who deem to be "old school", rejecting treatment for issues like anxiety and depression, there needs to be change. Besides having a few key players, we are failing to evolve from a mental health standpoint and things needs to change. To begin, my utopian vision for optimal mental health for the Black community is erasing stigmas that are often placed on us as children. From a young age, it is engraved in our minds that natural human reactions such as crying, whining, or having a hard time is seen as weak. This repetitive cycle makes for generations of people suffering in silence, and refusing to express their emotions. This cycle can be broken if their is education. In our educational systems, there should be counseling for students and parents, so parents know how to deal with not only their child's emotions but their own. If social workers, counselors, or anyone with a degree in education held seminars, and one on one sessions with parents, and helped them to express their emotions, this would trickle into the lives of their children as well. Essentially. if parents received the emotional support that they never obtained as a child, they are able to realize their need for it, and help their children. This type of system would benefit the Black community where schools are often underfunded, counselors are overloaded, and parents are juggling parenthood and adulthood. Secondly, another vision that would help mental health in the Black community would be those in power advocating for the cause. As Black people, we have our own movies, tv shows, and athletes who represent us. If those with large amounts of influence paved the way by posting their own experiences, and battles about mental health this would help us to be more educated. In a world where resources are at our fingertips, their is a lot of misinformation about the mental health movement. Although people on social media attempt to inform, oftentimes there are many extremes that push an inaccurate narrative about mental health. If we were more educated, and saw representation from our own people in the mental health movement we would be making some steps in the right direction. Finally, my utopian vision for optimal mental health for the Black community revolves around removing stigmas and creating a generation of children who are not afraid to express emotion. Another aspect of my vision in seeing those in power advocate for mental health which is often taboo. Both of these ideas are possible for the Black community. If we work to educate ourselves, and those around us, this utopian vision can become a reality.

I think in order to understand what one’s dream life is, you have to understand what their nightmare looks like. My nightmare looks a little something like this: I wake up to my tedious alarm clock, I roll out of my sticky bed from my two whiney kids who poured maple syrup on me while I was sneaking in a nap, I realize my dog Lucky has to be walked, and my Dodge Minivan has run out of gas. I had to wake up from that nightmare, it haunts me every day! I work toward not having that life because, I’ve seen so many people in my family go that route. Unlike most people, my dream life does not revolve around tons of money, an attractive partner, or a 100 foot yacht. All of those things are not wrong, it’s just not for me. My dream life is a life where I get to love other people, make music I enjoy, travel, and spread positivity. That is a life I would love. I would wake up in my renovated travel van, go to the studio and finish my album that has tons of well known artists on it, grab tacos with my Mom on the beach, film an episode of a crime tv show(where I’m the lead detective), fly on a jet to London where I have a show full of fans, come home, read my Bible, and repeat. If that was my life, I would never complain.

One way I try to make a positive impact on the world is by sharing the power of literature. In a digitalized society, most people do not have personal experiences with handheld books, at least not outside of their English classes. Even in that setting, the books are usually not enjoyable, and it is rare that they cater to their audience. I mean how many times are we going to have the same menial conversations and popcorn reads? The worst part is, most people don’t even know where to get books they’ll genuinely love. Where I live, the library is an ancient practice, people just use it for the free wifi, air conditioner, and comfortable seating. I wanted to change this unfortunate reality. But, it had to be done in a way that would be enjoyable to everyone. So, I put together a book drive for kids in a local impoverished area. The kids were able to pick out books that they genuinely enjoyed. They smiled as they pronounced the names of characters they could relate to. They were excited to show their parents their reading skills. Every parent also filled out a library card for their child, so the kids could appreciate the library for what it is. I believe that experience, educated people and connected them. They finally felt engaged with the books they were reading and that will have a lasting impact on them. Literature is a force that connects people from all demographics. My aim is to help more people realize that.

Every morning, before I even open my booger encrusted eyes, I ask myself, “How can I be more loving towards people today?” To me, generosity is a way of life, it’s how I treat my neighbors, friends, and even my enemies. In my eyes, (that are sometimes booger encrusted) if every person lived with a heart of generosity this world be a better place. One of the easiest ways we can be generous is simply by getting out of our own heads, unplugging our headphones, and being aware. In my westernized society, we embrace go-go-go, getting to the top on our own, and being “self made”. But if we quieted the noise of our own life and turned up the volume on the interests of other people, we would make so much change.

Growing up, my dad was always my hero. He was a gentle giant, who loved his girls, his wife, and his life. He used to do homework with me in our modest apartment after school, he taught me how to swim, and made the best pancakes. I would’ve never guessed that a couple years earlier, he was in a halfway house after his eight year prison sentence. Like most people in the prison system, my dad made one mistake that changed the trajectory of his life. I remember my dad working odd jobs to get on his feet. He often wasn’t hired due to his past incarceration but he always provided for us. He settled with air conditioning for many years, but ultimately knew he wanted to do something greater with his life. That is why I call my dad my hero, because he did not let his status define him. He is now a business owner who has bought a home. This success did not come easy, he was working three jobs at one point! He has inspired me to not let anything be a limitation but be a catalyst for my success. Although that story was cute, there has been some hardships I’ve had to endure due to my father’s incarceration. One is dealing with the stigma at school. I remember vividly in class, the topic of incarceration was brought up on “Wellness Wednesday”. Wellness Wednesday is our schools attempt to bring advocation and awareness to issues in the classroom such as, depression, making money, and even prison. Most people, said they didn’t know anyone who was incarcerated. When asked “would you judge a peer or classmate that has had incarcerated parents?”, one of my closest friends said she would. I was devastated for two reasons. One, people’s lack of sympathy on the stigma of being in prison. Two, my inability to stand up for people like my father. When the conversation began, I immediately was riddled with shame, fear, and angst. I chickened out on what could’ve been an amazing conversation. But, a lot of shame comes from having a parent who’s went to prison. We don’t wear t-shirts about it, post about it, or really tell anyone. I really wish that would change. My dads story is one that is dear to my heart. His sentence, has made me want to get a law degree and advocate for prison reform. In my free time, I educate myself about the prison system in Florida. I love watching videos about what needs to change, and what should stay the same. Yes, my dads prison sentence has changed the trajectory of his life. But that change has also seeped into my life. I want to change the world, and I want the kids of incarcerated parents to know that we do not have to be ashamed, we have to be the change!

One day I stumbled upon an old memory box from my mom. Like most people, her pregnancy with me was unplanned and she was afraid. In the book, she wrote that she pondered on the idea of aborting me. This news, broke my heart. I love life, and even though my parents did not have adequate funding in my first couple years of life, I wouldn’t want to be aborted because of it. After reading this book, I formed my pro-life position. This position was something I kept in secrecy at first. Like most people my age, I was embarrassed to be labeled as a radical Conservative. When asked about it by friends, I would say “I wasn’t sure” or “I don’t really know”. But, after eight months in what I like to call the “conservative closet”, I came to the realization that neutrality is more dangerous than choosing one side. So I chose to advocate for the millions of babies who are slaughtered each year. Like any curious person, I got educated on the topic. I started reading articles about abortions, watching videos on the “violinist argument”, and hearing testimonies of people who’ve had abortions and regretted them. Then, I began reposting from a page called teensforlife, an account that strictly brings awareness and facts around rising abortion rates. My friend Izzy attends rallies, and I’ve always supported her in doing so. When she was thinking of starting a pro-life club at school despite push back from a “my body, my choice” generation, I encouraged her to stand strong and prayed with her. In the future, I want to help mothers who cannot afford children. My mom was one of those people, and her fear was written on those pages. I would love to organize baby clothes drives, make cribs for free, and mail formula to expecting mothers. I would also want to help arrange adoptions, and do ultrasounds in front of abortion clinics. As a Christian woman, and someone who grew up in the church, we’ve stigmatized sex/abortion. When people think of getting an abortion the last place they’d come to is a church. I’d love to change that. I believe if we gave help and loved others, instead of shunning them and making them feel ashamed, so many babies would be here right now. I hope to start that chain reaction. Yes, I have lost friends over this debacle. Conservatism especially in the Black/Hispanic community is heavily frowned upon but, we have to fight the fight! I will always fight for those who cannot speak for themselves.

God is my everything. No, this is not an attempt to hide behind a religion or a cult but it is a genuine aspect of my life. God is the reason, why I wake up in the morning. Why I feel like I have purpose. He’s also why I have dedicated my life to telling other people about Him, in a creative way. Rap music is a taboo, seen as menacing, and raunchy. But I have taken my desire to tell others about Jesus, and combined it with something I love so much, rap music. I will continue to do this unapologetically and openly. Creativity often goes underrated unless it conforms to societal standards but my music is unique, groundbreaking, and fresh. As a seventeen year old, I’ve taken God, who is my everything, and attempted to show people that He doesn’t have to be in a box. He doesn’t have to be specific to one group of people or a certain genre. God has placed this desire in me, so I started to write, create, upload. I started a rap team at my church so I can use that as a platform to speak to the nations. It is only because of my everything that this is possible. I will be a voice of this generation, I will inspire, inquire, and succeed.