As someone who is still figuring out what I identify myself and who exactly I am as a person, the journey has been quite difficult; especially, since I found myself being alone throughout most of it. However, I have made good friends and explained to my family of who I am. I come from a religious background as both my parents are Christian but I never understood the religion and mostly believed in every religion with my own ideas; without necessarily practicing anything. I figured out my sexual orientation, exploring myself on my own and came out as Bisexual. During my journey of self-love and acceptance, I learned that I don't need to label myself with gender and accepted my own feelings and comfort levels. I learned of the different types of love languages and figured out what works best for me and my partner. I still have not completed my journey, but I'm slowing starting to love myself again and accepting each physical feature that I was adorned with.

I want to continue pursuing higher education because I want to make something of myself and be proud of what I did. As a first generation college student, I want to prove to my family on what my worth truly is. There's also the fact that I want to help people; as my field of study is psychology. More specifically, children. What I mean is that I want to give children and teens the opportunity to talk and seek help for their problems when no one else will. Mental illness, from personal experience, has been treated as less in school and around parents; I want that to change and me seeking higher education gives me the opportunity to do just that. As of right now, I am applying to scholarships, filling out forms for Rollins University and keeping track with my senior year. It has been a hectic year due to COVID-19, however, I still plan on making the most of it and actively participating in any school events that it offers me.

My name is Janelle Ximena McWilliams and I was born in Chicago, Illinois but moved to Florida for most of life. My entire family basically lived in whole other state, so I mainly grew detached from the rest; only seeing them once in a blue moon, just hearing stories from my mother. Since I'm only half-Mexican and Irish, my household was mainly white dominated since my father couldn't speak Spanish. I did learn about my culture on both sides along the way, but to this day, I still don't quite fit in between both groups. Though my older sister, who has a different father than me, did teach me Spanish that way I can communicate with the older generation of my family. While I did appreciate learning about a new language, I experienced a common issue that the community faces; racial discrimination. I was eating dinner at a local diner with my mom, and she was speaking about our extending family. Of course, the terms like tia, tio, abuelo and abuela flowed around our tongues - this caught the attention of many other customers seated around us. I remember distinctly of what they said, phrases like; "go back to where you came from" and "speak English when you're in America". I felt useless because my mother, alone, had to stand up for the both of us. That is why I am applying for this scholarship. I don't want any of my fellow Latin people to feel as useless and alone as I did, it was awful. So to achieve my goal, I plan on going to college, getting a degree in both psychology and criminology and making a change for the greater good of my community.

America was founded a long time ago, and we held the title as the most free country in the world. Creating the American Dream, allowing others to enter and build more structures for the later generation. However, as every country does have, we have had dark times; such as slavery, WWI and II, segregation among African Americans and other immigrants. If you were to ask this question when I was smaller, I would have given a juvenile answer - that being an American is simply living in the country, and that I have the luxury of being free; for having rights. And while yes, I still do own this luxury - it comes at a great price for others; sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia. With the recent pandemic and the Black Lives Matter Movement, I have expanded my world and allowed my mindset to grow and see others for what they are and did. So now, being an American holds no meaning to me. There are plenty of other countries that are free, some of which seem better than here. For example, free health care and the education system. In the USA, our education system is complete chaos, it's so shattered that I doubt it could ever be repaired. Which reminds me of the fact the USA - United States of America; is a joke for we simply are not united. We judge people based on their political party, of what they wear, watch and enjoy. Including of how the identify themselves and who they love. America has no culture - the stereotype still holds strong, that Americans take; steal. This might not be the response that some were expecting, but it's how I feel - and thus, it shall not change. Again I say, being an American holds no meaning to me.

Currently, I'm a senior at Discovery High School located in Lake Alfred, Florida. Right now, I stand at 3.8 GPA with straight A's; I've also already reached my 24 credit requirement with 25 credits in total. As I am now in my 2nd Semester, I won't be losing any motivation to strive for higher education. Which is why I am applying to this scholarship in the first place. I have already been accepted and enrolled for the Fall of 2021 at Rollins University located in Winter Park, Florida. I'm planning on majoring in Psychology and this grant will help me achieve my goal into receiving my Bachelor's degree.

As someone who is part of the lgbtq+, I have learned about the grand spectrum of sexuality and gender identification. I realized that some people don't label themselves and that people identify themselves with a sexuality or gender that normally isn't seen. For instance, Demisexual and Gender-fluid- Demisexual, which took me a while to understand, is when one person can only feel a romantic connection if there is a strong connection between one another. There are most individuals, as with myself, that are on the spectrum and label themselves; personally, I am a cisgender bisexual woman; though I am looking at the pronouns- she/they. Furthermore, there's also the matter of the terms that are used - this also includes the slurs that were once used and are still used to degrade the community. I have als acknowledged the fact that there is tension within the community, that some people don't believe in others and are considered invalid. I strive to make that change and find better equality both within the community and on the outside. In conclusion, this is what gave me a new perspective on my life