breaking generational curses. I am an 18 year old African male that is trying to be the first college graduate in my family. my mother was diagnosed with stage iv breast cancer and was told she had 8 months to live that was in 2022. she is still here with us and going to college and getting my education is not only for me but I am doing this for my mom. she has sacrificed her entire world for me so I want to make her proud. I want to get my degree in criminal justice . I am intrigued with that field. I am currently attending a junior college and playing basketball for them stating this august. my hopes are to start at a junk and get to a d1 school where I can get scholarship where my education would then be paid for. my mom is on ssdi so finances are very limited . I volunteer with younger basketball players and help with camps. I enjoy basketball and one day would like to play overseas. I am 6'7 at 18 years old. I get asked almost daily by complete strangers do you play basketball the minute they look at me. I want to get my degree so I can be the change. there are a lot on stereo types with black males that play basketball. I want to sho we have good grades, and can do great things. I have a 3.7 gpa and take pride in having good grades. I am focused and determined to get my bachelors degree. I am starting at csn in NV with is a junior college and they do not offer any kind of spots scholarships and I didn't qualify for Fasfa as they went based off my moms 2022 tax return. even tho it is Junk its $5000 a year. This is just a stepping stone to get to a D1 4 year university where I can get basketball scholarship and have assistance with tuition. I do a lot for my community and help my mom often with dr appointments, stuff around the house and just showing up for her as she showed up for me. even as sick as she is she comes to all my games and cheers me on. I look in the stands for her and there she is. this scholarship would me so much to us and help me make my dreams possible. currency Las Vegas is our home. I am exciting to see where this new journey will take me and just so glad and blessed that my mom is still here to see it. I am going to make her proud and remind her how great of a job she did with me. I will make you proud mom doing what I love. thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and hope I am chosen. this would mean so much to myself and my family. one day at a time I will be the change.

My mom was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer she has to ask for help. She had to stop working so I want to go to school and get my education so I can help financially take care of her. My mom spent her entire life taking care of everybody else and I want to get that back to her. The cancer is in her bones so she has a hard time walking doing housework. I have definitely had to step up and help her. She still comes to all my basketball games and still shows up for me. I am her last child at home. Her cancer has definitely changed our lives, but it has made us closer because I get to help her. In 2022 is when my mom’s cancer became stage four 2019 she went through stage two breast cancer 2020 my dad and mom got divorced after being together for 20 years. In 2022 when my mom‘s cancer came back, it made me realize how strong she was. She wasn’t just my mom. She was my hero. Not only did she have to battle a divorce, but she had to battle her health and battle cancer. Watching everything that my mom has gone through makes me wanna be strong and be her rock because she was mine. I see her every day get up and show up for me and my older sister and my nephew that’s three she puts on a happy face and a smile. When I go to college, I want to possibly get into the medical field because watching all this stuff that she goes through I would love to find a solution being just my mom and I at home. We are very close we cook together we eat together we clean together. She makes me want to be the best version of myself watching everything that she has gone through and does it with grace and a smile on her face is incredible. I am so lucky to have her and she has lit a fire under me I can explain. I wanna make her so proud of me. I want her to know that I work hard and because of her I am driven and destined to do great things. Her struggle has become my struggle which has brought us closer than ever. Cancer has changed our world, but I am so lucky to have a mom like her.