As an African-American woman who has spent 12 years within predominantly white schools, I have witnessed firsthand the discrimination and prejudice of students of all ages. However, I have also learned that such behaviors and hateful opinions are, most of the time, taught and not developed on their own. For example, I have been raised in a household that taught and reinforced loving all of your neighbors regardless of their background or the journey they have taken. Despite this, not everyone is raised in a household similar to my own. This conclusion was something I found at a young age. In middle school, I became concerned with how my peers treated one another. Seeing hateful behaviors, I discovered a leader within myself who would no longer watch others struggle from the sidelines. I have always considered myself to be a leader, rather than a follower, and that characteristic of mine sparked during eighth grade. Alongside a few classmates, I took the initiative to educate our school on African American history. For the first time in my school’s history, we celebrated Black History Month every day—sharing facts, holding scavenger hunts, and teaching younger students the importance of inclusivity. I took initiative in an area that was commonly being left in the shadows by my mentors. Similar to my advocacy in middle school, I continued to advocate in high school. I became the voice for those of my community who felt underrepresented by joining the Black Student Union. I not only planned Black History Month events to celebrate culture and history, but even went on to celebrate all year long. For the past four years, I have actively celebrated and supported my community through spreading education on African-American history. I have helped students learn that they have just as much of an important a place in our school as those around them. I will never know how my life could have been if I had continued to stay silent and endure the lack of inclusive spaces for people of color like myself. Instead, I created those spaces myself. I found power and confidence in myself that I once lacked. I have grown an unwavering passion for supporting and uplifting my community. The struggles I faced during my journey through education will not continue to affect other students as I now have discovered the key that unlocks any door in our way.

My time in high school has been a profound growing experience, much like the journey of a flower. As Canadian author J.R. Rim said, “Sunflowers end up facing the sun, but they go through a lot of dirt to find their way there.” In many ways, his words illustrate the course of my four years in school: many rises and falls, but in the end, I always found my way back to the sun. By embracing adversity with intention, I discovered that these qualities were the fuel I needed to grow into my own light and lead others to shine with me. Before high school, I constantly found myself in the shadow of others, comfortable being a follower and often intimidated by sharing my voice. This fear stunted my development, keeping me attached to a familiar form. I wanted more: I wanted to break away and discover what it meant to build a foundation of my own. At the start of my freshman year, I made a goal to immerse myself in activities. I joined the color guard team and developed a strong passion for the sport. My determination paid off; working hard to keep up with the predominantly senior team, I earned a spot on varsity as a freshman. This achievement boosted my confidence, allowing me to finally ground my roots and aim higher. The mentorship of the upperclassmen watered my roots, teaching me resilience and responsibility. While some peers awaited the rain, I learned to actively locate the resources necessary to flourish, also joining the theatre and the track and field team. That same year, I was offered the opportunity to coach middle schoolers for a winter guard program, writing their production. I began to transition from a follower to a leader, taking meticulous notes on what a good leader possesses. I continued this momentum into my sophomore year by becoming captain of my color guard team as an underclassman. I became responsible for maintaining structure, order, and overall skill proficiency among the team, quickly developing efficiency and a rapid sense for learning new things. Concurrently, I joined the Black Student Union (BSU), where my passion for activism and Black culture was met by a community of like-minded individuals. My initiative earned me an honorary leadership role, assisting the president and vice president. My potential was recognized by teachers as well, leading the senior class advisor to choose me as one of only three sophomores to assist with the senior "Man of the Year" production. I had successfully transformed from the one seeking help to the primary source of assistance and information for others. Ultimately, during my junior and senior years, I truly began to bloom. I became Vice President of the BSU in my junior year, planning and leading events while managing public relations for over sixty members. At the same time, I became captain of color guard again, now responsible for an additional twenty-two people who looked to me for guidance. While such responsibility often felt like a thunderstorm, I learned that true leadership means knowing when and how to ask for help. Through teamwork, I mastered using others’ strengths alongside my own for the success of the majority. My experiences throughout high school were the vital nutrition I needed to thrive. A true leader does not bask in the sunlight alone but stays prepared to help pull peers into the light with them. I can proudly say that I’ve flourished into a beautiful young sunflower, secure in the knowledge that I’ve worked hard enough for my light to never dim.

My cousin drowned in a battle of thoughts whose depth we will never truly grasp. Growing up as an African American student in the suburbs, I was already accustomed to navigating waters where the current of expectation is high, but representation is low. For her, the waters grew deeper as she entered high school; she was the oldest, facing the rapids while we were still in the tides of middle school. After she was consumed by those waters, I spent a year rotting away, searching for a quick fix for the hole in my heart. I withdrew spiritually, wearing a mask of happiness until I could retreat to my emotions. Raised in a society where grieving was frowned upon, I stuffed my pain into a bottle. Eventually, that bottle overflowed, and I began to sink. Tired of the ocean of despair, I realized I had to find my own change. I took the weight that drowned me and turned it into a buoyant force. I began my journey of learning to swim again by channeling grief into advocacy. This transformation started when I became concerned with how my peers treated one another. Seeing hateful behaviors, I discovered a leader within myself who would no longer watch others struggle from the sidelines. I became the hand reaching out to keep them afloat. Alongside a few classmates, I took the initiative to educate our school on African American history. For the first time in my school’s history, we celebrated Black History Month every day, sharing facts, holding scavenger hunts, and teaching younger students the importance of inclusivity. By reaching out to others, I finally found my own buoyancy. I do not just swim for myself; I swim for a community that thought their only choice was to drown. This drive carried me into high school, where I have spent four years as a leader in the Black Student Union, amplifying the resilience of the underrepresented. My academic journey is now fueled by purpose. I transitioned this leadership into the classroom, joining the Animal Care CTE program. Under a licensed veterinary technician, I have mastered complex veterinary sciences and animal husbandry, turning my passion for advocacy into a dedicated pursuit of medicine. As a college student, I plan to strip down the barriers that keep others out of the deep end of STEM. Currently, only 2% of veterinarians in the United States are African American; I intend to change that statistic. My goal is to become a veterinarian who provides specialized care for animals while serving as a mentor for young women of color. Just as I advocate for representation in the BSU, I will ensure the next generation sees science as a sea they are more than capable of navigating. Learning to swim again wasn't just about surviving grief; it was about mastering the water to become a lifeguard for my community. Pursuing this degree marks a significant turning point, not only for the animals I hope to care for, but for the people I wish to inspire to be the best versions of themselves.

Starting from a young age, everyone has shared the universal experience of being asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” While answers often shift, my mind has been set on the same path since I was little: becoming a veterinarian. In the beginning, I didn’t fully understand the profession; in my mind, they just played with dogs all day. Even after learning more about the actual responsibilities, the complexity, and the dedication required, my interest has remained constant and unwavering. I’ve always been drawn to science, especially biology, because it offers a fundamental understanding of what things do, how they do it, and why. While I excel in other subjects, science has always captivated me most, enabling me to apply my knowledge to real-world scenarios. Veterinary medicine allows me to do just that, offering daily insight into how animals behave, eat, fight, and thrive. There is never a dull moment when exploring the academic and practical world of veterinary science. STEM teaches you the importance in taking risks. Where something has not yet been discovered, scientists commit their lives to unlocking advancements to improving society everyday. STEM has taught me that you will never know what you don't know. Life is full of chances, and if you don't go for them, you'll never know what that different outcome may have been. This same ideology can be applied outside of STEM as well to our daily lives. People take risks all the time when it comes to applying for job and research opportunities or even when playing in the lottery. The world around us and how it functions is the direct result of STEM being at work. My commitment to the STEM field was solidified when I enrolled in the animal science career tech program at Copley High School. Led by a licensed veterinary technician, this course covers a broad spectrum of medical science and animal husbandry, ranging from companion animals to large livestock. This experience has been the most important factor in deepening my understanding of the field, reinforcing my desire to pursue an education that will prepare me for the demanding and rewarding nature of the profession. However, attending college and majoring in a STEM field is about more than just a degree. It represents a vital step toward personal independence and leadership. As a young African American woman, I am driven not only by my passion for veterinary science but also by the chance to join and amplify the voices of Black women in higher education. My leadership role in the Black Student Union (BSU), where I helped organize and lead school events, has been crucial to developing this goal. It taught me how to advocate, plan, and manage a team, embodying the resilience and integrity needed to inspire others. Currently, only 28% of degrees in higher education are earned by Black women in comparison to other diverse racial backgrounds. My work in the BSU fuels my desire to become a veterinarian who advocates for diversity in STEM. My lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian, coupled with my passion for STEM and the crucial leadership development from the BSU, drives my motivation for college. This journey through higher education will be a critical turning point, allowing me to grow both personally and professionally in ways that extend far beyond the classroom. Pursuing my veterinary science degree marks a significant change—not only for the animals I hope to care for but also for the people I wish to inspire to be the best versions of themselves.

As an African-American woman who has spent 12 years within predominantly white schools, I have witnessed firsthand the discrimination and prejudice of students of all ages. However, I have also learned that such behaviors and hateful opinions are, most of the time, taught and not developed on their own. For example, I have been raised in a household that taught and reinforced loving all of your neighbors regardless of their background or the journey they have taken. Despite this, not everyone is raised in a household similar to my own. This conclusion was something I found at a young age. During my eighth-grade year in middle school, I became concerned with the way my peers were being treated and the way they were treating each other. I saw hateful and derogatory behaviors being expressed by pre-teens, and made it my mission to stand up against them. I have always considered myself to be a leader, rather than a follower, and that characteristic of mine sparked during eighth grade. A few classmates of mine and I took it upon ourselves to educate ourselves and the entire school on African-American history and culture. For the first time in my middle school's long history, we celebrated Black History Month every day. We shared facts, participated in games, and even taught fifth graders the importance of inclusivity. I took initiative in an area that was commonly being left in the shadows by my mentors. This realization carried on with me into high school, where I became an active member of the Black Student Union. Similar to my advocacy in middle school, I continued to advocate in high school. I became the voice for those of my community who felt underrepresented. I not only planned Black History Month events to celebrate culture and history, but even went on to celebrate all year long. For the past four years, I have actively celebrated and supported my community through spreading education on African-American history. I have helped students learn that they have just as much of an important a place in our school as those around them. Even in the face of the DEI ban, I continued to persevere. That being said, the personal achievement I am most proud of is growing confidence in my ability to take risks. I learned early on the importance of exploring the unknown, and it has transformed my life. I discovered that you will never know what you don't know. Life is full of chances, and if you don't go for them, you'll never know what that different outcome may have been. I will never know how my life could have been if I had continued to stay silent and endure the lack of inclusive spaces for people of color like myself. Instead, I created those spaces myself. I found power and confidence in myself that I once lacked. I have grown an unwavering passion for supporting and uplifting my community. The struggles I faced during my journey through education will not continue to affect other students due to the hard work I have put in over the years. Where there once was not a community, I, along with the innovators I've met over the years, have laid the foundation and constructed an empire surrounded by inclusivity and culture. Through amplifying black culture, I have grown in my potential. I am bound for greatness and success, all from conquering and taking on the unknown. To sum up, I am proud of the confidence that I've unlocked and will continue to open doors, because you never know what you might find.