There isn't a point in my life where I remember not living in a single-parent household. My mom raised my brother and I alone since I was two, and for the past nearly two decades she's taught me what true resilience, perseverance, and unconditional love is. Growing up with just one parent to cover most of the costs of living was hard. There were times where I could see her struggling in silence as she tried to cover the cost of bills, school supplies, and extracurriculars. She's a woman with a lot of pride, and as such she would rather carry most if not all of the burden before asking for help. And though I still have both of my parents, my memories are filled with her smiling face in the crowd as I stood on first base at softball games. Her laughter as I handed her a very poorly drawn self-portrait of us and a "custom perfume" made of various others as a Mother's Day gift. The look in her eyes when she sat my brother and I down when I was twelve and asked me how I felt if we were to move from our small town in Louisiana to the Dallas suburbs of Texas. For a majority of my life my mother took any job she could just to provide for us. And all that time she felt in her heart that her true calling was nursing. Though it wasn't easy, and she sacrificed her own comfort and peace of mind to study at a community college at night while working during the day. She eventually passed all her classes and the NCLEX and became an LPN. I can still remember staying at my neighbors house after school until she returned from classes in the evening. The feeling of sitting in the crowd at her graduation, barely able to see over the shoulders of adults as I cheered my lungs out for her. The taste of Olive Garden as we ate there for the first time to celebrate. The question to move came a few years after her graduation when she realised our hometown did not have enough opportunities for any of us. Though I was nervous, I knew there was a reason she wanted to make this change and I trusted her fully. It wasn't easy. They say "Everything's bigger in Texas!" and that's certainly true, including the cost of living. But she was still the stubborn and prideful woman I'd always known her to be. She saw to it that my brother and I both graduated and had opportunities we wouldn't have had back home. Because of her I was able to graduate magna cum laude from high school and I am now set to receive an associate's degree before continuing at the University of North Texas for a degree in Event Design and Experience Management. I can feel her drive and perseverance in myself at times. There have been so many hurdles thrown my way as the years have gone by especially as I pursue higher education. But I've found a way through each and every one. With the support of my friends, my family, my mentors, and my biggest supporter and fan: my mom. I can only hope to one day make her proud to see the young woman that she put so much effort into raising to never give up and reach beyond the stars.

In my junior year of high school, I was required to volunteer somewhere in order to qualify for graduation the following year. Many students at my school secured positions related to technology or engineering however while at an interview fair I saw the option for Heritage Farmstead, which is a non-profit museum located in Plano, TX that provides the history of the agricultural history and roots of the area dating back to 1891, as well as the family that occupied the 4 preserved acres. When I began my internship I was in awe. Right in the middle of this industrialized city was an old yet vibrantly colored Victorian-era home surrounded by buildings that housed everything from chickens to pigs and goats. My specific role was Assistant to Camp Counselor, meaning I was in charge of helping the counselors set up activities for the kids that spent their week at the farm for a summer camp. Every day was different and filled with fun as I not only watched kids connect with nature and history, but I also got to learn more about how people once lived in the city I called home. One day I even decided to wear one of the provided costumes and wore a prairie dress and apron as I set up an activity that taught the kids how laundry was washed before washing machines. The kids were shocked as they saw me and the head of the camp ripped right out of something in little house on the prairie, but you couldn't miss the smiles on their faces. At the end of every week I was in charge of creating certificates that each camp counselor would hand out to their kids, and sometimes it would make me smile to see and type out the title "best bubble blower" or "creative camper" on the templates. And seeing how excited they were the final day to receive their prizes made it all the better. Even though I was not a camp counselor I did still get to do similar tasks, such as setting up and participating in water fight day and staying with a handful of kids who didn't want to explore the creek. I was sad that I only had two weeks before my internship ended. Though I wasn't a fan of waking up early every day I knew I would miss being surrounded by the sounds of nature, miss feeding the animals and teaching the campers how to properly hold a chicken (a skill that I'd only been taught a few days prior), miss the small schoolhouse that could barely hold a dozen campers that once acted as the place students actually learned. And most of all I knew that I would miss how happy I felt to be so immersed in the preserved part of North Texas history now limited to those 4 acres. I still pass Heritage Farmstead every now and then when I find myself in Plano. And each time I do, I can't help but remember the people I met and things I learned. They're memories and lessons I plan to carry with me for as long as I can.

One thing that I've always wanted to buy is a CD player in the shape of a vintage record player!

A degree that blends both the arts and science is one you may not think of first: Interior Design. I am currently an undergraduate at the University of North Texas and I am applying for the Interior Design program. It is one of the most competitive programs to get into for the field, however UNT's College of Visual Arts and Design (CVAD) is one of the top ranked for Interior Design in the country. It blends designer's creativity when envisioning a space that tailors to their clients needs with real-world mathematic and physics application. First year students learn to hand draft construction documents where you grow an appreciation for both aspects of the career. And while Interior Design can be an amazing field to progress innovation in design and sustainability, it is also one that can be used to give back to the community. There are countless programs and non-profit organizations that utilize volunteer experience and help to build, furnish, and bring homes and spaces to life for those that struggle. Some of these organizations include Dwell With Dignity, a Dallas-based nonprofit that focuses on aiding struggling families with self-sufficiency and peace of mind when furnishing and turning their houses into homes, and Savvy Giving By Design, a national non-profit that connects professional interior designers to families with a child facing a medical crisis to transform their homes completely free. There are plenty more organizations such as the ones listed above and they all have in common the desire for people of various backgrounds, communities, and situations to have access to safe, sustainable, and comfortable living spaces. Life can be full of many unexpected surprises and twists. Some are great, and some are life-altering in ways we can never imagine or fully prepare for. And the idea of being able to alleviate at least a fraction of the stress and pain any of the families face that find themselves partaking in these programs and organizations is one that appeals to me. I want to be able to be a part of something that combines my passion for design and creating spaces that feel like comfort and home with making a positive change in the lives of those both in my community as well as across the world. In my own life I've faced a lot of changes and hardships, and the kindness of my friends and mentors as well as strangers, even if it was as simple as a smile on the bus, has led me to continue my journey to make my dreams come true. And the idea of being that person that makes an impact on someone else's life, whether big or small, is one that I want to bring to light time and time again. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay, and thank you for this opportunity.

It all started with a nurse. Not something one would think of when discussing Interior Design, a very art-focused career, but for me my inspiration was my mother. She became a nurse because it's what she was passionate about. She loved it from a young age, and when others told her it was too much of a risk to go for, she eventually listened to her heart and followed her passion. She followed her dreams and put herself through nursing school, becoming an at-home care nurse. I want to do the same. Ever since I was a little kid, I'd always loved sitting on the couch and watching episode after episode of design shows on HGTV. I loved seeing the smiles and happiness on people's faces when they saw the changes to their homes and I wanted to make people feel that way as well. I started by redesigning my bedroom, and letting out my creativity. It made me feel happy, safe, and seen whenever I was in my room because I knew it reflected my feelings and who I was. And I want that feeling for everyone. This is why in 6th grade, I knew I wanted to become an Interior Designer. I've also over the years used media and tools to further explore my passion. I've found myself spending hours playing The Sims 4 and House Flipper, my free time in school creating custom rooms on a free designing platform. Even in my high school career, I spent my research opportunities writing multiple papers and presentations about Interior Design, as well as creating a 3D model for an interactive museum in my Junior year. I also conducted a year-long research project on the connection between Interior Design and Psychology in my senior year and presented my findings at the end of the year. I know it's a competitive field and one that can vary from salary to experience. But I want to be able to help both residential and commercial customers redesign their homes and spaces, whether they've just purchased them or have utilized the space for decades, and make it reflect who they are. There are so many ways we as humans can contribute to society in our ways. You don't always have to be in a scientific career field to help change people's lives. And that's what I'm going to do. Make people happy in the spaces they live and function in, one person at a time.

I would love to see the day when lower-income families as well as the overwhelming homeless population in the US have the peace and comfort of living in an environment that's safe and tailored to them. I come from a small town in the south. I've seen so many abandoned houses, overgrown by nature and uninhabited by people or families that could utilize the land already developed to fit their needs. I also come from a single-parent lower-middle-class black family, and I remember a time when my brother lived in the laundry room because at the time all we could get was a two-bedroom house. And while at times I may seem only idealistic in my thinking, I also remind myself that not everything is as simple as just building nice-looking, affordable housing. I’ve seen gentrification happen to neighborhoods around me while growing up, and how damaging it can be for the families that lived in those neighborhoods. But I’ve always wanted to help people, and I want to help them in a way that’s true to who I am. And after time and research, I found a way to connect my passion for a future career to my passion for helping people. I plan on majoring in Interior Design and want to spend time volunteering for many different things, one of which is lending a hand in designing and helping create affordable housing with organizations like Habitat For Humanity, and eventually forming a foundation or design firm of my own dedicated to this cause. Everyone deserves a home, not just another building. And I want to contribute to it in a new light. This country’s population of not only homeless people but also low-income families that can’t even afford a place for themselves and their children (if they have any) is disheartening and shouldn’t be as immense of a problem, much less a problem at all. As mentioned before I want to avoid damaging my community as well as other communities of color by taking away the character and culture of neighborhoods. So in my time doing what I love, I want to work directly with people in the neighborhoods around projects. I want to hear their stories, their perspectives, and their ideas. Because whether you live in a small town or a big city, nothing can feel more heartwarming than seeing your ideas and the story of the community being channeled into projects that would impact everyone, not just those living in a newly developed or renovated house.

After I graduate, I plan to go to UNT for 4 years and get my Bachelor's degree in Interior Design. I may or may not minor in Psychology at the same time, as it depends on how things will work out. As time has gone on, I've realized how competitive the field is. But I won't let it stop me from working towards my dreams. The department for Interior Design at UNT, located in CVAD, is one that has freshmen students submitting a portfolio at the end of the spring semester to decide whether or not you qualify to have Interior Design as your major. When I learned this information at first, I was slightly discouraged. But my mother and friends reminded me that this is my passion. It's what I've seen myself doing since 5th grade. And I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to make my dream come true. This is it for me. There's no other path I've imagined myself following, and endless nights studying as well as taking extra time and care working on projects to put forward my best effort await me as I take the biggest step forward of my life thus far.

Lyrics don't necessarily dictate a message. The song that comes to mind for me is Agape by Nicholas Britell. It's the star of the soundtrack for 'If Beale Street Could Talk'. The movie was released in 2018, making it relatively new in the grand scheme of things, but its impact is no less great than if it came out 50 years ago. The story is heartwrenching, and the song played time and time again is Agape. When the characters are happy, when they're sadly reminiscing on a memory. It conveys so much emotion and longing for something and someone that won't always work out. It's a story about happy endings not always playing out for everyone. Yet, we work with what we do have, and cherish the time and things we get from it. And this song is one that I love listening to when I need a reminder that reality and fantasy coincide, and they interact with each other constantly. It's dreamy and you feel as if you float off, and its short time ends quickly, bringing you back to reality. All of these emotions and messages come from a song that only consists of piano and violins. No vocals and no shifts. Pure string instruments create a haunting and beautiful melody that not only those who've seen the movie feel moved by, but also anyone who's heard it playing from a nearby shop, or on the radio.

My degree path is in Interior Design. I know what you're thinking: how does that relate to improving minorities' health? Well, I want to preface this by saying that I've always tried to view the world from more than one angle. It's never black and white, and there's a grey area of definition in everything. The same goes for Interior Design. It isn't just about picking the color of a wall, or whether or not the floors should be hardwood or carpet. It's about feeling, psychology, and feeling comfortable and heard in a space. Lighting, color, shapes, orientation, textures, and more are all factors that not only impact a person's mental health and productivity/happiness. They can affect your physical health in more ways than one. From being unable to traverse a room filled to the brim with clutter to your pathway between the bed and closet being too narrow due to the room's size. And my dream for as long as I can remember has always been to help people in the most unconventional ways. Taking a space of any sort, whether it be a bedroom or an office building, and changing and adapting it to make it function for the people that will use it and be surrounded by it the most to make their desires and personalities feel heard, seen, and safe is something I find crucial. At the end of the day, we all need a place to go to where we can be ourselves and find comfort. And everyone deserves a chance for it.

Graduation Convocation The meaning doesn’t change The next step Another rep For years it's never changed Across the stage Another page A chapter in our books is closed But in my head I feel such dread For a future nobody knows What comes next More reading texts Or a future more grim? As I walk across the stage I feel like I'm in a cage As my future feels rather dim The comfort and safety Of going to school daily I'll no longer have it with me But as I take in my hand My diploma at the stand I know I’m right where I should be That feeling of dread Was replaced instead By a feeling that it's all just begun I feel liberated Invigorated Ready to take a step toward the sun