When I was four years old, I was taken away from my mother and placed in an abusive household where alcoholism and instability were part of everyday life. For a long time, I felt like my future had already been decided for me. Instead of letting my past define me, I made the decision to build a different life for myself. One of the biggest changes I made was moving from New Jersey to North Carolina with my fiancé while he served in the Army. Starting over in a new state was intimidating, but it gave me the opportunity to focus on my education and my future. Today, I am pursuing a degree in cardiovascular sonography because I want to play a role in helping people during some of the most frightening moments of their lives. My family has also shown me how important compassionate healthcare can be. My great grandmother survived breast cancer after undergoing a mastectomy, but later developed dementia. Watching someone who helped raise me slowly forget the people she loved was heartbreaking. My grandfather has also battled cancer on and off for years and recently suffered a stroke. Seeing the challenges my family has faced made me realize that patients need more than medical treatment. They need healthcare professionals who are patient, kind, and willing to treat them like people instead of just another appointment. Despite everything I have been through, I have stayed committed to my education. I earned a 4.0 GPA during my last two semesters because I know education is my path toward creating a better future. My next goal is to complete my cardiovascular sonography program and begin working in healthcare, where I can make a real difference every day. I want patients to leave their appointments feeling heard, respected, and less afraid than when they arrived. A simple conversation, a reassuring smile, or taking an extra minute to explain what is happening can mean more than people realize. Those are the moments I want to provide for others. Receiving this scholarship would help relieve the financial burden of completing my education and allow me to stay focused on becoming the healthcare professional I have worked so hard to become. More importantly, it would allow me to continue proving that your past does not determine your future. I hope to use my education not only to improve my own life, but to make a lasting impact on every patient and family I have the privilege of caring for.

When I was four years old, the adults around me had already started writing my story. She came from a broken home. She would probably struggle. She would never make it very far. Nobody ever said those words directly to me, but you can feel when people have already decided who you’re supposed to become. For years, I believed them. College was something other people did. Success belonged to people who grew up with stability, money, and parents who knew how to guide them. I had none of those things. I was taken from my mother at four years old and raised in an abusive home where alcohol and fear were a normal part of life. My future looked like it had already been decided before I was old enough to choose one for myself. Then something happened. I stopped believing everyone else. Most people think a genius is someone who gets straight A’s or invents something nobody has ever seen before. I don’t. I think a real Mad Genius is someone who refuses to accept the life everyone expects them to have. A Mad Genius takes pain and turns it into purpose. A Mad Genius hears “you can’t” and quietly starts proving everyone wrong. When I moved from New Jersey to North Carolina with my fiancé while he was serving in the Army, I wasn’t just moving states. I was leaving behind the version of myself that believed I wasn’t capable of more. I enrolled at Pitt Community College. I found my passion in cardiovascular sonography. I earned a 4.0 GPA for the last two semesters, not because school came easy, but because I refused to waste the opportunity I had been given. There were nights I wanted to quit. There were times money was so tight that I questioned how I would even finish school. There were moments when I felt completely overwhelmed. But every obstacle became another reason to keep going. That’s what a Mad Genius does. People think creativity only belongs in art, music, or writing. I think creativity is rebuilding your own life when no one hands you a blueprint. It’s looking at your past and deciding to write a different ending. It’s choosing compassion after growing up around pain. It’s deciding that instead of becoming another statistic, you’ll become the first person in your family to build the future you dreamed about. One day, I hope patients remember me as more than the person who performed their ultrasound. I hope they remember that I made them feel heard when they were scared. That I treated them with kindness when they needed it most. To me, that’s real genius. Not because it’s flashy. Not because it’s loud. Because changing one person’s life will always matter more than impressing a room full of people. If someone asked me what a Mad Genius looks like, I wouldn’t point to a famous inventor or billionaire. I’d point to the person who wakes up every day carrying the weight of their past and still chooses to build a better future. I’d point to the person who refuses to quit. I’d point to the girl everyone underestimated.

When people look at me today, they see a college student working toward a career in cardiovascular sonography. What they do not see is everything it took for me to get here. When I was four years old, I was taken from my mother and placed in an abusive household where alcohol was a part of everyday life. Growing up, I did not have the kind of childhood that made college feel like an expectation. I honestly never thought I would be where I am today. Instead of letting my past become my future, I made the decision to create a different life for myself. A few years ago, I moved from New Jersey to North Carolina with my fiancé while he was serving in the Army. Leaving everything behind was scary, but it also gave me the chance to start over. I enrolled at Pitt Community College, became the first person in my family to attend college, and found a career that truly means something to me. I have earned a 4.0 GPA for the last two semesters, and I am working toward becoming a cardiovascular sonographer. The biggest obstacle I continue to face is financial. Paying for school while trying to build a future has not been easy, and I still have to complete my Nursing Assistant I class before I can continue moving forward in my program. Even with those challenges, I have never stopped believing that my education is worth fighting for. I chose cardiovascular sonography because I want a career where I can make a real difference in people’s lives. My grandfather has battled cancer on and off for years and recently suffered a stroke. I also watched my great grandmother live with dementia after surviving breast cancer. Watching the people I love depend on healthcare professionals showed me how important compassion is. I want to be the person who helps patients feel comfortable during some of the hardest moments of their lives. What makes me different is not that I have had a harder life than someone else. It is that I have never let my circumstances decide where I would end up. Every challenge has made me work harder. Every setback has pushed me to keep going. I know what it feels like to have people underestimate you, and I want my future to prove that your past does not determine your future. Receiving this scholarship would help remove one of the biggest barriers standing between me and my career. More importantly, it would allow me to continue building the life I have worked so hard for. My goal is not just to earn a degree. I want to become a compassionate healthcare professional, give my future family a better life than the one I had growing up, and show other first generation students that no matter where you come from, you can still achieve your dreams. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and consider my application.

One of the hardest experiences of my life was watching my great grandmother slowly lose herself to dementia. She was in my life from the day I was born until she passed away in 2020. She was one of the strongest women I have ever known. Before her dementia, she had already beaten breast cancer after having a mastectomy. I always admired her strength, but nothing prepared me for watching dementia slowly take away the person I knew. At first, she would forget little things. Then she started forgetting the people she loved. There were days when she would recognize me and smile, and other days when she looked at me like we had never met before. As a child and later as a young adult, that was heartbreaking. It hurt knowing that someone who had loved me my whole life could no longer remember my name or our memories together. As her condition got worse, she slowly lost the ability to do things most people take for granted. She could no longer walk on her own, use the bathroom by herself, or feed herself. Seeing someone who had once been so independent become completely dependent on others changed the way I looked at life. It also showed me how much patience, love, and compassion caregivers and healthcare workers have to give every single day. Watching my family care for her taught me that dementia affects everyone, not just the person living with it. Every forgotten memory was another reminder that we were slowly losing someone we loved, even though she was still physically with us. It was painful, but it also brought our family closer together. We learned to appreciate every moment when she smiled, laughed, or recognized one of us because we never knew when it might be the last time. Those experiences are one of the reasons I decided to pursue a career in healthcare. I am currently attending Pitt Community College and working toward acceptance into the Cardiovascular Sonography program. I want to be the kind of healthcare professional who not only does my job well but also treats patients and their families with kindness and respect. I know how much a caring healthcare worker can mean during difficult times because I have seen it firsthand. Although my great grandmother is no longer here, the lessons she taught me never left. She showed me what strength looks like through her battle with breast cancer, and her journey with dementia taught me to never take time with the people I love for granted. Her life continues to inspire me every day, and I hope to honor her by caring for others with the same compassion and dignity that she deserved.

I deserve this scholarship because I have worked hard for every opportunity I’ve been given. Nothing about my journey has been easy, but I have never let that stop me from chasing my goals. When I was four years old, I was taken from my mother and placed in an abusive household where alcohol was a part of everyday life. Growing up in that environment taught me what I didn’t want my future to look like. Instead of letting my past define me, I made the decision to build a different life for myself. A few years ago, I moved from New Jersey to North Carolina with my fiancé while he served in the Army. Starting over in a new state was difficult, but it gave me a fresh start. I enrolled at Pitt Community College and found my passion in healthcare. Since then, I have earned a 4.0 GPA for the last two semesters while working and completing my prerequisites. I am now one class away from applying to the Cardiovascular Sonography program. I don’t think what gives me an advantage is that I’m smarter than anyone else. There are many hardworking students applying for this scholarship. What makes me different is that I refuse to quit. Every obstacle I have faced has pushed me to work harder instead of giving up. Whether it was balancing work and school, dealing with financial challenges, or overcoming my childhood, I kept moving forward because I know what I’m working toward. I also know exactly why I chose this career. My grandfather has battled cancer on and off for years, and recently he suffered a stroke. Watching someone I love go through those health challenges showed me how much compassionate healthcare workers matter. It made me want to be the kind of person who helps patients feel comfortable during difficult moments. Receiving this scholarship would help me pay for my final prerequisite, Nursing Assistant I, so I can apply to the Cardiovascular Sonography program. My goal is to become a cardiovascular sonographer and provide the same compassion and care that has meant so much to my own family. This scholarship would not only help me continue my education, it would help me continue building a future that I have worked incredibly hard to create.

When I was younger, I never imagined I would end up in the medical field. My childhood was difficult. I was taken from my mother when I was four years old and placed in an abusive household where alcohol played a big role in everyday life. For a long time, I didn’t know what my future would look like, and college didn’t even seem like a possibility. Everything changed when I moved from New Jersey to North Carolina with my fiancé while he was serving in the Army. Starting over gave me the chance to build a different life for myself. I enrolled at Pitt Community College, found something I was truly passionate about, and started working toward becoming a cardiovascular sonographer. Since then, I have earned a 4.0 GPA for the last two semesters, and I am only one class away from applying to the Cardiovascular Sonography program. My family has also shown me how important healthcare really is. My grandfather has battled cancer on and off for years, and recently he suffered a stroke. Watching someone you love go through so much changes the way you look at life. I have seen how much patients and families depend on healthcare professionals, not only for their knowledge but also for their kindness. A simple conversation or a few encouraging words can make a scary situation feel a little less overwhelming. I also worked in healthcare while going to school, and that experience made me realize how much I enjoy helping people. Even when I wasn’t providing direct patient care, I learned that listening, showing compassion, and treating people with respect matters. Those experiences confirmed that I chose the right career. As a cardiovascular sonographer, I want every patient to feel seen and cared for. Many people are nervous when they come in for heart testing because they don’t know what to expect. I want to be the person who helps them feel comfortable while providing accurate images that can help doctors make life changing decisions. I know I can’t fix every problem, but I can make someone’s experience a little easier during a difficult time. Receiving this scholarship would help me complete my final prerequisite, Nursing Assistant I, and continue working toward the career I have worked so hard to achieve. My past has taught me resilience, my education has given me purpose, and my goal is to use both to make a difference in the lives of others.

Growing up, life was not easy. When I was four years old, I was taken from my mother and placed in an abusive household where alcohol and instability were part of everyday life. As a child, I did not have the support or opportunities that many people have. Those experiences could have shaped the rest of my life, but I decided they would not determine my future. A few years ago, I moved from New Jersey to North Carolina with my fiancé while he served four years in the Army. Starting over in a new state was scary, but it gave me the opportunity to build the life I always wanted. Today, I am a first generation college student at Pitt Community College working toward acceptance into the Cardiovascular Sonography program. I have earned a 4.0 GPA for my last two semesters and currently have one class left, Nursing Assistant I, before I can apply to the program. My dream is to become a cardiovascular sonographer and care for patients during some of the most important moments of their lives. Working while attending school has taught me discipline, responsibility, and perseverance. There were many days when I went from work straight to studying because I knew my future depended on the choices I made every day. Financial challenges have made the journey harder, but they have never made me consider giving up. Instead, they have pushed me to work even harder. My experience working in healthcare also helped shape who I am. I learned that listening, showing compassion, and treating people with respect can make a real difference, even during difficult times. Those experiences confirmed that I chose the right career path. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family, learning new things, and finding ways to continue improving myself. The person who motivates me the most is myself. Every obstacle I have overcome reminds me that I am stronger than my circumstances. I want my story to show that where you start does not have to decide where you finish. In the future, I hope to give back by caring for every patient with kindness and respect while encouraging others who have faced difficult circumstances to keep chasing their goals. I want to be someone who proves that hard work, determination, and resilience can change a person’s life. Receiving this scholarship would help me complete my final prerequisite and continue my journey toward becoming a cardiovascular sonographer. More than anything, it would allow me to keep building the future that I have worked so hard to create.

I kind of froze up with this question because how can I narrow down the possibility of there being just one hero? In my story, there is a lot of heroes. There's my hero from social services that saved me, there's my aunt who got custody of me, and there's my cousin who is a social worker, she helps me with my anxiety, depression. My cousin, Adiba, has been a social worker for 8 years now. I believe inspiration creates motivation and everyone lives on motivation, and this motivation can be bad or good depending on whom you look up to for guidance in life. My motivation to acquire higher education to become a social worker comes from Adiba. She has given me the motivation I've been needing, to flourish. Without her, I don't think I would be where I am now. In reality, a true hero doesn't receive recognition for their acts; they just live their lives while unknowingly inspiring others. My cousin is one of those hero's, I came to that realization once I arrived at her doorstep. Since I was 3, I had lived with my aunt and her daughter, I called her daughter my sister. My sister had three young children, ages 1, 2, and 15. A year ago sister suddenly passed away and my cousin Adiba came to get the children the same week my sister passed away to live with her because she saw that our aunt was too unstable to take care of them, she invited me to stay with her as well, so I went with them. Even though I was 18, I couldn’t do it alone. A year ago, I didn't understand the importance of minorities, so If the topic of discussion was college, It sounded like a foreign language. Most people in my family refused to get a degree, and that was the environment I grew up in, so being that those were the adults I looked up to, growing up, I always thought college was something smart people in urban areas don't do. After I moved to Adiba's house, she changed that mindset I had, now I want nothing but a successful life. The story of my past still makes the hairs on my arms stand up. The story starts with my mom's mother who had Bipolar Disorder. She abused my mom continuously her whole life. After my mom got pregnant with me at 17 she left her mom's house and was homeless with my dad, then at 18, I was born. My mom started to show symptoms of schizophrenia after my birth. While I was with them, my biological mom had a babysitter for me for 2 years and during that time, the babysitter was abusing me. My mom knew, but she was pleased with it because that's what her mom did with her. It was only a miracle I survived all of that. In conclusion, my cousin Adiba is my hero. She showed me a different way of life and to aspire to be my greatest self. My life has been a rollercoaster ride full of ups, downs, twists, and turns. I survived my trauma and have learned and grown from it. I am more than thankful for my cousin. Her inspiration has motivated me to be more, I'm am now 19, and I want to go to Stockton University to become a Therapist to help people in need. Lastly, for anyone reading this, it is important to look for connections in your everyday life, they bring clarification, and a greater understanding of reality.

January 2020, covid-19 struck the United States. All in panic, every business, school, and some hospitals shut down. Children were out of school for months and left without education, and working citizens were out of a job for months. When the world closed and locked its doors, It felt like I was in the middle of a street, and I was alone, and I had to drop everything and run. That was a moment of realization that I took a lot of aspects of life for granted. Mental illness played a big part in my pandemic experience. Let's say I am not known to be the most optimistic person. I couldn't leave my house without constant fear of catching the virus and giving it to others. I couldn't live with the idea of catching the virus and family members passing away because of me. When my mind wondered, any time I went outside my home, that's what I would think. I thrive on joy and happiness, and during the pandemic, I didn't get that because I was struggling to cope, as were they, so I was constantly depressed. The pandemic led me to struggle with anxiety and depression. I struggled with this mostly the whole pandemic. Additionally, I reminisced about all the times when I had the opportunity to live. During the pandemic, I had no life; I was and still am just in the house. It hindered my natural way of life, but I can say the pandemic has made me more active with the family, It also made me open up to doing more things like making music and family activities. I had to waste a year + of my life because of covid. I look at older people and dream about how exciting their life must have been before the pandemic because I'm only 19, my life hasn't even started yet. Furthermore, during the pandemic, April 16th of 2020, my sister passed away. We weren't able to bury her till a month later. We couldn't bury her due to high deaths from covid. The funeral home told us numerous lies, and this is something I will never forget. I had to look at my sister in a casket, and she didn't look not one inch herself. She had three children, a 1, 2, and a 15-year-old, and they didn't and still don't have any father figures in their life. They had to move away to someone in the family who is more suitable for taking care of them, and when they left, I left with them. This shaped my plans for the future by encouraging me to go to college. My sister didn't get the chance to go to college, and it was rare that any family members went to college. So I want to do what she couldn't. I want to pursue her dreams by doing what others in the family didn't do. I want to make her and everybody else proud to see their cousin, daughter, and niece walk across that graduation stage. In conclusion, I learned that I have a pessimistic personality when things scare me. I learned that growing up is all about self-discovery, and most of the time, it's through unexpected ways. Covid-19 was definitely unexpected; while it was in motion, I broke myself down way too many times, and I came out a better person. During this time, without me knowing, I found things in my everyday life that made my lonely life worth living. I did things like sewing, designing things, family activities, painting, making music, and even took months off social media and focused on the essential things during this time of instability, and that's self-reflection and grief.

On April 16th of 2020, I got the call that my sister passed away. The boldest thing I’ve ever done was having to say goodbye to her in a casket and she didn’t look herself. She had to be kept above ground for a month before she could be buried because the deaths were high due to Covid. She left behind me, her 1, 2, and 15 year old son. She didn’t get the chance to go to college, so I’m trying to make her proud by doing what she couldn’t.