1. I deserve this scholarship because I need money to go to school. I also want to further my education like everyone that is applying for this scholarship. Like you said, I need to finesse college debt. 2. I am pursuing a degree in a nursing, which is super honorable and great. The pay is not too bad, I mean I want to help people, as well. 3. A big obstacle that I have overcome is writing all of these scholarship essays. I mean I have to be grammatically correct!? I live in Texas, I can’t say “y’all”? Also speaking of which I face a daily obstacle of traffic in Houston. Well, I guess the biggest obstacle was surviving boot camp. Not sure if I can say this on here, but my nickname was “diaper stain” in boot camp! That’s a hard one to survive!

Be careful what you wish for. I always wished for an unbelievable life and that’s exactly what I have. My first experience with addiction was being engaged to a black tar heroine addict who became abusive. The emotional more painful than the physical. An innocent 19 year old girl, full of pain. I didn’t want to feel it anymore, why did he get to escape but not me? So I picked up the bottle, then another. I felt normal, happy, excited and fun! This one night turned into every morning and night. Seizures on my bathroom floor and all warmth was gone. Suicide attempts and self harm. I was drinking to feel to hide from the darkness but it would always find me. I wanted to die. I wanted to drink. I feared my own self. I had to run, so I ran. I followed the light and gained my sobriety. I began to love myself. I wanted to live. So, I followed my dream of being a soldier. I was doing great, gaining rank. I found true happiness. Until one day, I felt a pain like no other. I had severe pain in my abdomen, I couldn’t walk. When I arrived to the hospital, I was told I was pregnant. I felt overjoyed, “I’m going to be a mother”! Within 5 minutes that joy was taken away as I was rushed to the operating room. I lost my baby girl. Now, I’m back in this dark place. I became depressed, I wanted to die. I wanted to drink. In the blink of an eye, I lost my career. I was honorably discharged from the Army. I came home to an abusive husband who had gotten another woman pregnant. I wanted to die. I wanted to drink. Did I? I did not, I fought the urge. I ran to the light, as I did before. I am now 5 years sober and there is no better high than this. I’m still working my program and have completed my amends. I want to live and I want to stay sober. Now, I hold meetings where I tell my story, I have grown a career in addiction working as a patient advocate. I sell sobriety to others when I go on interventions. I have brought people back from overdoses and guided them to sobriety. I mentor people and have successfully mentored young addicts that have been brought into human trafficking. I plan to further my career in helping people that others just don’t understand. I’m planning to be an ER nurse because I have found the emergency room is the time when most people in active addiction are crying for help. I know I was. I believe my story and my success can help others, to show others that they can fight this disorder. I want to show people that we are stronger than our instinct to use. To educate people about addiction. I will continue to follow the light and spread that same light to others.

How do you encourage people who have been given up on, the people who society shuns? I can read from a book and tell someone why they're addicted to drugs or alcohol, but does that really help? For years, I struggled with alcoholism and depression. I gained sobriety in 2016 before I left for the Army. When I joined the Army, I intended to retire from the Army. My time in the Army was short lived, as I had a miscarriage. The miscarriage brought along severe depression. I craved alcohol. I never even sipped on a drink. When I came home, I came to an abusive husband. I had lost everything in the blink of an eye. My career, my dream of a family and a safe home. I craved alcohol, still, never taking a sip. I kept fighting until one day, I couldn't. I tried to take my own life after being raped by my husband. After, I decided to go and get help. I moved into my mom's apartment and camped in her living room. Shortly after that, I began a career in substance abuse treatment. I have destroyed the pieces of my old life and started putting together a new one. I share my story to others, so they know they're not alone. Every day, I wake up with the intention to help one person. It's a lot of work but I believe I do. I believe a story can change a life. I truthfully believe that ones outlook on their trials can change the narrative, as well. My positive outlook and my growth helps people believe, they too, can survive their own trials. I always have smile on my face and am eager to guide others away from the depths of addiction and depression