My experience within the LGBTQ+ has had highs and lows over the years. I'm a Black Transman originally from Virginia. I've unfortunately experienced racism online and in person from other members of the LGBTQ+ community. And as political tensions has risen, I've also began to experience transphobia from within the community. Even from other transgender people. Living within the intersectional of two marginalized identities has always been difficult for me. Being Black is not simply a racial marker, but has a culture of it's own. Subsequently, experiences of sexuality and gender are effected by our culture and racialized by those outside of it. Black people have created flourishing LGBTQ+ communities across the country. Like many others, I moved to NYC to connect with other Black members of my community. I've finally began to experience the form of community that had been lacking in my life. While growing up in Virginia, I was a student advocate and later policy researcher that assisted in having bills passed in the VA legislature to protect Transgender students and people within the state. I see myself as someone who has given to my community but also as someone with much more to give. Connecting with people in New York has only fueled by desire to create a community that feels like home for everyone. I am returning to university and attending The New School. I currently study political science, once my transfer is completed I will working on a self-designed liberal arts major. Since 2019, I've worked as an academic research assistant and I want to complete my studies to advance in my career. I have a vested interest in utilizing data analysis and digital storytelling within the humanities. While the humanities are considered 'soft science', as technology is integrated into everyday life the average person is creating 'data'. These trackable bits of information allows us to track and showcase information that previously would've been qualitative. For example, there is historical evidence of LGBTQ+ facing housing discrimination but it was incredibly difficult to do statistical analysis on a marginalized group. Over the years, as metrics for tracking housing inequality has expanded, we're able to look at the community on a national scale. Information like this is extremely important because it's used to support pushes for legislation, it's used to determine grant funding for programs, but also it supports the anecdotal evidence given by members of the community over the years. Receiving a scholarship is necessary for my education to be financially feasible. As the costs associated with attending college rises, the gaps left by federal financial aid widens. This scholarship fulfill a large portion of my gap. Thank you for your consideration.