“One percent.” That was the thought that stayed with me on a winter night in 2021. My sister, who is also my best friend, had just been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at sixteen. Watching her life change was heartbreaking. She went from attending school, playing volleyball, and serving as Vice President to spending most of her time at home while experiencing severe and violent tics. For the first time, I understood how quickly life can change and how easily the plans we make for ourselves can be interrupted. That realization forced me to confront a question I had been avoiding: Am I using the opportunities I have to pursue the life I say I want? The honest answer was no. I had always dreamed of working in fashion and communications. I wanted to create garments, write about fashion, pitch ideas to companies, shape public images, and create campaigns that made people pay attention. Yet I constantly allowed fear to convince me those dreams were unrealistic. I was not from New York or Los Angeles, and I did not have the connections or resources I believed were necessary to succeed. Then, at church, I heard seven words that changed my perspective: “Focus on the fruit, not the fear.” I remembered something I had said as a child: “I do not know what I want to do in the future, but God knows, and I will follow Him.” So I prayed, “God, if this is for me, show me.” Then I acted. I reached out to an emerging fashion brand in Baltimore and asked for an internship. When the founder said she would love to have me, I fell to my knees in gratitude. That opportunity opened the door to many more. I became a writer, stylist, and creative director, eventually working with companies that represented A-list celebrity clients. Most recently, I spent my summer working at one of the top fashion public relations agencies in the world. My story has not been about having every opportunity handed to me. It has been about creating opportunities when I could not find them. I have worked since I was fifteen while balancing college coursework, internships, extracurricular activities, and the financial realities of earning a degree. There have been times when finances made me question whether I could fully pursue the career I wanted. Now, as a senior in college, I am determined to keep moving forward. My goal is to become an entertainment publicist representing clients across fashion, beauty, music, and media. I am beginning to freelance to build my portfolio and professional network, and eventually, I want to establish my own public relations practice. The Concrete Rose Scholarship would impact my career by giving me the financial flexibility to pursue opportunities that build my future rather than choosing opportunities based solely on immediate income. It would help relieve the burden of student expenses while I invest my time in freelancing, networking, and developing the experience necessary to enter entertainment public relations after graduation. The story behind Concrete Rose reminds me that your starting point does not have to determine your destination. My sister taught me that life is too unpredictable to spend it afraid. My faith taught me to focus on what I can build rather than what I fear. My journey has taught me that sometimes the first step toward your dream is simply believing you are worthy of pursuing it. I once thought “one percent” represented something I could lose. Now, it represents the possibility of becoming everything I dreamed I could be.

Sometimes, the biggest transformation is not becoming someone new; it is finally becoming the person you were meant to be. For years, I knew Sabrina Carpenter as the girl from Disney Channel. I watched her grow from a young actress into an artist who eventually became a global pop star, but what inspires me most about Sabrina is not simply her success; it is her willingness to reinvent herself. Sabrina’s career has shown me that a rebrand is not about becoming someone completely different. It is about becoming more confident in who you already are. She went from being recognized primarily as an actress to building an identity as a singer, songwriter, performer, and fashion icon. She took risks, found her voice, and refused to let the version of herself that people already knew define where she could go next. That message has meant a lot to me this year because I have been doing my own rebranding. I entered this year determined to become more confident, disciplined, and intentional about my future. I lost nearly 30 pounds, pushed myself outside of my comfort zone, and began taking my career in fashion, public relations, and communications more seriously. I landed a competitive fashion PR internship in NYC, continued building my own fashion publication, and started pursuing opportunities within the entertainment industry. Even personally, I have learned that growth sometimes means distancing yourself from situations and people that no longer reflect the person you are becoming. There were moments when I questioned myself, but Sabrina’s career reminds me that success does not always happen overnight. Sometimes you have to spend years growing before people recognize the person you were becoming all along. I am a Sabrina Carpenter fan because I see more than a pop star. I see an example of what happens when you stop allowing other people’s expectations to define you. Her rebrand has encouraged me to embrace my own evolution and trust that I am allowed to change, take up space, and dream bigger. Sabrina Carpenter taught me that you do not have to stay the person people first discovered. You can reintroduce yourself to the world and make them remember your name.

284 days. That is how long I have until May 23, 2027, when I graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park, and begin the transition from student to public relations professional. With every day that passes, I am not simply counting down to graduation; I am preparing for the career and life I have spent years working toward. My goal is to relocate from Maryland to New York City after graduation and begin my career as a fashion publicist. Alongside my full-time position, I plan to build a freelance public relations consulting practice working with emerging brands, creatives, and artists. Ultimately, I want to establish my own entertainment PR firm representing clients across fashion, music, and other creative industries. I have already begun building toward this goal. I earned my associate degree while still in high school, allowing me to accelerate my education. At UMD, I have continued to prioritize academics while intentionally pursuing professional experience. My fashion PR internship gave me firsthand experience with media monitoring, research, sample trafficking, and events and, more importantly, confirmed that public relations is the career I want. I am now actively pursuing entertainment and music PR opportunities to expand my experience beyond fashion. The greatest obstacle between me and this goal is financial. My 2026–27 estimated cost of attendance as a commuter is $22,752. My FAFSA Student Aid Index is -1500, indicating significant financial need, yet I currently receive $13,913 in aid/scholarships, leaving an estimated $8,839 gap. Because my parents do not contribute toward my college expenses, I work to cover what remains while trying to avoid unnecessary student loan debt. Working is necessary, but working too much creates another obstacle: time. Every additional hour I spend earning money to pay for school is an hour I cannot spend developing my portfolio, networking, applying for internships, or building my freelance skills. I have tried to manage this conflict by commuting to reduce expenses, pursuing scholarships and grants, accelerating my education, and consistently seeking internships that directly advance my career. My post-graduation plan requires the same financial discipline. Unfortunately, entertainment PR agencies have low entry-level salaries. Current estimates place an entry-level PR specialist in New York around $50,000 annually. At the same time, New York remains an exceptionally expensive city. I therefore plan to begin with shared housing, public transportation, controlled spending, and an emergency fund rather than assuming I can immediately afford to live alone. My full-time salary will support my essential expenses, while freelance income will initially go toward savings, professional development, and eventually my business. If I cannot immediately secure a fashion publicist position, I will pursue agency, communications, marketing, entertainment, or media relations roles that build transferable skills while continuing to work toward fashion and music PR. If I cannot relocate immediately, I will remain in Maryland temporarily, continue saving and freelancing, and move when financially responsible. A scholarship would help close the gap between where I am and where I am going. It would reduce the amount of time I need to spend working simply to fund my education and give me more capacity to pursue career-building opportunities. In 284 days, I will graduate. My goal is to make sure I am not only prepared to leave college, but prepared to build the career I have worked for. I am counting down to May 23, 2027, but I am building toward much more than a graduation date. I am building a career, a business, and eventually a platform that creates opportunities for others to enter the industries I love.

I never chose my career path in fashion marketing and public relations alone. I believe God repeatedly showed me that this was the path I was meant to pursue and gave me the confidence to follow it. My entrepreneurial spirit and desire to one day establish my own public relations and marketing agency began with watching my mother navigate her own law firm while raising two daughters. For most of my life, I watched her balance being a business owner and a mother, often under immense financial and emotional pressure. For a long time, I felt guilty watching her struggle. I began to believe that pursuing a creative career was irresponsible and that I should choose a more predictable career that would provide a consistent income and allow me to support my family. That guilt became even stronger when my older sister developed severe health issues and Tourette syndrome at sixteen. My mother suddenly had to maintain her law firm while taking my sister to doctors and psychiatrists and becoming her teacher when she had to leave school. Watching my family adjust to this new reality made me question whether I could afford to pursue my own dreams. Working in fashion marketing sounded insignificant compared to the financial stability I believed my family needed. I eventually realized that fear was making my decisions for me. During this difficult period, my family leaned heavily into our Christian faith and found a new church. One Sunday, my pastor said something that completely changed my perspective: “Focus on the fruit, not the fear.” I immediately thought about my career. I had been focusing on everything that could go wrong if I pursued fashion instead of considering what could happen if I actually tried. After that sermon, I reached out to a local fashion designer I admired and asked if I could intern for her brand. She welcomed me onto her team, where I managed social media, assisted with shipping, and provided customer service. That first opportunity showed me that my creativity could be more than a hobby. It could become a career. Since then, my experience has continued to grow. I earned my associate degree in business, ethics, and communication and am now pursuing a degree in communications at the University of Maryland. Through my education and professional experiences, I have learned that creativity alone is not enough to build a successful career or business. I need to understand people: how they communicate, what motivates them, and how meaningful connections influence the way they see a brand. Earning my degree will give me the foundation to turn that understanding into a career in fashion marketing and public relations and eventually into my own agency. I want to use my education to help brands tell stories, build relationships with audiences, and create opportunities for others. Most importantly, obtaining my degree will allow me to build the financial stability I once believed I had to sacrifice my dreams to achieve. My mother taught me how to work hard for something of my own. My faith taught me not to let fear determine what I pursue. My degree will give me the tools to turn both lessons into a career.

“Focus on the fruit, not the fear.” It was these seven words that changed the trajectory of my life and would be my forever testament that God is good and he will fulfill every prayer worth pursuing. My promised prayer was one I made when I was thirteen years old. I constantly prayed for a job in fashion located in New York City and to have the financial stability to thrive within it. At nineteen, every rejection and acceptance has led me to this prayer, a realization that came this summer. During my spring semester at the University of Maryland, I was in disarray. After an argument, my mother cut me off; I had spent my life savings on a school I felt no connection to; and I was tirelessly applying for a summer internship in New York City, feeling uncertain and that the internship was unattainable. Life was daunting and confusing, the opposite of what I wanted. Yet, I believed God placed me at the University of Maryland for a reason and that His timing is perfect. To cope, I prayed nightly and revisited past sermon notes about faith. In May, everything shifted. After a tough application season, I began hearing back from top fashion PR agencies like MMPR, A-Gold Consulting, and PR Consulting. With my dorm move-out date set for May 20th and no home to return to, I was anxious. On May 10th, unsure of my future, I discussed relocating to North Carolina with my grandma. Just two days later, I received an offer from PR Consulting, a luxury fashion agency. They were the ideal choice, aligning with my high-fashion aspirations and start date preferences. Though I only had $200 to my name, I was able to get a little money from my dad, who supported my wild dreams of working in fashion. He believes dreams are worth chasing, and he escaped war in Liberia, so he carries a perspective that anything is possible. My hairstylist and nail tech gave me unexpected discounts at my appointments. God made a way for me. Once I arrived, I stayed with my aunt, and she welcomed me with open arms. The internship was unpaid, and I had no source of income. Then God showed me why UMD was the school for me; they gave me $2,000 for working as an unpaid intern. I was also blessed enough to get a job at Hobby Lobby my first week here. I loved working at PR Consulting. I worked with my favorite publication, i-D magazine, and one of my favorite fashion brands, Alaïa. I met amazing interns and employees. The environment was built on faith and encouragement. This experience taught me that I want to become a fashion publicist because one of the greatest qualities I can bring to this industry is faith, not only in God but in myself, my future clients, and the people I will work alongside. Overall, the love and trust of God have allowed me to focus on the fruit, a job in fashion, and not the fear, a lack of financial stability. Every morning, I give thanks to God, and every challenge is an opportunity to pray and trust his plan. New Life Church in Laurel, MD, is the church that helped me understand this specific value, and I forever show gratitude towards them. This summer was the fulfillment of a prayer I made as a thirteen-year-old girl. Through uncertainty, God reminded me that His plans were greater than my fears, and I will carry that faith with me throughout my career in fashion public relations.

My father served in the military in the early 2000s for about 2 years. He was an immigrant from Liberia and at the time there was a civil war that lasted for years. My father was lucky enough to win a lottery that gave him a visa to the United States at just 18 years old.  Unlike most 18-year-olds, he did not care about becoming super rich, having a successful career, or even having fun. He just wanted to find his mother, the parent figure he was separated from at just 12 years old. The only way he would have had the resources to find her was by joining the army. So he did and while fearlessly fighting for the United States, he would carry a photo of my grandmother and show others in the hope of someone recognizing and locating her.  When I heard this story from him, my body was paralyzed from shock but also amazement. I have always admired my father's bravery and determination but what he did was a superpower. The power of being able to confront your traumatic experience with a painful but enduring solution. This conflict in his life was not easy to navigate emotionally but it must have been so difficult to decide to search for his mother by any means. This story helped me understand where I get my determination from and why my father firmly believes in following dreams. He came to America and chased a dream so great that not many people could think of. My father is a determined man who supported my dream of getting my associate's degree while in high school and graduating summa cum laude, he was so happy to see me accomplish these. Now he supports my dream of earning my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, debt-free. This dream is important to us because it allows me to live a life that does not require living paycheck to paycheck. I own a magazine named Riot and it was made for the youth, graduating debt-free can truly help this business flourish. Even though my father did not find my grandmother, he did learn habits from the military that he practices every day and I fostered these habits as well. My father always wakes up before the sun and when he does he makes his bed. He used to always force my sisters and I practiced this but it really did pay off. An environment is the visual reflection of someone’s mind. A clean environment represents a clear mind for the most part and I can attest to that statement. He is also very active and goes to the gym every morning at 5 am. I developed this habit from my father, and as a college student, I go to the gym at 7 in the morning. When I'm home, I go at 6 a.m.  These habits have allowed me to graduate top of my class in high school, create and manage a digital magazine, and live a healthy lifestyle. My father’s journey in the military has truly made me the woman I am today.

On November 16, 2025, around 1 a.m., I found myself speechless while looking at my phone. The screen blared with racial slurs, sexist comments, and combinations of both about me. In September, I was asked by a stranger to participate in a competitive trivia game with my classmate, who is a white male. He won, and despite me saying, “This cannot be shown,” the video was published by the stranger to TikTok without my knowledge or consent. I did not find out until three months later, and the comments were sickening. I stumbled upon the worst one. When a viewer confronted the stranger about why the comment section was so hateful, he said, “I don’t know lol.” He enjoyed any kind of engagement. All his videos consisted of women being questioned trivia-style, and the comments were always degrading. He knows that being a student at the University of Maryland, College Park, especially first-year, means we are smart and tenacious. Rather than defending us, he played along with his audience because, to him, all publicity is good publicity. It was at that moment that I understood the power of my career. The stereotypical narrative of the ditsy pretty woman or the aggressive Black woman is constantly pushed to the forefront of Hollywood. If there is an accomplished woman in Hollywood, she is sexualized. If she is wealthy, the media highlights how a man must have gotten her there, either through romance or inheritance. Black women are viewed similarly but seen as aggressive and undesirable. The people behind these portrayals are often publicists, because they believe all publicity is good publicity, even when they present women as laughingstocks and sex symbols instead of highlighting their knowledge and value. As a communications major, I plan to wash these narratives out by putting more smart, tenacious, and talented women at the forefront of the media and maintaining their image as such, particularly Black women. Women need someone who understands them on a personal level to help navigate media and societal pressures from men. Publicists often lack connection to the struggles their clients face because they have not experienced what their client has. Though 73% of publicists are women, only 12.2% are Black women. Black women are encouraged to be loud and funny, and generally women are encouraged to show more skin for attention and act dumb. Seeing the hate comments on TikTok showed me firsthand how deeply threatened people can be by women succeeding, most painfully, by Black women succeeding. As a future publicist, I plan to amplify female entrepreneurs and creatives by securing their presence at major events like the Met Gala and award shows, arranging interviews, and ensuring their expertise, not their appearance, is what the public sees. Women deserve to be as visible, respected, and celebrated as their male counterparts who fill these spaces. To represent high-achieving women, I must also embody excellence. I have worked since I was fifteen and saved my earnings for school. I graduated high school as the only Black woman in my class to earn summa cum laude while simultaneously completing an associate’s degree in business ethics. I have interned at a creative marketing agency with A-list clients and recently became a business owner by launching my own magazine. My career goals will lead me to New York City or Los Angeles—both expensive but necessary hubs for networking and growth. With your support, I can relocate to these environments and work to reshape the way women, especially Black women, are perceived in the media.

Hey Alexa, play IT Girl (clean version) by Aliyah’s Interlude. The actress Yara Shahidi once said, “If you can see her, you can be her.” I see an IT girl and what's so cool about her is her faith in God and herself, her confidence but humbleness, her high-maintenance appearance, and most importantly, her growth: mindset. Becoming this woman was and still is not easy. Growing up in a Black-American household and a Liberian household, it was expected of me to work towards a job in the STEM field. When I told my parents I wanted to work in fashion, they instantly shot my dream down by telling me I would not be able to support myself in the future and that it was a waste of my intelligence. Though I wanted to prove them wrong, I still found it necessary to take their advice. So I worked hard at school to get a full-ride scholarship for college, took dual enrollment classes at my local community college that center around business management, enrolled in as many fashion school webinars about business from FIDM to Parsons, and started my own virtual styling business. Over time, I started ignoring the fashion aspect of business out of self-doubt and fear over my future and the financial sacrifices I would have to make to grow. I thought it was best to get a high-paying office job and do real estate on the side. This was the plan until one Sunday. This life-altering lesson occurred at the church and the scripture was (Matthew 21:18-22). As my pastor extraordinarily explained this by breaking the text down to us and the crowd, he said, “Focus on the fruit, not the fear.” Those six words formed together were so powerful that I tried to get back into fashion. I emailed an up-and-coming brand from my state asking to be an intern and when she said yes, I knew it was meant to be. I was blessed enough to see and learn the ins and outs of running a brand and what people need. Then I took two fashion courses at LIM College summer camp. When I was there, self-doubt feelings, and thoughts came slithering on me like a dirty snake. I felt so different as I was the only black woman. The lack of diversity inspired me to help Black creatives who want to start a business, but do not know how to. Starting a creative agency centered catered towards Black creatives would give them the voice they never had, and full creative freedom. This dream may seem wild but I am only 17 and through hard work I have made pretty strong connections in the fashion industry. When I leave this world, I want to see Black fashion designers and fashion students feeling confident in themselves and standing out because they saw a sister like me do it first.

May 7th, 2018, Blake Lively slid into her Versace dress that took 600 hours (about 3 and a half weeks) to assemble, Chris Appleton put his perfecting touches on Kim K’s sleek ponytail, Rihanna added the last touch to her makeup with her pink frosty lip gloss, and by 6 pm EST the world was amazed. The 2018 Heavenly Bodies was the best Met Gala because it was the first- and only-time guests followed a theme. This theme was all about Catholicism, which is an exceptionally beautiful theme. Not only are traditional Catholics fashionable but cathedrals are truly one of a kind. The interior and exterior represent the stories of the bible and the beauty of the religion. Guests were able to show the culture of Catholicism through their ensembles. The best-dressed woman of the night was Zendaya! That night she gave us a history lesson about the powerful Saint catholic, Joan of Arc. The actor was styled by the infamous stylist, Law Roach and the dress was custom made by Versace. Her metallic ensemble featured an armored neck-and-shoulder piece, sparkling chainmail, a spiked belt, and a modest train. Zendaya’s look was sexy but modest which made this feel like a salute to the beautiful saint, rather than being disrespectful. The best-dressed man of the night was Chadwick Boseman! The Black Panther actor looked like true royalty. Versace put on his white suit with gold embellishments and paired it with a white cape. His stylist did an exceptional job of incorporating the theme into Boseman’s style and image. He tends to have a classy style and he wears fitted clothes. The cape and gold detailing on his white ensemble resembled the menswear in the catholic monarchies. This correlated perfectly with his breakthrough role as King T'challa, in the movie, Black Panther. The worst dressed was Scarlett Johansson, her dress was not only hideous, but it was controversial. Her dress was designed by Marchesa, which was co-founded by Harvey Weinstein’s ex-wife, Georgina Chapman. In 2017, numerous women and even some Hollywood stars came out about the sexual misconduct they received from Harvey Weinstein. Though Chapman had nothing to do with her ex-husband’s actions, it happened a year ago, and it seemed insensitive. The brunette bob laid horribly on her warm-toned skin and the maroon-colored dress did not do any justice as well. On that night, there was a crowd of powerful outfits that caught the eyes of so many. It outweighed Scarlett Johansson's abominable look. This never happened during any Met Gala, which makes this one the best. I cannot wait to see what is in store for this year’s Met Gala! Thank you for taking the time to read this!

“Jordan, that’s so cool!” I constantly hear that when I tell people about my extracurriculars, which are virtual styling and personal shopping. Most of the time, they focus on the part that my extracurriculars have to do with fashion. But the cool part to me is that I boost the confidence of people who have been deemed as “undesirable” due to societal standards. During my experience with virtual styling and personal shopping, I quickly learned that this was my passion, my natural high, and my purpose. It also sharpened my skills in leadership, listening, time management, and most importantly, entrepreneurship. In 2020, I decided to develop an Instagram page where I would post outfits that I style and promote my services. I had a quiz to learn more about my clients and a consultation as well. From there, I would go online shopping to find clothing and accessories, style them as an outfit, and present it as an outfit. Unlike many other styling pages, my services were free, and I served all body types and catered to everyone’s budget. Initially, it was arduous to obtain clients because I was new to virtual styling and personal shopping. I knew the only solution was to build a following. So, each day, I made it a goal to give 110% in every outfit I styled and posted. I diligently paid attention to hashtags and who people were following on Instagram, to attract an audience. I felt immensely proud doing this because this is what I needed when I was in my early teens. At the time, I had exceptionally low self-esteem due to bullying and my style reflected that. A confidence boost was something that everyone needed after being in quarantine for months. Two clients stuck with me and helped me realize my impact. Let us call them Jessica and Cole. Jessica was a plus-size teen who struggled to find outfits because they could not afford them, and it hurt their self-esteem. So, when they called, I came to their rescue. For days I would search on every website for clothing items that they liked and could afford. I would do this in the morning, during class, and even till night! A few months after my services, they messaged me again thanking me and telling me how confident they felt in their skin! This was the moment I realized that this extracurricular was impactful. Another client that helped me realize this was Cole. Cole was a gay teenage boy in a conservative household. Not only could he express his sexuality but his clothing choices as well. So, I assembled some outfits that he would love but also that his parents would accept. In the end, he ended up messaging me about how free he felt and how grateful he was because of my services. We even became friends! I am deeply passionate about virtual styling and personal shopping because I love fashion. It gives people the opportunity to experiment with their identity and to express themselves. Most importantly, I love my extracurriculars because it boosts the confidence of others and myself.

Yara Shahidi once said, "If you can see her, you can be her." When I see my future, I see myself traveling overseas every year, I see myself being an entrepreneur and dominating my work field, I see myself giving to others whether it is my family or a person in need. When I see my future, I see myself with my dream car, my dream house, and my dream closet and money won't hold me back from obtaining these assets. To become "her" I must go through the hardest financial crisis 70% of Americans face, college. Therefore, it is my goal to graduate college debt-free. This is important to me because I do not want to live a traditional lifestyle. I want to express my creativity by creating all types of art such as clothes, films, furniture pieces, sculptures, writing, drawings, and paintings. I'd also like to establish a museum one day. My parents have very different views, they want me to live a traditional lifestyle. An example of this is them wanting me to become a doctor. We have already discussed my dreams for myself and their dreams for me but we can not agree. This made me doubt my dreams until I joined a webinar. My dream school, Parsons School of Design interviewed the founder of AfroBrutality, Syn Martinez. He had just launched a partnership with Puma and he told the story of how the partnership happened, how to build a brand, and what learned in the business of fashion. At the end of the webinar, he told viewers if they had any questions or needed advice to message him on Instagram. I messaged him on Instagram, asking for advice on my dream and if I should not pursue it or to without my parent's support. He told me I should listen to myself but also my parents. I should take into consideration what they said but also follow my dreams. Mr. Syn told me I could work towards my dream now. I took what he said to heart and created a plan. I looked for other job occupations that interested me and it was Real Estate due to my love for interior and exterior design and my great charisma skills. I also started to save up for art school after high school because I know my parents are not a huge fan of art school either. They also will not support me financially either after getting or pursuing a degree in art. Putting myself through art school will help me break into the creative industry. Even though it is risky and expensive, I am willing to take that risk but I also do not want to be trapped in debt. That is why I need to graduate college debt-free. So I can express my creativity and have a museum without living paycheck to paycheck. This will have a positive impact on society because I will help other creatives in this world, that are in the same situation as me. I want to give away scholarship money to students in art school, no matter if they are old or young. I want to exhibit artists' work at my museum and help them get into the art industry. I want them to see someone who never struggled financially as an artist in the beginning and continued like that. My vision will inspire a new generation of artists.