For most of my life, I lived in the “village.” The “village” had houses built specifically for field and factory workers. For over a decade this was what I called home. I never realized I was less fortunate until my classmates pointed out my less appealing outfits in middle school. It was easy to accept that I was poor in middle school. However, it became difficult to hear entering high school. For me, high school was a time where everyone was boastful about their expensive shoes and clothes. Since I did not have either, I was an easy target to be bullied. I was ostracized and called horrible names. At that point my grades, self-esteem and relationships suffered. I felt as if I had no reason to live anymore. That night, I swallowed 17 pills. When I woke up, I was in a hospital room, and I realized I could have died. I was alive for a reason and taking my life would have done more damage than good. I would leave my family with more financial issues and emotional trouble. I do not need expensive shoes and clothes because these materialistic things will not get me to where I want to go in life, nor help me reach my goals. This is where my determination to complete a college education came into play. I decided to pursue an education and later have a career that will not only get me designer shoes and name brand clothes, but a degree that would open opportunities. I no longer use my life situations as a reason I cannot become successful; instead, I use them as motivational tools to be extraordinary. Although being a victim of bullying almost cost me my life, it also helped me discover my life’s purpose. I have a natural inclination to stand up for people’s rights. I am dedicated to using my passion for law to have the roles of both an attorney and mediator. I want to advocate for the less fortunate and be a living testimony that anything is possible. The same way I persevered through school, struggles, and life is the same way I will persevere through college and law school. I will be an example for people who are like me. Living in a city where many residents are immigrants and some not even legalized makes it hard to find work. Most parents work in the fields, and their kids join them after high school. These kids have so much potential and promise, but they stay in this town and work due to a lack of money and motivation. I want to make it possible for these kids to have a chance at a future. I want to connect with the youth and tell them it is okay to leave and be something. When I am settled into my career, I will open a program in Immokalee to help students who do not have resources at home. They will be able to network and build connections. But most importantly, this program will motivate the students in all areas of life and promote positive mental health. Some kids feel they are letting their family down if they do not immediately join the workforce after high school to help support the family. But I want them to see a future where they can take care of their family without giving up on their education. My goal is to connect not only with the students but their families as well. I want to show them a miracle—the light at the end of the tunnel.

My name is Josica Previlus, and I am a senior at Immokalee High School. I come from a big family of only sisters! We are of Haitian and Dominican descent! After high school, I plan on attending a four-year university while majoring in International Affairs. I also plan to go to law school, but that decision came from a personal experience that happened to be the biggest challenge I have ever faced while also changing my life for the better. For most of my life, I lived in the “village.” The “village” had houses built specifically for field and factory workers. For over a decade this was what I called home. I never realized I was less fortunate until my classmates pointed out my less appealing outfits in middle school. I remember going home and asking my mother, “are we poor?” In tears she replied, “We are rich with the Lord.” It was easy to accept that I was poor in middle school. However, it became difficult to hear entering high school. For me, high school was a time where everyone was boastful about their expensive shoes and clothes. Since I did not have either, I was an easy target to be bullied. I was ostracized and called horrible names. At that point my grades, self-esteem and relationships suffered. I felt as if I had no reason to live anymore. That night, I swallowed 17 pills. When I woke up, I was in a hospital room, and I realized I could have died. I realized I was alive for a reason and taking my life would have done more damage than good. I would leave my family with more financial issues and emotional trouble. I do not need expensive shoes and clothes because these materialistic things will not get me to where I want to go in life, nor help me reach my goals. I decided that I was going to stop the bullying and I did. This is where my determination to complete a college education came into play. I decided to pursue an education and later have a career that will not only get me designer shoes and name brand clothes, but a degree that would open up many opportunities. I no longer use my life situations as a reason I cannot become successful; instead, I use them as motivational tools to be extraordinary. Although being a victim of bullying almost cost me my life, it also helped me discover my life’s purpose. I have a natural inclination to stand up for people’s rights. I am dedicated to using my passion for law to have the roles of both an attorney and mediator. I want to advocate for the less fortunate and be a living testimony that anything is possible. The same way I persevered through school, struggles, and life is the same way I will persevere through college and law school. I will be an example for people who are like me. I will show them that their upbringing does not dictate their future. I am claiming the title of Esquire in advance.

My parents were born and raised in Haiti, both immigrating to the United States in 1990. My father, from the city of Saint Marc was raised by his mother along with his siblings. Due to financial reasons and lack of resources he was not able to complete middle school. My mother who grew up in the city of Leogane was able to complete half of high school but did not graduate because she had to care for her family. My parents settled in the small city of Immokalee, Fl and worked in the fields to make a living. Over 20 years have passed, and my mother continues to work in the fields despite the numerous health issues she has faced. The decision to pursue a college education came from a personal experience. For most of my life, I lived in the “village.” The “village” had houses built specifically for field and factory workers. For over a decade this was what I called home. I never realized I was less fortunate until my classmates pointed out my less appealing outfits in middle school. I remember going home and asking my mother, “are we poor?” In tears she replied, “We are rich with the Lord.” It was easy to accept that I was poor in middle school. However, it became difficult to hear entering high school. For me, high school was a time where everyone was boastful about their expensive shoes and clothes. Since I did not have either, I was an easy target to be bullied. I was ostracized and called horrible names. At that point my grades, self-esteem and relationships suffered. I felt as if I had no reason to live anymore. That night, I swallowed 17 pills. When I woke up, I was in a hospital room, and I realized I could have died. I realized I was alive for a reason and taking my life would have done more damage than good. I would leave my family with more financial issues and emotional trouble. I do not need expensive shoes and clothes because these materialistic things will not get me to where I want to go in life, nor help me reach my goals. I decided that I was going to stop the bullying and I did. This is where my determination to complete a college education came into play. I decided to pursue an education and later have a career that will not only get me designer shoes and name brand clothes, but a degree that would open up many opportunities. I no longer use my life situations as a reason I cannot become successful; instead, I use them as motivational tools to be extraordinary. Before the coronavirus pandemic, my family and I attended missionary trips in Haiti every year. The summer of 2016’s trip was special. That year we decided not only to visit orphanages and churches, but also visit the "forgotten" people—inmates. We went to a prison in Saint-Marc and saw the reality of what it’s like to be an inmate in a third world country. They were given no clean clothes, limited food, and no medical attention. Thankfully, I had collected hygiene products, food, and over-the-counter medicine prior to my trip and brought them with me. We gave out all the supplies and food while praying for each person. We gave the leftover food to individuals on the street and continued to pray for them. This was the most emotional and humbling experience in my life, and I pledge to always help my people and remain grateful for all that I have.

It was six in the afternoon and my parents were at work. In my hand I held a gun. My mind was filled with thoughts, and my heart began beating rapidly. I sat on my bed thinking about taking my life. Finally, I made a decision; I was going to pull the trigger. I was going to stop the bullying. Then seconds later, I pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. I was shocked. I dropped the gun, and when it hit the floor, it went off piercing the wall. Leading to this point in my life was when I lived in the “village.” The “village” had houses built specifically for field and factory workers. For over a decade this was what I called home. I never realized I was less fortunate until my classmates pointed out my less appealing outfits in middle school. I remember going home and asking my mother, “are we poor?” In tears she replied, “We are rich with the Lord.” It was easy to accept that I was poor in middle school. However, it became difficult to hear entering high school. For me, high school was a time where everyone was boastful about their expensive shoes and clothes. Since I did not have either, I was an easy target to be bullied. I was ostracized and called horrible names. At that point my grades, self-esteem and relationships suffered. When the gun went off in my room that night and I saw the damaged wall, I realized that it could have been me. The gun was old and had not been touched for a long time; therefore, it did not fire immediately. To me this meant that I was alive for a reason. I realized that taking my life would have done more damage than good. I would leave my family with more financial issues and emotional trouble. Then I realized; I do not need expensive shoes and clothes because these materialistic things will not get me to where I want to go in life, nor help me reach my goals. I decided that I was going to stop the bullying and I did. This is where my determination to complete a college education came into play. I made a decision to pursue an education and later have a career that will not only get me designer shoes and name brand clothes, but a degree that would open up many opportunities. Once I made my decision to not allow my circumstances to define me—my grades, self-esteem, and relationships proliferated. Today I am a leader in Hope for Kidz, an organization where I mentor young, Haitian girls who struggle with depression and suicide. Throughout the year I collect notebooks, clothing, and feminine hygiene products for my mentees; as writing my emotions and actively engaging in self-care helped me overcome my battles. I no longer use my life situations as a reason I cannot become successful; instead, I use them as motivational tools to be extraordinary. Although being a victim of bullying almost cost me my life, it also helped me discover my life’s purpose. I have a natural inclination to stand up for people’s rights. I am dedicated to using my passion for law to have the roles of both an attorney and mediator. I want to advocate for the less fortunate and be a living testimony that anything is possible. The same way I persevered through school, struggles, and life is the same way I will persevere through college and law school. I will be an example for people who are like me. I will show them that their upbringing does not dictate their future. I am claiming the title of Esquire in advance. 1. A college education may be seen as a privilege for most people born into wealth; however, it is something that I have been working towards my whole life. A college degree allows you to have a profession and career rather than a job most of the time. There is nothing wrong with having a job if that is the path you choose but having marketable skills learned in college gives you abilities and advantages that many without a degree will not receive. I am not going to college because my parents told me so or because my friends are going. I am going to college because I need to. Higher education is something I strive for and accomplishing what was robbed from my parents will show them that their hard work and struggles paid off. 2. Outside of school, my typical day would begin at 8:30 am. I start by having a light snack of either a bagel or apple. At 8:50, I get ready for my daily workout, consisting of a 30-minute speed walk around my neighborhood and a few exercise sets. At 10:00 am, I run a shower. My grandma will have finished cooking by this time, so I take out a plate to eat. At noon, I complete school assignments for a few hours or any other school-related work that still needs to be done. Once I finish, I go out to my patio and watch a few movies. I have dinner around 6-7 pm; then, I begin getting ready for bed. Around 9 pm, I officially fall asleep and wake up at midnight for a ten-minute prayer, then sleep again. 3. History 1. has always been my favorite subject and I have focused a lot of my time researching and increasing my knowledge about it. In school, I would complete projects for history class and even ask my teachers for further assistance for personal research. In 2019, I planned a trip to Washington DC with some friends. During our trip, we spotted a couple of memorizing monuments the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and Thomas Jefferson Memorial and visited the Holocaust Museum. My favorite part of this journey was being able to roam the streets of Washington learning about my favorite subject.

Passion is a complicated feeling. I am passionate towards many things in life. But the sensation I get when I think of the justice system... is compared to no other. I strive to work within this corrupt this system. The system that failed so many brothers and sisters. The system that continues to this day to fail the American people. My freshman year of high school, I read a four book series titled ‘The Naturals’. Words cannot describe the feelings and emotions that raced through my body as I read these books. The main component being law enforcement, specifically, the FBI. The way the characters worked together no matter their differences to solve crimes, amazed me. In today’s society, these differences divide us more than ever. I may not completely glue us back together but I plan to be part of the solution. I plan to work within government administration. I am not completely sure on the specific job but I know I will aim to stop all types of discriminations within the government system. I will meet with senators, lawyers, congresswomen and men, officers, and maybe even the President to discuss how we can make this a better and comfortable America for everyone. An America where people of different colors, ages, and beliefs can live together without the constant destructive feeling. America was not meant for people like me. As a current 16 year old black girl, I was not meant to make it this far. I was not meant to have straight A’s and being ranked number 8 in my grade. I was not meant to be thriving the way I am today. All everyone sees is a black girl from a low income family. A “ghetto” “loud” “stubborn” black girl. I have unfortunately been called worse. However, if it is one thing in life, I refuse to let stereotypes bring me down. A time I overcame tremendous adversity despite the odds being against me? I live through these odds every day. I fight the stereotypes and become a better me despite what others may think. My parents did not immigrant from Haiti for me to not make it. They did not immigrant here for me to not change the system. So that it is exactly what I plan to do. I want to shake things up. I want people to use my name as a sense of empowerment and hope. Because that it what I plan to bring to the American people when I work within the justice system.