“Humans have a tendency to view morality as a monolithic structure. Abolition, a system that many view as a moral structure, wasn't monolithic. The relationship between indentured servitude and abolition, in particular, blurs the ethical lines in the history of abolition. The question must be asked; Was indentured servitude a tool used properly in early abolition?” That is the opening quote to my most recent involvement in a community project known as the ‘Witness Stones Project’. The project originally came from Europe as people did research into the lives of holocaust victims before presenting said research and memorializing them with a witness stone. A literal stone with their name engraved in it that would be buried in the soil that held the most correlation with the victim. This project then came to America with similar goals but instead focused on the lives of enslaved African Americans. I started my Senior year with the goal to simply graduate and move forward, but because my parents didn't want me to have too much free time I took one extra class that I didn't need in order to graduate but rather because it was interesting, AP African American studies. My teacher was unusual as I quickly noticed he held a doctorates degree, published numerous books, and ironically wasn't African American even though he taught the course. Dr.Mealy however changed my life as not only did he ensure I understood all of our course material but he also brought to my attention, the witness stones project, encouraging my involvement. And so I joined. Over the course of the school year me and some of my peers spent hours researching about slavery on a local level, eventually landing me on the case of a young girl named Fanny. She was freed at a young age but quickly bound into a contract of indentured servitude until she was 28. The shocking part was that it was done by the PA Abolition Society, an organization that Benjamin Franklin was a part of. Digging up the story of Fanny and tracking down each person her contract was sold to and how many times she was displaced was eye opening to the methods of freedom and hidden motives as to why. A month or so ago a ceremony was held at F&M, a local college with ties to the enslavers, and during the ceremony I gave a speech and presented my groups findings in the form of a documentary. During this project, I was able to connect with the coordinators and local advocates to share our views on the subject and build relationships. The stones are now in the earth, brightly shining the names of those who faced the cruel institution of slavery, changing my community by bringing awareness to our local legends and their ties to said system. It was because of this class and project that I can proudly say I’m enrolled at Howard University. The hotspot for young black minds to hone their skills and learn how to make a difference. Kamala Harris, Chadwick Boseman, and Thurgood Marshall are just a few of Howard's esteemed alumni, and I believe it's there that I can begin to make a difference. Not just in Lancaster, not just in Washington, but in the world. Finance breakdown: scholarship: $11,000 Help from parents: $25,000 Veteran benefits: $18.000 Total needed: $$10,000

Both of my parents are veterans of the U.S Navy. My dad joined back in 2000 because he grew up in a family in which they couldnt afford to send him to college. He served for 22 years before retiring at 100% disbalitly buut was overall thankful to have served as it opened the doorway for him to also get his master's degree and also secure a job at Walter Reed. However, I want to focus on my mom instead. She also joined the Navy at a similar time in 2001, not because she couldn't go to college, but because she needed an escape. An escape from the mundane life in Lancaster, PA, offered. An escape from the suffocation of family, an escape from an escape from what society taught her a woman's role is. She served for 5 years before leaving, but anytime I ask her about her time there, she looks back on it with fondness. She laughs at the memories of the barber at boot camp, giving her a lopsided bob because her hair was deemed too cute. She smiles at the times when she lets younger officers practice blood withdrawals on her because, according to them, she had “textbook perfect veins”. And most of all, she looks back at how proud she was to receive her master's in education and a bachelor's in psychology, all while taking care of 3 children. If it werent for the benefits and financial aid the military gave her, she would've fallen into the trap of becoming a stay-at-home mom. Because of my dad's continued service in the military after she left, he was constantly away. Leaving her with my 2 sisters and me. She secured a stable job at the CFPB, but still wanted to do and be more. So she turned back to Lancaster, PA, the town she once had forsaken, and took on her dad's contracting and landlord business. She didn't really care for the craft of building; it was more about establishing of a home. She began to turn the properties into what she refers to as “transition homes” to create a space where ex convicts and recovering addicts can live and work towards building themselves back up. The system is too cruel and often looks away from someone after they believe them to be rehabilitated, but because of this neglect, it often becomes too easy for said person to slip into old habits due to them not having any stability. She aims to fix that. Seeing her experience and success has inspired me as well. Every daughter strives to be like their mother, and so I want to create change. Law seemed like the path for me, and luckily, she supports me every step of the way, taking me to college tours, cheering at my commitment to Howard University, and also shouldering the majority of the financial burden onto herself to give me the best chance possible. As for my reasons for joining Mock Trial. It was pretty simple. I wanted to get a taste for what law would be like. Mock trial helped me develop public speaking skills, learn the basic rules of evidence in PA, and also gain connections with local attorneys and judges. And for that I am grateful for all its taught me and paved the way for me to do.

Both of my parents are veterans of the U.S Navy. My dad joined back in 2000 because he grew up in a family in which they couldnt afford to send him to college. He served for 22 years before retiring at 100% disbalitly buut was overall thankful to have served as it opened the doorway for him to also get his master's degree and also secure a job at Walter Reed. However, I want to focus on my mom instead. She also joined the Navy at a similar time in 2001, not because she couldn't go to college, but because she needed an escape. An escape from the mundane life in Lancaster, PA, offered. An escape from the suffocation of family, an escape from an escape from what society taught her a woman's role is. She served for 5 years before leaving, but anytime I ask her about her time there, she looks back on it with fondness. She laughs at the memories of the barber at boot camp, giving her a lopsided bob because her hair was deemed too cute. She smiles at the times when she lets younger officers practice blood withdrawals on her because, according to them, she had “textbook perfect veins”. And most of all, she looks back at how proud she was to receive her master's in education and a bachelor's in psychology, all while taking care of 3 children. If it werent for the benefits and financial aid the military gave her, she would've fallen into the trap of becoming a stay-at-home mom. Because of my dad's continued service in the military after she left, he was constantly away. Leaving her with my 2 sisters and me. She secured a stable job at the CFPB, but still wanted to do and be more. So she turned back to Lancaster, PA, the town she once had forsaken, and took on her dad's contracting and landlord business. She didn't really care for the craft of building; it was more about establishing of a home. She began to turn the properties into what she refers to as “transition homes” to create a space where ex convicts and recovering addicts can live and work towards building themselves back up. The system is too cruel and often looks away from someone after they believe them to be rehabilitated, but because of this neglect, it often becomes too easy for said person to slip into old habits due to them not having any stability. She aims to fix that. Seeing her experience and success has inspired me as well. Every daughter strives to be like their mother, and so I want to create change. Law seemed like the path for me, and luckily, she supports me every step of the way, taking me to college tours, cheering at my commitment to Howard University, and also shouldering the majority of the financial burden onto herself to give me the best chance possible. And for that, I'm not just grateful to her, but also grateful for the experience that being in the military gave her. It acted as a stepping stone for her goals and continues to aid in an almost legacy-like manner, and for that, I am grateful.