I remember being in the 5th grade and the night before my school’s annual ‘Field Day’ competition, I believed consuming a gallon of water before bed was the best way to run fast the next day. Even though I ended up with a stomach ache instead of speed, this instance reminded me that ever since I was young, I had a rudimentary curiosity about the connection between nutrition and functionality. As I grew, this curiosity continued to be a staple in my lifestyle. As a young adult, I became a personal trainer and a fitness competitor leading me to dive into investigating ways of structuring nutritional intake to optimize functionality. I was later diagnosed with a health condition that prompted me to ask questions about the relationship between nutrition and restorative health. I knew that if I had these questions, other people did too. From that moment on, I wanted to become a registered dietitian because it would allow me to combine my desire to improve functionality and facilitate healing through proper nutrition – not just for myself, but for other people who desire to enhance their quality of life. This desire hit home when my dad suffered from a hemorrhagic stroke caused by hypertension. If I can help others like him to practice prevention through proper nutrition, it would be knowledge that can turn into a lifestyle and ultimately be passed on to the next generation. Also, in the United States, only 3% of registered dietitians are Black American, a staggering statistic that needs to shift considering how the black community is heavily impacted by dietary-related diseases. Representation truly does matter in the health field and I want to be one of the individuals that people who look like me can turn to for help. I have long-term goals of owning a private practice combining my fitness expertise with dietetic practices to further educate clients on achieving optimal health and functionality through a healthier lifestyle. Preparing to apply to a graduate program was not easy. I had to pay for prerequisite courses out of pocket which had me questioning if this was something I would be able to do. However, I believe that when you have vision, God will confirm you and the purpose He has for you along the way. Being awarded this scholarship would be confirmation and will help create the ability for me to take the most important step in my career by aiding me financially in a dietetic graduate program.

We all like to think we're limitless, especially when we're younger and feel like we can take on anything and everything, but we're not. This past year I have learned my limits and it is one of the best things I could have learned about myself. People often see limits as an oppressive feature of themselves, an idea I have fell victim to before. However, I realized that it depends on the intentions behind the limits. This past year I found limits to be empowering. I am currently a student pursuing dietetics, a personal trainer, and a freelance artist. I used to struggle for a long time thinking I had to pick one career pathway over another. I was always waiting for God to steer me toward one direction or the other, science or art. However, when I realized a way was being made for me to exist in both fields, I had to ask myself, ‘Why am I setting a limit on myself?’ No one has ever told me that I had to choose one pathway and give up on all others. That was a construct I created in my own mind. I then understood that God gave me many talents and interests and to explore them all is to utilize every part of myself. Through pursuing all of my interests I have learned the meaning of multi-tasking and how important new opportunities are. I've been able to impact so many people either by helping them improve their lifestyle and functionality through fitness and nutrition or by creating a piece of art that allows them to experience wonder and awe-inspiring moments. This past year I decided to enter an international art competition called Art Prize in Grand Rapids, MI. It was a competition I always wanted to do and I finally felt confident in my artistry to present a piece of art that represents who I am. However, I had sacrificed my other pursuits and my own physical well-being to meet deadlines. As a result, I stopped being available to other people and even to myself. It was difficult for me to treat myself as a priority when there were so many extrinsic responsibilities I needed to be able to handle all at once. This led me down a dark path of feeling like I was losing control over all the things I loved and of myself. Through it all, I was finally able to understand the importance of setting limits on what I can handle for me to have joy and peace in all things. I realized that I can't help anyone else either through personal training or as an artist if I don't prioritize myself. I love being able to utilize every gift God has given me, but if I have to sacrifice joy in the process, then I can't be the person He created me to be. Finding my limits has allowed me to wholeheartedly be me and be unapologetic about it.