My journey as a first-generation college student has been a difficult path. I grew up in a single parent house living with my mom and grandparents. Living without a father-figure present has impacted my life. I will always be thankful for my mother as she always tried her hardest to provide for me. But not living with my family has had some lasting effects on me. When I went to school, I always knew I was different. I attended a majority white school where everyone lived in a two-parent household. From the start of elementary school, I understood my family was different. At some points in my life, I was upset with my mother. As I didn’t understand why my parents weren’t together. These feelings of anger soon turned to guilt. As I started to blame myself for my parents not being together. I struggled greatly with these feelings, throughout elementary and especially middle school. To the point where it impacted my mental health. I also have three younger half-brothers on my dad's side. Whom I haven't seen in 7 years, so that situation only impacted my mental health worse. I started to blame myself for not seeing them more often. And I tend to see myself as a bad sister to them. It took a lot of work to overcome the constant feeling of guilt I held. But I persevered, even though I still struggle with these thoughts today. Deep down I know I’m making the best out of my situation. But as well as my mental health this has greatly impacted my relationships. I feel that the relationship I have with my mother is very close, as she has always been my rock. But with my family I was often considered more of a best friend. As the times I did see him when I was younger, he never truly parented me. Since. Was the only one constantly taking care of my younger siblings. Not only has this impacted my relationship but also how I view education. I grew up watching my mother wishing she would have gone to college and earned a degree. I will be the first person in my family to earn a college degree after graduating. My mother has especially always stressed upon me how important education is. I would say this is a good and bad thing in my opinion. Because my mother is a single parent I already felt the need to do good for her. But I am also the only child and only grandchild so that brought stress within itself. As I felt the weight of the family on me. Even though they never told me this, I always felt the success of the family relies on me. Therefore, I always viewed education not as an option but as a requirement. But I am grateful for this because I can accomplish my aspirations and dreams. I’m going to Baylor to pursue a STEM degree. But they aren’t the only reason I have to purse a degree in STEM. I aspire to attend med school and pursue a career of being a neurologist. I want to help individuals and families understand brain disorders. After establishing my career, I want to help those struggling with drug addiction. I aspire to help open up rehabilitation centers for those struggling with addiction and provide a safe haven for them. And this scholarship will only help with that.

I am Jayla Wiggins, a first-generation student attending Lewisville High School. I’m heavily involved in the tradition and community at my school. I love spending time with my family and friends. Making memories I’ll remember for the rest of my life is very important. Photographing, designing buildings, and helping others are my biggest passions. I feel very proud of what I have achieved so far in my life, and I plan on reaching more goals in the future. Throughout my whole life I always knew I wanted to make a positive impact on the world. One major issue I've been able to witness is the increase in drug addictions in our country. I am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front doorsteps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue. I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Because of these issues I always known that I wanted to pursue a career in STEM, this is what inspires me to become a clinical psychologist. After attending college for 4 years, I plan on going to med school to follow my dreams. After earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. To create a positive change, I want to start an organization that primarily focuses on helping parents who are battling drug addiction. I want to offer a haven for them and their children. Winning this scholarship will impact my plans for the future. I'm attending Baylor University in the Fall, and this scholarship will allow me to open up and explore what Baylor offers. This will help take the load off of trying to figure out how I will afford certain things. It'll not only help my cubs and activists but also my grades. As I said, I plan on attending med school, but for now, I want to study psychology. I want to use my degree to help others around me when I graduate. I know these funds will enhance my leadership skills greatly. I'll be able to explore the community and gain skills without worrying about funding and money.

Throughout my life, I always strived for excellence; it's not that I wanted to be flawless or thought that was even achievable. It was the feeling of making no mistakes that brought joy to me. The question I would get asked the most was, "Do you always have to make everything perfect?." I would always respond with. "No, I don't.” I'm not a perfectionist; I just don't like making mistakes. Which I felt everyone could relate to. Looking back now I realize not everyone feels that way. All through high school, I always wanted to be the “perfect person.” I would start over from scratch if I felt my handwriting could have been more organized or my words needed to be more spaced apart. I remember this one incident sophomore year In my AP U.S. history class. We were doing one of our final essays worth 50% of our grade. At first, I was doing well. I almost finished; I felt good about something for once. Then I made a mistake in my writing. However, we were able to draw a line or scribble out words. I just couldn't. Seeing that word scribbled out constantly reminded me of my mistake. After this I came to the realization that I was a perfectionist. It wasn't just the fact that I didn't like making mistakes or I didn't like flaws. I wanted to be mistake less. I just wanted to be perfect. No matter how many breakdowns it caused me. I still always strived for it. Now I am learning how to live with it. I now understand that it's ok if I get a B in a class. It's ok if I mess up in a competition or choose the wrong answer. Flaws are what make us human. We learn from them; that's how we grow as human beings. Now for the first time in years, stress-free. I'm more open-minded, I've become less critical of myself. I'm not as self-conscious about making a mistake anymore. Now I can truly enjoy my life to the fullest. Even though this adversity has affected me in my life, I know there are bigger issues especially in my community that can be fixed. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue. I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change I have I want to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. To create a positive change, I want to start an organization that primarily focuses on helping parents who are battling drug addiction. I want to offer a haven for them and their children. But for now, I spend my time volunteering, so I'm not yet in college or have earned a degree. I found I could help the most by spending my time helping everyone in the community.

I am Jayla Wiggins, a first-generation student attending Lewisville High School. I’m heavily involved in the tradition and community at my school. I love spending time with my family and friends. Making memories I’ll remember for the rest of my life is very important. Photographing, designing buildings, and helping others are my biggest passions. I feel very proud of what I have achieved so far in my life, and I plan on reaching more goals in the future. Throughout my whole life I always knew I wanted to make a positive impact on the world. One major issue I've been able to witness is the increase in drug addictions in our country. I am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front door steps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue.I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Early in my high school career, this is what inspires me to become a clinical psychologist. After attending college for 4 years I plan on going to med school to follow my dreams. At that time, I wanted to work in a mental hospital to help those struggling with mental disorders. But now, after earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. To create a positive change, I want to start an organization that primarily focuses on helping parents who are battling drug addiction. I want to offer a haven for them and their children. But for now, I spend my time volunteering, so I'm not yet in college or have earned a degree. I found I could help the most by spending my time helping everyone in the community. Because of this, I volunteer at programs such as Angel Tree. I volunteered at the MADD Camp, where we donate and wrap gifts for children in low-income areas, go to low-income communities and play games with kids. Even though this isn't directly helping those struggling with drug addiction, I feel this is what I can do to help the most as of right now.

My relationship with mental health has been different than others. Since I was young i’ve struggled my body issues and anxiety. It primarily got worse during my last year of middle school and in high school.Throughout my life, I always strived for excellence; it's not that I wanted to be flawless or thought that was even achievable. It was the feeling of making no mistakes that brought joy to me. The question I would get asked the most was, "Do you always have to make everything perfect?." I would always respond with. "No, I don't.” I'm not a perfectionist; I just don't like making mistakes. Which I felt everyone could relate to. Looking back now I realize not everyone feels that way. All through high school, I always wanted to be the “perfect person.” I would start over from scratch if I felt my handwriting could have been more organized or my words needed to be more spaced apart. I remember this one incident sophomore year In my AP U.S. history class. We were doing one of our final essays worth 50% of our grade. At first, I was doing well. I almost finished; I felt good about something for once. Then I made a mistake in my writing. However, we were able to draw a line or scribble out words. I just couldn't. Seeing that word scribbled out constantly reminded me of my mistake. Now two years later, I can't even remember the error. But at that moment, I felt the world was collapsing around me. If I scratched it out or marked through the word, it would make my paper unacceptable. I did my best to ignore the mistake and keep writing. But while writing, my eyes would always drift up to that mark on my paper. And my brain would be almost mocking me for the mistake. Later, I scratched the whole piece and restarted with less than 15 minutes left. I never finished the essay. It almost caused me to fail the paper. After that day, when I went home, I wondered if I didn't let that little mishap affect me. "Would I have done better?" After this I came to the realization that I was a perfectionist. It wasn't just the fact that I didn't like making mistakes or I didn't like flaws. I wanted to be mistakeless. I just wanted to be perfect.No matter how many breakdowns it caused me. I still always strived for it. Now I am learning how to live with it. I now understand that it's ok if I get a B in a class. It's ok if I mess up in a competition or choose the wrong answer. Flaws are what make us human. We learn from them; that's how we grow as human beings. Now for the first time in years, stress-free. I'm more open-minded, I've become less critical of myself. I'm not as self-conscious about making a mistake anymore. Now I can truly enjoy my life to the fullest.

I have many goals for my medical career, for one I want to use my career to help people who's’ been effected by drugs and addiction. I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue. I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Early in my high school career, I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. At that time, I wanted to work in a mental hospital to help those struggling with mental disorders. But now, after earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. To create a positive change, I want to start an organization that primarily focuses on helping parents who are battling drug addiction. I want to offer a haven for them and their children. But to me increasing racial diversity in healthcare is equally important to me. As a first generation African American women I often felt out of place in certain settings. Although the high school I attend now if diverse it wasn’t always like this. Throughout elementary and middle school I attended a majority white school. I felt left out and disconnected with my peers. Even when I attend an internship at the hospital this year when I looked around I didn't see diversity. Even the hospital staff wasn’t diverse. Then I started to look into my family, no one in my family works in healthcare. This made me realize how important it is to add diversity into healthcare. I want the future generations to realize they can do anything they put their mind to. That being apart of healthcare only isn’t for one race. By achieving a career in healthcare I want future generations to know they will succeed in life.

My journey as a first-generation college student has been a difficult path. I grew up in a single parent house living with my mom and grandparents. I grew up watching my mother wishing she would have went to college and earned a degree. Because of this my mother has always pushed the importance of going to college. This is one of the main reasons why I believe you should take advantage of the oppuritnies given to you. Even though I am a first generation student I can say I received help along the way. I joined multiple programs throughout high school and gained mentors who have helped me with the college process. They are tthe main reason why I’m going to Baylor to purse a STEM degree. But they aren’t the only reason I have to purse a degree in STEM. My community and the people around me have also affected my descion of what career I want to pursue. I am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front door steps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue. I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Early in my high school career, I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. At that time, I wanted to work in a mental hospital to help those struggling with mental disorders. But now, after earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help my community and the people around me.

Throughout my life, I always strived for excellence; it's not that I wanted to be flawless or thought that was even achievable. It was the feeling of making no mistakes that brought joy to me. The question I would get asked the most was, "Do you always have to make everything perfect?." I would always respond with. "No, I don't.” I'm not a perfectionist; I just don't like making mistakes. Which I felt everyone could relate to. Looking back now I realize not everyone feels that way. All through high school, I always wanted to be the “perfect person.” I would start over from scratch if I felt my handwriting could have been more organized or my words needed to be more spaced apart. I remember this one incident sophomore year In my AP U.S. history class. We were doing one of our final essays worth 50% of our grade. At first, I was doing well. I almost finished; I felt good about something for once. Then I made a mistake in my writing. However, we were able to draw a line or scribble out words. I just couldn't. Seeing that word scribbled out constantly reminded me of my mistake. Now two years later, I can't even remember the error. But at that moment, I felt the world was collapsing around me. If I scratched it out or marked through the word, it would make my paper unacceptable. I did my best to ignore the mistake and keep writing. But while writing, my eyes would always drift up to that mark on my paper. And my brain would be almost mocking me for the mistake. Later, I scratched the whole piece and restarted with less than 15 minutes left. I never finished the essay. It almost caused me to fail the paper. After that day, when I went home, I wondered if I didn't let that little mishap affect me. "Would I have done better?" After this I came to the realization that I was a perfectionist. It wasn't just the fact that I didn't like making mistakes or I didn't like flaws. I wanted to be mistakeless. I just wanted to be perfect.No matter how many breakdowns it caused me. I still always strived for it. Now I am learning how to live with it. I now understand that it's ok if I get a B in a class. It's ok if I mess up in a competition or choose the wrong answer. Flaws are what make us human. We learn from them; that's how we grow as human beings. Now for the first time in years, stress-free. I'm more open-minded, I've become less critical of myself. I'm not as self-conscious about making a mistake anymore. Now I can truly enjoy my life to the fullest. Some advice I would give someone who is facing this is to live life to the fullest. Life is too short to worry about the little things.

I am Jayla Wiggins, a first-generation student attending Lewisville High School. I’m heavily involved in the tradition and community at my school. I love spending time with my family and friends. Making memories I’ll remember for the rest of my life is very important. Photographing, designing buildings, and helping others are my biggest passions. I feel very proud of what I have achieved so far in my life, and I plan on reaching more goals in the future. Throughout my whole life I always knew I wanted to make a positive impact on the world. One major issue I've been able to witness is the increase in drug addictions in our country. I am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front door steps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue.I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Early in my high school career, this is what inspires me to become a clinical psychologist. After attending college for 4 years I plan on going to med school to follow my dreams. At that time, I wanted to work in a mental hospital to help those struggling with mental disorders. But now, after earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. Another field I wish to study while being at college is neuroscience. Neuroscience has always interested me.Especially after taking anatomy my senior year it persuaded me even more to learn more about this field. Since neuroscience is connected to psychology I want intertwine the both of them to learn more about the human mind. Therefore I can use the skills I learn to further help people. With these skills I can understand more about the anatomy part of drug addictions ,and the neurology side of it.

I am Jayla Wiggins, a first-generation student attending Lewisville High School. I’m heavily involved in the tradition and community at my school. I love spending time with my family and friends. Making memories I’ll remember for the rest of my life is very important. Photographing, designing buildings, and helping others are my biggest passions. I feel very proud of what I have achieved so far in my life, and I plan on reaching more goals in the future. Throughout my whole life I always knew I wanted to make a positive impact on the world. One major issue I've been able to witness is the increase in drug addictions in our country. I am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front door steps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue. I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Early in my high school career, I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. After attending college for 4 years I plan on going to med school to follow my dreams. At that time, I wanted to work in a mental hospital to help those struggling with mental disorders. But now, after earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. To create a positive change, I want to start an organization that primarily focuses on helping parents who are battling drug addiction. I want to offer a haven for them and their children. But for now, I spend my time volunteering, so I'm not yet in college or have earned a degree. I found I could help the most by spending my time helping everyone in the community. Because of this, I volunteer at programs such as Angel Tree. I volunteered at the MADD Camp, where we donate and wrap gifts for children in low-income areas, go to low-income communities and play games with kids. Even though this isn't directly helping those struggling with drug addiction, I feel this is what I can do to help the most as of right now.

Throughout high school,I’ve joined clubs in my High School career that I love AVID is one of these activities in which I am lucky to participate. In my senior year, I am currently holding the leadership role of a co-vice president for the organization. Being a part of Avid has influenced me to take charge of my life after high school. I have contributed many ideas to help students in the same predicament. I have given many ideas, for example, having as a college guest speaker speak to the students. As a senior, I understand the importance of community service, so I want to help provide opportunities for juniors, sophomores and first-year students. I've also contributed to tutoring the upcoming tutors so they can help the younger avid students effectively. Being a co-vice president at AVID, I've always had a passion for using my advantages to help others around me. And now I found a way to do that. This will help me make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at Baylor.I plan on majoring for neuroscience in Baylor than later plan on attending Medical School.

One major issue I've been able to witness is the increase in drug addictions in our country. I am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front door steps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue. I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Early in my high school career, I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. After attending college for 4 years I plan on going to med school to follow my dreams. At that time, I wanted to work in a mental hospital to help those struggling with mental disorders. But now, after earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. To create a positive change, I want to start an organization that primarily focuses on helping parents who are battling drug addiction. I want to offer a haven for them and their children. But for now, I spend my time volunteering, so I'm not yet in college or have earned a degree. I found I could help the most by spending my time helping everyone in the community. Because of this, I volunteer at programs such as Angel Tree. I volunteered at the MADD Camp, where we donate and wrap gifts for children in low-income areas, go to low-income communities and play games with kids. Even though this isn't directly helping those struggling with drug addiction, I feel this is what I can do to help the most as of right now.

I am Jayla Wiggins, a first-generation student attending Lewisville High School. I’m heavily involved in the tradition and community at my school. I love spending time with my family and friends. Making memories I’ll remember for the rest of my life is very important. Photographing, designing buildings, and helping others are my biggest passions. I feel very proud of what I have achieved so far in my life, and I plan on reaching more goals in the future. Throughout my whole life I always knew I wanted to make a positive impact on the world. One major issue I've been able to witness is the increase in drug addictions in our country. I am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front door steps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue. I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Early in my high school career, I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. After attending college for 4 years I plan on going to med school to follow my dreams. At that time, I wanted to work in a mental hospital to help those struggling with mental disorders. But now, after earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. To create a positive change, I want to start an organization that primarily focuses on helping parents who are battling drug addiction. I want to offer a haven for them and their children. But for now, I spend my time volunteering, so I'm not yet in college or have earned a degree. I found I could help the most by spending my time helping everyone in the community. Because of this, I volunteer at programs such as Angel Tree. I volunteered at the MADD Camp, where we donate and wrap gifts for children in low-income areas, go to low-income communities and play games with kids. Even though this isn't directly helping those struggling with drug addiction, I feel this is what I can do to help the most as of right now.

One major issue I've been able to witness is the increase in drug addictions in our country. I am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front door steps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I strongly believe there are many realistic solutions to help solve this issue. I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Early in my high school career, I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. At that time, I wanted to work in a mental hospital to help those struggling with mental disorders. But now, after earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. To create a positive change, I want to start an organization that primarily focuses on helping parents who are battling drug addiction. I want to offer a haven for them and their children. But for now, I spend my time volunteering, so I'm not yet in college or have earned a degree. I found I could help the most by spending my time helping everyone in the community. Because of this, I volunteer at programs such as Angel Tree. I volunteered at the MADD Camp, where we donate and wrap gifts for children in low-income areas, go to low-income communities and play games with kids. Even though this isn't directly helping those struggling with drug addiction, I feel this is what I can do to help the most as of right now.

I am Jayla Wiggins, a first-generation student attending Lewisville High School. I've had the honor of being a part of many clubs and extracurricular activities for my high school. Avid is a club I joined in my first year of high school. At first, it didn't seem as important to me, but now I know it is. Through this, I gained a great mentor, Ms. Hardaway. I've now been accepted to UTSA, where I plan on going because of Avid's help. In my senior year, I am currently holding the leadership role of a co-vice president for the organization. Being a part of Avid has influenced me to take charge of my life after high school. Without AVID, I wouldn't know where to start with planning for college. I have contributed many ideas to help students in the same predicament. I have given many ideas, for example, having as a college guest speaker speak to the students. I've also helped with projects for community services. As a senior, I understand the importance of community service, so I want to help provide opportunities for juniors, sophomores, and first-year students. I've also contributed to tutoring the upcoming tutors so they can help the younger avid students effectively. Being a co-vice president at AVID, I've always had a passion for using my advantages to help others around me. And now I found a way to do that. Now, I can spread my influence and help others around me. At the beginning of the school year, I also decided to join the Black Student Union club at my school. I wanted to participate in this club to be more culturally involved. But I also wanted to help spread information about Black culture. We do not only invite African-Americans into the club but also anyone of any race. We want to spread the love and the celebrations that come with African-American culture. By participating in this club, I can apply my passion for being involved in a fantastic community. Helping the community by doing service activities has also been on my mind. I’m currently in Interact and Student Council- two clubs focusing on community service. These clubs allow me to help my community truly. We do clean-ups almost every week, allowing the community to stay beautiful. I even attended “Keep Lewisville Beautiful,” where we walked the streets of Lewisville and picked up trash. I choose to participate in these clubs to help my community and those who live here. Alongside of my high school involvements I also have major plans for my future. I plan to take the medicine route and become a psychologist. After earning my degree I want to have a charity to help those struggling with a drug addiction. am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front door steps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. I want to open this charity to create a space for those struggling with drug addiction and their children and children too.

One major issue I've been able to witness is the increase in drug addictions in our country. I am fortunate to live in a city where you don't notice the effect of drug addiction on your front door steps. But I've seen how this can affect families. My god sister's mother is battling her addiction to drugs, which I witnessed as it broke their family and their relationship apart. I was able to see how this affected her mentally and physically. Seeing how this can affect someone close to me made me realize how big of a problem this is. Around 24 million Americans are battling drug addiction; this was conducted in early 2023. We can only imagine how much that number has grown. Just last summer, in my community, we witnessed an outcome of the usage of drugs. A boy who attended my high school was killed 200 feet away from our high school over a drug exchange: he was only 17. Even though we didn't have any classes together this year, we attended the same middle school. It was shocking to know how quickly someone's life could end because of drugs. I've had many ideas on how I would want to address and create a way to have a positive change. Early in my high school career, I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. At that time, I wanted to work in a mental hospital to help those struggling with mental disorders. But now, after earning my degree, I have decided to work in a rehabilitation facility, which will allow me to help more people. I even want to get my master's so I can further dedicate my life to helping all who are battling drug addiction. To create a positive change, I want to start an organization that primarily focuses on helping parents who are battling drug addiction. I want to offer a haven for them and their children. But for now, I spend my time volunteering, so I'm not yet in college or have earned a degree. I found I could help the most by spending my time helping everyone in the community. Because of this, I volunteer at programs such as Angle Tree. I volunteered at the MADD Camp, where we donate and wrap gifts for children in low-income areas, go to low-income communities and play games with kids. Even though this isn't directly helping those struggling with drug addiction, I feel this is what I can do to help the most as of right now.