As a college student who recently moved from the suburbs of Colorado to the small town of Arcata, California, I have faced significant challenges in adjusting to life on my own. Being far away from my support system has led me to grapple with feelings of loneliness, self-doubt, and the growing complexities of adulthood. While I have found new friendships with my peers, building those relationships takes time and can only thrive if I can first prioritize my own well-being. As someone with ADHD and anxiety, I often feel like my brain is in constant motion—like a tempest in a teapot. Small distractions can quickly escalate in my mind, often leading to overthinking simple choices, miscommunications, and situations that magnify my stress. This has been a lifelong struggle for me, but over the past year, I’ve made a concerted effort to manage my mental health. Therapy, medication, and mentorship have all been vital tools, but the practice of constant mindfulness has been essential to maintaining my sense of balance and stability. Since moving to California, I’ve been utilizing campus resources to find a new therapist and continue my medication, but I soon realized that the lack of physical care had been contributing to a decline in my mental health. With encouragement from friends and my partner, I’ve established a steady hiking routine and committed to participating in the university's fencing club two to three times per week. The community forest behind campus has become a place of solace for me, where I can clear my mind, and fencing has provided me with both a confidence boost and a sense of belonging. In addition to these physical activities, I began a mindfulness mentorship program that encourages me to be more conscious of my daily thoughts, actions, and agreements. Journaling has become an integral part of this process—writing about my mental health, intentions, and the agreements I make helps me clarify what is in my head and identify what I need to work on. I’ve learned that my mental and physical health are interconnected; one cannot thrive without the other. Together, they form the foundation for building healthy relationships, excelling academically, and living a fulfilling life. While I acknowledge that there will be days when I don’t feel my best, I remain committed to showing up each day, practicing the habits and tools that allow me to continue growing and moving forward.

Dear Kalia D. Davis Memorial Scholarship Committee,  I deeply resonate with Kalia D. Davis’s story and commitment to kindness, community, and excellence. Like Kalia, I am driven by ambitions to give back to the world—promoting inclusion, education, and curiosity—while becoming my best and most authentic self. Kalia’s story inspires me to excel beyond limits and utilize every moment to make a difference. Kalia’s experiences resonate with me as I participated in track and cross country throughout my school years. Running taught me discipline, resilience, and the importance of lifting others rather than comparing myself to them early in life. The drive it instilled in me carries over into my academics, activism, and current sports, shaping the person I am today. Kalia’s academic excellence mirrors my ambition for education. I am deeply passionate about learning because every skill I acquire brings me closer to achieving my goals. My drive, however, is not solely for personal gain—I strive to make meaningful contributions to the world.  I aim to promote biodiversity conservation by researching solutions to plant pathogens and habitat degradation. Simultaneously, I will amplify the voices of BIPOC and women scientists through scientific journalism. Sharing their groundbreaking work can inspire underrepresented individuals to envision themselves in STEM careers, fostering inclusivity and innovation.  Like Kalia, I aspire to impact the bigger picture. After college, I plan to join the Peace Corps, where I can combine my scientific knowledge with community-based efforts. This opportunity would allow me to promote sustainable practices while fostering inclusion and education worldwide. By embodying Kalia’s resilience and kindness, I aim to bring positive change to communities around the globe.  Kalia’s dedication to fostering resilience and connection within her community inspires me to do the same. I actively support my peers by inviting them to study, exercise, and participate in campus activities with me. As a member of my university’s fencing club, I’ve found a strong, driven community that motivates me to excel. These connections reflect the values Kalia upheld.  Like Kalia, I plan to work during college to help fund my tuition and other necessary expenses. This scholarship would alleviate financial pressures for me and my family, allowing me to focus on academic excellence, building community, and pursuing my long-term goals. I can honor Kalia’s legacy through my actions and achievements. I strive to make a lasting difference in the world by inspiring others to pursue excellence, lead with kindness and resilience, and find beauty in every moment. By awarding me this scholarship, you would enable me to honor Kalia’s memory and values as I work to create a better, more inclusive, and sustainable world. Thank you for considering my application. May Kalia’s memory and legacy inspire all who learn her story.

I grew up in an off-grid sustainable house in New Mexico that utilized a worm composting toilet, solar panels, wind energy, rain catchment systems, passive solar for heating, and a composting system. I grew up learning that caring for my environment will make it flourish, but most children don't get that luxury. At most they might watch the Lorax and media movements for sustainability. Living in the desert, I saw some of the most beautiful ecosystems ever. Little clusters of yellow and purple flowers sprouted from the ground when the rain came, and hummingbirds and butterflies regularly visited our garden. We didn't see much plastic or water pollution in the middle of nowhere. I’ve found that I have seen much more pollution in green spaces and secluded hiking trails than I ever did at my home in the desert. Many don't notice the consequences of their unsustainable practices until it's too late. Farmers don't realize heavy equipment compacts their soils, exacerbating water pollution through nitrate runoff. Young children of my generation don't realize how plastic gummy bags and juice boxes will go to landfills that pollute the earth. We must educate the general public through sustainability programs and mandate recycling and compost systems. It is too much to expect everyone to be responsible independently, but if sustainable practices are mandated, we can protect our planet's viability and biodiversity. Nobody wants animals to die or fresh waterways to be contaminated, but many don't feel it's their job to fix the world. Yet scientists can't fix the world on their own. We need advocates for sustainability, and we need our nation to mandate it because small organizations can only hold back pollution for so long. Without these measures, our world will become barren, dirty, and something resembling the end of the Lorax.

I can't say that any specific experience motivated me towards higher education, but it excites me. I have always had a curiosity inside me for every little thing. When I was little, I loved bugs— butterflies, spiders, bees, beetles, scorpions— you name it. I still love them. But I don't see butterflies or bees as often now, and the beetles that hide in roses are less prevalent. Other creatures, such as hummingbirds and frogs, also appear less frequently in my life. And there's something else missing, too. Plants. I took AP Environmental Science in my junior year. It showed me just how much of an impact the flora of our ecosystems make. They are the foundational energy source for everything. They bring the groceries for the soil, insects, and animals. They drink the water so it doesn't run off and pollute our waterways, killing fish and amphibians. They are everything, and we are destroying their capability to live. So, I have chosen to major in botany at California State Polytechnic Humboldt to protect the natural world I love. Plants constantly intrigue me. In freshman biology, our study of the cellular system of a plant was much more interesting to me than any animal. I begged my family to get me a telescope for Christmas because I love looking at the cells and makeup of plants under the lens. While they all have similar cell structures, seeing how their unique qualities, like petals, steam, and rings, look up close is always interesting. A plant's ability to perform photosynthesis is incredible to me. Taking light and making energy with dark glass solar panels makes sense, but a plant's process of photosynthesis is truly a miracle. I look forward to learning the depths of the process in college. I also look forward to learning the anatomy and physiology of the various plants the redwood forests offer. Humboldt offers classes in mycology, which I'm keenly interested in. I want to learn in-depth how forest ecosystems work to support each other and how fungi can aid in this. With the knowledge a college education gives me, I hope to pursue a career in ecological conservation, especially in forests. I love trees, and since they are vital weapons in the battle against climate change, I will protect them at all costs. So, what motivates me to a higher education? Nature, and every experience I have had with it. There is a decline in the things I love and the things we need to survive healthily. I want to make a world where unsustainable practices will not threaten the shared experience between humankind and nature. I want the next generation to experience the beauty I have, and I want to learn everything I can on the way.

I come from a split home, and in my freshman year, my relationship with my parents was unsteady. I lived with my mother solely in Colorado, and my father was in New Mexico. While they were not fighting legal battles against each other, they found ways to fight through and over me. Additionally, I have many interests and elected to participate in all of them, from athletics to performance to arts. Then, I got a boyfriend and found I had too little time to give to everything I loved. Suddenly, I could not handle the world around me. My mental health began to decline from the stress, and on top of it all, I was assaulted by someone whom I had seen as a friend at the end of my sophomore year. I have fought a long, hard battle of healing, remission, and self-work to get where I am now. In May of 2023, I was struggling severly and convinced myself that no one should endure me and everything would be better for me and others if I disappeared. I was close to failing my honors pre-calculus class, and I barely managed to end my junior year with a C- despite hours of work and late evenings at home. I isolated myself from everyone who could help me in school. But I’m still here because I asked for help. Since then, I have begun equine therapy, medication, and the beginnings of EMDR therapy to aid me in self-betterment and care. I attend therapy once every week where I work on anxiety management, refocusing attention, and grounding. Before I started therapy and medication, I often found myself overwhelmed with my emotions in school. I was stressed by every little thing and lashed out at the people around me if they slightly irritated me. I did little self-care at home and often procrastinated work because I was so tired from my emotions at the end of the day. They were so tiring because I couldn’t define them, which made everything more challenging to control and navigate. Now, though, I have a wheel of emotions and self-care practices supplied by my therapist that help me identify and navigate my feelings. I also keep a journal where I write down three good things that happened each day, one reason I am proud of myself, and one person I am grateful for and why. The practice helps me focus on the good before bed, even if the day was terrible. It refocuses my attention and helps me sleep better, without dwelling on negatives or stressors of the day. It also builds my self-esteem. When I feel unworthy of myself, others, or life, I can reflect on it and remember the meaningful things I’ve done. I am now able to take leadership positions in school without crippling anxiety dragging me down, and I no longer lie awake at night paranoid that something dreadful will happen to me. I try to walk at least once a week and attend fencing every Tuesday night. I’ve found supportive friendships and have become better at saying no to myself and others when making commitments. My relationships yield more conversations than fights, and when I’m unsure how to communicate, I consult my therapist. I enjoy helping my friends with their anxiety when they ask for it, and I often find myself recommending strategies my therapist has recommended to me. I know I have much more to learn about mental health, and I am constantly working on communication, taking control, and breathing, because I look forward to the health that will follow.