I always knew that I wanted to go to college, it was not until my sophomore year of high school when I figured out what I wanted to go for. I found a degree program for culinology, which is a combination of food science and culinary arts. This has been a very interesting path to go down as I get to learn about food secrets and the best way to prepare them. Going to college for the past two years has been an experience. I never expected to meet new friends so quickly or feel like I was at home in a place that was hours away. Yes, going to college is about receiving higher education so you can hopefully make a higher income and be better off later in life. But college is not just about that, to me college is about the friends and memories that you make along the way. I have been able to make numerous connections with people I meet in class along with those I get to know at church. I told myself going into college that I needed to break out of my shell. To my surprise that has been working, and I have been able to make great memories with those around me and explore possible career paths that I never knew existed. There have been some stressful times, but I would not trade in the precious memories I have been able to create. Ultimately, I would like to run a cafe while putting my degree to use. Being able to know how certain foods work together can help me create a unique menu. I can also showcase different techniques I have learned from my culinary courses along with those I have picked up along the way. My cafe would be based on a farm to table concept, where I grow what I can and locally source the rest. This will allow me to know where my ingredients come from and how they are being grown. It will help to ensure that I am getting fresh ingredients while also supporting local farmers. A portion of the proceeds would go to St. Jude and Le Bonheur since they have helped me so much with a disability I was diagnosed with at five. They provided care to help me live more of a normal life even with X linked dominant disorder. With this disability comes a spiral of health issues including things like epilepsy, scoliosis, and hearing just to name a few. I have been looked at differently because of this, but I refuse to let their words bring me down. I continue to push forward regardless of the challenges because I know God has my back and always will. I want to help those who have helped me and allowed me to be where I am today.

Ever since I was little, I dreamed of a career where I could bake for a living. This passion spurred from helping my mom make things like buckeyes and snickerdoodles for the holidays. While in middle and high school I knew I wanted to go to college, but I did not know exactly what I wanted my major to be. When I started looking into colleges, I found a degree program called culinology. A friend of mine was going to college for this exact thing and told me that it was a mix between culinary arts and food science. This piqued my interest, and I am about to head into my junior year of college. It has been fascinating to learn about things like sensory evaluation and how to look into food trends and marketing. Before I graduate, I would like to see what working in a test kitchen would look like. I feel like this would be a very unique experience while also helping me figure out a couple things for my long-term goal. When I graduate, I would like to pursue my dreams of baking for a living, in the form of running a cafe. Having a background in food science allows me to know why certain foods go together and how different cooking methods affect the flavors, texture, and appearance. While practicing culinary would allow me to be able to perform techniques I might not have known otherwise. I would also like to make it farm to table which plays into my minor environmental sustainability. It has been eye opening to see the effects that herbicides and pesticides have not only on us but also the ecosystem. Large amounts of these chemicals tend to be used and a portion of it tends to run into water sources. Sustainable foods are on the rise. The plan would be to grow what I can and locally source the rest. This not only allows me to play into the sustainable food trend, but it lets me know where exactly my ingredients are coming from and how they are being grown. Depending on the ingredients available there would be a seasonal or rotating menu. I believe this will help me stand out from the competition by providing foods that people may not have seen before. When I am able to run my cafe, I would be donating a portion of the proceeds to places like St. Jude and Le Bonheur. The staff provide care for families at no extra cost so they can focus on each other instead of how they are going to pay the medical bill. These places have helped me and my family greatly. I had a seizure that lasted four and a half hours when I was five. By the grace of God, I was able to be rushed to Le Bonheur and their staff took care of me for the next couple of months. They were trying to figure out what could have caused that long of a seizure. Shortly after I was diagnosed with X linked dominant disorder. Long story short half of my X chromosomes do not function properly, or at all. My condition is so rare that very little research has been done but a lot of health problems stem from this including neurological, scoliosis, digestive issues, and much more. People look at and treat me differently when they figure out I have this disorder, but I do not let it define me. I live by Philippians 4:13, “Anything is possible through Christ Who strengthens me.” I have faced many challenges, and more are likely to come, but I know that God has my back and always will. I want to give back to these places because they have helped me live more of a normal life. Also, with the leftover food I would be donating it to food banks and to those who may not have food on their tables. No one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from or if they are going to get one at all. We are called to help others and give generously, even if that means giving up all that we have. I want to give back to my community and I feel like these are a couple of ways I can do that. I have been given a servant’s heart, and I want to help others as they have helped me. They have encouraged me to pursue my dreams, and I would like to help them in any way I can, even if that is just by providing them with a meal. Receiving this scholarship would not only put me one step closer to my degree, but also closer to achieving my goal of running a cafe and helping the community. It would allow me to stress less about how I am going to pay for rising tuition, books, and rent. By having less stress about how I am going to pay for these things I can put my focus on my education while not having to work a job on top of going to school. This allows me to be the best student I can be and have more time to pursue my passion for baking. Not to mention this will make it less likely for me to get burnt out and overworked. The time I would spend baking would include recipe testing and development for items I plan to sell later on in my cafe. As a result of being able to spend this time testing things out I can see what people prefer and put my name out there in the process. I have been thinking about this for a while, especially lately since it seems closer than ever. I plan to start recipe testing and developing soon. Going to school for culinology has definitely relit the spark that I once had. This will hopefully allow me to gain more traction and make this dream of mine a reality.

My journey into Christianity may have seemed normal on the outside, but it was life changing on the inside. I grew up in a household where we went to church when it was convenient for us. We went to a church where I felt like I got pushed to the side, even when being put into a class with kids my age. It was overstimulating and I found myself feeling alone when I was there. I believe that was due to how large the church was so it felt like you could not make much of a personal connection with others. My family ended up taking a break from church for a few years. It was not until eighth grade that I started to truly explore my faith. I was invited day after day to come to a friend’s church. After months of him asking I finally agreed. When I walked into the youth group there were about ten people, they asked about my day and to talk a bit about me. I immediately felt welcomed. It was this encounter that made me start to delve into my faith. I started to come to church consistently, I even encouraged, and got, my mom to come. I began to study God’s Word daily and volunteered around the church. I mainly volunteered at the cafe, passing out coffee and providing people with snacks. Taking the time to volunteer strengthened my passion of wanting to help others through food. I started to feel at home at this church and in tenth grade I devoted my life to Christ and was baptized. Another factor that contributed to giving my life to Christ was holding myself to such high expectations in school. I wanted to get perfect grades in all of my classes, but that was getting harder the further I moved along in school. I realized that I could not bear this weight by myself any longer, and that I do not need to please myself, but my Creator. His burden is light, and His yoke is easy to bear (Matthew 11:30). This did not mean that I quit trying in school, but I realized that my worth is not found in my grades, but in God. I still continued to do my best, but I did not continue to hold myself to such high standards. My career aspirations and goals have changed a bit over the years. Now that I am in college studying culinology I would like to experience what working in a test kitchen would be like. I feel like this would be a neat opportunity, possibly getting to develop the next big product. It would allow me to see how much work goes into developing these products while also putting my culinary knowledge to the test. But as of right now that is a short-term goal. I ultimately want to run a cafe, but one that is farm to table. The farm to table concept plays off of my minor, environmental sustainability. Over the past two years I have taken classes that have opened my eyes to how agriculture is impacting our daily lives. I never realized how things like herbicides and pesticides can affect us. More times than not these chemicals end up in rivers and affect the surrounding ecosystems. A farm to table concept would encourage me to grow what I can while sourcing everything else from local and sustainable farmers. This concept can also play into foods that are in season, inspiring new menu items. I would like my cafe to be a place where people can grab a filling lunch, a sweet treat for them, or even for their pets. I want it to have a welcoming atmosphere and for my business to let people know that they are loved. A portion of the proceeds would be donated to places like St. Jude and Le Bonheur since God has put their staff in my life to help me through various surgeries. I want to donate to these hospitals so that they can continue to help families find cures for their children at no additional cost. I plan for any leftover food to be donated to food banks and given to those who may not have food on their tables. No one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from or if they will have one at all. I would like to give back to my community in any way possible as they continue to encourage me to pursue my goals. God has blessed me with a servant’s heart, and I do not want to miss out on giving back. Receiving this scholarship will greatly help in pursuing my academic and professional endeavors. It would take worries away about how I am going to pay for rising tuition, food, books, rent, and loans. This opportunity would also allow me to put more focus on my passion of helping others through baking. Placing me one step closer to be able to reach out to those in my community who may have never heard of me. I would be able to donate more to causes like St. Jude who has helped me and other families alike. These places are so important to me because I was diagnosed with X linked dominant disorder when I was five. This was after having a seizure that lasted four and a half hours. The St. Jude and Le Bonheur staff, through the grace of God, performed multiple surgeries throughout my life so I can live somewhat of a normal one. I know some days will be harder than others, not being able to do certain things is tough. But I know that anything is possible through Christ Who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). This is a verse I live by, I have been through many challenges, with more to come, but I will not let them stop me. Christ is fighting for me, and I believe I have been called to serve through the passion He has given me for baking. Regardless of what the world tries to tell me, I will continue to pursue my goals, knowing that God is in control and that He has my back.

My love for cooking came from watching and helping my mom in the kitchen. Since I was little, I always had a joy for baking. I helped my mom make various types of cookies and buckeyes for the holidays. I feel like my passion for being in the kitchen also stems from constantly having Food Network playing in the background. I find it so interesting what the chefs can come up with while facing time constraints and other challenges. Cooking also challenges me to be creative and step out of the box. Over the years I have got to experience what it is like to study culinary arts. In high school I got the chance to take two years of culinary classes, this set in stone my passion of wanting to pursue this as a career. Now I am about to start my junior year at university, majoring in culinology. Though my dream of owning a bakery has shifted more towards a cafe I still have the desire to run some form of restaurant. It brings me joy to see and hear that people enjoy my food and encourage me to pursue this dream. Food brings people together and I would like to be a part of that. I ultimately want to help the community with my cooking. I want to give the proceeds to places like St. Jude and Le Bonheur since the staff there has helped to change my life and many others. Any leftovers I plan to give to food banks and those who may not be fortunate enough to have food on their tables. I have been blessed with this passion and a servant's heart; I would like to give back in any way possible.

Faith plays a very important role in my life; it has gotten me to be where I am today. It took me a while to trust in God and devote my life to Him. I grew up in a family that went to church every now and then, but the church we went to did not feel like home. It wasn’t until middle school that I started to be active in my faith and going to church. I was invited multiple times by a friend to come and see what the youth group was all about. After a few months of him inviting me, I finally decided to give it a shot, to see truly what this Christ thing was all about. I immediately felt at home and comfortable with the people there, they did not ignore me but made me feel welcome. About two years later I gave my life to Christ, realizing that I can do nothing on my own. I felt the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders, the high expectations I set for myself going away. I finally felt a peace with myself that I never had before, and it felt amazing! In middle and high school, I set such high expectations for myself, things that seemed impossible. I strived to get an A in all of my classes in hopes that would make me happy and fulfilled. But in my sophomore year was when I gave my life up to Christ. Trying to reach these expectations was putting more and more stress on myself, especially as I started taking college level courses. I realized that I could not do life on my own anymore, that I needed a Rock, and a Firm Foundation, and that was God. I started to be purposeful with what I did, I made time throughout the day to read His word and study it. I became encouraged to lift songs of praise up to Him and pray to Him. Yes, I still did my best in school, but I did not let the stress of it get to me. I learned to remind myself that it does not matter what grade I get, but if I am displaying Christ in what I do. I still have to remind myself of that today as I prepare to head into my junior year of college. Some days are a lot more stressful than others, but I try not to let it dominate my life. The only Person who is in control is God, and He knows what will happen next. I have to remember to find comfort in Him, and Him alone. As it is written in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him. And He shall direct your paths." The person that pushed me to seek higher education would be my mom. She is a big advocate for higher education whether that be at a trade school, community college, or university. She has also supported me every step of the way. She encourages me to chase my dreams, regardless of how big or small they may be. She has been there through the highs and the lows, the calls between classes, and driving down just to share a meal. It is the times spent baking with her that has sparked an interest in running a cafe one day. I am currently in school for culinology, which is a combination of food science and culinary arts. She also encouraged me to minor in environmental sustainability instead of double majoring in business. Through the challenges and the good times, I know she will always be there. I have been blessed to have a supportive mom, and I pray that I could be that encouragement to someone else.

I was diagnosed with X-Linked Dominant disorder when I was five after having a seizure that lasted four and a half hours. As a result of X-Linked Dominant disorder half of my X chromosomes do not function properly or they do not work at all. This not only affects me mentally but also physically. The biggest physical thing that I deal with on a day-to-day basis would be scoliosis. I had to receive a spinal fusion when I was twelve due to the curve in my spine, if we were to wait any longer it could have punctured my heart or lungs. Because of this I deal with a lot of pain on a daily basis, sometimes allowing me to get little to nothing done. My disability has greatly impacted my schooling. From elementary to my sophomore year, I ended up missing a lot due to doctors' appointments and surgeries. I realized from early on that these places would end up becoming my second home. But I did not allow these things to hold me back. I hold myself to high standards and I am determined to reach them regardless of how long it may take me. Despite being made fun of and being rejected by classmates I engrossed myself into my work. My goal was to be the best I could, and I believe I reached that by the end of my senior year of high school. Due to putting my focus on myself instead of what the world wanted me to think I graduated with honors and am going into my junior year of college this fall. To be honest, I do not know where I would be if I did not face the challenges I have and continue to. I wholeheartedly believe they are continuing to shape me and make me into who I am today. I am currently going to college for my bachelor’s degree. I am majoring in culinology, which is a combination of food science and culinary arts, and I am minoring in environmental sustainability. Additional funds would greatly help me in my journey to get my bachelor’s degree. It would take some stress away in figuring out how I would pay for things like tuition, books, food, and rent. I would also be able to put my full focus on my education instead of having to split my time between working, going to school, and having a home life. After college I plan to give back to the community. I would like to run my own bakery or cafe, all the proceeds going to places like St. Jude and Le Bonheur, along with any additional food being donated to food banks and those in need. I want to help those who have helped me while also providing help for those who need it.

Ever since I had a seizure in kindergarten I was diagnosed with X-linked Dominant disorder. This results in a slew of health problems, including epilepsy, scoliosis, hearing, eyesight, digestive, and many other issues. Long story short, half of my X chromosomes do not function correctly or at all. I was told that if my brother were to be dealing with this, he would not be alive, so I count it as a miracle that I am still here. The most notable thing I deal with today is epilepsy. I feel like I have always been looked at differently, I missed school a lot due to doctors' appointments and surgeries. I also have not been able to do a lot of things that I would like or that my friends do. I got made fun of a lot, whether my classmates realized what they were doing or not. Some days are harder than others, but I try not to let that get to me. I take things a day, sometimes even a task, at a time. I realize that I have to live my life a bit differently than others, but I have learned to not be so quick to compare my life to those around me. Regardless of the challenges I face with epilepsy, scoliosis, and many other issues, I make the most out of my time here. Despite the doctor's office and hospital being my second home, I pushed myself academically and was able to graduate high school with honors. I have also been able to make some great friends that have stuck with me through these challenges, not caring about my disability. Currently I am working towards my bachelor's degree, my major being culinology with a minor in environmental sustainability. I eventually would like to be able to run a bakery or cafe of my own. I know I am heading into a career path that requires a lot of hard work along with early mornings and late nights. But just as I have gone through high school, I will continue to push myself and strive to reach my goals. No matter what anyone tells me is impossible or not with my disability I will continue to move forward. I will not let my life be controlled by what people say I can and cannot do, but I will strive to do and be the best I can.

My ultimate goal is to own a bakery. To do this I am seeking a bachelor's degree in Culinology, which is a hybrid of food science and culinary arts. My minor is Environmental sustainability, this is helping me learn how I can grow my own foods and how I can help protect the environment. I have finished my first year of schooling and truly enjoy what I am doing. I want to keep pursuing my goals but trying to pay for college has been difficult. I would love to be a baker but have more of an understanding of how food works and the science behind it. Getting my degree would greatly help me in having this background. After I graduate my goal is to use my bakery to help those in need, with funds going to St. Jude, Le Bohneur, and any leftovers going to less fortunate families. These organizations have helped me greatly and are one of the reasons I am still here today. This is because I was diagnosed with X linked dominant mutation, meaning half of my X chromosomes do not work leading to a spiral of health problems. During hard and easy times the people around me have encouraged me to help those in need, whether it's by providing them a meal or by having a conversation. I hope that I will be able to use my education to achieve my goal of owning a bakery, but also to help those in my community. I have always had the heart to serve and this is a way I can see myself doing that. I found out I had a heart to serve by going to church one day in middle school and figuring out that they had no one to serve the coffee. I quickly volunteered and have been serving the coffee for about six years now. This position has helped me realize that a smile can change someone's attitude for the day. I want to continue to be the person who can change someone’s mood and I would like to do that through pastries. This scholarship will help me greatly in pursuing my goals. I want to be able to serve those in my community while doing something I love, which is baking. I know owning a business is difficult, but I realize that having an education will help me to have a better chance in succeeding.

I have many different qualities and characteristics that are displayed on a daily basis. The one characteristic that I value the most about myself would have to be my perseverance. I would choose this trait because when I start something I am determined to finish it, regardless of how long it will take. This has helped me greatly in life, since I have gone through a variety of health problems. Despite these health conditions I have been even more motivated to continue reaching for my dreams. Which is to help people through the talents that I have been given, one of which is baking. Perseverance has greatly helped me on the journey of achieving my dreams. It has helped me expand my culinary outlook by taking classes pertaining to it in high school. It has also allowed me to open up more, becoming less of an introvert and more charismatic. Part of owning a small business is being charismatic, bonding with the customers. Having my mind set on my dreams has greatly helped me towards all the goals that I have to hit along the way. This is where my perseverance comes into play if I stop midway, it will never get done. I am grateful to have a hard-working mindset, if I did not then I would not even come close to where I am right now. I know that it is important for me to have perseverance because my dreams will not come true overnight. There are many challenges to owning a small business and I know that all I can do is push on regardless of the challenges that come my way. Once I have reached my dreams of owning a bakery, I plan to help out those in need. I will do this by donating any leftovers to food shelters and donate a portion of the bakery’s proceeds to foundations. Helping people has always been a thing close to my heart. I have many health problems that have limited me to doing things that I enjoy in life. This is one thing that would not have limitations for me and it would allow me to give back. In turn I would like to give back to the foundations that are helping those with health problems as well. So that these people will be encouraged to achieve their own dreams also. I do not want people to think that just because they have been diagnosed with something that their dreams are over, but that it's just beginning, sometimes with a few work arounds. I hope that what I am doing will encourage many more people to join and contribute to helping those in need.

A topic that captivates me in culinary arts is the baking and the pastry areas. It fascinates me that all of these beautiful desserts are made on a daily basis. This is the area that I would like to have my culinary career in because desserts and pastries have interested me from a very young age. Desserts have always been something that I enjoy making in the kitchen because, who doesn’t like to have something sweet every now and then? I would also like to experiment with pastries because my comfort zone is things like cakes, cookies, and brownies. So, I hope to expand to pastries in the near future. My goal in life is to own a bakery right out of college. This would be a dream of mine to accomplish, it would also allow me to help out our community by giving back. It brings me joy to help people and see a smile on their face from something that I have helped them with. This is why I help out every week at our church’s cafe. I serve people every week, bringing a smile to their face when handing them a coffee. I hope to convey this attitude when I also own my bakery, helping those in need by donating leftovers and a portion of the profits to various organizations. Going to college for a culinology degree would help me understand the science behind these dishes. It will also help me expand my culinary knowledge by learning new techniques and creating dishes that I have never made before. This would also give me the courage and the knowledge that I would need to expand my horizons in what I create and show to the world. Ever since I started taking culinary classes in high school it has pushed me even further to want to continue my career in this subject. I feel like taking more culinary based classes in college will give me the knowledge that I need to continue on the path of owning my own bakery. So, I will continue to follow this path for my life, helping those through my baking. I know this will be a difficult thing to accomplish but all that I can do is give it my all, persevering until the end. Having this knowledge of how food works and many different techniques in my pocket will help me along this journey.