Earlier in my life I was one of those less fortunate kids who did not have a mom or a dad around to raise me. Even though life was tough and was not like most kids in my day, I was blessed enough to have a village of women around me who taught me the ends and outs of womanhood, integrity, and the importance of education, work ethics, and my career goals. I was raised by my grandmother and I was lucky enough to have 3 elder women who raised and took care of me. These women were old in age but wise in all of their years. They inspired me to work hard and achieve my goals while I was younger and able to achieve these goals. My grandmothers taught me the importance of keeping my word, dressing to make an impression, speaking with integrity, and finishing what I started. They taught me the importance of making lasting relationships in business, personal life, and in school. That respect and honor for others will take me far and help me in keeping a good report with work place and business partners. Having that guidance and lessons taught to me as a youth imparted so much wisdom that remains even in the years of me being in school and obtaining my degree in Sociology. As I venture in obtaining my degree in Sociology I plan on being the change agent and help to other women that are in need of guidance and life journeying just as I needed as a kid. Even as I am obtaining my degree in Sociology, I am an active help in my community helping as an ordained minister helping other women and teenage girls with daily life challenges. I plan on using my degree in Social Services and Prison Reform. I want to help people navigate through their traumas, shortcomings, and experiences helping them in healing and navigating them back to their destiny goals and being outstanding citizens for their communities. It is important for women to help lead other women with support and inspiration in order for them to succeed in their goals and dreams for college and in their careers. If it was not for the guidance and inspiration from my grandmothers I would have not obtained the success in work, relationships, and obtaining my decree. Their inspiration has stayed with me as I go forth in getting my degree I will be able to help other women as well. With limited mentors in the professional and personal relationships and work places, I plan on helping limit discrimination amongst a male-dominated environment by supporting other women throughout their careers in order to bring about gender parity in the workforce.

My name is Karinsa Morgan and I am an African American mother of three children. I decided to pursue my dreams by going to college and obtaining my degree in Sociology and a concentration in Prison Reform. I will be a first-generation college graduate in my family and I plan to make a positive impact in my community through socioeconomic reformation. My passion is to help people of adversity overcome and become outstanding citizens by reforming them from prison back into society. I have personally dealt with socioeconomic adversity by having to juggle work, school, kids, and home which has me in a season of struggle sometimes just to put food on the table. This Scholarship has provided an opportunity for financial assistance to help me attain my educational goals by adding amount of financial stability, helping to assist with books, and paying for shelter. Going back to school at an older age allows me to focus more on the goal of finishing my work and obtaining my degree with an outstanding GPA performance. I am currently excelling in my classes and striving to be an overachiever in my academic endeavors. This scholarship will help assist me in a more clear focus on my academics and less on providing financial support to my children and household. Socioeconomic adversity has influenced my beliefs, relationships, and future plans in many ways. I believe that you can achieve anything you put your mind to without giving up because of adversity. Socioeconomic adversity has influenced my relationships with others because I am not quick to judge others due to their lack of behavior not knowing their struggles. I plan on using my degree to change communities and systems of oppression that have held African-American men and women in captivity and socioeconomic adversity. While obtaining my degree is an additional goal some things may strain from the pull of being the only support for my family. While being determined to finish with my goals I plan on helping others in my career choices. My goals are to finish with an Associate Degree in Sociology and a concentration in Prison Reform and I will transfer on to obtain a BS and MS in social work while using my degree to go around the system of justice and practicing reformation. To help in my community among other people is to offer a way to change the narrative of their circumstances while teaching them to never give up on who God has created them to be.

My name is Karinsa Morgan and I am an African American mother of three children. I decided persue my dreams by going to college and obtaining my degree in Sociology and a concentration in Prison Reform. I will be a first generational college graduate in my family and the Hyacinth Malcolm Memorial Scholarship will help me in attaining my education goals in many ways. Having to juggle work, school, kids, and home has me in a season of struggle sometimes just to put food on the table. Being a full-time single mother of three children while attending school is not easy also while being the first person in my generation to graduate and finish college, the weight of changing my family dynamics is also heavy. The Hyacinth Malcolm Memorial Scholarship has provided an opportunity for financial assistance to help me attain my educational goals by adding an additional amount of financial stability, helping to assist with books, and paying for shelter. The Hyacinth Malcolm Memorial Scholarship will help the stability of emotional stressors as well that may come with doing schoolwork and life circumstances. Going back to school at an older age allows me to focus more on the goal of finishing my work and obtaining my degree with an outstanding GPA performance. I am currently excelling in my classes and striving to be an overachiever in my academic endeavors. This scholarship will help assist me in a more clear focus on my academics and less on providing financial support to my children and household. As a single parent, my first goal is to provide physical, emotional, and monetary support for the children. I relate to Mrs Hyacinth in many ways coming from a difficult background myself and wanting to create a better life for my kids and I. I plan on using my degree to not only make a better life for myself and my children, but also change communities and systems of oppression that has held African American men and women in captivity. While obtaining my degree is an additional goal some things may strain from the pull of being the only support for my family. While being determined to finish with my goals I plan on helping others in my career choices. My goals are to finish with an Associate Degree in Sociology and an concentration in Prison Reform and I will transfer on to obtain a BS and MS in social work while using my degree to go around the system of justice and practicing reformation.

Having a mother that deals with mental health shifted my life in a major way as far back as my childhood. I have always had the heart to see the mentally challenged set free from the torment that they have to experience. My mother was diagnosed with Bi-Poler, schizophrenia leaving me and my sister to help figure out what was best for her but also help in raising her in a sense. Growing up at an early age we were able to do trial and error on how to live with and handle those with a mental health issue. Some things go unnoticed concerning mental health simply for the lack of knowledge. In God's word he says, those will perish for the lack of knowledge and in some instances, those who suffer from this disease have parish from the lack of teaching. I think on national, state, school, community, family, and personal levels to address the crisis in America concerning mental health would be, more teachings, classes, and seminars where counselors and advocates will have the heart to spread the knowledge, resources, information, and time that will help those that need these services. Some existing approach that was successful for us while dealing with my mom's mental health was the posture in communication. My grandmother would say you can attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. To convince someone with mental health in getting treatment, effectively communicate their needs and wants, and also express themself effectively some keys are to suggest the help they need while letting them make the steps to receive the help. Talking to them nicely and respectfully while making them feel capable of making those decisions are great examples. To get ahead of a situation or a crisis, you go after it head-on. To get a hold of this crisis we will need all hands on board to spread awareness, along with the knowledge and information on how to help while getting adequate treatment for those who are suffering. Some of the people who deal with mental health issues do not get the appropriate help or medicine because they do not feel like they have an issue or they do not want people to see them differently. Providing a safe space for those dealing with the disease and helping them to see the great benefits of getting help is what's needed to help fight this battle.

My name is Karinsa Morgan and incarceration has impacted my life in a major way. I graduated high school in 2004 and shortly after graduating I moved to Florida to pursue my education in Fashion Design. I was not able to finish my degree and had to eventually move back home due to hardship. While back at home, I worked a lot of dead-end jobs to be able to fully take care of myself. I wound up heading in the wrong direction with the wrong people indulging in the wrong things. I got pregnant in 2006 and had my first child while trying to figure out life and what I was going to do with a child. I got into drugs very badly and I decided to sell drugs to make money to provide for my kid. On Friday the 13th of 2012 I got pulled over on the highway by a state trooper and I was booked into jail on a class A felon of Trafficking Cannabis with a million-dollar bond. This day was a transformation in my life and the beginning of my learned experiences. It turned out to be the best day of my life as I was more focused on being a better person and learning how to overcome adversities. I began to dream again and move forward in making my life better for me and my child. It took a while for me to overcome the next steps of my life with dealing with my new charges, paying for my probation, and establishing myself in the community. As I grew I had two more kids and I became even more stable and structured in life and taking care of them. I am now in a position where I have overcome my incarcerated past and I have enrolled back in college to pursue higher learning. I plan to graduate and show my kids, the community, and my sphere of influence that even though we may make a bad decision, we can always change.

Being a single mother of three full-time student kids as I am returning to school full-time has many challenges. As I embrace my new challenges with time management, being the provider, and governing over the children's lives, my challenges of school management, paying the bills, and putting food on the table have increased. I have a sixteen-year-old son, a nine-year-old, and six-year-old daughters that I love tremendously; they look up to me for almost everything. Returning to school for me is not only beneficial for my family's future, but it is also empowering as I am the first person in my family generation that will have a college degree. It would be unfair for me to express the joy and excitement that I have in returning to college without telling the fear and challenges that I face with being enrolled and finishing school. My children are excited that I am in college and it gives them hope that they can go to college too, but their mother is scared to let them down by not being able to afford food, supplies, or the basic things that they need because of my time that has been split from school and work. I have faced the challenges of paying my rent, getting them the necessary clothing and shoes, and paying my utilities, not to mention gas, car note, and maintenance. Being a full-time single mom is challenging in itself and adding a full-time student to my many hats is a lot to bear. I hate for my children to see me stressed and having to look at expenses and how it affects them. Children shouldn't have to worry about expenses and having their necessities while being kids, for it is the responsibility of the parents to provide for them. I am currently overcoming my obstacles every day, one step at a time as I have officially finished my first semester with a 3.7 GPA and all A's with one B for my first courses. Even though financial hardship is a major distraction, I overcame every obstacle and went towards my goal of having a 4.0 GPA and being an overachiever. The challenges of life are sometimes hard to stay clear from, but with hard work and dedication, I will be able to achieve the goal of my degree. Being awarded this scholarship will help me to overcome some challenges I face with being a full-time mother in college and providing for my children. I am eager to finish my goals strong and to go into the future accomplishing my career goals and being in a better financial state for the lively hood of my family.