Travel can be like hitting the refresh button on life. When you step out into the unknown, you're not just exploring new places; I’m also discovering parts of myself I might not have known existed. I received an opportunity to immerse myself in African culture by studying abroad in Tanzania for the Summer of 2024(May 15-27th). College has crafted a narrative unbeknownst to myself and allowed me to see the extent of my abilities. College has also provided me with valuable resources about life, it is also a pool of networking that has given me lifetime friendships. I am a first generation student double majoring in Dental Hygiene and Public Health. It's like each journey is a new chapter in your story, filled with lessons and memories that shape who I am. These experiences build resilience, adaptability, and confidence. I will have a successful career as a Dental Hygienist and Epidemiology researcher. Service is my way of paying forward and expressing gratitude for things I have been able to accomplish until I’m able to give back through my career. My personal morals and upbringing are solely responsible for my share of giving back to my community. I plan to give back as the service project coordinator for Epidemiology kits in Tanzania. Many remote or underserved communities in Tanzania lack reliable access to healthcare facilities. Health kits could provide essential items like bandages, antiseptics, and basic medications, allowing residents to address minor health issues without having to travel long distances. By equipping community health workers or volunteers with these kits, the local population can take a more active role in managing their own health needs, rather than relying solely on overburdened clinics. It's about breaking out of my comfort zone, which can lead to personal growth and a new perspective on life. Every new place I visit, every unique person I meet, adds a new layer to my understanding of the world and my place in it. Travel introduces you to people with different lifestyles and perspectives, which can lead to lifelong friendships and a deeper appreciation for the diversity of human experience. It's these moments of connection that often have the most lasting impact, teaching us empathy and understanding. In essence, travel isn't just about the places you go; it's about the journey within and the person you become along the way. Kassidy S. Woodson

Being black means setting the standard and thriving in environments that do not welcome me with open arms. I will be motivated to embrace the journey of self-improvement and always push myself to new heights. I will be an outlet of black representation in my career field that amplifies minority voices gone unheard in healthcare. I’m currently a second year student double majoring Dental Hygiene and Public Health at Tennessee State University. I’m from a small town called Coila, MS. After graduation I intend to be a cosmetic dentist and epidemiology researcher. Public health services play a crucial role in our communities here in the United States. Plan to impact the community and world. Cost effectiveness and personalized medicine. I hope to gain a robust foundation in research analysis through my upcoming study abroad in Tanzania May 15-27 2024. My personal morals and upbringing are solely responsible for my share of giving back to my community. It is also a significant influence on my personal growth ,academic journey, and future career. My main interests are health equity, community health, black mental health, and working with underserved communities. I know I will maintain a sense of purpose and challenge by imagining ambitions that will require a lifetime of effort to reach its peak. Kassidy S. Woodson

The sky is not limit, it is what I limit myself to. I had an option to be complacent or figure out a way to improve my circumstances. Being the offspring of a teenage mother, people had so little expectations for me from an early age. My mother always instilled positivity in me ,so I knew I would not conform to the expectations of my environment. I exceeded all low expectations and broke generational curses. My mother had me at eighteen years old. I beat becoming a teenage mother being nineteen and seven months. I became a first generation college student and I have put myself in unimaginable spaces. Encouragement from my mother led to me developing an ambitious mentality and holding myself at a high standard. I feel the need to be a vessel of encouragement and positivity for others as my mother was for me. I am the biggest advocate for others even when they cannot be it for themselves. Therefore I truly resonate with lifting others as I climb. I believe in providing others with equitable opportunities to succeed. Service is my way of paying forward and expressing gratitude for things I have been able to accomplish. Experiencing being less fortunate inspired me to be of service to my community. I also give back because it is something I actually enjoy doing. Going without created an empathetic soft spot for less fortunate individuals. Everyone has a purpose on Earth and I heavily believe that mine is to positively impact others through service. I am often the listening ear to internal battles and a warm embrace to sought out comfort. People often yearn to be seen and heard which is crucial in service. Less fortunate people or people struggling with problems are treated as if they are less than. During and outside of service hours people seeking help are never perceived as needy to me. They are responsible or courageous for seeking the help they need. I feel content knowing I have helped someone and made a difference in their lives. Aside from fulfilling my purpose on Earth, I feel a sense of community and belonging through service. I am always overcome with an intangible feeling of achievement. Each service I have had a part in unlocked my ability to view things from contrasting aspects. Whether it was Peer Power tutoring, food banks, visiting assisting living homes, donating clothes, or hearing relatable stories of others on campus. There’s thousands of “what-ifs” that I question myself about everyday. What if I was not the daughter of a third generation teenage mother? What if I were not raised in poverty ridden Coila, Ms? I was raised by low income parents who did such to the best of their abilities. Their best was not enough therefore I know how it feels to go without. They did not attend college , so they did not develop a plan to fund my college education. I did not have any guidance on the steps to take once accepted into college. Therefore I paved the way for myself. I feel that it is my duty to be of service to others. I will do my part in giving back this summer, by studying abroad, in Tanzania.

@kasssiiidyyy

Veganism to me is a clean slate that allows one’s body to receive the utmost care it rightfully deserves. The first thing I did was identify problems with everyday products I would consume. Then I learned about the effects of consuming meat and dairy. Those two food industries are held accountable for contributing to the vast majority of greenhouse gasses that are emitted. Choosing to avoid the consumption of animal products minimizes greenhouse emissions. I felt like my small journey did some part in helping the earth. So, every time I kept my journey going I felt intangible video game points being added to my scoreboard. It started with eliminating foods from my diet and removing them from my mind to avoid craving them. The most tedious task was fighting the temptation and conquering the psychological side of my stomach. I realized that I would overindulge in food prior to my vegan journey. After eating the right foods I no longer craved harmful foods and did not feel the urge to eat until I felt like I would burst. Being African American my decision to go vegan was frowned upon. It was unusual and seemed as something that only white people indulged in. I come from the Mississippi Delta where almost anything with legs would be eaten by people if they could season well enough. The first thought was that I was trying to starve myself . Of course my mother supported me every step of the way. But I did not let my family’s opinion deter me from my decision. Educating my family is something I am passionate about. They did not have to agree with my decisions but they should respect me and keep unsolicited opinions to themselves. I never judged what they continued to eat but they were always opinionated whenever they saw me eating my vegan food. There were always jokes about me eating “rabbit food”. I started my journey in June of 2020 , as an experiment, when I saw Tabitha Brown on my TikTok. This was the year of COVID and social media consumed most of everyone’s life being that there was mainly nothing else to do. This gorgeous black woman with a fabulous Afro ,Donna, and flawless skin caught my eye. I wanted to look and feel like her. Anytime she was on my for you page she was always smiling, cooking vegan dishes and speaking gracefully. I had never known any black vegans until I came across her. After that I said if she is a southerner who did it then I can do it too. She mentioned watching “What The Health” on Netflix. I was repulsed by the things I had witnessed in the documentary. Harsh truths about the gruesome treatment of animals and the carcinogenic foods I consumed since a child were revealed. After seeing Tabitha Brown and watching the suggested documentary I was intrigued. This made me curious as to what else was carcinogenic and also made me want to remove any products that would cause harm to me. I did not just stop at removing harmful foods. I read Rastafarians, Dr. Sebi, holistic health and hygienic products. My favorite book is African Holistic Health by Llaila O. Afrika.Veganism will impact my future by giving me everlasting youth, feeling clean and the opportunity to bond with people over our vegan journeys.

Having a positive impact is one of my biggest goals in life. I want to inspire, encourage, motivate, and help people. Making a positive impact on society isn’t something that happens instantly. True and real impact can take years. Changing just one person’s life can lead to the improving others’ lives for generations to come. Throughout my years in college, I know that I will learn and gain skills that can help me make the positive impact I desire. I will start my journey of making a positive impact on society as a first generation college student. I will volunteer to participate in community service activities that I know I will enjoy. I will participate in activities such as community clothing drives. I have a love for youth, so helping them be successful in their academic studies will be very fulfilling for me. I want to be an example so that one day they can help others too. Also, while in college I will join campus organizations and clubs. Doing this will give me an experience of how it is to work with others and share ideas. I think that is important for me to do as I try to make a positive impact on society. I know that I will have the help others. Therefore, I believe it is important for me to get experience with working with others during my college years. Joining organizations and clubs is important because I will gain more experience with being a leader. Having good leadership skills is important when trying to make a change and having a positive impact on society. I need to be able to show people why positive change is important. Having good leadership skills will help me motivate others to achieve goals.

Having a close relationship with my mother encouraged me to want to attend college; to make her and myself proud. Since I was a child, my mother had high expectations for me. She instilled in me that I was intelligent and that I could do anything that I put my mind to. Making it her top priority for me to maintain exceptional grades and attend college has been existent for as long as I can remember. She herself did not attend college, which would make me a first-generation graduate. My mother had me, at the age of nineteen, one year after she graduated from high school. I never understood why she pushed me so hard as a child until I got older. She always dreamed of attending college, but she put her future last after she gave birth to me. She was no longer a teenager that could go whenever she wanted to. She had responsibilities to take care of and she had different priorities than before she had me. She was born and raised in Holmes County which is a rural area in Mississippi. She told me how she dreamed of attending college, pledging, and becoming a part of a sorority. With her not attending college after having me, I feel obligated to attend college. I will not attend college just to make my mother proud but to accomplish my personal goal of being the first in my family to graduate from college. Not having a relationship with her mother, she vowed to never become her mother when she had a child. My mom has never had a childhood and helped raise her nine younger siblings. My grandmother was emotionally and physically unavailable when my mother was younger. Resenting how she was raised having a close relationship with her children was a crucial part in the way my mother raised me. She also made sure that I did everything that I wanted to do. She made sure I had a good childhood and did not make me play the role of an adult. My mother and I communicate as mother to daughter and person to person. We have an understanding when it comes to boundaries and respecting one another. My mother always taught me to be honest and never say that I can not do something. Giving up or opting out of trying new things was never an option. My mother is not and never was the mother that lived their dreams through their children. She has always wanted what was best for me and pushed me to do so. Her everyday affirmations motivated me to do everything to the best of my ability. With the way I was raised I believe that it is only right for my mother to see the product of her great parenting walk across the stage with a degree. After attending college and graduating, I plan to be a role model to young girls who will also be first generation graduates. They can see that you can come from anywhere and be successful in life.