I am a black woman and first generation college student. I started college during the Covid-19 outbreak and right after high school. Towards the end of the first semester in December my family and I were all diagnosed with Covid-19. We all quarantined together but my grandma, who was 79, also got the virus. Because she only had one functioning lung her oxygen started to decrease rapidly to a point where her breath was shallow. My mother took her to the hospital and only she was allowed to go inside with her due to Covid. My grandmother was immediately diagnosed and she had to stay in a hospital room. We were only allowed to Zoom call her, and when we did we did not even recognize her. The features that we were familiarized with over the years had changed drastically. The doctor also put her on a ventilator which we thought would help her, but little did we know it wouldn't. The nurse would call my mom with updates saying that she was gradually doing better, but the ventilator was doing harm by being inside her throat for long periods of time. One day December 19th the doctor told us that we only had a few choices left for her. One was have a tracheostomy installed and the other was to take her off the ventilator. We all gathered together and agreed that she would not want to have a hole in throat, so we decided to take her off the ventilator. On December 20th at around 10PM, we all got on a Zoom Call for the last time to say our goodbyes. Then after that around 11PM, the doctor told us that 3 people can come to the hospital. We decided that it would be my mother, the oldest, my aunt, the second oldest, and my oldest cousin. Sometime after 12AM they came back to her house and explained how the process went. The nurses said that only one person can come inside the room and everyone immediately turned to my mother who was the oldest. So my mother told me that they geared her up in scrubs and two masks and a shield and they brought her inside. She said that when they removed the ventilator her oxygen immediately depleted to zero. She then felt her hand which was ice cold. She told me she attempted to say some things to her so that she could wake up but unfortunately she was already gone. On December 21, 2020 our beloved grandmother was no longer with us physically. She will always be with us spirituality and emotionally. This tragic event really made me feel like I had to accomplish my goals even more so than ever. I want to show my grandma that I will graduate from college and become a teacher. Every time that I get discouraged I immediately think of her and what she would say. Not too long after her funeral my aunt, who was really our cousin, passed away as well. This really made it hard for me to gather the strength to want to go to college. I would just feel disconnected from the lectures and I would just want to lay down the whole day. She was the oldest of three girls and she was put in charge of everything. I am also the oldest of three girls so I strived to be strong like her for my sisters. I wanted to be an example for them to show that we can do anything we set our minds too.

A happy memory that I often think about is when I was attending Pre-K, our school took a field trip to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. That was my first time going to a zoo and I do not remember a lot, but I can remember getting on the bus and actually traveling there. That is a happy memory that I often think about. Unfortunately, I haven't been to the zoo since then but I do want to go someday soon.

If I were a highly influential figure the main thing I would stand for is the Black Lives Matter movement. Every day it seems like I see black people being harassed, killed, or kidnapped. We do not get the proper treatment that we should be getting like everyone else in the world. We are treated as aliens or animals. It is almost like we are back in the days of slavery but instead we just being denied our basic rights as human beings.

I remember every aspect of this day like it just happened yesterday. I can vividly remember the fear coursing through every crevice of my body. I can recall that I was taking a walk in my grandma’s neighborhood in Hammond, Louisiana with my older cousin. It was a beautiful summer day, the birds were chirping, and just as I was telling myself nothing could ruin this perfect day. Seemingly, out of nowhere, a police car pulled up on the side of my cousin and me. I suddenly remember all the news clips of black people getting shot at or beaten by the police. I froze immediately. The police officer asked me something, but I do not remember what he was saying or if I answered, but I know that my cousin said something. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of emotions that hit me all at once: hatred, disgust, and most of all fear. My cousin, who I will name Ken, had to bring me inside because I was frozen in place. My mind was continually haunted by the graphic images and thoughts of my fellow innocent black men and women. My mama saw how distraught I was and grabbed me. “Baby?! What is wrong?!,” my mama said as she looked at me concerned. I could not bring myself to speak. I just stared back at her and I started tearing up. She made me sit down next to her and she questioned Ken. He told her what happened. According to Ken, the police officer was just asking where our neighbor lived. A sudden realization took over her face and she held me tightly in her arms. Finally finding the words I looked to her and said, “Mama I was so scared. I couldn’t bring myself to speak at all.” She just nodded and told me, “It’s okay baby I know I know how terrified you were. Sadly, we must feel like that at all baby but unfortunately, some of the police are like that.” I just nodded in agreement and laid my head on her shoulder while she rubbed my shoulder. My grandma who I call Momo also gave me some words of comfort. She told that not all police are as bad as the ones we see on the TV. She continued to say that some of them are just mixed in with the good cops. I knew this already of course but I just told her I was not prepared to see the police at that moment I was completely unprepared mentally and physically. She completely understood and let me calm down.

I am a black woman and first generation college student. I started college during the Covid-19 outbreak and right after high school. Towards the end of the first semester in December my family and I were diagnosed with Covid-19. We all quarantined together but my grandma, who was 79, also got the virus. Because she only had one functioning lung her oxygen started to decrease rapidly to a point where her breath was shallow. My mother took her to the hospital and only she was allowed to go inside with her due to Covid. My grandmother was immediately diagnosed and she had to stay in a hospital room. We were only allowed to Zoom call her, and when we did we did not even recognize her. The features that we were familiarized with over the years had changed drastically. The doctor also put her on a ventilator which we thought would help her, but little did we know it wouldn't. The nurse would call my mom with updates saying that she was gradually doing better, but the ventilator was doing harm by being inside her throat for long periods of time. One day December 19th the doctor told us that we only had a few choices left for her. One was have a tracheostomy installed and the other was to take her off the ventilator. We all gathered together and agreed that she would not want to have a hole in throat, so we decided to take her off the ventilator. On December 20th at around 10PM, we all got on a Zoom Call for the last time to say our goodbyes. Then after that around 11PM, the doctor told us that 3 people can come to the hospital. We decided that it would be my mother, the oldest, my aunt, the second oldest, and my oldest cousin. The rest of us all stayed at my grandma's house that night until they got back. Sometime after 12AM they came back to her house and explained how the process went. The nurses said that only one person can come inside the room and everyone immediately turned to my mother who was the oldest. So my mother told me that they geared her up in scrubs and two masks and a shield and they brought her inside. She said that when they removed the ventilator her oxygen immediately depleted to 0. She then felt her hand which was ice cold. She told me she attempted to say some things to her so that she could wake up but unfortunately she was already gone. On December 21, 2020 our beloved grandmother was no longer with us physically. She will always be with spirituality and emotionally. This tragic event really made me feel like I had to accomplish my goals even more so than ever. I want to show my grandma that I will graduate from college and become a teacher. Every time that I get discouraged I immediately think of her and what she would say. Not too long after her funeral my aunt, who was really cousin, passed away as well. This really made it hard for me to even gather the strength to want to go to college. I would just feel disconnected from the lectures and I would just want to lay down the whole day. I told my mother this and she explained to me that this is normal and that I have to be strong like she was. She was the oldest of three girls and she was put in charge of everything. I was also the oldest of three girls so I strived to be strong like her for my sisters. I wanted to be an example for them to show that we can do anything we set our minds too.

My Instagram is @rosie_kay014. My Twitter is @kyrosie001. I am heterosexual but I am a strong ally of the LGBTQ+ community. I stand for everything they do and believe. The LGBTQ+ community is such a precious place that only strives for happiness. When I was in 7th and 8th grade I was bicurious for a while but I came to realize in high school that I loved men. I do have an appreciation for females.

For this next generation coming up, I believe that their own individual community is very important to them. For example, musicians that write their first songs oftentimes, the songs are about their communities and where they are from. As for me, I think it is extremely important for people to be involved with their communities. The easiest way to get involved with your community is getting to know your neighbors. Introduce with confidence and kindness to show them that you are a good person. I have helped my community by picking up trash from our streets and I also have helped recycle. I plan on becoming a Kindergarten Teacher so with that degree I plan to prepare the future generation of children for a better future than what our generation has. I am confident that I will do a great job of preparing them and I am confident that they will provide us with a future where we worry no longer about the scary possibilities but the realistic possibilities. I am also one of the 86% of first-year, full-time students that have to still have to come out of pocket to pay for college so this scholarship will help immensely. Not to mention the relief I will have when I don't have to worry about tuition for a while.

No one could tell that Aladdin wasn't the best movie ever. I will still argue anyone down about it. Needless to say, my favorite all-time film has to be Aladdin (1992). Every time that I watch it my eyes just light up like it is my first watching it all over again. I absolutely loved Aladdin and the Genie. I actually had a crush on Aladdin for the longest time. When I watch Aladdin I feel like a child all over again. Even though I know exactly what's going to happen. I could even cite most of the lines. Do not even get me started on the songs. When I hear the beginning horns for the song the genie sings, Friend Like Me, I would get goosebumps all over my body. I remember in 7th grade my band played Friend Like Me and I was seriously considering joining the band just to learn how to play that song on the saxophone or trombone and I would have quit after I learned.

Education has played a huge role in my life. I had a rough home life, school was my escape. I always had teachers that loved me. A lot of my life lessons and values were taught to me by teachers. I went from being a meek and scared child to a confident and driven individual. A lot of that came from teachers who took the time to take an interest in me. So in addition to passing on knowledge, education opens up doors for additional influences and role models just through the interactions with adults. Lasting relationships can be built and lives can be changed. Education itself is useful, but the environment education can take place in is equally as beneficial