My passion in STEM is deeply rooted in the field of child psychology, a discipline that blends scientific inquiry with compassion, critical thinking, and a genuine desire to understand and support young people. I have always been fascinated by the ways children think, learn, and cope with the challenges of their environments, and over time, this interest has grown into a meaningful commitment to helping children who struggle with their mental health. Many young people face significant obstacles, whether it is anxiety, depression, trauma, or developmental differences, without fully understanding what they are experiencing or having access to the resources they need. I want to show young girls, especially those who may doubt their place in science or mental health careers, that women not only belong in STEM but also have the power to shape the field in transformative ways. Through my STEM education, I will gain the knowledge necessary to understand the biological, neurological, and environmental factors that influence children's development and emotional well-being. Learning how to interpret psychological assessments, understand developmental milestones, and apply evidence based interventions will allow me to make informed decisions that can improve children's lives. I am especially drawn to early intervention because research consistently shows that identifying mental-health concerns early can drastically alter a child's long-term outcomes. My goal is to become a child psychologist who creates safe, supportive spaces where children feel heard, understood, and empowered, and where families feel included and guided. I want to advocate for mental-health resources in schools, communities, and healthcare systems, particularly for children who may come from underserved or underrepresented backgrounds. As a woman in STEM, I also hope to use my platform to encourage more diversity in psychological research and to advocate for inclusive practices that reflect the experiences of all children. Ultimately, my mission is to combine the rigor of scientific knowledge with the compassion and resilience that come from being a woman determined to make a difference. I want to support children in building healthier futures while also helping shape a STEM community where women's voices, perspectives, and leadership are seen as vital to progress. I hope to be able to come back to my community one day and do workshops that educate children about STEM, and specifically the psychology field. I want to be able to show children in underrepresented communities that their dreams are achievable and that anything they put their mind to, they can do.

An issue I see in my community is that our youth are going in the wrong direction. I want it to become safer, kinder, and better for the upcoming generations. To see this change, I try to involve myself in opportunities around the community that are pushing for a better future. In my community, I have participated in several groups that look into creating a better environment for the people in our community. An organization that I have been involved in is the NAACP Youth Council of Akron, where I served as Vice President during my senior year of high school. The goals of the youth council were to develop effective leadership skills and to create future youth leaders. In the meetings, we created safe spaces for youth to express themselves and express what changes they believe our community needs to make. The president and I would take notes of these conversations and would contact leaders in our community to share these thoughts and experiences. Leaders from Akron would come into the meetings to discuss solutions to the problems we have shared. I believe it is important to give back to the community that has been giving back to me. To do this, I have volunteered at several events and for different organizations. Three organizations I have volunteered at are the African American Festival, Youth Day of Action, and the Michal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk. At the African American festival, we asked the attendees if they were registered to vote, and if they were not, we provided an explanation of why it is important to vote, especially being an African American. At the Youth Day of Action, I participated in a conversation that discussed problems we see African Americans face in our school system and solutions we can take to see social equity become more prevalent in our schools. I volunteered at the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk because sickle cell is common in the African American community. I wanted to be able to help others understand the disease and understand how it is important to get tested to see if they have the trait. I am currently studying neuroscience and child psychology at my university. I am a big advocate for children, and I truly believe that children are our future. We need to be mentoring children and providing safe spaces for them to flourish. I plan to use my knowledge of child psychology to help children in our community cope with their challenges and to provide support to help them succeed. Even though I have worked and still am working to create change in my community, I hope to give back in the future as well. I hope to come back to Akron and find ways to get young Black kids interested in helping their community, by participating in volunteering and encouraging the younger community to work in professional fields, specifically STEM, that we do not see a lot of Black people being represented in today.

I have always been interested in giving back to the community that gave back to me. I have volunteered with many organizations, including non-profits. Some of these volunteer opportunities include the African American festival, Youth Day of Action, and the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk. Getting out in my community is very important to me. It allows me to give back to the people who have given to me. It allows me to become more well-rounded and to try to make someone's day a little better. Strive to participate in clubs and organizations at school that want to shine a light on minority voices. In high school, I participated in clubs like the student council and the black student union. Outside of school, I participated in the Akron Youth NAACP Council, where I served as vice president during my senior year. Our council helped youth in our community develop effective leadership skills and create future leaders. I graduated from high school with over 75 volunteer hours, as well as an associate's degree in arts from the University of Akron. In my personal life, I like to spend time with family and friends. It is important to keep my relationships strong and to spend time with people I love. I am now a sophomore attending Kent State University. I am studying neuroscience and child psychology. Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to study science. I was fascinated with it and would always make my own experiments around the house to show my family. So, picking a STEM field was a no-brainer. I picked neuroscience because I started to become interested in the brain and how it functions. With my degree, I hope to get a research position in a lab or in a hospital. I then hope to get my master's and ph.D in psychology or neuropsychology. My end goal is to become a child neuropsychologist and work in a hospital. As a young black woman, I am determined to show others and to show younger black women that we can enter fields that we don't see a lot of our people in. This scholarship will help lessen the cost of my tuition and will allow me to spend time researching or working in a lab that is offered at my university. I will be able to focus more on my schoolwork than worrying about how I will be able to pay for my tuition.

I've chosen to pursue a neuroscience degree because I am devoted to making an impact in healthcare for people of color. Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my future career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my own practice as a neuropsychologist. I have been interested in STEM for as long as I can remember. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. Seeing the low percentages of people of color in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young children of color to learn more about STEM and help them understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but also to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my practice, I would like to hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I want to help lessen the disparities against people of color in healthcare. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. I hope to make a difference in my patient's lives but I also hope to inspire children of color to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them. This scholarship will help me pay for things like books, tuition, and supplies I need for the semester. It will help lessen the student debt I will have to pay out of college. Having less debt will help push me forward into my career so I do not have to worry about money.

I've chosen to pursue a neuroscience degree because I am devoted to making an impact in healthcare for people of color. Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my future career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my own practice as a neuropsychologist. I have been interested in STEM for as long as I can remember. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. Seeing the low percentages of people of color in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young children of color to learn more about STEM and help them understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but also to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my practice, I would like to hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I want to help lessen the disparities against people of color in healthcare. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. I hope to make a difference in my patient's lives but I also hope to inspire children of color to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them.

An important social issue to me is racial inequality and restricted opportunities for people of color. Since high school and throughout my college career so far, I have been participating in and working to address these social issues through participating in organizations like the Black Student Union and Sister Circle at my university. I also want to work toward my career goal of becoming one of the few Black neuropsychologists in America. Specifically, as a member of the Black Student Union, I work to strive to listen to my black peers talk about the issues that affect them and Black communities. I participate in cultural events held on campus and advocate for more students to get involved and learn about the struggles that Black people must face while getting an education at any level. In Sister Circle, a community of positivity and support is created for women on campus. Outside of clubs, I am working to address fair opportunities for people of color in America. I will continue volunteering in the community at events, educating people about racial and gender struggles. My goal of becoming a neuropsychologist is connected to my aspiration of addressing social issues. From researching and looking at psychology statistics, it is known that the field needs more people of color. As I have learned, Black individuals also face a stigma when it pertains to healthcare. As a neuropsychologist, I want to spread awareness about how important mental health is, especially in communities that do not receive adequate healthcare or can not afford it. Having faces that people can relate to in healthcare will make a huge difference in making these communities feel more inclined to go to the doctors or receive healthcare. I want to make these communities feel that they are being heard and treated fairly like others. I want to show Black girls that achieving their dreams is completely possible, even if they say not many people look like them or can relate to them in their career fields. I strive to exemplify that their goals are achievable regardless of their background. I want them to understand that their purpose in life is to pursue that purpose no matter how people go. These issues are important to me and will require more work to be continued. I am committed to impacting my community and inspiring future generations to get involved and make a change.

Since I was a young child, I have always been interested in STEM, specifically science. I would do mini-science experiments inside and outside of my house. As I got older, my interest in science never wavered, but I was able to narrow it down to the field of neuroscience. Seeing the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields makes me determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. By furthering my education, I will be able to get the credentials needed to become a neuropsychologist. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and understand that we must see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but also to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that roughly 17,400 people in the United States are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I had my own practice, I would hire a diverse staff that my patients could relate to and feel comfortable discussing their experiences with. I also realize that people have different travel methods; some cannot afford a car and have to take public transportation, which can be unreliable, or problems may occur, which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I have also noticed how women may feel uncomfortable in certain places. To help with this, I would also like to have an all-women staff for my practice. I hope this shows African American women that they can run their own businesses, and I hope having an all-women staff makes my patients comfortable and safe. This scholarship will help me in my future education by allowing me to purchase the materials I will need. These materials could include books, supplies I will need for assignments, college tuition, etc. Receiving this scholarship can lessen the burden of figuring out ways to pay for items and/or my tuition.

Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my dream career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my practice as a neuropsychologist. Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of working in science. I would create science experiments in my house and show my parents my findings from the experiments. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. What I didn’t realize was that I would soon learn how marginalized the STEM field was for minorities, especially African Americans. Because I saw the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and help them understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. I would like to hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I have also noticed how women may feel uncomfortable in certain places. To help with this I would also like to have an all-women staff for my practice. I hope this shows African American women that they can run their businesses and I hope having an all-women staff makes my patients comfortable and safe. I want to help lessen the disparities against black people in the medical field. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. I hope to make a difference in my patient's lives but I also hope to inspire young African American girls around the world to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them.

Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my dream career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my practice as a neuropsychologist. Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of working in science. I would create science experiments in my house and show my parents my findings from the experiments. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. What I didn’t realize was that I would soon learn how marginalized the STEM field was for minorities, especially African Americans. Because I saw the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and help them understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but also to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. When I achieve my goal of owning my practice I would like to hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences with. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I have also noticed how women may feel uncomfortable in certain places. To help with this I would also like to have an all-women staff for my practice. I hope this shows African American women that they can run their businesses and I hope having an all-women staff makes my patients comfortable and safe. I want to help lessen the disparities against black people in the medical field. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. I hope to make a difference in my patient's lives but I also hope to inspire young African American girls to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them.

Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my dream career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my practice as a neuropsychologist. Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of working in science. I would create science experiments in my house and show my parents my findings from the experiments. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. What I didn’t realize was that I would soon learn how marginalized the STEM field was for minorities, especially African Americans. Because I saw the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and help them understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but also to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my practice, I would like to hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences with. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. I hope to positively impact my patient's lives. I also hope to inspire young African American girls to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them. In my life, the biggest adversity I have had to overcome was being one of the few African American girls in my classes and some spaces. Seeing I was one of the few people my confidence diminished. But, I had to remind myself about the confidence my parents had instilled in me. Knowing that I can do anything I put my mind to I overcame that adversity.

An important social issue to me is racial inequality and restricted opportunities for people of color. Since high school and throughout my college career so far, I have been participating in and working to address these social issues through participating in organizations like Black Student Union and Sister Circle at my university. As well as working toward my career goal of becoming one of the few Black neuropsychologists in America. Specifically as a member of the Black Student Union, I work to strive to listen to my black peers talk about the issues that affect them and Black communities. I participate in cultural events held on campus and advocate for more students to get involved and learn about the struggles that Black people must face while getting an education at any level. In Sister Circle, a community full of positivity and support is created for women on campus. Outside of clubs, I am working to address fair opportunities for people of color in America. I will continue to volunteer in the community at events that educate people in the community about racial and gender struggles. My goal of becoming a neuropsychologist is connected to my aspiration of addressing social issues. Looking at psychology statistics it is known that the field needs more people of color. As I have learned, Black individuals also face a stigma when it pertains to healthcare. As a neuropsychologist, I want to spread awareness about how important mental health is, especially in communities that do not receive adequate healthcare or who can not afford it. Having faces that people can relate to in healthcare will make a huge difference in making these communities feel more inclined to go to the doctors or receive healthcare. I want to make these communities feel that they are being heard and treated fairly like others. I want to show Black girls that achieving their dreams is completely possible, even if they say there are not many people who look like them or who can relate to them in their career fields. I strive to be an example that their goals are achievable regardless of their background. I want them to understand their purpose and life is to pursue that purpose no matter how people go. These issues are important to me and will require more work that needs to be continued. I am committed to impacting my community and inspiring future generations to get involved and make a change.

In my high school and now undergraduate career I have seen a rise of AI, especially in STEM fields. Since AI is being introduced into different fields and areas of life I have had my own experiences with it that have been good and bad. An area in which Al specializes well is personalization, especially with student learning. In high school, AI was able to individualize a learning experience that adhered to my strengths and weaknesses. AI learned and adapted to my learning pace and adjusted my lesson plan as needed. My classmates and I had different learning plans because of AI and these personalized learning plans helped us greatly in understanding and applying the material to real-world situations. Another pro of AI I have experienced is how fast it can process questions and give assistance/feedback. When I am struggling with a math problem I can ask AI for steps/assistance to help me work through the solution. The speed/assistance from AI has also helped me with generating ideas for an essay and helped me how to outline my essay so I can plan my essays efficiently. It has helped me save time when writing essays and has given me new ways to write an essay or report productively. AI has helped me with having any resource I need right at my fingertips. There have been times when the only item I have needed for class is a computer. But, AI is still being discovered and worked on. This is apparent as I have had not-so-great experiences with AI as well. An experience I have had most commonly is errors in knowledge AI. For example, when asking about a math problem there are errors in the explanation that can occur. Another problem is that AI can give facts and events that have wrong dates or that never even happened, which makes AI unreliable when it pertains to events and factual data. When AI was first introduced to my classes in high school I fell victim to the unreliablness of AI. I know that when using AI, I need to understand topics that include events, make sure the dates are correct, and fact-check the information. Even though AI isn't my strong suit, I hope to learn more about the AI community so I can make an impact in this field. I hope to participate in research that ties AI and neuroscience together. I would like to collaborate on inclusive projects with AI so I can widen my horizons and get experience in another field under my belt.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a young girl. I remember conducting mini-experiments around my house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or finding why a situation resulted in the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they can diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. My dream is to not only diagnose but I want to be able to help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I can publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I can make a meaningful difference not only in my patients but also in people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to. I hope to come back to my community here in Akron and find ways to get young Black kids interested in helping their community, by participating in volunteering and by encouraging the younger community to work in professional fields, specifically STEM, that we do not see a lot of Black people being represented in today.

Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my dream career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my practice as a neuropsychologist. Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of working in science. I would create science experiments in my house and show my parents my findings from the experiments. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. What I didn’t realize was that I would soon learn how marginalized the STEM field was for minorities, especially African Americans. Because I saw the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and help them understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my practice, I would like to hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences with. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I have also noticed how women may feel uncomfortable in certain places. To help with this I would also like to have an all-women staff for my practice. I hope this shows African American women that they can run their businesses and I hope having an all-women staff makes my patients comfortable and safe. Black people can be discriminated against in health care which can leave them with a fear of going to the hospital to get the treatment they need. I want to help lessen the disparities against black people in the medical field. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. I hope to make a difference in my patient's lives but I also hope to inspire young African American girls to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them.

I have always been interested in giving back to the community that gave back to me. I have volunteered with many organizations, including non-profits. Some of these volunteer opportunities include the African American festival, Youth Day of Action, and the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk. Getting out in my community is very important to me. It allows me to give back to the people that have given to me. It allows me to become more well-rounded and to try to make someone's day a little better. Strive to participate in clubs and organizations at school that want to shine a light on minority voices. In high school, I participated in clubs like the student council and the black student union. Outside of school, I participated in the Akron Youth NAACP Council, where I served as vice president during my senior year. Our council helped youth in our community develop effective leadership skills and to create future leaders. I graduated high school with over 50 volunteer hours, as well as an associate's degree in arts from the University of Akron. In my personal life, I like to spend time with family and friends. It is important to keep my relationships strong and to spend time with people I love. I am now a freshman attending Kent State University. I am studying neuroscience on a pre-medical track. Ever since I was young I knew I wanted to study science. I was fascinated with it and would always make my own experiments around the house to show my family. So, picking a STEM field was a no-brainer. I picked neuroscience because I started to become interested in the brain and how it functions. With my degree, I hope to get a research position in a lab or in a hospital. I then hope to get my master's and ph.D in neuroscience or neuropsychology. My end goal is to become a neuropsychologist and work in a hospital or to open my own practice. picked a field that does not have many black women in it. As a young black woman, I am determined to show others and to show younger black women that we can enter fields that are dominated by white men. This scholarship will help lessen the cost of my tuition and will allow me to spend time researching or working in a lab that is offered at my university. I will be able to focus more on my schoolwork than worrying about how I will be able to pay for my tuition.

I have always been interested in giving back to the community that gave back to me. I have volunteered with many organizations, including non-profits. Some of these volunteer opportunities include the African American festival, Youth Day of Action, and the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk. Getting out in my community is very important to me. It allows me to give back to the people that have given to me. It allows me to become more well-rounded and to try to make someone's day a little better. Strive to participate in clubs and organizations at school that want to shine a light on minority voices. In high school, I participated in clubs like the student council and the black student union. Outside of school, I participated in the Akron Youth NAACP Council, where I served as vice president during my senior year. Our council helped youth in our community develop effective leadership skills and to create future leaders. I graduated high school with over 50 volunteer hours, as well as an associate's degree in arts from the University of Akron. In my personal life, I like to spend time with family and friends. It is important to keep my relationships strong and to spend time with people I love. I am now a freshman attending Kent State University. I am studying neuroscience on a pre-medical track. Ever since I was young I knew I wanted to study science. I was fascinated with it and would always make my own experiments around the house to show my family. So, picking a STEM field was a no-brainer. I picked neuroscience because I started to become interested in the brain and how it functions. With my degree, I hope to get a research position in a lab or in a hospital. I then hope to get my master's and ph.D in neuroscience or neuropsychology. My end goal is to become a neuropsychologist and work in a lab or hospital. I picked a field that does not have many black women in it. As a young black woman, I am determined to show others and to show younger black women that we can enter fields that are dominated by white men. This scholarship will help lessen the cost of my tuition and will allow me to spend time researching or working in a lab that is offered at my university. I will be able to focus more on my schoolwork than worrying about how I will be able to pay for my tuition.

I have always been interested in giving back to the community that gave back to me. I have volunteered with many organizations, including non-profits. Some of these volunteer opportunities include the African American festival, Youth Day of Action, and the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk. Getting out in my community is very important to me. It allows me to give back to the people that have given to me. It allows me to become more well-rounded and to try to make someone's day a little better. Strive to participate in clubs and organizations at school that want to shine a light on minority voices. In high school, I participated in clubs like the student council and the black student union. Outside of school, I participated in the Akron Youth NAACP Council, where I served as vice president during my senior year. Our council helped youth in our community develop effective leadership skills and to create future leaders. In my personal life, I like to spend time with family and friends. It is important to keep my relationships strong and to spend time with people I love. Being an African American woman I have heard and seen forms of discrimination against minorities. I want to be able to use my career to try and make minorities feel safe and feel as if they have people to talk to. This is why I want to pursue a career in medicine. I have always been interested in science and knew since I was a young girl I wanted to do something with science. I have narrowed down my interests to neuroscience. I want to combine my interests in neuroscience with medicine. I am striving to become a neuropsychiatrist. I want to try to lessen the disparities for minorities in the health field. Many minorities do not feel comfortable going to the hospital or their doctor's office because they might be afraid of discrimination or do not feel connected to their medical providers. As an aspiring neuropsychiatrist, I want to lessen these disparities and provide an ear for all minorities who may feel uncomfortable in these environments. Just seeing and hearing people say rude and hurtful things about certain minorities has only fueled my desire to graduate with a neuroscience degree and eventually become a neuropsychiatrist. Even though I cannot singlehandedly stop discrimination from continuing in the world, I would try my hardest to contribute to ending it.

I've chosen to pursue a neuroscience degree because I am devoted to making an impact in healthcare for people of color. Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my future career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my own practice as a neuropsychologist. I have been interested in STEM for as long as I can remember. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. Seeing the low percentages of people of color in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young children of color to learn more about STEM and help them understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but also to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my practice, I would like to hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I want to help lessen the disparities against people of color in healthcare. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. I hope to make a difference in my patient's lives but I also hope to inspire children of color to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them.

Being an African American young lady has created challenges for me that will continue in my future. As I not only experience forms of discrimination I see and hear about discrimination in the mass media. Seeing hate in my community and country has inspired me to voice my opinions. In high school, I participated in the student council and the black student union. I applied to the student council to bring a perspective students may not have. I hear every opinion voiced in our meetings and provide my insight on how we can create a better atmosphere for students of all backgrounds. It was important to represent the African-American students in my school by voicing their opinions in our meetings to try and create a more inclusive environment for African-American students in our school. Being in a black student union, I have experienced an environment that is safe for me to be vulnerable and express myself without being scared that others may judge me or they will not be able to relate to the experiences and topics I share. The black student union has had conversations where we find ways to get students to be more educated on minority problems. During black history month, our BSU hosted a showcase with spoken word, step dancing, piano, and more. We hosted this showcase to invite people to join BSU and to show our school and the community that black student struggles are real. During my senior year of high school, I served as the Vice President of the Akron NAACP Youth Council. Our goals in our council were to develop effective leadership skills and to create future youth leaders. In our meetings, we created safe spaces for youth to express themselves and express what changes they believe our community needs to make. As the president and I took notes of these conversations we contacted leaders in our community to share these thoughts and experiences. Leaders from Akron would come into our meetings to discuss solutions to the problems we have shared. I have volunteered at several organizations and tried to lead in the community. Three organizations I have volunteered at are the African American Festival, Youth Day of Action, and the Michal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk. At the African American festival, we asked the attendees if they were registered to vote and if they were not we provided an explanation of why it is important to vote, especially being an African American. At the Youth Day of Action, I participated in a conversation that discussed problems African Americans face in our school system and solutions we can take to see social equity becoming more prevalent in our schools. I volunteered at the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk because sickle cell is common in the African American community. I wanted to be able to help others understand the disease and understand how it is important to get tested to see if they have the trait. It has been difficult for my parents to pay for my tuition so far. During senior year I knew I had to try and take some of the stress away from them so I started to apply for scholarships that could help go towards my tuition for my fall semester of college. Fortunately, most of the scholarships I applied for I received and it helped lessen the cost of what my parents would have to pay out of pocket. I am overcoming my financial circumstances by applying for scholarships and trying to find opportunities where my tuition could be lessened. Ever since I was a child I have been passionate about STEM, especially the brain. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. What I didn’t realize was that I would soon learn how marginalized the STEM field was for minorities, especially African Americans. Because I saw the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. I am passionate about becoming a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and help them understand that we need to see a change happen. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my practice, I would like to hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. I hope to make a difference in my patient's lives but I also hope to inspire African American kids to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them.

Not knowing what my future may hold is scary, but it is also exciting. Even though I may not know what the future has in store for me, there are a few things I can promise my future self, so I am not completely clueless about what is to come.  The first thing I can promise myself is to commit to lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is essential and that will help me grow in the future. By committing myself to lifelong learning, I will be able to adapt to new technologies and trends. I will be able to grow personally, and I will be able to better my critical thinking and creativity. By being curious and learning something new, I will be able to gain new knowledge that could introduce me to new skills and opportunities I may have never been qualified for. Networking opportunities will also be opened to me if I continue to participate in different learning environments. \ The second thing I would like to promise myself is to take care of my well-being and to be well-balanced. In the future, I hope to prioritize myself and my well-being. To be able to perform to the best of my abilities, I have to make sure my physical and mental health is good. Physically, I promise myself I will continue to take care of myself, whether that's exercising, eating healthy, or getting enough rest. The better my physical and mental health is, the more productive I will be. I also promise to stay well-balanced between different aspects of my life, for example, I will continue to balance areas like my relationships, work, school, etc.  The final thing I would like to promise myself is to continue to connect with others and connect with my community. Making connections with others has and will continue to open doors for me that I may have never been introduced to.  Continuing to meet new people can provide collaboration between people who may have different understandings and opinions about topics. By continuing to speak with people who are diverse, I am able to widen my perspective and understanding. Engaging with others can also help provide emotional support and can provide someone to talk to during tough times.  This scholarship fits into my image because it can help me alleviate the financial burden of having to pay back loans, which means I could put my money into continuing to go to school to continue my lifelong learning. Receiving this scholarship will also help lessen the stress of having to worry about how I will be able to fund my education, which contributes to my mental health. Receiving this scholarship could help me with networking opportunities that could introduce me to new connections.  As of right now, I am not sure how I will be able to fund my education for the next semester. My parents and I are trying to find ways to find money for my tuition. By receiving this scholarship, that financial burden can be lessened, and I will be able to help take the worry and stress away from my parents.

In my high school and now undergraduate career I have seen a rise of AI, especially in STEM fields. Since AI is being introduced into different fields and areas of life I have had my own experiences with it that have been good and bad. An area in which Al specializes well is personalization, especially with student learning. In high school, AI was able to individualize a learning experience that adhered to my strengths and weaknesses. AI learned and adapted to my learning pace and adjusted my lesson plan as needed. My classmates and I had different learning plans because of AI and these personalized learning plans helped us greatly in understanding and applying the material to real-world situations. Another pro of AI I have experienced is how fast it can process questions and give assistance/feedback. When I am struggling with a math problem I can ask AI for steps/assistance to help me work through the solution. The speed/assistance from AI has also helped me with generating ideas for an essay and helped me how to outline my essay so I can plan my essays efficiently. It has helped me save time when writing essays and has given me new ways to write an essay or report productively. AI has helped me with having any resource I need right at my fingertips. There have been times when the only item I have needed for class is a computer. But, AI is still being discovered and worked on. This is apparent as I have had not-so-great experiences with AI as well. An experience I have had most commonly is errors in knowledge AI. For example, when asking about a math problem there are errors in the explanation that can occur. Another problem is that AI can give facts and events that have wrong dates or that never even happened, which makes AI unreliable when it pertains to events and factual data. When AI was first introduced to my classes in high school I fell victim to the unreliablness of AI. I know that when using AI, I need to understand topics that include events, make sure the dates are correct, and fact-check the information. Even though AI isn't my strong suit, I hope to learn more about the AI community so I can make an impact in this field. I hope to participate in research that ties AI and neuroscience together. I would like to collaborate on inclusive projects with AI so I can widen my horizons and get experience in another field under my belt.

Since I was a young child I have always been interested in STEM, specifically science. I would do mini-science experiments in and outside of my house. As I got older, my interest in science never wavered, but I was able to single it down to the field of neuroscience. Seeing the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields makes me determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. By furthering my education I will be able to get the credentials needed to become a neuropsychologist. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and to understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but also to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to make an impact by providing inclusive, fair, and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my own practice, I would hire a diverse staff that my patients are able to relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences with. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I have also noticed how women may feel uncomfortable in certain places. To help with this I would also like to have an all-women staff for my practice. I hope this shows African American women that they are able to run their own businesses and I hope having an all-women staff makes my patients comfortable and safe. This scholarship will help me in my future education by providing me with an opportunity to purchase the materials I will need. Some of these materials could include books, supplies I will need for assignments, college tuition, etc. Receiving this scholarship can lessen the burden of figuring out ways to pay for items and/or my tuition.

I want to see a positive change in the future for my community. I want it to become safer, kinder, and better for the next generations. To see this change I try to involve myself in opportunities around the community that are pushing for a better future. In my community, I have participated in several groups that look into creating a better environment for the people in our community. An organization that I have been involved in is the NAACP Youth Council of Akron where I served as Vice President during my senior year of high school. The goals of the youth council were to develop effective leadership skills and to create future youth leaders. In the meetings, we created safe spaces for youth to express themselves and express what changes they believe our community needs to make. The president and I would take notes of these conversations and would contact leaders in our community to share these thoughts and experiences. Leaders from Akron would come into the meetings to discuss solutions to the problems we have shared. I believe it is important to give back to the community that has been giving back to me. To do this I have volunteered at several events and for different organizations. Three organizations I have volunteered at are the African American Festival, Youth Day of Action, and the Michal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk. At the African American festival, we asked the attendees if they were registered to vote and if they were not we provided an explanation of why it is important to vote, especially being an African American. At the Youth Day of Action, I participated in a conversation that discussed problems we see African Americans face in our school system and solutions we can take to see social equity becoming more prevalent in our schools. I volunteered at the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk because sickle cell is common in the African American community. I wanted to be able to help others understand the disease and understand how it is important to get tested to see if they have the trait. Even though I have worked and still am working to create change in my community I hope to give back in the future as well. Specifically to African Americans in my community. I hope to come back to Akron and find ways to get young Black kids interested in helping their community, by participating in volunteering and encouraging the younger community to work in professional fields, specifically STEM, that we do not see a lot of Black people being represented in today.

In school an obstacle I have had was the subject math. Math has not always been my strong suit in school, I have always been an English and history student, and I used to be discouraged whenever I was not able to figure out a math problem. Because I struggled with math I was worried when the ACT rolled around in my junior year. After I took my ACT the first time and saw my math score I realized if I wanted to get the score I wanted I would have to put my foot down and study. I would ask my math teacher to help me go over ACT-specific problems, I would ask my friends for help, find videos online and I would take practice math ACTs when I had time. After building my confidence in math I noticed not only a difference in myself but a difference in my math skills and grades as well. The next time I took the ACT I saw a huge difference in my math score, it made me proud to see I turned my first failure into something positive. Even though this academic obstacle was in my way I was able to overcome it by using my resources in my school and at home. In college I plan to continue to ask for help if needed, I will use all my resources that are available to me so I can get the best grade I can. I plan to attend college with a major in neuroscience on a pre-med track. I hope to become a neuropsychologist and help study/diagnose neurological disorders. By working in the medical field I can give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and to give younger African American girls someone to look up to. Not only would I like to make a difference around the country, but I hope to come back to my community here in Akron and find ways to get young Black kids interested in helping their community, by participating in volunteering and encouraging the younger community to work in professional fields that we do not see a lot of Black people being represented in today.

I have been interested in helping build a positive, safe, and equal community since elementary school. Starting from a young age, my parents would put me into social justice programs around the community which helped me get to understand the problems that my community needs to work on and fix. As I gotten older I have become more involved and aware of problems that have affected my community. Because of this, I have volunteered at different organizations around my community and have joined multiple programs that help look into these problems and figure out solutions. I have also taken part in different clubs in my school's community that look into providing support as well. I hope to use my voice to inspire the youth and to encourage them to get involved in social justice. At school, I participated in the student council and the black student union. I applied to the student council to bring a perspective that some students may not have. I heard every opinion voiced in our meetings and provided my insight on how we can create a better atmosphere for students of all backgrounds. It was important to represent the African-American students in my school by voicing their opinions in our meetings to try and create a more inclusive environment for African-American students in our school. In a black student union, I have experienced an environment that is safe for me to be vulnerable and express myself without being scared that others may judge me or they will not be able to relate to the experiences and topics I share. The black student union has had conversations where we find ways to get students to be more educated on minority problems. During black history month, our BSU hosted a showcase with spoken word, step dancing, piano, and more. We hosted this showcase to invite people to join BSU and to show our school and the community that black student struggles are real. Outside of school a big opportunity I have had the chance to take part in is the Youth NAACP of Akron where I served as vice-president. The goal of our council was to develop effective leadership skills and to create future youth leaders. In our meetings, we created safe spaces for youth to express themselves and express what changes they believe our community needs to make. As the president and I take notes of these conversations we contacted leaders in our community to share these thoughts and experiences. Leaders from Akron came into our meetings to discuss solutions to the problems we have shared. Volunteering-wise, I have volunteered with different organizations to try and raise awareness for different problems. I have volunteered at several organizations and tried to lead in the community. Three organizations I have volunteered at are the African American Festival, Youth Day of Action, and the Michal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk. At the African American festival, we asked the attendees if they were registered to vote and if they were not we provided an explanation of why it is important to vote, especially being an African American. At the Youth Day of Action, I participated in a conversation that discussed problems we see African Americans face in our school system and solutions we can take to see social equity becoming more prevalent in our schools. I volunteered at the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk because sickle cell is common in the African American community. I wanted to be able to help others understand the disease and understand how it is important to get tested to see if they have the trait.

I am always open to new experiences, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. I have been introduced to many different extracurriculars including dance/piano lessons, softball, track, and Girl Scouts. Being able to experience multiple different arts and activities has helped shape me into a well-rounded person. During my high school career, I participated in activities in and out of school. It was important to me to participate in clubs in high school to volunteer around my community and to join groups that were interested in helping build our community for the greater good. In school, I participated in the Black Student Union, the Student Council, the Freshman Mentor Leadership Team, Educational Talent Search, and Track & Field. Outside of school, I participated in different programs that were for social justice and to better the students in the community. I was vice president of the NAACP Youth Council of Akron and I participated in various programs such as Law and Leadership, ACT-SO Piano Competition, and Youth Participatory Action Research Leadership Program. It is important for to me voice my opinions in our community and provide ways to address social injustices not just around the community but in the country. Joining programs like this helped put me into the community but volunteering has also helped me make new relationships with people that have helped me grow and introduced new opportunities. Holding myself accountable was something and still is something I strive to work toward. A big example of holding myself accountable is whenever I did not receive the grade I wanted on an assignment, test, etc. If I received a grade that wasn’t acceptable I would study and ask questions about whatever I got wrong after receiving my grade to make sure I did better on my next test or assignment. I held myself accountable and told myself it was not acceptable to not study harder after receiving a grade that was not good. By studying, reviewing what I got wrong, and going to office hours whenever I needed help on something on a topic/concept I was struggling with I noticed a significant improvement in my understanding of the concept. This has helped me in my journey by successfully setting me up to always strive for the best. I will continue to work towards this goal throughout my college career as well.

Being an African American young lady has created challenges for me that will continue in my future. As I not only experience forms of discrimination I see and hear about discrimination in the mass media. Seeing hate not only in my community but also in my country has inspired me to contribute by volunteering for different organizations that give back to the people in my community. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, the Salvation Army, the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk, and more. In my family, I try to help around the house and help with chores when needed. A task I help with frequently in the home is helping clean around our house and make sure it is tidy. Having a clean environment can help produce productivity and mental well-being. It is just nice in general to have a neat environment to come back to. I plan to attend college with a major in neuroscience on a pre-med track. I hope to obtain my master's degree and eventually get a Ph.D. so I can become a neuropsychologist. Becoming a neuropsychologist provides me with many ways I could give back to my community. I hope to come back to my community here in Akron and find ways to get young Black kids interested in helping their community, by participating in volunteering and by encouraging the younger community to work in professional fields, specifically STEM, that we do not see a lot of Black people being represented in today.

I am passionate about pursing a neuroscience degree because I want to be able to make a difference in the neuroscience field, especially pertaining to minorities. Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my future career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my own practice as a neuropsychologist. Seeing how low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields are I am determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. I hope by receiving a degree in neuroscience I am able to inspire minorities in my community and to show them that by working hard and staying true to your dream that anything is possible. I am determined to make my childhood dream of working in a STEM related field become a reality. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and to understand that we need to see a change happen. I hope to become someone that minority children are able to look up to. As a neuropsychologist, I want to be make an impact by providing inclusive, fair and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my own practice, I would like to hire a diverse staff that my patients are able to relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences with. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. Minorities can be discriminated against in health care which can leave them with a fear of going to the hospital to get the treatment they need. I want to help lessen the disparities against black people in the medical field. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. By working in the medical field I can give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. Not only would I like to make a difference around the country, but I hope to come back to my community here in Akron and find ways to get young Black kids interested in helping their community, by participating in volunteering and encouraging the younger community to work in professional fields that we do not see a lot of Black people being represented in today.

Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my future career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my own practice as a neuropsychologist. Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of working in science. I would create science experiments in my house and show my parents my findings of the experiments. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. What I didn’t realize was that I would soon learn how marginalized the STEM field was for minorities, especially African Americans. Because I saw the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and to understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but to increase the numbers of having African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to be make an impact by providing inclusive, fair and special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my own practice, I would hire a diverse staff that my patients are able to relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences with. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. I have also noticed how women may feel uncomfortable in certain places. To help with this I would also like to have an all women staff for my practice. I hope this shows African American women that they are able to run their own businesses and I hope having an all women staff makes my patients comfortable and safe.

Being an African American young lady has created challenges for me that will continue in my future. As I not only experience forms of discrimination I see and hear about discrimination in the mass media. Seeing hate in not only my community but in my country has inspired me to join leadership groups where we contribute to social equity and justice in schools, the community, and the country. At school, I participate in the student council and the black student union. I applied to the student council to bring a perspective that some students may not have. I hear every opinion voiced in our meetings and provide my insight on how we can create a better atmosphere for students of all backgrounds. It is important to represent the African-American students in my school by voicing their opinions in our meetings to try and create a more inclusive environment for African-American students in our school. Being in black student union, I have experienced an environment that is safe for me to be vulnerable and express myself without being scared that others may judge me or they will not be able to relate to the experiences and topics I share. Black student union has had conversations where we find ways to get students to be more educated on minority problems. Akron where I serve as vice president. Our goals in our council are to develop effective leadership skills and to create future youth leaders. In our meetings, we created safe spaces for youth to express themselves and express what changes they believe our community needs to make. As the president and I take notes of these conversations we contact leaders in our community to share these thoughts and experiences. Leaders from Akron will come into our meetings to discuss solutions to the problems we have shared. I have volunteered at several organizations and try to lead in the community. Three organizations I have volunteered at are the African American Festival, Youth Day of Action and the Michal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk. I plan to attend college with a major in neuroscience. I hope to obtain my master's degree and eventually get a Ph.D so I can use my education to become a neuropsychologist. As a neuropsychologist, I want to be make an impact by providing special care to people who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I have my own practice, I would hire a diverse staff that my patients are able to relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences with. As a neuropsychologist I hope to make a difference for people of my background and to give younger African American girls someone to look up to. Not only would I like to make a difference around the world but I hope to come back to my community here in Akron and find ways to get young Black kids interested in helping their community, by participating in volunteering and encouraging the younger community to work in professional fields that we do not see a lot of Black people being represented in today.

I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. My extracurriculars are important to me, some of the extracurriculars I participate in are the Akron NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me as well. Giving back has made me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, the Salvation Army, the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk, and more. Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my future career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my own practice as a neuropsychologist. Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of working in science. I would create science experiments in my house and show my parents my findings of the experiments. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. What I didn’t realize was that I would soon learn how marginalized the STEM field was for minorities, especially African Americans. Because I saw the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American girls to learn more about STEM and to understand that we need to see a change happen. I have also noticed how women may feel uncomfortable in certain places. To help with this I would like to have an all women staff for my practice. I hope this shows African American women that they are able to run their own businesses and I hope having an all women staff makes my patients comfortable and safe.

I am involved in many different extra-curricular activities that demonstrate how well-rounded I am. My parents have taught me it is important to try things at least once, even if I may not like it I can say I tried it. Some activities I'm involved in at school are the Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, and the student council. Outside school, I am involved with the NAACP Youth Council of Akron where I serve as vice president. Our goals in our council are to develop effective leadership skills and to create future youth leaders. In our meetings, we created safe spaces for youth to express themselves and express what changes they believe our community needs to make. As the president and I take notes of these conversations we contact leaders in our community to share these thoughts and experiences. Leaders from Akron will come into our meetings to discuss solutions to the problems we have shared. I believe giving back to the community is important as well. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. I have volunteered at Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, the Salvation Army, the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk, and more. I plan to attend college majoring in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. I hope to obtain my master's degree and eventually get a Ph.D. to become a neuropsychologist. Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my future career as a neuropsychologist. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but also to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. percentages only fuel my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to be able to provide special care to people in the community who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I had my practice, I would hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences with. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen.

Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my future career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my own practice as a neuropsychologist. Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of working in science. I would create science experiments in my house and show my parents my findings of the experiments. I always knew I wanted to do something related to science. What I didn’t realize was that I would soon learn how marginalized the STEM field was for minorities, especially African Americans. Because I saw the low percentages of African Americans in STEM fields I was determined to go to college and graduate with a neuroscience degree. As a neuropsychologist, I hope to inspire young African American children to learn more about STEM and to understand that we need to see a change happen. Not only do I want to join the neuroscience field to prove to myself that it’s possible to join a field that is dominated by White men but also to increase the numbers of African Americans in the STEM field. From research, I learned that there are roughly 17,400 people in the United States who are neurophysiologists. 5.1% of them are Black or African American. Seeing these low percentages only fuels my determination to be successful in my field. As a neuropsychologist, I want to be able to provide special care to people in the community who are less fortunate or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, social class, and or race. If I had my practice, I would hire a diverse staff that my patients can relate to and feel comfortable talking about their experiences with. I also realize that people have different methods of travel, some not being able to afford a car and having to take public transportation which can be unreliable or problems may occur which may make the patient late. Because of these problems that could occur, I would try to have outreach clinics or pop-ups that would make geographic barriers to travel less likely to happen. Black people can be discriminated against in health care which can leave them with a fear of going to the hospital to get the treatment they need. I want to help lessen the disparities against black people in the medical field. I hope to make the patients feel safe with me and to show them that not all healthcare services are against them. I hope to make a difference in my patient's lives but I also hope to inspire African American kids to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. This quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but these obstacles do not get in the way of me completing my goal. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. Learning how to read sheet music was hard, but when I finally learned how to, I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. After not receiving the highest rating at one of my biggest competitions I was upset with myself, but I realized there will be many times I fail but what matters is what I do after this. I decided to work harder at my skill, practicing whenever I got the chance. I learned what mistakes I made and fixed them so I would be better next time. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. I realized that this would be one of the many obstacles I would have to overcome. Other than obstacles in piano I have had obstacles in school as well. Math has not always been my strong suit in school, I have always been an English and history student, and I used to be discouraged whenever I was not able to figure out a math problem. Because I struggled with math I was worried when the ACT rolled around in my junior year. After I took my ACT the first time and saw my math score I realized if I wanted to get the score I wanted I would have to put my foot down and study. I would ask my math teacher to help me go over ACT-specific problems, I would ask my friends for help, find videos online and I would take practice math ACTs when I had time. After building my confidence in math I noticed not only a difference in myself but a difference in my math skills and grades as well. The next time I took the ACT I saw a huge difference in my math score, it made me proud to see I turned my first failure into something positive. Even though this academic obstacle was in my way I was able to overcome it by using my resources in my school and at home. Seeing how underrepresented minorities are in STEM has inspired me to continue with my future career as a neuropsychologist. I hope to receive my PhD in neuroscience and work in a hospital or open my practice as a neuropsychologist. I hope to make a difference in my patient's lives but I also hope to inspire African American kids to follow their dreams no matter what the world may think of them.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. My dream is to not only diagnose but I want to be able to help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. This quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I want my parents to pay the least amount of money they can, even the smallest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, the Salvation Army, the Mychal Clayton Sickle Cell Walk, and more. I know that in college I would be able to balance different tasks due to me having different responsibilities, extracurriculars, and priorities now.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I want my parents to pay the least amount of money they can. Any scholarship I see I will apply for. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I want my parents to pay the least amount of money they can. Any scholarship I see I will apply for. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I want my parents to pay the least amount of money they can. Any scholarship I see I will apply for. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. My dream is to not only diagnose but I want to be able to help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

Science has been an interesting topic since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they can diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. My dream is not only to diagnose but I want to be able to help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I want my parents to pay the least amount of money they can. Any scholarship I see I will apply for. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I want my parents to pay the least amount of money they can. Any scholarship I see I will apply for. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I believe this scholarship will help me lessen the financial burden for my parents of having to pay my tuition for college. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

I was not in the foster care system. Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. My dream is to not only diagnose but I want to be able to help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. My dream is to not only diagnose but I want to be able to help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I believe this scholarship will help me lessen the financial burden for my parents of having to pay my tuition for college. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. “I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I believe this scholarship will help me lessen the financial burden for my parents of having to pay my tuition for college. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I believe this scholarship will help me lessen the financial burden for my parents of having to pay my tuition for college. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, some days are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. My dream is to not only diagnose but I want to be able to help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. My dream is to not only diagnose but I want to be able to help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Some of the extracurriculars that involve me being in my community include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. By participating in these extra-curriculars I am able to get volunteer experience inside and outside my school. I am able to meet people of different backgrounds who I hope to have connections with and am able to communicate with in the future. I enjoy being able to see the impact I can make on one person or my community. Knowing I have helped someone brings a sense of happiness and it makes me want to continue giving back to my beautiful community as it has given back to me. I plan to attend college with a major in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I can give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I believe this scholarship will help me lessen the financial burden for my parents of having to pay my tuition for college. Even the littlest amount can help. Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. My dream is to not only diagnose but I want to be able to help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

Science has been an interesting topic since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they can diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I can publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I can make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I believe this scholarship will help me lessen the financial burden for my parents of having to pay my tuition for college. Even the littlest amount can help. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, there are some days that are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. I must try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Just with my experiences inside my family as well has given me a personal reason as to why I want to pursue neuroscience. I want to be able to provide a sense of relief to families inside hospitals, with my research. I want to be able to help patients make better and smarter decisions with their lives. If they are insecure about their disorder I want to be able to provide them with the treatment that can enhance their life and make it not so scary to them. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. I hope to especially make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, there are some days that are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. My other extracurriculars include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. It is important that I try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in neuroscience on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to. With neuroscience, I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future.

My parents motivated me to pursue a higher education. Ever since I was a little girl my parents have put college into my head. Telling me that education is important and that I need to prove myself in the world. Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books about science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but have yet to learn neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They can evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, there are some days that are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. It is important that I try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in neuroscience or biology on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. I hope to make a difference for people of my background and I hope to give younger African American girls someone to look up to.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I deserve this scholarship because I am able to persevere through obstacles. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, there are some days that are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. Some of my extracurriculars include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. It is important to me that I try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. I plan to attend college with a major in Neuroscience on a pre-med track. I have heard of different sciences before but never neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to really understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I actually learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They are able to evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and hopefully give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope I am able to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books all about the world of science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my future plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but never neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to really understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I actually learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They are able to evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and hopefully give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope I am able to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future. This scholarship will help lessen the financial burden that I will have to face in college. Even if it is just $1, anything will help.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I deserve this scholarship because I am able to persevere through obstacles. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, there are some days that are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. I believe I showed resilience by not backing down or getting discouraged when it pertained to piano. By practicing weekly and correcting my mistakes I was able to push through to show not only myself but my younger brother that as long as he puts hard work in, anything is possible.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books all about the world of science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my future plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but never neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to really understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I actually learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They are able to evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and hopefully give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope I am able to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books all about the world of science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my future plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but never neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to really understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I actually learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They are able to evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and hopefully give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope I am able to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. This quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, there are some days that are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. Some of my extracurriculars include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. It is important to me that I try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. My future plans are to attend college with a major in Neuroscience on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life. Not only do I want to make a positive impact on people's lives but I want to especially push my focus to my own community of African American citizens. I believe that in the medicinal field, some of us aren't looked at as patients or people who need someone to talk to. I want to be able to be that voice for my community or just a shoulder for someone in my community to lay on.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. Balancing all my extracurriculars is not easy, there are some days that are harder than others. There are days when I want to give up and not finish homework, or days when I do not want to attend a certain meeting or piano practice. But, I tell myself to push through, that giving up is not what my parents have taught me. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. But, seeing my competition excited me. I thought to myself what would make me stand out, what would get me the highest ranking? I realized it was the hard work I put into preparing my pieces, all the hours of sitting at the piano practicing over and over until I got all the aspects of the piece correct. That is what made me stand out. The fact that I understood my mistakes and worked them out is what got me my first ranking of Unanimous Superior, which is the highest ranking that a participant can receive. Other than piano I have other extracurriculars as well. Some include the NAACP Youth Council which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. It is important to me that I try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. This scholarship will help me with my future plans to attend college with a major in Neuroscience on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life.

If I could have anyone read a book of my choosing, it would be Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper. This book is beautifully written with well-thought-out characters and a captivating/shocking plot, I could not put the book down when I read it. The book follows a young girl named Amari who was taken from her village in Africa and was brought overseas to America to be enslaved. Amari dreams of freedom, but she comes across obstacles in her path which makes her look like her strength. Amari begins to find her strength again when an opportunity to escape and find freedom represents itself. Amari finds her dignity and goes on a penetrating adventure to escape. The author has done hours and hours of research about the disgusting reality of the slave trade. But, with all this research she had to get out her findings in some way, the path she took was writing a fast-moving but interesting book about Amari and her story. Even though Amari's story is fictional it does not stop me from thinking about how horrible the slave trade was. Reading this book as a young African-American girl I was about to see myself in Amari's shoes which made the book even more emotional for me. Knowing that my ancestors have experienced this harsh past made me even more grateful for the author and the book itself. I appreciate how the author dedicates her book to the millions of girls who were like Amari who had to go through the terrifying process of the slave trade. She gave those girls a voice, which warms the heart. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast-moving but emotional story.

Science has always been an interesting topic to me since I was a little girl. I remember conducting little experiments all around the house and in my backyard. I remember my parents buying me different play test kits for experiments and giving me books all about the world of science. Now that I am older my love for science has grown, but I have singled out an area of science that I want to explore for my future plans. When I first heard of neuroscience I was immediately interested in it. I have heard of different sciences before but never neuroscience. I was interested in psychology but I wanted to really understand how the brain functioned, and the underlying causes of different conditions. It is funny to me because I actually learned of neuroscience from a medical drama I used to watch. Seeing what a neurosurgeon did interested me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I found that there are other career paths that people can go into that concern neuroscience. The career that stuck out to me was a neuropsychologist. I enjoy researching problems and finding/brainstorming solutions to figure these problems out, or even finding why a situation came out the way it did. Neuropsychologists do exactly that. They are able to evaluate and find out why a person may act the way they are and they are able to diagnose them based on their research and findings. I also thought about going into the medical field and just becoming a doctor who did daily checkups on patients etc. But I know with neuroscience I can build special relationships with the people I am diagnosing. I can help them directly and hopefully give them some closure on what they have been experiencing. I want to not only understand but I want to help them understand their neurological disorder. I want to be able to help improve their lives. I hope that I discover a disorder and I am able to publish my work for others to take information off of. I hope I am able to inform others and make them feel as if they are not alone in their journeys. Seeing a direct impact of the work I can do for others will fill me with joy. Knowing I am able to make a meaningful difference in not only my patients but people around the country makes me excited for my future.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I deserve this scholarship because I am able to persevere through obstacles. One of my longest commitments has been piano lessons. Ever since I was four, I would see my teacher on Wednesdays for our weekly lesson. It was hard, learning how to read sheet music but when I finally learned how to I worked on my skill until it came to me naturally. After years of learning the piano, I was entered into piano competitions, which showed me that I was not the only person who played the piano well. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has made me a well-rounded student. I want to pursue higher education because I want to be able to show my future kids that you are able to do anything you put your mind to. I am in different and unique extracurriculars, some of these include: the NAACP Youth Council of Akron which I am the vice president of, Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, Student Council, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. It is important to me that I try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. I believe I should receive this scholarship because I have worked hard and it will also help with my future plans to attend college with a major in Neuroscience on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan. To me, this quote shows how even the most hardworking people have failures. I have failed several times, but that does not get in the way of me completing my goal. I have kept on top of my schoolwork, earning an honor roll and receiving a “3.0 Club” award recognizing me for maintaining my GPA all throughout my high school career. I deserve this scholarship because I am able to persevere through obstacles. I am also involved in multiple extracurriculars and am involved with volunteering in the Akron community which has improved my leadership skills. My other extracurriculars that I am involved in have helped me boost my confidence and has helped me lead with pride. Whether it be my vice president role in the NAACP youth council or just as school in student council when I am speaking up for myself, I try to lead with passion and enthusiasm. Some other organizations/extracurricular include Law and Leadership which is an introduction to the law program that I have been participating in since sophomore year, Black Student Union, The Freshman Mentor Team, and more. These particular extracurriculars are something I have continued to be in which shows consistency. It is important to me that I try to explore everything at least once, even if I might not like it I can say I took a risk and tried something new. Giving back to my community is important to me. It has given me new connections with people I may have never met and it always makes me proud if I can make someone's day even a little brighter. Some different places I have volunteered at are Camp Invention, Akron General Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Battered Women’s Shelter, The African American Festival, and more. It is important to me to lead and volunteer in my community because I am the future. I am the upcoming generation. It is important to me that I not only tell myself that I will have to step up but I try to show my younger brother that speaking up for yourself is not wrong as well. I believe I should receive this scholarship because I have worked hard to implement leadership in my community and within myself. I hope to attend college with a major in Neuroscience on a pre-med track. Like volunteering, with working in a hospital I am able to give back to people and make a positive impact on someone’s life while positively leading others who look up to me.

To me, success is never backing down from a challenge or letting your goals get away from you. I believe that success is to keep pushing yourself no matter what. For me I have had a success with piano. I’ve understood that even if something is hard pushing through it will make the outcome worthwhile. Piano has opened doors for me with my confidence and how I present myself in public. Not backing down from learning the piano has shown resilience, which not only makes me proud of myself but makes me proud of where I am going. The piano has been in my life since I was four years old. Being so young I didn’t have the attention span for it or didn’t understand why my mom signed me up in the first place. I just remember participating in it because I was told to. I remember my teacher taking me through the basics; learning the notes, knowing which pedal to use; how to read music, and other things. Of course, as time went on and I got older I could voice my thoughts better to her. I was able to ask for help if I felt like I played a note incorrectly, I was able to choose some of the songs I wanted to learn and I was starting to be able to read notes on my own without her help. As time passed and I grew more comfortable my pieces would start to get more abstract. Around 7th grade, my teacher told me I would start to be entered into piano competitions. Where I would perform one two or even three pieces for a set of judges. I wanted to make not only myself proud but my family and teacher proud as well. I practiced every day. Making sure I held myself to the goals I wanted to accomplish for piano. I remember feeling proud of myself for working as hard as I did. I kept telling myself no matter what, that I would push myself until I felt like I practiced my hardest. My hard work paid off. I would earn the highest ranking in the competitions with an invitation to nationals. Knowing I worked hard enough to accomplish my goals, my confidence in myself sky rocketed. With the help of my family, I knew I could do anything I put my mind to. In my freshman year going into my sophomore year of high school, I subconsciously put piano on a back burner. High School was such a new experience for me and it was even harder to adjust because of Covid putting a hold on everything. Adjusting to high school was my main priority at the time. When things started picking back up again, my time in piano did as well. I began to perform just like my old self again. I finally found the right pieces of the puzzle and completed it. I would make myself sit at the piano and practice no matter how I felt because I knew how important it was to me. Even if it didn’t feel like it at the time I knew I would thank myself for it later. Piano has taught me that patience is a virtue and that whenever a situation may be difficult all that you must do is to keep pushing. Playing the piano is a skill I am glad I have learned. I may not have known it was when I was younger but now I know that piano would soon become to be a useful skill in my life.