“Depressed?” “Yes, I feel like everything is-” “You’re not praying hard enough or trying hard enough with God.” I couldn’t believe these words coming from my youth pastor. Growing up, I lived with an extremely devoted Christian family. My entire life, I had been surrounded by good models of faith. I did all of the right things. I went to church every Sunday, read my Bible, and tried my best not to sin. At the time I was in 8th grade, and I had struggled with the transition to middle school. In 7th grade I battled with anxiety and faced a lot of challenges, but whenever I prayed I felt a sense of indescribable peace. Even when I was aware of the challenges ahead, fear didn’t have the power to consume me. Unfortunately, 8th grade came with some harder challenges. I faced bullying, exclusion, and toxic friendships. Depression consumed me. Every day, I prayed ceaselessly, citing bible verses hoping they would prompt God to move in my life and give me the strength to endure. As things progressively got worse, I confided in my trusted teen pastor, hoping for prayer and words of encouragement. Instead I was invalidated and turned away, made to question my own faith and integrity. Following that exchange with my youth minister, my mind swirled with confusion. I thought to myself, Have I been executing my faith incorrectly? Is what I believed to be my best effort not enough for God? Is the graceful, loving, and forgiving God I know there, or is God more judgmental, powerful, and punishing? Are things going wrong because I don’t know who God is? I succumbed to a feeling of defeat for weeks. I abandoned my beliefs about God and decided that they weren’t true. I thought my beliefs were wrong, and that my teen pastor was right. As time passed, God started sending people into my life that I could open up to and confide in. I told them how I questioned myself, and how I didn’t know what to believe anymore. My friends and family encouraged, empowered, and motivated me. Their love and support for me showed me that the graceful, loving, and caring God that I know is real. After I had that realization, I concluded that I get to decide what I believe. I can choose how I walk with God, and that the God I know and serve is real. I started to spend more time with God and get to know Him for myself, so I could define what my beliefs are and identify how I will walk with Christ. Now that I know who my God is, I can face adversity with confidence. I know who I have up in heaven, fighting for me, guiding me, and giving my life purpose and direction. I know that life will send challenges my way that will test my resolve. I’m aware that people will say and do things to try to destroy my confidence. However, I’m prepared to face all my challenges with tenacity and grit because I will stand strong and firm in my faith in God. As I walk with God into my future, I will pursue my dreams and the purpose that has been placed on my life. My faith is what makes me strong and powerful, and nothing can take that from me again.

I want to succeed by becoming a leader of societal change as part of my future career in medicine. As a young black woman, I believe that there are not enough black doctors in the healthcare industry. Historically, black bodies were mutilated and even treated as experimental objects by slaveholders and as recently as the infamous Tuskegee experiments. Even today, African Americans experience substandard medical care, as evidenced by documented health crises of celebrities such as Beyonce and Serena Williams. Tensions remain between the black community and the healthcare industry. These realities frustrate me and break my heart. I want to become a doctor so I can make a difference in the healthcare industry. I’ve channeled this passion into my schoolwork, and plan to continue this work as I pursue my undergraduate degree. In college, I plan to major in biology or biochemistry and graduate with a Bachelor of Science and a business minor. After my bachelor’s degree, I hope to attend medical school and get my medical degree. My first choice school is Spelman College, an all-girls HBCU in Atlanta, Georgia. Spelman‘s mission embodies everything I value – unity, empowerment, faith, and intersectionality. Through the Spelman experience, I can form a sisterhood with like-minded young African-American women who share interests in medicine, faith, and wellness. Spelman can mold me into the leader and physician I intend to be. Because black women are three times more likely to die in labor than white women, I hope to become an OBGYN so that I can advocate for the proper treatment and healthcare for black women. Unfortunately, this path to becoming an OBGYN presents itself with financial obstacles. While Spelman is an amazing school, they, unfortunately, are not known for providing generous financial aid. They have limited scholarships that are comprehensive, and few are all-encompassing. I also cannot apply for local external scholarships. My mom works for a local foundation that provides scholarships, but I cannot apply, as it would be a conflict of interest. My younger brother’s emotional and mental health struggles present unpredictable medical bills, and may eventually require private school tuition. All of these factors concern me, as I want to cover most of the college costs so my parents can help me save for medical school. Investing this scholarship in me is a move that would provide a tangible payoff. By doing so, you can assist me in achieving my educational and career goals without going into student loan debt. I plan to use this to fulfill my dreams of being a great, community-minded doctor someday. As a doctor, I will be able to pursue my interests in science, while gaining the power to bridge the gap between the black community and the healthcare industry. I plan to use my education in business to eventually open my medical practice in an African American community. I’m excited to take strides in my ethnic community, improving the quality of life for as many people as I can while fighting for the healthcare industry to be something that supports and helps everyone equally. I want to use my intelligence and work ethic to save and change lives through medicine.

As a young black woman, I believe that there are not enough black doctors in the healthcare industry. Historically, black bodies have been treated as experimental objects, from slavery to the Tuskegee experiments, and even today. Even today, African American women often experience substandard medical care, as evidenced by documented health crises of celebrities such as Beyonce and Serena Williams. Tensions remain between the black community and the healthcare industry. Learning about these things frustrated me and broke my heart. However, by watching doctors in my family advocate for the black community, my passion for medicine grew. By seeing their example, I too wanted to become a doctor so I could make a difference in the healthcare industry. I’ve channeled this passion into my schoolwork, and plan to continue this work as I pursue my undergraduate degree. In college, I plan to major in biology or biochemistry and graduate with a Bachelor of Science with a minor in business. After my bachelor’s degree, I hope to attend medical school and get my medical degree. My first choice school is Spelman College, an all-girls HBCU in Atlanta, Georgia. Spelman‘s mission embodies everything that I value – unity, empowerment, faith, and intersectionality. I hope that through my experience attending a women's college, I can be molded and empowered into the community-minded leader that I intend to be. After I graduate from Spelman, I hope to attend medical school at Duke, Emory, or Columbia. By obtaining both my bachelor's and medical degrees, I will be able to complete my medical residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. As the political climate in this country is so turbulent, I want to be a woman who protects and advocates for women's health. Because black women are three times more likely to die in labor than white women, I also hope to become an OBGYN so that I can advocate for the proper treatment and healthcare for black women. As a doctor, I will be able to pursue my interests in science, while gaining the power to bridge the gap between the black community and the healthcare industry. I hope to use some of my education in business to eventually open my medical practice in an African American community. I’m excited to take strides in my community, improving the quality of life for as many women as I can while fighting for the healthcare industry to be something that supports and helps everyone equally. I want to use my intelligence and work ethic to save lives and change lives through medicine. I also aspire to be a woman in my community that encourages younger girls. I hope that my example will inspire other young women to become leaders of change in their communities. I want my impact to be an inspiration to women all over the world, showing them that they have the power to infiltrate spaces where they want to make a difference.

I hope that by obtaining a degree in STEM, I can use my knowledge to empower health and wellness among women. As a young black woman, I believe that there are not enough black doctors in the healthcare industry. Historically, black bodies have been treated as experimental objects, from slavery to the Tuskegee experiments, and even today. Even today, African-American women often experience substandard medical care, as evidenced by documented health crises of celebrities such as Beyonce and Serena Williams. Tensions still remain between the black community and the healthcare industry. Learning about these things frustrated me and broke my heart. However, by watching doctors in my family advocate for the black community, my passion for medicine grew. By seeing their example, I too wanted to become a doctor so I could make a difference in the healthcare industry. I’ve channeled this passion into my schoolwork, and plan to continue this work as I pursue my undergraduate degree in STEM. In college, I plan to major in biology or biochemistry and graduate with a Bachelor of Science with a minor in business. After my bachelor’s degree, I hope to attend medical school and get my medical degree. My first choice school is Spelman College, an all-girls HBCU in Atlanta, Georgia. Spelman‘s mission embodies everything that I value – unity, empowerment of women, faith, and intersectionality. Spelman can mold me into the leader and physician I intend to be. After I graduate from Spelman, I hope to attend medical school at Duke, Emory, or Columbia. After medical school, I want to complete a residency and fellowship in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Because black women are three times more likely to die in labor than white women, I hope to become an OBGYN so that I can advocate for the proper treatment and healthcare for black women. I am determined, tenacious, and dedicated. Investing this scholarship in me is a move that would provide a tangible payoff. I plan to use this towards fulfilling my dreams of being a great, community-minded doctor someday. As a doctor, I will be able to pursue my interests in science, while gaining the power to bridge the gap between the black community and the healthcare industry. I hope to use some of my education in business to eventually open my own medical practice in an African American community. I’m excited to take strides in my own ethnic community, improving the quality of life for as many people as I can, while fighting for the healthcare industry to be something that supports and helps everyone equally. I want to use my intelligence and work ethic to save lives and change lives through medicine.

As I walked towards the fence, all of my emotions hit me as tears welled up in my eyes. I began to sob into my coach’s shoulder as she comforted me. I had always been mentally tough on the court, making sure that my opponents never saw me upset. However, that day I didn’t care if they noticed. I wasn’t crying because my doubles partner and I lost the match. I was crying because my high school tennis career was over. Many thoughts flooded my mind. Is this it? Is this how it all ends? Tennis had been in my life since I was in the third grade, but it had taken a while before it became my passion. I kept quitting and veering off into other sports. In my freshman year of high school, however, I started taking lessons again, and I joined the team my sophomore year. During my junior year, I made varsity and was selected to be co-captain. My doubles partner and I finished our senior year season with a great record (16-5), advancing to the sectional tournament and receiving second place, which qualified us for the Southwest Ohio District Championship. Because we lost in the first round of districts our junior year, this was our chance for a comeback. We only had to win two matches at districts to qualify for state, but we knew it would be tough – especially since our opponents (who happened to be sisters) were the “Venus and Serena” of Southwest Ohio high school tennis. Even though we ultimately lost, I enjoyed every second of the match and knew that we played our hardest. As I cried, my coach asked why I was upset. I told her that tennis was over for me, and she put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Your high school tennis career may be over, but your tennis career is not.” In my short 17 years, I have learned – and know – that tennis is timeless. It is a sport that can’t be started too early or too late. Some people start playing at two, and others may start and continue playing later in life well into their nineties. A sport for everybody, it can bring people together. Tennis teaches you how to persevere when things get tough and recover from your mistakes. It reflects the patterns, ebbs and flows of life. Players learn humility, focus, and strength. Skill level and experience don’t necessarily help set the best tennis players apart, but fight, tenacity and grit do. The beauty of tennis evolves over time and changes to reflect the power of each generation. With each generation of tennis players, there comes a different playing style, something new to offer the world, and a way to engage all audiences. Tennis has given me many experiences and taught me lifelong lessons that I will carry through college and beyond. With every practice and match, I vowed to challenge and improve myself and my game. In the off season, I joined a club and met an amazing instructor who encouraged and believed in me. Because of my commitment and dedication to tennis, I was honored to serve as the co-captain of my team in my junior and senior years. Even though I’m not going to play at the intercollegiate level, I hope to become a certified tennis instructor and help other kids learn to play. I want to create my own on-campus club tennis team, so we can compete with other club teams. It is my dream to coach high school players.

As a young black woman, I believe that there are not enough black doctors in the healthcare industry. Historically, black bodies were mutilated and even treated as experimental objects by slaveholders and as recently as the infamous Tuskegee experiments. Even today, African-Americans often experience substandard medical care, as evidenced by documented health crises of celebrities such as Beyonce and Serena Williams. Tensions still remain between the black community and the healthcare industry. These realities frustrate me and break my heart. Despite these hard facts, watching doctors in my own family advocate for the black community’s health has made my passion for medicine grow. Their example inspired me to want to become a doctor so I could make a difference in this important field. I channeled this passion into my schoolwork, earning a place in the Northmont Honors Society and in Best of the Bolts (Honor Roll). My academic achievements were also recognized alongside my athletics activities, as I won the Northmont Scholar Athlete Award, the MVTCA (Miami Valley Tennis Coaches Association) Silver Racquet Award, and the OTCA (Ohio Tennis Coaches Association) Gold Racquet Award. In college, I plan to major in biology or biochemistry, and graduate with a Bachelor of Science with a minor in business. After my bachelor’s degree, I hope to attend medical school and get my medical degree. As a doctor, I will be able to pursue my interests in science, while gaining the power to bridge the gap between the black community and the healthcare industry. Black women are three times more likely to die in labor than white women. I hope to become an OB-GYN so that I can advocate for the proper treatment and healthcare for black women. It is my desire to use some of my education in business to eventually open my own medical practice in an African-American community. I’m excited to make strides in my own community and improve the quality of life for as many people as I can, while also fighting for the healthcare industry to support and help everyone equally. Doctors do more than deliver cures; they contribute to the community’s quality of life. They are there to help and support people physically and emotionally during some of the hardest times in their lives. I want to use my intelligence and work ethic to save and change lives, and to empower, encourage, and uplift other people through medicine.

In college, I intend to pursue a major in biology, biochemistry, or biomedical sciences. My excitement to study this major has grown throughout my life, as I’ve experienced modern medicine and developed a passion for science through members of my family. The first time I truly experienced medicine in practice, I shadowed my grandfather at his medical office. He worked at a clinic near a local hospital that helped people who didn’t have access to medical care. Every time he went to examine a patient, I followed him into the exam room and observed his interactions. His last patient appeared to be a man in his mid-thirties, and he mentioned symptoms to my grandfather such as itchiness, rashes, and hives. My grandfather prescribed him some medication, and I left to get a snack from the break room. When I exited the breakroom, I saw my grandfather having a conversation with the desk secretary, with a shocked and concerned look on his face. As the patient was leaving, my grandfather ran after him, begging him to come back. The man stopped, and my grandfather took him back into an examination room without me. Later on, I discovered that the man was suffering from an STD, but was too embarrassed to mention it to my grandfather while I was in the examination room. As my grandfather walked the man back out of the office, he comforted and reassured him, letting his patient know that the situation he was in was nothing to be embarrassed about. My grandfather just wanted to be there for him and get him the help that he needed. The man looked very joyful and relieved. At that moment, I realized that doctors do more than deliver cures, they contribute to the community’s quality of life. Doctors are there to help and support people physically and emotionally during some of the hardest times in their lives. I want to fulfill my dreams by becoming a doctor that changes the face of medicine and advocates for the black community. I became inspired by watching my grandfather and other doctors in my family practice medicine and change the quality of people’s lives. As a young black woman, I believe that there are not enough black doctors in the healthcare industry. Black women are three times more likely to die in labor than white women. I remember when I saw on the news that a black woman was neglected by her hospital and eventually died from a lack of care. I know that historically, our bodies have been treated as experimental cadavers, from slavery to the Tuskegee experiments, and even today. I’m aware that tensions remain between the black community and the healthcare industry. However, as I watched my grandfather and other black doctors advocate for our community and improve our quality of life, my passion for medicine grew. As a doctor, I will be able to pursue my interests in science, while gaining the power to bridge the gap between the black community and the healthcare industry. I’m excited to take strides in my community, improving the quality of life for as many people as I can while fighting for the healthcare industry to be something that supports and helps everyone equally. I hope to be a beacon of change, and I know that a major in biology or psychology is the first step to realizing this dream.

“Depressed?” “Yes, I feel like everything is–” “You’re not depressed, you’re just not trying hard enough with God. You’re not putting in enough effort with him and praying like you should.” I confided in my teen pastor, hoping he would pray with me and give me words of wisdom and encouragement. Instead, my hopes were dashed in seconds. My experiences were invalidated. My words were dismissed. I exited the multipurpose room and stared towards the glass doors at the end of the hallway. I turned to my left and twisted the doorknob to the so-called “prayer room”. When I looked inside I spotted four chairs, a rug, and bluish-purple LED lights. The walls were black, and the room was very dark. Even though this room was not the “prayer oasis” I envisioned it as, I sat down on the rug and stared at the wall, spiritually wounded and confused. The last few months of 8th grade had been some of the hardest times of my life. I was cyberbullied, and rumors were being spread about me. My mental health kept deteriorating, and I felt like nothing was helping. Every night, I was praying relentlessly, asking for God to deliver me or give me the strength to sustain me. I read my Bible every day and recited the verses in prayer, hoping something would prompt God to move in my life, just as I had for the past year. Now, I was sitting on a rug in a small, cold room, questioning my faith and integrity. I thought to myself, Is this actually true? Am I really being punished because I’m not a good enough Christian? Is the loving, caring, and forgiving God I know unsatisfied with my best effort? I felt like everything that I knew was gone. I had no idea what I believed in, no idea what was true, no idea who God was. The pain and confusion lead me to abandon my beliefs and give up on myself and God. From that day forward, I chose to be more discerning about the people I walk my spiritual journey with. I surrounded myself with loving and supportive friends and family who encouraged me and shared my beliefs. I know that life will send challenges my way that will try to make me doubt myself. I’m aware that people will say and do things to try and compete with me and destroy my confidence. However, I’m prepared to face all my challenges with tenacity and grit because I will stand strong and firm in my faith in God. As I walk with God into my future, I will pursue my dreams and the purpose that has been placed on my life. My faith is what makes me strong and powerful, and nothing can take that from me again.

As a young black woman, I believe that there are not enough black doctors in the healthcare industry. Historically, black bodies have been treated as experimental objects, from slavery to the Tuskegee experiments, and even today. Tensions still remain between the black community and the healthcare industry. Learning about these things frustrated me and broke my heart. However, by watching doctors in my family advocate for the black community, my passion for medicine grew. The first time I truly experienced medicine in practice, I shadowed my grandfather at his medical office. He worked at a clinic near a local hospital that helped people who didn’t have access to medical care. Every time he went to examine a patient, I followed him into the exam room and observed his interactions. His last patient appeared to be a man in his mid-thirties, and he mentioned symptoms to my grandfather such as itchiness, rashes, and hives. My grandfather prescribed him some medication, and I left to get a snack from the break room. When I exited the breakroom, I saw my grandfather having a conversation with the desk secretary, with a shocked and concerned look on his face. As the patient was leaving, my grandfather ran after him, begging him to come back. The man stopped, and my grandfather took him back into an examination room without me. Later on, I discovered that the man was suffering from an STD, but was too embarrassed to mention it to my grandfather while I was in the examination room. As my grandfather walked the man back out of the office, he comforted and reassured him, letting his patient know that the situation he was in was nothing to be embarrassed about. My grandfather just wanted to be there for him and get him the help that he needed. The man looked very joyful and relieved. At that moment, I realized that doctors do more than deliver cures, they contribute to the community’s quality of life. Doctors are there to help and support people physically and emotionally during some of the hardest times in their lives. By seeing the examples of my grandfather and others, I too wanted to become a doctor so I could make a difference in the healthcare industry. As a doctor, I will be able to pursue my interests in science, while gaining the power to bridge the gap between the black community and the healthcare industry. I hope to use some of my education in business to eventually open my own medical practice in an African American community. I’m excited to take strides in my own ethnic community, improving the quality of life for as many people as I can, while fighting for the healthcare industry to be something that supports and helps everyone equally. I want to use my intelligence and work ethic to save lives and change lives through medicine.