I'm unique because of the opportunities I've been presented with on and off of my college campus. I'm an African American male who is currently a junior attending Georgia Southwestern State University pursuing a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a associate's degree in computer science. Through one of the five extracurricular activities I'm involved in, being the African American Male Institution at Georgia Southwestern State University, I've been able to be a keynote speaker in the virtual Transformative Conversations Conference held by the John N. Gardner Institute. This specific conference focused on how African Americans in academia can succeed and look towards several ways to be engaged in becoming a leader. One of those pathways I spoke on is studying abroad to expand how you view the world, and I had the privilege to travel to Nepal in the Summer of 2022. This trip really expanded my world by showing me how fortunate I am and how I should take advantage of the opportunities I have. I've been raised in a Christian household and have the privilege of serving others through volunteer work. I've volunteered through Sherwood Baptist Church, and the school associated with the church Sherwood Christian Academy. We call them serve days and this spans from food distribution at the Albany Coke Plant, also known as the Hope Center, to cleaning up local debris. A lot that Sherwood is able to do extends past Albany Georgia, as some of this service work has been in partnership with other churches in and out of Georgia. Sherwood Baptist Church also has something called a Meet The Needs program, which are the portion of the tithes that goes to helping other churches and other communities. I plan to give back to my community by pursuing a career in environmental science, as I want to become an industrial ecologist. With being involved in a church at a young age and being born in an area where agriculture is prevalent I became interested in using chemistry to better our environment. I want to be able to prove that my life had an impact through my work and my belief, and preserving the environment is a practical way I can achieve that goal. I enjoy helping out others and being able to see the change in their life due to my assistance. I don't want to help people to bring glory to myself, but rather to allow everyone to better themselves and others we interact with.

It is essential to have healthy eating habits because what we ingest daily will affect our health throughout our lives. I was once unaware of my eating habits, but I can see the benefits I received when I cared about my physical and mental health. My mother and father have even made comments about not being aware of the unhealthy habits we practiced as a family and as individuals. I started to work out Monday through Friday in eighth grade once a program called the Athletic Development Program began at Sherwood Christian Academy. It was led by Coach Chad Evans and Coach Jason Davidson where student-athletes would have a Health and Nutrition class for half of the school year and the other half was a Workout class catered towards different sports student-athletes participated in. I started this with one of my best friends Caleb Wiley and we both benefited greatly from it. One healthy habit I've implemented is making whey protein smoothies with kale or spinach, mixed fruit, bananas, and almond butter that I could have during the weekdays. I also exercise either three or four days out of the week so that I can burn off some of the kilocalories I ingest during the week. I typically only eat some type of sweet or dessert once a week. I also try to eat smaller meal portions on the weekends since I'm primarily at home studying or reading college material. I know certain foods are called superfoods because of the nutrients they have such as chicken, salmon, avocados, potatoes, kale, eggs, and oats. I eat nutritious snacks such as greek yogurt with oats, baked kale with salt, and nuts like cashews and pistachios. I noticed that I became more conscious about what foods I ate because of the knowledge I gained and the effort I put into becoming more physically fit. I'm much more confident in my physical appearance because of the work I've put in to stay healthy. I developed a mental restraint with how often I ate sweets and thought of eating as an investment of nutrients for my betterment. Practicing these various habits also made me more disciplined mentally, and that has allowed me to know more about my habits even outside of eating. These healthy eating habits have followed me ever since then, and I've been able to tell my family and friends around me what I learned as well. I want to be able to help those that I know around me with their health because it's something that will always be a prevalent matter.

One of my academic goals is to graduate with my undergraduate degrees in chemistry, my major, and computer science, my minor. My current advisor also made an educational goal when he told me to aim for a 95 in all of my classes. He knows this is a challenge and wants to push me, but he primarily wants me to understand and comprehend the information rather than just get a degree. My main professional goal has been to start networking since the Fall semester of 2021. I've already performed chemical water quality research as an undergraduate, and while doing my research, many other professors saw me and asked what I was doing. This also led some of them to watch me present my information at the Georgia Southwestern State University 2022 Science Symposium. Networking allows several individuals to be known or heard, and as an African American pursuing a career in a STEM field, I don't take networking for granted. I've given back to my community through community service at Sherwood Baptist Church and Sherwood Christian Academy. Throughout middle and high school I helped out with food distribution, natural disaster cleanup (more specifically Hurricane Michael in 2018), and refurbishing buildings in Albany. While I worked as an employee for Sherwood Baptist Church from the Fall of 2021 through the Spring of 2022 I assisted elementary and middle school students in basketball. I helped out along with volunteering coaches because we all wanted to give these kids a chance to grow up playing sports and at least hear about the gospel of Jesus. I want to help those around me to impact them in a practical and meaningful way. I want to be an environmental chemist so that throughout my career I can be a steward of the resources we have on Earth. I'm also a Christian and even if others don't believe what I believe, I want to help others shoulder the burdens of life.

Math is the quantitative way we can describe the world and come to understand how its properties work. Math is the backbone of all STEM fields, which is why many of them can be and are related. In the Digital Age where technology is flourishing at the most rapid rate it's ever been, we've needed to develop computers for all of the computational work society requires. I love math because we can use it to explain and explore the world around us. I'm a Christian so I've enjoyed debating the New Earth or Old Earth age theories with some friends I know from high school about carbon-14 dating being reasonable or not. Often, carbon dating is brought up but not specified, such as radiometric dating with examples of potassium-40 becoming argon-40. Several researchers who believe in the New Earth theory say that the firmament of water over the Earth until the worldwide flood mentioned in the book of Genesis in the Bible would cause the date derived in carbon dating to be wrong. This is because the firmament of water would be able to strengthen Earth's magnetic field primarily from the hydrogen nuclei in the firmament of water. This is a part of Magnetic Domain Theory where atoms are aligned in the same direction in a magnet or magnetic field. The consensus of carbon dating is based on a couple of assumptions: 1.) Carbon-14 has always decayed at a constant rate. 2.) No carbon-14 has been added or taken away from the sample when it was buried. 3.) The carbon isotope ratio in the sample matched the ratio in the rest of the world at that time. 4.) The carbon isotope ratio in the ancient skies was the same as it is today. The amount of arithmetic used to understand and grasp our world is stunning, and I'm grateful I'm in college to go towards a STEM field in environmental science where I can look and observe our world.

I'm a Junior at Georgia Southwestern State University currently pursuing to be an environmental chemist. I've wanted to be involved in ecological chemistry ever since I shadowed at Advanced Environmental Technologies in Albany, Georgia; This site deals with collecting harmful waste in the environment and sending it to other labs to be tested. I shadowed Mr. Chad Gunter who allowed me to see the basics of two chemistry labs working towards securing and cleaning water and minerals that were toxic to the environment and a tiny bit of bacterial analysis in Petri dishes. The lab I went to when I observed the testing was Environmental Testing Laboratories in Thomasville, Georgia. While present, I watched and assisted with testing different water sources from water bodies in Florida that were tested for their various areas, including pH, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity. I plan to make a positive impact on the world by protecting our environment for future generations to come. A lot of modern transportation has made commutes easier for us, but the energy required and byproducts created have done severe damage over time to our environment. We have finite resources that we must be good stewards of, and that is why I choose the career I'm currently chasing. As a Christian one of the earliest commands God (Yahweh) gave to Adam and Eve was to have dominion over the Earth and be good stewards of its resources. I don't know if I'll be able to develop something new that safeguards our environment or what specific section of the environment I'll be working on, but I want to do something that has a lasting effect on those who inherit the Earth after me.

My goals for the future are to have both research experience and internship experience before I receive my undergraduate degree in chemistry. I'm now a junior at Georgia Southwestern State University and I'm seeking a major undergraduate degree in chemistry and a minor undergraduate degree in computer science. I'm interested in environmental science and I'm honing in on becoming an Industrial Ecologist, an Environmental Research Planner, or a Hydrologist. I'm interested in computer science just because of the myriad of things programmers can do in different situations. I have shadowed at Advanced Environmental Technologies located at 1741 Philema Road in Albany, Georgia; This site deals with collecting harmful waste in the environment and sending it to other labs to be tested. I shadowed Mr. Chad Gunter who allowed me to see the basics of two chemistry labs working towards securing and cleaning water and minerals that were toxic to the Florida coastal environment and a small bit of bacterial analysis in Petri dishes. The lab I went to when I observed the testing was Environmental Testing Laboratories, on 412 West Walcott Street Saint Thomasville, Georgia. While present, I observed and assisted with testing different water sources from water bodies in Florida that were tested for their various areas, including pH, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity. I performed my water quality analytical research on surface water and groundwater samples from wells on campus from March 3, 2021, to April 28, 2022. I tested the water for its temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, and alkalinity. I have this information inputted into Microsoft Excel and graphed out to show change over time. I have tested one groundwater well (it reaches into a deeper aquifer compared to the other samples and is classified as an Artesian Well) and three surface water wells (these reach into a higher elevated aquifer, which is called the water table it acts similar to an aquifer, compared to the groundwater well and these are classified as Spring-fed Wells). I presented both virtually and in person, respectively, a poster of my data on two wells of water samples at the LSAMP Summit in Spring 2022 on February 25 and 26 and at the GSW Science Symposium on April 22. The main hardship I faced during my college career is comparing myself to the others around me. This is especially prevalent for minorities and it is mainly known as Imposter Syndrome, where you feel you don't measure up to others and therefore don't deserve to be in your current position. I've worked on not trying to compare myself to others, but rather writing down what I've done over the years and observing how I've changed and improved. Trying to equate yourself to someone else is undermining your work and the actions taken by those who are around you. I plan to stand firm in who I am to become a successful environmental chemist who can leave a better environment for the next generations.

I want to censorship of America's history removed. There are certain states, primarily in the south that want to limit and control what students are taught or read in their classrooms. As my African American Male Initiative Director, Mister Ervin Anderson, has said "The one thing you must not lose is your knowledge as knowledge is the most powerful tool an individual can use." Censorship restricts certain ways of life and shuns the unjust actions that make up our history. If you try to cloud the truth of your history, then you're too ashamed to discuss the harsh topics of the past.

I'm pursuing environmental chemistry because my grandfather is a farmer and I'm a Christian who wants to leave something better behind for the next generation. When I was still in elementary school my grandparents would pick me and my sister up from school and we'd help him with small things on the farm like foraging for pecans or looking for any crops with blemishes. It wasn't much that we did, but it allowed me to see how important farming and agriculture are. Once I took my introductory chemistry class in my junior year of high school, I knew I wanted to do something with chemistry and I realized how I can observe and maintain the health of the environment. I was able to shadow under one of my peers' father, Chad Gunter, to go to Advanced Environmental Technologies (AET) and Environmental Testing Laboratories (ETL) to do water quality research. This experience showed me how precious our finite resources are that we have and why science is essential to manage society's future. This experience influenced me to perform water quality research by being certified through the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream program and present my findings with Doctor Michele Smith. I started recording biweekly data from samples from March 6, 2021, to April 28, 2022, so I got to see small impacts on the Georgia Southwestern State University aquifers as the year passed. This furthered me to plan out how I'd get into the environmental field with my advisor, Doctor Tzvetelin Iordanov, and I'll be taking higher-level chemistry classes in the Fall of 2023 and I'll take an introductory environmental chemistry class in the Summer of 2023. Science is important to society because it is the backbone of how we observe, protect, and refine our available resources. Without modern science, our society would cease to exist in a sense of normalcy. With just things such as the US census, it would be impossible to do this without the modern technology we have from the founders of computer science. In the Digital Age, technology has the greatest impact and use in human history and without it, so many of our day-to-day conveniences couldn't function.

The phenomenon of online communication has created a grey line between those who are socially active online and those who prefer to converse in person. As an introvert, I typically never talked much at all until high school when I met some of my best friends who I still talk with today, but I also have acquaintances who I've met from some online activity whether it be a game or something similar to a discussion forum. The effect of communication varies greatly from person to person, as some individuals are more equipped than others. To contrast the two forms of communication, an in-person discussion can provide much more than an online discussion. You can easily observe body language, tone, and emotion in an in-person discussion. With a discussion online you can typically only express your thoughts in words, which can lead to misinterpretation. In any discussion, you can disregard the commonly accepted social normalities of life, but that is more difficult in an in-person discussion than an online one. If you decide to say something in-person amongst a group of friends that is against or demeaning social normalities, then there is immediate backlash. You see the person who you spoke to and the emotions they'll immediately convey, while in an online discussion if you said something against normalities there is no immediate and in some cases no real backlash or questioning of your statement. You can simply observe this by going back to several discussion forums from about a decade ago and seeing the difference in language and the purpose of interaction.

I love superfoods because it's an easy and essential way to receive the nutrients you need daily. My favorite superfood has to be eggs, it's such a versatile food item. You can use it for salads, salad dressings, and mayo, and it pairs with several foods well. I always have eggs for breakfast whether it is as an omelet, frittatas, boiled eggs, or just scrambled eggs with sausage and a mixed fruit smoothie with whey kale and protein powder. Other than eggs the superfoods I like are pistachios, almonds, pecans, kale, broccoli, blueberries, salmon, and sweet potatoes. I took a health and fitness class back in high school in eleventh grade and we discussed topics affecting our physical health. The first half of the year was exercising with particular muscle groups and how you can train each specific group. The second half of the year was informational on the nutrients we need compared to what we typically consume. This helped me decide what foods I could start to learn to cook to make for my parents as one of them is trying to lose weight and create a healthy palate of foods the family can have. I incorporate superfoods into my diet by always having some type of smoothie that includes whey protein, kale, half banana, almond butter, and mixed fruit (typically blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries) for breakfast at least five days of the week. I already mentioned how I always have eggs in my breakfast; I always have pistachios to have whenever I'm somewhat hungry after commuting and taking classes. I make my lunches and it typically includes some form of carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes or pasta with some form of protein which is usually baked or grilled chicken. Since I commute I take my lunch in a thermos and I would typically have shepherd's pie, chicken alfredo, baked salmon with rice and broccoli, chicken salad, or mashed potatoes and ground beef with sauteed onions. I also exercise the four days I'm on campus after classes.

I'm majoring in chemistry and minoring in computer science. I choose chemistry as my major as I want to be involved in the environmental chemistry field so I can be a good steward of the Earth for the next generation. I was raised in a Christian household and one of the first commands to mankind God gave humanity was to be good stewards of the Earth he created. I was able to see this lived out by my grandfather and grandmother as they lived on a farm and were working the land ever since my dad was a child. Once I started taking chemistry in eleventh grade it was the first subject that stood out to me and piqued my interest. My high school had a job shadow day where every eleventh-grade student would shadow someone already in the workforce and I was lucky enough that one of my peers' father was Chad Gunter the owner of Advanced Environmental Technologies in Albany Georgia. He allowed me to see the basics of two chemistry labs working towards securing and cleaning water and minerals that were toxic to the environment and analysis of incubated bacteria in Petri dishes. The lab I went to when I observed the testing was Environmental Testing Laboratories, on 412 West Walcott Street Saint Thomasville, Georgia. While present, I observed and assisted with testing different water sources from water bodies in Florida that were tested for their various areas, including pH, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity. I'm enjoying studying chemistry as I'll be getting into organic and inorganic chemistry next year and the water quality research at Georgia Southwestern State University I've been able to perform as a result.

A higher form of education is important to me because college allows for several networking connections and practical experience in your applicable field. As a chemistry major and computer science minor, I want to excel in my studies but also have people willing to work with me outside of the classroom so I can test what I've learned in the classroom at a hands-on level. I've already performed and presented water quality research on the wells at the Georgia Southwestern State University campus. I'm currently working on receiving my chemistry undergraduate degree and I'm currently a junior. I have not taken any classes for my computer science minor yet due to my schedule and my interest in chemistry being a priority over computer science. I plan to get both undergraduate degrees at Georgia Southwestern State University and then work for two years before applying to a graduate school. I have not looked at graduate schools at the moment because I want to focus on getting my chemistry undergraduate degree so that I can first look for jobs in the Americus Georgia area applying to chemistry. Higher education is very crucial in any STEM field as most require a master's degree with additional requirements. I want to be involved in the environmental side of the chemistry field, so I would need a master's degree and also pass an exam from the American Institute of Certified Planners (ACIP) to be an Environmental Restoration Planner. I plan to work before graduate school just so that I can have hands-on experience and start to manage things on my own as I start to become independent from my parent's assistance as I grow up. Learning is a lifelong process and it is a huge part of why education is so important to me.

The ability I value most is to speak clearly and construct my words in a purposeful and digestive manner. I value my ability to speak and enunciate my words because communication is an effective way you can convey your ideas, thoughts, or opinions to others. Networking heavily relies on effective communication and it allows individuals to come together to bring an idea into reality. I've had chances to speak in front of an audience ever since I was eight whether it was at Daniel Grove Baptist Church, school projects such as Future City at Sherwood Christian Academy, or through Georgia Southwestern State Universities Science Symposiums. I was never afraid of public speaking because of how often I got the chance to do it and how normalized it felt to engage in discussions. I know this quality will help me in my life journey because I'm a Christian who wants to be involved in environmental chemistry. For the sake of my future career, I need to be able to discern, cite, and relay my findings to anyone either in or outside of the field. Chemistry is a very methodical process that you must know how to follow and explain to others who might not be knowledgeable in your respective area. In regards to being a Christian and someone who enjoys science, I also have to know how to display and defend my faith as New Age Atheists would say my faith is irrational. They would challenge my belief by using rational arguments or scientific reasoning such as Evolutionary Psychology. This is a theoretical approach in psychology stating all human behavior can be explained by appealing to internal psychological mechanisms. For example, if you saw something that you can't discern, you would associate it with something real to keep your sanity. Being able to convey your thoughts through your words is a critical skill. If you can't converse properly with others then you can't work effectively with a team of individuals. The beauty of communication is that it lets one individual lead a spark for others to witness and carry on.

I'm a junior majoring in chemistry and minoring in computer science and the biggest project I've worked on has been observing the water quality of the Georgia Southwestern State University aquifers. The reason I'm interested in computer science is just to learn more about the technology I use and enjoy on a daily basis at a deeper level. Once I begin taking classes for my computer science degree I'll have a deeper appreciation for the technology I have available to me. My passion lies in environmental chemistry, as I'm taking classes and learning more about how scientists must oversee and protect our environment. I'm passionate about the subject because as I grew up I always stayed with my grandparents, on my father's side of the family, and my grandfather Felder Daniels is a farmer. When he needed help on the farm my sister and I would pick up pecans, feed the chickens, and help with any minor repairs to equipment that were safe enough for us to help with. Growing up on a farm, I formed a lot of practical questions that I could develop answers to with what I learned from the high school and college chemistry classes I've taken. A lot of my chemical analyses of the GSW water quality used common Environmental Protection Agency-approved compounds, but there are more expensive and precise options that we didn't have access to. I used La Motte Water Quality Testing Kits which had all the necessary compounds to derive pH, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, nitrates, and phosphates. All areas of science include extensive technology that evolves and changes over time, but we have to work with what we have.

I want to pursue a career in a STEM field because of the myriad of ways we can use science to better the Earth. I want to be involved in an environmental chemistry career and with this I can make life better for others and fulfill one of God's earliest commands with being a steward of the Earth. I grew up in southwest Georgia in a Christian household so I've always had opportunities to help others. With my grandfather being a father and my interest in chemistry, this led me to decide what career I wanted to pursue. I was raised to look out for others whether it is something small such as holding the door, or offering my time and effort to help or provide for someone else. I'm currently focused on becoming an Industrial Ecologist, to look at how our industry affects the environment and what changes can be made to mitigate or prevent harm. I can help communities by providing and ensuring better conditions for our environment. I can also spread my knowledge to others even if it's something as simple as knowing how to dispose of oil waste or how to repurpose it. As an African American pursuing a STEM field, it is very daunting as there are several obstacles to overcome and several people watching your path. A very obvious issue is just experiencing how to work with others who are very dissimilar to you. The difference in ethnicity in the workplace can create unnecessary tension just from racial stigmas placed or enacted by others. I want to be known as someone who can break these racial barriers and empower those who are less fortunate. We're all humans seeking to become better everyday so there is no need for quarrels in the beautiful field of STEM.

I've stayed optimistic by recalling the positive statements I've heard people say to my face. My professor at GSW, Doctor Michele Smith, told me when I joined the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minorites Participation that she wanted to see more people like me succeeding in academia. My fellow African American Male Institution member, Joeseph Maye, at GSW told me I really can see you doing big things because you listen more than speak and when you speak you speak with a purpose in mind. My high school football coach, Chad Evans, called me a stellar one of a kind kid who puts others before himself. I make sure to tell people how they've helped me just because of something they had said in the past helped me push through the challenging times. I've used my voice purposefully because as iron sharpens iron when we challenge each other we hold each other accountable so that we can ensure we all grow. I use these words to keep my head up high because I'm assured there are other people behind my back wanting me to succeed.

One main finance lesson I've observed about my spending habits is to evaluate what you need to spend money on so that you're cognizant of your spending habits. My parents have told me to make a general plan for spending money once I start getting a steady income from work, paid internships, or stipends and financial aid returns. I make sure to only spend on what I need and if I want something I ask my mom, dad, and sister if they have anything coming up that they might need assistance paying for. My current financial goal is to gain a stable income to help out my family if not just providing for myself so that takes off some of the work my mom and dad have already done for me and my sister.

The main hardship I've overcome is not believing and setting a plan to make practical and purposeful changes in my life. Throughout most of my life until high school, I just did whatever was necessary, but I never sought out something to excel in and felt I hadn't accomplished much. A huge thing I've done to prevent this thought is keeping a journal as a log of things I've done each day. It allows me to look back on what I've done and see real changes in my actions and thoughts. This has especially helped my relationship with God as it is a daily reminder that I should be capturing my thoughts and evaluating them according to God's commands. College is important to me because of the greater impact you can achieve with a college degree in a STEM field. Networking is also a huge part of college, but you can take your connections anywhere and start your connection circle at any point in your life. College is also important to me just because the rate of African American men completing college is fairly low and that isn't taking loans or the number of years it took to complete college into account. College is a privilege, and I can't realize how blessed I am until I've looked back on where I used to be. I plan to use my degree to better our environment's quality and spread the necessary knowledge to others I come across so that people can comprehend just how much we affect the earth's environment daily. One of God's earliest commands is to be a steward over all of the earth and this has greatly filtered my view of what I'll be doing in my career relating to environmental chemistry. While overseeing our environment is good, we still need to evaluate what we can do to make it better and mitigate any harm our industrial uses cause. With a chemistry degree and extensive environmental chemistry classes, I can take part in this cause to better what we have for those that are here and for the next generation of humanity.

My greatest achievement is conducting undergraduate research that I started as a freshman back in March of 2021 that I've presented in a poster and oral presentation both virtually and in person. This research has allowed me to expound upon my chemistry knowledge from the classroom to the field. I oversee the water quality of different wells on the GSW campus, which involves conductivity, pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and phosphates. I'm thankful that the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minorities Participation program has provided a stipend each term and the ability to perform research and attend bi-annual summits, which are typically held in person but due to the coronavirus, which has several applicable topics for minorities pursuing careers in STEM fields. The experience with my research has taught me how to be more efficient when gathering research data, how to compile and convey my information in a digestible manner, and how to speak to people about the importance of water quality and what goes on during the chemical testing. I never thought I could do college courses, research projects, and a part-time job but this has shown me how much I have to learn and improve so I can become more proficient in my work. I hope to become an environmental chemist as I'm looking toward three different careers. The one I'm most interested in is an industrial ecologist, then an environmental restoration planner, then a hydrologist. With my undergraduate research focusing on water quality it has been intriguing to research the various fields that environmental chemistry contains. I want to leave a lasting impact upon the world as a Christian and as someone who wants to be a great steward of the earth and its environment.

I've always been enamored by the latest technology we have and all that we can do and are striving to develop. It wasn't until I began my sophomore year at Georgia Southwestern State University while taking an introductory videography class that I came to appreciate all of the technological advances I've seen in my lifetime. As someone who loves video games and has come to love editing, I've started to make short edited clips of video game series that I enjoy. I want to pursue a computer science degree just because of the myriad of things you can do such as coding, programming, or just editing a large project using software. My dream job is to become an industrial ecologist, as I'm majoring in a chemistry degree. Although, the skills I would learn would deepen my love for the science behind programming as I would be archiving, graphing, and simulating experiments. I've only taken the videography class but I've looked into the basics of computer science just so that when I start taking classes directly I can quickly pick up the pieces to portray something great in the future. I feel I'm the best candidate because I've already strived to learn in areas I enjoy and if I don't have to worry about potential costs for classes needing to be paid by my family members then I have more time and mental focus on my coursework. My professors and advisors have seen when I'm engaged and enjoying a specific subject and that works to my advantage in knowing what I want to pursue. It allows me to push through the difficulty of these courses because I think about what I can do in the future to better myself and those around me with the tools provided.

The main thing I've had to overcome is Imposter Syndrome. As an African American who grew up in a private Christian school, I haven't experienced much discrimination or prejudice, aside from sporting events such as football, but my main issue has been viewing myself based on what others who are more fortunate have done. A huge issue for a lot of minorities pursuing a career in a STEM field is a feeling of being underprepared compared to others. As statistically, a minority is less financially fortunate than someone who is a majority, there are more obstacles for minorities to pursue an academic career in college or graduate school. My personal issues came from never finding anything interesting in school until I took chemistry in my junior year of high school, and as a result of that, I compared myself to others who were receiving scholastic and extracurricular awards or achievements while I had little for myself until my junior year. I had never attempted much of anything outside of school, besides Boy Scouts until sixth grade, because I always feared being worse than someone else and wasting someone else's time or money. I never wanted to waste my parent's money as my family situation in 2015 was changing so I feared trying new things or reaching out to offers for extracurricular events. It wasn't until my junior year that I finally looked out for opportunities to better myself academically and through extracurricular activities. This involved looking for scholarships, looking for shadowing opportunities, and making connections with my coaches and people I know from Sherwood Baptist Church. Currently, I finally have probable opportunities to better myself financially, academically, and just become well-rounded. I'm doing video editing for the organizations I'm a part of and seeking internships in both of my fields. I'm also doing water quality research that I've presented in a virtual conference before. I plan on using my skills and investing in people I know so that I can create a purposeful connection that leaves a legacy. Whether this is from the videos I've edited and compiled, the environmental skills I know through my research, or reaching out to my church with several options and ways to help others.

One change I believe would make education and learning better for future graduates is learning how to communicate how you personally are doing physically, mentally, and if you are religious spiritually. Communication is a massive part of our day-to-day lives and it is needed in all facets of life. It is especially crucial to know how to process and communicate what we feel, and one regard that has been opened to a lot of people has been mental health. As a lot of surveys about mental health were taken during the start of the pandemic evidence showed how much people neglected communicating about how they were mentally. When I speak about communication making education better, I'm saying that because we all have our busy day-to-day lives, but one thing I think a lot of society (primarily in America as I was born here and haven't looked towards other places) doesn't do is set time aside to evaluate what they've done. Whether this is writing in some journal or talking to friends on a consistent basis about what you are currently feeling, we should all put time aside to communicate about how we are as a person.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I've ever gotten was to learn how to manage money at an early age with your parents or guardians. It was very general with creating some sort of spending and saving plan so that if any emergency or obligation comes up you will still be prepared in the long run. I had started asking my parents about things I will come to face as an adult when I was in high school and I'm still asking those who are older and more experienced as I've grown. Life is a legacy and when people have all that information, but nobody to disclose it to or help out, that information becomes pointless. I'm applying for scholarships and trying to do my best in college so I can be the best person I can so that I can help others in other ways that aren't just dealing with finances.

In my mind division is the biggest problem the world is facing. There are so many things that make us different and unique as people, yet humanity has always faced problems from differences such as social status, ethnicity, religion or worldviews, sexuality, and a myriad of other things. I'm not saying that everyone's mindset or views should be the same, but we need to be able to evaluate someone else's views and not discriminate against someone else's rational view or actions during their life. I'm planning to be an environmental chemist and I want to do what I can to better the world and the people in it. I'm a Christian and I want to do what I can well so that I leave a purposeful legacy. The stronger we can be as individuals, the stronger we are as a unit.

I'd save the $1,000 dollars to use for my travel abroad trip to Nepal, which is in Southeast Asia, for the summer. This trip will cost $2,200 without any grants, but my professor is currently trying to get the typical grants he has for this trip even though the variants of the coronavirus and other world events are affecting this at the moment. I'll know by the end of March if he has any grants and the amount that will be supplied to students. This money would allow me to pay for about 80% of the trip on my own without my parent's assistance. This trip only covers my breakfast, lunch, hotel, and travel fees, but I will need money for dinner and I'm setting aside a small amount for one or two souvenirs I may get for family members.

Empathy is a strong human emotion that keeps us aware of how important it is to help our fellow people. We're all human and all our lives will have trials and temptations, but our empathy towards others brings us to want to help others. Empathy isn't just about morals, it's about compassion for someone that you can sympathize with. One of the major things most everyone can sympathize with is the passing of a family member or just someone you're fond of. Since we all only have a finite amount of time here on Earth, we should attempt to give our best daily so that we are fortunate enough help others in a myriad of ways. Whether your sympathy is shown through your work or towards your gifts to those in need, this emotion is deeply rooted and important in all human life.

I think the meaning of life is to live a purposeful life where you can help those who are less fortunate and those who will come after your generation. This is especially important to me as a Christian, as we are called to spread the gospel, and even if someone doesn't agree with our views, the purpose is to give people a new perspective on the views, morals, and beliefs of Christianity. This is especially important to future generations who will be raised up in a time unlike the present or past, so achieving and working towards this goal is crucial. I will work towards this goal by aiming to be involved in environmental chemistry so that I can take care and oversee our environment that while I do my work I can show others the importance of leaving a positive legacy on the world.

I stay committed to speaking my mind because concise communication is key for any network of individuals. Communication is necessary for any facet of life so I plan to always be straightforward and concise whenever I'm speaking. I want to also speak my mind so that my ideas can be heard and others could discuss their own ideas or their opinion of mine more openly. Everyone needs to be vocal so that they can state their view or opinion, build on other people's ideas, clearly speak on any topic they are knowledgeable of, and carry themselves in a professional manner. Diction is also a key point in speaking your mind as a professional. You know you must use language that is befitting of you and not be overbearing or crass with your words.

I'm K.J. Daniels, a chemistry major and minoring in computer science at Georgia Southwestern State University. I'm finishing my sophomore year of college this spring term. I'm currently looking for summer internships, as I just found out I was not accepted for Stanford University's SURGE Program that deals with environmental science research on a graduate level. I have chosen this area of study from chemistry being the only subject that primarily interested me in high school. It interested me and was interesting and fun to learn about, so I've decided to stick with it as I want my job and career to be enjoyable. I went into environmental chemistry in particular from being a Christian, as one of God's earliest commands is to be good stewards of the Earth, and also from growing up with my grandfather being a farmer. These two things heavily impacted my interest towards using chemistry to benefit and oversee our environment. I plan to use my knowledge in my field to teach others so that they are knowledgeable about how many of our decisions affect the environment. I also want to bring in diversity and new ideas into STEM fields by gaining the interest of those who I bring this knowledge to. There are a lot of job avenues that people don't even know of or the impact that these positions hold. I try to tell my friends of my findings so that little by little I can impact even more people and give them purposeful and useful knowledge.

I'm K.J. Daniels, a chemistry major and minoring in computer science at Georgia Southwestern State University. I'm finishing my sophomore year of college this spring term. I'm currently looking for summer internships, as I just found out I was not accepted for Stanford University's SURGE Program that deals with environmental science research on a graduate level. Giving back is important because passing down knowledge and morals to the next generation is important for humanity to flourish. This is especially apparent in my life with Christian morals being instilled into me at a young age and still following with that belief today. If you go through life only seeing to benefit yourself, then you've made little to no impact upon the world depending on what you do. With my plans to be involved in environmental chemistry, I can give back to the community by helping our environment. I can even show how important it is to take care of our environment for those who will come after us and how different areas of our life affect the planet. I still plan to help out in service activities with my church and overseeing the environment. Through my experiments I can help ensure that different regions have accepted standards for water quality.

I'm K.J. Daniels, a chemistry major and minoring in computer science at Georgia Southwestern State University. I'm finishing my sophomore year of college this spring term. I'm currently looking for summer internships, as I just found out I was not accepted for Stanford University's SURGE Program that deals with environmental science research on a graduate level. My skills are practiced through environmental research practices provided by the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minorites Program (LSAMP). I'd started performing water quality monitoring in March of 2021 and I just performed a virtual oral presentation today over monthly selective data. I observed six specific parameters which were conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, nitrates, and phosphates. I will also be presenting on this data on the GSW campus in April, and we currently do not know if it will be in person or virtual. Through several practical career skill workshops and tests, I've found that I'm proficient with qualitative reasoning. This has been apparent in my Elementary Statistics class, as it has been easy for me to relate concepts discussed in that class towards the chemistry and calculus courses I'm taking. This has allowed me to find more of an interest towards this process of learning chemistry. Our work in the lab with spectrometers has been applicable towards regression lines for transmittance and absorbance values in a solution.