My first-choice major is Accounting because I aspire to grow in business and economics, particularly as a financial advisor. Since my junior year, I knew I wanted to pursue economics or anything business/finance related because of the tremendous support that I received from my AP Macroeconomics teacher. He consistently believed in me and pushed me to do well on assessments because he could tell I had a genuine interest in economics. I want to attend college to deepen my education and pursue my dream of becoming a financial advisor and accountant. I believe that the classes I take in college, as well as the relationships I develop there, will be extremely helpful when it’s time to enter the real world. Beyond the technical side of accounting, I value the professionalism associated with the career, especially since women of color are often unfairly judged in that area. This starts off with professional attire and being able to sit in a setting where most people of color are not given the opportunity to. Aside from this, everyone has always told me that accounting is very difficult and that you should only pursue it if you are good at math, but I feel like that is not the only aspect or trait that you need in order to be successful in the accounting field. You need to be determined, ambitious, and gritty. If those are the requirements for being successful and having an amazing, thriving future career in accounting, I have not once failed yet. My ambition is what drives me. I find motivation behind proving myself and my worth to the world and to our future generations because there have been times when I've been doubted, and it hasn't torn me down; it has only pushed me to prove them wrong. I could have chosen any other major, but I specifically chose accounting because of my love for economics, the thrill I find in financial advising, and my belief in myself, as all my life I have lived up to the saying "hard work pays off". Taking the easy route has never been something I have been interested in. I love a good challenge, and I love to show others, but most importantly to myself, that as long as I put in the work, I can get where I want to be. I will now be attending Lehigh University, pursuing the 4+1 program in order to get my Master's degree by 2031.

Once I got to highschool, I was afraid to try new things since covid separated me from my hobbies. I remember crying during one of my dance classes in freshman year because I was so nervous for my group project. I ended up being an amazing dancer despite my nerves. Now, I have done hiphop and conservatory classes and I was accepted into both hiphop and conservatory teams. I ended up choosing conservatory as it drew me in more. After school on Wednesdays and Thursdays, I go to practice and we do a variety of jazz and contemporary dance pieces. We have started to train in mainly ballet because ballet is the foundation of all techniques of dance. I have learned how to pirouettes, leaps, illusions, and more tricks that are more modern based, which is the unit we have just started practicing. Not only will this scholarship allow me to take a step closer to go to college but it’ll also provide an opening in which I will be able to explore and pursue my athletic goals of being a student-athlete (dancer) at a higher level. Academically, I chose Accounting as my first-choice major because I want to build a strong foundation in business and economics, with the goal of becoming a financial advisor. Since my junior year, I knew I wanted to pursue economics or anything business/finance related because of the tremendous support that I received from my AP Macroeconomics teacher who consistently believed in me and pushed me to do well on assessments because he could tell I had a genuine interest towards economics. This scholarship will aid in my development professionally in both fields. My high school experience has made me look back on my accomplishments and how far I have come not only as a dancer, but as a person. While high school brought challenges, I never gave up on myself and I have grown exponentially. I am extremely proud of the confidence that I have gained and the knowledge has been instilled in me, and I am so happy that I have the chance to share it with other students at college. My confidence in myself, as well as my ambition throughout high school has gotten me to my position of being a Varsity member on my competing dance team as well as on the Dean’s list for all 4 years of my high school career. All in all, I believe that I deserve this scholarship to make my college and my career dreams come true.