Growing up, my mother exposed me to how to serve my community. She founded a non-profit organization, Stand Up Speak Up, intended to help domestic violence survivors cope with the trauma they experienced. This was done through various workshops focused on self-care and building healthy relationships. After hosting events with her, I decided I wanted a career where I could help people in my community. Thus, I majored in Psychology at Ball State University to pursue counseling. My college journey began with feelings of isolation and depression due to attending a predominantly white institution where I did not know how to navigate my campus culture nor see many campus members who looked like me. These feelings led to low motivation and poor grades. Entering my sophomore year, a friend introduced me to resources for students of color that provided mentorship and academic and mental health counseling; I had my college breakthrough! I also enrolled in a minor in African American Studies which exposed me to the various ways individuals are disadvantaged, both in their local and global communities. My passion to serve others grew and I realized that being a counselor would not be fulfilling unless I also was able to be an advocate for social justice. In hindsight, helping my mother planted a seed for social work that I was not aware of yet -- as she effectively helped and advocated for those with whom she worked. I began to put my passion to work by obtaining two service positions. Being a Student Antiracism and Intersectionality Council member and a Peer Advocate Leader allowed me to educate my peers on how to be antiracists on campus, in their communities, and within their career fields. I also gained the presentational and communication skills that are useful in advocacy. As a Peer Advocate Leader, I presented workshops on disability awareness, representation of minorities, and effective activism. After graduating in May 2022, I took a gap year to gain additional professional experience. I worked as a Program Coordinator at the Center for Leadership Development. I crafted and hosted programs and workshops to educate minority youth and their families on college and career preparedness. After a while, I desired to step deeper into higher education. I am now approaching my first anniversary as the first, Coordinator of DEI Programming and Engagement at a local, private, predominantly white institution, Butler University. I host Heritage Months programs, DEI-related trainings, and intergroup dialogues to celebrate and amplify the voices of historically marginalized communities and address current events. I hope my efforts encourage campus members to expand their understanding of others’ lived experiences, challenge their assumptions, and become more inclusive of diverse populations. As I enter my second year in the University of Houston’s Master of Social Work program, I desire to continue creating effective programming to ensure students, staff, and faculty of marginalized backgrounds feel seen, celebrated, and supported. Research has shown that when people of color feel safe within their schools, they receive higher grades, have greater well-being, and are more likely to graduate. I believe creating safe spaces will allow for campus experiences for everyone. This scholarship will help me continue to dedicate myself to the service of my university and community. I will also be able to experience less stress due to the possibility of incurring more debt and trying to pay my tuition out of pocket. I appreciate you hearing my story! Your support will allow me to continue to be a change agent in higher education.

Growing up in a small town in Georgia, I knew I was different. My skin was darker, my hair was more coarse, and my elementary school was predominately white. Once, I sat with a group of white girls during lunch, but they moved seats. For months, I asked myself why. Then, I met a group of Black kids and realized they mostly hung out with each other. At that point, I learned that race played a part in our interactions, or lack thereof, with our peers. However, gaining friendship with the other Black students helped me feel safe to be myself. From then to high school graduation, I sought after friendships with other students of color to allow me emotional safety and comfortability. Upon graduating high school, I attended a predominantly white university with a small Black population. Because of my experience in Georgia, I was too afraid to do things such as, talk too loud or wear my natural hair to avoid being stereotyped. Thus, my first year was isolating due to being away from home, having a handful of friends, and unaware of how to navigate my campus’ culture. I enrolled as a Psychology major with a minor in African American studies. Through my minor, I learned about the struggles and achievements of Black people, locally and globally. I also discovered spaces that were created for Black students on campus, including our natural hair club, Kinky Curly Alliance. Until that point, my academic pursuits brought adversity due to the racial climate in the schools I attended. Through finding safe spaces, mentorship, and attending therapy, I have been able to unlearn the trauma from microaggressions and other injustices I've experienced. I gained a desire to pursue a career where I can advocate for and respond to the individual and community injustices people of color face. I gained advocacy skills by serving on my campus’s Student Antiracism and Intersectionality Council. I also held a position as a Peer Advocate Leader. Both roles allowed me to educate my peers on how to be antiracists on campus, in their communities, and within their career field. As a Peer Advocate Leader, I presented workshops on disability awareness, representation of minorities, and effective activism. After graduating last May, I took a gap year to gain additional professional experience. I have worked as a Program Coordinator at the Center for Leadership Development. I craft and host programs and workshops to educate minority youth and their families on college and career preparedness and mental health. This year, I have created a mental health series that will include workshops such as “Students and Stress Management” and “Building Resiliency”. During this series, students will learn how to recognize, handle, and overcome stress. This fall, I am beginning my Master’s in Social Work program at the University of Houston with a focus on program development and community building. I aspire to continue creating programming to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of students of color. Through effective programming, campuses will be able to acknowledge and embrace their population of students, faculty, and staff of color. Research has shown that when people of color feel safe within their schools, they receive higher grades, have a greater well-being, and are more likely to graduate. Alongside, I believe creating safe spaces will allow for campus experiences for everyone. I appreciate you hearing my story! Your support will allow me to continue to be a change agent in education.

As a little girl, I was always told that I got my beauty and sassiness from my mother and my brains from my father. My dad always encouraged me to pursue the highest levels of education. He has always invested in his children's academics by ensuring he was readily available to assist us. Over the years, math has come easy for me. But it started with an activity my dad created. I grew up in Savannah, Georgia with my brothers, mom, & step-dad. My biological father remained in my hometown, Indianapolis, Indiana. But, my dad and I's daily phone calls made him feel right by my side. He called to ensure my homework was completed and to offer any help. Once, after helping me, he gave me a pop quiz over mathematics. He provided several addition and substraction problems to solve. I quickly grabbed scrap paper, wrote the equations, and found the sums and differences. Because of our bond and his encouragement, I didn't perceive this as additional work, but as a game. No matter what question he gave me, I answered them correctly. I wanted to win. We continued this "game" for weeks. Then, I found a desire to continue the activity on my own. During the summer time, I'd ask my mom to buy math work books from our neighborhood CVS to prevent "summer brain drain". Because of this mental training during summer breaks, I was ready to conquer math subjects during the upcoming school years. During my senior year of high school, I enrolled in pre-calculus. Even though it was difficult, I didn't want to give up. I wanted to find the same excitement i had as a little girl. So, I began askimg for help from my teacher, Ms. Franklin. She allowed me to sit in her class during my lunch breaks to ask questions and avoid a loud cafeteria with mean teenagers. Focusing on graduating, passing pre-calculus, and overcoming peer pressure and ridicule made my senior year difficiult. I received help with my math class, but also guidance on navigating the challenges I endured. Because she saw my effort, she offered extra credit which helped my grade go from a low C to a B. Her investment in me helped find the excitement again. I do not love math just for the subject, but because of the people who made math easier and more enoyable.

The unfair treatment of African Americans in the mental health field is a social problem that I wish to solve. Historically, African Americans have faced negative events in the health care system and when seeking mental health treatment that has led to distrust toward providers. This led to African Americans being less inclined to seek mental health treatment. One of the reasons I know this is because I experienced it firsthand. During my time in college, I experienced anxiety and depression. Due to a history of relatives not discussing mental health, I did not know how to cope with my problems. My mental health status led to me earning a low GPA my first semester of undergraduate. I was not involved in any organizations or clubs that year either. One of my only friends suggested I attend therapy at my university’s Counseling Center. I was open to the idea, but I knew that I wanted to discuss my problems with someone who looked like me, a Black woman. Because I attended a predominantly white institution, I had to advocate for myself and state my preference for a Black therapist. It took a while to get my first appointment, but it was a blessing to find a Black therapist on campus. I felt heard. I felt seen. My counselor could relate to my cultural experiences. Interestingly, my undergraduate major was Psychology to become a Licensed therapist. My experience with advocating for myself made me realize that I would not be satisfied as a counselor without the chance to also advocate for and educate those around me. Since becoming empowered by God, I honed the knowledge and skills needed to be an effective helping professional. My experience as an intern at A Better Way Services, Inc. allowed me to put these skills into practice. This organization helps survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault find resources to transition to independent living. In this role, I provided emotional support to clients and callers, assisted with finding resources, and helped children with chores and homework. New to the field of social work, my experience there exposed me to the heavy burdens social workers take on each day. I learned patience through the process of finding resources that fit clients' needs, as well as how to practice my self-care and cope with the hardships I saw clients experience. After my internship, I began working as a Suicide Prevention Specialist at A Better Way. Even with the stories I heard, I was able to center the callers’ needs, providing them with empathy and encouragement. For example, active listening helped me better understand their situation and find counseling and mental health resources that would be useful for that individual. Helping individuals learn their strengths and capabilities allowed me to support them. Alongside this, my relationship with those on my campus changed tremendously as I began developing the skills to become an effective social justice advocate. My African American Studies and Interpersonal Relations minors helped me understand the various ways individuals are disadvantaged, both in their local and global communities. Additionally, I have held various positions that allowed me to advocate for social justice at my undergraduate institution, Ball State University. Serving on the Student Antiracism and Intersectionality Council and being a Peer Advocate Leader allowed me to educate my peers on how to be antiracists on campus, in their communities, and within their career fields. I have also gained presentational and communication skills that are useful in advocacy. As a Peer Advocate Leader, I presented workshops on disability awareness, the representation of minorities, and effective activism. These experiences have been important for my interest in social work as I have learned how to lead uncomfortable conversations that can benefit our communities. Thus, throughout my undergraduate career, I served my campus, community, and loved ones by using my gift of encouragement. As stated before, my family did not discuss mental health. But as I began to receive therapy, I was able to encourage my loved ones to take better care of themselves and find healing pathways for themselves. For instance, my mother began seeking her own healing after 10 years of domestic violence. I have gained many friendships with women who wanted someone to talk to them, relate to them, guide them, and help them along their path. I have been able to pour into my loved ones because of my desire to see them mentally well and whole. Through these experiences, I have been able to identify my career goals. I plan to earn my Master's in Social Work to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker to counsel individuals from diverse, underrepresented groups. I aspire to also help nonprofits with advocacy and building up communities by bringing awareness of local resources that could help individuals and families. My research interests consist of examining mental health disparities in Black American communities and the benefits of clients receiving therapeutic services from providers with similar cultural backgrounds. My interests aim to achieve racial justice in the field of social work through direct practice and research. Many marginalized racial and ethnic groups are hesitant to seek help because of stigmas, lack of culturally competent professionals, and historical mistrust. Doing this research will help highlight the need for culturally competent professionals. This research can be applied to my career in counseling by making sure I am creating a safe place. Because of your dedication to ensuring young people can pursue their educational goals, this scholarship will help me, a first-generation student and a sister of four younger brothers, continue to be a change agent