My name is Leandra Tatge. I was diagnosed with combined ADHD at a young age, which heavily impacted my school and social life. It has caused me to struggle greatly with schoolwork, but I manage, without medication, as most medication I’ve taken has either not worked or caused physical issues. My life has also been impacted by my family’s financial situation. Every roof over my head has been rented, all the food I’ve eaten has been purchased with food stamps, and all medical attention I have received has been funded by the state and government. I currently live in low-income housing. Most of my clothes were thrifted or gifted by friends or other adults in my life. There have been times in my life where my family has been homeless. What I own has been gifted or purchased with money given by grandparents, whom I have been unable to visit often, as they live hours away and my family doesn’t have enough time to visit. My mother works most days, Monday to Friday, and my father is on disability. He was hospitalized for over a month at one point, which had also made it more difficult for me to focus on my schoolwork. Most friends I’ve made have been online, as I struggle to connect with the people around me. The school I go to does not have any special needs help, so I’ve had to not only navigate schoolwork with little help, I often feel as though I’m behind, even though I’m a higher grade than the people around me. And, adding to this, the people around me are very noticeably different from me. I’ve always noticed how I think and act alternatively. I need fidget tools to help me focus and get through supposedly simple tasks. I need to leave rooms if they’re too loud or busy. I need written and visual instruction or else I won’t be able to get what I need to. I’m different, and I’ve noticed ever since I was in school. I was in public school for the first two years of being enrolled. In 2nd grade I transferred a private school. I preferred private school to public school, as there are far less people, which has helped keep me from shutting down. The teachers are able to spend one-on-one time with students, but are often busy with other things, and they assume a high school senior doesn’t need help. However, I have pushed through. All through my life, I have had a seemingly extraordinary love for any and all animals. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted a job related to helping and caring for animals. I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian, a zookeeper, an ornithologist, a bat keeper, a sanctuary volunteer, a pet-sitter, a shelter worker, a humane agent, and so much more. For now, I’ve settled on just getting a degree in zoology and figuring out what I’d like to do later. Why do I think I should receive this scholarship? It would not only allow me to finish my first year of college debt-free, but it would allow me to easily be the first in my entire family to graduate college. It would mean the world for me to not only be able to get through college debt free, as I also have the max amount of money from FAFSA to help, but to also be the first in my family to graduate college and go on to help as many animals as I can, and help in the various conservation efforts in the world.

All through my life, I have had a seemingly extraordinary love for any and all animals. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted a job related to helping and caring for animals. I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian, a zookeeper, an ornithologist, a bat keeper, a sanctuary volunteer, a pet-sitter, a shelter worker, a humane agent, and so much more. For now, I’ve settled on just getting a degree in zoology and figuring out what I’d like to do later. I was diagnosed with combined ADHD at a young age, which heavily impacted my school and social life, but I manage, without medication, as most medication I’ve taken has either not worked or caused physical issues. It has caused me to struggle greatly with schoolwork. The school I go to does not have any special needs help, so I’ve had to not only navigate schoolwork with little help, I often feel as though I’m behind, even though I’m a higher grade than the people around me. I need fidget tools to help me focus and get through supposedly simple tasks. I need to leave rooms if they’re too loud or busy. I need written and visual instruction or else I won’t be able to get what I need to. . I’m different, and I’ve noticed ever since I was in school. I was in public school for the first two years of being enrolled. In 2nd grade I transferred a private school. I preferred private school to public school, as there are far less people, which has helped keep me from shutting down. The teachers are able to spend one-on-one time with students, but are often busy with other things, and they assume a high school senior doesn’t need help. However, I have pushed through. Why do I think I should receive this scholarship? It would not only allow me to finish my first year of college debt-free, but it would allow me to easily be the first in my entire family to graduate college. It would mean the world for me to not only be able to get through college debt free, as I also have the max amount of money from FAFSA to help, but to also be the first in my family to graduate college and go on to help as many animals as I can, and help in the various conservation efforts in the world.