Hello! My name is Leila Clayton, and I'm a high school senior. I love learning and have taken a variety of challenging, stimulating courses to further my education and worldview. For the last three years, I've balanced this challenging course load while being heavily involved in the performing arts. Outside of class, I participate in my high school's Chamber Choir program, which performs in a variety of outreach events and the annual Madrigals Dinner. Additionally, I also perform at both my high school's theatre program and my local community theatre. I've done multiple plays and musicals as both an actor and a crew member. I have been inducted into both the National Honor Society and International Thespian Society, highlighting my dedication to academics and the arts. This past spring, I also added a part-time barista job to my schedule. Despite having limited time at home, I have always gone above and beyond academically. I have maintained a 4.0 G.P.A since my freshman year, earned a 31 on my ACT, and remained in the top 20% of my class. I have also built strong relationships with several of my teachers, some of whom I still visit regularly. However, it hasn't always been easy. There have been countless late nights, cancelled plans, and a high amount of stress. Nevertheless, I have pushed through and kept a strong mindset. My ultimate goal is to obtain two degrees: one in musical theatre and one in criminology. Theatre is something I immensely enjoy and can't imagine doing anything else in life. Hopefully, earning a degree in it will further my education and lead to more performance opportunities. Second, criminology is always something that has fasciniated me. The study of justice and law is crucial in today's society. I hope to use the criminology degree to understand the world around me, and maybe eventually serve in law enforcement. The criminal justice is so flaws, and I desire to understand those flaws and establish policy changes to rectify these injustices. This will ensure that those who deserve their justice obtain it in a timely, ethical manner. Ideally, both degrees will assist me in both of my passions. However, I cannot do it alone. This scholarship would help me to be able to afford such a pricy education. Hopefully, this scholarship is just the first of many that will help me to afford my future education. I look forward to attending college, building my future, and serving my community, whether onstage or in the field.

There are many reasons people desire to serve as a police officer. Some have an underlying sense of altruism, some crave making others feel safe, and some just want to serve their country. While this is all true, there's a deeper origin story. That origin story includes being the daughter of a felon. While that might seem counterintuitive to some, for me, it makes sense. I grew up in an unstable, abusive household. My father always seemed to be in trouble with the law. From petty theft, drug charges, and stealing automobiles, my father became very familiar with the Fresno County Police Department. Due to my father's bad experiences, I became wary of those in law enforcement. Everything changed the day I entered foster care. Most of that day is a blur, except for my impression of the police officers on site. As two of them escorted my father into the back of their car, I felt a wave of emotions. Fear and confusion about what was happening. Relief that I was away from my abusive father. Longing for my mother, who sat crying in another police car. At that moment, I wasn’t sure what to think of the police officers. They had taken me out of a bad situation, but I didn’t know which one they were putting me into. I quickly realized the situation was foster care. Thankfully, I am one of the “successful” cases of the foster care system. My third foster family adopted me and my newborn brother in 2018. Over the years, I gradually became more aware of just how horrible my biological family was. I remembered more of the abusive situations and neglect. As I grew up, I also gained an interest in social sciences, politics, justice, and how the brain worked. It all came together when my personal trainer told me I should look into law enforcement, specifically, the FBI. This lit a fire inside me. I devoured every book and documentary I could about the FBI, psychology, and criminal justice. I even took a Forensics and Sociology course my junior year of high school, seeking a taste of what my future career might be. I adored both courses, and that further instilled my drive to work in law enforcement. I wanted to help people, especially children who had been in dangerous situations like myself. However, that is not the only reason law enforcement appeals to me. My goal is to obtain a doctorate degree in criminology. I hope to better today's society by serving in law enforcement. The criminal justice system is so inherently flawed. Whether it is mass incarceration, wrongful convictions, or delayed justice, there are a myriad of problems to solve. I desire to understand those issues and help come up with policy changes, so that those who deserve their justice obtain it in a timely, ethical manner. I also want to help people, especially those who have been in dangerous situations like myself. This scholarship would allow me to serve my community and nation. While my family has been a little hesitant, they will also admit I am creative, hard-working, extremely bright, and a great critical thinker. I love to help wherever I can, and always try to have a positive outlook. All of these skills make me a great candidate to study criminal justice and work in law enforcement. I look forward to serving my community, bettering the lives of others, and doing so in a selfless, reliable way.

There are many reasons people desire to serve as a police officer. Some have an underlying sense of altruism, some crave making others feel safe, and some just want to serve their country. While all of this is part of my reason, there's a deeper origin story. That origin story includes being the daughter of a felon. While that might seem counterintuitive to some, for me, it makes sense. I grew up in an unstable, abusive household. My father, Jason, always seemed to be in trouble with the law. From petty theft, drug charges, and stealing automobiles, my father became very familiar with the Fresno County Police Department. During my first six years, Jason always told me that the cops were “out to get him”. As a result, I became wary of those in law enforcement. Everything changed the day I entered foster care. I was sitting in our hotel room, drawing a picture. Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door. Most after that is a blur, except for my impression of the police officers on site. As two of them escorted my father into the back of their car, I felt a wave of emotions. Fear and confusion about what was happening. Relief that I was away from my abusive father. Longing for my mother, who sat crying in another police car. At that moment, I wasn’t sure what to think of the police officers. They had taken me out of a bad situation, but I didn’t know which one they were putting me into. The situation: foster care. Thankfully, I am one of the “successful” cases of the foster care system. My third foster family, who I was placed with three weeks later, adopted me and my newborn brother in 2018. Over the years, I gradually became more aware of just how horrible my biological family was. I remembered more of the abusive situations and neglect. As I grew up, I also gained an interest in social sciences, politics, justice, and how the brain worked. I wanted to help people, especially children who had been in dangerous situations like myself. It all came together when my personal trainer told me I should look into law enforcement, specifically, the Federal Bureau of Intelligence. This lit a fire inside me. I devoured every book and documentary I could about the FBI, psychology, and criminal justice. I even took a Forensics and Sociology course my junior year of high school, seeking a taste of what my future career might be. I adored both courses, and that further instilled my drive to work in law enforcement. However, my family has been a little…hesitant. I can be jumpy and anxious, which makes sense given all the trauma I had been through at a young age. However, they will also admit I am creative, hard-working, extremely bright, and a great critical thinker. I love to help wherever I can, and always try to have a positive outlook. All of these skills make me a great candidate to study criminal justice and work in law enforcement. I look forward to serving my community, bettering the lives of others, and doing so in a selfless, reliable way. I like the idea that being the daughter of a felon has prepared me well.

In August of 2015, at the age of six, I became a ward of the court in California. In three weeks, I stayed in three different homes. I wasn’t quite sure what was occurring and why I was being displaced from my birth parents. All I knew was that I was in a strange house with a strange family and strange people asking me strange questions. Thankfully, the third home I stayed at would be my last, for in 2018 I was adopted into my forever family. I am so grateful to call these wonderful humans my family, but I will never forget the time I spent in the foster care system. A lot of horror stories abound surrounding the foster care system, but I was fortunate not to experience these. My story is a common one, however. My biological parents have struggled with substance and drug abuse, alcoholism, and homelessness for years. Additionally, my biological father is a convicted felon and has been in county jail. This led to an extremely turbulent household filled with abuse and neglect. I was often fearful of my father and frequently got into trouble at school. When I was put into the foster care system, I was relieved to be out of such a destructive household but also scared of what this new world would bring. I was so used to being yelled at, hit, and not knowing where my next meal was coming from, and being in a house that was quiet and loving was both terrifying and a relief. I was trying my hardest to earn each family’s love, only to leave a week or two later. Wondering if I was the problem and if I simply did not deserve a loving family only harmed my well-being more. On several occasions, kids have asked me if I was adopted because my parents didn’t love me. Sadly, these questions often turned into being bullied and being told I was unlovable. As a young child with raw, unhealed trauma, this was incredibly painful and often left me in tears. However, as I grew up and learned more about my family, I came to realize that my trauma was not my fault and that I was capable of being loved. However, the reaction other children show when I bring up this crucial aspect of my life still shows up today. Thankfully, I now know how to educate my peers better, and have found that many are more understanding and kind towards me. This experience of being in foster care has shaped my life in so many ways, one of which is my seeking to study criminal justice and psychology so that I can perhaps understand why my first family was the way they were and how other people can avoid losing their children. I am incredibly proud of my resilience to these traumatic experiences and have grown in so many ways. While the painful memories still exist, they are a part of my story and who I am, and I wouldn’t change a thing.