Being a part of the Black community has taught me that it is a gift to be able to help each other. Toni Morrison has put it beautifully, “If you are free, you need to free somebody else.” This mindset is the most impactful on the future, because we begin to realize change is bigger than one person. Applying this frame of mind to our daily lives is key to mastering the impact of our actions. When we understand our impact, we are more intentional about our actions. The intentionality of our actions shows up as empathy and discipline. Through these traits, we can inspire our community to free others as well. The ability to guide those towards a goal and to do so compassionately is an integral part of being a community leader. I've had opportunities to practice this skill as Vice President of the Ceramics Club at the Academy of Advanced Studies. In this club, I was responsible for recording our meetings and assisting in organizing extracurricular activities. Many of our activities were focused on servicing and strengthening the community in McDonough and our club members. Each school year, we wheel throw, glaze, and donate pet bowls to our local animal shelter as going home presents. Discovering the impact of charitable organizations through my club inspired me to initiate community service outside of school at my church. I plan to take the leadership skills I've gained into my prospective profession as a Ceramic Art Therapist as well. Healing my community one art piece at a time is my mission as a Ceramic Art Therapist. This tactile form of art therapy focuses on recentering our bodies towards mindfulness. Its key component of nonverbal expression stands out because it opens a door for those who may find it difficult to communicate their challenges verbally. The present evolution of discrimination has further encouraged our people to experience trauma and leave it to fester within our minds. However moments in time, such as the Harlem Renaissance, showcase how artistic expression can benefit my community in times of struggle. Pouring my love, grief, and heritage into my art freed a part of my mind that had been shrouded before. Ceramics taught me to accept my shortcomings and strive to learn from them. It cultivated patience, self-compassion, and an immovable resilience in me. Through molding my psyche with my hands, I created a boundless place of judgment-free expression for myself inside my mind. I want to assist other people in creating a safe space inside their own minds. My journey through struggling with mental health has fueled me to support others along their own. I aspire to be a voice of hope for my community and a place where they feel welcome to work through the trauma that racism has caused. Being awarded the Sweet Hut Scholarship will be an investment in an ambitious pursuit of education, the evolution of integrative studies, and the well-being of the Black community. I plan to use the scholarship to aid my family in paying my cost of attendance at Savannah State University. The Interdisciplinary Studies Bachelor's Program at Savannah State University will prepare me to incorporate the kinesthetic psychology of the physical arts in my prospective career field. In this program, I will focus on the creative application of psychological science to the arts. This award will support my future goals by providing me with the means to pursue higher education and to continue to develop a strong character around like-minded, experimental, and creative people.

Healing my community one art piece at a time is my mission as a ceramic art therapist. This tactile form of art therapy focuses on recentering our bodies towards mindfulness. Its key component of nonverbal expression stands out because it opens a door for those who may find it difficult to communicate their challenges verbally. This is a prevalent issue in the Black community due to our treatment in society. As times have changed, our world has become more concerned with appearing right rather than possessing integrity. This has caused an uproar of muted yet palpable hatred that is killing us as a whole. Our physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being are attacked daily beneath this shroud of invisible discrimination. The present evolution of discrimination has further encouraged our people to experience trauma and leave it to fester within our minds. However moments in time, such as the Harlem Renaissance, showcase how artistic expression can benefit our community in times of struggle. In my experience, Ceramics became an outlet for the feelings too big to come out of my mouth. Pouring my love, grief, and heritage into my art freed a part of my mind that had been shrouded before. Ceramics taught me to accept my shortcomings and strive to learn from them. It cultivated patience, self-compassion, and an immovable resilience in me. Through molding my psyche with my hands, I created a boundless place of judgment-free expression for myself inside my mind. I want to assist other people in creating a safe space inside their own minds. My journey through struggling with mental health has fueled me to support others along their own. The ability to guide those towards a goal and to do so compassionately is an integral part of therapy. I've had opportunities to practice this skill in my position as Vice President of the Ceramics Club at the Academy of Advanced Studies. In this club, I was responsible for recording our meetings and assisting in organizing extracurriculars. Many of our activities were focused on servicing and strengthening the in community in McDonough and our club members. Each school year, we wheel throw, glaze, and donate pet bowls to our local animal shelter as going home presents. Discovering the impact of charitable organization through my club inspired me to initiate community service outside of school at my church. I plan to take the leadership skills I've gained into my prospective profession as a Ceramic Art Therapist as well. I aspire to be a voice of hope for my people and a place where they feel welcome to work through the trauma that racism has caused. Being awarded the Sunshine Legall Scholarship will be an investment in an ambitious pursuit of education, the evolution of integrative studies, and the well-being of the Black community. I plan to use the scholarship to aid my family in paying my cost of attendance at Savannah State University. The Interdisciplinary Studies Bachelor's Program at Savannah State University will prepare me to incorporate the kinesthetic psychology of the physical arts in my prospective career field. In this program, I will focus on the creative application of psychological science to the arts. This award will support my future goals by providing me with the means to pursue higher education and to continue to develop a strong character around like-minded, experimental, and creative people.