I was raised by my black grandmother who emphasizes the importance of knowing your black history. A trait that she has passed down to me. Thank you to her, I now make it my mission to educate myself on important historical figures who have put me in the position to do the things I do today. I am a double minority, I am a woman, and I am a black woman. I found myself fascinated by black women who were strong in times of extreme adversity. As I ponder a historical figure who inspires me, I cannot think of a better woman than Mrs. Nellie M. Quander herself. Nellie M. Quander was an advocate for civil rights, women's rights, social reform, and education; but I mostly know her for the work she's done for and on behalf of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. One of the very first adversities I read about her facing, and demolishing, was her fight to get Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority incorporated. During times of segregation laws, she was faced with three questions "How do I get aka incorporated", "Are they going to let me file the papers, and "Are they going to say yes". After being ignored and denied time after time she did not back down and was able to preserve the perpetuity of the organization. Nellie M. Quander then went on to become the first president of the sorority. Another huge moment that inspired me was Quander's fight for black women's spot in the march for women's suffrage. After hearing black women were being discluded, she argued that black women were the original suffrage. She wrote a letter to the leader of the march Alice Paul asking if women of color could be included. After being ignored she wrote again and again and again. She emphasized that they did not want to be met with discrimination and race affiliation so she requested a section for college women of color to march where they would be a part of the act on their terms. The most impressive thing about everything Nellie M. Quander did was the fact that she was a school teacher. She did not have to fight as hard as she did, but she had a fire in her, which is why she inspires me so much. She was able to accomplish so much in her lifetime and should be talked about by every young black girl alike.

At a very young age, I was fortunate enough to have found my passion in art. Coming from a multitalented and artistic family, I enjoyed anything that required me to be creative. I loved trying new things, I painted, sketched, sculpted, etc. Though I loved art, being an "artist" was not something I wanted to do. Further down the line in my 12th-grade year, I joined the army. As I sat down with my recruiter we went over college, more specifically what I would major in. I expressed that I loved art so I was considering architecture. "you'd probably be better off doing graphic design" is what he said to me, eventually I found my passion again, in graphic design. Those words changed the course of my college experience. Before his suggestion, I had no idea what graphic design was, I did some research and was impressed by how much it surrounds us. Graphic design is everywhere and everything, I started seeing the world in design. This was when I knew that graphic design was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. In my first semester of my freshman year of college, I was fortunate enough to get an internship working with a sports media group called MSUcreatives. I worked under a senior graphic designer named Justin Cones who taught me how to use Adobe Suits and most of what I know about design. In the beginning, I struggled to get used to the complicated aspects of Photoshop. If you have ever seen the software, you would understand. Though I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so I stuck with it. I am glad I had the perseverance to because I am presented with design opportunities almost every day. At MSUcreatives, our job was to create every design aspect of sports, like promotional game day flyers, ticket designs and so much more. Working with J Cones and MSUcreatives I found my niche... sports design. I will forever be grateful for my time with MSUcreatives working under J cones because they fueled my passion for design. Cones also gave me all the tools and motivation to become the designer I am today. Once I graduate and obtain my degree in fine arts, I aspire to be a graphic designer for ESPN. Further down the line, I'd like to open an art institution for kids. Maybe I can help kids find their passion like I was able to find mine.

I do not dream, I make goals and achieve them. I was fortunate enough to have found my passion in art, more specifically, graphic design. My goal is to become an art director and freelancer in graphic design, and I will achieve that goal. I chose to attend Delaware State University, a historically black university, for multiple reasons. For in-state tuition, I am familiar with it because I was not ready to leave my hometown, and most importantly, because I knew I would be surrounded by people like me. I went to a charter school in Clayton Delaware called Providence Creek Academy, which I'm sure as you've assumed, is a predominantly white school. I grew up thinking my thighs were too big, I was too dark and my braids were ugly. My braids were ugly but my natural hair wasn't flat or long enough. Representation matters, and it was something that would've meant the world to my younger self. To be black is to be loved, to be black is to see representation, and to be black is to be a part of a community. To be black is everything to me, which is why I chose to further my education at an HBCU.

I was raised by a strong, smart, independent, beautiful, black, single, woman of a mother, who made it her life's mission to make sure I had everything I wanted and needed to succeed. So why do I harbor such a strong hatred for the woman who raised me? Because of substance abuse. My mother was strong until she wasn't. She became addicted to drugs and an alcoholic, which caused her to behave in ways she would have never before her addiction. She stopped making sure the fridge had food, stopped remembering to pick me up from basketball practice, she stopped being a mother. She began bringing guys around and prioritized them and their needs over mine. Eventually, I left, which was no small task for a 16-year-old. I packed up what I could in the back seat of my 2008 Ford Fusion which was a gift from my mother. I drove an hour down the highway, with only a permit, to my grandmother's house. Due to the distance, I had to switch schools and leave my Aau basketball team in the town I left. What made the move so much harder was the fact that I couldn't bring my little brother and sister with me. Eventually, after my grandmother's hard fight for custody, they followed me, after enduring 5 more months of suffering. "she is your mother" and "She raised you" are what I am constantly told. I won't take away what my mother has given and done for me, but I am struggling to move past what she has done. "she brought me into this world, she was supposed to take care of me", is a thought I frequently find myself thinking. "Why" is another one. I know I am not the only one who's been through what I've been through. I also know there are kids out there who can't just pack up and leave or homes where it was way worse than it was in mine. Which is why I want to help kids who went through what I went through. Kids who are thinking the thoughts that I thought. kids who are internally fighting with themselves to forgive and forget. Despite my family's struggles, I found my passion in art, which is what I am studying in my undergraduate. In my youth, I learned that art can act as an outlet and coping mechanism. My goal is to start an art institution located in heavily populated areas containing minorities, within walking distance, for children to go to when they cannot bear to be at home. Eventually, as this institution grows I'd like to have it equipped with drivers that can pick children up, to have further outreach. Along with family counselors who can act as outlets for parents, because as my mother felt, sometimes it can simply get to be too much. As my institution develops, I hope it can be a positive site equipped to keep families together. And who knows, maybe it'll help a kid find their passion for art, as I've found mine.

Raised by a smart, independent, black, single mother, who was strong until she wasn't. Drugs and alcohol took over, which caused her to stop being a mother. "She raised you" is what I am constantly told. Even though, I am struggling to move past what she has done. "she brought me into this world, she was supposed to take care of me", is a thought I find myself thinking. "Why" is another one. The downfall of my mother took a huge toll on my mental, before my mother lost her battle with substance abuse, she was my everything. She never recovered, my mother is here physically, but she is not the same woman who raised me. I want to help kids going through what I went through and thinking the thoughts I thought. Who are internally fighting with themselves to forgive. Despite the struggles, I found my passion in art. I learned that art can act as an outlet/ coping mechanism. My goal is to start an art institution located in heavily populated areas for children to go to when they cannot bear to be at home. Eventually, as this institution grows I'd like to have it equipped with drivers that can pick children up, to have further outreach. Along with family counselors who can act as outlets for parents. I hope it can be a positive site equipped to keep families together, and who knows, maybe it'll help a kid find their passion for art, as I've found mine.

I was raised by a strong, smart, independent, beautiful, black, single, woman of a mother, who made it her life's mission to make sure I had everything I wanted and needed to succeed. So why do I harbor such a strong hatred for the woman who raised me? Because of substance abuse. My mother was strong until she wasn't. She became addicted to drugs and an alcoholic, which caused her to behave in ways she would have never before her addiction. She stopped making sure the fridge had food, stopped remembering to pick me up from basketball practice, she stopped being a mother. She began bringing guys around and prioritized them and their needs over mine. Eventually, I left, which was no small task for a 16-year-old. I packed up what I could in the back seat of my 2008 Ford Fusion which was a gift from my mother. I drove an hour down the highway, with only a permit, to my grandmother's house. Due to the distance, I had to switch schools and leave my Aau basketball team in the town I left. What made the move so much harder was the fact that I couldn't bring my little brother and sister with me. Eventually, after my grandmother's hard fight for custody, they followed me, after enduring 5 more months of suffering. "she is your mother" and "She raised you" are what I am constantly told. I won't take away what my mother has given and done for me, but I am struggling to move past what she has done. "she brought me into this world, she was supposed to take care of me", is a thought I frequently find myself thinking. "Why" is another one. I know I am not the only one who's been through what I've been through. I also know there are kids out there who can't just pack up and leave or homes where it was way worse than it was in mine. Which is why I want to help kids who went through what I went through. Kids who are thinking the thoughts that I thought. kids who are internally fighting with themselves to forgive and forget. Despite my family's struggles, I found my passion in art, which is what I am studying in my undergraduate. In my youth, I learned that art can act as an outlet and coping mechanism. My goal is to start an art institution located in heavily populated areas containing minorities, within walking distance, for children to go to when they cannot bear to be at home. Eventually, as this institution grows I'd like to have it equipped with drivers that can pick children up, to have further outreach. Along with family counselors that can act as outlets for parents, because as my mother felt, sometimes it can simply get to be too much. As my institution develops, I hope it can be a positive site equipped to keep families together. And who knows, maybe it'll help a kid find their passion for art, as I've found mine.

Reading has been a huge part of my life since 5th grade when my class read a book called Because of Mr. Terupt. In a couple of months, we spent reading this elementary school-level chapter book, I completely fell in love. Not just with the book, but how that book could make me feel like I was in that classroom with Mr. Terupt's students. From then on I found myself constantly begging my mother to take me on a trip to the library, where I would spend hours simply trying to find a book that made me feel how Mr. Terupt did. This is why if I could have everyone in the world read just one book, it would be Mr. Terupt. Mr. Terupt was about a teacher who cared about the 5th graders he taught, which was evident through his actions. The kids in his classroom weren't always the best behaved; eventually, this would cost Mr. Terupt. I don't want to give too much away because hopefully, I can convince whoever reads this submission to read it as well! Yes, the Book Mr. Terupt is a 5th-grade level read, but it gave me my love for reading. For which I will forever be grateful. Reading has improved my vocabulary immensely, given me the ability to imagine, strengthened my brain power, and kept me away from social media and "screen time". A couple of times a year I read the "Mr. Terupt" book, and I strongly suggest reading it for yourself or giving it to a young person in your life to read.

Reading has been a huge part of my life since 5th grade, when my class read a book called because of Mr. Terupt. In the couple of months we spent reading this elementary school level chapter book, I completely fell in love. Not just with the book, but how that book had the ability to make me feel like I was in that class room with Mr. Terupt's students. From then on I found myself constantly begging my mother to take me on trip to the library, where I would spend hours simply trying to find a book that made me feel how Mr. Terupt did. As i've grown older the maturity level of the books I enjoy has changed, along with the type of genres a like to read. I really enjoy action, slice of life, fantasy, and most of all, romance. I also learned that I am very picky in the selection of books I choose to read. I've learned that not any book has the ability to catch my attention, and keep me hooked. Which is why i've started to prefer buying books online over taking trip to the library to look for a book they may not have. I started with the book store apple provide, but I don't like their selection of books much, I also don't enjoy reading on a screen. During the pandemic I came across a tiktok video titled "welcome to BookTok" At the time, I had no idea what "BookTok" was, but I knew I loved books and scrolling through tiktok, so I watched the video to the end. By the end of the video she had suggested SiFi books that she read over the past couple weeks. Sifi wasn't exactly a genre that I enjoy, but I click on her profile, where she had hundreds of videos that recommended different genres of books she had read. I took one of her suggestions on a book called "One of Us is Lying". A romance/ mystery book that I absolutely fell in love with, just like I had Mr. Terupt in that 5th grade class room. Ever since that day I have been going to tiktok or "BookTok" for my reading recommendation selections. Some books on my ideal book shelf, of BookTok selections are "It Ends with Us", "Six of Crows", and "The Cruel Prince". "It Ends with Us" and "Shatter Me" are absolute must haves, and a book that impacted the BookTok community is "They Both Die at the End". This is a book I have yet to read because after watching numerous video reviews on said book, I've concluded that my heard cannot take that sort of heart break!