"You should apply to volunteer at the Hospital or the Public Library", said my bus driver as I was talking to him about my passion for healthcare and literature. Those words sparked a journey of community service that has defined my immigrant experience from Haiti to French Guiana and finally to the US with my family. At the start of the school year, I eagerly applied to volunteer at the Library. My next step resulted in exploring various roles within the Library, driven by my determination to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all readers. My role involves responsibilities such as serving as a student volunteer, Secretary of the Teen Advisory Board, Book Club member, and Books Advisor. Beyond my academic commitments, the library has become a second home where I dedicate time to read and volunteer. One of my principal roles involves organizing and preserving the library's collection, ensuring it remains accessible and orderly. However, my responsibilities extend far beyond the shelves. As a key member of the library community, I take on the role of planning activities for teens in our local area. From Clubs and Games to Challenges, Movie Nights, Balls, Halloween Parties, Yoga sessions, and Zumba, our goal is to establish programs to entertain teenagers while navigating through their academic journey. In addition to my commitments at the Library, I’m a club leader in a program called College & Career Readiness Club, whose purpose is to guide English as a Second Language Learners and First-Generation students through the challenges of pursuing higher education. My duties include keeping my peers informed about activities/opportunities and assisting in program preparation. I am deeply committed to environmental conservation, which is why I actively participate in the recycling Club, conduct numerous beach clean-ups, and contribute to tree planting initiatives. Currently, I am working on initiating a project aimed at collecting old electronic devices for recycling, with the goal of raising funds to support Charity For Children's Need (CHI). This initiative not only reduces e-waste but also provides vital support for children in need, potentially saving lives.I also play a crucial role in promoting blood donation awareness for my school's Blood Drives. Additionally, I am a member of the National Achievers Society in my school district, where we actively engage in cultural enrichment and various community activities such as park clean-ups, food drives. I support Women In Distress through my participation in Woman of Tomorrow, I'm also a Key Club member. Furthermore, I assist my parents at home with paperwork, translation, and job applications due to their limited English proficiency. I'm deeply involved in various community activities, which reflects my passion for helping others including my family. This scholarship is a great fit for me because community service is my priority outside of school, I value education, and I need financial support in order to attend College. Plus, my mom's name is Marie (it's definitely a sign!). I'm grateful for your time spent reviewing my application. Mèsi anpil!

In the long term, my plan is to graduate from high school, secure a part-time job or a paid internship, and pursue a major in health science in college to earn my Bachelor's Degree. Short term, I aim to implement my plan to create a program that reduces e-Waste and facilitates donations, participate in a summer program, take classes during the summer session to complete my Associate Degree, find a summer job or a paid internship in a Clinic, continue volunteering at the library, and start working on my college applications in order to get ready for my senior year. I dream big, remain determined, and hold onto hope that my efforts will one day be recognized, as I work tirelessly and refuse to give up. My academic achievements stands as evidence of my hard work. Living with my mom and two younger sisters presents its challenges. My mom works part-time, I'm currently job hunting, and my sisters aren't employed. Wondering how I'll afford college is a question that I ask myself every single day. As the eldest, I feel a responsibility beyond my years. I'm expected to set an example, be a standard, and teach my sisters perseverance, even when the future seems bleak. However, when it come to me, I often feel like I'm fighting alone to seize any opportunities that come my way, and the fact of being a first-generation college student doesn't really help me in having more resources and guidance .Despite my efforts, college feels distant when it should be within reach. When I express fear about becoming a senior, my friends misunderstand, thinking it's excitement or fear of leaving high school. In truth, my fear stems from not finding a way to pay for college. My mom, who has worked tirelessly all her life to provide for us, now faces the responsibility of funding many thousands dollars for my education with just a part-time job and a household to manage. It doesn't seem fair, and the mere thought of it makes me feel selfish. Winning this scholarship would represent a sight of hope on my horizon and reward my unwavering optimism. As an immigrant and a Black woman, it would alleviate my concerns about college expenses and allow me to pursue my dream of becoming a pediatrician. Furthermore, it would enable me to contribute to increasing the representation of Black or African American individuals in the medical field in the US, where only 5.7% of physicians are Black or African American, thus serving as a model of resilience and courage for my community. This scholarship would prove that my financial circumstances haven't hindered my college aspirations, as I refuse to give up and am determined to overcome any barriers in pursuit of my dreams. It will help me take a step closer to my dream of going to College.

Being an immigrant is one of the transformative paths to turn an ordinary student into a non-traditional student since it changes life in so many unexpected ways. My story stands as evidence of this. I lived in my home country until the age of 14 and was a sophomore in High School. Since I excelled at a faster pace than my peers, the principal and my teachers suggested to my parents that I skip two grades in primary school, which is rare in my country due to its strict educational system. This change always made me younger than my classmates since I entered High School at 12 years old. Due to increasing insecurity and poverty in my home country, my family and I left before COVID-19, a few months before I finished my sophomore year. We moved to French Guiana, hoping for opportunities and a fresh start in our lives. Education has always been an important topic for my family and me, but what we didn't know is that education there involves complex points and specific criteria since a lot of immigrant students are applying for school but the availability of places is minimal. The first step to go to school there was to enroll in an educational center – what I did – and wait to find a place in a public high school or middle school. The idea of finding a place in a private school crossed our minds, it requires financial resources and almost the same process with faster pace, but our economic situation was not at its best. The realization that I would miss crucial years of my academic journey began to sink in. I felt uncertain about how this situation would affect my education and personal growth. I struggled with insomnia and sadness, constantly worrying about catching up on missed lessons. Without a structured school routine, I turned to self-directed learning, diving into books – as I love reading – and online resources to stay prepared. It was a tough time both academically and emotionally. I lived through one of the most difficult periods of my life as I had to wait almost 2 years before finally finding a spot in a high school, which caused me to lose 2 academic years. After that, I continued to go to school there until I reached my senior year, and then my parents found the opportunity to come here, to "The Land of Dreams," which is irrefutable. Upon arrival here, I was placed back in 11th Grade because they doubted my ability to graduate if I was in 12th, which I proved wrong since I already have all my graduation requirements in my first year here. I thought about Early Graduation, but going to college requires a solid financial situation, which is not the case for my family, so I decided to graduate next year while waiting to apply for scholarships and financial aid, even though I will be older than my classmates, which makes me a non-traditional student. This scholarship is really important to me because it will allow me to avoid the same situations I experienced years ago. I really need and want to go to college to achieve my dreams, and I don't want to lose any more years, especially because of financial resources. I'm working as hard as I can in order not to miss any opportunities that would help me go to College to become a Pediatrician, be a model of resilience just as Carol B. Warren and a standard for my younger sisters and people around me.