I'm a high school cheerleader running my own small business on top of working 25+ hour work weeks as a Team Member Trainer for a healthy fast food franchise. When I first handed out a chocolate-covered strawberry cup, I only thought about profit and how my business would help me cover the small bills I was responsible for. But as the weeks went by and my business became a success, I realized it was really about the community and relationships I was building. Being helpful has shown me the kind of person I want to be. I find joy in the little things like seeing the faces of elderly women light up when my Senior Smiles club visits on spa night, or the giggles of little kids at Santa’s Village when I put red dots on their noses so they can be Rudolph. These moments have shown me the type of impact I hope to leave on the world. Showing up to volunteer during my free time never felt like a burden because I knew that every event meant meeting people I wouldn’t usually meet. Serving my community has never been about logging service hours, although that’s a bonus. With an entrepreneurial mindset, I see the effort it takes to plan and run events. Through my community service I’ve gained a sense of belonging and purpose. I also give back to my community through my strawberry business. I’ve grown relationships with people who trust me to be part of their special days. I’ve made custom strawberries for surprises, gifts, proposals, and Mother’s Day orders. I’m grateful to be even a small part in these moments. Selling $5 strawberry cups during school is where most of my business comes from, and it’s where I see the beauty of connection and networking. When someone buys a cup and tells a friend, it begins to build a supportive circle around my business. I'm proud of serving my community, even if it’s through something as simple as adding a sweet treat to someone’s special day. My goal once I obtain my degree in Human Resource Management and Entrepreneurship is to bring my perspective of how a bsuiness should be ran with not only the best interest of the company but its employees, which in turn will flourish the business. My values have always been to treat others with empathy and compassion, to respect others opinions but value my own, and I know infusing theses values into my career, will help positivelty impact my community.

Starting my own business has evolved me in more ways than I can count. I made the initiative to start selling chocolate covered strawberries at school when I saw my peers making a profit selling bulk candy and snacks. I learned to make proper decisions under pressure when orders were building up, especially during the holiday season, and managing customer expectations. It taught me how to strengthen my time management and accountability skills. Communicating was something I really improved on, which helped me so much in my personal life. I always want to keep my customers updated when I'm making their order, always communicating issues and adapting to them. I learned how to converse with all age groups and backgrounds to serve the best experience from my business that I can. I got to the point of needing to create a website, spreadsheets, and keep count of inventory. It was definitely a process I had a tough time learning, but I persevered and eventually learned to love the data collection and seeing my progress through the numbers. Having this be my first business, I have certainly made mistakes and will always be grateful for the mistakes I made because they have only grown me as a person and business owner. I've gained confidence in my risk-taking, problem-solving, and adapting to difficult situations. By receiving this scholarship, I would be able to close the gap on the cost of attending college to learn how to properly run a business with employees and self-marketing strategies. I have been able to run my small business from my parents' kitchen. I have the drive and determination; now I need the resources to help strengthen my knowledge. This scholarship would allow me to attend school and run my small business at the same time. Doing this without having to worry about financial resources would help me focus and apply what I learn to my business in real time. Looking back to a couple of years ago when I started with a small idea of selling strawberry cups at school to have spending money, to now having a big vision of turning it into a full-fledged business, and hopefully one day turning it into a franchise. I have the determination, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit; now I need people who believe in me as much as I believe in myself, and would want to invest in my future.