Every word of His is flawless; He spoke my life into existence and crafted all of creation in a six-day process. It's sometimes hard to grasp how His love is so unmasked; When I don't even ask, His presence is something I can fully bask in. He balances the technological details of my life and sows together so immaculately the beauty of my STEAM-centered paradise. Just as Jesus leads with such exactness and creativity, I am striving to be more like Him as I aim to get a Master's in Occupational Therapy.

"While students may be 20% of our population, they are 100% of our future." Prince Ea spoke that statement as a final message on how much of an impact his audience has on determining the success -- or even failure -- of our future. Investing in students and children today, to me, is the most important investment one can make other than in themselves, due to the fact that we are always living for the “tomorrow.” How can we ensure the success of that “tomorrow” if we are not even investing in those who will see more “tomorrow’s” than we will? The young ones today will be the leaders of tomorrow. That is what ties into the change I want to see not only in my community, and not only in my country, but in the world as well -- more investment in our children. During a summer immersion program with Girls Who Code, I had the extraordinary opportunity to code an Activist Toolkit website, and I decided to call mine, “The Unchained Children.” The Unchained Children are those who live with no barriers, obstacles, or limitations; nothing can stop them from succeeding. However, right now and for all of history, there are countless accounts of common restrictions that heavily hinder a child’s growth. These can include: racial disparities, mental and social deprivation, environmental poverty, lack of access to education, lack of access to affordable healthcare, and lack of access to basic necessities, such as food, hygiene products, and clothes. While the world and each individual community can be a desolate place at times, I believe that at the heart of it all, there is too much wealth and too many opportunities for our children to be suffering the way that they are suffering right now. I know that seeing a huge shift in the success of children can take decades, but I also know that “from little things, big things grow.” I may be one person helping as much as I can, and you may be another person helping as much as you can, but two heads are better than none. We may not be able to directly see the impact we have in one child’s life and it might not even be quantifiable, but we just have to trust and believe that the small steps we are taking in a child’s life are indeed setting them up for success and giving them a chance to be who they can truly be. When I was younger, I had many tutors. When I say that I honestly did not need them, it is definitely not to boast, but to just help you grasp the abundance of them in my community. When the unprecedented shock wave of COVID-19 hit the world in 2020, one thing that stirred in my heart was how all those children in my community would now be unable to access a tutor -- a needed tutor at that. Life was hard as in on parents as well, and I wanted to lighten their load as well as tackle one of those common restrictions in a child’s life: lack of access to education. So, I signed up for email updates on virtual opportunities in Atlanta, and one day, an amazing free tutoring organization called Mind Bubble was looking for volunteers. I immediately signed up of course and volunteered every single week during the school year. Now that school has started to pick up speed again, reaching the children has been harder, but I still try to do the best I can, because at the end of each session, the reward of seeing a child’s face slowly smile as they understand the material is unmatched! What we do today, and how we live our lives undoubtedly affects future generations, and the cycle will always continue. To secure all means of stability in those who have the keys to the future, we must do our part in ensuring that they are in a free environment, and provided with fundamental tools that will enable them to succeed.

Most people think of school spirit as showing off school colors as crazy as can be, but what about a simple uniform worn every Wednesday? Nothing says school spirit more than a group photo with your squad at an honor's ceremony, decked out in your formal attire uniform, tightly clutching our awards. Yes, it may consist of plaid skirts with matching cross ties to navy blue high knee socks that coincided with an embroidered navy blue blazer that boldly proclaimed the school crest, which can seem flashy, but it really symbolizes an underrepresented community saying, "We too can be successful."

Life is hard and honestly, it is wearing me out right now. Right now, it's Fall 2021 and by this time next year, I'll be sitting in my dorm room, relieved that I finally made it, and eager to do my best at everything that comes my way. But right now, the college applications, the dual enrollment college courses, the financial issues, the mandated distance between my friends and me, and the absence of free time often make me wonder if I will ever catch a break again. Times are hard as is and I know I am not the only one trying to desperately hold onto their dreams during a worldwide pandemic. I know I'm not the only one who feels stressed at times. I know I'm not the only one just trying to make it to the next day. So, I know there will be many other students who also desperately need this scholarship because this $505 can change a life...and it will change mine. We all have these moments in life where it is absolutely easier to give up. Easier to just forget the destination where the hard trials lead to. Easier to just swim down. However, I am determined to concentrate on maintaining my success and focusing on my mission to obtain as many scholarships as possible to alleviate the financial burden of my costly college fees. Serving children has always been a dream of mine ever since I myself was a child. In elementary school, a teacher saw something in me that I hadn't discovered about myself yet and she invited me to play with the kids in the Special Education class before morning announcements. Morning after morning, day after day, year after year, I showed up to that class and it was just the most amazing feeling. There were only a couple of children and although they were unable to form full sentences, I saw past their disabilities and was filled with total joy as I helped them learn their alphabet and colors. Sometimes, I would be a little late to class when the kids were making great progress in our activities, but that sacrifice was worth it -- seeing that they were one step closer to living independent lives was worth it. At that age, I didn't understand the impact I actually had on their lives, but now more than 8 years later, I realized that I was helping them have a chance at living a life that many of us take for granted. So, I aim to become a pediatric occupational therapist. I want to help as many young ones as possible to live self-sufficient lives. That is why I continue to get up every day, despite the trials that I know will be inevitable, so that I can make a true impact on their lives. It's a blessing, but sometimes blessings come with a price. I need financial help. This internship, this job, it's not enough. I have three older siblings in college and two of them are in graduate school. Money is definitely a stress-inducer among all of us. I am the last child and I do not want to be a financial burden to my parents. I know it is possible to attend the college of my choice to pursue the career of my dreams, but it will not be possible without the help of scholarships like yours. It would take an immense weight off of not only my parents' shoulders but mine as well. Thank you.