Education has the power to transform lives, but service has the power to transform communities. For me, giving back is not just something I do—it is a responsibility shaped by my own experiences growing up and the struggles I have witnessed in the Downriver community of Michigan. For the past three and a half years, I have served as a S.A.V.E. peer educator, leading lessons for students ages 11–17 on substance abuse prevention, anti-violence, and mental health awareness. I create activities, speak in classrooms, and share my personal story about overcoming mental health struggles and academic challenges. What began as an opportunity to help others quickly became something much deeper. I realized that my voice—once something I felt I had to silence—could actually be a tool for change. In addition to being a peer educator, I serve as co-chair of Downriver Igniting Youth, a coalition dedicated to promoting substance-free lifestyles. Through this organization, I help create public service announcements, organize community substance awareness events, and coordinate initiatives like a winter clothing drive. We also present in local middle and high schools, encouraging students to make healthy choices and recognize their worth. These efforts have shown me that community service is not just about volunteering; it is about addressing the root causes of violence and substance abuse that affect our educational systems, local economy, and future generations. One moment that solidified the importance of my work was when a 15-year-old student approached me after relapsing and being suspended from school. He told me that even though the people around him made change difficult, he wanted to do better—and that what I do means something to him. He even said he hopes to work in a role like mine one day. That conversation reminded me why I continue to serve. If sharing my story helps even one student choose growth over self-destruction, then it is worth it. Growing up in an abusive household where emotions were often dismissed, I understand what it feels like to believe your voice does not matter. If I had not found mentors, programs, and opportunities to serve, I would not be the person I am today—I may not even be here. Giving back is my way of ensuring other young people feel seen, heard, and supported. I plan to study business and marketing so that I can one day build a meaningful organization that continues to uplift communities. This scholarship would relieve financial stress and allow me to focus on my education and service rather than worrying about basic expenses. More than financial support, it would be an investment in a student committed to creating lasting

Growing up, my life was anything but easy. I am an 18-year-old senior at Taylor Virtual Learning Academy, and my journey has been shaped by experiences that many cannot imagine. I grew up with an abusive mother and neglectful older siblings, which forced me to become financially independent as early as eighth grade. By sixteen, I had to leave home and rely on the support of a childhood friend to survive. There were many days when I felt worthless, unmotivated, and unsure if I even had a future. For a long time, school and my dreams took a backseat while I focused on simply surviving. But slowly, I realized that I could not let my potential slip away. During my junior and senior years, I began making up missed classes, prioritizing my education, and planning for college. Education became my lifeline, and I now see it as the foundation for the future I have always hoped for. This past summer brought another major challenge when my childhood friend’s family lost their home — the place that had become my safe space as well. We spent the summer experiencing housing instability, not knowing where we would sleep from week to week. Even through that uncertainty, I held onto my commitment to finish strong and keep building a future. Beyond academics, my heart has always been drawn to helping others. As co-chair of the Downriver Igniting Youth coalition, I work to create safe, substance-free spaces for teens through family movie nights, teen-only hangouts, and social media campaigns highlighting positive opportunities. At the Corewell Taylor Teen Health Center, I’ve been a S.A.V.E. peer educator since I was 14, teaching anti-bullying, peer-pressure resistance, and healthy coping skills to children. I’ve witnessed how guidance and compassion can change the trajectory of a young person’s life — something I deeply understand because I have lived it myself. My interest in business and marketing continues to grow, and this year I plan to participate in my school’s DECA chapter to further develop my leadership and professional skills. I currently work and earn only Michigan minimum wage, which is enough to help me survive but not nearly enough to cover the cost of college. Despite these financial barriers, I remain determined to pursue higher education and create a better future. This scholarship would help me take the next step in building a life not just for myself, but for the generations I hope to lift up through service, compassion, and opportunity. It would reduce the heavy financial burden I carry and allow me to focus on learning, growing, and giving back. More than financial support, this scholarship would be a symbol of hope — proof that someone believes in my future and the impact I hope to make.

Growing up, I learned early that the world can be unfair, but also that strength can come with struggle. As a senior at Taylor virtual learning Academy, I have worked hard to overcome challenges that could have easily stopped me from pursuing a future. Instead, they pushed me to discover who I am, what I stand for, and how deeply I want to make a difference in my community. My experiences have shaped my passion for marketing, youth empowerment, and creating positive alternatives for teens. They are also the reason I am fully committed to continuing this work after high school. My biggest community involvement has been with DIY, a youth coalition that educates young people about substance-free living. In this coalition, I serve as the co-chair, helping plan events like family, karaoke nights, movie nights, and teen-only hangouts. We’ve partnered with local libraries, community groups, and churches to create safe spaces for teens. We also run social media campaigns, post PSA‘s, job opportunity posts, and educational content about substance misuse. Working with DIY has taught me leadership, communication, and how powerful youth-focused marketing can be when it makes people feel seen, supported, and understood. I also work at the Corewell Taylor Teen Health Center as an S.A.V.E. peer educator (substance abuse, and violence educator) since age 14 I’ve assisted with teaching anti-bullying, positive social skills, peer pressure, resistance, and substance abuse prevention to elementary and middle school students. In the summer, I help run a youth program, offering meals, creative arts, and wellness-based education. These roles have shown me how consistent support can change the paths of young people especially those who feel alone and misunderstood. My plans post high school are to attend Jackson Community College to study marketing and business, with the long-term goal of using marketing in business to uplift youth and support nonprofit community work. And if one day in the future if I had the opportunity to start my own charity It’s mission would be to support underprivileged and financially struggling youth, especially teenagers, facing homelessness or abusive situations. I would provide essentials like food, clothing, college assistance, job connections, mental health, resources, and housing referrals. Volunteers would include mental health, professionals, social workers, and community educators partnering with schools and shelters. This charity would exist because I once needed exactly that kind of support without the help I received from social workers mental health providers and legal resources, I genuinely don’t know where I would be today. Everything I have experienced motivates me to give back. I want to build a future where no young person feels alone in their battle. This scholarship would help me continue my education, lighten my financial burden, and bring me closer to turning my experiences into meaningful change for future generations.

Receiving the Dr. William and Joe Sherwood family scholarship would directly shape my future by giving me the stability, financial relief, and opportunity. I would need to succeed in college. Having reliable support for books, housing, and tuition would allow me to fully focus on my education rather than constantly feeling worried about how I will cover the basics. This scholarship would not only lighten my financial load it would lay the foundation for the future. I am working hard to build. I am an 18-year-old high school senior who has had to fight for every opportunity that I have. Growing up in an abusive home with a mother who hurt me emotionally and had siblings who offered no support. I learned early on that I had to rely on myself by eighth grade. I began working to support my own needs and at sixteen, I made the difficult decision to leave home and move in with a childhood friend to escape the instability I was living in. Even with the job and a safer environment, the emotional impact stayed with me for years. I battled feelings of worthlessness and struggled to believe I had a future worth striving for. These challenges affected my academic performance during my freshman and sophomore years. I struggled mentally missed school often and found it difficult to focus in class. However, during my junior and senior years, something changed in me. I realized that I had been putting my potential on the back burner when it should’ve been my priority. I began making up classes, focusing on the idea that I could achieve more and recommitting myself to my education I applied to multiple colleges and I am proud to say that I will be attending Jackson Community College to study marketing and business. I plan to live on campus and this scholarship would help me pay for books and room and board expenses that feel overwhelming without family support. Reducing these financial pressures would allow me to enter college feeling secure instead of stressed, giving me the ability to dedicate my time and energy toward academic success. The Dr. William and Jo Sherwood Family Scholarship would not only help me our college with dignity and financial stability. It would help me build a future that breaks the cycle I grew up in. Your support would mean more than financial assistance. It would be an investment in my determination to create a better life for myself and my future.