Why? Why do I plan to dedicate my future to helping others? Simple, the people who once helped me have inspired me to go out and make a difference. My mentor, Mr. Shoemake, has changed the way I view the world and its people. Not in a negative light, but one filled with compassion and hope for what we can accomplish. I want to honor his legacy by making a change in the world. He believed in me, now I believe in others. There once was a point in my life where I simply felt I couldn't go on. I was by no means suicidal, instead, I was like an empty husk. A human robot running on autopilot because I simply didn't care anymore. I had no passions, no future, no inner ambitions that drove me. I simply wished to cease existing, to be nothing more than dirt on the earth so I could finally do nothing. That's where he steps in me, Mr. Shoemake, the biggest factor that drives me today. Somedays, he would simply just sit and talk; when I didn't feel like talking he would stand by my side. When I found a new interest, he encouraged me. When I lost motivation, he was always there to push me along. He's the biggest reason why I'm applying to colleges today, he spent a full year helping me see my potential, and I want to do the same. I want to inspire people who've felt like me, lived like me thought like me. I want to help those who think there is no help, for the people out there who feel like they've got nobody. It's so important to me cause I know what it was like, I was there for so long. To the people out there that feel like life has no meaning, that they were created to do nothing, or maybe you just feel like the world is screwed, We Can Do This! It's up to the people like us to pave the way for our own future, to prepare the world for the next generation, and teach them how to maintain and improve on what we've done. History shows us that a single man can change the course of a war, that a single discussion impacts future generations for years to come. I want to honor the time and effort that my mentor put into me. To show him that his beliefs weren't wasted, that when people think about the young student he helped he can feel proud knowing he helped shape that young man. My hope is that others out there can get their own Mr. Shoemake and if nobody is willing to be that for them, then I will.

When I think about the impact I wanna leave on this world, my hope is that I've helped shape the way people go about their finances. It breaks my heart to see so many people out on the street, or families who can't plan for the future cause they're stuck correcting their past mistakes. I want people to think back on me with thankfulness, I want people to get rid of the idea of any "good debt" so they can start saving for their future. I want to show people that it's possible for the little guy to achieve big things, and I need to start by improving my personal character. I'm taking the necessary steps so far, but truly I've still got a long way to go. However, when people hear the name 'Malaki Hart' in the future, you bet that there gonna know exactly who I am and what I've done to leave the world better than when I came.

Friendship means being the friend who can sit there, saying nothing, but helping everything. I remember when my best friend came over to my house without warning just to hang out. It meant so much to me because over the pandemic, the lack of social interaction was truly getting to me. He came over without me even needing to ask just because he knew that I would appreciate it that much more. I strive to be that type of friend, that kind of friend that notices small inconsistencies during the day. A friend who knows when you need them most, and tries to support even when I don't know exactly what to say. I find that so many people are afraid to ask, "What's wrong" to others cause they are scared they won't know how to react when they get an answer. I don't think that friendship means just being kind to those who you consider being your friends, a friend is just somebody that helps all people. The best example I can think of recently was just a normal guy, wherein a blindfold with a sign that read, "Free hugs to those who need it." He's somebody I'd consider a friend to all, rather than just focusing on his immediate realsionships. I strive to one day be that kind of friend to all in need, and not focus on what only affects me.

Without delving too much into the religious aspect of this book, the Bible has played the biggest part in inspiring me. I understand that to some the book is just a piece of paper that delusional men wrote, but to me, it's so much more. The New Testament in particular is where I draw a lot of inspiration from personally. Paul's early letters to the church hold so much tender love and care to those early Christians, I can only imagine how terrifying it was being under that much persecution and still finding a way to care about their lives. That's why when times get hard for me, I like to think back on that little idea to keep me going. During the time where people were burned alive on wooden poles and dipping alive in burning wax, it makes my struggles all the more manageable. That's why without even considering the religious side of the Bible, it can still be used by everyday people as a light in the dark for those tough times that we all go through.

The best advice I ever received was from my brother. He was unfortunate in his timing as he started his stock market career just as Covid hit. He lost thousands of dollars basically overnight just because of the big crash that happened around that time. Yet, what I noticed about his attitude was that he never faltered in his strategies, he knew that the research that he had done beforehand was good, he just needed to wait a little longer for his portfolio to recover. His tip to me was to just stay patient in your investments, and his attitude was the best example of that. He's slowly gaining back that money he lost, never losing confidence in himself. Thanks to this great show of character, I'll make sure to do him proud by staying on top of my financing studies and learning the in's and out's of investing so I can pay back his kindness with proper skills. It would mean a great deal to me if I could honor him by showing him that others want to support me in paying him back.

My unique quirks and flaws don't make me any worse than those around me. I grew up struggling to cope with my ADHD. It made it hard for me to socially understand the rights and wrongs in a conversation, hard to focus on my studies during class and made me just a nuisance to my teachers and classmates. For a time in my life, I hated myself for being born with Adhd, "Why can't I just act like everybody around me?" "If only I more normal my Dad would be home more." Etc. It's these thoughts that plagued younger me but growing more and more, I realize that ADHD has helped me more in life. It helped wire my brain in a different way from others that allows me to retain information faster (If I pay attention). I can relate better with people with social awkwardness cause I was there and can empathize. I'm much more of a friendly person because of my experience of not being able to. I love myself and wouldn't change the way I was made at all.

Take debt off the table. A lot of the time when I talk about college with my classmates, they tend to say things like, "Oh yeah I might need to get a loan." It's that kinda thinking that really irritates me, cause I know it's possible to graduate from college without debt. My friend Santiago spends hours every week applying himself to his studies and scholarship opportunities, and because of that, he received a $70,000 scholarship if he attends Baylor. The thought that student loans are 'good debt' is an awful way of thinking. There a plethora of different ways to cash-flow your college experience, whether that's by going to community/ trade schools or saving up for it by getting a job while in highschool. We need to start enforcing the idea that you can get by in life without obtaining debt by taking simple steps like budgeting and saving instead of impulse buying all the time.

"No one is you, and that's your power." That line was told to me by my mentor, had it's helped me through a lot of times. With the ever-present rise of social media, more teens and adults and beginning to compare rather than reflect. We often forget about the qualities of our lives that make us, us! When we compare ourselves to others, we do it in a negative light. "Look at how popular she is" "I wish my body was like his" "Oh their relationship is perfect, why can't I have that" This is why I would want to remind people of the most important fact, we are all unique. We may share qualities with another person, but even identical twins have different personalities. The biggest strength in the world is our uniqueness, people who think outside of the box, do things that are considered impossible, push the limits of the known to discover to unknown. A world where we all are the same is a dystopia, but the world where we all utilize our special talents is a good one.

You always see this question, wheter it be on scholarship applications or college applications. For me, the reason for attending college is simple. I want to make the people who believed in me proud. I want it so that when those teachers who put up with my bad attitude and constant backtalk look at me, they look upon me with a sense of pride knowing that they helped me get to where I am. For my mom, who worked hard as the wife to a military officer, oftentimes waking up at 4 and sleeping at 12 to make sure her kids were successful. To my English teacher, Mrs. Epperson, who saw me at my worst but never grew angry with me. Without them, I wouldn't be half the man I am today. Specifically, my bible teacher, Mr. Shoemake, played a big part in helping me decide my future. The aspect of college terrified me, so much to the point that I was almost considering just giving up on the whole aspect entirely. But he never let me quit on myself, he always believed that I was somebody that God could use to make people's lives better. I'm glad he saw in me the greatness that I couldn't see in myself. Without him, I probably wouldn't be here writing essays trying to make it so I can get through college debt-free. He was like a father to me, a great mentor, and I hope that I can do right by him by attending a good college and getting a higher education. The whole reason I want to attend a big college is that I want to help people with my degree. My plan is to major in finance because I've seen so many people who've let their money rule over them. I went around interviewing countless people as a personal assignment that my mentor assigned to me. As I went from person to person, profession to profession, I noticed a common tread among a majority of them. A lot of people gave me advice on avoiding debt, what degrees I shouldn't waste my money on, things they wished they did differently, etc. It broke my heart to realize just how many people struggle with money management, so that's why I vowed to make a change. I want to study financing so I can become a business consultant. I want to help people manage their money and companies, and ease their burdens. My biggest hope is to help smaller businesses get their feet off the ground, helping them accomplish the goals that they've dreamed about achieving.