Empowering Doves is a leadership and personal‑development group for young women ages 13–21, and I’ve proudly been a member for the past ten months. Being part of this organization has helped me grow as a leader while connecting with girls who share the same ambition, drive, and desire to make a difference. I participate in workshops that teach confidence, etiquette, communication, and personal branding, all designed to help us step into adulthood with purpose. Through community service events, group meetings, and hands‑on projects, I’ve learned how to use my voice and skills to uplift others. Every experience reminds me that young women can create real change when they are supported, encouraged, and given the space to shine. One of my favorite projects during my time in Empowering Doves has been our FRESH Project, which began after we received a donation of a couple thousand dollars. With those funds, we created hundreds of hygiene kits filled with pads, wipes, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, and discreet handbags for girls who carry clear backpacks. We wanted every girl to feel protected and respected, especially when dealing with personal items that deserve privacy. After assembling the kits, we boxed them and delivered them to schools across Hazlehurst, Crystal Springs, and Copiah Academy, making sure middle school, high school, and even some elementary schools beyond third grade were included. Seeing the impact of this project showed me how meaningful it is to support girls who may not always have access to the essentials they need. Beyond the FRESH Project, Empowering Doves stays active in the community through several important initiatives that help us grow as leaders. We help with annual school supply drives to ensure students across the county start the school year with confidence and the tools they need to succeed. Every year, we also raise money to provide scholarships for graduating seniors, whether they are part of the program or not, because we believe in supporting all young people chasing their dreams. After we graduate, we become College Doves, mentoring younger members, recruiting new girls who want to be active in their community, need support, or simply want something positive to do in their free time. We also participate in our annual formal event, Burgers and Beans, where community leaders gather in formal attire to celebrate achievements while we demonstrate etiquette, poise, and public speaking by presenting or introducing honored guests showing that Empowering Doves prepares us not just for service, but for leadership in every room we enter.

I am passionate about pursuing a degree in nursing because of a moment in my life that changed everything for me. It happened in early high school, and even though years have passed, I can still remember every detail like it happened yesterday. My whole family was in the living room. It was me, my mom, my brother, my sister, and my baby brother. We were just watching TV like any normal day. My siblings were about nine, six, and one at the time, and I was fourteen. We were laughing, talking, and relaxing. Nothing felt unusual or scary. It was just a normal day. Then out of nowhere my brother started screaming about his leg. At first we thought it was just a cramp, something small, something that would pass. Me and my mom jumped up to check on him. But then he stopped answering us. His whole body started shaking. His eyes rolled back. His mouth was open and he was foaming. My younger siblings started crying because they did not understand what was happening. My mom was yelling for me to call 911. Everything in the room felt loud, chaotic, and terrifying. I had seizures in middle school, but mine were quiet blackouts. I had never seen anything like this. Seeing my brother like that made my whole body freeze. Then he suddenly went completely still. His eyes were open but he was not responding. My mom started screaming. She picked him up even though he was almost her height and laid him on the floor. She started CPR on him over and over while I stood there shaking. I really thought my brother might be gone. When he finally coughed and his eyes moved, I felt like I could breathe again. The paramedics came and rushed him to the hospital, but that moment in the living room stayed with me more than anything else in my life. Afterward, I kept replaying it in my mind. I kept thinking about how quickly everything changed. One minute we were watching TV, and the next minute my brother was fighting for his life. I wondered how many people had lost their lives because someone nearby did not know what to do the way my mom did. I wondered what would have happened if it had been just me and my siblings that day. What if my mom had not been there. What if I had been the only one who could help. Those thoughts scared me, but they also pushed me. They made me want to be someone who is prepared, someone who can step up instead of freezing. That moment is the reason I chose nursing. I want to be trained. I want to know what to do. I want to be the person who helps save someone’s life the way my mom saved my brother’s. Nursing is not just a career choice for me. It is a calling that grew out of fear, love, and the realization that knowledge can be the difference between life and death. I want to be the person who brings calm into chaos. I want to be the person who knows how to act when everyone else is scared. I want to be the person who gives families hope in their worst moments. This experience made me passionate about nursing because it showed me how powerful it is to know what to do in an emergency. It showed me how important it is to have people in the world who are trained, confident, and ready to help. Nursing gives me a path to become that person. It gives me a way to turn one of the scariest moments of my life into something meaningful, something that can help others, something that can save lives.

I decided to pursue a career in nursing because of something that happened in early high school that changed me in a way I did not expect. One day my whole family was in the living room. It was me, my mom, my brother, my sister, and my baby brother. We were just watching TV like any normal day. My siblings were about nine, six, and one at the time, and I was fourteen. We were laughing and talking, and nothing felt out of the ordinary. Then out of nowhere my brother started screaming about his leg. At first we thought it was just a cramp or maybe his leg had fallen asleep, so me and my mom jumped up to check on him. But then he stopped answering us. His whole body started shaking. His eyes rolled back. His mouth was open and he was foaming. My younger siblings started crying because they did not understand what was happening. My mom was yelling for me to call 911. Everything felt loud and terrifying. I had seizures in middle school, but mine were quiet blackouts. I had never seen anything like this. Seeing my brother like that made my whole body freeze. Then he suddenly went completely still. His eyes were open but he was not responding. My mom started screaming. She picked him up even though he was almost her height and laid him on the floor. She started CPR on him over and over while I stood there shaking. I really thought my brother might be gone. When he finally coughed and his eyes moved, I felt like I could breathe again. The paramedics came and rushed him to the hospital, but that moment in the living room stayed with me more than anything else. Afterward, I kept replaying it in my mind. I kept thinking about how quickly everything changed. One minute we were watching TV, and the next minute my brother was fighting for his life. I wondered how many people had lost their lives because someone nearby did not know what to do the way my mom did. I wondered what would have happened if it had been just me and my siblings that day. What if my mom had not been there. What if I had been the only one who could help. Those thoughts scared me, but they also pushed me. They made me want to be someone who is prepared, someone who can step up instead of freezing. That moment is the reason I chose nursing. I want to be trained. I want to know what to do. I want to be the person who helps save someone’s life the way my mom saved my brother’s. I found out about this scholarship on Bold.org.

A couple years ago we were all in the living room. It was me, my mom, my brother, my sister, and my baby brother. They were about nine, six, and one at the time. I was fourteen. We were just watching TV like any normal day. Then out of nowhere my brother started screaming about his leg. We thought maybe it was a cramp or his leg fell asleep, so me and my mom jumped up to check on him. But then he stopped answering us. His whole body started shaking. His eyes rolled back. His mouth was open and was foaming. Me and my mom looked at each other at the same time and said he was having a seizure. I had seizures in middle school, but mine were quiet blackouts. I had never seen anything like this. My younger siblings started crying because they didn’t understand what was happening. My mom was yelling to call 911. Everything felt loud and chaotic. Then he suddenly stopped moving. His body went completely still. His eyes were open but he wasn’t responding. My mom started screaming. She picked him up even though he was almost her height and laid him on the floor. I froze. I really thought my brother might be gone. I watched my mom start CPR on him over and over. I felt useless because I didn’t know what to do. Then he coughed. His eyes moved and he looked at me. I felt like I could finally breathe again. Then he was rushed to the hospital, but that moment in the living room stayed with me more than anything else. That was the first and last time I ever saw something that close to death. It changed me. I kept thinking about how if my mom had frozen the way I did, he might not have made it. It made me wonder how many people lose their lives because someone nearby didn’t know what to do or was too scared to act. I was in ninth grade when it happened, but from that day on I knew I wanted to go into the medical field. I didn’t want to ever feel frozen like that again. I wanted to be trained. I wanted to know what to do. I wanted to save someone’s life the way my mom saved my brother’s. That moment is the reason I plan to go to medical school and learn how to help in any emergency. It’s the reason I want to be the person who steps up instead of standing still.

The nursing industry interests me because it represents the perfect balance of compassion, leadership, and purpose. I have always been someone who steps in to help others, especially during stressful or emotional moments, and nursing allows me to turn that natural instinct into a meaningful career. What draws me most to nursing is the opportunity to care for people during some of the most vulnerable times in their lives. Whether it is comforting a worried family, supporting a patient through recovery, or helping bring new life into the world, nurses play a powerful role in shaping someone’s experience. I am especially passionate about maternal and infant health, and my long term goal is to become a labor and delivery nurse and eventually an OB GYN. I want to be part of the solution to the disparities that affect African American women in healthcare, and I believe that starts with being a compassionate, informed, and present nurse. My goals for a successful career include earning my nursing degree, gaining strong clinical experience, and continuing my education so I can specialize in women’s health. I want to build a career where I am known for my skill, my leadership, and my ability to advocate for patients who may not always feel heard. I also hope to use my platform to educate young women in my community about their health, their options, and their rights. To me, success is not just about the title I hold but the impact I make on the families and communities I serve. Even though I do not have formal medical experience yet, I have gained meaningful skills through caring for my younger siblings. Taking responsibility for them has taught me patience, problem solving, communication, and how to stay calm when others depend on me. I have learned how to manage routines, respond to their needs, and support them emotionally and physically. These experiences have strengthened my desire to work in healthcare because they showed me that I am capable of handling responsibility with maturity and care. They also helped me understand the importance of nurturing, protecting, and advocating for others, which are all essential qualities in nursing. After I graduate high school, I hope to gain hands on experience through volunteering, shadowing, and internships that will help prepare me for nursing school. I want to learn from professionals, observe real medical environments, and build the confidence I need to step into the field. I know that every experience, whether big or small, will help shape me into the nurse I want to become. Caring for others has always been a part of my life, and nursing gives me the opportunity to turn that passion into a lifelong career. I am committed to growing, learning, and serving so that I can make a difference in the lives of the people who trust me with their care.

My goals in college and beyond are centered on leadership, service, and creating long term impact in every community I am part of. As I begin my journey at Ole Miss, I plan to stay involved in organizations that allow me to mentor others, volunteer in health related programs, and continue growing as a future nurse. I want to build strong clinical skills, form meaningful connections with professors and peers, and take advantage of opportunities that prepare me for my long term path of becoming a labor and delivery nurse and eventually an OB GYN. I am especially passionate about advocating for mothers, particularly African American women, by providing compassionate care and helping reduce disparities in maternal health outcomes. My education is not just a personal goal but a foundation for the work I hope to do for families and communities who often feel overlooked. My commitment to service began in Hazlehurst through JROTC, Empowering Doves, and my involvement with the Chamber of Commerce. These experiences taught me discipline, communication, and the importance of stepping up when my community needs support. I have mentored younger students, helped organize community events, and used my photography and social media skills to promote programs that often lacked visibility. I have also worked closely with students who struggled academically, helping them prepare for state tests and encouraging them to stay focused on graduation. These moments showed me how powerful it is when someone believes in you and invests in your success. I plan to continue this service throughout college and after earning my degree. I want to stay connected to youth programs like Empowering Doves and JROTC by returning to mentor students, assist with leadership development, and support events that build confidence and character. I also hope to continue supporting my city’s Chamber of Commerce by using my communication and branding skills to help increase community engagement and strengthen local outreach. Most importantly, I want to guide high school students toward understanding their options after graduation, whether that is college, trade school, the military, or certification programs. Hearing possibilities from someone who walked the same halls can make those paths feel real and achievable. Service has shaped who I am, and it will continue to guide my work as a student, a leader, and a future healthcare professional. My goal is not only to succeed personally but to create opportunities, open doors, and make sure the communities that raised me feel the impact of everything I accomplish.

Being part of JROTC has been one of the most defining experiences of my high school career. I have been involved in the program since my freshman year, and it has shaped my discipline, leadership style, and commitment to service. Over the years, I have taken on multiple leadership roles, including serving as the S1 Personnel Officer, leading the Sabre Team as its commander, and now completing my senior year as the Battalion Commander. These roles taught me how to lead with integrity, communicate clearly, and stay focused on long‑term goals. Something important to know about my background is that I come from a strong military family. Many of my relatives have served in the Air Force, Navy, and Army, and growing up around that level of discipline and sacrifice deeply influenced me. I am also the oldest of four siblings, which has shaped me into someone who leads naturally, sets an example, and carries myself with maturity. Whether I am in uniform representing my battalion or at home guiding my younger siblings, I hold myself to a high standard. Throughout high school, I have been involved in several community‑focused organizations. As a member of the National Beta Club, I participated in service projects that supported both my school and local community. Through Empowering Doves, I volunteered in outreach programs that assisted families and strengthened community connections. Serving as a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador for the City of Hazlehurst allowed me to represent my city at public events and work closely with community leaders. I also completed numerous service hours through JROTC, helping at school functions, ceremonies, parades, and community events. These experiences taught me that leadership is rooted in service, compassion, and showing up for others. Some of my biggest accomplishments reflect that dedication. One of the achievements I am most proud of is serving as the Battalion Commander and successfully bringing back our Military Ball after the school had gone three years without one. Planning and executing such an important event required coordination, communication, and responsibility. Another major accomplishment was receiving the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Award during my junior year, which recognized both my academic excellence and my leadership as a Cadet Captain and S1 Personnel Officer. Additionally, I helped conduct our Triennial Accreditation Inspection, where our battalion earned an overall rating of 95.8%, achieving the distinguished title of Army JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction. One of the most meaningful lessons I learned came from a mistake I made while planning the Military Ball. At first, I believed I didn’t need help and tried to handle everything on my own. When unexpected challenges came up, I fell behind schedule and realized I couldn’t complete such a large event alone. I had to learn to lean on my staff and even reach out to previous cadets who had graduated. Their connections helped us secure our caterer and photographer, and together we brought the event to life. That experience taught me that leadership is not about doing everything yourself—it’s about trusting your team and knowing when to ask for support. Looking ahead, my dream job is to become a labor and delivery nurse. I am passionate about maternal health, especially improving outcomes for African American women. My experiences in JROTC, my academic achievements, and my commitment to service have prepared me to pursue this path with purpose and confidence.