Being a teenage girl in society and a child of God has been a challenge for me to balance throughout my walk in faith. The devil uses society and the media to spread lies that as a teenage girl, I had to dress a certain way, have ungodly behaviors to be liked, and keep my faith in myself because no one would like me if I loved Jesus. Before I dedicated myself to God, and I still struggle some days, I had fallen prey to every one of these lies. I have consistently struggled between chasing after my peer's approval, in and outside the church, and chasing after God. This struggle has been an ever-present battle since I have come to faith. In my flesh, I want to be well-liked, but I know in my spirit that I have to seek God's approval before anyone else's(Galatians 1:10). Prior to finding my identity in Christ, I tried to find it in the people I surrounded myself with and my accomplishments. I felt a hole in my heart that I was unable to fill. No matter how many trophies I won, people who told me they loved me, how many people laughed at my jokes, or how many miles I ran, I never felt like I was truly loved. When I realized I could never cross the great chasm in my heart with worldly things, God picked me out of my dirt and set me on my feet. I began to walk the narrow path of Christianity. Since I dedicated my life and future to Jesus Christ in April 2020, I have struggled with doubt, suicide, anxiety, and caving to peer pressure. Through every step of the way, I know my God has never left my side(Deuteronomy 31:8). Since God has opened my eyes to my sin of doubt and faithlessness, I have clung to my faith. When I was at a weak point in my faith and I was struggling with crippling anxiety, another Christian had read me Psalms 119:11. ". . . "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. . . ". God had convicted my heart of not spending enough time in His living word. The more I began to read my Bible, spent time on my knees praying, and served in the church my anxiety and feelings of depression lessened. God had revealed to me that when I only looked at my own life and needs I would feel overcome by what I do not have. Yet, when I took the opportunities God had given me to serve others I was able to recognize everything He had already given me. My faith in Jesus Christ has helped me take my eyes off of who everyone else thinks I should be, who I think I should be and focus my eyes on who the Lord is calling me to be.

I want to become a high school English teacher because I want to impact the lives of the next generation. The impact a positive adult role model can have on kids is extraordinary. I spent several years in the foster system. Growing up, a positive role model was not common, causing me to not be driven in school. I had received little guidance on work ethics and never had a role model to demonstrate that work builds character and resilience. One year, I distinctively remember a shift in my mindset. The shift was caused by my teacher, Mrs.Coker. She had always encouraged me to work hard in school. Mrs.Coker was always willing to help me with my work when I struggled and treated me like every other child when I felt different. She encouraged me to take my education into my own hands and sparked my love for reading. Her willingness to pay extra attention to me every day and her words of encouragement impacted me in a profound way. These small moments made me look up to her, and having a positive role model like her made me see education differently. Every teacher throughout my academic career has helped me understand what I am capable of. These teachers have nursed a love for learning in me and have taught me the value of facing challenges. These people are just a few of the many stepping stones that inspired me to invest in my higher education. Every teacher who has invested their time, energy, and love into my story caused me to be driven to do the same for the people in the future I want to become a teacher that is able to encourages students and helps them understand the power of their voice. My dream is to pour into students like my teachers have poured into me. Rita Pierson explained, "Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." My goal in becoming a teacher is to be my students' champion. I want to encourage my students in their academic careers, challenge them, and push them when needed. I would consider it an honor to receive this scholarship, and it would be a great help in my journey of leaving an impact on our future.

I want to become a high school English teacher because I want to impact the lives of the next generation. The impact a positive adult role model can have on an impressionable young person is extraordinary. I had spent several years in the foster system and struggled at home. Growing up, a positive role model was far and few, causing me to not be driven in school. I had received little guidance on work ethics and never had a role model to demonstrate that hard work builds character and resilience. One year, I distinctively remember a shift in my mindset. The shift was caused by a teacher I had in the third grade, Mrs.Coker. This teacher had always encouraged me to work hard in school. Mrs.Coker was always willing to help me with my work when I struggled and treated me like every other child when I felt different. She encouraged me to take my education into my own hands and sparked my love for reading. Her willingness to give me a few extra minutes every day and her words of encouragement impacted me in a profound way. These small moments made me look up to her, and having a positive role model like her made me see the value of education in a new light. Every teacher throughout my academic career has helped me understand what I am capable of. All of my teachers have not just nursed a love for learning in me but have taught me the value of tackling challenges head-on. These people are just a few of the many stepping stones that inspired me to invest in my higher education. Every teacher who has invested their time, energy, and love into my story caused me to be driven to do the same for the people of the future generations. I want to become a teacher that is able to encourage and love students, helping them understand the power of their voice. My dream is to pour into students like my teachers have poured into me. Rita Pierson explained, "Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." My goal in becoming a teacher is to be my students' champion, like Rita has described. I want to encourage my students in their academic careers, challenge them, and push them when needed. I would consider it an honor to receive this scholarship, and it would be a great help in my journey of leaving an impact on our future.

I want to become a high school English teacher because of the impact teachers had on my personal growth during the time I spent in the Foster system. The impact a positive adult role model can have on an impressionable young person is extraordinary. I had spent several years in the foster system and struggled at home. Growing up, a positive role model was far and few, causing me to not be driven in school. I had received little guidance on work ethics and never had a role model to demonstrate that hard work builds character and resilience. One year, I distinctively remember a shift in my mindset. The shift was caused by a teacher I had in the third grade, Mrs.Coker. This teacher had always encouraged me to work hard in school. Mrs.Coker was always willing to help me with my work when I struggled and treated me like every other child when I felt different. She encouraged me to take my education into my own hands and sparked my love for reading. Her willingness to give me a few extra minutes every day and her words of encouragement impacted me in a profound way. These small moments made me look up to her, and having a positive role model like her made me see the value of education in a new light. Every teacher throughout my academic career has helped me understand what I am capable of. All of my teachers have not just nursed a love for learning in me but have taught me the value of tackling challenges head-on. These people are just a few of the many stepping stones that inspired me to invest in my higher education. Every teacher who has invested their time, energy, and love into my story caused me to be driven to do the same for the people of the future generations. I want to become a teacher that is able to encourage and love students, helping them understand the power of their voice. My dream is to pour into students like my teachers have poured into me. Rita Pierson explained, "Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." My goal in becoming a teacher is to be my students' champion, like Rita has described. I want to encourage my students in their academic careers, challenge them, and push them when needed. I would consider it an honor to receive this scholarship, and it would be a great help in my journey of leaving an impact on our future.

I want to become a high school English teacher because I want to impact the lives of the next generation. The impact a positive adult role model can have on an impressionable young person is extraordinary. I had spent several years in the foster system and struggled at home. Growing up, a positive role model was far and few, causing me to not be driven in school. I had received little guidance on work ethics and never had a role model to demonstrate that hard work builds character and resilience. One year, I distinctively remember a shift in my mindset. The shift was caused by a teacher I had in the third grade, Mrs.Coker. This teacher had always encouraged me to work hard in school. Mrs.Coker was always willing to help me with my work when I struggled and treated me like every other child when I felt different. She encouraged me to take my education into my own hands and sparked my love for reading. Her willingness to give me a few extra minutes every day and her words of encouragement impacted me in a profound way. These small moments made me look up to her, and having a positive role model like her made me see the value of education in a new light. Every teacher throughout my academic career has helped me understand what I am capable of. All of my teachers have not just nursed a love for learning in me but have taught me the value of tackling challenges head-on. These people are just a few of the many stepping stones that inspired me to invest in my higher education. Every teacher who has invested their time, energy, and love into my story caused me to be driven to do the same for the people of the future generations. I want to become a teacher that is able to encourage and love students, helping them understand the power of their voice. My dream is to pour into students like my teachers have poured into me. Rita Pierson explained, "Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." My goal in becoming a teacher is to be my students' champion, like Rita has described. I want to encourage my students in their academic careers, challenge them, and push them when needed. I would consider it an honor to receive this scholarship, and it would be a great help in my journey of leaving an impact on our future.

Yes, I was in the foster system for four years, from the ages of seven to twelve years old. Growing up in the foster system, a positive role model was far and few between, causing me to not be driven in school. I had received little guidance on work ethics and never had a role model to demonstrate that hard work builds character and resilience. Though one year, I distinctively remember a shift in my mindset. The shift was caused by a teacher I had in the third grade, Mrs. Coker. This teacher knew I struggled at home and had always encouraged me to work hard in school. Mrs. Coker was always willing to help me with my work when I struggled and treated me like every other child when I felt different. She encouraged me to take my education into my own hands and sparked my love for reading. Her willingness to give me a few extra minutes every day and her words of encouragement impacted me in a profound way. These small moments made me look up to her, and having a positive role model like her made me see the value of education in a new light. Teachers have not just nursed a love for learning in me but have taught me the value of tackling challenges head-on. When I was in the foster system, my teachers played a large role in making me the person I am today. These people are just a few of the many stepping stones that inspired me to invest in my higher education. Every teacher who has invested their time, energy, and love in my story caused me to be driven to do the same for the people of the future generations and those who struggle in my future classroom. I want to become a teacher that is able to encourage and love all students, helping them understand the power of their voice. My dream is to pour into every student, despite a family background, like my teachers have poured into me. Rita Pierson explained, "Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." My goal in becoming a teacher is to be my students' champion, like Rita has described. I want to encourage my students in their academic careers, challenge them, and push them when needed. I would consider it an honor to receive this scholarship, and it would be a great help in my journey of making an impact on our future.

I want to become a high school English teacher because I want to impact the lives of the next generation. The impact a positive adult role model can have on an impressionable young person is extraordinary. I had spent several years in the foster system and struggled at home. Growing up, a positive role model was far and few, causing me to not be driven in school. I had received little guidance on work ethics and never had a role model to demonstrate that hard work builds character and resilience. Though one year, I distinctively remember a shift in my mindset. The shift was caused by a teacher I had in the third grade, Mrs.Coker. This teacher had always encouraged me to work hard in school. Mrs.Coker was always willing to help me with my work when I struggled and treated me like every other child when I felt different. She encouraged me to take my education into my own hands and sparked my love for reading. Her willingness to give me a few extra minutes every day and her words of encouragement impacted me in a profound way. These small moments made me look up to her, and having a positive role model like her made me see the value of education in a new light. Every teacher throughout my academic career has helped me understand what I am capable of. All of my teachers have not just nursed a love for learning in me but have taught me the value of tackling challenges head-on. These people are just a few of the many stepping stones that inspired me to invest in my higher education. Every teacher who has invested their time, energy, and love into my story caused me to be driven to do the same for the people of the future generations. I want to become a teacher that is able to encourage and love students, helping them understand the power of their voice. My dream is to pour into students like my teachers have poured into me. Rita Pierson explained, "Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." My goal in becoming a teacher is to be my students' champion, like Rita has described. I want to encourage my students in their academic careers, challenge them, and push them when needed. I would consider it an honor to receive this scholarship, and it would be a great help in my journey of leaving an impact on our future