Discovering what to study in higher education can be a very difficult journey, but I believe I have finally found my passion. Currently, my plans are to study Criminology and Criminal Justice in hopes of becoming a criminal psychologist. Through my years of high school, I have taken various courses such as psychology my junior year, and forensic science my senior year, which have showed me my interest in the human brain. I have found myself to be very curious about why individuals do certain things and the difference in processing methods between criminals, and everyday citizens. Both of my courses have showed me my passion and strive to know more about what goes on within the mind of criminals.

Nowadays, many people look to celebrities or other well known individuals to find a role model. While this is not necessarily bad, I have always looked towards my mother as my role model. My mom is Commander MaLinda Kendrick of the United States Navy. She has been in the military for over twenty-five years and has worked extremely hard for her title. As a young child, she grew up in an all around bad environment, causing her to mature quickly. She went to school full time and also worked to help with bills. She did many of the household chores and helped her mom raise her two younger brothers. Eventually, after her brothers got older, she decided to go live with her aunt to hopefully make a better life for herself. As months passed, her aunt told her that she would need to start figuring out what she wanted to do with her future and eventually move out. Knowing that she would need a lot of structure in her life, my mom decided to enter the army. However, after realizing that nurses were more utilized in the navy, she decided to switch branches after being in the army for six years. During these years she faced many challenges including basic training where she was torn down, and deployment where she had to sacrifice time away from her family and home. As a result of her determination, hard work, and sacrifice, my mother has continued earning ranks and has gone from a recruit to a respected commander. After returning from her various deployments, my mom took on more jobs in the medical field. She worked at a hospital, various nursing homes and programs for kids in need. My mom has worked numerous hours and has dedicated her life to helping others, no matter who they are. This mindset has been a big influence on me and my future career choice. Joining the military is something I have considered multiple times but I ultimately decided it was not the path for me. While my mom was excited about my interest in the military, she helped me realize there are always more paths that would allow me to serve others. This helped me eventually come to the conclusion of pursuing criminal justice and law. While I will not be serving my country in the military, I will still be getting the chance to help others. Criminal justice and law was not my first dream but my mom has taught me that with anything I end up doing, I will always need to work hard, rather than just expecting it to come to me. There is sacrifice in success which can be difficult, but it is necessary to reach goals. Along with the lesson of sacrifice, I have also learned about work ethic, kindness, and compassion from watching her in everyday life. No matter the disagreements and opposing views we might have, my mom is truly my role model and inspiration. She is the person I look to for help and as an example as the type of person I want to grow to be. While looking towards individuals that are seen as icons in our world today might seem as the obvious place to look for a role model, my mom is someone I am extremely proud of. She has shaped my life in more ways than one and has taught me so many genuine lessons that no celebrity ever could.

In the summer of 2017, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Nicguara for a mission trip. While there, I was able to work along side others to build houses, lead worship services, and simply talk to the residents of the community. Within a week, I learned so much about their beautiful culture and created amazing bonds, despite the language barrier. This experience opened my eyes and I am extremely thankful that I was able to go.