My first thought looking at #booktok makes me think of Tiktok. Tiktok is a digital platform for everyone. There are always great things to discover amongst using that app. Tiktok gives you room to reach wide audiences. I have discovered books such as the shadow workbook journal that actually has gone viral. The shadow workbook journal is a self reflection journal that dives deep into the positive versus the negative introspective spectacle amongst one's self. The book is beneficial to those who are spiritual, religious or neither dealing with childhood trauma. This book is also good for people having a hard time forming bonds or letting go of unhealthy habits or people. I have seen many great reviews on this book before purchasing it. I actually purchased the book myself from the tiktok shop feature. The tiktok shop feature is a fairly new feature, allowing anyone to create a website for what they are selling. There are many great books on the tiktok shop. I also love a good book that is focused on teaching how to build wealth. If there's one thing I feel should be available to everyone is learning to manage money and how to do taxes. Information like this is crucial to entrepreneurs. Even learning ways to save yourself from paying many taxes to the government could help an individual a lot. Learning business structure is essential to life. Speaking of things being essential to life D.I.Y books, how to books and books for dummies are very overlooked but very helpful for society. These kinds of books are great for people who need one on one instruction. I thrive off learning to do things myself that could save me a lot of money and time. To be honest not everybody enjoys reading. Although Those who do decide to read tend to have an exceptional vocabulary. You can tell when someone reads by how they talk most of the time. Other great books I would say is books about an individuals specific culture, niche or even books about how to run a business. These books in my opinion help you understand where you reside in society. There are many people who are familiar with Kindle fire tablets that allows people to read books and store them to their device like a digital library. Which can be purchased on Amazon another great place for finding books to read.

I believe the most important key to living another day continuously is to tell yourself every day that "I just need to make it through the next day and take life one step at a time". I have struggled with the thought of suicide. I have struggled with depression. I have had great days and I have had Days where I had to find reasons why I should let myself live just one more day. To be honest I have a hard time talking about this topic. I hate hearing about people who speak out about wanting to off themselves to someone who encourages them to do so. Most people instead of comforting you will tell you " I know you to well you just doing it for attention". Isn't that the point!!!! To get someone's attention. No one should have to get violent against themselves to be noticed. People just want to feel included and accepted. I found my way of coping between going to a children's psych center and my mom suggesting ways for me to communicate. I am completely guilty of telling people that they are just doing something for attention. In the same breath I do listen and ask questions of the voices you don't hear. After being a product of an example I actually know what to look out for. I migrate towards people that seclude themselves. I notice body language and emotions of people who are around me. I am the most understanding person that I know of. I can be a little hypocritical at times because I still convince myself every once in a while that there are great reasons why I still choose to wake up everyday. I found myself being happier making others happy. I have a very nurturing spirit. If there's one thing I've always wanted it was to be a mother. I have wanted children of my own since I was a little girl. I remember telling myself if I didn't have kids by age 30 I would off myself. It's something about being responsible for a little one that makes me feel whole and accomplished. I've always thought of myself as a second mother to my younger siblings, whether they like it or not. I was given many options to cope. I choose to create art. I choose to write, sing,rap and create things with my hands. Sometimes hearing what someone else is going through or went through puts a better perspective on your own life. There has been a viral book on tiktok called the shadow workbook journal. This book has had people joining forces creating safe spaces for people to open up to one another. People are still grasping the concept of " having uncomfortable conversations that lead to better communication and understanding". When you get out of the mindset that "I'm not the only one who feels alone sometimes" you tend to relax and open up. In my personal opinion psychology is just the capability of completely understanding an individual. As seen in the media mental health can affect anyone and everyone. The best thing to do is to listen to someone who is having a a hard time functioning in life. We need to stop stigmatizing people who have a record of unapproved behavior. Sometimes it just takes a simple question "what can I do to help you function in life?" Or "what resources can I give to help you with that personal situation of yours?". Just showing that you care sometimes is more than enough. Sometimes they just need a listening ear and that's all. Sometimes they just need a hug. And unlike kids sometimes adults feel bashed and ashamed to ask for help because of the way society expects adults to be perfect 24/7. We need to understand adults man woman or non-binary are allowed to have days where they take a break from the world. We are allowed to complain. We are allowed to cry. We are allowed to to be real "the things they call unprofessional". I believe people are tired of faking it to make it (I know I am). People would not have to pretend with being ok if people would accept them with not being ok when they need support. It's no different than a job that requires you to be nice to ride customers. Why is it that we want respect at work, yet we act out as a customer? Who decided that a promotion meant "going from a peasant to a priority". I personally go by the rule of thumb"it takes a village to raise a child" and "teamwork makes the dream work". One of these days people will catch on. Equality and inclusion is mortality.

Technology can be good or bad depending on how you choose to grasp the information you receive from it. I don't mind old ways of communicating before technology, although it doesn't have some of the same advantages as far as how long it takes to receive and send information. I literally have my phone in my hand almost 24/7 which I know is not all that good; especially for my eyes. The good thing about technology is it's always transforming. I'm always finding flaws in the technology systems we have today. It's interesting how much more we have to learn and create within the technology field. I've recently found myself trying to tell companies like apple and PayPal how they could have better processing for customers. I consider myself decent when it comes to technology. It's definitely fascinating how fast we constantly invent new ways to do things in our daily lives. I love having multiple ways to solve any and every problem I may come across. Sometimes it's not technology that is the problem. Most people take shortcuts with the care of their technology which causes the product their using to crash down. For example " you can make a laptop freeze if you don't turn it off before closing it shut". I honestly decided to even create my own app. I noticed a lot of things I felt could be better or different than the apps I already use every day. My career I'm in school for requires me to use technology. If headphones were not invented I would probably be a lot more verbal than people would want me to be. Music helps me to focus. And technically allows people to listen to music. I'm also very photogenic. If we didn't have cameras I would probably be in the mirror a lot more. Technology has helped people reach information across nations. Where would we be without technology? As you read this even you yourself are using technology. Technology has helped you give me an opportunity to earn a chance at helping me get what I need for a great education. Thanks to technology college students are finding the resources needed to succeed.

I believe struggling with mental health is too common, although normal. The part people struggle with is getting the proper support. Anyone can have a mental breakdown. Most times disruption to a healthy brain can be caused by stress. We as a society don't stress enough to the government how important it is for us to relax sometimes. In some parts of the world it's actually mandatory for children to take naps at school (like china, Mediterranean, southern Europe ECT.). And places such as Spain finds it crucial to shut down mid day so that children and adults can get their proper rest. I honestly believe that the entire world should be doing this. We have normalized making people believe that if they don't work their self to "DEATH" or work "Their life away" that means a hey must be lazy. I struggle sometimes with believing that I should give myself a break. Just think about it. How often do you put yourself on the back burner just to complete a task for a job that could care less about firing you just for being a minute late from your break? Some people bite their tongue because they feel they are bound to needing the bare minimum from the government to survive. But then there are people like me, who decide to be a boss (in other words an entrepreneur). I have strived to be an entrepreneur since before my first 9-5 job. Being a boss is hard when you don't know what you are doing. But with great skills like being a creative, you have room for freedom in a space that you create for yourself. Technically I am a C.E.O. I have two LLC'S I got for myself. I started these business without knowing the business aspects. When I started hearing the vocabulary I wasn't familiar with like "sole proprietor" I was confused. I realized it's ok to take risks as long as you know what you are doing. I'm not going to say that having your own business is always fun. If you are seriously devoted to your business, nothing will stop you from perfecting your craft. I messed up my credit getting material and promotions I didn't need. I had to learn and still need to learn about managing good credit. The most important thing is understanding taxes for your business. And understanding what it means to file your business taxes separately from. Your personal taxes. Math and vocabulary are crucial to running a business. I have decided to surround myself with bosses. It's true that your surroundings can have an impact on you. So why not surround yourself with people and things that match your dream career and lifestyle.

I have a passion for music of all kinds. I am currently going to international college of broadcasting. My mission is to better grasp all perspectives of music and entertainment production processes. I currently keep many songs that I edit and add to in the notes section of my phone. There is rarely a moment where I'm not creating music or listening to music. Music is a language people speak. Music is important in so many ways. Music is like a healthy work out to the brain. Music helps people regulate one's emotions. Music has been known to help people sleep better. Music helps people to memorize things. Music is like the sound version of yoga to the body. Music has many purposes in our every day life. We use music for celebration purposes for birthdays, weddings promotions ECT. Music is a way to bring people together. Music starts from an artist perspective on life, which is also known as thier artistic expression. I am a songwriter myself who relates to everything I am saying. Music is so powerful it can bring back memories to a person with Alzheimer's and dementia. Music is not limited to who can enjoy it. Music is voice sound and vibrations. Music is diverse like food. There a many traditions and styles of music. Music elevates brain production. The type of music a person likes can say a lot about what kind of personality they might have. Music has the power to be a self entertainment tool. Music has the power to change a persons mood which can be good or bad. Music has been shown to help those with ADHD to focus. Music is like a multivitamin to the brain in my opinion. Music has a positive effect on ones learning. For example "we sing the ABC's to children because not only is it fun for them it helps them strengthen their memory in a fun way". All these positive affects are shown to help people of all ages. Music helps people to relax. Music is good for plants as well as people. Music is even a little popular among animals. Fun fact music has many of the same affects on them as it does to us. Music is something that will be going on for a long time. People start and end their days with music. For me music will help me not only as an aid to my mood and brain health, but it will help me to have a career doing something I enjoy.

I choose to pursue art as it has helped me communicate through self expression. I eat sleep and breathe art of many forms. Creating art helps me to practice my skills to focus. Art has helped me to connect with others around me. I feel most comfortable in places that require full acceptance of me being the best version of myself. Art is usually for open minded individuals who are accepting to multiple aspects of one being place or thing. Art is one of those things that no one can mess up because there a no restrictions to the variations of it. Art is relaxing to my mind. Art has been proven to not only be a coping skill to most people, but art can be seen as therapy to most people. Art is a universal form of creativity. Art has no age limit. Any and everyone can technically be seen as a natural artist whether they choose to claim it or not. Art is not something you necessarily have to get credited for just to be able to say your an artist. I'm always getting inspired by others to create art. I find things that catch my attention and turn it into art. I love making my own spin of some things that already exists. I love trying to constantly come up with constant authentic art. I have always challenged my self to make the most of myself. I love being able to add to my list of art achievements. There is rarely a dull moment with me. When I'm listening to music I'm thinking of lyrics to make a song or a dance to make. When I see cute outfits I'm inspired to add things to my clothing brand. I literally sing and dance out of nowhere as if I was in a musical. Art has given me the opportunity to show more than one aspect of my personality and skills. I believe the best feeling as an entrepreneur who is artist is making money off your creativity. Being recognized for being myself makes me feel like a somebody. I was born to make a statement and I chose to do it through art. I don't put restrictions on my ability to do anything. With time art changes in a way where we see more and more how evolution crafts the craft. New ideas and inventions are being made every day.

I classify myself as a multitalented entrepreneur. I believe this scholarship could help me pay for the necessary tools and equipment to further my success as an entrepreneur. I believe no one should be legally under any circumstances be turned away from excelling their education. You can check out my achievements for your self on my LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/in/markayla-heidelburg-148873121?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app). I love learning new things that I can apply in my daily life. Opportunities such as this scholarship are those rare moments that developed hidden gems to the economy such as myself. There are many workshops I would love to join that are related to the topic of entrepreneurship. Most of which cost a price I can't afford at the moment. Although I am a public speaker I could still use some tips from others with advanced experience than myself. I plan to educate myself so well that I can run into less legal problems as possible, when it comes to the businesses I have and will be creating. Helping me will also help my future employees. People need jobs and I plan to hire. I have business ideas that require me to learn about certain topics before I can create the product I would love to sell. And we all understand that education is not always free as we we love. I have learned that just as myself Ms. Hyacinth Malcolm taught herself that the life she wants is possible with determination. This elegant woman passed in her sleep October 6, 2007 leaving yet knowing she left people with more than phenomenal things to remember about her. She has a similar name to a plant called hyacinth 🪻. The fragrant plant reminds me of the saying "the grass is greener where ever you decide to water it". I am merely just a plant looking to be watered. This is also my first time completing college. And I say completing because I am determined to get that certificate. I plan on sharing knowledge to seeds of my own. I love putting myself in a position of guidance for others. The help of this scholarship will be as a ripple affect. I can't help others until I master getting help myself first. With one step at a time, one opportunity at a time we shall help many others that are in the same position. I will continue to further my education as much as I need to in order to succeed.

My core values are tied to my personality and my eagerness for a better life. I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur. And with being an entrepreneur comes great responsibility. Being an entrepreneur is better said than done. I was born to make a fashion statement. I always wanted my own clothing line. And for years I kept the thought in my mind,as I crafted the career I stayed wishing to pursue. I now have a clothing brand called officially bizarre (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063732301257&mibextid=ZbWKwL). I started my clothing brand in 2021. When I started my clothing brand I used one of the stimulus checks we got from the government. I honestly had no idea how to run a clothing brand. All I know is I love fashion and i was bound to have people rocking something I created. I have determination in my blood as if I was born with "a fighting spirit". I'm also a singer, rapper and song writer. I plan to stay an independent artist. That is why I choose to go to the international college of broadcasting. I can be precieved as an overachiever. I'm always coming up with new ideas and inventions. I actually have several business ideas I plan to make future businesses. I'm used to being in leadership positions from babysitting to teachers pet/assistant. I'm the type of person people want to be around because I'm not a gatekeeper when it comes to spreading knowledge. I was helping people pass class. I believe in equal opportunity in the work field. I also believe in equal opportunity in developing entrepreneurs. I have experience sacrifices such as going in dept, living with out electricity and using whole paychecks to support my businesses and future businesses. There is no doubt that I am passionate about being an entrepreneur. I'm also grate at inspiring others. To be honest I also consider myself an influencer. I am naturally born a business woman. I was making people pay up before I had my first job. I remember my mother telling the younger me that I should not be handing out free money all the time, because then I would be broke. Later after that talk, she caught my charging my siblings for borrowed money "Lol". I literally had a paper with tally marks right next to each of their names. I had uncle's and aunts owing me. If it was one thing I was taught not to take lightly, it was my money. We all know that saying " keep your eyes on your own paper". I learned over time If I wanted something done correctly, who better to do it then myself.

Success to me is setting a goal and using the small step to step process to achieve the desired ending result. Most people like myself before have gotten too used to putting way to much on their plate. Success is not something you learn from just hearing about it. Success is something that has to be experienced. I'm a hands on type of learner. I believe hands on learning is the most effective way to learn and communicate. Way too often we rush people and criticize their intelligence. Which is a downfall in society. I see to many people with potential give up so easily on their dreams, based off the perception of others. Just like children adults too can be easily influenced. To often we shame people for not being fast enough. Did you know that when people tend to forget things when they are rushed to achieve a goal. Said by "learnupon.com", studies suggest that humans forget approximately 50% of new information within an hour of learning it. That goes up to an average of 70% within 24 hours. So just imagine what that does to a person when you apply pressure for results. I am a woman of many accomplishments as you can see on my LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/markayla-heidelburg-148873121?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app). I love to earn and show off trophies, certificates and awards of all sorts. In my opinion knowledge makes people more attractive. I love having Deep conversations with people especially when they are open minded. Success can also be as small as developing character. Success is development of a projected want or need. When I think of success I think of stepping stones. Stepping stones is accepting your current position or situation and just making the most of it while preparing to elevate; whether it be spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally ect. Success is all about acceleration. Acceleration does not necessarily mean fast paced. For example we all know about "the tortoise and the hair". And the story goes that the tortoise won the race by taking his time and understanding his surroundings. It's very important to analyze your goals in detail. Mapping out how you expect things to go. Also being realistic and comparing what how you would like for things to go versus how they really go by governmental policies restrictions and regulations. It helps to understand how far outside the box you can go. Just as if you were coloring in a coloring book.

I take anything I don't agree with a "grain of salt". I believe that encouragement and acceptance go a long way. Too often we younger folks are told that we need to be more accepting of a time in life when we were not even born. We have strayed away from a lot of unhealthy habits of some of our ancestors. I find it disturbingly interesting how the older generations shame us for things that they did themselves. back then things were worse yet more acceptable, which I can't wrap my head around. The older generation had gotten used to being comfortable in situations they had no choice but to be a part of. Most of my generation doesn't find it appealing to force their child into marriage with an adult. The age limit on drugs has changed. And we care about the well-being of our children a lot more. We understand that physical harm is not necessarily the best teaching system. Gen-Z has more potential than we are given credit for. we slowly see an increase in recognition as time passes. Instead of shining a light on the bad, we should focus on praising for all the good we receive. The solution to a better society is to stop limiting people with great potential to so little resources.

I believe everything that is meant for every living being on this planet is within Mother Nature. I grew up watching Scooby-doo which has had some influence on me. If there is one thing that Scooby-doo has taught me, it is that the real monsters always turn out to be human. A show full of hippies always fighting monsters and saving people. Speaking of hippies I consider myself to be a traditional hippie. from the bell bottoms, I love so much to my pescatarian eating habits. I have been considering slowly moving towards being a vegetarian. I honestly had that vegetarian though on hold for some time now. it's easier said than done. Just thinking of how many times I have tried to show people and tell people about the correct ways of life in my opinion. People just love being confined to what they perceive to be normal based on what society's standards tell them to abide by. People hate being called a follower and yet they still choose to show that they are afraid to be different only because it's not familiar to them. I have repeatedly stated that I genuinely believe that we should go back to the times when we didn't use our air supply as currency as stated in my poem called "Why" (https://youtu.be/Mw8P2aHdTp4?si=Icq5UR_rqJpOFk6Z). I love watching videos as well as hearing stories about how people survived with only what was provided by Mother Nature to live. I have always wanted to be able to live the most resourceful life possible. I admire people who have turned the wild woods into their homes. that kind of stuff inspires me to turn garbage into fashion, which I have seen them do. Those people usually have great fashion taste. I have hopes that one day we will all agree that we should stay as natural as possible when it comes to our air and food as well as the way we choose to live. in the meantime, I choose to stay around as many like-minded individuals as possible. I love continuing to learn about the different ways that natural resources can help me in my daily life. I don't plan on forcing my ways of life on anyone I just want people to respect the way I choose to live my life. I love being around those who accept me and my healthy ways. it makes me feel good knowing I have a genuine listening ear especially those willing to try the things I love. There is this thing called "the circle of life" a great example being the movie "Lion King". They show the food pyramid and explain it in detail which is easy to digest. the movie alone gives you a small outlook on understanding the bigger picture in life. As a collective, we will one day understand what it means to live in a utopian society.

I grew up in a household that was resourceful with anything and everything we came across. if we were not using it, it was to be turned off and/or unplugged. we were always big on recycling and not wasting food. I grew up watching the electric company show, which taught me a lot about saving money on the rent including gas and electricity even the water bill by knowing the facts of the cost and statistics. I have a bad habit of recycling plastics and cans. to be honest, once I learned that I could make money by recycling it just made me want to recycle even more. I honestly became obsessed with being a businesswoman in the midst of this. I was upset to find out that the closest place to get money from recycling was massachusetts or New York. I refuse to be a litterbug like most people on this slowly evolving planet. I think it's disgusting that I can compare all kinds of other beautiful cities and states with less garbage and pollution. just think about it, how often do you hear someone say that they want to visit Ohio for a vacation? we honestly do not have the cleanest water. I think Ohio has a lot of work to do. I am sure I do not want to meet whoever made it a thing to be okay with trashing our streets, lakes and oceans. in my opinion, if we were all to do things in more natural ways we wouldn't have this concern for our environment. I am as close to an herbalist as I can get. I make do with what I can afford. And I believe that is uncalled for. people should be able to have water food and medical care free. I created a poem dedicated to some of what I am talking about now called "Why" on YouTube (https://youtu.be/Mw8P2aHdTp4?si=olDtVwqJq4WoWYWn). I have always been an activist and vocalist since a very young age. i remember people realizing I had such an issue with them being dirty. And they would purposely throw stuff on the ground knowing I would pick it up. I got used to being in my presence knowing that I would be in an environment that not only looked good but smelled good. i would spend hours on YouTube at the library or on my mom's phone looking up DIYs to doing everything i could do from cooking to cleaning and much more. it's safe to say i still try to do my part as an eco-activist in my own way.

To be technical I classify as pansexual. I have been this way since I could remember. I have always looked up to Jonelle monae as an advocate for myself, being that I have always known I would be doing music as a career. This lifestyle is not as hard on me as it can be for others. I have always chosen to be open about my sexuality. but on the other hand, I have seen and heard some pretty damaging things happen to other people. I have had people attempt to bully me about my sexuality. I knew exactly what I had gotten myself into and I'm proud of it. My mother has always been supportive because she can relate. My mom got used to taking us to the pride festival in Cincinnati, which we always loved. I honestly could never fully understand why most people would "stay in the closet" or other words hide their sexuality. I knew it was more dangerous as a man to like the same sex. I'm also i big supporter of poly relationships. I consider myself a newer version of what you would call a hippie. I believe that love is love and can be found anywhere. As a songwriter and advocate, I have implemented my lifestyle in the music I make. I am always encouraging people to be comfortable with being themselves out loud. I give credit to my mother for teaching me and my siblings to be independent and proud of who we choose to be. I plan on continuing to help all of those around me embrace who they truly and naturally are. this is a topic I wish people would be more open to. The LGBTQ community is the most welcoming community I have ever known. This kind of lifestyle is not for the weak in my opinion. I believe as time goes on we as a society are becoming more aware that minding our own business with things that don't personally affect us is better helping everyone. I continue to discover other like-minded individuals that I can connect to on my journey in life. My love life has been amazing coming across different people and learning about their childhood versus mine. it has been hard coming across other pansexuals but I love discovering them when i meet them. may everyone live in complete happiness for all of their life.

I lost a grandmother who impacted me as the growing woman I am today. She gave me a sense of love and discipline. Her house always smelled like one of two things chilli or bleach. she was very strict and stayed as close to a modern image of a woman as possible. when I think of her I think of a classy woman. she was to herself as I was growing up, and she also had this internal passion to be outgoing as I am now. she was so impactful that anyone can say she left giving everyone she knew something to remember. she loved her family she loved her food and she loved her entertainment. if there was one thing you must not do, it was to touch her remote when her gospel or church service was on. She lived long enough to have survived slavery. she had even told me her slave name which I honestly had forgotten. she made it clear she was here to enjoy the rest of the days she had on this earth, and she did not spend any time as if it were something to be wasted. she never forgot to constantly remind us of how hard her life was compared to how easier we had it. she is the reason I continue to fight for success.