My name is Matthew T. Milton, II. I’m the oldest of 5 children and first grandson of my grandparents. Unfortunately, I belong to a recently broken home, and my siblings and I live with our father. It’s been tough for a few years, but by the grace of God I have persevered. Why, because I have 4 siblings that depend on and look up to me. In looking for a better education for their children, during elementary, middle and high school, my parents transferred my siblings and me to 5-8 different schools. With that being said, for some it may have caused them to feel out of place, but for me I was forced to adapt to my environment. Throughout elementary school, I struggled. Anything to do with numbers or letters was a real challenge for me. I had issues focusing and became bored easily. It wasn't until I was in the 3rd grade that I received the diagnosis of Dyslexia. Soon after, I was given an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) to assist my learning, which provided services that helped me master reading and writing. However, once I got to middle school, those services were no longer available. I struggled, barely passing. The light bulb came on when I repeated the 8th grade. The teachers from this school recognized my potential, which encouraged me to put forth more effort to focus. Hope re-emerged during High School. The opportunity to receive an IEP was now available, however, I did not qualify. It was brought to my attention that if I chose to receive IEP, they would remove me from my AP class. With this news, I was disappointed. I needed the AP class, as much as I thought I needed the IEP. From that moment forward I spent countless hours studying just to maintain a solid GPA. While it was challenging, and my counselors and teachers recommended I drop the AP class and receive the IEP, I persevered. In my junior year (1st semester), I had a 4.2 GPA without IEP. Despite the dyslexia, in addition to my high school classes, which included 3 AP classes, I was able to take college courses from my freshman year through my junior year (1st Semester). Now I have a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.7. As a soon-to-be high school graduate, I’ve chosen to further my academic career path in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. This will serve as a staple for small or large businesses in our community as I contribute my God given talents in leadership, and skills learned, to assist in their growth. Also, as the oldest of five children, I take my passion for success to another level; my academic career being one of my top priorities. I aspire to inspire my four siblings who will potentially follow in the path that I will pave. This motivates me to strive for the best, and give it my all. My family has experienced financial struggles over the years, and unfortunately the most recent obstacle is the separation of my parents. The cost of court fees, lawyers, etc, has been a major set-back causing our financial situation to be stretched even thinner. With that being said, paying for college ourselves is unrealistic. Therefore, I have been reaching out to Scholarship Foundations, including the Treye Knorr Memorial Scholarship. This will assist me in covering a large amount of my college expenses. I’m determined, one way or another, that I will accomplish my goals. Receiving this scholarship, along with others, would greatly benefit my situation, and break the financial barrier that can prevent me from attending college, accomplishing my goals, and giving back to my community. As my grandfather told me, “There are phases in life in which you discover yourself and during that period you do not want to leave life to chance; therefore, I’ve been drawing from the wisdom of my family.” I want to be an example for my siblings and accomplished for my family.