How do we encourage the disenfranchised and the weary, as well as the wary to complete their college education? We must speak to their heart, everyone has one. We must allow for what is in their heart to hold a place in our society, do you tell a child that they dream too big or do you encourage their creativity? It is the child in all of us that continues to create in a world that may rob us of that inspirational quality. The question I'd like to also answer is how to bring the planet together In solidarity. I choose to dedicate my life to travel and learning as much history and cultures as possible to build these bridges. The definition of humane is something that should never be understated as we evolve as a society. How do we create a society that’s built on investigation, compassion, and fact? That’s a question I would like to answer as well. My name is Matthew R. Morris and I want to be your senator, I plan to use my back ground as an educator, peer mentor, leader, and peer counselor, to those that have needed one. Even though I do not have a degree in any of these fields, my peers have still respected me enough to ask for my advice and heed it when applicable. Helen Keller once stated that “the goal of education is tolerance,” this is the foundational message for my entire life. How to bring people together in a way that would allow them to stay connected even after I’m gone. “Is this too lofty a goal?” you may ask, “Can one man achieve such a feat?” Well, to both of those questions I reply “no.” That’s why it requires a coalition of the willing and able, of the respected and the disrespected, of the dreamers and the doers to build this reality. I’ll add one of my favorite quotes by Abraham Lincoln: “ We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” “But how do we get there?” you may continue to inquire. In closing, the society and solidarity that is necessary for all of the many spectrums of humanity to exist requires fact, investigation, and compassion. That means that it is important for us to know who we are as well as what’s around us; facts. To know we must investigate, therefore we must ask questions and communicate with one another as well as ourselves. However, we must not lose the respect we have for either. Respect is the treading lightly that must take place during these communications. It does not mean that conversations may not be energetic or emotional, but they must not destroy the very foundation of solidarity that we are seeking to build. Thank you.

To begin, let me tell you about myself: I enjoy reading, playing with my 5-month-old son, taking photos of the world, learning new things from technology to world events, writing poetry, as well as helping my community, or just bringing smiles or happiness to people. I’m just happy to help others succeed while I’m on my path. I also enjoy cooking, watching movies, documentaries, and having intellectual conversations about things going on in the world and how to make them better for everyone through moral and ethical means. I also love music from many genres. Football and boxing are my favorite sports to watch but I’m learning about soccer, especially AFCON. Learning new languages and cultures are other things I like to do with my time. Something unique about me is that I love comic books and Star Wars and I’m also very private about my relationships. I think that romantic relationships are private affairs and not for public consumption. The question I'd like to answer is how to bring the planet together In solidarity. I want to also learn about the facts of our species to create a speech that would help dissolve racist, tribalistic, and elitist structures. I choose to dedicate my life to travel and learning as much history and cultures as possible to build these bridges. The definition of humane is something that should never be understated as we evolve as a society. How do we create a society that’s built on investigation, compassion, and fact? That’s a question I would like to answer as well. My name is Matthew R. Morris and I want to be your senator, I plan to use my back ground as an educator, peer mentor, leader, and peer counselor, to those that have needed one. Even though I do not have a degree in any of these fields, my peers have still respected me enough to ask for my advice and heed it when applicable. Helen Keller once stated that “the goal of education is tolerance,” this is the foundational message for my entire life. How to bring people together in a way that would allow them to stay connected even after I’m gone. “Is this too lofty a goal?” you may ask, “Can one man achieve such a feat?” Well, to both of those questions I reply “no.” That’s why it requires a coalition of the willing and able, of the respected and the disrespected, of the dreamers and the doers to build this reality. I’ll add one of my favorite quotes by Abraham Lincoln: “ We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” “But how do we get there?” you may continue to inquire. In closing, the society and solidarity that is necessary for all of the many spectrums of humanity to exist requires fact, investigation, and compassion. That means that it is important for us to know who we are as well as what’s around us; facts. To know we must investigate, therefore we must ask questions and communicate with one another as well as ourselves. However, we must not lose the respect we have for either. Respect is the treading lightly that must take place during these communications. It does not mean that conversations may not be energetic or emotional, but they must not destroy the very foundation of solidarity that we are seeking to build. Thank you.

What gives me hope for the future? While that is not an easy question to answer, I will do some as best as I can. What I believe will be the key to a better tomorrow is the accountability I see beginning to take place in the world. Where once people were happy to stand silent, they now speak. The question I'd also like to answer is, how to bring the planet together In solidarity. I want to also learn about the facts of our species to create a speech that would help dissolve racist, tribalistic, and elitist structures. I choose to dedicate my life to travel and learning as much history and cultures as possible to build these bridges. The definition of humane is something that should never be understated as we evolve as a society. How do we create a society that’s built on investigation, compassion, and fact? That’s a question I would like to answer as well. My name is Matthew R. Morris and I want to be your senator, I plan to use my back ground as an educator, peer mentor, leader, and peer counselor, to those that have needed one. Even though I do not have a degree in any of these fields, my peers have still respected me enough to ask for my advice and heed it when applicable. Helen Keller once stated that “the goal of education is tolerance,” this is the foundational message for my entire life. How to bring people together in a way that would allow them to stay connected even after I’m gone. “Is this too lofty a goal?” you may ask, “Can one man achieve such a feat?” Well, to both of those questions I reply “no.” That’s why it requires a coalition of the willing and able, of the respected and the disrespected, of the dreamers and the doers to build this reality. I’ll add one of my favorite quotes by Abraham Lincoln: “ We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” “But how do we get there?” you may continue to inquire. In closing, the society and solidarity that is necessary for all of the many spectrums of humanity to exist requires fact, investigation, and compassion. That means that it is important for us to know who we are as well as what’s around us; facts. To know we must investigate, therefore we must ask questions and communicate with one another as well as ourselves. However, we must not lose the respect we have for either. Respect is the treading lightly that must take place during these communications. It does not mean that conversations may not be energetic or emotional, but they must not destroy the very foundation of solidarity that we are seeking to build. Thank you.

I enjoy reading, playing video games with my family, playing with my 5-month-old son, taking photos of the world, learning new things from technology to world events, writing poetry, as well as helping my community, or just bringing smiles or happiness to people. I’m just happy to help others succeed while I’m on my path. I also enjoy cooking, watching movies, documentaries, and having intellectual conversations about things going on in the world and how to make them better for everyone through moral and ethical means. I also love music from many genres. Football and boxing are my favorite sports to watch but I’m learning about soccer, especially AFCON. Learning new languages and cultures are other things I like to do with my time. Something unique about me is that I love comic books and Star Wars and I’m also very private about my relationships. I think that romantic relationships are private affairs and not for public consumption. The question I'd like to answer is how to bring the planet together In solidarity. I want to also learn about the facts of our species to create a speech that would help dissolve racist, tribalistic, and elitist structures. I choose to dedicate my life to travel and learning as much history and cultures as possible to build these bridges. The definition of humane is something that should never be understated as we evolve as a society. How do we create a society that’s built on investigation, compassion, and fact? That’s a question I would like to answer as well. My name is Matthew R. Morris and I want to be your senator, I plan to use my back ground as an educator, peer mentor, leader, and peer counselor, to those that have needed one. Even though I do not have a degree in any of these fields, my peers have still respected me enough to ask for my advice and heed it when applicable. Helen Keller once stated that “the goal of education is tolerance,” this is the foundational message for my entire life. How to bring people together in a way that would allow them to stay connected even after I’m gone. “Is this too lofty a goal?” you may ask, “Can one man achieve such a feat?” Well, to both of those questions I reply “no.” That’s why it requires a coalition of the willing and able, of the respected and the disrespected, of the dreamers and the doers to build this reality. I’ll add one of my favorite quotes by Abraham Lincoln: “ We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” “But how do we get there?” you may continue to inquire. In closing, the society and solidarity that is necessary for all of the many spectrums of humanity to exist requires fact, investigation, and compassion. That means that it is important for us to know who we are as well as what’s around us; facts. To know we must investigate, therefore we must ask questions and communicate with one another as well as ourselves. However, we must not lose the respect we have for either. Respect is the treading lightly that must take place during these communications. It does not mean that conversations may not be energetic or emotional, but they must not destroy the very foundation of solidarity that we are seeking to build. Thank you.

Friendship means being there for each other just because it is the right thing to do. friendship means that, if there's no one else is there, you will. friendship means showing up in the middle of the night even when you're tired because your friend needs you. To some people, friends are family that you just aren't related to. friendship means that you look out for each other, meaning if I have a piece of bread, I'm willing to share it. if you have a good tip, you share it. being a friend means, you're there as much as you can no matter what because it is pointless to say that you're human if you can't be humane. The true manifestation of humanity is to be friendly; even if you're tired, even if it may be tough to understand, and even if you have to do it by yourself, showing value to your friends by being friendly in return is the foundation that unites a community. When you are friendly to each other, it requires an open mind to understand where that person is coming from, it's ok you have friends that are from different life from you, it's ok to disagree because friends understand that we're all imperfect. For some people, a friends value can never really be measured because true friendship is rare in this lifetime, so when we find it we hold on to it, we polish it, you place pictures of it on top of our mantles, and then when our day is dark, it can keep that light going especially when it seems you have nothing. A friend reminds you of your value when you are free worthless. we all need a friend, it's part of what makes life worth living.

"We are not enemies, but friends. we must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection" this quote embodies the very spirit of perseverance for me, for it reminds one that no matter how bad things have gotten, we should never ourselves of ability to be decent human beings. the minds set that encourages me daily to grow is a promise, that if no one has the ability to answer the call should injustice seek to rob the common person of that ability to live a purposefully and joyous existence that I would answer that call. for any person in silence and feels like they have no place. I am that place. lastly, should anyone seek to destroy the sanctity of solidarity, I will meet them on that field of battle any day. I maintain a growth mindset because I know that a good lear is no different than a good shepherd. and as the shepherd must evil to protect their flock from predators. I must make sure that I'm in a constant state of evolution, to stand up for my people, my family, my community. I live my life understanding that they can never be justice in my life without ensuring that victor is not defined by my own selfish dearies. by my dedication and what I'm willing to sacrifice to secure properly, for my brother and sisters in life that i am sceing. finally i will leave you with a quote for "a cleaver king is the brother of peace" a south African proverb. for me, peace should be the final destination of growth

"at the bottom of patience one finds heaven" by Kanuri this quote emobies the importance of patience to be, it means that patience is the ablilty to maintain ones inner power and inner peace regardless of curstance or environment. it reenvorate the notion that you can be the master of your own faith by choosing how you respond the the trial around you. for example of this is the startan at thermopylae, when surrounded by overwhelming odds, the ability to meet them head on with peace of mind means that when you have the ablity to remain who you are in the face of death you know that no enemy that oposes you will ever truly defeate you. It is patience that remains us of our greatest strength, which is peace.

My favorite scientist is Michio Kaku, a string theory physicist. Dr. Kaku has been the leading kind on string theory as well as offering complex information about innovative technologies in a digestible way for everyone to understand. My favorite lessons from Dr. Kaku are the about the kardashev scale, which is the scale of quality of life as well as technological capabilities of a civilization. My favorite question he raises is what a level 5 civilization may look like. A level 5 civilization may have the ability to do things that may seem hard to believe, however, with time I believe that humanity can reach this plateau of evolution. Only if we can come together to recognize the special unique individuality of a person can be their greatest strength. As a society we must embrace the diverse community we have as a species to reach our goals.

My name is Matthew Russell Morris, I am 28 years old and I hail from two places that I call home: one being Hawthorne and the other being Los Angeles, both are in California. In my 31 years of life, I have learned that nothing trumps determination, sincerity and Passion(with a capital P) when seeking to transform one’s dreams and goals into a reality. When it comes to doing or attempting anything in my life I do it with 100% full go, nonstop, it’s a work ethic that was instilled in me when I played sports and it is the work ethic that kept me going when I was homeless. In those days I had to make myself run forward towards my goals and sometimes I had to grind even when it seemed like no progress was being made. Many years later that grind led me to find my way to Moreno Valley College. It allowed me to earn the respect of my peers enough for me to be elected president of the mentorship program that we had on campus known as RAMMP at the time. It led me to make sure that my brothers were taken care of in my organization known as A2MEND and in doing all that I’ve been blessed enough to have the ability to be in the room with people that were the best in their perspective fields whether that arena was in law or politics and the wisdom they bestowed on me is the wisdom I use to make myself better. It is the wisdom that is going to make me become everything I ever thought I could be and still find a way to become better still. My ultimate career goal is to be the best educator that I can be, but it is something I know I will achieve. If you know anyone who has ever had me in the class, anyone who has ever taught me, my work ethic speaks for itself and everything else is just icing on the cake. I can take the greatness earned onto the next step and onto the next step until, hopefully, one day my name will no longer be a name that is shared with millions and millions of other men throughout the United States but it’ll become a name that is written down in the history books that can be a stepping point for the future legacies of this world. Hopefully still, 20 years after my death my legacy will lead to an even better world. That’s my dream, that’s my passion, and that’s why I not only should you accept me but you should allow me to have every single kind of opportunity that you can give at your institution because I don’t believe in succeeding unless my brothers and sisters in life are successful as well. When we all succeed we all make a movement and making a movement is only what we make change and making a change is the only way worth living. That’s my mission statement. Help me make it into the standard for everyone coming from humble means so we can have future Obama’s and less Trumps. Thank you for your consideration. I believe that my efforts will lead me to the best opportunities, where I can surely make an impact that would honor my mother’s sacrifice. Even though she is no longer with us, her standard lives on. Helen Keller said “the goal of education is tolerance,” I wish to use my skills as an educator to build bridges of tolerance for all.

What does Legacy mean to me? To summarize, Legacy is something handed down by another as a point of continuity or origin. Legacy can also be the lessons, norms, and cultural structure that defines the destiny of the people connected to it, directly or indirectly. My goal is to find a bridge between Africa and the Black Community by travelling to ancient African sites to bring back facts to begin to heal the damage caused through the slave trade and institutionalized racist systems. The ultimate goal being to bring the historical, cultural, and spiritual legacy back to the community that has been robbed of it. This will restore the confidence and positive self image that plagues black men as well as inhibits them from contributing in positions of higher education and economic opportunity through the university, community college, and education systems overall. This would make CSUEB into an innovator of African Culture. To address the need for this bridge; Dr. Denise Johnson, an alumnus of CSUEB, stated that: “Across the United States, the graduation and retention rates of Black males are significantly lower when compared to the total population of students in the country. Systemically perpetuated through years of oppression, the equity gap persists into higher education as a result of current institutional policies and practices. The Black-White equity gap for college graduation rates contributes to adverse outcomes in social mobility within the Black community. “(file:///C:/Users/MMSuc/Downloads/Racial%20Capitalism%20lit%20folder/Johnson_csueastbay_1548E_10135.pdf) Johnson 2020 In summary, this lack of equity has created an environment where public institutions may be teaching incorrect or incomplete histories that may hide the contributory abilities of the black community. These issues affect the long term generational wealth, mental image, and the hope of an entire group of people that need, desperately, to remember their contributions to the world. One example of this is the Ishango Empire, a group of architects that created multiple forms of measurement and mathematics so that they could build entire governmental structures for civilizations that were becoming civilized. This was not done to dominate the group of peoples, but to give them a boost into building their own so that they could increase trade and profit for everyone. This knowledge is not listed in any history books that are in mass circulation in public school systems. The only way to find this out is to go to the Museum in Dakar, Senegal. This museum is one of the oldest museums in existence(Lucy is on display here; one of the earliest skeletons of humanity.) Spiritual stories such as the Ogun Orisha, are powerful foundations of African Spirituality. Meaning that this doesn't just connect black people, but humanity as a whole. Coltrane, for example, used Jazz music as a way to uplift people and bring inspiration to their lives. To show people the spirit of life in such a way that would move them to find their own truth or purpose. The manifestation of the heart of the African roots in jazz music can be easily proven. In conclusion, California acknowledges the damage of institutionalized slavery created a system that thrived off of the intentional exclusion of captured Africans.(https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB3121 chapter 4.5 Article 1) With the world looking for an interlinked destiny to bind us together, there has never been a greater need than there is now. To present this to University would be my honor and allow for me to honor my mother, who instilled in me the legacy of a thirst for knowledge about my culture. I would love for CSUEB to be known for its innovative education that bridges the gap between past and present.

To talk about mental health where do you begin? It is said if one has achieved a strong level of mental health that supposedly that one would have harmony and feel at peace with their environment. I do not know much about peace, but I do know harmony. My mother was the first woman I ever met, the first person I ever met that though me about mental health, my mother struggled with it all her life, she said that it started with a family member that she trusted that unforgivably betray her trust, she said so many time in trying to explain to me what it felt like to feel broken, but to rise from that as if one was a phoenix rising from the ashes. One could only consider themselves broken if they had forgotten the true power, scope, and power of their spirit and that the true natural state of people was to feel a sense of wonder and joy to the extent that any adversity that you ever encountered, you could overcome by remembering. My mother was my hero and so I will choose a heroic perceptive to articulate the scope and gravity and how devastating it can be to not able to remember who you are. Your failure to remember is not tied to a physical defect, it comes from the people who you work for and try to understand. My mother grew up in south-central Los Angeles at a time when gang culture was the only way you could survive, to stand meant you were exceptionally vulnerable. In other words to stand up even one time apart from the group could mean your life in a place like this my mother still chose to stand up and stand out to remind people that to be afraid is not to live in your natural state, that the only way to be was to be different because none of us are that same, so why should we be copies of each other, as a reminder of just how different was another way of saying being you.

My community college experience was rather much different than most. I first started my community college journey by going to Chaffey community college in Rancho Cucamonga in the summer of 2008, just after I graduated from Damien High school. After struggling to just find some stability in my life I then attended Los Angeles trade technical college in 2011 since then I’ve done the best I can with continuing my education but was not able to fully commit to it until 2015. With that, I went to Moreno Valley College. My experience at these institutions was beautiful in class, sadly it was life outside of rough class. I had trouble just getting to class and buying lunch. I had to work and try to support myself as well as get good grades. I didn’t know when I would finish but I was dedicated to finishing. It wasn’t until I met a mentor that finally gave me a leg up to where I could afford my place and be stable that I saw things start to progress to where I could be part of some great organizations, like A2mend, that eventually led me to Bethune-Cookman University. From there I have to say that the administration and faculty have been one of the most supportive systems I’ve seen for myself. It is a family community. Getting used to southern culture hasn’t been as tough because I have great people like my professors that are an e-mail away. It’s that kind of love and support that makes me put in my heart and soul into helping my school become better and assuring my peers from all over and especially my home in Southern California that BCU is a great school to attend. HBCU culture is one of evolution surrounded by a familiar environment that will make you remember that you not in this journey alone and there are people around that understand and are here to help. It was this reason as well as some great advice from a mentor that led me down the HBCU path. All of this was before I faced the tragedy of losing my best friend in my mother. Fighting the good fight in her name has been my ultimate drive behind everything. My main goal to influence and change public policy has always been to prevent the obstacles that kept my mother from being able to be recognized for all the great things she did as a civil servant and community service member. I transferred to California State University East Bay, where I plan on graduating with my political science Bachelors, after that, I plan on going to law school and then enjoying an illustrious career as District Attorney of Los Angeles or simply represent my community in government so that others may live lives that allow them to reach their potential and make this country even greater. As time continues to progress I will continue to encourage the people who share the same thing and interest in being an African-American male and scholar to learn who you are, by sharing personal experiences I had while on this journey to success. I feel that knowing certain steps down the road to success can help others understand what to do and what to avoid. My mother once taught me you should do for others what they cannot do. I grew in an environment where men did not understand their purpose and women did not understand their power. I hail from a culture that was led by a matriarch, if the most evolved and prosperous kingdom adheres to empowering the most experience among them then they would undoubtedly choose elder women. The fact that on average women will outlive their male counterparts means they will have the most experience, this means that they would be uniquely talented to be leaders. The greatest leader I ever met was my mother, she was so strong and charismatic, yet she always spoke of the double standard that an intelligent woman should be silent, it was in my mother to be silent. It was in her to live. She and I had come to know life as compared to the singling of a bird, if a bird is free, it will sing, if it is caged it may still sing but never with as much joy as before. I saw in my mother, the desire to sing, freely and express herself as she felt in her heart. Responsibly. I strive to make sure that no other woman should have to feel caged to sing the song of who they are. To do this, I utilize philosophy in the classroom as a way to remind women of their power to be the best leaders, then I found that the best leaders of those women were ones that saw the balance, and as much as I uplifted them, they uplifted me. So I will close with a quote from Helen Keller that I am quite fond of and I feel embodies the spirit of why this balance of power and giving naturally took place “the goal of education is tolerance” and as we humans, as educated we understand that the more we learn, the more we must empower respect and cultivate. I learned that from my grandmother. Until the day every woman knows her potential, then the work is not done. The work we do here is to simply tell the truth, and let that be the lyrics to the song that I believe my mother would be most proud to sing, every woman is a leader, you need not succumb to anyone else choices than what is in your own heart.

My mother once taught me you should do for others what they cannot do. I grew in an environment where men did not understand their purpose and women did not understand their power. I hail from a culture that was led by a matriarch, if the most evolved and prosperous kingdom adheres to empowering the most experience among them then they would undoubtedly choose elder women. The fact that on average women will outlive their male counterparts means they will have the most experience, this means that they would be uniquely talented to be leaders. The greatest leader I ever met was my mother, she was so strong and charismatic, yet she always spoke of the double standard that an intelligent woman should be silent, it was in my mother to be silent. It was in her to live. She and I had come to know life as compared to the singling of a bird, if a bird is free, it will sing, if it is caged it may still sing but never with as much joy as before. I saw in my mother, the desire to sing, freely and express herself as she felt in her heart. Responsibly. I strive to make sure that no other woman should have to feel caged to sing the song of who they are. To do this, I utilize philosophy in the classroom as a way to remind women of their power to be the best leaders, then I found that the best leaders of those women were ones that saw the balance, and as much as I uplifted them, they uplifted me. So I will close with a quote from Helen Keller that I am quite fond of and I feel embodies the spirit of why this balance of power and giving naturally took place “the goal of education is tolerance” and as we humans, as educated we understand that the more we learn, the more we must empower respect and cultivate. I learned that from my grandmother. Until the day every woman knows her potential, then the work is not done. The work we do here is to simply tell the truth, and let that be the lyrics to the song that I believe my mother would be most proud to sing, every woman is a leader, you need not succumb to anyone else choices than what is in your own heart.

My mother once taught me you should do for others what they cannot do. I grew in an environment where men did not understand their purpose and women did not understand their power. I hail from a culture that was led by a matriarch, if the most evolved and prosperous kingdom adheres to empowering the most experience among them then they would undoubtedly choose elder women. The fact that on average women will outlive their male counterparts means they will have the most experience, this means that they would be uniquely talented to be leaders. The greatest leader I ever met was my mother, she was so strong and charismatic, yet she always spoke of the double standard that an intelligent woman should be silent, it was in my mother to be silent. It was in her to live. She and I had come to know life as compared to the singling of a bird, if a bird is free, it will sing, if it is caged it may still sing but never with as much joy as before. I saw in my mother, the desire to sing, freely and express herself as she felt in her heart. Responsibly. I strive to make sure that no other woman should have to feel caged to sing the song of who they are. To do this, I utilize philosophy in the classroom as a way to remind women of their power to be the best leaders, then I found that the best leaders of those women were ones that saw the balance, and as much as I uplifted them, they uplifted me. So I will close with a quote from Helen Keller that I am quite fond of and I feel embodies the spirit of why this balance of power and giving naturally took place “the goal of education is tolerance” and as we humans, as educated we understand that the more we learn, the more we must empower respect and cultivate. I learned that from my grandmother. Until the day every woman knows her potential, then the work is not done. The work we do here is to simply tell the truth, and let that be the lyrics to the song that I believe my mother would be most proud to sing, every woman is a leader, you need not succumb to anyone else choices than what is in your own heart.

My mother once taught me you should do for others what they cannot do. I grew in an environment where men did not understand their purpose and women did not understand their power. I hail from a culture that was led by a matriarch, if the most evolved and prosperous kingdom adheres to empowering the most experience among them then they would undoubtedly choose elder women. The fact that on average women will outlive their male counterparts means they will have the most experience, this means that they would be uniquely talented to be leaders. The greatest leader I ever met was my mother, she was so strong and charismatic, yet she always spoke of the double standard that an intelligent woman should be silent, it was in my mother to be silent. It was in her to live. She and I had come to know life as compared to the singling of a bird, if a bird is free, it will sing, if it is caged it may still sing but never with as much joy as before. I saw in my mother, the desire to sing, freely and express herself as she felt in her heart. Responsibly. I strive to make sure that no other woman should have to feel caged to sing the song of who they are. To do this, I utilize philosophy in the classroom as a way to remind women of their power to be the best leaders, then I found that the best leaders of those women were ones that saw the balance, and as much as I uplifted them, they uplifted me. So I will close with a quote from Helen Keller that I am quite fond of and I feel embodies the spirit of why this balance of power and giving naturally took place “the goal of education is tolerance” and as we humans, as educated we understand that the more we learn, the more we must empower respect and cultivate. I learned that from my grandmother. Until the day every woman knows her potential, then the work is not done. The work we do here is to simply tell the truth, and let that be the lyrics to the song that I believe my mother would be most proud to sing, every woman is a leader, you need not succumb to anyone else choices than what is in your own heart. Fighting the good fight in her name has been my ultimate drive behind everything. My main goal to influence and change public policy has always been to prevent the obstacles that kept my mother from being able to be recognized for all the great things she did as a civil servant and community service member. I transferred to California State University East Bay from Bethune-Cookman University, where I plan on graduating with my political science Bachelors, after that, I plan on going to law school and then enjoying an illustrious career as District Attorney of Los Angeles or simply represent my community in government so that others may live lives that allow them to reach their potential and make this country even greater. As time continues to progress I will continue to encourage the people who share the same thing and interest in being an African-American male and scholar to learn who you are, by sharing personal experiences I had while on this journey to success. I feel that knowing certain steps down the road to success can help others understand what to do and what to avoid.

At this juncture in my academic career, whenever I find myself in a state of confusion or not I’m comprehension I take advantage of my university’s resources to make myself a better student. If that means study groups, I organize them. If that means tutor sessions for myself then I arrange them or if that means meeting with my professor every day of their office hours until I get the information then that’s what I choose you do. I am going to use my degree to be one of the best attorneys in America that means I’m not allowed to say I don’t know. I simply must apply myself even if that means living and a library for a short time. My whole life has been dedicated to education and service these are my hobbies and my passion. Damien high school gave me a great foundation and the winding road of my life has allowed me to have mentors that excel in academia but being a tutor has taught me how to succeed as a student. To approve my community has been the sole motivation of mine tire life‘s goals. It is why I have chosen Law as a career and ultimately politics has an ending point. Even when I did not have the ability myself to enjoy an academic career right out of high school, I still volunteered my time with friends of mine also from Los Angeles to aid young children in accomplishing their goals and dismantling the machinations of negativity, violence, and illiteracy that has affected my community since before I was born. This organization was called USC SOLID. My friends all appreciated my intellectual gifts and that I believed in making a difference in our communities so no one would ever endure what we had gone through growing up in our areas of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. I kept this vision when I chose to become a mentor and tutor for other youths that were entrenched in violent cultures most of their lives but didn’t want to see themselves victimized like the family members and close friends were before we were even adults. It’s what gave me a voice to speak to victims of domestic violence, gang violence, and despair from growing up in that kind of troubled neighborhood. I owe them everything I have to make sure the culture that took their life is destroyed forever. Activities that help me grow as an individual and a student also included the National Society of leadership and success mass talks, local community service (mostly food drives). Amongst my recent activities also the major of Oakland Libby Schaaf, student advisory board, A2mend mentee, and the member of the national society of leadership and success, I was a former instructor at Allesandro and West Valley High School in Hemet, CA, and Diamond Valley Middle school also located in Hemet, CA I taught mentorship/life skills class. Also, I worked as a sponsored research assistant in BCU’s title III department. Simultaneously I have been elected as speaker for my college so that I may give the opening invocation and/or salutations to my peers during our professional seminars held in our chapel. These eclectic skills as well as my passion to serve and aid others in finding their inspiration give me the tools necessary to make television a medium to rebuild the community that our nation has desperately needed since the 1960s. Whatever ability I can utilize to make that happen is my life’s purpose. I plan on attending law school after undergrad to continue to serve my community and country by bringing us together. My goal is to graduate with my bachelor's at California State University East Bay, take my LSAT, get into a law school of my choice, my academic goal to graduate has been built with an action plan that I built with my mentors in A2mend. My LSAT preparation comes from my action to study regularly because I just like to read and take tests. And my mentors from my internship at the District Attorney’s office in riverside help me get into law school. They have offered insight as well as a job the moment I start law school. My long-term goal to become a district attorney is also helped through my network with black prosecutors as well as non-black prosecutors that offer time, letters of Rec, and wisdom as to how to get to that goal line and cross it.

My co-curricular activities include the major of Oakland Libby Schaaf, student advisory board, A2mend mentee, and the member of the national society of leadership and success, I was a former instructor at Allesandro and West Valley High School in Hemet, CA, and Diamond Valley Middle school also located in Hemet, CA I taught mentorship/life skills class. Also, I worked as a sponsored research assistant in BCU’s title III department. Simultaneously I have been elected as speaker for my college so that I may give the opening invocation and/or salutations to my peers during our professional seminars held in our chapel. I believe myself to be a man of the community, I currently read to children during my spare time, I try to empower my community so they believe in themselves. These eclectic skills as well as my passion to serve and aid others in finding their inspiration give me the tools necessary to make television a medium to rebuild the community that our nation has desperately needed since the 1960s. Whatever ability I can utilize to make that happen is my life’s purpose. I plan on attending law school after undergrad to continue to serve my community and country by bringing us together. My goal is to graduate with my bachelor's at California State University East Bay, take my LSAT, get into a law school of my choice, my academic goal to graduate has been built with an action plan that I built with my mentors in A2mend. My LSAT preparation comes from my action to study regularly because I just like to read and take tests. And my mentors from my internship at the District Attorney’s office in riverside help me get into law school. They have offered insight as well as a job the moment I start law school. My long-term goal to become a district attorney is also helped through my network with black prosecutors as well as non-black prosecutors that offer time, letters of Rec, and wisdom as to how to get to that goal line and cross it.