My name is Maya Douyon, and I am a Haitian-American college sophomore from Miami, Florida. I was raised by my mother, who immigrated from Haiti at a young age with her family, in search for a better life. She gave birth to me at 42 after losing two pregnancies and her father during the time in which I was born. Despite these challenges, my mother devoted all her time and energy to raising me and became my main source of love and support. She would stay up late at night with me doing homework, laugh with me when I was sad, and take me to and from school, every day until I graduated high school. She did everything she could to make sure I felt happy and loved. While I was in middle school, her mother—my grandmother—passed away, and our connection and love for each other were strengthened by the loss of her mother. From an early age, my mother exposed me to every activity and resource she could. She enrolled me in archery, piano, violin, dance, cello, rock climbing, leadership classes, and even educational summer camps so that I would always have the opportunity to achieve whatever I wanted and become a well-rounded adult with both academic and physical experiences. At the time, I hated waking up early during summer vacation to learn math and science instead of sleeping in, and I resented trading my nap time for dance lessons. But now that I am an adult and have a mature perspective, I realize how great of a mother she was. As I advanced into high school and later college, she continued her support by placing me in advocacy classes, college readiness programs, and SAT preparation, and instructing me to take advantage of my teachers’ after-school office hours. These activities, along with many others, are why I am where I am today. I was accepted into almost every college I applied to and was able to choose a major based on the strengths and interests I was exposed to because of my mother. I am deeply grateful for her love and support, and I intend to use her investment to improve more lives as I gain more experience in advocacy and public service. My mother is the strongest foundation I could have ever asked for and I thank her every day for the amazing influence she provided me with. I plan on honoring her by giving back to my community and using the opportunities she presented me with to help children who are not fortunate enough to obtain similar resources.

My name is Maya Douyon, and I am a Haitian-American college student from Miami, Florida. I was raised by my immigrant mother from Haiti, who fled at eight months old with her family to escape the political regime. Throughout my life, she instilled kindness, empathy, and strength in me, which I will carry with me forever. With these amazing qualities, along with the knowledge obtained by experience and education, I became very aware of my surroundings. I could identify the injustices my peers and I faced, as we attended a school where children did not have books to read because of the lack of funding, leading to high school students who had difficulties reading. During this time, this seemed normal to everyone, and I vowed to make a change for both my peers and the generations after. I sat in school board meetings, and administrative forums, and even went so far as to advocate for them in front of my state’s government to create a change. While I was going through the public school system in my low-income community, I recognized systemic racism, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the lack of funding schools in my area faced as opposed to schools in a higher-income bracket. I would speak to my friends at these schools. I would listen to the content they were learning, and the resources they had access to, and would become a child with puppy eyes, shocked that anyone had access to what I then considered privileged technology but now realize are necessities. I believe that if I had someone more qualified than a 17-year-old me, things might have turned out better for, if not my class, the next. I think about these adults and the children who now attend similar schools, and my heart yearns for them. But now that I am an adult, in the process of obtaining a college degree, I have the resources to implement a guaranteed change in these Black and Brown communities. I am confident that being the next recipient of the Endeavor Public Service Scholarship will enable me to transform the lives of children in underserved communities, just as this scholarship will transform mine. My personal experiences, combined with my academic knowledge, position me uniquely to advocate effectively for those who need it most. I have a clear plan, along with the necessary resources, and being the next recipient of this scholarship would aid me in completing my schooling so that this plan can come into action.

My name is Maya Douyon, and I am a Haitian-American college student from Miami, Florida. I was raised by my immigrant mother from Haiti, who fled at eight months old with her family to escape the political regime. Throughout my life, she instilled kindness, empathy, and strength in me, which I will carry with me forever. With these amazing qualities, along with the knowledge obtained by experience and education, I became very aware of my surroundings. I could identify the injustices my peers and I faced, as we attended a school where children did not have books to read because of the lack of funding, leading to high school students who had difficulties reading. During this time, this seemed normal to everyone, and I vowed to make a change for both my peers and the generations after. I sat in school board meetings, and administrative forums, and even went so far as to advocate for them in front of my state’s government to create a change. While I was going through the public school system in my low-income community, I recognized systemic racism, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the lack of funding schools in my area faced as opposed to schools in a higher-income bracket. I would speak to my friends at these schools. I would listen to the content they were learning, and the resources they had access to, and would become a child with puppy eyes, shocked that anyone had access to what I then considered privileged technology but now realize are necessities. I believe that if I had someone more qualified than a 17-year-old me, things might have turned out better for, if not my class, the next. I think about these adults and the children who now attend similar schools, and my heart yearns for them. But now that I am an adult, in the process of obtaining a college degree, I have the resources to implement a guaranteed change in these Black and Brown communities. I am confident that being the next recipient of the Linda McCoy-Aitkens Memorial Scholarship will enable me to transform the lives of children in underserved communities, just as this scholarship will transform mine. My personal experiences, combined with my academic knowledge, position me uniquely to advocate effectively for those who need it most. I have a clear plan, along with the necessary resources, and being the next recipient of this scholarship would aid me in completing my schooling so that this plan can come into action.

My name is Maya Douyon, and I am a Haitian-American college student from Miami, Florida. I was raised by my immigrant mother from Haiti, who fled at eight months old with her family to escape the political regime. Throughout my life, she instilled kindness, empathy, and strength in me, which I will carry with me forever. With these amazing qualities, along with the knowledge obtained by experience and education, I became very aware of my surroundings. I could identify the injustices my peers and I faced, as we attended a school where children did not have books to read because of the lack of funding, leading to high school students who had difficulties reading. During this time, this seemed normal to everyone, and I vowed to make a change for both my peers and the generations after. I sat in school board meetings, and administrative forums, and even went so far as to advocate for them in front of my state’s government to create a change. While I was going through the public school system in my low-income community, I recognized systemic racism, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the lack of funding schools in my area faced as opposed to schools in a higher-income bracket. I would speak to my friends at these schools. I would listen to the content they were learning, and the resources they had access to, and would become a child with puppy eyes, shocked that anyone had access to what I then considered privileged technology but now realize are necessities. I believe that if I had someone more qualified than a 17-year-old me, things might have turned out better for, if not my class, the next. I think about these adults and the children who now attend similar schools, and my heart yearns for them. But now that I am an adult, in the process of obtaining a college degree, I have the resources to implement a guaranteed change in these Black and Brown communities. I am confident that being the next recipient of the Kim Moon Bae Underrepresented Students Scholarship will enable me to transform the lives of children in underserved communities, just as this scholarship will transform mine. My personal experiences, combined with my academic knowledge, position me uniquely to advocate effectively for those who need it most. I have a clear plan, along with the necessary resources, and being the next recipient of this scholarship would aid me in completing my schooling so that this plan can come into action.

My name is Maya Douyon, and I am a Haitian-American college student from Miami, Florida. I was raised by my immigrant mother from Haiti, who fled at eight months old with her family to escape the political regime. Throughout my life, she instilled kindness, empathy, and strength in me, which I will carry with me forever. With these amazing qualities, along with the knowledge obtained by experience and education, I became very aware of my surroundings. I could identify the injustices my peers and I faced, as we attended a school where children did not have books to read because of the lack of funding, leading to high school students who had difficulties reading. During this time, this seemed normal to everyone, and I vowed to make a change for both my peers and the generations after. I sat in school board meetings, and administrative forums, and even went so far as to advocate for them in front of my state’s government to create a change. While I was going through the public school system in my low-income community, I recognized systemic racism, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the lack of funding schools in my area faced as opposed to schools in a higher-income bracket. I would speak to my friends at these schools. I would listen to the content they were learning, and the resources they had access to, and would become a child with puppy eyes, shocked that anyone had access to what I then considered privileged technology but now realize are necessities. I believe that if I had someone more qualified than a 17-year-old me, things might have turned out better for, if not my class, the next. I think about these adults and the children who now attend similar schools, and my heart yearns for them. But now that I am an adult, in the process of obtaining a college degree, I have the resources to implement a guaranteed change in these Black and Brown communities. I am confident that being the next recipient of the Rivera-Gulley First-Gen Scholarship Award will enable me to transform the lives of children in underserved communities, just as this scholarship will transform mine. My personal experiences, combined with my academic knowledge, position me uniquely to advocate effectively for those who need it most. I have a clear plan, along with the necessary resources, and being the next recipient of this scholarship would aid me in completing my schooling so that this plan can come into action.

My name is Maya Douyon, and I am a Haitian-American college student from Miami, Florida. I was raised by my single mother from Haiti, who fled at eight months old as an immigrant with her family to escape the political regime. Through the experiences gained by living in a country foreign to her culture, my mother grew to be a very strong and determined individual, who instilled these qualities into me. Coming from a single parent home to a mother who was an immigrant with limited opportunities, she always made sure to expose me to every resource and opportunity possible so that I would have the resources to succeed, something she was not fortunate enough to have. With this foundation, I was able to persevere through the injustices my peers and I faced, as I attended an underserved public school in my low income neighborhood. Although I had a determined mother who pushed me to fulfill my dreams, this was not the case for a plethora of my peers. In this case, where the school system was supposed to be there to fill the gaps in education their parents could not, they did not have the funding or motivation to do so. This issue was not just an issue at my school, but many of the other schools in the area and in other black and brown communities. My personal experiences, combined with my academic knowledge, position me uniquely to advocate effectively for those who need it most. I have a clear plan, along with the necessary resources, and being the next recipient of this scholarship would aid me in completing my schooling so that this plan can come into action.

My name is Maya Douyon, and I am a Haitian-American college student from Miami, Florida. I was raised by my immigrant mother from Haiti, who fled at eight months old with her family to escape the political regime. Throughout my life, she instilled kindness, empathy, and strength in me, which I will carry with me forever. With these amazing qualities, along with the knowledge obtained by experience and education, I became very aware of my surroundings. I could identify the injustices my peers and I faced, as we attended a school where children did not have books to read because of the lack of funding, leading to high school students who had difficulties reading. During this time, this seemed normal to everyone, and I vowed to make a change for both my peers and the generations after. I sat in school board meetings, and administrative forums, and even went so far as to advocate for them in front of my state’s government to create a change. While I was going through the public school system in my low-income community, I recognized systemic racism, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the lack of funding schools in my area faced as opposed to schools in a higher-income bracket. I would speak to my friends at these schools. I would listen to the content they were learning, and the resources they had access to, and would become a child with puppy eyes, shocked that anyone had access to what I then considered privileged technology but now realize are necessities. I believe that if I had someone more qualified than a 17-year-old me, things might have turned out better for, if not my class, the next. I think about these adults and the children who now attend similar schools, and my heart yearns for them. But now that I am an adult, in the process of obtaining a college degree, I have the resources to implement a guaranteed change in these Black and Brown communities. I am confident that being the next recipient of the Henry Bynum, Jr. Memorial Scholarship will enable me to transform the lives of children in underserved communities, just as this scholarship will transform mine. My personal experiences, combined with my academic knowledge, position me uniquely to advocate effectively for those who need it most. I have a clear plan, along with the necessary resources, and being the next recipient of this scholarship would aid me in completing my schooling so that this plan can come into action.

My name is Maya Douyon and I am a Haitian-American from Miami, Florida. I am currently a freshman at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, studying Public Relations and Communications. Throughout my life, I have always been a leader, big on advocating for underrepresented communities. My mother implemented these qualities in me, as she was my leader, educating me at a young age on the importance of advocating. Through this, along with many of the life experiences that have come with me being a person of color, I have committed to aid my community and others, so that their issues are not brushed away but addressed. Two of the biggest pressing issues I would like to address in my educational career are the school-to-prison pipeline and underfunding of public schools; are two issues that have affected me personally. I grew up in public schools, witnessing the lack of books for students and the lack of funding overall that damaged the education of my community. The lack of resources resulted in the education provided to my community being of a lessened quality. It was not until I left my public school in my lower-class neighborhood that I realized that this was not normal and that something needed to be done. Since this event, I have spoken at several school board meetings and mayoral conferences, and even went as far as to speak to my governor at the time, Governor Rick Scott, to inform him of the issues taking place in one of the communities he represented. Through these actions, I made it my goal to be heard and try my hardest to advocate for the improvement of my community. Now that I am out of public school, and now at my university. I still feel for all the generations and children that will come behind me and have to go through these issues, some of them making it to where I am and some that will fall through the cracks. I still will make it my issue to advocate for them, and the millions of others who experience the same thing. Residing in Tallahassee has made my social work more efficient as I am closer to my governor, and other representative change-makers. I will continue to fight for my community, that being my impact on my community and the world. With my major being Public Relations and Communications, I will have all the technical skills such as writing and public speaking mastered, to support my work. As a person of color, with parents who immigrated to this country, the issues that affect my community and the people close to me are plentiful. I am committed to improving the world through being the leader I am and advocating for those who need a voice. Although I am only a freshman in college, I have completed many tasks, and plan to go much farther. Any investment in me will add value to society and the world, and there could not be a better candidate for this scholarship than myself

My name is Maya Douyon and I am a Haitian-American from Miami, Florida. I am currently a freshman at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, studying Public Relations and Communications. Throughout my life, I have always been a leader, big on advocating for underrepresented communities. My mother implemented these qualities in me, as she was my leader, educating me at a young age on the importance of advocating. Through this, along with many of the life experiences that have come with me being a person of color, I have committed to aid my community and others, so that their issues are not brushed away but addressed. Two of the biggest pressing issues I would like to address in my educational career are the school-to-prison pipeline and underfunding of public schools; two issues that have affected me personally. I grew up in public schools, witnessing the lack of books for students and the lack of funding overall that damaged the education of my community. The lack of resources resulted in the education provided to my community being of a lessened quality. It was not until I left my public school in my underserved community that I realized that this was not just and that something needed to be done. Since this event, I have spoken at several school board meetings, and mayoral conferences, and even went as far as to speak to my governor at the time, Governor Rick Scott, to inform him of the issues taking place in one of the communities he represented. Through these actions, I made it my goal to be heard and try my hardest to advocate for the improvement of my community. Now that I am out of public school, and now at my university. I still feel for all the generations and children that will come behind me and have to go through these issues, some of them making it to where I am and some that will fall through the cracks. I still will make it my issue to advocate for them, and the millions of others who experience the same thing. Residing in Tallahassee has made my social work more efficient as I am closer to my governor, and other representative change-makers. I will continue to fight for my community, that being my impact on my community and the world. With my major being Public Relations and Communications, I will have all the technical skills such as writing and public speaking mastered, to support my work. As a person of color, with parents who immigrated to this country, the issues that affect my community and the people close to me are plentiful. I am committed to improving the world through being the leader I am and advocating for those who need a voice. Although I am only a freshman in college, I have completed many tasks, and plan to go much farther. Any investment in me is an investment in society and the world, and there could not be a better candidate for this scholarship than myself.

I have decided to pursue a communications major as a first-generation college student. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socioeconomic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother who was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed to help create economic stability. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the community residents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. My mother has been the most significant influence in my life by setting an example by always being there for her community. We all need support at one time or another, and helping out one another is one of the best ways to give back. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent our underserved communities' needs and create equity-based change. To change our communities, we must be organized and make some noise.

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother gradually. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So, we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So, my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. My grandmother was a pillar in my life and I will always have a spiritual connection with her. I am so thankful that she spent the first thirteen years of my life.

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother gradually. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So, we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So, my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. I learned that in caring for adults with dementia, you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes the illness causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I observed my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped and taught me how to be around, treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was a gift to her community, always there for her family, friends, and even people she didn't know. The loss of my grandmother was tough for me, but now I can reflect and reminisce on the great times we shared. Helping with the care of my grandmother before she made her transition for me was a great lesson in empathy. I realized that the elderly need a voice to make changes around nursing homes and home healthcare. I feel the public school system in this nation needs to prioritize mental illnesses like math and science.

I have decided to pursue a communications major as a first-generation college student. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socioeconomic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed to help create economic stability. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the community residents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. My mother has been the most significant influence in my life by setting an example by always being there for her community. We all need support at one time or another, and helping out one another is one of the best ways to give back. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent our underserved communities' needs and create equity-based change. To change our communities, we must be organized and make some noise.

I have decided to pursue a communications major as a first-generation college student. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socioeconomic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed to help create economic stability. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the community residents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. My mother has been the most significant influence in my life by setting an example by always being there for her community. We all need support at one time or another, and helping out one another is one of the best ways to give back. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent our underserved communities' needs and create equity-based change.

I have decided to pursue a communications major as a first-generation college student. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socioeconomic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed to help create economic stability. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the community residents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. My mother has been the most significant influence in my life by setting an example by always being there for her community. We all need support at one time or another, and helping out one another is one of the best ways to give back. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent our underserved communities' needs and create equity-based change. To change our communities, we must be organized and make some noise.

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother gradually. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So, we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So, my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age was also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. I learned that in caring for adults with dementia, you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes the illness causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I acknowledged my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped and taught me how to be around, treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was a gift to her community, always there for her family, friends, and even people she didn't know. The loss of my grandmother was tough for me, but now I can reflect and reminisce on the great times we shared. Helping with the care of my grandmother before she made her transition for me was a great lesson in empathy. I realized that the elderly need a voice to make changes around nursing homes and home healthcare. I feel the public school systems in this nation need to prioritize mental illnesses like math and science. We are losing our young generation to opioids, suicide, and gun violence. Our elected officials need to listen to our future generation. We are screaming, and no one is listening. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to put my dreams and aspirations in motion. As a first-generation so to be college student, I am the change maker in my family. Graduating from college with little or no debt will be great, so when I start working or open a business, I can save money and buy a starter home.

I have decided to pursue a communications major as a first-generation college student. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socioeconomic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed to help create economic stability. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the community residents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. My mother has been the most significant influence in my life by setting an example by always being there for her community. We all need support at one time or another, and helping out one another is one of the best ways to give back. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent our underserved communities' needs and create equity-based change. To change our communities, we must be organized and make some noise.

I have decided to pursue a communications major as a first-generation college student. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socioeconomic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed to help create economic stability. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the community residents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. My mother has been the most significant influence in my life by setting an example by always being there for her community. We all need support at one time or another, and helping out one another is one of the best ways to give back. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent our underserved communities' needs and create equity-based change. To change our communities, we must be organized and make some noise.

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother gradually. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So, we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So, my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age was also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. I learned that in caring for adults with dementia, you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes the illness causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I acknowledged my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped and taught me how to be around, treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was a gift to her community, always there for her family, friends, and even people she didn't know. The loss of my grandmother was tough for me, but now I can reflect and reminisce on the great times we shared. Helping with the care of my grandmother before she made her transition for me was a great lesson in empathy. I realized that the elderly need a voice to make changes around nursing homes and home healthcare. I feel the public school systems in this nation need to prioritize mental illnesses like math and science. We are losing our young generation to opioids, suicide, and gun violence. Our elected officials need to listen to our future generation. We are screaming, and no one is listening. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to put my dreams and aspirations in motion. As a first-generation so to be college student, I am the change maker in my family. Graduating from college with little or no debt will be great, so when I start working or open a business, I can save money and buy a starter home.

No. As a future first-generation college student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to communicate effectively with the community leaders and residents to tackle the issues of under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socioeconomic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed to help create economic stability. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the community residents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. My mother has been the most significant influence in my life by setting an example by always being there for her community. We all need support at one time or another, and helping out one another is one of the best ways to give back. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent our underserved communities' needs and create equity-based change. To change our communities, we must be organized and make some noise.

I have decided to pursue a communications major as a first-generation college student. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socioeconomic status. I believe as a nation we should concentrate on first-generation students. Our schools concentrate on students that have access to tutoring and middle-class students. Our foster children and single parents with low income need to have the same access to resources. I believe all children who have access to quality education can achieve greatness. I feel that I must be the voice of children that do not have access to resources. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community, with my degree in communications and journalism I will use my platform to create awareness so all people of color with have the same access as others.

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother gradually. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So, we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So, my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age was also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. I learned that in caring for adults with dementia, you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes the illness causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I acknowledged my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped and taught me how to be around, treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was a gift to her community, always there for her family, friends, and even people she didn't know. The loss of my grandmother was tough for me, but now I can reflect and reminisce on the great times we shared. Helping with the care of my grandmother before she made her transition for me was a great lesson in empathy. I feel the public school systems in this nation need to prioritize mental illnesses like math and science. We are losing our young generation to opioids, suicide, and gun violence.

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother gradually. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So, we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So, my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. I learned that in caring for adults with dementia, you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes the illness causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I acknowledged my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped and taught me how to be around, treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was a gift to her community, always there for her family, friends, and even people she didn't know. The loss of my grandmother was tough for me, but now I can reflect and reminisce on the great times we shared. Helping with the care of my grandmother before she made her transition for me was a great lesson in empathy. I realized that the elderly need a voice to make changes around nursing homes and home healthcare.

As a future first-generation college student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to communicate effectively with the community leaders and residents to tackle the issues of under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socioeconomic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed to help create economic stability. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the community residents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. My mother has been the greatest influence in my life by setting an example by always being there for her community. We all need support in our lives at one time or another, and we need to be able to give back to our community. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent our underserved communities' needs and create equity-based change. To change our communities, we must be organized and make some noise.

As a future first-generation college student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to communicate effectively with the community leaders and residents to tackle the issues of under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socio-economic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed to help create economic stability. Pursuing my career path in Communications will change my life a great deal. Since I will be a first-generation college student in the Fall of this year. I will be able to graduate and open up my business in the communications industry. Having a degree in communications will help me with creditability and when future clients see your credentials it makes a difference.

As a future first-generation college student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to communicate effectively with the community leaders and residents to tackle the issues of under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socio-economic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she cared for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents. I also helped the elderly with food stamp applications, prepared. resumes for the unemployed and posted them on Indeed to improve their lives. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the constituents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent our underserved communities' needs and create equity-based change.

As a future first-generation college student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to effectively communicate with community leaders and residents to tackle the issues under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socio-economic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was difficult since she had to care for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents for their business. I also helped the elderly population with their food stamp applications and prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed so they could improve their lives. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the constituents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent the needs of our underresourced communities and to create change.

As a first-generation soon to be a college freshman in the Fall of 2023. I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to communicate with community leaders and residents in order to be effective in tackling the issues that under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socio-economic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged and work towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, participating in demonstrations, or engaging in policy advocacy, I am determined to be a strong voice for the lower class and to make a positive impact in my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brotherthat was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was challengingsince she had to care for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacherto me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and me to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses to help them fill out and apply for necessary documents for their business. I also helped the elderly population with their food stamp applications. I prepared resumes for the unemployed and posted them on Indeed so they could improve their lives. Another issue that is very dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested inour schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the constituents so they can bring this to the attention of elected officials. We also need to revisit policies around single-parent families so we can address the issues around childcare, school transportation and housing affordability.

As a future first-generation college student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to effectively communicate with community leaders and residents to tackle the issues under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socio-economic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged, and I am working towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, creating awareness around issues that affect college students, like student loans, or engaging in policy advocacy. I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and positively impact my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self- employed, working was difficult since she had to care for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and I to town hall meetings and the offices of our elected officials to help make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them complete the necessary documents for their business. I also helped the elderly population with their food stamp applications and prepared resumes for the unemployed, and posted them on Indeed so they could improve their lives. Another issue dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the constituents so they can bring this to the attention of their elected officials. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you must speak up. You have to say something; you must do something. “The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart. I knew I was born to be a leader for the underrepresented communities in our country. Maybe one day, I will run for office to represent the needs of our under-served communities.

As a college student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to communicate with community leaders and residents in order to be effective in tackling the issues that under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socio-economic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged and work towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, participating in demonstrations, or engaging in policy advocacy, I am determined to be a strong voice for the underrepresented and to make a positive impact in my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was challenging since she had to care for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and me to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses and help them fill out and apply for necessary documents for their business. I also helped the elderly population with their food stamp applications. I prepared resumes for the unemployed and posted them on Indeed so they could improve their lives. Another issue that is very dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the constituents so they can bring this to the attention of elected officials. One of my favorite quotes from John Lewis is, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” The first time I read this quote, it spoke to my heart.

I chose an HBCU because I want to study in a stable and nurturing environment without racism. Attending an HBCU will be a connection to my ancestral roots. While in high school I dreamed of going to a college where my color and my intellect will be greatly accepted and honored. I feel everyone deserves access to a college that will embrace who you are and where you come from. Our Historically Black Colleges and universities have a unique way of accepting students no matter their socioeconomic status or academic preparation. HBCUs create a college atmosphere surrounded by many people with similar backgrounds. I have experienced racism throughout my 13 years of grade school now I want to be around people who will embrace me. College is the time when you're trying to figure out where you are heading in life and being in a positive space is vital to your success. We as Black people contributed so much to America and we need to continue to do so we need to be valued and respected, and I feel in an HBCU it's attainable and HBCUs are helping to bridge the gap our people are facing today. I feel as a people we have quite a bit of work to do with our college graduation rates and HBCUs are helping to bring up the rates.

As a senior in high school student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to communicate with community leaders and residents in order to be effective in tackling the issues that under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socio-economic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged and work towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, participating in demonstrations, or engaging in policy advocacy, I am determined to be a strong voice for the lower class and to make a positive impact in my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was challenging since she had to care for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and me to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses to help them fill out and apply for necessary documents for their business. I also helped the elderly population with their food stamp applications. I prepared resumes for the unemployed and posted them on Indeed so they could improve their lives. Another issue that is very dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the constituents so they can bring this to the attention of elected officials.

As a college student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to communicate with community leaders and residents in order to be effective in tackling the issues that under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socio-economic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged and work towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, participating in demonstrations, or engaging in policy advocacy, I am determined to be a strong voice for the lower class and to make a positive impact in my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was challenging since she had to care for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and me to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses to help them fill out and apply for necessary documents for their business. I also helped the elderly population with their food stamp applications. I prepared resumes for the unemployed and posted them on Indeed so they could improve their lives. Another issue that is very dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the constituents so they can bring this to the attention of elected officials. I am a first- generation college student. I am excited to be the first college student in my family.

As a college student, I chose communications as my major because it is essential to understand how to communicate with community leaders and residents in order to be effective in tackling the issues that under-resourced communities face today. I am deeply committed to advocating for the under-served and working toward social and economic justice. Everyone should have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of socio-economic status. In my activism, I aim to raise awareness about issues affecting the disadvantaged and work towards creating meaningful and lasting change. I also plan to work with other students and organizations on campus to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Whether through volunteering, participating in demonstrations, or engaging in policy advocacy, I am determined to be a strong voice for the lower class and to make a positive impact in my community. I grew up in a single-parent home where things were very challenging. My mother was a caregiver for her elderly parents and for a brother that was paralyzed. Since my mother was self-employed, working was challenging since she had to care for three adults and a small child. My mother was a great teacher to me. I would see her struggle, and she never complained. She also found time to advocate in her community for climate change, Medicaid expansion, and equity in the public school system. She would take my grandmother and me to town hall meetings and to the offices of our elected officials to make Miami a better place to live for all. She taught me that we must continue the fight for equity and justice for all. With my exposure to advocacy at such an early age, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering at a local business and community center. I would research grants for minority-owned businesses to help them fill out and apply for necessary documents for their business. I also helped the elderly population with their food stamp applications. I prepared resumes for the unemployed and posted them on Indeed so they could improve their lives. Another issue that is very dear to my heart is the school-to-prison pipeline and how brown and black children are being arrested in our schools. As a community, we must tackle this issue as it is destroying the lives of our children of color. The first step is to create awareness around this issue among the constituents so they can bring this to the attention of elected officials.

Writing is essential to me because that is the best way I express myself. To me, writing is like opening up my soul without limitations. Words are powerful and meaningful. Paper clarifies my thinking and allows me to explain myself to others. Communication through writing helps the writer commit to improving their quality of life. Writing also keeps a chronological timeline of what is happening at the moment of writing. Journaling is so powerful, and I use it to make beautiful things happen in my life. In America, we praise oral communication, but we need to write more instead of always being verbal. I plan on majoring in Communications and journalism because I need to become that voice of change. A degree in communications will be my platform to advocate for education in under-resourced communities throughout Miami-Dade County. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook will allow me to reach Generation Z. Writing will continue to be the power in my life. My dream is to graduate with a degree in Communications and use that platform to help change the lives of individuals that do not have a voice. In my junior year, I realize how many children are in the foster care system and do not have a voice. I want to be able to implement change on a federal level to help my brothers and sisters through policy on a legislative level. We can not continue to do business as usual because lives are being destroyed in the process. I want to pursue a degree in Communications because we must listen to our community residents and elected officials to make a change. I want to use my degree to further progress in our schools and the foster care system. For the United States to become less violent, we must put the needs of our people first. In America, corporate greed is eating away at our very existence and even more so among African Americans. If our children are not reading at grade level, we must address this to provide equity in our schools. We must continue to be a voice for ourselves and our community so we can be represented on state, county, and federal levels. To keep our democracy, we must be involved and continue writing and calling our elected officials. A degree in communications will open doors for me, and maybe I will run for office one day.

My mother, Francoise Cham, has had the most significant influence on my life, as cliche as it may sound. My mother, who worked her hardest to provide for her child so she could give her the world, most definitely did in more than one way. Francoise Cham came to this country as a Haitian immigrant at eight months old due to the communist revolution. She and her four brothers moved to Miami, where they grew up, and eventually gave birth to their children, myself included. My mother gave birth in a hospital by herself, as my father worked and traveled then, setting a precedent for how much of my childhood would go. My mother would always be the one to take care of me, most notably by herself, and bring me along to all the events to expose me to all the exciting events Miami had to offer. I must note that I was my mother’s only child, so she tried to take me to all the events she could see so that I could interact with other children. I attended Children’s Trust fairs, hospital fairs, girl scouts, community service organizations, and so much more. All this exposure to the different sides of Miami and the other groups of people who reside here most literally grew me into the person I would later become. Living in Miami-Dade County, I recognized the lack of equity in our under-resourced communities and how it affected me and others. My mother, while also being a full-time mother, was a community justice advocate for not just Miami but the state, country, and even her birthplace of Haiti. When my mother brought me to board meetings and advocate forums, I almost always thought it was boring as a child and would frequently nag my mother to leave. Furthermore, as I got older, I started listening to what they were talking about and realized that it was my race, age group, and socioeconomic group, the people they were discussing. I, a minority, the categorization no one strives to be put into, yet, the most discussed topic in every part of society. They would discuss things like; the school-to-prison pipeline, gentrification, sea level rise, the underfunding of public schools in low-income neighborhoods, and dozens of other topics that, if they didn’t affect my peers or me now, would in the future. Due to the exposure, my mother unrecognizably made me encounter, and I was now a youth activist. I was now the one speaking alongside my mother at these board meetings. I was now talking on a forum with the governor of Florida, telling him about my experiences as a minority attending a public school in a low-income neighborhood and how some of my friends couldn’t read on grade level because we didn’t have equity. I stood there representing all the misrepresented people in my state because so many of them felt like they had no voice. Can't even drive? Maya Douyon discusses how change needs to take place to better our country. My mother, an outstanding human being, created a duplicate of herself as an advocate and an intelligent being. I thank her for the most significant influence, which would forever change my life. Because of her, I can use my voice when I recognize something unjust.

n 2019, I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother little by little. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. Another thing I learned about adults with dementia is that you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes dementia causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I acknowledged my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped me and taught me how to be around, treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was a gift to her community, always there for her family, friends, and even people she did not know. I am so grateful to have spent 13 years with my grandmother.

My dream is to graduate with a degree in Communications and use that platform to help change the lives of individuals that do not have a voice. In my junior year, I realize how many children are in the foster care system and do not have a voice. I want to be able to implement change on a federal level to help my brothers and sisters through policy on a legislative level. We can not continue to do business as usual because lives are being destroyed in the process. I want to pursue a degree in Communications because we must listen to our community residents and elected officials to make a change. I want to use my degree to further progress in our schools and the foster care system. For the United States to become less violent, we must put the needs of our people first. In America, corporate greed is eating away at our very existence and even more so among African Americans. If our children are not reading at grade level, we must address this to provide equity in our schools. I volunteer at a community center in Miami-Dade County and help community residents with resume writing and job searching. I also help out the elderly with filling out our SNAP applications. The needs in our under-resourced communities are immense. The digital divide is real, especially among our elderly population. To make a change, we must first identify our communities issues.

n 2019, I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother little by little. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. Another thing I learned about adults with dementia is that you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes dementia causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I acknowledged my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped me and taught me how to be around, treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was a gift to her community, always there for her family, friends, and even people she didn't know. The loss of my grandmother was tough for me, but now I can look back and reminisce on the great times we shared. I will major in communications because using your voice is essential in our world.

Tim Watabe Doing Hard Things Scholarship In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I never got to meet, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother little by little. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. Another thing I learned about adults with dementia is that you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes dementia causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I acknowledged my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped me and taught me how to be around treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was really a gift to her community always there to for her family, friends and even people she did not know. I am soo blessed to be able to have spent 13 years of my life with my grandmother.

It is important to go to college and obtain a college degree because I feel college teaches you how to critically think. As a first-generation college student I am so eager to change the narrative in my family. My parents have been getting me ready for college ever since I was in preschool. My mother understood the education did. It only to place in the classroom. She also believed that exposure to different things like music, horse back riding and advocacy was also part of the growth. I am dedicated to making change in my community and the only way to be able would be for me Is to obtain a degree in communication so I can be the voice for my community.

Writing is essential to me because that is the best way I express myself. To me, writing is like opening up my soul without limitations. Words are powerful and meaningful. Paper clarifies my thinking and allows me to explain myself to others. Communication through writing helps the writer commit to improving their quality of life. Writing also keeps a chronological timeline of what is happening at the moment of writing. Journaling is so powerful, and I use it to make beautiful things happen in my life. In America, we praise oral communication, but we need to write more instead of always being verbal. I plan on majoring in Communications and journalism because I need to become that voice of change. A degree in communications will be my platform to advocate for education in under-resourced communities throughout Miami-Dade County. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook will allow me to reach Generation Z. Writing will continue to be the power in my life.

Generational wealth is one of the components of success. It is like starting a business with capital, allowing the business owner to concentrate on sales and company growth. To me, it's like the head start program for a preschooler. Let's look at America and our African American population. If my people could have started with land and home once slavery was over, I think Black people in America would be better today. With excellent education and perseverance, we can achieve wealth as well. One of our most excellent tools today is the internet. It has opened many doors for people with an entrepreneurial spirit. We have access to the globe at our fingertips. First, we must understand how money works and the importance of having a great credit score. Building your credit at an early age is also very wise. Creativity is also an essential ingredient and understanding your target market. We have many advantages, like Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram, where we can advertise our business. Scholarships are another way of staying debt-free while going to college. Maintaining your grades in high school is extremely important, and volunteering and getting involved in your community is advisable. I plan to major in communication to become a voice for under-resources communities and make a difference. Living in South Florida, I have seen and experienced racism and injustice. To make a difference in your world, we must tackle the issues impeding the growth of Black and Brown people. I envision America as a fair and just place where people thrive. One of Nelson Mandela's quotes about freedom is, "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother little by little. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be counted towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. Another thing I learned about adults with dementia is that you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes dementia causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I acknowledged my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped me and taught me how to be around, treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was a gift to her community, always there for her family, friends, and even people she did not know. I am blessed to have spent 13 years with my grandmother. In the end, hard work pays off.

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called her "Memere," which is grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I had never met, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother little by little. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. Mental challenges are present in many people's lives. We need to meet people where they are, and through education, we can create awareness around mental illness. Our first responders, I feel, should have more knowledge on this topic, especially our police, teachers, and firefighters. As a nation, we need to show more compassion, stop criminalizing mental illness, and give our citizens the proper care everyone deserves.

The feminist movement is crucial to the survival of women today. Our voices need to be heard to be treated like our male counterparts. We need equity and equality. To keep our freedom, we must keep the rights to our bodies intact. I would have never thought that in 2022, we would have to continue fighting. For sure, my ancestors fought this battle for good but little did I know I was wrong. The movement in our country is quite a bit scary. As a citizen and 17-year-old, we need to keep the fire burning and tell our elected officials to hand off our bodies. When I turn 18, I will register to vote on my birthday. We have no more time to sleep. In politics, one thing leads to another, so we must monitor and observe. Change only comes when we vote. When we do not vote, someone is casting a ballot for us.

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I never got to meet, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother little by little. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges. Another thing I learned about adults with dementia is that you must incorporate patience with the person because sometimes dementia causes them to act out, and sometimes they can even hit you. I acknowledged my mother's behavior toward my grandmother. My mother had such patience with her. She helped me and taught me how to be around treat and interact with my grandmother. My grandmother was really a gift to her community always there to for her family, friends and even people she did not know. I am soo blessed to be able to have spent 13 years of my life with my grandmother.

The most impactful way to combat climate change is through education in our schools. Some other ways to combat climate change would be to lower the use of fossil fuels. However, banning plastics would help significantly with the warming of our oceans and how our hurricane activity and intensity have increased. Today is the day to be kind to our planet. Mother nature is crying out for help, and we need to respond by eating less meat since animals like cows release a large amount of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Another way to increase oxygen would be to create tree canopies throughout our inner cities. The Earth is speaking to us loud and clear; we need to listen.

My career interest is in communications. I want to make a change through personal stories of families that have experienced challenges in our public education system in the United States. For a society to hear the people's voices and effectively deliver the issues around gifted children. To get the attention of our elected officials, we will need to have a strategy. Creating awareness around how public policy works and how we can make a change by using our voices is done through educating the masses. I am a gifted student, and most of my teachers never really understood my learning style. I know I can not go back, but one thing is for sure we can make a change for future generations. A career in communications will help me deliver messages and information and understand people and their needs. Meeting every child where they are is essential so every child can become a productive person in society. I chose this career to sharpen my communication skills and become an advocate for the issues affecting underserved communities.

In 2019 I lost one of the most significant people in my life. She was my maternal grandmother. I called the "Memere," which is grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. I was her youngest granddaughter, and she loved having me around. It was like I brought her back to life. I was born in 2005, and my grandfather, whom I never got to meet, died in 2002, three years before I came into the world. Well, my grandmother missed her husband, whom she had known since she was fourteen. So here I come, three years after her husband's death. I represented such joy and life for her. Well, we were a great deal alike. My grandmother loved to play the piano, and so did I. We both had an ear for music. My grandmother started showing signs of dementia. My mother and I lived only five minutes away, and she would come and visit at least twice a week. One day she called my mom on her way home, saying she could not remember her way home. The memory loss began, and I felt I was losing my grandmother little by little. At the age of twelve, I had to be a grownup, and deep inside, I was suffering, and it was extremely difficult for my mother as well. So we had to move in with her one year later because she could not be left alone. I was still in middle school, and I was also experiencing racism in my school, where only three percent of students were of color, and on top of that, my grandmother was getting worse by the day and experiencing other health challenges. Then in January 2019, my grandmother made her transition. This was one of the worst days of my life. I went into my shell and could not process the feeling of deep pain. I felt my heart was broken into two pieces. So my mother could see that I was not in a good space and decided to take me to a bereavement support group for children my age. As I started attending the sessions, I realized that I was not alone and that other children my age were also experiencing grief, which was the beginning of my healing process. In the Fall of 2019, I started high school, and I knew that I had to work hard because all my grades would be used towards my GPA, and my grandmother always told me to make sure that I go to college and get a degree. She always told me to pray and ask God to help me through all my challenges.

I live in one of the most dangerous places regarding pedestrian and cyclist safety: Miami-Dade County. Our drivers have no respect for these groups. As a resident of this remarkable place, we need to unite as a community and create awareness around safety for our pedestrians and cyclists. In Florida alone, in 2021, there were over 185 bicycle fatalities. Per capita, Florida ranks number one in cyclist deaths. This issue must be addressed, and we must first use our voices to make a change. One great way is to gather families that have lost a loved one through a cyclist tragedy and use their personal stories. I would get the elected officials involved, like the county's mayor. We must also contact the Transportation Department of the state that is affected as well. One way is to create an effective public transportation structure so residents will be encouraged to ride our public transportation. Adequate public transportation helps to elevate traffic which I feel with help with cyclist fatalities. Another way would be to have more bike lanes throughout the county. Fewer cars on the road also help decrease global warming, and Miami-Dade County is one of the most vulnerable places in the world regarding climate change. As an agent for change in my community, I will bring this issue to the attention of my local elected officials because we must protect our cyclists and pedestrians.

My career interest is in communications. I want to make a change through personal stories of families that have experienced challenges in our public education system in the United States. For a society to hear the people's voices and effectively deliver the issues around gifted children. To get the attention of our elected officials, we will need to have a strategy. Creating awareness around how public policy works and how we can make a change by using our voices is done through educating the masses. I am a gifted student, and most of my teachers never really understood my learning style. I know I can not go back, but one thing is for sure we can make a change for future generations. A career in communications will help me deliver messages and information and understand people and their needs. Meeting every child where they are is essential so every child can become a productive person in society.

I am a dog owner of two dogs, a pomeranian and a beagle. Recently my Beagle passed away due to old age. She was sixteen years old when she died. It would have been tough if I didn't have another dog. Forrest, my pomeranian, was my emotional support. I was learning remotely during my tenth-grade year, and I am an only child. It was tough to be home all the time without my peers. I think I was able to do well due to my animals. The love and loyalty I have are beyond my imagination. My grandmother passed away in 2019, and the loves of my life were right there helping me process my pain and loss. I called my grandmother "Memere," which means grandmother in my native language of Haitian Creole. Being a dog owner is a beautiful thing. It's like having an in-house therapist 24/7. Dogs are a mans best friend.

My mother named me after Maya Angelou. She picked this name because Maya never let racism and hatred get her way. One of the poems that helps me get through a hard day is "Still I Rise." One of the lines of this poem that stands out to me is, "You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise." The line "Still I Rise" is very dear to my heart since I went through bullying and racism in elementary school. Angelou speaks to my spirit, saying that you can overcome anything you put your mind and heart to. I always keep my head up high because, and I would say that my Haitian ancestry has quite a bit to do with it.

My dream is to graduate with a degree in Communications and use that platform to help change the lives of individuals that do not have a voice. In my junior year, I realize how many children are in the foster care system and do not have a voice. I want to be able to implement change on a federal level to help my brothers and sisters through policy on a legislative level. We can not continue to do business as usual because lives are being destroyed in the process.

One of my obstacles in life was when I was an eighth grader and my math teacher bullied me and tried to get me to believe that I was not good at math. She labeled me, but I think she did not like black children and she tried to tell my mom that she needed to get me tested. My mother always advocated for me and she told the teacher that she knew that I did not have learning problem. So in August of that year, I started high school as a freshman. It was a 360 for me, my mother emailed my math teacher after two weeks and introduced herself and wanted to know how I was doing. My math teacher told my mom that I was doing great. In fact she had me help the other students out. I learned that year you can not believe everyone that wants to label you. Through out high school I have been getting A's and B's in all my math classes. Be a voice for yourself always.

I want to pursue a degree in communications. I would like to create a bridge between our differences. The way of the future is to unite people together. Building an inclusive culture and improving connectivity with each other is the way of the future. Generation Z has to be the voice for America and make a change. Every day I feel the government is taking away our voice piece by piece. As a people, we need to wake up and make a stand to keep our democracy. We are the people and elected officials should be working for us. We need to hold them accountable and remind them that they work for us and are paid by the taxes we pay.