I was in the foster care system at the age of eight years old. Up until the age of eight, I lived with my disadvantaged single mother in an apartment with her boyfriend at the time. A lot of my memories with her have a common theme: She was almost always high on drugs. Being in an environment with her was unsafe and it was a common phenomenon for her to be asleep and unable to get me to school on time. I'd hear the alarm blaring in the morning, I remember trying to shake her awake, usually to no response but occasionally I would be met with a yell from her, something along the lines of : "Leave me alone". It got very bad by third grade, which is an important time for kids in school, as you learn a kind of math that is difficult to pick up on if you don't get the basics in class. To this day, division and multiplication are still complicated for me due to the fact that I wasn't in class to learn it for the very first time. When I was taken from my mother, my biological grandparents became my foster parents, the adoption process wasn't a quick one, as most kids in the foster care system come to realize. Once I moved in with my grandparents, I felt as if there was a large weight lifted off of my shoulders. I felt so safe and encouraged around the both of them. I attribute my kindness, love for community, and love for education to them. Without them, I don't believe I would be at this point of my academic career. I am in several advanced placement classes at my high school and I have committed to John Jay of Criminal Justice where I will be pursuing political science. After receiving my degree, I hope to get a job where I will be directly involved in helping people, whether it be government related or helping people gain their OWN degree by becoming a law professor, I just know it is in my blood to help others achieve their goals. There is no better feeling for me in this world than to know I am actively making a positive difference. Whether if be for just one person, or for a whole community, it is important to me that I inspire change in someone's heart. Thank you so much for this opportunity.