A personal finance lesson that I find extremely important is mobile banking and having the ability to receive banking alerts. You see back in the day everything was done with pen and paper, you had to wait for a paper statement to come in the mail monthly, but nowadays almost everything is electronic. I find it most helpful to have my bank account at my fingertips at all times because it is on my phone. You see I have a shared account with my parents and mobile banking is so much fun and easier. The identity theft resource center reports over 1,000 cases a quarter. Unfortunately, it is easy to commit fraud with all these electronic banking apps, and ways to send cash through mobile banking. Mobile banking allows me to see my account, transfer money, and receive money. I can also receive text alerts. Having the ability to receive text alerts on your phone will cut down banking fraud tremendously, in my opinion. You receive an alert almost instantaneously. I once experienced fraud on my savings account. Someone tapped into my account and wired money out of the account. It was a hassle to recover and get my money back. My family and I fought for almost two years and still haven't received all of my money back from the bank. This occurrence took place over 5 years ago. Therefore, I understand the importance of those scamminhg alerts and notifications. The cool thing is you can personalize the alerts so you will only receive what is most important to you. My phone will send a text notification informing me when a deposit is made. I also receive debit card transaction alerts to ensure I keep track of my spending. I would say that the most important alert is when my balance goes lower than the amount we set because I am sure to get a text from mom "check your account". Although I didn't understand it at first I am so glad my parents set my account up this way to ensure I stay in good standing with the bank and do not spend more than I have available.

As far back as I can remember, they would always say, "Deuce, you dance to the beat of your own drum." What does that mean? Welp, in my case from the age of 2 years old, when I first started pre-school I was the energizer bunny. Lol, I was enrolled in Little lights of the world daycare. That school was great, but my mom was getting calls constantly that Michael is calling out in class, and bouncing all around. I was then tested and diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder better known as ADD. Being a child with ADD can be very challenging because not all, but some people would like to place you in a box. Thank goodness my artistic ability was embraced and cultivated at a young age. I knew that I would find my niche in the world. My add was coupled with depression and suicidal thoughts at times as I grew older because a lot of people fear what they don't know or understand. I was feeling weird for being different. It took years, but instead of allowing a diagnosis to define me, I used all that was embodied in me and began creating. I believe that everyone deserves a chance in life and that everyone's process is different. What may take me a year to do may take another person 3 years to do. I also believe that anything you put your mind to doing is achievable. Struggling with various mental illnesses throughout my life has taught me a lot about patience, not only with myself but also with others. I have learned that no matter what you suffer from we all have strengths and weaknesses and you can not criticize or hurt someone based on their inability to do something the way you do it. But once again this experience has taught me more about who I am and how I operate more than anything. Suffering from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and ADD altogether has caused me to find many coping mechanisms. One of those mechanisms has been sewing. Sewing can be so peaceful and can free me of anxiety. I release all of my stress and anger through my artistic abilities. What started as a coping mechanism became a passion and a future. I learned that I enjoy fashion and styling. What people saw as an illness is the very thing that led me to my future career path. I can now proudly say that it is my dream to become a Fashion Designer/ Stylist and own the next Global Fashion Empire. These struggles have influenced me so much that for my Senior Exit Project presentation I am discussing the effects of fashion on Mental Health. My last subtopic is about Mental Health within the Fashion Industry itself. I talk about how 1 in 4 individuals who work in the fashion industry struggle with mental illness and never get treatment due to the lack of insurance provided to them. Another reason many of them may not seek help is that in today's society having a therapist or counselor is considered a sign of weakness, especially for marginalized men. I want to defy all previous standards and beliefs by owning a company where licensed therapists are provided continuously for all employees. I want to show the world that as a Black man it is ok to admit your struggles and seek help. I just hope that I make a difference in this world.

Have you ever dreamed of owning your own business? I surely have and I still hold on to this dream. I am Michael J. Dash, II and I am an up-and-coming fashion designer and stylist. It is my dream to own a Global Fashion Empire. As far back as I can remember I've always loved the arts. Whether it was drawing, putting puzzles together, or playing with some type of musical instrument. I remember as a child I would take the sheets off of my bed and cut them up to make different things out of them. Those were some fun times, lol. However, it was not so much fun after mom realized it was me destroying all the sheets. I am grateful that my parents encouraged me to embrace my artistic side and gave me my first sewing machine at the tender age of 12. I began using my sewing machine to create wonderful pieces through trial and error, and from this Mike’s Dsignz was established in 2020. Mike's Dsignz is the small black-owned business that I run. It started with me making church apparel for women but I am now prepared to expand and learn more so that I may grow and produce more. I want to make clothes for all people no matter their gender or size. I love sewing because it is my way to give back to the community. Sewing helps me create things for people to make them feel beautiful. It is so rewarding to see the joy it brings people when I can grant someone the “look” they desired. You would be surprised how a pop of color or accessory enhances a look. I want to make clothes that are so powerful they change the mood of the customer. As I have done the research, I now believe that fashion has the power to evoke emotion. Clothing is not just a layer covering our body, but it is also our way of non-verbally portraying emotion. It can show forth positive or negative feelings based on the look and color choices. I want to provide an experience for each client where they can freely express themselves through their garments.

As far back as I can remember I've always loved the arts. Whether it was singing, drawing, putting puzzles together, or playing with some type of musical instrument. I remember as a child I would take the sheets off of my bed and cut them up to make different things out of them. Those were some fun times, lol. However, it was not so much fun after mom realized it was me destroying all the sheets. I am grateful that my parents encouraged me to embrace my artistic side and gave me my first sewing machine at the tender age of 12. I immediately fell in love with sewing. I began to attend the sewing club at my middle school and eventually started taking sewing classes. This is one of my favorite hobbies because it was the very thing that saved my life. Suffering from many mental illnesses throughout my life such as depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and attention deficit disorder altogether has caused me to find many coping mechanisms. One of those mechanisms has been sewing. Sewing can be so peaceful and can free me of anxiety. I release all of my stress and anger through my artistic abilities. Sewing also helps me exercise my concentration skills. What started as a coping mechanism became a passion and a future. I learned that I enjoy fashion and styling. What people saw as an illness is the thing that led me to my future career path. I began using my sewing machine to create wonderful pieces through trial and error, and from this Mike’s Dsignz was established in 2020. Mike's Dsignz is the small black-owned business that I run. It started with me making church apparel for women but I am now prepared to expand and learn more so that I may grow and produce more. I want to make clothes for all people no matter their gender or size. It is my dream to own a Global Fashion Empire. I love sewing because it is my way to give back to the community. Sewing helps me create things for people to make them feel beautiful. It is so rewarding to see the joy it brings people when I can grant someone the “look” they desired. You would be surprised how a pop of color or accessory enhances a look. I want to make clothes that are so powerful they change the mood of the customer. As I have done the research, I now believe that fashion has the power to evoke emotion. Clothing is not just an overlayer of covering our body, but it is also our way of non-verbally portraying emotion. It can show forth positive or negative feelings based on the look and color choices.

It was the Father’s Day weekend of my sixth-grade year. My mom and I went to the dollar store to pick up a card for my dad as his spoiled, only child would. Mom began to talk with me about how we had decided to adopt a special needs client. She told me this adult with autism would be coming to stay the weekend with us to see how we would get along. At first, I panicked, but once I met her I immediately mellowed. She came in, waved, and with her island accent said,“Hi I’m Joanna Richards.” As days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, we began to learn each other's living habits and became comfortable with each other. I began to learn that she was 32 but thought more like a 12-year-old, so we were basically the same age and this excited me. I had fallen in love with the idea of having a friend who I could live with. This was until the day she decided to start calling my parents “Mommy & Daddy” and my grandma her grandma. I had been an only child for 12 years. So, I had to learn how to be a “brother.” We began taking her with us everywhere and whenever anyone would ask for her name she had a new response, “Hi I’m Joanna Richards-Dash” and she always made sure to put emphasis on the Dash. After a while, I decided to accept it. This began to teach me how to be selfless and give to others and how to have a true love for another person. My first best friend. She has also taught me a lot of patience. We quarrel like all siblings, but we allow our love and respect to overpower any issues that arise.

I am a believer of this core philosophy that, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” I will continue to work with my aunt’s organization Dr. Shirlana Dash & Friends, LLC where we serve our senior citizens and veterans. Before the pandemic we would go to various facilities and host parties monthly. We would open up with inspirational songs and also do a little karaoke. The smiles, laughter, and joy on the clients faces were priceless. That would be followed with a full course meal, games and finally a little two-step dancing before dessert was served. My church is always serving the community. We host various events throughout the year including, back-to-school giveaway and cook-out, thanksgiving dinner for the community, and our christmas giveaway with toys for tots. We give away food monthly and have a coat drive every winter. We give out fully stocked book bags and we also give away school uniforms for those in need. During Thanksgiving time we would decorate our fellowship hall as a restaurant and serve the community a nice home-cooked meal. The dinners were served candlelight with hostess’, waiters/servers, and entertainment. We became so popular for these dinners that the community gave our restaurant a name, “Rhe’ma” in accordance with the name of our church Rhema Deliverance Cathedral. The pandemic hit, but we still was able to provide the centers with a pre-recorded musical session. We prepared bags with non-perishable items, puzzle books, games, pop it toys and drop them off to the facilities so that they were sustained. We are navigating through how to get back to serving at the facilities in person. Coming from humble beginnings I learned that it isn’t easy out here. One of my mottos in life is, that I am blessed to be a blessing.

All I know is as far back as I can remember,  they would always say, "Deuce, you dance to the beat of your own drum." What does that really mean? Welp, in my case from the age of 2 years old, when I first started pre-school I was the energizer bunny. Lol I was enrolled in Little lights of the world day care. That school was great, but my mom was getting calls constantly that Michael is calling  out in class, and bouncing all around. It was then that I was tested and diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Being a child with add, can be very challenging because some, not all would like to place you in a box. I've always loved the arts. Whether it was drawing, putting puzzles together, or playing some type of musical instrument. I remember as a child I would take my sheets and cut them up to make different things out of them. Those were some fun times, lol not so much tho after mom realized it was me destroying her sheets. Thank goodness my artistic ability was embraced and cultivated at a young age. I knew that I would find my niche in the world.  My add was coupled with depression and suicidal thoughts at times as I grew older because a lot of people fear what they don't know or understand. I was feeling weird for being different. It took years, but instead of allowing a diagnosis to define me, I used all the was embodied in me and began creating, making clothing. I turned that into passion for choosing and developing skills for my career choice. Instead of falling prey to the diagnosis I was allowed to take all of that and create something beautiful. Designz was birthed in 2020.

All I know is as far back as I can remember,  they would always say, "Deuce, you dance to the beat of your own drum." What does that really mean? Welp, in my case from the age of 2 years old, when I first started pre-school I was the energizer bunny. Lol I was enrolled in Little lights of the world day care. That school was great, but my mom was getting calls constantly that Michael is calling  out in class, and bouncing all around. It was then that I was tested and diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Being a child with add, can be very challenging because some, not all would like to place you in a box. I've always loved the arts. Whether it was drawing, putting puzzles together, or playing some type of musical instrument. I remember as a child I would take my sheets and cut them up to make different things out of them. Those were some fun times, lol not so much tho after mom realized it was me destroying her sheets. Thank goodness my artistic ability was embraced and cultivated at a young age. I knew that I would find my niche in the world. So you ask, what is the meaning of life? Simple enough for me is happiness in choosing a career that I am passionate about. Through life adversities I decided to use my energy to create beautiful things. It has been my dream to attend a HBCU. I am mentally prepared and physically ready to make the commitment to further my education. As as fashion design/business major I would like to continue to develop my skills. I want to keep evolving by staying ambitious. In 2026 my dreams of becoming a college graduate shall manifest.

I am a believer of this core philosophy that “To whom much is given, much is expected.” I will continue to work with my aunt’s organization Dr. Shirlana Dash & Friends, LLC where we serve our senior citizens and veterans. Before the pandemic we would go to various facilities and host parties monthly. We would open up with inspirational songs and also do a little karaoke. The smiles, laughter, and joy on the clients faces were priceless. That would be followed with a full course meal, games and finally a little two-step dancing before dessert was served. The pandemic hit, but we still was able to provide the centers with a pre-recorded musical session. We prepared bags with non-perishable items, puzzle books, games, pop it toys and drop them off to the facilities so that they were sustained. We are navigating through how to get back to serving at the facilities in person. My church is always serving the community. We host various events throughout the year including, back-to-school giveaway and cook-out, Thanksgiving dinner for the community, and our Christmas giveaway with toys for tots. We give away food monthly and have a coat drive every winter. We give out fully stocked book bags and we also give away school uniforms for those in need. During Thanksgiving time we would decorate our fellowship hall as a restaurant and serve the community a nice home-cooked meal. The dinners were served candlelight with hostess’, waiters/servers, kitchen staff, and entertainment. We became so popular for these dinners that the community gave our restaurant a name, “Rhe’ma” in accordance with the name of our church Rhema Deliverance Cathedral. During the Christmas season we would host a christmas event and each year it would be different. One year we hosted the Christmas Dinner much like our annual Thanksgiving dinner. Many years we would just host a Christmas Party where there would be fun, food, and a toy giveaway. I would also continue serving various nursing homes as I have done in the past. I would go sing at nursing homes on Sunday morning for their chapel services and it would just uplift the tenant spirits and give them joy and hope.  Coming from humble beginnings I learned that it isn’t easy out here. One of my mottos in life is, that I am blessed to be a blessing. I believe that it is important to give back to the community because at any given moment that could be me. I believe that we should never take it for granted that we are blessed enough to give back to others. I plan to attend the illustrious Howard University as a Fashion Design/Business Major. I would love to style many great names such as, the Great Jay Z and Beyonce, but even more than that I want to service my community. I have a vision of giving free makeovers to people endeavoring to get employment, whether they be homeless, recently released from prison, or just in need. I would also design clothes for people of larger size like myself. Sometimes, it is so hard to find stylish clothes for plus size individuals. You should not be limited, but have multiple styles and designs to choose from. Ultimately, I want to be a strong role model for for young men who may have been afraid to venture out and use their artistic ability. I want to look back on my life and be proud that I gave my all.

As far back as I can remember I've always loved the arts. Whether it was singing, drawing, putting puzzles together, or playing with some type of musical instrument. I remember as a child I would take the sheets off of my bed and cut them up to make different things out of them. Those were some fun times, lol. However, it was not so much fun after mom realized it was me destroying all the sheets. I am grateful that my parents encouraged me to embrace my artistic side and gave me my first sewing machine at the tender age of 12. I immediately fell in love with sewing. I began to attend the sewing club at my middle school and eventually started taking sewing classes. This is one of my favorite hobbies because it was the very thing that saved my life. Suffering from many mental illnesses throughout my life such as depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and attention deficit disorder altogether has caused me to find many coping mechanisms. One of those mechanisms has been sewing. Sewing can be so peaceful and can free me of anxiety. I release all of my stress and anger through my artistic abilities. Sewing also helps me exercise my concentration skills. What started as a coping mechanism became a passion and a future. I learned that I enjoy fashion and styling. What people saw as an illness is the very thing that led me to my future career path. I began using my sewing machine to create wonderful pieces through trial and error, and from this Mike’s Dsignz was established in 2020. Mike's Dsignz is the small black-owned business that I run. It started with me making church apparel for women but I am now prepared to expand and learn more so that I may grow and produce more. I want to make clothes for all people no matter their gender or size. It is my dream to own a Global Fashion Empire. I love sewing because it is my way to give back to the community. Sewing helps me create things for people to make them feel beautiful. It is so rewarding to see the joy it brings people when I can grant someone the “look” they desired. You would be surprised how a pop of color or accessory enhances a look. I want to make clothes that are so powerful they change the mood of the customer. As I have done the research, I now believe that fashion has the power to evoke emotion. Clothing is not just an over layer of covering our body, but it is also our way of non-verbally portraying emotion. It can show forth positive or negative feelings based on the look and color choices.

I am a believer of this core philosophy that “To whom much is given, much is expected”. I will continue to work with my aunt’s organization Dr. Shirlana Dash & Friends, LLC where we serve our senior citizens and veterans. Before the pandemic we would go to various facilities and host parties once a month. We would open up with inspirational songs and also do a little karaoke. The smiles, laughter, and joy on the clients faces were priceless. That would be followed with a full course meal, games and finally a little two-step dancing before dessert was served. Once the pandemic hit we were not able to visit the centers, but we still was able to provide the centers with a pre-recorded musical session. We would prepare bags with non-perishable items, puzzle books, games, pop it toys and drop them off to the facilities so that they were sustained. We are navigating through how to get back to serving at the facilities in person. I also serve at a local community development corporation. We host various events throughout the year including, our annual back-to-school giveaway and cook-out, our annual Thanksgiving dinner for the community, and our Christmas giveaway with toys for tots. We also give away food monthly and have a coat drive every winter. During our back to school giveaway we give out fully stocked book bags and we also give away school uniforms for those in need. During Thanksgiving time we would decorate our fellowship hall as a restaurant and serve the community a nice home-cooked meal. The dinners were served candlelight with hostess’, waiters/servers, kitchen staff, and entertainment. We became so popular for these dinners that the community gave our restaurant a name, “Rhe’ma” in accordance with our name, Rhema Deliverance Cathedral.

All I know is as far back as I can remember,  they would always say, "Deuce, you dance to the beat of your own drum." What does that really mean? Welp, in my case from the age of 2 years old, when I first started pre-school I was the energizer bunny. Lol I was enrolled in Little lights of the world day care. That school was great, but my mom was getting calls constantly that Michael is calling  out in class, and bouncing all around. It was then that I was tested and diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Being a child with add, can be very challenging because some, not all would like to place you in a box. I've always loved the arts. Whether it was drawing, putting puzzles together, or playing some type of musical instrument. I remember as a child I would take my sheets and cut them up to make different things out of them. Those were some fun times, lol not so much tho after mom realized it was me destroying her sheets. Thank goodness my artistic ability was embraced and cultivated at a young age. I knew that I would find my niche in the world.  My add was coupled with depression and suicidal thoughts at times as I grew older because a lot of people fear what they don't know or understand. I was feeling weird for being different. It took years, but instead of allowing a diagnosis to define me, I used all the was embodied in me and began creating, making beautiful clothing. Mikes Designz was birthed in 2020. Yes, I was eager, and hype alot of times, and I turned that into passion for choosing and developing skills for my career choice. Instead of falling prey to the diagnosis I was allowed to take all of that and create something beautiful. It has been my dream to attend a HBCU. I am mentally prepared and physically ready to make the commitment to further my education. As as fashion design/business major I would like to continue to develop my skills. I want to keep evolving by staying ambitious. In 2026 my dreams of becoming a college graduate shall manifest. My long term goal is to become a fashion designer and own a global fashion company. I have strong leadership skills and communication skills that I would like to continue developing. It is my desire to have company based locally and abroad. I want to gain experience in operating a multi-national organization. I want to look back on my career and be proud of the work I’ve done. I am definitely going to give it my all.

I am Michael Dash, II. I am aspiring to become a future fashion designer and entrepreneur. I want to own a fashion company that's known globally. At an early age I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Being a child with add can be challenging because some, not all would pre-judge you. I was feeling weird for being different. It took years, but instead of allowing a diagnosis to define me, I used all that was embodied in me and began developing and creating beautiful clothing. Yes, I was eager and hype allot of times and I used that energy and passion to help develop my career choice. Mikes Designz' was birthed in 2020. Determination and self control has allowed me to receive academic awards and recognition. I have been an active member of the student government body, choir director. I co-formed a group at The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts (Capa) called Black Haven to bridge the gap between men. This group involves activities to bring members together regardless of race, gender identity, cultural backgrounds, education level. One of my most esteemed accomplishments has been for the past 4 years singing with the Philadelphia All City High School Choir at the Kimmel Center. I am a dilIgent worker within my community. My mother is a caregiver to a special needs adult, so helping those in need has always been in the forefront. I am an avid believer that when you see a need it is now your duty to aid, therefore I help in every way possible. I love to volunteer at the nursing home. Singing and playing games with the tenants. I have had the pleasure of serving the community with giving away clothing, food, and even toys at holiday time. It has been my dream to attend the illustrious Howard University. I am mentally prepared and physically ready to make the commitment to further my education, but not so much financially. I would love to receive this scholarship so that I can embark on this college journey not having to worry about large amounts of debt hanging over my head. As a fashion design/business major I would like to continue to develop my skills. I want to keep evolving by staying ambitious. In 2026 my dreams of becoming a Howard alumni shall manifest. My long term career goal is to become a fashion designer and own a global fashion company. I have strong leadership skills and communication skills that I would like to continue developing. It is my desire to have a company based locally and abroad. I want to gain experience in operating a multinational organization, I would like to manage international projects with globally dispersed teams. Ultimately, I want to be a role model for young men and woman who may have been afraid to use their talents to pursue it as a career. I want to look back on my career and be proud of the work I’ve done and proud that I gave it my all.

A personal finance lesson that I find extremely important is mobile banking and having the ability to receive banking alerts. You see back in the day everything was done with pen and paper, you had to wait for a paper statement to come in the mail monthly, but now a days almost everything is electronic. I find it most useful to have my bank account at my finger tips at all time, because it is on my phone. You see I have a shared account with my parents and mobile banking is so much fun and easier. The identity theft resource center reports over a 1,000 cases a quarter. It is unfortunately so easy to commit fraud with all these electronic banking apps, and ways to send cash through mobile banking. Mobile banking allows me to see my account, transfer money, receive money. I can also receive text alerts. Having the ability to receive text alerts on your phone will cut down banking fraud tremendously, in my opinion. You receive an alert almost instantaneously. The cool thing is you can personalize the alerts so you will only receive what is most important to you. My phone will send me a text notification letting me know when a deposit is made. I also receive debit card transaction alerts to ensure I keep track of my spending. I would say that the most important alert is when my balance goes lower than the amount we set, because I am sure to get a text from mom "check your account". Although, I didn't understand it at first I am so glad my parents set my account up this way to ensure I stay in good standing with the bank and do not spend more than I have available.

As far back as I can remember I've always loved the arts. Whether it was singing, drawing, putting puzzles together, or playing with some type of musical instrument. I remember as a child I would take the sheets off of my bed and cut them up to make different things out of them. Those were some fun times, lol. However, it was not so much fun after mom realized it was me destroying all the sheets. I am grateful that my parents encouraged me to embrace my artistic side and gave me my first sewing machine at the tender age of 12. I immediately fell in love with sewing. I began to attend the sewing club at my middle school and eventually started taking sewing classes. This is one of my favorite hobbies because it was the very thing that saved my life. Suffering from many mental illnesses throughout my lifetime such as, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and attention deficit disorder altogether has caused me to find many coping mechanisms. One of those mechanisms has been sewing. Sewing can be so peaceful and can free me of anxiety. I release all of my stress and anger through my artistic abilities. What started as a coping mechanism became a passion and a future. I learned that I enjoy fashion and styling. I love sewing because it is my way to give back to the community. Sewing helps me create things for people to make them feel beautiful.It is so rewarding to see the joy it bring people when I can grant someone the “look” they desired. You would be surprised how a pop of color or accessory enhances a look. What people saw as an illness is the very thing that led me to my future career path. I began using my sewing machine to create wonderful pieces through trial and error, and from this Mike’s Dsignz was established in 2020. Mike's Dsignz is the small black-owned business that I run. It started with me making church apparel for women but I am now prepared to expand and learn more so that I may grow and produce more. I want to make clothes for all people no matter their gender or size. It is my dream to own a Global Fashion Empire.

As far back as I can remember,  they would always say, "Deuce, you dance to the beat of your own drum." What does that mean? Welp, in my case from the age of 2 years old, when I first started pre-school I was the energizer bunny. Lol, I was enrolled in Little lights of the world daycare. That school was great, but my mom was getting calls constantly that Michael is calling out in class, and bouncing all around. I was then tested and diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder better known as ADD. Being a child with ADD can be very challenging because not all, but some people would like to place you in a box. Thank goodness my artistic ability was embraced and cultivated at a young age. I knew that I would find my niche in the world.  My add was coupled with depression and suicidal thoughts at times as I grew older because a lot of people fear what they don't know or understand. I was feeling weird for being different. It took years, but instead of allowing a diagnosis to define me, I used all that was embodied in me and began creating. I believe that everyone deserves a chance in life and that everyone's process is different. What may take me a year to do may take another person 3 years to do. I also believe that anything you put your mind to doing is achievable. Struggling with various mental illnesses throughout my life has taught me a lot about patience, not only with myself but also with others. I have learned that no matter what you suffer from we all have strengths and weaknesses and you can not criticize or hurt someone based on their inability to do something the way you do it. But once again this experience has taught me more about who I am and how I operate more than anything. Suffering from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and ADD altogether has caused me to find many coping mechanisms. One of those mechanisms has been sewing. Sewing can be so peaceful and can free me of anxiety. I release all of my stress and anger through my artistic abilities. What started as a coping mechanism became a passion and a future. I learned that I enjoy fashion and styling. What people saw as an illness is the very thing that led me to my future career path. I can now proudly say that it is my dream to become a Fashion Designer/ Stylist and own the next Global Fashion Empire. These struggles have influenced me so much that for my Senior Exit Project presentation I am discussing the effects of fashion on Mental Health. My last subtopic is about Mental Health within the Fashion Industry itself. I talk about how 1 in 4 individuals who work in the fashion industry struggle with mental illness and never get treatment due to the lack of insurance provided to them. Another reason many of them may not seek help is that in today's society having a therapist or counselor is considered a sign of weakness, especially for marginalized men. I want to defy all previous standards and beliefs by owning a company where licensed therapists are provided continuously for all employees. I want to show the world that as a Black man it is ok to admit your struggles ad seek help. I just hope that I make a difference in this world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8urTqLoq2o

Have you ever dreamed of owning your own business? I surely have and I still hold on to this dream. I am Michael J. Dash, II and I am an up-and-coming fashion designer and stylist. It is my dream to own a Global Fashion Empire. As far back as I can remember I've always loved the arts. Whether it was drawing, putting puzzles together, or playing with some type of musical instrument. I remember as a child I would take the sheets off of my bed and cut them up to make different things out of them. Those were some fun times, lol. However, it was not so much fun after mom realized it was me destroying all the sheets. I am grateful that my parents encouraged me to embrace my artistic side and gave me my first sewing machine at the tender age of 12. I began using that machine to create wonderful pieces through trial and error, and from this Mike’s Dsignz was established in 2020. Mike's Dsignz is the small black-owned business that I run. It started with me making church apparel for women but I am now prepared to expand and learn more so that I may grow and produce more. I want to make clothes for all people no matter their gender or size. It has been my dream to attend the illustrious Howard University. As a fashion design major and business minor, I would like to continue to develop my skills. I want to keep evolving by staying ambitious. In 2026 my dreams of becoming a Howard Alumni shall manifest. It will be such an honor for me as a Black man to graduate from one of the top Historically Black College Universities in the country. I would even like to study abroad. I want to study fashion in countries within Africa and South America rather than the known places such as Paris or Milan. Though I am mentally prepared and physically ready to make this commitment to further my education, I am not financially ready to take this big step. My family's financial situation isn't the best at this moment. The global pandemic caused a financial crisis within my household. My mother got her hours cut at work. My father's hours were affected. Therefore, I decided to get a job to help provide for myself and lighten the burden on my parents because they also take care of an autistic adult. Another dream I have is to attend college debt-free. I plan to continue to apply for and receive grants and scholarships. I plan to get paid internships while in college. I may even get a job while in D.C. I will look for every opportunity to receive money and alleviate the financial stress that college can cause.