I am currently a senior attending Nansemond River High School. I’ve been in marching band for four years and plan on continuing this passion in college while majoring in economics. My drive to study economics began with my junior year economics class. In this class I learned the fundamentals and core concepts of finance: how credit cards work, real estate, debt, and how to deal with student loans. Passing the required financial literacy (WISE) test gave me more confidence to expand my knowledge of money beyond high school and into college. That push combined with the current state of the economy made me realize that there are other families like mine that aren't as financially stable, and I want to help change that by becoming a financial advisor. When I am a financial advisor after college, I will make a positive impact on others by aiding families and helping them through financial hardships they may have. I will make myself available by marketing my services to those in need in the community. By helping individuals and families make educated decisions about their money, I will be alleviating some of the burden that comes with dealing with finances. During my career, I will also help small businesses make smarter decisions on investments in order to boost their profits. By helping out small businesses, I will have played a part in the well-being of both the economy and the job market, as thriving businesses will be able to hire more people and contribute to the community as a whole. I also plan on helping seniors navigate retirement, ensuring that they live out their golden years stress-free. By helping businesses, families, and seniors use their money more wisely, there will be far more money circulating into the economy and thus the community will be a better and more stable place for people to live in without the fear of poverty. As I prepare to enter college, I have begun to realize that I need to pick a career that will help other people more than it will help myself and by doing this, I know that I can help make my community thrive economically. The Chris Ford scholarship will help fund my goal of going to college. By lowering the cost for college with this scholarship, I’ll be able to pour my money into my financial counseling career and focus solely on my mission to alleviate the financial burdens from my community. The Chris Ford Scholarship isn’t just for me, but for the people I want to help in the future.

Growing up, I loved computers and electronics. Math to computers is like English for us. I love math because it is essential for understanding how electronics work. Another thing about math is that its equations are like puzzles. When I'm solving for X in algebra, or plugging in solutions, I feel like I'm fitting puzzle pieces together. One time where I used math a lot was when I had to study for months on my SAT. The SAT further developed my appreciation for math. At this point, I was rusty with math, as the last core math course I took was algebra 2 my sophomore year. Spending hours brushing up on algebra, geometry, and trigonometry kept my brain engaged in this world full of numbers and expressions. After roughly 2 months of memorizing formulas and math tricks on Khan Academy I scored a 1240 on my SAT and from that moment, I knew that the spark I had for math never left me. As an aspiring economics major, I will calculate data calculus, statistics, and algebra. Risk assessment, forecasting trends, and quantitative analysis all require math, which is why I will continue to keep my skills sharp. In college I hope that I never lose my love for math.

I plan to attend college and major in economics with a minor in political science. After I get my degree, I will become a financial advisor to help the community out of financial hardship and assist families in prioritizing their goals when it comes to money. My economics class fueled my passion for finance. This class introduced me to core concepts like how credit cards work, real estate, debt, and student loans. Passing the required financial literacy (WISE) test gave me the confidence to expand my knowledge of money beyond high school and into college. That push combined with the current state of the economy made me realize that there are other families like mine that aren't as financially stable, and I want to help change that. When I am a financial advisor after college, I will make a positive impact on others by aiding families and helping them through financial hardships they may have. I will make myself available by marketing my services to those in need in the community. By helping individuals and families make educated decisions about their money, I will be alleviating some of the burden that comes with dealing with finances. During my career, I will also help small businesses make smarter decisions on investments in order to boost their profits. By helping out small businesses, I will have played a part in the well-being of both the economy and the job market, as thriving businesses will be able to hire more people and contribute to the community as a whole. I also plan on helping seniors navigate retirement, ensuring that they live out their golden years stress-free. By helping businesses, families, and seniors use their money more wisely, there will be far more money circulating into the economy and thus the community will be a better and more stable place for people to live in without the fear of poverty. As I prepare to enter college, I have begun to realize that I need to pick a career that will help other people more than it will help myself and by doing this, I know that I can help make my community thrive economically in the future. The Bright Lights scholarship will help fund my goal of going to college. By lowering the cost for college with this scholarship, I’ll be able to pour my money into my financial counseling business and focus solely on my mission to alleviate the financial burdens from my community. The Bright Lights Scholarship isn’t just for me, but for the people I want to help in the future.

"And there is one blazing moment in which you finally understand there is no dragon. That there is no Vader. That there was only you. Only Anakin Skywalker… It is in this blazing moment that you finally understand the trap of the dark side, the final cruelty of the Sith—Because now your self is all you will ever have," Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover. Stover cements Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader in these closing lines of the book, something the entire prequel trilogy has been building to. Matthew uses the metaphorical dragon in the book to represent Anakin’s deepest turmoil, fear of loss, and growing darkness. Anakin tried to slay the dragon by becoming Darth Vader and participating in the Jedi purge, but despite this, he ended up becoming the very thing that destroys his loved ones. In this passage, Vader realizes that the dragon, the part of himself he tried so hard to destroy, is all he has left. To understand Anakin’s turn, one must understand his upbringing and the events that shaped him. Anakin was a slave on the desert planet Tatooine and was raised by his mother who was also a slave. On Tatooine, children told stories of dragons inside the twin suns. Following a mission with his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi to a dead star, his fear and dread eventually become a "dead-star dragon" that whispers, "all things die". The whisper “all things die” reflects his fear of losing loved ones, a fear that was cemented after his mother’s death in Episode II: Attack of The Clones. Anakin carries this loss throughout the prequels, vowing to not let anymore of his loved ones die. The dragon also symbolizes Anakin's seething, barely-contained anger. He uses his Jedi discipline to build emotional "fire-walls" to lock the dragon down, but it continues to gnaw at him from within. When Anakin has dreams of his pregnant wife, Padme, dying in childbirth, the dragon’s whispers resurface, and his fear of loss transforms into obsession with preventing a natural stage of life. A core part of Anakin's motivation to embrace the Dark Side is to become strong enough to "crush the dragon." When he pledges himself to Darth Sidious, he believes that the persona of Darth Vader will give him the power to defeat his inner demons. The most critical moment for the metaphor comes after Anakin, now Darth Vader, is defeated on Mustafar and is being rebuilt in his suit of cybernetic armor meant to sustain his life. In a "blazing moment" of clarity, Vader realizes that there was no dragon to conquer. There was only him—Anakin Skywalker. He understands that he was never fighting an external monster but rather his own fear and selfishness. He also realizes the "trap of the dark side" and the final cruelty of the Sith: by trying to gain power to save others, he instead lost everything he cared about. All he has left is his own hateful, mechanized self. On a broader level, the dragon metaphor is a powerful literary device that echoes the Jungian concept of a dragon guarding a treasure that is "hard to attain". In this interpretation, the treasure is Anakin's true self and potential, but he is unwilling to confront the darkness—the dragon—within himself. Instead of integrating his shadow self, he tries to conquer it through power, only to be consumed by it. The defeat of the "dragon" was a hollow victory that led to his own undoing. The dragon metaphor in Matthew Stover's Revenge of the Sith novelization is a powerful symbol of Anakin's repressed fears and inner conflict. It functions not only as a simple representation of his dark side, but as a central theme exploring the psychological processes of trauma, self-deception, and the corrupted pursuit of power.

Living with my mom showed me what it takes to break a generational cycle. Living in a single parent household gave me the drive to be a leader and give back to my community. Growing up with a single mom was challenging. Without both parents in the house, finances were somewhat tight. My mom was always pushing me to prioritize my education and extracurriculars; it’s because of her encouragement that I stayed in my high school's marching band when I almost quit. She was able to teach me a few lessons about finances throughout high school. She showed me that it is important to have financial knowledge so that I can work for myself and that I need to spend money on things that will make my wealth grow. It is because of my upbringing with my mom and her advice about money management that I made it my goal to achieve financial freedom for myself while using my knowledge to lead other people on the same path. I decided to major in economics and accounting in college with the purpose of lifting the community up and providing them with the tools to make the most out of the money they have. With the help of the Raise Me Up to DO GOOD Scholarship, I will start a financial counseling business after I get my degree to provide resources to other single mothers and families in order to make their money grow and give them more financial opportunities. Along with the financial lessons, my mom helped me with navigating the autism spectrum. I first felt that it was something I should hide and hated to talk about, but my mom encouraged me to accept and embrace it. She stressed the importance of knowing myself and embracing everything about me, so that nobody in the world would tell me who I was and what I can or can't do. It's because of this acceptance of myself that I am making it my goal to advocate for kids with autism to encourage them to embrace their differences, physical or mental, and not hide them. Throughout the years, my mom has been honest about some of the harmful dynamics in our family such as substance abuse and lack of any real leadership. Trying to break this cycle has influenced my motivation to achieve higher education. I strive to be the change my family needs, and be the first to attend and complete a four year university. I hope to start a new legacy where the men in our family are educated and have purpose in their lives and help inspire the next generation to give back to their community. Through everything I went through living with my mom, I gained the drive to give back to my community through my financial counseling business while being comfortable with myself and accepting my flaws. Although I could have benefited from having both parents in the house, I am grateful to my mom for instilling in me my mission of breaking our family cycle and focusing on becoming a leader not just in the home, but in the community as well.

Being a first generation college student is like breaking through a thick wall of steel. Being a first-gen college student means that I’ll have a plethora of skills that nobody else in my family had. Being the first person in my family to step foot on a university campus is an experience that puts a heavy weight of expectation on my shoulders. The lessons I learn at university will help me avoid the mistakes of those before me. I will also learn essential business and economic skills to pursue my career aspirations of becoming a financial advisor/counselor. My economics class fueled my passion for finance. This class led me to major in accounting and economics in college, with a minor in political science. That push combined with the current state of the economy made me realize that there are other families like mine that aren't as financially stable, and I want to help change that. My goal after getting my college degree is to become a financial advisor so I can help families prioritize their goals when it comes to money. While I have my path after high school figured out, I still have some things I struggled accepting about myself. A unique aspect about myself is the fact that I am on the autism spectrum. Having autism made me realize that despite thinking differently, you can still rise above challenges and do great things. I can relate more to people who may feel self-conscious about certain aspects of themselves, and I want to say to them “don’t let your insecurities define you, make them your superpowers.” I was able to make autism my superpower by acknowledging it instead of hiding from it like I’ve tried to do all these years. Just because you think differently doesn’t mean it is the end of the world. In college, I will not let my insecurities stop me from doing what I love and being myself. I believe that people on the spectrum, like me, deserve to be prepared and have a fair chance at higher education. By using my education, I will influence others like me to embrace their own superpowers and not live life ashamed of who they are, while still having my finance career. I will use my first generation background in college and beyond to help others obtain financial security and advocate for kids with autism.

My economics class fueled my passion for finance. This class led me to major in accounting and economics in college, with a minor in political science. That push combined with the current state of the economy made me realize that there are other families like mine that aren't as financially stable, and I want to help change that. My goal after getting my college degree is to become a financial advisor so I can help families prioritize their goals when it comes to money. While I have my path after high school figured out, I still have some things I struggled accepting about myself. An obstacle I am overcoming is the fact that I am on the autism spectrum. Having autism made me realize that despite thinking differently, you can still rise above challenges and do great things. Running from it doesn’t any closer to achieving my goals. I can relate more to people who may feel self-conscious about certain aspects of themselves, and I want to say to them “don’t let your insecurities define you, make them your superpowers.” I was able to make autism my superpower by acknowledging it instead of hiding from it like I’ve tried to do all these years. Just because you think differently doesn’t mean it is the end of the world. In college, I will not let my insecurities stop me from doing what I love and being myself. I believe that people on the spectrum, like me, deserve to be prepared and have a fair chance at higher education. By using my education I will help others like me embrace their own superpowers and not live life ashamed of who they are, while still having my finance career. I will take my to college and beyond to help others while guiding families toward financial independence.

The stadium lights shine brightly on the football field. The crowd is cheering, and the announcer is introducing the band for halftime. Everyone is watching. With the tweet of the whistle, all the marchers get into attention. The music starts playing and I start crashing my cymbals together. The hits are precise and rhythmic, as I play to the beat of the songs. For the next 15 minutes of the show, I march while executing the movements and beats we’ve been practicing for the last several months. This is what every Friday night is for me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was 14 years old when I joined the marching band. On my third day of summer band camp, I almost quit. I told my band director that performing the complex moves was too challenging and I struggled to be perfect. He encouraged me to stay and see it through. That decision shaped the way I approach challenges and responsibilities in every part of my life. Marching band is rigorous, intricate, and detail-oriented. We have to memorize music quickly, learn placements for the field show, and practice dance routines. After three years of valuable experience and commitment in band, I am now a section leader for the drumline. Participating in band over the years has shaped me into the person I am today. A major lesson I learned from the band is P.R.I.D.E. It stands for perseverance, respect, integrity, discipline, and excellence. These weren't just words we repeated during rehearsals; they were values he expected us to live by, both on and off the Field. The discipline and resilience I gained in band and through my time as section leader, I took to the classroom. My economics class fueled my passion for finance. This class led me to major in accounting and economics in college, with a minor in political science. That push combined with the current state of the economy made me realize that there are other families like mine that aren't as financially stable, and I want to help change that. My goal after getting my college degree is to become a financial advisor so I can help families prioritize their goals when it comes to money. Along with my college studies, I plan to continue my passion for music. One of the things I look forward to participating in while attending Norfolk State University is the Spartan Legion Marching Band. When I first watched HBCU bands, I fell in love with the Marching Band culture surrounding HBCUs. These bands are powerhouses, full of black pride. By attending an HBCU and marching in the Spartan Legion, it will add to my college experience, further develop my leadership skills, and enable me to become part of a legacy of excellence and talent. The Z Creativity Scholarship will allow me to take the perseverance and grit I showed in band and the classroom to college and beyond to help others while guiding families toward financial independence, something that is long overdue.

To prepare for the SAT, one of the first things I did was meet with my High School guidance counselor. She encouraged me to take the SAT and gave me a fee waiver code to cover the cost. Afterward, I immediately went on the college board website, entered the fee waiver code, and registered for the June 2025 SAT. In order to mentally prepare for the test, I plan on reading more books so that I can expand my vocabulary. I am taking practice tests to familiarize myself with the layout and difficulty of the questions in the SAT. To prepare for the math section of the SAT, I made a notebook full of math formulas that should help me solve the more complex problems. I also downloaded a guide to the math SAT to help even more. I have started reading the Dune book series to prepare for the reading section, because Dune is dense with expansive world building and complex vocabulary. The reason I am reading more is so that I can train to read words at a faster pace; this test is timed and I must read fast to answer as many questions as possible within the time limit. The section I am studying more in is math because math is not one of my strengths at this point. I even found tik tok to be helpful, as there is an account I follow on the app that solves example SAT math problems, and explains the process for solving them. By doing practice tests whenever I can, I will be more confident and prepared. In addition, I will know all of the ways to solve each problem. Studying the SAT has become a top priority for me; my goal is to be as prepared as possible before I walk in the building and take the test. Over these next few months, I will practice math every day and make sure I memorize all of the equations that may not be on the formula sheet. By using these techniques, I hope to get a high score; and that, along with my GPA, will hopefully make me stand out in the college admissions process. Just by doing this scholarship, I am preparing for the SAT by sharpening my writing and reading comprehension skills. Nothing would make me more happy than to see a 1600 on the college board website and to know that all of this studying, practice, and reading has paid off.

"Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose." -Master Yoda. The movie that has had the greatest impact on my life is Star Wars: Revenge of The Sith (Episode III). Revenge of The Sith is the final film in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and it shows Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side and transformation into Darth Vader. Anakin starts out as a Jedi and is slowly manipulated to the dark side by Chancellor Palpatine; who is secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Revenge of The Sith tell us that we can't let our emotions rule over us and that we must fight temptation. Revenge of The Sith also shows how the Galactic Empire came to be; demonstrating how democracies fall and how dictatorships rise. Revenge of The Sith takes place at the end of a galaxy-wide conflict known as the Clone Wars. At this point, the Clone Wars have been raging for three long years; Jedi and their Clone Troopers have been fighting the Separatists and their battle droids nonstop. In the movie, Palpatine tells the Clones to execute Order 66, an order that brands the Jedi as enemies. Across the Galaxy, clones kill their Jedi Generals despite years of service with them. With the Jedi all gone, and Anakin on his side now, Palpatine is able to rule the Galaxy as Emperor unopposed. Obi-Wan, Anakin's friend and mentor, is forced to confront him on the volcanic world of Mustafar. Their lightsaber duel ends with Obi-Wan severely wounding Anakin and leaving him to burn on the lava banks. Palpatine saves Anakin and is able to make a suit of cybernetic armor to preserve Anakin's life, completing his transformation into Darth Vader. I love Revenge of The Sith because it is a story of tragedy and loss. Anakin Skywalker is a cautionary tale, warning us against temptation and evil. By choosing evil, Anakin lost his friends, his wife Padme, and Obi-Wan, who considered him a brother. What I learned from Revenge of The Sith is that unhealthy attachments will lead to jealousy and anger. In the film, Anakin is afraid that Padme, his wife, was going to die and wanted to do everything in his power to save her. This attachment to her left him vulnerable to being corrupted by Palpatine, who told Anakin that through the dark side, Padme could be saved. If we try to stop what is natural in life, then nothing good will come out of it; only chaos and destruction. By choosing the path of the dark side, Anakin lost everything he ever loved. While The dark path may be quick and easy, it ultimately leads to Hell. By taking the lessons from Star Wars, I can control my emotions and not let fear and anger control me like they did with Anakin. Emotions like fear and anger are natural, but when you allow them to control you, you will cause chaos on yourself and those around you. It is important that we keep our emotions under control so that our thoughts and focus are clear.

My experience with mental health is shaped by being on the autism spectrum. Having autism makes me feel different and sometimes holds me back socially. At times, when I'm in a conversation with my peers, my mind races with thoughts like “what do I say?” or “what do I do?”. With autism, my mind is slower in a conversation, but faster when I’m thinking about other things. I have never liked being on the spectrum, but I understand I will have to face it throughout my life. I first felt that it was something I should hide and I hated to talk about it, but my mom encouraged me to know myself and not live in denial. My mom told me that I must accept everything about me, the good and the bad, so that I won't be lost in the world. My mom's words are hard to take in sometimes, but I see the importance of having an identity and knowing myself. I know my mom means well when telling me to accept myself, and I appreciate her for that. College has always been a dream of mine, and I think about it constantly. With my education, I want to help kids like me who feel unheard sometimes. I’ve thought about starting a nonprofit for kids on the spectrum to give them a space where they feel heard and valued. To do this, I’ll start mentorship programs, speak at local schools, and fundraise money to provide more resources for them that I wish I had. Alongside coping with autism, I will be the first in my family to attend and complete a four year university. These next four years on my own will push me to expand my social skills. I know that I must have the courage to step into a new environment and grow into someone who isn't afraid of new situations. Having autism showed me that despite thinking differently, you can still rise above challenges and do great things. I am on the spectrum, and yet I'm already applying for college and serving as section leader in my school’s marching band. I can relate more to people who may feel self-conscious about certain aspects of themselves, and I want to say to them “don’t let your insecurities define you, make them your superpowers.” I was able to make autism my superpower by acknowledging it instead of hiding from it. Just because you think differently doesn’t mean it is the end of the world. In college, I will not let my insecurities stop me from doing what I love and being myself. I don't have all the answers for how I will get through certain scenarios, however I do believe that people on the spectrum, like me, deserve to be prepared and have a fair chance at higher education. Everyone has their own experiences and journeys with mental health. I want my journey to help other people through their own struggles. I hope I can encourage kids on the spectrum to push through the barriers of mental health and thrive in the school environment. Winning the Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship will not just support me, it will allow me to make an impact on the world by paying it forward to help countless others just like me embrace their own superpowers.

To me, black excellence is rising above expectations set by other people. Black excellence is pushing yourself to be the best version of you as possible. This embodies not only high achievement and success, but what you do with those things for the community. The most important thing about black excellence is what we give back to those who supported us on the way. Black excellence comes in all shades. As someone who is mixed race, I identify more with my black side because I'm more immersed in black culture. When I think of black excellence, I think of leaders who pushed black people forward during the Civil Rights movement; Martin Luther King Jr, Malcom X, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall. These people are the embodiment of what black excellence means to me, and anyone in a leadership position should take some inspiration from them. I also think of the divine 9 organizations when it comes to black excellence. The amount of uplift and service they have done for black communities is immeasurable, and for this I highly respect them. They do food drives, workshops for the youth, mentorship programs, voter registrations, and much more that make the black community a better place. I embody black excellence in my everyday life by helping my peers in marching band. As a section leader for the drumline, I have the responsibility for making sure my section sounds their best and has the discipline to push themselves. I believe that this embodies black excellence because I try to help others become better musicians. Participating in marching band gave me a sense of purpose. When I'm at practice, the band room feels like my second home. My band director, Mr. Woodis gives a lot of helpful advice, but one thing stood out to me. When I was at leadership camp, he told us to "lead like leaders." I took this to heart and I strive to be the leader that the drum line needs. In addition to marching band, I also rise above the challenge of being on the autism spectrum. Despite my mind working differently, I am still able to comprehend information and memorize music for the band. Autism has been hard to accept at times, but I will have to work with it if I want to stay mentally healthy. To be the first in my family to set foot on a HBCU campus puts a heavy weight of responsibility on my shoulders. I have many colleges on my list like Howard, Florida A&M, Morehouse, and Hampton because these institutions are where black excellence is made, and I want to be a product of it.

Being a first generation college student is like breaking through a thick wall of steel. Being a first-gen college student means that I’ll have a plethora of skills that nobody else in my family had. Being the first person in my family to step foot on a university campus is an experience that puts a heavy weight of expectation on my shoulders. The lessons I learn at university will help me avoid the mistakes of those before me. I will also learn essential business and economic skills to pursue my career aspirations. I have two walls I am trying to break through: successfully attending college and navigating the autism spectrum. A unique challenge I face is my journey on the autism spectrum while away from home. I feel that autism held me back socially. When I'm in a conversation with my peers I try to keep up with the topic, because of this, my mind is always racing with thoughts like “what do I say?” or “what do I do?”. With autism, my mind is slower, but faster. I have never liked being on the spectrum, but I understand that this is something I will have to face throughout my life. It is a challenge I face to this day because I continue to think about how I will make it through college, as this will be a new experience for me, and I want to have the right mindset going into it. These next four years on my own will push me to expand my networking skills. Being on the spectrum, I know I must work harder towards being more social with other students while getting to know them and engaging with various campus activities. I don't have all the answers for how I'll get through certain situations, however I do believe that people on the spectrum, like me, deserve to have a fair chance at higher education without being burdened by stereotypes. This drives me to use the skills I’ll gain on campus to help others who might have had the same experiences as I do. I've considered starting a non-profit organization for kids on the spectrum to provide them with the tools they need to thrive in school and beyond. I believe it will help raise awareness while fostering inclusivity by creating an environment where these kids feel valued and accepted. I hope to achieve this through mentorship programs and speaking at schools. The Bick First Generation scholarship will support my goal of aiding kids and teens from first generation backgrounds like myself and help them break down their own walls. I know that I must have the courage to step into a new environment and grow into someone who isn't afraid of new situations. I will make the most out of these next four years in college and I look forward to becoming a man of intelligence, purpose, and integrity, and this scholarship is the way to start.

Student loan debt is like fighting a big monster with your bare fists. Paying for college is a daunting task that can leave one in debt for decades. Highly motivated students deserve scholarships and grants because no one should have to go hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to get a degree that most high paying jobs require. High achieving students shouldn't just be left to pay for college on their own, especially if they come from low-income backgrounds; these students deserve to be rewarded for keeping up with their academics and other extracurricular activities. Scholarships or grants, whether in big or small amounts, can go a long way to lowering the cost of attendance in a four year university and provide students the chance to have more money straight out of college. Personally, I have applied to numerous scholarships throughout high school and I don't plan on stopping now. Because my parents are unable to help with my college expenses, it has been up to me to lower the cost myself. Being a first-generation student, the task of gathering enough money for college has been especially challenging. Every time I write scholarship essays, I stare at my computer screen for hours thinking “how can I write the best essay I can to win this money?” I go through hours of proofreading and editing every day to make sure that I maximize my chances because I know that even if it's just a $500 award, it will add up and allow me to put a serious dent in my college expenses. By winning this Marcia Bick scholarship, I will be one step closer to attending college debt free. If I can graduate with zero debt, I want to set up a trust fund for my kids so that they won't have to worry about the college expenses like I did. I will use the skills I gain in college to start a financial counseling business. My Junior year economics class introduced me to core concepts like how credit cards work, real estate, debt, and student loans. Passing the required financial literacy (WISE) test gave me the confidence to expand my knowledge of money beyond high school and into college. With my major being economics, I understand the importance of making college work for me. I want to obtain my degree with as little debt as possible. With my business, I will counsel families and individuals on how to make their money grow and last. I aim to finally close the wealth gap that has plagued low income families for so long, and this scholarship will support me in doing that. I want to use this scholarship not only to attend college debt free, but to pay it forward by helping other families realize the importance of investing in their kid's futures to help them fight their own monsters with weapons, something I wish my parents did for me.

The lights are shining brightly on the football field. The crowd is cheering and the announcer is introducing the band for halftime. Everyone is watching. With the tweet of the whistle all the marchers get into attention. The music starts playing and I start crashing my cymbals together. The hits are precise and rhythmic, as I play to the beat of the songs. For the next 15 minutes of the show, I march while executing the movements and beats we’ve been practicing for the last several months. This is what every Friday night is for me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was 14 years old when I first started marching band. On my third day of summer band camp, I almost quit. I told my band director, Mr. Woodis, that performing the complex moves was too challenging and I struggled to be perfect. He encouraged me to stay and see it through. That decision ended up shaping the way I approach challenges and responsibilities in every part of my life. After three years of valuable experience in band, I am now a section leader for the drumline. During my time in band, I learned how to push myself to do things I would’ve thought to be difficult; marching in 90 degree weather during camp, standing in the same position for hours, running laps, etc. These are all challenging, but I pushed through it because that’s what is expected of me. Participating in band over the years has shaped me into the person I am today. A major part of Mr. Woodis's impact on me is P.R.I.D.E. It stands for perseverance, respect, integrity, discipline, and excellence. These weren't just words repeated during rehearsals; they were values he expected us to live by, both on and off the Field. Outside of marching band, I am thinking about my future career path constantly. My economics class fueled my passion for finance. This class pushed me to major in accounting and economics in college, with a minor in political science. That push combined with the current state of the economy made me realize that there are other families like mine that aren't as financially stable, and I want to help change that. My goal after getting my college degree is to become a financial advisor so I can help families prioritize their goals when it comes to money. While I have my path after high school figured out, I still have some things I struggle accepting about myself. A unique challenge I face as a prospective college student is navigating the autism spectrum. Being on the autism spectrum makes me feel different and sometimes holds me back socially. At times, when I'm in a conversation with my peers, I have to take extra time to process the topic being discussed. I have never liked being on the spectrum, but I understand I will have to face it throughout my life. I first felt that it was something I should hide and I hated to talk about it, but my mom encouraged me to know myself and embrace everything about me. Alongside coping with autism, I will be the first in my family to attend and complete a four year university. These next four years on my own will push me to expand my social skills. I know that I must have the courage to step into a new environment and grow into someone who isn't afraid of new situations.

My education is the seed that will grow into a tree of service for my community. My goal after college is to start my own financial counseling business so I can help close the wealth gap in my community. Whether it’s helping to boost credit scores, managing debt, investing, or making better decisions about purchases, I will help make people of all backgrounds thrive. The economic disparity has plagued too many areas and is an issue that requires an immediate solution. As I prepare to enter college, I have begun to realize that I need to pick a career that will help other people more than it will help myself and by doing this, I know that I can find ways to make more families thrive in the future. My Junior year economics class fueled my passion for finance. It is because of this class that I want to major in accounting and economics in college with a minor in political science. My economics class introduced me to core concepts like how credit cards work, real estate, debt, and student loans. Passing the required financial literacy (WISE) test gave me the confidence to expand my financial knowledge beyond high school and into college. That push combined with the current state of the economy made me realize that there are other families like mine that are not as financially stable, and I want to do something about it. While I have my goals after high school figured out, I still have some things I struggle to accept about myself. Being on the autism spectrum makes me feel different at times, but my mom helped me navigate through it. I first felt that it was something I should hide and I hated to talk about it, but my mom encouraged me to accept and embrace it. She stressed the importance of knowing myself and facing everything about me, so that nobody will be able to tell me who I am. Through my acceptance of autism and recognizing my family’s cycle of a lack of education, I made it my mission to break it and become a leader not just in the home, but the community as well. Along with helping families with money, I will also start a non-profit organization for kids with autism to provide them with the tools they need to thrive in the school environment. I want to create an environment where kids with autism will feel valued and accepted. With my financial counseling business and my non profit for kids with autism, I know I can help make my community a more stable and accepting place.

I have worked as a cashier at Harris Teeter for a year and a half now. I started working during my sophomore year of high school, and having a job while balancing schoolwork didn't go well at first. My grades dipped while I was trying to handle my job, schoolwork, and band all at once. I have learned how to prioritize my tasks more effectively since then however, and I will keep this up during my senior year and all through college. I have learned valuable lessons from my time in marching band as well. A mentor who had a lasting impact on my life is Mr. Woodis, my high school band director. During my freshman year I was deciding whether to continue with marching band or quit. I thought at first that band was difficult and wasn't sure if I could handle it. Mr. Woodis was the one who encouraged me to stay and see it through. That decision ended up shaping not only my high school experience, but also the way I approach challenges and responsibilities in every part of my life. A major part of Mr. Woodis's impact came through something he emphasized every single day: the acronym PRIDE. It stands for perseverance, respect, integrity, discipline, and excellence. These weren't just words repeated during rehearsals; they were values he expected us to live by, both in and out of band. He constantly reminded us that being part of the marching band meant more than playing music-it meant representing our school, and supporting each other during practices. During my time in the band and high school, I have been seriously thinking about my future career path. My Junior year economics class is what fueled my passion for finance and business. This class introduced me to core concepts like how credit cards work, real estate, debt, and student loans. Passing the required financial literacy (WISE) test gave me the confidence to expand my knowledge of money beyond high school and into college. That push combined with the current state of the economy made me realize that there are other families like mine that are not as financially stable, and I want to do something about it. It is for these reasons that I have chosen to major in accounting and economics to one day start my own financial counseling business. With my future plans almost figured out, I was still on a journey of self-acceptance. Being on the autism spectrum makes me feel different at times, but my mom helped me navigate through it. I first felt that it was something I should hide and I hated to talk about it, but my mom encouraged me to accept and embrace it. She stressed the importance of knowing myself and facing everything about me, so that nobody will be able to tell me who I am. Alongside coping with autism, I will be the first in my family to attend and complete a four year university. Through my acceptance of autism and recognizing my family’s cycle of a lack of education, I made it my mission to break it and become a leader not just in the home, but the community as well.

Living with my mom showed me what it takes to break a generational cycle. Living in a single parent household gave me the drive to be a leader and give back to my community. Growing up with a single mom was challenging. Without both parents in the house, finances were somewhat tight. My mom was always pushing me to prioritize my education and extracurriculars; it’s because of her encouragement that I stayed in my high school's marching band when I almost quit. She was able to teach me a few lessons about finances throughout high school. She showed me that it is important to have financial knowledge so that I can work for myself and that I need to spend money on things that will make my wealth grow. It is because of my upbringing with my mom and her advice about money management that I made it my goal to achieve financial freedom for myself while using my knowledge to lead other people on the same path. I decided to major in economics and accounting in college. With the help of Sola Family Scholarship, I will start a financial counseling business after I get my degree to provide resources to other single mothers and families in order to make their money grow and give them more financial opportunities. Along with the financial lessons, my mom helped me with navigating the autism spectrum. I first felt that it was something I should hide and hated to talk about it, but my mom encouraged me to accept and embrace it. She stressed the importance of knowing myself and embracing everything about me, so that nobody in the world would tell me who I was and what I can or can't do. Throughout the years, my mom has been honest about some of the harmful dynamics in our family such as substance abuse and lack of any real leadership. Trying to break this cycle has influenced my motivation to achieve higher education. I strive to be the change my family needs, and be the first to attend and complete a four year university. I hope to start a new legacy where the men in our family are educated and have purpose in their lives while bringing security to their homes. Through everything I went through living with my mom, I gained the drive to give back to my community through my financial counseling business while being comfortable with myself and accepting my flaws. Although I could have benefited from having both parents in the house, I am grateful to my mom for instilling in me my mission of breaking our family cycle and focusing on becoming a leader not just in the home, but in the community as well.

Receiving the Lewis Ohana scholarship will be a significant help for funding my future education. After high school, I want to attend Howard University and major in accounting with a minor in political science. At Howard University's School of Business, I will learn from professors who possess a broad range of economic skills while taking classes that the school offers such as Accounting Principles 1, Principles of Economics 1, and Business Problem Solving. Being a private university, Howard's cost of attendance is higher than other schools; winning the scholarship money will offset the cost of attending Howard and will allow me to attend the top HBCU in the nation while pursuing my major. Growing up on the autism spectrum made my early life different. I was forced to repeat Pre-K when I was living in Connecticut due to my brain developing differently. After completing 1st grade, my mom, sister, and I moved to Virginia where I have lived since. I have had an easier time at school in Virginia than in Connecticut and I was able to manage most of my autism traits. These past few months, I have had to cope with autism as I begin to understand that I can never truly deny it. Although having autism is difficult to accept at times, I am fortunate enough that my traits were more manageable. For a time, I tried to deny that I was on the autism spectrum, but with help from my mom, I am now coming to terms with who I am. Along with coping with autism, trying to break my family's cycle of substance abuse and lack of education has influenced my motivation to achieve a higher education beyond high school. I strive to be the change my family needs, and be the first in my family to attend and complete a four year university. After I accepted my autism, I now realize the importance of knowing yourself so that no one else will tell you who you are. One thing I want to do at Howard is march for the Showtime marching band. I have done marching band since my freshman year at Nansemond River, and it has become a large part of my high school experience. When I first watched HBCU bands, I fell in love with the culture surrounding the band and HBCUs. HBCU bands are powerhouses of black pride and excellence, and being in the Showtime band will enable me to continue my passion for music while being part of a legacy of excellence and talent. In five years I plan to complete my undergraduate studies at Howard; I am considering doing graduate school afterward. My goal for my life after high school is to get the education required to become a financial advisor so that I can lift the black community up from financial hardship and struggle. The racial wealth gap has plagued African-Americans for centuries since slavery and is an issue that requires an immediate solution. As a financial advisor I will counsel families and individuals on how to best manage their financial situation and make it better. Whether it’s helping to boost credit scores, managing debt, investing, or making better decisions about purchases, I will do everything in my power to bring wealth back into the African-American community. Along with helping families with money, I will also start a non-profit organization for kids with autism to provide them with the tools they need to thrive in the school environment. I want to create an environment where kids with autism will feel valued and accepted. With my financial counseling business and my non profit for kids with autism, I know I can help make my community a more stable and accepting place.

For most of my life, I lived with my mom and sister in Virginia. Growing up with one parent has taught me perseverance and dedication. These circumstances inspired me to go into the finance field. Growing up with a single parent was challenging. Without both parents in the house, finances were somewhat tight, however I was able to learn values about money along the way. Me and my mom don't always agree, but I understand that she has my best interests in mind and wouldn't try to set me up for failure. I am grateful to have a mom like her who pushes me to invest in my future and my community. She was able to teach me a few lessons about finances throughout high school. She showed me that it is important to have financial knowledge so that I can work for myself and that I need to spend money on things that will make my wealth grow. I want to take my mom's lessons and pay it forward by helping people with my circumstances manage their money wisely. To be able to achieve this, I aim to start a financial counseling business. Throughout my career, I will help families by giving them clear advice on how to navigate through limited finances and make their money grow. Thanks to my mom's lessons, one of my goals is to achieve financial freedom for myself while using my knowledge to lead other people on the same path. I am actively working toward my goals by trying to attend college and focusing on my education in high school and beyond. The Lotus scholarship will help minority students like me make the community thrive economically in the future.

I am a senior, class of 2026, at Nansemond River High School (Suffolk, VA). I've been an active member of the school's marching band throughout all four years of high school and will be a section leader during the 2025-2026 marching season. I plan to attend a HBCU and major in economics and business so that I can become a financial advisor. While attending college, I intend to continue marching band because music is a passion of mine and they get to travel across the country. In the past year, I have been taking actions to improve my chances of getting into college such as applying to scholarships, maintaining good grades, striving to be a better person, and studying for the SAT. I am looking forward to the full college experience so that I can continue to improve upon what I have been doing in high school and dedicate myself more to being involved in campus activities and forming new connections. My passion for economics and helping the community came from my economics class. As I took the class, I started to develop a passion for widening my understanding of finances and how the economy works. I plan on becoming a financial educator, furthering my financial knowledge and teaching people, both young and old, on making informed financial decisions in addition to making their money grow. When I am a financial advisor after college, I will make a positive impact on others by aiding families and helping them through financial hardships they may have. I will make myself available by marketing my services to those in need in the community. By helping individuals and families make educated decisions about their money, I will be alleviating some of the burden that comes with dealing with finances. During my career, I will also help small businesses make smarter decisions on investments in order to boost their profits. By helping out small businesses, I will have played a part in the well-being of both the economy and the job market, as thriving businesses will be able to hire more people and contribute to the community as a whole. I also plan on helping seniors navigate retirement, ensuring that they live out their golden years stress-free. By helping businesses, families, and seniors use their money more wisely, there will be far more money circulating into the economy and thus the community will be a better and more stable place for people to live in without the fear of poverty. As I prepare to enter college, I have begun to realize that I need to pick a career that will help other people more than it will help myself and by doing this, I know that I can help make my community thrive economically in the future.

“Poverty is not natural; it is man-made.” -Nelson Mandela. I want to be able to help as many families as I can improve their financial literacy. Living in a low-income single parent household inspired me to go into the finance field. To be able to help people handle their money I aim to be a financial advisor. Growing up with a single parent was challenging. Without both parents in the house, finances were somewhat tight. My mom was able to teach me a few lessons about finances throughout high school. She showed me that it is important to have financial knowledge so that I can work for myself and that I need to spend money on things that will make my wealth grow. I know that I have to learn financial literacy in order to create and promote wealth in the community while also being my own boss. Like Charles Bowlus I want to be able to start my own business after college; Throughout my career, I will help families like mine by giving them clear advice on how to navigate through limited finances and make their money grow. Thanks to my mom's lessons, my goal is to achieve financial freedom for myself while using my knowledge to lead other people on the same path. Through my financial counseling business, I will make a positive impact on others by aiding families and helping them through financial hardships they may have. I will make myself available by marketing my services to those in need in the community. By helping individuals and families make educated decisions about their money, I will be alleviating some of the burden that comes with dealing with finances. During my career, I will also help small businesses make smarter decisions on investments in order to boost their profits. By helping out small businesses, I will have played a part in the well-being of both the economy and the job market, as thriving businesses will be able to hire more people and contribute to the community as a whole. I also plan on helping seniors navigate retirement, ensuring that they live out their golden years stress-free. By helping businesses, families, and seniors use their money more wisely, there will be far more money circulating into the economy and thus the community will be a better and more stable place for people to live in without the fear of poverty. As I prepare to enter college, I have begun to realize that I need to pick a career that will help other people more than it will help myself and by doing this, I know that I can help make my community thrive economically in the future.

I just can't put my phone down sometimes. I live through TikTok and Instagram reels most of the time. When I am in school doing work I answer a few questions, scroll on TikTok or Instagram reels for a little, and get back to work. I am the most Gen-Z person alive because I am on my phone for more than 6 hours a day. I can spend an hour or more scrolling at night as I'm about to go to sleep. Being on social media brings me comfort somewhat; there are some funny videos on TikTok and Instagram, like relatable memes that can just make my day sometimes. Some people may think that my generation is lazy and doesn't do anything, but I am one of the people that show that Gen Z is one of the most hard working generations; especially because I, like many other people in Gen-Z are getting ready to head to college, or are already dealing with college stress and working jobs. While I am on my phone a lot, this doesn't stop me from getting tasks done on time. I am able to find balance in doom-scrolling and my responsibilities. Between getting straight As all semester, showing up to my part-time job, and practices and performances in marching band, I am able to do all that and manage to get some scrolling in during my downtime. This quality is what makes me unapologetically Gen-Z.

One teacher who had a lasting impact on my life is Mr. Woodis, my High school band director. During my freshman year I was deciding whether to continue with marching band or quit. I thought at first that band was difficult and wasn't sure if I could handle it. Mr. Woodis was the one who encouraged me to stay and see it through. That decision ended up shaping not only my High school experience, but also the way I approach challenges and responsibilities in every part of my life. Mr. Woodis always spoke his mind; he was honest and never afraid to tell us when we sounded bad or when we sounded good. We knew he meant what he said, and that his criticism came from a place of belief in our potential. He held us to high standards, not because he wanted perfection, but because he wanted us to grow-not just as musicians, but as people. A major part of Mr. Woodis's impact came through something he emphasized every single day: the acronym pride. It stood for perseverance, respect, integrity, discipline, and excellence. These weren't just words repeated during rehearsals; they were values he expected us to live by, both in and out of band. He constantly reminded us that being part of the marching band meant more than playing music-it meant representing our school, and supporting each other during practices. Perseverance showed up in the way we pushed through long practices under the sun during summer band camp, in the moments when we felt like giving up but didn't. Respect was about treating each other, our coaches, and our time together with care. Integrity meant doing the right thing no matter what; If someone messed up and no one saw it, we did the push-ups regardless. Discipline was present in everything we did-from posture and precision to punctuality and preparation; he always said "If you're early you're on time, and if you're on time you're late." And excellence was putting forth 100% effort towards our performances; that meant practicing at home and outside of regular hours. Mr. Woodis taught me more than how to play the cymbals, he taught me how to be a leader, to always show up no matter what, and put forth all your effort into completing a task. As I start to take up the position of section leader for the 2025-2026 season and prepare for college, By using the pride acronym, and everything else Mr. Woodis taught me, I will take these lessons of perseverance, respect, integrity, discipline, and excellence with me to college and in life as I continue my marching band journey after high school.

I am a senior, class of 2026, at Nansemond River High School (Suffolk, VA). I've been an active member of the school's marching band throughout all four years of high school and will be a section leader during the 2025-2026 marching season. I plan to attend a HBCU and major in economics and business so that I can become a financial advisor. While attending college, I intend to continue marching band because music is a passion of mine and they get to travel across the country. In the past year, I have been taking actions to improve my chances of getting into college such as applying to scholarships, maintaining good grades, striving to be a better person, and studying for the SAT. I am looking forward to the full college experience so that I can continue to improve upon what I have been doing in high school and dedicate myself more to being involved in campus activities and forming new connections. My passion for economics and helping the community came from my economics class. As I took the class, I started to develop a passion for widening my understanding of finances and how the economy works. For this reason, I plan on furthering my financial knowledge in college and will pay that knowledge forward by helping people allocate their money wisely. When I am a financial advisor after college, I will make a positive impact on others by aiding families and helping them through financial hardships they may have. I will make myself available by marketing my services to those in need in the community. By helping individuals and families make educated decisions about their money, I will be alleviating some of the burden that comes with dealing with finances. During my career, I will also help small businesses make smarter decisions on investments in order to boost their profits. By helping out small businesses, I will have played a part in the well-being of both the economy and the job market, as thriving businesses will be able to hire more people and contribute to the community as a whole. I also plan on helping seniors navigate retirement, ensuring that they live out their golden years stress-free. By helping businesses, families, and seniors use their money more wisely, there will be far more money circulating into the economy and thus the community will be a better and more stable place for people to live in without the fear of poverty. As I prepare to enter college, I have begun to realize that I need to pick a career that will help other people more than it will help myself and by doing this, I know that I can help make my community thrive economically in the future.

I am a senior, class of 2026, at Nansemond River High School (Suffolk, VA). I've been an active member of the school's marching band throughout all four years of high school and will be a section leader during the 2025-2026 marching season. I plan to attend a HBCU and major in economics and business so that I can become a financial advisor. While attending college, I intend to continue marching band because music is a passion of mine and they get to travel across the country. In the past year, I have been taking actions to improve my chances of getting into college such as applying to scholarships, maintaining good grades, striving to be a better person, and studying for the SAT. I am looking forward to the full college experience so that I can continue to improve upon what I have been doing in high school and dedicate myself more to being involved in campus activities and forming new connections. My passion for economics and helping the community came from my economics class. As I took the class, I started to develop a passion for widening my understanding of finances and how the economy works. For this reason, I plan on furthering my financial knowledge in college and will pay that knowledge forward by helping people allocate their money wisely. When I am a financial advisor after college, I will make a positive impact on others by aiding families and helping them through financial hardships they may have. I will make myself available by marketing my services to those in need in the community. By helping individuals and families make educated decisions about their money, I will be alleviating some of the burden that comes with dealing with finances. During my career, I will also help small businesses make smarter decisions on investments in order to boost their profits. By helping out small business, I will have played a part in the well-being of both the economy and the job market, as thriving businesses will be able to hire more people and contribute to the community as a whole. I also plan on helping seniors navigate retirement, ensuring that they live out their golden years stress-free. By helping businesses, families, and seniors use their money more wisely, there will be far more money circulating into the economy and thus the community will be a better and more stable place for people to live in without the fear of poverty. As I prepare to enter college, I have begun to realize that I need to pick a career that will help other people more than it will help myself and by doing this, I know that I can help make my community thrive economically in the future.

Being born on the autism spectrum made my early life difficult. I was forced to repeat Pre-K when I was living in Connecticut due to my brain having slower development. After completing 1st grade, my mom, sister, and I moved to Virginia where I have lived since. I have had an easier time at school in Virginia than in Connecticut and I was able to outgrow most of my autism traits. Virginia's weather and better education system allowed me to overcome most of my issues because I have had an easier time learning here than in Connecticut. These past few months, I have had to cope with autism as I begin to understand that I can never truly outgrow it. Although having autism is difficult to accept at times, I am fortunate enough that I didn't show more noticeable signs like being nonverbal or walking on my toes (the latter of which I had to outgrow.) Along with Moving to Virginia, joining the marching band at my High School has helped me to become slightly more social and gave me a bit more confidence than I would have had otherwise. In addition, joining band has made me smarter because I learned how to play an instrument, and I can take that skill with me to college. College will help me to further develop my social skills and my education. During High School, I felt socially behind at times. My friends would start talking about something and it would take me a while to catch on. I intend to work on overcoming my social anxiety by trying to learn and understand what autism truly is. While in college, I plan on attending more social events so that I won't fall victim to more issues like depression and anxiety, things that can stem from autism. My mother has helped me through my journey of navigating autism by talking to me about the signs of it and what to look out for. While at times, autism has caused me to fall behind on some things in life, I continue to work through it by being as social as I can and continuing to learn about the behavioral parts of autism. So even though autism has caused me to repeat Pre-K, made me have some developmental issues as an infant, and continues to affect my social skills to this day, its all right. Having autism is not the end of my life, and there are things that I can do to keep working through it. As long as I remain informed about autism traits, I will know what things I need to work on and how best to do it. For a time, I tried to deny that I was on the spectrum, but with help from my mom, I am now coming to terms with who I am. After I accepted my autism, I now realize the importance of knowing yourself so that no one else will tell you who you are.

Overcoming adversity in life is like trying to climb a mountain without hands. I am currently trying to overcome the challenge of raising my GPA for college. During my sophomore year of high school, I wasn't doing great academically, and this affected my GPA. My GPA decreasing is something that I am only now grasping the consequences of as I start looking at colleges. To raise my GPA to where it needs to be, I have taken an honors class due to the added weight that those classes have. Coming back from failure has been far from easy, especially while balancing work and marching band, but I can confidently say that my most recent report card has all A's. In order to keep my good grades, I had to change some bad habits like procrastinating and just skipping work. I have started to change my ways by putting 100% in my schoolwork. I work to improve my grades everyday and my only regret is not keeping up with my academics last year. I realize that there is no one to blame for my failures except myself and the mindset I once had, and that all I can be now is better than before. The experience that "Woke me up" was when I started driving to school. At the beginning of my junior year, my mom had one rule about keeping my gifted car: keep up my grades. I kept trying to convince her and myself that Cs were perfectly fine, but this would not make my mom budge. As the year went on, I felt that I needed the car badly, so I studied, worked, and talked to my teachers to raise my grades. Finally, when my grades improved, I got my car and I now drive it to school everyday. While I didn't get the car when I wanted it, looking back on it I am grateful for this experience because it forced me to excel in my classes again, and it taught me that I will get what I want in life when I need it, rather than when I want it to happen. While in college, I will make it my goal to have a list of tasks that must be done in order of importance, so that I am always on top of everything and I don't put myself in the situation of getting a low GPA again. I will not repeat the mistakes I made during High School; my actions sophomore year caused me to stress a lot about my future and made me ponder if I will even make it into some of these colleges. This past year, I've learned that It is very easy to give up on schoolwork due to outside pressure or distractions, but we all must tune out distractions and get the hard things done. I am excited for college, as I want to learn skills that will help me to have a successful career and a fulfilling life. I plan to major in economics and political science so that I can become a successful accountant. I hope to make the most of my college experience by networking with new people and forming connections that will last for life. While my High School experience hasn't been easy, I can take these lessons with me to college and succeed there and for the rest of my life.

To prepare for the SAT, one of the first things I did was meet with my High School guidance counselor. She encouraged me to take the SAT and gave me a fee waiver code to cover the cost. Afterward, I immediately went on the college board website, entered the fee waiver code, and registered for the June 2025 SAT. In order to mentally prepare for the test, I plan on reading more books so that I can expand my vocabulary. I am taking practice tests to familiarize myself with the layout and difficulty of the questions in the SAT. To prepare for the math section of the SAT, I made a notebook full of math formulas that should help me solve the more complex problems. I also downloaded a guide to the math SAT to help even more. I have started reading the Dune book series to prepare for the reading section, because Dune is dense with expansive world building and complex vocabulary. The reason I am reading more is so that I can train to read words at a faster pace; this test is timed and I must read fast to answer as many questions as possible within the time limit. The section I am studying more in is math because math is not one of my strengths at this point. I even found tik tok to be helpful, as there is an account I follow on the app that solves example SAT math problems, and explains the process for solving them. By doing practice tests whenever I can, I will be more confident and prepared. In addition, I will know all of the ways to solve each problem. Studying the SAT has become a top priority for me; my goal is to be as prepared as possible before I walk in the building and take the test. Over these next few months, I will practice math every day and make sure I memorize all of the equations that may not be on the formula sheet. By using these techniques, I hope to get a high score; and that, along with my GPA, will hopefully make me stand out in the college admissions process. Just by doing this scholarship, I am preparing for the SAT by sharpening my writing and reading comprehension skills. Nothing would make me more happy than to see a 1600 on the college board website and to know that all of this studying, practice, and reading has paid off.

The movie that has had the greatest impact on my life is Star Wars: Revenge of The Sith (Episode III). Revenge of The Sith is the final film in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and it shows Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side and transformation into Darth Vader. Anakin starts out as a Jedi and is slowly manipulated to the dark side by Chancellor Palpatine; who is secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Revenge of The Sith tell us that we can't let our emotions rule over us and that we must fight temptation. Revenge of The Sith also shows how the Galactic Empire came to be; demonstrating how democracies fall and how dictatorships rise. Revenge of The Sith takes place at the end of a galaxy-wide conflict known as the Clone Wars. At this point, the Clone Wars have been raging for three long years; Jedi and their Clone Troopers have been fighting the Separatists and their battle droids nonstop. In the movie, Palpatine tells the Clones to execute Order 66, an order that brands the Jedi as enemies. Across the Galaxy, clones kill their Jedi Generals despite years of service with them. With the Jedi all gone, and Anakin on his side now, Palpatine is able to rule the Galaxy as Emperor unopposed. Obi-Wan, Anakin's friend and mentor, is forced to confront him on the volcanic world of Mustafar. Their lightsaber duel ends with Obi-Wan severely wounding Anakin and leaving him to burn on the lava banks. Palpatine saves Anakin is able to make a suit of cybernetic armor to preserve Anakin's life, completing his transformation into Darth Vader. I love Revenge of The Sith because it is a story of tragedy and loss. Anakin Skywalker is a cautionary tale, warning us against temptation and evil. By choosing evil, Anakin lost his friends, his wife Padme, and Obi-Wan, who considered him a brother. What I learned from Revenge of The Sith is that unhealthy attachments will lead to jealousy and anger. In the film, Anakin is afraid that Padme, his wife, was going to die and wanted to do everything in his power to save her. This attachment to her left him vulnerable to being corrupted by Palpatine, who told Anakin that through the dark side, Padme could be saved. If we try to stop what is natural in life, then nothing good will come out of it, only chaos and destruction. By choosing the path of the dark side, Anakin lost everything he ever loved. While The dark path may be quick and easy, it ultimately leads to Hell. By taking the lessons from Star Wars, I can control my emotions and not let fear and anger control me like they did with Anakin. Emotions like fear and anger are natural, but when you allow them to control you, you will cause chaos on yourself and those around you. It is important that we keep our emotions under control so that our thoughts and focus are clear.

As someone who participated in both marching and symphonic band, I can say that fine arts is essential to having a well-rounded education because learning and performing music requires memorizing sequences, rhythms, and melodies, which strengthens memory and attention skills. In addition, understanding and creating music requires spatial and temporal reasoning, which can help improve visualization and problem-solving skills. Learning music takes a level of mental discipline that most people do not have. I marched in the Nansemond River High School Magnificent Marching Warrior Band in Suffolk, Virginia for three years playing percussion so far; senior year next year will be my fourth. While learning music in band, it has taught me how to take a large, demanding task and break it down into smaller ones. In music, you learn it by breaking it down by each individual measure and practicing it as you go along. Learning music also takes dedication and commitment as you will not get it at first; you will want to give up, but if you take your time to understand it and really get a feel for it, then learning music can be simple. A major lesson that the band has taught me is how to focus more on a task, and how to dedicate myself to my goals and aspirations while tuning out distractions. Band has given me many lessons and experiences like travel, building lifetime bonds, and leadership that I never would have had otherwise. By being awarded the Karen Von Bernewitz Memorial Scholarship, it will help fund my goal of attending college and continuing my journey with the fine arts through a collegiate-level marching band. I plan on becoming the best version of myself so that I can excel in college. This scholarship money will allow me to continue to be a leader and help others achieve greatness. My goal is to become a section leader so that I can continue to teach music, visuals, and rhythm. It is my dream to be a part of one of these prestigious collegiate marching bands and deliver top-tier music and field performances to audiences around the world, in addition to being a shining example of musical and continued academic excellence. Winning the $1,810 of the Karen Von Bernewitz Memorial Scholarship will not only help fund my future college goals, but it will also allow me to teach future musicians and carry on the valuable lessons that the fines arts taught me.

I combat mental health issues by being a consistent member of the Nansemond River High School Magnificent Marching Warrior Band. My family has a strong history of mental health issues, which makes me more at risk of developing the same. I believe that being in marching band has helped me to negate the risk of me developing mental health problems. It is important that people stay active and form connections with others, as isolation breeds problems like depression and anxiety. Despite the band having already improved my mental health, I still have a long way to go in terms of how I carry myself and how confident I am. I recently began to focus more on my future and what my life after High School will be like. In order to mentally prepare for college, I had to adopt the right mindset; I had to stop thinking like a High School student and start thinking like a college student. My mental health journey has been one with many lessons like how being a part of something you are passionate about is important. I know that college can be a new and challenging experience, and there will be times where I may feel homesick and alone, however, by continuing marching band in college, I will be doing something I am passionate about while forming new connections with people. My goal is to continue to avoid mental health issues that may arise during college by keeping informed of triggers and doing what I love.

The most influential person in my life has been my mother. I was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, and lived with my mom and dad for roughly seven years before they divorced. After that, my mom wanted to move to Virginia, and my sister and I wanted to go with her and that's where I've been ever since. My mom has been influential in my life because she's been my only real guidance. She taught me lessons like how to stay focused, how to present myself as a young man, and how to take responsibility for my actions. It was my mother who had been encouraging me to do these scholarships so that I wouldn't have to pay for college. Even though I feel she takes some things a bit too seriously (like cleaning my room) I still love her and couldn't ask for a better mom. Sometimes it feels like my mom pressures me too much when it comes to getting chores and other responsibilities done, but we make it work in the end. I think the reason my mom is so hard on me to succeed is because my grandmother was never really around for her; so she had no guidance and had to rely on herself. Despite our ups and downs, I guess I should be grateful that my mom cares so much about my future and wants me to succeed in life. Looking past my mom's seriousness, she's funny and laid back sometimes. Mom says we "troll" her a lot, but it's all for fun and jokes, and, believe it or not, she doesn't take everything too seriously. In the mornings for school, she always tells me whether or not my outfits are good or if I should change. That goes to show that I have a mom who cares about how I present myself to the world; even though we don't agree most of the time, we are still able to find some common ground. As I write this essay, I'm coming to realize that without Mom, I don't think I would make it far in life; she's always there to encourage and guide me and help me make the right choices. In conclusion, Mom and I get on each other's nerves a lot and don't always agree, but she's managed to put up with me and my sister for 16 years and I'm grateful for her not giving up. Mom says I complain a lot and I realize that now; I will have to work on that so it doesn't seem I'm ungrateful. My mom is someone you can always go to for great advice; whether that be relationships, responsibility, or just common sense, my mom has all the good advice anyone would need to succeed in life. I love my mom and couldn't have asked for a better mother than her.

My favorite Nintendo multiplayer game is Mario kart because of its simplicity, and also i have more memories of playing it. On the last day of my freshman year, I brought my Nintendo switch to school and in health class, me and my friends played Mario kart and super smash bros. I feel more of a connection to Mario kart because I have been playing it longer than smash bros. I have a vague memory of playing Mario kart on the Wii when I was around 6 years old. I lived in Connecticut at that time and that solidified my love for Mario kart. I do, however enjoy smash bros as well, although I don’t have as much experience with it than Mario kart. My first ever Nintendo console was the DS back when I was 5 or 6. I remember playing super Mario bros on it all the time. When I got the Wii I played through donkey Kong country returns and Skylanders: giants. Skylanders is a fond memory I have, but that is a topic for another essay. I got the Wii U on my last months living In Connecticut and the best multiplayer games I had on it were super Mario 3d world and Nintendo land. I remember playing Mario with my sister and cousins from time to time. In conclusion, Mario games and Nintendo shaped my childhood and I still play Mario to this day. I also enjoy PlayStation and their single player story games. Everyone has their own gaming journey and I would be glad to share mine with other people.

I have chosen to pursue higher education because when someone learns more, they are rewarded with more opportunities. With this scholarship, I plan to attend Norfolk State University and obtain a degree in African-American studies. This scholarship will help me fulfill one of my future goals to teach the next generation of High School students about the real struggles and history of Black Americans. As the first in my family to attend a four-year school, I feel it is my responsibility to do better than those before me; it starts by pursuing a higher education. A higher education would also grant more opportunities for me to meet like-minded individuals; It is good to surround yourself with people as smart, or smarter than you are. My desire is also to pursue more music by joining the Norfolk State Spartan Legion Marching Band. I am currently a High School sophomore at Nansemond River participating in the Magnificant Marching Warrior Band, with this Scholarship, I can further my passion for music with the Spartan Legion at NSU. In addition, this scholarship will help me learn to be self-sufficient, preparing me for the real world when I become a working adult. The college will help me to learn different perspectives in life and in other subjects, something I wish to accomplish if granted this scholarship. I plan to attend an HBCU so that I can connect with a more diverse group of people. I am multi-racial and it would be a privilege to connect with and understand Black and mixed-race groups of people more, like myself. I feel that I thrive better in an inclusive environment and I want myself and others to feel unique and have a sense of belonging. If granted this scholarship, in addition to African American studies, I would like to also study mental health and its impact on family generations. To sum up, if I am granted this Hakim Mendez Scholarship it will help me fulfill my future responsibility by breaking the generational cycle of the lack of education in my family by pursuing a higher education of my own. I have maintained approximately a 3.1 GPA as of my sophomore year and am trying every day to balance academics with Marching Band. I believe college will be one of the best parts of my life and I look forward to the experience when accepted. This scholarship will bring me one step closer to Norfolk State University.

I plan to make a positive impact on the world by teaching the next generation about the history of African Americans. I am passionate about African American history because it is a topic that is constantly looked over or sugar-coated. As of now, Black history is not a major part of most High school curricula. In college, I look forward to learning more about, and going on to teach black history, the effects of racism and discrimination on black people, communities and their fight in the civil rights movement. I plan on obtaining my African American studies and Education degree from a Historically Black College/University and going on to teach the importance of African History in America so that future high school students will better understand the experience of black people in America. I feel it is extremely important to understand the History of black Americans in the hopes we can move past America's history and continue to work toward a world without racism or discrimination. My interest in black history started during my freshman year at Nansemond River High School, when sometimes after school my mother and I would sit and discuss current issues I would see on the internet, see on the news, and hear about in school. These topics included issues like colonization, systemic racism, gender roles from the African-American perspective, and more. The subject that caught my interest the most was how systemic racism affected black communities in America. Personally speaking, I am multi-racial consisting of white, black, Jamaican, and Native American ethnicities. My mother and I also talked about our family history and the way our family is affected by racial disparities. As I get older, I am beginning to understand how the effects of slavery in America play a major part in other families, and how communities function across America. Being a High schooler myself, I want to be able to learn more about African-American history, however, I do not have the option to and I want to be able to change that for High Schoolers in the future. In conclusion, if I were to be awarded this $1,000 Mark A. Jefferson Teaching scholarship, I would use it to help fund my college education. I plan to make a positive impact on the world as an educator because I will be giving future High School students like myself a different way of thinking about American history by creating a more diverse teaching environment in public schools.

My plan for the future is to continue to teach the next generation about the history of African Americans. I am passionate about African American history because it is a topic that is constantly looked over or sugar-coated. As of now, Black history is not a major part of most High school curricula. In college, I look forward to learning more about, and going on to teach black history, the effects of racism and discrimination on black people, communities and their fight in the civil rights movement. I plan on obtaining my African American studies and Education degree from a Historically Black College/University and going on to teach the importance of African History in America so that future high school students will better understand the experience of black people in America. I feel it is extremely important to understand the History of black Americans in the hopes we can move past America's history and continue to work toward a world without racism or discrimination. My interest in black history started during my freshman year at Nansemond River High School, when sometimes after school my mother and I would sit and discuss current issues I would see on the internet, see on the news, and hear about in school. These topics included issues like colonization, systemic racism, gender roles from the African-American perspective, and more. The subject that caught my interest the most was how systemic racism affected black communities in America. Personally speaking, I am multi-racial consisting of white, black, Jamaican, and Native American ethnicities. My mother and I also talked about our own family history and the way our family is affected by racial disparities. As I get older, I am beginning to understand how the effects of slavery in America play a major part in other families, and how communities function across America. Being a High schooler myself, I want to be able to learn more about African-American history, however, I do not have the option to and I want to be able to change that for High Schoolers in the future. In conclusion, if I were to be awarded the $500 Bright Lights scholarship, I would use it to help fund my college education. I plan to pay it forward because I will be giving future High School students a different way of thinking about American history by shining a bright light on the experience of Black people, specifically. Bright Lights scholarship will help close the financial gap for me by lowering some of my college costs and will allow me to pursue the education I need to achieve my future goals.

My favorite Spider-Man actor is Tom Holland because I love the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). I first saw Tom Holland's Spider-Man in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming and I've loved it ever since. I am fond of Tom Holland's Spider-Man movies because they are interconnected with all of the other movies and TV shows from the MCU. Tom Holland's Spider-Man is my favorite because he did more than the other live-action Spider-Mans. Tom Holland's Spider-Man went up against The Avengers in Captain America: Civil War and was the protege of Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man. Another reason why my favorite Spider-Man is Tom Holland is because he fought not only villains like The Vulture and Mysterio but also bigger villains like Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. In Spider-Man: No Way Home Peter fights all of the villains from Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man trilogy and Andrew Garfield's The Amazing Spider-Man duology. Tom Holland's Spider-Man movies have more humor whereas the other Spider-Man movies have more serious tones. This doesn't mean Tom Holland's movies aren't serious, however. Tom Holland's Spider-Man movies have that perfect balance between serious action and humorous fun. In the end, Tom Holland's Spider-Man is the superior one in my opinion. My second Favorite Spider-Man is Tobey Maguire but that is a topic for another essay.