I have been singing in my school choir since I was nine years old. Singing has always brought me great joy and still does to this day. I am currently a member of the Varsity Choir and the Varsity Show Choir at my school. My greatest achievement was making the top five in the Area Choir my Junior year. For me, this was a huge accomplishment as every year I narrowly missed making the cut to move on in the audition process towards the All-State Choir. This accomplishment taught me that if I not only work hard but consistently as well, that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to. Leading up to the Area Choir audition, I spent hours working on my music. I stayed after school every day so that I could utilize private rehearsal rooms and once a week I worked with a private voice teacher. All of these things helped shape me into a singer that I am proud of today. This also taught me to believe in myself more. My voice teacher, choir directors, and my mother have all told me to believe in myself, my talent, and my craft. I asked my mother once why she never wishes me good luck and she replied, "You don't need luck son, you are very talented". So what she says to me instead is "You got this! Go be great!" So, I have learned that if I want to achieve my goals that I have to put in the work because nothing in this life is easy or free. Most importantly, I have learned to be comfortable in my own skin. Thinking about my future I have realized that as much as I love to sing, my heart lies in helping young children that are at high risk for falling victim to the streets and becoming statistics of society. I hope to build relationships with these children as a social worker so that I can show them that no matter how small they think they are or what other people think and say about them if they love themselves and believe in themselves, they can achieve any goal they set their mind to. I not only hope to make a difference as a social worker by showing children that if they surround themselves with positive people and people who genuinely care about their success then the sky truly is the limit but I want to be the difference. As I spend my free time as an assistant little league football coach, I have realized that as I pursue my degree in social work that I just might be the only person that makes the difference in that one child's life. I want to show them that they can be whomever they want and participate in any and everything they want to. Most importantly, I want to be an example of what it means to set a goal and pursue it without fear of what others think.

"Yo Momma"! These two little words hold many meanings. Years ago, these two words were spewed out and intended to be the worst insult a person could cast upon an enemy. Many fights were fought and lost over these two little words. As the son of a single mother, those words mean so much to me. Being the only child of a single mother has opened my eyes and helped me to realize just how much she sacrifices for me. She doesn't buy herself new clothes so that she can buy clothes for me. She spends the last of her money to buy me something to eat, even if it means she doesn't have enough for her to eat. She is the last to go to bed at night, and she is the first one up. After working all day, she comes home and takes care of the home. She even drives me to volunteer my time as an assistant little league football coach. She finds the time to talk to me about my day and helps me with my school work. My mother has shown me what it means to work hard. She has three jobs, works every day, and always has time to spend with me. She is also the co-owner of a personal care home. I have learned from watching her what it means to give selflessly and care for others. She gives her all to everything that she does. My mother and I have a very close relationship. I can talk to her easily about anything. Yes, as a teenager, I have conversations with my mother about everything, even sex. My mother and I share a love for sports, so we frequently attend sporting events together. Our relationship is close. Having a single mother has shown me what it means to persevere when failure seems imminent. Seeing how hard my mother works has shown me that if there is something that I believe in or I am passionate about, I should fight and work for it. Her favorite thing to say to me is, "Anything worth having is worth fighting for." My mother paid her way through nursing school twice and has been nursing for 16 years now. She put herself through school to obtain her undergraduate degree in healthcare administration and entrepreneurship and then her graduate degree in healthcare administration without missing a single beat. Her determination pushes me to want to do better and be better as I prepare for college and transition into the workforce and young adulthood. I see how passionate she is about being a nurse and caring for others, and I have realized that I share her passion for wanting to help others and make a difference in their lives. She makes me want to be a better me. I see how happy it makes her to help others, and I am encouraged to do the same. However, I do not want to be a nurse. Through my four years of being a volunteer assistance football coach working with boys ages 4 to 6 years of age, I realized that I want to be a social worker. I don't just want to make a difference in their lives. I want to be the difference, like my mother. So, when I hear the words "yo momma!" I can only laugh to myself because my momma is a boss lady!