Being a child of Haitian immigrants has been a thorough experience when it comes to finances. As a kid I never understood how hard it can be because when you are a kid things don't seem as bad. As I grew up & recognized my family's lifestyle that has changed drastically. Having to see the amount of loans & debt my parents are in because of wanting to have an education & better income for their children is something hard to see but it has also made me very grateful for their hard work. It takes being strong to get through financial struggles. There have been many times where me & my family have struggled with bills, I've have had to help my parents with bills before the age of 18. I have never resented my parents for doing what they can for me but it definitely is a challenge. These struggles can sometimes cause shame & it can be hard mentally because there aren't many people to talk to about this certain struggle. Most people have to just live with it which is what me & my family have done, but I want better for them & myself. I haven't started into my career yet in medical sonography as I have just graduated high school, but that means my passion for this career has just begun. I know that truthfully pursuing this career will take hard work. At first I was worried about all of the hard work that I would have to complete, but as I looked back at myself & the things I have accomplished over the years with my family it has gave me so much hope. Even when things were hard throughout schooling & having to deal with finances with my family in life, I always have fought my hardest & never gave up to make sure I would achieve the things I want. I pray that as I enter the medical field I want to make sure that other's don't feel alone as me & my family did when it comes to finances. No one deserves to feel as if their financial struggles means they will never get to me happy in life. I want to break the general struggle that consumes my family & other's around me. I truly want to be able to help my parents not work hard as they grow old because they deserve it. I believe that if I achieve my goals in the future I will be able to finally bring a sense of peace to myself, my family, & other's around me.

As a Haitian American living in America with immigrant parents, healthcare always has seemed like a scary thing. It was often seen as something that is way to expensive & something to avoid at all cost. I've wanted to work in healthcare for this reason but many things need to change within it. People shouldn't have to worry about whether they can even pay for themselves, or others they care about when unexplainable things happen. Healthcare should have comfort for everyone, no matter the financial situation. Everyone can have a different experience in the healthcare system but I feel like it should all end in one thing. You should feel cared for, no matter your gender, race, ethnicity, or religion. One too many times have myself & others seen & felt improper care from individuals working in healthcare. I understand that being in the position to work in the healthcare system is a big responsibility & there is a lot of hard work that goes into it, but mistreatment of people who are in need is not okay. People should get to leave hospitals, doctor offices, dentist, etc. feeling satisfied & know that they had a comforting & respectful experience. I believe that as I grow & learn about the healthcare system & begin to work in the system there are many things I want to exemplify to others. I want to be able to help other's feel safe & know that they don't need to worry about how they are going to be treated when they come into a hospital. I would want to change the overall belittling feeling that patients may feel. I have always wanted other's to feel as if they are completely understood because that is one major problem when it comes to mental health. People shouldn't have to feel as if they are taking their feelings, mentally or physically out of proportion & that is exactly what I want to stop & change for healthcare. This scholarship will help me & my family to have some relief when it comes to me working towards being in healthcare. I have always wanted to go to college & continue to learn to better myself, but to also provide better for my family. Having to watch your family struggle with money is something nobody wants to go through, but sometimes it just happens. I never would want my parents to worry about how I will pay for my education which is the main reason why I chose a community college. I want better for them but also for myself & this scholarship is just the bump we need to ease the fears of cost of education.

Throughout the past few years mental health has been something I believe should be very important to everyone around the world. I believe it goes along with your own personal development & it can help someone else to grow by seeing how much you have achieved. One thing I have gone by ever since I have heard it is "if you don't believe in yourself, why should anyone else?". Personal development starts with yourself. It is important to me to take care of yourself & know where you want to be in life at any age. The first step to my personal development was to understand how I went through my everyday life & eventually get tired of being in the same space mental state for so long. If you never knew who you were in life then how could you achieve to be your best self? Personal development to me means that you explore the different experiences in life. Life is one big experience & it is different for everyone. I had to recognize who I was & who I wanted to be, but it is easier said then done. I had to realize that I was in pain mentally constantly & I was isolating my true self. Telling myself affirmation & speaking positivity into my life has changed me so much for the better. It has helped me begin to accept where I am in life because I can't envy other's life when all I have is my own. Going outside & taking in the sun, journaling, praying, & speaking to other's about their own experience has helped me to become less of an angry person in my life. Appreciating everything that come into my life because it is mine & too many people have lost their right to enjoy their own life. Taking care of myself no matter how many challenges & obstacles come my way is helping me become a stronger person. Everyday is a new opportunity to grow. I have been through many obstacles from my childhood up to now. Recognizing that I have made it through so much trauma is helping me to understand that I can make it through anything that is thrown to me. I have had to be open to new environment's to escape the depressing state my mental health was in. I am still growing as I am still young, but I continue to wake up appreciating my life & the things I have because at the end of the day I am the only person that is going to be with me 100% of the time & I have to push myself to become better everyday.

As a Haitian American living in America with immigrant parents, healthcare always has seemed like a scary thing. It was often seen as something that is way to expensive & something to avoid at all cost. I've wanted to work in healthcare for this reason but many things need to change within it. People shouldn't have to worry about whether they can even pay for themselves, or others they care about when unexplainable things happen. Healthcare should have comfort for everyone, no matter the financial situation. Everyone can have a different experience in the healthcare system but I feel like it should all end in one thing. You should feel cared for, no matter your gender, race, ethnicity, or religion. One too many times have myself & others seen & felt improper care from individuals working in healthcare. I understand that being in the position to work in the healthcare system is a big responsibility & there is a lot of hard work that goes into it, but mistreatment of people who are in need is not okay. People should get to leave hospitals, doctor offices, dentist, etc. feeling satisfied & know that they had a comforting & respectful experience. I believe that as I grow & learn about the healthcare system & begin to work in the system there are many things I want to exemplify to others. I want to be able to help other's feel safe & know that they don't need to worry about how they are going to be treated when they come into a hospital. I would want to change the overall belittling feeling that patients may feel. I have always wanted other's to feel as if they are completely understood because that is one major problem when it comes to mental health. People shouldn't have to feel as if they are taking their feelings, mentally or physically out of proportion & that is exactly what I want to stop & change for healthcare. The cost of healthcare can most times be very intimidating & hard on families, knowing from experience. Though it can be very intimidating, the personal treatment patients get should make it all feel worth it. Patients should get to know that you do not have to feel at ease when speaking to someone in healthcare. No one should have to feel as if they are disconnected from their provider because we are all human. Healthcare should truly mean you are taking care of those who are in need, no matter the circumstance.

Being a Haitian American child has been a thorough experience for reason's many people wouldn't be able to understand. I moved from many different environments mentally & physically to get to where I am know. I am 18 years old & have just graduated from Harnett central High School as Cum Laude. It was never easy considering I had to move states as a child. leaving my family & friends & having to move schools three times from elementary school through high school is not something I would've ever wanted to do, but here I am, just accepted into Wake technical community college. I am eager to begin my journey in learning medical sonography. Growing up I had never felt heard in my own voice, it felt as if everyone made the decision for me & I couldn't be myself around the people I loved. Being Haitian is a experience to be grateful for but also a very difficult one. The first person to judge what you do is your parents & having immigrant parents means they have very different opinions from you. It was difficult to express how I feel on situations in my life & it still very much is. My mental health went downhill once I hit high school because I felt alone in everything that I wanted to do for myself. I've had to sacrifice a lot of things throughout high school because of having different view points from my parents. Giving up sports or just regular high school after school activities with friends was very hard on me. I say this because no teenager wants to be alone in the house everyday knowing they could be doing what they love & have to watch everyone have fun without you. I had no one to talk to because not many would've understood & again, my parents were very stern & never could see things the way I could. This made me feel completely alone, especially when I moved schools my junior year of high school & I gave up on my mental health because it felt like there was no point. I prayed & prayed for help to get out of my situation but I believe God helped me to change my perspective on my life. I had to start loving myself & loving who I am & where I was in life on my own. I started to learn that everything starts with you & you have to build yourself up no matter what. Caring for yourself is the first way to growing in life. You are in control of your life & I believe that everyone needs at least one person to tell them that no matter how deeply hurt they are someone loves you, but you must also love yourself. Life is an experience & it what you make it but it all starts with self love & pushing yourself to be greater mentally. It starts with seeing things for what they are & accepting it but also creating your own narrative because you are great & are in the right path.

Being a Haitian American child has been a thorough experience. Growing up my family has always wanted me to be in the medical field, as any Caribbean parent would. Following exactly what your parent says isn't usually what a child is going to want to do. It has always been in my mind, but as I grew into my own person I have found exactly what I wanted for myself. Though I have found my way into college, I have been through a lot even getting to the mindset I have now. These past couple years I have realized that everything starts with yourself. I have been through things that I never really gave myself credit for. Growing up in a Haitian household definitely has held me back from a lot of things. But it also has protected me from many things that I am very grateful for. I have had to work through things by myself because my parents didn't know as much but it has helped me grow stronger. Having to handle things on my own with schooling because your parents don't fully understand the way things work in America is hard. I've constantly had to depend on myself because though I had siblings, we were so far in age that it wasn't really my place to ask questions so I would feel alone. As I have grown I've learned & realized the type of person I am & the type of person I want to be. I have always been the one to keep a smile on my face & make sure others around me are cared for but not caring for myself. One thing i always wanted to feel is heard but that was usually never the case in my home. I had to learn to take care of myself but also I never wanted to stop making sure I care for those around me because I know how it feels to be alone. I believe that going into the career I chose, medical sonography, is exactly what I will get to do for other's. I want to be able to grow into an understanding person especially in different environments. I am eager to learn how to better communicate with different people & eager to learn the psychology of people so I can better understand what my patients would want from me & ways to give that to them in a gentle way. I care so much about my community because I know we go through many challenges that aren't talked about. I believe that everyday is a new experience & everything starts with you because you are the only person with you 100% of the time. I believe that I can help others feel as if they are appreciated & cared for even if no one else makes them feel that way.

Being a Haitian American child has been a thorough experience. I have just turned 18 years old & have been accepted into college ready to pursue pre-medical sonography. Growing up my family has always wanted me to be in the medical field, as any Caribbean parent would. Following exactly what your parent says isn't usually what a child is going to want to do. It has always been in my mind, but as I grew into my own person I have found exactly what I wanted for myself. I believe medical sonography is a gateway for me to grow into a better person & help others feel cared for at least once when around me. These past couple years I have realized that everything starts with yourself. I have been through things that I never really gave myself credit for. Growing up in a Haitian household definitely has held me back from a lot of things. But it also has protected me from many things that I am very grateful for. I have had to work through things by myself because my parents didn't know as much but it has helped me grow stronger. As I have grown I've learned & realized the type of person I am & the type of person I want to be. I have always been the one to keep a smile on my face & make sure others around me are cared for. Being around hospitals & doctors have made me understand that one thing a patient wants to feel is heard. I believe that going into this career is exactly what I want to do for other people. I want to be able to grow into an understanding person especially in different environments. I am eager to learn how to better communicate with different people. I am also eager to learn the psychology of people so I can better understand what my patients would want from me & ways to give that to them in a gentle way. I'm ready for the new environments that I am going to be in & all the new people I will be able to meet throughout college & clinical trials. I believe that everyday is a new experience & everything starts with you because you are the only person with you 100% of the time. I believe that I can help others feel as if they are appreciated & cared for even if no one else makes them feel that way. I know I can push through whatever comes my way because I have worked hard to get to where I am now & I know I can work to get to where I want to be while caring for others around me.

Being a Haitian American child has been a thorough experience. I have just turned 18 years old & have been accepted into college ready to pursue pre-medical sonography. Growing up my family has always wanted me to be in the medical field, as any Caribbean parent would. Following exactly what you parent says isn't usually what a child is going to want to do. It has always been in my mind, but as I grew into my own person I have found exactly what I wanted for myself. I believe medical sonography is a gateway for me to grow into a better person & help others feel cared for at least once when around me. These past couples years I have realized that everything starts with yourself. I have been through things that I never really gave myself credit for. Growing up in a Haitian household definitely has held me back from a lot of things. But it also has protected me from many things that I am very grateful for. I have had to work through things by myself because my parents didn't know as much but it has helped me grow stronger. As I have grown I've learned & realized the type of person I am & the type of person I want to be. I have always been the one to keep a smile on my face & make sure other around me are cared for. Being around hospitals & doctors have made me understand that one thing a patient wants to feel is heard. I believe that going into this career that is exactly what I want to do for other people. I want to be able to grow into a understanding person especially in different environments. I am eager to learn how to better communicate with different people. I am also eager to learn the psychology of people so I can better understand what my patients would want from me & ways to give that to them in a gentle way. I'm ready for the new environments that I am going to be in & all the new people I will be able to meet throughout college & clinical trials. I believe that everyday is a new experience & everything starts with you because you are the only person with you 100% of the time. I believe that I can help others feel as if they are appreciated & cared for even if no one else makes them feel that way. I know I can push through whatever comes my way because I have worked hard to get to where I am know & I know I can work to get to where I want to be while caring for others around me.

When I was a child, coming from a fully Haitian family had fully persuaded me to become a doctor. I always had the idea because of this but as I grew into my own person I found exactly what my passion would be in the medical field. I want to be able to make connections with other people through medicine & technology. I have found medical sonography to be just that. I can help share beautiful moments with thousands of people throughout my lifetime of working as a medical sonographer. I believe that if I can pursue this I can make myself proud, my patients, & my family proud. I haven't started into my career yet as I have just graduated high school, but that means my passion for this career has just begun. I know that truthfully pursuing this career will take hard work. At first I was worried about all of the hard work that I would have to complete. But as I looked back at myself & the things I have accomplished over the years it has gave me so much hope. Even when things were hard throughout schooling & personal life I always fought my hardest & never gave up to make sure I would achieve the things I want. I never want to fail myself or others around me. I want to make sure as I grow through the process of learning medical sonography I will make the people I work & grow with have a good experience. I am big on experiences & I believe everyday is a new one. Being in the medical field there a many different things that will come to be everyday which makes me excited. I'm eager to learn how to communicate with different types of people. I am also eager to learn the process of psychology so I can better understand my patients. I have been around medicine my whole life & I understand that being the patient means that you want your doctor to understand the things that you need. I always have the urge to make sure that people feel cared for because I know that is what I wanted for myself & my family all these years. I pray that as I continue to pursue this career little by little I will continue to make sure others around me feel cared for including myself because it always starts with yourself & believing in what you know you can achieve.