To be successful means not to have the latest stuff, but to be able to look in the mirror and say, "I made it through the struggle, and my journey has only begun." I want to take my Occupational Therapy Degree and turn it into something valuable and beneficial that can be seen as making a difference for others. When I wake up in the morning, my thoughts are on how to go to sleep with a bit step in the right direction that my future self would thank me for later. My educational goals are to receive not only my Bachelor's in Occupational Therapy but also my Masters's. Me, being this ambitious is rare... I am an African American female, raised in inner-city Atlanta, who overcomes adversity every day. Kids like me do not see a way out, all we "see" is what is around us. I want to be living proof that even when society and statistics say you likely will fail, you can curve it and plant it into your soil of adversity and grow from it to become the sweet fruit of success. Helping others is what I have a passion for, and because of that, I will be majoring in occupational therapy and minoring in social work. First, earning a degree in occupational therapy will afford me the skills to help injured or disabled patients develop and recover physical skills to help them complete their daily living tasks. I remember being in middle school and my friend Sanaa had an occupational therapist at school teaching her how to write again due to her and her dad being in a bad car accident. I watched her try so hard to hold her pencil and write her name. I sometimes cried because that was my friend, and I could not help her. Alabama State University has an excellent Occupational Therapy program, and it is an HBCU. Leaving the state of Georgia will allow me to get away from the gangs and violence that I see daily in my neighborhood. I live in the Cleveland Avenue neighborhood in Atlanta, GA. Most importantly, I will be the first person in my family to attend college and to be completely honest, I sometimes believe that my family can hold me back. My family does not have a lot of money, and I know that the best way that I can help my mom and little sister is first to help myself. Attending Alabama State University will help me do just that. As African Americans, it is already an extra weight on our backs to be more than others might partake in. I want to achieve my dreams to show that women can make their dreams come true. Finding something you are passionate about and seeing where that passion and drive can lead you is a fantastic experience and an exciting journey I am willing to take. I am choosing to break the glass ceiling and show women that it is okay to step out of our comfort zones and choose careers that were not necessarily designed for us. Wanting what is best for yourself and seeing your life in a bigger picture and not a small frame only prepares you for the next chapter of your life. I plan to give back by mentoring younger girls to create a life full of inspiration. If I had the chance to learn with people who stepped out of their comfort zone, to leave remarkable work behind, work that we still admire today, Applying, creating, and renewing is what I go by, but the challenge, the drive, the overcome... is what I dwell by.

To be successful means not to have the latest stuff, but to be able to look in the mirror and say, "I made it through the struggle, and my journey has only begun." When I wake up in the morning, my thoughts are on how to go to sleep with a bit step in the right direction that my future self would thank me for later. Me, being this ambitious is rare... I am an African American female, raised in inner-city Atlanta, who overcomes adversity every day. Kids like me do not see a way out, all we "see" is what is around us. I want to be living proof that even when society and statistics say you likely will fail, you can curve it and plant it into your soil of adversity and grow from it to become the sweet fruit of success. Helping others is what I have a passion for, and because of that, I will be majoring in occupational therapy and minoring in social work. First, earning a degree in occupational therapy will afford me the skills to help injured or disabled patients develop and recover physical skills to help them complete their daily living tasks. Leaving the state of Georgia will allow me to get away from the gangs and violence that I see daily. Most importantly, I will be the first person in my family to attend college and to be completely honest, I sometimes believe that my family can hold me back. My family does not have a lot of money, and I know that the best way that I can help my mom and little sister is first to help myself. Attending Alabama State University will help me do just that,

To be successful means not to have the latest stuff, but to be able to look in the mirror and say, "I made it through the struggle, and my journey has only begun." I want to take my Occupational Therapy Degree and turn it into something valuable and beneficial that can be seen as making a difference for others. When I wake up in the morning, my thoughts are on how to go to sleep with a bit step in the right direction that my future self would thank me for later. My educational goals are to receive not only my Bachelor's in Occupational Therapy but also my Masters's. Me, being this ambitious is rare... I am an African American female, raised in inner-city Atlanta, who overcomes adversity every day. Kids like me do not see a way out, all we "see" is what is around us. I want to be living proof that even when society and statistics say you likely will fail, you can curve it and plant it into your soil of adversity and grow from it to become the sweet fruit of success. Helping others is what I have a passion for, and because of that, I will be majoring in occupational therapy and minoring in social work. First, earning a degree in occupational therapy will afford me the skills to help injured or disabled patients develop and recover physical skills to help them complete their daily living tasks. I remember being in middle school and my friend Sanaa had an occupational therapist at school teaching her how to write again due to her and her dad being in a bad car accident. I watched her try so hard to hold her pencil and write her name. I sometimes cried because that was my friend, and I could not help her. Alabama State University has an excellent Occupational Therapy program. Leaving the state of Georgia will allow me to get away from the gangs and violence that I see daily in my neighborhood. I will be the first person in my family to attend college and to be completely honest, I sometimes believe that my family can hold me back. My family does not have a lot of money, and I know that the best way that I can help my mom and little sister is first to help myself. Attending Alabama State University will help me do just that, There is already an extra weight on our backs to be more than others might partake in. I want to achieve my dreams to show that women can make their dreams come true. Finding something you are passionate about and seeing where that passion and drive can lead you is a fantastic experience and an exciting journey I am willing to take. I am choosing to break the glass ceiling and show women that it is okay to step out of our comfort zones and choose careers that were not necessarily designed for us. Wanting what is best for yourself and seeing your life in a bigger picture and not a small frame only prepares you for the next chapter of your life. I plan to give back by mentoring younger girls to create a life full of inspiration. If I had the chance to learn with people who stepped out of their comfort zone, to leave remarkable work behind, work that we still admire today, Applying, creating, and renewing is what I go by, but the challenge, the drive, the overcome... is what I dwell by.

To be successful means not to have the latest stuff, but to be able to look in the mirror and say, "I made it through the struggle, and my journey has only begun." I want to take my Occupational Therapy Degree and turn it into something valuable and beneficial that can be seen as making a difference for others. When I wake up in the morning, my thoughts are on how to go to sleep with a bit step in the right direction that my future self would thank me for later. Me, being this ambitious is rare... I am an African American female, raised in inner-city Atlanta, who overcomes adversity every day. Kids like me do not see a way out, all we "see" is what is around us. I want to be living proof that even when society and statistics say you likely will fail, you can curve it and plant it into your soil of adversity and grow from it to become the sweet fruit of success. Helping others is what I have a passion for, and because of that, I will be majoring in occupational therapy and minoring in social work. First, earning a degree in occupational therapy will afford me the skills to help injured or disabled patients develop and recover physical skills to help them complete their daily living tasks. I remember being in middle school and my friend Sanaa had an occupational therapist at school teaching her how to write again due to her and her dad being in a bad car accident. I watched her try so hard to hold her pencil and write her name. I sometimes cried because that was my friend, and I could not help her. Leaving the state of Georgia will allow me to get away from the gangs and violence that I see daily in my neighborhood. I live in the Cleveland Avenue neighborhood in Atlanta, GA. Most importantly, I will be the first person in my family to attend college and to be completely honest, I sometimes believe that my family can hold me back. My family does not have a lot of money, and I know that the best way that I can help my mom and little sister is first to help myself. Attending Alabama State University will help me do just that. As African Americans, it is already an extra weight on our backs to be more than others might partake in. I want to achieve my dreams to show that women can make their dreams come true. Finding something you are passionate about and seeing where that passion and drive can lead you is a fantastic experience and an exciting journey I am willing to take. I am choosing to break the glass ceiling and show women that it is okay to step out of our comfort zones and choose careers that were not necessarily designed for us. Wanting what is best for yourself and seeing your life in a bigger picture and not a small frame only prepares you for the next chapter of your life. I plan to give back by mentoring younger girls to create a life full of inspiration. If I had the chance to learn with people who stepped out of their comfort zone, to leave remarkable work behind, work that we still admire today, Applying, creating, and renewing is what I go by, but the challenge, the drive, the overcome... is what I dwell by.