My name is Nathan J-song Henderson. I was born in Trenton, New Jersey, but soon moved to California. My early years were challenging as I was raised in hotels with a mentally ill mother who did not take her medication and abused my half-siblings. During one of my dad's visits, he called the police due to the severity of the situation, and I was placed in foster care until he gained full custody of me. I share this not to seek sympathy, but to highlight my academic journey and the resilience I have shown throughout my life. Because I had survived challenge after challenge from such a young age, I was able to have an unfortunate head start and advantage over my peers in terms of balancing tasks and challenging circumstances. Being freed from my prior shackles allowed me to eventually become unapologetically curious and joyful. After the weight of constant pressure was relieved from my life, I felt my new relationships were stronger than ever before. However, building bonds took time as I had to adjust to not being punished for my natural wonder. After my dad got full custody, we lived in the Potrero Hill projects, an unsafe area of San Francisco. I was always curious and could not understand why our apartment was so much smaller than my peers' or why people looked at me differently as an African American. In middle school, I discovered my strengths in math, social skills, and overall charisma. I knew that if I wanted to succeed, I needed to attend Lowell High School, a merit-based, competitive public school ranked number seven in California for its academics. I worked hard, got straight A's in middle school, and eventually got into Lowell. However, my journey at Lowell was not easy. The school was only 0.56% Black at the time of my application, and with a student body of about 3,000, I often felt like a minority. Despite this, I joined the Black Student Union, Latinx Club, Filipino Club, and Minorities United, and became the PR/Treasurer in a few of them. I saw being a minority as a chance to stand out and show my capabilities. I ended up achieving a GPA of 3.3, despite facing significant challenges, including the loss of my grandmother during distanced learning. Now, I am committed to attending Morehouse College in Atlanta to get back in touch with my culture as a Finance major. Growing up in the projects, we never had any knowledge of money. My goal is to get my Bachelor's degree and then return to the projects to help aid programs in place. I want to fund the rebuilding of uninhabitable homes and place financial literacy classes in the middle and high schools in the area. These schools are considered some of the worst in the city and are often neglected due to the neighborhood. This scholarship will be a crucial stepping stone for me. It will allow me to focus on my college education without the stress of meeting my basic needs, such as meal plans and dorm necessities. This support will enable me to concentrate on my studies and eventually contribute to the reconstruction of my community in San Francisco. In conclusion, my journey has been filled with challenges, but I have always remained resilient. My experiences have shaped my goals and dreams, and I am determined to give back to my community. This scholarship will play a vital role in helping me achieve my dreams and make a positive impact on the world. Thank you for considering my application.

My name is Nathan J-song Henderson. I was born in Trenton, New Jersey, but soon moved to California. My early years were challenging as I was raised in hotels with a mentally ill mother who did not take her medication and abused my half-siblings. During one of my dad's visits, he called the police due to the severity of the situation, and I was placed in foster care until he gained full custody of me. I share this not to seek sympathy, but to highlight my academic journey and the resilience I have shown throughout my life. My mother was diagnosed with Agoraphobia, Major Depressive Disorder, and Bipolar. She had many of her own challenges from her past that would influence me and all of my half siblings for the rest of our lives. She ended up going so far gone that she would do unspeakable things such as making a sibling stand on one leg in the corner and physically punishing them if they were to lose balance. These traumatic experiences actually became my fuel for my ambitions since then. My perception of people has always been an accurate one, but slightly untrusting of authority. Because I had survived challenge after challenge from such a young age, I was able to have an unfortunate head start and advantage over my peers in terms of balancing tasks and challenging circumstances. Being freed from my prior shackles allowed me to eventually become unapologetically curious and joyful. After the weight of constant pressure was relieved from my life, I felt my new relationships were stronger than ever before. However, building bonds took time as I had to adjust to not being punished for my natural wonder. For the first few months of being out, I had severe counseling sessions because I hadn't yet been unchained from the fear of loss. After my dad got full custody, we lived in the Potrero Hill projects, an unsafe area of San Francisco. I was always curious and could not understand why our apartment was so much smaller than my peers' or why people looked at me differently as an African American. In middle school, I discovered my strengths in math, social skills, and overall charisma. I knew that if I wanted to succeed, I needed to attend Lowell High School, a merit-based, competitive public school ranked number seven in California for its academics. I worked hard, got straight A's in middle school, and eventually got into Lowell. However, my journey at Lowell was not easy. The school was only 0.56% Black at the time of my application, and with a student body of about 3,000, I often felt like a minority. Despite this, I joined the Black Student Union, Latinx Club, Filipino Club, and Minorities United, and became the PR/Treasurer in a few of them. I saw being a minority as a chance to stand out and show my capabilities. I ended up achieving a GPA of 3.3, despite facing significant challenges, including the loss of my grandmother during distanced learning. Now, I am committed to attending Morehouse College in Atlanta to get back in touch with my culture as a Finance major. Growing up in the projects, we never had any knowledge of money. My goal is to get my Bachelor's degree and then return to the projects to help aid programs in place. I want to fund the rebuilding of uninhabitable homes and place financial literacy classes in the middle and high schools in the area. These schools are considered some of the worst in the city and are often neglected due to the neighborhood. This scholarship will be a crucial stepping stone for me. It will allow me to focus on my college education without the stress of meeting my basic needs, such as meal plans and dorm necessities. This support will enable me to concentrate on my studies and eventually contribute to the reconstruction of my community in San Francisco. In conclusion, my journey has been filled with challenges, but I have always remained resilient. My experiences have shaped my goals and dreams, and I am determined to give back to my community. This scholarship will play a vital role in helping me achieve my dreams and make a positive impact on the world. Thank you for considering my application.

My name is Nathan J-song Henderson. I was born in Trenton, New Jersey, but soon moved to California. My early years were challenging as I was raised in hotels with a mentally ill mother who did not take her medication and abused my half-siblings. During one of my dad's visits, he called the police due to the severity of the situation, and I was placed in foster care until he gained full custody of me. I share this not to seek sympathy, but to highlight my academic journey and the resilience I have shown throughout my life. After my dad got full custody, we lived in the Potrero Hill projects, an unsafe area of San Francisco. I was always curious and could not understand why our apartment was so much smaller than my peers' or why people looked at me differently as an African American. In middle school, I discovered my strengths in math, social skills, and overall charisma. I knew that if I wanted to succeed, I needed to attend Lowell High School, a merit-based, competitive public school ranked number seven in California for its academics. I worked hard, got straight A's in middle school, and eventually got into Lowell. However, my journey at Lowell was not easy. The school was only 0.56% Black at the time of my application, and with a student body of about 3,000, I often felt like a minority. Despite this, I joined the Black Student Union, Latinx Club, Filipino Club, and Minorities United, and became the PR/Treasurer in a few of them. I saw being a minority as a chance to stand out and show my capabilities. I ended up achieving a GPA of 3.3, despite facing significant challenges, including the loss of my grandmother during distanced learning. Now, I am committed to attending Morehouse College in Atlanta to get back in touch with my culture as a Finance major. Growing up in the projects, we never had any knowledge of money. My goal is to get my Bachelor's degree and then return to the projects to help aid programs in place. I want to fund the rebuilding of uninhabitable homes and place financial literacy classes in the middle and high schools in the area. These schools are considered some of the worst in the city and are often neglected due to the neighborhood. This scholarship will be a crucial stepping stone for me. It will allow me to focus on my college education without the stress of meeting my basic needs, such as meal plans and dorm necessities. This support will enable me to concentrate on my studies and eventually contribute to the reconstruction of my community in San Francisco. In conclusion, my journey has been filled with challenges, but I have always remained resilient. My experiences have shaped my goals and dreams, and I am determined to give back to my community. This scholarship will play a vital role in helping me achieve my dreams and make a positive impact on the world. Thank you for considering my application.