Growing up was a conundrum. I was told I should always be myself until who I was, was “incorrect.” As a child, I was aware of my uniqueness, yet I still had doubts about my identity. I could not articulate it, but a piece of me was missing. An identifiable but unexplainable void I buried behind closed doors hovered over me like a black shadow, hidden behind self-inflicted humility. I blindly trusted those closest to me, but that was proven to be my biggest mistake. My childhood was built on discomfort and being different, growing up as a Black gay male in America. I grew up in a church where being “different” meant being less than, disregarded, and overlooked. I knew I was different when I would play with the girls at recess instead of football with the boys. Church members attempted to convince me into believing that I needed another male figure in my life because of my father’s death. I felt like I had to fend for myself as the relationship with my mother can be described as complicated at best. On top of navigating this new identity, I also had to learn to manage my ADHD. As I was finishing my sophomore year of high school, with low self-esteem, Covid began. The challenges of this pandemic were daunting but also forced me to self-evaluate and discover what makes Nate happy. I began to watch gay-Black male influencers on social media and witnessed their pride and confidence, which seemed foreign and arrogant to me at first. I came to realize that confidence was exactly what I lacked. Making decisions based on what would please people or on the opinions of others was impeding upon my success. I slowly began doing what I thought was best for me. I made a mental note if the choice was proven not to be wise. I finally realized that life is a never-ending learning process. And it all began with watching someone else. A popular R & B song by artist Mary J. Blige starts with “Life can only be what you make it.” The song speaks to me on a multitude of levels, allowing me to alter the trajectory of my life because I am the one in control. Every action or decision I make is done with the intention of growth. I don’t let others’ perceptions keep me from getting where I want to go. I am aware of my past and the problems I have faced. I know that life is not going to be easy, but it’s My Life, and in my life, I can and will overcome anything and achieve my goals. I might not get it right at first, but I can improve. So, if you look at my life, you may view me as a 18-year-old gay Black boy with family problems, but you are mistaken. I am more than my sexuality, race, or past. I am Nathaniel Gardner, and I am hopeful, I am confident, and I am successful.

Growing up was a conundrum. I was taught I could be anyone I wanted...until my true identity was “incorrect.” As a child, I was always conscious that I was unique. I could not articulate it, but a piece of me was missing - an identifiable but unexplainable void. A void that hovered over me like a dark shadow and hidden behind false identity and self-inflicted humility. I blindly trusted those closest to me- my family and my church, but that was proven to be my biggest mistake. My childhood was built on discomfort and being different - growing up as a Black gay male in America. I grew up in a church that had a constricted atmosphere. Where being "different" meant being less than, disregarded, disdained, and overlooked. I knew I was different when I would play with the girls at recess instead of football with the boys or watch Beyoncé instead of playing video games. Church members attempted to persuade me to believe I needed another male figure in life because of my father's homicide. Consistently being asked, "You got yourself a girlfriend yet Nate?" sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I fought this mental battle alone as my relationship with my mother could be described as complex at best. In addition to navigating this new identity, I also was learning to manage my ADHD. Covid-19 began as I finished my sophomore year of high school, with low self-esteem. Despite the dauntingness, this pandemic forced me to reflect upon myself and do some self-discovery. I found LGBTQIA+ influencers on social media, and witness their pride and confidence, which initially were foreign and arrogant to me but it was exactly what I lacked. I realized that making decisions based on what would please people or the opinions of others ultimately impeded upon my success. I started doing what I felt was best for me. If the choice proved otherwise, I made a mental note. I had figured out that life is a never-ending learning process. And it all began with watching someone else. This planted the seeds of my interest in marketing - to create connection, community, and expression. As I grew older, my father's absence became unavoidable. When others mentioned the significant role of their father, I was forced to finally confront the unhealed, buried space from childhood. Although difficult, my experiences of bullying, discovering my community, family, and childhood trauma, helped me gain a new self-confidence where I no longer yearned for validation or attention. I can now alter the trajectory of my life because I am in control. Every action or decision I make now is made with the intention of growth and positivity. I don’t let other people's perceptions interfere with my thoughts or keep me from getting where I want to go. I am aware of my past and the problems I have faced. I am also aware that life is not going to be easy, but it’s My Life, and in my life, I can overcome anything and move toward my goals. Today I can clearly see the payoff of life’s experiences as I hold a 4.0 GPA and, on the journey, to attain my bachelor's degree at Morehouse University. I know, I might not always get it right the first time, but I can improve. So, if you look at my life, you might think I am just an 18-year-old gay Black male with family problems, but you are mistaken. I am more than my sexuality, race, or past. I am Nathaniel Gardner, and I am successful, I am hopeful, I am confident.

Growing up was a conundrum. I was told I should always be myself until who I was, was “wrong.” As a child, I was aware of my uniqueness, yet still doubtful about my identity. I could not articulate it, but a piece of me was missing. An identifiable but unexplainable void I buried behind closed doors hovered over me like a black shadow, hidden behind self-inflicted humility. I blindly trusted those closest to me, but that was proven to be my biggest mistake. My childhood was built on discomfort and being different, growing up as a Black gay male in America. I grew up in a church where being “different” meant being less than, disregarded, and overlooked. I knew I was different when I would play with the girls at recess instead of football with the boys. Church members attempted to convince me into believing that I needed another male figure in my life because of my father’s death. I felt like I had to fend for myself as my relationship with my mother can be described as complicated at best. On top of navigating this new identity, I also had to learn to manage my ADHD. As I was finishing my sophomore year of high school, with low self-esteem, Covid began. The challenges of this pandemic were daunting but also forced me to self-evaluate and discover what makes Nate happy. I began to watch other LGBTQIA+ influencers on social media and witnessed their pride and confidence, which seemed foreign and arrogant to me at first. I came to realize that confidence was exactly what I lacked. Making decisions based on what would please people or on the opinions of others was impeding upon my success. I slowly began doing what I thought was best for me. I made a mental note if the choice was proven not to be wise. I finally realized that life is a never-ending learning process. And it all began with watching someone else. A popular R&B song by artist Mary J. Blige starts with “Life can only be what you make it.” The song speaks to me on a multitude of levels, allowing me to alter the trajectory of my life because I am the one in control. Every action or decision I make is done with the intention of growth. I don’t let others’ perceptions keep me from getting where I want to go. I am aware of my past and the problems I have faced. I know that life will not be easy, but it’s My Life, and in my life, I can and will overcome anything and achieve my goals. I might not get it right at first, but I can improve. As I come to a close in my freshman year in college with a 4.0 GPA and attaining 31 college credits I can proudly say that my identity does not limit my success in life. It empowers and encourages me. So, if you look at my life, you may view me as an 18-year-old gay Black boy with family problems, but you are mistaken. I am more than my sexuality, race, or past. I am Nathaniel Gardner, and I am hopeful, I am confident, and I am successful.

Growing up was a conundrum. I was told I should always be myself until who I was, was “incorrect.” As a child, I was aware of my uniqueness, yet I still had doubts about my identity. I could not articulate it, but a piece of me was missing. An identifiable but unexplainable void I buried behind closed doors hovered over me like a black shadow, hidden behind self-inflicted humility. I blindly trusted those closest to me, but that was proven to be my biggest mistake. My childhood was built on discomfort and being different, growing up as a Black gay male in America. I grew up in a church where being “different” meant being less than, disregarded, and overlooked. I knew I was different when I would play with the girls at recess instead of football with the boys. Church members attempted to convince me into believing that I needed another male figure in my life because of my father’s death. I felt like I had to fend for myself as the relationship with my mother can be described as complicated at best. On top of navigating this new identity, I also had to learn to manage my ADHD. As I was finishing my sophomore year of high school, with low self-esteem, Covid began. The challenges of this pandemic were daunting but also forced me to self-evaluate and discover what makes Nate happy. I began to watch gay-Black male influencers on social media and witnessed their pride and confidence, which seemed foreign and arrogant to me at first. I came to realize that confidence was exactly what I lacked. Making decisions based on what would please people or on the opinions of others was impeding upon my success. I slowly began doing what I thought was best for me. I made a mental note if the choice was proven not to be wise. I finally realized that life is a never-ending learning process. And it all began with watching someone else. A popular R & B song by artist Mary J. Blige starts with “Life can only be what you make it.” The song speaks to me on a multitude of levels, allowing me to alter the trajectory of my life because I am the one in control. Every action or decision I make is done with the intention of growth. I don’t let others’ perceptions keep me from getting where I want to go. I am aware of my past and the problems I have faced. I know that life is not going to be easy, but it’s My Life, and in my life, I can and will overcome anything and achieve my goals. I might not get it right at first, but I can improve. So, if you look at my life, you may view me as a 17-year-old gay Black boy with family problems, but you are mistaken. I am more than my sexuality, race, or past. I am Nathaniel Gardner, and I am hopeful, I am confident, and I am successful.

I believe that by coming together, communities can make a bigger and better change for the world. The power of unification inspires me to be involved in my community. Community, to me, is individuals unifying regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or identification. A community can easily be mistaken as a group of people with one thing in common, but a community is more profound than that. A common interest does not equate to a connection. It's a responsibility and commitment to understand, build and continue to learn from your community. This, unfortunately, can include embracing the fight against perceptions or stereotypes of your community, but when you fight with your community, you are never alone. As a Black gay male with ADHD, I have the honor of being a part of multiple communities. Surprisingly, I was oblivious to my connections to these communities, which also speaks to actively embracing a community, as not every community is chosen. I became aware of my "blackness" as a child in middle school. Prior to middle school, I attended a school in a rural area. Despite perceptions of rural towns, this area was vastly diverse. I grew up embracing different cultures as a norm. However, when moving to an area lacking diversity, I quickly realized all differences are not celebrated everywhere. This epiphany sparked my interest in finding a space to rejoice with people like me. One of my school's only staff of color informed me about the Black Student Union and its importance. Joining this Union helped me grow, embrace my community and use the indifference of my skin color as confidence and power. I began to look at my skin color as one of a kind, distinctly unique, and what makes me and my community different. Not only was I able to educate myself, but I gained a new motive to educate as many young black peers as possible to have confidence in themselves and break standards. Don't let others think they have a standard of you or people "like you." Break those standards and prove to everybody that you are more than what meets the eye. Most importantly, prove it to yourself. The change I hope to make in my community is, uplifting another despite an individual's identity. Oftentimes in society, when a person's identity is not familiar in a given space, they are treated as an outcast. I myself have experienced this. From enduring this outcasting in past experiences, I am certain a change needs to happen. A society that encourages individuality and diversity will grow and flourish. In order to make this change in the world successfully, I have to start with myself. Therefore I actively support my community and educate myself on unfamiliar spaces. Partaking in these community-building activities contributes to my life goal of making society progressive. No matter how big or small the involvement may be, I immerse myself in as many communities as possible to enlighten others on the power of community. For example, I am in community-based clubs within my college, including Pride Club and the Latin American Student Association. Along with this, I also feed homeless veterans every Thanksgiving with "My Brother and Me," a nonprofit, give resources to Hartford youth through the Hartford UNITY program, and more. Currently, I am continuing to extend the olive branch to support other communities to get informed and give back knowledge. My goal in assisting diverse communities is to share the message when we come together; our differences strengthen us.

The power of unification inspires me to be involved in my community. I believe that by coming together, communities can make a bigger and better change for the world. Community, to me, is individuals unifying regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or identification. A community can easily be mistaken as a group of people with one thing in common, but a community is more profound than that. A common interest does not equate to a connection. It's a responsibility and commitment to understand, build and continue to learn from your community. This, unfortunately, can include embracing the fight against perceptions or stereotypes of your community, but when you fight with your community, you are never alone. As a Black gay male with ADHD, I have the honor of being a part of multiple communities. Surprisingly, I was oblivious to my connections to these communities, which also speaks to actively embracing a community, as not every community is chosen. I became aware of my "blackness" as a child in middle school. Prior to middle school, I attended a school in a rural area. Despite perceptions of rural towns, this area was vastly diverse. I grew up embracing different cultures as a norm. However, when moving to an area lacking diversity, I quickly realized all differences are not celebrated everywhere. This epiphany sparked my interest in finding a space to rejoice with people like me. One of my school's only staff of color informed me about the Black Student Union and its importance. Joining this Union helped me grow, embrace my community and use the indifference of my skin color as confidence and power. I began to look at my skin color as one of a kind, distinctly unique, and what makes me and my community different. Not only was I able to educate myself, but I gained a new motive to educate as many young black peers as possible to have confidence in themselves and break standards. Don't let others think they have a standard of you or people "like you." Break those standards and prove to everybody that you are more than what meets the eye. Most importantly, prove it to yourself. The change I hope to make in my community is, uplifting another despite an individual's identity. Oftentimes in society, when a person's identity is not familiar in a given space, they are treated as an outcast. I myself have experienced this. From enduring this outcasting in past experiences, I am certain a change needs to happen. A society that encourages individuality and diversity will grow and flourish. In order to make this change in the world successfully, I have to start with myself. Therefore I actively support my community and educate myself on unfamiliar spaces. Partaking in these community-building activities contributes to my life goal of making society progressive. No matter how big or small the involvement may be, I immerse myself in as many communities as possible to enlighten others on the power of community. For example, I am in community-based clubs within my college, including Pride Club and the Latin American Student Association. Along with this, I also feed homeless veterans every Thanksgiving with "My Brother and Me," a nonprofit, give resources to Hartford youth through the Hartford UNITY program, and more. Currently, I am continuing to extend the olive branch to support other communities to get informed and give back knowledge. My goal in assisting diverse communities is to share the message when we come together; our differences strengthen us.

The power of unification and evolution inspires me to be involved in my community. I believe that by communities coming together, they can make a bigger and better change for the world. Community, to me, is individuals unifying regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or any other identification. Community can easily be mistaken as a group of people that have one thing in common, but a community is more profound than having the same interest. A common interest does not equate to a connection. It’s a responsibility and commitment to understand, build and continue to learn from your community. This, unfortunately, can include embracing the fight against perceptions or stereotypes of your community, but when you fight with your community, you are never alone. Community gives me a sense of belonging and security. This belonging provides others the opportunity to embrace and empower themselves. The change I hope to see and make in my community is, uplifting one another despite an individual’s identity. Oftentimes in society, when a person’s identity is not familiar in a given space, they are treated as an outcast. I myself have experienced this due to being both gay and Black. From enduring this outcasting in past experiences, I am certain a change needs to happen. I believe a society that views diverse identities as positive and encourages individuality will be able to grow and flourish. I’m aware that in order to make this change in the world successfully, I have to start with myself. Therefore I actively support my community through food drives, supporting local minority businesses, and educating myself on spaces that I’m not familiar with. Partaking in these community-building activities contributes to my life goal of making society progressive. No matter how big or small the involvement may be, I immerse myself in as many communities as possible to enlighten others on the power of community. For example, I am in community-based clubs within my college, including Black Student Union Club, Pride Club, and the Latin American Student Association. Along with this, I also feed homeless veterans every thanksgiving with a nonprofit, My Brother and Me, help give resources to Hartford youth through the Hartford UNITY program, and more. Currently, I am still extending the olive branch to support other communities to get informed and give knowledge back also. My goal through consistently assisting diverse communities is to share the message when we come together; our differences make us stronger.

Covid-19 began as I was finishing my sophomore year of high school with low self-esteem. On top of dealing with personality development problems, the virus brought a new issue into my life. The challenges of this pandemic were daunting, but it also forced me to have time alone and self-evaluate and discover what makes me happy. I began watching influencers on social media and witnessed their pride and confidence, which seemed foreign and arrogant to me initially. I came to the realization that confidence was exactly what I lacked. I realized that making decisions based on what would please the most people or on the opinions of others was impeding my success. I slowly began doing what I thought was best for me. I made a mental note if the choice was proven not to be wise. I began to figure out that life is a never-ending learning process. And it all began with watching someone else. Seeing hope, listening, and understanding others can be life-changing for someone. I am sure it has been life-changing for me. Seeing the optimistic impact others on social media can have planted the seeds for my interest in marketing- to create connection, community, and expression. I plan to apply these life experiences I have learned while progressively pursuing my college and adult career so that I can hopefully make others in the world realize they have worth within this world. In addition, my genuine passion for enhancing a brand or product has directed me toward the path of marketing. Since my youth, I’ve always been intrigued by the steps to maximize a product’s potential. I was especially drawn to the entertainment industry’s marketing mechanisms to promote a film, artist, fashion brand, etc. Also, growing in a progressively technological world allowed me to witness the evolution of marketing, which grew my passion. Through observation of marketing in the industry, I have gained a unique creativity that has benefited me to extreme lengths in constructing an eye-catching, intriguing image for brands and events. An example of this is, for my senior year prom, I was heavily involved in the promotion and production of a successful Met Gala themed prom. Ultimately with great marketing, a product’s outcome can be beautiful, and I hope from sharpening and enhancing my skills, I can share that beauty with the world. My ideal future Marketing role would be in the entertainment industry. The present state of the entertainment industry is very vast and diverse. I aim to use this diverse setting to reach as many audiences as possible. I would also like to have the opportunity of assisting brands with marketing in all different spaces, including fashion, television, music, art, and more. I am passionate about marketing in the entertainment industry because everybody can be entertained. So the opportunity to fulfill somebodies desire to be entertained is massive. I want to use this massive field of opportunity and create a beneficial impact on society through marketing.

The change I hope to see and make in my community is, uplifting another despite an individual’s identity. Often in society, when a person’s identity is not familiar in a given space, they are treated as an outcast. I myself have experienced this due to being both gay and Black. From enduring this outcasting in past experiences, I am certain a change needs to happen. I believe a society that views diverse identities as positive and encourages individuality will be able to grow and flourish. I’m aware that to successfully make this change in the world, I have to start with myself. Therefore I actively support my community through food drives, supporting local minority businesses, and educating myself on spaces that I’m not familiar with. Partaking in these community-building activities contributes to my life goal of making society progressive. No matter how big or small the involvement may be, I immerse myself in as many communities as possible in order to enlighten others. For example, I am in community-based clubs within my college, including Black Student Union Club, Pride Club, and the Latin American Student Association. Additionally, I help feed homeless veterans every thanksgiving with a nonprofit, My Brother and Me, help give resources to Hartford youth through the Hartford UNITY program, and more. Currently, I am expanding the olive branch to support other communities to get informed and give back knowledge. My goal through consistently assisting diverse communities is to share the message when we come together; our differences make us stronger.

Growing up was a conundrum. I was told I should always be myself until who I was, was “incorrect.” As a child, I was aware of my uniqueness, yet I still had doubts about my identity. I could not articulate it, but a piece of me was missing. An identifiable but unexplainable void I buried behind closed doors hovered over me like a black shadow, hidden behind self-inflicted humility. I blindly trusted those closest to me, but that was proven to be my biggest mistake. My childhood was built on discomfort and being different, growing up as a Black gay male in America. I grew up in a church where being “different” meant being less than, disregarded, and overlooked. I knew I was different when I would play with the girls at recess instead of football with the boys. Church members attempted to convince me into believing that I needed another male figure in my life because of my father’s death. I felt like I had to fend for myself as the relationship with my mother can be described as complicated at best. On top of navigating this new identity, I also had to learn to manage my ADHD. As I was finishing my sophomore year of high school, with low self-esteem, Covid began. The challenges of this pandemic were daunting but also forced me to self-evaluate and discover what makes Nate happy. I began to watch gay-Black male influencers on social media and witnessed their pride and confidence, which seemed foreign and arrogant to me at first. I came to realize that confidence was exactly what I lacked. Making decisions based on what would please people or on the opinions of others was impeding upon my success. I slowly began doing what I thought was best for me. I made a mental note if the choice was proven not to be wise. I finally realized that life is a never-ending learning process. And it all began with watching someone else. A popular R & B song by artist Mary J. Blige starts with “Life can only be what you make it.” The song speaks to me on a multitude of levels, allowing me to alter the trajectory of my life because I am the one in control. Every action or decision I make is done with the intention of growth. I don’t let others’ perceptions keep me from getting where I want to go. I am aware of my past and the problems I have faced. I know that life is not going to be easy, but it’s My Life, and in my life, I can and will overcome anything and achieve my goals. I might not get it right at first, but I can improve. So, if you look at my life, you may view me as a 17-year-old gay Black boy with family problems, but you are mistaken. I am more than my sexuality, race, or past. I am Nathaniel Gardner, and I am hopeful, I am confident, and I am successful.

The Black Excellence attribute I embody the most is “Prosper With a Purpose.” This represents not only a trait I embody but also a rule I follow within day-to-day life. Prospering with a purpose is significant when navigating through life because purpose surrounds everything in life. Everybody has a purpose that makes them unique and shapes what life is. Although finding and acknowledging your life purpose is a journey itself, acting within that purpose enhances your life experience. I believe my purpose in life is to share with as many people in the world the message that your life is significant and you can make a change no matter who you are. Despite what labels society puts on you and what you experience, you can achieve anything with the right mindset. Going through trials in my life journey helped me identify this purpose. As a gay, Black man in America, I have had multiple labels forced onto me by others growing up. This labeling often results in pressure to conform to society’s labels in order to be viewed as normal. I personally have experienced this pressure and changed my character around others to feel validated in the given space. Changing my identity for the comfort of others also affected my awareness of who I truly was. Another factor that played a crucial role in finding my purpose was, getting bullied because of my identity. Being bullied taught me an important life lesson; you can turn a negative situation into a positive one in spite of the circumstance. Additionally, I gained a strong-minded mindset and self-confidence from experiencing bullying. As I progressed in life, I became aware that people label, stereotype, and discriminate against others as a mechanism to make themselves feel comfortable. After this epiphany, I stopped prospering in other people’s comfortableness and started prospering in my purpose. My journey is proof that labels do not define your character or success. My purpose is redefined every day. The purpose I was prospering in last year is not the same purpose I am prospering in currently. Although your purpose may change, all your past, present, and future purposes collectively create a grand life purpose. Prospering in my purpose is important because I can show others how their life is meaningful and has a purpose. I will continue striving to prosper in my life purpose, which will maximize my potential in life. The attribute I am currently working on developing is "Develop and Possess Grit." Grit is defined as "demonstrating passion and perseverance toward a goal despite being confronted by significant obstacles and distractions." I often have grit when completing a task or working towards a personal goal. Although I attain an amount of grit, I lack grit in particular areas. The two places I lack obtaining grit are in groups or social environments. During social conflicts, I find myself having trouble being vocal and displaying grit. Instead of vocally expressing my passion and grit in social settings, I often try to let my work speak for itself. For example, If I am preparing to complete class work for a challenging class, I utilize my grit and passion for furthering my success. Whereas if I am in a challenging course and a group discussion is taking place, I might be anxious or hesitant to contribute. Nonetheless, displaying grit in a social environment is crucial. Obtaining grit in social areas allows others to see your passion and shows a strong work ethic which may open up opportunities. Unfortunately, I have yet to fully develop this attribute because the feeling of uncertainty and awkwardness I endure when in specific social spaces challenges my grit. This social awkwardness stems from my anxiety which limits the grit I demonstrate in different spaces. In the past, I was very vocal about my passions, and having grit in social environments was almost second-hand nature for me. This changed as I encountered conflicts about vocalizing my grit. My past experiences of expressing grit or passion in social environments have resulted in being called extra, excessive, unnecessary, and many other names. Being called these names has made a detrimental impact on the way I currently express myself and interact in social settings. I allowed others' opinions and views of me to completely drown the authentic passion I had acquired. Through reflecting on myself, I was able to identify this flaw and create a solution to overcome this. Regardless of the barrier my anxiety causes, I aim to break that barrier by reaffirming myself, other's opinions do not contribute to my success, but my grit will. While group class discussions are occurring, I make an effort to participate and be vocal. By consistently doing this, it will instill in me a newfound grit that will launch me into more tremendous success.

Growing up was a conundrum. I was told I should always be myself...until who I was, was "incorrect." As a child, I was aware I was unique. I could not articulate it, but a piece of me was missing. An identifiable but unexplainable void that I buried behind closed doors, hovered over me like a black shadow, hidden behind self-inflicted humility. I blindly trusted those closest to me but that was proven to be my biggest mistake. My childhood was built on discomfort and being different, growing up as a Black gay male in America. I grew up in a church, where being "different" meant being less than, disregarded, and overlooked. I knew I was different when I would play with the girls at recess instead of football with the boys. Church members attempted to brainwash me into believing that I needed another male figure in my life because of my father's death. I felt like I had to fend for myself as the relationship with my mother can be described as complicated at best. On top of trying to navigate this new identity, I also had to learn to manage my ADHD. As I was finishing my sophomore year of high school, with low self-esteem Covid began. The challenges of this pandemic were daunting but also forced me to self-evaluate and discover what makes Nate happy. I began to watch gay-Black-male influencers on social media, and witness their pride and confidence, which seemed foreign and arrogant to me at first. I came to realize that confidence was exactly what I lacked. Making decisions based on what would please people or on the opinions of others was impeding upon my success. I slowly began doing what I thought was best for me. If the choice was proven to not be wise, I made a mental note. I finally realized that life is a never-ending learning process. And it all began with watching someone else. This dilemma planted the seeds of my interest in the media industry I began to become heavily invested in media. Through my journey in media, I discovered other people with diverse backgrounds who express themselves through different art forms like acting, singing, fashion, etc. Exposure to the multitude of expressions through media shaped how I represent myself throughout media and even my day-to-day life. Progressing as a freshman undergraduate has strengthened my passion for media and art. Through my media studies, I have been able to make a connection with subjects from English to Science with my knowledge of media and art. My studies have also helped me acquire a technical perspective on how media is developed and its effects on society. In my academic and life career, I plan to continue showing my love and passion for media and art while unapologetically being who I am. I plan to utilize my skills for a positive impact on others. In my life journey, I want to inspire somebody like me who feels alone, misunderstood, and not seen. My experiences in life showed me that no matter how dark your life may seem, there is always light. I will be the light for those people who are in the dark.

On this vast planet we live on called Earth, we all help each other. Whether we want to realize it or not, it is the reality of society. With billions of people around the world we each can create societies and roles that allow us to complete daily actions. For example, you are able to take a shower because of employees at a water company or watch television late at night due to associates at electric companies. Gaining this particular mindset played a significant part in how I interact with people currently. Having this mindset made me realize that everybody has a key place in this world. This allows me to treat everybody with absolute respect and genuine love. Not only do I present every individual I come across with the utmost respect, but I also strive to make them happy despite what they are going through. Sometimes, one compliment can let somebody know that their life is worth living. My goal since I have realized this is to inspire and touch as many hearts as possible throughout my lifetime. If somebody would have told me that, “You have worth in this world” when I was younger and struggling to accept who I was, it would have put a seed of confidence and self-love in my heart. When I was younger, I struggled with not feeling like I belonged. Experiencing bullying because of my sexuality along with facing the struggles of being a person of color seemed like a battle every day. Luckily through the love of my other friends and the seeds that they planted within me, I was able to still go on and win that mental battle. You can be the person that helps pick somebody up from the floor while they are at their lowest and make them feel at their highest. It only takes one seed to establish a monumental change in someone’s life. I am planting seeds of love in multiple lives daily. Not for me but for the sake of love. Love is bigger than anything in this world. From a simple wave to being a part of programs that help the homeless build their life again. There are many ways to plant happiness. So, when I walk outside and into the extensive world of humanity, I make it my responsibility to take the role of being a gardener to people’s souls. Planting as much courage and happiness throughout my lifetime.

As humans we tend to become defensive when we interact with something that is foreign. Like a bug that you have never seen before. Humans do not only use this defense mechanism with weird looking insects but with other humans. Oftentimes when a particular demographic of people encounters a different demographic that they are not familiar with, that unfamiliar demographic becomes “weird.” This is false. I am somebody that has been looked at as “weird” and has witnessed somebody else be ridiculed because of who they are. When I saw this take place in front of me, it was without a thought that I had to stop it. During my senior year of high school, I attended a “diverse school”. Everybody looked different but the representation for the LGBTQIA+ community was scarce. With me being the only gay black, male within my grade I felt unique, but I did not always feel like that. Prior to high school in middle school, I was made fun of and called slurs by students. This broke down my foundation of hope and confidence, which took years to build back up. While a senior I was noticeably confident in everything I did. One day a non-binary student that used to identify as a cis-gender male was in the same class with me. The student decided to tell the teacher to announce that they would like to be addressed by the pronouns: they/them. Once the teacher announced this the class was silent as if it were announced somebody had gotten murdered. Then after the silence it proceeded with multiple giggles, laughs and sly remarks. Once I started to hear this transpire throughout the room, I looked at the students and saw a wave of sadness and embarrassment wash over them. I was sadly familiar with this sadness. I felt connected with the student even though we had not socialized with each other. I stood up immediately while everybody turned their attention to me. “Respect is free! Have some type of human decency.” Everybody began to become silent but this time it was not followed by laughs or jokes. After the class I decided to talk to the student privately and encourage them to be themselves authentic and not let anybody else’s thoughts determine who you are. When you discriminate against people you are dehumanizing that being and what they represent. We all deserve to feel human and live life proudly no matter what identity or community we represent.

Marisha Davis (Ms. Davis to me) has been a monumental blessing in my life. Prior to meeting Ms. Davis, I was unaware of the potential and gifts I had. I was unaware of what success could look like for me. Growing up I had a lack of an older figure in life to teach me what success is. This caused me to feel very discouraged. Ms.Davis being one of the few black woman staff members at my school, I felt an immediate connection with her. The bond between Ms. Davis and I has changed how I view tumultuous moments in my life. She teaches and encourages me to choose wisely in life. Having this versatile mentor as an outlet, who I can talk to about anything, is a privilege I am so grateful to have. In the same way that Ms. Davis sees hope in me and is invested in me; I want to do the same for the business I will be representing and marketing for. Seeing hope, listening, and understanding others can be life-changing to someone.