Growing up in a violent home means that anger is your first language, love is conditional, and fear is at the heart of everything you do. If not addressed, this shaky sense of self can lead to a dangerous downward spiral and a lifelong pursuit of acceptance from people who never had your best interest at heart. I know this spiral intimately. I did not go down with company, but I couldn’t escape without it. My closest friend often jokes that their father’s love for their mother ruined dating; no one can measure up. After all, why should they settle for less? So when the lucky guy has crossed too many boundaries, I usually never hear about him again. In contrast, my mother was alone. Every relationship she entered was one-sided and transactional. It was almost physically painful to watch her go all in for someone who was so clearly disinterested, disengaged, or just using her. And right then, I realized. This was the only thing she had to pass down. The only inheritance I could count on. But I have to wonder, had I been exposed to a display of affection similar to my friend’s, would I have become so good at surviving? I understood love the way you understand a word you’ve only seen in the dictionary: by definition, not by feeling. My mother said she loved me but she also loved dogs, and I'd never heard her call dogs some of the things she's called me. I've never seen her strike a dog; she wouldn’t dream of it. I found myself wondering what dogs had that I didn't. I learned to question myself before I questioned anyone else. My experience with fragmented and inconsistent support systems gives me a deeply personal understanding of the very problem this scholarship seeks to address. I would use my Computer Science degree to build a technological solution that improves the care, coordination, and communication that Linda Hicks and countless others were denied. I envision building a centralized, secure platform. Not another under-funded home, but a streamlined digital network that connects people in crisis to the resources they need: crisis-based shelters, mental health support, legal aid, and more. Having grown up in an organized and intricate group home, I have seen first hand how well tech can bridge the gap between these resources. By using my skills in program development and data management, I want to create something efficient, intuitive, and accessible, especially for those navigating chaos. This project reflects my core passions: efficiency and collaboration. It would enable organizations to coordinate more effectively, sharing resources and information securely to ensure that no one falls through the cracks. My education is not just a personal milestone; it's a tool I am committed to using to dismantle the barriers that keep so many African American women trapped in the downward spiral. I want to be part of the system that helps African American women know love is their right, not a reward.