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My faith has influenced my leadership style because I never had a leadership style. One thing I have learned after being saved by Christ about two years ago, is that every Christian, at some level of their life is called to be a leader. No duh right? We are called to lead souls to Christ! I was not a leader before I placed my faith in Christ. Actually, i was becoming a follower and someone who loved this world. However, now as I follow the only perfect man, I become a leader? It is very funny how that happens. My faith in Christ has motivated me to lead others towards Him. And leading and involving Jesus in everything I do is how Jesus is leading me to lead. For example, one thing that I love is being able to play sports and give glory to God too. I played football, cross country, and I am still playing basketball and weightlifting for my high school. And although I am not the best any of the sports, I pray with my teammates before practices, games, and meets. And obviously what is the point of praying and confessing Jesus with my mouth if my heart is far from Him? So not only do I want to tell people about Christ, but I pray that my actions are a representation of Him. I have also got up in-front of my classmates and preached the Gospel sometimes, when the Lord calls me to. Also, taking to people that I just see doing everyday things is also a way I have lead through Christ, and also posting videos on my TikTok and Instagram page are ways that I have led through faith. God has shown me that in every aspect I am called to be a leader: on social media, at school, at work, when I’m not doing anything, and especially when I dont want to be a leader. For me, it is not just one experience or thing that I do where I lead others to God, but everyday He is calling me to touch others, pick up my cross, and follow Him. I have not been a Christian for long, and I know that God wants me to lead through even more things as long as I am alive. My experiences spreading the Gospel has shown me that I have a call to be a lead other to Christ for the rest of my life. To live my life to the fullest, I know that I have to abide in God, and stay connected to Christ. Not only that, but it motivates me and excites me to pursue a future in criminal justice and forensics and go to school without putting a burden on my parents. This is why scholarships such as this one are important to me, and spending just a little time to write an essay talking about my Lord and Savior? Of course! Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this, and I hope that you consider me as a candidate for this!

One person who has had a significant impact on my life is my aunt. She has always been a staple in my life. Her kindness, love, and determination as a cancer survivor has had a profound impact in my life, and definitely shaped me into the person I am. Firstly, she has always been there for me. When I was younger, my brother, family friend who was like a sister to us, and her would often have sleepovers at her house. She is great at cooking and baking, and is one of the reasons why I love baking sourdough bread today. She would make us breakfast, take us out on nature walks, and often go to the park so we can play. My aunt is also a great spiritual leader. She led me and helped me to know Christ. She would pray for me especially in my time of depression and comforted me. She also leads Bible studies that I still attend too! She was always a comforting person. When I was younger, I viewed my mom as too strict. In turn, she was someone who I loved because of her leniency. And of course, one thing that I always enjoy about her is her cooking! My mom and she know how to throw down. Rice, macaroni, chicken, legumes, squash soup, spinach dip, and more. And when I eat from her, I always can taste the love in her food. Finally, her resilience as a cancer survivor, is unbelievable, and a testament for me about the healing power and grace of God. When she was pregnant with my cousin, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and she was told by doctors that she would die in childbirth. However, they are both still here today! Through my life, she has gone through much pain, a bunch of surgeries, and I have seen the toll it has taken on her. But to see her still pursue God is inspiring to me, and helps me want to persevere with Jesus. I want to honor her through my future endeavors by being a faithful servant of Jesus Christ—wherever that may lead me— and one way I want to do that is by becoming a forensic investigator, trying to bring justice and the truth, and a scholarship like this would help me to study and become a CSI. As a follower of Christ, the truth has become important to me. And I hope to even find the truth on this earth so people can serve just punishment, and be convicted of their sin to turn around, change their mind, and come to salvation. Even if this does not always happen, this is how I want to honor and obey Jesus, and hopefully have a successful career, which I know is what she, my mom, dad, and entire family want for me, no matter the path that I take.

My plans for the future are to firstly always follow the will of God in my life, and pursue a career that has something to do with forensics. If that is being a forensic scientist, pathologist, or investigator, I am very interested in this career. Even on this Earth, I believe that God’s will is for people to be justified when they are being lied or cheated and for people to get the punishment that they deserve for their wrongdoings, and as this may lead to repentance, and change of heart. And if I get to participate in any way, such as uncovering evidence to discover the real truth of what occurred, I desire that chance. My goal is to attend a public or private school in Florida, because I am aware of the opportunities that I have to go to a good school for low cost. I know that if I work hard enough just as the Word says in Proverbs 12:11, “Those who work their land have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense,” I can attend campuses such as UF and UCF four to eight years at a lower price. However, this does not cover all of the expenses; I believe scholarships such as this one will help me cover the costs of room and board, and any other expenses I might have. As a Haitian-American kid with first generation college parents, I know that they have given their all so that I can live comfortably, attend private high school, and pursue good education. So I believe that the least I can do is capitalize on the vast amount of opportunities that lie in front of me, and work hard to obtain them. I know that living as an adult in the real world is getting more expensive day by day, so my plan is to obtain low cost or free education, diversify my income, and just have fun being able to do things that I love, and maybe even provide for my own family one day. So to me, every amount counts: whether its a $100, $600, or $10,000 scholarship, I know that it will help me pursue my dream career to help solve cases and see justice delivered. Although I am not on either side of the extreme: my parents not extremely wealthy, but I always know where my next meal is coming from, I still believe that this scholarship, if awarded to me, will help shape the future that God is drawing me to.