“Life is beautiful. Life is a struggle. Life is a beautiful struggle. - Talib Kweli” A big part of my story will be attending college. I want to attend college because I want to expand on the knowledge that I’ve retained. I also want to go because I want to experience the college setting, make history within my family, by being the first to graduate from college which will set a standard for my sister Raya to follow. College will be a major part of my life and my story. I'm excited to start my academic journey soon. Within the last year, my life has been chaotic. I have experienced several life altering events that have changed my perception about life and my future. Although it has been a struggle, I am determined to reach my goals, focus on my strengths and determination, and remember that I am destined for greatness. Succeeding in school has always been a priority for me. I’ve always wanted to make my family proud, and I felt that good grades and a good career would do just that. My junior year was monumental both scholastically and personally. In addition to the readjustment after homeschool during COVID, I started working outside of school and balancing both responsibilities was challenging. In addition to that, I had to get acclimated to a new home environment and overcome my diagnosis of major depressive disorder. All of these changes combined challenged me. During my entire 11th grade year, I endured a series of hardships that altered my mental health. While staying at my dad’s house I was verbally and emotionally abused. I had many things stolen from me, and I was in an environment where I was constantly threatened by my stepmother’s adult daughter. After a long day of school and work, I'd locked myself in my room and was ridiculed for it. During these times I was intimidated, unenthusiastic, and discouraged. My ability to be the best I could be diminished and my focus drifted. I struggled in subjects that I would otherwise succeed in which led to me being challenged daily. Though I didn’t achieve full success, I still managed to succeed in most of my classes. Since the very start of my academic career, I have been determined to do well and be at the top of my class. I have gotten numerous forms of recognition for being on honor roll such as verbal praise and honor roll certificates. That along with the support my maternal family gave me expanded the determination I needed to keep striving for my ultimate goal.     When I was younger, my family decided to put me in karate. I didn’t want to be a part of the karate sessions however, I used it to my advantage. I worked hard to be the first in my division for a category known as Kumite. Recently, when I went to Europe, I was with a group of people who didn’t particularly care for my best interest. In the midst of the ten days that I was gone, I was talked about, and left by myself to do activities and explore alone. Initially being solitary was hard, but being in a beautiful part of the world that many people my age are not able to experience enabled me to have a positive attitude and develop international experiences. With the support of close friends and family, I was able to enjoy every moment of my trip. I’ve learned many things about myself, and I’ve made adjustments to the way I view and perceive situations. The quotes “you can do anything you set your mind to” and “pain is weakness leaving the body” resonate with me. The reason being is because no matter what I go through, I am always able to look at the positive in each situation, and overcome and defeat any obstacles in my way. Through the years, I wondered about what my life would be like. What would I do and how could I become successful? I decided that I want to major in Business Administration. I feel that with my mature mindset, outgoing personality and excellent communication skills, I will have everything I need to be great at anything I decide to do in life. I am creative, intelligent and caring. Through my different life experiences, I have learned so much about and from other people. I believe that by spreading knowledge, love and creativity with others, I can influence the next generation of leaders. As a Business Administration major, I would be responsible for shaping the minds of young people and I would love to seize this unique opportunity because it gives me a chance to share with others what I have learned and perfected over the years.