I believe, no matter who you are, your character is of the utmost importance in whatever you do. Character mixed with unique circumstances yields a unique story. Subsequently, regardless of what you do, you bring your character to it, whether it be your pursuit of short-term or long-term goals. For example, my long-term goal is to be a veterinary surgeon, and my character will help me get there, just as it has informed my past, and continuously shaped my present. Along with my career path pursuit, My character will help me with any and every other goal I have. Foundationally, perseverance is something I value deeply, a concept that heavily influences how I approach life. For example, I started playing basketball when I was ten, and I still love playing to this day. Now I would consider my game to be at a high level, but I have not always. When my family and I moved to South Carolina from New York, I became interested in basketball. Therefore, I joined the rec team and realized that raw athleticism mixed with terrible shooting form, lack of ball control, and low court IQ was only enough for me to ride the bench. Upon this realization, I decided that I was going to be a great basketball player, so I dedicated every summer after to the enhancement of my skill, which led to me starting on the junior varsity team in both ninth and tenth grade. This persevering attitude has allowed me to excel in multiple areas of life, including my yellow belt in martial arts, being a sixteen-year-old high school grad, and my job advancement. Take my job for example, at the Lakeside Animal Hospital, I get to contribute to the proficiency we are known for. I do this by recording histories, drawing blood to run and read tests, vaccinating animals, and my personal favorite, assisting in surgeries. When I first started I was just cleaning kennels, doing laundry, and restocking for the most part. Furthermore, I would not be in the position I am now if I had not constantly put in the effort to become excellent at my job. This effort has allowed me to do more and learn more from the great doctors that mentor me. I have gotten to see many cool things at work over the past two years, such as advanced surgeries(TPLOs, C-sections, foreign bodies, etc.) and cured cases. However, the coolest thing I witness there regularly is how much the owners care about their pets, and how appreciative they are for our efforts. Seeing that only motivates me to succeed more, and further cements my passion for both animals and people alike. My passion for animals stemmed from a love I have had for animals ever since I could remember cultivated by frequent visits to the Bronx Zoo and my obsession with shows like “Go Diego! Go!” and “Wild Kratts”. My passion for people comes from a desire I have to make a positive impact on others. This is why I believe becoming a veterinarian is the best of both worlds since I will get to treat animals and simultaneously relieve clients’ worry about what essentially is a family member. Goals I have in addition to treating animals, consist of performing free vaccinations, spays, and neuters in underserved communities, through a non-profit organization, and creating/funding a scholarship for undergrad students pursuing vet med.

Perseverance is something I value deeply, and it is a concept that heavily influences how I approach life. This trait was cultivated in me by my late grandfather. I used to frequently help him with various handy tasks, from repairing bikes and lawnmowers to building structures. These tasks became difficult at times, especially when we did not have the right tools to get the job done. Difficulty never stopped my grandfather though, it did not matter how long it took him, he would always find a way to get the job done. I once helped him (temporarily)repair a sink with nothing but a long stick. Although he is gone now, his perseverance will live on through me. For example, I started playing basketball when I was ten, and I still love playing to this day. Now I would consider my game to be at a high level, but I have not always. When my family and I moved to South Carolina from New York, I became interested in basketball. Therefore, I joined the rec team and realized that raw athleticism mixed with terrible shooting form, lack of ball control, and low court IQ was only enough for me to ride the bench. Upon this realization, I decided that I was going to be a great basketball player, so I dedicated every summer after to the enhancement of my skill, which led to me starting on the junior varsity team in both ninth and tenth grade. This persevering attitude has allowed me to excel in multiple areas of life, including my yellow belt in martial arts, being a sixteen-year-old high school grad, and my job advancement. Take my job for example, at the Lakeside Animal Hospital, I get to contribute to the proficiency we are known for. I do this by recording histories, drawing blood to run and read tests, vaccinating animals, and my personal favorite, assisting in surgeries. When I first started I was just cleaning kennels, doing laundry, and restocking for the most part. Furthermore, I would not be in the position I am now if I had not constantly put in the effort to become excellent at my job. This effort has allowed me to do more and learn more from the great doctors that mentor me. I have gotten to see many cool things at work over the past two years, such as advanced surgeries(TPLOs, C-sections, foreign bodies, etc.) and cured cases. However, the coolest thing I witness there regularly is how much the owners care about their pets, and how appreciative they are for our efforts. Seeing that only motivates me to succeed more and further cement my passion for animals and people. My passion for animals stemmed from my love for animals ever since I could remember cultivated by frequent visits to the Bronx Zoo and my obsession with shows like “Go Diego! Go!” and “Wild Kratts”. My passion for people comes from a desire I have to make a positive impact on others. This is why I believe becoming a veterinarian is the best of both worlds since I will get to treat animals and simultaneously relieve clients’ worry about what essentially is a family member. In addition to treating animals, my goals consist of performing free vaccinations, spays, and neuters in underserved communities, through a non-profit organization, and creating/funding a scholarship for undergrad students pursuing vet med. I plan to continue keeping the nature of my grandfather alive by continuing to persevere, strive for success, and aspire to inspire people as my grandfather inspired me.

I believe, no matter who you are, your character is of the utmost importance in whatever you do. Character mixed with unique circumstances yields a unique story. Subsequently, regardless of what you do, you bring your character to it, whether it be your pursuit of short-term or long-term goals. For example, my long-term goal is to be a veterinary surgeon, and my character will help me get there, just as it has informed my past, and continuously shaped my present. Along with my career path pursuit, My character will help me with any and every other goal I have. Foundationally, perseverance is something I value deeply, a concept that heavily influences how I approach life. For example, I started playing basketball when I was ten, and I still love playing to this day. Now I would consider my game to be at a high level, but I have not always. When my family and I moved to South Carolina from New York, I became interested in basketball. Therefore, I joined the rec team and realized that raw athleticism mixed with terrible shooting form, lack of ball control, and low court IQ was only enough for me to ride the bench. Upon this realization, I decided that I was going to be a great basketball player, so I dedicated every summer after to the enhancement of my skill, which led to me starting on the junior varsity team in both ninth and tenth grade. This persevering attitude has allowed me to excel in multiple areas of life, including my yellow belt in martial arts, being a sixteen-year-old high school grad, and my job advancement. Take my job for example, at the Lakeside Animal Hospital, I get to contribute to the proficiency we are known for. I do this by recording histories, drawing blood to run and read tests, vaccinating animals, and my personal favorite, assisting in surgeries. When I first started I was just cleaning kennels, doing laundry, and restocking for the most part. Furthermore, I would not be in the position I am now if I had not constantly put in the effort to become excellent at my job. This effort has allowed me to do more and learn more from the great doctors that mentor me. I have gotten to see many cool things at work over the past two years, such as advanced surgeries(TPLOs, C-sections, foreign bodies, etc.) and cured cases. However, the coolest thing I witness there regularly is how much the owners care about their pets, and how appreciative they are for our efforts. Seeing that only motivates me to succeed more, and further cements my passion for both animals and people alike. My passion for animals stemmed from a love I have had for animals ever since I could remember cultivated by frequent visits to the Bronx Zoo and my obsession with shows like “Go Diego! Go!” and “Wild Kratts”. My passion for people comes from a desire I have to make a positive impact on others. This is why I believe becoming a veterinarian is the best of both worlds since I will get to treat animals and simultaneously relieve clients’ worry about what essentially is a family member. Goals I have in addition to treating animals, consist of performing free vaccinations, spays, and neuters in underserved communities, through a non-profit organization, and creating/funding a scholarship for undergrad students pursuing vet med.

To optimize time in college, one must possess the harmonic connection between a healthy mind, body, and soul. This is something that I strive towards every day and will continue to do so when I transfer to Clemson in the fall. Since I currently go to a Technical college that does not offer on-campus housing, various clubs, or sports I have not felt like I have been getting a real “college experience”. This is why I am so excited to attend Clemson, I will be taking classes in my major, connecting with people, and partaking in various clubs/activities. The classes in my major will consist of animal science classes, animal anatomy, microbiology, and more. A majority of the classes I take at Clemson will be specific to my major, which is a key reason for my overall excitement. Since I want to be a veterinary surgeon, I will greatly enjoy the hands-on experience I will get with the various animals on their farm. Not only do the classes at Clemson excite me, but the connections I will make there as well. It is commonly said that the friends you make in college will be lifelong. Nonetheless, I also am looking forward to meeting a variety of different people, all of who have been from unique walks of life. Furthermore, making connections in college is important because the people one meets can help open doors of opportunity in various areas of life further down the road. Partaking in clubs and activities is one way I will be able to meet various people, and another reason I am excited about college. There are four hundred clubs at Clemson, so there are a wide variety of options. The clubs and activities I have in mind, but are not limited to, are intramural basketball, Black Student Union, and the prevet club. In sum, I am looking forward to joining various organizations at Clemson. Balancing classes, with making connections while being an active member of various organizations requires a healthy mind, body, and soul. There are various ways to maintain these. For example, a healthy mind requires knowledge input and decompression. Knowledge input involves constantly learning new things and being open to new ideas because the brain is a muscle that needs to be exercised to grow. Furthermore, there are many ways to decompress, such as journaling, therapy, and really any activity that relieves stress. In sum, one who has a healthy mind seeks knowledge and uses healthy coping mechanisms to decompress when stressed. Physical activity is a way of decompression for many people, and it is also a key element in having a healthy body. Two things that make for a healthy body are diet and physical activity. One maintains a healthy body through healthy consumption, so I regularly consume things like fresh fruit, water, and organic products. I Pair this kind of eating with regular physical activities, such as gym exercises and basketball, to maintain a healthy body. I will continue to do so at Clemson. Lastly, a healthy soul can be maintained through prayer and spending time practicing one’s religion. I am a Christian, so I find it calming to pray and read my bible. This is what I will do at Clemson to maintain a healthy soul because I believe when one has a healthy soul, one has joy beyond explanation. I am excited to navigate my way through Clemson as my optimal self due to the maintenance of a healthy body, mind, and soul.

The STEM field consists of careers that are both integral to and highly esteemed by society. Which is why the fact that black students only earn seven percent of all STEM degrees is disheartening. I believe this is the reason why those of us that have earned one have more to prove. A fact that only drives us to constantly prove that we belong while also carrying the burden of representing black people as a whole. This is what is at the back of my mind while pursuing a career as a veterinary surgeon. Although that is the case, I cannot see myself doing anything else. This is due to the love that I have had for animals since I was young. A love cultivated by frequent visits to the Bronx Zoo coupled with watching shows like “Wild Kratts” and “Go, Diego! Go!”. This is why I believe that one of the inherent responsibilities of mankind is to be good stewards of the creatures that we inhabit the earth with, and becoming a vet will be my way of doing so. Subsequently, my passion for animals is intense, but so is my passion for people. To me, caring for pets is the best of both worlds because I will get to treat the animal and relieve clients’ worry about what is essentially a family member. Furthermore, my passion for people encompasses more than just those who bring their pets to the vet, it encompasses the black community as well. A community that, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, is roughly just one percent of all the vets in America. This percentage is the reason why I have no choice but to be exceptional in not only representing black people in this field but also inspiring black kids to pursue it. It means a lot to see people who look like you in esteemed fields. For example, I am only a vet tech right now and I have already seen the effects my presence has on the community as the only black person at my job. I have had various clients tell me that it was nice to see a fellow black person working there, I have even got that from a client that brought her daughter who wants to be a vet. Additionally, I know that seeing me working towards the same goal in a white-dominated field only encouraged that little girl. That is what I want to do, along with creating more opportunities for the youth in our community to explore the vet med field. I want to do this by creating and funding scholarships for black students pursuing vet med as well as presenting to students at predominantly black schools. I would also love to perform free vaccinations, microchipping, spays, and neuters in underserved black communities perhaps through a non-profit organization. I believe with an enlightenment about the veterinary field and the proper resources, young men and women in the community will cause the diversity in the field to exponentially grow. I firmly believe that if the black people who earned STEM degrees are connected and committed to serving the community, there is no doubt in my mind that our presence in the STEM field will exponentially grow as well.

People go to great lengths to find out the secret to success when all one really has to do is simply study the game of chess. As someone who loves playing chess, several lessons can be taken away from the game and applied to life. Take my life for example, I want to be a traveling veterinary surgeon. With that being said, I use the principles that it takes to win a chess match, in my everyday life on my journey toward my goal. These principles include Strategizing, patience, and mental fortitude. One cannot win a chess game without a strategy, it is absolutely necessary for a successful chess match. Strategies must be put in place to give the player the best chance of winning, but one must also be ready to change the plan when things do not go as expected. For example, when I play chess I like to open up with a move called the “Scholar's Mate”. This is a move that, when it works, allows me to win the game in four moves. I basically would use my queen and bishop in such a way that allows me to use the earliness of the game to my advantage. Since there is not enough space for the king to move, I would take out the pawn diagonal to the king and put the opponent in check. This is a very effective move, however, it does not work when my opponent moves unpredictably. This is heavily congruent with life. It is evident when understanding that one must construct a strategy for the future with practical steps on how to succeed. Furthermore, one must also be ready to switch up their strategy when necessary, because much like a chess opponent, life can behave unpredictably. Although key in winning chess matches, strategy means nothing without the patience it requires when executing it. Patience is a virtue when in a chess match because there is a constant calculation involved with each move a player and their opponent make. While these calculations can make the game run long, the impatience of a player can lead to hasty decision making which will highly decrease their chances of winning. I exercise patience daily when I am dealing with my little siblings, saving up money for a car, and completing schoolwork contributing towards my degree. The principle of patience can be applied to all areas of life, and all areas in which it is applied can only be positively impacted by it. Strategy means nothing without patience, but it is impossible to endure without strong mental fortitude. Chess is a great representation of just how important mental fortitude is. The point of chess is to use every piece on the board to keep your king safe and take your opponent’s king down. Although all the pieces contribute to this objective, the most equipped piece on the board is the queen. The queen can move in any direction and distance every other piece can move, all except for the knight. Nevertheless, the knight does not even come close to the queen’s ability. To me, the king represents one’s goals, the queen represents mental fortitude, and the opponent is the obstacles life throws our way. One could make the most detailed and organized plan to succeed in their goals, but if one lacks the resilience, discipline, and perseverance needed to follow through, one will never succeed. In sum, Strategy, patience, and mental fortitude are the principles that lead to success in chess, and in life.

Community service and education are two of the most important elements of any society. Community service helps to build strong relationships between members of a community, as well as providing a valuable service to those in need. Education, on the other hand, is the foundation of any successful society, providing the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary for individuals to reach their full potential and make positive contributions to the world. Which is why both are very important to me. Furthermore, community service and education are both essential for a healthy and prosperous society. Community service provides the opportunity for individuals to come together and work for the common good, often providing a service to those who are most in need. Take my family and I for example, when we all volunteered together at my church(Northwood church) a few years ago. Our church was deep-cleaning several high schools in the Summerville area, so my family and I spent several hours scrubbing walls, moving supplies, and whatever else was required of us. Another time we volunteered as a family was when we were making thank you cards for grade school teachers. Although these days were long, it helped to build social cohesion and create a sense of shared purpose for the good of others with my family and other members of the church. Which is why I enjoy volunteering at my church regularly. On the other hand, education helps to provide the necessary knowledge and skills needed to make successful contributions to society. It also helps to create an understanding of the wider world, enabling individuals to make informed decisions and progress in their chosen field. This is why education is very important in my journey to becoming a veterinary surgeon. The competency of education will allow me to learn the necessary information I will be able to apply to my dream career as a veterinary surgeon. It is the foundation for the various animals and people I will be able to help when I graduate with my DVM from vet school. Due to this, education is highly valued in my eyes, a value that has been passed down in my family. Starting with my grandmother who moved from her impoverished situation here in South Carolina to put herself through college in New York. She eventually got her master's degree in social work, and never lost her value of education. This is evident because she passed this value on to her four children, my mother being one of them. My mother then passed this value down to me. Growing up in this atmosphere of aspiration that my grandmother cultivated has led me to never question the need for education. The effects that community service and education have on my family are only positive. Not only can education help create a familial and communal standard of success, but it can, much like community service, also bring people closer together. An example of how it affects my broad community, the black community, is how the shared knowledge of the struggles we have been through and overcome in this country, unites us. This is because of the knowledge that only we can relate to in similar manners. Community service also unites us similarly to the way education does. For example, all the NPHC organizations are heavily involved in giving back to the community. Subsequently, this atmosphere helps us bond together as a people, and as a community.

I believe, no matter who you are, your character is of the utmost importance in whatever you do. Character mixed with unique circumstances yields a unique story. Subsequently, regardless of what you do, you bring your character to it, whether it be your pursuit of short-term or long-term goals. For example, my long-term goal is to be a veterinary Surgeon, and my character will help me get there, just as it has informed my past, and continuously shapes my present. Along with my career path pursuit, My character will help me with any and every other goal I have. Foundationally, perseverance is something I value deeply, a concept that heavily influences the way I approach life. For example, I started playing basketball when I was ten, and I still love playing to this day. Now I would consider my game to be at a high level, but I have not always. When my family and I moved to South Carolina from New York I gained an interest in basketball. Therefore, I joined the rec team and realized that raw athleticism mixed with terrible shooting form, lack of ball control, and low court IQ was only enough for me to ride the bench. Upon this realization, I decided that I was going to be a great basketball player, so I dedicated every summer after to the enhancement of my skill. Which led to me starting on the junior varsity team in both ninth and tenth grade. This persevering attitude has allowed me to excel in multiple areas of life, including my yellow belt in martial arts, being a sixteen-year-old high school grad, and my job advancement. Take my job for example, the Lakeside Animal hospital, I get to help animals and owners alike. I do this by recording histories, drawing blood to run and read tests, vaccinating animals, and my personal favorite, assisting in surgeries. When I first started I was just cleaning kennels, doing laundry, and restocking for the most part. Furthermore, I would not be in the position I am now if I had not constantly put in the effort to become excellent at my job. In addition to being a vet tech, I also hold the position of Student Ambassador at my college, a position that has required major perseverance from me. The fact that the field I am pursuing is less than two percent black mixed with my persevering attitude to succeed in the field, I believe, is what partly makes my journey unique. For example, I am the only black person at the animal hospital I work, and although I get a little self-conscious sometimes, I do not let it stop me from being unapologetically myself. My passion for animals is a major driving force behind my diligence, but so is my passion for my people. My people are the people who are taking this journey with me. This includes everyone who has helped me advance and wants to see me succeed, such as my family, the doctors who mentor me, my high school coach, and others. I would love nothing more than to not only succeed for them but to also practically give back to them. I want to do my one-year internship at the animal hospital I work now, I want to be able to help my mother financially, and I want to donate to schools here in the Lowcountry. These are only a few of the plans I have for the future because I would love to benefit more people than just the ones I know.