Being a first-generation student used to mean uncertainty, resentment for my circumstances, and hurdles that I had to navigate alone. I used to wish I come from a family that was college educated because the classmates who had college-educated parents had things I did not have, such as my own bedroom, enough food, and the opportunities to do extracurricular activities. They did not have to worry about upsetting their parents because they asked for something their parents could not afford or sacrifice life experiences due to lack of money. My childhood was one of love and survival. I had to appreciate what I had to not miss what I lacked as a way of coping. These feelings are what helped me shape my determination for a better life. I work so hard to be the best student because I felt like I had no other choice. I want to experience the things that were not afforded to me in childhood (such as taking a family vacation). More important, I want to stop surviving and start living, and this scholarship will help me move closer to my goals by funding an education that will open up opportunities to make the money needed to better my socioeconomic status and overall quality of life. Now that I am older and on the way to receiving my graduate degree, I look at being a first-generation student as a symbol of resilience and pride. I can now appreciate how my childhood shaped who I am as a student and person, and I could not be more grateful, but I want a life where I do not get stress-induced migraines due to an unstable income and be able to buy what I want without checking my bank account twice. I am currently in my final year of my Coordinated Program become a registered dietitian. There are so many requirements needed in order to sit for the exam, one of them being 1200 hours of supervised practice. I have had to travel over 100 miles, four days a week in order to complete my hours, and my determination is what drives me to make the daily trip. I want to educate and treat patients on how to lead healthier lives through nutrition. I am proud of how far I have come, and I cannot wait to push through to become the first member of my family to not only attend college but receive my graduate degree.

I can list all of the reasons others may say that justifies that I deserve this scholarship, but I want to give a little insight on what I want to accomplish with my education. I am studying to become a registered dietitian. What is a registered dietitian? A registered dietitian (RD) is a healthcare professional who uses evidenced-based data to help individuals improve their health through tailored meal plans and dietary advice. With the rise of diet-related chronic illnesses (obesity, type 2 diabetes), the need for registered dietitians in healthcare has increased. Now why would I choose this career instead of being a doctor or nurse? I chose this field because I am passionate about individuals taking control over their health through nutrition, and I am a sucker for advocacy. This career requires the people in it to advocate the legitimacy of the profession and their expertise to other medical professionals. That is a unique problem that doctors and nurses do not have, and this problem and my willingness to step up to the challenge is one of the advantages I have verses everyone else. If given the scholarship, you all will be investing in a person going into an underappreciated, but necessary profession that can help save lives in a way not many realize.

STEM. Science. Technology. Engineering. Math. STEM was not an acronym I was familiar with until I attended college. All I knew was that I wanted to be in the medical field because I was a logical thinker, and creative ventures were not my cup of tea. So, to say, being in STEM was something that I always wanted to do. I just did not piece it together until I was in college. Now, knowing what I wanted to do in the medical field was a different story. I went to college with the notion that I wanted to be a doctor. I was a biological sciences major after changing my major for the second time (psychology was my first major, but I found it to be mentally draining). I started my university education at The University of Southern Mississippi in the fall of 2020, when COVID made learning a distant venture. This, combined with the life change of attending college, led to me failing a class. Lost and defeated, I decided to virtually visit the career services office for some guidance. All I knew was that I wanted to be in the healthcare field, but I could not afford extensive time and money on an education. The career counselor worked with me, and I stumbled upon the nutrition and dietetics program. Then and there I decided to change my major for the final time. I became a May 2024 graduate of USM with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (Didactic Program in Dietetics), and I am currently earning my Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems at USM. The nutrition and dietetics program helped me gain a love and appreciation for the field and career, and like most medical professions, the need for people of color was apparent. There are only over 8% of registered dietitians that are people of color (mainly African Americans), while the projected growth of people of color in America is going to grow to 56% of the population. This means the need for people of color in all areas of healthcare is more important than ever. Just being the representation in places and rooms where big decisions are made is impactful enough, but I want to advocate for people of color like I would advocate for myself. Being a person of color can hinder the quality of care received, worsening health outcomes. I want to better those outcomes on a small scale so that we are able to lead long, healthy lives by creating individualized diets based on many factors, such as health history, and educating people of color on eating healthier based on current research. I have read studies on the benefits of us living healthier lives, and one of those benefits is closing the wage gap. Being able to live longer means having more time to build generational wealth, and I find that to be an important factor in gaining upward movement in society. Over time, my seemingly small impact has snowballed into a bigger impact on the community and the STEM field, and that is something I keep in mind when helping people. If my contributions to healthcare allow one person to change the outcomes for themselves and their family, then I consider that a job well done.

Hello, everyone! I am Oriel Polk, a kind, caring, passionate, and resilient person who has had struggles and triumphs in the pursuit of getting my education. The two people I hold near and dear to my heart are my mother and little sister. They have been the driving force in my life and the people who have been there in my darkest moments. I am a May 2024 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and am currently at USM earning my master's degree. I have always been involved in school and love socializing with my family and friends. I am a simple person who never wants much, but there are experiences I have not had due to my family's financial situation. I just want to be able to live a life of peace and be happy with the way I lived it in the end. For the longest time, I thought I had to be some influencer, celebrity, politician, or activist to make an impact on the world and my community. That would matter. It wasn't until recently that I realized that an impact can be made on all levels, and it would matter the same. I plan on becoming a registered dietitian who is certified in diabetes education. I want to educate individuals on the prevention and treatment of diabetes because I want people with the disease to live long, healthy lives. My mother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in my sophomore year of high school. That made me research the disease and use my education to better explain what the disease does to her body and help make essential lifestyle changes tailored to her. This made me further pursue my passion of being a certified diabetes educator. This endeavor is how I plan on making an impact on the world and my community. I also want to further legitimize the profession of dietetics. In the healthcare field, dietitians are not being taken seriously and are constantly questioned on their professional expertise when making a specific treatment plan. No one questions doctors like they do dietitians, and that is something that hinders the quality-of-care patients receive. In healthcare, we see patients at their lowest, and it is our job to make them better than when they came, and questioning the expertise of a dietitian who had to spend years becoming educated, completing an internship, taking a credentialing exam, and staying abreast of current research is insulting and weakens the profession. My work in legitimizing the profession by joining interest groups and defending the profession is another way I plan to make a positive impact on the world and my community. My plans for making an impact seemed small to me, making me believe that they do not matter, but over time, I realized they do matter because I have been told I have made an impact in my community, and that keeps me going. I hope to look back on my career and life and know that I did something to make the world and community better places. Thank you for your consideration.

Growing up, I was a kid with intersectionality. Being Black, overweight, and female were dings that made being in society a little difficult. What I didn't know was that it would affect my healthcare. When I was 12, I went to my primary care doctor for my annual check-up. I was told that everything was normal, but my doctor looks at my mother and says, "I would suggest for her not to gain any more weight" in a vague, accusatory tone. Being a girl going through puberty, this visit stuck with me and reaffirmed the beliefs that I was fat and disgusting. This visit also changed the trajectory of my life and made me pursue a degree in healthcare. I knew I wanted to be in healthcare, but I could not pinpoint what I wanted to do. I had dreams of being a dermatologist to an OBGYN. I finally found my true passion, and that is becoming a registered dietitian. With my passion for a career in healthcare, alongside my experiences, I want to take up space, represent, and provide care to the people that look like me, so they do not go through what I went through during that visit. The demographics of registered dietitians in America are predominately female, but only over 2% of them are Black. This means the profession does not get taken as seriously as it should, but I want to be one of the people that changes that. Nutrition is one of the most important fields of healthcare, but it gets overlooked because it isn't what people associate healthcare with at first thought and because most of the profession is women. Me just being the representation is making an impact, but I also want to make an impact with my actions. I want to bring a woman's perspective to boardrooms, committees, and any space that I am able to occupy. This perspective may result in decreased instances of sexual harassment in the workplace and foster a non-toxic, competitive environment for women, since healthcare can become a toxic place to work. When I look back on my career, I want to say I made an impact on healthcare and another woman's life. I want women to aspire to things that were considered "pipe dreams" because I did. Attending and completing college is considered a pipe dream for many Black students, but I made my dreams a reality, and I want my story as a woman to inspire other women to do the same.

Going to college was a pipe dream at one point, and I am happy to say that I made that dream a reality in May 2024 when I completed my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. I knew that I wanted to be in the STEAM field because I am a logical thinker. I knew my skills would be most useful in this field. I am currently completing my Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems to become a registered dietitian. Funny story: I actually stumbled upon this career when I was at my lowest. It was fall 2020. I was 18 years old and fresh out of high school. COVID was happening, which meant taking online classes, and I thought I knew what I wanted to study. Alongside having to learn how to take college classes, I had to do it in an environment that was altered due to the pandemic. Due to these circumstances, I failed a class. Defeated, I decided to visit the Career Services office and speak to a career counselor to help find some direction. The counselor suggested the Nutrition and Dietetics program, and I made the decision to change my major for the final time. I have always been a person that followed my heart and the Lord in what I should do, and changing my major seemed like the best decision at the time, and it was. Completing the program helped me grow in ways I could not have imagined. The program made me remember why I wanted to pursue a career in educating and advocating for others in a healthcare setting. With the support of family, friends, classmates, and professors, I am able to pursue an education in a STEAM field. Receiving this scholarship will help me fund my education and/or other expenses that will arise during my dietetic internship. Every person who wants to become a registered dietitian has to have at least 1200 internship hours from an accredited DI program, meaning I will have to forgo having a job during that time. This scholarship will alleviate the financial burden I would face. In doing that, I will be able to complete my degree and internship, so I can sit for the registered dietitian exam and become a registered dietitian. There are only over 2% of Black women in this profession, and this is disproportionate to the number of minorities who need the care of a dietitian. This means minorities are not getting the high-quality health care that they deserve. I want to take up space and be the provider that can give them the care they need, because I understand the barriers and challenges that come with being a minority. This scholarship will allow me to become the person I want to be and make an impact on my community and the world. Thank you for your consideration.

My journey into Christianity began like every other Black girl from the deep South: going to church with the elders. My family lived in Urbana, IL, two hours south of Chicago, and we did not attend church regularly. We did not start attending church until we moved to my mother's hometown of Picayune, MS. She attended Saint Matthew Missionary Baptist Church and thought it was fitting to start going back. What she did not know was that the church had changed from when she was growing up. I gave my life to Christ and got baptized at eight years old and started to get involved in the youth department. I went to Sunday school, attended choir and drill team practice, participated in holiday programs, and attended revivals. It wasn't until a year into my membership that a new girl moved into town, and she and her mother started to attend our church. In a short amount of time, she was an active, favorite member of the adults who ran the youth department. This started a chain of events that led to me and my sister being excluded and ostracized from privileges and opportunities. Since my mother had to work and she did not feel comfortable with us walking in the dark, we were not able to attend choir practice. No one wanted to volunteer to take us, but they cast judgment. Every semester, the youth department celebrates academic achievement by awarding money to the children who made the honor roll. The parents had to turn in their children's report cards in order to be recognized. My mother turned in mine, and everything was okay until I saw the Sunday service agenda. My name was not on the program to be recognized, while my sister's was. The final transgression that made me leave the church was being kicked out of the drill team's performance at a church exhibition. The youth department did not have consistent drill team practice, and they did not feel the need to tell everyone when they were having practice, so I missed the one practice they scheduled, causing them to kick me off. I was distraught, and this was the final straw for my mother. She confronted the leader of the youth department, who was a respected member of the church, and told her how wrong they were. From that point, I did not attend church for twelve years. Those adults treating me wrong steered me away from the Lord because these people who say they are "God-fearing" were the very people that gave me self-esteem issues and abused my trust. I did not like the Lord and did not understand why I was not accepted by them. My mother had to tell me to continue to get my education because it is something that they could not take away, and I knew I could count on her, so I did what she told me to do: get an education. Those people made me lose my faith, so I had to work hard to gain it back and find the Lord on my own. I frequented churches throughout college and found a couple I loved to visit, but what made me find the Lord was reading His word. In reading His word, I found out that He was not the one to cast judgment, and I had to gain a relationship with Him myself. I also joined women's Bible study groups to be around other people that were struggling to find Him. Over time, I have grown to know and love him and understand why I had to go through what I went through with Saint Matthew. I have also seen that God doesn't like ugly and will bless His children for willingly following His word and loving Him as He loves us: unconditionally. Those adults in the youth department have children who are now on drugs, in jail, dead, or wandering around the town doing nothing. I am not saying that to spite them, but I am aware of how things turned out for me and them. Even though they did me wrong, I continue to pray for them and ask for mercy on their souls. Without knowing, I ended up gaining a piece of closure I did not think I was going to receive. I was at my childhood friend's memorial celebration. The head of the youth department's grandson is who the memorial service was for, and she came up to me and apologized for her part in kicking me out of the drill team performance ten years prior. She also congratulated me for graduating high school and going to college. Her apology confused me at first, but the Lord knew it was what I needed to completely close that chapter and continue my walk with Him. Going through religious trauma was something that scarred me for a long time and led to me making poor decisions. Through finding the Lord, I was able to forgive, love, and regain my faith. I am the happiest I have ever been, and I cannot be more grateful. I want to become a registered dietitian and eventually become a diabetes educator. I want to educate patients, organizations, and communities on the disease and treatment/prevention strategies by creating individualized diet plans and collaborating with other health professionals. I want to go as far as the Lord is willing to take me, and this scholarship will help me do that by covering school-related costs during my internship. To become a registered dietitian, I have to complete 1200 hours in a dietetic internship, leaving me unable to work. This scholarship will alleviate the financial burden, allowing me to focus on becoming an effective healthcare provider. It will also help pay licensure fees and the cost to take the credentialing exam after graduation. One day, I want to be over a department at one of the best hospitals in the region, wherever that is. This scholarship will help me bridge the gap in finances that will allow me to gain my registration and licensure. I want to be someone that uses the knowledge and opportunities the Lord gave me to the fullest to fulfill His purpose. My journey into Christianity and finding the Lord has been a long, rough one, but it is ongoing, and I am along for the ride. Thank you for your consideration.

Hello, everyone! I am Oriel Polk, a kind, caring, passionate, and resilient person who has had struggles and triumphs in the pursuit of getting my education. The two people I hold near and dear to my heart are my mother and little sister. They have been the driving force in my life and the people who have been there in my darkest moments. I am a May 2024 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and am currently at USM earning my master's degree. I have always been involved in school and love socializing with my family and friends. I am a simple person who never wants much, but there are experiences I have not had due to my family's financial situation. I just want to be able to live a life of peace and be happy with the way I lived it in the end. For the longest time, I thought I had to be some influencer, celebrity, politician, or activist to make an impact on the world and my community. That would matter. It wasn't until recently that I realized that an impact can be made on all levels, and it would matter the same. I plan on becoming a registered dietitian who is certified in diabetes education. I want to educate individuals on the prevention and treatment of diabetes because I want people with the disease to live long, healthy lives. My mother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in my sophomore year of high school. That made me research the disease and use my education to better explain what the disease does to her body and help make essential lifestyle changes tailored to her. This made me further pursue my passion of being a certified diabetes educator. This endeavor is how I plan on making an impact on the world and my community. I also want to further legitimize the profession of dietetics. In the healthcare field, dietitians are not being taken seriously and are constantly questioned on their professional expertise when making a specific treatment plan. No one questions doctors like they do dietitians, and that is something that hinders the quality-of-care patients receive. In healthcare, we see patients at their lowest, and it is our job to make them better than when they came, and questioning the expertise of a dietitian who had to spend years becoming educated, completing an internship, taking a credentialing exam, and staying abreast of current research is insulting and weakens the profession. My work in legitimizing the profession by joining interest groups and defending the profession is another way I plan to make a positive impact on the world and my community. My plans for making an impact seemed small to me, making me believe that they do not matter, but over time, I realized they do matter because I have been told I have made an impact in my community, and that keeps me going. I hope to look back on my career and life and know that I did something to make the world and community better places. Thank you for your consideration.

STEM. Science. Technology. Engineering. Math. STEM was not an acronym I was familiar with until I attended college. All I knew was that I wanted to be in the medical field because I was a logical thinker, and creative ventures were not my cup of tea. So, to say, being in STEM was something that I always wanted to do. I just did not piece it together until I was in college. Now, knowing what I wanted to do in the medical field was a different story. I went to college with the notion that I wanted to be a doctor. I was a biological sciences major after changing my major for the second time (psychology was my first major, but I found it to be mentally draining). I started my university education at The University of Southern Mississippi in the fall of 2020, when COVID made learning a distant venture. This, combined with the life change of attending college, led to me failing a class. Lost and defeated, I decided to virtually visit the career services office for some guidance. All I knew was that I wanted to be in the healthcare field, but I could not afford extensive time and money on an education. The career counselor worked with me, and I stumbled upon the nutrition and dietetics program. Then and there I decided to change my major for the final time. I became a May 2024 graduate of USM with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (Didactic Program in Dietetics), and I am currently earning my Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems at USM. The nutrition and dietetics program helped me gain a love and appreciation for the field and career, and like most medical professions, the need for people of color was apparent. There are only over 8% of registered dietitians that are people of color (mainly African Americans), while the projected growth of people of color in America is going to grow to 56% of the population. This means the need for people of color in all areas of healthcare is more important than ever. Just being the representation in places and rooms where big decisions are made is impactful enough, but I want to advocate for people of color like I would advocate for myself. Being a person of color can hinder the quality of care received, worsening health outcomes. I want to better those outcomes on a small scale so that we are able to lead long, healthy lives by creating individualized diets based on many factors, such as health history, and educating people of color on eating healthier based on current research. I have read studies on the benefits of us living healthier lives, and one of those benefits is closing the wage gap. Being able to live longer means having more time to build generational wealth, and I find that to be an important factor in gaining upward movement in society. Over time, my seemingly small impact has snowballed into a bigger impact on the community and the STEM field, and that is something I keep in mind when helping people. If my contributions to healthcare allow one person to change the outcomes for themselves and their family, then I consider that a job well done. Thank you for your consideration.

Hello, everyone! My name is Oriel Polk, and I am a 23-year-old first-year graduate student at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) studying nutrition and food systems. I am also a May 2024 graduate of USM, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (Didactic Program in Dietetics). I reside in Picayune, MS with my mother and sister. I was solely raised by my mother, and she is the main reason I have been able to achieve my dreams. I love to read anything that interests me and hang out with my friends and family. I am a simple person who keeps God first and wants to live life to the fullest. There are things I want to do, such as travel, but if I do not get to do them, then I want to make sure the life I am leading is one full of love, appreciation, and hope. I plan to make a positive impact on the world by becoming a registered dietitian and working in hospitals advocating for people who are not able to do that for themselves. I eventually want to become a diabetes educator and educate individuals, clients/patients, healthcare professionals, and other entities on the disease and prevention/treatment strategies. Diabetes is a chronic disease that is characterized by hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), frequent urination, dehydration, and neuropathy in some individuals. Risk factors include high-sugar, high-fat diet, being overweight/obese, and genetic factors. Because of this, diabetes affects more African Americans than any other ethnicity, and only over 8% of registered dietitians are Black, and 2% of them are Black women, so the disease that greatly affects African Americans is not being treated by the people who it affects, therefore, worsening health outcomes. I want better health outcomes for us so that we are able to be there for our families longer, build strong family units, and maybe create generational wealth. This little contribution can help our community better and have a positive impact on the world. Not many people understand the importance of dietitians, let alone the ones who are minorities, or appreciate their contributions to healthcare, so I want to advocate for the profession so that our perspective is heard and respected on a daily basis, leading to individuals getting high-quality care. Making sure patients, specifically minority patients, get the proper care is something I want to ensure every day I practice. That way, they have a chance to live a long, quality life, and that is something I plan to achieve every day. Knowing how I want to advance in my career and what I want to accomplish is something that I have always been passionate about. Some days, I did not feel like I was striving for enough, leading me to think about how I could do more. In that thinking, I realized I did not need to make an impact on the grand stage, and effective change can happen on a small scale, and the world needs change to happen on all levels. That realization made me home in on what I could do on a smaller scale and how my actions in my career could make a lasting impact on the world. If I can help one person live a better lifestyle through their eating habits, then I have done my job.

At one point in my life, I did not think I was worth anything let alone worth the "lofty" dreams I aspired to achieve. I had a scalp condition called tinea capitis, commonly known as scalp ringworm, that caused me to lose my hair during the roughest time in a girl's life: puberty. Losing my hair made my confidence take a nosedive, and I did not think I was worthy of anything. The condition was not getting treated correctly due to doctors not listening to my mother's pleas. It wasn't until I developed a life-threatening staph infection, I was able to receive quality treatment of my condition. That experience made me want to be an active participant in my life and feel worthy of the dreams that I wanted to achieve. This started with me looking within myself and accept what I saw inside and out. Starting to accept myself was the thing that built my confidence up to where it used to be. Journaling was, and still is, the thing that got me through this ordeal because I was able to write down my feeling and not be judged. Judgement from others was something that made me feel less worthy, so I decided that people's judgement had no place in my life. Doing the work made me see the reasons why I am worthy and worth the dreams I aspire to achieve. I am worth the dreams I aspire to achieve because God put me on this earth for a reason. I am given the gift of waking up every day, so if I can do that, then I am more than worthy. I am strong, resilient, ambitious, caring, adaptable, and willing to do what I can to make a better life for myself. I see what I can and have brought into people's lives, so that affirms to me that I am worth the dreams I aspire to achieve. My dreams require me to have the self-worth, drive, perseverance, and determination to achieve them, and some days, I do not feel like I am the person that people praise to be and worth the dreams I am working to make happen, but I give myself that pep talk from The Help, "You is kind, You is smart, and You is important" and put my energy into my dreams. Everyone is worth the dreams they aspire to achieve, but that does not mean anything if they do not believe it.

College. University. Higher education. These words have been buzz words in my life for as long as I can remember. For me, there was no other option than to pursue higher education. I was reading at the seventh-grade level in the third grade, so I knew that going to college was going to be the path I would take to achieve the life I have always wanted to live. Pursuing higher education is a way out of poverty, financial stress, and living in survival mode. I knew the life I wanted to live was one of security and peace, and I had to use my strengths to get me there. I was always a smart kid, so I decided to use my mind to have the life I wanted for myself, so higher education was the path I chose to take. I am a May 2024 graduate of a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (Didactic Program in Dietetics) and currently pursuing a Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems at The University of Southern Mississippi. First-generation college student. I did not even hear that term until I was in college. Being a first-generation college student and the challenges that come with it is something I have always had to overcome. I have always been the driving force in continuing my education, while my mother was the support I needed. I, myself, was the one filling out my applications to schools, FAFSA, scholarships, and other leadership opportunities. I think my mom was preparing me for the challenges that would come up as a first-generation college student, and they served their purpose, but there were some things even she could not prepare me for. There were times I tried to vent to my mother about the struggles of becoming a college student, but all she could give me were words of encouragement. So, in preparation, I decided to talk to people in my life who attended a four-year university and hear their experiences. They told me all of their wild stories, but one lesson rang true: embracing the journey and the struggles that come along with it. With my experience of independence and that lesson, I entered college at The University of Southern Mississippi in fall 2020. Choosing higher education was a given. Preparing myself as a first-generation college student was something I was always doing, but did not realize it. When there were cracks in the preparation, I decided to ask for help. All of these decisions and actions led to me accomplishing something every first-generation college student aspires to do: graduate, and I would not change it for the world.

Why healthcare? That is a question that people have asked me since I told them I wanted to be a dermatologist. Being a dermatologist was my aspiration because my dermatologist gave me my confidence back when she treated my severe fungal infection that caused me to lose my hair. So, I went to college thinking I wanted to become a doctor. Then the worst thing happened: I failed a class during the COVID pandemic. Lost and defeated, I decided to see my school's career service office to find some direction. They suggested that I look into the nutrition and dietetics program. I did, and I changed my major for the final time. Now, I am a May 2024 graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (Didactic Program in Dietetics) and currently pursuing a master's degree in nutrition and food systems to become a registered dietitian. My four years in undergrad taught me the power of resilience and taking a leap of faith. I have cultivated a love for the profession, and everything I have done is made that love grow. I want to become a certified diabetes educator and teach individuals, corporations, and communities about the disease. There are many routes I can go with my degree, but learning and studying diabetes is my passion because my mother has type 2 diabetes. She is the reason I am here today and want to use my education to help her and others with the disease. There are only 2% of registered dietitians that are African American women, while type 2 diabetes is more prominent in African Americans than any other ethnicity. This means there are people that are not getting care from someone who understands their culture. This also means that there is a lack of representation in the field, and the lack of representation leads to greater health disparities. I want to take up space and advocate for people that cannot do it themselves, so that the health outcomes can improve. Becoming a registered dietitian was not my initial dream, but it is one that I am thankful I found because I can and have made a difference in people's lives. I want to continue occupying space, making people listen to my evidence-based perspective, and advocating for change on a small scale, because that is where patients feel the effects of change. Thank you for your consideration.

Growing up, I was a kid with intersectionality. Being Black, overweight, and female were dings that made being in society a little difficult. What I didn't know was that it would affect my healthcare. When I was 12, I went to my primary care doctor for my annual check-up. I was told that everything was normal, but my doctor looks at my mother and says, "I would suggest for her not to gain any more weight" in a vague, accusatory tone. Being a girl going through puberty, this visit stuck with me and reaffirmed the beliefs that I was fat and disgusting. This visit also changed the trajectory of my life and made me pursue a degree in healthcare. I knew I wanted to be in healthcare, but I could not pinpoint what I wanted to do. I had dreams of being a dermatologist to an OBGYN. I finally found my true passion, and that is becoming a registered dietitian. With my passion for a career in healthcare, alongside my experiences, I want to take up space, represent, and provide care to the people that look like me, so they do not go through what I went through during that visit. The demographics of registered dietitians in America are predominately female, but only over 2% of them are Black. This means the profession does not get taken as seriously as it should, but I want to be one of the people that changes that. Nutrition is one of the most important fields of healthcare, but it gets overlooked because it isn't what people associate healthcare with at first thought and because most of the profession is women. Me just being the representation is making an impact, but I also want to make an impact with my actions. I want to bring a woman's perspective to boardrooms, committees, and any space that I am able to occupy. This perspective may result in decreased instances of sexual harassment in the workplace and foster a non-toxic, competitive environment for women, since healthcare can become a toxic place to work. When I look back on my career, I want to say I made an impact on healthcare and another woman's life. I want women to aspire to things that were considered "pipe dreams" because I did. Attending and completing college is considered a pipe dream for many Black students, but I made my dreams a reality, and I want my story as a woman to inspire other women to do the same.

My name is Oriel Polk, and I am a 23-year-old from a small town called Picayune, Mississippi. I am the product of a wonderful, hardworking single mother that taught me everything I know. I have a stubborn but loving little sister that tests me at every corner. All of my life, my education has been tied to me as a person. I knew that I was not athletic, so my brain would have to be the driving force that brings me success, and it has. I am a May 2024 graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, and currently pursuing my Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Systems to become a registered dietitian. During undergrad, I was an orientation leader, tour guide, and member of many community service-based organizations. In these organizations, I volunteered at football games, youth centers, food pantries, and other places that needed our service. Since graduating, I have done presentations for different organizations on different nutrition topics. My favorite presentation I have done so far is a crash course on calorie counting for my mother's coworkers. I have had major accomplishments throughout my life. I was always on the honor roll and made the Dean's list for three out of eight semesters during my time in undergrad. I graduated 9th in my high school class and was the captain of my high school flag team for two years, and a class leader for one year. The biggest accomplishment I love to bring up is that I won a scholarship at the local level. The scholarship committee loved my submission, and thought it was good enough to send at the national level. I also won the scholarship on the national level and it was the first time in 15 years a person from the local chapter had a winner at the national level. I was ecstatic and felt like I had done something amazing. Since I am at the end of my education, my career/life aspirations are things I have been able to put more time and energy into. I want to become a Certified Diabetes Educator and spend my days educating patients, organizations, and groups on the disease and the current literature surrounding the disease. Like many things, the reason I want to pursue this career is that people I love to have this disease, and I want to be able to help them as well as help others. The money I save by paying down my student loans will go to building my life. I will be able to pay off my car and put the rest in a ROTH IRA account to set me up for retirement. Not many people think of retirement and getting old while they're young, but if I am lucky, I will live a long, full life that would require me to have the funds to live it the way I want. My life has been full of sacrifice, and the money I save by paying down my student loans will ensure that the sacrifices I made will be worth it. Thank you for your consideration.

Going to college was a pipe dream at one point, and I am happy to say that I made that dream a reality in May 2024 when I completed my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. I knew that I wanted to be in the STEAM field because I am a logical thinker. I knew my skills would be most useful in this field. I am currently completing my Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems to become a registered dietitian. Funny story: I actually stumbled upon this career when I was at my lowest. It was fall 2020. I was 18 years old and fresh out of high school. COVID was happening, which meant taking online classes, and I thought I knew what I wanted to study. Alongside having to learn how to take college classes, I had to do it in an environment that was altered due to the pandemic. Due to these circumstances, I failed a class. Defeated, I decided to visit the Career Services office and speak to a career counselor to help find some direction. The counselor suggested the Nutrition and Dietetics program, and I made the decision to change my major for the final time. I have always been a person that followed my heart and the Lord in what I should do, and changing my major seemed like the best decision at the time, and it was. Completing the program helped me grow in ways I could not have imagined. The program made me remember why I wanted to pursue a career in educating and advocating for others in a healthcare setting. With the support of family, friends, classmates, and professors, I am able to pursue an education in a STEAM field. Receiving this scholarship will help me fund my education and/or other expenses that will arise during my dietetic internship. Every person who wants to become a registered dietitian has to have at least 1200 internship hours from an accredited DI program, meaning I will have to forgo having a job during that time. This scholarship will alleviate the financial burden I would face. In doing that, I will be able to complete my degree and internship, so I can sit for the registered dietitian exam and become a registered dietitian. There are only over 2% of Black women in this profession, and this is disproportionate to the number of minorities who need the care of a dietitian. This means minorities are not getting the high-quality health care that they deserve. I want to take up space and be the provider that can give them the care they need, because I understand the barriers and challenges that come with being a minority. This scholarship will allow me to become the person I want to be and make an impact on my community and the world. Thank you for your consideration.

All of my life, I knew that I had a special drive and determination. I also knew that pursuing higher education was a given. I did not know what I wanted to study in college, as I changed my major twice before finding what I was passionate about. All I knew was that I wanted to attend the University of Southern Mississippi. In my first year of college, I was a biological sciences major. I had to work around COVID parameters, which were a barrier to my education. By the end of my first semester, I failed a class. Lost and directionless, I decided to virtually visit the Career Services office and speak to a career counselor. In that meeting, all I knew was that I wanted to make an impact in my community and be in a healthcare setting without putting too many years into my education. The career counselor informed me of the nutrition and dietetics program. I loved what the program had to offer and decided to change my major for the final time. In May 2024, I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, and I am furthering my education by pursuing a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Systems to become a registered dietitian. In my pursuit of attaining higher education, I have had personal, financial, and spiritual struggles. I have had to pass up opportunities due to me not having a car or the funds to participate. This made me become creative in seeking opportunities. Not having these resources made me turn to the one person that can get me through any situation: God. God is the reason that I am here today, and I praise Him at any moment. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." This verse has guided me through my spiritual growth and keeps me on the path of deepening my relationship with God. I have been leaning on Him more than ever, and it has allowed me to focus on the things I can control and let Him have the rest. I plan on using my knowledge to educate patients on the treatment and/or prevention of nutrition-related chronic diseases so that they live long, fulfilling lives. I also plan on doing outreach and education lectures on the side. I have done three different lectures so far on various nutrition topics, and they have been well-received. I want to use what I have learned to live up to Chidubè's legacy and hopefully pass it along. Thank you for your consideration.

If I was awarded this scholarship, I would educate and assist patients and their families on ways to improve their quality and quality of life by looking at their socioeconomic and environmental situation and creating treatment options and preventative care strategies to extend their lives and make those years good ones. For many, they want to be healthy, but the expense of living a healthy lifestyle is a barrier to achieving that goal. As someone who is currently experiencing that barrier, I can use my experience to empathize and guide someone in making affordable healthy nutritional choices. I have had the opportunity to present a four-part lecture series about diabetes and heart disease to a group of home trainers for clients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in October. This lecture series helped them bridge the gap between etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment, giving them a greater understanding of the diseases. This greater understanding has allowed them to modify their clients' diets and set them on a path to improving the clients' quality and quality of life. In my undergraduate program, I had to complete assignments that challenged and strengthened my cultural competence, so I could be the best healthcare provider, and that skill is what is going to be at the foundation of educating and assisting patients in improving their quality and amount of life. I would use the Nutrition Care Process (NCP), a series of steps used to provide high-quality nutrition care. This would start with obtaining a detailed health and nutrition history. A detailed history would give me the information I need to make an accurate and effective nutrition intervention. I would then compare current research against their health and nutrition history and create an individualized nutrition care plan that would help treat and prevent diseases and disorders that would hinder the quality and quantity of life. The intervention plan would include continuous nutrition education and/or counseling, a diet that would suit one's macro- and micronutrient needs, and continuous monitoring of the effectiveness of the interventions. This plan is essentially what I would be doing on a daily basis, but my lived experiences will help patients in ways that go beyond the NCP. This scholarship will help me achieve everything I have listed here. There are only over 2% of registered dietitians that are Black, while many of these diseases predominately affect minorities. Me just being a registered dietitian would help so many people, and I want to take up space and increase that percentage. Increasing that percentage would mean more minorities and low-income individuals would get the help they need and deserve. Thank you for your consideration.

What does the life of my dreams look like? That is a question that I ask myself every day and what drives my decision-making. My life up until this point has been trying to survive and figure out what I want to do career-wise. I am from Picayune, Mississippi, which is a small town in southern Mississippi, and the environment does not allow for growth. Knowing this, my first focus has always been to use my brain and intelligence to create the life I have always wanted. The life of my dreams is a place where I have financial stability. I know money is not the key to happiness, but being well off would allow me to create opportunities for stability and to make new memories. Having stability will allow me to gain peace and live the life that I struggled to attain. The life of my dreams is a place where I do not have to decide between needs and wants. My mother, who is a single mother, had to prioritize our needs instead of our wants, so there were missed opportunities and milestones. From my first car at 16 and hosting birthday parties, I had to accept the fact that these moments would not make up my life. Missing these moments made it harder to connect with my peers, and as a result, I crawled into a shell as a defense mechanism. In the life of my dreams, I would be able to fulfill hobbies I thought I could only do in my dreams. I would travel out of the country. Most of the trips I have been on were school-related, since I was involved. I can count on one being the number of trips I have been on with my family, and I think that is sad. I would be at the top of my field in this life because of the sacrifices I made in this life. I want to become a diabetes educator and use my degree to create my dream occupation. I would love to have a family that is not broken and give my children the opportunities I did not have. I think this would heal my inner child, and that would make me closer to gaining peace. The life of my dreams is a simple one. It is filled with love, laughter, and joy. It will be like my life now, except I will have stability, comfort, and peace.