Hi, my name is Phaedra Scott and I am a first generation college student. I chose my career field in radiology because I have always been passionate about healthcare. My mother was frequently in hospitals because of her many health issues. Doctors didn’t know much about the lupus she had, which caused boils and scabs on her skin. They tried everything to figure out the cause of her pain. She went through many xray’s,MRI's, and physical evaluations. The radiology team was always gentle and kind to her because they understood the pain she was going through. Since then, I knew I wanted to be in healthcare. One goal I’ve set for myself in the next five years is to get a degree in any healthcare field, and contribute to someone else’s college education. Once I get my degree and start my career, I plan on funding someone else’s college tuition to show that students who come from poverty can still go to college. Education has helped me understand myself and my purpose by teaching me different educational pathways to success. My mother always taught me to value school and my education, so I made sure to try my best in school and to learn as much as I can. School has helped me to figure out my future and what I want to be long term. When telling people I wanted to become an X-ray tech- they always looked down upon my dreams. “Why won’t you be a nurse “ or “nurses get paid more”. But that wasn’t what I was passionate about. I'm passionate about being an X-ray tech because when my mother was in the hospital for her lupus, no doctors could figure out the root of the problem or her pain. Radiology techs were always gentle with her and treated her kindly. Even when doctors made it seem like she was hallucinating or making up her pain. This introduced my love for healthcare and helping sick people. Radiology technicians get to help doctors figure out the best way to approach treatment. A time that I had to be resilient was when my siblings and I were homeless after my mother passed when I was in 7th grade. I still had to return to school after that. I was embarrassed because I didn’t have the best school clothes and shoes, but I still had to study and return to school so I wouldn’t fail. Even though I was passionate about learning, I felt discouraged by the poverty and depression I was facing. I felt different and alone, but I didn’t know people around the world had gone through the same experience as me. As a result of me finishing my education, I got the opportunity to graduate high school a year early with honors because I decided to be dedicated to my education in middle school. My goal is to help as many sick patients as I can, even if I can touch their day just by being a kind person with a warm smile. Experiencing poverty honestly has overall affected my life by introducing me to unmanageable hardship. It taught me to be strong when times are the worst. As a kid, I had to watch my mom cry and not be able to help her physically or financially. I want to officially overcome financial instability by getting my degree and furthering my career. Being looked down upon because your uncontrollable financial situation really changes your perspective of things. With my degree I can help another high school student who has faced adversity and poverty. After my mother passed, I had to learn to be strong for her. I had to learn to control my emotional devastation through counseling and a long time of looking inward to solve my problems. It has been hard but I know someone out there has it harder. The love I have for her keeps my head high everyday and keeps me from giving up. Without her past encouragement and investment in my education, I probably wouldn’t have thought to pursue college. I didn’t and will not let her death and the emotional trauma stop me from following my dreams. Instead, I use this situation to keep following my dreams because I know she would support me. I want to encourage students to not let their financial situation affect their dreams and aspirations. Instead, follow your heart, dreams, and passions. If awarded this scholarship, I would be able to become the first child in my family to get a degree. I would be able to pursue my dream career and live out my dreams. I would like to obtain my degree and make a scholarship dedicated to my mother, Cruzette Williams, for a student who has faced poverty and financial struggles in the past.

My mother was diagnosed with lupus when I was around 9 years old. Seeing her pain made me passionate about helping people who are sick because of unexpected health issues. It gave me the drive to be determined about pursuing healthcare. My goal is to help as many patients as I can, even if I can touch their day just by being a kind person with a warm smile. A real-world issue I feel connected to advocating for is the inequality black women and women of color face in professional spaces. This issue moves me because every black woman I know has experienced this. Being ignored, dismissed, or overlooked because of racial discrimination is very common. This is caused by passive aggression and microaggression that are overlooked in professional spaces like universities, jobs, and even social events. If I had the power to make change in that area, I would offer professional spaces for Black women and women of color to network and socialize. This would be a good way to contribute to this issue because it would help create more jobs and opportunities for women of color. It would also spread awareness of this issue so more women could have access to it. I chose my career field in radiology because I have always been passionate about healthcare. My mother was frequently in hospitals because of her many health issues. Doctors didn’t know much about the lupus she had, which caused boils and scabs on her skin. They tried everything to figure out the cause of her pain. She went through many X-rays, MRIs, and physical evaluations. The radiology team were always gentle and kind to her because they understood the pain she was going through. Since then, I knew I wanted to be in healthcare. One goal I’ve set for myself in the next five years is to get a degree in any healthcare field and contribute to someone else’s college education. Once I get my degree and start my career, I plan on creating a scholarship to show that students who come from poverty can still go to college. Education has helped me understand myself and my purpose by teaching me different educational pathways to success. My mother always taught me to value school and my education, so I made sure to try my best in school and to learn as much as I can. School has helped me to figure out my future and what I want to be long term. My identity as a woman has influenced the way I move in the world by giving me confidence, boldness, and courage to speak up. Being a woman has taught me that even though there are societal standards to be a lady, you can also be bold, speak your truth, and fight for change. Being a woman, especially in competitive spaces, showed me to be strong and confident in myself and my decisions. A time that I had to be resilient was when my siblings and I were homeless after my mother passed when I was in 7th grade. I still had to return to school after that. I was embarrassed because I didn’t have the best school clothes and shoes, but I still had to study and return to school so I wouldn’t fail. Even though I was passionate about learning, I felt discouraged by the poverty and depression I was facing. I felt different and alone, but I didn’t know people around the world had gone through the same experience as me. As a result of me finishing my education, I got the opportunity to graduate high school a year early because I decided to be dedicated to my education in middle school. If awarded this scholarship, I would be able to become the first child in my family to get a degree. I would be able to pursue my dream career and live out my dreams. I would like to obtain my degree and make a scholarship dedicated to my mother, Cruzette Williams, for a student who has faced poverty and financial struggles in the past.