Throughout my life, society has perpetuated false and harmful narratives about black fathers. These narratives have painted black fathers as absent, irresponsible, and disinterested in their children's lives. These stereotypes are not only false but dangerous to the development of young men and their perception of what fatherhood means. Thankfully, the most influential person in my life has always illustrated that these narratives are false. One of the most pervasive false narratives about black fathers is that they are absent from their children's lives. As a child, my father silently suffered as his dad went in and out of the Angola State Penitentiary for years at a time. As the oldest of seven children, he took on the burden of being a father figure to his younger siblings at a young age. During the time he spent working in various roles to provide for his younger siblings, he vowed to never abandon his children. Thankfully, I have benefited from my father’s determination to be the father that he never had. He has not only been there for me financially, but he has been here in person for every milestone and moment in my life. From bathing me at night before bed to taking me to on road trips to visit various colleges my father has been constantly present in my life. I am thankful that he has served as not only a positive role model but also as a catalyst to break an unfortunate generational curse that could have had negative effects on our family. Another false narrative regarding black fathers is that they are not financially responsible for their children. This couldn’t be further from the truth concerning my father. Throughout my life, I have witnessed him wake up at 3:00 a.m., work an eight-to-twelve-hour shift in a freezing warehouse, then come home to mentally, physically and financially care for his family. Witnessing my father work hard to provide for our family has been the greatest gift that anyone could ever give. His work ethic is rooted deeply within me. As a baseball player, I am constantly working and training to get better, the thought of my father working long shifts in a freezer silences complaints that often come to my mind because I was taught to work hard instead of complaining. Finally, my father has always stressed the importance of education. As a child, my father took the time to help me with my homework and exhibited a great deal of patience as I suffered through the shame of learning with dyslexia. He also advocated for my success not only with coaches but also with my teachers and administrators. He was not only present for football and baseball games, but he has been present during science fairs and academic award ceremonies. His patience and presence have always illustrated how important my education was to him. Overall, it is my father's love, presence, hard work and coaching that have influenced me to continue my education at the collegiate level. Just imagining the joy that he will experience watching me walk across the stage to obtain my college degree is all of the motivation that I need to always follow in his footsteps by working hard and hopefully someday, being a father to a son that I can influence in the ways that he has influenced me.

There’s nothing special about a Tuesday in the fifth grade. Most of our days were filled with STAR testing preparation, math, reading, recess, and chicken nuggets. I struggled with reading, so I hated school. A teacher suggested that my parents place me in a special education class because of my reading development. Instead, they agreed to have a reading specialist pull me out of class for an hour on Tuesdays for extra help with reading. They also hired a tutor to help me and committed to reading with me for an extra 30 minutes every night. As a result, my reading comprehension improved drastically, I transitioned from worst to one of the best readers in the class. May 19, 2015, was not the normal Tuesday that I had grown accustomed to. Instead of taking me to school, my mother packed a bag and we headed to Longview, TX. While listening to my parents’ conversation from the backseat of our family car, I heard a word that I didn’t recognize – “paralysis.” When we arrived at the hospital, we were greeted by my grandmother who told the story of my aunt’s accident – she had been traveling down a two-lane highway to work during a blinding rainstorm and hit a tree that had fallen in the middle of the road. Upon impact, she was ejected through the windshield in which she suffered a broken neck. Doctors immediately informed my family that the chances of my aunt regaining her ability to walk were slim to none. We spent the remainder of the week in Longview with my aunt – unfortunately, this interrupted the reading intervention schedule that I had been following at my school. Over the remaining weeks, my parents traveled back and forth to Longview, until my aunt stabilized enough to be placed in a rehabilitation center. She was admitted into the Texas Rehabilitation and Research Facility here in Houston, TX which is labeled the best rehabilitation hospital in the country. Instead of working with my tutor in the evenings, my father picked me up from school every day and took me to TIRR where we observed her physical therapy and offered encouragement to her. On my daily visits observed the patience that the therapist had with her on the days that she was depressed and refused to cooperate and participate. I was fascinated with the methods that were used to help her to return to normal activities of daily living. Money was tight during this time, so instead of paying the tutor, my parents took the role of “teacher” personally – while we waited for my aunt to complete various tasks, my parents used this time to tutor me. My aunt did not regain her ability to walk but she was able to regain some movement that allows her to complete normal daily activities such as feeding herself and dialing numbers on her cellular phone. Throughout high school, I have kept my aunt’s journey along with my earlier reading struggles in my eyesight and have committed to improving myself to be able to make a positive difference in the lives of others through science. I have maintained a 3.1 GPA and have been accepted into over 30 colleges. My ambitions before my aunt’s accident were limited to being like Lebron. However, after witnessing my aunt's struggles as well as the knowledge and care that her physicians have given her over the year, I look forward to beginning a career in the field of science to help improve the lives of others who may have suffered similar catastrophic injuries.

There’s nothing special about a Tuesday in the fifth grade. Most of our days were filled with STAR testing preparation, math, reading, recess, and chicken nuggets. I struggled with reading, so I hated school. A teacher suggested that my parents place me in a special education class because of my reading development. Instead, they agreed to have a reading specialist pull me out of class for an hour on Tuesdays for extra help with reading. They also hired a tutor to help me and committed to reading with me for an extra 30 minutes every night. As a result, my reading comprehension improved drastically, I transitioned from worst to one of the best readers in the class. May 19, 2015 was not the normal Tuesday that I had grown accustomed to. Instead of taking me to school, my mother packed a bag and we headed to Longview, TX. While listening to my parents’ conversation from the backseat of our family car, I heard word that I didn’t recognize – “paralysis.” When we arrived at the hospital, we were greeted by my grandmother who told the story of my aunt’s accident – she had been traveling down a two-lane highway to work during a blinding rainstorm and hit a tree that had fallen in the middle of the road. Upon impact, she was ejected through the windshield in which she suffered a broken neck. Doctors immediately informed my family that the chances of my aunt regaining her ability to walk were slim to none. We spent the remainder of the week in Longview with my aunt – unfortunately, this interrupted the reading intervention schedule that I had been following at my school. Over the remaining weeks, my parents traveled back and forth to Longview, until my aunt stabilized enough to be placed in a rehabilitation center. She was admitted into the Texas Rehabilitation and Research Facility here in Houston, TX which is labeled the best rehabilitation hospital in the country. Instead of working with my tutor in the evenings, my father picked me up from school every day and took me to TIRR where we observed her physical therapy and offered encouragement to her. On my daily visits observed the patience that the therapist had with her on the days that she was depressed and refused to cooperate and participate. I was fascinated with the methods that were used to help her to return to normal activities of daily living. Money was tight during this time, so instead of paying the tutor, my parents took the role of “teacher” personally – while we waited for my aunt to complete various tasks, my parents used this time to tutor me. My aunt did not regain her ability to walk but she was able to regain some movement that allows her to complete normal daily activities such as feeding herself and dialing numbers on her cellular phone. Throughout high school, I have kept my aunt’s journey along with my earlier reading struggles in my eyesight and have committed to improving myself to be able to make a positive difference in the lives of others through science. I have maintained a 3.1 GPA and have been accepted into over 30 colleges. My ambitions before my aunt’s accident were limited to being like Lebron and JJ Watt. However, after witnessing my aunts struggles as well as the knowledge and care that her physicians have given her over the year, I look forward to beginning a career in the field of science to help improve the lives of others who may have suffered similar catastrophic injuries.

I am driven by a strong desire to contribute to my community and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around me. Upon graduating from college, I plan to combine my aspirations of becoming a doctor with my passion for coaching baseball to empower and uplift my community. I intend to contribute to my community as a doctor and baseball coach, leveraging my unique perspective, skills, and experiences to address healthcare disparities and inspire young athletes. I recognize the significant healthcare disparities that persist within minority communities. One of my primary goals is to actively work towards reducing these disparities and improving access to quality healthcare for underserved populations. I intend to specialize in areas that are in high demand within underserved communities, such as primary care or community health. By choosing a specialty that aligns with the needs of the community, I can directly address healthcare gaps and provide much-needed medical assistance. Additionally, I plan to collaborate with local organizations and community leaders to initiate health programs that focus on prevention, education, and early intervention. These initiatives may include health screenings, health education workshops, and partnerships with schools and community centers to promote healthy lifestyles and disease prevention. In recognizing the importance of representation, I plan to mentor aspiring young minority students who have an interest in pursuing a career in medicine. By sharing my experiences, providing guidance, and offering support, I hope to inspire and empower the next generation of diverse healthcare professionals. In addition to my medical career, I have a passion for coaching baseball. I believe that sports can be a powerful tool for personal growth, character development, and community engagement. In coaching, I will create a welcoming and inclusive environment where athletes from all backgrounds feel valued and supported. By actively promoting diversity and embracing different perspectives, I hope to cultivate a culture of respect, empathy, and collaboration among my players. Beyond teaching baseball skills, I will prioritize mentorship and leadership development. I want to empower my athletes to become well-rounded individuals, instilling in them qualities such as teamwork, resilience, discipline, and a strong work ethic. I will provide guidance, offer opportunities for personal growth, and encourage them to become positive role models in their communities. I plan to organize community service projects and volunteer opportunities for my team, emphasizing the importance of giving back. By participating in initiatives such as local clean-ups, fundraising events, and youth baseball clinics, we can actively contribute to the betterment of the community and foster a sense of social responsibility among the players. My vision for the future as a doctor and baseball coach is to contribute to my community in significant and lasting ways. By addressing healthcare disparities, mentoring future medical professionals, and inspiring young athletes through coaching, I hope to create a positive impact on the lives of individuals in underserved communities. Through these combined efforts, I aim to promote diversity, inclusivity, and social change, leaving a legacy that reflects the power of determination, compassion, and unity.

It is my strong desire to pursue a career in the medical field after spending my childhood witnessing the inequalities and challenges faced by marginalized communities to obtain equitable medical care. My passion for medicine was solidified in the fifth grade while witnessing my family face a life-altering event as my aunt recovered from a debilitating vehicle accident that left her paralyzed. The experience of witnessing her struggles, combined with my inherent desire to help others, has inspired me to pursue a career in medicine as a means to empower and heal the underserved. While witnessing my aunt's therapy sessions, I was captivated by the unwavering determination exhibited by both the medical professionals and my aunt herself. I observed the significant physical, emotional, and psychological challenges she faced daily. Despite the difficulties, her therapists instilled hope, fostering an environment of support and encouragement. Witnessing her transformation from vulnerability to resilience deeply resonated with me and evoked a profound desire to be a source of healing for others in similar situations. Within and outside of my aunt’s story, I have witnessed the stark healthcare disparities that disproportionately affect people of color. Access to quality healthcare is limited, and systemic barriers often hinder the well-being of those who need it most. I am committed to bridging this gap by becoming a doctor, and serving as a physical therapist. Through my presence, I aspire to provide culturally sensitive care, advocate for health equity, and be a positive role model to inspire others facing similar challenges. My personal experiences have made me acutely aware of the devastating effects of social determinants of health. Poverty, violence, and limited resources contribute to a cycle of illness and despair. By becoming a doctor, I hope to empower and uplift underserved communities, working towards preventive care, health education, and improving overall community well-being. Through compassionate healthcare and community engagement, I believe I can make a meaningful impact in breaking the cycle of despair. Representation plays a crucial role in healthcare. As a black male, I understand the significance of having healthcare providers who can relate to patients' experiences and cultural backgrounds. By pursuing a career in medicine, I aim to challenge stereotypes and contribute to a more diverse and inclusive healthcare system. I want to be a source of inspiration for other young black males, showing them that they too can achieve their dreams and make a positive difference in the lives of others. Throughout my journey, I have cultivated a deep sense of empathy and compassion for others. I believe that medicine is not just about treating illnesses; it is about providing holistic care that encompasses the physical, emotional, and social aspects of a patient's life. I want to listen attentively, understand my patients' stories, and work collaboratively with them to develop tailored treatment plans that prioritize their well-being. By focusing on patient-centered care, I hope to bring comfort and healing to those who need it most. In witnessing my aunt's therapy after her life-altering accident, I discovered my true calling in medicine. I am committed to addressing healthcare disparities, empowering marginalized communities, and providing compassionate patient-centered care. I aspire to become a doctor who advocates for health equity, represents the underrepresented, and contributes to a more inclusive healthcare system. By pursuing this path, I hope to honor my aunt's journey and fulfill my purpose of serving others with a heart dedicated to healing.

In today's digitally driven society, prioritizing mental health and seeking effective strategies for overall well-being is crucial. One powerful and inexpensive tool that stands out is gardening. It combines physical activity, connection with nature, and a sense of purpose, making it an ideal activity to improve mental health. During my time in college and after graduation, I plan to continue to plant gardens in various communities to assist others with their mental health. Gardening allows us to connect with the natural world, bringing tranquility and peace. The sights and scents of plants create a soothing environment that reduces stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation and positive emotions. It encourages mindfulness, temporarily disconnecting individuals from every day worries. The repetitive actions induce a meditative state, reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Engaging in gardening involves physical exertion, stimulating the body's mood-enhancing chemicals. Digging, planting, weeding, and watering not only improves physical fitness but also alleviates symptoms of depression. Gardening can also be a social activity, fostering connections with like-minded individuals. Community gardens and horticultural clubs offer opportunities for social interaction, knowledge sharing, and building networks. These connections combat feelings of isolation and contribute to a sense of belonging. Gardening offers numerous mental health benefits. From connecting with nature and engaging in physical activity to cultivating a sense of purpose and mindfulness, the therapeutic power of gardening is undeniable. I plan to continue to introduce gardening to individuals to enhance their mental well-being, reduce stress, and improve their overall quality of life.

There’s nothing special about a Tuesday in the fifth grade. Most of our days were filled with STAR testing preparation, math, reading, recess, and chicken nuggets. I struggled with reading, so I hated school. A teacher suggested that my parents place me in a special education class because of my reading development. Instead, they agreed to have a reading specialist pull me out of class for an hour on Tuesdays for extra help with reading. They also hired a tutor to help me and committed to reading with me for an extra 30 minutes every night. As a result, my reading comprehension improved drastically, I transitioned from worst to one of the best readers in the class. May 19, 2015, was not the normal Tuesday that I had grown accustomed to. Instead of taking me to school, my mother packed a bag and we headed to Longview, TX. While listening to my parents’ conversation from the backseat of our family car, I heard a word that I didn’t recognize – “paralysis.” When we arrived at the hospital, we were greeted by my grandmother who told the story of my aunt’s accident – she had been traveling down a two-lane highway to work during a blinding rainstorm and hit a tree that had fallen in the middle of the road. Upon impact, she was ejected through the windshield in which she suffered a broken neck. Doctors immediately informed my family that the chances of my aunt regaining her ability to walk were slim to none. We spent the remainder of the week in Longview with my aunt – unfortunately, this interrupted the reading intervention schedule that I had been following at my school. Over the remaining weeks, my parents traveled back and forth to Longview, until my aunt stabilized enough to be placed in a rehabilitation center. She was admitted into the Texas Rehabilitation and Research Facility here in Houston, TX which is labeled the best rehabilitation hospital in the country. Instead of working with my tutor in the evenings, my father picked me up from school every day and took me to TIRR where we observed her physical therapy and offered encouragement to her. On my daily visits observed the patience that the therapist had with her on the days that she was depressed and refused to cooperate and participate. I was fascinated with the methods that were used to help her to return to normal activities of daily living. Money was tight during this time, so instead of paying the tutor, my parents took the role of “teacher” personally – while we waited for my aunt to complete various tasks, my parents used this time to tutor me. My aunt did not regain her ability to walk but she was able to regain some movement that allows her to complete normal daily activities such as feeding herself and dialing numbers on her cellular phone. Throughout school, I have kept my aunt’s journey along with my earlier reading struggles in my eyesight and have committed to improving myself to be able to make a positive difference in the lives of others through science. I have maintained a 3.1 GPA and have been accepted into over 30 colleges. My ambitions before my aunt’s accident were limited to being like Lebron and JJ Watt. However, after witnessing my aunt's struggles as well as the knowledge and care that her physicians have given her over the year, I look forward to beginning a career in the field of science to help improve the lives of others who may have suffered similar catastrophic injuries.

There’s nothing special about a Tuesday in the fifth grade. Most of our days were filled with STAR testing preparation, math, reading, recess, and chicken nuggets. I struggled with reading, so I hated school. A teacher had suggested that my parents place me in a special education class because of my reading development, they refused! Instead, they agreed to have that I would work with a reading specialist for an hour on Tuesdays for extra help. Additionally, my parents hired a tutor and committed to reading with me for an extra 30 minutes every night. As a result, my reading comprehension improved drastically, I transitioned worst to one of the best readers in the class. Tuesday, May 19, 2015, was not the normal Tuesday that I had grown accustomed to. Before walking out the door, my dad called my mom instruct her not to drop me off at school. Instead, my mother packed a bag with a few days of clothes, and we headed to Longview, TX. While listening to my parents’ conversation from the backseat of our family car, I heard word that I didn’t recognize – “paralysis.” When we arrived at the hospital, we were greeted by my grandmother who told the story of my aunt’s accident – she had been traveling down a two-lane highway to work during a blinding rainstorm and hit a tree that had fallen in the middle of the road. Upon impact, she was ejected through the windshield in which she suffered a broken neck. Doctors immediately informed my family that the chances of my aunt regaining her ability to walk were slim to none. We spent the remainder of the week in Longview with my aunt – unfortunately, this interrupted the reading intervention schedule that I had been following at my school. Over the remaining weeks, my parents traveled back and forth to Longview, until my aunt stabilized enough to be placed in a rehabilitation center. She was admitted into the Texas Rehabilitation and Research Facility here in Houston, TX which is labeled the best rehabilitation hospital in the country. Instead of working with my tutor in the evenings, my father picked me up from school every day and took me to TIRR where we observed her physical therapy and offered encouragement to her. On my daily visits observed the patience that the therapist had with her on the days that she was depressed and refused to cooperate and participate. I was fascinated with the methods that were used to help her to return to normal activities of daily living. Money was tight during this time, so instead of paying the tutor, my parents took the role of “teacher” personally – while we waited for my aunt to complete various tasks, my parents used this time to tutor me. My aunt did not regain her ability to walk but she was able to regain some movement that allows her to complete normal daily activities such as feeding herself and dialing numbers on her cellular phone. Throughout high school I have kept my aunt’s journey along with my earlier reading struggles in my eyesight and have committed to improving myself to be able to make a positive difference in the lives of others through science. I have maintained a 3.1 GPA and have been accepted into over 30 colleges. Witnessing my aunts struggle and watching the knowledge and care that her physicians have given her over the years have empowered me to seek a career in the field of science to help improve the lives of others who have suffered similar catastrophic injuries.

Hailing from the vibrant city of Houston, Texas, I stand proudly on the threshold of a new chapter in my life. Eager to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, I am determined to make a lasting impact both on and off the baseball field. This personal statement serves as a testament to my journey, highlighting the transformative power of sports and education as I prepare to major in biology at Rust College in Holly Springs, MS. Growing up in the heart of Houston, a city renowned for its rich diversity and athletic prowess, my passion for baseball took root at a later age than most of my peers. After tee-ball, I detoured to sports that most black males from Houston veer to – football and basketball. It was not until the 8th grade that I decided to pursue baseball again, which I developed a passion for. I spent countless hours in high school perfecting my swing, honing my fielding skills, and nurturing a fierce competitive spirit. As a black athlete, I quickly realized that the game extended beyond the boundaries of the diamond, representing a microcosm of society where teamwork, resilience, and perseverance were paramount. However, my journey was not without its obstacles. As a minority athlete, I encountered skepticism and stereotypes that sought to undermine my potential. Yet, these challenges only fueled my determination to excel, pushing me to defy expectations and prove that my worth transcended racial barriers. I have been blessed to play for wonderful organizations such as the Astros Youth Academy and the Texas Bluechips select baseball team in Alvin, TX. These organizations gave me the opportunity to play with kids from all over the city who came from different ethic and socio-economic backgrounds. Through my achievements on the baseball field, I became a symbol of hope and inspiration for aspiring athletes in my community, encouraging them to dream big and never be limited by societal constraints. Beyond the realm of sports, my academic pursuits played an equally significant role in shaping my identity and aspirations. Fascinated by the intricate mechanisms of life after witnessing my aunts struggle with paralysis, I developed a deep-rooted fascination for biology. With every new discovery, I found myself awestruck by the interconnectedness of the natural world, igniting a desire to unravel its mysteries and contribute to scientific progress. It is this passion for biology that has led me to choose it as my major, as it provides an ideal foundation for my future ambitions in physical rehabilitation and healthcare. Motivated by a profound sense of responsibility to uplift my community, I have made the conscious decision to attend Rust College in Holly Springs, MS. By immersing myself in an environment that cherishes and celebrates black excellence, I aim to not only receive a quality education but also contribute to the legacy of those who have come before me. I believe that this unique educational experience will empower me to embrace my cultural heritage, nurture my leadership skills, and forge lifelong connections with individuals who share my vision of empowering marginalized communities through education and science. As I embark on this transformative journey, I am committed to seizing every opportunity to grow, learn, and make a positive impact. Whether it is excelling in my academics, leading by example on the baseball field, or engaging in community service initiatives, I will be a catalyst for change. Armed with the belief that representation matters, I aspire to become a role model for young black students, inspiring them to break down barriers and pursue their dreams relentlessly.

Hailing from the vibrant city of Houston, Texas, I stand proudly on the threshold of a new chapter in my life. Eager to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, I am determined to make a lasting impact both on and off the baseball field. This personal statement serves as a testament to my journey, highlighting the transformative power of sports and education as I prepare to major in biology at Rust College in Holly Springs, MS. Growing up in the heart of Houston, a city renowned for its rich diversity and athletic prowess, my passion for baseball took root at a later age than most of my peers. After tee-ball, I detoured to sports that most black males from Houston veer to – football and basketball. It was not until the 8th grade that I decided to pursue baseball again, which I developed a passion for. I spent countless hours in high school perfecting my swing, honing my fielding skills, and nurturing a fierce competitive spirit. As a black athlete, I quickly realized that the game extended beyond the boundaries of the diamond, representing a microcosm of society where teamwork, resilience, and perseverance were paramount. However, my journey was not without its obstacles. As a minority athlete, I encountered skepticism and stereotypes that sought to undermine my potential. Yet, these challenges only fueled my determination to excel, pushing me to defy expectations and prove that my worth transcended racial barriers. I have been blessed to play for wonderful organizations such as the Astros Youth Academy and the Texas Bluechips select baseball team in Alvin, TX. These organizations gave me the opportunity to play with kids from all over the city who came from different ethic and socio-economic backgrounds. Through my achievements on the baseball field, I became a symbol of hope and inspiration for aspiring athletes in my community, encouraging them to dream big and never be limited by societal constraints. Beyond the realm of sports, my academic pursuits played an equally significant role in shaping my identity and aspirations. Fascinated by the intricate mechanisms of life after witnessing my aunts struggle with paralysis, I developed a deep-rooted fascination for biology. With every new discovery, I found myself awestruck by the interconnectedness of the natural world, igniting a desire to unravel its mysteries and contribute to scientific progress. It is this passion for biology that has led me to choose it as my major, as it provides an ideal foundation for my future ambitions in physical rehabilitation and healthcare. Motivated by a profound sense of responsibility to uplift my community, I have made the conscious decision to attend Rust College in Holly Springs, MS. By immersing myself in an environment that cherishes and celebrates black excellence, I aim to not only receive a quality education but also contribute to the legacy of those who have come before me. I believe that this unique educational experience will empower me to embrace my cultural heritage, nurture my leadership skills, and forge lifelong connections with individuals who share my vision of empowering marginalized communities through education and science. As I embark on this transformative journey, I am committed to seizing every opportunity to grow, learn, and make a positive impact. Whether it is excelling in my academics, leading by example on the baseball field, or engaging in community service initiatives, I will be a catalyst for change. Armed with the belief that representation matters, I aspire to become a role model for young black students, inspiring them to break down barriers and pursue their dreams relentlessly.

Quincy Franks Jr. is a successful baseball coach and physical therapist that serves underserved communities.

In the time that I have played varsity baseball, I have learned that baseball is a sport of failure. We must learn how to handle the moments of adversity better than our opponents; once we learn this, we are headed in the right direction. Failure is not only a part of baseball and sports, but it is a part of life. I have been blessed to have been a member of both the varsity football and baseball team since I was a freshman in high school. I wasn’t the most talented or gifted athlete on the football field, but I always worked hard in the classroom and was eligible to play when many of my teammates weren’t. When it came to baseball, I might have been the most talented guy on the team, but I was far from the most talented in our district, it was my work ethic and dedication that lead me to walk on the baseball field as a freshman leader. Participation in sports on the high school level has taught me how to handle adversity and exhibit leadership with dedication and a strong work ethic. Being a dedicated leader of the teams at Madison hasn’t always been easy. We have had three head baseball coaches since I was a freshman. Fighting for a season during the Covid-19 pandemic brought about a set of challenges of its own. Most kids couldn’t stay academically eligible, others refused to show up for practice. There were many days when only four players and the coach showed up. Practicing with three guys and a coach taught me to work through adversity and to make the best out of what I have. We didn’t win one game that season, but I continued to work, recruit players, and help players with their skillset and in my junior season we improved to win two games. This may not seem like a big deal, but it's very hard to influence kids to be part of a losing team because most kids don’t understand that failure fuels future success. Failure fuels me to wake up at 5:45 a.m. to lift weights with the football team. Failure has fueled me to find trainers outside of my high school that helped me improve my skillset. Failure has also fueled me to be dedicated to my craft and exhibit a strong work ethic by not only showing up every day but also working hard every second that I am practicing or training to also lend a helping hand to the coaching staff to help players who may not have the same skillset. Throughout my life, sports have taught me to stare adversity and failure in the face and work hard to change the trajectory of whatever I am attempting to achieve. Many people believe that adversity and failure are the end of the road, but it is important to have leaders and teachers to mentor them to overcome negativity through hard work and dedication. It is my strong desire to continue my academic and athletic career so that I can continue to learn and overcome adversity so that I can help other young people learn to do the same in the future.

There’s nothing special about a Tuesday in the fifth grade. Most of our days were filled with STAR testing preparation, math, reading, recess, and chicken nuggets. I struggled with reading, so I hated school. By the fifth grade, a teacher had suggested that my parents place me in a special education class because of my reading development, but they refused! Instead, they agreed to have a reading specialist pull me out of class for an hour on Tuesdays for extra help with reading. Additionally, my parents hired a tutor to help me and they committed to reading with me for an extra 30 minutes every night. As a result, my reading comprehension improved drastically, I transitioned worst to one of the best readers in the class. Tuesday, May 19, 2015, was not the normal Tuesday that I had grown accustomed to. Before walking out the door, my dad called my mom and instructed her not to drop me off at school. Instead, my mother packed a bag with a few days of clothes, and we headed to Longview, TX. When we arrived at the hospital in Longview, we were greeted by my grandmother who told the story of my aunt’s accident – she had been traveling down a two-lane highway to work during a blinding rainstorm and hit a tree that had fallen in the middle of the road. Once the car stopped sliding off the highway, she was ejected through the windshield in which she suffered a broken neck from the impact. Doctors immediately informed my family that the chances of my aunt regaining her ability to walk were slim to none. We spent the remainder of the week in Longview with my aunt – unfortunately, this interrupted the reading intervention schedule that I had been following at my school. Over the remaining weeks, my parents traveled back and forth to Longview, until my aunt stabilized enough to be placed in a rehabilitation center. She was admitted into the Texas Rehabilitation and Research Facility here in Houston, TX which is labeled the best rehabilitation hospital in the country. Instead of working with my tutor in the evenings, my father picked me up from school every day and took me to TIRR where we observed her physical therapy and offered encouragement to her. On my daily visits observed the patience that the therapist had with her on the days that she was depressed and refused to cooperate and participate. I was fascinated with the methods that were used to help her to return to normal activities of daily living. Money was tight during this time, so instead of paying the tutor, my parents took the role of “teacher” personally – while we waited for my aunt to complete various tasks, my parents used this time to tutor me. My aunt did not regain her ability to walk but she was able to regain some movement that allows her to complete normal daily activities such as feeding herself and dialing numbers on her cellular phone. Throughout high school, I have kept my aunt’s journey along with my earlier reading struggles in my eyesight and have committed to improving myself to be able to make a positive difference in the lives of others through Physical Therapy. I have maintained a 3.1 GPA and have been accepted into over 30 colleges. I look forward to beginning a career in these fields to help improve the lives of others who may have suffered similar catastrophic injuries.

I started my 8th-grade year two weeks late after Hurricane Harvey shook the state of Texas. During that time, my mother’s office was closed due to the damage that the building and area sustained during the storm. Instead of sitting around the house doing nothing, she decided that we would use this time to volunteer at the shelter that our church had opened. There were hundreds of families affected by this tragedy. Some of them lost everything, including their homes, schools, vehicles, and all of their personal belongings. Parents and children slept on military-issued cots for months. Most of them were unable to work or had not been working before the storm, so they depended on the meals that were prepared by the volunteers at the church. Many of the children who were close to my age were sad and depressed, which made me sad. However, it allowed me to do something to help others, which built my love of community service. My whole social life changed in 2020 with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am the only child living at home, which can prove tough for most kids my age. Although it was hard, the pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my family. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and allowing them to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college, I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. I would also like to investigate the difference it would make in children’s ability to focus if they were granted more recess time in the schools. Part of that time could be growing something that not only helps their mental state but their academic progress in the sciences. The average inner-city kid in America does not have much time outside once school is out. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

I have played sports since I was three years old. My parents signed me up for tee ball when I was three years old. My parents saved videos of me playing in the grass in the outfield. By the time football season started, I was four years old. I spent a great deal of my time kicking cones that were set up for drills. I'm sure my parents were ready to give up on my dreams of becoming a great athlete, but you would never know it. They never missed a game or sat quietly. They have always been my biggest fans and toughest coaches. I hope to have a career in sports as a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here, there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to me and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

My family instilled the importance of volunteer work in me at a very young age. I have participated in gardening projects in underserved communities since I was 5 years old. Gardening is a slow but rewarding hobby for many elderly people within my community. It is quiet and tedious but there is much to be learned from the earth as well as the elderly people who have gardened with me. Mr. Jones who is an ex-police officer always talked to me about police and community relationships. I have seen several tragedies unfold in my lifetime at the hands of the police. However, I have never had a place for hate within my heart for this profession. Mr. Jones helped me understand the importance of law enforcement within the community. He explained how their presence cuts down crime and homicide here in the city of Houston. He also let me know of some of the volunteer work and community outreach that officers engage in. Most importantly, he helped me to understand that most officers just want to do a good job and get home to their families every night. I do not aspire to follow in Mr. Jones's footsteps when choosing my career but, my time and relationship have offered me an opportunity to see things through the eyes of he and his peers. Mr. Jones suffered from a stroke a few years ago, he lost a great deal of mobility in his arms and legs. Since his stroke, Mr. Jones has been unable to participate in the community gardening project as he had in the past, but I will be forever grateful for the relationship that we developed and the knowledge that he shared with me. It is my goal to become a Physical Therapist so that I can help Mr. Jones and others like him. Outside of my relationship with Mr. Jones, I would also like to help people like my aunt, who suffered from a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down in 2015. The paramedics that saved her life stated that it was a miracle that she lived through the accident. My parents and I drove to East Texas every other weekend to visit her in the hospital and provide relief for my grandmother who is her primary caregiver. Once she was released from the hospital, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. I witnessed the love, compassion, and expertise that the therapists and doctors showed my aunt during the time that she was in the rehab facility. Although she is still refined to a wheelchair, my aunt can complete various tasks such as feeding herself and dialing a telephone due to the therapy that she received while she was in the rehab facility at Tirr. There are so many people like my aunt in this world, unfortunately, there are not many physical therapists or facilities that provide the treatment that they need. If given the opportunity, I plan to help people who have suffered similar tragedies as my aunt in the future. My aunt’s daughter was 2 years old at the time of her accident. My parents provide as much financial and physical support as possible to my aunt and her daughter. If they were able to pay for my education and continue helping my aunt, they would do it without hesitation, however, they send most of their extra money to my aunt and grandmother to assist in her day-to-day expenses such as food, medicine, and transportation.

My whole social life changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, I am the only child living at home, which can prove tough for most kids my age. Although it was hard, the pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my Aunt. I decided to direct my attention away from myself by serving others. I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and allowing them to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college, I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. I would also like to investigate the difference it would make in children’s ability to focus if they were granted more recess time in the schools. Part of that time could be growing something that not only helps their mental state but their academic progress in the sciences. The average inner-city kid in America does not have much time outside once school is out. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

I have been inspired to work and get involved in my community as early as age five. As a young child, my parents and the elders in my family taught me about my family heritage. During family gatherings and holidays, my family fellowshipped and educated the young people on what our family did in our community. We were told to honor the family name each time we stepped out of the house. It was instilled in us that we were blessed and privileged and because of that much would be expected from us from God. I was told how my Great Grandfather was oppressed but still was known throughout the community for their generosity in sharing their knowledge about acquiring wealth through the purchasing and sale of livestock. For example, my great-grandfather’s father used one cow as collateral to secure loans at four different banks in Louisiana. With the money he bought and sold more cattle to buy land for farming. He passed on this knowledge of acquiring wealth through what you already possessed. He was known for helping poor black students to go to college by selling off a cow when tuition was due. As a result of this many children were able to get a college education and become teachers in my family’s hometown. As a toddler, I tagged along with my aunt who formed a garden at the school where she taught. I watched how her students worked year-round in their garden to grow vegetables for every season. I traveled with her to health fairs and watched her students educate other students on what fruit and vegetables they should eat to help them become better athletes and better students. I enjoyed helping to pick greens and onions and okra, and papayas. I enjoyed, even more, the welcome I received when we stopped at the elderly people’s home in the community to deliver bags of fresh vegetables. As young as I was, I remember the feeling of pride that I had something to offer that helped others. During the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, my family was spared the destruction that many other families suffered. My father took my brother and I out into the community to help people to clear their property of the debris and trash that the storm left behind. The sense of satisfaction I received from using my strength to help others even though I had no money still gives me a warm feeling inside. During the pandemic, I entered high school and was a virtual learner. During this time, I learned the skills necessary to take care of my home. I helped my father to pour a new patio, I started a garden for my mother and built a much-needed fence for our home. I learned how to do inside and outside repairs to our home. With my newfound skills, I communicated with my football teammates and encouraged them to start gardens with their families. The bonding that occurs when families work together on projects has taught my friends and classmates that we have much to contribute to the betterment of our homes and communities. We have been asked to build container gardens at several assisted living facilities on the South Side of Houston. Having the opportunity to share knowledge and influence my peers to serve others is how I have changed my community. Working with our hands has changed the attitude of my peers toward the elderly and given us purpose during a pandemic.

My whole social life changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, I am the only child living at home, which can prove tough for most kids my age. I could no longer interact with my friends at school and I could no longer count on spending the weekend with my grandmother for the first time in my life. My evenings were no longer overbooked with practicing and running errands with my father and coming home just in time for dinner and homework before bed. There were long hours of me time once I finished virtual school. During this time, I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening. I decided to direct my attention away from myself by serving others. I was concerned about my mother possibly getting depressed by being stuck in the house. My father and I decided that we would start a project that included all of us working together by planning a garden that changed with the season and included vegetables and flowers. We photographed what we grew and shared the photos online with family members. We challenged them to begin their own gardens. We then did drive-by visits to our elderly relatives’ homes and took them gifts of clippings, flowers and vegetables from our bounty. Not only did this lift their spirits, but it kept us in a positive space. found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and giving them an opportunity to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college, I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. I would also like to investigate the difference it would make in children’s ability to focus if they were granted more recess time in the schools. Part of that time could be growing something that not only helps their mental state but their academic progress in the sciences. The average inner-city kid in America does not have much time outside once school is out. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

It is my goal to pursue a career in the medical field as a physical therapist. I have had the opportunity to see the need for people of color to enter the field. In order for diverse populations to have a more positive attitude toward improving their health, they must see people that look like them. I was introduced to this field of medicine at the age of thirteen when my aunt was involved in a horrific car accident. At the age of 25, she was traveling through a blinding rainstorm to work, and she hit a tree. She suffered a broken neck and was taken to a hospital in Longview, Texas. Once she was stabilized, she was transported to the Texas Rehabilitation and Research Facility in Houston, Texas to begin her rehabilitation. There is major mistrust of the healthcare field from people of color due to past atrocities. The Tuskegee Experiment which involved untreated syphilis in African American Men still cause fear among African American men when seeking medical care. The mistrust of healthcare providers has been further fueled by the unauthorized taking and selling of the cells of Mrs. Henrietta Lacks. While my aunt has never verbally mentioned her mistrust of the people in the healthcare field, her actions and attitudes toward certain doctors and therapists have hindered her progress and development. Many times I have sat and wondered if she trusted her therapist more, would she be in a better physical position? During the Covid Pandemic, African Americans and Hispanics lagged behind other races in seeking vaccinations due to their fear of becoming guinea pigs. Consequently, a disproportionate number of lives were lost for people of color. Statistics report that 56 percent of physicians in America identify as White. While only 5% identify as African American. This is troubling because statistics also show that African Americans are 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, 30 percent higher chance of having heart problems and the highest percent of mortality from cancer. High blood pressure, heart disease and cancer run in my family. I have family members who did not find out about their cancer diagnosis until it was too late to do anything. Many of them didn’t go to the doctor because they didn’t have the time or funds while others simply didn’t trust the diagnosis that the doctors had previously provided or would give. In order for the nation’s overall health to improve, we must find ways to help all ethnic groups to identify with healthcare providers. It starts with people seeing individuals of the same race who will undoubtedly understand their culture, their fears, and their traditions.

I have played sports since I was 3 year old. My love of sports started with t-ball and moved on to football and basketball when I was a kid. Year after year I excitedly transitioned from football to basketball season. I played both sports primarily until I was in middle school. It was around that time that I developed a love for baseball. My parents tried to find clubs for me in my neighborhood but were unsuccessful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to me and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Sports have helped me to become stronger both mentally and physically. I learned to work hard for the things that I want to achieve in life, no matter how many people count me out or close doors in my face. My parents could've given up looking for a baseball team that I could join when I was younger, but I witnessed their love for me drive them to find teams and opportunities that I could join. Their perseverance taught me to never give up - these are things that they have always told me, but they led by example and I choose to follow the example daily. As previously mentioned, sports have taught me the power of hard work and determination. I didn't start playing baseball until middle school, but I have been blessed to play varsity baseball since my Freshman year in high school. I was nervous my first few games, but I worked very hard to improve my skills as the season went on and I had a pretty solid freshman year. As a sophomore I was named captain of the baseball team, I believe that this was due to my leadership skills as well as hard work. Both of these are skills that I learned through athletics in my lifetime. It is my goal to become a physical therapist and coach upon graduation from college - the hard work and dedication that I have learned through athletics will carry me to complete this goal.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much-needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here, there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I started my 8th-grade year two weeks late after Hurricane Harvey shook the state of Texas. During that time, my mother’s office was closed due to the damage that the building and area sustained during the storm. Instead of sitting around the house doing nothing, she decided that we would use this time to volunteer at the shelter that our church had opened. There were hundreds of families affected by this tragedy. Some of them lost everything, including their homes, schools, vehicles, and all of their personal belongings. Parents and children slept on military-issued cots for months. Most of them were unable to work or had not been working before the storm, so they depended on the meals that were prepared by the volunteers at the church. Many of the children who were close to my age were sad and depressed, which made me sad. However, it allowed me to do something to help others, which built my love of community service. My whole social life changed in 2020 with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am the only child living at home, which can prove tough for most kids my age. Although it was hard, the pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my Aunt. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and allowing them to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college, I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. I would also like to investigate the difference it would make in children’s ability to focus if they were granted more recess time in the schools. Part of that time could be growing something that not only helps their mental state but their academic progress in the sciences. The average inner-city kid in America does not have much time outside once school is out. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

My whole social life changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, I am the only child living at home, which can prove tough for most kids my age. Although it was hard, the pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my Aunt. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and giving them an opportunity to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside more. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. I would also like to investigate the difference it would make in children’s ability to focus if they were granted more recess time in the schools. Part of that time could be growing something which not only help their mental state but their academic progress in the sciences. The average inner-city kid in America does not have much time outside once school is out. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

Integrity means the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. In simpler terms explained to me as a child, integrity means the things you do when no one else can see you. Integrity for me is me being able to like the real me that no one else sees. We can easily fake integrity in other’s eyes but what about what only our eyes can see? Integrity are those eyes that are always watching what choices you make in tempting situations. Integrity for me is closely related to my relationship with God. Although I am not perfect, I strive to be perfect in how I treat others. Integrity can be addressed now, or a price can be paid for a lack of integrity later when you don’t have a choice of choosing the right behavior. In a world in which God and Spirituality is unpopular to be discussed, the word integrity is easier for many to digest socially. Nevertheless, God’s expectations for me lies parallel to how I feel about integrity for myself. My integrity was tested when I entered High School and became popular. I chose to socialize with and defend those who were far less popular. When offered the opportunity to be given spots on baseball teams around the city without putting in the work, I did not accept. The offers came because of who my parents knew. I chose to seek the help of a personal trainer to bring me up to the standards to be accepted for my own skills. I put in practice time before school with him and I chose to attend a additional practice across town after football practice at night. I chose not to accept what I did not work for.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

My whole social life changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, I am the only child living at home, which can prove tough for most kids my age. I could no longer interact with my friends at school and I could no longer count on spending the weekend with my grandmother for the first time in my life. My evenings were no longer overbooked with practicing and running errands with my father and coming home just in time for dinner and homework before bed. There were long hours of me time once I finished virtual school. The pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I looked at my back yard which was dull and desolate and boring. I remember learning that life began in a garden and that peace could be found there. I was concerned about my mother possibly getting depressed by being stuck in the house because by nature she is a social butterfly. My father and I decided that we would start a project that included all of us working together by planning a garden that changed with the season and included vegetables and flowers. We photographed what we grew and shared the photos online with family members. We challenged them to begin their own gardens. We then did drive by visits to our elderly relatives’ homes and took them gifts of clippings, flowers and vegetables from our bounty. Not only did this lift their spirits, but it kept us in a positive space. Our project expanded to completing much needed repairs on our home which improved the mental state of my entire family. Once they saw what we were doing they each began small projects that involved every family member and we checked in with each other at least three times a week. I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and giving them an opportunity to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. I would also like to investigate the difference it would make in children’s ability to focus if they were granted more recess time in the schools. Part of that time could be growing something which not only help their mental state but their academic progress in the sciences. The average inner-city kid in America does not have much time outside once school is out. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. My non-profit organization would be called Q-Impact (Quincy’s Impact). I believe that through mentorship and coaching, I will be able to help children stay away from drugs and trouble. Change many of the negative stereotypes that minorities unfortunately receive through the media and help other young men in my community understand the importance of education. One of the stereotypes that anger me within my community is that Black men are not present and mentoring within the community. This is far from true – I have been blessed to be mentored by amazing men that look like me and it is my goal to do the same. Jackie Robinson once said "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. Additionally, I met Joshua Jones, the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association. Coach Josh understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” Our motto is my personal goal.

The quality that I value the most in myself is compassion. I believe that if more people carried themselves with compassion and kindness towards their fellow man, the world would be a better place. Compassion for others is what has driven me to choose the goals and career paths that I have chosen. Upon completion of college, I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. My non-profit organization would be called Q-Impact (Quincy’s Impact). I believe that through mentorship and coaching, I will be able to help children stay away from drugs and trouble. Change many of the negative stereotypes that minorities unfortunately receive through the media and help other young men in my community understand the importance of education. One of the stereotypes that anger me within my community is that Black men are not present and mentoring within the community. This is far from true – I have been blessed to be mentored by amazing men that look like me and it is my goal to do the same. Jackie Robinson once said "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility.

I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. My non-profit organization would be called Q-Impact (Quincy’s Impact). I believe that through mentorship and coaching, I will be able to help children stay away from drugs and trouble. Change many of the negative stereotypes that minorities unfortunately receive through the media and help other young men in my community understand the importance of education. One of the stereotypes that anger me within my community is that Black men are not present and mentoring within the community. This is far from true – I have been blessed to be mentored by amazing men that look like me and it is my goal to do the same. Jackie Robinson once said "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I am blessed to come from a two-parent household, therefore, growing up in the inner-city may have been easier for me than it has been for others. Dilemmas that I have faced have not come from my home life, but in the form of roadblocks and pitfalls when it comes to my education and baseball development. I suffered from an undiagnosed learning disability when I was a child. There were times when teachers contacted my parents and suggested that my parents place me in classes for children with special needs. My parents refused, they felt that this was a pipeline to prison, and they knew that I could achieve anything that I really worked hard to do. Instead of sending me to special needs classes my parents hired private tutors and helped me focus on my studies. High school hasn’t always been easy, but my parents encouraged and pushed me to study and work hard. Their guidance and structure have led me to attain a 3.1 G.P.A. that I am very proud of. Unfortunately, many of my peers do not have parents that stress the importance of education and hard work. Children in similar situations to my peers are the children that I would like to coach and mentor upon my completion of college. I am passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." Many kids in the inner-city don’t come from two parent households. They don’t always have someone pushing them to work harder and do their best. It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future.

I attend James Madison High School in Houston, TX. Historically, our school and community places a high emphasis on basketball and football. I am a talented football player, but I am passionate about baseball. Like most inner-city schools, we lack facilities, resources and coaches who are truly focused on baseball. Our high school isn't the greatest, in fact, we aren't very good according to the record books. My freshman year was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic and we could barely keep the team eligible during my sophomore year - we didn't win one game, but we kept competing. Last year, we won two games and came very close to winning 3 others. Individually, I have excelled, I have been named Captain for the past two seasons and last season I was awarded Second Team All District for First Base. I was also selected to join a travel baseball team for the summer which was a phenomenal experience. I had the opportunity to play with kids who are more skilled than myself and train with coaches who have played on both the collegiate and professional level. Their mentorship and guidance was invaluable. Just because I'm a first baseman doesn't mean that first baseman is my favorite player. Jose Altuve is my favorite player who happens to play for my favorite team, the 2022 World Champion Houston Astros. Altuve is small in stature but giant in heart. He has amazing speed and can hit the ball out of this world. These are skills that I hope that people see in my game when they evaluate me. Altuve is also no stranger to controversy, he has been plagued with the 2017 World Series cheating scandal, but he never responds negatively, he just shows up everyday and does his job. Baseball is a true team sport, it doesn't matter how good an individual is, if the team lacks cohesiveness and skills, the team will suffer. Baseball is physical but not physical, you have to use your strength and power to hit and throw the ball. You must use speed to run the bases and cover gaps in the field. There's nothing greater than beating a man to the bag - both offensively and defensively. Baseball builds character, you must respect the game, your coaches and your opponent or you won't be successful. These are values that my parents have instilled in me since I was a kid - passion, determination, and respect.

I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. ." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

My whole social life changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, I am the only child living at home, which can prove tough for most kids my age. I could no longer interact with my friends at school and I could no longer count on spending the weekend with my grandmother for the first time in my life. My evenings were no longer overbooked with practicing and running errands with my father and coming home just in time for dinner and homework before bed. There were long hours of me time once I finished virtual school. The pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my Aunt. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I looked at my back yard which was dull and desolate and boring. I remember learning that life began in a garden and that peace could be found there. I was concerned about my mother possibly getting depressed by being stuck in the house because by nature she is a social butterfly. My father and I decided that we would start a project that included all of us working together by planning a garden that changed with the season and included vegetables and flowers. We photographed what we grew and shared the photos online with family members. We challenged them to begin their own gardens. We then did drive by visits to our elderly relatives’ homes and took them gifts of clippings, flowers and vegetables from our bounty. Not only did this lift their spirits, but it kept us in a positive space. Our project expanded to completing much needed repairs on our home which improved the mental state of my entire family. Once they saw what we were doing they each began small projects that involved every family member and we checked in with each other at least three times a week I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and giving them an opportunity to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside more. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. I would also like to investigate the difference it would make in children’s ability to focus if they were granted more recess time in the schools. Part of that time could be growing something which not only help their mental state but their academic progress in the sciences. The average inner-city kid in America does not have much time outside once school is out. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my Aunt. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I looked at my back yard which was dull and desolate and boring. I remember learning that life began in a garden and that peace could be found there. I was concerned about my mother possibly getting depressed by being stuck in the house because by nature she is a social butterfly. My father and I decided that we would start a project that included all of us working together by planning a garden that changed with the season and included vegetables and flowers. We photographed what we grew and shared the photos online with family members. We challenged them to begin their own gardens. We then did drive by visits to our elderly relatives’ homes and took them gifts of clippings, flowers and vegetables from our bounty. Not only did this lift their spirits, but it kept us in a positive space. Our project expanded to completing much needed repairs on our home which improved the mental state of my entire family. Once they saw what we were doing they each began small projects that involved every family member and we checked in with each other at least three times a week I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and giving them an opportunity to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside more. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. I would also like to investigate the difference it would make in children’s ability to focus if they were granted more recess time in the schools. Part of that time could be growing something which not only help their mental state but their academic progress in the sciences. The average inner-city kid in America does not have much time outside once school is out. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. My non-profit organization would be called Q-Impact (Quincy’s Impact). I believe that through mentorship and coaching, I will be able to help children stay away from drugs and trouble. Change many of the negative stereotypes that minorities unfortunately receive through the media and help other young men in my community understand the importance of education. One of the stereotypes that anger me within my community is that Black men are not present and mentoring within the community. This is far from true – I have been blessed to be mentored by amazing men that look like me and it is my goal to do the same. Jackie Robinson once said "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility.

My personal growth and development revolves around the Covid-19 pandemic. It might feel like a lifetime ago to many, but it seems like just yesterday when the world came to a screeching halt. The pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my Aunt. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I looked at my back yard which was dull and desolate and boring. I remember learning that life began in a garden and that peace could be found there. I was concerned about my mother possibly getting depressed by being stuck in the house because by nature she is a social butterfly. My father and I decided that we would start a project that included all of us working together by planning a garden that changed with the season and included vegetables and flowers. We photographed what we grew and shared the photos online with family members. We challenged them to begin their own gardens. We then did drive by visits to our elderly relatives’ homes and took them gifts of clippings, flowers and vegetables from our bounty. Not only did this lift their spirits, but it kept us in a positive space. Our project expanded to completing much needed repairs on our home which improved the mental state of my entire family. Once they saw what we were doing they each began small projects that involved every family member and we checked in with each other at least three times a week I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and giving them an opportunity to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside more. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

It is my goal to become a physical therapist and baseball coach upon completion of my college career. When I was younger, I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard. Dr. Howard is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Howard is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. Dr. uses his clinic to provide opportunities to young Chiropractors who are in search of experience in their field. He completes countless physical examinations for athletes all around the city of Houston. Many of his clients donate to the Southeast Little League Baseball program. These funds provide uniforms and equipment, field maintenance and tournament fees. In addition to Dr. Howard, Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022 has played a tremendous role in my development as a baseball player and man. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Both gentlemen have shown me the importance of using education and blessings to give back to your community. Dr. Howard is a graduate of Grambling University – he used baseball as a financial tool to play for his education. He began mentoring young men prior to graduation and has no plans to stop. Coach Josh played professional baseball and basketball overseas. His experiences as am athlete led him to open his training facility so that he could help kids become better baseball players. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my Aunt. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I looked at my back yard which was dull and desolate and boring. I remember learning that life began in a garden and that peace could be found there. I was concerned about my mother possibly getting depressed by being stuck in the house because by nature she is a social butterfly. My father and I decided that we would start a project that included all of us working together by planning a garden that changed with the season and included vegetables and flowers. We photographed what we grew and shared the photos online with family members. We challenged them to begin their own gardens. We then did drive by visits to our elderly relatives’ homes and took them gifts of clippings, flowers and vegetables from our bounty. Not only did this lift their spirits, but it kept us in a positive space. Our project expanded to completing much needed repairs on our home which improved the mental state of my entire family. Once they saw what we were doing they each began small projects that involved every family member and we checked in with each other at least three times a week I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and giving them an opportunity to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside more. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. My non-profit organization would be called Q-Impact (Quincy’s Impact). I believe that through mentorship and coaching, I will be able to help children stay away from drugs and trouble. Change many of the negative stereotypes that minorities unfortunately receive through the media and help other young men in my community understand the importance of education. One of the stereotypes that anger me within my community is that Black men are not present and mentoring within the community. This is far from true – I have been blessed to be mentored by amazing men that look like me and it is my goal to do the same. Jackie Robinson once said "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

My whole social life changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, I am the only child living at home, which can prove tough for most kids my age. I could no longer interact with my friends at school and I could no longer count on spending the weekend with my grandmother for the first time in my life. My evenings were no longer overbooked with practicing and running errands with my father and coming home just in time for dinner and homework before bed. There were long hours of me time once I finished virtual school. The pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my Aunt. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I looked at my back yard which was dull and desolate and boring. I remember learning that life began in a garden and that peace could be found there. I was concerned about my mother possibly getting depressed by being stuck in the house because by nature she is a social butterfly. My father and I decided that we would start a project that included all of us working together by planning a garden that changed with the season and included vegetables and flowers. We photographed what we grew and shared the photos online with family members. We challenged them to begin their own gardens. We then did drive by visits to our elderly relatives’ homes and took them gifts of clippings, flowers and vegetables from our bounty. Not only did this lift their spirits, but it kept us in a positive space. Our project expanded to completing much needed repairs on our home which improved the mental state of my entire family. Once they saw what we were doing they each began small projects that involved every family member and we checked in with each other at least three times a week I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and giving them an opportunity to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. Being outside in the presence of sunlight, and green spaces also improves our physical health which will automatically improve our state of mind. I have been educating my teammates on the psychological and physical advantages of being outside more. We will sleep better also. I found out that most of my peers only get about two to three hours of sleep each night. In college I will be spending time in public parks or gardens as a part of my wellness routine. Keeping live flowers and plants in my indoor living spaces will forever be important to me. Teaching others to find mental relief in outdoor spaces instead of turning to substances will be my focus when I practice in my chosen field of study, Kinesiology. I would also like to investigate the difference it would make in children’s ability to focus if they were granted more recess time in the schools. Part of that time could be growing something which not only help their mental state but their academic progress in the sciences. The average inner-city kid in America does not have much time outside once school is out. Alice Walker once said, “in nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” God has invited me to help others by introducing them to the beauty of His natural planet where everything is imperfectly perfect. We live in a society that forces us into believing that we must be perfect – but God did not design us to be perfect in the eyes of others, but instead, his own eyes. Sunlight, flowers, fresh vegetables, and fruits will all play a role in helping my community and in turn, helping the world. There is no doubt that the world needs to heal and see the beauty in itself.

I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. My non-profit organization would be called Q-Impact (Quincy’s Impact). I believe that through mentorship and coaching, I will be able to help children stay away from drugs and trouble. Change many of the negative stereotypes that minorities unfortunately receive through the media and help other young men in my community understand the importance of education. One of the stereotypes that anger me within my community is that Black men are not present and mentoring within the community. This is far from true – I have been blessed to be mentored by amazing men that look like me and it is my goal to do the same. Jackie Robinson once said "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. My non-profit organization would be called Q-Impact (Quincy’s Impact). I believe that through mentorship and coaching, I will be able to help children stay away from drugs and trouble. Change many of the negative stereotypes that minorities unfortunately receive through the media and help other young men in my community understand the importance of education. One of the stereotypes that anger me within my community is that Black men are not present and mentoring within the community. This is far from true – I have been blessed to be mentored by amazing men that look like me and it is my goal to do the same. Jackie Robinson once said "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility.

I am blessed to come from a two-parent household, therefore, growing up in the inner-city may have been easier for me than it has been for others. Dilemmas that I have faced have not come from my home life, but in the form of roadblocks and pitfalls when it comes to my education and baseball development. I suffered from an undiagnosed learning disability when I was a child. There were times when teachers contacted my parents and suggested that my parents place me in classes for children with special needs. My parents refused, they felt that this was a pipeline to prison, and they knew that I could achieve anything that I really worked hard to do. Instead of sending me to special needs classes my parents hired private tutors and helped me focus on my studies. High school hasn’t always been easy, but my parents encouraged and pushed me to study and work hard. Their guidance and structure have led me to attain a 3.1 G.P.A. that I am very proud of. Unfortunately, many of my peers do not have parents that stress the importance of education and hard work. Children in similar situations to my peers are the children that I would like to coach and mentor upon my completion of college. I am passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." Many kids in the inner-city don’t come from two parent households. They don’t always have someone pushing them to work harder and do their best. It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future.

I am blessed to come from a two-parent household, therefore, growing up in the inner-city may have been easier for me than it has been for others. Dilemmas that I have faced have not come from my home life, but in the form of roadblocks and pitfalls when it comes to my education and baseball development. I suffered from an undiagnosed learning disability when I was a child. There were times when teachers contacted my parents and suggested that my parents place me in classes for children with special needs. My parents refused, they felt that this was a pipeline to prison, and they knew that I could achieve anything that I really worked hard to do. Instead of sending me to special needs classes my parents hired private tutors and helped me focus on my studies. High school hasn’t always been easy, but my parents encouraged and pushed me to study and work hard. Their guidance and structure have led me to attain a 3.1 G.P.A. that I am very proud of. Unfortunately, many of my peers do not have parents that stress the importance of education and hard work. Children in similar situations to my peers are the children that I would like to coach and mentor upon my completion of college. I am passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." Many kids in the inner-city don’t come from two parent households. They don’t always have someone pushing them to work harder and do their best. It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future.

During the summer prior to my freshman year in high school, I went on a college tour with the college bound program from my school. We visited several schools, including Southern, Prairie View, Texas Southern University, the University of Houston and Rice University. While I enjoyed my time at U of H and Rice, I felt a special connection to the HBCU’s that we visited. Historically, my family has attended HBCU’s – to be specific, most of my family graduated from Prairie View and Grambling University. In addition to smaller classroom settings, being in a place where I am welcome and loved is important. My family is very close-knit, I would like to grow and develop in a similar environment. HBCU graduates have given me a great deal of time and mentorship, it is important that I keep this tradition alive. I am very passionate about coaching and mentoring in my own community. Upon graduation, I would like to become physical therapist and baseball coach. Black men are very under-represented in baseball – the way to get black kids playing at a high rate and level is through representation. I feel that the education that I will receive from a HBCU will be far more effective in helping me achieve my goals than that of any other. Issues that affect my community also affect HBCU’s. Heroes and historians that look like me attended HBCUs. I believe that I am part of the next generation of heroes and historians that will graduate from a HBCU.

Despite popular belief, it takes more than intelligence and good grades to succeed in college. There are tons of distractions on a college campus. Freedom, flexible schedules, social events, sporting events and the opposite sex. It is important to set short and long-term goals so that you will remember your reasons for being there in the first place. Determination and the ability to stay focused on those goals are also important. My personal goals involve Physical Therapy, Sports, and Mentorship. I would like to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach, so that I can provide meaningful medical help as well as mentorship within my community. When I was 10 years old, my aunt had a car accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that she endured. Once released from the hospital, she was sent to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy available. I admired the patience and care that the therapists and doctors took with my aunt, and I would like to provide the same love and dedication to others who experiencing similar trauma. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentorship to young men within my community. When I was 10 years old, I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball – unfortunately, there were no teams for my age group in my neighborhood. However, my parents were relentless in their search for programs and were eventually successful in finding a team that I could play with. Some of the coaches were rude and impatient with my development, but my parents insisted that I push through and continue to work for what I wanted. It was my parents’ determination and focus on my dreams that fueled me to stay focused and not quit. Eventually, my high school coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from a rival high school in my neighborhood and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. It is my responsibility to reach my goals so that I can help other young men reach their own.

I would like to attend college so that I can gain a wider perspective of the world and in return provide much needed leadership within my community. I plan to become a physical therapist as well as a baseball coach. My reasons for the career paths that I seek are personal. When I was 10 years old, my aunt suffered a car crash that left her paralyzed from the neck down. I remember traveling with my parents to East Texas on every Friday for two months for each weekend. During that time, I witnessed the physical and psychological pain that my aunt endured. Once she was released, she was sent here, to Houston, TX to TIRR Memorial where she received the best physical therapy that is available. My aunt is still refined to a wheelchair, but due to the therapy that she received while she was here there are various tasks that she can complete with her hands. I would like to help people who are suffering from similar tragedies. In addition to providing physical therapy to those in need, I am also passionate about providing quality coaching and mentoring in my own community. I begged my parents to sign me up for baseball when I was 10 years old. I had played other sports consistently from the age of four, but I was very interested in baseball. My parents tried to find teams and trainers in my neighborhood, but they weren’t successful. During my freshman year at James Madison High School, my coach introduced me to Dr. Lawson Howard who is the director of the Southeast Little League Baseball program. Dr. Lawson is not only the director of the program, but he is also the owner of Better Days Chiropractic Clinic. He has served as a coach and mentor to myself and countless other young men - just as I would like to serve future generations. In addition to Dr. Lawson, I also met Joshua Jones, who is the director/head coach of the Texas Bluechips association where I trained and played during the spring and summer months of 2022. Coach Josh graduated from Westbury High School and fully understands the lack of support and resources that have been provided to most of the inner-city schools here in Houston. The motto of the Bluechips program is “Building Better Baseball Players, But Above All, Better Men.” It is my goal to build better men within my community. Jackie Robinson once said that "the many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way." It is my responsibility to mentor and guide the next generation of young men in the inner-city to a brighter future. It has not been easy, but I have found amazing coaches/mentors who have helped develop my love of sports and community outreach. I understand how hard it is to find these things in my community and I want to go to college to obtain knowledge and skills that can be used to help to build more of our young men to take on this responsibility as well.

The Covid 19 Pandemic had a historic effect on not just the world’s physical health but it’s mental health. Parents were forced to spend time with their children and their spouses that was not dictated by a holiday, a vacation or a family tragedy. People were forced to spend time with not only close family members but for most of us we were forced to spend time with ourselves. During the pandemic my whole social life changed. I could no longer interact with my friends at school, and I could no longer count on spending the weekend with my grandmother for the first time in my life. My evenings were no longer overbooked with practicing and running errands with my father and coming home just in time for dinner and homework before bed. There were long hours of me time once I finished virtual school. The pandemic forced me to introduce me to myself. I thought back to my younger years as a child and thought about how much fun I had gardening with my aunt. I decided to direct my attention away from my self by serving others. I looked at my back yard which was dull and desolate and boring. I remember learning that life began in a garden and that peace could be found there. I was concerned about my mother possibly getting depressed by being stuck in the house because by nature she is a social butterfly. My father and I decided that we would start a project that included all of us working together by planning a garden that changed with the season and included vegetables and flowers. We photographed what we grew and shared the photos online with family members. We challenged them to begin their own gardens. We then did drive by visits to our elderly relatives’ homes and took them gifts of clippings, flowers, and vegetables from our bounty. Not only did this lift their spirits, but it kept us in a positive space. Our project expanded to completing much needed repairs on our home which improved the mental state of my entire family. Once they saw what we were doing they each began small projects that involved every family member and we checked in with each other at least three times a week I found that being in nature and watching things grow and improving what we see in our surroundings can be healing. I also found that sharing and spending time with elderly people and giving them an opportunity to teach me how to do things with my hands was healing for them also. My plans have already begun. I am introducing my football and baseball team mates to growing things. Our plans are to visit the small, assisted living facilities in the Hiram Clark community. We will be transforming their outdoor spaces into container gardening areas that we will be helping them to attend to. Many of my peers experience anxiety when interacting with elderly people, and many elderly people experience anxiety when teenagers are around. I believe that gardening can not only be healing for the two groups but can also open us up to communicating about our fears more and help us to trust. In conclusion my mental state improved during the Covid Outbreak because I had an opportunity to focus on what was growing instead of how many were dying.