The dream version of my future self embodies confidence, ambition and is a fearless young black woman, who has gone after everything that she's ever wanted regardless of any obstacles that she may face. She is unstoppable, I see her, and I AM her.

Hello, my name is Raegan Johnson and I currently attend Augusta University majoring in psychology with a pre-med concentration. My career goal is to practice medicine, with a focus on providing quality care for marginalized communities. I have a long-term goal of becoming a pediatric dermatologist and opening my own practice. After I complete my undergraduate degree, I plan to go out of state for medical school some schools that I have in mind are the University of California-San Fransisco, Standford University, or Emory University. I chose these institutions not because of their name but because they are the best to attend for my career. I believe these schools will set me up for success while also giving me a chance to experience life outside of my home state, which has been my dream of mine ever since I wanted to go away to college. Even though I didn't get that opportunity for undergrad, I believe that it was all in God's plan to keep me here. As a result of attending AU, I've blossomed into a better student, a leader and someone who wants to make an impact in the community. This upcoming fall I have been chosen to be a mentor for the Multicultural Mentorship Program (MMP) at my school. I believe this is making an impact in my community because coming into college is not an easy thing to adjust to. As someone who struggled a lot during my first year, I have the chance to help students through their transition from high school to college, which is a gift to me because I love helping others and it makes me feel good when I can do that. In addition to being part of this program, I practice valuing and respecting the differences of all people and taking intentional actions toward equity and inclusion, which creates a better world for everyone. While my first year has been a struggle academically and mentally, I’ve learned, grown, and overcame everything that I thought was going to keep me down. That alone has motivated me and pushed me harder to continue my dream of being a doctor. I would be honored and grateful to receive this scholarship, which will help support me on my journey to making my dream of attending medical school and giving me a chance to experience it from a different part of the country. To whoever is reading this essay I would like to thank you heavily for taking the time to read this and get to know me. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Raegan Johnson

A recent story of how I stayed optimistic when it was hard was deciding what college I would spend the next four years at. When you apply to college, all you think about is that shiny envelope with the piece of paper inside that will either say "accepted" or "denied." I was admitted in 18 institutions out of 26 I applied to. More than half of them were out of state. Going out of state was something I really wanted for myself. I am the first person in my family to attend college, and I wanted to have the courage to be different and leave the state. I knew that something was not going to be easy, but I was willing to do it. I was all set to go to Phoenix, Arizona, along one of my closest friends. Unfortunately, at the very last minute, going to that school wasn't an option anymore. I had received a very good scholarship and wasn't allowed to use it at that institution due to their protocols. After long nights of thinking, it was decided that staying in my home state was the option. I tried to be optimistic as much as possible, but I felt like a failure. I felt like I let my friends down and myself. Seeing other people go off to their dream schools was very hard for me because I didn't expect to be in this position. I couldn't help but think, why me? Then I thought about that question, and I found my answer. I concluded that this is where God wants me to be. Maybe it just was not my time to leave, and when that time comes, I will definitely be ready for it.

As a first-generation college student, I have always made it my mission to be different from my family and friends. When I say different, I mean to have the courage to go out into the world to have better opportunities and experience life. The world has so much to offer, and staying in the same place for the rest of my life is not what I envision for myself. I believe that college is where you will have those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, extraordinary opportunities, and learning independence. As a future college student, I would love to continue my education and major in child studies/education. After earning my bachelor's degree, I plan to get my master's and study educational leadership. I have chosen this path because I know it will present me with many opportunities to help me become an impactful leader and pave the way for kids to break generational barriers. It is an excellent program for students like me who want to bring about change for a new generation of students. I've always felt a connection to children by helping and listening to them, considering that no one bothers to hear what they have to say most of the time. I believe that kids have a unique voice and deserve to be heard. I think that becoming a figure in education is my calling because I grew up in a neighborhood where there weren't many resources for kids who planned to expand their knowledge and education after high school. Being that I am a minority in this country, it's twice as hard to achieve some success in your life. The sad part is that, unfortunately, people of color don't have the same opportunities as affluent, white neighborhoods; some of us don't bother to try. Those kids don't believe they can be somebody important, and I want to change that narrative. I want to give all kids hope that they can go to college and become a doctor, lawyers, business owners, etc., despite who they are, where they come from, or even the color of their skin. Without that push to achieve something more significant, the generational cycle of not living up to our fullest potential will never be broken. Everyone in the world should have every opportunity under the sun. The future generations are the world's next leaders, so I believe it's essential to pushing them to go after their dreams and let them know that it's okay to be who you are and want more out of life. Receiving this scholarship will help me achieve my goal by letting me get the chance to attend Augusta University's education program. I know they will present many opportunities to help me become an impactful leader and pave the way for kids to break generational barriers.

As a first-generation college student, I have always made it my mission to be different from my family and friends. When I say different, I mean to have the courage to go out into the world to have better opportunities and experience life. The world has so much to offer, and staying in the same place for the rest of my life is not what I envision for myself. I believe that college is where you will have those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, extraordinary opportunities, and overall learn independence. As a future college student, I would love to continue my education and major in child studies/education. After earning my bachelor's degree, I plan to get my master's and study educational leadership. I have chosen this path because I know it will present me with many opportunities to help me become an impactful leader and pave the way for kids to break generational barriers. It is an excellent program for students like me who want to bring about change for a new generation of students. I've always felt a connection to children as far as helping and listening to them, considering that no one bothers to hear what they have to say most of the time. I believe that kids have a unique voice, and it deserves to be heard. I believe that becoming a figure in education is my calling because I grew up in a neighborhood where there weren't many resources for kids who planned to expand their knowledge and education after high school. Being that I am a minority in this country, it's twice as hard to achieve some success in your life. The sad part is that, unfortunately, people of color don't have the same opportunities as affluent, white neighborhoods; some of us don't bother to try. Those kids don't believe they can be somebody important, and I want to change that narrative. I want to give all kids hope that they can go to college and become a doctor, lawyer, business owner, etc., despite who they are, where they come from, or even the color of their skin. Without that push to achieve something more significant, the generational cycle of not living up to our fullest potential will never be broken. Everyone in the world should have every opportunity under the sun. The future generations are the world's next leaders, so I believe it's essential to push them to go after their dreams and let them know that it's okay to be who you are and want more out of life.

As a future college student, I would love to continue my education at the major in child studies/education. After earning my bachelor's degree, I plan to get my master's and study educational leadership. I have chosen this path because I know it will present me with many opportunities to help me become an impactful leader and pave the way for kids to break generational barriers. It is an excellent program for students like me who want to bring about change for a new generation of students. I've always felt a connection to children as far as helping and listening to them, considering that no one bothers to hear what they have to say most of the time. I believe that kids have a unique voice, and it deserves to be heard. I think that becoming a figure in education is my calling because I grew up in a neighborhood where there weren't many resources for kids who wanted to expand their knowledge and education after high school. Being that I am a minority in this country, it's twice as hard to achieve some success in your life. Unfortunately, people of color don't have the same opportunities as white children and I want to change that narrative. I want to give all kids hope that they can go to college and become a doctor, lawyer, etc., despite who they are, where they come from, or even the color of their skin. Without that push to achieve something more significant, the generational cycle of not living up to our fullest potential will never be broken. The future generations are the world's next leaders, so I believe it's essential to push them beyond their limits and let them know that it's okay to be who you are and want more out of life.

One of my favorite hobbies is being an influencer on Instagram. When I say influencer, I don't mean your typical lifestyle YouTuber, an Instagram model, or doing brand unboxing deals (all of which sounds amazing, by the way!). I'm talking about building a community of women working to achieve their goals through daily inspiration. The name of my community is Her Vision Inc., and I started it way back in 2020 when the pandemic first started. The funny thing about my story is that this isn't what I thought my community would become at all; I originally had the idea to create a business selling cosmetics (which is another favorite hobby of mine). Long story short, that didn't work out for me; however, while I was creating my website for my business, I realized how much I love web and media design. I loved the thought of bringing my creativity to life; it just made me feel so ambitious and empowered. I began thinking that this could actually become a business or even a brand and that people could become inspired by my talents. So many other accounts on Instagram were giving it a shot, so I believed I could too. And just like that, Her Vision Inc. was born. My brand aims to inspire women to achieve their vision and life goals. I started this community because I've always been very passionate about my future. I'm just a natural-born dreamer and a positive person, so I wanted to create something to inspire others to keep striving for their dreams while also motivating me to do the same. That way, I know if I start to slack or feel unmotivated, I have an entire community to support me, and I feel like I have that. My favorite part about it is that I get to create! I love collaborating and engaging with other creators and making content for my account, including social media posts, blog posts, and creating resources for my followers to help them live their best lives. I love that I've found meaning in my creation and that I've been able to dedicate myself to something that I never thought I would be doing in a million years. Her Vision Inc. has become such a blessing for me. I am so genuinely proud to say that I have built a community of over two thousand people. That's more than some people can say. I know that I am not where I expected to be at this point, but that's okay. Everyone has their journey, and this is where God wants me right now. And I've learned to be okay with that. Becoming a content creator is an absolute gift; while there are downsides to this job, it allowed me to embrace my hidden talents and empower people through my abilities. Becoming a content creator has been a gift; while there are downsides to this job, it allowed me to embrace my talents and empower people through my abilities.

As a first-generation college student, I have always made it my mission to be different from my family and friends. Not different in a wrong way but in the way to go out into the world to have better opportunities and experience life to its fullest. The world has so much to offer, and not taking advantage of opportunities that could guarantee me a better future is not what I envision for myself. I believe that attending a college or university is where you will have those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, extraordinary opportunities, and overall learn independence. While I have these dreams of going to college and becoming successful in my future career, other kids don't have that same goal or mindset. I grew up in a neighborhood where there weren't many resources for kids who planned on expanding their knowledge and education after high school. Being a minority of this country, I know how hard you have to work to achieve some success in your life and because we as minorities don't have the same opportunities as affluent, white neighborhoods, some of us don't bother to try. Even though some of that mindset can come from how that individual was raised, I still think that inspiration should come from within the community, including our schools, teachers, church leaders, etc. Without that push to achieve something more significant, the generational cycle of not living up to our fullest potential will never be broken. Being stuck in the mindset that White Americans are the world's leaders and will continue to be is something that I will never understand because the United States is known to be one of the most diverse and most accessible countries in the world. Every race, nationality, gender, religion, sexuality, etc., should have every opportunity under the sun. Even though African Americans may not be as privileged as White Americans, I want future generations of black business leaders to see that they can be whoever they aspire to be. The color of their skin doesn't determine who they are or what their future entails. I want them to stay true to themselves because that's all that matters at the end of the day. That's why my ultimate goal is to be a source of inspiration for them and show them that there are still more than enough opportunities out there for them. Children of color don't deserve to settle for an average life because they come from different backgrounds. Everyone in the world should have every opportunity under the sun. The future generations are the world's next leaders, so that's why I believe it's essential we push them to go after their dreams and let them know that it's okay to be who you are and to want more out of life.

As a future college student, I would love to continue my education by majoring in business, more specifically marketing/advertising. I want to learn what it takes to take a business to the next level because I hope to have my own one day. The university/colleges that I have applied to have excellent business programs, and I think any of them would do a good job preparing me to become a successful businesswoman. I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur ever since middle school. My family was going through some financial hardships; I couldn't always have the things I wanted or go places I wanted to go, so my parents gave me a message that has always stuck with me. They told me the best way to experience life the way I wanted was to work for myself. I hope to make a positive impact out my career by becoming a role model for young African American business leaders. I want those future generations to see that they can be whoever they aspire to be. The color of their skin doesn't determine who they are or what their future entails. I want them to stay true to themselves because that's all that matters at the end of the day. I want them to see that there are still more than enough opportunities out there for them. Children of color don't deserve to settle for an average life because they come from different backgrounds. Everyone in the world should have every opportunity under the sun. The future generations are the world's next leaders, so that's why I believe it's essential we push them to go after their dreams and let them know that it's okay to be who you are.

As a first-generation college student, I have always made it my mission to be different from my family and friends. Not different in a wrong way but in the way to go out into the world to have better opportunities and experience life to its fullest. The world has so much to offer, and not taking advantage of opportunities that could guarantee me a better future is not what I envision for myself. I believe that attending a college or university is where you will have those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, extraordinary opportunities, and overall learn independence. I would love to continue my education by majoring in business, more specifically marketing/advertising. I want to learn what it takes to take a business to the next level because I hope to have my own one day. The university/colleges that I have applied to have excellent business programs, and I think any of them would do a good job preparing me to become a successful businesswoman. I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur ever since middle school. My family was going through some financial hardships; I couldn't always have the things I wanted or go places I wanted to go, so my parents gave me a message that has always stuck with me. They told me the best way to experience life the way I wanted was to work for myself. I also decided to go after this path because I've always been a very creative and innovative person. My whole purpose for pursuing my college career is not just for me but also them. That's why I decided that college entry was my plan after high school. I believe in pursuing a college education that will make me a first-generation college graduate and help me build generational wealth.

My number one goal in life is to attend college to have better opportunities and experience life to its fullest. Coming from two parents who worked hard to make sure I had the best education I possibly could have, I think it is my honor to go to a college/university to show that all of their hard work wasn't for nothing. I should receive this scholarship because it will allow me to earn my education and follow the career path; I desire to study business/marketing studies and hopefully minor in entrepreneurship (if possible). The moment I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur was in middle school. My family was going through some financial hardships; I couldn't always have the things I wanted or go places I wanted to go, so my parents gave me a message that has always stuck with me. They told me the best way to experience life the way I wanted was to work for myself. Being that parents have struggled with financial issues, it wasn't ideal, but through experience, I became who I am. It taught me to be humble and not focus on the idea of material things. Along with that, I probably wouldn't be the mature, hardworking, empathetic, and understanding person I am today. Sometimes when you go through the experiences, good or bad, those situations build your character and shape you into who you are. Another reason I chose to pursue a career in business because I've always been a very creative and innovative person. After watching many young girls my age start their own small business, it seems like I am made to be a part of that world. With all my well-known qualities, including my hard work, determination, perseverance, and eagerness to learn, I believe that this scholarship will answer my prayers and help me fulfill my dreams of becoming a businesswoman/entrepreneur. And not only will this scholarship be a blessing for me but also my family. My whole purpose for pursuing my college career is not just for me but also them. That's why I decided that college entry was my plan after high school. I believe in pursuing a college education that will make me a first-generation college graduate and help me build generational wealth.

As a first-generation college student, I have always made it my mission to be different from my family and friends. Not different in a wrong way but in the way to go out into the world to have better opportunities and experience life to its fullest. The world has so much to offer, and not taking advantage of opportunities that could guarantee me a better future is not what I envision for myself. I believe that attending a college or university is where you will have those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, extraordinary opportunities, and overall learn independence. As a future college student, I would love to continue my education by majoring in business, more specifically marketing/advertising. I want to learn what it takes to take a business to the next level because I hope to have my own one day. The university/colleges that I have applied to have excellent business programs, and I think any of them would do a good job preparing me to become a successful businesswoman/entrepreneur. I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur ever since middle school. My family was going through some financial hardships; I couldn't always have the things I wanted or go places I wanted to go, so my parents gave me a message that has always stuck with me. They told me the best way to experience life the way I wanted was to work for myself. I also decided to go after this path because I've always been a very creative and hard-working person. After watching many young girls my age start their own small business, it inspired me and knowing my qualities, I know it's the world I'm meant to be a part of. I hope to make a positive impact of my career by becoming a role model for young African American business leaders. I want those future generations to see that they can be whoever they aspire to be. The color of their skin doesn't determine who they are or what their future entails. I want them to stay true to themselves because that's all that matters at the end of the day. That's why my ultimate goal is to be a source of inspiration for them and show them that there are still more than enough opportunities out there for them. Children of color don't deserve to settle for an average life because they come from different backgrounds. Everyone in the world should have every opportunity under the sun. The future generations are the world's next leaders, so that's why I believe it's essential we push them to go after their dreams and let them know that it's okay to be who you are.

As a first-generation college student, I have always made it my mission to be different from my family and friends. Not different in a wrong way but in the way to go out into the world to have better opportunities and experience life to its fullest. The world has so much to offer, and not taking advantage of opportunities that could guarantee me a better future is not what I envision for myself. I believe that attending a college or university is where you will have those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, extraordinary opportunities, and overall learn independence. As a future college student, I would love to continue my education by majoring in business, more specifically marketing/advertising. I want to learn what it takes to take a business to the next level because I hope to have my own one day. Most of the schools I am interested in have excellent business and marketing programs, and I think they would do a good job preparing me to become an entrepreneur. I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur ever since middle school. My family was going through some financial hardships; I couldn't always have the things I wanted or go places I wanted to go, so my parents gave me a message that has always stuck with me. They told me the best way to experience life the way I wanted was to work for myself. I also decided to go after this path because I've always been a very creative and hard-working person. After watching many young girls my age start their own small businesses, it inspired me and knowing my qualities, I know it's the world I'm meant to be a part of. I hope to make a positive impact out of my career by becoming a role model for young African American business leaders. I want those future generations to see that they can be whoever they aspire to be and that the color of their skin doesn't determine who they are or what their future entails. I want them to stay true to themselves because that's all that matters at the end of the day. That's why my ultimate goal is to be a source of inspiration for them and show them that there are still more than enough opportunities out there for them. Children of color don't deserve to settle for an average life because they come from different backgrounds. Everyone in the world should have every opportunity under the sun. The future generations are the world's next leaders, so that's why I believe it's essential we push them to go after their dreams and let them know that it's okay to be who you are.