The main reason I enjoy playing golf is that it greatly helps my mental health. When I'm playing golf, I can focus entirely on the game and my swing, leaving everything else behind. Sometimes my mind feels like it's moving too fast, and I become overwhelmed. However, when I play golf, the noise in my head quiets down, and I can concentrate on one thing in the moment. It’s incredibly rewarding. When I worked hard and managed to get under par on a challenging hole, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment. I also love golf because it has allowed me to meet amazing women who share the same passion for the sport. Forming these connections meant the world to me. The female golfing community is small, but these relationships reminded me that, despite the stereotypes, this is a sport where women can have a strong voice. I will never forget the people I met through golfing and the skills I developed, which will stay with me for a lifetime. I discovered golf by chance, and through the support of the great coaches at my school, it became a sport I truly loved. I joined with no prior experience, but after a few months of hard work, I began to develop my skills. It was intimidating at first because the boys' team had about fifteen players, while the girls' team had only six. That was when I first realized the stereotypes about female golfers. I quickly noticed that female golfers were not taken as seriously as their male counterparts. At first, I tried to hide my golf clubs at school out of fear of judgment. Looking back, I regret feeling ashamed of a sport that brought me so much happiness. Golf is something I hold close to my heart, and it has truly made a positive impact on my life. After two years on the golf team, I learned to move past the harsh stereotypes. I even recruited other girls in my grade to join the team. We grew from six players to about ten. A small increase, but every new member strengthened our team. Overall, golf changed my life. It brought me peace I never knew before and opened my mind to a whole new world. I hope society becomes more open to female golfers because we deserve to enjoy the sport just as much as men. These harmful stereotypes unjustly limit women, yet golf is a sport meant to be enjoyed and mastered by anyone, regardless of gender.

My name is Regina Frantzen, and I am currently a Business Analytics major with a lifelong passion for business. This scholarship would make a significant difference in my academic journey. My father recently experienced a medical emergency, and we are struggling to afford both my education and the mounting medical bills. Despite these challenges, I am determined not to give up on my dreams. As a first-generation college student, the idea of attending college was not always feasible growing up. I am deeply passionate about learning and my chosen major, and I never take my education for granted. One of my greatest aspirations is to earn my degree and create a brighter future for myself and my family. I feel most fulfilled when I am an active student. A long-term goal of mine is to ensure my future children have access to the resources they need to pursue higher education without financial worries. While I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had, I hope to make college seamless for my children. Professionally, one of my biggest aspirations is to work my way up within a company and ultimately become its president. I am incredibly driven and plan to work diligently to achieve this goal. In March 2023, I faced one of the most challenging moments of my life. While attending a school five hours away from home, I became severely ill. It began with body aches and fatigue, which worsened throughout the day. Within two days, I was unable to move or even open my eyes. When I attempted to stand, I fainted, and my friend rushed me to the hospital. I had a fever of 104°F and had to have two IV bags before I was able to stand. Despite various tests, the hospital could not determine the cause of my illness and sent me home with antibiotics. For two weeks, I was unable to eat, stand, or complete any schoolwork. My tonsils and throat were in immense pain, and my hands were swollen and aching. Although I began to recover after three weeks, the same symptoms returned, this time even more severe. Another hospital visit provided no answers, and the illness continued to affect my life. Even now, doctors are still working to determine the exact cause and how to treat my symptoms that still linger, like chronic migraines and fatigue, conditions I never had before. This illness significantly impacted my academics. My GPA dropped because I could not attend class, I was placed on academic probation, and I lost my financial aid. Unable to afford tuition, I had to transfer out of the school I loved. I was completely devastated. While this setback was incredibly difficult, it also led to unexpected growth. During my recovery, I attended community college, where I met amazing people and worked hard to rebuild my academic standing, eventually making the Dean’s List. This experience taught me to listen to my body and prioritize my health. Each day, I feel healthier than before and remain committed to fully overcoming this illness. This scholarship will allow me to continue my education and prove to myself that even after a major setback, I can still persevere and achieve my goals.

I am a third-year student at Farmingdale State College, majoring in Business Analytics. I have always been passionate about giving back to my community and being actively involved on campus. Education has always been a top priority in my life. In high school, I was a member of the National Honor Society, and I made the Dean's List during my time at community college. While attending community college, I also served on the Board of Activities. Being involved in this board was especially meaningful to me because it allowed me to give back to my community. Many students in my area face food insecurity, so we prioritized organizing free food events and providing essential resources. One of my biggest passions is helping and uplifting others. Through my work in customer service, I found joy in going above and beyond for people. I believe everyone deserves the same kindness and respect I strive to give myself. I cherish small, meaningful moments with the people I encounter, even if I may never see them again. For instance, something as simple as helping someone find their way when they are lost feels incredibly rewarding to me. While the world can sometimes be a daunting place, I firmly believe that kindness is a strength, not a weakness. Helping others in any way I can is a value I hold close to my heart, and I hope to carry this principle with me throughout my career. I intend to use the money to continue my education, as I am currently at risk of leaving my school due to the high cost. Despite these challenges, I am determined not to give up on my dreams. The business world can be particularly challenging for women and LGBTQIA+ individuals. As a lesbian, I have at times doubted my career path because of my sexuality. I have considered the possibility that I may not always be taken seriously or could face stereotypes in my career. I might even feel pressured to keep my personal life private or avoid displaying photos of my future family to feel comfortable in the workplace, a simple privilege that many others take for granted. This is a daunting reality, one that I know many LGBTQIA+ individuals share. Nevertheless, I am committed to pursuing my education to demonstrate, to myself and to others, that it is possible to be a strong voice as a woman and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in the male-dominated business world. Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community has empowered me and provided a strong support system. This community has been instrumental in helping me believe in my ability to achieve my goals. Knowing that I am supported by so many people who want women like me to succeed is my greatest motivation to persevere in the business world. I want to honor Coco's legacy by continuing my education, using my voice to help others, and proving that members of the LGBTQIA+ community can thrive and lead in spaces that may not always feel welcoming.

This year I have had to face many challenges and Taylor Swift has been the sound track through it all. The original version of 1989 is what brought me into the world of Taylor Swift. Hearing 1989 (Taylor’s Version) allowed me to step back into that world like it was the first time all over again. Now that I am older I found myself relating very heavily to the songs and using them to help me through hard times. My year began with a rough start, my loving uncle unfortunately passed away in January. The song I would use to describe this time would be “This Love(Taylor’s Version)”. Although “This Love(Taylor’s Version)” is a love song, it has a somber tone and it reminds me of what it means to love someone. Specifically the line, “This love is a light back from the dead” means a lot to me. It fits with that time of my life so well because I had to continue to be a light of love even though I was grieving. I would then say “Out Of The Woods (Taylor’s Version)” would best describe my life from that point on. I was starting a new semester at community college and it was going to be my last one there. I was going to be leaving to attend a four year school after having to leave my previous four year school due to illness. I was faced with a lot of anxiety because I wasn’t sure what college I wanted to attend after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. When I listen to “Out Of The Woods (Taylor’s Version)” it feels like a song about heavy anxiety to me. I interpret the lines, “Are we out of the woods yet?” being repeated various times as the reassurance that comes from having anxiety. It fits with my life because I was constantly telling myself it’s time to move on and make my family proud and finish my degree despite my illness. In my opinion, “Out Of The Woods (Taylor’s Version)” perfectly encapsulates the anxiety and fear that comes with trying to escape a certain situation. To me, “Out Of The Woods (Taylor’s Version)” is like running as fast as you can from something and then finally stopping to catch your breath and look back to see that you’re alone now. Wanting to escape the anxiety, which it how I felt for a few months trying to decide where I wanted to move forward in life and realizing how difficult that will be. For the second half of the year, “You Are In Love (Taylor’s Version)” describes that time in my life perfectly. In July I celebrated my one year anniversary with my partner. It meant the world to me because I always thought I was never going to find someone that loved me. Hearing the lyrics to “You Are In Love (Taylor’s Version)” and being able to relate is something I never thought would be achievable. Taylor beautiful describes what it feels like to be in love. Currently, I would say “Clean (Taylor’s Version)” best describes how I am feeling. I have entered a new chapter at a new school and I am making the best of it. I have felt the rain come pouring down many times. Now I understand if it wasn’t for all that rain, I would not be able to breathe. Overall, I am excited for what the last few months have in store for me. Even though it is unpredictable, I know 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will be there.

When you ask a child the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. There are the classic answers. Veterinarian, astronaut, firefighter. When I was asked that question I would always say I wanted to be a “business person”. From a young age I knew I wanted to be apart of the competitive business world. I had it in my blood as my grandfather, who unfortunately passed away before I was born, was vice president of a milk company in the 1970s. Growing up my mom was a hospice aid and my dad worked at a call center. I was exposed to a lot of financial struggles growing up and still to this day. Even though I have struggled, I never want to give up. I dream of living a life centered in business and I try everyday to achieve such goals. I am currently going into my third year of college, starting over at a new school. I previously had to leave the first school I went to after I discovered I would no longer be able to afford it. I attended community college for a year and worked hard. Now I am planning on going back to a four year school to get my bachelors in business analytics. As a first generation college student it has been a challenge, but I never want to give up no matter how hard it gets. I want to explore a lot of career options and gain a lot of experience. I hope one day I am able to do data research for companies. The business world is very competitive and it can be cut throat, but I hope to find stability. Data research may sound boring to some, but the idea of gathering data and turning it into something useful and breaking it down is an exciting concept to me. I hope to use these skills to help companies, and even help small businesses see what resources are helping their company and how they can grow. In the future I hope to have a stable job and income. I want to take care of parents and bring them on trips that we never were able to do growing up. I want to be able to provide for my family and help everyone as much as I can. I also hope to make an impact before I get my degree. I plan to volunteer on campus and be involved as much as possible. I want to make the most out of every opportunity and chance I get while in school and after school. Overall, I want to move forward in life and pick up where I left off and continue to peruse my education in order to help others. Thank you for your consideration, Regina Frantzen Rfrantzen04@gmail.com