As a survivor of sexual assault and childhood trauma, the words mental illness happen to roll off my tongue more than I would like them to. I am a single mother to an 8 month old daughter named Emarie Gail. I am in the top twenty in my class and have a 3.89 GPA. At 16 years old, I found out I was expecting. I had my daughter a month before I turned 17. School administration and others encouraged me to drop out and get my GED instead, but I pursued on. Now I do my schoolwork online virtually from home while balancing my rambunctious little girl and sick mother. As a child, I was always different. I began to self harm very young and was rebellious in school, along with being a victim of multiple assaults at a young age. My family was never supportive and sadly, I was not able to receive care until now which has jeopardized my aspirations a lot. However, becoming a mother at 16, I was forced to try to pick up the pieces the best that I can and try to get an education so I will be able to provide for her. With this scholarship, I will be able to finance the remaining costs of my tuition, books, and other fees that may arise. My own mother is disabled, and my father has not been apart of my life for a very long time. Due to my Mom's disability, she is unable to work, so financially we struggle and can not really afford much other than what we need to survive. I take care of her, my grandparents, and my daughter daily. I work and try to provide the best I am able to while still in school full-time. I plan to use my experience to help others by getting my Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology; where after I aspire to become a Sexual Assault Resource Officer, so I can advocate and help other young men and women who have went through unfortunate and deafening events like I have myself. I want to expand knowledge on consent, victim-blaming, and other taboo topics that are not very socially acceptable where I live. Awareness is key to helping keep others safe and helping them even keep themselves safe. I have learned, through my experiences, that what happened to me is not my fault. Regardless of what others say, I hope to teach and counsel these victims so they can begin to pick up the pieces instead of being knocked down even more. No one should feel ashamed or alone when going through a traumatic time in their life. In addition, I also am enrolled in courses to obtain my Certified Nursing Assistant license, so I will have medical experience as well as my degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. I wish to take my anecdotal and evidence-based knowledge into schools around the state and educate on proper consent, safe sexual practices, resources that are available, and anything else any of these beloved students may need. I am one in my generation that wants to create change by doing, showing empathy, and helping other citizens of any background to the best of my ability. Sexual assault care should be free nationwide regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, and social background. I hope, with this scholarship, I will be able to further take initiative and help those who are in need and kept silent. As a teenage mother, I want to make the world a safer place for my daughter and every individual.

As a survivor of sexual assault and childhood trauma, the words mental illness happen to roll off my tongue. As a child, I was always different. I began to self harm very young and was rebellious in school. My family was never supportive and sadly, I was not able to receive care until now. I plan to use my experience helping others by getting my Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology; where after I aspire to become a Sexual Assault Resource Officer, so I can advocate and help other young men and women who have went through unfortunate and deafening events like I have myself. I want to expand knowledge on consent, victim-blaming, and other taboo topics that are not very socially acceptable where I live. Awareness is key to helping keep others safe and helping them even keep themselves safe. I also am in school to obtain my Certified Nursing Assistance license at the moment, so I will have medical experience as well as my degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. I want to take my anecdotal and evidence-based knowledge into schools around the state and educate on proper consent, safe sexual practices, resources that are available, and anything else any of these beloved students may need. I am one in my generation that wants to create change by doing, showing empathy, and helping other citizens of any background to the best of my ability. Sexual assault care should be free nationwide regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, and social background. I hope, with this scholarship, I will be able to further take initiative and help those who are in need and kept silent. As a teenage mother, I want to make the world a safer place for my daughter and the children her age alike. Thank you so much for this opportunity and believing in my vision to make the world a more informed, safer place. I am a single mother to an 8 month old daughter named Emarie Gail. I am in the top twenty in my class and have a 3.89 GPA. At 16 years old, I found out I was expecting. I had my daughter a month before I turned 17. School administration and others encouraged me to drop out and get my GED instead, but I pursued on. Now I do my schoolwork online virtually from home while balancing my rambunctious little girl and sick mother. Two weeks after my daughter was born, my mother's stomach ruptured and she had to have emergency surgery. My mother is also a single mom. My father has not been in the picture for a very long time. Financially, my mother is unable to work because of these medical reasons. I have a daughter and schoolwork to do so I am unable to work. We sadly have to rely on government assistance at the time. The reason why I keep swimming in this big, scary ocean of a world is for my daughter. I don't want her to have to worry about where her next meal is coming from, if she's going to be able to go to school, and if it is safe to sleep. I want to be able to provide for her in a nurturing, loving environment where she can go on to pursue a better life than that of mine and my mother's. I have contemplated dropping it out and ending it all, and then I remember I have a blessing of a daughter who depends on me with every fiber of her being. I get up everyday through the struggle and do another assignment that gets me closer to graduation and sooner to a career that will make her proud. At the end of the day, I want my daughter to truly be able to depend on me for anything she would ever need. As a daughter of a single mother, I know what it is like to struggle with low-paying jobs and no financial assistance. I make it work because that's what all mothers do. No matter how much we struggle, we still get up everyday and take care of our babies. Sometimes, we forget about the things we need too. As long as my daughter is happy, I don't mind how much I have to struggle. At the end of the day, hopefully we will be playing together in a big yard full of pretty green grass and flowers. We currently live in a two bedroom apartment. I don't want my child to find her entertainment in the streets later. Being a single mother has changed my life because I now know what my mother feels like and what she goes through to make sure I have everything I need. She has pushed me to succeed when she herself is going through great hardship. For the future, all I want to is to be able to take care of my family and any young moms and children around me. As a 17 year old mother, I know how hard it is to be a mother and get the things you need to done. I juggle scholarships, financial aid applications, schoolwork, my mother's illness, and other household duties all day, everyday. With this scholarship, it will help me get even one step closer to my dream of becoming apart of our law enforcement in this country that drastically needs changed. I see myself being someone who advocates for children's safety. As a survivor of sexual assault, I want to help work with those who also have been victimized. With my CNA license and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and sociology, I will have the knowledge needed to help make a difference. Thank you for the opportunity to write this essay!

I am a single mother to an 8 month old daughter named Emarie Gail. I am in the top twenty in my class and have a 3.89 GPA. At 16 years old, I found out I was expecting. I had my daughter a month before I turned 17. School administration and others encouraged me to drop out and get my GED instead, but I pursued on. Now I do my schoolwork online virtually from home while balancing my rambunctious little girl and sick mother. Two weeks after my daughter was born, my mother's stomach ruptured and she had to have emergency surgery. She has been unable to help me with my daughter due to not being able to lift and is now disabled. My mother is also a single mom. Financially, my mother is unable to work because of these medical reasons. I have a daughter and schoolwork to do so I am unable to work. We sadly have to rely on government assistance at this time. I want to be able to provide for her in a nurturing, loving environment where she can go on to pursue a better life than that of mine and my mother's. At the end of the day, I want my daughter to truly be able to depend on me for anything she would ever need. No matter how much we struggle, we still get up everyday and take care of our babies. Being a single mother has changed my life because I now know what my mother feels like and what she goes through to make sure I have everything I need. She has pushed me to succeed when she herself is going through great hardship. As a 17 year old mother, I know how hard it is to get the things you need to done. I juggle scholarships, financial aid applications, schoolwork, my mother's illness, and other household duties all day, everyday. I am a survivor of sexual assault and childhood trauma, so mental illnesses happen to roll off my tongue more than I would it them to. I began to self harm very young and was very rebellious in school, along with being a victim of multiple assaults at a young age. I was not able to receive care until now which has jeopardized my aspirations a lot. However, becoming a mother at 16, I was forced to try to pick up the pieces the best that I can and try to get an education so I will be able to provide for her. I plan to use my experience to help others by getting my Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology; where after I aspire to become a Sexual Assault Resource Officer, so I can advocate and help other young men and women who have went through unfortunate and deafening events like I have myself. I want to expand knowledge on consent, victim-blaming, and other taboo topics that are not very socially acceptable where I live.

I am a single mother to an 8 month old daughter named Emarie Gail. I am in the top twenty in my class and have a 3.89 GPA. At 16 years old, I found out I was expecting. I had my daughter a month before I turned 17. School administration and others encouraged me to drop out and get my GED instead, but I pursued on. Now I do my schoolwork online virtually from home while balancing my rambunctious little girl and sick mother. Two weeks after my daughter was born, my mother's stomach ruptured and she had to have emergency surgery. She has been unable to help me with my daughter due to not being able to lift and is now disabled. My mother is also a single mom, and my father has not been in the picture for a very long time. Financially, my mother is unable to work because of these medical reasons. I have a daughter and schoolwork to do so I am unable to work. We sadly have to rely on government assistance at this time. The reason why I keep swimming in this big, scary ocean of a world is for my daughter. I don't want her to have to worry about where her next meal is coming from, if she's going to be able to go to school, and if it is safe to sleep. I want to be able to provide for her in a nurturing, loving environment where she can go on to pursue a better life than that of mine and my mother's. I have contemplated dropping it out and ending it all, and then I remember I have a blessing of a daughter who depends on me with every fiber of her being. I get up everyday through the struggle and do another assignment that gets me closer to graduation and sooner to a career that will make her proud. At the end of the day, I want my daughter to truly be able to depend on me for anything she would ever need. As a daughter of a single mother, I know what it is like to struggle with low-paying jobs and no financial assistance. I make it work because that's what all mothers do. No matter how much we struggle, we still get up everyday and take care of our babies. Sometimes, we forget about the things we need too. As long as my daughter is happy, I don't mind how much I have to struggle. Being a single mother has changed my life because I now know what my mother feels like and what she goes through to make sure I have everything I need. She has pushed me to succeed when she herself is going through great hardship. As a 17 year old mother, I know how hard it is to be a mother and get the things you need to done. I juggle scholarships, financial aid applications, schoolwork, my mother's illness, and other household duties all day, everyday. At the end of the day, hopefully we will be playing together in a big yard full of pretty green grass and flowers. We currently live in a two bedroom apartment which is very small and sometimes harrowing. As a survivor of sexual assault and childhood trauma, the words mental illness happen to roll off my tongue more than I would like them to. I began to self harm very young and was very rebellious in school, along with being a victim of multiple assaults at a young age. My family was never supportive and sadly, I was not able to receive care until now which has jeopardized my aspirations a lot. However, becoming a mother at 16, I was forced to try to pick up the pieces the best that I can and try to get an education so I will be able to provide for her. I plan to use my experience to help others by getting my Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology; where after I aspire to become a Sexual Assault Resource Officer, so I can advocate and help other young men and women who have went through unfortunate and deafening events like I have myself. I want to expand knowledge on consent, victim-blaming, and other taboo topics that are not very socially acceptable where I live. Awareness is key to helping keep others safe and helping them even keep themselves safe. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

As a survivor of sexual assault and childhood trauma, the words mental illness happen to roll off my tongue more than I would like them to. As a child, I was always different. I began to self harm very young and was rebellious in school, along with being a victim of multiple assaults at a young age. My family was never supportive and sadly, I was not able to receive care until now which has jeopardized my aspirations a lot. However, becoming a mother at 16, I was forced to try to pick up the pieces the best that I can and try to get an education so I will be able to provide for her. With this scholarship, I will be able to finance the remaining costs of my tuition, books, and other fees that may arise. My own mother is disabled, and my father has not been apart of my life for a very long time. Due to my Mom's disability, she is unable to work, so financially we struggle and can not really afford much other than what we need to survive. I take care of her, my grandparents, and my daughter daily. I work and try to provide the best I am able to while still in school full-time. I plan to use my experience to help others by getting my Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology; where after I aspire to become a Sexual Assault Resource Officer, so I can advocate and help other young men and women who have went through unfortunate and deafening events like I have myself. I want to expand knowledge on consent, victim-blaming, and other taboo topics that are not very socially acceptable where I live. Awareness is key to helping keep others safe and helping them even keep themselves safe. I have learned, through my experiences, that what happened to me is not my fault. Regardless of what others say, I hope to teach and counsel these victims so they can begin to pick up the pieces instead of being knocked down even more. No one should feel ashamed or alone when going through a traumatic time in their life. In addition, I also am enrolled in courses to obtain my Certified Nursing Assistant license, so I will have medical experience as well as my degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. I wish to take my anecdotal and evidence-based knowledge into schools around the state and educate on proper consent, safe sexual practices, resources that are available, and anything else any of these beloved students may need. I am one in my generation that wants to create change by doing, showing empathy, and helping other citizens of any background to the best of my ability. Sexual assault care should be free nationwide regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, and social background. I hope, with this scholarship, I will be able to further take initiative and help those who are in need and kept silent. As a teenage mother, I want to make the world a safer place for my daughter and the children her age alike. Every child, and individual, should be safe regardless of where they go. I want to say thank you so much for this opportunity and believing in my vision to make the world a more informed, safer place. I hope I can make you proud if I am chosen as the scholarship winner!

As a survivor of sexual assault and childhood trauma, the words mental illness happen to roll off my tongue. As a child, I was always different. I began to self harm very young and was rebellious in school. My family was never supportive and sadly, I was not able to receive care until now. I plan to use my experience helping others by getting my Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology; where after I aspire to become a Sexual Assault Resource Officer, so I can advocate and help other young men and women who have went through unfortunate and deafening events like I have myself. I want to expand knowledge on consent, victim-blaming, and other taboo topics that are not very socially acceptable where I live. Awareness is key to helping keep others safe and helping them even keep themselves safe. I also am in school to obtain my Certified Nursing Assistance license at the moment, so I will have medical experience as well as my degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. I want to take my anecdotal and evidence-based knowledge into schools around the state and educate on proper consent, safe sexual practices, resources that are available, and anything else any of these beloved students may need. I am one in my generation that wants to create change by doing, showing empathy, and helping other citizens of any background to the best of my ability. Sexual assault care should be free nationwide regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, and social background. I hope, with this scholarship, I will be able to further take initiative and help those who are in need and kept silent. As a teenage mother, I want to make the world a safer place for my daughter and the children her age alike. Thank you so much for this opportunity and believing in my vision to make the world a more informed, safer place. I hope I can make you proud if I am chosen as the scholarship winner!

My daughter, Emarie Gail, who I graciously named after my grandmother, is my everything. She has beautiful dark brown hair, versus my red. Beautiful blue eyes, versus my green. She definitely is my everything. At 16 years old, I had my first child. I worked and went to school full-time while taking care of my mother and grandparents. After I got pregnant with Emarie, mine and my entire family's world revolved around her. We all, despite the circumstances, were so blessed and ecstatic to be expecting her. She came out weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces, versus my 3 pounds. She is the embodiment of everything beyond what I could ever have imagined. As someone who has went through sexual assault and other traumatic experiences, I was afraid of having a child in a world that has not been so kind to me. However, I have tried to form this into a positive message for everyone around me. That is why I want to get my B.A. at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN in Sociology and Criminal Justice. I also have my CNA license, so I can use this in the field as medical experience. Becoming a Sexual Assault Resource Officer and Nurse has been my lifelong dream. I want to spread awareness on consent, the laws regarding sexual activity, safe sex, and everything in between. I will use my experiences to help advocate for others and understand how they are feeling. No one deserves to go through an assault, and I know I am the right person to be by their side through it all. Emarie is my everything, and I would do everything for her. I want to be able to actually have a stable home and job for my family, while helping others along the way. With this scholarship, I will be able to start college and still be able to take care of my child and home. I am so grateful for this opportunity. Thank you for considering my essay! I hope I can make you proud. The song I have chose, as a daughter of two underground musicians, is "Time" by NF. It embodies and reflects the fear I have of being a parent, about to marry, working, and going to school at the same time. This scholarship would also definitely help make some of the worry and fear less for sure. YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjVFV__K2YI Rhonda Smith Clay County High School Celina, TN

A role model in my life would be my daughter. She has taught me selflessness, love, compassion, and forgiveness. As someone who became a mother at 16 years old, I had to grow up very quickly and put her before myself. She was worth it in every way and continues to be. I was sexually assaulted as a kid, and I endlessly blamed it on myself. The nurse checking me out told me one day I would understand when I had my own kids. At the time I passed this statement off because I was in so much pain, but it came back to me not long after I had my first child. I would never ever be okay with someone hurting my babies. Now, I understand and know that what this person done was wrong. My daughter helped me grow, realize that, and forgive. I no longer seek revenge, I pray for them because they are someone's child too. I already work full-time and go to school, take care of my daughter, take care of my sick mother and grandparents, and have a decent life for myself as well. With this scholarship, my dreams of becoming a Sexual Assault Resource Officer and nurse will come true. I plan to attend Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN studying Criminal Justice and Sociology. As a licensed CNA, I will also be able to oversee some of the medical aspect too. I want to help others and bring good out of the bad circumstances I have sometimes been dealt with. I hope to help others get through these awful, unfortunate situations and bless them along the way. No one should have to go through it alone, and I will make sure they do not. My experiences, even as bad as they are, I hope to use in a good way. There's ways to teach without being an actual teacher. I hope to spread awareness that consent is vital and it is not legal or right to take advantage of someone. We need to spread more education on consent and other related topics throughout schools across the country and advocate for safe sex education. All in all, I just pray that I can help someone along the way! I am blessed with the opportunity of applying for this scholarship! Thank you for considering me and reading my prompt. I hope that I can make you proud! Rhonda Smith Clay County High School Celina, TN

I am a single mother to a 4 month old daughter named Emarie Gail. I am in the top twenty in my class and have a 3.89 GPA. At 16 years old, I found out I was expecting. I had my daughter a month before I turned 17. School administration and others encouraged me to drop out and get my GED instead, but I pursued on. Now I do my schoolwork online virtually from home while balancing my rambunctious little girl and sick mother. Two weeks after my daughter was born, my mother's stomach ruptured and she had to have emergency surgery. She has been unable to help me with my daughter due to not being able to lift. My mother is also a single mom. My father has not been in the picture for a very long time. Financially, my mother is unable to work because of these medical reasons. I have a daughter and schoolwork to do so I am unable to work. We sadly have to rely on government assistance at the time. The reason why I keep swimming in this big, scary ocean of a world is for my daughter. I don't want her to have to worry about where her next meal is coming from, if she's going to be able to go to school, and if it is safe to sleep. I want to be able to provide for her in a nurturing, loving environment where she can go on to pursue a better life than that of mine and my mother's. I have contemplated dropping it out and ending it all, and then I remember I have a blessing of a daughter who depends on me with every fiber of her being. I get up everyday through the struggle and do another assignment that gets me closer to graduation and sooner to a career that will make her proud. At the end of the day, I want my daughter to truly be able to depend on me for anything she would ever need. As a daughter of a single mother, I know what it is like to struggle with low-paying jobs and no financial assistance. I make it work because that's what all mothers do. No matter how much we struggle, we still get up everyday and take care of our babies. Sometimes, we forget about the things we need too. As long as my daughter is happy, I don't mind how much I have to struggle. At the end of the day, hopefully we will be playing together in a big yard full of pretty green grass and flowers. We currently live in a two bedroom apartment. I don't want my child to find her entertainment in the streets later. Being a single mother has changed my life because I now know what my mother feels like and what she goes through to make sure I have everything I need. She has pushed me to succeed when she herself is going through great hardship. For the future, all I want to is to be able to take care of my family and any young moms and children around me. As a 17 year old mother, I know how hard it is to be a mother and get the things you need to done. I juggle scholarships, financial aid applications, schoolwork, my mother's illness, and other household duties all day, everyday. With this scholarship, it will help me get even one step closer to my dream of becoming apart of our law enforcement in this country that drastically needs changed. I see myself being someone who advocates for children's safety. As a survivor of sexual assault, I want to help work with those who also have been victimized. With my CNA license and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and sociology, I will have the knowledge needed to help make a difference. Thank you for the opportunity to write this essay!