My feet tap against the concrete floor, my hands shaking slowly. I look for help in every direction, but it feels as if a wall is closing in on me. I try to sway my thoughts, but to no avail. I start to take deep breaths, and the lump in my throat slowly disappears. During my freshman and sophomore years, my experience with anxiety was, in a word, terrible. I took a very rigorous course load, consisting of AP, honors, and dual enrollment classes which took a huge toll on my mental health being a writer and editor for two student-run publications. It got to the point where I had to make my mental health an even bigger priority in my life to maintain good grades, a good social life, and a great high school experience. As the only child of a single parent, I had few people to confide in about my anxiety. To cope, I turned to detailed checklists of tasks. Not only did it improve my organization and grades, but each check mark gave me a sense of accomplishment. At the top of my list were high-priority tasks, like AP assignments and Spanish review. Lower priority tasks, like watching a show or playing a video game, filled the bottom of my list. Focusing on key tasks over trivial ones helped reduce my anxiety and made my workload feel lighter. Relying on my Christian faith, I turn to prayer for comfort during hard times. Prayer helps me organize my thoughts, leaving me calm and assured before major decisions. Writing articles is also something that helps me relax. I write features for my school newspaper and volunteer to create uplifting articles for high school students with a non-profit, Schoolhouse.world. I interview students about their classes, and their use of free online resources for success. These articles offer guidance on free tools and strategies successful students use. I enjoy writing these articles a lot, and my dreams of becoming a journalist motivate me to stay resilient. As I get older, I’m able to draw a lot more parallels between my chosen career and mental health. Just as mental health plays a crucial role in a journalist’s ability to report in tough situations, it impacts students like me who are pushing past the pressures of deadlines and challenging schoolwork. I see college as an important step in my quest to overcome anxiety and all that comes with it, as I’ll have even more opportunities to discover what my true calling in journalism is. A thought that often haunts me is the possibility of not being able to afford college and running into debt as a low-income student. I plan to use the scholarship money to help alleviate my anxiety about the future, so I can focus more on my mental health and personal needs. If I’m awarded the Mikey Taylor Memorial scholarship, I’ll use the scholarship money to purchase textbooks and technology. In college, I plan to immerse myself in journalism clubs and internships, free from financial worry. In my future, I see myself being a much calmer and self-aware person. Instead of my hands shaking, they’re combing through articles on the Internet, searching for the next story.

Cold nights. Bare cupboards. Growing up, I always had dreams, but they got blurrier over time. At the start of my sophomore year, my single mom’s financial situation worsened. There were days where food was scarce, and my mom couldn’t afford to pay for the rent, heat, or AC. During this time we started delivering with DoorDash, a food delivery service. Our deliveries lasted until very late at night, resulting in missing assignments. Balancing a rigorous course load with two years of dual enrollment was exhausting. Growing up as a low-income student raised in a single parent household, I always saw finances as my enemy. They were the reason I couldn’t join many programs I had a deep interest in, and had held me back since middle school. Through food delivery, I learned the importance of managing my finances and saving. The challenges I endured changed my way of thinking. Every day my mom would split a portion of the small amount of money we earned with me. Instead of using the money for unnecessary wants, I saved it and used it for car repairs and clothes. I also began to notice the people behind the orders and made personal connections. I helped disabled customers, the elderly, and my friends, which helped me feel fulfilled. I also learned that helping others was integral to success. Each delivery represented a different perspective, igniting my desire to tell real stories and leading me to want to become an investigative journalist. I began to notice the people behind the orders and made personal connections. I helped disabled customers, the elderly, and my friends, which helped me feel fulfilled. I also learned that helping others was integral to success. Each delivery represented a different perspective, reigniting my desire to tell real stories. In the future, I plan to use my experience to assist others. As a first generation low-income (FGLI) student, I found solace in programs catered to people in my situation, and living in a low-income community has had a huge impact on my inability to apply for local scholarships as there usually aren't many available. I hope to create a scholarship fund for other FGLI students interested in journalism. I want to build the scholarship that I never had–to help young women like me who are interested in excelling in journalism, a traditionally male dominated field. Applying to college was a grueling and stressful process for me, as I often worried about how I’d be able to pay. Recently, I’ve applied for dozens of scholarships on numerous platforms in an effort to reduce the $94,000 financial burden of my cost of attendance. Winning the Scorenavigator Financial Literacy scholarship would motivate me to take charge of my finances even more. Right now, my mom and I live in a small one-bedroom apartment, so I want to pursue my passion while also ensuring that my mom lives comfortably. Additionally, one of my biggest concerns for college is being able to afford an updated, efficient laptop. Currently, I only have my old school laptop that can’t handle my future college coursework. Without an efficient laptop, I can’t contribute to my school’s newspaper or build my portfolio. With this scholarship, I can finally get the efficient laptop I need to report stories that matter, add to my portfolio, and become the journalist I’ve always dreamed of being.

My name is Roana Hardy, and I’m a high school senior attending Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School. This fall, I’ll be attending Boston University to pursue a BS in journalism. It started in the corner of a bustling classroom, where my advisor’s email was beeping incessantly with updates. New editions of The Monthly Hawk Talk were being sent out to staff, and the hum of the copy machine served as background music. Since sophomore year, I’ve found my place there, as a writer, and then an editor, working to craft stories that brought our school’s triumphs and struggles to life. Every issue gave me a deeper love for journalism, and soon I was doing more than just writing. I joined the yearbook team, becoming a quiet curator of senior memories, editing photos and helping preserve memories. Beyond the four corners of my school, I bring this same passion to a nonprofit called Schoolhouse World, where I work with a small but mighty newsletter team. Every week, I write, design, and edit stories that speak directly to students navigating hardship just like me. We offer not just information, but reminders to keep going, apply to college, and to dream bigger than their circumstances. As a first-generation, low-income student from Massachusetts pursuing journalism, I’ve often found myself in the margins of scholarship eligibility, as most are opportunities built for STEM majors or other regions. I know the frustration of coming up empty-handed and the uncomfortable feeling of doubt that seeps in. But I also know what it means to turn struggle into vision. One day, I hope to build something for students like me: a virtual journalism platform where FGLI students can explore storytelling, sharpen their media literacy, and pitch their voices to future employers. It will be more than a website—it will be a space to be seen, heard, and supported. My plans after graduation are to become an investigative journalist, reporting on struggling communities and highlighting the positive sides of them. In college, I’ll write for my school’s newspaper to gain experience for internships and other opportunities. If I could start my own charity, my mission would be to help students in similar situations. My charity would change the feeling of inadequacy that many disadvantaged students have by giving students the resources they need to thrive in poor conditions. Volunteers would hand out generous care packages to these students, and each of them would contain books with important tips and tricks to succeed in high school. It would continue helping students during their undergraduate years of college with pitching themselves to future employers. It would include scholarship funds for students interested in different career fields. Students would have the opportunity to submit their work along with a written essay about why they’re interested in their chosen field and how they hope to benefit others. Ultimately, my goal would be to help students in need and give back to my community. Winning the Aserina Hill Memorial scholarship would motivate me even more to contribute to help others in college. Currently, my cost of attendance at BU is $94,000 a year, which is a huge financial burden for me as a low-income student. I’d use the money to pay off some of my tuition and purchase an updated laptop for college.

If my life were a movie, it would be titled My Friendship with the Static. All my life I’d heard the phrase “follow your dreams.” But what if your dreams were invisible, or out of reach? Fade in. The dim interior of a car. A bag of fast food warms my lap, and I’m focused intently on the street in front of me. I sigh. Another night with only a few dollars. This was the night I knew I had to change something. A low-income student raised by a single mother, I always had to ignore the white noise of financial struggles. During my junior year, our financial situation took a turn for the worse. After my mom lost her part-time job, our expenses started piling up. As buying essentials like food or clothes became increasingly difficult, I turned to trying out food delivery through DoorDash to help make ends meet. At first, I was very worried about not having time for both extracurriculars and a job. Our deliveries were at night and typically lasted for hours on end, demanding my full attention. Since I attended a vocational technical school, I knew balancing a trade with my rigorous course load would be a challenge. But surprisingly, over time I found that the lessons I learned outside of the money made it worth it. I found that I was able to learn time management, customer service skills, and effective communication. As I drove through the streets at night, I'd often contemplate what I wanted to do next in college. I knew I enjoyed writing, but I wasn't sure what direction to take. Through DoorDash, I was able to confirm my interest in journalism. During my deliveries, I encountered a man named Elias, a disabled customer who normally ordered snacks from the nearby convenience store. Every time I delivered his orders, I would make sure to deliver them near the back door so it was more accessible for his wheelchair. One day, we began to notice that each time we showed up, Elias had a smile on his face. As we stepped out of the car, his grin stretched ear to ear. It was then I realized that true citizenship didn’t have to come from an elected position; it could be found in the small, selfless actions of others. I realized that each delivery represented a different story. Customers were much more than just their receipts and addresses, and helping others made me feel fulfilled. I learned that helping others was integral to my success. After school, I wrote for the school newspaper and edited photos for the yearbook. I then created a YouTube channel where I posted short stories for young children, accumulating over 2,000 subscribers and reaching countries from the United States to Belgium. On top of all that, I started volunteering with Schoolhouse World, a nonprofit organization that helps students with free online tutoring. I decided to combine my passion for journalism with my volunteer work, and became a writer, editor, and designer for their newsletter team. My resilience and motivation propelled me to apply to my dream school, Boston University, as a journalism major. A couple months later, I received an email. I had done it. I had gotten into my dream school. I celebrated for the rest of the day, but not just because I’d been admitted. I saw it as a confirmation that I was pursuing the right academic and career goals for myself. In the future, I know I want to help others in similar situations. As an FGLI student, I understand the struggle of balancing academics with financial struggles while living in a disadvantaged community. I aim to someday become an investigative journalist and entrepreneur, creating a virtual journalism platform for FGLI students and including free media literacy workshops and scholarship opportunities. This access would enable them to get work referrals with various companies. I would create two scholarships: one open to students in my county and another open to FGLI students in general. This would help invest in promising young individuals and motivate them to pursue their dreams. My opening scene would be titled My Friendship with the Static because of how I grew to be comfortable with my financial situation and the challenges it brought. My financial situation was just like static, clouding my mind and slowly extinguishing my hopes and dreams. When I learned to accept it and use it to better myself, I no longer saw the static as an enemy, but a friend. Currently, the cost of attendance for a year at BU is $94,000. Winning the Success Beyond Borders scholarship would eliminate a portion of my financial burden, and serve as a second confirmation for my academic and career goals.

Adversity is defined as a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune. In Dr. Jack Terry’s case, overcoming adversity meant surviving the horrors of three concentration camps and working hard through his years of formal education without speaking English. Terry’s story inspires me because even though he lost all his family members in a horrific way, he used his story to accomplish way more than what was expected of him. Becoming a geological engineer, psychoanalyst, and first lieutenant are remarkable achievements. As a first-generation low-income student, I hope to accomplish as much as I can just like Terry. I’ve endured my own share of adversity. Being born and raised in a single-parent, low-income household meant there were many cold, sleepless nights. My mom worked long hours to only get small checks that wouldn’t cover our rent, bills, or purchase food. In middle school, I’d constantly get teased by kids who didn’t understand my situation. They’d make fun of my hair, clothes, and even the way I spoke. To make matters worse, I was born prematurely, which meant I had issues responding to things as quickly as others. As a young girl I’d often misplace my things, which made the bullying get worse. Having only a single-parent at home when most kids had both parents made me feel even more inadequate. I told myself that things would change in high school, and they did. In high school I was able to find my own friend group and support system. I found a group of friends who valued me for who I was, not what I wore or could afford. It was in high school that I realized I wanted to become a journalist. I was very curious about the world and always asked questions. Being bullied as a young child has inspired me to become an investigative journalist, to help people find justice and feel fulfilled, just as how I felt in high school. This period of adversity taught me a lot more than just how to stand up for myself, but why standing up for others was so important. I hated how getting bullied in my early years of middle school felt. In the future, I plan to use my studies to give back to society. I aim to become an entrepreneur, creating an online journalism platform for first-generation low-income students like myself. I want to ensure that every student has equal access to a journalistic education, despite their background or socioeconomic status. My platform would have free literacy workshops and avenues where students could pitch themselves to future employers. They’d be able to collaborate with like minded individuals to produce impressive content while also gaining valuable experience before college. I also plan to create a scholarship fund for students who are struggling in my area. As of today, I have applied for around 50 scholarships to cover the cost of pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Boston University. I hope to inspire other people to keep fighting, just like Jack Terry, to overcome adversity despite the challenges and obstacles they have to face.

My pink notebook. It was the origin of my love of writing. As a young girl, I loved writing because it was my form of expression, but most importantly escape. Living in a single-parent low-income household with a struggling single mother made life difficult. To make matters worse, I attended an underfunded middle school, so writing resources were scarce. There were often times when we couldn’t afford to pay the heat or air conditioning bills, but paper was never an issue. I always had paper or something to write on, and I took advantage of it. When times were tough, I would write about it in my small pink notebook. As a small child I was convinced that someday I’d become a writer, writing books for young children and educating them. When I got to high school everything changed. I joined the school newspaper, volunteered for two nonprofit organizations, and found ways to weave writing into everyday life. My financial situation was still not great, but now I had support. In high school, I’ve been challenging myself with AP courses like Seminar, Language, and Literature to bolster my writing skills. What I appreciate most about writing is that everyone everywhere can find some positives in it. You don’t have to be a poet, orator, or writer to appreciate writing, or at least one piece of writing in your life. This fall, I’ll be attending Boston University as a journalism major. I plan to write for their newspaper, The Daily Free Press. I’m interested in writing sports related articles and editorials to build my resume. From there, I want to get internships at news outlets to become an investigative journalist. My main goal is to someday report on underrepresented communities like my own, and show the world that the positives in these communities outweigh the negatives. I also aim to become an entrepreneur, creating a virtual writing platform for first-generation low-income students with an interest in journalism like myself. I strongly believe many FGLI students feel afraid to enter journalism areas because they feel underrepresented. A lot of them–especially high school students–don’t have the resources to build themselves and give up on their dreams. My virtual platform would have mentorships and media literacy workshops tailored specifically to the needs of these students. Students would be able to make connections with vetted journalists, and there would be a posting feature for students to share their work for feedback. Ultimately, my goal would be to help FGLI students move a step closer to achieving their dreams. A huge concern of mine is being able to afford to attend college, but an even bigger concern is affording a laptop. Living with a single parent with a limited income makes affordability a huge issue for me. The Ryan Stripling “Words Create Worlds” scholarship would help cover books and a laptop for my college education. To pursue journalism, I’ll need an updated, efficient laptop to complete coursework and study for exams. As a FGLI and minority student, I intend to make the most of my education, not just to achieve my goals, but to help others. Winning this scholarship would motivate me to continue my quest to become an even better writer and support others in my current situation. Thank you for your time and consideration.

“If you let my baby live Lord, I promise to serve you with all of my heart.” My mom said those words when I was born weighing a pound and a half. I can remember my mom waking up early every Sunday to attend church no matter how tired she was, demonstrating the importance of persistent faith. My mom grew up in Jamaica, and always relied on him during tough times. She had eventually left the faith, and my birth was a huge turning point in her life. During my early years, my mom used Bible scriptures and storybooks to help me learn how to read and write better. Doctors warned of potential comprehension challenges, so my mom made it a daily priority. As a low-income student at an underfunded middle school, I pushed myself to accomplish as much as I could manage. My mom and I made a habit of praying every day for help, and I joined many writing competitions. I took advanced classes and volunteered at my church. As I got older and prayed more, things gradually got simpler. I realized I really enjoyed journalism in high school. I made parallels between the Bible and journalism, as they both teach spreading wisdom and being compassionate and aware of others' feelings. Growing up in a single parent, low-income household has enabled me to tell the stories of unheard voices. In the future, I aim to challenge different stereotypes by amplifying diverse voices so the world sees our truth. I want to tell the nuanced stories of people from communities like my own. I aim to become a content creator while pursuing a bachelor’s degree. My channel would be centered around the Christian perspective of things. I’d create documentary-style video essays, using storytelling and investigative techniques to spotlight communities often misrepresented by the media. In my journalism, I plan to focus on integrity, truth, and compassion–important core Christian values. I strongly believe these values will help restore truth to modern-day journalism, and spotlight those often ignored by the mainstream media. I've recently been accepted to Boston University as a journalism major. There, I plan to join their student newspaper to write about Christian students and their college experiences. As a first generation college student, I’m very interested in getting involved in every way possible and making the most of my college experience. I’m confident that God will help me in my career because he always has, along with the fact that I plan to center my work around Christian values as much as possible. I believe being a Christian will help me in stressful times, like when I have many exams and assignments due. I’ll remind myself that God is always there for me, and that all I have to do is honor and serve him, and he will direct my paths. With His guidance, I know I’ll navigate the obstacles and hurdles of college as long as I continue being steadfast in the faith. Thank you for your consideration, and have a blessed day.

If I could have everyone in the world read just one book, it would be the Bible. I would want everyone to read that book because it has caused me to think differently about people and the world. Being a Christian has taught me a lot about how to respect others and the world accordingly. As most people know, the world is a great place full of awesome opportunities and adventures for anyone willing. However, there is another side to this world; a much more cruel and heartless side. Reading the Bible has not only made me cognizant of the world's awesome and cruel side but has taught me to be the light shining in the darkness. When I go to school and see someone laughing at someone else, I know that's the heartless side of the world showing. When I see someone including someone who isn't typically included in things, I recognize the good side of the world. Additionally, the Bible has some awesome and sad stories about martyrs and people who treated others kindly not receiving the same thing in turn. This has caused me to learn not to do good things merely for my merit, but because it is simply what God would want and the right thing to do. A story in the Bible that sticks out to me immensely is the story of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Jesus was not only a good person but claimed to be and proved that he was God. Despite his doing this, many people did not like him and in the end, he was crucified for men's sake. Even though the Bible story becomes a lot happier in the end, Jesus' story just goes to show how sad and cruel the world can be. To me, this story reminds me to be a good person no matter what the circumstances and to follow God's teachings and values. I would encourage anyone to read the Bible, both religious and not, because it truly means a lot to me, is very inspiring, and can be applied to anyone's life.

I believe the Ode to Millennials Gen Z text does appeal to me and is true in a myriad of ways. I do believe my current generation and myself alike have become very reliant on cellular devices and the internet. My personal experience with this started at the beginning of my freshman year of high school. When it was my first time taking the bus to school, I went on and saw almost all of the students on my bus using their phones. They weren't just using them either; they were completely engrossed in whatever their screens were displaying. This wasn't a very foreign thing to me, as that happened everywhere including my previous middle school. However, even when the bus stopped, many kids did not realize. Nor did they want to leave the bus to enter school, and I mostly believe this is because of their screen time usage. My high school doesn't have a viable Wi-Fi source, primarily because it was disabled. I presume the students were frustrated because of this; there was no time for them to mess around on their phones or enjoy themselves. This is why I can directly agree with the part of the text that claims incomes are very low, and many members of Generation Z are unemployed. I don't believe the unemployment rate and low incomes of Generation Z have a direct correlation, but there is causation here. My reasoning is, that most members of Generation Z have become so dependent on new and current technological advancements that they have abandoned the very origin of these things; their minds. Members of Generation Z rely on popular artificial intelligence applications like Chat GPT, Character AI, and a plethora of other online websites. The main issue isn't using these websites, but it is the stealing of this data and then implementing it into things as your own. This is called plagiarism, and it is and will continue to become much easier to plagiarize. This is because Chat GPT and AI in general will generate randomized responses. This can make it very difficult for future employers and bosses to prove whether a piece of text is fabricated or real; or if the evidence is credible and true. I additionally agree with the quote in the text that brings up student loans and how they possess a strong correlation with poverty. As a part of Generation Z, I can attest to this as well. From the minute I entered and left middle school, I was told that grades matter a lot because college is a must. While this may be very true, most of it was taught to me because the school curriculum demanded it must be, and so it was. The point is, that many students strive to go to college not for their dreams or goals; but to solely make money. This leads to students having to pay back loads of student loans to pursue occupations they were taught to. This also ties back to the aforementioned low income and employment rate of Generation Z. Many are forced by their parents, guardians, and teachers. That is not to say that those things are insignificant. However, students should go to college because they want to pursue an education in a field they are passionate about; not because their high school teacher told them they had to. In sum, I truly believe if our generation wants to make the world a better place it is very possible. However, it is also very difficult and will take a lot of compliance. If teachers instilled the idea that college is important but not necessarily required to be successful a lot would change. If teachers did a lot more hands-on projects as opposed to online ones, a lot would change too. This would take a lot of creative minds to come up with efficient and convenient alternatives, and there would have to be a lot of testing too. However, I believe it is very doable and would be very advantageous to our society as a whole. This would only be doable with the collective help of our society. It may sound impossible, but I believe it all starts with one idea and one leader.