Attending college is life-changing, to say the least, and the 2021-2022 school year showed me that. I was accepted to Georgia State University and was excited to start my new life in Atlanta. The process of moving to Atlanta was different and uncomfortable. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and I was scared but hopeful. The first few months were very lonely, as I couldn't move around on campus and didn't talk to my roommates. One day I found an on-campus club called Sew with Self, filled with young creatives who either had plans of starting their own business or already had one. At the end of my first semester, I was given a marketing internship for a small business. After then, I realized that the only reason why I wanted to pursue medicine was because of my parents. I then decided to change my major from biology, pre-med, to business. I knew my parents would disapprove of this, so I didn't tell them. Once winter break was over and I returned to campus, I was excited to start my classes. Things began to take a turn once my roommates and I barely spoke to each other and started not to get along, so I decided to go to the library or spend extra time helping at Sew with Self. As the spring semester ended, I decided to tell my parents that I had changed my major. When I called my mother and told her, she was distraught and said that "People with a marketing career only make $60k/year". She told me she would no longer help me fund my college education. My father was not happy about my decision either. My parents' thoughts about my decision were quite disheartening and made me question my decision. After being forced to move back home and do all online classes, I realized that I had made the right decision. My parents would still try to persuade me to have a medical career, but whenever they brought it up, I would be disinterested. My parents were concerned with the tuition costs and said I better not be working an hourly job when I graduate, and they felt I won't "be able to afford anything or put a roof over my head." Despite what my parents think my future holds, taking a risk and changing my major will work out in the end. Everything happens for a reason, and as long as I believe in myself, I know I will accomplish many things in the future. Moving to a new city helped me realize my true passions and has given me the courage to pursue them, despite what my parents might say. My worth ethic and determination have stayed the same because when I have my mind set on achieving something, I try my best to get it done. Though this journey was rough, and I am still trying to figure things out, I now live for myself, not for my parent's approval.

The older I get, the more I realize how my upbringing shaped me into who I am today. As a first-generation student whose parents are from Jamaica, they stressed the importance of getting a good education and a job. They could not get a higher education once they came to America, which caused them to start from scratch when it came to being able to provide for themselves and me. They did not want me to go through what they went through, so they encouraged me to get good grades throughout my 12 years of school. Once it was time for me to go to college, things got challenging due to them not being able to guide me through obtaining a higher education. This lack of guidance made things harder to figure out, but I was prepared to put the work in to figure things out. I take being in college very seriously because not everyone can get the same opportunities I get while in school. They have a saying that goes, “Your net worth is your network,” and now that I am in college, I see how true that can be. Being a part of a university has enabled me to network with students and community leaders, which has helped create new opportunities for me to get internships and learn more about the field I want to pursue. Going to college allows you to surround yourself with hard workers who want to be successful in life, which is good to have around, especially when you have those moments where you want to give up. I appreciate this gift of access to higher education because I now know I want to be a part of the world of business and fashion. Being in college will help me make a career out of my interest by enabling me to be taught by those with extensive business knowledge. When I started my first year of college, I was a biology major. After joining SELF and being surrounded by like-minded people and people who had their businesses, I was very inspired. By the end of my first semester, I realized that I was interested in businesses and making a change by owning a business. So, I changed my major from biology to marketing. Over the winter break, I was back home in Florida and got inspired to create a sustainable swimwear line. The main goal of my brand is to help those, especially young adults, be able to purchase affordable swimwear made from sustainable materials, so they can stop buying from fast fashion companies. Many people, especially younger people who may not be able to afford quality clothing, do not realize how harmful it is to buy clothes from fast fashion companies. These companies produce so many items and sell them at low prices, which is very attractive to younger people who do not want to spend a lot of money on clothes but want to buy a lot of items. Unfortunately, the quality of these clothes is poor, so they do not last. This causes people to get rid of the things they got and buy more. When people discard these items, they often end up in landfills which adds to the pollution on our planet. I plan to positively impact my community by thoroughly explaining the harm that purchasing from these companies inflicts on our planet. I will give younger people a sustainable option to shop from and show them the other alternative ways, besides my brand, to enjoy buying clothes while not harming the planet.

Balancing my mental, physical and nutritional health while in school is not something I figured out overnight, and it is something that I am still figuring out as time goes by. Life changes each semester, and I have to adjust, but I learned certain things that help me stay grounded while I continue my studies. I adopted the practice of journaling in 2020, during my senior year of high school, and it has helped my mental health so much. Sometimes I need a place to write down how I feel, especially when I do not feel like explaining things to the people I know. Writing things down feels like getting everything off my chest, especially when I am stressed or worried about something. Being able to pick up my journal and read my previous entries has helped me realize the growth that has occurred. Recognizing this growth makes me grateful to no longer be in previous situations stressing me out or causing me to feel negative emotions. Dealing with school, work, and life all at the same time can be a lot for me. To combat that, I give myself a break when my mind is clouded, and nothing feels like it's going right. These breaks help me from feeling burnt out and unmotivated. Taking the time to do nothing or listen to music helps bring back the inspiration and motivation I need to complete my assignments properly. Getting my body moving is equally important to me as taking a break. My body often feels tense when I am stressed about school, work, or life. Writing about it is sometimes not enough to get rid of that feeling. Going to the gym is my outlet for when I feel stressed, and my body is tense. Working out helps me release all those built-up emotions I was holding in. When I leave, I always feel better because I can release those feelings in a way that is good for me. When I spend hours sitting in front of my laptop doing homework, I sometimes don't feel like doing a full workout, so I like to take walks instead. Walking gets my body moving and helps me get outside. Being able to get fresh air, take in the scenery, and move my body around helps my body and mind feel at ease. Ending my walks with stretching or some yoga is like putting the cherry on top. Stretching helps relieve the tense feeling in my muscles and helps my mind and body wind down at the end of the day. As a student, it is easy to skip a meal because you are so busy with work. As someone who skipped meals because I thought the assignment was more important, I realized it was entirely wrong. Eating helps give your body and mind fuel to keep going. With that being said, to ensure my health is on point, I eat three meals a day and snacks in between if I can. I also incorporate fruits and vegetables when I can. When I am craving something sweet, I like to make smoothies, and when I can, I try to cook at home instead of eating out. To ensure my body gets the nourishment it needs, I take vitamins, especially Vitamin C, to help my immune system fight off anything that may harm me.

No matter what stage in life I am in, there will always be an opportunity to learn. As I get older and more exposed to the real world, I am introduced to new environments with new people. The new people I interact with are educated on topics I may need to learn more about. The more settings I am introduced to, the more opportunities I am given to learn new things. Learning helps you gain knowledge on different topics that can help you add value to your work environment and allows you to educate others as well. That is how people can have a better understanding of the world. Learning new things from someone who has an entirely different life helps open your eyes and makes you realize that our experiences are unique. Though we all live on Earth, we all live in different worlds. Each of us goes through different experiences in life and handles situations differently. Learning from each other helps prepare you for problems that you also may encounter. Learning from others can also help you not make the same mistakes that others have previously made. But we are human, so making mistakes is a part of life; the good thing about it is that mistakes allow us to learn from them. I am an avid reader, which is one of the ways that I learn new things. Reading books gives you insight into specific information that you might not be able to get from those in the same environment. When we have a question, we often turn to the internet, which can help us learn new things, but books will go very in-depth and often provide an explanation that the internet will not. Authors dedicate their time to learning more about a topic and putting their findings into a piece of work, and in a way, they are passing down their knowledge in hopes of the reader learning something new, which is hard not to do. Fiction or nonfiction, you can learn a lesson or two by reading a book. Asking questions is how we gain our understanding of new topics. Being curious has helped me learn more and is something that I will continue to do to expand my knowledge. Sometimes, we have questions, whether it is about us needing help understanding a particular topic or wanting to know how things work. The only way to find answers to these questions is to ask. Being too comfortable inhibits us from growing and learning new things. Instead, being willing to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations helps us learn. Additionally, if you never put yourself out there, you won't make mistakes that you can learn from, nor will you gain new perspectives. That is why I will continue to try new things even if that means I must be uncomfortable for a little while. Ultimately, I will learn something new, and that is priceless.

Self-care Sundays are always my favorite day of the week. Every Sunday, to prepare my mind and body for the upcoming week, I do an extensive self-care routine. Tidying up my room, doing laundry, and meal prepping is a few of the things that I must do to feel better in my environment and relieve some of the pressure of getting things done during the week. After I get those chores out of the way I soak my feet in warm water as it brings me a relaxed feeling and helps keep my feet feeling soft. Once that is done, I shower, exfoliate my skin, and come out of the shower to do my night skincare routine. As I do my morning and night routine I say the positive affirmations that I have written on a note in my mirror. Saying these uplifting things always put me in a better mood, and is a very good way to start my day off or end my night. Setting aside one day of the week and dedicating it fully to me helps me make sure that I am ok and helps me get the things pertaining to me done. Once I complete my chores and take care of my body, I spend the rest of my Sunday focusing on my mental health. Having my physical health and being organized enables me to have more time to focus on my mental health. Since I am already in a good mood, due to taking care of myself, I write in my journal. Journaling has been something that I have been doing for the past 2 years and has been very beneficial to my mental health. My journal is a safe space to write down how I feel without being judged by others, and normally on my Self-care Sunday, I reflect on the previous week I had. Once my mind is cleared, I pick up a personal development book, and currently, I am reading a book about increasing my self-esteem, which is something that I struggle with. I take notes from the book and figure out what tips would help me improve my self-esteem. Doing this helps me feel encouraged and motivated for the upcoming week because I am now able to make a positive change in my life. When times get tough and I feel like there are a million thoughts running through my mind, I turn to God to help me clear my mind and regain my focus. Sometimes journaling my thoughts down isn't enough, and when that occurs I write out a prayer to God. Then I have a long conversation with him, thanking him for what he has done and asking him to help me get through whatever struggles I am facing. After that, I read a prayer book my grandmother gave me, and if I still feel like I need to spend more time with God then I will read the Bible on my phone. Having a relationship with God really helps me stay grounded, and I think that no matter the religion you follow, having something that grounds you can help your mental health drastically.

Self-care Sundays are always my favorite day of the week. Every Sunday, to prepare my mind and body for the upcoming week, I do an extensive self-care routine. Tidying up my room, doing laundry, and meal prepping is a few of the things that I must do to feel better in my environment and relieve some of the pressure of getting things done during the week. After I get those chores out of the way I soak my feet in warm water as it brings me a relaxed feeling and helps keep my feet feeling soft. Once that is done, I shower, exfoliate my skin, and come out of the shower to do my night skincare routine. Once I complete my chores and take care of my body, I spend the rest of my Sunday focusing on my mental health. Since I am already in a good mood, due to taking care of myself, I write in my journal. Journaling has been something that I have been doing for the past 2 years and has been very beneficial to my mental health. My journal is a safe space to write down how I feel without being judged by others, and normally on my Self-care Sunday, I reflect on the previous week I had. Once my mind is cleared, I pick up a personal development book, and currently, I am reading a book about increasing my self-esteem, which is something that I struggle with. I take notes from the book and figure out what tips would help me improve my self-esteem. Doing this helps me feel encouraged and motivated for the upcoming week because I am now able to make a positive change in my life.

Finding clothes that fit me properly has always been a struggle, so I would always have to get things altered by my grandmother. One day I asked her to show me how to alter my own clothes, and ever since then I have been sewing and making items. Being able to create something that I can wear, or use is so captivating to me. I first started hand sewing things, because I did not have a sewing machine and my grandmother’s machine was not working. Thankfully my mom’s co-worker had an old machine that she no longer used and gave it to me. My grandmother tried to show me the basics of sewing on the new machine but unfortunately, I had to move to Atlanta for college. Once I started college, I gave up on learning how to sew, because I felt as if I did not have the time to teach myself. One day while walking to class I saw a poster that said “Are you an at-risk designer? Do you want to learn how to sew? Join Sew with SELF for all your sewing and designing needs, located on campus, at the Launch building” I was immediately intrigued and desperately wanted to join the program. A few weeks went by, and I attended their first sewing class on campus, which helped me pick up right where I left off before moving to college. Since that day I have been attending their sewing classes every week and in my free time, I practice by altering my clothes. Because of SELF (Students Expressing Life through Fashion) I now make a new item every other week and I have a group of like-minded individuals who also have a passion for fashion that I can go to for help.

I am a first-gen student, and my parents were funding my college education for these past two semesters. Due to the burden of paying a large sum amount for my tuition and housing, they have now placed it on my back to fund my college education. Though a Florida citizen, I chose to attend Georgia State University because of its promising business program and the opportunities it can provide me as an aspiring international business leader. Therefore, I am considered an out-of-state college student; you can only imagine the pile-up of costs. Unfortunately, this has impacted my mental health, as I am often anxious or stressed since I am facing homelessness this upcoming August. It has been harder to focus on school and complete my work because this is something that is always on my mind. This constant stress that I face is a disadvantage in my life, and it makes me not want to go out on campus and socialize with other students. I know that I am missing out on many opportunities to make friends or just network with peers, but I feel like I am not able to connect with others in a positive way and show people who I really am. I am currently in one club on campus, called Students Expressing Life through Fashion (SELF), and I would love to venture out and join other programs but due to the challenges I currently face, I know that taking on the task of joining other programs is not in my best interest right now. I decided to reach out to a student at GSU named Gynella, who is also a part of SELF, for help. I told Gynella about what I am going through, and she decided to mentor me. She provided me with emotional support and helped me identify my long-term goals, and what I want to do while in college. My main goal right now is to create a swimwear line that is affordable for people in my age group, which ranges from late teens to mid 20’s, made from sustainable material to help cut down on the environmental impact that fast fashion has on our planet, and includes a diverse group of people. Once I have my business started, my long-term goal is to open women's health clinics in low-income areas in my hometown, and hopefully be able to expand to other low-income areas. Georgia State has many resources, such as professors, clubs, and even students, that will help me make my visions come to life. I see more for myself, and I do not want my clear vision to become entirely clouded by my financial constraints. I know that I am bigger than “it” [financial constraint] and that I will overcome this hurdle. To be selected for this scholarship would positively impact my life both financially and emotionally. I will finally be in the position to fund my education without stress, focus on my classes, build, and nurture my professional network on campus and walk in my purpose. As a freshman student, with the funds, I plan to allocate it towards my tuition and an apartment off-campus that is relatively affordable. I thank you for your consideration and hope I am selected for this scholarship.

By the time I graduate undergrad, in December of 2024, my main goal is to start a business. As a South Florida native, I am constantly on the hunt for a swimwear brand that meets the certain qualifications that I am looking for when purchasing a bathing suit, but unfortunately, I have not found that brand. A lot of swimwear companies that produce quality swimwear mainly appeal to a more mature or upper-class audience, excluding young adults and forcing us to buy fast fashion. They also have the same type of person with a specific body type modeling their garments, which does not help consumers get an idea of how the garment will fit them. Life is all about balance, and in this situation, there needs to be a balance between good quality swimwear and a price that is affordable, especially for us young adults. Starting a swimwear line and being the person who figures out how to produce sustainable quality products at a price that is not taking a lot out of someone’s pockets, while catering to a diverse and size-inclusive group of people, is what I would love to do. Everyone deserves to feel good and look good in their swimwear, and they should not have to pay an arm and a leg for it. Being able to have a team of creatives, such as myself, come together to help bring my vision to life and ensure that every value of my brand is met is what I dream of before I go to sleep and what wakes me up in the morning.

During my freshman year of high school, I took my very first AP class, which was human geography. Though the class pace was fast, and the work was very demanding, that became my favorite subject. Being able to learn about the world and how different societies operate became an interest to me. At the time I was not able to travel, so to fill that void I would spend hours watching travel vlogs on YouTube. It was a very exciting experience, but I wanted to see the places for myself in person. I started saving money to travel once I got a job my sophomore year, and a few months later my mom and I took a trip to London to visit my godmother. Seeing London, which is my favorite city, was so interesting from the different kinds of cuisine to the different customs and ways of transportation that the British people partake in was compelling. What made the trip more enjoyable was taking a train from London to Paris. Seeing the glittering lights of the Eiffel tower in Paris has been a dream of mine since I was in 6th grade. Fortunately, during that trip, my dream came to life, and I was able to those lights. It was a captivating sight to see, and it was a surreal experience that I will never forget. I am very grateful that I was able to see places outside of my hometown, and I plan to do that for as long as I can.

I am a first-generation American college student in the process of earning my bachelor’s degree in marketing at Georgia State University, and a fashion student at Students Expressing Life through Fashion Academy. It has been ingrained in me, from my parents who were not able to afford college, that getting an education is vital to help move my family forward. Throughout my childhood, my elementary school would often put me in less challenging classes, which did not sit right with my parents. My parents knew my potential and saw how intelligent I was, so they would go to the school and make sure that I am put in the gifted classes. They wanted me to be challenged and learn the skill of critical thinking, to help me become a better student. Since starting college I have had many moments where I wanted to give up, but anytime I feel like that I think of how my parents never gave up on me and how they went the extra mile to make sure that I was given a good education. I take being in college very seriously, because not everyone is able to get the same opportunities that I get while being in school. They have a saying that goes “Your net worth is your network” and now that I am in college, I see how true that can be. Being a part of a university has enabled me to network with students and community leaders, which has helped create new opportunities for me to get internships and learn more about the field I want to go into. Going to college gives you the opportunity to surround yourself with people who are hard workers and want to be successful in life, which is good to have around, especially when you have those moments where you want to give up. After finishing my freshman year, I was able to find a mentor and multiple accountability partners to help me reach my career and life goals. I am grateful I have people that I can go to, because for me to move up in life a strong support system is needed, which I am glad to say that I have been able to create. I am very appreciative of this gift of access to higher education because I now know that I want to be a part of the world of business and fashion. Being in college will help me make a career out of my interest, by enabling me to be taught by those who have an extensive amount of knowledge about business and give me access to clubs and programs, such as Students Expressing Life through Fashion (SELF) Academy, that focuses on teaching students about fashion and design. Though I am an out-of-state student, I plan on moving back home once I finish school. For me to still be able to get opportunities that will help me reach my career goals I must get my degree, because the employment rate in Florida is mostly catered to those who are graduates. I see more for myself, and I know that I can be the woman that I dream of, but due to the financial constraints, I am having to carry the numerous debts, lack of transportation, and homelessness. At times it can get very hard to focus on my schooling, but no matter what I try my best. I know that I can accomplish my goals by taking advantage of the resources and opportunities given to me on campus, to give back to those in need in my home area.

By the time I graduate undergrad, in December of 2024, my main goal is to start a business. As a South Florida native, I am constantly on the hunt for a swimwear brand that meets the certain qualifications that I am looking for when purchasing a bathing suit, but unfortunately, I have not found that brand. A lot of swimwear companies that produce quality swimwear mainly appeal to a more mature or upper-class audience, excluding young adults and forcing us to buy fast fashion. Starting a swimwear line and being the person who figures out how to produce sustainable, quality products, at a price that is affordable is my focus right now. Everyone deserves to feel good and look good in their swimwear, and they should not have to pay a lot for it. I know that accomplishing this goal will not happen overnight and that a lot of planning and preparation will go into it. To become the well-rounded entrepreneur that I aspire to be, I have joined an on-campus program called SELF. SELF Academy has provided me with the resources and training in sewing and manufacturing needed to start my own swimwear line. Because of this program, I have been interning for companies and networking with other small business owners. Learning from others and seeing how people run their companies has helped me figure out what strategies I want or do not want to use. Being a business owner can take a toll on your mental health if you do not properly prepare yourself for it, so in my spare time, I am reading books and taking notes on new ways to become a better person. Implementing these good habits, one at a time, into my daily routine has been helping me change for the better.

I am currently a fashion student at Students Expressing Life through Fashion Academy, as well as a marketing major at Georgia State University. My main goal is to underscore diversity, affordability, and sustainability in the fashion world through my swimwear fashion brand. A lot of swimwear brands have a specific group that they are marketing to, and most of the time that group is made up of a more mature or upper-class audience. This excludes young adults and forces them to buy fast fashion. It's either you buy from a brand that is targeting mature audiences and have a hard time finding styles that are flattering for your body type or give in and support fast fashion companies that have poor-quality garments. There is a lack of swimwear brands out there that are targeted to my age group, which ranges from late teens to mid- '20s. Spending a lot of money for a bathing suit that is good quality is not what a lot of young adults would do. Swimwear is a seasonal item, so instead, they turn to fast fashion companies. These companies have very low prices, but you do pay for what you get. The materials being used to make the garments are low-grade, and do not last long. After a few washes, the swimwear starts to degrade, and after just a few wears it gets thrown away. Now, the consumer needs more items, thus creating a cycle of spending money and not being able to get much wear out of it. As stated before, a lot of people my age often rely on fast fashion brands for their swimwear needs, which leads to them discarding those items once they are no longer good. Many people are not aware that fast fashion is very harmful to the environment. They contribute to carbon emissions and textile waste that ends up in landfills. Also, a lot of their fabric dyes are made from toxic chemicals, such as formaldehyde, that can cause skin irritation and affect creatures that live in the bodies of water where these items are being worn. My brand will not be able to fix the negative impacts that fast fashion has caused on our planet, but we are aiming to have more people develop an eco-conscious mindset while still being able to buy swimwear they like. Once I get my business started and running smoothly, I would like to introduce a new model. I was born and raised in South Florida, which is home to many different cultures and people from many different countries. A lot of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America come to South Florida, because it is right on the water, making it a close state to travel to. My plan is to help immigrants get employed, which will only further enrich my company, but will help them get a start in the U.S workforce. My parents are also immigrants and they have told me about their experience of getting a job in a new country, which was quite a struggle. I am taking their experiences and trying to meet the needs of other immigrants, who are probably going through the same thing, through my fashion brand.

If I were to convince a per to attend college the first thing I would say is that you do not have to choose the major you want to study, to help relieve some of the pressure. I would then tell them that during the time that they are completing their prerequisite classes you can get involved in the on-campus programs that the school has to offer, because you might figure out what you would like to study in through a program. If they are hesitant, because they do not know how they will afford to pay for their tuition I would tell them about scholarship websites, like this one, that has thousands of scholarships available for everyone, no matter the type of person they are. I would also tell them that they can speak with their advisor about getting additional financial aid, what major might be the best fit for them, or what classes they should take. The idea of college seems stressful, and it is when you try to do everything on your own. A college or university is a place filled with people that could help out with things that you may not understand, especially if it is your first year. There are many resources and opportunities that are at colleges that are put in place to help students, and if you use them it could help you in the future.

1. I am not deserving of this at all, so you don't have to give it to me. You do not have to worry about me feeling bad. 2. I have no goals, I just want to sit look pretty all day, and take naps. 3. I do not overcome my obstacles, I just take a nap.