To me personally, to give back to my own community means to define what community is and what it means. All my life, I have found connection from person to person to be one of, if not the most crucial part of living. Communication and learning about others' interests and incorporating others into your daily life have not only helped to stimulate growth within my own life but also fostered a caring nature for the people around me. It has made me see community as not only the location or place you may live in, but specifically the people, feelings, and unique experiences that can only be made by going out and searching for that "connection" that we as humans all yearn for. Since I was a child, I was blessed enough to be a part of my church's going out ministry called "Master's Touch," which went out twice every month to locations in DC, Maryland, and New York to give out food to the homeless, less fortunate, and individuals who were in need. Even though I joined as a child, these experiences of being open to learning about people's stories and how small circumstances can make amazing individuals be put into terrible situations stuck with me. Going into high school, I was given the opportunity to begin as a leader of Master Touch, and under my leadership, with the help of two other leaders, we were able to feed over 200+ individuals every single time we went out on these trips. But a very important aspect that many of us began to understand was not the satisfaction we received when we were given a thank you, but actually learning more and talking to them, and even becoming daily friends with the people we may have previously helped. Many of the individuals we helped have now joined our group, and we began to notice that to help a community means to actually assimilate and be open to every interaction or person that you meet. This nature of helping has only continued as I entered college at the University of Maryland, as I joined a pre-health organization to become a part of their community service committee. My freshman year, I participated and helped set up events like creating health care kits for shelters in the area, raising funds, and running 5K's for disabled children in the area. Such events extremely moved me that I later ran for community service chair of the organization, and once elected, I began to hold events that would allow not only me but our large organization of over 150+ members to participate in events that would help the community, like going to elderly homes and helping residents write letters to family or creating "test-taking kits" for elementary students who are were taking state tests. These events I was personally able to coordinate were only possible due to my nature for a deeper connection with every aspect of the community that we all live in. It's important to me that I give back to this community, as I take many aspects of my life from the people who have been around me to help me grow and be successful in my life. I can only hope to give back a little bit of my time and effort for the large impact my community has had on my life.

I have been in many communities due to how I have moved from different places in my life. When I lived with Laurel I was an active member of the neighborhood watch where at a young age I would tutor children in pre-K and kindergarten. Also due to my going to school, I was able to get some kids to join us in community activities such as pool parties and cookouts held for an apartment complex. A community activity that is a regular part of my life is Master Touch where every other weekend we go to places where we feed and preach to the less fortunate. I have been present in this church organization all my life. From the age of five, my mother would take me and my brothers with her as they would help those on the streets and these same ideals have been shared with me. Going out to places that are not thought about is what I think connects me to a community on a deeper level compared to others. It continually reminds me of the position I am and how everyone's life is different and unique in some way. During my years in the church, I have moved from a small position into being a major leader in the group where I organize and coordinate many of the meetings. The long years that I have been in Master Touch has hopefully touched someone, I truly believe that even if one person was effectively positive by my being there then my job was successful. My ultimate future goal is to become a surgeon who can help others and be empathic to their situations. After high school, college is the next step in biomedical sciences where I can learn more about my field and connect with more people that have similar interests. My reason for my goal is to help people in life-changing situations for the better. I also want to communicate with patients and see what they are going through to connect with them on a personal level. Early life has had a huge impact on my career path because stories and experiences that I have had, have shaped my ideals. If everything goes correctly in college then medical school for 4 years will be the next goal. I have already taken steps to be successful and this scholarship is a large step to being successful on my career path.