Lacrosse, an invigorating sport that originates from indigenous stickball games like the Chocktaw's kabocha, has always been a game centered around the community. When I began playing lacrosse in sixth grade, I had no idea what kind of sport I was getting into. My former football coaches encouraged me to experiment with lacrosse and described the game as a mixture of hockey, soccer, and rugby. The first time I watched a full lacrosse game, I did not see anyone that looked like me; no Black players in sight. So, when I first stepped on the field in sixth grade with my other Black friends beside me, the game was extremely challenging; not only because of the socioeconomic barriers that keep many Black kids from playing lacrosse but also because of the game itself, as lacrosse is a game of finesse. I learned about the finesse required in lacrosse after I picked a stick up for the first time and launched the ball over the fence with its present whereabouts being completely unknown. As I went through the learning process with my friends and the other beginning players on the team, we built a sense of community; lacrosse gave us the space to be vulnerable, as we made mistakes together and learned from them as a team. The teammates I met from lacrosse have become lasting friends that I remain in contact with, and the conversations we had in the locker room still reign vivid in my memory. My first ever game was a roller coaster, as I started off playing midfield and I remember getting down for my first faceoff; I was a little anxious because the player I went up against had just scored a goal against our team. Although I lost that initial faceoff, it gave me a sense of motivation to improve and find ways to better contribute to the team. From that point forward, I started waking up early in the morning to perfect my craft; whether it was passing the ball against the brick walls of my house or going for a brief jog around the neighborhood. About a couple of games into the season, our goalie suffered an arm injury that sidelined him for a considerable period. Our team had no backup goalies and our coach asked if anyone would be willing to fulfill the position and accept the challenge; I accepted that challenge. When I first started as a goalie, I remember the first time I got hit in the shin with a ball; it was an extremely painful experience, however, I fell in love with the position. In my first game at goal, I only allowed a couple of goals to a team that had many experienced players; later in the season, we went on to win our way to the conference championship where we lost in a very competitive game in the championship. In the following season, I took steps forward and became more versatile with my game. Goalies are usually not supposed to leave the goal, however, I began to take risks and would use the skills I acquired from football (and playing midfield) to become an asset in advancing the ball after defensive stops; our team chemistry grew and we were more successful than the previous year. Overall, lacrosse has taught me how to become a better leader, inspire other Black kids to pursue the sport and build community with others to work toward a common goal.

Hello, I am Samuel Scarborough! I use he/him/his pronouns and I love learning new things, playing basketball, and participating in extracurricular activities like the ethics bowl. In higher education, I plan to pursue a degree in public policy analysisor political science. After I complete an undergraduate degree in one of the two aforementioned disciplines, I intend to pursue education in either law school or a political science master’s degree program to prepare for a career in public policy analysis and state-level politics. Throughout the rest of my academic career, I wish to focus primarily on the humanities, as I believe the humanities pose questions that science wishes to answer but cannot sufficiently answer on its own terms, for instance: “What is the nature of human nature?” The humanities have always been a field of great interest to me, particularly when it comes to cultural studies paired with the history and development of sociopolitical systems, as these areas of inquiry enable me to better understand who I am. In studying various cultural experiences throughout human history, I will be better equipped to understand my identity; therefore, to learn more about myself, I must learn about the various human societies that have existed. Approaching the question of identity will lead me toward a path of liberation, a concept my progenitors FOUGHT, BLED, and DIED for. While navigating this journey toward liberation, I will learn about my ancestors and the world they lived in, and question how that world and their experiences influence my own living experience. I will analyze how the people before me expressed themselves, the power dynamics in their societies and cultures, etc. Through asking these questions, I will be better able to understand both what formed the society I live in, and how various societies, cultures, and sociopolitical frameworks influence mankind. By understanding how all of the aforementioned concepts affect and frame the human experience, I will be able to construct my path toward liberation, as liberation stems from a critical awareness of one’s surroundings. You cannot become free if you are misinformed about the society in which you live, because then the only freedom you would possess is the freedom to be ignorant or grossly misinformed. Therefore, my efforts toward freedom must involve knowledge acquisition. Furthermore, I believe that freedom ought to be a shared, communal experience, so the knowledge I acquire should be shared with those around me (so long as they wish to be informed). As the legendary civil rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, once said, "when I liberate myself, I liberate others." These ideas concerning emancipation stem from my axiomatic belief in maximizing the well-being of living, conscious beings; being free will improve my ability to live according to this belief. For the reasons provided above, and those that cannot be expressed in written language but can be heard in music, this is what compels me to have a great interest in the humanities, for this discipline is fundamentally concerned with the cultural, musical, artistic, political, literary, and structural components of American society… The society I wish to leave is in a better condition than what I received. Therefore, in life, I intend to be involved in the political sphere and become a politician (although I prefer the term "public servant"). In using the humanities, I want to serve as a member of government for "the people"; in defining "the people", I place a strong emphasis on marginalized peoples, as we are often excluded from the idea of "personhood."

I am a freedom fighter. In pursuing an education in public policy, I plan to positively impact the world by providing a voice for the unheard and building coalition between oppressed communities. When I begin to deeply reflect upon questions revolving around my life’s purpose, I often locate my thoughts toward the people who surround me, as they help me understand who I am. These people are the village of family, friends, and supporters that have worked tirelessly and graciously to help me succeed in every stage of my life thus far; they are the village of ancestors whom I will never meet physically, but whose genealogical and spiritual influences live on through me. These people see greatness within me and desire that I utilize that greatness to its fullest extent. These are the people who depend on me. They depend on me to always strive to do the right thing and help those in my vicinity; they depend on me to think critically, and ask the questions that most dare not to inquire; they depend on me to embody greatness. Simultaneously, I depend on them, as they anchor me; they help pick me up when I find myself in an emotional abyss or help recenter my path when I deviate from that which I wish to work towards. I classify the dynamic between those who I depend on and those who depend on me as a mutual dependence; a dependence that acts to yield positive impacts on all parties’ conditions; we communally depend on each other to establish the lives we wish to lead, and the world we wish to create. I have realized that to fulfill this mutual dependence, I must help build unity between the many villages I am a part of, whether those villages be: academic, familial, or racial because many of the people I depend on are violently silenced and ignored by the government officials we elect; this harsh reality is what fuels my pursuit of public policy. Therefore, when I consider how my educational career will positively impact the world, I think about the potential to properly represent my community and unite people for the cause of freedom; the freedom to create a better world for our descendants than the one we received at birth. Climate change and other environmental conflicts have posed a great danger to the safety and well-being of humanity; these issues tend to negatively affect low-income and minority communities at disproportionate rates. In becoming more versed in ecology, and understanding the magnitude of climate change’s relationship to mankind, I have become deeply involved in efforts concerning environmental justice. I began my work in environmental justice with the Durham Youth Climate Justice Initiative (DYCJI); the DYCJI is a youth-led organization in Durham (part of the nonprofit, NCWARN) that strives to engage Black and Brown youth to become involved in environmental justice through social activism, education, and public lobbying. In my time with the Durham Youth Climate Justice Initiative, I have been able to provide our group with larger platforms to host information sessions that educate youth on topics such as environmental racism. In continuing my education, I intend to follow my aforementioned aspirations for freedom, specifically by giving back to my community in the form of climate activism; working locally to create a sustainable future shaped by the cultures of my community.

In pursuing an education in public policy, I plan to positively impact the world by providing a voice for the unheard and building coalition between oppressed communities. When I begin to deeply reflect upon questions revolving around my life’s purpose, I often locate my thoughts toward the people who surround me, as they help me understand who I am. These people are the village of family, friends, and supporters that have worked tirelessly and graciously to help me succeed in every stage of my life thus far; they are the village of ancestors whom I will never meet physically, but whose genealogical and spiritual influences live on through me. These people see greatness within me and desire that I utilize that greatness to its fullest extent. These are the people who depend on me. They depend on me to always strive to do the right thing and help those in my vicinity; they depend on me to think critically, and ask the questions that most dare not to inquire; they depend on me to embody greatness. Simultaneously, I depend on them, as they anchor me; they help pick me up when I find myself in an emotional abyss or help recenter my path when I deviate from that which I wish to work towards. I classify the dynamic between those who I depend on and those who depend on me as a mutual dependence; a dependence that acts to yield positive impacts on all parties’ conditions; we communally depend on each other to establish the lives we wish to lead, and the world we wish to create. I have realized that to fulfill this mutual dependence, I must help build unity between the many villages I am a part of, whether those villages be: academic, familial, or racial because many of the people I depend on are violently silenced and ignored by the government officials we elect; this harsh reality is what fuels my pursuit of public policy. Therefore, when I consider how my educational career will positively impact the world, I think about the potential to properly represent my community and unite people for the cause of freedom; the freedom to create a better world for our descendants than the one we received at birth. Climate change and other environmental conflicts have posed a great danger to the safety and well-being of humanity; these issues tend to negatively affect low-income and minority communities at disproportionate rates. In becoming more versed in ecology, and understanding the magnitude of climate change’s relationship to mankind, I have become deeply involved in efforts concerning environmental justice. I began my work in environmental justice with the Durham Youth Climate Justice Initiative (DYCJI); the DYCJI is a youth-led organization in Durham (part of the nonprofit, NCWARN) that strives to engage Black and Brown youth to become involved in environmental justice through social activism, education, and public lobbying. In my time with the Durham Youth Climate Justice Initiative, I have been able to provide our group with larger platforms to host information sessions that educate youth on topics such as environmental racism. Also, in working with the DYCJI, I have gained experience in developing public policy, as another member of the group and I worked to host listening sessions and provide recommendations for the city of Durham's most recent public transit plan.

In pursuing an education in public policy, I plan to positively impact the world by providing a voice for the unheard and coalition-building with oppressed communities. When I begin to deeply reflect upon questions revolving around my life’s purpose, I often locate my thoughts toward the people who surround me, as they help me understand who I am. These people are the village of family, friends, and supporters that have worked tirelessly and graciously to help me succeed in every stage of my life thus far; they are the village of ancestors whom I will never meet physically, but whose genealogical and spiritual influences live on through me. These people see greatness within me and desire that I utilize that greatness to its fullest extent. These are the people who depend on me. They depend on me to always strive to do the right thing and help those in my vicinity; they depend on me to think critically, and ask the questions that most dare not to inquire; they depend on me to embody greatness. Simultaneously, I depend on them, as they anchor me; they help pick me up when I find myself in an emotional abyss or help recenter my path when I deviate from that which I wish to work towards. I classify the dynamic between those who I depend on and those who depend on me as a mutual dependence; a dependence that acts to yield positive impacts on all parties’ conditions; we communally depend on each other to establish the lives we wish to lead, and the world we wish to create. Many of the people I depend on are ignored by government officials and rendered mute by politicians; this harsh reality is what helps to fuel my pursuit of public policy. Also, I have realized that to fulfill this mutual dependence, I must help build unity between the many villages I am a part of, whether those villages be: academic, familial, or racial. Therefore, when I consider how my educational career will positively impact the world, I think about the potential to properly represent my community and unite people for the cause of freedom; the freedom to create a better world for our descendants than the one we received at birth. Climate change and other environmental conflicts have posed a great danger to the safety and well-being of humanity; these issues tend to negatively affect low-income and minority communities to a higher degree than other communities. In becoming more versed in information regarding the environment, and understanding the magnitude of climate change’s relationship to mankind, I have become deeply involved in efforts concerning environmental justice. Due to this interest, I began my work in environmental justice with the Durham Youth Climate Justice Initiative (DYCJI); the DYCJI is a youth-led organization in Durham (part of the nonprofit, NCWARN) that strives to engage Black and Brown youth to become involved in environmental justice through social activism, education, and public lobbying. In my time with the Durham Youth Climate Justice Initiative, I have been able to provide our group with larger platforms to host information sessions that educate minority youth on topics such as environmental racism. Also, in working with the DYCJI, I have gained experience in developing public policy, as another member of the group and I worked to host listening sessions and provide recommendations for the new Durham public transit plan.