I would like to start by introducing myself. I am Saniya Karen Hayes. My family calls me “Noodles” which is a nickname that I received because my mom ate lots of noodles when she was pregnant with me. I got my middle name from my late maternal grandmother, Karen, who passed away before I was born. My parents found out they were pregnant with me 3 days after my grandmother’s funeral. I am 17 years of age and reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with my parents. I also have 2 cats, Oreo and Prince and a dog name Polo. I recently graduated from West Catholic Preparatory High. I spent my last 2 years of highschool at West Catholic and I attended Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush for my freshman and sophomore years of High school. I decided that I wanted to transfer to West Catholic High school because I was seeking more options in terms of sports. I participated in flag football during my junior and senior years. Overall, I am happy with my decision to transfer to West Catholic. After transferring to West Catholic, I became more focused and more serious about my studies and my future. I also became more motivated academically. My senior year was both exciting and challenging. I viewed those challenges as preparation for college. Although I was proud to receive my highschool diploma, I believe my true accomplishment will be obtaining my college degree. My plans for the summer include working at a daycare with children, obtaining my driver license and celebrating my 18th birthday in Ocean City Maryland with my family and friends. I recently visited Delaware State for new student orientation and I am looking forward to college life and living on campus. I will be attending Delaware State University in the fall as a college freshman with a major in nursing. I plan to get my BSN and become a registered nurse. I would like to work as a pediatric or maternity nurse. I feel that I can make a positive impact on the world as a nurse. I have a strong passion for helping others and I feel that becoming a nurse would be a rewarding career and one in which I can help others and make a great difference in their lives. I know that the road ahead will not be easy, however I am up for the challenge and will not stop until I have turned my goals and dreams into a reality by completing this next chapter in my life.

About a year ago, I saw a kitten walking along Rising Sun Avenue and I felt so bad for him. He was dirty and very hungry. I was able to get the kitten to follow me home and convinced my mom to let me keep him. We took him to the vet to have him checked and then brought him home. I named him Oreo. For as much compassion as I had for that kitten, I have a greater compassion for people. My experiences growing up has strongly influenced that compassion. I grew up in the Northeast Section of Philadelphia. I have lived here all of my life. Growing up in Philadelphia, afforded the opportunity to meet a diverse range of people from all walks of life at school, work and in community settings. It has also shaped and influenced my beliefs about religion, education, achieving goals, and helping others. I have traveled to sections of the city where people are living on the streets and living in neighborhoods filled with poverty and this has also fueled my passion for helping others. Living in the city of Philadelphia has taught to be more independent and more prepared to navigate challenges that may come in the future. It has also given me opportunity to develop cultural diversity as well as compassion for others. Throughout the past 10 years, living in the city has provided me with the opportunity to give back to the community on many occasions and giving back has been a humbling experience. I have volunteered my musical talents at various community events including A Youth Pitch Contest, a Balling Against Violence Event, a thanksgiving event at a Recreational Center and Stop Sex Trafficking Mentoring Program Event. At the Sex Trafficking Mentoring Event, I met girls who were my age that were victims of sex trafficking. I delivered a message of encouragement to them, accompanied by a song entitled “Black Butterfly.” I chose this song because it carried a very powerful message of self-love and self-worth. It felt great to be a part of the event. I was greatly honored for the opportunity to motivate and encourage my peers. I have also donated my time as a volunteer to help serve food on thanksgiving at a Recreational Center and I have assisted and hosted at an annual Mother Daughter Tea Party for 4 years. Through many years of volunteering I have developed positive relationships, a greater appreciation for my family and all that I have been blessed with. Living in the city of Philadelphia has also given me the confidence and motivation to attend school outside of Pennsylvania. I will be attending Delaware State University as a freshman in the fall and chose nursing as my major. I plan to make a positive impact on the world by becoming a registered nurse. I have a strong passion for helping others and I feel that becoming a nurse would be a rewarding career and one in which I can help others and make a great difference in their lives.

I would like to start by introducing myself. I am Saniya Karen Hayes. I got my middle name from my late grandmother, Karen, who passed away before I was born. I am 16 years of age and from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I live at home with both of my parents. I also have 2 cats, Sami and Prince and a dog name Polo. I am currently a Junior in High school and attending West Catholic Preparatory High. This is my first year at West Catholic. I attended Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush for my freshman and sophomore years of High school. I decided that I wanted to transfer to West Catholic High school because I was seeking more option in terms of sports. I am currently participating in flag football and I am also thinking about trying out for cheerleading. I am happy with my decision to transfer to West Catholic. Since transferring to West Catholic, I have been more focused and less distracted. I am also more motivated academically as well. I am also involved in various activities outside of school. I recently got hired at Sesame Place and I will start working there in March. I am very excited about having a my first job! Over the past several years, I have volunteered my musical talents at various community events including A Youth Pitch Contest and a thanksgiving event at a Recreational Center. I have also donated my time as a volunteer to help serve food on thanksgiving at the Recreational Center and have volunteered at an annual Mother Daughter Tea Party for 3 years. I am interested in obtaining my driver’s license and currently studying so that I can take the permit test. My goal is to obtain my driver’s license by age 17. Some of my hobbies include dancing and singing. On my free time I like to hang out with my friends and my family. My family is very important to me and I look forward to spending time with them going on vacation and engaging in family oriented activities such as church, going to the movies and out to dinner. My future plans are to graduate high school and attend a 4-year college/University. My first choice for college is Morgan State, my second choice is Pennsylvania state University and my 3rd choice is North Carolina A&T. I will also be applying to several other colleges. I plan to make a positive impact on the world by becoming a registered nurse. I have a strong passion for helping others and I feel that becoming a nurse would be a rewarding career and one in which I can help others and make a positive impact on their lives.