I awake to the sound of birds on a warm summer morning; the trees in the southern Oregon woods are illuminated by rays of sun. I wipe the tears from my cheeks, put on my clothes, and slowly make my way towards the central building on the sprawling 80-acre plot of land. My years' worth of volunteer work and community support roles had left me unprepared for what had happened the night prior. I enter the central building to find my community grieving the abrupt and sudden loss of a loved one. “You did all you could,” one of our members cooed, his voice cracking as he spoke. It meant a lot coming from him; he was a nurse and was one of the people who were taking turns administering CPR for nearly an hour with me the night Kalan died. We both still smelled of vomit and sweat; showering seemingly wasn’t a priority.  I had been a full-time residential volunteer for the NOMENUS Wolf Creek Radical Faerie Sanctuary for almost a year at this point; the land that the nonprofit owned brought many complex social dynamics. The nonprofit was started in the 80s during the HIV and AIDS epidemic and was a place many LGBTQIA+ people called home over the years. Each member of the nonprofit brought unique experiences, stores, and traumas that we all collectively tried to work through to serve our marginalized community. Fellowship and collective community healing were the integral missions of our multigenerational community of queer folks. Many people who came to the Sanctuary were homeless, fleeing from abusive families, or relocating after state legislation made it unsafe for them to stay in the place they called home. Kalan was one of them; he had found his chosen family and was celebrating with us when he had a heart attack. I can still hear the echoes of screams ringing through the still night air; I ran so fast my sandals flew off my feet. I was the first person to respond to his friend's cries; I told them to call 911 while starting chest compressions and screaming for others to come help. When the ambulance arrived, the EMTs told us there was nothing we could have done to save him, and despite the fact that I could feel his body going cold, I could not accept this as everything was playing out. My friend gave me her oversized pair of boots. As I tried to walk across the gravel road, the cuts on my feet didn’t sting as bad as the sinking feeling in my heart.Through the endless support of those who I grieved with that night, I found myself in an unexpected situation. A few months later I was elected as one of the co-presidents of the nonprofit, where I was able to make lasting structural changes to the organizing body of the 501(c)(3), including getting an AED on site. I worked with the other presidents to set up a team to distribute financial resources to the LGBTQ+ BIPOC members of our community and helped integrate a trauma-first approach to how we exercise community care.  This experience has motivated me to pursue my bachelor's in social work. I was so fundamentally changed by my time working for this nonprofit that I decided to pursue college after my time in this organization was over. My goal is to use my education to continue my work in the nonprofit sectors and provide social support and resources to disenfranchised members of my community and keep Kalan’s legacy alive.

The things a mother leaves unsaid sometimes speak the loudest. My mother would spend her days helping people and their families navigate the complex feelings that are attached to saying goodbye to a loved one. She was a hospice social worker; her passion in life was supporting people through unimaginable loss. The confusion, anger, sorrow, and emptiness that came with this line of work affected her deeply, and I know she brought those feelings home with her. Yet, she never let me or my sister see them. Each night she would pick us up from our after-school program, drive us to our small rental while singing songs, cook us dinner, help us with our homework, and read with us before tucking us into bed. She would always hug us extra long after picking us up and kiss us extra hard when saying goodnight. I know why at the time, but now I understand that spending over 40 hours a week helping people grieve their children, parents, spouses, and families gave her a deeper level of appreciation for her own family. I know she wished she could have spent each and every second of the day with us, but she was the sole provider for our household. She didn’t want us to go hungry, be cold, or wonder when the power would turn back on. She also knew the world needed her, and she took her job very seriously. Her love fundamentally changed me, as a mother's love always does. I was taught from a very young age to treat every human being with dignity and respect and to give what I can to those who need it. She was my Girl Scout troop leader for many years and emphasized the importance of community service, volunteer work, and charity. She would always go out of her way to help those in need even outside of her job but never boasted about it or acted like it made her a saint. She made it clear through her actions that the good we do is not meant to better our own lives, but to better the lives of those around us. She is the reason I am pursuing a degree in social work. I saw the long hours of underpaid emotional labor she did for people every day and saw her handle every curveball with grace and diligence. She taught me how to be kind, patient, caring, thoughtful, and giving through her own actions, and I want to honor her by using the skills she gave me to make an impact. She taught me many priceless lessons in compassion and love; however, there are a number of additional skills that I need to learn in an academic setting prior to working in a social services role.  I am currently enrolled in Lane Community College pursuing an associate of transfer with the intention of finishing my bachelor of social work at Portland State University. From there I plan to complete my MSW and LCSW to deepen my level of understanding of what support, resources, and assistance I can provide to my community on a professional level. Being raised by a single mother who worked in the social services field showed me how crucial it is to build sustainable support networks for those who are systematically oppressed, marginalized, and disenfranchised.  Being given this opportunity to pursue higher education gives me the professional skills I need to follow in my mother's footsteps and make lasting change in the lives of others. Thank you for this chance; your belief in the future of others is truly aspirational.

Growing up in a single-parent household is never easy, but my mother went above and beyond to give our family the best life possible. My mother came home exhausted, as single parents often do, but still found time for me and my little sister every day. When she would pick us up from our after-school program, she would always greet us with a kiss. Each time she kissed us, I could feel her cherishing it, almost as if she knew it would possibly be the last kiss she ever gave us. She was no stranger to death; as a hospice social worker, she saw those crucial final moments between loved ones and their family members. Losing her sister and father tragically and unexpectedly gave her an additional sense of urgency to show endless affection to us while she could. She never said it out loud, but I now know that she did that because she knew how fragile our little lives were. She was the human embodiment of duality; somehow, she was tough as nails while remaining as soft as silk. I’m still figuring out how to find that delicate balance but have been given the tools and knowledge by her to know how to master that skill. Her resilience and empathy made me stronger each day. She would gently guide me through the struggles of adolescence and early adult life. She helped me understand the complexities of social dynamics, nourished my care of all living things, and guided me through deaths and losses that I would have otherwise lost myself in. Her endless efforts to help me access the medical and mental health care I needed as a teen helped me get sober and heal from deep-seated traumatic wounds inflicted on me by the cruel hands of older men. Even after I grew up and left home, she remained a persistently supportive and fiercely devoted figure to me. She was a huge inspiration to me to pursue a degree in social work. I know that seeing her selflessness is what made me want to be a social worker. She spent all day working to assist patients and their families in their final moments together, always holding space for the confusion, rage, and sorrow that emanated through those heartbreaking scenarios. Once her workday was over, she never stopped giving. She would take time to drive me to my volunteer shifts at animal shelters, lead our Girl Scout troop, and teach us how to be strong leaders. We saw her endlessly give what little spare time and money she had to people experiencing homelessness and saw her sacrifice her spare time to volunteer at widows' and widowers' retreats because she knew how much the world needed someone who cared. If I am able to accomplish half as much as a social worker as my mother did, then I know I have lived a life that has made an impact. I hope to one day be able to give back to my community in the same way she did, not only with a career in social work but also by continuing to volunteer my free time to community-driven organizations focused on bettering the lives of people around us. Thank you for your time. I know there are many ambitious and caring people who have been touched by the relationships in their lives who are just as deserving as I am. No matter who is selected, I know that the recipient will go on to make a great impact in the world with their education. Have a blessed day.

I have always felt the need to help others. I spent my childhood years volunteering at food banks, animal shelters, and assisted care facilities during my time in Girl Scouts while growing up in San Diego. During the pandemic I did my best to work with grassroots organizations such as the San Diego chapter of BLM to help distribute financial and physical resources to families, making sure to prioritize marginalized families. I moved from California to Oregon in 2022 while experiencing homelessness. I was given the opportunity to be a volunteer land resident at the NOMENUS Wolf Creek Radical Fairy Sanctuary, a religious nonprofit serving the LGBTQ+ community. I spent my time caring for people by gathering resources, helping to mediate conflict, doing socially reparative work, and helping other LGBTQ+ people who were experiencing homelessness by giving them a place to live while volunteering. When there was a death on the land, I was the first person to respond to this crisis. After this I spent as much of my free time as I could tending to the people who were affected by this tragedy. Shortly after this, I was offered a full-time position at NOMENUS after showing consistent commitment to my community and was eventually elected as one of the presidents of the organization. The relationships I made here helped sculpt me into who I am today. I am currently enrolled in classes at Lane Community College with the intention of transferring to the University of Oregon. I plan to obtain my master's degree in social work so I can continue to make an impact on people who need it, especially children and families. I have dreamed of being able to help make the lives of children better by being a part of the support networks in the foster care and adoption system who are experiencing homelessness. If given the opportunity, I would prioritize marginalized children who are in the foster care and adoption system; my time as a respite worker showed me just how often these kids are overlooked. My girlfriend and I have spent a lot of time dreaming about fostering and/or adopting once we are financially stable enough to start a family. Reading Thomas’ story reminded me of how big of a change people can make in the lives of children who need loving homes. I still have a long road ahead of me before I can bring children into my home, but until then I still want to be able to be a positive force to children who are in need of a strong adult figure in their lives through social work.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to apply for this scholarship. It breaks my heart to know that Thomas’ time on this earth was cut short, and it is truly inspiring to know that you are honoring his life by giving students the opportunity to make an impact in the world. I hope whoever is reading this has a beautiful day.

Hello, my name is Indigo Moon, though it may appear different on my scholarship application. I hope one day to see the world change the way it treats all marginalized groups, especially Black and brown queer and trans people. I would like to see this change in the world because these are issues that have directly impacted me and the people I care about and I want the next generations of LGBTQ+ people who also share marginalized racial identities to live in a world where they are fully seen and valued for who they are. I have identified as queer for as long as I can remember and have seen how my community has been stigmatized and scapegoated by those who don’t understand us. Since I have begun to transition I have seen how others treat trans people like social pariahs, blaming us for issues that we have are not contributing to. Black and brown queer and trans people are vilified even further, Black trans women are the most at risk to be targeted for violence and hate crimes, they are frequently the targets of murders that are a result of societal racism and transphobia. There needs to be more places where Black and brown LGBTQ+ individuals can exist safely and feel truly recognized and I feel that these places should exist everywhere without legislation trying to impose unjust limitations on us. My fathers side of the family is Black and there is so much homophobia and transphobia that is perpetuated from some Black communities because the need to uphold systems of toxic masculinity and cis hetero patriarchy have been ingrained in us by white supremacy. My moms side of the family is Indigenous and the genocide and cultural erasure of Indigenous peoples has made it incredibly hard for two-spirit and third-gender individuals such as myself to learn from our rich cultural history because so much of that was forcefully removed from our tribes when our people were slaughtered. These are symptoms of a global problem of colonization which has caused many cultures around the globe to devalue queer and trans lives. While some people may have the opportunity to find community in queer spaces many of those spaces are predominantly white. This often results in people who are racially marginalized to face additional oppression within an already marginalized community, and while many white people are able to use their experiences with queer oppression to help liberate Black and Brown LGBQT+ individuals many have yet to do the work to unpack their racist or white supremacists beliefs. A broader understanding of intersectionality would help eliminate much of the bigotry that people face worldwide. Building a world where we can see each other as human beings and recognize the disparity between different classes of people is a world where liberation can prevail. Part of the reason I want to pursue my degree in social work is so that I can be a part of the collective liberation of all people, but I want to focus on those who have faced violence due to where their racial backgrounds and gender and sexual identities intersect. I also hope to eventually be able to set up a scholarship fund for other Black and Indigenous LGBTQ+ individuals who are pursuing a higher education. I hope we can one day see a future where equality and equity are given to all marginalized peoples. Thank you so much for this opportunity. It truly means so much that you are giving queer people the opportunity to make lasting impacts in the world. Have a wonderful day.

Pursuing a degree in social work is more than a career choice for me; it is a commitment to building a safer, stronger community for marginalized people who are often overlooked and underserved. Many individuals face barriers because of poverty, discrimination, mental health challenges, homelessness, or lack of access to education and healthcare. Through social work, I want to become an advocate who helps create opportunities, provide support, and empower people to overcome these struggles. A degree in social work will give me the knowledge and skills to understand the social systems that affect vulnerable populations. I believe marginalized people deserve to feel safe, respected, and valued in their communities. By working directly with individuals and families, I hope to create environments where people are heard and supported rather than judged or ignored. Building a stronger community contributes to my future by allowing me to turn my passion for helping others into meaningful action. I want my future career to have purpose and impact. Social work will give me the opportunity to work in schools, community centers, healthcare facilities, or nonprofit organizations where I can make a real difference in people’s lives. Helping others succeed and improve their quality of life will also motivate me to continue growing both personally and professionally. I believe true success is measured not only by personal achievements but also by the positive impact we make on others. In the future, I also hope to create a scholarship fund for students pursuing degrees in social work. I understand that many passionate and hardworking students face financial challenges that make higher education difficult to access. By creating a scholarship fund, I would be able to support future social workers who are dedicated to serving their communities and helping marginalized populations. I want to encourage others to follow careers centered on compassion, advocacy, and service, just as I hope to do. Supporting future students would allow me to continue making a positive impact beyond my own work and help strengthen the next generation of social workers. This work will also positively impact my community by encouraging unity, compassion, and understanding. When marginalized individuals receive support, entire communities become healthier and stronger. Families gain stability, children perform better in school, and people are more likely to contribute positively to society. Social workers help break cycles of poverty, violence, and inequality by connecting people to the tools they need to succeed. Even small acts of support can create lasting change and inspire hope in others. In addition, pursuing social work will help me become a more empathetic and informed person. By helping marginalized people feel included and empowered, I can contribute to building a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Through dedication, compassion, and education, I hope to create meaningful change that benefits both my future and the lives of those around me. Thank you for considering my application and for supporting students who are committed to creating positive change in their communities.

I am a fan of Sabrina Carpenter because she destigmatizes female sexuality and makes femininity fun! She has helped me feel more comfortable and confident in my body with her lyrics and performances. Sabrina Carpenter is a modern-day Marilyn Monroe; she is a sex icon who rules the stage and uses her femininity to exude power. Her song “Juno” flips the misogynist script on its head, rejecting the male gaze and using themes of the objectification of women while talking to a male sexual interest. I adore how she is so self-aware in songs like this and manages to playfully make serious criticisms of sexism in society. Her song “Taste” was the anthem of my recent, very messy breakup and helped me realize the importance of self-love. Her music has seen me through so much sorrow and joy and has given me strength in moments where I wanted to give up. I was a fan of Sabrina Carpenter back in her Disney Channel days and have enjoyed watching her career evolve into something so spectacular! She feels like a refreshing break from all of the pop songs centered around male approval. She worked hard to make a name for herself as an artist, and even though it took six albums and ten years for her to get the recognition she deserves, she never gave up. She never doubted herself and has been quoted in an interview saying, "I never had the plan B, and it wasn't even a thought in my mind that it wouldn't work out.” That is the mentality that I want to have in life. Her career inspired me to set my mind to something and not stop until I’ve reached that goal! If I am awarded this scholarship, I will use it to pursue a degree in social work. I hope to use that degree to help uplift people so they can feel like they are super stars! I would also love to be able to put together a scholarship fund for teens looking to pursue a career in social work so I can be able to pay it forward. Thank you so much for your time; have a blessed day!

I think a fun, new, exciting Love Island challenge would be to have people choose who they think they would be most compatible with based on their zodiac sign and horoscope. Astrology is a long-standing practice that provides insight into our character traits based on how the planets were aligned at the moment of our birth. It is not seen as a valid scientific practice, but I think that adds to the appeal of using it in a show like Love Island! The producers can look up everyone's birth chart, show copies to the contenders, and have the participants choose who they think would be compatible based on their zodiac charts. One’s Sun, Moon, and rising signs give hints at the aspects of their personality that show up in day-to-day life. Your Venus placement is considered to be the placement that gives you details about your love life and the type of romantic partner you are, and your Mars placement reflects your sexual needs and desires. These two parts of a birth chart could be a lot of fun to play with, since the show is all about love and sex! I know a lot of people on Love Island (especially the girls) have talked about zodiac sign compatibility, but this would take it to a whole new level by having them analyze the birth charts in more depth. Part of what would make this challenge fun is people's various levels of knowledge on the subject; someone who knows a lot about Sun, Moon, and Rising placements may not know much about what Venus, Saturn, or Mars placements mean on a birth chart, and many contenders will likely be unfamiliar with what the houses on a birth chart indicate.  For this challenge, it would be cool to see someone who is a master astrologer come onto the show and analyze the couples' choices after the group has all picked partners. She could give input, criticism, praise, and feedback based on how the contenders did at picking their partners based on their zodiac charts. She can even give suggestions for dates/activities the couples could do based on their zodiac placements and help either nudge people towards lasting connections or fuel the drama by creating chaos based on conflicting zodiac placements. There could also be a point where the contenders can choose to continue to pursue the match they picked or re-pick someone else based on their newly formed knowledge of zodiac compatibility. You could even do zodiac speed dating, where people get shuffled around, and the only things they can talk about are things based on their zodiac placements.  If I am awarded this scholarship, I will use it to pursue a degree in social work. I hope to use that degree to help uplift people so they can feel like they are superstars! I would also love to be able to put together a scholarship fund for teens looking to pursue a career in social work so I can pay it forward. Thank you so much for your time. Have a blessed day!