For me, the most meaningful way to help people is to reach them on their most fundamental level, their mental and overall well-being. I believe that my purpose in this world is to heal those around me and that I may get the most fulfillment in life through a career that completely revolves around people and helping them. This is why I plan to study Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience. One of my main career goals is to get rid of the stigma around mental health in the black community. As a community we don’t take nearly enough care of our mental well-being. Black men have some of the highest suicide rates due to neglect and lack of resources. I would like to create programs to fund the training of mental health professionals in underserved communities. Especially through my degree, I’ll study autism and ADHD, especially as it affects black children. Neurodivergent children don’t receive enough resources in school to succeed but there is also a major lack of the knowledge and technology to help these individuals throughout life. I want to focus my search on developing things to help aid them. Not to mention the outdated methods and data collected about black people that negatively affect how medicines and producers are created. I also want to help heal the wounds of distrust created between people of color and the healthcare system and to heavily introduce the idea of intersectionality when it comes to their health. There may be different histories and systems to address and change in order for them to reach their full potential. It would be a dream to use any recognition I receive towards raising awareness for social justice, environmental justice, and mental health awareness and be a representation for BIPOC communities. Currently, I am the president of the Black Student Union at my high school, where I work to help members get internships to pursue careers and degrees in STEAM fields. I’ve also started fundraisers to help sponsor seniors in their journey of higher education as well as mentoring the underclassmen with school life and work. There’s so much information to acquire and within the field of Neuroscience, my learning would never stop. Concerning the brain, we have way too many questions and not enough answers. I intend to even those differences. These goals and aspirations aren’t easy. However, I’m prepared to face any challenges simply because I refuse to sit back and do otherwise. If I were to win the She Rose in STEAM, not only would it be a way to ease the stress about finding funding for college, but it would also provide me with the opportunity to truly make these goals come true and continue to help those in my community.

From a very young age, I knew that I always wanted to help people. I didn’t quite know how yet, but it was what noticeably drove me. For years now I’ve been marked the ‘therapist friend’ and have let compassion be my forcing drive. Still, I want to do so much more. Through my journey in high school and personal experiences, I’ve decided that the best way for me to truly help people is through what I’ve already naturally done, psychology. So I chose to study Neuropsychology. Through this field, I wish for the opportunity to learn meaningful things and to improve myself so that in turn I can convert that knowledge into something impactful and valuable for the whole world to benefit from. One of the main things that drove me to pursue psychology is the disastrous state of the mental health system. I’ve heard countless stories from friends and family who’ve sought help through suicide hotlines and mental hospitals and had nothing but horrible experiences. This has stopped me from seeking professional help while struggling with my mental health, consequently, I suffered in silence and isolation when I needed people the most. When I finally decided to seek help, the resources near me were very limited and none of the counselors looked like or even understood my experiences as a black woman. One of my main goals will be addressing and causing major reformation in the system. Through working as a Neuropsychologist I don't want my only impact to be through diagnosis and bad news. I want to be a sign of hope and health. I hope to heal minds that never thought they could be healed. Most think the structure and capability of our minds are so finite, but I plan to change that idea. I also want to be a representation of women of color and any other marginalized communities who have failed to see themselves in the social sciences field. I want to hold and attend conventions that provide a space for counselors and mental health specialists to build bonds amongst each other and their community so that these barriers can be broken and the stigma resolved. I also aspire to create foundations to fund mental health care training and start a charity for those who can’t afford to pay for services. Additionally, I plan to contribute to the research and treatment of Alzheimer's and Dementia, as both have affected my grandparents and they have not received the care they deserve. I am currently a member of the Active Minds chapter at my college, which is a worldwide club to raise awareness, breaks stigma, and support mental illness through events, groups, and social gatherings. I also serve as a contact point for students on campus to share what are the biggest stressors in their lives for me to share with the counselors. I’ve attended rallies to convince legislators to fund counselors and fewer cops. In the past, I held group counseling services in juvenile correctional facilities with my peers. In the long run, if I was to be awarded this scholarship I would not take any steps of my education for granted. It would also be not just an investment in my future but also in those of many others I plan to help as well. It would be a dream to use any recognition I receive towards raising awareness for social justice, environmental justice, and mental health awareness, and be a representation for BIPOC communities.

From a very young age, I knew that I always wanted to help people. I didn’t quite know how yet but it was what noticeably drove me. I was the little girl in the class who jumped up to help a classmate in a heartbeat and stayed behind to help the teacher clean up. I was the trusted friend with a listening ear and tissue. I was the random teen that showed up at soup kitchens on holidays. I just always wanted to help in any way I could. Even if the problem proved to be outside my power to fix, I still tried to find some way to help. I was sure that I would get the most fulfillment in life through a career that completely revolves around people and helping them. Unfortunately, I’ve learned that the world is filled with problems and I can’t help everyone. However, that has never stopped me from trying. For me, the most meaningful way to help people is to reach them on their most fundamental level, their mental and overall well-being. When people are healed on the inside they start to heal others around them, they can't help but to reach out and take care of the things around them. Healthy people and a healthy world go hand in hand. This inherently guided me in choosing my career path. My aspirations in my career include raising awareness for mental health in underrepresented communities, inspiring hope, becoming a symbol of change, and influencing the world of medicine. I’ve come to dislike waste although that hasn't always been the case. Now, I love reinviting and finding new purposes for old objects. Others in my family have inspired me to live a more sustainable lifestyle and I’ve encouraged others to do the same. Correspondingly, through working as a Neuropsychologist I don't want my only impact to be through diagnosis and bad news. I want to be a sign of hope and health. I hope to heal minds that never thought they could be healed. Most think the structure and capability of our minds are so finite, but I plan to change that idea. I also want to be a representation of women of color and other marginalized communities who have failed to see themselves in the social sciences field. It would be a dream to use any recognition I receive towards raising awareness for social justice, environmental justice, and mental health advocacy. I want to be that moment of bliss in a world full of chaos. I firmly believe that my purpose in this world is to heal those around me. And so, throughout my high school career I’ve been involved in clubs where I’ve created policies to support the mental health of the students in my district and have had numerous opportunities to volunteer in my community and establish significant relationships. In the long run, I don’t want to take any steps of my education for granted. At each stage, I desire to learn meaningful things and improve myself so that I can convert that knowledge into something constructive and valuable for the world. Overall the most valuable thing I’ll gain from my career is purpose. Knowing that the grounds of my job are helping people on their most fragile levels. An issue, no matter how daunting, can always end up with a better outcome. I understand that reversing or even stopping all the damage that’s been done to our planet and minds will take an unimaginable amount of time and effort. But it doesn’t hurt to try and that’s precisely what I’m doing.

For me, the most meaningful way to help people is to reach them on their most fundamental level, their mental and overall well-being. When people are healed on the inside they start to heal others around them. With that comes peace within society. I believe that my purpose in this world is to heal those around me and that I may get the most fulfillment in life through a career that completely revolves around people and helping them. My motives in the field include but certainly aren’t limited to raising awareness for mental health in underrepresented communities, contributing to the development of research and treatment for neurological injuries and disorders, inspiring hope, becoming a symbol of healing, and influencing the world of medicine to care more about people and less about profit. One of my first goals is to get rid of the stigma around mental health issues, especially among the black community. I want to hold and attend conventions that provide a space for counselors and mental health specialists to build cherished bonds amongst each other and their community so that these barriers can be broken. Through working as a Neuropsychologist I don't want my only impact to be through diagnosis and bad news. I want to be a sign of hope and health. I hope to heal minds that never thought they could be healed. Most think the structure and capability of our minds are so finite, but I plan to change that idea. I also want to be a representation for women of color and any other marginalized communities who have failed to see themselves in the social sciences field. It would be a dream to use any recognition I receive towards raising awareness for social justice and advocate to fund more mental health counselors not cops in public school systems Another goal is to help get rid of the obsession of finding something to blame for disorders and diseases, like solely blaming genetics and environment and change the focus to obsessing over the healing and well-being of the affected person. I intend to work in pediatric neuropsychology working with children with a wide range of disorders from Autism to Epilepsy. Should I get the opportunity I would love to focus my post-graduate research on these disorders distinctively and assist in any other groundbreaking work in the field. Next, I plan to make a substantial contribution to the research and treatment of Alzheimer's and Dementia. Our brains at the beginning of our lives and the end are drastically different. These are some of the most vulnerable moments in our life, where we grow and reflect. I want everyone to be able to experience both ends of the spectrum unconditionally. Ultimately, I don’t want to take any steps of my education for granted. At each stage I desire to learn meaningful and inspirational things and improve myself so that I can in turn convert that knowledge into something constructive and valuable for the world. There’s so much information to acquire within this field, so my learning would never stop. Especially when it comes to knowledge about the brain we have way too many questions and not enough answers. I intend to even those differences. These goals and aspirations aren’t easy. However, I’m prepared to face any and all challenges simply by the fact that I know I am capable.