I have been a fighter since the day I was born. I was barely three pounds and fought my way through this life and the atrocities of being raised by a single parent who gave up on life. By the time I was eight, my mother had become a crack addict, making life a living hell for myself and my four siblings. We became victims of physical, mental, verbal, psychological, and sexual abuse. By age ten, I was kidnapped and molested by one of my mother's boyfriends. Then at fifteen, I was offered off for crack. Growing up, I never had any aspirations to become anyone or anything of importance. All I wanted to do was have a meal and not be touched. My family's admiration for me paralleled my own for myself. I constantly heard I would not amount to anything or succeed at anything, just like my parents. Hearing these negative words was harsh; to hear these words from your own family was crushing. By the time I was twenty-four, I had no idea who I was or what I could become. On August 12, 1996, I decided to leave; I left my family and anyone who did not believe in me, and I left myself. No one had any idea of the plans I would make for myself months before my departure. I told no one anything. I felt telling someone would only fuel the negativity, so I did it alone. In all honesty, I was afraid of the new life I was embarking upon, as I was alone. My fear did not deter me from making the most crucial decision of my life at that time. A few years ago, I had a mental breakdown. I was diagnosed with ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, MGUS (Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance), and several other medical limitations. Several doctors have attributed my childhood trauma to most of these ailments, but none of which has kept me from prevailing in school. Education has saved my life. I feel education is important because it is what I relied on to help me during my time of abuse and depression. I have been using education as a coping mechanism for years. Education helps me grow and expand my day-to-day knowledge. I am an advocate of learning. I believe learning is knowledge, and knowledge is how we grow. I use education as a coping mechanism for my abuse and medical limitations. Attending school has been what I used to find myself in. School is my safe haven; it's what grounds me. I aim to earn my doctorate and then take what I have learned and teach others. I want to encourage others with similar beginnings to press forward despite the nay-sayers. Joining the Army in August 1996 was the best thing I could have done for myself. I severed all ties to my family for years. Even today, I only communicate with family and people I consider friends who bring positivity to my life. I do not allow anyone to put limitations on my life. I am capable of becoming whoever and whatever I want. My past is not my future. I had no control over the things that happened to me in the past, but I can control how I live my future. I want a future full of life and opportunity, and I want to live.

I have been a fighter since the day I was born. I was barely three pounds and fought my way through this life and the atrocities of being raised by a single parent who gave up on life. By the time I was eight, my mother had become a crack addict, making life a living hell for myself and my four siblings. We became victims of physical, mental, verbal, psychological, and sexual abuse. By age ten, I was kidnapped and molested by one of my mother's boyfriends. Then at fifteen, I was offered off for crack. Growing up, I never had any aspirations to become anyone or anything of importance. All I wanted to do was have a meal and not be touched. My family's admiration for me paralleled my own for myself. I constantly heard I would not amount to anything or succeed at anything, just like my parents. Hearing these negative words was harsh; to hear these words from your own family was crushing. By the time I was twenty-four, I had no idea who I was or what I could become. On August 12, 1996, I decided to leave; I left my family and anyone who did not believe in me, and I left myself. No one had any idea of the plans I would make for myself months before my departure. I told no one anything. I felt telling someone would only fuel the negativity, so I did it alone. In all honesty, I was afraid of the new life I was embarking upon, as I was alone. My fear did not deter me from making the most crucial decision of my life at that time. A few years ago, I had a mental breakdown. I was diagnosed with ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, MGUS (Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance), and several other medical limitations. Several doctors have attributed my childhood trauma to most of these ailments, but none of which has kept me from prevailing in school. I am an advocate of learning. I believe learning is knowledge, and knowledge is how we grow. I use education as a coping mechanism for my abuse and medical limitations. Attending school has been what I used to find myself in. School is my safe haven; it's what grounds me. I aim to earn my doctorate and then take what I have learned and teach others. I want to encourage others with similar beginnings to press forward despite the nay-sayers. Joining the Army in August 1996 was the best thing I could have done for myself. I severed all ties to my family for years. Even today, I only communicate with family and people I consider friends who bring positivity to my life. I do not allow anyone to put limitations on my life. I am capable of becoming whoever and whatever I want. My past is not my future. I had no control over the things that happened to me in the past, but I can control how I live my future. I want a future full of life and opportunity, and I want to live.