In 8th grade, I began to realize that I was attracted to girls and initially thought everything would be fine. However, I soon started facing ridicule from both girls and boys. When I needed help from a counselor, they showed no interest in my concerns, and my teachers would tell me to act more feminine if I was feeling a certain way. It hurt knowing I wasn't going to get help and I knew others would get it either. It led me to skip school and I became depressed. The onset of Covid made school transition to online learning, which was a relief for me I didn't have to physically attend anymore. This allowed me to open up to my family about my sexuality, and their love and acceptance for me remained unchanged. I discovered that I shouldn't feel guilty for being true to myself, and I shouldn't have tolerated bullying because of my sexual orientation. The pandemic gave me the opportunity to explore and understand myself better, connecting with like-minded individuals and hearing their stories. Through this process, I was able to find my voice, stand up for myself, and learn valuable lessons about who I am. My aspirations for higher education involve working in an industry that I am passionate about and successful in. I have a strong desire to become a doctor or a therapist, particularly because I am aware that some members of the LGBTQ+ community do not receive the same level of treatment or care as others due to discrimination. I want to take a stand and help them because, at the end of the day, we are all human beings deserving of equal care and attention. As a therapist, I wish to listen to and help individuals in the LGBTQ+ community with the issues they face, providing them with advice and guidance that I wish I had received myself. I am in need of financial assistance to achieve my dream of attending Hawaii Pacific University and becoming a doctor or therapist. As someone who doesn't come from a wealthy background, receiving this scholarship would greatly alleviate my financial burdens and allow me to pursue my goals. With this opportunity, I believe I can contribute to society and make a difference in the LGBTQ community. I hope you can find it in your heart to grant me this scholarship and help me achieve my dreams.

If you asked me three years ago why I want to go to college I would probably roll my eyes and say it’s a scam. look at me now three years later I'm sitting in my bed making a college essay and I'm happy. Everyone may give you the same reason as to why they need this scholarship, and I’m not going to lie, mine is the same as theirs. I need this because I know how much I love art but I also know that I don’t come from a family with much money. I met a girl who inspired me to pursue college and get a greater education. She had a positive mindset and despite being skeptical about college, she decided to pursue it. I want to prove to myself and others that I can do more by getting into college and securing a good job. I love to go to college and show my art because of one of my role models. My dad wanted me to do great things and he always pushed me to do whatever makes me happy. He never went to college but he was always working. He didn’t have a lot of money but he did so much for me and I appreciate it so much. After he passed I realized how much it would mean to him if I went to college, got a job, and just sat here in my bed or at school making a college essay. I realized that you only live once and life can be gone in a blank. so I should experience everything. I don’t want to have any what-ifs, I want to do everything I wasn’t to live my life to the fullest and make my family proud including myself. I was very undecided about what I wanted to be, at one point it was to be a lawyer, that was something my parents wanted me to be, or a doctor but I was because they would’ve been proud. I realized that I didn’t have a reason as to why I wanted to be these things. I began to get into art a lot more and realized that I do love that and I would be happy to do something like that in the future. I want to be an artist, I was always drawn to art and when I was younger I knew I was going to do this in the future. It’s so ironic that after all these years I still want to do art. Right now I'm working with AFH (Arts For Humanity) which has helped me with what I want to do in the future. At one point I was focused on getting money, but I’ve seen how talented everyone was while working there. I wanted to become as great as them, learning more about art and what I’m capable of doing made me want to get better and my love for art grew once again. Like a candle that was blown out was lit up again. I want people to have a beautiful vision of art. I want my work to not only bring joy to people but also inspire them to rediscover their passions. Your desire to create meaningful art is truly admirable