Thank you for considering me for this financial gift of support. I have submitted a video below.

Thank you for the opportunity to receive financial support for my college education. I have submitted my video recording below.

I suffer from epilepsy, ADHD, and anxiety disorder. As I have begun my journey into adulthood, I have struggled to find balance with the normal challenges of adult life, school, and my medical conditions. Due to my epilepsy I find myself working harder than my peers to keep up whenever I have an episode that requires me to be hospitalized. What I have found through it all is a wold of support surrounding me. My professors, school staff, medical worker, students/ peers, friends and strangers. Seizures can happen without notice. While sitting in class, standing in line at the cafeteria, etcetera. So my life consists of making sure I take care of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. One way I do that is through music. I love all music. I sing everything. I have recently started performing cover songs in small venues. I find Clairo’s music to be simplistic and true capture my feelings throughout my experiences. “Pretty Girl”, “Flaming Hot Cheetos”, are two of Clairo’s songs I listen to frequently. They remind me to think highly of myself when others don’t. Also just mellow happy carefree when I’m stressed. I use music to clam me and my mood stabilizer. Without music I would honestly be a wreck. I have support of my family my school and my friends to help keep me on track. Without music and my medication I would have a much harder journey. So far I think I have done an awesome job at not only maintaining but thriving. I have completed my Associates Degree this year at a community college while maintaining my own apartment. Now Im enrolled in Clark Atlanta University to complete my Bachelors Degree. I will be the first in my family to achieve a degree. Now I look at how far I have come versus how close I am to my first major life changing goal. I continue be more proud of myself. I know my parents and entire family is just as proud. This is only the beginning. I feel unstoppable most days. I know the days that are hard and difficult are only temporary. Applying for this scholarship is another way I continue to push forward toward achieving and accomplishing my goal. I appreciate you for your consideration as a finalist to be awarded this financial gift. I hope that I am the one chosen to receive your gracious support. Thank you and God Bless.

Money is the difference between the haves and the have nots. Unfortunately I’m a have not at the moment. However it won’t be my legacy. I’m determined to have this moment in time be my future testimony. A testimony I plan to tell others that come after me. It’s important to me that I can lead by example for my future testimonials. My mother has always told me that we would see my name in lights one day. I still believe that. I’m just not sure what capacity. I would love it to be for my vocals, stage, and camera presence. If not I will have my brain power funded by hard work, my family, and hopefully this scholarship. Thank you for your consideration for the Creative Courage scholarship.

Black and African American hold beliefs related to stigma, psychological openness, and help-seeking, which in turn affects their coping behaviors. Black and African American people living below poverty are twice as likely to report serious psychological distress than those living over 2x the poverty level. People of color are not very open to acknowledging psychological problems, but they were somewhat open to seek mental health services. Thirty percent of participants reported having a mental illness or receiving treatment for a mental illness. African American men are particularly susceptible to this stigma. Exposure to mental illness, and increased knowledge of mental illness are factors that could potentially change beliefs about symptoms of mental illness. Instead of being apprehensive about seeking professional help for mental health issues, the black community can develop a willingness to seek out some form of help. It is not a sign of weakness to take care of your internal health. On the contrary, it show maturity, strength, courage, and leadership to do so in a time when it may not be the most popular choice amongst the black community. African American celebrities can and have begun to change the negative stigma surrounding counseling and mental health. The black celebrity has is world changing levels of influence. If this can catch on to the young celebrities that may not be as mature to be open and non judgmental about taking care of their own mental health, their fan bas of youth would be excepting to it as well. We all have a responsibility in redefining the importance of mental health. Its all of our burden to bare. The more success stories our community can be exposed to by the people they aspire to be like the faster this movement can get going in the right direction for us. lets face it, its not cool until the black celebrities say it okay. I truly believe that we will see a rise in students choosing the mental health majors. In turn creating an open space for people of color to have a relatable professional to choose from when that decide to seek counsel. Parents not slow to accept that their child may need counsel and or chemical balancing. In turn increasing the GPA's and graduation rate within our community. Some kids never finish school because of a chemicals imbalance that could have been corrected by seeking help for the right professional. I am one of those kids that lived the life a mental health struggles throughout school. My mother wasn't a believer in black people needing medicines to function. I'm so thankful she came around, because of her determination to give me (her child) the best chance at succeeding. I'm currently a junior in college. the struggle is still there, however I have been raised to embrace who I am, flaws and all. I work through them with a counsel team that consist of medical and academic professionals, peers, and most of all my family. Although I have mental health routine of support on lock, my financial stress continue to be a trigger. So as I close, I hope and prayerful that you see to it to award me with the maximum scholarship to relieve the following semester of fanatical obligation. I look forward to representing your latest group of awardees. Thank You for the opportunity.