Challenges that tear down the soul often lay the groundwork for profound personal growth and eventual success. Over the past four years, I've pursued dreams that at one point were unthinkable—not just to others, but to myself as well. My journey has been shaped by people who made me look beyond my limitations, specifically my theatre teacher, Mrs. Bullock, who encouraged me to push through mental barriers and believe I could do anything. I was unseen when I started high school and felt I had no talent. My academics were the one thing I could rely on, but they failed to provide the purpose I desperately needed. However, that changed when a friend encouraged me to audition for a play in the theatre. I was terrified of putting myself in the spotlight, but something within me sparked at the audition. The fear never went away, but I found a confidence within myself that I did not know I possessed. Performing was exhilarating, and for the first time in decades, I felt alive and connected to something larger than myself. Theater became a place of vibrance, allowing me to express my dreams and fears and push myself. However, more than theater, it was Mrs. Bullock who changed me. The day I walked into her class, she saw what I could not see in myself—potential. She believed in me before I could believe in myself. Through her guidance, I realized my voice could be heard, and that I was capable of doing more than I imagined. She pushed me to step outside my comfort zone, take a risk, and strive for excellence even in the face of failure. Mrs. Bullock helped me realize that vulnerability is not a weakness but a source of strength. She helped me fall in love with my flaws and use them as opportunities for growth. Her belief in me set the foundation for my self-esteem, and I felt more comfortable speaking in front of large audiences and connecting with others on a more personal level. Theatre, under her direction, was where I began to discover myself again and see my potential. The lessons I gained in theatre went beyond the stage. They taught me resilience, perseverance, and how to hold my head high despite adversity. I no longer saw myself as a product of my struggle but as someone who could rise above it. I understood that greatness was not a destination; it was a mindset. It's striving to be the best version of yourself and setting a standard of excellence for others to follow. With this being my senior year, Mrs. Bullock has helped me maintain all of her teaching in the hope of me blossoming at Howard University, a place where she motivated me into pursuing both theatre arts and legal studies while preparing me for the world outside of our small school. In addition to theatre, speech and debate played a significant role in my growth. It made me more courageous in dealing with large audiences and taught me how to express myself. I learned to think on my feet, entertain different ideas, and express myself better through speech and debate. It also opened my eyes to all the possibilities for my future. Far from feeling constrained, I now know that I have the freedom to explore a multitude of various pathways. Speech and debate allowed me to remain open to new options and granted me the confidence to pursue any goal I set for myself.

How has your experience with challenge and difficulty played a significant role in your life? The brutality of life hunts those who extend outside of societal norms. I learned this lesson early in life as I grew up different from my peers. I am a gay black male, a double minority, who finds it exceptionally hard to fit in at times. My peers, family members, and even strangers question my sexuality and identity, questioning things that I don't even have an answer to. Furthermore, whenever I get closer to being comfortable with my identity, a mysterious force always pulls me back towards the confusion. I enrolled in a beginner's dance class at the of my junior year. It was a big step out of my comfort zone, as I love to perform in concerts and plays, but anything else was reaching outside of myself and seemed terrifying. It took a lot of time and patience, but after a while, I was considered one of the more advanced students. I even earned a solo part in one of the choreographed performances. If I wasn't practicing the solo, I worked tirelessly to hone my techniques and try different dance styles to see what fit me best. Luckily, I made great connections in the class with people who always helped me out when I struggled with certain moves, helping my relationship with dance grow and form something insatiable. However, this led me to strive for the sun without worrying about the potential burns. As the class was getting closer to ending, the teacher mentioned dance tryouts coming up for new students interested in joining the dance team and majorette. At first, I hesitated to try it because of my physique and gender. I knew I would stand out, but for the first time in years, I had found something that completely infatuated me. Everything in me, from my soul to my flesh, desired to be a part of a team, a family that was willing to uplift me and help me express the feminine side of me that I had long kept caged up. Everything was going well leading up to the auditions. I practiced every day for hours to make sure that I was ready and made sure to ask for advice and help from others who knew more about dance than I did. Everything was going great until I made the mistake of not telling my parents. I had talked to my mom about me doing majorette and the idea of them not coming to see me because I knew how uncomfortable it would be for them to see me as more feminine. It led to my parents and I having a big argument that crushed and confused me more than ever before. They made me perform my routine in front of them, and when I finished the routine, they believed that I wanted to transition into a girl and started calling out every feminine trait/characteristic that partially made me who I am. Everything they said hurt me deeply, but nothing was worse than them completely shutting down the idea of me joining the dance team, even after all of the hard work I had put into making the team. It took me a while to get beyond this period of my life. I tried to bottle it inside, but it just came back stronger and led to another fight with my parents. That said, now that all of that has passed, I realize that I am a man who likes to express myself in both a masculine and feminine way. I live in a world now where the lines can blur, and people can appreciate me more for who I am rather than what I am. Furthermore, I will not pretend to be something I'm not. I refuse to live my life conforming to society's standards. I am committed to being true to myself, regardless of how others perceive me.

Sometimes, it takes acknowledgment from another to realize my self-worth. Not to say that I do not know myself, but by living true to my character, I started becoming unconscious of the potential impact I have on others. During my junior year of high school, I made myself well-known around the school. More people knew who I was since I participated in theatre, band, and student council. If someone were to question my character, they would see only positive attributes projected by me wherever I went. I try my best to keep up appearances and to be there for others, but sometimes that leads to me trying too hard and realizing that I do not have anyone close enough to rest my shoulder on. Being good acquaintances with others is one thing, but finding and keeping real friends has always been a challenge. However, I had a friend named Korie, who slowly became my closest companion. He was a senior; I was a junior, but even though we were in separate grades it never got in the way of our friendship. It was something I cherished as I struggled to maintain strong friendships. Whenever I needed him, he was there for me, but I could tell he also had his guard up. He lost his last best friend tragically and struggled to get close to me in fear of getting hurt, and that guard didn’t until one fateful that we both talk about to this day. It was late evening, and I was getting ready for bed when Korie called me. At first, I wasn’t going to answer as I thought it wasn’t that important, and I had to do some things before heading to bed, but something made me answer the phone, and when I did, I was bewildered by what I saw. It was Korie crying frantically, which he never did, at least not in front of me. He asked me if he could stay the night in my house, which surprised me because he had never asked me that before. As I tried to ask him why and what was wrong, it was as if his tears were drowning his words, so it first came out in mumbles, but he gathered his words to explain the situation. He and his father got into a big altercation that led to him being beaten and put out of the house. After he told me that, I told my family the situation and drove as fast as I could to his home, which was right up the block from mine. I finally get there to see him and his mother arguing over what just happened. I tried to calm the situation, but it was almost impossible; he was angry. He was angry, sad, confused, and over the nonsense he was dealing with in his household. At first, his mother decided he could come with me, and I was eager to take him away from the toxicity forming around that house for the night, but after more time passed, his mother changed her mind and persisted that he went back in. She told me to leave and that he would be fine, but I wouldn't until I knew he was okay. It wasn’t until he gave me the confirmation to retreat that I hesitantly drove back home. After that night, it took him some time to adjust, but he eventually found his way back to his old self, which was almost perfect timing since graduation was approaching and he was about to walk the stage. A few weeks before his graduation, he told me he was the one chosen to give the graduation speech, and I was overjoyed to hear the accomplishment. I was already attending as I was a part of the band performing for graduation, so it was nice to get the opportunity to hear my best friend tell his story and set sail to adulthood with him having the final word. As I sat down to watch him give the graduation speech, he talked about every person who added value to his life that caused him to be better and to believe that there was more to life than just wasting away. He started with his family, then his teachers, and all while giving this speech, I wondered if he would mention me. I knew I meant a lot to him, but I didn’t know if he found it appropriate. Some of me wish he would, but another part understood if he didn’t. I didn't expect him to say my name since it was a graduation speech, but before the thought could leave, he mentioned my name as the best friend who had been there through everything and helped make his last year the best. At that moment, I was overwhelmed with emotions that hit me all at once. I was overwhelmed with happiness over the fact that I was able to be one of the people who could majorly impact his life. I try to be there for people, but I never thought anyone cared to see that side of me. The speech meant more to me than anyone could understand, and it's not only because I was acknowledged by my friend but also because I had found someone who cared for me as much as I cared for them. All of my worries about our beautiful friendship were for nothing. He helped me realize that by overthinking the negatives of life, I will never be able to understand its beauty, and for that, I will forever be grateful.

Challenges that tear down the soul often lay the groundwork for profound personal growth and eventual success. I have spent the past four years working to reach goals no one around me ever saw coming true, not even myself. When I was a freshman, I thought that I was talentless. The most irrelevant person in every environment. The only thing I had going for me was my academics, but I needed more awareness about who I was and who I wanted to become. I didn't know how to express myself; I had recently come out of the closet and didn't know how the world would react, so I kept most of myself, to myself as if I were a ghost in a shell. My parents didn’t take the news well, and it took nearly 4 years to get to a good place past the challenges and fights over my identity. There have been many times in my life when I had fallen into a deep depressive state, but with the help of the friends around me, I have been able to survive and overcome those phases of grief. Furthermore, with the combination of inconsistency with my self-identity and family, I had a hard time fitting in and finding who I was. It wasn't until a friend invited me to audition for theatre that I stepped outside my comfort zone and tried something new. Was I scared of trying out? Of course! I was never good at going out for something that wasn't mine until then, but something sparked inside me. Something inside my spirit allowed confidence to shine through the fear, and before I knew it, I was performing for the first time, living out my wildest dreams and nightmares all at once, and it was exhilarating. After the performance, I continued pursuing theatre and building my confidence, which then ventured into my ability to be more outspoken than ever before. I could easily talk in front of big crowds, connect with strangers, and sympathize with them on a deeper level. However, I cannot give all the credit to the theatre. It took a lot of life lessons, friendships, heartbreaks, bad decisions, and God to get me to where I am today. I am a person who always thinks critically, strives to overachieve, helps others in need, and adapts to almost anything and anyone I am around. These qualities helped me keep my head held high even when the world tried to tear me down. I strive to set the standard in anything I do because I know, from my own experience, there will be someone watching me with envy and admiration, hoping to get to where I am as I did to others in the past. I looked up to those who were on stage until I finally did get on stage. I wanted to be at the top of my classes; I worked hard to achieve that goal and now want the same for others. I want to be the standard so that the people around me can aspire to be great in their own ways.

My soul is tainted from the horrors of life but heals as I learn to love myself. It took a while for me to understand the importance of mental and physical wellness fully. While schools provide textbook definitions, they often overlook the individual challenges tied to personal identity and desires. Those key elements define how important your mental and physical wellness becomes. As a 17-year-old senior, I recognize that I am far from fully grasping or achieving total wellness. Life doesn’t allow us to focus solely on mental or physical health; challenges in both areas can hit unexpectedly, sometimes simultaneously. Achieving overall wellness depends on how secure you are within yourself, and unfortunately security is a friend that I lack connection with. My mental decline was caused by numerous factors such as weight, sexuality, identity issues, romantic issues, and of course academics. The earliest factor that comes to mind would be my weight loss trials. This is also a part of my physical journey but the mental trials played a bigger role in my journey. As someone who was once obese, I used to get bullied and touted a lot in elementary school. So much so that I decided to get a physical trainer, as my body started to slim, my mind would worry constantly about every calorie I intake, every pound that added to my own, and every single part of my outward appearance. I would often get lost in depressive episodes, wondering why I felt this way even though the progress I made was extremely evident. It wasn’t until I did some research, that I found out I shared similar traits of one with body dysmorphia. I believe the knowledge of knowing what I was going through helped me slowly accept how I looked, because after I found out what I was struggling from, I found ways to appreciate the work I put in to make my body what it is today. The area of my life that comes with the largest dose of mental health obstacles is sexuality. My family knows about this and they are coming around but quite homophobic (as I am a gay black male) so my views conflict with their thoughts. I have argued with them and learned some difficult truths surrounding my coming out, at home anyhow. I thought long I convinced myself that things were fine until a conflict would arise. Since then, I have reflected and decided not to bring up my sexuality or want of partners back home in the interest of concern rather than offense. Understand my family never even requested this of me, it was to keep the peace at home. In conclusion, while mental and physical wellness is crucial, it can’t be fully taught. Every person needs to find their value of self-worth and respect to fully grasp the meaning behind mental and physical wellness. For me, it involved understanding my struggles and how I interact with others to find inner peace. However, that isn’t always the case for others, which is something they will need to explore for themselves. In conclusion, while mental and physical wellness is crucial, it can’t be fully taught. Each person must discover their self-worth and respect to understand true wellness. For me, it involved understanding my struggles and how I interact with others to find inner peace. However, this journey is personal and varies for everyone.

Challenges that tear down the soul often lay the groundwork for profound personal growth and eventual success. I have spent the past four years working to reach goals no one around me ever saw coming true, not even myself. When I was a freshman, I thought that I was talentless. The most irrelevant person in every environment. The only thing I had going for me was my academics, but I needed more awareness about who I was and who I wanted to become. I didn't know how to express myself; I had recently come out of the closet and didn't know how the world would react, so I kept most of myself, to myself as if I were a ghost in a shell. My parents didn’t take the news well, and it took nearly 4 years to get to a good place past the challenges and fights over my identity. There have been many times in my life when I had fallen into a deep depressive state, but with the help of the friends around me, I have been able to survive and overcome those phases of grief. Furthermore, with the combination of inconsistency with my self-identity and family, I had a hard time fitting in and finding who I was. It wasn't until a friend invited me to audition for theatre that I stepped outside my comfort zone and tried something new. Was I scared of trying out? Of course! I was never good at going out for something that wasn't mine until then, but something sparked inside me. Something inside my spirit allowed confidence to shine through the fear, and before I knew it, I was performing for the first time, living out my wildest dreams and nightmares all at once, and it was exhilarating. After the performance, I continued pursuing theatre and building my confidence, which then ventured into my ability to be more outspoken than ever before. I could easily talk in front of big crowds, connect with strangers, and sympathize with them on a deeper level. However, I cannot give all the credit to the theatre. It took a lot of life lessons, friendships, heartbreaks, bad decisions, and God to get me to where I am today. I am a person who always thinks critically, strives to overachieve, helps others in need, and adapts to almost anything and anyone I am around. These qualities helped me keep my head held high even when the world tried to tear me down. I strive to set the standard in anything I do because I know, from my own experience, there will be someone watching me with envy and admiration, hoping to get to where I am as I did to others in the past. I looked up to those who were on stage until I finally did get on stage. I wanted to be at the top of my classes; I worked hard to achieve that goal and now want the same for others. I want to be the standard so that the people around me can aspire to be great in their own ways. I hope to attain your scholarship so that I may one day reach my goals of a higher education. Receiving this scholarship will be instrumental in helping me pursue higher education, which is essential for achieving my long-term goals in theatre and beyond. It will alleviate financial barriers and enable me to focus on my studies and artistic development. I hope to hear back from you, and hope that you get to see me on stage one day.

The strength of a beast and the mentality of a wise man make the very essence of a strong veteran. I have seen these traits first-hand from my father who served in the U.S. Army. He fought in wars in countries like Iraq and Vietnam all while trying his best to keep in contact with me and my mother. He has been retired for a few years now, which helped him become more involved in our lives as he slowly became the heart of our household. My father's service in the Army exemplified both immense physical strength and remarkable mental resilience. His ability to endure the physical rigors of combat and the mental strain of wartime experiences highlighted the importance of both strength and wisdom. These qualities have profoundly shaped my own values. From him, I learned that true strength is not just about one's physical capabilities but also about emotional stability and the wisdom to handle complex situations in a calm and well-observed manner. His dedication to his family despite his career demonstrates the importance of a balance between professional duties and personal responsibilities. These values have become central to who I am, guiding me to pursue a career where I can uphold these principles and contribute meaningfully to my family and community. That said, I do not wish to pursue a career in the military field, I still would like to contribute to the world by putting away criminals as a criminal prosecutor. I plan to study political science during undergrad and then transfer to another school to get my law degree. While I am certain that the road ahead will be tedious and treacherous, I know that I have an outstanding role model who will guide me through my trials with his knowledge of hardships. In conclusion, my father’s service in the U.S. Army has profoundly shaped my values, work ethic, and sense of purpose. His blend of physical strength and mental wisdom, combined with his dedication to both his career and family, has provided me with a powerful example of how to live a life of integrity, discipline, and purpose. His transition from a soldier to a central figure in our family has shown me the importance of balancing professional and personal responsibilities while maintaining a commitment to do good in my community. These lessons have guided me towards a career in law, where I can honor his legacy by doing good for the world and government we’re ruled by, and by holding the same principles of, integrity, dignity, and dedication he still holds today.