I’m so captivated by animals. When I was younger my mom hated all animals. From here I developed this obsession because I was not allowed to have them. My mother always despised all animals. This left me wondering why she developed such a strong hatred towards them. After my mother passed away I had a very hard life. I was constantly being moved to different homes and had been filled with sorrow for months. Whilst migrating homes I fell in love with a dog named Cali. Cali was a little white maltese with soft and beautiful blue eyes. He was as scared of me just as much as I was scared of him, but we both introduced ourselves slowly and became best friends over time. He really filled the void that I had developed when my mother passed. Cali opened my eyes to the nature of animals by showing me that not all animals are daunting beasts out for blood. I loved Cali so very dearly. As I got to know him, I learned that animals were not as bad as my mom portrayed them to be and I asked for a dog of my own. A few years later I got my first dog and named him Taz. Although he was a great pet, I always felt more compelled towards undomesticated animals. I loved dogs so much, but it was something about reptiles that changed my perspective on the livelihood of animals and how I want to help animals. Reptiles are often feared and misunderstood in most instances. Whenever reptiles drove people away they compelled me. The first instance when I was compelled to reptiles was when my cousin got a red tail boa constrictor. His name was crimson and he was a gentle giant and I spent plenty of time with him understanding his temperament and nature. Nearly two years later I gained the courage to ask for my first reptile and to my surprise I got him. We rescued the reptile from a big-brand breeder and named him Anubis. Anubis was born with an extra toe so I had to pay additional attention to Anubis. To aid Anubis with his mutation, I immediately researched ways to help him at home. This was because I could not afford vet care at the time. It worked flawlessly, and in that moment it struck me that wanting to help and take care of animals was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. As time passed, I learned more on how to care for and treat small issues or injuries. I helped my family better understand the health of their pets and ensured they were healthy even when they did not ask me to. I later got a tortoise and a fish tank with African Cichlids, and my collection of animals accumulated quickly. Those animals gave me more experience on their wellbeing than I could ever Imagine. Those animals I have encountered sparked a passion into my heart that will never leave and I am thankful for those animals When I saw I could be a vet not just for domestic animals, but exotic animals as well, I grew excited and I decided that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. As a senior in highschool with experience working with animals, I am looking to go straight to college to become a Doctor Of Veterinary Medicine. My dream is to open a sanctuary for all animals domesticated and undomesticated.

The reason I chose to attend an HBCU is simple. The culture, the livelihood, being around my people. Since I was a young child I’ve always wanted to go to an HBCU and be the first out of my family to attend an HBCU. Not only am I dedicated to becoming a veterinarian but I’m also dedicated to trace myself back to my roots. I live in California but my grandma’s family is from Louisiana. I want to get my education down south and start my life somewhere other than California. Being raised in California and Nevada schools are not as cultured as I would like them to be and I was always the out cast not being a higher class or a different skin tone. I want to learn how to be comfortable around my people in my own skin and hopefully one day influence my younger family members to embrace themselves. My top choice as of right now is Tuskegee University and my major is Pre-Veterinary sciences. I am so excited to be able to open my eyes to new things and grow as a person in a different setting than where I am from. HBCU life is for me and I hope that this new journey will be extravagant.