I believe educational inequity is something we should all stand for because there are truly gifted and passionate individuals in the world who are not able to showcase their abilities because of many factors, including the increasing cost of tuition for education beyond high school. High-achieving students academically and athletically may qualify for more scholarships and grants provided by schools, but this is unfair since good grades and athletic ability are not the only indicators of a student's intelligence. Even some of the smartest people we know struggled in school, according to ultimatemedical.edu. For example, Thomas Edison was bad at math and had a hard time concentrating and Winstin Churchill repeated a grade in elementary. Intelligent people fail for a variety of reasons, but most often because they are not challenged enough, so denying them tuition assistance will prevent these individuals from pursuing an education that will stimulate their brains. Additionally, the expense of college also disproportionally affects students of color. Educationdata.org reports that 54% of black students drop out of college, and 40% of students who drop out overall had parents who did not graduate college. Overall, colleges may be expensive for people of color whose parents lack the resources or education to assist their children in obtaining an education. Despite the costs of college and grad school, I am pursuing a higher education which I hope to pay for by scholarships and working. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope my essay was interesting!

Without a doubt, growing up as a black girl born into an immigrant family was not easy. While growing up, I did not have the privileges other children had, such as having a car or money to go out to fun places. As a child, I was very insecure about this, but I always remembered how much I loved my mother and how hard she worked to provide for the two of us. Every bus ride was an adventure with her, which to me was even better than a car trip to Disneyland. Going into middle school was an even more difficult challenge since I was bused to a school far away and my mom was pregnant at the time. Although she had gained legal status by then, my middle school journey would ultimately be my own. There I experienced bullying for everything that made me different; my accent, my skin color, my hair, and so much in between. For years I was insecure about my cultural identity, and up to today, it affects me. However, I have a different view of myself and my cultural identity now, and I’m very proud to be a Belizean-American. Although many of the racial and cultural intolerance came to me from people of many different races and backgrounds, growing up I learned that everyone was not racist, but some were made ignorant by society. Going to a school where I was the only black first-generation student did come with its hardships, but in the end, I was rewarded with many friendships. As a first-generation Korean, my best friend also faced similar racial challenges as me. At a young age, we were able to learn that people aren't born with hate, but they learn it from others, like parents or even peers. As a result of my experiences, I believe that people can change through experiences and information, but some people will not due to their own hateful beliefs. I believe that those of us who experienced life's hardships become the best leaders, and in the future,, I hope to become one of those relatable and inspiring leaders who can change the world for the better. This scholarship will help me save up for college and it's expenses, and help me create the future I've always dreamed of for myself and those who have supported me. Thank you so much for reading my essay!

Without a doubt, growing up as a black girl born into an immigrant family was not easy. While growing up, I did not have the privileges other children had, such as having a car or money to go out to fun places. As a child, I was very insecure about this, but I always remembered how much I loved my mother and how hard she worked to provide for the two of us. Every bus ride was an adventure with her, which to me was even better than a car trip to Disneyland. Going into middle school was an even more difficult challenge since I was bused to a school far away and my mom was pregnant at the time. Although she had gained legal status by then, my middle school journey would ultimately be my own. There I experienced bullying for everything that made me different; my accent, my skin color, my hair, and so much in between. For years I was insecure about my cultural identity, and up to today, it has an effect on me. However, I have a different view of myself and my cultural identity now, and I’m very proud to be a Belizean-American. Moving forward, I hope to become a leader who can help stop the stigma of immigrants from all backgrounds. When I grow up I want to become a lawyer, and with that position, I hope to start a non-profit for first-generation children like me and so many others. This scholarship would mean so much to me and to my academic future, especially since I am struggling to save up money for college myself. Thank you so much for reading and for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship. (P.S: I attached my personal blog below, just in case you're interested in knowing what I do now (: )

My biggest artistic ambition is to use my skills in sewing to create my own business in the future, and then use my profits to donate to movements and organizations that are helping to shape our world for a better, safer, and more secure future. I am really passionate about saving the environment from irreversible damage, so I go thrifting for materials for sewing, and then I upcycle the clothes or use the fabric to create something brand-new. Fashion industry overconsumption threatens the Earth, as it occurs when people buy clothes that go out of style within a short time frame and then throw them away when they're no longer "in style". Globally, 92 million tonnes of clothing are thrown away every year, adding to our already high pollution levels. This scholarship will help me bring my vision to life by helping me financially to fund an online business, buy second-hand material to create fashion items, and support organizations who are here to help our Earth not only environmentally, but socially and culturally. I really hope by my small actions, I am able to play a bigger part in saving our planet in the future. Our Earth is the only one we have, after all. Thank you for reading my essay and helping us who inspire to do great for the world through our artistic abilities. (The image attached are faux fur shoulder bags I made, using fabrics from a thrift store downtown. This is my Pinterest and under the folder, you can see a little bit of more things I do on the artsy side if you're interested.)

My biggest artistic ambition is to use my skills in sewing to create my own business in the future, and then use my profits to donate to movements and organizations that are helping to shape our world for a better, safer, and more secure future. I am really passionate about saving the environment from irreversible damage, so I go thrifting for materials for sewing, and then I upcycle the clothes or use the fabric to create something brand-new. Fashion industry overconsumption threatens the Earth, as it occurs when people buy clothes that go out of style within a short time frame and then throw them away when they're no longer "in style". Globally, 92 million tonnes of clothing are thrown away every year, adding to our already high pollution levels. This scholarship will help me bring my vision to life by helping me financially to fund an online business, buy second-hand material to create fashion items, and support organizations who are here to help our Earth not only environmentally, but socially and culturally. I really hope by my small actions, I am able to play a bigger part in saving our planet in the future. Our Earth is the only one we have, after all. Thank you for reading my essay and helping us who inspire to do great for the world through our artistic abilities. (The image attached are faux fur shoulder bags I made, using fabrics from a thrift store downtown. This is my Pinterest and under the folder, you can see a little bit of more things I do on the artsy side if you're interested.)

The black community experienced a disappointing, confusing, and angry year last year. The sight of people who look just like me on social media being killed out of ignorance or being forced into unlawful mass incarceration, which is basically modern-day slavery for people who look like me, made me sick to my stomach. It seemed like everyone who knew me felt sorry for me, mostly because I went to schools where the school population was only 1% black, and I, of course, were one of them. No amount of pity could provide the satisfaction of doing something that could actually make a difference, so I came up with the idea to do something risky but also necessary. During the weekend, I spoke with one of my few black friends who attended the same school as me and also felt the same way I did when all of these horrible things were occurring. We took the time to look up books and movies that people can watch if they want to learn more about the black community and injustice, then put it on a viewable Google Doc for everyone to see. For those who wanted to take direct action, we provided petitions to sign and organizations to donate to for the cause. It felt great to have put this together, but I knew I could do more than that. The next day, I uploaded a poll on Instagram asking people if they'd like to put their name down on a post I was planning to put on Schoology (our software where our school posts information, and where we view our classes, grades, clubs, etc.) and to my surprise, many people did. Some were afraid of getting into trouble for participating in a post that would be uploaded without permission, so they were reluctant to put their names down. I remember telling one of those students, "if they are more worried about me uploading an informational post about something that is important to not just me, but to an entire race, and the people who decided to help me, then I will take the fall. I don't care. This needs to be heard and nothing is more important to me right now than speaking up and taking action." So I did. I got around 30 students to put their names down for the post, and then I uploaded it for all 1,700 students and the hundreds of adults to see. By the minute, people were liking the post, sharing it, commenting, and even signing the petitions. Some of the teachers commented and liked the post too. The feeling I experienced was good and liberated; I felt like I had done something right and that I was making a difference, even if it only affected a few hundred students. At the end of that day, over 300 students liked my post, and my principal even commented, saying that he was proud I spoke up. After that experience, I decided I would like to pursue a degree in political science or another pre-law program to become a lawyer and maybe even a city councilwoman one day. Right now, I'm dual-enrolled in high school and college in order to meet my long-term goals of becoming a successful individual and contributing to my community. I want to thank you for letting me share my story, and if you want to hear more from me, I attached the blog I started below. Thank you so much!

In the second grade, the most remarkable and caring educator I've had, perhaps in my entire pre-college career, was named Ms. Benson and without her, I would not be where I am today. After a struggle move when I was only 6 from Mid-City, Los Angeles to South Los Angeles, I was forced to move from the school I loved, to a school I knew nothing about. However, once enrolled, I adapted pretty quickly to the new environment. The work I was given seemed fairly easy to me, which caused me to do the assignments so quickly that I had time for other things like drawing and helping my teacher out. Ms. Benson took note of this and took it upon herself to have a conference with my mom about my intellectual ability. "I see something in your daughter that I do not see in any of my other students, Ms. Williams," she told my young mother. "I am going to suggest she is to be tested for gifted ability before I retire next year. I promise you. I see a bright future for Shyla and it's not here." Staying true to her word, I was tested for the gifted program in the third grade, and was labeled the next year as exceptionally gifted. Although it took hours of paperwork and processing, Ms. Benson kept her promise to my mom to fight for my test. As a gifted student, I was allowed to attend a magnet school where I had many opportunities to practice my skills with others in a safer atmosphere that I otherwise would not have had access to. The last time I saw Ms. Benson was 6 to 7 years ago, but the impact she had on my life still follows me today. Even in my lowest, darkest, ungodliest hours, I think to myself that at least one person out there sees something in me that I cannot see in myself, which is a remarkable talent and the ability to achieve great things in the future. That one person is Ms. Benson. Sure, there are other people who probably have also felt the same way, but no one has (at least not yet) put in the work and effort to ensure that I had an opportunity for a greater future, a future where I can express my unique and significant skills, and make a change in our world. And who knows, maybe the change I make to the world is being someone else's caring and loving Ms. Benson.

Since my mother did not have the chance to go to college and follow her dreams when she was my age, my mom was always encouraging me to pursue my future. She hails from an island in the Caribbean called Belize, and my grandmother brought her here as a toddler. Having struggled to get an education, as a black woman and an immigrant without rights, my mom chose not to go to college. This never stopped her from making sure that I pursued my dreams which required college. My mom always talked to me about the advantages and opportunities that came from attending a college and the importance of getting an education when you are a black woman in a white patriarchal society. In elementary school, my second-grade teacher Ms. Benson labeled me as gifted and completed the paperwork for me to be tested by a psychologist, which I passed. Due to this opportunity, I was able to study art from grades 3-5 at California State University Los Angeles, but I could not have taken advantage of this opportunity without my mom's help. She woke up early every Saturday so we could take the bus to college, and she saved up money so I could buy food and supplies. Her goal was for me to have an idea of what college was like early and to ensure I pursued my dreams. Because of the young experience my mom positively pushed me to have at a university, I knew from then that college was in the future for me, and that my mom would be by my side though the process. Unfortunately when I got to middle school, we became homeless. This did not break my mom down because she still went to college while pregnant with my younger brother. In addition to making sure I had money set aside for school, my mom also made time for me when I needed assistance. My mom worked two jobs while she was in college so that we could get an apartment, and I am always thankful for this. As a junior in high school, my mother has helped me find internships in the field of law, since I plan on becoming a black lady lawyer in the future. In addition to helping me apply to college classes, she ensures that I have space to do my work at home. Lastly, despite the fact that my mom isn't perfect, she's my hero, and I love her very much. I appreciate the opportunity to share my story with you. Thank you!