My dad was in the military. He's not my bio dad but he's my step-up dad. He showed up for me when I felt like I had no one. He always brings a smile onto my face. He went through a lot in the military. He's an amazing person. I remember over the summer we went to the lake and while everyone else was playing him and I laid under a tree and just talked. My dad is my super hero. even though he's not biological he's still my best friend. I remember when I first met him he was scary looking, and no he definitely does not come off as the hard military guy. However the longer I knew him the better our relationship has grow. He's one of the smartest people I know and he genuinely cares so deeply for his family. I have always admired how he helped me when I was stuck or if my mom was struggling. he always knew what to say (my mom is still the smartest). I know that if anything would ever happen to me my dad would help me he has always been so strong and on time. he's one of my favorite people and If I never met him I don't really know where I would be right now. He has pushed me to work for my dreams. I want to be a therapist, because he told me I had a beautiful heart and because I'm so considerate I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place

Growing up I have never experienced support that wasn’t “earned”. I went into foster care three different times in my life. The first time I was barely old enough to remember anything. The second time I was nine years old. I would have family visits once a week with my mom, brother and my younger siblings. As time went on my mom stopped showing up for the weekly visits. I went almost six years without seeing my mom and brother. I got adopted in fall of 2021, when I met the people who would be adopting me it felt like every other situation in my life. They would meet me and let me live with them for a few months max then leave. The adoptive mom’s name was Trish Baker and my adoptive dads name was John Baker. Everything was amazing at first. They always called the first six months of any relationship the honeymoon stage, and that's because it is. When they adopted me I felt like it was a good thing. Soon enough they showed me their real intentions. It started small with minor disagreements, then it felt like everything I would do was wrong. It took a while but they did end up getting physical. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything I was going through at the Bakers. When we had the end of school dance I was going to go and when I called my dad to see if I could he started yelling at me. That night him and my mom started beating me and told me I was just a mad and angry person. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped.

When we moved to Ohio I ended up going back into foster care for the third time. I went to a woman named Tonya. Her house was small but it was still home. I came with one bag and the clothes I had on already. She took care of me and showed me how loved I was. I started getting worse with my mental health when the house TC brought in another worker. After a few weeks of her being there she convinced me my mom never loved me and convinced my mom to 30-day me. When I left there I was at a new home for less than three weeks. I left and that foster mom lost her license. That day I met Teresa Green, my new foster mom. She was nice at first, and she welcomed me with open arms. As time went on I got better. I still had my problems but I worked on them and got better. When you're healing you take steps back before you are able to keep walking forward and not fear missing a step. I used to run away, drink and smoke, and just do things to constantly hurt myself. At the end of my sophomore year I got better. Not for other people but for me. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place.

I want to live the life I should have had. I have never had a real support system because I grew up in foster care. I've never had a family to help me with anything. I see all of my friends have parents that help the pay for college, and be able to help them. It sucks being stuck all alone from such a young age. I grew from that and I have become set on fulfilling my goals. I want to do better and I want to make a better impact on this world. I never had a mom to help me with any issues and I never had a dad to protect me. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place. I have been through so much in my life and I want to help people. If I were to win this scholarship I would repay by telling other people I know about the amazing opportunities the world has to offer. I know people struggle and its always so nice to know that there are people who care. I would be so grateful for any opportunities I am offered

Growing up I have never experienced support that wasn’t “earned”. I went into foster care three different times in my life. The first time I was barely old enough to remember anything. The second time I was nine years old. I would have family visits once a week with my mom, brother and my younger siblings. As time went on my mom stopped showing up for the weekly visits. I went almost six years without seeing my mom and brother. I got adopted in fall of 2021, when I met the people who would be adopting me it felt like every other situation in my life. They would meet me and let me live with them for a few months max then leave. The adoptive mom’s name was Trish Baker and my adoptive dads name was John Baker. Everything was amazing at first. They always called the first six months of any relationship the honeymoon stage, and that's because it is. When they adopted me I felt like it was a good thing. Soon enough they showed me their real intentions. It started small with minor disagreements, then it felt like everything I would do was wrong. It took a while but they did end up getting physical. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything I was going through at the Bakers. When we had the end of school dance I was going to go and when I called my dad to see if I could he started yelling at me. That night him and my mom started beating me and told me I was just a mad and angry person. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place

In the past four years I've met some really good teachers and some really bad ones. Everyone is different and some people connect better than others. In my freshman and sophomore year I had a teacher Mr. Ensign. he helped me through a lot of family issues and even breakups and friendships ending. He was a great person and he truly helped me out of my shell. In my junior and senior year I met Mrs Whiley. She was one of my biggest supporters. She was my Government teacher and she has been teaching me so many valuable lessons In life. Now in my senior year I got the opportunity to become her office aid. She gets to teach me new thing everyday even tho I'm not an actual student. My yearbook teacher Mr. Dowling has also been one of my biggest supporters, when I had trouble at home he would let me sit in his classroom first period and vent. He would give his opinion and when I didn't want an opinion I just wanted to talk he would always listen. He cares alot about his students and I got the chance to be in his yearbook class. He is truly an amazing teacher. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything about me and my story. She was like a mom to me especially when my mom never stepped up. I believe there are truly amazing teachers in this world that care about their kids. I know there are some that do it because it helps them get by but when you have a teacher that makes a bigger difference just by listening or by showing a little bit of care it shows people actually care. I have only had 3 bad teachers in high school and they are all math teachers. This year I have Mr Cooksey and he is an amazing teacher. At the beginning of the year I swear I would never like math, but this year I walk in feeling exited to learn something new and I leave feeling more confident. He makes it easy to learn and makes it fun. I love and care for all the teachers that have helped me.

When we moved to Ohio I ended up going back into foster care for the third time. I went to a woman named Tonya. Her house was small but it was still home. I came with one bag and the clothes I had on already. She took care of me and showed me how loved I was. I started getting worse with my mental health when the house TC brought in another worker. After a few weeks of her being there she convinced me my mom never loved me and convinced my mom to 30-day me. When I left there I was at a new home for less than three weeks. I left and that foster mom lost her license. That day I met Teresa Green, my new foster mom. She was nice at first, and she welcomed me with open arms. As time went on I got better. I still had my problems but I worked on them and got better. When you're healing you take steps back before you are able to keep walking forward and not fear missing a step. I used to run away, drink and smoke, and just do things to constantly hurt myself. At the end of my sophomore year I got better. Not for other people but for me. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place

In the past four years I've met some really good teachers and some really bad ones. Everyone is different and some people connect better than others. In my freshman and sophomore year I had a teacher Mr. Ensign. he helped me through a lot of family issues and even breakups and friendships ending. He was a great person and he truly helped me out of my shell. In my junior and senior year I met Mrs Whiley. She was one of my biggest supporters. She was my Government teacher and she has been teaching me so many valuable lessons In life. Now in my senior year I got the opportunity to become her office aid. She gets to teach me new thing everyday even tho I'm not an actual student. My yearbook teacher Mr. Dowling has also been one of my biggest supporters, when I had trouble at home he would let me sit in his classroom first period and vent. He would give his opinion and when I didn't want an opinion I just wanted to talk he would always listen. He cares alot about his students and I got the chance to be in his yearbook class. He is truly an amazing teacher. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything about me and my story. She was like a mom to me especially when my mom never stepped up. I believe there are truly amazing teachers in this world that care about their kids. I know there are some that do it because it helps them get by but when you have a teacher that makes a bigger difference just by listening or by showing a little bit of care it shows people actually care. I have only had 3 bad teachers in high school and they are all math teachers. This year I have Mr Cooksey and he is an amazing teacher. At the beginning of the year I swear I would never like math, but this year I walk in feeling exited to learn something new and I leave feeling more confident. He makes it easy to learn and makes it fun. I love and care for all the teachers that have helped me.

In the past four years I've met some really good teachers and some really bad ones. Everyone is different and some people connect better than others. In my freshman and sophomore year I had a teacher Mr. Ensign. he helped me through a lot of family issues and even breakups and friendships ending. He was a great person and he truly helped me out of my shell. In my junior and senior year I met Mrs Whiley. She was one of my biggest supporters. She was my Government teacher and she has been teaching me so many valuable lessons In life. Now in my senior year I got the opportunity to become her office aid. She gets to teach me new thing everyday even tho I'm not an actual student. My yearbook teacher Mr. Dowling has also been one of my biggest supporters, when I had trouble at home he would let me sit in his classroom first period and vent. He would give his opinion and when I didn't want an opinion I just wanted to talk he would always listen. He cares alot about his students and I got the chance to be in his yearbook class. He is truly an amazing teacher. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything about me and my story. She was like a mom to me especially when my mom never stepped up. I believe there are truly amazing teachers in this world that care about their kids. I know there are some that do it because it helps them get by but when you have a teacher that makes a bigger difference just by listening or by showing a little bit of care it shows people actually care. I have only had 3 bad teachers in high school and they are all math teachers. This year I have Mr Cooksey and he is an amazing teacher. At the beginning of the year I swear I would never like math, but this year I walk in feeling exited to learn something new and I leave feeling more confident. He makes it easy to learn and makes it fun. I love and care for all the teachers that have helped me.

Growing up I have never experienced support that wasn’t “earned”. I went into foster care three different times in my life. The first time I was barely old enough to remember anything. The second time I was nine years old. I would have family visits once a week with my mom, brother and my younger siblings. As time went on my mom stopped showing up for the weekly visits. I went almost six years without seeing my mom and brother. I got adopted in fall of 2021, when I met the people who would be adopting me it felt like every other situation in my life. They would meet me and let me live with them for a few months max then leave. The adoptive mom’s name was Trish Baker and my adoptive dads name was John Baker. Everything was amazing at first. They always called the first six months of any relationship the honeymoon stage, and that's because it is. When they adopted me I felt like it was a good thing. Soon enough they showed me their real intentions. It started small with minor disagreements, then it felt like everything I would do was wrong. It took a while but they did end up getting physical. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything I was going through at the Bakers. When we had the end of school dance I was going to go and when I called my dad to see if I could he started yelling at me. That night him and my mom started beating me and told me I was just a mad and angry person. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped.

Growing up I have never experienced support that wasn’t “earned”. I went into foster care three different times in my life. The first time I was barely old enough to remember anything. The second time I was nine years old. I would have family visits once a week with my mom, brother and my younger siblings. As time went on my mom stopped showing up for the weekly visits. I went almost six years without seeing my mom and brother. I got adopted in fall of 2021, when I met the people who would be adopting me it felt like every other situation in my life. They would meet me and let me live with them for a few months max then leave. The adoptive mom’s name was Trish Baker and my adoptive dads name was John Baker. Everything was amazing at first. They always called the first six months of any relationship the honeymoon stage, and that's because it is. When they adopted me I felt like it was a good thing. Soon enough they showed me their real intentions. It started small with minor disagreements, then it felt like everything I would do was wrong. It took a while but they did end up getting physical. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything I was going through at the Bakers. When we had the end of school dance I was going to go and when I called my dad to see if I could he started yelling at me. That night him and my mom started beating me and told me I was just a mad and angry person. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place

Growing up I have never experienced support that wasn’t “earned”. I went into foster care three different times in my life. The first time I was barely old enough to remember anything. The second time I was nine years old. I would have family visits once a week with my mom, brother and my younger siblings. As time went on my mom stopped showing up for the weekly visits. I went almost six years without seeing my mom and brother. I got adopted in fall of 2021, when I met the people who would be adopting me it felt like every other situation in my life. They would meet me and let me live with them for a few months max then leave. The adoptive mom’s name was Trish Baker and my adoptive dads name was John Baker. Everything was amazing at first. They always called the first six months of any relationship the honeymoon stage, and that's because it is. When they adopted me I felt like it was a good thing. Soon enough they showed me their real intentions. It started small with minor disagreements, then it felt like everything I would do was wrong. It took a while but they did end up getting physical. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything I was going through at the Bakers. When we had the end of school dance I was going to go and when I called my dad to see if I could he started yelling at me. That night him and my mom started beating me and told me I was just a mad and angry person. When we moved to Ohio I ended up going back into foster care for the third time. I went to a woman named Tonya. Her house was small but it was still home. I came with one bag and the clothes I had on already. She took care of me and showed me how loved I was. I started getting worse with my mental health when the house TC brought in another worker. After a few weeks of her being there she convinced me my mom never loved me and convinced my mom to 30-day me. When I left there I was at a new home for less than three weeks. I left and that foster mom lost her license. That day I met Teresa Green, my new foster mom. She was nice at first, and she welcomed me with open arms. As time went on I got better. I still had my problems but I worked on them and got better. When you're healing you take steps back before you are able to keep walking forward and not fear missing a step. I used to run away, drink and smoke, and just do things to constantly hurt myself. At the end of my sophomore year I got better. Not for other people but for me. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place

Growing up I have never experienced support that wasn’t “earned”. I went into foster care three different times in my life. The first time I was barely old enough to remember anything. The second time I was nine years old. I would have family visits once a week with my mom, brother and my younger siblings. As time went on my mom stopped showing up for the weekly visits. I went almost six years without seeing my mom and brother. I got adopted in fall of 2021, when I met the people who would be adopting me it felt like every other situation in my life. They would meet me and let me live with them for a few months max then leave. The adoptive mom’s name was Trish Baker and my adoptive dads name was John Baker. Everything was amazing at first. They always called the first six months of any relationship the honeymoon stage, and that's because it is. When they adopted me I felt like it was a good thing. Soon enough they showed me their real intentions. It started small with minor disagreements, then it felt like everything I would do was wrong. It took a while but they did end up getting physical. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything I was going through at the Bakers. When we had the end of school dance I was going to go and when I called my dad to see if I could he started yelling at me. That night him and my mom started beating me and told me I was just a mad and angry person. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place

I want to work towards being a therapist because, Growing up I have never experienced support that wasn’t “earned”. I went into foster care three different times in my life. The first time I was barely old enough to remember anything. The second time I was nine years old. I would have family visits once a week with my mom, brother and my younger siblings. As time went on my mom stopped showing up for the weekly visits. I went almost six years without seeing my mom and brother. I got adopted in fall of 2021, when I met the people who would be adopting me it felt like every other situation in my life. They would meet me and let me live with them for a few months max then leave. The adoptive mom’s name was Trish Baker and my adoptive dads name was John Baker. Everything was amazing at first. They always called the first six months of any relationship the honeymoon stage, and that's because it is. When they adopted me I felt like it was a good thing. Soon enough they showed me their real intentions. It started small with minor disagreements, then it felt like everything I would do was wrong. It took a while but they did end up getting physical. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything I was going through at the Bakers. When we had the end of school dance I was going to go and when I called my dad to see if I could he started yelling at me. That night him and my mom started beating me and told me I was just a mad and angry person. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place

I want to live the life I should have had. I have never had a real support system because I grew up in foster care. I've never had a family to help me with anything. I see all of my friends have parents that help the pay for college, and be able to help them. It sucks being stuck all alone from such a young age. I grew from that and I have become set on fulfilling my goals. I want to do better and I want to make a better impact on this world. I never had a mom to help me with any issues and I never had a dad to protect me. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place. I have been through so much in my life and I want to help people. If I were to win this scholarship I would repay by telling other people I know about the amazing opportunities the world has to offer. I know people struggle and its always so nice to know that there are people who care. I would be so grateful for any opportunities I am offered

I think the movie that had the biggest impact was the movie "nine lives". I think that because Growing up I have never experienced support that wasn’t “earned”. I went into foster care three different times in my life. The first time I was barely old enough to remember anything. The second time I was nine years old. I would have family visits once a week with my mom, brother and my younger siblings. As time went on my mom stopped showing up for the weekly visits. I went almost six years without seeing my mom and brother. I got adopted in fall of 2021, when I met the people who would be adopting me it felt like every other situation in my life. They would meet me and let me live with them for a few months max then leave. The adoptive mom’s name was Trish Baker and my adoptive dads name was John Baker. Everything was amazing at first. They always called the first six months of any relationship the honeymoon stage, and that's because it is. When they adopted me I felt like it was a good thing. Soon enough they showed me their real intentions. It started small with minor disagreements, then it felt like everything I would do was wrong. It took a while but they did end up getting physical. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything I was going through at the Bakers. When we had the end of school dance I was going to go and when I called my dad to see if I could he started yelling at me. That night him and my mom started beating me and told me I was just a mad and angry person. When we moved to Ohio I ended up going back into foster care for the third time. I went to a woman named Tonya. Her house was small but it was still home. I came with one bag and the clothes I had on already. She took care of me and showed me how loved I was. I started getting worse with my mental health when the house TC brought in another worker. After a few weeks of her being there she convinced me my mom never loved me and convinced my mom to 30-day me. When I left there I was at a new home for less than three weeks. I left and that foster mom lost her license. That day I met Therisa Green, my new foster mom. She was nice at first, and she welcomed me with open arms. As time went on I got better. I still had my problems but I worked on them and got better. When you're healing you take steps back before you are able to keep walking forward and not fear missing a step. I used to run away, drink and smoke, and just do things to constantly hurt myself. At the end of my sophomore year I got better. Not for other people but for me.

Growing up I have never experienced support that wasn’t “earned”. I went into foster care three different times in my life. The first time I was barely old enough to remember anything. The second time I was nine years old. I would have family visits once a week with my mom, brother and my younger siblings. As time went on my mom stopped showing up for the weekly visits. I went almost six years without seeing my mom and brother. I got adopted in fall of 2021, when I met the people who would be adopting me it felt like every other situation in my life. They would meet me and let me live with them for a few months max then leave. The adoptive mom’s name was Trish Baker and my adoptive dads name was John Baker. Everything was amazing at first. They always called the first six months of any relationship the honeymoon stage, and that's because it is. When they adopted me I felt like it was a good thing. Soon enough they showed me their real intentions. It started small with minor disagreements, then it felt like everything I would do was wrong. It took a while but they did end up getting physical. In middle school I had a teacher and her name was Mrs. Scruggs. I was always so close to her and I ended up doing a lot of extra classes just so I could see her and talk to her more. She was the only person who knew everything I was going through at the Bakers. When we had the end of school dance I was going to go and when I called my dad to see if I could he started yelling at me. That night him and my mom started beating me and told me I was just a mad and angry person. When we moved to Ohio I ended up going back into foster care for the third time. I went to a woman named Tonya. Her house was small but it was still home. I came with one bag and the clothes I had on already. She took care of me and showed me how loved I was. I started getting worse with my mental health when the house TC brought in another worker. After a few weeks of her being there she convinced me my mom never loved me and convinced my mom to 30-day me. When I left there I was at a new home for less than three weeks. I left and that foster mom lost her license. That day I met Teresa Green, my new foster mom. She was nice at first, and she welcomed me with open arms. As time went on I got better. I still had my problems but I worked on them and got better. When you're healing you take steps back before you are able to keep walking forward and not fear missing a step. I used to run away, drink and smoke, and just do things to constantly hurt myself. At the end of my sophomore year I got better. Not for other people but for me. I feel like if I never went through the things I have been through I would not want to help people. I want to be a therapist and help kids in care the way I wish I was helped. Even if you grow up with nothing you can still turn that nothing in your life into something that can do better for the world. In reality it sucks to be at the worst points in your life. As long as you find one good role model to look up to you can do just about anything. I grew up with nothing and had no one, I don't want to be that person my mom was or any other adult I had. I want to do better and help people the way I wish I was helped. I have overcome so many things in my life and I want to continue to push myself to achieve the goals I've set in place in order to have the future I know I want. I want to live my life and be able to say that in the end I tried to make the world better just by being there. I push myself to do better and to be someone that people can look up to. I don't regret or feel upset about the things I have been through, instead I wake up and I find new ways to make the world a better place