I remember I was six years old, waking up to the tears of frustration and anger coming from my mother's bedroom at 4 A.M. I had school in a few hours, and lying down under the covers, I could hear her weeping coming all the way from across the hall. My hands started to tremble, and I decided to walk across the hall and into her bedroom. With every step I took, the tears and the weeping got louder and louder, drowning out my own thoughts. As I open the door, I am instantly flashed by the bright lights, and all I can see is my mother, sitting on her bed with tons of envelopes surrounding her. "Everything is going to be okay," she says, and gives me a big hug. 12 years later, I slowly began to realize that those very envelopes were the bills. These very bills still haunt my family and me today. Coming from a low-income background, my financial education has not been the best. My mother has always struggled to save money growing up, and has been stuck in the cycle of making financial mistakes that have cost us a lot, whether it be immense student loan debt, credit cards, or loans. She would always tell me, "Make sure you get a good job, educate yourself, and work hard. As a child, she always valued that I get the best education possible, and I learn and teach myself so that I don't fall into the same financial mistakes that she has made. Whenever I got to high school, I made sure to take the most classes possible in financial education, this way I can prepare myself for what's to come. However, not everything can be taught in simple financial classes. I decided to pair this by going out of my way to work a part-time job during my sophomore year of high school and helping out with some of the finances around the house. I learned how to manage a real budget and get accustomed to my spending and saving habits. This experience has taught me the importance of balancing my money and paying myself first. Even though I took the first step into financial education, there is still so much to learn and to experience. I want to develop financial skills to carry into the rest of my life and expand my portfolio; this way, I don't fall into the same trap that my mother and her previous generations fell into. I want to be able to graduate from college with little to no debt to create a better future for myself and break the cycle of immense debt and financial illiteracy.

Please, allow me to sell you a product: myself. At the first attempt, the design was incomplete but promising. Ever since I was little, I have always had a passion for being my own boss. As a child, I would always take an interest in the ways things work and try to figure out sales. I would do things such as take note of bake sales in my neighborhood or garage sales, and try to do the same in hopes of making money. I was fascinated by the idea of owning my own business, but I just didn't know where to start. I would do things like sell snacks in school and look at more profitable ways of making money. I used to always come up with new ideas, thinking about how to become more organized. I would explore detailing, dog walking, and many more. I would read books on finances, seeking to expand my knowledge. I believe this major can give me a better insight into the way business works and give me the ability to dive deeper into this subject. I want to learn how to better understand what it truly means to become an entrepreneur and a leader. On the second attempt, the product – me – gained small but great acclaim. In 2022, I started my own clothing company titled Saturn Clothing. This clothing brand is still a work in progress, but it’s making progress. I also started my own shoe reselling business, hoping to expand to many more businesses in the near future. I also believe this program can help me do that. People grow businesses, and good businesses help grow people. Now, I think I can be something more than a product. I can help produce. I want to be able to give back to those who helped me out. Growing up in Austin, I see the economy changing more than ever. I believe that this program will better prepare me for life. Within my work, I believe that I can be a better role model for others. I want to expand my skill sets. Being able to take advantage of every opportunity to comes my way is a value I hold dearly. I am very motivated to become an entrepreneur in the near future or obtain a leadership position in the future, and I believe this scholarship can give me the proper insight to do that.

When the word sacrifice comes to mind, many things may come into play. Many will see the word and think of some religious slaughtering of an animal for the glory of God. However, I envision not just an offering, but giving up something that one finds valuable for the sake of others, regardless of the outcome. This is exactly what my mother did for the sake of my future and my benefit. “One hundred years later, the Negro still lives on an island of poverty…” My mother grew up in a place of poverty in Barbados. Typically, Barbados is portrayed as a beautiful island and the perfect vacation spot. Thousands come every year to experience some relaxation away from their lives. As for my mother, she didn’t get the ability to experience that luxury, as well as most Bajans. She grew up very poor in the country. I remember my mother describing to me various stories of the squeaking noises she would hear from the floorboards every step she took, the tap water barely running with only drops coming out of the faucet, and the constant creaking of the rodents everywhere. Going to school was pretty difficult, but my mom still pushed through. My mom moved to the United States and decided to pursue a better life by getting an associate's degree and strengthening her education. Knowing that my mom grew up in a place of poverty, yet still pushed herself to get an education and pursue a better life just to provide for me, inspires me every single day. “One hundred years later, the Negro still lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of an ast ocean of material prosperity.” I have my struggles. I'm constantly anxious about my future and am always thinking about what’s next. I constantly suffer from burning myself out too much and feeling like I'm never good enough or that I'm not doing enough. There are days after work when I clock out and sit in my car, and feel paralyzed by my thoughts. The keys are in my pocket, and I can’t bring myself to take them out. The car heats up fast, and sweat starts to slowly drip down my face. I think about everything I need to do, and my heart starts to feel as if it's beating out of my chest. Then I have that thought and think to myself, “My mother sacrificed her life to be born again into a new life where their dreams couldn't be fulfilled. I smile, and the anxiety starts to dissipate as I am now filled with joy and peace. I start the car, and suddenly all the motivation comes back. My mother is by far my biggest source of inspiration. I want to take advantage of what my mother has sacrificed for me, and I want to make her proud. What she sacrificed for me has given me the opportunity she never had. I aspire to fulfill the dreams she holds for me and transform her sacrifice into success. Not just for me, but also to give back for what she has done.