When I was in 8th grade, I was able to participate with my local marching band. I was thrilled to have this opportunity because I would be able to participate in high school activities as a middle schooler and would be able to learn and play difficult music. A week before camp, my fingers would barely open up and I thought this would go away and when I play my flute my fingers will stretch back out. As the season went on I was getting sicker but I still pushed through up until the beginning of October. That’s when I saw a rheumatologist and was diagnosed with Lupus SLE. After my initial diagnosis, I learned that I would have to sit out for three weeks of marching band and I was devastated. Due to my diagnosis, I had to play percussion for one semester of concert band until my fingers fully opened. was very sad and depressed during that season of my life and then in December my hair fell out due to all the medicine I had been prescribed. Things started to turn around in April when my school had an oratorical contest. I was nervous but I submitted my poem. They accepted my poem to take part in the oratorical contest and I practiced and practiced. My hard work paid off, and I received second place. The next month I took part in another contest and received first place. That was the highlight of my year. That year I also had the opportunity to switch from playing the flute to the trumpet. Then I excelled in playing the trumpet and I played the trumpet for two years in the Marching band. During the end of 10th grade I decided to try out for drum major which was something that was out of my comfort zone. To my delight I earned the position of drum major and have been the drum major for two years now. The last 5 years have taught me to rise above all adversity. Doing things out of my comfort zone Stepping out my comfort zone has molded me into a better person today. I am able to speak in front of people and I know how to lead a big group of people. This has led me to be able to spread Christian messages by being a devotional writer for the General Baptist State Convention of NC. This devotional is spread across NC and children from 8-20 are able to read what God has put on my heart. I plan to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga, when I go to college in the fall. I intend to major in psychology or health science and minor in pre-med. I would utilize this scholarship by taking down some of my tuition costs. I would have to take out a loan that is over 40,000 to afford Spelman College. Spelman tuition is high, but I must take advantage of this opportunity. The motto is" choice to change the world" that is what I want to do when I start working on my career because there are so many opportunities that I have missed out on by being in a small town. Although I have accomplished a lot and have maxed out what this town offers me. I would love to create new things for the world and be able to give back. I want to change the world to help those who feel wanted and loved. This scholarship would mean a lot to me by taking some of the cost of my tuition to be successful.

I knew in the 8th-grade year that I wanted to major in psychology and minor in pre-med. I decided to enroll in my early local college to take dual enrollment to cut the cost of college. Fast forward, I will be attending Spelman College, where I knew I would be able to rise in Stem. I chose my upcoming degree because I noticed very few African American doctors specialized in pediatrics. I want to change that because I want young black youth to be able to be unapologetically black when they have their appointments. I want them to be transparent with me because black children don't have the chance to express themselves at school and sometimes at home. I want to be the one who breaks that generational curse in the black community of always having your feeling bottled up. As black people, we are known to be the "strong ones," but deep down, we suffer inside. It is easy for teenagers to fill out the depression screening and say check off no on all of them. It takes a real one to look them in the eyes and tell them that it is okay not to be the "strong one." It is okay to cry, and it is okay to be mad at the world because the child has all these emotions going on. The child has to be a child, and sometimes their roles can be overlooked by adults as life gets busy and challenging. The African American doctors have to speak up for the youth so they will not have to walk around unhealed trauma. I plan to make a positive impact with my degree by being the best pediatric doctor in the clinic who can relate to all people. I want to be buddies with my patients and be able to go and watch them grow outside of the clinic. Overall, I want them to know I am there for them at all times. I want to have a personal work phone where I give out my number to patients with little to no support at home. This scholarship will help me toward my goal by being able to buy my college books for a psychology degree. It will also help me buy gas for a clinic I am shadowing, allowing me to have competitive medical school applications. I will also be able to pay the rest of the remaining amount to the Princeton MCAT review books.