To start, I absolutely love this topic. I wanted to talk to someone besides my family about this and now I finally get the chance. I am a Psychology major at Winthrop University and with my degree I would like to one day become a Psychologist. I've always been curious as to why people thought certain things, and what drove bad people to do bad things, and from some of what I learned things are not as black and white as it sees. I believe that a lot of things in the world are misunderstood and people don't take the time to site and meditate on things before they act, and for others people don't get the chance to fully explain the things that they feel and experience. That is where I feel I come in, in the future of course. I want to be a person that those in need can feel free to take comfort in. I would like to have a place where people can talk and grow and feel safe. I also want to work with people that may have been turned away by others. A lot of people today, turn away individuals that they don't deem worthy of their time and resources. That is not me, everyone is somebody and deserves a chance to improve. I believe that I was placed here to help people and I will stop at nothing to make sure I do just that. This may sound a bit cliche but I consider my mother my hero. She has given so much of herself in order for my sister and I to thrive. She does that without question or anything in return. I remember not that long ago she and I was talking and I asked her if whenever she passed would there be anything that she would regret not doing? I brought up that question because she talks about things that she want to do and accomplish but because of some of the situations she encountered she closes herself off and don't take the chance. Everything that she has done paved the way to where I am right now, and now it is my chance to help her live her dream. I know without a doubt it will be hard, because I don't have any of the luxury others may have, but that makes the reward that much better. There are so many things that I would love to change about the world, but I'm not going to be greedy. The thing that I would change is that everyone would have more love in their hearts.I believe that things would be so much better if people loved more. So many of the horrible things that occur in our world happens because people have hate in their hearts and don't take the time to understand one another. I can only pray that one day people would love themselves more as well as each other.

I am very optimistic and hopefully. That may seem very vague and cliche but with all of the challenges and situations that I've faced, I have no choice but to continue to look on the bright side of things. I am from a small town in Williamsburg County called Kingstree. The school system was not ideal and favoritism ran mostly everything, but I managed to hold my own. Although a lot of things that took place wasn't right, I still managed to give a meaning to my name. I am a big introvert, but I made sure to never let that stop me. Ever since I was around four years old I performed in school groups singing and dancing. I could always express myself through music. During my high school years I also participated in FCCLA, FBLA, BETA Club and HOSA. As you can see being involved was a big deal to me. The school system was not the only place that gave me a run for my money. I dealt with some challenges inside my home as well. My mother raised my sister and I on her own for as long as I could remember. My dad was in the home for a bit, but he didn't support us at all. The things I do remember about him was really cruel to say the least. I witness him mentally and emotionally abuse her as well as fuss with her plenty. I remember seeing my mom cry and at that age I wasn't completely sure why, but now that I am at an age where I could understand, it makes me furious. Some of the stories that my mother tells me of how a lot of times she went hungry so my sister and I can eat, and how she never was able to follow some of her dreams because she wanted the best for us, drives me today. Many peoples' dream future may include giant houses and fancy cars, and don't get me wrong I want nice things, but what will bring me the most joy is to be able to give back to my momma. She has given so much of herself to my sister and I and I want her to finally be able to live her dream and to let down her hair. I know this journey of mine is far from over for the simple fact that I am dreaming big dreams and of course the devil don't want me to win. But, in order for me to win and give my family and I the life we always dreamed of, I have to keep my hand in Gods hand. My dream will come true.

Being successful and being able to give back to my mother was important from the time that I could remember seeing her struggle. My sister and I went to a title one school district, where the education was at a bare minimum and a lot of the teachers didn't care if we got a good education, which made us have to work a lot harder to get into a good college. My mom couldn't afford to send us to a better school district, but she always encouraged us to work for the things that we believe in. My mom gave so much to my sister and me and getting a degree is a way that I can start to repay her. I am studying Psychology because I have a passion to help people and help them improve their lives. I know for sure that I won't be able to do a lot with just my undergraduate degree, so I hope to work my way up to earning my Ph.D. in Psychology to become a Psychologist. I currently have a good amount of loans, which is something that hurts because I don't have a lot of financial support. My mom tries her best and even tells me that she will help me pay them, back but she doesn't have a lot of money herself, but she doesn't want me to struggle. If I am rewarded with this scholarship, this will make a huge difference in my college career and payback journey. My story may seem like one that you have heard a hundred times, but I feel that mine is rather unique. I have been through a lot in my short time of living and I have seen a lot of hard things. From my parent's relationship not working out and seeing her struggle to take care of us. I even had a classmate tell me that I should attend Winthrop because I couldn't afford it. In all honesty, I couldn't afford to go to any college, but I couldn't let my financial struggles stop me from working hard to be successful. My journey has not been easy at all and I know that I have a lot more hills to climb, but I refuse to give up on my hopes and dreams of having a better life. I always remember what my mom tells me "faith without work is dead, and work without faith is dead." I used to think that was just a silly saying, but after experiencing some difficult patches during my college years and seeing the miracles that came out of having a little bit of faith, shows me that anything is possible.