I am part of the 10% of the global population who suffers from oral allergy syndrome. Essentially, my body identifies fruits and vegetables as the pollen I am allergic to, which causes a reaction if I eat them. I am fortunate that with some fruits and vegetables, I am able to eat them if they have been cooked since that can change their molecular structure enough to trick my body. My friends always joke that I am allergic to life because I have so many strange allergies besides just the food-related ones. This first started when I was in the second grade. All the students were so excited that we were having caramel apples as a treat. My excitement faded after my face started to swell up. I remember my grandmother had to pick me up from school that day and that would be the last time I ever dared to eat an apple. Since then, the list of vegetables and fruits has only gotten longer. The only vegetable left that doesn't cause a reaction are onions. I am unable to any fruits raw. Tree nuts, peanuts, and soy have also been added to the list of things I cannot ingest safely. These allergies have affected my health and wellness because I do not eat as many fruits and vegetables as I should. I am nervous eating around other people or eating foods that I have not prepared myself. I also believe that these food allergies have compounded my anxiety because I am never sure when cross-contamination may cause a reaction, which makes eating a stressful process. I carry an EpiPen in case my reactions become anaphylactic, which also contributes to food anxiety. I am lucky enough to be a single mother to an amazing little girl. However, I fear my lack of ability to model eating healthy foods could impact my child in the future. We also recently found out that my daughter is anaphylactic to pistachios. It is devastating that my predisposition to food allergies may have been passed down to her and now she will have to remain hypervigilant to keep herself safe just like her mother. Aside from the fear and devastation, I am grateful that I have navigated food allergies myself and can relate with her and share my own experience to hopefully help her in the future. My educational goal is to obtain my master's degree in Social Work so I can become a clinical licensed social worker. This scholarship would greatly assist in completing my goal of obtaining a master's degree by providing money to go toward my tuition and books for courses. I want to give back to my community and make a positive impact in people's lives, even on a small scale. I believe that change starts small, it can start in one-on-one relationships, it can start within your home, and it can start within the day-to-day interactions you have with the world. I feel honored to be able to aid in those small changes with my future in social work. I want to show my daughter that we can succeed in our goals despite having any limitations or setbacks, whether it be food allergies or any other difficulties that life hands us.