It is always so hard to find the right words to say when it comes to describing myself, but if I were to go with anything, it’d be dedicated, hardworking, and passionate for numbers. I currently am a senior who is dual enrolled at Eastern Florida State College, and working towards graduating with my AA degree. After I graduate, I plan to attend a university to pursue a bachelors, and potentially a masters, for accounting. Finding this path was definitely not easy. For the longest time, I had no idea what I was gonna do. I felt like I was just living in the shadow of my sister, who ended up graduating with her masters in social work at the age of 22. I remember at her graduation, my dad leaned over and told me how he never had anybody on his side of the family graduate with their masters, let alone any degree. He told me they never could afford it. I cried to myself that day. I was proud of my sister, yet I felt as if now there was a big expectation on me to do the same. My dad may not be in this world with us much longer as he currently is ill. I want to make him proud; as proud as I saw him at my sister’s graduation. I scrambled to find something I would be interested in pursuing. At first I chose to pursue graphic design, but too soon realized freelancing was a big part of the job. As someone who struggled taking the initiative, I had to find something else. I contacted my advisor at EFSC and had a mental break down over the phone about my future. I told her I didn’t know what I was going to do, and how I thought I would be a disappointment to my parents. Fortunately, she calmed me down and pointed me in the right direction. That was when I found accounting. I was always fond of numbers. I used to stand with my mom at the cash register at Walmart, calculating the tax to her. I placed first in my 3rd grade class by completing my times tables. Now, I am taking accounting classes at EFSC before I have even graduated high school. To say I have come a long way is an understatement. Ever since I began learning the basics of accounting, I realized there is so much more to it then just debiting and crediting accounts. There is ethics and rationality involved, among other things, too. With my future career as an accountant, no matter the level, I plan on guiding people to a place where they can feel confident with where their money is being spent and how. As someone who comes from a family with financial problems, I refuse to let anyone experience the things I did. I want families to feel happy with their financial stability. I want companies to feel satisfied with their statements and balance sheets. I don’t want people to struggle. Not on my watch.

My name is Timber and I am currently a high school senior who is also a part of the dual enrollment program in the state of Florida. For the past few years, I struggled with the pressure of finding a purpose in life after school. I knew I wanted to go to college, but finding a reason to go proved to be difficult. This challenge all started with my sister. She graduated high school with her AA as I was going into freshmen year, and about four years later, she graduated with her masters. As much as I was proud of her, it scared me to think that her successes would be assumed unto me. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to prove that I was something in the world, but I didn’t know how. When I entered high school, this dilemma only became worse. I struggled to find something I was exceptionally good at. I couldn’t find passion to pursue a career in the areas I was interested in. I was lost. It wasn’t until I spoke with my advisor that I discovered a skill in accounting. It is with this conversation that I stand here today wanting to pursue it seriously and with utmost care. This scholarship would help me achieve what I finally feel is my purpose in life. I grew up in a poor and unfinancially stable family. Nothing has changed over the years. My father had a stroke around two years ago now, and all though recovered, is no longer able to work. Purely living off of my mother’s income has proven to be hard, and wanting to add college to the equation makes it all the more worse. This scholarship provides hope that college isn’t completely out of my reach. I chose the math field because I enjoy working with numbers, and it has been this way since as long as I can remember. I recall a time I used to stand at a store counter calculating in my head what the tax would be. I also remember a time where I was number one in my 1st grade class for completing my times tables. I hold these memories dear to me, as it was with these memories I found a career path I was willing to take. I learned from a young age that I must put my best foot forward if I want to achieve anything in life. This moment, as I take a step into adulthood, I want to be the very best I can be. I will hold myself to be a successful accountant. This is my time, my life, my moment and I won’t ever give that up.