Good trouble is the kind of trouble that builds a good person. I got into a lot of good trouble. I only learned this growing up in a single-parent household. Struggling to get by, living modestly, and creating the person I am today taught me a lot and gave me a purpose. It's easy to forget that it is in the dark that we appreciate being in the light. Some people don't see the dark often, few rarely see the dark; however, in my case, I took long vacations there. I learned a lot being in the dark and I developed a huge appreciation for the light I would feel. But, there is a certain quality to the light. If a person in the light is next to someone in the dark, maybe the light could illuminate some of that darkness. This is how we help others. Taking some of our light to shine on some of another's dark. My mother was a nurse whose father and mother both died far too young from a disease that is untreatable but preventable. She saw firsthand how one's decisions can have extreme consequences. But she also saw firsthand how easily it is for someone else's decision can turn fatal for another person. It's in this that I started to understand the importance of looking at people and understanding the unsaid truth that giving grace to others is more than just sending prayers. It's the consideration, listening, and the actions we take that are the real help. My first memory of this was when she taught me how to take care of my grandfather, her father. He was diagnosed with AIDS and due to this was on constant treatment and needed help getting out of bed and getting back in bed. I learned from this how it took patience to help. Meeting people where they were to get them to a place they believe is a good standing. After he passed away in 2015, it would take some years before I helped take care of another person to that extent. In 2019 I began helping a local elderly man diagnosed with Parkesons Disease. Now this was someone who wasn't a part of my family so from this I learned to take what I know and apply that to those I don't know. In a way, he did feel like family after some time. I got to get to know him through stories and talking to him-- though, he couldn't respond. This taught me that to every singular person, there is an unknown and unspoken truth to who they are. I learned that in this world of billions of people, it's important that we help as much as we are able. Even if it is little. In my case, it was physical labor. Though, help is not confined to what you're able to do. Maybe it's what you're able to give. What you're able to say. Nonetheless, it's important to just do something. In my case, I learned through experience that I am able and thus morally obligated to help when I can. I hope to inspire those around me to do the same as it was my mother's dream to create a home for homeless teens and those on the verge of being homeless to get the help they need. From her, I inherited this same dream to help all of those who cannot help themselves.

My name is TreyShawn Hoskins, I moved to Philadelphia in 2022 to pursue my love and passion for dance at the University of the Arts. It was here that I forged many of my creative interests I learned styles of modern based on grounding yourself, expanded my knowledge of ballet, and even got a job teaching ballroom. The dance community in Philadelphia has given me so much knowledge and so many lessons that I want to take with me as I continue forward. I've gotten the pleasure of working with many great dancers and professors: Kimberly Bears-Bailey, Michael Sheridan, Gary W. Jeter II, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Merideth Rainey, Martha Chamberlain, and Sidra Bell. With these teachers and mentors, I believe I have begun to pave the road for the dancer I want to be. I've been dancing pre-professionally and professionally for just over 7 years. I started my dance career as a competitive dancer. From here, I really honed my craft in styles such as jazz, contemporary, and theater dancing. It wasn't until I made the move to Philadelphia that I was able to really see how much dance could offer. As expected, the dance community in Dayton, Ohio, and the dance community of Philadelphia are very different. I got the opportunity to learn from great people and I was pushed to explore two things that I found great interest in. I supported myself financially through college and the way I did this was by teaching ballroom dance. Because of this, I got interested in the possibilities of partnering. Ironically, it was only in college that I decided to learn ballroom when it was Dirty Dancing, a film about ballroom dance, that inspired me to dance in the first place. I look forward to investigating the intersection between ballet and ballroom specifically when it comes to partnering. My passion for dance isn't limited to performing and exploring it. When I started teaching ballroom, I found a great sense of achievement from teaching and sharing my love of dance with people who didn't have the same training as I had. This isn't only limited to ballroom but also jazz and hip-hop. What I hope to do after my professional dancing career is to continue that sharing. I believe dancing is one of the most human things a person can do. It is almost innate to have a curiosity for movement. I would love to open a studio that continues to expand on those two interests of mine. Sharing dance and passing that knowledge to others in my community is very important to me in my long-term goals. I believe it's necessary for communities to keep growing.

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin has had an incredible effect on my life as a black man and artist in today's current climate. In this short novel, James Baldwin details a story about a young couple navigating racism and financial disparity. I relate to this because of two very specific reasons. First, I grew up with a single mother my entire life. At a very young age, I had to learn what the word sacrifice meant. Second, James Baldwin ends the book by not ending the story. My mother has always, and will always, been an inspiring light in my life. She is truly the strongest person I have ever gotten the pleasure of knowing. This only becomes more evident the older I get. She, without help, has navigated the world as a single mother to five children. She worked many jobs at once and still found the time to make time to show up as a mother. One thing I learned from her is that we don't always have the privilege to wait. Reading If Beale Street Could Talk only made me more aware of this fact. The family didn't waste time to show up for the young couple. I see the family in the book as the community I was able to build around me. It's a wonderful thing to know one has a group of people to support them. After my university announced on May 31st that it would close on June 7th, I felt very much like the young couple in this book. I felt lost and hopeless. It was an unprecedented event, a university giving students and faculty a week to figure out their futures. However, as mentioned before, I had to learn what sacrifice was at a very young age. I moved 600 miles away from home to pursue my passion for dance. I financially supported myself through it as well. When I couldn't, I made the decision to take time off of school until I was able to. This was the sacrifice I learned from the book. In the face of financial hardships, the entire family worked extremely hard to be able to support their family members in need. In my case, it was just me. My mother taught me that sacrifices were necessary for the things you love. I may have lacked a father figure but what I didn't lack was love. What my mother couldn't teach me, I learned from books such as Beale Street. For example, endings don't always mean the ending. My school, the University of the Arts, announced its closure a week before closing. I was teaching a group class at the time I received the news. I didn't have the privilege to wait and sit with the news. I sent emails to nine programs and universities to explain my circumstances and ask to be in their program. I was, as of writing this, accepted into five of their programs. In a week I was able to do that. I relate this to my book because of how this chapter of my life continues to unfold. James Baldwin ends Beale Street by not ending the story of Fonny and Tish, the young couple. In my opinion, I believe he does this to spark a sense of hope in the reader that maybe, just maybe, this story could end well for someone like me. I hope and when I don't hope I pray. When I don't pray I take my mother's words with me. This book stays with me because, to me, it is my life.

I used to work as a barista before I went to college to pursue my career. While I was there, I served a man who saw me and asked if I was going to school. I assume it's because I look around college-age. I told him that I wasn't but I hope to during the fall. This was at the time I was still figuring out my financial situation. At that time, my mother had just told me she wouldn't help me pay for college. After telling him this he looked at me in the eyes and told me, "Good, you get your education, it's the one thing they can't take from you." To most people, this would be an awkward interaction between strangers but for me, it helped me realize how important this was to me. I had pushed off a lot of emotions because I was scared of being in a new city by myself paying for everything on my own fresh out of high school. However, he told me to go for it anyway, in spite of the fear, it's what I needed. It hurt me that day when I was told I would be doing this on my own. And yet, as long as I keep that voice in my head I know I can pull through. I've been working hard to be content with the fact that I don't have a normal financial situation. I know it's not a normal story. To be cut off, move away, and isolated months after high school graduation is not a normal thing. But with the help of your scholarship and others like it maybe that can be more than a good thing, maybe it can be a great thing. I want to be able to tell my story and hear others like it. I want to inspire others who are in my field to take a leap of faith like I did and to trust that the ground below will be there. I trust that one day someone will hear this story I'm telling and know that I am worth listening to and understanding. This scholarship is for people who not only seek a higher education but desire it. I plan to keep striving for higher education with the help of this scholarship and I hope one day I can show you why I love my field so much. I am not only a dancer but I am also a ballroom dance teacher so I plan to not only seek higher education but also teach it at a higher level as well. All of this is possible with your help!

Mrs. Wheeler told me not to. I was a very active child, I had done many activities and had an active imagination. In the fourth grade, I just discovered my love for storytelling. I asked my teacher, Mrs. Wheeler, what her favorite movie was. As a kid, movies were my first introduction to storytelling. I didn't particularly appreciate reading all that much. She responded to me honestly, "Dirty Dancing, don't watch it". She did warn me but like all children if you tell me to not do something I'm gonna do it. So that night I went home, looked up Dirty Dancing, and watched it. Being a child, I was thoroughly confused by most of the movie. I had so many questions. How did they get "Baby" from "Francis"? Why did they let the sister sing? Why did Johnny say that line about putting Baby in the corner? But the one question that hailed over the rest; how do I dance like that? This movie inspired me to dance. It completely derailed my life for the better. I was going to follow in my mother's footsteps and become a nurse and perhaps even a doctor. She was just as, or even more, surprised that I decided to dance. It was a passion I had since that day and everything I do is to further that dream. However, I grew up in rural/suburban Ohio. Unfortunately, because of this, I didn't get much exposure to the dance world that I had wanted. So when college came around I had to move far to get to where I wanted to be. For my story, I moved to Philadelphia. Halfway through my first year, my mom said she couldn't support my dream. So now I pay for school myself, while also paying the price of living in Center City. All of these factors, including no help financially, living on my own, and school payments have made it extremely stressful for me to keep that hope of being able to do my kind of dancing. Now despite all of this, I have hope. I know that so far, I've been treading water, not drowning but not staying afloat. It's hard to work full time and go to school full time but I know when I get my degree it will be worth it because by then, I will have done my type of dancing. I still love telling stories like I used to when I was younger. However, it's changed just like I have. I moved away, I got a job, an apartment, and bills on top of other bills. With this, I can use both halves of my brain to reach other people with my kind of dancing. I not only get to do my kind of dancing but I get to teach it as well. Ballroom is an amazing complex form that I can share with so many couples. It's amazing when I get to teach a student and I get to see them fall in love with the dance just like I did. All because Mrs. Wheeler told me not to watch "Dirty Dancing".

I looked at the state of our world and wanted to be a part of the solution. If you take a look around at the world we live in, it's pretty clear that we have lost sight of priorities as a human species. Land disputes, political clashes, and likes on social media are all things we have created as a way to divide people. However, no one does anything about it. I used to go to church and listen to a pastor spew hateful words when the gospel is about loving thy neighbor and walking with God on the righteous path. The way we live has made its way into our fundamental beliefs. I picked my path because I couldn't stomach the idea of perpetuating that. I use my art form, dance, as a way to rebel against that "ideology". I am a dancer and instructor and I use dance as not only an expression for myself but for others. Dance is something almost innate to us as human beings. We have this desire to move. Almost a drive to dance. Every culture or nationality, without fail, has a cultural dance. This is because of how deeply rooted dance is in us. It just needs a little nudge to come back and once it does, well I've seen firsthand what it can do to someone. I teach couples how to dance ballroom. The face of achievement and love that one gets when learning how to dance is infectious. Imagine what it would be like to see that on a large scale. To teach people how to dance, not only to dance but to dance with one another. To bring a group of people together is what inspires me. Seeing people dancing and enjoying themselves regardless of who they are off of the dance floor. To embrace differences and to feel good as a community inspires me as an artist and teacher. It's something wonderful to bring dance to people. Companies like BFunk do tours along the East Coast to bring Bollywood and Bhangra classes to the masses. Imagine if we did that more often with other dance styles. How many people do you think would finally look up and see the world we've created and want better? How many people would want to change to get others to see it too? Despite what we think, more people want change than we know. They just need a reason to want it, the feeling they get when they feel themselves dance is more than enough. It's why I love dancing and why I love teaching it. I teach women like Theresa who is in one of my pictures below, she danced with me after she lost her husband, and she gets a chance to talk about him every time. It gives her a reason to get up every Tuesday.

I've done a lot of community work, not only in my hometown but in surrounding cities as well. One thing people constantly need is a connection with a person. It's hard to live in this day and age. The cost of living is up and people are rapidly losing everything they once held near and dear. It's hard to lose everything, it takes a toll and I have seen what it does to a person. If you look at someone in their eyes you can see it. However, you can easily be a rainbow in someone's storm if you give them a reason to smile. When people have nothing they have movement, they have dance. And now, more than ever, people need it. To be seen. I want to be like that rainbow. I want to give people a reason to feel good. Growing up whenever anyone asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up I would always say "I want to make people smile". I still feel this way. As a dancer, I get to do this with ease. It's built into us, as people, to want to dance and move. Whether it's at cookouts, parties, or weddings you will see people dancing. So to be able to share that is my goal. I do it even now by teaching ballroom dance. It's amazing seeing my students learn how to dance. I want to keep doing this but to do it I have to finish school. Currently, I am earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance degree at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I am hoping to use this degree to collaborate with other artists both on the East and West Coast to bring dance to the mainstream. Companies like BFunk have done tours to bring Bollywood and Bhangra to the East Coast. Imagine what you can do with Ballroom, Modern, or even Ballet. Everyone wants to learn how to dance, you just have to make it accessible. The reason why I love dancing so much is because of how people use it to reach people. Dance is a powerful tool that we have almost refused to use. You can touch people with dance, and inspire them. Not just seeing dance, but feeling it in your body can fundamentally change you. People don't get the luxury of going out to clubs and doing the Hustle as much because of how our social norms have changed. I hope one day I can bring it back! If we give people the opportunity to express themselves through dance, well that would be something great. I do need help though. The plan I have is not complete without the support of this scholarship and others like it.

The 70s was a time of innovation. Not only in music but as well as dance. This decade has completely changed my perspective of what is and could be. With the rise of Rock and Disco, two very opposing genres of music came a rebellion against the social norm. People needed an outlet to be angry or to hold angst, thus Rock came so that people could express these heavy emotions. People also needed a way to feel good. Thus disco music came on the scene almost like a rainbow on a rainy day. I want to be like that rainbow. I want to give people a reason to feel good. Growing up whenever anyone asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up I would always say "I want to make people smile". I still feel this way. As a dancer, I get to do this with ease. It's built into us, as people, to want to dance and move. Whether it's at cookouts, parties, or weddings you will see people dancing. So to be able to share that is my goal. I do it even now by teaching ballroom dance. It's amazing seeing my students learn how to dance. I want to keep doing this but to do it I have to finish school. Currently, I am earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance degree at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I am hoping to use this degree to collaborate with other artists both on the East and West Coast to bring dance to the mainstream. Companies like BFunk have done tours to bring Bollywood and Bhangra to the East Coast. Imagine what you can do with Ballroom, Modern, or even Ballet. Everyone wants to learn how to dance, you just have to make it accessible. The reason why I love the 70s so much is because of how people used music to reach people. Dance and music are alike in that aspect. You can touch people with music, and inspire them. The same thing can be said about dance. Not just seeing dance, but feeling it in your body can fundamentally change you. People don't get the luxury of going out to clubs and doing the Hustle anymore like they did back then. I hope one day I can bring it back! If we give people the opportunity to express themselves through dance, well that would be something great. I do need help though. The plan I have is not complete without the support of this scholarship and others like it.

Education is a cornerstone of society! It's important because it is one of the first places a child learns their place in an ever-changing world. It's not only important but it's also necessary. Teaching for me is a combination of the pursuit of happiness and the pursuit of knowledge. When I teach, there is an understanding that whoever I am teaching has to love the pursuit of knowing more before they learn anything. Otherwise, it's like teaching a wall! Me, I always loved education because it was a second home for me and I always had an insatiable hunger for it. I said before that teaching is built with the combination of the pursuit of happiness and knowledge. Growing up as one of five siblings to a single mother I knew education and high learning was my ticket out of the financial situation I knew all of my life. I took schooling seriously because in a sense it was my saving grace. However, it was also the first place I learned where in the world I fit. I also learned there where I could be! I knew if I worked hard and kept reaching I'd get to the places I wanted to be! It was a long road but it showed me not only happiness through what life can be but it showed me the beauty of what life is! Growing up school is something that helped me and I would love to help others in that way as well! I grew up with only one parent so something I learned in school that I look forward to giving back to my students is a father figure. As a student with one parent, it is hard sometimes to feel a sense of stability, especially in the years of COVID-19 and the quarantine because of it. So my teachers, especially my male teachers, helped a lot with keeping me motivated and happy during the tough times of later years. They weren't only teachers but very dear mentors to me that I look up to still. The school became a place where I learned so much about the importance of happiness in my own teachings and especially even more when I learned! It's hard in today's world to find happiness sometimes. However, with my teaching, I want to be a beacon of light that shines as a signal of hope for not only a chance to learn but also a chance to be happy. I put happiness before education when it comes to pursuing either because you can learn so much more with a smile on your face! Education is important, Alma understood this, and with your help, I can do as she did and keep teaching and providing happiness and knowledge to those in need!

Growing up in a low-income household much of what I had were necessities nothing more. I didn't have a big TV or the newest game system. I did, however, have food in the fridge and a roof over my head. My mother worked so hard to make sure this was true. As I grew up I started to realize this was more than enough. I was grateful for the life my mother was able to provide. However, I know that in my community there are so many people with similar stories as me. I started doing volunteer work and community service work because my eyes were opened to how much people can struggle and hurt and I refuse to turn and look the other way. I can't ignore it. My mother invested her life in me and my siblings. One of the things she did to do so took us to church. No matter how busy she would get with working long hours as a nurse she made sure we made it to church. It was here I learned the importance of helping others. I was no stranger to struggling so it's easy for me to relate to and connect with others when doing my community service. In church, you learn God teaches us to love thy neighbor! I remember when I first learned this and from that moment forward I knew I had a responsibility to help in any way I can. I volunteered because it's the most effective and passionate way I can love my neighbor! During the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, I was scared, like many others. However, when I learned that it was more deadly for the elderly and infants I had two initial reactions: a sense of relief for my own health and a sense of distress for others. I knew I was able to help and I was willing to do so as well so when the vaccine became available I jumped at the opportunity to help at my local convention center! It was here that I was able to see real change and happiness in my community from something I did. Many of those that walked through those doors to receive the vaccine were older than I and were surprised but delighted to see such a young face helping them. It broke my heart to hear how they were surprised because I believe that if you are able you bear the responsibility to help those in need. This is mentioned many times in the Gospel as well! It's important to get involved with my community because it is a subject that hits home. I worked with kids at my local YMCA and in them I see myself. It was nice to see them smile especially when life seemed to warrant anything but. It was a smile in protest to the negatives that life presents us. It was a joyful "no" to feeling anything but happy! I really loved working with the kids from my community and it drives me to continue my work with community work and outreach. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a wonderful organization geared towards helping low-income neighborhoods based in Philadelphia doing what I love most! Community work is not only a necessity, it's a must! It's important to help because that's what the Gospel tells us. To do unto others what we would do unto ourselves. You, the scholarship committee, are familiar with this as it's why I am here. I only hope that my story inspires you to help!

When I was a kid I would often look at the movie theater as an escape from the life I was given. I grew up in a frequently abusive household. For much of my childhood, I lived in fear of coming home. I was scared and I had nowhere to go. However, I felt a sense of relief at the movie theater. This led to my wanting to act. Perhaps it started as a way to leave my shoes and step into another; now, I use it to bring smiles and joy to other people. When I dance, I dance for joy, to make myself happy, and to make others happy. As a ballroom instructor right now I have an avenue to bring joy to people through dance. I see this in my wedding couples, singles, and others just walking by and looking through the studio window curious about what is happening inside. People are naturally curious about dance, so it will be the medium I work in for my goal in life. To be and provide an escape. I find it easy to get caught in a life of negativity. People focus on it and devour it even. It's so ingrained in how we live our lives that it seems to be all there is. However, I believe I can help that even if it's on a community and local level. People deserve the right to smile and that's exactly what I do in my dance. This isn't limited to just dance though. All art forms are ways to make people happy. Art is the love language of all humankind. I don't believe there is one person that doesn't love at least one art form. This makes it easy to reach and connect with people! I love the fine arts because it seems to be so human that you could say it's human nature. Art = Human Nature. It is our nature to move when we can. Laugh when we can. Sing when we can. Smile when we can. It is human to be and express art. This makes the fine arts so unique and so beautiful. Fine art is an umbrella, a really big one too! Under it, there is a plethora of beautiful things to be found. My art is found under it shining a light on all the dark days we may find on our minds. "Today was hard but I'm glad I still came in!", "This was so much fun, I'm glad I finally came in!", and "I look at me now and I just wish my husband, Pat, was dancing with me" are all comments I received when teaching and showing people my art. The last one was in reference to her late husband. It's a shame some people go their lives without having experience dance. It's a wonderful escape and joy are interwoven in it! I chose to pursue dance because every deserves the chance to smile and dance on days when everything feels so negative.

Growing up, I was handed a very difficult hand in life. I had a single mother and four siblings that can be more than a handful. However, I attached myself to the arts to help me get through my rough upbringing! It helped me in a way that is indescribable! I played music, I acted, and I danced! This shaped me into who I am today because it gave me the tools to not give up on my dreams and to pursue them and shatter the box that I felt trapped in for so long. The arts gave me an escape from the life that had the potential of keeping me down. I grew up with more than one abuser and this took a heavy toll on me growing up. It was rough but I found myself stronger because of it! I clung to the arts though and found a new world within it that brought me happiness that was new and enticing to me! I couldn't think of stopping it and thus I leaned into it and pushed myself to higher limits! In music, I taught myself piano, and I taught and performed the flute as well! I got so good in fact that I composed and conducted pieces! By the end of my high school career, I earned the John Philip Sousa award for my superior musicianship! Music is just one of my passions, however! I hope one day I can give back by teaching and even hopefully sponsoring some kids at my old high school! Music isn't the only second love I have. I love theater as well! It started with loving movies in the theater and like all kids I wanted to be just like my heroes on the screen! I got into acting and because of that I did theater and pursued dance. I had a solo dance in a musical I did! I also was a main character in a production of Into the Woods! I played Jack! The stage became a place where I felt more like home than anything else. I loved the stage and I loved performing! I hope way day I can make people smile, laugh, laugh, and love the theater as much as I do! It's a beautiful place to really feel human again and a place to imagine not what life is, but rather what life could be! What life could be is the lesson I hope to achieve with my community back home. I want to provide not only an escape from life but the hope of happiness in a time when it can sometimes be very scarce. To teach people to turn rainy days into opportunities to dance outside! I want to provide a different perspective on life through the medium of dance! I know it can be done because I see it now! I have a student that only works and made no time for herself, however, I gave her the opportunity to smile and see herself in a new light! I only hope that I can do it again after I finish school!

All of my life I felt that I was to fit in a box. I find it hard to do that; I don't fit in just one box. I have so many passions that I can't fit into just one box. I have experience in teaching, in both dance and swimming. I was a swim instructor at my local YMCA where I did private and group lessons! I was often praised by coworkers, bosses, students, and parents for my skills as a swim instructor! I was very passionate about this job because I learned that I was not only good at teaching I loved teaching so it helped me when I decided to teach something I was passionate about; dance! I started dancing later in life. I started dancing, officially, when I was a sophomore in high school! However, in six years I have won many national competitions, gotten into the school of dreams, and even performed as a professional dancer in Philadelphia for a non-profit! Now I'm currently teaching ballroom dance in Philadelphia! If you couldn't tell my main inspiration growing up was Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing! Dance and swimming aren't my only loves, however. I also love music. I find music so fascinating! I grew up loving music and when I was finally able to pursue it in school I excelled in it! I tried my best to keep my momentum in music always aiming upward! I worked hard and even taught music as well to keep my goals in sight and just within reach! I performed, conducted, and even composed music! I learned so much in so little time, not out of necessity, but out of passion!! I pushed myself so far that I was able to earn an award my Senior year called the John Philip Sousa award because my director saw superior musicianship and dependability in not only my playing but my work in music composition! My passions are what make me unique. Currently, in the world, we find it very hard to pursue a career in the arts! Not only is it expensive but there's a lack of support for it! So the fact that I am able to continue this path is not only unique but it's inspiring to me! I would love to be able to share all of my passions with the world and my ideas on these passions that I hold so near and dear to my heart. I'm currently nearly 600 miles away from my hometown. However, I plan on giving back to my home community in any way I can whether that be volunteering with my old schools or even giving lessons to the people there just looking for a new hobby or escape! I came from a community that believed in me so much that I was confident enough to pursue my dreams! Inside of me is a little kid that came from nothing and to give him hope is to give him everything! I only wish I can enough for the community that gave me everything! I'm still learning and pursuing my passion but I am still hopeful that one day when this journey I have started nears an end that I'll finally be able to give back!

My journey with music ironically started with Jason Derulo! He released a song called Trumpets in 2013, right before I entered middle school. Years before this I took piano lessons but essentially lost all that I learned. However, the song reignited my passion for music! I planned on picking up the trumpet. However, in life, the first lesson we learn is that it rarely goes as planned. I instead picked up the flute as my primary instrument. I'm glad I did because I was it exercised my fingers for later use when I would decide it's been some time since I played piano! When I picked up the flute I was good at it naturally! Many musicians just ride on natural talent but, I had a hunger for learning more and being better musically. I started searching for music levels ahead of where I was in my early years which virtually projected me forward and set me up really well for high school! However, I learned from a mentor that the best students are good teachers. So I volunteered to teach kids how to play the flute as well! This gave me an early understanding of the mechanics of music! I felt more confident not only in my playing but in the quality of which I was playing; I molded a signature way of playing! I looked more into solos in pieces! Every musician has to hit a wall. If you haven't hit this wall in your career, you haven't hit it yet. My wall was high school. I went from always being the first chair to never playing the first part for years. It was a seniority system and this through for a loop as a musician but it pushed me. I knew that I had to be undeniably the best in my eyes. I worked hours in and out of those four walls I called the band room; I have even had a noise complaint because of it! I played my heart out and memorized music, scales, and warm-ups to push myself to the places I wanted to be. However to be a good musician you have to understand music. Finally, I was given the chance to understand music theory. I took a class and I finally had all the tools to not only play music but to go further in my music. For example, during warm-ups my director allowed me to play with a chord. I would improvise notes and change the quality of chords! I loved doing this and my director would even let me try it during rehearsal for our performance pieces because he liked it as well! However, all great things must come to an end; or they must change. I went from changing chords to making them! I started composing my own music! This is when I started teaching myself piano again! I was even awarded the John Philip Sousa award because of my music proficiency! My story is long and interesting, but so complicated. I like telling it though because so many people forget that music has been found in virtually every culture and it's because music is a part of human instinct especially when it comes to communities. I hope to only get the chance to share this with more people!!

I never had much when growing up. I grew up in a family of five and a single mother. Things for me were scarce. However, one thing my mother did give me was the movie theater. It was a once-in-a-blue-moon thing we could do as a family and I treated it as such. My dreams were crafted and molded in those seats and on that screen. Art gave me an escape from the life I had. It saved me in more ways than one. I couldn't be here today without the art on that screen and the world it introduced me to. It started with movies, then film in general, the acting, then dancing. I started acting in plays and musicals in high school. I also started doing activities such as dance and winter guard! I felt that I finally had a breath of air now from my usual chaos. I want to give that breath of air to others as well! Whether it be through the medium of dance, music, or even acting! I know in my heart that more people should feel that feeling that I had all those years ago. Even now at my current job, I see it. When I teach couples to dance together there is always a moment when they smile and imagine themselves dancing forever! America as a country is big on entertainment however, in recent years, the quantity of entertainment has gone down in terms of diversity in genres. There has been a decline in films or genres whose main purpose is to make the audience smile. Comedy is no longer comedy and underdog films are basically nonexistent. I want to bring it all back. In our time, especially at this time, it seems absolutely crucial to feel good about something, so away that spark of passion in everyone. My WHY is 'people feeling good'. We all deserve the chance to smile and walk away from a piece of art more passionately awake than before we watched it. I dance, write, and act as if I were the King of a Dying Age. The age of just feeling good. We see now that lies, terror, and everything negative reign louder than good. It's overwhelming. I want to take back that power with my work and encourage my viewers to be me when I was younger. Have an escape through all the noise. To then be inspired by it. To find passion in it. To want more than we think is possible. I want to make people feel good about the worlds I create and the world we live in!

People that are able have an obligation to help those that are unable. For me, volunteering is necessary to maintain a lifestyle that humans have set repeatedly throughout history. Humans are social beings and because of this, there is a willingness to help those in need. My mother showed me this early in my life. One occasion where this happened was when she was running late for work and she had to drive me and my brothers home for school. But there was an older gentleman that was homeless in our town. She drove to the nearest restaurant and got a meal for this gentleman. She went out of her way, even though she was late, just so that someone less fortunate could have something warm to eat. She didn't know this man. She didn't have to go out of her way and yet she still did. There was a moral obligation to do right by someone in need. Although I was fairly young at that point, there was a spark that was instilled in me that wouldn't truly burn until COVID-19. However, growing up I would put that lesson into some of my activities. Small things. I helped teachers mostly because as a middle schooler I was already in that vicinity. This normalized helping those in need for me when I was younger. Now, whenever someone needed help I could always feel comfortable and confident to assist. Fast forward to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a huge wave of panic because there wasn't much information that anyone could give us other than social distancing. There was some glimmer of hope when the first wave of vaccines had been made available to the public. When this happened I had just gotten my Amateur Radio License. This created an opportunity for me to help with the vaccine outreach from the Dayton Convention Center near my hometown. I jumped on the opportunity as I loved helping people and it was also a way for me to get vaccinated as well. I felt that both of these were good reasons and ways to help the community. I helped many elderly people find their way to get vaccinated and stay safe throughout that terrifying period of the pandemic. For me, this sculpted a new view on volunteering and community service. As a social person and as a person who is able-bodied, I do have an obligation to help. However, I also morally, for myself, have an obligation to want to help. In my life, I have always given more than I could take because the cost of living and education in America and the modern world is expensive. I have never been the most fortunate person in the room and for a good portion of my life, I have spent it helping my mother. She's a single mother of five and has had her fair share of financial difficulties. One of which is helping me with college while also trying to support my brothers and sister. This scholarship would not only allow me to gain better education in my career choice but it would also alleviate some of the stress my family is under financially. I believe in the good of people and I believe with your help my family will be another impactful story attached to this scholarship.

I see people as a mirror of all I will be in life. During moments of disaster -- tornados, hurricanes, droughts, etc. -- there is an undeniable feeling of community that stems from people doing what they believe is right. It's human nature to want a community. In this modern age that seems to be scarce. Community is what draws me closer to community service. It allows for a togetherness that seems to have been forgotten in the age of technology. As I mentioned before, humans are drawn to communities. This is true, we are social beings and because of that communities of people thrive together. There's love within it, sadness, and even anger. When something bad happens in the community, everyone feels it. A universal and overwhelming sense of sympathy. Outside of the small-scale community, there are people from other places that could feel that same sympathy or even empathy for those that are affected by tragic events. Take Hurricane Katrina, for example. In August of 2005 Katrina swept through and destroyed a great portion of the South Atlantic coast of America. However, this tragic event didn't destroy the spirit of the community. Many people came to help with all that they can. The Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief was created as well. It's heartbreaking to watch disaster strike. However, it's immensely inspiring to witness people helping. This is what inspires me about community service. People helping others in need. Although I may not be able to do something as large scale as this there are some things, on a smaller scale, that I can do. I volunteered are my city's convention center to help give out vaccines during the early months of COVID-19. It felt good to help those in need! This was my first "real" experience with community service. It set the groundwork for everything I do today. As a college student in the Center City of Philadelphia, it's tragic for me to walk around and see the less fortunate people there. It broke my heart to witness that firsthand. This is why in the future I want to work with homeless shelters and relief organizations. It's a big problem in American cities and one I sympathize with. Community service is defined as voluntary work intended to help. In the age of technology, it's scarce to see community service gain traction in the viewer's eye. To me, however, this means that we could be doing more. There's an obligation for people that can do more to do more. As long as I am able, I will. This is the motto that I carry with me whenever I do volunteer work. Because one day I will be the person in need and I believe that someone, like me and many others, will help.

Being in college and away from home has had its challenges. For instance, many students feel homesick when first starting school. I felt this way; there was a time when I felt alone and couldn't get any of my work done because of it. I had to make a change to my day-to-day life to help me get back to feeling myself. I had to make time for myself and give myself artistic outlets. I also had to adjust my diet and active routine. Of course, this is the route that many people take so how is mine any different? My journey to maintaining my mind and bodily integrity is driven by my choice of major. Growing up I wanted to be an engineer or architect. I liked the work that came with these two majors, however, I didn't love it. I did love dance, though. Majoring in dance is a good way to stay active physically and mentally. Although, it can be draining doing this daily. So I make time for myself. This to me means that I take certain days extra slowly. I can take a warm bath to help or even stretch my body a little more. In any case, these days are meant for me to spend a little extra time with my body to appreciate all that it does and give thanks to it in those ways. Our bodies are extraordinary in what they do so it is super important to me and crucial to acknowledge this. It amazes me how much our bodies are capable of. As a dancer, I am amazed by all that we can do when I take a step back and just look at myself, my professors, and even my classmates. With all that we do, perhaps it makes it even more important what we put in our bodies. There is so much distance between my college and my home. This has put a major dent in my diet. I knew I didn't want to eat Ramen Noodles all of college so I had to change the way I ate. One way I did this was by trying new recipes. My current college is in Philadelphia very close to City Center so I am surrounded by different cultures and foods. Keeping myself busy trying new foods and learning new ways to cook helped me nutritionally and mentally. Making these new recipes acted as an outlet for me to relax and repair my mental health because it took such a big hit from being away from home. My mental health had suffered with the change in scenery. Feeling sorry for myself wouldn't do me any good; I could only feel bad for myself for so long. I knew I had to do something new. I started writing poetry again to express my emotions healthily. I also made the promise to myself that I would seek counseling on campus. They have a wonderful staff that has very similar experiences to what I am currently experiencing. I'm also doing something that I love as well! Dancing is such a great way to mentally release all that I may be feeling. As I mentioned before, being away from home it is very easy to become unmotivated when it comes to taking care of oneself mentally and physically. However, I have many different ways to keep myself, not only motivated but also, happy and in good standing. This didn't come easy though. It took hard work, self-love, and most importantly time. This journey has been without a doubt incredibly diligent and rewarding.

My dream in life is to make my mother proud; to take what she has instilled in me and go further. She's my greatest inspiration and supporter despite our financial situation. I want to go further in my career aspirations so she can see she did more than enough as a single mother of five children.

My mother radiates inspiration. My mom is a single mother. A mother of five kids! She did this on her own and still managed to chase the dreams she had to put on pause to support herself and her children. She is nothing less than extraordinary in my eyes. She has taught me many lessons as she filled parental roles, mother and father. I learned from her that courage is perseverance, dreams are meant to be chased, and it's better to dream than to have not tried at all. In my life, I found it very hard to put on a brave face in the face of adversity. I would so commonly back down and give up at the first sign of trouble. However, this woman I've known all my life would soon show me that even the Cowardly Lion, a character I loved as a young child, could be courageous by standing back up. We indeed get knocked down. It's even more true that we are defined by how we deal with getting knocked down. My mom taught me to get back up with confidence and to persevere should it happen. It's no secret that I got knocked down a lot in my youth. I played many sports and because of this, I was no stranger to the ground. I used to hate playing though, I would complain about anything and everything. I knew I wanted something else; something more. I shifted towards the arts. I played an instrument and I sang in the choir. I even started dancing. She supported me through this transition. I thought I would disappoint her because I was formally a well-endowed academic and athletic kid. She told me that none of that changes. I was still smart. I was still athletic. I just had the chance to be happier. I had a chance to be less sad. Dreams are meant to make our lives better. They inspire us to go further in our lives. My mother showed me this in the simple act of just supporting my decision and showing this in her decisions in her own dreams as well. However much you idolize someone they can and will come up short. My mother is no exception. I can't blame her, she's human as I am. The failure to reach one's dream is truly a great lesson. My mom had a dream. Unfortunately, this dream did not work out. However, this proved to be a memory I hold dear. Although she was sad about her unaccomplished dream, she smiled. She smiled and said it was okay. There wasn't a sign of relief. There wasn't a tear of sadness. She had accepted failure in this way because she knew something I had yet to know. It is better to try and fail than to never know if you were good enough. This is one of many reasons I picked the college I'm attending. My mother taught me many lessons. These lessons laid the foundation for all that I am. We may not be financially wealthy but we are wealthy in passion and perseverance. She's my rock while I'm away. When it gets hard I remember those lessons and push on with a smile on my face. Without her, I do believe I wouldn't be working towards any higher education. She's my inspiration for getting my college degree. She radiates inspiration and I have been so lucky to have been touched by it.

As a black man in America, education is worth more than water to me. It's no secret that black youth in America have had less access to higher education. This is heavily due to funding issues in black communities that don't allow for up to date books. This forces these communities to get books that are: already used, worn down, and out dated. This causes students to test lower, making them less motivated and productive. Access to learning is only scratching the surface of why it's important to me. Education is important to me because of historical neglect and familial ties. In history class we're taught about the lives of black people in America. Stripped of culture, language, and beliefs. They were forced to conform to western society and language. However, they were also stripped of the necessary avenues to learning these tools. Instead, they were beaten and killed into submission. Fast forward a few hundred years and black education is still low in terms of standards. For many black people, getting a job in a trade was one of the only ways you were guaranteed a life. The lucky ones were able to rise in ranks because of something that separated them from those that had to learn trade jobs. The access to education. Education allowed for black people to get further than ever imagined. This idea of going further is exactly the same thing I want to do with myself in my life. I want to go further with my education and constantly learn all I can. After college I plan to continue my career. After some time I'd like to return to school and get another degree. This is largely due to the way that I was raised. I was taught to appreciate the education I'm able to get. My grandfather, who also acted as a primary father figure, pushed me to go further in the education I had at the time. When I was younger, I struggled in school academically at times. He told me to stick to the books and so I did. So much so that in my family I was known as a bookworm. My family calling me this silly name allowed me to feel like education was doing me well. So it not only helped sharpen my mind, but also helped raise my self esteem. Although he died early on in my life, what he taught me stuck with me and I still carry those lessons with me to this day. Education allows me to be close to him in a way. To take the legacy he planted in me further and influence anyone I can. It also feels good to know that if I do go to further places, with your help, I'm able to gain the respect, knowledge, and freedom that education grants us that my ancestors were neglected. Education is important because it gives me the life others like me didn't have. I don't plan to stop my education and this scholarship is one way I would be able to secure the chance to do so.

As a black man in America, education is worth more than water to me. It's no secret that black youth in America have had less access to higher education. This is heavily due to funding issues in black communities that don't allow for up to date books. This forces these communities to get books that are: already used, worn down, and out dated. This causes students to test lower, making them less motivated and productive. Access to learning is only scratching the surface of why it's important to me. Education is important to me because of historical neglect and familial ties. In history class we're taught about the lives of black people in America. Stripped of culture, language, and beliefs. They were forced to conform to western society and language. However, they were also stripped of the necessary avenues to learning these tools. Instead, they were beaten and killed into submission. Fast forward a few hundred years and black education is still low in terms of standards. For many black people, getting a job in a trade was one of the only ways you were guaranteed a life. The lucky ones were able to rise in ranks because of something that separated them from those that had to learn trade jobs. The access to education. Education allowed for black people to get further than ever imagined. This idea of going further is exactly the same thing I want to do with myself in my life. I want to go further with my education and constantly learn all I can. After college I plan to continue my career. After some time I'd like to return to school and get another degree. This is largely due to the way that I was raised. I was taught to appreciate the education I'm able to get. My grandfather, who also acted as a primary father figure, pushed me to go further in the education I had at the time. When I was younger, I struggled in school academically at times. He told me to stick to the books and so I did. So much so that in my family I was known as a bookworm. My family calling me this silly name allowed me to feel like education was doing me well. So it not only helped sharpen my mind, but also helped raise my self esteem. Although he died early on in my life, what he taught me stuck with me and I still carry those lessons with me to this day. Education allows me to be close to him in a way. To take the legacy he planted in me further and influence anyone I can. It also feels good to know that if I do go to further places, with your help, I'm able to gain the respect, knowledge, and freedom that education grants us that my ancestors were neglected. Education is important because it gives me the life others like me didn't have. I don't plan to stop my education and this scholarship is one way I would be able to secure the chance to do so.

"If you are bored, then you are boring" If you asked me as a child if I liked math, I would respond with a confident and stern "No!". I didn't start liking math for a while. It wasn't until my mom got me a tutor that the ball started rolling for me. Early on in my education it was very apparent that I wasn't Einstein or Fibonacci when it came to math. Given, I was only in the first grade at this point. I was so behind that my mom had told me that I would be held back a grade just to catch up with my peers. Then steps in Miss Sheets. An elderly lady who always had pencils and a smile that would teach me after school. After school everyday I would stay on campus with her to learn the materials of the day more in depth. Day by day I got better at math. I advanced to the same level as my peers. I didn't stay there long though. After my sessions with Miss Sheets I kept getting better at math by using what she taught me. How everything is connected. How math is built from the ground up. I finally started to love math. Third grade came around and we're learning more than ever. "We" meaning everyone in the class but me. I got bored of math because I got good at it. The numbers stopped interesting me. We kept going over multiplication and it got to the point that I started going backwards in knowledge. I lost my love and knowledge of a subject I once loved. Sitting in class, sluggish and hunched over I often said, "I'm bored". To which my teacher, Mrs. Davis, would reply by telling me a story of what her mother used to say to her. That if you are bored, that must mean you're boring. Of course, as a kid this made waves in my life. Not because it hurt my feelings, no. She said this with love and I understood this. This made me love math because in my head it clicked. I could go further with math. I kept pushing the boundaries of what I knew with math. This allowed me to test at the college level when I was in 5th grade and gifted in 9th grade. I love math because I'm no longer bored learning.

Hi, my name is Trey! I'm working on getting my Bachelors of The Fine Arts Degree (BFA) in Dance. The road to get to where I am now has been long. This journey that I hope to continue has come with many achievements. These range between music, theater, and dance. In music I played the Flute I music for three of the four years I was in symphonic band. I received a 3 rating in my OMEA class B solo for my senior year. I also led the Xenia Marching Band as the Senior Drum Major. Finally, at my last concert I was awarded the John Philip Sousa for my outstanding musical performance, leadership, and talent. In theater I performed in five productions at my High School. I was featured in a dance solo my junior year in the musical You're a Good Man Charlie Brown as a dancing blanket. I earned the role of Jack, one of the lead characters, in my final production in high school, Into The Woods. In a department affiliated with our theater department I was given a solo that was taken to State OMEA for Choir. I also helped win a national competition for a chance to see Hamilton on Broadway. I helped write and revise lyrics for the winning project. In dance I led my school's Winter Guard team three out of the four years I was a member. I had a featured dance solo in all performances. I was also a member of the Live Gracefully Dance Studio in which I performed for three years. In that time I was a National Champion for my solo and for a group Hip Hop Dance. My time in the arts has been nothing short of amazing and I wish to continue. But, to do so I need help from anyone that is willing. I hope to one day be on Broadway or a dance for a Modern company. The only thing standing in my way is time. As a performer, it gets very hard on my body to keep dancing or even performing. So achieving my dreams before my body can't take anymore is the only roadblock I have other than financial resources. I plan to take care of my body until that day comes. My body is my instrument and I don't plan on denting it. I workout, cross train, and do regular strengthening exercises for myself.

As a kid I had a lot of body dysmorphia. I was a smaller kid but I always felt so big. I couldn't feel comfortable in my body and it didn't help that in middle school my mom forced me to go to the gym. I hated it and I felt so horrible for the way I looked. It wasn't until I looked up to superheroes, I started dancing, and I started writing to myself that I started seeing myself for who I really am. It's no secret that the heroes in comic books and on screen are a spectacle to look at. As I mentioned before, I hated going to the gym. It wasn't until I found a random Pinterest type image that showed workouts that could "make you look like Spider-Man". Of course, as a 13 year old I thought this was the best deal ever and started doing it. It wasn't realistic but it did help me gain the confidence to finally start taking my journey seriously and personally. After finding that page I looked at others like it for other superheroes. This was the first step in wanting more for myself in this aspect of health and fitness. If you go to a gym and ask almost anyone if they want to do cardio you'll likely get a confused or even terrified look. Many people don't like cardio and I was one of them. However, I found dancing to be a wonderful form of cardio and one I am very passionate about. It's both mentally and physically fulfilling. Dancing also helps me hone in on my artistic abilities. Dancing was a way to gain muscle, mobility, and mentally build more security in my health. When people hear health journey it's easy to think it's just fitness or just dietary. However, there is a very prominent mental component that needs to be considered as well. Mental health is important on any persons health journey. For me, this came in the form of letters and origami. I like writing insecurities or words of affirmation and folding that into a crane to remind myself that aspect of myself is beautiful and wonderfully and fully me.

I witnessed my father, in a drunken rage, throw my brother across the room and hit my sister. I decided on that day that when I grew up alcohol would have no part in my life and my body. I had the full body autonomy to witness that and not decide to ban alcohol from my life. Instead, the way I choose to respond shaped how I live my life. It's so true. I'm living proof. There was an anecdote I find inspiration from when I struggle sometimes. A father had two sons, twins. He drank in front of them and would sometimes make bad decisions in front of them. When the boys grew up, one grew up to be the exact opposite of his father. He didn't drink. He was married with a good job. However, the other brother did the same thing as his father before him. When asked how they made it to where they are. They both said "I looked at my father". One son saw his father and was inspired to not be him while the other was inspired to be him. I think it's easier for me to see the truth in this statement because I get to see it in the actions of everyone, including myself, that was affected by my father who was a challenge to me and my family. I get to see how the choices of people can dictate very big or very small aspects of their life. I can see how shaping our lives is very easy to do if we look at the choices we're presented and making.

I would love to see a re-brand of dance. I'm a dancer who is also bisexual and I believe dance or even just the consideration of dance could help so many people in any situation. Dance is a way for me to personally let out any emotion I may be holding in due to the ways the world may wrong me. Dance isn't just movement. It's moving with a purpose. Giving meaning to the movement you're doing. Next time someone says they can't dance tell them that. Dance is more than moving your body it is putting emotion in a way that can be shared with the world. There is a way about dance to let people in and let myself process in a way that I don't feel alone. I want nothing more than for other people to feel this way as well. In this world we live in we built walls between people. It wasn't until recent years when breaking down these walls started to happen rapidly. We see this in the black community and the LGBTQ+ community; both of these communities are important to me because they are the two I belong to. I do believe dance is a great way to build connections between communities. It sounds ridiculous but it's already been put in practice. Break dancing started because people in the black community wanted to lessen crime and gang related deaths. So instead of gang violence, they literally danced. An entire style of communication was created on the day people decided they wanted to see their world in a different light. It's inspiring to know this. The act of dancing literally saved so many lives. Break dancing is just one way dance brought communities together. Tiktok dances have made it very apparent that dancing can bring people together. There is a trend of dances that show people from many different backgrounds. Dance is unique in this aspect. Anyone can dance. Everyone can dance no matter your ability, color, or presentation. Dance is beautiful because it brings in creativity, connectivity, and humanity. It's a wonderful way to build community and to show support for all sorts of people. I wish only that more people can experience the sensation of community dance can bring. If I could wish for one thing, it would be that every could dance and dance together without the fear of being judged.

I recently took a dance class. Ballroom dancing is a very social kind of dancing. Talking of course. I was paired with a Chinese woman who told me she doesn't speak English very well. I don't know Mandarin or Cantonese so naturally I was worried it would be very difficult to communicate. However, I found that we created a language together. A language we both understood and loved. I may never see this woman but she allowed me to open up to this idea of unbiased love. I define unbiased love in a way that is similar to the way Maida acted with those around her. Pure, caring, and very selfless. Because of the recent political atmosphere, the world following the pandemic, and many prejudices that are included in being a minority being nice or even good is a rare sight. There's a lot of division in our world and it is scary. It's scary that there aren't people willing to help. This doesn't stop me anymore though. I want to be more unbiased in the love I share. Unbiased love is a very essential characteristic to have. People are social creatures which means it should be a given to have an unbiased way about you. I now believe it is so important to be selfless in our actions for other people and not just to other people. I took a dance class and I was reminded that we are all people looking for light in a world that's sometimes really dark. It's easy to conform but it's even easier to love the people around you, even if you don't speak the same language.

I wrote two letters that were meant to out live me. Both told me exactly what I needed to know. I needed help. I keep them close to me as a reminder; they remind me that I do believe in the good of people, I'm "un-alone", and I can go further. My mental health wasn't great for the better part of my high school career. For a long time I felt alone and because of that I lost my religion. I lost faith in God. However, I gained something far more valuable. I was searching for something to believe in. I believed this would "fix" me. I did find something to believe in and it wasn't based in religion. I believed in my mother. She helped me through my high school years and has sacrificed more than I know. My mother believes in God, I believe in her. I believe in people, people like my mother. People that are good and selfless. She inspires me to not only desire more for myself but also for others. Her helping me through my mental struggles led to me gaining a faith I thought I lost. My sophomore year I lost a lot of people. I began having a panic attacks. I became isolated and distant from people and things I once loved and cared for. However, once I was able to feel better I still felt it hard to be social and make any genuine connections with people. This was, until I started doing origami again. It sounds small but I do believe going back to origami saved my life, especially because of quarantine. I would write letters to myself, words of encouragement, and fold it into a crane. This little act of self love would keep me going through this time. I started talking to people once I gained my self worth back from this tiny letters and I gained a few friends. I was allowed to live "un-alone" in a time where it was so easy to feel alone. I, now, don't feel so scared to be around people. At times, it's harder so I still write these tiny letters to myself. Mental health is now a really big issue compared to years ago when it could be swept under the rug. I want more people to find ways to help not only themselves, but others who are having struggles with mental health. I want to go further, whether this be in my career, as a dancer, or in my passion, helping people I can relate to: black communities, LGBTQIA+, and people struggling with mental illness and disease. My journey is a testament that no one's letter should out live them. I want to take that testament and help others in ways the world may have failed them.

Unwritten;