I have several community services acts I have done throughout the years. Community service is extremely important to me so much so that I started my own service project, Project Pink. Since I was a young girl, I have had the innate drive to help others. So much so that at the age of seven, after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, I wrote a 100-page book about the devastating event and how my family would adopt two affected children. The book was written on loose-leaf paper, included cutout images, and was held together with an added pink and purple ribbon strung through the holes. Even at that age, I knew I wanted to contribute substantially to the lives of others. I used whatever materials I had available to express my vision. Unfortunately, adoption was not as simple as I thought. In later years, I turned my focus to volunteer work. I have been a tutor to various family members for many years, which led to me volunteering for a middle school intensive reading class. I wanted to volunteer with the local nonprofit organizations but did not precisely know how to go about it. Then, amid the latest public health crisis, I finally found the purpose and courage to start my own. Over the years, I have seen the importance of feminine products. I have also seen a striking lack of access to them. Being a female myself, I know how ridiculously expensive it can be to purchase the necessary feminine products. As I entered my senior year and started my college career, I prepared to positively impact all women's lives, starting with Project Pink. Our mission statement is "Impacting lives, one pink product at a time." We prepare individual Blessing Bags and fill them with feminine products such as menstrual products, women's deodorant, and other general items like toothpaste and toothbrushes. Project Pink is starting on the microscale and donating to local homeless shelters because there is always a demand for these kinds of products. I have support from school clubs, such as the Interact Club, the National Honor Society, and county organizations such as Williston Rotary Club and local churches. I have lofty goals to expand Project Pink to help more women, nationally and globally, and ultimately influence policy to make these items cheaper and more accessible. Women should not be forced to choose between a menstrual product or their next meal. Believe it or not, this is a longstanding issue right here in the United States. "Period poverty" is a global systemic problem faced by women all over the country and the world who do not have access to safe, hygienic products to help regulate their menses with dignity. Women resort to making homemade pads, using rags, toilet paper, tissues, cloth, amongst other unfit materials. This is not only unpleasant to wear, but also dangerous. Women subject to these conditions are susceptible to developing harmful infections. Project Pink aims to intervene in the lack of accessibility to the proper feminine hygiene products. All women deserve to have the confidence of knowing that they will have easy access to a necessity as simple as a tampon. Project Pink is dedicated to providing women with the necessary products and bringing awareness to these products' not being readily accessible. Those who offer help, and I are committed to making a difference in the lives of those who need it most. Project Pink is impacting lives, one pink product at a time.

One important thing I have learned throughout school, especially in my senior year, is hard work does not go unnoticed. It may take time but your deserved reward will eventually come. I work tremendously hard to obtain any goal I set for myself. After being enrolled in the health academy at my high school for all four years, obtaining my CNA certificate at the age of 18 and taking health classes in college, becoming a nurse practitioner quickly became my goal. With this settled, I now needed to do my research on various career options that would be available to me and found that an aesthetic nurse is a profession that bridges the gap between health and beauty. These nurses specialize in fillers, laser, and skin treatments, to name a few. The goal is to become an aesthetic nurse practitioner and open my medical practice to offer various beauty-enhancing services. Having suffered from acne I have had to mend the physical and figurative scars that came. As a result, I know the toll they can have on one's self-esteem, and this is where I first understood the importance of building women up. With this being said, I seek to have a significant community service project that aims to enrich women's lives and self-esteem and also offer pro bono health care services. Having so much success in the healthcare field thus far with becoming a CNA already and getting accepted into several nursing schools, I have great confidence in meeting my goals. Helping and being a role model for other black kids is very important to me which is why I began Shining Futures Educational Mentoring, my graduation and college admissions mentorship as well as working with the NAACP. I also have a strong interest in women’s health which led to the beginning of Project Pink. I am currently a freshman enrolled at Vanderbilt University, majoring in Medicine, Health and Society and on the pre-nursing track. I've just obtained my second health care job with the Tennessee Department of Health as a COVID-19 Contact Tracer. After losing three family members to COVID including my granddad and two uncles and witnessing the damage of miseducation on COVID could do, I find great importance in this job position because I think it is extremely important to educate my community and those like mine on the importance of isolation and on the spread of COVID-19. In culmination, obtaining a nursing degree will allow me to work for all women's betterment while also allowing me to pursue my passions.

One important thing I have learned throughout school, especially in my senior year, is hard work does not go unnoticed. It may take time but your deserved reward will eventually come. I work tremendously hard to obtain any goal I set for myself. After being enrolled in the health academy at my high school for all four years, obtaining my CNA certificate at the age of 18 and taking health classes in college, becoming a nurse practitioner quickly became my goal. With this settled, I now needed to do my research on various career options that would be available to me and found that an aesthetic nurse is a profession that bridges the gap between health and beauty. These nurses specialize in fillers, laser, and skin treatments, to name a few. The goal is to become an aesthetic nurse practitioner and open my medical practice to offer various beauty-enhancing services. Having suffered from acne I have had to mend the physical and figurative scars that came. As a result, I know the toll they can have on one's self-esteem, and this is where I first understood the importance of building women up. With this being said, I seek to have a significant community service project that aims to enrich women's lives and self-esteem and also offer pro bono health care services. Having so much success in the healthcare field thus far with becoming a CNA already and getting accepted into several nursing schools, I have great confidence in meeting my goals. Helping and being a role model for other black kids is very important to me which is why I began Shining Futures Educational Mentoring, my graduation and college admissions mentorship as well as working with the NAACP. I also have a strong interest in women’s health which led to the beginning of Project Pink. I am currently a freshman enrolled at Vanderbilt University, majoring in Medicine, Health and Society and on the pre-nursing track. I've just obtained my second health care job with the Tennessee Department of Health as a COVID-19 Contact Tracer. After losing three family members to COVID including my granddad and two uncles and witnessing the damage of miseducation on COVID could do, I find great importance in this job position because I think it is extremely important to educate my community and those like mine on the importance of isolation and on the spread of COVID-19. In culmination, obtaining a nursing degree will allow me to work for all women's betterment while also allowing me to pursue my passions.

I have several community services acts I have done throughout the years. Community service is extremely important to me so much so that I started my own service project, Project Pink. Over the years, I have seen the importance of feminine products. I have also seen a striking lack of access to them. Being a female myself, I know how ridiculously expensive it can be to purchase the necessary feminine products. As I entered my senior year and started my college career, I prepared to positively impact all women's lives, starting with Project Pink. Our mission statement is "Impacting lives, one pink product at a time." We prepare individual Blessing Bags and fill them with feminine products such as menstrual products, women's deodorant, and other general items like toothpaste and toothbrushes. Project Pink is starting on the micro-scale and donating to local homeless shelters because there is always a demand for these kinds of products. I have lofty goals to expand Project Pink to help more women, nationally and globally, and ultimately influence policy to make these items cheaper and more accessible. "Period poverty" is a global systemic problem faced by women all over the country and the world who do not have access to safe, hygienic products to help regulate their menses with dignity All women deserve to have the confidence of knowing that they will have easy access to a necessity as simple as a tampon. Project Pink is dedicated to providing women with the necessary products and bringing awareness to these products' not being readily accessible. Those who offer help, and I are committed to making a difference in the lives of those who need it most. Project Pink is impacting lives, one pink product at a time.

One important thing I have learned throughout school, especially in my senior year, is hard work does not go unnoticed. It may take time but your deserved reward will eventually come. In this case, the hard work is the continuance of my education to obtain my goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. I work tremendously hard to obtain any goal I set for myself. After being enrolled in the health academy at my high school for all four years, obtaining my CNA certificate at the age of 18 and taking health classes in college, becoming a nurse practitioner quickly became my goal. With this settled, I now needed to do my research on various career options that would be available to me and found that an cosmetic nurse is a profession that bridges the gap between health and beauty. These nurses specialize in fillers, laser, and skin treatments, to name a few. The goal is to become an aesthetic nurse practitioner and open my medical practice to offer various beauty-enhancing services. Having suffered from acne I have had to mend the physical and figurative scars that came. As a result, I know the toll they can have on one's self-esteem, and this is where I first understood the importance of building women up. With this being said, I seek to have a significant community service project that aims to enrich women's lives and self-esteem and also offer pro bono health care services. Having so much success in the healthcare field thus far with becoming a CNA already and getting accepted into several nursing schools, I have great confidence in meeting my goals. Helping and being a role model for other black kids is very important to me which is why I began a graduation and college admissions mentorship as well as working with the NAACP. I also have a strong interest in women’s health which led to the beginning of Project Pink, my service project aimed around women’s health and providing proper hygiene products. Unfortunately, a common theme of my high school career was a lack of recognition. During my freshman year of high school. I wanted to enroll in an upperclassman AP course but was blind-sighted when a guidance counselor told me that she did not think I was capable because of the breadth and scope of the course. After advocating for myself, I was finally able to enroll. I successfully passed the AP exam, making me the first ninth-grader and the first black female to pass one in my high school's history. I then proceeded to my sophomore year and passed another AP exam; this also broke a glass ceiling. I received no recognition for this, and I thought I deserved to because I was successful after being told I would not. There was a cloud of doubt over my head because maybe my achievement was not good enough. I suddenly realized it is not about recognition but perseverance. My achievements are personal reminders to continue being the best me that I can be. Defying the odds, breaking boundaries, and representing what is possible is my motivation to keep going. I have many kids looking up to me that I must set an example for. I was prompted to begin a college and graduation mentorship where I provide direct assistance to these kids that are subject to the same obstacles as myself. In conclusion, continuing my education and obtaining a nursing degree will allow me to work for all women's betterment while also allowing me to pursue my passions. I would love to continue my education.

One important thing I have learned throughout school, especially in my senior year, is hard work does not go unnoticed. It may take time but your deserved reward will eventually come. In this case, the hard work is the continuance of my education to obtain my goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. I work tremendously hard to obtain any goal I set for myself. After being enrolled in the health academy at my high school for all four years, obtaining my CNA certificate at the age of 18 and taking health classes in college, becoming a nurse practitioner quickly became my goal. With this settled, I now needed to do my research on various career options that would be available to me and found that an aesthetic nurse is a profession that bridges the gap between health and beauty. These nurses specialize in fillers, laser, and skin treatments, to name a few. The goal is to become an aesthetic nurse practitioner and open my medical practice to offer various beauty-enhancing services. Having suffered from acne I have had to mend the physical and figurative scars that came. As a result, I know the toll they can have on one's self-esteem, and this is where I first understood the importance of building women up. With this being said, I seek to have a significant community service project that aims to enrich women's lives and self-esteem and also offer pro bono health care services. Having so much success in the healthcare field thus far with becoming a CNA already and getting accepted into several nursing schools, I have great confidence in meeting my goals. Helping and being a role model for other black kids is very important to me which is why I began Shining Futures Educational Mentoring, my graduation and college admissions mentorship as well as working with the NAACP. I also have a strong interest in women’s health which led to the beginning of Project Pink, my service project aimed around women’s health and providing proper hygiene products. In conclusion, continuing my education and obtaining a nursing degree will allow me to work for all women's betterment while also allowing me to pursue my passions. My will to work hard and my dedication to achieving my goals are both apparent. I would love to continue my education and resulting successes.

I have several community services acts I have done throughout the years. Community service is extremely important to me so much so that I started my own service project, Project Pink. Over the years, I have seen the importance of feminine products. I have also seen a striking lack of access to them. Being a female myself, I know how ridiculously expensive it can be to purchase the necessary feminine products. As I entered my senior year and started my college career, I prepared to positively impact all women's lives, starting with Project Pink. Our mission statement is "Impacting lives, one pink product at a time." We prepare individual Blessing Bags and fill them with feminine products such as menstrual products, women's deodorant, and other general items like toothpaste and toothbrushes. Project Pink is starting on the micro scale and donating to local homeless shelters because there is always a demand for these kinds of products. Women should not be forced to choose between a menstrual product or their next meal. Believe it or not, this is a longstanding issue right here in the United States. "Period poverty" is a global systemic problem faced by women all over the country and the world who do not have access to safe, hygienic products to help regulate their menses with dignity. All women deserve to have the confidence of knowing that they will have easy access to a necessity as simple as a tampon. Project Pink is dedicated to providing women with the necessary products and bringing awareness to these products' not being readily accessible. Those who offer help, and I are committed to making a difference in the lives of those who need it most. Project Pink is impacting lives, one pink product at a time.

Unfortunately, a common theme of my high school career was a lack of recognition. A specific example of this would be during my freshman year of high school. I wanted to enroll in an upperclassman AP course but was blind-sighted when a guidance counselor told me that she did not think I was capable because of the breadth and scope of the course. After advocating for myself, I was finally able to enroll. I successfully passed the AP exam, making me the first ninth-grader and the first black female to pass one in my high school's history. I then proceeded to my sophomore year and passed another AP exam; this also broke a glass ceiling. I received no recognition for this, and I thought I deserved to because I was successful after being told I would not. There was a cloud of doubt over my head because maybe my achievement was not good enough. I suddenly realized it is not about recognition but perseverance. My achievements are personal reminders to continue being the best me that I can be. Defying the odds, breaking boundaries, and representing what is possible is my motivation to keep going. I have many kids looking up to me that I must set an example for. I was prompted to begin Shining Futures Educational Mentoring, my college and graduation mentorship where I provide direct assistance to these kids that are subject to the same obstacles as myself. I also am on the board of my local NAACP branch as well as a local girls mentoring group named We Soar Gems where I can further provide support to those who need it. It feels good to be rewarded for hard work by others, but it is not needed. As long as I believe in myself and am self-rewarding, I will be fine. I will be persistent with or without recognition and continue to lead by example.

I share the same story as many, suffering from the aftermath of COVID-19. In October of 2020, my uncle passed due to Covid complications. At the time, it was absolutely unbelievable. I saw these horror stories of several family members passing away from covid on social media but never thought it would be my family and I in this predicament. Fast forward to February 2021, it was now my immediate family taking not one but two losses. My grandfather passed away due to Covid complications February first and barely 48 hours later, his son, my uncle, passed away also due to Covid complications. I took the death of them very hard, even falling behind in classes. The pain was unbearable as one of my grandfather's wishes was to see all of his grandkids graduate. I know my grandfather and uncles would be extremely proud of the achievements I have made since their passing. Everything I do, I have them in mind. The pandemic has added to my interest in the healthcare field. A big issue of the pandemic is lack of health education. Through nursing I’ll be able to provide essential health services and health education to the public.

My senior year has finally arrived, and it is nothing as I had expected it to be. COVID-19 has affected the lives of many and caused worldwide chaos. Who knew we would be walking around with over half of our face covered by a mask for most of the day? These were supposed to be the years of flying cars but, unfortunately, the reality is not near as amazing. I share the same story as many, suffering from the aftermath of COVID-19. In October of 2020, my uncle passed due to Covid complications. At the time, it was absolutely unbelievable. I wondered how his immediate family felt having to say this virus took away our loved one and how they would cope. I saw these horror stories of several family members passing away from covid on social media but never thought it would be my family and I in this predicament. Fast forward to February 2021, it was now my immediate family taking not one but two losses. My grandfather passed away due to Covid complications February first and barely 48 hours later, his son, my uncle, passed away also due to Covid complications. I am still in disbelief that I will never see them again. They were both such great family men. I took the death of them very hard. I am a student who usually excels in school and I began to fall behind in classes. The pain was unbearable as one of my grandfather's wishes was just to see all of his grandkids graduate. My cousin and I, the son of my late uncle, were just three months away from making his wish come true. I truly feel cheated. My granddad was my best friend. He would do anything in this world for his grandkids. His love was so precious, I could quite easily say he was one of my most favorite people in the world. I got the motivation to fight on and keep going after looking at my grandmom and seeing how incredibly strong she is. After losing her brother, husband and then son all due to Covid, she is still pushing on. She is my inspiration to keep pushing on to graduation. I know my grandfather and uncles would be extremely proud of the achievements I have made since their passing. Everything I do, I have them in mind. The pandemic has added to my interest in the healthcare field. I obtained my CNA in December for a head start on my career path to becoming a nurse practitioner. My family’s tragedy has added to my desire to help others through my career. A big issue of the pandemic is lack of health education. Through my career I’ll be able to provide essential health services and health education to the public. Life has been quite hectic and at times seemingly unbearable. After my mom being out on disability the entire 2020 due to health issues, losing three close family members to COVID-19 complications and most recently being hit by someone who ran a stop sign and totaling my car, my stress is to its limit. Like my grandmom, I continue to fight and will keep pushing. I know better days are coming.

Ah, 2020, the year of chaos and uncertainty. COVID-19 has completely changed our lives in a matter of months. My family has faced our share of problems, as have many other families, and the virus even took three very close family members of mine. Despite these challenging times, many great things have arisen in my life. One of my most rewarding achievements has been creating a service project centered around women's health, "Project Pink." Since I was a young girl, I have had the innate drive to help others. So much so that at the age of seven, after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, I wrote a 100-page book about the devastating event and how my family would adopt two affected children. The book was written on looseleaf paper, included cutout images, and was held together with an added pink and purple ribbon strung through the holes. Even at that age, I knew I wanted to contribute substantially to the lives of others. I used whatever materials I had available to express my vision. Unfortunately, adoption was not as simple as I thought. In later years, I turned my focus to volunteer work. I have been a tutor to various family members for many years, which led to me volunteering for a middle school intensive reading class. I wanted to volunteer with the local nonprofit organizations but did not precisely know how to go about it. Then, amid the latest public health crisis, I finally found the purpose and courage to start my own. Over the years, I have seen the importance of feminine products. I have also seen a striking lack of access to them. Being a female myself, I know how ridiculously expensive it can be to purchase the necessary feminine products. As I entered my senior year and started my college career, I am preparing to positively impact all women's lives, starting with Project Pink. Our mission statement is "Impacting lives, one pink product at a time." We prepare individual Blessing Bags and fill them with feminine products such as menstrual products, women's deodorant, and other general items like toothpaste and toothbrushes. Project Pink is starting on the microscale and donating to local homeless shelters because there is always a demand for these kinds of products. I have support and sponsorships from school clubs, such as the Interact Club, the National Honor Society, and county organizations such as Williston Rotary Club and local churches. I have lofty goals to expand Project Pink to help more women, nationally and globally, and ultimately influence policy to make these items cheaper and more accessible. Women should not be forced to choose between a menstrual product or their next meal. Believe it or not, this is a longstanding issue right here in the United States. "Period poverty" is a global systemic problem faced by women all over the country and the world who do not have access to safe, hygienic products to help regulate their menses with dignity. Women resort to making homemade pads, using rags, toilet paper, tissues, cloth, amongst other unfit materials. This is not only unpleasant to wear, but also dangerous. Women subject to these conditions are susceptible to developing harmful infections. Project Pink aims to intervene in the lack of accessibility to the proper feminine hygiene products. All women deserve to have the confidence of knowing that they will have easy access to a necessity as simple as a tampon. The COVID-19 crisis caused a tremendous amount of disorder and confusion, but it also prompted me to begin an incredible service project. Project Pink is dedicated to providing women with the necessary products and bringing awareness to these products' not being readily accessible. Those who offer help and I are committed to making a difference in the lives of those who need it most. Project Pink is impacting lives, one pink product at a time.