My greatest adversity has been paying for college. Despite my hard work in high school– high grades, participating in clubs, taking on leadership roles, and actively engaging in my community– I was unable to secure a full or partial scholarship for my first year. This was a harsh reality to face, especially after investing so much effort into my academic journey. The financial strain affected my college preparation. My funds became limited after making my first tuition payment, and I struggled as the school year began. While my peers enjoyed their college experience, I was stressed about securing more financial aid. My parents bore most of the financial burden, with some support from my chemistry department and the college. Despite these challenges, my passion for chemistry kept me motivated. I excelled in my classes because I genuinely love learning about the processes that drive our world. Science has always been my peace, the primary reason I looked forward to school. In high school, I immersed myself in subjects like chemistry, forensic science, human anatomy, and biology. Each course ignited my curiosity and solidified my desire to pursue a career in science. My fascination with how science can improve lives, particularly through medications, drives my ambition to become a pharmacologist. I am determined to create life-changing medications for people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. To achieve my goals, I need financial assistance to continue my education. Paying for college out of pocket is unsustainable for my family and me. The Powering the Future - Whiddon Memorial Scholarship would significantly alleviate my tuition burden, allowing me to focus on my studies and future career. Your support would not only ease my financial stress but also enable me to continue to contribute to the scientific community and help those in need through my passion for pharmacology.

I have always had an affinity for how things are made and how different products react with one another. During elementary and middle school, we were required to create science projects, starting in the fourth grade. My interest was piqued, and I was very excited to conduct experiments outside of the classroom and try something new. One of my favorite science projects was the Light of Luminol which I executed in the sixth grade. I was able to discover how luminol reacted with blood. Luminol, by producing a blue color, assists the police in discovering where blood had been present. I can still remember my excitement to execute the project and it is the only science project that I remember and think about when I see anything involving crime scene investigations. I have even brought that same excitement and interest to my chemistry classes. That one project, the light of luminol, has been the biggest charge in sparking my interest in science. Capitalizing on my love for science, I took multiple courses in high school in the science pathway, including chemistry, physical science, biology, forensics, and human anatomy. These courses allowed me to have a well-rounded educational experience related to the sciences and to assist me in narrowing my career choices. I found that I enjoyed chemistry the most. I knew I wanted to take this love for science into the healthcare field, so I also took a healthcare pathway offered at my high school. This allowed me to learn about the healthcare industry and potential career paths. Initially, I wanted to become a radiologist, and later a psychiatrist. However, none of those options truly felt like something I wanted to do for a long time. As I researched careers in the healthcare field, I discovered pharmacology. I will contribute to the field of science by becoming a pharmacologist to understand how medicine impacts our bodies and learn how those medicines are created. I desire to create life-changing medications that manage or alleviate high blood and diabetes, as these diseases not only are prevalent in the Black community but in my family as well. Diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac issues, cancer, and mental health issues are all heavily prevalent in my family. This field allows me to serve others while making a difference in my community. To achieve becoming a pharmacologist, I am working on my chemistry degree while pursuing a double major in agriculture and environmental sciences. I selected these majors because they most aligned with my future goals and put me on the path to greatest success. With chemistry, I can learn about different compounds and how they interact. I can also use that same knowledge for why and how agriculture and environmental systems work together to create the best possible outcome for sustainable living. These ideas will be crucial when I research how natural medications can work with the body. After my time in university, I would like to continue my education by achieving a master’s in public health. Further, plan to obtain a doctorate in pharmacology. The Jerzee Foundation Scholarship will help me achieve my goals by providing financial support throughout my collegiate journey. Unfortunately, I am unable to pay for college out of pocket and have not been offered any aid from my current institution. The Jerzee Foundation would aid me by alleviating the cost of tuition, which is my biggest financial burden. I am excited to see what the future holds for me, and I am excited to accomplish my goals with the Jerzee Foundation’s assistance.

One afternoon, I sang in my stairwell, testing my voice with different songs. I started with “Arabian Nights” from Aladdin, then moved on to “Leave Me Lonely” by Ariana Grande. Finally, I decided to tackle a challenging gospel song, “Total Praise” by Richard Smallwood. As I sang the first line, I felt connected to the music but had no significant spiritual moment. However, by the time I finished the first verse, something began to stir within me. I reached the chorus, and the line “You are the source of my strength” immediately brought me to tears. At that time, I was a high school senior facing the pressures of my final semester. I was applying for scholarships nonstop, maintaining my grades, and fulfilling leadership roles. Additionally, I was preparing for college, dealing with enrollment deposits, and confirming housing. Compounding my stress, my mom was in Detroit for my grandmother's heart surgery. My parents were spending considerable money on my mom’s travel and stay, and finances were tight. I was anxious about attending my dream school because I had not received any scholarships to cover my expenses. The constant rejections from scholarships were disheartening, and for the first time, my accomplishments felt meaningless. I was on the verge of giving up and settling for a school with fewer financial hurdles. As I sang the second chorus line, “You are the strength of my life,” a profound realization hit me. I needed to trust Go to guide me to the school He wanted for me. He was reminding me to persevere in applying for scholarships despite the rejections, signifying my trust in Him to accomplish the impossible. I rushed back to my room, determined to find more scholarships and write more essays. In the end, I did not receive the full ride I had hoped for, but I gained the faith I needed to trust God’s plan. Whenever I doubt my worthiness to be at my current school, I remind myself that God placed me here for a reason, and I am meant to finish my education at this institution. I firmly believe that we have a Creator who designs everything for our good. Every time I feel like giving up, He reminds me of His purpose for me, and that is enough to keep me going. This experience solidified my belief in God and His providence, showing me that He is indeed the source of my strength.

Growing up, my understanding of Black excellence was shaped by images from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” with its lavish galas and luxury living. I believed it meant residing in a secluded mansion with a sprawling pool. However, I now realize that Black excellence transcends material wealth. It is about making a significant impact wherever we go, whether in a predominantly Black space or beyond. It involves lifting others and fostering a mindset of royalty in our community. My parents, both accomplished doctors, embody this excellence. Despite not living in a mansion, their contributions and success define what it means to excel. Continuing this legacy, I chose to attend North Carolina A&T State University, an HBCU renowned for producing top Black STEM graduates. Here, I am learning to walk confidently into any space, harness my inner power, and serve my community. Pursuing dual degrees in chemistry and agriculture, I aim to advance to a Ph.D. in pharmacology. My goal is to develop innovative medications for type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, conditions that disproportionately affect our community. Being Black to me means resilience, excellence, and community. It means leveraging our unique strengths and perspectives to create positive change. My education at an HBCU is a crucial step in this journey, equipping me with the knowledge and empowerment needed to contribute meaningfully to the world. Throughout my career, I aspire to honor my heritage and drive forward the legacy of Black excellence.

The one aspect that is an essential part of me is being a visionary. At a younger age, I was exposed to designing and executing plans. This experience enabled me to learn the value of vision, and the need for dedication and flexibility to complete a task, so my vision can be realized. Being a visionary is inspired by my parents. They share seven degrees between them. They decided to pursue doctoral degrees while still working full-time jobs. My dad received his Doctorate in Ministry in 2020 and my mother is about to graduate with her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision this May. Watching my parents pursue their dreams has influenced and cultivated my understanding of vision. In reflection, vision requires us to be prepared for peaks and valleys, in the end, seeing the vision realized is truly the gift that I am glad to possess. Vision is also one of the most important aspects to understanding math. You must use logical thinking and vision to execute the plan. When seeing an equation on the paper, you must think about the different ways to approach the problem to get the final answer. Using vision, you can see how the method of choice will best predict the ability to get the answer. That is what I love most about math: choosing a plan to best get the answer with the least amount of steps. Math is truly a summary of my life, planning and envisioning how things will turn out to get the possible answer. While many people choose to look at math as a chore, I look at it as an opportunity to learn about another pathway to take.

I have always had an affinity for how things are made and how different products react with one another. During elementary and middle school, we were required to create science projects, starting in the fourth grade. My interest was piqued, and I was very excited to conduct experiments outside of the classroom and try something new. One of my favorite science projects was the Light of Luminol which I executed in the sixth grade. I was able to discover how luminol reacted with blood. Luminol, by producing a blue color, assists the police in discovering where blood had been present. I can still remember my excitement to execute the project and it is the only science project that I remember and think about when I see anything involving crime scene investigations. I have even brought that same excitement and interest to my chemistry classes. That one project, the light of luminol, has been the biggest charge in sparking my interest in science. Capitalizing on my love for science, I took multiple courses in high school in the science pathway, including chemistry, physical science, biology, forensics, and human anatomy. These courses allowed me to have a well-rounded educational experience related to the sciences and to assist me in narrowing my career choices. I found that I enjoyed chemistry the most. I knew I wanted to take this love for science into the healthcare field, so I also took a healthcare pathway offered at my high school. This allowed me to learn about the healthcare industry and potential career paths. Initially, I wanted to become a radiologist, and later a psychiatrist. However, none of those options truly felt like something I wanted to do for a long time. As I researched careers in the healthcare field, I discovered pharmacology. I will contribute to the field of science by becoming a pharmacologist to understand how medicine impacts our bodies and learn how those medicines are created. I desire to create life-changing medications that manage or alleviate high blood and diabetes, as these diseases not only are prevalent in the Black community but in my family as well. Diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac issues, cancer, and mental health issues are all heavily prevalent in my family. This field allows me to serve others while making a difference in my community. To achiev becoming a pharmacologist, I am working on my chemistry degree while pursuing a double major in agriculture and environmental sciences. I selected these majors because they most aligned with my future goals and put me on the path to greatest success. With chemistry, I can learn about different compounds and how they interact. I can also use that same knowledge for why and how agriculture and environmental systems work together to create the best possible outcome for sustainable living. These ideas will be crucial when I research how natural medications can work with the body and not against it. After my time in university, I would like to continue my education by achieving a master’s in health administration or public health. Further, plan to obtain a doctorate in pharmacology. I align with William Griggs and his is passion to pursue a field where there is always more to discover. His consistent exploration inspires me to keep discovering more by researching new ideas and find news ways to help people. I am excited to see what the future holds for me, and I am excited to accomplish my goals.

During my senior year of high school, I served as the Executive President of the Student Government Association (SGA). This organization’s goal was to create a fun and exciting learning environment that fostered community with the students of the school and service outside of school. My position was to lead my fellow officers in this goal by leading weekly meetings and connecting with our principal to ensure we had efficient and entertaining events. While I loved and enjoyed my role, I noticed the need for the position was lessening. There were other positions, including president, vice president, secretary, and public relations, that fulfilled roles for each class of student (freshman through seniors). My job as an executive member was to ensure that all these positions were running smoothly but in the grand scheme of things, those positions could effectively run without the executive president. Other positions on the executive board were the same as the class positions. Again, they were meant to oversee the class positions but they could all run effectively on their own. This is where my leadership truly began to thrive. Seeing that there was an excess of officers, I decided to discuss with my sponsors about removing the executive board. This would allow the other officer positions to take on a more prominent role in the club such as learning to run meetings, public speaking, and developing their leadership skills. The class officers would also take on the role of running major events at the school to diversify the workload. While my position was not as effective as intended, I used this time to create a better system for the upcoming students so they could understand the purpose of their respective positions. I choose to remember this moment because despite realizing that the position I held was no longer working for the greater good of SGA, I was able to pivot my energy to focus on transforming the situation and creating an effective lead and higher functioning student government. Skillful leaders can take a step back and evaluate what changes need to be made and take action. While it was disappointing to realize that my position was unnecessary, I chose to use that time to create a more efficient government. I evaluated and improved the system that continues to run as it should and for that, I am proud. In my first year in college, I served as the underclassman representative and will serve as the mentor for the chemistry club for the upcoming school year. The goal for this position is to update the mentoring program and create a safe space for current chemistry majors and other STEM students. I will be using the same leadership skills I developed during my senior year in this new position and beyond. I am excited to see where it takes me in the future.

I have had a difficult health journey over the past few years. When I was in the third grade, I was diagnosed with asthma, and in the fourth grade, I was diagnosed with allergies so bad that I cannot afford to miss a day of medication. Both issues led to me having to take excessive medications, which caused a massive weight gain during my childhood. I have continued to struggle with my weight over the years. I tried different methods to cut down on weight gain and promote weight loss. I tried cutting out milk and carbs and going on different diet plans, but they never truly worked. It was difficult to deal with, especially being so young. When those methods were not working, I just felt like all hope was lost. I felt that there was no way I could lose weight. People would say I looked pregnant, and adults would tell me that I would thin out when I got older. I was told I could not do a backflip until I lost weight, which was painful to hear at a young age. It was hard to find a balance between being confident in myself and going through the difficult years of adolescence. Then, another health issue came up; I found that meat made me sick. I could not eat beef, chicken, pork, or turkey because it left me with such bad stomach issues. I would double over in pain before I could reach the bathroom. I constantly felt sick, so I cut out meat and became a pescatarian. I thought it would be easier for me to lose weight because I had cut out meat, but I gained even more weight, especially with the pandemic at its height. During the pandemic, I found a healthy diet called “The Journey,” which was four meals a day, not exceeding 400 calories each meal. This diet plan would last 40 days, but it would be a lifestyle change, so the expectation would be that this “diet” would continue. My family and I tried the program, and I lost almost 20 pounds in the 40-day period due to just how I was eating. I tried to continue this eating series, but I gained back all my weight and more due to several unexpected life events. However, I tried this diet plan again with modifications to fit my lifestyle more and had similar results. Now I am living a healthier life. I have been able to be happy as well. I can still eat the food I want while being conscious of what I put into my body. During college, I plan to continue my health journey in college. I hope that I do not fall back into my old cycle of unhealthy eating and I can be more positive about myself.

Over the years the haves have always taken advantage of the have-nots. As a result, the mistrust of leaders and their constituents continues to become more distorted. I believe society should change its way of responding to the problems of disadvantaged people because it continues to divide our country and makes us more vulnerable to a variety of societal problems. We should be compelled to go directly to the source of the problems, seek answers, and create plans for change. Many disadvantaged communities struggle to get what they need because they are underrepresented. In neighborhoods, where there are people of color and low income, they are taken advantage of due to how the system creates a scenario that supports miseducation or inadequate funding for education to earn a college degree. Often it appears when there is a possible champion for change, that individual is removed from their position. In Tennessee, after a mass shooting, two members of Congress were fired because they stood up for the voiceless. These contention points, systemic racism, and unlawful removal of people in power create gaps of understanding or insight related to getting attention to disadvantaged communities who truly need assistance. For example, in Flint, Michigan, the water crisis is still going on because leaders and representatives have ignored the opportunities to examine the damage done to the city, namely the corroded pipes that cause the water to become undrinkable. Most of the leaders are unaffected because they are not living among those who live within that community. As a result, politicians lack the knowledge and experience needed to understand what the citizens of the area are living through or the urgency to clean the water. I went to Flint Michigan to see my family and assist in handing out water, it became difficult seeing how so many individuals were impacted by not having clean water. Understanding the problem and seeking answers is not enough, we must begin designing a solution and begin implementing it. The more we fail at meeting the needs of the disadvantaged the more likely they will trust those who claim they want to help. The citizens of Flint are suffering, and many have died because people view the disadvantaged as unimportant. We must change our view on their value, they remain humans and their lives matter even when the upper-income society disagrees. It becomes a cycle of betrayal for the citizens of Flint who have suffered through not having clean water for years when the situation could be resolved by reviewing the problem, designing a plan of action, and executing that plan. This is not the only place or society that has suffered through being disadvantaged, there are countless other cities, places, and countries that remain overlooked by people of power. Ultimately, we need Representatives, world leaders, and other individuals of power to see the need of societal change and include the treatment of the disadvantaged as a necessary construct for growth and a possible plan for a united society and country.

The dream version of my future self is to be a successful chemist working in a lab to create holistic and natural medicines for African-Americans who suffer from Type 2 Diabetes or High Blood Pressure.

I love helping others and creating a positive change on those around me. As I have grown up, I have thought about different career choices that would help me achieve my dreams of helping others while doing what I love, which is science. The two people that have inspired me to go after what I love are my parents. They both have careers in the health and wellness fields, so naturally that’s where I gravitated towards. My dad is chaplain at a hospital system and my mother owns her own business being a psychotherapist. While both of my parents do humanitarian work, I wanted to achieve a career in STEM, namely science. I know I have been called into a life of service. I have always had an affinity for how things are made and how different products react with other products. During elementary and middle school, we always had science projects that we did every year starting in the fourth grade and this is where my interest was sparked. I was very excited for these projects because I was able to conduct experiments outside of the classroom and try something new. I have even brought that same knowledge to my chemistry and forensic science classes. Continuing my love for science, I took multiple courses in high school in the science pathway. I took chemistry, physical science, biology, forensics and human anatomy. I took these courses because I wanted to get a well-rounded education of science and see what career choices sparked my interest. I found that I enjoyed chemistry the most out of all the science courses I have taken. I knew I wanted to take this love for science and take it into healthcare so I also took the healthcare pathway offered at my school. This has allowed me to learn about how healthcare works such as how patients should be treated and what they need to get better. I also have learned about different healthcare career fields and how they work together to benefit patients. Initially, I wanted to become a radiologist, and later a psychiatrist. However, none of those options truly felt like something I wanted to do for a long time. As I researched careers in the healthcare field, I discovered pharmacy. I am really interested in becoming a pharmacologist and studying ways to make medicines and how it affects the body. I am interested in creating life changing medications to manage high blood pressure and diabetes, as these diseases not only are prevalent in the Black community, but in my family as well. Disease such as diabetes type 2, high blood pressure, cardiac issues, cancer, and mental health issues are all heavily prevalent in my family. This field allows me to serve others while making a difference in my community.