I am studying creative writing because I believe our stories of love and triumph are just as important as our stories of pain and persecution. Since I see many negative images in the media about black folk and not enough positive ones, I decided to write the stories I wish to see. I dream of living in a world where children of all demographics get to see themselves in stories. In the pages of my books, they are no longer marginalized. In my stories, they are given the freedom to be complex and human-like. They are allowed to make mistakes and be given grace. When children are erased this creates trauma, known as the trauma of erasure, this is why I started writing. As a middle child of seven, I felt I had no voice in a society that also refused to see me because of my socio-economic status. This was my pain, but I used this as fuel to the fire of my writing. I turned my pain into many triumphs. One of my triumphs was that in high school, I wrote and directed a play filled with original spoken-word poetry. Through "​Sun and Moon: The Tales of Domencia," ​ I created an atmosphere of healing where the audience could openly discuss issues such as depression, and suicide- challenging the taboos surrounding mental health. Since I have begun to tackle these challenges now, I can heal and am growing into a stronger person. Instead of continuing to be afraid of a life of mental health issues, poverty, and failure. Now as a rising senior at The University of Central Florida, a goal of mine is to graduate with a degree in creative writing by Fall of 2022. I dream of a career where I can combine my talent for writing with my passion for entrepreneurship and the public good, such as but not limited to grant writing, blog posts, and novels. I have a long-term goal to become a Novelist. I dream of being New York Times Best-selling author by 25 for a book that is my testimony on how God removed me from bad circumstances at the beginning of COVID-19. Similar to "The Case for Christ" or "The Cross and the Switchblade;" writing is my love and with your help, this book will be another one of my triumphs. I hope to be a loving wife and mother, breaking the cycle of abuse, poverty, and broken homes in my family. I wish to affect others by encouraging hope and healing through my creative writing because it does not matter if the glass is half full or empty, it still requires filling. Throughout many trials in my life, the compassion I have been shown by others has served as a primary motivator for me. It taught me if I try hard enough, and am given the opportunity, I do not have to be destined to a life of poverty. I have a say in my destiny that The Patricia Lea Olson Creative Writing Scholarship can help me achieve.

I hope my business will help the world find its voice one person at a time, so that together we may sing a beautiful, powerful chorus. However, this is not possible until we are ALL heard. My name is Vickiana Supriana, I am a spoken word Poet, playwright, novelist and businesswoman. I wish I could say from a young age I knew writing was my calling, for a long time I wanted to be a doctor and then a lawyer. I dreamed of a white-collar job that provided a stable income because growing up in a single-parent household and in poverty, left me feeling scared and powerless. My inspiration is the woman who raised me. To me, she is just “Ma,” but to strangers she is a dark-skinned Afro-Latina. I watched how the world erased her from the universal narrative, and re-wrote her story as they saw fit. I internalized her struggles and too believed my voice did not matter. Poetry helped me find my voice. When I look back, I realize writing has always been a constant in my life. My writing literally saved my life. At 18, I was suicidal and depressed because two years prior I was raped. I processed my pain in the only way I knew how- through a story. When I shared my story in a play- titled “Sun and Moon: The Tales of Domencia,” which I wrote and directed my senior year in high school- I saw how it brought people to tears. I was surprised by how many people could relate to my experience. They said it made them feel seen. At 18 I promised myself “a life of storytelling, a life of moving others” with my vulnerability and authenticity. With a pen and paper, I can overcome all adversity life throws at me. Since I know the power of finding your voice, I decided to create a business that will help others do the same. Currently, I am developing a writing and marketing firm and I currently have 2 clients/companies. My business helps people market themselves authentically and powerfully, particularly through the use of storytelling via social media and email marketing. When I work with a client they become more than just a project, they become partners. I believe when we provide value to others we can make ourselves indispensable, also what I call a “Givers Mindset.” This mentality is the backbone on which I hope to build my company‘s culture. One of my business partners is a design firm which focuses on the visual aspect of storytelling. I currently outsource the visuals to them and focus on the written and spoken language, however, I would eventually like to do all of this in-house and hire staff. VickianaPoetry helps clients find the poetic voice inside of them. I feel this business is a part of calling and I hope you can see the value in it. VickianaPoetry is just the beginning of my journey. I hope to reach the level of success where I can give back to the community through philanthropy and mentorship. I believe this Grant has the power to take VickianaPoetry to the next level. I have paid for content creation, marketing, and business coaching out of pocket. I use my job as a marketing specialist to invest back into VickianaPoetry; however, as a full-time student, there is only so much I can afford through part-time work. I am currently pursuing an associates degree at Valencia college with the intent to transfer to the University of Central Florida, for the Fall 21’ cohort. My major is English and I am minoring in marketing/business. There is still so much more ground work to be laid in my venture. My website launches February 2021 and I am saving to fund videos that show my company’s service. As well as copyright on all the content I have already created. Thank you for considering me for The African-American entrepreneurs grant.