Being a first generation college student means stepping into spaces that were never mapped out for you and having the courage to find your own way. Growing up, I was a high achieving student and one of only three Black students in my graduating class of nearly 300 students. Many of my classmates had parents who understood the college process and what the transition would look like after high school. They visited campuses, discussed financial aid, and had a roadmap for the future. I did not. There were no college visits, family members who could explain admissions or financial aid, or anyone who could tell me what came next. What I had were school counselors, determination, and a dream. Everything changed when I arrived at Winston Salem State University. For the first time, I found a sense of belonging. I was surrounded by mentors, administrators, and student affairs professionals who saw potential in me and challenged me to grow as a leader. I entered college believing I would become a physical therapist because of my love for sports, but my path shifted when I became involved as a Resident Assistant and student leader. The professionals who supervised and mentored me poured into me in ways that changed the trajectory of my life. Through them, I discovered my purpose in leadership, service, and student development. The investment others made in me inspired me to pursue a career in higher education so I could create the same sense of belonging and support for students navigating their own journeys. Today, I work in Housing and Residence Life, supporting students and helping create communities where they can thrive. Along the way, I also became a single mother. Balancing parenthood, a full time career, and doctoral studies has not been easy, but every challenge has reinforced my commitment to completing my education and continuing to serve others. I am currently pursuing my Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership, the terminal degree in my field. My goal is to continue advocating for students, developing future leaders, and creating more equitable educational environments. I want my daughter to see that perseverance, education, and service can transform lives. This scholarship would help me ultimately complete my educational journey during a time when the financial aid landscape continues to change and create uncertainty for graduate students. As a doctoral candidate, I have invested years of work into reaching this point, and I am determined to cross the finish line. More importantly, this scholarship would support my mission of ensuring that other students, especially those who, like me, are first generation, find the belonging, support, and opportunity that changed my life forever. Being a first generation student is not simply about being the first. It is about opening doors and holding them open for those who come behind you.

When I think about what I want to build, the answer is simple: I want to build a legacy. Throughout my life, I have often been the first. I was one of only three Black students in my graduating class in a rural community. I became the first person in my immediate family to attend college, the first to earn a bachelor's degree, the first to earn a master's degree, and now the first to pursue a doctorate. While these accomplishments are meaningful, what matters most to me is not being the first. It is making sure I am not the last. Growing up, I did not always have the confidence that I see in many students today. I rarely saw people who looked like me in positions I aspired to hold, and I had very little guidance about what opportunities existed beyond my hometown. College was not a path that had been mapped out for me. I had to learn as I went, relying on determination, mentors, and faith to guide me forward. Everything changed when I attended Winston Salem State University. For the first time, I experienced a sense of belonging and discovered leadership opportunities that helped me recognize my own potential. Those experiences inspired me to pursue a career in higher education where I could help students find the same support and encouragement that changed my life. My desire to build a legacy also influenced my decision to join Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Joining the first historically Black sorority connected me to a legacy of women committed to scholarship, service, and creating opportunities for future generations. Today, I am a single mother, higher education professional, and doctoral candidate. While balancing these roles can be challenging, my daughter remains my greatest motivation. More than anything, I want her to grow up believing that the sky is the limit. I want her to know that her circumstances do not define her future. The legacy I hope to build is not measured by degrees or job titles. It is measured by the confidence, opportunities, and possibilities that are passed from one generation to the next. I want my daughter to grow up with a level of confidence I never had as a young student. I want her to see someone who pursued ambitious goals, overcame obstacles, and continued moving forward despite uncertainty. This scholarship would help me continue building that legacy by supporting the completion of my doctoral degree. Every educational milestone I achieve expands what my daughter believes is possible for herself. My goal is not simply to create a better future for our family but to demonstrate that barriers can be broken and new paths can be created. I may be the first in my family to accomplish many of these things, but the legacy I am building ensures that I will not be the last.

For much of my life, I viewed strength as the ability to keep going no matter how difficult things became. As a first generation college student, higher education professional, doctoral candidate, and single mother, I became skilled at carrying responsibilities. I learned how to show up for others, solve problems, and push through challenges. What I did not learn was how to care for my own mental health. Working in higher education, particularly in Housing and Residence Life, means supporting students through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Students often arrive at my office carrying stress, loneliness, grief, anxiety, and uncertainty. I take pride in being someone they can trust. However, over time, I realized that constantly caring for others while neglecting my own well being came at a cost. As a single mother, there are very few opportunities to set responsibilities aside. My daughter depends on me. My students depend on me. My colleagues depend on me. At the same time, I am pursuing a doctorate while balancing work, parenting, and financial responsibilities. For years, I convinced myself that exhaustion was simply part of being successful. I ignored signs of burnout because I believed asking for help meant I was failing. What has made this journey particularly complex is that my doctoral research has forced me to confront many of the same challenges I am studying. My research focuses on support systems, invisible labor, and workplace experiences for Black women in higher education. As I have immersed myself in the literature, I have often found myself reflected in the stories and findings I was reading. It became increasingly difficult to separate my professional experiences from my academic work. During my doctoral journey, I was also diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression. While receiving those diagnoses provided answers, it also brought a sense of grief. I began reflecting on years of struggles that I had previously attributed to personal shortcomings rather than understanding them as challenges that deserved support and compassion. Learning more about myself required me to reconsider long held beliefs about productivity, success, and strength. Perhaps the most difficult realization was understanding that I am not alone. Many of the challenges I face are echoed in the experiences of other Black women who are balancing professional responsibilities, caregiving roles, and educational aspirations while carrying significant emotional labor. Knowing that others share these experiences is validating, but it has also reinforced the urgency of creating better systems of support for those who spend their lives supporting everyone else. My perspective began to change when I realized that mental health is not separate from success, leadership, or achievement. It is the foundation that supports them. There have been seasons where anxiety, stress, and emotional exhaustion affected my ability to be fully present in my work and relationships. Instead of continuing to suppress those feelings, I began prioritizing therapy, self reflection, and healthier boundaries. My experiences have reshaped my understanding of relationships. I have learned that vulnerability is not weakness. Some of the strongest connections in my life have been built through honest conversations about struggle, uncertainty, and healing. As a parent, I am also intentional about teaching my daughter that emotions are not something to hide or be ashamed of. I want her to understand that seeking support is a sign of courage. My journey with mental health has also influenced my professional aspirations. As someone who works with college students, I see firsthand how many people are struggling silently. I am passionate about creating environments where students feel seen, supported, and comfortable seeking help when they need it. Through my research and professional practice, I hope to contribute to healthier and more supportive educational environments for both students and professionals. Mental health has taught me that success is not measured solely by accomplishments. It is also measured by our ability to care for ourselves while pursuing our goals. My experiences have made me more compassionate, more self aware, and more committed to helping others understand that they do not have to suffer in silence. By sharing our stories openly, we help reduce stigma and create space for healing. That is the lesson my journey with mental health has taught me, and it is one I hope to carry forward in every aspect of my life.

As a single mother, first-generation college student, higher education professional, and doctoral candidate, my pursuit of higher education has never been solely about earning degrees. It has always been about creating opportunities -- for myself, for my daughter, and for the students I serve every day. I discovered I was pregnant while completing my master's degree. What could have been viewed as a setback became one of my greatest sources of motivation. My daughter has grown up on college campuses, watching me attend classes, write papers, support students, and continue pursuing my goals despite challenges. She has been my reason to keep going during the moments when balancing work, parenting, and academics felt overwhelming. I believe I am uniquely deserving of this award because I have continued to pursue higher education while carrying the responsibilities of both parenthood and a demanding career in student affairs. I work in Housing and Residence Life, where I spend my days supporting students through academic struggles, personal crises, and major life transitions. In many ways, I provide the same care, encouragement, and guidance to students that I provide to my own daughter at home. While I am passionate about serving others, balancing these responsibilities while pursuing a doctorate has required tremendous sacrifice, resilience, and determination. My "why" has remained remarkably consistent throughout my educational journey. As a first-generation college student and graduate of an HBCU, I experienced firsthand the impact that caring, invested higher education professionals can have on a student's life. The administrators, mentors, and student affairs professionals on my campus saw potential in me, challenged me to grow, and helped me develop as a student leader. Their support shaped not only my college experience but also the person and professional I would become. I do not believe I would be who I am today without those experiences. Because of that, I felt called to pursue a career in higher education so I could give back to students who looked like me and were navigating many of the same challenges I once faced. My goal has always been to create the same sense of belonging, support, and opportunity that was created for me. Pursuing higher education has allowed me to expand my knowledge, strengthen my leadership skills, and increase my ability to serve students in meaningful ways. Today, that purpose extends beyond my students. I want my daughter to see what perseverance looks like. I want her to understand that obstacles do not determine what is possible. There have been many nights spent completing coursework after she went to bed, early mornings spent preparing for both work and school, and moments when I questioned whether I could continue. Yet every challenge has strengthened my resolve to finish what I started. My doctoral research focuses on the experiences of Black women working in higher education and seeks to better understand how institutions can better support those who dedicate their careers to serving students. Through my work and research, I hope to create meaningful change within higher education while continuing to advocate for equity, support, and belonging. Being a single mother has taught me resilience, adaptability, and perseverance. There are no days off from being a parent, an employee, or a student, but each role has strengthened my commitment to making a difference. Completing my doctorate represents more than personal achievement. It represents a better future for my daughter, an opportunity to give back to the communities that shaped me, and a chance to continue investing in the success of students who deserve to be seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Returning to school as a parent has presented challenges that extend far beyond managing assignments and deadlines. For me, the greatest challenge has been balancing my own educational goals, my responsibilities as a single mother, and the emotional demands of working in a helping profession while protecting my mental health. A unique part of my journey is that I discovered I was pregnant while completing my master's degree. Rather than discouraging me, becoming a mother fueled my motivation to succeed. My daughter has spent much of her life on a college campus, accompanying me through various stages of my educational and professional journey. She has grown up watching me attend classes, work with students, and pursue goals that often seemed larger than myself. After graduate school, I transitioned into a full-time career in higher education. Working in Housing and Residence Life has been incredibly meaningful because I support students during some of the most formative years of their lives. In many ways, the role requires a level of care, nurturing, and guidance that mirrors motherhood. Students come to me with academic struggles, personal crises, homesickness, and questions about their future. While I am passionate about serving them, it can be emotionally demanding to spend my days caring for hundreds of students and then return home to the equally important responsibility of being fully present for my daughter. As my daughter grew older, my priorities began to shift. Earlier in my career, I aspired to become a Dean of Students and aggressively pursued professional advancement. However, I eventually made the difficult decision to pause some of those aspirations in order to focus on being the parent my daughter needed while continuing my education. Unlike earlier stages of my life, I no longer had the same level of support from my village. The responsibilities that once could be shared became mine to carry alone. The most difficult part of returning to school has been realizing that there are no days off. When I finish my workday, I transition into being a parent. After my daughter goes to bed, I transition into being a doctoral student. Balancing these identities can be exhausting, particularly when each role requires significant emotional energy. There are times when my own needs are pushed aside so I can meet the needs of others. This past year has been especially challenging. As I have worked toward completing my doctorate, I have also watched my daughter struggle with reading. Supporting her educational growth while maintaining progress in my own studies has been emotionally taxing. There were moments when I questioned whether I was giving enough to either role. Yet these experiences have also reminded me why education matters so deeply to me. I want my daughter to see resilience in action and know that challenges do not define our potential. Although returning to school as a parent has required sacrifice, it has strengthened my determination and sense of purpose. My experiences have taught me that success is not achieved alone, but through perseverance, adaptability, and a commitment to the people we love. Completing my doctorate is not only an investment in my future but also a testament to the example I hope to set for my daughter and the students I serve every day.