My first-period English teacher would say something that I felt truly encompassed who I am. She would yell out every morning without fail, " Good morning scholars, change makers, and revolutionaries!" Every morning that saying was hammered into my brain. It was an affirmation that I kept dear to me. When I'm asked to identify myself I could describe being black, being low income, being first generation, being an immigrant, or even being a woman. While those adjectives describe what I am, my English teacher's mantra describes who I truly am. I am a scholar, having picked my grades up drastically after the COVID virus left me in mental disarray. I am a change maker, having used my voice to advocate for social justice and reform at any opportunity I can. I am a revolutionary because I am willing to do anything to mow down the barriers put in my path by those who are against me. That is who I am. Being that I have a passion for social justice, I have become invested in the existing crisis in the healthcare system. Black patients are significantly less likely to be diagnosed correctly or diagnosed at all for that matter. The black community is facing dire circumstances. I know firsthand that it is a hassle to convince a black person to seek treatment, so why when we do, we are mistreated? That is the standing issue that I know I can solve. I have wanted to pursue a career in psychology for four years now and my resolve hasn't waivered. I am aware of the hardships I will face. I am aware of how grueling the journey will be. I am also aware of how much I want to fulfill my dreams. When you want something, you do whatever it takes to get it. That is why I work hard for scholarships such as these, that is why I pour my essence into my goals, and that is why I will prevail. While barriers may arise, that is what all change-makers face. One of my barriers happens to be financial status. I was not born into a circumstance that would allow me to pursue an extensive education without considering the cost. I wasn't even born into a circumstance where an extensive education seemed possible. Now that I'm aware that is it, I can not allow my Finacial situation to discourage me. This scholarship will serve as hope for me. This scholarship will allow my identity as a scholar, change-maker, and revolutionary to continue to flourish.

Disney's value goes further than simple entertainment. Disney has been an important part of my childhood since first coming to America. The whimsical visuals, the gowns worn by the princesses, and the themes within each movie left my four-year-old self ecstatic. I am just one of many black girls that would sit in awe at princesses such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. But as I started gaining awareness, I realized, none of these princesses resembled me in the slightest. None of the princesses had my experiences. None made me feel like I could be a princess. There was a heavy and painful essence in my heart upon realizing that truth. " I was not a princess, how could someone like me ever be? " is the question that loomed over my head for years. One afternoon, my mother returned home from a long day at work. I was spread across the living room floor with my head in my hands, fully hypnotized by Disney's Hercules. The film was a favorite for me and my mother so I was shocked when she suggested we turned it off. My mother held a small disk in her hands. Her smile was contagious, though, I had no idea what we were smiling about. " I found this at the DVD store, put it on." She said to me. I could hear her anticipation in her voice, but it was nothing compared to mine. I quickly grabbed the DVD with my chubby seven-year-old fingers and put it on. A beautiful singing voice traveled from our small televison system and into my ears, " The evening star is shining bright, there's magic in the air tonight..." it sang. The title appeared in gold and green shiny lettering-Princess and the Frog. My excitement grew as two small girls appeared on the screen. One looked like me. She actually looked like me. I was in complete awe. She was gorgeous and quick-witted. I had never felt more seen in my life. As the movie continued, I realized Tiana's struggles resembled mine. Living in a low-income community does not entail glamour or a room full of glittery pink dresses. You could not get gifted any and everything you wanted simple because you wanted it. But, just lik Tiana, living in my circumstance did entail other beautiful things. Things such as family, real love, and an authentic sense of passion. My drive grew, just like Tiana's. She was committed to her dreams. Though, adversity stood in her way. Poverty, the loss of her father, and the way the luxury of relaxation was not given to her felt all too real. It was like our lives were mirroring each other. Princess and the Frog will always be my favorite Disney movie because it's not just a movie to me. It tells the story of a black girl who pushed her limits, worked without rest, and sacrificed so much to get where she wanted to be. In the end, Tiana also found that deserved love and rest. She found the love of her life while still pursuing her passion. Tiana is not just a princess, she is my role model. She's a pioneer that teaches young black girls that they deserve to live their fairy tail despite society's odd being pinned against them. Disney's Princess and the Frog presents my drive, my ambition, and my willingness to get my dream life. Tiana means the world to me. I will always thank Disney for giving me a princess to look up to.

Essentially, my goal is to pursue an education in psychology. I want to gain as much knowledge as required to bring my aspirations into reality. I’m passionate about psychology because the science of the brain reveals all the uncomfortable truths of someone. I’m passionate about understanding those truths and making everyone comfortable with them. But that's a bit broad. What is my actual goal for the future? What is my dream reality? Well, I’ll tell you. My wildest dream, the one I get excited just thinking about, is to build a mental health center within my community of East Orange New Jersey. I want to construct this building with my very own hands and feel my passion traveling against every brick and pipe. I want to oversee this center. I want people to come in and feel a sense of safety. I want to allow my community access to healing. I want the psychologist who’s had extensive training, including myself, to ensure every person who lives within East Orange is joyous. So essentially, my dream is to take away all the pain, grief, and violence my town has had to experience throughout the years. Now to address the biggest question: how will this scholarship aid me in this goal? To answer this I'd like to delve into my personal life a bit. I am the eldest daughter from a Caribbean household and that's no small feat. That is my identity and it came with many hardships. Following my migration to America, I realized it was not the glamorous country it was made to be. Things were not handed to people like me and that was a hard pill to swallow. My family and I were placed in the category- “ low income ”. Dealing with financial hardships, learning a new language, acclimating to a new environment, and doing it without support takes strength. The strength I had to build alongside my family throughout my entire life. Due to this, my mother worked to the point of exhaustion. I was her right-hand man. Therefore, the luxury of relaxation was and currently is not something she and I had. Scholarships such as these allow me to alleviate the financial pressure on my mother’s shoulders. Scholarships such as these allow me to pursue an education that I didn’t even have access to in Haiti. I am blessed to have a mother who sacrifices her ease for my betterment, but I would love to allow her the luxury of relaxation while still allowing my dreams to develop. That's how this scholarship will help me.

My father once told me, "There’s no dream that can’t be done with patience and some knowledge." I was always intelligent, but I definitely wasn’t a very patient child. I wanted every fantasy in my mind to come to fruition as fast as I could dream it up. My imagination ran wild, but as I started coming of age, I realized my father's words were correct. Patience is a vital trait when creating dreams in this world. So, I dreamed up something big. Something personal that I could fulfill if I aimed high and waited patiently.   My goal is to pursue an education in psychology. I want to gain as much knowledge as is required to bring my wild thoughts into reality. I’m passionate about psychology because the science of the mind reveals all the uncomfortable truths about someone. I’m passionate about understanding those truths and making everyone comfortable with them. So, whats the point? What’s this big dream? What does cognitive science have to do with this? Well, I’ll tell you. My wildest dream, the one I get excited just thinking about, is to build a mental health center within my community of East Orange New Jersey. I want to construct this building with my very own hands and feel my passion traveling against every brick and pipe. I want to oversee this center. I want people to come in and feel a sense of safety. I want to allow my community access to healing. I want the psychologists who’ve had extensive training, including myself, to ensure every person who lives in East Orange is joyful. So essentially, my dream is to take away all the pain, the grief, and the violence my town has had to experience throughout the years.   As I said previously, I'm imaginative. So, to get even wilder, I dreamed of building similar buildings in my home country. Haiti, in its current state, is filled with hatred, greed, and selfishness. My country is experiencing a civil war against gangs that has plagued the land that I once loved. This has resulted in everyone’s hearts becoming poisoned. But I truly believe I have the cure. I know what I’m capable of, and I know my dreams are more powerful than anything prompted against them. With this scholarship, I will only become closer to achieving what many have told me is unachievable. All I need is patience and some knowledge. I thank my father everyday for that saying. It’s similar to the way I will thank this foundation for allowing me to get closer to my wildest dreams.