Bishop Mozell Haymon once said that life begins with sobriety. For many, that sounds like a clinical or distant idea. But for me, sobriety is not just about the absence of a substance. It is about the reclamation of the self and the restoration of human dignity. My life has been shaped by the resilience of my own family, the raw vulnerability of my patients, and a spiritual calling to serve those who are often forgotten. My first encounter with the weight of addiction was inside my own home. I watched my eldest aunt struggle during my younger years. It was a painful time that eventually led to her children coming to live with us while she was out on the streets. I saw firsthand the trauma that addiction leaves on an entire family. But as I grew older, I also had the privilege of watching her fight her way back to sobriety and reclaim her life. That transformation was a beautiful testament to the power of the human spirit to rebuild itself from the ashes. That experience became the foundation of who I am today. As a CNA working in hospice, rehab, and long term care, I come across many people who are navigating their own battles. My history allows me to listen in a different way. When I hear their stories and learn about the pain or loss that drove them to their vices, I do not see a diagnosis or a label. I see a human being searching for relief. This perspective has taught me deep compassion. It reminds me that I never truly know what someone else has walked through, and that realization demands that I treat them with the kindness they deserve. This commitment extends beyond the clinical setting and into the streets of Trenton. Through my volunteer work with Ashanti Love, we feed the homeless and prepare care bags for those who are struggling with both addiction and homelessness. We walk through the areas around resource centers, train stations, and rehab facilities to hand out supplies and offer whatever support we can. My dedication to this work is rooted in my upbringing in the Baptist church where my uncle was the pastor. We were taught the importance of charity, the necessity of supporting our community, and the fundamental rule to treat everyone exactly as we would want to be treated. As I continue my education in Health Science, I am driven to bridge the gap between clinical science and community care. I want to use my degree to honor the end of life while working to improve the quality of life for those still struggling today. Sobriety is the lens through which I see the world because it reminds me that every life, no matter how frayed the edges might seem, is worthy of grace. By combining the lessons of my family, the wisdom I have gained at the bedside of my patients, and the servant heart nurtured by my faith, I hope to create a legacy of compassion. I want to spend my life helping others find their own way back to the light.

The most urgent problem in wildlife conservation today is finding a way for growing human communities and wild animals to share the same spaces safely. For a long time conservation was focused on building fences and isolating wildlife in protected parks. But the reality of our changing world is that animals do not recognize human boundaries and their natural migration corridors are increasingly intersecting with roads, neighborhoods, and farms. This close proximity leads to habitat fragmentation and conflict, making human wildlife coexistence the defining challenge of our time. What makes this issue so critical is that it affects the survival of entire ecosystems while directly impacting the safety and livelihoods of local communities. When a predatory animal wanders into residential areas or when large herbivores damage crops, the immediate human reaction is often defensive and destructive. This cycle creates a barrier to conservation because local communities begin to view wildlife as a threat rather than a vital part of the natural balance. If we want to save endangered species we have to design spaces where both humans and wildlife can thrive side by side. The reason I am incredibly optimistic about this challenge is that we are living in a golden age of ecological innovation. We are moving away from old containment methods and leaning into smart scientific solutions. Communities around the world are installing wildlife crossings like vegetated overpasses and underpasses that allow animals to cross busy highways safely. Biologists are using satellite tracking and predictive data to warn farmers when large animals are approaching their property so they can protect their livestock using non lethal deterrents like strobe lights or specialized fencing. We are also seeing a beautiful shift toward community led conservation. When local people are given the tools and financial incentives to protect their native wildlife they become the most effective guardians of the land. Programs that support eco tourism or compensate farmers for wildlife damage turn a point of conflict into an opportunity for economic growth. This cooperative approach proves that protecting biodiversity does not have to come at the expense of human progress. Ultimately solving the coexistence crisis is about changing how we view our place in nature. It requires us to use our best scientific tools, land use planning, and community education to design shared landscapes. When we build roads with animal paths in mind and create sustainable agricultural practices we are protecting the soil, the water, and the complex food webs that keep our planet healthy. Embracing human wildlife coexistence is a massive opportunity to build a future where human ingenuity acts as a partner to the natural world ensuring that both our communities and wild ecosystems flourish together.

My educational journey is built on a foundation of grit laid by the women who came before me. I grew up in a household where a degree was not just a piece of paper but a hard won passport to a better life. My grandmother moved from the poverty of the South to the North and became a beacon of possibility when she earned her teaching degree. Watching her transform her life through education moved her from limited opportunities to a classroom of her own and it instilled in me a deep reverence for the power of learning. Similarly I watched my mother navigate the grueling demands of nursing school to become an LPN while raising two children. Their lives taught me that while the path might be steep the climb is mandatory. When my grandmother passed away when I was twelve I lost more than a caregiver. I lost my primary mentor. However the legacy of the teacher and the nurse remained within me. Today as a single mother to two children I find myself walking the same tightrope my mother and grandmother once did. My daily life is a masterclass in advocacy and specialized care. Managing the complexities of Type 1 Diabetes for one child and ADHD for the other requires the precision of a clinician and the patience of an educator. These are not just parenting duties. They are the practical applications of the Health Sciences degree I am currently pursuing. Balancing my studies with the constant demands of glucose monitoring and behavioral support is a challenge but I see it as a continuation of my family story. Like my mother I am pursuing healthcare to provide stability. Like my grandmother I am using education to transcend my circumstances. My current work as a Hospice CNA and a Behavioral Technician allows me to honor their caregiving legacy while supporting those with complex needs. My experience as a certified birth and death doula has also given me a unique perspective on the full circle of life. My sights are set on the future of the industry where I am driven to innovate within the field of mortuary science specifically through green burial research and botanical filtration. My goal is to ensure that the end of life process is as sustainable and dignified as the lives my ancestors fought to build. Giving back to my community is the natural conclusion of this generational cycle. I plan to use my professional expertise and my businesses to support those navigating the intersections of grief and health management. I want to be a resource for other single parents who feel overwhelmed by the medical and academic systems. I want to show them that our lived experience is our greatest asset. My grandmother taught me how to learn and my mother taught me how to care. By completing my degree and eventually pursuing a PhD in Bio Environmental Engineering I am not just reaching for a personal goal. I am honoring the migration and the long shifts and the sacrifices of the women who paved the way. I am teaching my children that we do not just survive our history. We build upon it to create a future that is greener and kinder and entirely our own.

The impact of mental health and the threat of suicide within a family is a weight that reshapes one’s entire perspective on care, advocacy, and the necessity of persistence. For me, this impact is deeply personal and centered on my oldest daughter, who is bisexual and has faced a daunting intersection of challenges. During her senior year of high school, she attempted to take her own life, a traumatic event that was compounded by her ongoing struggles with depression and the daily management of her diabetes. Witnessing my daughter navigate these overlapping battles while trying to graduate was a profound lesson in the fragility of life and the critical importance of a robust support system. It forced me to look closely at the gaps in how we address mental health, especially for young people in the LGBTQIA+ community who are also managing chronic physical illnesses. Her experience underscored the fact that healthcare is not just about treating a physical symptom; it is about the integration of mental, emotional, and physical well-being. This realization has deeply influenced my professional work as a hospice CNA and an IDD paraprofessional, where I see daily how emotional health dictates physical outcomes. This journey has significantly shaped my academic goals and my drive to complete my Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences. I am not just studying for a degree; I am building the analytical tools to research how various factors, from medication interactions for the IDD community to environmental stressors, impact vulnerable populations. My daughter’s struggle turned my general empathy into a targeted mission to ensure that no patient or family member feels invisible while navigating the healthcare system. Ultimately, seeing my daughter fight to overcome that dark period and move forward has become a benchmark for my own definition of perseverance. I have had to pause my own education in the past to be a caregiver for family members, and I am currently navigating my own health journey as a BRCA1 carrier. However, her resilience serves as a constant reminder that it is possible to survive the unthinkable and still pursue a meaningful future. I am continuing my education to lead by example for my children, proving that we can use our most painful experiences to fuel a lifelong commitment to community service and advocacy. By the age of 45, I intend to have established the infrastructure for my professional contributions so I can transition into full-time service, ensuring that my career is a testament to the resilience my daughter showed during her hardest year.

Choosing to pursue a degree in healthcare is a decision born from a life spent at the intersection of service, empathy, and personal resilience. My path has been shaped by the profound responsibility of serving as a caregiver for family members navigating the complexities of cancer, while simultaneously managing my own health journey as a BRCA1 carrier. These experiences have not only tested my strength but have also provided me with a unique perspective on the critical need for advocates who understand the patient and caregiver experience from the inside out. By furthering my education and earning a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, I am building a bridge between my professional experience and my ultimate goal of transforming the deathcare industry. Currently, I serve my community in two vital roles: as a hospice CNA and as an IDD paraprofessional. Working with the IDD community has sparked a specific interest in researching how various medications interact within this population to ensure they receive the safest and most effective care possible. This clinical work, combined with my hospice experience, has driven my desire to merge medical expertise with environmental advocacy. I view healthcare as a holistic journey that does not end at the conclusion of life, but rather continues through the way we honor those who have passed. My academic trajectory is purposefully designed to address this continuum. Following my health sciences degree, I plan to move forward with a degree in mortuary science and eventually a PhD in bio environmental engineering. This specialized path will allow me to champion sustainable practices such as biological decomposition and eco friendly preservation methods. As a woman in healthcare, I hope to make a positive impact by leading with a spirit of perseverance and community advocacy. I have faced the necessity of pausing my education to prioritize the wellbeing of my loved ones, a reality many women face as primary caregivers. Returning to school is my way of proving that these obstacles do not define our potential. I want to show my children that true strength is found in the ability to pivot and persist despite health challenges or family obligations. By pursuing the highest levels of education in my field, I am working to shatter the ceilings that often limit women in STEM and engineering disciplines, particularly within the specialized niche of environmental science and thanatology. Ultimately, my impact will be measured by the infrastructure of support I create for others. Whether I am researching medication interactions for the IDD community or advocating for sustainable funeral practices, my goal is to serve as a voice for the vulnerable. I am pursuing this degree to gain the scientific and analytical tools necessary to lead a business venture dedicated to both clinical empathy and environmental sustainability. By the age of 45, I intend to transition into full time community service, using the foundation of my healthcare education to leave a legacy of healing, education, and ecological responsibility. This journey is about more than a career; it is about honoring the resilience of those I have cared for and building a better, more sustainable world for the generations that follow.

Mathematics is the primary language that connects every stage of my academic and professional career. In my current health sciences program, I rely on math for the statistics needed to interpret public health trends and research outcomes. As I move into my mortuary science degree, the application becomes even more technical through embalming chemistry. This requires me to perform exact calculations for fluid dilution and distribution to ensure safety and clinical precision during the preservation process. My aspirations in environmental science and bio environmental engineering depend entirely on quantitative data. During my masters program, I will use statistics to analyze the impact of human practices on the natural world. When I reach the doctoral level, math will be the tool I use to engineer new systems for the deathcare industry. By modeling biological decomposition and designing sustainable infrastructure, I can turn my vision for eco friendly funeral practices into a reality backed by hard science. Beyond the technical requirements, math represents the logic and order I strive for in my life. It helps me navigate my responsibilities as a student and a caregiver while I work toward my degree. For me, math is not just about numbers on a page. It is the essential framework that allows me to build a stable future for my children and advocate for a more sustainable world.

## The Eternal Path: Ma’at as the Foundation of Moral Leadership The central thesis of Ptahhotep’s teaching is that true authority is not derived from power or status, but from an unwavering alignment with the cosmic and social order known as Ma’at. By positioning justice as an eternal force that has remained "undisturbed since the day of its creator," Ptahhotep argues that the principles of right conduct are not subjective human inventions, but objective laws of the universe that a leader must discover and uphold (Asante, 2023). This philosophy is particularly resonant for those who have navigated the complexities of caregiving and advocacy. In my own journey as a health sciences student at Southern New Hampshire University and a hospice CNA, I have seen how the principles of balance and empathy serve as a "path even for those who do not know it" (Parkinson, 1997). When I had to pause my education to serve as a caregiver for family members battling cancer, I was, in a sense, following the mandate of Ma'at, prioritizing the harmony of the family unit and the dignity of those in transition over personal advancement. Ptahhotep’s underlying meaning suggests that a leader's primary duty is to act as a mirror of this divine order. To "seek out every good deed" is not a suggestion for occasional charity, but a rigorous requirement for the leader to ensure their "conduct may be without fault" (Parkinson, 1997). In the ancient Kemetic view, the leader is responsible for maintaining the balance of the community. If the leader fails to act with justice, they do not just commit a social error; they disrupt the harmony of the world itself. The text implies that while power is fleeting, the "lasting value" of justice provides a permanent structure that outlives any individual ruler or era (Asante, 2023). This concept of lasting value is what drives my current academic and professional aspirations. Despite being a BRCA1 carrier and managing the intensive medical surveillance that comes with it, I am committed to completing my Bachelor of Science in Health Science and moving forward into mortuary science. My goal is to revolutionize the deathcare industry through sustainable practices like biological decomposition. This is my way of "seeking out every good deed"—by ensuring that our final acts on this earth are in harmony with the environment, reflecting the "undisturbed" justice of the creator mentioned by Ptahhotep. The most profound aspect of this passage is the claim that justice is "a path even for those who do not know it." This suggests that the moral law is so fundamental that it governs human life regardless of an individual’s awareness or education (Parkinson, 1997). Even if a person is ignorant of the formal teachings of Ma’at, they are still subject to its consequences and guided by its inherent truth. Ptahhotep is teaching that the universe has a built-in moral compass; success and stability are found only by those who recognize this path and choose to walk it. In my work as an IDD paraprofessional and a hospice worker, I witness this inherent truth daily. There is a fundamental justice in how we care for the vulnerable and how we honor the end of life. By pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Science and a PhD in Bio-environmental Engineering, I am looking to provide the technical framework for this moral path. I want to bridge the gap between ancient wisdom regarding the "lasting value" of our conduct and modern scientific solutions for environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the writer emphasizes that the effectiveness of leadership is measured by the "good deeds" that sustain the multitude. A leader who directs affairs solely for personal gain is out of alignment with the "creator’s" design. By adhering to justice, a leader creates a legacy that is "lasting," contrasting the permanence of virtue with the temporary nature of material wealth or political dominance (Asante, 2023). This aligns with my personal mission to lead by example for my children. I want them to see that perseverance, continuing my education after stopping to care for family, is a form of justice to oneself and one's community. To understand Ptahhotep is to recognize that leadership is a sacred stewardship of truth. It requires a constant internal and external search for the "good" to ensure the community remains in harmony with the eternal. Whether I am advocating for my children, one who manages diabetes and another with ADHD, or studying the intricacies of thanatology, I am guided by the belief that conduct without fault is the only secure foundation for a life of purpose. This scholarship would be a vital tool in helping me achieve these goals, allowing me to focus on my remaining 31 credits at SNHU and move toward my spring 2027 enrollment in mortuary science without financial distraction. By the age of 45, I hope to have established a career that is a living testament to Ma'at, dedicated fully to community service and ecological advocacy. References Asante, M. K. (2023). The maxims of Ptahhotep: The oldest book in the world. Universal Write Publications. Parkinson, R. B. (1997). The tale of Sinuhe and other ancient Egyptian poems, 1940–1640 BC. Oxford University Press.

Choosing to further my education in STEAM is a decision rooted in both personal resilience and a professional mission to innovate within a critical yet often overlooked industry. My path has not been a straight line; it has been shaped by the profound experience of serving as a caregiver for family members battling cancer and navigating my own health journey as a BRCA1 carrier. These challenges required me to pause my education multiple times to prioritize the wellbeing of my loved ones, but they also provided me with a unique perspective on the intersection of human health and environmental science. My primary academic goal is to complete my Bachelor of Science in Health Science, which serves as the foundational pillar for a specialized trajectory in bio-environmental engineering. I have planned a rigorous educational path that includes a Bachelor of Science in Mortuary Science, a Graduate Certificate in Thanatology, and a Master of Science in Environmental Science, eventually culminating in a PhD in Bio-environmental Engineering. By pursuing these degrees, I am positioning myself at the forefront of the "green death" movement. I want to use my education to revolutionize the deathcare industry by championing sustainable practices such as biological decomposition and eco-friendly preservation methods. The impact of this scholarship extends far beyond financial relief; it is an investment in a future where end-of-life care is treated with both clinical empathy and environmental responsibility. Currently, the traditional funeral industry often relies on processes that can be taxing on our natural resources. My goal is to apply the principles of STEAM to create more sustainable options that honor the individual while protecting the planet. This scholarship would help me manage the costs of my remaining undergraduate credits, allowing me to transition into my mortuary science program in the spring of 2027 without the weight of mounting financial barriers. Furthermore, furthering my education is a way to lead by example for my two children. I want to show them that perseverance is not just about getting through hard times, but about using those experiences to fuel a higher purpose. Despite the demands of being a single parent and the intensive medical surveillance required by my BRCA1 status, I am committed to proving that it is never too late to pursue a peak academic goal. Ultimately, this scholarship will help me achieve a career dedicated to service and advocacy. My long-term plan is to establish the infrastructure for my professional contributions so that I can transition into full-time community service by age 45. By supporting my education in STEAM, you are helping me build the expertise needed to ensure our final footprints on this earth are as ecologically responsible as the lives we lived.

Growing up in a single-parent household, the concept of a village is not just a cliché; it is a lifeline. My upbringing was defined by the strength of two remarkable women: my mother and my grandmother. Together, they created a foundation of resilience and intellectual curiosity that fuels every step of my current academic journey. Their influence is the compass I use to navigate my pursuit of a career in the health sciences and environmental sectors, ensuring that my success is a tribute to their sacrifices. My grandmother, a dedicated teacher, was the primary architect of my love for learning. Living under her roof, I saw firsthand how education could be used as a tool for empowerment. However, the strength of my village was tested when she passed away when I was only twelve years old. Losing her at such a pivotal age felt like losing a cornerstone of my world. Despite that profound loss, the values she instilled in me did not disappear. She taught me how to think critically and how to value the acquisition of knowledge as a lifelong pursuit. I honor her today by maintaining a high standard of academic integrity and by choosing a career path that allows me to educate others. Every time I sit down to study, I am utilizing the focus she instilled in me during those early years. Parallel to my grandmother’s intellectual guidance was the visceral example of my mother’s work ethic. In the wake of my grandmother’s passing, my mother had to shoulder even more, yet she never faltered. Watching her balance the demands of raising two children while simultaneously earning her LPN license was a masterclass in perseverance. She showed me that obstacles are merely temporary hurdles rather than permanent roadblocks. Her ability to provide for us while bettering herself professionally is what drives my own ambition. I strive to match that level of grit as I manage my own responsibilities, using her journey as proof that I can reach my goals regardless of the pressure. This support system was instrumental for me as a child in a single-parent home because it provided a sense of security and purpose. Even though a vital part of my village was gone, the blueprint my grandmother left behind and the active strength of my mother kept me on the right path. Their influence shaped me into a person who is both compassionate and determined. As I work toward my degree and future professional certifications, I build on their legacy by turning their lessons into action. I am not just earning a degree for myself; I am continuing a tradition of educational excellence and professional service. Their support provided the initial momentum, and now I am using that energy to create a stable and successful future. By achieving my goals, I am proving that the investment they made in me was worth every sacrifice. I aim to be the same beacon of support for my own daughter, ensuring that the cycle of success they started continues to grow.

My work is all about building a bridge between the health of our people and the health of our planet so that every generation after us can thrive in a cleaner world. I believe that a truly sustainable future starts when we look at our relationship with nature through a fresh lens. By merging my background in health sciences with bio environmental engineering, I am dedicating my life to solving the hidden ecological challenges that affect our neighborhoods. I want to make sure that the legacy we leave behind is one that actually restores the earth rather than taking away from it. This mission is personal to me because I have seen firsthand how environmental neglect can impact the well being of the families in my community. One of the biggest ways I plan to contribute is by researching and sharing new ways to protect our soil and water. Many of the systems we use today rely on harsh chemicals and materials that can hurt the environment over time, especially in urban areas where resources are already stretched thin. My goal is to use my advanced degrees to develop natural and eco friendly alternatives that keep our surroundings vibrant and safe for the entire village. When we focus on these sustainable practices, we are preventing the long term pollution that often leads to health problems in our communities. I want to be at the forefront of creating industrial solutions that prioritize the safety of our ecosystem just as much as the efficiency of our services. I also believe that a healthier world is built through shared knowledge and community spirit. I want to spend my career demystifying science so that every family has the tools to make green choices that work for them. When people understand the biological connection between their own wellness and the wellness of the earth, they become powerful advocates for change. By teaching these concepts in a way that is easy to understand and relatable, I am helping to create a resilient community that knows how to protect its resources for decades to come. I plan to use my platform to host workshops and create educational resources that empower the African diaspora to reclaim their relationship with the land and lead the way in environmental advocacy. At the end of the day, everything I do is an investment in the future of my children and yours. I want to leave behind a world where the air is crisp, the soil is rich, and the ways we care for one another are in total harmony with the natural world. By showing that innovation and heart can go hand in hand, I am setting the stage for a bright and flourishing planet. My mission is to make sure that our footprint on this earth is a beautiful gift to the generations that follow. I am driven by the hope that my daughter and son will grow up in a world where sustainability is the standard and where every community has the scientific knowledge and the resources to protect the environment they call home. By dedicating my career to this cause, I am ensuring that the work I do today creates a ripple effect of health and healing for centuries.

Growing up in a single-parent, low-income household was my first lesson in the art of resilience. In an environment where resources were often scarce, I learned that perseverance isn't just about working hard; it is about the strategic use of every available tool to create a path forward. Watching the adults in my life navigate systemic obstacles with grit taught me that a lack of a financial safety net is not a permanent barrier, but a catalyst for extreme resourcefulness. This foundation is what allows me to manage the relentless demands of being a single mother, a healthcare professional, and a student today. I plan to use this lived experience to bridge the gap between complex scientific systems and the families who need them most. Having navigated the stress of being underinsured and the struggle for quality care, I am uniquely positioned to advocate for health equity. My goal is to use my future degrees in bio-environmental engineering to ensure that sustainable health practices are accessible to the "village," not just the privileged few. I want to turn my history of scarcity into a future of abundance for others by providing the education and resources that were once out of my own reach. Currently, I am actively pursuing these goals through a disciplined cycle of professional advancement. I work as a hospice CNA and a behavioral technician to fund my education in real-time, and I am currently seeking my RBT certification to further increase my earning potential. Every credit I earn toward my health sciences degree and every shift I work is a deliberate step toward a PhD. I am proving that the resilience I learned in my youth is the engine that will drive me to revolutionize my field and uplift my community.

My desire to pursue a career in STEM is rooted in the belief that scientific innovation is the most powerful tool for achieving social and environmental justice. At thirty-eight, my journey through the healthcare field has shown me that the most significant challenges facing our communities—from health disparities to environmental neglect—require solutions that are both technically sound and deeply human. By integrating mortuary science, health science, and environmental engineering, I am building a career path designed to address the full spectrum of human existence while protecting the planet that sustains us. The foundation of my educational journey begins with a dual focus on health science and mortuary science. This combination allows me to understand the biological intricacies of the human body in both life and death. Pursuing these degrees is not just about clinical knowledge; it is about gaining the expertise needed to advocate for better healthcare outcomes and more dignified, sustainable options for end-of-life care. I want to use this background to bridge the gap between complex medical systems and the families who must navigate them, ensuring that the African diaspora has access to informed, compassionate, and scientifically grounded support during life’s most critical transitions. As I move toward a Master of Science in Environmental Science and eventually a PhD in Bio-environmental Engineering, my goal is to lead the way in developing sustainable solutions for the deathcare industry. I plan to use this advanced STEM degree to research and implement practices like natural organic reduction and eco-friendly preservation methods. Current traditional practices often rely on chemicals and materials that can compromise the health of our soil and water, particularly in urban areas. My work will focus on transforming these processes into acts of ecological restoration, ensuring that our final footprint on the earth is one of healing rather than harm. Uplifting the community is the ultimate purpose of my academic and professional mission. By mastering these scientific disciplines, I can provide the "village" with the tools to reclaim agency over their environment and their health. I intend to use my platform to create educational programs that demystify the sciences, making high-level concepts accessible to everyday people. This empowerment through knowledge helps dismantle the systemic barriers that often keep underserved communities from participating in STEM-led conversations. Ultimately, my career in STEM is a commitment to the future. I want to show my children and my community that we have the power to innovate and lead in fields that were once closed to us. By combining the discipline of engineering with the empathy of healthcare, I am working to ensure that our legacy is one of resilience, sustainability, and scientific excellence. I am not just earning degrees; I am building a future where our community thrives because we have the knowledge and the resources to protect our people and our planet.

I am building a specialized community advocacy network designed to bridge the gap between clinical health knowledge and practical, everyday wellness for underserved families. This is more than just a personal goal; it is a commitment to creating a sustainable system of support that empowers people to take agency over their own health outcomes. By combining my background in health sciences with my experience as a birth and death doula, I am working to construct a framework where education and advocacy are accessible to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status. To build this future, I am focusing on creating structured education sessions and support groups that address the specific needs of the African diaspora. These sessions go beyond basic health literacy; they provide a space for families to navigate complex medical transitions with confidence. Whether I am teaching a mother how to advocate for herself during birth or helping a family understand the biological processes at the end of life, I am building a foundation of knowledge that can be passed down through generations. This is a commitment to the "village" that ensures our community members are not just passive recipients of care, but active participants in their own well-being. Building this network will have a transformative impact on my personal life and my community. For me, it represents the professional culmination of years spent on the front lines as a CNA and a behavioral technician. It allows me to turn my academic research in bio-environmental engineering and thanatology into actionable solutions that improve lives. Personally, it gives me the professional fulfillment of knowing that my career is rooted in service, providing a stable and meaningful legacy that I can share with my children. For the community, the impact is centered on empowerment and equity. By building a network that prioritizes local education and direct support, I am helping to dismantle the barriers that often lead to health disparities. When people have the tools to understand their health and the environment around them, they are better equipped to protect themselves and their loved ones. This project is my way of building a future where knowledge is the most powerful tool we have, ensuring that our community remains resilient, informed, and healthy for years to come.

My commitment to the STEM field is not a recent development but a natural evolution of a life spent in service to the human body and the environment. At thirty-eight, my journey toward a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences is fueled by a deep curiosity about the biological processes that govern our existence and a drive to use that knowledge to solve systemic challenges. For me, being an empowered woman in STEM means more than just achieving personal academic success; it means utilizing scientific innovation to protect our communities and restore our relationship with the natural world. My interest in the sciences was sharpened during my years working as a hospice assistant and a behavioral technician. In these roles, I have been a frontline observer of the intersection between human health and environmental factors. I have seen how the African diaspora is often disproportionately affected by health disparities and environmental neglect. This reality has driven my curiosity toward the field of bio-environmental engineering. I am not simply studying health sciences to understand the body; I am studying it to understand how we can change the systems that impact our well-being from birth through the end of life. The specific contribution I intend to make to the STEM field involves the advancement of sustainable deathcare. Traditional funeral practices often involve the use of harsh chemicals and non-biodegradable materials that eventually compromise the integrity of our soil and water. My goal is to apply biological and environmental research to champion natural organic reduction and green burial practices. By pursuing a path that leads toward a PhD, I am positioning myself to be a leader in a niche scientific field that has the power to transform deathcare into an act of environmental restoration. This work requires a rigorous understanding of decomposition, soil science, and environmental policy, all of which I am mastering through my current and future studies. Empowerment through knowledge also means being a bridge for others. As a mother, I am mindful that my engagement with STEM serves as a blueprint for my daughter. I want her to see that a woman’s place in science is wherever she chooses to innovate. Whether I am researching biological processes for a dissertation or volunteering in the community to provide healthcare education, I am demonstrating that scientific inquiry is a tool for social justice. The curiosity that drives me is not just about how things work, but how they can work better for the "village." I am ready to contribute to the STEM field by bringing a unique perspective that combines clinical experience, entrepreneurial grit, and a commitment to sustainability. By integrating these disciplines, I aim to create a legacy where scientific advancement serves the most vulnerable and ensures that our final footprint on this earth is a positive one. This scholarship will provide the essential support needed to complete my degree and move into the advanced research that will allow me to lead this change. In doing so, I will continue to prove that when women are empowered with knowledge, they don't just join the STEM field—they redefine it.

My plan to make a positive impact on the world is rooted in a vision that connects the beginning of life to its natural conclusion, with a specific focus on environmental sustainability and social justice. At 38, my journey through healthcare, entrepreneurship, and now a health sciences degree has led me to a singular realization: the way we handle the end of life is one of our last great frontiers for environmental and community healing. My mission is to revolutionize the deathcare industry by merging the clinical discipline of healthcare with the innovative potential of bio-environmental engineering. The core of my impact lies in the establishment of a sustainable, green teaching funeral home. For decades, traditional burial practices in the United States have relied on chemical embalming and non-biodegradable materials that eventually leach into our soil and water systems. This is particularly problematic in underserved urban areas where the African diaspora often resides, as these communities already face disproportionate levels of environmental pollution. By championing green burials and natural organic reduction, I plan to provide an alternative that allows us to return to the earth in a way that nourishes it rather than harms it. This is not just a business goal; it is a commitment to environmental justice and a restoration of our ancestral connection to the land. In addition to the environmental aspect, my impact will be felt through community education and empowerment. I currently serve as both a birth and death doula, roles that have taught me the importance of advocacy during life’s most vulnerable transitions. I plan to use my education to create specialized workshops and support groups that demystify the dying process and provide families with the tools they need to make informed, sustainable choices. By bringing this knowledge into the living rooms of my community, I am helping to strip away the fear and misinformation that often surround deathcare, replacing it with a sense of agency and peace. Furthermore, my impact is defined by the legacy I am building for my children and the broader village. As a single mother pursuing a PhD track, I am living proof that our potential is not dictated by our past setbacks or our current responsibilities. I am modeling for my children a path of lifelong learning and servant leadership. By volunteering with organizations like the Ashanti Love non-profit and advocating for healthcare equity, I am showing them that a meaningful life is one spent in the service of others. I want to prove that we can turn our personal struggles—such as the experiences of caregiving for family members with cancer—into a professional calling that saves lives and protects the planet. Ultimately, I hope to influence policy and industry standards on a national level. My goal is to work with legislative stakeholders and environmental agencies to make eco-friendly end-of-life options accessible to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status. By applying the principles of Lean Six Sigma to deathcare operations and utilizing my background in health sciences, I intend to create a model for sustainable business that can be replicated across the country. My vision is a world where our final act on this earth is one of restoration, ensuring that the legacy we leave behind is as green and vibrant as the lives we lived. This is how I will leave my mark—by healing the earth and empowering the people, one transition at a time.

The most daunting challenge of balancing life as a single parent and a full-time student is the relentless negotiation with time. At 38, my days are not my own; they are partitioned into segments dedicated to my children, my shifts as a hospice CNA and behavioral technician, and the rigorous demands of my health sciences degree. The struggle is not merely about finding hours to study, but about the emotional and mental weight of "switching gears." Moving from the high-stakes environment of end-of-life care to the focused silence of a biology textbook, all while maintaining the emotional availability required to nurture my children, is a feat of endurance that tests the limits of my resilience every single day. Guilt is often the silent companion of the student-parent. There is a constant, nagging feeling that by focusing on my academic future, I am temporarily withdrawing from the present moments of my children's lives. When I am up late at night finishing an assignment, I am acutely aware of the time I am not spending with them. However, I have had to reframe this challenge as a lived lesson in perseverance. I have learned that being a "good mother" and being an "ambitious student" are not mutually exclusive; rather, they are two sides of the same coin. My children are watching me navigate these hurdles, and in doing so, they are learning that goals worth achieving often require a season of sacrifice. Financially, the burden is equally significant. As the sole provider, every dollar spent on tuition or textbooks is a dollar that must be carefully balanced against the needs of my household. This is where the intersection of my professional certifications and my education becomes vital. I have worked hard to earn my CNA and am currently pursuing my RBT to increase my earning potential, but even with these specialized roles, the rising costs of higher education can feel like a barrier to the very upward mobility I am seeking. The stress of managing debt while trying to build a stable foundation for my family is a constant pressure that requires meticulous planning and a "lean" approach to every aspect of our lives. This scholarship represents a critical turning point in that struggle. By alleviating a portion of the financial weight, it allows me to shift my focus from mere survival to true academic excellence. It provides the breathing room necessary to engage more deeply with my research in bio-environmental engineering and thanatology, rather than simply rushing through assignments between shifts. For my future, this support is the bridge that leads to my ultimate goal of revolutionizing the deathcare industry. It enables me to pursue a PhD track where I can develop sustainable practices for the African diaspora, turning my vision of a green teaching funeral home into a reality. More importantly, this scholarship paves the way for my children’s future. It breaks the cycle of financial struggle by allowing me to model a path of educational and professional success without the tether of overwhelming debt. I want my daughter and my son to grow up in a home where the pursuit of knowledge is seen as a birthright and a tool for community leadership. By investing in my education, you are investing in a mother who will use her success to lift her entire village. You are helping me show my children that our circumstances do not define our capacity for greatness, and that with the right support, we can protect our planet and our people for generations to come.

Growing up in a household anchored by my grandfather, a Black man and Army veteran drafted into the Vietnam War, provided me with a masterclass in resilience and self-reliance. His life served as a blueprint for navigating a world that often presented more obstacles than opportunities. Seeing him return from a war he did not choose, only to pursue a college education and eventually own and operate his own gas station, instilled in me a fundamental belief that no circumstance is too difficult to overcome with discipline and a strategic plan. His entrepreneurial journey was particularly influential in shaping my career goals. Watching him manage the daily operations of his gas station taught me that business ownership is one of the most effective ways to serve a community while building a lasting legacy. In a time when Black business owners faced immense systemic hurdles, he remained a pillar of the community through sheer grit and professionalism. This spirit is what fuels my own entrepreneurial drive today. His example gave me the courage to launch my own ventures and to envision a future where I can merge science with service. My goal to establish a sustainable teaching funeral home is a direct reflection of the values I saw him live out—ownership, community education, and the courage to pioneer a new path. My grandfather’s military service impacted my educational journey by setting a standard of high expectations and unwavering persistence. In our house, "giving up" was never an option. This mindset is exactly what allowed me to return to my studies at Southern New Hampshire University as a 38-year-old mother. When the workload of my health sciences degree feels heavy or the balance of work and family life becomes taxing, I think about him balancing his own college courses after his service. His journey proved that education is a tool for elevation, and it is a pursuit that is worth the sacrifice, no matter how long it takes to reach the finish line. Ultimately, his legacy of service and business ownership has shaped my vision to revolutionize the deathcare industry through environmental science. I am combining the clinical discipline I have practiced in my roles as a hospice CNA and behavioral technician with the entrepreneurial spirit I inherited from him. I want to build a business that reflects the values he stood for: honor, sustainability, and a commitment to the "village." By pursuing my path toward a PhD in bio-environmental engineering, I am not just earning a degree; I am completing a mission of excellence that my grandfather started decades ago. I am proving that the bravery required on the battlefield can be translated into the bravery required to innovate, lead, and protect our environment for the generations that follow us.

As a 38-year-old single mother and healthcare professional, I have approached my education with the same level of discipline and strategic planning that I apply to my career. Navigating the costs of higher education while raising two children requires more than just hard work; it requires a deliberate financial roadmap. My strategy for managing current and future student loan debt is built on a cycle of professional advancement, where I use specialized certifications to immediately increase my earning power and funnel those gains directly into my tuition and living expenses. The most critical part of this plan has been my work in the field while pursuing my health sciences degree. I initially obtained my CNA to secure a stable and competitive income stream within hospice care. This certification allowed me to move beyond entry-level roles and earn a wage that reflects the high level of responsibility and clinical skill I bring to my patients. By working in hospice, I am not only gaining invaluable experience in the end-of-life care industry I plan to lead one day, but I am also generating the liquid capital necessary to pay for my courses in real-time, thereby reducing the amount of principal I need to borrow. In addition to my work as a CNA, I have expanded my financial and professional footprint by serving as a behavioral technician for the intellectual and developmental disabilities community. I am currently in the process of becoming a Registered Behavioral Technician. This move is a strategic financial decision; obtaining the RBT credential unlocks a higher pay scale and more advanced opportunities within the field. By constantly seeking out these types of industry-recognized certifications, I am ensuring that my hourly value increases as I progress through my degree. This layered income approach—utilizing both my CNA and my upcoming RBT status—serves as my primary defense against the accumulation of debt. Looking toward the future, my educational journey is designed to transition me from direct patient care into the specialized fields of thanatology and bio-environmental engineering. My long-term goal is to move into high-level research and consultancy, where the earning potential is significantly greater than in frontline healthcare. By investing in these advanced degrees now, I am positioning myself for a career that will allow me to aggressively clear any remaining student debt and achieve my goal of financial independence by age 45. Ultimately, my journey is about proving that a student can be a provider, a caregiver, and a scholar all at once. By being proactive with my certifications today, I am ensuring that my education remains an investment in my family's future rather than a lifelong financial burden. Every dollar earned through my work as a CNA and a behavioral technician is a dollar that supports my children and brings me one step closer to a degree that will revolutionize the way we care for our people and our planet.

Breast health education is deeply personal to me because it is the common thread running through my family history and my own daily reality. Growing up, I saw the women who raised me face the daunting challenges of cancer one by one. My grandmother fought breast cancer, and her sisters navigated uterine and ovarian cancer. Watching my mother undergo a double mastectomy and a full hysterectomy was a defining chapter of my life. It was not just a medical event; it was a lesson in the incredible resilience required to survive and the physical and emotional toll that health crises take on a household. Being her primary caregiver during that time taught me that health is the foundation of everything else we hope to achieve, and without it, even the strongest families can be shaken. Today, this education is my best defense. As a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, I live with the knowledge that my genetic makeup carries a high risk, and I prioritize specialized check ups every six months. For me, breast health education is not just a collection of facts in a textbook. It is the tool that allows me to navigate my life with empowerment rather than fear. It has taught me that being proactive and informed is the most effective way to advocate for my own longevity and for the future of my children. I want to show them that having a genetic predisposition is not a life sentence, but rather a call to be more vigilant and knowledgeable about how our bodies function. This personal history is exactly what drives my current academic pursuit of a BS in Health Science. I want to bridge the gap between clinical knowledge and community awareness. In many communities, there is still a significant amount of fear or misinformation surrounding breast health and genetic testing. Some people avoid the doctor because they are afraid of what they might find, while others simply do not have the resources to understand the options available to them. I believe that by sharing my own journey and the scientific foundations I am learning in school, I can help demystify these topics for others. I want to be a voice that explains the science in a way that is human and accessible, taking the clinical language of the classroom and bringing it into the living rooms of the people who need it most. Education is the key to early detection, which we know is the most critical factor in saving lives. My goal is to use my degree to ensure that other women, particularly those in underserved areas, have access to the same life saving information and resources that have helped my family. This is especially important for women of color, who often face systemic barriers to quality care and are frequently diagnosed at later stages. By educating my community on the importance of self exams, regular screenings, and understanding family history, I am helping to level the playing field. I want to turn our history of illness into a legacy of proactive care, proving that while we may carry certain risks in our DNA, we also carry the power to protect ourselves through knowledge and action. Beyond the clinical side, I also see breast health education as a form of emotional support. When a woman receives a diagnosis or learns she carries a high risk gene, the psychological impact can be overwhelming. My education in the health sciences, combined with my experience as a doula and a hospice professional, allows me to provide a holistic perspective. I can speak to the science of the disease while also providing the emotional space for the fear and grief that often come with it. I want to help women understand that they are not alone in this fight and that there is a vast network of information and support available to them. Ultimately, my passion for this field is about transformation. I am taking the pain and the struggle of the women who came before me and turning it into a professional mission. I am using my degree to become a leader who can advocate for better policies, more accessible screenings, and more comprehensive education. I want to create a future where no woman has to face a breast health crisis without the information she needs to fight back. By investing in my education, I am investing in the health of my community and ensuring that the lessons I have learned through my family’s journey are used to save lives for generations to come. This is my "why," and it is what keeps me focused on my studies even when the road gets difficult. Knowledge is power, and when it comes to breast health, that power is life.

The work of a volunteer is rarely about a single moment of recognition; it is about the consistent, quiet choice to show up for others during their most vulnerable transitions. Throughout my life, my commitment to my community has been defined by a holistic approach to care, spanning from the beginning of life to its natural conclusion and addressing the immediate needs of those facing housing instability. One of the most significant ways I give back is through my partnership with the Ashanti Love non-profit. I have helped organize and execute events focused on feeding the homeless population in our area. These events are more than just a distribution of food; they are an exercise in restoring dignity. Organizing these efforts requires a high level of coordination, from managing donations to ensuring that we are reaching the people who need support the most. Standing on the front lines to provide a warm meal to someone who is often overlooked by society reminds me that the strength of a community is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable members. In addition to addressing food insecurity, I serve my community as both a birth and death doula. This unique dual role allows me to support families through the entire cycle of life. As a birth doula, I advocate for mothers and provide the emotional and physical support necessary for a safe and empowering delivery. Conversely, as a death doula, I offer guidance and comfort to those nearing the end of their journey, helping them and their families navigate the transition with peace and dignity. To further this impact, I regularly hold support groups and education sessions. These gatherings provide a safe space for people to discuss grief, reproductive health, and the importance of end of life planning, ensuring that vital information is accessible to everyone regardless of their background. These experiences have taught me that true leadership is synonymous with service. Leadership through service means leading from the middle of the crowd rather than from the top of a pedestal. It is about identifying a gap in the community—whether it is a lack of nutrition or a lack of support during a health crisis—and using your skills to fill that void. This form of leadership requires empathy, active listening, and the bravery to put the needs of the collective above personal ambition. By educating others and providing direct care, I am not just helping individuals; I am strengthening the fabric of the village. I believe that when we lead through service, we inspire others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of compassion and resilience. My goal is to continue using my education and my hands on experience to prove that the most effective way to change the world is to serve the person standing right in front of you.

The legacy of Sgt. Albert Dono Ware is a testament to the fact that service is not just an occasional act, but a lifelong commitment to something greater than oneself. For a Black woman in America, the values of service, sacrifice, and bravery are not abstract concepts found only in history books. They are the practical pillars upon which we build our lives, our families, and our survival. At 38, my own journey has been defined by the intersection of clinical care and personal duty, often requiring me to embody the same spirit of service and sacrifice that Sgt. Ware exemplified, though my "battlefields" have looked quite different. The value of sacrifice became profoundly real for me when I twice had to step away from my own education and career goals to become a full time caregiver. The first time was to care for my mother during her battle with cancer, and the second was to support my grandfather through his struggle with colon cancer. In those moments, bravery was not found in a single grand gesture, but in the quiet, difficult hours of hospice care, bedside vigils, and the physical and emotional toll of managing a loved one’s decline. These experiences shaped my vision for addressing the challenges currently faced by the African diaspora in the United States, particularly the deep seated disparities in healthcare and the lack of access to dignified, sustainable end of life options. In the United States today, the African diaspora faces a unique set of challenges rooted in systemic inequality that follows us from birth through death. I see the most critical community reforms as those involving environmental justice and healthcare equity. For too long, our communities have been the ones most affected by chemical pollution and land depletion. My vision for change involves a radical shift in how we handle the deathcare industry, which is an often overlooked aspect of environmental and social justice. I plan to use my education in health sciences and my future work in bio environmental engineering to champion green burials and natural organic reduction. This is a matter of restoring our connection to the land and ensuring that our final act on this earth does not further harm the environments where our families live and grow. To drive this change, we must look at a diverse group of key stakeholders. It is not enough to simply have scientists in a lab; we need grassroots community leaders, environmental experts, and legislative policymakers working in tandem. We need to involve local organizations, like the Ashanti Love non profit I volunteer with, to ensure that educational resources about sustainable living and dying are accessible at the neighborhood level. We also need to engage with urban planners and environmental agencies to reform zoning laws that currently favor traditional, chemically intensive burial practices over sustainable alternatives. These traditional practices often use embalming fluids and non biodegradable materials that leach into the soil of the very communities where we reside. Leadership, to me, means having the bravery to challenge the status quo even when it is uncomfortable. Being a 38 year old single mother returning to school to pursue a PhD track in bio environmental engineering is an act of bravery in itself. It is a refusal to accept that my path is limited by my age, my race, or my past setbacks. By pursuing this education, I am demonstrating to my children and my community that we have the right to be at the forefront of scientific innovation. We deserve to lead the conversations about how our bodies are treated and how our land is preserved. Policy reform must focus on making "green" options the standard rather than a luxury. Critical reforms include providing tax incentives for eco friendly funeral homes and subsidizing natural organic reduction for low income families. This ensures that the ability to leave a positive environmental legacy is not restricted by socioeconomic status. By involving funeral directors, environmental scientists, and community advocates, we can create a system that respects both our cultural traditions and the health of our planet. Ultimately, Sgt. Ware’s legacy inspires me to be a servant leader who is not afraid to do the hard work of bridging gaps. Whether I am working a shift as a hospice CNA or researching biological processes for a dissertation, I am driven by the same values of sacrifice and service. I plan to use my career to ensure that the African diaspora has the tools, the knowledge, and the agency to protect our people and our land. My journey is proof that when we honor the sacrifices of those who came before us, we gain the strength to build a more just and sustainable future for those who come after.

Option 1 The most profound relationships are often those that act as both a mirror and a map, showing us who we are and where we have the potential to go. For me, that relationship is with Marketta Goodson. Marketta is a licensed massage therapist and the owner of ArTis Hands LLC in Trenton, but her impact on my life extends far beyond her professional title. She is a living example of what it means to lead with a servant’s heart, and her influence has fundamentally reshaped how I build connections within my family, my career, and my community. Everything Marketta does is rooted in the concept of legacy. She named her business after her late grandmother, ArTis Mae Williams, and that sense of ancestral honor is woven into every interaction she has. Watching her work alongside her mother, a financial advisor, to bring resources to our community taught me that success is hollow if it isn't shared. In a society that often encourages gatekeeping and competition, Marketta operates with a strict open door policy. If she has knowledge or a resource that can lift someone else up, she gives it freely. This "no gatekeeping" philosophy has deeply influenced my own approach to life. It has taught me that true community building requires a radical kind of transparency and a willingness to see another person’s success as a win for the entire village. I felt the weight of her support most significantly when I was launching my own business ventures. Marketta didn’t just offer words of encouragement; she was in the trenches with me. She tested my products, sat through late night think tank sessions, and provided the pep talks I needed when I felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a student and a mother. Most importantly, she literally opened the doors of her physical store to me. She gave me a platform to teach and host events in her space, a gesture of trust that gave me the confidence to move forward. This relationship has taught me that sisterhood is a verb. Because of Marketta, I now build connections with others by looking for ways to be a bridge rather than a barrier. Whether I am working as a hospice CNA or collaborating with other entrepreneurs, I strive to embody her spirit of selfless mentorship. She has shown me that being a leader is not about standing alone at the top of a mountain; it is about building a sturdy foundation where everyone has a seat at the table. As I pursue my degree and move toward my goals in environmental science and mortuary studies, I carry Marketta’s lessons with me. I plan to use my platform to educate others on green burials and sustainable options with the same transparency she used to help me. Marketta has healed more than just physical bodies through her massage therapy; she has healed a community by proving that when we pour into one another, the entire village grows stronger. She is the blueprint for the kind of leader and connector I strive to be every single day.

My journey as a single mother pursuing a degree has been a testament to the fact that persistence does not have an expiration date. At 38, I am navigating a path that has been anything but linear, shaped by a constant balancing act between my personal ambitions and my responsibilities as the sole provider and nurturer for my two children. This journey began nearly twenty years ago, and while it has been marked by many pauses, each restart has come with a deeper sense of purpose and a clearer vision of the legacy I want to leave behind. The challenges of this path are often rooted in the finite nature of time and resources. As a single parent, there is no "off" switch; my days are partitioned between long shifts as a hospice CNA and behavioral technician, the daily needs of my children, and late night study sessions. The financial burden of tuition, coupled with the rising costs of raising a family, creates a weight that requires constant management and sacrifice. I have had to step away from my education twice before—first at 19 to focus on my first child, and later at 32 to become a full time caregiver for my mother during her battle with cancer. These moments of putting my dreams on the back burner were difficult, but they were necessary acts of love that taught me the true meaning of resilience. Despite these obstacles, the journey has been incredibly fulfilling. There is a unique kind of strength that comes from knowing you are building a future with your own two hands. One of the most rewarding aspects of this experience is seeing the impact it has on my children. They see me studying after a long day of work, and they understand that education is a privilege worth fighting for. Being able to connect my real world experience in healthcare with the scientific theories I am learning in my health sciences courses brings a level of depth to my education that I didn't have in my younger years. It is fulfilling to know that I am not just earning a degree for myself, but for every patient I will serve and every environmental project I will lead. I hope to uplift my family by proving that our beginnings and our setbacks do not dictate our finish line. By completing my bachelor’s and moving toward advanced degrees in thanatology and bio-environmental engineering, I am creating a foundation of stability and opportunity for my children. I want to show them that it is possible to turn personal struggles into a professional calling that serves the greater good. My education is the key to transitioning from hands on caregiving to a leadership role where I can revolutionize the deathcare industry through sustainable practices like green burials. Ultimately, I am pursuing this path to ensure that the work I do not only provides a better life for my family today but also protects the world they will inherit tomorrow.

Faith has always been the steady pulse behind everything I do. It was woven into the fabric of my life by my grandmother, who was a teacher and the spiritual anchor of our family. I grew up watching her wake up every morning and devote herself to prayer before she even considered the tasks of the day. She didn't just tell us about faith; she lived it. She kept us in church, showed us the way, and taught me that you cannot lead or serve others if you aren't first grounded in a power greater than yourself. In my academic journey, faith has been my source of resilience. Returning to school at 38 as a single mother of two is not an easy path, and there have been many moments where the weight of my responsibilities felt overwhelming. During those times, I rely on the discipline my grandmother instilled in me. I pray for the strength to keep going and for the clarity to see my education as a form of stewardship. My faith has taught me that my skills and my passion for health sciences are gifts meant to be used for the benefit of others. It has turned my academic goals from a personal pursuit into a divine assignment to bring comfort to those in transition. My future goals are also deeply impacted by my spiritual beliefs. I believe that we have a sacred duty to care for the earth and for each other, which is why I am so driven to pursue a career in green mortuary science. I see the work of natural organic reduction and environmental protection as a way to honor the creation we were given. My faith gives me the courage to challenge traditional industry standards and advocate for a future where end of life care is restorative and compassionate. Beyond my faith, it was my grandmother’s legacy as an educator that pushed me to pursue higher education. Seeing her impact on her students showed me that knowledge is a tool for liberation. She believed that education was the one thing no one could ever take away from you. My children also push me every day. Every time I open a textbook or head to a shift as a hospice CNA, I am mindful that they are watching. I want to honor my grandmother’s memory and my children’s future by proving that it is never too late to answer your calling.

My name is Yasmine Mccray, and at 38 years old, my life is a reflection of my commitment to caregiving and community service. As a Black woman currently working as a hospice CNA and a behavioral technician, I have spent my career supporting individuals through some of life’s most difficult transitions. My journey has been shaped by deep personal challenges, including serving as a full time caregiver for my mother and grandfather during their battles with cancer. These experiences, combined with my own reality as a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, have fueled my passion for bridging the gap between healthcare and environmental science. I am pursuing a degree in health sciences as the foundation for a career dedicated to revolutionizing the deathcare industry. My goal is to use my education to advocate for and implement green burial options, such as natural organic reduction. I believe that our final act on this earth should be one of restoration rather than depletion. By mastering the science behind post mortem biological processes and environmental impact, I plan to lead the shift toward eco friendly practices that protect our soil and water for future generations. This major provides the clinical and technical expertise I need to turn this vision into a professional reality that heals both the community and the planet. One of the causes I am most actively involved in is feeding the homeless through the Ashanti Love non profit. This work is vital to me because it reinforces the idea that every person deserves dignity and care, regardless of their circumstances. Whether I am handing out a meal or sitting with a hospice patient, my philosophy remains the same: we are all interconnected, and it is our responsibility to show up for one another. This grassroots involvement keeps me grounded and reminds me that leadership is, at its heart, an act of service. If awarded this scholarship, it would provide the financial stability I need to complete my degree without the constant stress of balancing tuition with the costs of raising two children as a single mother. This support would allow me to focus more deeply on my studies in thanatology and bio environmental engineering, moving me closer to my goal of becoming a leader in sustainable mortuary science. It would be an investment in a future where end of life care is compassionate, accessible, and environmentally conscious. By supporting my education, you are helping me show my children that persistence pays off and that one person can truly change the trajectory of an entire industry.

My family's history with cancer is a roadmap of resilience and a constant reminder of the importance of proactive health management. Cancer has not just been a diagnosis in my household; it has been a generational battle that has shaped how we live and how we care for one another. My grandmother fought breast cancer, and the reach of the disease extended through her sisters, who faced uterine and ovarian cancer. Seeing the women who raised me confront these challenges with such strength was my first lesson in what it means to be a survivor. The impact became even more personal when my mother had to undergo a double mastectomy and a full hysterectomy. Being her primary caregiver during that time was one of the most significant experiences of my life. It was during those long days and nights of recovery that I learned the true meaning of selflessness and the physical toll that healing takes on the human body. Stepping away from my career and schooling to ensure she was never alone in her fight taught me that caregiving is a high calling that requires patience, empathy, and a thick skin. This journey took another turn when I discovered that I carry the BRCA1 gene. This knowledge changed my perspective on my own body and my future. Instead of living in fear, I have chosen to use this information as a tool for empowerment. I now navigate life with a high level of vigilance, attending check ups every six months to ensure I am staying ahead of any potential issues. Living with this genetic reality has taught me that health is not something to be taken for granted and that being informed is our best line of defense. Through these experiences, I have learned that cancer does not just affect the person with the diagnosis; it reshapes the entire family dynamic. It has taught me the value of transparency and the necessity of advocating for yourself in the healthcare system. My family history is a major reason why I am so passionate about my education in the health sciences. I want to take the lessons of strength and survival I learned at home and apply them to a career where I can help others navigate their own health transitions with dignity. Ultimately, cancer has taught me that we are much stronger than we think we are. It has instilled in me a relentless drive to push forward, not just for myself, but for the little ones who are watching me. I want to show my children that while we may carry certain risks in our DNA, we also carry the strength of all the women who came before us. My family's journey has turned a history of illness into a legacy of proactive care and unbreakable family bonds.

Attending higher education is the essential bridge between my current work in the field and the systemic changes I want to lead in the future. While my years of experience as a hospice CNA and a behavioral technician have given me a deep hands on understanding of human health and the end of life process, a degree in health sciences provides the formal scientific foundation I need to be taken seriously as an innovator. To truly revolutionize an industry as traditional as deathcare, I need more than passion. I need the clinical and technical expertise that only a rigorous academic path can provide. My long term vision is to bridge the gap between healthcare, mortuary science, and environmental engineering. Higher education will facilitate this by allowing me to master the complexities of anatomy, physiology, and environmental impact. This knowledge is the first step in my journey toward advanced degrees where I plan to research post mortem biological processes and sustainable alternatives to traditional burial. Without this educational framework, I would not have the credentials to advocate for policy changes or develop new eco friendly standards that protect our soil and groundwater from the chemicals used in conventional funeral practices. I plan to create a positive impact by transforming the way my community views and handles death. My goal is to move the conversation away from preservation and toward restoration. I plan to use my platform to educate families on green burials and natural organic reduction, ensuring that these sustainable options are accessible to everyone, not just a privileged few. By demystifying the science behind eco friendly deathcare, I can help people make choices that honor their loved ones while simultaneously healing the planet. Furthermore, I plan to leverage my background in UX design to create digital tools that uplift the entire industry. I envision developing a live data bank where environmentalists and deathcare professionals can share real time data on soil health and conservation efforts. By combining high level science with accessible technology, I can create a lasting impact that ensures our final act on this earth is one of life sustaining protection for the generations to follow. My education is the catalyst that will turn my lived experiences into a professional legacy of environmental and communal healing. At 38, I am ready to use this opportunity to show my children that our personal struggles can be turned into a force for global good.

My name is Yasmine Mccray, and my life has been defined by the belief that caring for others is the highest calling one can answer. As a 38-year-old Black woman, a mother, and a healthcare professional, my identity is built on a foundation of resilience and service. I have spent years working as a hospice CNA and a behavioral technician for individuals with disabilities, roles that have taught me how to find beauty and dignity in life’s most challenging transitions. The challenges that shaped me are deeply personal. I have twice put my own education and career on hold to serve as the primary caregiver for my family—first for my mother during her battle with cancer, and later for my grandfather as he fought colon cancer. These experiences, combined with my own journey as a single mother and a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, have given me a unique perspective on the fragility of health and the urgency of our environmental impact. I have seen firsthand how traditional deathcare practices can be a source of chemical pollution and land depletion, and I am driven by a passion to change that. My "why" is rooted in the intersection of human health and environmental justice. I am currently pursuing a BS in Health Sciences, which serves as the first step in an ambitious academic trajectory toward a BS in Mortuary Science, an MS in Environmental Science, and ultimately a PhD in Bio-environmental Engineering. This path is designed to give me the scientific and clinical expertise to revolutionize the deathcare industry. This program is the essential foundation I need to understand the human body in both health and decline. It provides the structure and function knowledge that will support my future research into post-mortem biological processes and pre-mortem medications. By mastering the health sciences now, I am preparing myself to lead the shift toward sustainable end-of-life options like natural organic reduction and green burials. My plan for a lasting impact is to use my education to uplift my community through both technology and tradition. I want to be a leading voice in educating families about eco-friendly burial options that protect our soil and water for future generations. Additionally, using my background in UX design, I plan to develop digital tools that serve as live data banks for environmentalists to share critical data. Ultimately, I am striving to create a future where our final act on this earth is one of restoration rather than depletion. I want to show my children, and other Black women in science, that you can turn your personal struggles into a catalyst for global change. I am ready to lead an industry toward a more sustainable, compassionate, and life-sustaining legacy.

I am uniquely deserving of this scholarship because my journey is a testament to the fact that persistence has no expiration date. At 38 years old, I am a single mother of two, a healthcare professional, and a caregiver who has spent nearly two decades navigating the exact obstacles this award seeks to alleviate. My path to a degree hasn't been a straight line; it has been a series of courageous restarts. Each time life demanded that I choose between my education and the well-being of my family, I chose my family, but I never let go of the vision I had for my future. My "why" for pursuing higher education is rooted in the desire to transform my lived experience into professional expertise. Working as a hospice CNA and a behavioral technician has given me a front-row seat to the most vulnerable moments of human life. I have seen where our systems fail, particularly in how we handle the end-of-life process and its environmental impact. I am not just going to school to get a degree; I am going to gain the tools necessary to revolutionize deathcare through thanatology and bio-environmental engineering. I want to lead the way in educating my community about green burials and sustainable options that protect our planet for the very children I am raising. However, the reality of being a single mother means that my "why" is constantly tested by my "how." Balancing the high costs of tuition with the daily expenses of raising a family is a heavy burden. There are no "off" days when you are the sole provider, the nurturer, and the student. My time is not my own; it is partitioned between long shifts in patient care, my children’s needs, and late-night study sessions. I know what it’s like to put your dreams on the back burner to care for a parent with cancer or to ensure your children have what they need to succeed. By returning to school now, I am showing my children that their mother is more than just a survivor—she is a builder. I want them to see that obstacles like financial strain and limited time are things to be navigated, not reasons to stop. This scholarship would provide the financial breathing room I need to focus on completing my Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, allowing me to move closer to my goal of becoming a leader in eco-friendly mortuary science. Ultimately, I am pursuing this education because I believe that my final act on this earth, and the legacy I leave for my children, should be one of restoration and service. I am ready to prove that the challenges of single motherhood can be the catalyst for a career that changes the world. Receiving this support would not just be an investment in a student; it would be an investment in a mother who is determined to show her children that no matter how many times you have to pause, you always have the power to finish.

Growing up as the daughter of a single mother, my foundation was built on a complex history that I had to learn to navigate with grace and strength. Being a product of rape is a heavy reality to carry, and it is a truth that shaped my childhood in ways that are difficult to put into words. It meant that from a very young age, I was acutely aware of the resilience required to survive and the quiet power it takes to build a life out of a difficult beginning. Watching my mother navigate the world on her own showed me that survival isn't just about getting through the day; it is about the grit to keep moving forward even when the odds are stacked against you. This early exposure to the realities of single motherhood became the blueprint for my own life. Today, as a mother of two children whom I am raising on my own, I find myself standing in the same shoes of strength that I once watched my mother wear. Being a single parent is a constant test of endurance. It has taught me that "giving up" is simply not an option because there are little eyes watching every move I make. My children are my greatest motivation to push harder and keep going, no matter how exhausted I may feel or how many times I have had to hit the pause button on my own dreams. The experience of being raised by a single mother, combined with my own journey as one, has instilled in me a deep sense of self-reliance and empathy. It is the reason I have been able to work as a hospice CNA and a behavioral tech while managing a household and returning to school at 38. I have learned that the challenges we face do not define our worth; rather, they define our capacity for growth. My background has given me a unique perspective on the importance of community and the necessity of showing up for those who feel they are fighting their battles alone. Moreover, raising my children solo has sharpened my focus on the legacy I want to leave behind. I want them to see that their mother didn't just survive; she thrived. I want them to understand that while our family structure might be different from others, it is built on a foundation of unbreakable love and relentless determination. Every time I sit down to study after a long shift or advocate for a greener future in the deathcare industry, I am doing it to show them that their beginnings do not dictate their finish line. Ultimately, growing up with a single mother and becoming one myself has been the most transformative experience of my life. it has taught me that selflessness and strength are two sides of the same coin. It has fueled my passion for caregiving and my commitment to my education, ensuring that I can provide a better future for my children while honoring the resilience of the woman who raised me. I am a testament to the fact that you can take a difficult history and turn it into a source of power that serves not only your family but your entire community.

Returning to school at 38 is a victory in itself, but the road to get here has been defined by a constant balancing act between my personal ambitions and my responsibilities to the people I love. My academic journey has not been a straight line; it has been a series of pauses and restarts, each one teaching me more about resilience than any textbook ever could. The greatest challenge I have faced is the internal struggle of putting my dreams on hold to prioritize the needs of my family, a cycle that began nearly twenty years ago. The first major shift occurred when I was 19. I was just starting to find my footing as a young adult when I had my first child. At that age, the weight of parenthood became my primary focus, and I had to make the difficult decision to stop school to ensure I could provide for my baby. I spent years in the workforce, gaining experience in healthcare and behavioral health, but the desire to complete my education never truly left me. When I had my second child at 28, the complexities of life only grew, and the dream of a degree felt further away than ever. It wasn't until I was 32 that I finally felt I had the stability to return to the classroom. I was motivated and ready to push through, but life presented a challenge that I could not ignore. My mother was diagnosed with cancer, and as her daughter, there was no question about where I needed to be. I chose to step away from my studies once again to become her full time caregiver. During that period, I also cared for my grandfather as he battled colon cancer. These years were some of the most difficult of my life, but they were also the most transformative. I learned the true meaning of selflessness and gained a deep, hands on understanding of the healthcare system and the end of life process. Now, at 38, I am returning to school with a clarity and purpose that I didn't have in my younger years. The challenge today is different; it is about managing the mental load of being a non traditional student while still maintaining my roles as a mother and a professional. However, the obstacles I overcame in the past have become my greatest strengths. Having experienced the "why" behind my studies through caregiving and my work as a cna, I am more driven than ever to succeed in the health sciences. Receiving the Jerrye Chesnes Memorial Scholarship would represent more than just financial support; it would be a recognition of the persistence it takes to keep coming back. My journey shows that a delay is not a defeat. By returning to school now, I am showing my children that it is never too late to pursue your calling and that the challenges we face only make the eventual achievement that much more meaningful. I am ready to finish what I started and use my education to make a lasting impact in the field of deathcare and environmental science.

My name is Yasmine Mccray, and my life is a collection of roles that all point toward one goal, which is providing compassionate care during the most significant transitions of the human experience. As a black woman currently working as a hospice CNA and a behavioral technician for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, I have dedicated my career to supporting those who are often overlooked. My journey is not just professional; it is deeply personal. Like Michele L. Durant, I have walked the difficult path of a cancer journey within my own family. I stepped away from my career and my education to become a full-time caregiver for my mother during her battle with cancer and for my grandfather during his fight with colon cancer. This connection to the cancer community became even more profound when I discovered that I carry the BRCA1 gene. Living with this knowledge has given me a unique perspective on health and the importance of proactive education. It has fueled my desire to bridge the gap between healthcare and environmental science. I believe that our health is intrinsically tied to the health of our planet, and my long-term goal is to revolutionize the way we approach the end of life. I am currently pursuing a degree in health sciences with plans to move into thanatology and bio-environmental engineering. I want to create a future where the deathcare industry is a source of restoration for the earth rather than a source of chemical pollution and land depletion. My plan for making a positive impact on my community focuses heavily on education and accessibility within the mortuary field. I want to be a leading voice in educating people on their options for green burials and natural organic reduction. In my community, I see so many families who are simply unaware that they have options that align with their values of sustainability. I want to be the person who provides that clarity, making these eco-friendly services accessible and understandable to everyone regardless of their background. Beyond the physical work, I am also a graduate of a UX design cohort where I learned to build functional technology. I plan to use those skills to create apps that serve as live data banks for environmentalists and educational tools for families exploring these greener processes. In addition to my professional goals, I remain deeply committed to grassroots community service. Whether I am volunteering with the Ashanti Love non-profit to feed the homeless or serving as a birth and death doula, my focus is on showing up with a selfless heart. I believe that being a leader in my community means being a servant first. By receiving the Michele L. Durant Scholarship, I will be able to continue my education and bring these visions to life. I want to honor Michele's legacy by being a voice for black women in science and a leader in the movement to make our final act on this earth one that protects the world for the next generation. I am ready to turn my experiences with caregiving and my own health journey into a catalyst for global change.

My journey with technology really took off during a UX design cohort where I built a travel app from the ground up. That experience was a huge eye opener for me because it showed me how I could take a big messy idea and turn it into a functional user friendly reality. Since then I have been diving into how I can blend my healthcare and mortuary backgrounds with smarter AI driven tools to solve real world problems. I want to move away from general apps and start focusing on technology that directly impacts the fields I am dedicated to. I am particularly interested in how machine learning can handle complex datasets to help people in my field. Right now I see a massive gap in how we share information. My goal is to develop an app that serves as a live data bank for environmentalists and professionals in the deathcare industry. Using AI this platform could aggregate real time environmental data helping us stay up to date on soil health chemical impact and land conservation. It would be more than just a tool. It would be a space where we can communicate and share critical data to move the industry forward together. Having a centralized place where data is updated live would allow us to make better decisions for the planet in real time. Another project I am incredibly passionate about is creating an educational app centered on green burial processes. Many people are simply not aware that green options even exist and I believe AI can play a huge role in making that information accessible. I envision an app that uses interactive learning and personalized paths to help families and professionals understand the science behind natural organic reduction and water cremation. This would help bridge the gap between curiosity and actual implementation of eco friendly deathcare. In the future I see myself making an impact by humanizing this technology. In fields as sensitive as hospice and mortuary science AI should not feel cold or robotic. I want to use it to create bridges whether that is a bridge between environmentalists sharing data or a bridge for a grieving family looking for a sustainable way to honor their loved one. By combining my hands on caregiving experience with smart app development I hope to lead the way in making the end of life industry one that actually protects and sustains the living world. I believe that by creating these digital spaces for communication and education we can transform a traditional industry into one that is forward thinking and environmentally conscious.

For me, selflessness is not just a character trait or a choice I make once in a while. It is the very foundation of my life and the driving force behind every career path I have chosen. Whether I am working as a hospice CNA, an IDD behavioral tech, or serving as a birth and death doula, my focus is always on showing up for people during their most vulnerable or transitionary moments. To embody selflessness means to put the needs, comfort, and dignity of others before my own convenience, and in my line of work, that is a daily requirement. One of the most significant ways I embody this is through my work with the Ashanti Love non profit. Spending time volunteering to feed people experiencing homelessness has taught me that selflessness is often about visibility. It is about looking someone in the eye and recognizing their humanity when the rest of the world might walk right past them. In those moments, it is not just about the meal I am handing over. It is about the time, the conversation, and the energy I give to ensure they feel seen and cared for. It is easy to be selfless when things are going well, but showing up consistently for the community is where that commitment is truly tested. However, the deepest examples of selflessness in my life have happened within the walls of my own home. There is a huge difference between being a professional caregiver and being a family caregiver. A few years ago, I reached a point where I had to make a choice between my own personal momentum and the people I love most. When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and later when my grandfather faced colon cancer, I did not hesitate to hit the pause button on my own life. I stopped my career and put my schooling on hold to come home and take care of them. During those years, my world became about their appointments, their comfort, and their healing. Being a caregiver for a family member is a 24/7 job that requires you to pour out every ounce of your emotional and physical energy. It meant putting my dreams of finishing my degree on the back burner so that I could ensure they were never alone in their fight. I do not see that time as a sacrifice in a negative sense, but rather as the ultimate expression of love. Whether I am holding the hand of a hospice patient or supporting a family through the birth or death of a loved one, I strive to be a calm and steady presence. Being a doula for both the beginning and the end of life requires a level of self-forgetting that is hard to describe. You have to leave your own ego and your own day at the door to hold space for someone else’s journey. To me, that is the heart of being selfless. It is about realizing that we are all interconnected, and that helping someone else carry their burden is the highest calling there is.

The traditional funeral industry is currently facing a silent environmental crisis. For decades, the standard approach to death has relied on practices that prioritize preservation and aesthetics over ecological health. However, as we look toward the next few years, the impact of these traditions is becoming impossible to ignore. Sustainability must become a priority in deathcare not as a trend but as a fundamental necessity to protect our soil, our water, and our remaining land. The detrimental damage associated with conventional burials is multi faceted. First, there is the issue of land scarcity. In many urban and suburban areas, cemeteries are reaching capacity, leading to graveyard sprawl that consumes valuable green space. Second, the chemical impact is profound. Conventional embalming relies heavily on formaldehyde, a known carcinogen that can eventually leach into the soil and groundwater. Furthermore, the manufacturing of traditional caskets and concrete burial vaults requires an immense amount of resources like steel, copper, and hardwoods only to bury them permanently underground. Even cremation, often viewed as a greener alternative, carries a significant carbon footprint due to the high energy required and the release of mercury and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In the future, I see my role in this profession as a bridge between traditional service and ecological stewardship. Reducing environmental impact requires a shift in how we perceive the final rest, moving away from the idea of sealing a body away and toward the concept of returning it to the earth. My goal is to champion natural organic reduction and green burials. By facilitating processes where the body is allowed to decompose naturally using biodegradable materials like wicker, seagrass, or simple pine, we can eliminate the need for toxic chemicals and metal heavy caskets. This approach turns the burial site into a living memorial such as a forest or a meadow rather than a field of stone. Beyond the method of disposition, I intend to integrate sustainability into the operational side of the profession. Many families choose traditional methods simply because they are not aware of the alternatives. I see myself as an educator, helping families understand the beauty and peace found in green options that honor their loved ones while protecting the planet for future generations. I also plan to help develop or manage funeral spaces that operate on lean principles to minimize waste and utilize sustainable energy. This includes creating teaching funeral homes that focus specifically on eco friendly practices, ensuring the next generation of practitioners is equipped with the skills to handle water cremation and natural burials. I even envision working with land trusts to ensure that burial sites contribute to reforestation efforts. In this model, the profession stops being a consumer of land and starts becoming a protector of it. Ultimately, the goal of deathcare is to provide dignity and closure. By prioritizing sustainability, we ensure that our final act on this earth is one of restoration rather than depletion, leaving behind a legacy that is truly life sustaining.