What is my greatest inspiration in life? Oddly, I found myself challenged with this question as to what person, object, or thing can be fairly described as my greatest inspiration. I have experienced throughout my work and internships individuals who made their life goal to help others. Were these people my greatest inspiration? Although their actions helped morph a part of my desire to help others, the fire that continuously drove me forward wasn’t a conversation or experience with these individuals. I found that what truly inspired me was before my eyes: my father. When my mother left me when I was a couple of months old, she barred herself from contacting my father or even the court by never responding or reaching out herself. These events led to my father having to raise me without her. For two years, I lived with my grandparents as my father worked to support me. Without going further into details of the challenges my father faced raising me, these events alone present how my father always pushed forward. I have always seen my father’s decisions and actions as an extension of his firm beliefs of being the person who has always cared for others, whether it was family or his community. My father shaped my perspective of my role in my school and community. Through the lessons, my father instilled in me led me to realize my potential wasn’t determined by an audience but by my actions. During my sophomore year, I formed the United Students League (USL) as a means for students to carry out selfless acts to better our community. Through USL, I led various initiatives to bring resources to students and raise awareness on important issues that lacked addressment within our school districts including the lack of mental health resources for all our districts. As President, I championed reforms within my school’s student government, including the distribution of power and roles to the representatives through committees, allowing for students to actively shape our school environment by amending our bylaws and acting upon them. Through the enactment of the new bylaw amendments, there was an expansion of clubs and student rights to have a voice not only in the Student Government but within the school itself. An opportunity for students to voice their opinions is not only crucial but necessary to maintain a sense of our freedoms as students, as our vision of the democratic experiment. Throughout high school, I volunteered for more than 200 hours of community service, and my senior year I was awarded the presidential service award. I believe that to pay forward a selfless act one would need to live life ready to help someone within a reasonable context. As a future lawyer, I want to defend those who have been oppressed by the system within the courts. For me, my drive is built in what I’ve learned from my father: take life for what it's worth to achieve the better possibilities of tomorrow.

Growing up, my parents advised me that what we give out to the world becomes what we see in it. From their advice, I came to understand that helping another person represents a way of giving back to the world around you while finding yourself being part of something greater. For me, giving back to my community creates the ability to find oneself in the world. From speaking at fundraisers for my Mosque’s youth groups to advocating for more resources addressing the mental health of students, I have strived to be an active member of my community. From 2018 to 2019, I worked with local officials in my hometown on a couple of funding initiatives for local schools through the Non-Homestead Renewal Act and a Sinking Fund Renewal. Being part of this initiative, I realized that funding for our schools is not simple checks written through the government but from our community. To preserve our education system and improve in other areas, funding is crucial. If we choose to wait for someone to write a check, we put limitations on the generations to come. My part within the committees may have been small. In the end, I was part of the team that led to the passing of both funding initiatives in the local election. From the beginning of high school, I wanted to be involved in my community, both in the political and social spheres. During the summer of my sophomore and junior year of high school, I interned at Congressman Dan Kildee’s district office. Through this experience, I learned more about my community and the effect of seemingly small projects having more meaning than we give credit. We often ignore deeds that appear small because it does not fit the title of servicing the greater good; however, sometimes small actions can do more for a community when we all take part in them. From projects dealing with the Flint water crisis, I learned that simply having a presence against injustice and inequality says a lot more than allowing history to take a course. During school, I was involved in several clubs including, Student Government and the National Honors Society. Through my club activities, I participated in several projects that brought funds to clubs, addressed concerns of the student body, and engaged in community outreach. During my free time at school, I would assist teachers in their classrooms and tutor students in various subjects. Furthermore, outside of school, I would volunteer by working at the food pantry or food bank, planning and participating in small events after school or in my community, and organizing events at my high school like Career Day. As I advance in my education, each course will be a part of my journey toward being a lawyer who stands for their community through the courts and in the community itself. I came to realize that it is not through the most notable acts of service that always amount to something meaningful, but it is often the small acts of service, often overlooked, that can mean the world to someone else. I believe that my impact on others was by giving people strength and reassurance. Even if my actions did not end up changing things the way I envisioned, I still brought awareness to the subject at hand. My impact through my volunteering and advocacy was at large because I found myself surrounded by like-minded individuals. Community service may be something we as individuals do, but at large, its impact, as a means for a solution, is based on people working together.

Looking back at my experiences throughout last year, I have seen a year full of moments for every emotion listed in the Oxford dictionary. For most 2020, may be remembered as the year of Covid-19; although it is true to an extent, it represents more than this. We all faced challenges from pandemic, including seeing loved ones fall ill or pass from this virus. Although we have all faced Covid-19 head-on in different ways, for me, it changed what would have been a typical gap year into something more innovative. After graduating high school, I decided to take a gap year before beginning my undergraduate studies in political science and economics at the University of Chicago. Although the gap year was not the typical gap year provided through the imagination of Hollywood, I was still able to hold onto many memorable moments. From the state-mandated lockdown to lesser restriction, I have learned that hoping for something we had in the past in many cases prevents us from seeing the possibilities of the future. Through my internship at Genesee County Prosecutor's office and my job at American Eagle, I have learned to adapt to ever-changing situations. Although my job ended at the beginning of 2021 due to the location closing, I still found memories and built skills that will last me my lifetime. Through the prosecutor’s office, I found myself learning more about our court system and the legal field, even on the occasion of having to work from home. If 2020 taught me anything, it was to be resourceful, and there are moments where life throws challenges left and right, but it's up to us to build ourselves up from them. Like any year, it was not the year itself that shaped my future, but the choices I have made throughout the year. Through my mistakes and experiences through 2020, I learned that today through the eyes of tomorrow will become yesterday, so I need to make sure that when I look back, no regrets follow. I felt that this year has shaped more opportunities to build myself up that other years haven't. As I continue forward with 2021, I look back to remember the lessons I have learned as my future is not limited to my shortcomings but one based on my ability to learn from them.

My experience with mental health began with a friend of mine who was absent from school. At first, I did not think of anything out of the ordinary until I found out the reason for absence: they had attempted to take their life and were currently receiving treatment at the hospital. For me, I realized that we all have moments where we feel that we are lost or alone. This moment changed my viewpoint on how we should address mental health. After this moment, as president of Student Government, I actively advocated that we make more resources available for students in regards to mental health, including student access to counseling. As a sophomore, I founded the United Students League, a club at my high school. Through the United Students league, I organized small events that indirectly addressed student anxiety and stress that students faced. By working with local organizations across Genesee County, I along with the United Students League, a club I founded, amassed a response with both sponsorships and endorsements from a larger community, my community, to build a foundation for our Mental Health Student Summit. These organizations would include Genesee Health System, Genesee County Prosecutor’s office, UM-Flint Department of Public Health & Health Sciences, Congressman Dan Kildee, The Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Voices For Children, NAMI Genesee County, Sylvester Broome & Empowerment Village, GISD School District, and Genesee Early College’s Key Club & Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Through the summit students from across the county would come together to discuss how we as a community have addressed mental health in our schools, as well as present resources for students to take back to their local schools. Although Covid-19 prevented the summit from taking place, we were still able to gather a response on an issue that we too often ignore. After the experience I had with my friend, I found myself reaching out to my friends more often. I found that while we may not always understand what someone is going through it can mean a lot simply having a presence. Even when I find myself in a lower moment, knowing that I have someone there makes me feel like I am capable of moving past that moment. I believe that one doesn't need to follow a path toward medicine to advocate for more resources or even addressing mental illness within the community. As a lawyer and potentially a future politician, I want to use the resources and connections I make in the field to advocate for every person to have access to mental health resources and that finances nor background limits you from accessing them. I believe our society has already made many steps forward in this regard. For instance, while interning at Genesee County Prosecutor’s office this past year, I learned more about the Mental Health Court. As I listened in a meeting in the Judge’s chambers, in the mental health court, I have seen that our society is working to better our communities from more angles than we see.

Often we may presume a role model is an individual who fits a perfect character of an honorable trait or they are embodiments of success. However, for me, a role model is not a person based on perfection but lives full of content based on their selfless acts and not for society’s growing vision of success. My certainty of this individual began with a story. Although I was present, my memory of the event turned more into what my younger self created through my imagination. Oddly, when I was younger, I tried my best to understand my story through the movie, Meet the Robinsons. The story began 19 years ago when I was only a couple of months old. My younger self imagined that on that day, if you were looking from a distance, you would see clouds pass over the suburban home on the small hill, and at its doorsteps, there would be a man holding a child. Staring towards the door, you would hear the start of the engine of a car that would pull away from the driveway with a woman who never turned back. The man at the doorsteps was my father, who held me as an infant, while the person who drove away was my biological mother. That very moment changed my life, as it would be a couple of years later that I would meet the person I would call my mom today. But that is a story for another time or essay. When my biological mother left, she barred herself from contacting my father or even the court by never responding or reaching out herself. These events led to my father having to raise me without her. For two years, I lived with my grandparents as my father worked to support me. Without going further into details of the challenges my father faced raising me, these events alone present how my father always pushed forward. I have always seen my father’s decisions and actions as an extension of his firm beliefs of being the person who has always cared for others, whether it was family or his community. As my father made many sacrifices in his life, including raising me, I found myself inspired by his principles to be active within my family and in my community. The small moments where he will help another person who is struggling even when all he can offer are words. Often we overlook the power of a single act as it may appear insignificant, but one thing my father always told me is that never give up on something good no matter how small it may appear. Through the lessons and character my father portrays in his life, he helped morph my aspirations into something more. During my sophomore year, I formed the United Students League (USL) as a means for students to carry out selfless acts to better our community. Through USL, I led various initiatives ranging from bringing resources for students related to career aspects by starting our school's first annual career day to raising awareness on mental health within our school and district across the country. Growing up I always tried my best to help others from volunteering to being involved at home. Throughout high school, I committed to more than 200 hours of community service, and my senior year I was awarded the presidential service award. I believe that to pay forward a selfless act one would need to live life ready to help someone within a reasonable context. As a future lawyer, I want to defend those being oppressed by the system or who need help in general within the courts. For me, to pay forward what I’ve learned, I need to live by his example by taking each day for what it's worth to achieve the better possibility for tomorrow.

My experience with mental health began with a friend of mine who was absent from school. At first, I did not think of anything out of the ordinary until I found out the reason for absence: they had attempted to take their life and were currently receiving treatment at the hospital. For me, I realized that we all have moments where we feel that we are lost or alone. This moment changed my viewpoint on how we should address mental health. After this moment, as president of Student Government, I actively advocated that we make more resources available for students in regards to mental health, including student access to counseling. As a sophomore, I founded the United Students League, a club at my high school. Through the United Students league, I organized small events that indirectly addressed student anxiety and stress that students faced. By working with local organizations across Genesee County, I along with the United Students League, a club I founded, amassed a response with both sponsorships and endorsements from a larger community, my community, to build a foundation for our Mental Health Student Summit. These organizations would include Genesee Health System, Genesee County Prosecutor’s office, UM-Flint Department of Public Health & Health Sciences, Congressman Dan Kildee, The Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Voices For Children, NAMI Genesee County, Sylvester Broome & Empowerment Village, GISD School District, and Genesee Early College’s Key Club & Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Through the summit students from across the county would come together to discuss how we as a community have addressed mental health in our schools, as well as present resources for students to take back to their local schools. Although Covid-19 prevented the summit from taking place, we were still able to gather a response on an issue that we too often ignore. After the experience I had with my friend, I found myself reaching out to my friends more often. I found that while we may not always understand what someone is going through it can mean a lot simply having a presence. Even when I find myself in a lower moment, knowing that I have someone there makes me feel like I am capable of moving past that moment. I believe that one doesn't need to follow a path toward medicine to advocate for more resources or even addressing mental illness within the community. As a lawyer and potentially a future politician, I want to use the resources and connections I make in the field to advocate for every person to have access to mental health resources and that finances nor background limits you from accessing them. I believe our society has already made many steps forward in this regard. For instance, while interning at Genesee County Prosecutor’s office this past year, I learned more about the Mental Health Court. As I listened in a meeting in the Judge’s chambers, in the mental health court, I have seen that our society is working to better our communities from more angles than we see.

A ray of light burned through the glass window, creating an occasional glare on the screen that laid on the table before my chair. The iPad's screen seemed to lay bare before my eyes with several apps, which I ignored for what purpose they would have to hinder my fear since the only app I needed was facetime. At the time, my father was sitting right next to me as I waited for the video call to connect. Although he was there next to me, it felt as though this part I would have to deal with on my own: facing the person who I thought left me for good. At that moment, my thoughts were full of doubt. What if it doesn't go like I want it to? What if she doesn't like me? What if I can't forgive her? What would I even say to her? These questions built a sense of anxiety I had never felt before. It wouldn't be until later that I realized that this moment would become my stepping stone to address a part of me that hid away ever since I was younger. As the seconds passed, I prepared myself, as the screen no longer presented several circles rotating in a continuous pattern, but a person before me: my biological mother. At that moment, my path found itself diverging into two ways: one of a sense of self-fulfilling justice or forgiveness. My story appears to have just begun. However, my challenge was never finding the right words for her but having the ability to forgive her. For me, that moment was not as long when I look back now, but it felt as though for once time seemed to slow down. Often we view a challenge as a physical burden or movie-worthy moment but finding ourselves in the position to forgive another human can be one of the more difficult moments we ever face. Forgiveness, in the end, is not for the person who has hurt you but for the person in the position to forgive as it sets you free. I have learned from this moment that we often assume some moments to be the worst of our lifetime; however, as time flows, we find new moments to replace our hardened times or come to face them with memories of success or joy. From this experience, I have learned that forgiveness is not something we give easily and from this concept creates a more powerful meaning behind forgiving someone. Of course, any person can feel the normal emotions of anger or fear of loss, but to be successful in whatever challenge we face, we can not continue to live in that singular moment. Breaking away from this moment is what makes forgiveness difficult. In the end, one of the best means to set yourself free from life's burdens is forgiveness, even if the person does not actively seek it from you. Essentially, from this experience, I have found myself looking at what I have and not what was not there: this made it more possible to forgive her. Being more appreciative can be the key to unlocking some of our lives' challenges.