My community has always meant alot to me. From the candy lady on the end of the street, to the old man who always offered up a couple extra dollars for the ice cream truck. Every person I've ever been surrounded with is rooted deeply in my heart. I never understood the phrase "it takes a village", until I no longer had that village behind me. When I was no longer a little girl who could run down the street to her friends house and play until the street lights came on. When I could no longer race my friends to school in the early, cold Chicago mornings. I no longer had that community because it was subsequently destroyed by corruption. Drugs, guns, police brutality. My mother kept me in the house for a week when Tamir Rice was killed. My brother wasn't allowed to wear a hoodie anywhere after Treyvon Martin. We couldn't go outside and play anymore, because gangs ran rampant, and their new trigger happy members didn't know the difference bewteen a child and their target. Kids were joining too. I lost one of my closest friends to a gang he decided to join when we were 8 years old. I couldn't understand it at the time. But I realize now he thought he had to provide for his family, so he joined under the impression that slinging dope would give him the money he needed to buy groceries and pay bills. He'd be shot dead at the local playground behind our houses a few months later. When I look at what overran my community and ultimately, what took it away from me, I began to wonder what I could do to help. I felt lost until I got to highschool, when a teacher reccomended I go to law school based off of a presentation I gave for my inequality and social change class. He said we needed more people like me in those seats. People who came from the communities our governemnt heads only speak of, but never do anything about. I gave it thought, and wondered if I could really make a difference. If someone like me, given my background, could make a change in this country. So I began doing research, and ultimately I decided on being a political science major with a minor in pre-law when I got to college. I wanted to be on track to go to law school, and figured that degree would be the best at helping me achieve my goal. I want to use my degree to give my people their voice back. I'm going to run to be mayor of my city once I've finished my schooling and completed my service in the military. I'm going to shine a light on the underprivleged, underserved and long forgotten neighborhoods. The children will get their schools back, teachers will be more respected and valued, people will get their jobs back. Families reunited. I'm going to take the guns and the drugs out of my neighborhoods. Police will be trained on non-fatal force and how to interact with the people of the communties they serve. I will not allow the things that took my community away from me to continue taking communities away from the next generations. My degree will allow me to give back to my community by making change where it counts. If you want to see change, you must start from within. So I plan to change my community from the inside first.

When I first started this essay, I revised and deleted it about seven times. Because I felt all the things that made me different also made other people different by that same standard. So I stopped writing for a few days and really had to think about what made me different. I asked family members, I asked friends. None were satisfactory answers. In the end, I decided maybe not applying for this was my best choice. But then it came to me. I'm different because I am ME. And that phrase, "I am" means so much more to me than I thought it would. Jesus says "I am" in the bible seven times. Seven times to establish his authority. Seven times to declare himself God. Seven times to tell the people who he really was. So, I'm different because I am. I am different because I eat my sandwiches with bagels instead of honey wheat bread. I am different because I wear two watches instead of one. I am different because when I laugh, I laugh heartfully and joyfully. I don't pay mind to what anyone else might think. I am different because I mix unconventional colors in my everyday outfit. I am different because I prefer to dip my hashbrowns in my oatmeal instead of coffee. I am different because I have to make my breakfast in a certain order every morning. I am different because I choose a different path to take to class each day. I am different because, well, I am. Everyone is. I let my uniqueness pour out into my everyday life like water to a plant. Everyone always compliments me on my crazy outfits, and some people even go so far as to ask where I got them from. But I find more comfort in the opinions of those that do not speak so quickly and confidently. I hope they see me strutting down the street in a skirt and crocs, and think to themselves that they can do it too. I hope my uniqueness bleeds out into the lives of everyone I come across. I hope to be an inspiration more than anything. I want people to see themselves in me. I want them to see me living my best life as frivolously as I can, and find joy in knowing that they can do it too. I make it a point to be my authentic self in every room I step into, because it is true that you never know who's watching. What if you're the decision point between a girl who's been on the brink of getting her nose pierced? Or that person going and getting that tattoo? Or someone returning to the church after being abset for so long? That's what drives me. Living my life as authentically as I can, not only for myself but for others as well. To show them they can live how they want to. So I'll continue to wear brown and red together, I'll continue dipping hashbrowns in weird foods, and I'll continue to be the loudest one in the room to hopefully inspire others to do the same.

I never knew about ROTC until I stepped foot on my college campus. Though I come from a military family, they'd all went the enlisted route. Serving my country was always on the backburner of my minf too, but I didn't think I had what it took. I'd always heard about the JROTC kids and the stigmas surrounding them, but I never bout into it. Personally, I think it's admirable that children that young can commit to such discipline and sacrifice. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a shot. I needed clubs to be apart of, and the Air Force ROTC program stood out to me the most. Aside from funding opportunities and career security, what I found within the program is what made me commit to a military path. When I first started ROTC, I was shy and hated calling attention to myself. I was also out of shape. We had PT three times a week, each one harder than the last. By the end of the semester I could run two miles and still have energy left for more. When I'd started, half a mile could put me out of business. Drill formed me into a leader. Calling movements and being commander of a detail was tough on me, but necessary. I learned to raise my hand and volunteer for everything even when I was scared or didn't know what I was volunteering for. I was expected to look my best everytime I stepped into my detachment. Then, an intelligence officer came into our detachment and spoke to us. That was the day I realized what I wanted to do. The opportunities were endless, and ROTC has shaped me into a completely unrecognizable person. I chose this path because I felt as though I was called to it. When I became a cadet, it felt right. I wanted to serve and do what I loved all at the same time. When I'm not in ROTC, I'm taking a seat in my student senate and representing on behalf of my class. I'm also in several community service groups, as well as a youth church group called Navigators. Making myself a servant to my community feels like a parallel to serving my country. My religion calls me to serve people, so stepping in a role of serving feels right. Being on my student senate calls me to be an advocate and to speak up. I must be a leader if I want to be heard, and I know being an officer in the military requires a voice. You can't be scared to open your mouth. I mentor in our local Big Sister Little Sister chapter here, too, and it's taught me how to be a better role model for those under me. It's taught me to how to live my life to inspire those who may be watching, unbeknownst to me. All of the organizations I take part in help me when it comes to service. It's like interdisciplinary studies. Community service helps me become familiar with the people in my city and put faces to those I hope to serve honorably. My church group keeps me spiritually well and gives me the perserverance to keep going even when its rough. Being in student senate teaches me how to be a better leader and a follower. In order to keep my spot, I must listen to the voices of those who support me and learn how to better serve them. Being a mentor has shown me how to present myself in both the workplace and my everyday life.

The day mother packed all of our belongings into a storage unit and left the only home I'd known was the day the entire trajectory of my life shifted. In the years leading up to this, my oldest brother had moved away to Texas, and she'd lost custody of my youngest brother. Her relationship was also abusive and often reflected onto us. Her job was unstable, and communications with my extended family was limited. In other words, we were isolated. Alone. My mother had one choice. To stay in a broken home and keep raising me in this environment, or to leave everything behind and chase a better life for the both of us. She chose the latter. She put eveyrthing we owned away, packed two small suitcases with enough clothing for the both of us and we left. We got on a city bus headed to a local shelter, and there we stayed for a little while. It wasn't easy being homeless. I was young, and my mother did everything to entertain me so I was still relatively happy. Family members still sent gifts for birthdays. But I knew things weren't good. We couch surfed for a while after leaving the shelter, and I often found myself in random people's houses in the middle of the night. Terrified. I wish I could say it got better. But it didn't. We were able to get an apartment for a little while with a woman my mother had met in the shelter. But things turned sour and soon enough we were in the shleter yet again. This cycle would continue repeatedly for the next year or so. She'd meet someone, move in, and it turned out to be the worst possible choice she could've ever made. The final and last time she did this, I was 8 years old. About to turn nine. The story started out the same: she met a woman, they moved in together, and things would go bad. But this time, she didn't leave. She stayed. She put up with endless abuse, and it got so bad she'd eventually start hurting me, too. I hold no grudges against my mom for things she went through. In fact, I find her character at that time of our life inspiring. The odds were stacked against her and yet, everyday, she woke up and smiled at me and told me she loved me. My uniforms were always clean. My hair was always done. You could never tell what I was going through at that point in my life. My mother, through our struggles, instilled in me the spirit of perserverance. To grin and bear it no matter what my circumstances are. She taught me a bad hand in life was not the end of the world, and that eventually all things pass. When I was younger, my future looked bleak. I wasn't sure where I'd go or what I'd do. All I'd ever really known was hard times. However, once I made it through those experiences and came out victorious, I realized there's always a way to accomplish the things you want. That spirit of discipline and perserverance my mom instilled revealed to me that my future could be bright despite where I'd come from. This scholarship will be a great investment in my future. I'm studying to become a lawyer to get on track to become a representative of my state. This scholarship would allow me to conintue my education and this dream. Every contribution counts, and I'm grateful for whatever I receive. Thank you!

I realized I wanted to serve my country the day my cousin came home from the fleet. I come from a military family; my uncle George served in Vietnam, my cousin Brian and my Aunt are both sailors, and my brother is in security forces in the Army. I come from a long, dedicated line of service members. But the day my cousin came home was the day that moved me to continue that legacy. He was in his uniform, clean and crisp. He refused to sit to preserve his pants. He spoke with authority, had a firm handshake, and met everyone's eyes with confidence. He was no longer the playful, unserious chubby kid I'd once known. No, there stood a man carved by the world's greatest navy. Then, one day, Brian never came back home. His funeral was quiet. It pained me to see the stars and stripes on his casket. But I knew he passed doing what he loved. I also knew that as long as there were those out there who could take my family away from me and get away with it, I could not stand and do nothing. I was only 14 at the time, so I couldn't enlist. I decided to take the Air Force JROTC/ROTC route and become a leader. It was horrible at first. I was forced to step out of my comfort zone. I was forced to draw attention to myself. I realized, as a cadet, you could not be shy and force yourself into corners. Plus, my social life suffered as well. I was so dedicated to a future that others did not understand, and many ridiculed me. I saw the continuation of Brian's spirit within me. I saw a future where I could make a difference and guard the principles which keep my country free. So I persevered through the early morning PT sessions. I joined the color guard and made my way through the ranks of junior cadets, eventually landing cadet colonel my senior year. My last day putting on my uniform was a bittersweet one for me. I'd fought for that uniform. Through tears, through sweat. And it wasn't even the real one. I had no idea what was in store for me as I'd advanced from junior ROTC to college ROTC. I became a cadet in the Florida State University AFROTC program, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized I would have to give up a lot of the leisures of my freshman year. I could not go to parties, underage drinking is strictly prohibited, and I had to hold myself to a much higher standard than my peers. Wearing my uniform on Thursdays from 08:30-16:00 while everyone else wore shorts and t-shirts. Waking up at 05:00 to do vigorous PT three times a week, sometimes more. I had to pass the PFA to earn my PT uniform. I spent hours studying to earn my dress blues. I'm still in the program, and the biggest sacrifice I have endured thus far is the sacrifice of myself. Of the girl who wanted to follow her peers but had to follow something better. I am dedicated to my country. I am dedicated to protecting it. I want to thank SSG Adrian Valdez Jr for his service, and for keeping our country free so that those after him may have the same chance. I can only hope to fill his shoes and serve as honorably as he did. As a leader. As a character of generosity and admiration.

My name is Zariya Graves. I'm sure Bold tells you that, but I also need you to know that name was carefully crafted and chosen by my mother before I even existed. She never planned for a daughter, but she had my name picked out just in case. I'll bring you back to that story in a moment. I'm a first-year student studying at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. I'm majoring in Political Science with a minor in Pre-Law. Crazy thing is, I never planned on studying political science. Everyone in my family told me I should be a lawyer because I like to argue, but I never took them seriously. It wasn't until classes began that I realized what I wanted to do. I was a sociology major before, but after taking international relations and African American studies, I realized what my calling was. I fell in love with the idea of making a change, and everyone knows change starts within. I declared my new major and minor on the same day. I was ready to begin the vigorous workload that would be the foundation for my future. I spent hours revisiting American law and history. I studied the same Greek and Roman philosophers our founding fathers studied. I placed myself in their shoes, I saw their vision. And ultimately, I think the vision they had for our country has been lost. It's been dragged through the mud, defamed, manipulated, and twisted to fit the will of those who do not care for it the way they should. Racial inequality, poverty, homelessness, discrimination, corruption, and greed run rampant. In a land where everyone should at least be "free", we have a prison industrial complex that challenges that very statement. When my courses highlighted this issue that was seeping through the cracks of our country, I began to realize that these courses weren't given to me to make me suffer. They were given to me to open my eyes. If I want to be a future leader of this country, I need to learn history so that I don't repeat it. I need to be aware of current international relations so that I may see how they affect me here, at home. The courses from my political science curriculum have equipped me with a better mind and enlightened me in a sense so that I can make change with grace. I want to be more than a lawyer. I don't want my influence to be limited to the courtroom. No, I want to be the advocate of those in this country left forgotten by the ones making the decisions. Political science has taught me that law encompasses more than a jury and a defendant. It concerns the future of our environment, the well-being of our people, the strength of our armies, and so much more. I like to call courses like political science, history, and anthropology the "conscience" of the curriculum. Because they are what connect you to broader thinking. To study how our cultures developed/will develop, where our governments started, and how we can go forward instead of backward. It's overwhelming at first when I realize all the work I must do to get a seat at the table. But it's worth it. Because I will make a change in this country. In this world. Much like my mother chose my name before I was in her womb, I was chosen to be a pioneer of the next great generation. To lead them into greatness and equip them with the same great courses that pushed me above and beyond.

Going to college provided me with a myriad of new experiences and opportunities I never would've thought were available to me. When I arrived, I was a shy, narrow-minded individual who was set in her ways. Nothing could move me. Four years and I wouldn't have homework anymore. That was my only goal. However, as my freshman year progressed, I began to make new connections and formulate new thinking patterns. Looking back, I was but a delicate shell, protecting my naive insides. Now, I'm hardboiled, covered in the thick skin of being a first generational college student. College taught me to surround myself with like-minded people, otherwise, I'd be burdened with the negativity and laziness of those around me. Proximity is very important because proximity equals influence. Influence shapes your experience, your relationships, and your mindset. If you surround yourself with people who don't have goals and want nothing in life, you too will be dragged down by that blanket. But if you make the effort to support yourself with people who push themselves to the limit and hold themselves to the highest standard, you too will want to do the same. In addition to being blissfully ignorant, I was also undecided about what career I wanted to pursue. My initial thought was whatever made me the most money. However, two very important courses showed me otherwise. Those courses were international relations and African-American studies. International relations taught me the reality of what was happening in my country and the world around me. African American studies taught me (even as a Black girl) that history was repeating itself in the present day, right in front of my eyes. That same day, I declared myself a Political Science major with a concentration in Pre-Law. I use my education to discuss and address social issues that arise within my sphere of influence. Using topics I learn in class, I lead academic discussions on how to improve areas of lack on campus and in our lives. The most recent issue I addressed was the state governor, Ron DeSantis, trying to strike out AP African American studies from school curriculums in Florida. Erasing our history, my history, right before my very eyes. We protested right outside the state capitol when we found out. It hit home because I'm currently studying at an HBCU in Tallahassee, and those courses are the foundation of my life. It was amongst the first course I ever took when I first got here. It outlines and details the hardships my people were put through as they strived to survive in a country they were forcibly brought to. It astounds me that someone could be allowed to strike that from education. If we do not learn history, we are doomed to repeat it. I don't come from a rich family. So coming to college was a hit or miss. But my family fought and advocated for me. Despite the financial shortcomings, the racism from people in my hometown who believed I was only fit for community college, the discrimination from my own country, and a system that was built for me to fail, I have persevered. I overcame them by going to school. Ignoring their voices and taking a chance. Like a rose from concrete, I grew. Now I stand on two solid feet, unmoveable in my pursuit to make a change in this country. In this world. I will make a difference. I will be the voice for those who have none. I will never falter. And I will not fail.