Families separate and fall apart daily; the system should provide justice and stability, but often, pain and grief are normalized. I've experienced custody disputes throughout my whole childhood, and this inspires me to become a voice for children who are in the same predicament today. My personal experiences with the justice system have made me aware of the urgent need for change in parental rights and custody disputes. One of the biggest problems in family law is the inequality in custody decisions. Family courts can advocate for one parent based on their lifestyle or income rather than the focus on whether the child is thriving or not. I've seen this unfairness in one of many heartbreaking cases, Bella Edwards. Bella Edwards was a 3-year-old from New York, where she was physically and sexually abused before she was beaten to death by her stepfather in 2018. Analyzing how custody decisions can be made by the lack of questioning rather than evidence, has made me question if justice is served in family courts. My experience with family court gave me a start on how emotional it can be for a child. The lack of understanding from a child can be critical. When I would go to court hearings, I couldn't go inside because I was young. At the end of the proceedings, hearing that I have to continue with the suffering hurt me more after each one. Being confused because I wasn't allowed to hear what's going on, but overhearing the arguing through the door caused me many emotions. I've realized many children, including myself, had to face the fact that the justice system failed us. My experiences motivated me to study criminal justice because I can help families get the help they need with fairness and compassion. My childhood has inspired me to advocate for a change in family law. Since the fourth grade, I have chosen to become a judge who works with children involved in the family court system as my dream job. I would like to work with children in the family court to make sure children who are involved with Child Protection Services, Foster Care, Divorce, and Adoption to provided with the right family that has a huge heart for children like me. In addition, to make sure they don’t experience the same thing I did with the family court. My main goal is to give children a better home than what I grew up with; to have the resources and people they need in their circle. Additionally, volunteering has helped me understand how children need support. For example, I am in a program called "Foster the Family" where I work with children who are currently involved with the family court system. This includes adoption, foster care, and kinship guardianship. Volunteering with this program since my sophomore year of high school has taught me how compassion and empathy can help children deal with family struggles, influencing my belief that support should be included with justice. By combining what I've gained from volunteer work and personal experience, I have learned how the justice system can impact lives. My personal experiences and volunteer work have increased my commitment to studying criminal justice, where I can advocate for legal support and fairness for all families. My personal understanding, along with a passion for helping others, can truly make a difference in more than a supportive system, but for the future of our children.

Putting others first rather than myself has always been my purpose in the real world. Getting older as the years go by, I have considered acting on the saying "Show kindness in public and behind closed doors". My first and certainly not last significant way I have shown selflessness is through my family. As the eldest of my family on both sides, being there for someone was required of me. For example, instead of meeting my needs, I would put my siblings first because, realistically, they mattered first, and I was their protector. I would provide my emotional support and be a parent figure for the times they didn't have someone to go to. When they grow older and achieve the milestones as I once did, I hope I made a difference in their adolescent lives. Similar to being around children, I've volunteered in an organization called "Foster the Family," where children in the family court system are accompanied by the volunteers. Working in the program, seeing the transformation of a child coming into the program shy and very scared, to my last day of volunteering, and seeing how comfortable they are. Not only are the children immune to the chaotic events they go through in the legal system, but they are also willing to be comfortable once they meet someone whom they trust. Compassion can be shown physically, emotionally, and mentally. Compassion aligns with selflessness because you should carry your feelings, especially for someone who could use it. Every day, I carry a pocket of kindness for a person who needs it, maybe on a walk to the store or while I'm at work. For example, customer service is a hard place to work in. The fast-paced environment, considerate customers, and the list can go on. I remember the first month working at the Wawa company, a person was buying cigarettes. The person felt embarrassed by the amount of cigarettes they were buying and talked about how they were trying to quit. After I gave the person some words of encouragement, they started to cry. I respectfully asked if they wanted a hug, and they agreed. I came around the counter and hugged the person. After she saw that my name was Zion, she said, "God had a reason for me to come into this specific Wawa today". My future career goal is to become a family court judge. This has been my dream job since the 4th grade, after I completed a Thurgood Marshall project in honor of Black History Month. In my experience volunteering with children and previously working at two summer camps, I do believe children still need help to this day. I would like to become one of those people who change a child's perspective on the legal court system. To wrap things up, selflessness should be a thing that you incorporate into your life every chance that you get. You never know what a person is going through or what they have been through. An act of kindness on a day could improve the well-being of someone.

Being a first generation student to me means having the opportunity to continue your education and being an example for future generations. Ultimately, I'd like to become a judge. This will help children in the court system who are just like me with adoption, child protection, foster care, etc., to prevent them from suffering through what I did. With the scholarship, I can pursue my dream of finishing college and earning my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a judge since I was young. When I was in fifth grade I did this black history month project. We had to pick a person and then research them. I decided to pick a random person and chose Thurgood Marshall. Ever since then becoming a lawyer/judge has always been my passion in life. The impact I think it will have on me, my family, and community is by if you put your mind to it you can do it and good things come out of the bad.I would like to work with children in the family court to make sure children who are involved with Child Protection Services, Foster Care, Divorce, and Adoption to provide them with the right family who has a huge heart for children like me. I want the children who I would work with to have a better home than what I grew up with and have the resources and people they need in their circle. I’m very passionate about making my dreams come true and becoming an African American judge for the Supreme Court. If I win this scholarship, it would officially make my childhood dream come true. As someone who faced suicidal ideations, developing a eating disorder, abuse, and trauma I want to give back to my community by becoming a judge. My mother had me young and didn’t finish high school but ended up getting her GED when I was around 7. My father didn’t finish high school because he went to jail while my mother was pregnant with me. Being able to go to college and stick with the dream I’ve had since childhood is truly inspiring for myself to keep going.

With my college degree, I plan to become a judge who works with children involved in the family court system as my dream job. I would like to study Criminal Justice as my major with a minor in Social Work as I am continuing my education in college. I am attending an HBCU (historical black community university) where I am represented more as an African American. I would like to work with children in the family court to make sure children who are involved with Child Protection Services, Foster Care, Divorce, and Adoption to provide them with the right family who has a huge heart for children like me. I want the children who I would work with to have a better home than what I grew up with and have the resources and people they need in their circle. I’m very passionate about making my dreams come true and becoming an African American judge for the Supreme Court. This has been my dream since the fourth grade. When I was in the fourth grade I was assigned a black history month project. We had to pick a person and then research them. I decided to pick a random person and chose Thurgood Marshall. Doing my research and comparing my life to his I felt like we had some things in common and that nine year old me would want to be like him when I grow up.

A moment where I realized I were stronger, wiser, and more capable than I thought was overcoming every obstacle I had encountered. When I was born, I came exactly one month early. I also had to have surgery as soon as I was born, my intestines were twisted and I ended up getting surgery only a few hours after I entered the world. To this day, I have a unique scar on my stomach right above my belly button. I never really lived with either of my parents. I spent most of my childhood with my maternal grandmother. While living there I was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused sometimes. Later on in my life, I developed an eating disorder from purposely not eating because of my maternal grandmother’s hurtful comments. I wasn’t living there anymore because of her past behaviors but the courts still wanted her to have visitation rights. Not too long after that, I had extreme thoughts of harming myself and had actively planned on taking my life multiple times. I was sent to the hospital where I was kept not once but twice in a span of one month because I just wasn’t ready. After I was released I was in multiple programs for my depression as well as my eating disorder which took about 4 months. Looking back at my life I've been through the imaginable starting from when I first came into this world. God has kept me alive time after time with events that could’ve taken my life. This is why I am surely special, especially in the hands of God. With my name being “Zion” and it meaning “God’s Promise” he had a promise to keep me on this earth. My challenges and significant setbacks in my life have impacted me to become a better person not just for myself but for my community as well. I have chosen to become a judge as my career goal. I’m truly passionate about making my dreams come true and becoming an African American judge for the Supreme Court. My “it” factor started in the fourth grade. I was assigned a project for Black History Month and given to a person named Thurgood Marshall. I didn’t know much about him but I did research and I noticed that we had some things in common. With this being said, since the fourth grade I have chosen to become a judge who works with children involved in the family court system as my dream job. I want to study Criminal Justice as my major while I am continuing my education in college. I will be going to an HBCU where I am represented more as an African American. Ultimately, I would like to work with children in the family court to make sure children who are involved with Child Protection Services, Foster Care, Divorce, and Adoption to provide them with the right family who has a huge heart for children like me as well as to make sure they don’t experience the same thing I did with family court. I want the children who I would work with to have a better home than what I grew up with and to have the resources and people they need in their circle. I am unique and special because I have overcome barriers and obstacles in my life and that is why knew I was my family’s promise.

My experience with mental health has shaped my goals, relationships, and understanding of the world by showing me that I’m on this earth for a reason and a temporary problem can be fixed without having to do something permanently. A time I had faced adversity was when going through my eating disorder and also having to quarantine in 2020. Going into COVID, I couldn't fit my clothes anymore. Before we had to quarantine I was already going through things with my maternal grandmother where she used to bring me down about my weight and caused myself to starve myself occasionally. I started at 150 at the end of 2019 and around March 2020 I was 110. I also struggled with my depression and thought about how life would be better if I wasn't here. Unfortunately, I acted on those thoughts. I was put in the mental hospital for about two months (March and April 2021). I was also put into an eating disorder program where they would help me make good choices on food. I was in multiple programs starting from the end of my 8th grade year to the end of the summer of 2021. With this being said, the way I overcame my adversity was by the support of my family as well as my community. Being in the programs and the mental hospital has taught me a lot in life. To cherish my presence on Earth and don’t try to take your own life because of something small and can be fixed. Temporary problems are not a reason to make permanent decisions. Even after I graduated high school I have learned to love my body more and more each day because at some point I was unhealthy and sick. Looking back on my experiences I plan to help people who are struggling with mental health as well. London Deshields was a incoming sophomore in my neighborhood and my brother knew her, she was his friend. She tragically took her life a day before school started in September of 2024. Reflecting on her presence being gone and how many people came out to her vigil in front of her house, really hit home for me. This has reflected on me because I was too in a situation where I tried to take my life multiple times. London is my motivation to keep helping people and reduce the factor of suicidal rates increasing. My daily reminder to people is to reach out. If you guys aren’t friends anymore or just don’t talk at all. Someone might need to talk someone and you can help save a life.

On the day I was born, no one knew how much this baby was about to go through. My mother picked out my name. Zion. In Christianity terms, Zion is the city of Jerusalem also known as the “kingdom of heaven”, ”holy place”, & ”highest point”. I was born exactly one month early, my original birthday was supposed to be July eighth and I also had to have surgery as soon as I was born. My intestines were twisted so they had to transfer me to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and untwist them. To this day, I have a unique scar on my stomach. On top of that, since I was born early I had to stay in the NICU until my real due date. My mother was eighteen, she was still pretty young and didn’t finish high school so there wasn't much she could do to help herself and her child. My mom reached out for help from my dad’s family because she didn't have “a family” on her side. My maternal grandmother found out about my mom living with my dad’s family and she filed custody for me. The day of court the judge ruled that I was gonna live with my maternal grandmom. While living with my mom’s mom I was abusive just like my mom. I would get hit with objects, verbally insult me, and purposely not feed me. When I was eight years old the Department of Family Services had enough evidence against my maternal grandmother and they gave me back to my mother. Unfortunately, things started to take a turn. We started falling behind. . I made sure my siblings ate every night and did their homework. Soon the landlord had kicked us out. We stayed at was my mother’s friend's and his father’s house. Countless tardies, going to school in dirty clothes, hair wasn’t done, it was a lot. Department of Family Services found that my mom didn't have a stable home for my siblings and I. My mom was forced to either give her children up to the state of New Jersey or find us a home. My mom placed me and my brother with my paternal grandmom while my sister stayed with her. While living with my paternal grandmother my maternal grandmother filed for visiting rights a few months later. When it was visiting day it was the same thing as before. She even called me fat and told me to lose weight. Going into 2020 it wasn't fun. I started starving myself to lose weight and my paternal grandmom started noticing. She filed to take away my maternal grandmother’s rights.Going into COVID, I couldn't fit my clothes anymore. I also struggled with my depression and thought about how life would be better if I wasn't here. Unfortunately, I acted on those thoughts. I was put in the mental hospital for about two months. I was put into an eating disorder program where they would help me make good choices on food. Going into freshman year everything became worse. I started falling asleep in all my classes. I pushed through it though as much as I could. As months went by I lost my great grandmother, Myrtle. She helped me throughout my whole life by fighting and never giving up on the court system. She passed away from covid and I was devastated for months. I couldn't even delete our last messages together when she asked me about my graduation from eighth grade. I know she’ll be watching down on me once I walk on this high school stage.

"Just what makes that little old ant think he'll move that rubber tree plant". High Hopes by Frank Sinatra was the song my great-grandmother sang to me when I couldn't believe in myself. As a seven-year-old girl, being in the court system was confusing, and hard to figure out what was going on. The court system failed me every time. It was custody rights with my maternal grandmother and mother. Every year it was them arguing about visitation rights and who I should live with. I was scared and alone. A little girl stuck in the middle. Dealing with this since her birth. The lawyers who were there supported me through my journey. Still, the court system failed me. Multiple pieces of evidence showed that I wasn't safe but it wasn't enough proof. Something needed to be done sooner or later. Growing up in the city of Camden, there was always violence. Innocent bystanders being shot and killed, children having to be forced to live with parents who couldn't take care of them, any situation you name it. In the fourth grade, around Black History Month I should say. The teacher assigned us a project that changed my life moving forward. The project was about picking an African-American who changed the world today. My person was Thurgood Marshall. Thurgood Marshall was a civil rights lawyer and the first African-American jurist who served as an Associate on the Supreme Court. As a child who had multiple experiences in the court system hearing about this gentleman made me interested in him. Going back and forth to the courthouse made me realize that African Americans weren't represented enough in the criminal justice career path. After reading and researching about Marshall my interest in him started to grow. Freshman year of high school, I could see my future ahead of me. Putting in endless amounts of effort, and sleepless nights I made it into the major I wanted since elementary school. Criminal Justice. I made it into the major with a one hundred, the highest grade of all exploratories. I was the only African American female who made it into the major for the class of 2025. Today I am the only African American female in my class. As the years went by, I earned multiple certifications to go with my major. I am in the Honor Guard for the Criminal Justice major as well. Currently, I am also working towards my Associate's Degree with earning college credits for criminal justice. My future goal is to become a Judge who practices Family Law. I know I would have to become a lawyer first to become a judge. I would also need to pass the LSAT and complete Law school to become a lawyer. This scholarship could help me go above and beyond with my future goals. With this scholarship, I could use the money to pay for my books and anything else that needs to be paid for school. It could also help me with any financial problems within my years of college experience. If I were to be awarded this scholarship I could achieve my dreams. I could achieve my dreams of becoming a Judge and helping children who went through the same experiences and situations as me. Helping children in the adoption, foster care, and child protective services facilities. Showing children that someone cares about them and they are willing to save their lives. This scholarship could truly be a blessing to me. I would love to pursue my future goals in the criminal justice major.

I have decided to pursue an education in criminal justice because I feel like the criminal justice community needs more workers, especially with the situations they've been put through in these recent years. I am also a child of the family court system so being involved with judges, child protective services, and others in the criminal justice made me what to be a part of the criminal justice community. Since childhood, I have been back and forth to court due to guardianship proceedings between my maternal grandmother, mother, and sometimes my paternal grandmother. There were times when I was homeless as well. Ultimately, I'd like to become a judge. This will help children in the court system who are just like me with adoption, child protection, foster care, etc., to prevent them from suffering through what I did. With the scholarship, I can pursue my dream of transferring to college and earning my master's degree in criminal justice. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a judge since I was young. When I was in fifth grade I did this black history month project. We had to pick a person and then research them. I decided to pick a random person and chose Thurgood Marshall. Since then, becoming a lawyer/judge has always been my passion. If I win this scholarship, it will officially make my childhood dream come true. I plan to improve and strengthen my community once I graduate by providing homes for at least most of the city of Camden and helping children in the family court system by providing a home and resolving their issues inside their current homes. Another dream of mine has always been to provide homes for the homeless in my hometown, Camden. Since I'm from the city of Camden there are a lot of homeless people that you see in the streets and it's sad. My other dream since the sixth grade is to provide homes for homeless people, at least 70 percent of them. Once I graduate I want to help children in need of a loving home for example child protective service children, children in adoption or foster care homes, and children who live in toxic households as well as children with divorced parents. Children should be treated as a child without having to grow up too fast. The reason why I am saying this is because I was in the same predicament when I was younger and in the family court system. This is exactly why I need to help these children and earn my degree and diploma so I can help them.

Since childhood, I have been back and forth to court due to guardianship proceedings between my maternal grandmother, mother, and sometimes my paternal grandmother. There were times when I was homeless as well. Ultimately, I'd like to become a judge. This will help children in the court system who are just like me with adoption, child protection, foster care, etc., to prevent them from suffering through what I did. With the scholarship, I can pursue my dream of transferring to college and earning my master's degree in criminal justice. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a judge since I was young. When I was in fifth grade I did this black history month project. We had to pick a person and then research them. I decided to pick a random person and chose Thurgood Marshall. Since then, becoming a lawyer/judge has always been my passion. If I win this scholarship, it will officially make my childhood dream come true. I plan to improve and strengthen my community once I graduate by providing homes for at least most of the city of Camden and helping children in the family court system by providing a home and resolving their issues inside their current homes. Another dream of mine has always been to provide homes for the homeless in my hometown, Camden. Since I'm from the city of Camden there are a lot of homeless people that you see in the streets and it's sad. My other dream since the sixth grade is to provide homes for homeless people, at least 70 percent of them. Another thing is that I want to provide every child with a happy, healthy, and loving home where they know they are loved and shouldn't have to worry about anything bad happening. All children should have a happy and loving home. A child shouldn't have to worry about the fact of being homeless or having a moment where they need to step out of a child's place no matter what. A child should have food and water and parents or guardians who try everything in their hearts to protect them from danger in this world. As well as providing homes for children I want to provide homes for teenagers and young adults and as well as fully grown adults. They should be treated the same way as children and be provided with a home of their own instead of living on the streets.

Access to education is very significant. Especially for students who want the opportunity to learn as much as possible. As they can. College is incredibly meaningful and critical to me because it is the first way for me to achieve my goals in life and my dream job. As a sophomore in high school, every day I look at all the opportunities available to achieve my goals. I am currently taking college credit courses in criminal justice. I am a child of the court system. Since childhood, I have been back and forth to court due to guardianship proceedings between my maternal grandmother, mother, and sometimes my paternal grandmother. There were times when I was homeless as well. Ultimately, I'd like to become a judge. This will help children in the court system who are just like me with adoption, child protection, foster care, etc., to prevent them from suffering through what I did. With the scholarship, I can pursue my dream of transferring to college and earning my master's degree in criminal justice. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a judge since I was young. When I was in fifth grade I did this black history month project. We had to pick a person and then research them. I decided to pick a random person and chose Thurgood Marshall. Ever since then becoming a lawyer/judge has always been my passion in life. If I win this scholarship, my childhood dream come true. College is also of importance to me because I think it’s an opportunity to grow and identify your strengths and weaknesses in education. I feel like once those fourteen through fifteen years of school are done college is the actual part where you get to learn about yourself. Learn to be responsible, and learn how to do things on your own without help or someone by your side all the time. Some people around the world do not have access to education. It’s not fair at all. Everyone should have the opportunity to learn. The board of education in New Jersey may be the bare minimum but I am very grateful for having an opportunity for education rather than none at all. College can teach you so many lessons. Education is extremely valuable. It’s the key to life. Without education, you wouldn’t be able to succeed in life. I believe college is essential to me because I breathe the same air as everyone else in the world. It should be relevant and necessary for everyone else as well. Everyone should have the same opportunity to pursue education, regardless of their socio-economic background. Education should be accessible to everyone so that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Without access to education, we would be unable to progress as a society. Education is a powerful tool for creating a better world. Having access to educational resources gives everyone a chance to learn new skills, gain knowledge, and advance their career. It also helps to reduce inequality and create a more level playing field for all members of society. Additionally, education can help to foster a more tolerant world, where knowledge and understanding are valued over ignorance and fear. It is essential to creating an equal and just society. Education should be accessible to all.