Throughout my childhood my mother raised my sister and I herself while simultaneously working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet. We did not have the privilege of eating "healthy" as my mother did not have the time everyday to make us a dinner that incapsulated the components of the food pyramid. She worked tirelessly to ensure that food was on the table and that her children did not go hungry. These "bad foods" were often meals that were easy for an 8 and 12 year old to make on their own and did not require a-lot of ingredients or 10 step assembly process. As a kid I also was not a picky eater and would eat the foods that were provided to me. So if my mother wanted to make frozen meals packed with sodium I ate them because that is all that was there for me to eat. On the other hand my father is a very picky eater. He hates vegetables and I don't think he often eats fruits. Growing up his choice of dining was fast food restaurants and so because I was a child I did not have a choice in where we ate. Again, I ate what others around me ate and allowed that to dictate my food choices no matter how bad they were for me. As I got to middle school I noticed a shift in this dynamic as my mother started to go back to school and slowed down on working so many jobs. Now that my mother had time she was able to relish and understand types of foods that made her body feel good and nourished. She started bringing more fruits and veggies into the house along with natural teas and supplements that can heal the body from the inside out. My mother also got involved with gardening and allowed me to be her partner in maintaining her garden. We grew fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, basil and peppers. Me being surrounded by all these sweet fruits and refreshing vegetables, which came straight from our front yard opened a new appreciation for our natural foods. I feel good when I eat foods that I know are good for me internally. I want to treat my body right because it feels good and I noticed a change in my demeanor. I don't want to consume foods that are bad for my body and make shift how I feel about myself. My mother has shown me what it looks like to love foods that will nourish your body in a beneficial way. When I go grocery shopping I make a list of things that I need to buy and ensure that fruits and veggies in their variety are not only on the list but make it into the cart. Making this change is about dedication and necessity. My body now knows the difference in eating foods that are good for me versus those that are bad like a #1 meal at Chick-Fil-A. Being able to recognize what foods will make me feel gross, bloated, and set off my acid reflux make me want to choose foods that heal and nourish and thus keep me accountable when deciding on food choices.

I found a passion for helping and serving others at 13 when my grandmother would take me to marches and protests. In these moments I was exposed to all kinds of people with varying identities. The opportunity to advocate and serve individuals who are being underrepresented is something that I hold dear to my heart and has been fuel for everything that I do. All throughout high school and some parts of my college experience, I served as an Ambassador for a program called Raleigh Digital Connectors. In this program, I assisted with giving out computers to the youth of our community who could not afford this form of technology. To close the generational gap I taught digital literacy lessons to older members of my community who had little to no experience with the use of digital programs such as Google (Gmail, Docs, etc) and taught them the basics of internet safety, digital literacy, and understanding of technology. On-campus I work as a Student Office Assistant for the Office of Disability Services. In this position, I ensure that students who come into our office feel comfortable and provide them with resources and opportunities to help them succeed with their education. Outside of academia, I am currently working as an intern for We Rock Charlotte (WRC). WRC is a non-profit organization that strives for social change by empowering youth through music and film. I’ve had the privilege of supporting this organization by working on the foreground works of the program like website maintenance and data entry. Being an intern for WRC has taught me the skills necessary to assist and serve girls, women, and gender-diverse youth and adults. These journeys and experiences of my interests have led me to the realization that Social Work is the perfect career field for me. This is the career that allows me to serve the minority people that have influenced me in my life like single mothers, those who come from low socio-economic backgrounds, and those that have been affected by the criminal justice system. And using this as a chance so that I can make a difference in their world. I do hope that once I obtain my degree I can take these passions and find a job that would be impactful on the people that I care most about. I also am a Women’s and Genders Studies (WGST) minor so the knowledge that I have gained from that curriculum so far will only help me further in my future endeavors. With that particular education, I have a vast understanding of the impact of race, gender, sexuality, and class relations on an individual's livelihood. Essentially I do hope to pursue higher education by obtaining a Master’s in Social Work (MSW). Having an MSW degree I will then be able to go into a place of policy with the goal of being able to make an impact on multiple people's lives where changes will impact numerous people which is what I care about doing the most. The desire is that I get to use the fire that I have had in me since I was 13 in a place where changes have the opportunity to be made for the greater good. As a social worker, my intentions are to ultimately be there for the underrepresented minorities of our society. The people that are disenfranchised because of their race, sexuality, gender, social-economic status, disabilities, or age, and acknowledging the intersectionalities of it all. With the desired hope of providing them support and assistance that will be beneficial and service their overall well-being.

I found a passion for helping and serving others at 13 when my grandmother would take me to marches and protests. In these moments I was exposed to all kinds of people with varying identities. The opportunity to advocate and serve individuals who are being underrepresented is something that I hold dear to my heart and has been fuel for everything that I do. All throughout high school and some parts of my college experience, I served as an Ambassador for a program called Raleigh Digital Connectors. In this program, I assisted with giving out computers to the youth of our community who could not afford this form of technology. To close the generational gap I taught digital literacy lessons to older members of my community who had little to no experience with the use of digital programs such as Google (Gmail, Docs, etc) and taught them the basics of internet safety, digital literacy, and understanding of technology. On-campus I work as a Student Office Assistant for the Office of Disability Services. In this position, I ensure that students who come into our office feel comfortable and provide them with resources and opportunities to help them succeed with their education. Outside of academia, I am currently working as an intern for We Rock Charlotte (WRC). WRC is a non-profit organization that strives for social change by empowering youth through music and film. I’ve had the privilege of supporting this organization by working on the foreground works of the program like website maintenance and data entry. Being an intern for WRC has taught me the skills necessary to assist and serve girls, women, and gender-diverse youth and adults. These journeys and experiences of my interests have led me to the realization that Social Work is the perfect career field for me. This is the career that allows me to serve the minority people that have influenced me in my life like single mothers, those who come from low socio-economic backgrounds, and those that have been affected by the criminal justice system. And using this as a chance so that I can make a difference in their world. I do hope that once I obtain my degree I can take these passions and find a job that would be impactful on the people that I care most about. I also am a Women’s and Genders Studies (WGST) minor so the knowledge that I have gained from that curriculum so far will only help me further in my future endeavors. With that particular education, I have a vast understanding of the impact of race, gender, sexuality, and class relations on an individual's livelihood. Essentially I do hope to pursue higher education by obtaining a Master’s in Social Work (MSW). Having an MSW degree I will then be able to go into a place of policy with the goal of being able to make an impact on multiple people's lives where changes will impact numerous people which is what I care about doing the most. The desire is that I get to use the fire that I have had in me since I was 13 in a place where changes have the opportunity to be made for the greater good. As a social worker, my intentions are to ultimately be there for the underrepresented minorities of our society. The people that are disenfranchised because of their race, sexuality, gender, social-economic status, disabilities, or age, and acknowledging the intersectionalities of it all. With the desired hope of providing them support and assistance that will be beneficial and service their overall well-being.