Caprist J. McBrown Memorial Scholarship

I came into this world fighting. Being born with sickle cell, My endurance and strength came at an early age. When I was a baby, the Doctors told my Mother that they didn't know how this disease would affect me in my lifetime . I was on medication when I was only two weeks old. The fact that I could not speak as of yet, I would not be able to communicate when or if I was going to have a pain crises. I started walking at 7 months old. My Mother truly believed that I was gifted from birth. I started school at the age of three years old. And begin to excel in every class I was in. At the age of five years old, I started modeling and acting. I booked three national commercials, Sleepy's Welcome Home, Road Rippers, and Hasbro Operation. All which can be found by goggling my name. I also played Pharrell Williams for ToddleWood, where I was interviewed on access Hollywood. I was Senator Cory Booker, for the Because of them global campaign. Where my print jobs could be found on bus stops, and billboards. My first year of High School started at the peek of the pandemic. Unfortunately at the same time my parents were also getting divorced. I felt extremely overwhelmed with virtual school. We had to leave our home because of a domestic situation concerning my Dad. My grades begin to suffer. I was always the over achiever, but quickly found myself struggling. I had to take two summer classes that summer. And with the help and encouragement of my Mother, I was able to get myself back on track. I am a young minister in my church, and I am also the Student body President of my entire High school.  Some of the most common social issues we face today are income equality, poverty, racism, and discrimination. All which resonate with me deeply. It is extremely important to me that everyone is afforded the same opportunities to lead a successful life.  I became a mentor at my church, where I travel around to preach, teach, and speak to the youth and encourage them to reach beyond the stars. It is important for the younger generation to have positive influences. They are more likely to emulate the habits and perspectives of those they look up to.  I have benefited greatly from having my Grandfather and uncle in my life. They are both Pastors of their own churches , and I have learned tremendously from each of them. The street where my church resides on is name after my great Grandfather. I have been blessed to be the decent of such amazing men, who have demonstrated being pillars of their community.  Weather it be serving food every week to the community, giving out turkeys during Thanksgiving, or going with my uncle to pick up donated brand new toys from the city of New York to hand out to the children of our community. I've learned the importance of how just helping a little can ease some stress and leave an impact that can change the entire dynamic of someone life.  Running my school campaign to become student body President was not only successful, but also engaging. With the help of my peers, I was able to create a video which involved members of the school. What I've learned from the outcome was that, there is no I in we. As an African American man, it is important for me to have equal opportunities to succeed.

My mental health influenced my beliefs because it helped me move more towards God and it opened my eyes because I always said that everything happens for a reason and God will help you through your struggles but when I was going through my hard times, all I could say was "why god. why are you putting me through all of this? I don't deserve this." I could hear him say these words to me over and over again. "Just pray, just pray". When I heard him say that to me, it just made me open my eyes and realize that I shouldn't be crying over the fact that all of this is happening but thank God that he is putting me through all of the tides and tribulations because he sees me as a strong warrior who can get through anything. Every day I prayed to God and made sure that I took time out of my day to read the bible so that I could understand him more and I wrote down how I felt about my mental health and how I was coping with it every day. God has shown me that all things are possible through Christ who has strengthened me. My mental health has influenced my career aspirations towards entrepreneurship because I started a business called F.A.B. Slime and I make slime for kids and adults. My mental health helped me realize that I could put kindness back out into the world instead of staying inside my room all day and being depressed. Having my slime business helped me move around put myself out there and show off my skills. Entrepreneurship helped me illustrate the things I want to become in life. My major in college will be psychology but my minor will be business because I want to put my slime business out there more and start to make slime at kids' birthday parties and travel around. My mental health has put me through a lot and made me lose friends, but it showed me how much people could be my support system and show me how I need to learn how to get up on my own and work hard towards my goals. I never want to go back to the episodes that I went through because if I went back to them, I don't think I'd be able to bounce back. This is how my mental health influenced my beliefs and career aspirations towards entrepreneurship.

Graduating high school was a milestone that felt both monumental and bittersweet. As a first-generation woman of color, the expectations and dreams my family held for me were immense. Their sacrifices and the hope they placed on my shoulders were a source of pride, yet they also fed into a silent storm brewing within me—one of depression, at my darkest moments- thoughts of ending it all. High school was a labyrinth of pressure and identity struggles. On the surface, I was the diligent student, striving to honor my family’s sacrifices by excelling academically. But underneath, I wrestled with feelings of inadequacy and an ever-present fear of failure. The weight of these expectations often left me feeling like I was suffocating, caught between the desire to make my family proud and the reality of my mental health struggles. In our community, mental health was a topic cloaked in silence. The idea of anxiety or depression seemed almost foreign, something that wasn’t supposed to affect people like us. Admitting to these feelings felt like a betrayal of my family’s dreams and a sign of weakness. So, I buried them deep, masking my pain with a facade of resilience and determination. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that the cracks in this facade began to show. The relentless pressure became too much to bear. I found myself withdrawing from friends and activities I once loved, consumed by a darkness I couldn’t escape. The nights were the hardest; thoughts of hopelessness and worthlessness would spiral, leading me to contemplate if the world would be better off without me. Confiding in a school counselor felt like lifting a veil of silence. She listened without judgment, offering a safe space for me to explore my feelings. Through her support, and eventually through therapy, I began to understand my struggles and learned that my mental health didn’t define my worth or diminish my achievements. This journey through mental health became a pivotal part of my identity. It taught me that true strength lies not in suppressing our vulnerabilities but in confronting and growing from them. As I approached graduation, I found myself reflecting on how these experiences could shape my future. I realized that my struggle had a purpose, and that purpose was to create change. I decided to start small but meaningful. Inspired by my own experiences, I began to envision a platform that would provide mental health support specifically for first-generation students and people of color. While still in high school, I launched a simple online blog where I shared my journey and offered resources for others navigating similar challenges. The response was overwhelming; it became clear that many were seeking a space where they felt seen and understood. This initial step into entrepreneurship opened my eyes to its potential as a force for empowerment and change. I discovered that entrepreneurship wasn’t just about business; it was a way to channel my pain into purpose and to create something that could make a difference in others’ lives. It was about building a legacy that honored my family’s resilience while addressing the urgent need for culturally sensitive mental health support. Graduating high school has marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life. As I prepare for college, I am more committed than ever to expanding my entrepreneurial efforts. I aim to develop my platform into a comprehensive resource hub that can reach and support more first-generation students and people of color. I want to break the silence around mental health in our communities and foster a culture of openness and support.