Harriett Russell Carr Memorial Scholarship

Despite the many challenges my family has faced, my mother always reminds me that we have been placed here to serve God and others. Since I was in middle school, I have been participating in community service initiatives with my aunt. We gave out school supplies, toiletries, and dinner meals downtown to the homeless. I was exposed to how people struggled in the community and realized how blessed I was. It made me realize how important it was to give back to those who do not have a lot. I have been blessed to excel academically and in leadership positions in and out of school. I started volunteering with The Black Girls Clubhouse, this summer. I enjoy being a mentor to young girls. My goal is to encourage these young girls to set goals, work hard, and accomplish their dreams. I share my experiences as a leader in school (NJROTC Cadet Lieutenant, Student Body President, and National Honor Society Parliamentarian), community activities (Girls Scouts, Delta GEMS, Youth Choir, President of Bluff Road United Methodist Church Youth), and advice in hopes to inspire them to be their best selves. I also want to have a positive impact on younger girls. I feel that I have set a standard for myself that could inspire young girls to work hard and achieve their goals. I have built friendships with girls who are a few years younger than me as well. I make sure to spend time with them and talk to them about anything that they want to talk about. I want to be the person they can come to if they have a problem or just want to talk. It’s important to encourage these young girls so that one day, they can mentor someone as well. I started volunteering with White Oak Baptist Church’s Homeless Outreach when I was about 10 years old with my mother. My mother had been active in community service and wanted me to do more to help make my community a better place. I started by packing toiletry bags for the adults to hand out on their Saturday mission trips to downtown Columbia and Good Samaritan House in Winnsboro. Eventually, I began to go with the adults and hand out lunches or bags, I was terrified at first because I thought all homeless people were crazy or drug users. But, I was so wrong. After my first mission, I was moved by how grateful the people were for such small donations. Many people we met shared their stories with us and asked us to pray for them. I was moved by their graciousness and humility. I realized that I had made a judgment based on images I had seen on TV. So many of these people had just fallen on hard times and had no one to help them get back on their feet. I see that homeless can affect anyone; not just “bad” people. I want to continue to do more to find solutions for the homeless in my local community and eventually the world. I desire to make a positive impact in my community, and I have done that throughout my high school career. I have grown as a student and as a person. I am passionate about helping others and advocating for those who cannot always advocate for themselves. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to focus on my academic success while continuing to contribute to my community.