Our Destiny Our Future Scholarship

As a child, I was diagnosed with Macrodactyly, a deformity of the hand. I began to be bullied and soon started acting out, developing severe anxiety, and falling into depression. As the years went on, I started to feel that suicide was my only way out. I started to blame God and everyone around me for my condition. I was embarrassed by how I felt and became a shell of myself. Luckily, I had an amazing family and a strong support system that worked tirelessly to get me the help I needed and protect me from myself and my thoughts. As high school came around, I fell in love with the sport of wrestling and threw my whole being into it. I competed and excelled, and now I am realizing my dream to become a collegiate athlete. I emerged from the darkness stronger and determined to fight the fight for everyone struggling with mental health and special needs. I tell you this story so you will understand my fight and the reason behind my drive to help. Over the last 4 years, I have taken several steps in helping others in my community find their way through mental health issues in my school and my community. I am on my school’s SADD committee and in my time, I have brought mental health issues to the forefront. This group had always discussed drugs and alcohol, but I felt like the missing piece was mental health. By talking openly to my classmates about mental health, and tearing down the negative stigmata surrounding the topic, I hope that we can heal people before they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way out. I have spent countless nights on the phone with students I barely know talking to them and letting them know someone cares. It is known in my school that I am always available to talk and that I am passionate about helping my peers. The other thing I have done is to help start a chapter of my school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I started counseling youth camps 3 summers ago where I got to speak to children about faith, God, and being good examples in their communities. I suggested that we start this at my high school, and we now have a chapter of about 50 youths. Our meetings give us a haven to discuss life, faith, issues, and things many students can’t discuss with family. I have seen our chapter foster friendships and grow young men and women spiritually and emotionally. I am going to college to study Psychology so that I can become a counselor and help other children struggling with disabilities, mental health, and any other issues they may have. I have realized through my own experience that not all counselors can relate to youth about our struggles. A lot of counselors tried to “change” me instead of listening and formulating a plan based on me. I was fortunate to find a counselor who had gone through some of the same things I was experiencing and that was when I opened up and started making strides to heal. I want to be that relatable figure in young people’s lives that can listen and help guide them to a brighter future. My life will be a success if I can help save just one lost child. I will continue to follow God’s word and will for my life because I know that is the path to the light. This scholarship would be my first step in changing the world!

My journey toward making the world a better place began at a young age. Growing up, I did not have full use of my legs. I was born with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder affecting my lower extremities. As I grew, my right leg became significantly smaller than my left and my kneecaps would sporadically and painfully dislocate throughout the day. After years of consultations, I found a surgeon that could help. It would take three years, four surgeries, and months of physical therapy, but in the end, all four operations were successful. Recovering in my hospital bed, I realized I was lucky. Although I’ll always have challenges, my disability was dramatically improved. Many of the kids I met at the children's hospital were not as fortunate. Their determination against unbeatable odds inspired me to pay it forward. So I joined The Seeing Eye program and became a guide dog raiser. The Seeing Eye is a philanthropic organization that breeds and trains guide dogs for the blind. Dog raisers volunteer to foster a puppy for 18 months teaching skills and commands specific to guide dogs. In addition, we familiarize the pups with everyday errands such as grocery shopping and riding public transportation. Our outreach efforts extend to various places of worship, schools, and community centers, where we aim to educate and raise awareness about our program. Once proficient, the dogs are called back for their final training and matched with a blind companion. And though it is gut-wrenching to say goodbye, knowing these dogs will provide independence to a visually impaired person, makes the heartache worth it. I held several positions in my Seeing Eye Chapter, including president. My duties included running weekly meetings and organizing community events. Now that I'm away at school, I serve as an advisor to new Seeing Eye members and head I hold involved with organizing fundraiser events for the St. Jude’s Foundation and volunteering at the local animal shelter. In the aftermath of my surgeries, I found myself stepping forward as a leader when others wouldn't. I guess it was a serendipitous side effect of my surgeries. Upon my return to the varsity cheerleading team, I was elected captain. I was eager to implement the leadership qualities I learned at The Seeing Eye. On a school team, not everyone has the same ability level. Therefore, it is very easy for the more athletic girls to rundown those with a lower skill set or, worse yet, body type. Strong bonds are not achieved by making others feel inferior. So instead, I encouraged the veteran cheerleaders to motivate the younger girls through friendly competitions, such as seeing who can hold a stunt the longest. I found celebrating their accomplishments pushed each squad member to do their best. Nurture a flame and it adds light benefiting everyone who surrounds it. Extinguish a flame and it darkens the experience for all. Making the world a better place begins with listening to people with life experiences different from your own. Whether in school, on the sports field, in a community organization, or on the world stage, understanding and valuing another person’s circumstances creates a path to inclusivity and acceptance. That is why I have decided to become a disability attorney and spend my career advocating for the most vulnerable among us. Specifically, I aim to drive improvements in building codes, employment opportunities, government programs, and mass transit accommodations nationwide. Although disability laws have come a long way over the past few decades, I believe there is a lot more work to be done.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

Teaching is not hard work. It is "heart" work. The career epitomizes every opportunity and experience I have had to enjoy working with young children and making a difference in their lives. I am a graduating senior in the education and human services vocational program at the Passaic County Technical Institute. I am pursuing my undergraduate studies this fall at the illustrious Spelman College, majoring in elementary education. Since June 2022, I have been an assistant teacher at an Early Head Start program, working with children ages 0 to 3. This position has changed my life forever. By becoming fully invested in all nine of the children in my classroom, I not only became a part of their growth, but they had the most significant impact on my own. I love the field of education because it is my craft and has become a part of my identity and, evidently, of the community. These endeavors have grounded me into an emerging leader who actively seeks to serve and solve problems connected to my role as an educator. Because of these children, I also took an interest in doing more with the youth in my community through organizations like the March of Dimes, the New Jersey Community Development Center (NJCDC), and the Center for Future Educators at the College of New Jersey. On a hot day in April, I thought about my students as I stood on the Meadowlands racetrack cheering on parents and their children who supported the health of mothers and premature babies. Even so, on several occasions that I was able to help the NJCDC in December 2022, families were thankful to receive gifts during the holidays, boxes of nonperishable food items to feed their young ones, and a fun day of face painting and bouncy inflatable houses. During my junior year, I spent several months between December and May creating a virtual platform for children to watch storytelling videos read by high school students in the School of Education and Human Services at my vocational institution; including higher-level thinking questions and context words for teachers and guardians to ask the little ones. Targeting to improve their literacy skills and delivering quality reading content was a means for me to develop my niche in progressing educational resources and my love of contributing to their developmental growth. Involving myself further into the field of education has exposed me to many avenues which foster my passion for teaching and the more significant impact I can have on these children's lives aside from what we do in the classroom by providing inexpensive to no-cost services, local contacts for family support, and educational resources that are available to the children's needs. Despite these early experiences, which have established me as an educator, I know that in my undergraduate studies, there is more volunteer work to be done that will ultimately define the educator I have worked incessantly to become. The children I currently teach and many others throughout the years have played a significant role in how I model and act to pay it forward. I hope to educate, support, and give back in these ways upon my time becoming an educator with an academic, personal, and moral impact on their livelihood. I want other anticipated teachers to feel inspired by these festivities to bring change and joy to undercapitalized school districts. Because of my drive and commitment to the field, I reach the hearts of young scholars by bringing learning to life and acting authentically passionate, in word and action.

The best way to make a positive impact on the world is by providing a service. I see myself in five years as an RN working in either a pediatrics doctor's office or in labor and delivery. I will work my butt off to make that a reality. I am currently a sophomore at Howard University as a nursing major. I will make a positive impact in my community by becoming a nurse. My experience with healthcare in the past was great but it lacked representation. I only saw 1 black doctor and about 2 black nurses my whole childhood. The crazy thing is that black nurses only make us 6.7% in the U.S. The most crucial thing about this statistic is that it needs to increase. The reason for this increase is that there have been multiple studies of black people being disrespected by healthcare professionals. studies show that Black patients are significantly less likely to be prescribed pain medication and that they generally receive lower doses of it when they are. One possible reason for this, supported by existing studies, is that white people believe Black people experience less pain. Many people believed this at one point of time and gaslighted what black women were saying and the pain they felt. Statistics show that black women have a 63% higher rate of severe maternal morbidity than white women. It is a sad thing that black women aren't treated fairly in the medical field. I think having more representation and diversity in the medical field will lower that statistic. Black mothers are also three times more likely to die in pregnancy postpartum than white women. Hence my reason for wanting to work in labor and delivery. It's so sad looking at the racial disparities, you would think that all workers want to genuinely help people, but in cases like this, they are doing more harm than good. I want to change that. By adding more diversity into the healthcare field it will eliminate that racist biases and perceptions and allow patients to feel more comfortable and safe. I want to be a nurse that listens and treats people like normal people instead of just patients. I want them to feel a genuine connection with me. When nurses and doctors make the patients feel comfortable they are less scared and could ease up more because they know that their life is in good hands. It’s a lot of pressure to have someone's life in your hands, so I want to make sure I do everything I can to help them. Many people tell me that I shouldn't become a nurse because of how stressful and unappreciated they are. They also bring up being overworked and underpaid. I know that life isn’t about money, and I hate that people try to discourage me from fulfilling what my purpose in life. I hope that after working as a registered nurse for a while and getting more experience I could go back to school to become a nurse practitioner I want to become a nurse practitioner so I can open my own practice filled with nurses and doctors of all different races and ethnicities. I want to open an inclusive practice. Being a nurse practitioner is extremely rewarding and I am confident that I can do it. I know it will be hard and that I will struggle but I am so excited to begin working in my field.

Community, a bond like no other Although I have always been passionate about helping others, it wasn't until my senior year in high school that I found my niche. I realized I want to use my strengths to promote kindness and serve my community by helping students. So I volunteered as a youth coach for Little League Baseball and flag football, sold tickets for sporting events, and worked concessions for booster clubs. I found strength in helping younger members of my community find their strengths. Connecting with younger students and athletes, I spent hours volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club. Sometimes, I tutored students and helped with their homework. Other times, we played basketball; afterward, the kids would open up to me about their problems. Then, we worked together to find solutions to their dilemmas. Helping them understand they were strong enough to work through their concerns and find solutions was a great way to help kids problem-solve and feel empowered. Building strength within my community and watching the kids grow is rewarding. I quickly learned that working with young children involves chasing butterflies, kicking dirt, and waving at mom in the stands, not just learning fundamental skills. However, the joy the kids receive when they score or make a great play is like nothing you can imagine. Patience has excellent rewards! I enjoy sharing my love of the game and my expertise. It has been rewarding to bring a smile to each face and watch them fill with excitement as they continue to grow. I have connected with young athletes to build a drive for success. Students not only excel but push themselves for higher achievements. Where I was initially unsure, volunteering and working with student-athletes has helped me make decisions about my future and build a community I am proud to be a part of. Giving back to the community that helped me grow into the man I am today is an integral part of my future. In addition, being a mentor for students is essential to the success of our future. For this reason, I plan to run youth fitness camps and mentor students on post-high school options. Of course, teaching health and wellness is critical, but I want to help students navigate their choices, make sound financial decisions, and help them find comfort in the difficult times between manhood and teenage years. Once you start giving back to the community, you see how positive actions encourage others to get involved too. It allows you to create a ripple of positive impact, which inspires others to do the same while tearing down barriers and achieving goals together.

I think that making a positive impact on the world is something that we can all strive for, no matter who we are or what our circumstances may be. Personally, for me, I believe that the best way to make a positive impact is to focus on the things that I can control and to take small actions that can add up to make a big difference. One of the things that I am most passionate about is education and people. I believe that education is the key to unlocking human potential and that everyone should have access to high-quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances. To that end, I have been involved in several education-related initiatives over the years, from volunteering as a Youth Council member to working with two local jobs and trying to balance out what would be the right step for my future. Another thing that has been on my mind for a while is trying to be passionate about my difference in the world. I grew up not being a normal person because when I was recently diagnosed with epilepsy I thought that would crush me and stop me from what I wanted to become. Not only did it impact my appearance but it impacted my family as well. What got me through my rough patch is the positivity I received from others and the positivity I give to others. The community reminded me that it is okay to not be okay because nobody is perfect at the end of the day. Another area where I believe that I can make a positive impact is in the realm of environmental sustainability. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that we face as a global community, and I believe that it is our responsibility to take action to mitigate its effects. To that end, I have made several lifestyle changes over the years to reduce my carbon footprint, such as reducing my meat consumption, using public transportation whenever possible, and investing in renewable energy sources. Finally, I think that one of the most important ways to make a positive impact on the world is simply to be kind and compassionate to others. We live in a world that can be harsh and unforgiving at times, and I believe that it is our responsibility to try to make it a little bit better for those around us. Whether it's volunteering at a local shelter, donating to a charity, or simply smiling at a stranger on the street, small acts of kindness can have a ripple effect that can spread far beyond their immediate impact. Of course, there are many other ways that we can make a positive impact on the world, and I think that it's important for each of us to find the things that we are most passionate about and pursue them with conviction and dedication. Whether it's through volunteering, donating, or simply being kind to others, we all have the power to make a difference in the world, and I believe that it's our responsibility to do so.