My motivation stems from several different places in my thoughts. There are things such as an eternal fear of failure or disappointing all of those family members who have helped me along my rocky path that motivate me daily. Both negatives that I have learned to repurpose into pure intentions. On the flip side of that, many beautiful possibilities have had my attention from the very beginning. Things like having a successful career that I love and flourish in are truly what keep me going when I am at my lowest. As the end of May 2022 creeps closer slowly every day, I have been recently faced with a large number of challenges. As a homeless first-generation college student with only one parental unit I don't speak to, the college application process has been very difficult. To be able to motivate myself to take trips to my high school counselors office for admissions representative phone calls, apply for every scholarship I can get my hands on, keep an entire A grade average, and many other things, I have to look to the future. I know that everything I have done so far will pay off in the end, but my motivation keeps me applying myself to the fullest until the very end. And with that, I would like to end by saying thank you for your consideration so far in this contest. Know it is greatly appreciated.

As a young girl who grew up shy, the best adaption I made by far was learning how to read the attitudes of those around me. No matter if they were positive, negative, my business, or not. I still could recognize the way others around me were feeling. As I commenced cusping the edge of my childhood and entering into the "adult realm" I learned that this could be an important skill I possess. Some ways I simply attempt to add additional positive impacts to other people's day are by always walking around with a smile, showing interest in personal topics others share with me, and just trying my best to be an all-around nice person. I have followed the Golden Rule just about every day since I was seven. I'm very considerate of others' feelings because my empathy tends to be very large in just every situation. As a young girl, my shyness was related to weakness, and I know giving somebody the feeling that they are not good enough for my attention would bring me down a lot more than someone treating me like that again. Overall I spend a lot of time attempting to be someone who makes that young girl in me proud. To be someone who makes a difference in how others see themselves every day. I love spreading confidence and kindness because I know there are too many negative emotions every one of us harbors. And with that, I would like to end my essay by saying your consideration in this contest is greatly appreciated, and I look forward to what my future holds!

There are many things that I do throughout my day to day life that affect the public community around me, and no matter what the occasion is, I always try to put my best foot forward by spreading positivity to whoever comes my way. An example of one of my daily activities that I believe help me put a positive spin on life is my peer tutoring hour at my high school. I get the privilege of visiting a first grade classroom everyday as their student teacher aid. There are many activities that the students and I individually get to participate in together such as; reading aloud, letter pronunciation practice, letter writing formations practice, and on some days, we even get to play a game of our choice. We practice exercises that help us make learning fun as well as something to look forward to everyday. We also work on confidence building exercises and team working skills with each student. My teacher and I have learned that the kids like working with me at my station so much that she’s even decided to make it an incentive for good behavior referrals. And honestly I couldn’t ask for a better learning opportunity from both my students and my lead teacher. I adore each and every one of their unique and individual personalities that defines who they are. In conclusion there are many ways I try to spread a positive impact throughout my days, whether it be people younger than me, my age, or even those who are older than me. I believe that whatever you put out into the world will most definitely circumnavigate back to you.

A community service activity I partake in at school this year is Peer Tutoring. Some of my responsibilities include; running errands, assisting my lead teacher with lessons, grading worksheets, practicing letter sounds with students, exercising proper letter formations with students, and many other things. I know it may seem like a pretty simple list, but to me there is so much more to it than that! During all of this, I truly believe my single intended impact on these students is that I want to motivate them to see how important their education is. I believe we need to teach students to appreciate how lucky they are to have the opportunity to become educated from a young age on up. I tell my students everyday that no matter how much they struggle with the task at hand, they are always worthy regardless of the outcome. I hope to raise the confidence of my students by helping them advance their understanding of the materials covered in school. You can truly see a difference in the way students carry themselves on a day where they struggled with their class lesson, or they were the first to complete a worksheet handed out by the lead teacher. In all of the activities I have participated in throughout my high school career, my main goal has always remained the same; To make the most positive impact I possibly can. I am ambitious, honest, hardworking, creative, and I’m very confident in my abilities and determination. In conclusion, we have to set these students up for success, and with that, I would like to end by saying your consideration in this contest is deeply appreciated.

When I begin to think in regards to things I love about myself, I seem to draw a blank. There are things such as my hair, my height, my eyes, that I like about myself, but they were never things that I felt deserved to be praised. I’ve done some digging around in my thoughts and have realized that these aren’t important things I should value in myself. I have worked too hard in too many aspects of my life to sell myself short by deciding my worth based on social expectations and standards. Things I truly love about myself are that I’m kind and open-minded. I love meeting new people and building new relationships with others. I love that I’m both motivated and resilient even in some of the worst situations that have been delivered my way. And finally, the last thing I love and would like to recognize about myself is the journey of personal growth I have endured over the last few years. This has allowed me to blossom into a completely new version of myself I have come to adore. If you told the thirteen-year-old little me that I don’t have to be afraid of absolutely everything and anything anymore, she would most definitely laugh in your face. I never pictured myself as someone confident enough to write an essay on the things I love about myself, but here I am doing exactly just that. Everyone deserves to sit back and just appreciate the progress they have made. Everyone struggles differently, but we are all still human. In conclusion, I believe that the message behind this award is something a lot more people should think about, and with that, I would like to end by saying your consideration in this contest is deeply appreciated.

As a senior who is freshly entering the college world, it only seems fitting to discuss; it has become very apparent to me that the preparations of college are not something students are educated on enough throughout high school. During high school the words "You are not going to get very far without a college education" is a statement I heard too many times. I appreciated my teacher’s feeble attempt at motivation, but I already understood that. I have found there are two types of students when it comes to discussing college. The first group has always planned to attend. The second has two subcategories; A) those who decided they will not be attending college, perfectly fine, or B) those who've slipped through the cracks due to lack of information. Although these students are all different, they have one thing in common; there is no one guiding them through precise college planning. I understand to some extent it is the students personal responsibility to take initiative and do research on their own time, but I think that is where things go wrong. And what about those students that don’t have college educated parents to rely on? A counselor can only do so many things for individual students leaving our current available resources scarce. I think there should be classes apart from personal finance and accounting 1 available to students. There should be official courses that offer training to target helping students understand paying for college, choosing from hundreds of majors, comparing different college types, strategizing essays for applications, and seeing the benefits of a degree. This could also help avoid students making major financial mistakes because colleges took advantage of their ignorance. In conclusion we have to set these students up for success and we need more resources!

For the last two years, I along with others have been tested with challenging obstacles time and time again. To begin this essay I want to provide some background information you will need to fully understand my story. We will start in December of 2019. Around this time I had recently turned 16. By then my mother and I's relationship had officially reached an extremely toxic and abusive level. There was physical violence, emotional torment, and constant fighting going on inside the walls of our home daily. This resulted in my mom kicking me out of our home and severing contact with me. Some important things you should be aware of about my mother is that for as long as I can remember she has had a substance abuse problem. Her methamphetamine, alcohol, and even heroin were addictions I was aware of. Because of this I was deemed homeless in my school district and assumed all responsibility for my education and well being. This includes any class/ club dues, enrollment, lunch money, managing my transportation, or others. I studied as hard as I could despite COVID-19 shutting schools down for a year to get the best grades possible, all while working an average of about 25-30 hours a week to be able to provide for myself. It wasn't easy, but now that I'm here I don't regret it. Recently I have transferred to a new school outside the reaches of my mother and that miserable life. I have multiple resources helping me achieve some of my highest goals and motivating me to become the best version of myself possible, finally giving me hope for my future again. In conclusion, I am ambitious, honest, hardworking, confident in my abilities, determination, and I am deeply grateful for your consideration in this contest.

I have spent a lot of time in high school questioning whether or not I was going to be given the opportunity to continue my education through college. I have not lived with my parents since the second semester of my sophomore year so honestly, it felt impossible with the lack of financial assistance from them or any help for that matter. Did you ask about my dream life? Truthfully I just don't want to be that girl anymore. That girl was known for her mothers' reputation of substance abuse, public outbursts, and explosive episodes. The attention it brought to me in every aspect of my life was unacceptable. In the last 4 years I've attended 3 high schools, but no matter where I ended up, I've always tried to do my best in school. There are many tasks and expectations I have for myself, so I know I would not waste this opportunity. I want to be able to provide a successful and stable life financially and emotionally for not only my future family but for myself as well in a way that neither of my parents ever could. I want to start my own business or work for one that benefits those in my community. It would be a dream to help those who were like me. To use my story to validate not all exceptional students have to come from an exceptional background. I am ambitious, honest, hardworking, and I’m very confident in my abilities and determination. So with that being said, I look forward to what the future holds for me. I am deeply appreciative of your consideration for this scholarship.