My journey for making a positive social impact on my campus community began with a personal commitment to honor my grandmother's memory, who struggled with hoarding. After her passing, I extended my cleaning services to other seniors, driven by a growing passion after taking care of her home for many years. Initially I was invested in majoring in psychology due to my client interactions, I felt like a personal therapist for them. This lead me to exploring social issues and personal growth. However, I soon realized that although I valued those aspects psychology wasn't the path I wanted to take to benefit others. I shifted my focus to business, where I found my true calling. Despite managing a growing business, I made the difficult decision to pause my venture to pursue my degree. This pursuit has driven me to pursue opportunities both on campus and in my professional life, contributing significantly to my emotional, social, and professional development. During my first two semesters at college, I immersed myself in campus life, resulting in my election as president of FAU's Community Service Club within a year of joining. Leading this club has been incredibly fulfilling as it allows me to mobilize students around meaningful causes. Working within the Office of Student Involvement and Student Government has further connected me with like-minded leaders, fostering collaboration and innovation within our student community. Together, we strive to enhance our organizations and broaden our impact across campus. Recently, I've observed a troubling decline in event attendance across campus, indicating a growing disengagement among students. This trend deeply concerns me as integrating a strong sense of community is vital to my leadership. Many incoming students seem less inclined to make a difference, often distracted by social media. Phones are constantly held to the noses of our potential volunteers on a daily. As president, my primary goal is to reverse this trend by implementing effective strategies to capture student attention and encourage active participation in community-building activities, especially in their free-time. One of my initiatives has been to utilize social media as a platform to engage students. By creating trendy and informative content related to student involvement, such as videos, polls, and posts about local volunteer opportunities, we've already seen increased engagement on our club's Instagram. This approach not only informs but also inspires students to take action and make a difference in our community. Since they are already looking at their screens we might as well be the next post they come across on their timeline! Additionally, this summer, I took proactive steps by developing a comprehensive community service schedule that highlights upcoming events before the start of fall classes. This initiative includes a variety of off-campus opportunities such as volunteering at food banks, animal shelters, and organizing environmental cleanups. These activities foster meaningful connections among students and empower them to contribute positively to our campus and local communities. I firmly believe that addressing societal issues requires active engagement, and I am dedicated to motivating my peers to care and get involved. Through these efforts, my goal is to instill a inspiring sense of civic responsibility and participation among students. By employing effective communication strategies and nurturing a culture of engagement, I aim to revive our campus community and leave a lasting legacy of active citizenship. Social media will be a tool for the success of student engagement rather than the diminishing factor. As I continue to navigate my path as a first-generation student and leader, I remain committed to cultivating an inclusive campus environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute to a brighter future.

Looking back, I shake my head at the times I doubted attending college. As a first-generation student without much familial support for higher education, it was my friend's mother who saw my potential and encouraged me to pursue it. Since then, I've embraced every aspect of college life—academics, campus involvement, and personal growth—with passion and determination. The challenges have only encouraged my passions, and every success reaffirms that applying myself to education was the right choice. Education stands is a catalyst for my personal and professional growth, providing not only knowledge but also essential skills and experiences that shape one's identity and aspirations. Attending Florida Atlantic University has been a crucial decision in my life, affirming the profound importance of education and its undeniable value in shaping my future and legacy. For me, the journey into higher education has been more than just a pursuit of a degree, it has been a transformative path towards self-discovery and empowerment. One of the most transformative aspects of my educational journey has been taking on opportunities beyond the classroom. Engaging in community service events has given me a sense of responsibility and empathy towards approaching societal issues. My dedication to these values ultimately led me to serve as the president of FAU's Community Service Club. This leadership role reinforced my personal and professional ethos centered around integrity, self-accountability, and purpose. Through these experiences, I've learned firsthand the enriching impact of community engagement and the importance of applying classroom knowledge to real-world challenges, shaping me into a proactive leader. Career fairs have been a influential factor in my development, offering access to explore part-time and full-time positions, as well as internships. Securing my first internship during my freshman year was a milestone that illuminated my strengths in professional settings. While the internship might not have been perfectly aligned with my interests in management, it taught me valuable lessons of resilience, adaptability, and the importance of seizing opportunities as stepping stones towards achieving my goals. Enrolling in a leadership course marked a pivotal moment in my educational journey, providing me with insights into effective leadership and personal growth. This experience allowed me to understand how to lead with integrity, while embracing both strengths and weaknesses as essential components of effective leadership. Collaborating with a diverse group of leaders, each with their unique perspectives, enhanced my teamwork skills and equipped me to navigate complex challenges with confidence. The question, "What are you studying, and why?" was so daunting in my early college career. I had no idea what I truly wanted to do starting out, therefore there was no way I could share my reasoning to others. Crafting my own mission statement within the course—“My mission is to orchestrate innovative and impactful marketing content, leveraging my management skills to succeed in my ventures and collaborate with other businesses for mutual growth and success.”—has not only clarified my career path but also increased my confidence in articulating why I chose business management. This journey has reinforced my commitment to utilizing education as a tool for personal and professional development, driving me towards achieving my aspirations in the driven field of business. In conclusion, education has empowered me to define my own path and cultivate a deeper sense of purpose. My educational journey has not only prepared me for the challenges ahead but has also instilled in me a sense of responsibility, understanding myself and the world around me to contribute positively to society. I am grateful for the opportunities I've garnered at Florida Atlantic University and am excited to continue embracing the limitless possibilities that education offers.

I have always loved school and appreciated the benefits of education; knowing my desired career path is psychology makes it vital for me to higher my education. It is vital for me to study and understand the concepts of behaviors and psychology as they have a lasting mark on our society and the improvement of communities. The skills of developing appropriate behaviors as well as concluding causes of behavior help to reform people and the decisions they make. Violence rates, communication skills, education, etc all improve with this field of study. I want to have a major role in this process of change. To show your level of credibility in these fields, education and experience is dire. I am currently taking a 40 hour RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) course to gain credibility and experience in the field of behavior analysis prior to attending FAU this Spring. I am committed to doing my part to help others lead functional lives by gaining the required education. I was shocked by the amount of years you would have to invest in schooling, but I rationalized that it is worth it in the long run. I thought to myself, would I want to seek advice or therapy from someone with the minimum level of education or someone with more years of experience and credibility?. I will not stop until I get a PH.D no matter how hard it gets. I want to be that person that everyone feels comfortable going to not only because I have a PH.D but because they can see me as a leader in my field. I can relate to many in low-income living situations as I live in a low-income area myself with my mother, depending on housing, and government assistance. I know my story may seem cliche but it's relatable to many who may need mental health guidance and cannot afford to get it or may not be informed about it's importance. I want to use my education and efforts to benefit those in all situations but especially those in my community. My community can reform with just some acknowledgement of mental health, many generations can become successful and depend less on government assistance despite struggles with the past or present. Behavior studies have made me look at everyday interactions differently. My mother struggles with mental health from childhood trauma and depression. It has altered our relationship as she lacked giving my sisters and I any form of emotional support, she lacks confidence and communication skills as well, and tends to show low levels of energy. I have learned different psychological methods to healthily diffuse situations with her and continue to get rid of the bad habits I have learned from living with her. Studying behaviors has opened my mind to solutions and even hard to swallow lessons. One lesson that took me a long time to accept is that some people will not change. I have to remind myself that even though I imagine my mom in a new light where she has high self-esteem and great communication skills; she just may never glow as bright as I would like her to. It's all up to her and choices lead paths, I just have to focus on my decisions. I love the changes that behavior studies have provided for me to balance out my mental health in a positive manner. My choice to continue my education is a decision that will affect the path of myself and others in a positive chain reaction that I will never regret.

My favorite Disney character hands down is Princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog; she was the first Princess I ever looked up to as she was a strong, beautiful, African American, young woman with struggles and dreams like me. More importantly, she transformed into a confident, successful, grown woman. Honestly I don't see myself in any other Disney Princess other than Princess Tiana. Tiana's story was very compelling from start to finish. I loved the passion she had for owning her very own restaurant. She worked long hours while saving her money to invest in building a booming business in her hometown. It reminds me of my work ethic in the work and school environment and me pursing my passion to study psychology; to provide mental health services to help strengthen my community not only mentally but financially as well. We both have an end goal to give back to our community by doing something that fulfills our happiness. Tiana faced many obstacles such as her father's passing, being a frog, gaining access to start-up funds for her restaurant, and Dr. Facilier's black magic. My obstacles include building finances for college and retaining the motivation to continue pursuing my passions. Just like Princess Tiana I identify my obstacles and work on getting through them. I may not have to go on a journey to turn myself back into a human after being turned into a slimy frog, but I do have to sacrifice my time that I have now to do scholarships, work hard to gain opportunities, and continue my education to be where I want to be in the future. Tiana and I share the ambition to thrive through present obstacles to have a greater outcome. Tiana represented a true leader. I was inspired by her bravery to voice her fears and doubts; it made her feel like a real person. Tiana taught me that there are times as a leader you CAN express concerns because it can make you an even better leader. There is nothing that I would change about Princess Tiana's character. Tiana had her strengths and weaknesses and I am so grateful that Disney depicted such an amazing character who gave me strength as a young African American girl who grew up low income with big dreams. Like Tiana said "There ain't nothin' gonna stop me now 'cause I'ma almost there".

Many of my family members showed me the importance of healthy eating habits and why it is so important as it affects their lifestyle overall even if the chronic effects were more apparent in the future. I have had many relatives live managing the negative outcomes of eating unhealthy over the years, they have chronic health disorders such as diabetes, cancers, and one even experienced two heart attacks (has diabetes as well) in their early 40's from their unclean diet. Eating healthy decreases the chances of many diseases; diseases that may alter your everyday life whether it's monitoring your blood and sugar levels or disabilities as severe as blindness. Leading a happy life isn't just going on vacations or pursuing a successful career it's also being healthy with great energy levels, mobility, and strength to continue to have the ability to pursue happiness and that all derives from clean eating. Clean eating makes it possible to keep thriving physically and mentally which is why it is important to educate yourself and others on the long lasting benefits of eating clean. I have started incorporating clean eating in high school as soon as I discovered documentaries on Youtube such as Super Size Me, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken, and many TLC shows that featured people with poor dieting. The documentaries had a key factor of destructive dieting; fast food. I had to do some reflecting, I started to recall my past meals. The past meals mostly consisted of some form of fast food which hardly had any nutritional value. I decided to limit my fast food intake and was so proud of myself for reaching two years without McDonald's and three years without drinking soda. My natural nails started visibly growing, my skin was showing improvements as before I would break out easily after eating too much fast food, and I stopped experiencing stomach aches (I just experience normal period cramps now). I was amazed by the instant changes. I began to search a few blogs that focused on clean eating to get some tips and found that ingredients were very significant. To test to see if ingredients were the issue I tried fast food after not having it for a while. I experienced the same sluggishness and constant hunger that I remembered. The food wasn't even tasty it was just effortlessly accessible. I didn't feel well. I was ignorant at first when it came to clean eating, thinking salads and fruits were the only things that I could consume on a daily basis to be considered healthy, but it's more than that. When grocery shopping I avoid products that contain high fructose sugars and although it's really challenging to find products that don't contain this ingredient I manage to find substitutes. I buy frozen vegetables to save money instead of buying multiple fresh veggies that may not make it through the week. There are so many beneficial foods out there and clean eating has introduced me to so many ways to enjoy them in versatile ways. I stand by cooking at home and keeping track of ingredients that I intake on a daily basis. I have saved a lot of money and sacrificed a lot of time to make meals (meal prepping) and all I can say is it's all worth it in the long run. I will forever have the cooking skills I developed, know what ingredients to avoid, what is beneficial to consume, etc. It's never too late to eat clean and although my family may never change their eating habits, I am committed to eating clean.

High school is nothing like it seems on TV and as children we all develop our perspectives through the big screen, but let me tell you it is almost nothing like you've seen on TV. Mostly television tells you how difficult it's going to be starting your high school career due to the extreme amount of social strains that create your experience; popularity is seen as a necessity to gain confidence and being a loner makes you a loser (you will find people right for you even if it takes longer than you expect), it depicts a lot of free time to do whatever you want during school hours (you have a schedule), it portrays teachers in a strict manner (every teacher is different), and more stressful objectives that are absolutely unrealistic in a school environment. Will there be crazy heists to sneak out of after school detention that brings a variety of individuals from different cliques together?, maybe. There are many consequences that are not included when making TV shows and movies, just things that allow the plot to continue. Your experience will be amazing if you are open minded, there is no script to follow just decision making.

I believe clean eating is important because it affects your lifestyle overall even if the chronic effects are more apparent in the future. I have had many relatives live managing the negative outcomes of eating unhealthy over the years, they have chronic health disorders such as diabetes, cancers, and one even experienced two heart attacks (has diabetes as well) in their early 40's from their unclean diet. Eating healthy decreases the chances of many diseases; diseases that may alter your everyday life whether it's monitoring your blood and sugar levels or disabilities as severe as blindness. Leading a happy life isn't just going on vacations or pursuing a successful career it's also being healthy with great energy levels, mobility, and strength to continue to have the ability to pursue happiness and that all derives from clean eating. Clean eating makes it possible to keep thriving physically and mentally which is why it is important to educate yourself and others on the long lasting benefits of eating clean. I have started incorporating clean eating in high school as soon as I discovered documentaries on Youtube such as Super Size Me, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken, and many TLC shows that featured people with poor dieting. The documentaries had a key factor of destructive dieting; fast food. I had to do some reflecting, I started to recall my past meals. The past meals mostly consisted of some form of fast food which hardly had any nutritional value. I decided to limit my fast food intake and was so proud of myself for reaching two years without McDonald's and three years without drinking soda. My natural nails started visibly growing, my skin was showing improvements as before I would break out easily after eating too much fast food, and I stopped experiencing stomach aches (I just experience normal period cramps now). I was amazed by the instant changes. I began to search a few blogs that focused on clean eating to get some tips and found that ingredients were very significant. To test to see if ingredients were the issue I tried fast food after not having it for a while. I experienced the same sluggishness and constant hunger that I remembered. The food wasn't even tasty it was just effortlessly accessible. I didn't feel well. I was ignorant at first when it came to clean eating, thinking salads and fruits were the only things that I could consume on a daily basis to be considered healthy, but it's more than that. When grocery shopping I avoid products that contain high fructose sugars and although it's really challenging to find products that don't contain this ingredient I manage to find substitutes. I buy frozen vegetables to save money instead of buying multiple fresh veggies that may not make it through the week. There are so many beneficial foods out there and clean eating has introduced me to so many ways to enjoy them in versatile ways. I stand by cooking at home and keeping track of ingredients that I intake on a daily basis. I have saved a lot of money and sacrificed a lot of time to make meals (meal prepping) and all I can say is it's all worth it in the long run. I will forever have the cooking skills I developed, know what ingredients to avoid, what is beneficial to consume, etc. It's never too late to eat clean and although my family may never change their eating habits, I am committed to eating clean.

After Covid-19 hit like a rock of solitude I lost my motivation as a student and then as myself. Initially I didn't know what mental health was until I started to have it impact my life at an all time high. I was always a motivated student with straight A's and B's. Doing school online only brought out my worst flaw. PROCRASTINATION!. Procrastination brought by 3.6 GPA to a 3.2. I wasn't happy about this but there was almost nothing I could do to fix it...or so I thought, at the time. I wouldn't get out of bed to turn on my computer some days and when I did I wouldn't listen to my daily lectures and would end up staying in a class meeting that ended hours ago. It would be just me and the teacher in the meeting for who knows how long until I abruptly end the awkward ordeal I got myself into. It only showed the teacher that I was present but not engaged throughout the session which is not what an instructor wants to observe, since they did take the time out to stay engaged themselves during the stressful transition from real-life interactions with students to virtual zombie versions of students. 4 of my teachers called me out on my presence and participation by commenting things like "Hey you're finally in class today", "you haven't been here for most of my classes" or they would simply ask me questions on the lessons to see if I knew the answer since I was not engaged for the past few days but one who knew me for about 2 years asked to speak with me privately. The conversation was very eye opening. She stated how I was never unmotivated in the physical classroom like I was presenting online, I seemed to have given up, I barely showed up, she wanted to chat with my mother (she did), and she even questioned if I was interested in the cosmetology program at all. This was a respected teacher of mine and she was one of the catalysts for my change overtime. Although the chat with my teacher was a sign of my lack of satisfaction my room was a mess, I barely ate (I didn't pay attention to meals since I was distracted with work or sleep), I went to work for hours and hours to avoid going home to my dungeon, and didn't even notice the dreadful cycle. I started a key chain business but got exhausted after staying up with no sleep for 3 weeks to complete orders and create new products to sell, which resulted in me passing out and hitting my head on the floor after taking a shower from the pure exhaustion and lack of water and food. That incident was very significant as well. I had friends come over to hang out but that only made me distracted from my problems. One of my friends had mental health problems herself, I could easily observe her issues but never took the time to reveal my own. She would stay over for days at a time and we would walk miles and miles which I later found to be a coping mechanism to avoid real life problems. I even got an extra job (2 jobs at once) that only made me realize I was truly just depressed. The job was a condo cleaning job that required me to clean 10 floors, the community gym, and clubhouse for $12/hr. The manager even warned that grown men left the job in the 1st week due to the labor but I numbly applied. Things had to change. I found a way out of this deteriorating cycle by doing something different. I thought of all of the bad habits I obtained within the span of the pandemic. One thing that affected me the most was cutting my hair after chemically processing it with a relaxer. I regretted the processing, with this I was forced to keep my hair in tact somehow. I instantly lost my confidence with my short hair. My hair obstacle forced me to learn to do my own hair which was beneficial financially and I learned new skills to make me gain confidence in my appearance. I quit the condo cleaning job (after 3 days); sticking to one job. Eventually I cut communication with my friend who was displaying signs of depression, hostility, and irrational behaviors because it had a negative affect on me to be around someone who wasn't open to changing their actions, receiving advice, or getting professional help. I developed a new hobby in planting which relieved a lot of stress and increased my attentiveness to things such as procrastination being a big factor in cause and effect. For example, if I didn't water my plants today they wouldn't die immediately but I would create a cycle of low discipline over the plant's life and overall stability by allowing myself to not follow watering regimens. These procrastinating habits would only worsen my decisions and time management for other events that follow. The experience of the pandemic not only captured my darkest thoughts but it led me to solving my own problems. My goal is to now help people like my old friend get to the point of leading healthy lifestyles by applying solutions to their mental health before committing to destructive behaviors and actions that affect them or others around them. I personally believe holding yourself accountable is the first step to truly solve and avoid any future self-conflicts. I am going to study psychology in the spring at FAU and am currently deciding on acquiring an RBT certificate. Psychology is very important to me especially living with a mother who had postpartum depression and still lives with depression with no drive to get professional help. I can't wait to make changes and provide them at affordable costs to my community. BTW I still have tendencies to procrastinate, but have improved.

My great grandma was the glue to our family. Every special event was hosted at her home whether it was a holiday or just a normal Saturday hangout with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, or family friends. Everyone loved her in the neighborhood. She loved to garden, play bingo at the local community center, go for morning walks, work (even in her retirement stage), and was always heading to the casino for a good time (she was a risk-taker). She did an amazing job raising all of her children and connecting with her grandchildren. Finding out that the once strong, immortal, most valuable figure in my life has cancer was really hard. She went from doing things independently to being showered by my mother, taken to the bathroom, taking multiple medications, staying up all night yearning in abdominal pain; suffering. Deep down I know that having her family see her health decline was worse than the physical pain itself. My mother and great grandmother were inseparable (BFF's for certain). Within a span of 2 months she lost her support system. For years my mother, my twin sister, and I lived with my great grandmother after we were forced to move out of our previous home due to a foreclosure of the owner's property. We lived in the house that was later foreclosed for 4 years. My grandma (my mother's mom) had my mother at 13. At this age she was not very responsible or prepared to raise my mother. My great grandmother took on the mother figure role. Without a job or financial stability my mother could not afford to support herself, my sister, and I so she went to the only person she could depend on. My great grandmother's house was home. I became accustomed to sharing the same room with my mom and sister, but as I got older I became ashamed and never wanted anyone to know my situation. I could not believe my life was changing so drastically. In 7th grade we finally moved out into an apartment 2 minutes away from my great grandmother with the assistance of housing. The apartment allowed me to get my own room again, although the condition of the place itself is not something to be proud of but I can say that I am grateful. I try to motivate my mother till this day to get a job. Her depression always takes over her ability to seek a higher living. Losing my great grandmother only weakens her. In the past her hopes of being in the nursing field were disrupted after having my twin sister and I. She developed postpartum depression. Just like any disorder, it was not widely acknowledged at the time. She later found out this was her reason for low appetite, no drive, and purely no satisfaction. After some work experiences in assisted living it only made her depression worsen as her patients passed away. As a result she stays at home and depends on government assistance such as housing and food assistance (EBT). Having a single parent with no income makes it very hard to even think about having a positive college experience. I question if I will enjoy my time there or if I'm solely going to have to stress over finances. Due to all of the mental factors that contributed to the path my mother chose it made me interested in the field of psychology. My passion is psychology, but my "fight" is to make others live and lead healthy lifestyles. I have started my path in achieving this goal by enrolling in Rollins College located in Winter Park Orlando. I want to make my great grandmother proud by graduating with a PhD. She worked all her life until she was too weak to stand up on her own two feet. I've always had her drive in the workforce. I want my children and grandchildren to look up to me as I look up to my great grandmother despite my household income today. I "fight" to give my children the life I didn't have growing up. I also want to cater to low-income communities by creating mental health programs to uplift the youth and young adults. Like my mother many others are going through mental challenges that interfere with their hopes and dreams. I want to use my education and experiences to be there for them like I would like someone to be there for my mother's mental health and my great grandmother's physical health. You truly never realize how important someone is until they are gone; they cannot express their opinion on topics of concern and they are not there for your proudest moments like my graduation. I wish she could have been there.

I believe that I should be awarded this scholarship because I am optimistic and adamant in my influential future in the field of behavioral psychology. I have started pursuing my goal by enrolling in Rollins College located in Winter Park, Orlando. The cost of attending Rollins is definitely more than I can afford, but it is imperative for me to attend. The benefits of attending includes an extraordinary campus experience (events, sports, fox day, community/family setting, small class size, etc) and it's high rankings in graduates and more gives the school enough credibility to motivate my interests. I've been speaking with professionals in the field whether they are school counselors, couple therapists, or family therapists. Although we are in different stages of the field of psychology (me only beginning) we all have something in common. We all have the passion to improve the lives of many with our knowledge, strength, and commitment. Overall it is vital for us to help lead others to a happy and healthy life. I plan to further my education and level of experience by obtaining a PhD in order to apply myself for all in need of support with credentials to ensure my range in the field. In order to excel in my passion to become prevalent in the psychological field I would use the financial assistance of this scholarship to cover my tuition for my first semester of college. Relieving myself from the financial stresses would be highly appreciated and would allow me more time to focus on studying. Not only would I be able to study, but also be qualified for internships because of my time used to study. I would love to gain experience working with children in my free time. The youth is our future and I want to use my knowledge in the field to create effective behavioral programs for children with developmental disabilities. I would like to collaborate with others in the field as well as teachers to create a system where students' behavior, grades, and communications are monitored and improved through individual (1 on 1; student and Applied Behavior analyzer) or group counseling (multiple students doing behavioral exercises and activities) along with parent involvement (contacting parents to discuss concerns). I would like to include parents so that they are open minded to their child's home and school life as well as the overall effects of family life on children's developmental stages. Parents could have the opportunity to improve their lives by becoming aware of their behaviors and their children's well being in the long run. I know it's hard for parents to balance work life, home life, and their child's needs so the program would create a community of support. I would like to offer family therapy if permitted by the legal guardian or parent. The parents would just have to simply sign a form to confirm that they would like to engage in a scheduled meeting with an Applied Behavior analyzer or family psychologist. The student and parents would improve as a whole and have follow-up appointments to update the teacher or applied behavior analyzer to keep in touch throughout the child's school career and beyond. I have been interested in the field of psychology for many years. I have family members and more who have developmental disabilities and are not getting the personalized support they deserve to see their full potential. I would like to see changes and I would also like to be a part of the process of change. This scholarship would only be aiding in the milestone to my success.

I live in Delray Beach where everyone comes for the beautiful downtown area and the nice beaches and diversity, right in the mist of that is my community which is not the safest or updated like most sea front or upscale communities. Most of the elderly's homes are being bought and renovated but luckily my great grandma's house still stands even after her passing just 2 weeks ago. Even with the changes my community stays strong, I can recall a social justice movement that may have not affected the neighboring cities and states, as much as it directly affected my own, one that was peaceful and rewarding, causing me to pay closer attention to my community and my own emotions. My grandfather was a twin just like my twin sister and I. He used to meet his twin brother every morning for coffee at a local corner store at around 6 a.m. One morning a robbery took place as he was purchasing his coffee and was shot and killed within moments. All of this was caught on security camera and was later released to the media, showing on Facebook and the news. There was a witness who survived and has to live with the traumatizing memory, but who is purely grateful to live another day. This wasn't the only fatal event that took place within that month. This caused my community to join together and organize a walk to end violence. I never realized how simple it was to organize such an event when you have a team of people with the same motivations. Shirts were created, a route was mapped, and feet were marching. I attended one of the many walks of violence. A news camera crew attended as well to film the event. My mom was able to grieve and the support was tremendous. My uncle was at the candle lighting, I never talked to him since he was always distant and never made an attempt to get to know my sister and I. I gave him a hug and it was a meaningful moment since he was in such a vulnerable state, crying in front of everyone. The protests were positive; bringing everyone together, allowing the adults to show their true feelings, and creating a bit of history for my community. At home I never discussed the event with our single mother who was visibly affected emotionally by her dad's passing, she would cry and I would comfort her and because I was being strong for her I didn't know that the event was affecting me as well. I was only in elementary at the time. My sister and I never discussed the event or how it made us feel. One day we both were in our separate classes and starting bawling. We cried so hard out of nowhere and it alerted our teachers so they sent us to the guidance counselor. As I walked into the guidance counselor's office I said "what are you doing here!?". I was shocked to see my twin sister in there for the same reasoning. We completed an activity to help us deal with our loss provided by the counselor. We just never knew that we were affected emotionally until we got in a public setting away from home and our community. Overall the event and protests taught me that dealing with things alone will never be as beneficial as having a big group of supporters that all have good intentions. I am proud to be a part of my community and want to give back with my degree in psychology.