At the age of 6, diagnosed with diabetes, I laid limp in the hospital bed, tethered to an IV, not yet knowing the gravity of my condition. In finding myself and working towards my scholastic and athletic goals, I graced the doors of high school for the first time. I had straight A’s, and participated in every sport I could. I have since become a favorite among the staff for my determination, hard work and respect. Put on the leaderboard for my weightlifting abilities, I pushed to be the best version of myself. I was asked to tell my story at a diabetic outreach program, to an audience of over 100. Having found my voice, I saw it as my job to help other diabetic children find theirs. To tell them to keep working to overcome your challenges, and ask for help when you need it. Walk with a confident stride and always believe in yourself. My disease, something that I used to find sad and unfortunate, I now see as a gift. Still bettering myself, I was privileged with the tools to overcome, so now, I work to equip people with the hope and truth that only you decide what defines you. Growing isn't always easy, but it’s ALWAYS necessary. As a lively individual, being 1 of 4 children, I always love being a part of a team. A helping hand through acts of service and putting others above myself, as I believe that comes with being a part of a large family. I knew from a young age that I wanted to grow up to help people. I found my love for working with children through babysitting and working as a daycare employee for 2 years. In high school, I was in all honor and AP courses, participating in 4 varsity sports. I focused on psychology as it was the most intriguing subject at school; as a senior, I am completing a capstone project looking at personality development using psychology principles I learned in years prior. My grandparents came to live with us in 2018, and I watched their lives change through their Alzheimer's disease and the deterioration of their memory and personality. My wonder grew about the science of psychology and how the brain works, as well as the role of children in family dynamics as it relates to their environment. I see myself in the future working in service of others, and looking into a profession that combines psychology and children communications. Moving forward, I plan to fuel my passion for helping people in the field of psychology, working with children at Kennesaw State University, where I have signed to be a Track athlete. I will continue my artistic pursuits, minoring in music, and possibly communications, as I love to interact with people. My goal as I grow is to make an impact with my words and my actions. Using my personable skills, I strive to make each person I interact with, feel seen and included. Becoming involved in my community's church in college, I will continue to push myself to become something better than yesterday, academically, spiritually, athletically, and fundamentally. Though I have overcome most, some struggles I could not avoid. As a diabetic, my mother, a cancer survivor with health complications, and my father, sister and I being medicated for ADHD, our medical expenses are high. We house 10 members under our 1 roof, and my mother has been without a job this past year, so I am looking for every opportunity to achieve a higher education, as my parents cannot pay for it.

At the age of 6, diagnosed with diabetes, I laid limp in the hospital bed, tethered to an IV, not yet knowing the gravity of my condition. In finding myself and working towards my scholastic and athletic goals, I graced the doors of high school for the first time. I had straight A’s, and participated in every sport I could. I have since become a favorite among the staff for my determination, hard work and respect. Put on the leaderboard for my weightlifting abilities, I continued pushing to be the best version of myself. I was asked to tell my story at a diabetic outreach program, to an audience of over 100. Having found my voice, I saw it as my job to help other diabetic children find theirs. To tell them to take their time and enjoy the little moments as each moment is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Go succeed and achieve greatness, but take it in slowly, because you never get to revisit it. Keep working to overcome your challenges, and ask for help when you need it, but walk with a confident stride and always believe in yourself. My disease, something that I used to find sad and unfortunate, I now see as a gift. Still bettering myself, I was privileged with the tools to overcome, so now, I work to equip people with the hope and truth that only you decide what defines you. Growing isn't always easy, but it’s ALWAYS necessary. As a lively individual, being 1 of 4 children, I always love being a part of a team. A helping hand through acts of service and putting others above myself, as I believe that comes with being a part of a large family. I knew from a young age that I wanted to grow up to help people. I found my love for working with children through babysitting and working as a daycare employee for 2 years. In high school, I was in all honor and AP courses, participating in 4 varsity sports. I focused on psychology as it was the most intriguing subject at school; as a senior, I am completing a capstone project looking at personality development using psychology principles I learned in years prior. My grandparents came to live with us in 2018, and I watched their lives change through their Alzheimer's disease and the deterioration of their memory and personality. My wonder grew about the science of psychology and how the brain works, as well as the role of children in family dynamics as it relates to their environment. I see myself in the future working in service of others, and looking into a profession that combines psychology and children communications. Moving forward, I plan to fuel my passion for helping people in the field of psychology, working with children at Kennesaw State University, where I have signed to be an athlete. I will continue my artistic pursuits, minoring in music, and possibly communications, as I love to interact with people. My goal as I grow is to make an impact with my words and my actions. Using my personable skills, I strive to make each person I interact with, feel seen and included. Becoming involved in my community's church in college, I will continue to push myself to become something better than yesterday, academically, spiritually, athletically, and fundamentally.

Gifted with a melodious voice, I was on stage at the age of 7, serving as a backup singer for the church band. My first time performing solo, I evoked tears from the audience. I have since known the immense power that music has… and that my voice WILL have. Music is knowledge, but not in the form of words and facts. Music is a universal understanding and provides a key to someone's mind, heart, and soul. Singing gives me the ability to create something new every time I have an idea I wish to share. With emphasis on personal growth, the message that I want to share with the world is found within my music, and how I plan to deliver that message. Educated and ambitious, I am excited for the future, and the impact I intend to have on it. At the age of 6, diagnosed with diabetes, I laid limp in the hospital bed, tethered to an IV, not yet knowing the gravity of my condition. We practiced my ‘carb-counting’ by making a cookie. The fun exercise left a heavy weight on my heart, realizing that this was forever. I felt trapped. This disability I would have to juggle for the rest of my life. Through my adolescence, surrounded by insecurity, I was terrified of years to come. During the year of covid, being immunocompromised, I rarely left the house. At this low point, I realized that I could be more. Focusing on growing, I practiced volleyball relentlessly. My determined ambition pushed me to work towards my goal to be an athlete. Diabetes wouldn't stop me. The mandatory lockdown lifted, and I graced the doors of high school for the first time. I had straight A’s, and participated in every sport I could. I have since become a favorite among the staff for my determination, hard work and respect. Put on the leaderboard for my weightlifting abilities, I continued pushing to be the best version of myself. I was asked to tell my story at a diabetic outreach program, to an audience of over 100. Having found my voice, I saw it as my job to help other diabetic children find theirs. To tell them to take their time and enjoy the little moments as each moment is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Go succeed and achieve greatness, but take it in slowly, because you never get to revisit it. Keep working to overcome your challenges, and ask for help when you need it, but walk with a confident stride and always believe in yourself. “I hope my daughter grows up to be even just a little bit like you,” (the mother of a diabetic infant.) This changed my life. My disease, something that I used to find sad and unfortunate, I now see as a gift. Still bettering myself, I was privileged with the tools to overcome, so now, I work to equip people with the hope and truth that only you decide what defines you. Growing isn't always easy, but it’s ALWAYS necessary. Where my hands quivered touching the microphone, whispering the tune softly, is now held with confidence. Where my head used to hide when my diabetes was noticed, is now held high with intention, because each word, each display of fearlessness, and each note that escapes my vocal cords, is another chance for me to change the world.

As a child, I was always bouncing around with loud bubbliness that no one could shake… When I was 6, I was diagnosed with diabetes. I laid limp in the hospital bed, tethered to an IV, not yet knowing the gravity of my condition. Being discharged, we practiced my ‘carb-counting’ by making a cookie. The fun exercise left a heavy weight on my heart, realizing that this was forever. Growing through my adolescence, surrounded by insecurity, and fear of being made fun of, I was terrified of the years to come. Through the year of COVID, my mother, my grandparents, and I, being immunocompromised, rarely left the house. I practiced volleyball relentlessly. My bible studies, my intensive workouts, and my determined ambition, pushed me to grow. I wanted to be an athlete, and diabetes wouldn't stop me. The mandatory lockdown lifted and I graced the doors of high school for the first time. I had straight A’s, and began to participate in Volleyball. I joined the track team, and my athletic journey took off. I have since become a favorite among the coaches and teachers for my determination, hard work and respect. I was put on the leaderboard for my weightlifting abilities, and my success drove me to be the best version of myself. Going into my sophomore year, I began to notice my focus drifting in class. As my classes got harder, I couldn't seem to get my brain to work with me, and not against me. When having conversations, I was constantly reminded to ‘get to the point.’ I couldn't get out a succinct thought… It was like a pinball machine in my head, bouncing from one idea to another. I relied on caffeine to keep me awake and to help me focus in class. I always seemed to be behind, overwhelmed with everything I needed to do, and could never get ahead of the game. After being diagnosed with ADHD, I realized that I was going to be struggling not only with diabetes, but also a learning disability for the rest of my life. Pursuing a higher education for myself has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Having that transition in college into adulthood and being able to learn and grow into something spectacular, while fueling my hunger for knowledge. Working with like-minded intellectuals in college, sounded like paradise. I was asked to tell my story at a diabetic outreach program, to an audience of over 100. “I hope my daughter grows up to be even just a little bit like you.” said the mother of a diabetic infant. This changed my perspective on life. My disease and learning disability, something that I used to find sad and unfortunate, I now see as a gift. Obviously not all sunshine and rainbows, but I have been privileged with the tools to have people listen to me. I am so thankful to be able to speak about my experience and to also apply that personal growth to every aspect of my life. As a determined and powerful individual, I will work to accomplish whatever I set my mind to. As a recipient, I believe that I can be an inspiration, (as I have overcome my diabetes, as a multisport athlete, and I have overcome my learning disability, being a successful AP scholar with Distinction,) I plan to use my story to help other people. Excited to see where life takes me, I am confident with the tools that I have. I am going to change the world.