My biggest role model is definitely my mother. She arrived in the United States from Ghana as a young mother with little more than the clothes on her back. Although she had a bachelor’s degree from a Ghanaian University, there weren’t many job opportunities fitting her qualifications at the time. Instead of wallowing in her disappointment, or giving up and returning to Ghana, my mother decided to make things work in America no matter the cost. In less than twenty years, my mother went from working odd jobs in factories to earning a Ph.D. and working as a director for the US Department of HUD. She did this while raising two children as a single mother and helping five of her sisters join her in the US. I could never fully describe every obstacle she overcame or just how exceptional she is. Although my mother faced substantial struggles, pain, and adversity on her journey, her resilience has taught me that I can do anything. My mom’s love and support cover me everywhere I go. She is my role model not just because of what she has accomplished, but for who she is. Her generosity, benevolence, determination, consciousness, empathy, and social awareness are traits that I work to embody. These traits have formed me and my goal of making an impact on the world around me. I push myself to my limits every day doing internships, sports, six AP classes, honor societies, and clubs while also caring for my kid sister who heavily depends on me. I’m also consistently involved in civic and social organizations, community service, advocacy groups, and volunteering. So much of what I do can be attributed to my mother and the value she places on serving the community. All my efforts build towards attending a four-year university and using the opportunities my education affords me to improve my community. After college, I hope to attend medical school then become a pediatrician practicing in low-income areas. Sometimes I doubt myself because of the roadblocks I know I will encounter. In those times, I remember my mother’s lesson. “You come from greatness. So, to greatness, you shall return.” The way I interpret this lesson has changed over the years. When I was very young, I didn't understand what my mother meant. She was perfection in my eyes. She was someone who had gone through so much and still seemed like she could face anything. She was always composed, powerful, and competent. I never saw her cry. I didn't think I would ever be able to live up to her. I am sure that the image my mother subconsciously kept up my entire childhood was exhausting. As we both got older, I saw her image crack before my eyes. I saw her get sick for the first time; I saw the bags under her eyes at the end of each day when she wiped off her makeup; I heard her exhale as she climbed up the stairs every night. Suddenly, I realized that my mother is not flawless. She's human. My mom was not so successful because she was superhuman and did not need anyone. To her, she had to succeed because there was no other option. She adored my brother and me so much that she would sacrifice anything to provide for us. She would come home exhausted every day but still put a smile on her face to listen to my preschool squabbles, make dinner, and check my homework. Her ability to execute all this and make it look effortless does not mean it was. It is just a testament to her tenacity and capability; not many could do what she does, and no one should have to. The problem with my view of her was that it dismissed the exhaustion and trauma that she fought through every day to do what she did. My reframing of my mom’s image didn’t make her a worse role model; It made her the best one. Humanizing her made success feel much more authentic to me. Learning her flaws and mistakes helped me improve on our shared weak points. Studying her helped me realize that she experienced failure, but how she responded to it induced her success. I learned not to beat myself up when I was human. I stopped crying on the few occasions when I got a math problem wrong. I didn’t guilt myself for feeling down sometimes, even though I was conscious of the fact that nothing I’d gone through compared to what she had. I allowed myself to have moments of weakness and rest. Failure still is not an option. But that is no longer because I think I’ll never fail. It is because even if I do, I know I’ll keep trying until I get where I need to be. Just like my mother -my role model - did.

The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, especially children, and even more so for those of them in hospitals. My friends and I started an organization called "Children's Ark" to address this issue. We plan events to raise money for pediatric wards in our area. In this picture, we were raking lawns in our community to raise money to buy blankets for children at Howard County General Hospital. It was absolutely freezing outside. None of us could feel our fingers. I had never held a rake before. Yet, our cause galvanized us. We raised over $700.