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Cheyenne Brown

2,255

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Finalist

Bio

I am wanting to get a degree in biomedical engineering and I want to work in a career field with Prosthetics and Orthotics.

Education

Ola High School

High School
2020 - 2024

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • Biomedical/Medical Engineering
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Biomedical Engineering

    • Dream career goals:

      Sports

      Lacrosse

      Junior Varsity
      2019 – 20201 year

      Arts

      • National Art Honor Society

        Visual Arts
        2021 – 2022

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        Mental Health Alliance — President
        2023 – Present
      Robert F. Lawson Fund for Careers that Care
      Hello, my name is Cheyenne Brown and I am currently a senior in high school and a dual enrollment student at Kennesaw State University. Some things about me are that I love animals and have fourteen pets (eleven cats and three dogs), my favorite color is Juniper Green, and I love music, art, and anything where I can create things and work hands-on. I have had the chance to be a part of my school's CTAE (Career Technology Agricultural Education) pathway for engineering since the tenth grade and have the most amazing teacher, Dr. Christie Schmitt (she deserves a shout-out). Dr. Schmitt and my mom made me realize that engineering is an amazing field and one way that I can help change the world for the better by doing something I am good at and love doing which is engineering and using the design process to make innovations and creations that could one day help someone. I plan to go to college and earn a degree in biomedical engineering and specialize in the creation of prosthetics and orthotics. By getting this degree I will be able to create parts for people who are missing those limbs. In doing this I can help people such as veterans, natural disaster survivors, and people affected by bombs from wars occurring in different countries. While working in this field I hope to create innovations so that prosthetics, which are usually extremely expensive, can be created cheaper so that they are more available to the people. Also, I would like to be able to find ways that make prosthetics more customizable so the people who wear them feel more comfortable because they think their limb looks nice. I think this will have a positive impact on society. There are so many people who are amputees or just born without said limbs who struggle with confidence, mobility, and just everyday life because they are missing a limb. What I want to do for a career would help these people because my goal in life is to help people and I want to do this through the prosthetics I would create. I hope that helping people through the prosthetics I would be able to create would have a positive impact on society and help take away the stigmas and misconceptions that many people have about missing limbs. My education is something very high on my list of priorities and I have always been a person who likes to see good happening in the world, so being able to make a positive impact on society through what I do would be something that would make me most happy in life. However, at first, I did not know how to do that until I started researching careers and I found that prosthetics is something that caught my eye and made me realize I could take something I am good at (engineering) and use it to help others and make the positive impact I want to have on society. However, I can not do this without having the education I would need. To be able to work with creating these prosthetics I would need at least a Bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. My plan, however, will not work out if I do not have the funding I need to go to college. Without scholarships such as this one I will not be able to get the degree I need so I can learn how to help the people who are missing limbs. Therefore I would not be able to make the positive impact on society that I want to have.
      Abu Omar Halal Scholarship
      Hello, my name is Cheyenne Brown and I am currently a senior in high school and a dual enrollment student at Kennesaw State University. Some things about me are that I love animals and have fourteen pets (eleven cats and three dogs), my favorite color is Juniper Green, and I love music, art, and anything where I can create things and work hands-on. I have had the chance to be a part of my school's CTAE (Career Technology Agricultural Education) pathway for engineering since the tenth grade and have the most amazing teacher, Dr. Christie Schmitt (she deserves a shout-out). Dr. Schmitt and my mom made me realize that engineering is an amazing field and one way that I can help change the world for the better by doing something I am good at and love doing which is engineering and using the design process to make innovations and creations that could one day help someone. I plan to go to college and earn a degree in biomedical engineering and specialize in the creation of prosthetics and orthotics. By getting this degree I will be able to create parts for people who are missing those limbs. In doing this I can help people such as veterans, natural disaster survivors, and people affected by bombs from wars occurring in different countries. While working in this field I hope to create innovations so that prosthetics, which are usually extremely expensive, can be created cheaper so that they are more available to the people. Also, I would like to be able to find ways that make prosthetics more customizable so the people who wear them feel more comfortable because they think their limb looks nice. I think this will have a positive impact on society. There are so many people who are amputees or just born without said limbs who struggle with confidence, mobility, and just everyday life because they are missing a limb. What I want to do for a career would help these people because my goal in life is to help people and I want to do this through the prosthetics I would create. I hope that helping people through the prosthetics I would be able to create would have a positive impact on society and help take away the stigmas and misconceptions that many people have about missing limbs. My education is something very high on my list of priorities and I have always been a person who likes to see good happening in the world, so being able to make a positive impact on society through what I do would be something that would make me most happy in life. However, at first, I did not know how to do that until I started researching careers and I found that prosthetics is something that caught my eye and made me realize I could take something I am good at (engineering) and use it to help others and make the positive impact I want to have on society. However, I can not do this without having the education I would need. To be able to work with creating these prosthetics I would need at least a Bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. My plan, however, will not work out if I do not have the funding I need to go to college. Without scholarships such as this one I will not be able to get the degree I need so I can learn how to help the people who are missing limbs. Therefore I would not be able to make the positive impact on society that I want to have.
      VNutrition & Wellness’ Annual LGBTQ+ Vitality Scholarship
      I plan to go to college and earn a degree in biomedical engineering and specialize in the creation of prosthetics and orthotics. By getting this degree I will be able to create parts for people who are missing those limbs. In doing this I can help people such as veterans, natural disaster survivors, and people affected by bombs from wars occurring in different countries. While working in this field I hope to create innovations so that prosthetics, which are usually extremely expensive, can be created cheaper so that they are more available to the people. Also, I would like to be able to find ways that make prosthetics more customizable so the people who wear them feel more comfortable because they think their limb looks nice. I think this will have a positive impact on society. There are so many people who are amputees or just born without said limbs who struggle with confidence, mobility, and just everyday life because they are missing a limb. What I want to do for a career would help these people because my goal in life is to help people and I want to do this through the prosthetics I would create. I hope that helping people through the prosthetics I would be able to create would have a positive impact on society and help take away the stigmas and misconceptions that many people have about missing limbs. My education is something very high on my list of priorities and I have always been a person who likes to see good happening in the world, so being able to make a positive impact on society through what I do would be something that would make me most happy in life. However, at first, I did not know how to do that until I started researching careers and I found that prosthetics is something that caught my eye and made me realize I could take something I am good at (engineering) and use it to help others and make the positive impact I want to have on society. However, I can not do this without having the education I would need. To be able to work with creating these prosthetics I would need at least a Bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. My plan, however, will not work out if I do not have the funding I need to go to college. Without scholarships such as this one I will not be able to get the degree I need so I can learn how to help the people who are missing limbs. Therefore I would not be able to make the positive impact on society that I want to have.
      Windward Spirit Scholarship
      Society has changed over time and is constantly changing, however, there are some things that just stay the same but may come in a different form. There are many things that stay the same such as the younger generation blaming the one before them for what is happening to the world. What people believe is naiveness within the younger generations. Resentment between groups of people. The list goes on and on about how certain aspects of the world do not change from generation to generation. This is explained in the Ode To Millennials-Gen Z text. In the text, it refers to the way that older people prefer writing to one another but some prefer calling and then referring to the younger people who do not pick up the phone now. This explains how we have reverted to the same thing however our form of writing is text messages and emails and not letters. Which shows how things change between generations but they are still different in many ways. The "Greatest Generation" is mentioned in the passage to show how the Millennials-Gen Z is inheriting a world that is very similar to what the "Greatest Generation" inherited during the 1930s. They use this comparison to show that the Millenials-Gen Z is possibly going to be considered the "Greatest Generation 2.0" since they are being given a world very similar. The world that the Millenials-Gen Z is inheriting has the same issues as the "Greatest Generation" with a bankrupt economy, a high unemployment rate, low incomes, loans causing a cycle of poverty, and many other things that were faced by that generation. This new generation, however, is said to be too kind compared to the generations full of resentment. I think that was said to show that the Millenials-Gen Z are open to more ideas and they want peacefulness. This generation seems to want to fix things that have commonly caused there to be issues in the past. I agree with what the author is saying about this generation is hearing that call to duty and they want to create a change that will make a better world even though they are being given a society that is broken. Overall I believe what this text is trying to do is give a call to action for us to take the world we are being given and create a better one that is not as resentful and messed up as it is now. I also believe that this piece is telling us to be resilient and have the passion to change this broken world with ambition and drive for a better world.
      Jeanie A. Memorial Scholarship
      Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, so I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. However, there was a time in my life when I did not see the world in this way. When I was 13 I was being bullied severely, kids were constantly calling me slurs, cursing at me, hitting me, and the worst one that I remember affecting me the most having my head slammed into the lockers. It had gotten so bad and I felt alone and the bullying wouldn't stop. I went to the administration at the school so many times but they did nothing about the bullying. I had eventually gotten so tired of going through it every day that I was going to kill myself. During this time I could see no other way out, and I felt like there was nothing and no one that could help me so I turned to suicide. I was contemplating and struggling until one day I finally broke. I was at school when the mental breakdown happened and I was writing yet again another victim statement and without thinking I wrote something along the lines of "these kids make me not want to be at school, or anywhere". This had thrown up a red flag to the counselor and she had asked me if I meant that I wanted to kill myself. I had tried to lie at first but eventually, I told her that I thinking of it. After this happened, I had to be hospitalized and I was so mad at the fact I was put in a hospital. However, I eventually came around to the fact that it was for my own good. While in the hospital I realized that I couldn't give up because it would hurt too many people, especially my mom if I had killed myself. Knowing the hurt I would have caused the people around me made me fight and I realized that even in the darkest of times you have to stumble and find a source of light. In the end, I am glad that the bullying that occurred and the mental illness that I struggle with did not take me down fully. If it wasn't for the fact that I was hospitalized I don't think I would be here today writing this essay for this scholarship.
      Camille Donaldson Memorial Scholarship
      I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. Mental illness runs in my family and has caused there to be a lot of my family not to get an education. In my family on my dad's side, no one has ever gone to college and many of them have never finished high school. I want to break this cycle and be the first person on that side of the family to get a college degree. My family has lived in a continuous cycle of poverty from generation to generation because mental illness has kept them from being able to get an education. There is also a continuous generational cycle of abuse because of mental illness. In many cases, the children on that side of the family were told they would not amount to anything and they would just fall into the same habits of their parents and do the same thing to their children. My family is dysfunctional to put it nicely but there are just so many consequences of mental illness affecting that side of my family including alcoholism, addiction, abuse, poverty, etc. I hope to be the opposite of them. These experiences have influenced me in the aspect that I realize that what I have lived in with my family is not proper and has made me want to break the cycle that has been created. Also, my own struggle with mental health has inspired me to push myself harder each day so I can prove that despite my disorders I am enough and can accomplish as much as the others.
      Individualized Education Pathway Scholarship
      Hello, My name is Cheyenne Brown. I am currently a senior in high school and a dual enrollment student at Kennesaw State University. I want to attend Mercer University and major in Biomedical Engineering. After college, I want to work on creating prosthetics and other devices to help people who have lost parts of their bodies. I am like many other teenagers, I like video games, animals, hanging out with my friends, and other teenage things. However, I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. Currently, I am a senior in high school and I really want to continue my education and go to college so I can learn even more. However, I am going to struggle to pay for college which is a big worry of mine which is why scholarships are important to me and why I am pushing myself so hard in school right now. Mental illness runs in my family and has caused there to be a lot of my family not to get an education. In my family on my dad's side, no one has ever gone to college and many of them have never finished high school. I want to break this cycle and be the first person on that side of the family to get a college degree. My family has lived in a continuous cycle of poverty from generation to generation because mental illness has kept them from being able to get an education. There is also a continuous generational cycle of abuse because of mental illness. In many cases, the children on that side of the family were told they would not amount to anything and they would just fall into the same habits of their parents and do the same thing to their children. My family is dysfunctional to put it nicely but there are just so many consequences of mental illness affecting that side of my family including alcoholism, addiction, abuse, poverty, etc. I hope to be the opposite of them.
      Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
      I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. Mental illness runs in my family and has caused there to be a lot of my family not to get an education. In my family on my dad's side, no one has ever gone to college and many of them have never finished high school. I want to break this cycle and be the first person on that side of the family to get a college degree. My family has lived in a continuous cycle of poverty from generation to generation because mental illness has kept them from being able to get an education. There is also a continuous generational cycle of abuse because of mental illness. In many cases, the children on that side of the family were told they would not amount to anything and they would just fall into the same habits of their parents and do the same thing to their children. My family is dysfunctional to put it nicely but there are just so many consequences of mental illness affecting that side of my family including alcoholism, addiction, abuse, poverty, etc. I hope to be the opposite of them. These experiences have influenced me in the aspect that I realize that what I have lived in with my family is not proper and has made me want to break the cycle that has been created. Also, my own struggle with mental health has inspired me to push myself harder each day so I can prove that despite my disorders I am enough and can accomplish as much as the others.
      Trever David Clark Memorial Scholarship
      I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. Mental illness runs in my family and has caused there to be a lot of my family not to get an education. In my family on my dad's side, no one has ever gone to college and many of them have never finished high school. I want to break this cycle and be the first person on that side of the family to get a college degree. My family has lived in a continuous cycle of poverty from generation to generation because mental illness has kept them from being able to get an education. There is also a continuous generational cycle of abuse because of mental illness. In many cases, the children on that side of the family were told they would not amount to anything and they would just fall into the same habits of their parents and do the same thing to their children. My family is dysfunctional to put it nicely but there are just so many consequences of mental illness affecting that side of my family including alcoholism, addiction, abuse, poverty, etc. I hope to be the opposite of them. The mental health industry can be very helpful in the aspect they give people resources that help people such as therapy, medication, coping mechanisms, support, etc. I am one of the many people who this has helped and even though I still struggle sometimes these resources are right there when I need them.
      Richard P. Mullen Memorial Scholarship
      Hello, My name is Cheyenne Brown. I am currently a Senior in high school and a dual enrollment student at Kennesaw State University. I want to attend Mercer University and major in Biomedical Engineering. After college, I want to work on creating prosthetics and other devices to help people who have lost parts of their bodies. I have always been fascinated by science and have loved designing and building things. One of my biggest goals in life is to help people and becoming a biomedical engineer who works with prosthetics is something where I can do all of those at the same time. At my high school, we have an engineering career tech pathway and I have taken all four classes that are a part of the pathway (I am taking the 3rd and 4th ones at the same time at the moment) and they have been some of my favorite classes ever since I began the pathway in my Sophmore year. I am like many other teenagers, I like video games, animals, hanging out with my friends, and other teenage things. However, I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. The only thing standing in my way currently is the cost of going to college. This scholarship would help me be able to fund my education because I come from a family who would struggle to pay for my education. I have been pushing myself hard in school so I can achieve my goal of being a biomedical engineer however my smarts alone are not going to cover the cost of continuing my education. This scholarship will give me the chance to take some of the burden of the cost of college off my shoulders so I can focus on working on my future. Getting this scholarship would mean I would not have to take out a loan to go to school which means I would not be in as much debt. Not being in as much debt will allow me to focus on school without having to work full-time and go to school at the same time. Also, it will help me to get the career I want which will allow me to help people through science, designing, and building.
      Sean Kelly Memorial Scholarship
      Hello, My name is Cheyenne Brown. I am currently a Senior in high school and a dual enrollment student at Kennesaw State University. I want to attend Mercer University and major in Biomedical Engineering. After college, I want to work on creating prosthetics and other devices to help people who have lost parts of their bodies. I have always been fascinated by science and have loved designing and building things. One of my biggest goals in life is to help people and becoming a biomedical engineer who works with prosthetics is something where I can do all of those at the same time. At my high school, we have an engineering career tech pathway and I have taken all four classes that are a part of the pathway (I am taking the 3rd and 4th ones at the same time at the moment) and they have been some of my favorite classes ever since I began the pathway in my Sophmore year. I am like many other teenagers, I like video games, animals, hanging out with my friends, and other teenage things. However, I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. The only thing standing in my way currently is the cost of going to college. This scholarship would help me be able to fund my education because I come from a family who would struggle to pay for my education. I have been pushing myself hard in school so I can achieve my goal of being a biomedical engineer however my smarts alone are not going to cover the cost of continuing my education. This scholarship will give me the chance to take some of the burden of the cost of college off my shoulders so I can focus on working on my future. Getting this scholarship would mean I would not have to take out a loan to go to school which means I would not be in as much debt. Not being in as much debt will allow me to focus on school without having to work full-time and go to school at the same time. Also, it will help me to get the career I want which will allow me to help people through science, designing, and building.
      Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
      I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. When I was 13 I was being bullied severely, kids were constantly calling me slurs, cursing at me, hitting me, and the worst one that I remember affecting me the most having my head slammed into the lockers. It had gotten so bad and I felt alone and the bullying wouldn't stop. I went to the administration at the school so many times but they did nothing about the bullying. I had eventually gotten so tired of going through it every day and so depressed that I was going to kill myself. However, I didn't get the chance because I was hospitalized. Even though I was upset about it at the time, now that I am older I am thankful that it happened because if it didn't I don't think I'd be here today. Mental illness runs in my family and has caused there to be a lot of my family not to get an education. In my family on my dad's side, no one has ever gone to college and many of them have never finished high school. I want to break this cycle and be the first person on that side of the family to get a college degree. My family has lived in a continuous cycle of poverty from generation to generation because mental illness has kept them from being able to get an education. There is also a continuous generational cycle of abuse because of mental illness. In many cases, the children on that side of the family were told they would not amount to anything and they would just fall into the same habits of their parents and do the same thing to their children. My family is dysfunctional to put it nicely but there are just so many consequences of mental illness affecting that side of my family including alcoholism, addiction, abuse, poverty, etc. I hope to be the opposite of them.
      Envision Scholarship Award
      Hello, My name is Cheyenne Brown. I am currently a senior in high school and a dual enrollment student at Kennesaw State University. I want to attend Mercer University and major in Biomedical Engineering. After college, I want to work on creating prosthetics and other devices to help people who have lost parts of their bodies. I am like many other teenagers, I like video games, animals, hanging out with my friends, and other teenage things. However, I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder and I am lesbian. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. When I was 13 I was being bullied severely, kids were calling me slurs because of my sexuality, hitting me, etc. I went to the administration at the school so many times but they did nothing about the bullying. I had eventually gotten so tired of going through it every day that I was going to kill myself. I had kept it all to myself and I finally broke. I was at school when the mental breakdown happened and I was writing a victim statement and without thinking I wrote something along the lines of "these kids make me not want to be at school, or anywhere". The counselor then asked if I wanted to kill myself and I told her I did. After this happened, I had to be hospitalized and I was so mad at the fact I was put in a hospital. However, I eventually came around to the fact that it was for my own good. Currently, I am a senior in high school and I want to continue my education and go to college so I can learn even more. In the future I envision myself working as an engineer and building the life I want and having my own car, home, pets and starting my own family with a nice partner and possibly a child of our own. I plan on making this happen by pushing myself in college to get a degree and a good job.
      Dounya Discala Scholarship
      Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, so I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. However, there was a time in my life when I did not see the world in this way. When I was 13 I was being bullied severely, kids were constantly calling me slurs, cursing at me, hitting me, and the worst one that I remember affecting me the most having my head slammed into the lockers. It had gotten so bad and I felt alone and the bullying wouldn't stop. I went to the administration at the school so many times but they did nothing about the bullying. I had eventually gotten so tired of going through it every day that I was going to kill myself. During this time I could see no other way out, and I felt like there was nothing and no one that could help me so I turned to suicide. I was contemplating and struggling until one day I finally broke. I was at school when the mental breakdown happened and I was writing yet again another victim statement and without thinking I wrote something along the lines of "these kids make me not want to be at school, or anywhere". This had thrown up a red flag to the counselor and she had asked me if I meant that I wanted to kill myself. I had tried to lie at first but eventually, I told her that I thinking of it. After this happened, I had to be hospitalized and I was so mad at the fact I was put in a hospital. However, I eventually came around to the fact that it was for my own good. While in the hospital I realized that I couldn't give up because it would hurt too many people, especially my mom if I had killed myself. Knowing the hurt I would have caused made me fight and I realized that even in the darkest of times you have to stumble and find a source of light. In the end, I am glad that the bullying that occurred and the mental illness that I struggle with did not take me down fully. If it wasn't for the fact that I was hospitalized I don't think I would be here today writing this essay for this sholarship.
      Elijah's Helping Hand Scholarship Award
      Hello, My name is Cheyenne Brown. I am currently a senior in high school and a dual enrollment student at Kennesaw State University. I want to attend Mercer University and major in Biomedical Engineering. After college, I want to work on creating prosthetics and other devices to help people who have lost parts of their bodies. I am like many other teenagers, I like video games, animals, hanging out with my friends, and other teenage things. However, I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. There were two distinctive times when I was impacted by suicide. The first was that when I was nine years old my grandfather committed suicide and I watched how hard it hurt my mom the trauma it caused her and how she has struggled to heal from it. I was young and didn't fully understand what was going on but I had tried to be there for her as much as possible. However, it pains me that I still see her struggle because she is still healing. It also pains me that I almost put her through that same thing again. When I was 13 I was being bullied severely, kids were constantly calling me slurs, cursing at me, hitting me, and the worst one that I remember affecting me the most having my head slammed into the lockers. It had gotten so bad and I felt alone and the bullying wouldn't stop. I went to the administration at the school so many times but they did nothing about the bullying. I had eventually gotten so tired of going through it every day that I was going to kill myself. However, I didn't get the chance because I was hospitalized. Even though I was upset about it at the time, now that I am older I am thankful that it happened because if it didn't I don't think I'd be here today. I also have the daily experience of being LGBTQIA+ because I identify as a Lesbian.
      Elizabeth Schalk Memorial Scholarship
      Hello, My name is Cheyenne Brown. I am currently a senior in high school and a dual enrollment student at Kennesaw State University. I want to attend Mercer University and major in Biomedical Engineering. After college, I want to work on creating prosthetics and other devices to help people who have lost parts of their bodies. I am like many other teenagers, I like video games, animals, hanging out with my friends, and other teenage things. However, I am not neurotypical like many other teens, I have Autism, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder. I have dealt with mental illness much of my life but I am not going to let that hold me back, I still want to go to college and create a future for myself. Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time, I didn't know what was "wrong" with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like its texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. I did not know what that meant at first but, I have learned is that that there is nothing wrong with me, I am just different. I'm neurodivergent but it does not mean I have something wrong with me and on the days when I struggle I try my best to remind myself that being Autistic and having ADHD does not mean I'm not as good as others. However even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with their symptoms, I still struggle with their effects every day. I don't want to let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. Currently, I am a senior in high school and I really want to continue my education and go to college so I can learn even more. However, I am going to struggle to pay for college which is a big worry of mine which is why scholarships are important to me and why I am pushing myself so hard in school right now. Mental illness runs in my family and has caused there to be a lot of my family not to get an education. In my family on my dad's side, no one has ever gone to college and many of them have never finished high school. I want to break this cycle and be the first person on that side of the family to get a college degree. My family has lived in a continuous cycle of poverty from generation to generation because mental illness has kept them from being able to get an education. There is also a continuous generational cycle of abuse because of mental illness. In many cases, the children on that side of the family were told they would not amount to anything and they would just fall into the same habits of their parents and do the same thing to their children. My family is dysfunctional to put it nicely but there are just so many consequences of mental illness affecting that side of my family including alcoholism, addiction, abuse, poverty, etc. I hope to be the opposite of them.
      Book Lovers Scholarship
      There are so many books people can read from so many genres. Even though each book is different from another book there is one thing they have in common. They have a message and whatever that message might be there is atleast one person who it would resinate with. There are so many books that have resonated with me in many ways but there is one in particular I would like people to read. I would have everyone read the book "I Wrote This For You, Please Find This" by Iain S. Thomas because the book is just one that shows the way love is. I know from the beginning and title of the book it seems like it is just a bunch of poems about love but it is actually much more. Love is a complicated thing with many ups and downs. It can be messy, it can be hard, and many other things. In this book, Thomas explains all of this through poems that are almost like love letters to another person. It shows all the emotions and the vulnerable side love brings out in a person. In the book Thomas had given me comfort in knowing that I am not alone in feeling the way I do when I love someone. The book just brings out so many relatable things that just seems like the author is telling the story about a relationship through these short poems. A lot of the things he spoke about in the verses hit close to home for me and I felt like someone finally understood how I felt. There are times in love where I feel unconditional love for a person and how frustrating it can get when things are not going smoothly and I feel very upset about the situation and scared that my partner is going to leave. In the book, there was one poem that really resonated with me. It said something along the lines of if you catch me punching a wall it is because I want to kiss their lips and it ends with "Love doesn't hate back". That quote alone just lets people know that even when things get hard love is there. In general, I think this book is just a great one that shows the way in which love affects a person and just how beautiful love truly is.
      Dylan's Journey Memorial Scholarship
      Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time I didn't know what was wrong with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like it's texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. Even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with the symptoms of them, I still struggle with their effects every day. I have never let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. Currently I am a senior in high school and I really want to continue my education and go to college so I can learn even more. However, I am going to struggle to pay for college which is a big worry of mine which is why scholarships are important to me and why I am pushing myself so hard in school right now. I plan to further my education beyond high school by going to college and trying my best to get good grades so I am able to get a degree and get a good job. I plan to go to Mercer University and study as much as I can and do as well as I can. I would like to finish atleast my Bachelor's degree by 20 since I have several college courses already from doing AP classes and Dual Enrollment classes. By doing this will further my education so that I can make enough money to support myself and be able to pay for my own things I need such as my medications. I am resilient and I want to do my best to further my education and break the family curse of not going to college in my family. The only thing that really stands in the way of me furthering my education is funding. The study fields I plan to explore is engineering, biology, and medical all together to be a biomedical engineer with a specialization in prosthetics and other artificial body parts. I hope to accomplish getting at least a bachelor's degree, I am really hoping to be able to get my master's or doctarate degree though. After getting my education I am hoping to get a good job where I am able to help people who need the prosthetic devices. I also want to do research on how to make prosthetics more comfortable to use and to create improvements to the devices. I am hoping to create new devices that are body parts that have not been made yet. Most importantly, the thing I want to accomplish most is knowing that I helped as much I could and that it is known that I cared about people. I genuinely just want to leave the world a better place than it was even if it is just one person's world by creating a new part for a person. Thank you for your time, for reading my essay and for considering me for this scholarship.
      Joieful Connections Scholarship
      Ever since I was young I knew that there was something that made me different from the other kids. For the longest time I didn't know what was wrong with me. I struggle to pay attention, certain noises bug me, I hate the seems on my clothing, I am impulsive, I speak fast, I do not understand basic social cues, I won't eat food if I do not like it's texture, and so many other things that didn't bother the other kids. I could not understand why I wasn't like the other kids until I found out that I have ADHD and Autism. Even though I am older now and have learned more about my disorders and have found things that help me with the symptoms of them, I still struggle with their effects every day. I have never let them stand in my way though, I have pushed myself in life to learn as much as I can. Currently I am a senior in high school and I really want to continue my education and go to college so I can learn even more. However, I am going to struggle to pay for college which is a big worry of mine which is why scholarships are important to me and why I am pushing myself so hard in school right now. I plan to further my education beyond high school by going to college and trying my best to get good grades so I am able to get a degree and get a good job. I plan to go to Mercer University and study as much as I can and do as well as I can. I would like to finish atleast my Bachelor's degree by 20 since I have several college courses already from doing AP classes and Dual Enrollment classes. By doing this will further my education so that I can make enough money to support myself and be able to pay for my own things I need such as my medications. I am resilient and I want to do my best to further my education and break the family curse of not going to college in my family. The only thing that really stands in the way of me furthering my education is funding. The study fields I plan to explore is engineering, biology, and medical all together to be a biomedical engineer with a specialization in prosthetics and other artificial body parts. I hope to accomplish getting at least a bachelor's degree, I am really hoping to be able to get my master's or doctarate degree though. After getting my education I am hoping to get a good job where I am able to help people who need the prosthetic devices. I also want to do research on how to make prosthetics more comfortable to use and to create improvements to the devices. I am hoping to create new devices that are body parts that have not been made yet. Most importantly, the thing I want to accomplish most is knowing that I helped as much I could and that it is known that I cared about people. I genuinely just want to leave the world a better place than it was even if it is just one person's world by creating a new part for a person. Thank you for your time, for reading my essay and for considering me for this scholarship.