I remember seeing his eyes well up with tears as the other kids teased him for his hygiene and clothes. I was only in second grade, but the teasing I witnessed that day was etched in my mind. When I got home from school, I asked my parents if we could help my classmate. He and his younger sister became my foster siblings within a few weeks. Over my lifetime, I've had fifteen foster siblings. Their stories of hardship, from living in abusive homes to not knowing when their next meal would be, have taught me compassion and patience. Their stories have changed my goals for my own life, too. Rather than following my entrepreneurial drive to create a company for profit, my life's goal is to create an influential charity for children. I have done that on a small scale in my community with my charity, Hannah's Helpful Hands, which provides basic necessities to low-income youth in twelve elementary schools. My charity is an anonymous closet within the schools that provides toiletry bags, laundry supplies, new clothes, quilts made by my grandma, backpacks, and gift cards for new shoes. I restock the closet weekly and fundraise to keep the closet full. This vital endeavor has taught me leadership, communication skills, and perseverance. As I have overcome many obstacles, I have learned that I must deliberately prepare myself to continue my story as a champion for charities and their essential work. My college education will be an invaluable asset to my goal of creating a successful and sustainable charity that can positively impact my community. Through my studies, I will better understand the social issues and trends impacting the children in my community and the larger national environment. With this knowledge, I will better create an effective strategy for tackling these issues. I will also use my college education to gain the skills to manage a charity effectively. My studies will provide me with the necessary knowledge of budgeting, fundraising, marketing, and communications, as well as the legal and ethical considerations that come with running a charity. I will also be able to develop a strong network of contacts, locally and nationally, to help me reach my goals. Ultimately, my college education will provide me with the tools and resources needed to create a charity that can make a lasting, positive impact on my community. With a strong understanding of the social issues and trends impacting children, as well as the skills and connections necessary to manage a charity effectively, I will be able to create a charity that makes a real difference in the lives of those in need. My foster siblings have forever changed my young life; they were the kickstart in my journey to help those less fortunate than me. I have become more grateful for the things I once took for granted, and in return, I am motivated to use that gratitude to help as many young lives as possible. My future college education will help me make an even bigger positive impact on my community by providing me with the necessary knowledge and skills to create and operate a successful charity. I am thrilled that my university path in Communications and Business will be a growth opportunity for greater training, mentorship, and vision.

I remember seeing his eyes well up with tears as the other kids teased him for his hygiene and clothes. I was only in second grade, but the teasing I witnessed that day was etched in my mind. When I got home from school, I asked my parents if we could help my classmate. He and his younger sister became my foster siblings within a few weeks. Over my lifetime, I've had fifteen foster siblings. Their stories of hardship, from living in abusive homes to not knowing when their next meal would be, have taught me compassion and patience. Their stories have changed my goals for my own life, too. Rather than following my entrepreneurial drive to create a company for profit, my life's goal is to create an influential charity for children. I have done that on a small scale in my community with my charity, Hannah's Helpful Hands, which provides basic necessities to low-income youth in twelve elementary schools. My charity is an anonymous closet within the schools that provides toiletry bags, laundry supplies, new clothes, quilts made by my grandma, backpacks, and gift cards for new shoes. I restock the closet weekly and fundraise to keep the closet full. This vital endeavor has taught me leadership, communication skills, and perseverance. As I have overcome many obstacles, I have learned that I must deliberately prepare myself to continue my story as a champion for charities and their essential work. My college education will be an invaluable asset to my goal of creating a successful and sustainable charity that can positively impact my community. Through my studies, I will better understand the social issues and trends impacting the children in my community and the larger national environment. With this knowledge, I will better create an effective strategy for tackling these issues. I will also use my college education to gain the skills to manage a charity effectively. My studies will provide me with the necessary knowledge of budgeting, fundraising, marketing, and communications, as well as the legal and ethical considerations that come with running a charity. I will also be able to develop a strong network of contacts, locally and nationally, to help me reach my goals. Ultimately, my college education will provide me with the tools and resources needed to create a charity that can make a lasting, positive impact on my community. With a strong understanding of the social issues and trends impacting children, as well as the skills and connections necessary to manage a charity effectively, I will be able to create a charity that makes a real difference in the lives of those in need. My foster siblings have forever changed my young life; they were the kickstart in my journey to help those less fortunate than me. I have become more grateful for the things I once took for granted, and in return, I am motivated to use that gratitude to help as many young lives as possible. My future college education will help me make an even bigger positive impact on my community by providing me with the necessary knowledge and skills to create and operate a successful charity. I am thrilled that my university path in Communications and Business will be a growth opportunity for greater training, mentorship, and vision.

I remember seeing his eyes well up with tears as the other kids teased him for his hygiene and clothes. I was only in second grade, but the teasing I witnessed that day was etched in my mind. When I got home from school, I asked my parents if we could help my classmate. He and his younger sister became my foster siblings within a few weeks. Over my lifetime, I've had fifteen foster siblings. Their stories of hardship, from living in abusive homes to not knowing when their next meal would be, have taught me compassion and patience while they had space to heal from past trauma. I always wanted to help more kids, but how? When I turned thirteen years old, I noticed that in my low-income neighborhood, I saw many of my young classmates caught in similar tough situations, leading to a challenging school experience. I started focusing on what I could do to help without bringing every kid into my home as foster siblings. I realized that as my foster siblings gained consistent necessities, their confidence grew, so I worked with my principal to develop ways to provide these resources to more children in need. I had to overcome many obstacles like funding, meeting with the district superintendent and principals, and getting support from teachers. After much planning, Hannah's Helpful Hands started at my alma mater elementary school five years ago to provide basic necessities. Leadership is seeing a need - in your community, in your family or in commerce - and stepping forward to fill that void. In my case, my leadership skills officially began when I started my charity. Since I started Hannah's Helpful Hands five years ago, we have expanded to twelve elementary schools. This endeavor helps hundreds of kids every year! Leadership is important because a leader will help others reach their full potential. My charity is a free closet inside the school. The school staff discreetly gets students what they need based on observation and conversations, including toiletry bags, laundry supplies, new clothes, quilts made by my grandma, backpacks, and gift cards for new shoes. I restock the closet weekly and fundraise to keep the closet full. Students like my foster siblings, who had torn-up shoes, no hair brush, or laundry detergent, can have the basic necessities needed in everyday life. They can have confidence in themselves, and statistics show that when students feel better about themselves, they excel in school. Leadership made this possible. This project has taught me that leadership requires determination and perseverance. And that personal growth has made me a stronger person. I've overcome many obstacles, such as distribution during COVID-19, fundraising, and meeting different kids' needs logistically. However, I'm grateful that my charity has become a blessing to many youths in my community and that I've also inspired others to get involved. My friends and siblings pitch in because now they see that even young people can make a difference! I am also blessed to mentor other high school students that have copied my model in other areas. My foster siblings have forever changed my young life; they were the kickstart in my journey to help those less fortunate than me. I have become more grateful for the things I once took for granted, and in return, I am motivated to use that gratitude to help as many young lives as possible. This is just the beginning of my impact for good as this leadership has inspired me to change my career goal; in less than ten years, I will open a nationwide charity for children!

I remember seeing his eyes well up with tears as the other kids teased him for his hygiene and clothes. I was only in second grade, but the teasing I witnessed that day was etched in my mind. When I got home from school, I asked my parents if we could help my classmate. He and his younger sister became my foster siblings within a few weeks. Over my lifetime, I've had fifteen foster siblings. Their stories of hardship, from living in abusive homes to not knowing when their next meal would be, have taught me compassion and patience while they had space to heal from past trauma. I always wanted to help more kids, but how? When I turned thirteen years old, I noticed that in my low-income neighborhood, I saw many of my young classmates caught in similar tough situations, leading to a challenging school experience. I started focusing on what I could do to help without bringing every kid into my home as foster siblings. I realized that as my foster siblings gained consistent necessities, their confidence grew, so I worked with my principal to develop ways to provide these resources to more children in need. I had to overcome many obstacles like funding, meeting with the district superintendent and principals, and getting support from teachers. After much planning, Hannah's Helpful Hands started at my alma mater elementary school five years ago to provide basic necessities. Leadership is seeing a need - in your community, in your family or in commerce - and stepping forward to fill that void. In my case, my leadership skills officially began when I started my charity. Since I started Hannah's Helpful Hands five years ago, we have expanded to twelve elementary schools. This endeavor helps hundreds of kids every year! Leadership is important because a leader will help others reach their full potential. My charity is a free closet inside the school. The school staff discreetly gets students what they need based on observation and conversations, including toiletry bags, laundry supplies, new clothes, quilts made by my grandma, backpacks, and gift cards for new shoes. I restock the closet weekly and fundraise to keep the closet full. Students like my foster siblings, who had torn-up shoes, no hair brush, or laundry detergent, can have the basic necessities needed in everyday life. They can have confidence in themselves, and statistics show that when students feel better about themselves, they excel in school. Leadership made this possible. This project has taught me that leadership requires determination and perseverance. And that personal growth has made me a stronger person. I've overcome many obstacles, such as distribution during COVID-19, fundraising, and meeting different kids' needs logistically. However, I'm grateful that my charity has become a blessing to many youths in my community and that I've also inspired others to get involved. My friends and siblings pitch in because now they see that even young people can make a difference! I am also blessed to mentor other high school students that have copied my model in other areas. My foster siblings have forever changed my young life; they were the kickstart in my journey to help those less fortunate than me. I have become more grateful for the things I once took for granted, and in return, I am motivated to use that gratitude to help as many young lives as possible. This is just the beginning of my impact for good as this leadership has inspired me to change my career goal; in less than ten years, I will open a nationwide charity for children!

I remember seeing his eyes well up with tears as the other kids teased him for his hygiene and clothes. I was only in second grade, but the teasing I witnessed that day was etched in my mind. When I got home from school, I asked my parents if we could help my classmate. He and his younger sister became my foster siblings within a few weeks. Over my lifetime, I've had fifteen foster siblings. Their stories of hardship, from living in abusive homes to not knowing when their next meal would be, have taught me compassion and patience. Their stories have changed my goals for my own life, too. Rather than following my entrepreneurial drive to create a company for profit, my life's goal is to create an influential charity for children. I have done that on a small scale in my community with my charity, Hannah's Helpful Hands, which provides basic necessities to low-income youth in twelve elementary schools. My charity is an anonymous closet within the schools that provides toiletry bags, laundry supplies, new clothes, quilts made by my grandma, backpacks, and gift cards for new shoes. I restock the closet weekly and fundraise to keep the closet full. This vital endeavor has taught me leadership, communication skills, and perseverance. As I have overcome many obstacles, I have learned that I must deliberately prepare myself to continue my story as a champion for charities and their essential work. My college education will be an invaluable asset to my goal of creating a successful and sustainable charity that can positively impact my community. Through my studies, I will better understand the social issues and trends impacting the children in my community and the larger national environment. With this knowledge, I will better create an effective strategy for tackling these issues. I will also use my college education to gain the skills to manage a charity effectively. My studies will provide me with the necessary knowledge of budgeting, fundraising, marketing, and communications, as well as the legal and ethical considerations that come with running a charity. I will also be able to develop a strong network of contacts, locally and nationally, to help me reach my goals. Ultimately, my college education will provide me with the tools and resources needed to create a charity that can make a lasting, positive impact on my community. With a strong understanding of the social issues and trends impacting children, as well as the skills and connections necessary to manage a charity effectively, I will be able to create a charity that makes a real difference in the lives of those in need. My foster siblings have forever changed my young life; they were the kickstart in my journey to help those less fortunate than me. I have become more grateful for the things I once took for granted, and in return, I am motivated to use that gratitude to help as many young lives as possible. My future college education will help me make an even bigger positive impact on my community by providing me with the necessary knowledge and skills to create and operate a successful charity. I am thrilled that my university path in Communications and Business will be a growth opportunity for greater training, mentorship, and vision.

I remember seeing his eyes well up with tears as the other kids teased him for his hygiene and clothes. I was only in second grade, but the teasing I witnessed that day was etched in my mind. When I got home from school, I asked my parents if we could help my classmate. He and his younger sister became my foster siblings within a few weeks. Over my lifetime, I've had fifteen foster siblings. Their stories of hardship, from living in abusive homes to not knowing when their next meal would be, have taught me compassion and patience while they had space to heal from past trauma. I always wanted to help more kids, but how? When I turned thirteen years old, I noticed that in my low-income neighborhood, I saw many of my young classmates caught in similar tough situations, leading to a challenging school experience. I started focusing on what I could do to help without bringing every kid into my home as foster siblings. I realized that as my foster siblings gained consistent basic necessities, their confidence grew, so I worked with my principal to develop ways to provide these resources to more children in need. I had to overcome many obstacles like funding, meeting with the district superintendent and principals, and getting support from teachers. After much planning, Hannah's Helpful Hands started at my alma mater elementary school five years ago to provide basic necessities. My charity is a free closet inside the school. The school staff discreetly gets students what they need based on observation and conversations, including toiletry bags, laundry supplies, new clothes, quilts made by my grandma, backpacks, and gift cards for new shoes. I restock the closet weekly and fundraise to keep the closet full. Unfortunately, I cannot see the kids' reactions, as they are given these items in private to guard them against embarrassment in front of their peers. However, the interactions that have been personally shared with me make my heart so complete, showing me that all the perseverance has paid off and lives are being changed daily! Since I started Hannah's Helpful Hands five years ago, we have expanded to twelve elementary schools. I keep informal sign-out sheets so I can see the patterns of what to restock without asking for any of the children's information, but this also helps confirm that hundreds of kids have been helped! Students like my foster siblings, who had torn-up shoes, no hair brush, or laundry detergent, can have the basic necessities needed in everyday life. They can have confidence in themselves, and statistics show that when students feel better about themselves, they excel in school. This project has taught me leadership, determination, and perseverance. I've overcome many obstacles, such as distribution during COVID-19, fundraising, and meeting different kids' needs logistically. However, I'm grateful that my charity has become a blessing to many youths in my community and that I've also inspired others to get involved. I am also blessed to mentor other high school students that have copied my model in other areas. My foster siblings have forever changed my young life; they were the kickstart in my journey to help those less fortunate than me. I have become more grateful for the things I once took for granted, and in return, I am motivated to use that gratitude to help as many young lives as possible. I am grateful to follow in the steps of Robert F. Lawson as lived his life to make the world a better place!

I remember seeing his eyes well up with tears as the other kids teased him for his hygiene and clothes. I was only in second grade, but the teasing I witnessed that day was etched in my mind. When I got home from school, I asked my parents if we could help my classmate. He and his younger sister became my foster siblings within a few weeks. Over my lifetime, I've had fifteen foster siblings. Their stories of hardship, from living in abusive homes to not knowing when their next meal would be, have taught me compassion and patience while they had space to heal from past trauma. I always wanted to help more kids, but how? When I turned thirteen years old, I noticed that in my low-income neighborhood, I saw many of my young classmates caught in similar tough situations, leading to a challenging school experience. I started focusing on what I could do to help without bringing every kid into my home as foster siblings. I realized that as my foster siblings gained consistent basic necessities, their confidence grew, so I worked with my principal to develop ways to provide these resources to more children in need. I had to overcome many obstacles like funding, meeting with the district superintendent and principals, and getting support from teachers. After much planning, Hannah's Helpful Hands started at my alma mater elementary school five years ago to provide basic necessities. My charity is a free closet inside the school. The school staff discreetly gets students what they need based on observation and conversations, including toiletry bags, laundry supplies, new clothes, quilts made by my grandma, backpacks, and gift cards for new shoes. I restock the closet weekly and fundraise to keep the closet full. Unfortunately, I cannot see the kids' reactions, as they are given these items in private to guard them against embarrassment in front of their peers. However, the interactions that have been personally shared with me make my heart so complete, showing me that all the perseverance has paid off and lives are being changed daily! Since I started Hannah's Helpful Hands five years ago, we have expanded to twelve elementary schools. I keep informal sign-out sheets so I can see the patterns of what to restock without asking for any of the children's information, but this also helps confirm that hundreds of kids have been helped! Students like my foster siblings, who had torn-up shoes, no hair brush, or laundry detergent, can have the basic necessities needed in everyday life. They can have confidence in themselves, and statistics show that when students feel better about themselves, they excel in school. This project has taught me leadership, determination, and perseverance. I've overcome many obstacles, such as distribution during COVID-19, fundraising, and meeting different kids' needs logistically. However, I'm grateful that my charity has become a blessing to many youths in my community and that I've also inspired others to get involved. My friends and siblings pitch in because now they see that even young people can make a difference! I am also blessed to mentor other high school students that have copied my model in other areas. My foster siblings have forever changed my young life; they were the kickstart in my journey to help those less fortunate than me. I have become more grateful for the things I once took for granted, and in return, I am motivated to use that gratitude to help as many young lives as possible. This is just the beginning of my impact for good!

I remember seeing his eyes well up with tears as the other kids teased him for his hygiene and clothes. I was only in second grade, but the teasing I witnessed that day was etched in my mind. When I got home from school, I asked my parents if we could help my classmate. He and his younger sister became my foster siblings within a few weeks. Over my lifetime, I've had fifteen foster siblings. Their stories of hardship, from living in abusive homes to not knowing when their next meal would be, have taught me compassion and patience while they had space to heal from past trauma. I always wanted to help more kids, but how? When I turned thirteen years old, I noticed that in my low-income neighborhood, I saw many of my young classmates caught in similar tough situations, leading to a challenging school experience. I started focusing on what I could do to help without bringing every kid into my home as foster siblings. I realized that as my foster siblings gained consistent basic necessities, their confidence grew, so I worked with my principal to develop ways to provide these resources to more children in need. I had to overcome many obstacles like funding, meeting with the district superintendent and principals, and getting support from teachers. After much planning, Hannah's Helpful Hands started at my alma mater elementary school five years ago to provide basic necessities. My charity is a free closet inside the school. The school staff discreetly gets students what they need based on observation and conversations, including toiletry bags, laundry supplies, new clothes, quilts made by my grandma, backpacks, and gift cards for new shoes. I restock the closet weekly and fundraise to keep the closet full. Unfortunately, I cannot see the kids' reactions, as they are given these items in private to guard them against embarrassment in front of their peers. However, the interactions that have been personally shared with me make my heart so complete, showing me that all the perseverance has paid off and lives are being changed daily! Since I started Hannah's Helpful Hands five years ago, we have expanded to twelve elementary schools. I keep informal sign-out sheets so I can see the patterns of what to restock without asking for any of the children's information, but this also helps confirm that hundreds of kids have been helped! Students like my foster siblings, who had torn-up shoes, no hair brush, or laundry detergent, can have the basic necessities needed in everyday life. They can have confidence in themselves, and statistics show that when students feel better about themselves, they excel in school. This project has taught me leadership, determination, and perseverance. I've overcome many obstacles, such as distribution during COVID-19, fundraising, and meeting different kids' needs logistically. However, I'm grateful that my charity has become a blessing to many youths in my community and that I've also inspired others to get involved. My friends and siblings pitch in because now they see that even young people can make a difference! I am also blessed to mentor other high school students that have copied my model in other areas. My foster siblings have forever changed my young life; they were the kickstart in my journey to help those less fortunate than me. I have become more grateful for the things I once took for granted, and in return, I am motivated to use that gratitude to help as many young lives as possible. This is just the beginning of my impact for good!