There are so many different reasons why college is important to me. The first one is a higher chance of being in a stable career. The job market is always changing. People get fired and hired every day. And the simpler and easier the job is the more replaceable you are. Anybody can scan groceries, flip a burger or work an assembly line. It's so easy that they plan to fill those jobs with AI and machines as I'm writing this right now. As you go into stores you see more self-checkouts than you do actual cashiers. Now I'm not looking down on these careers but there are only so many more years that they could be a choice. Even career paths like sports expire eventually even though you're only as old as you feel everybody has to retire someday some sooner than others. College allows you to pursue more stable careers like a doctor, judge, or dentist. We will always require these occupations in the future or at least in our lifetime. I can't fathom AI doing surgery anytime soon. Another reason I seek out higher education is that college allows me to pursue my passion in life and turn it into a career. What's better than getting paid to do what you love? Just like the saying Mark Twain goes “Find something you love doing and you'll never work a day in your life”.Even better if you're doing something you love you're pursuing your passion but also creating a better opportunity for yourself.As well as for the possible future generations that may come after me. Knowing I could be the start of my family's generational wealth is fuel to the fire. Awarding me this scholarship not only relieves me from the financial burden of me going to college. But also permits me the opportunity to have an unforgettable experience. To attend an institution where people will not only acquire higher education, but doing so surrounded by individuals who look, talk, and act like me while doing it. Along with potentially being cheaper than a PWI which means the possibility of graduating with less debt. Another rationale is how being awarded this scholarship would bring on the opportunity to make a change in the communities that surround me. Receiving funding to go to Benedict College would enhance the likelihood of being able to major in social work. Securing a bachelor's degree by the end of the process. After acquiring a bachelor's I plan to obtain a position as a child and family social worker. While also going back to school to secure a Master’s in social work.Allowing me to apply for licensure and open up my private practice. From there I can help those who may not be able to help themselves. Whether that's financially, emotionally, mentally, or physically. Especially those who aren’t old enough to advocate for themselves while being ignored or overlooked. Being awarded this scholarship is not just about money, but knowing that I am being regarded with potential. The potential for the future of our world and society.

I've always found that I've enjoyed offering aid in a time of need for others. Whether it's something as simple as helping someone with schoolwork they can't understand. Or participating in charity donation drives for my community. Attending my church has presented me with opportunities to give back to those who aren't as fortunate as I am. Also, it helps me to find what I feel is my calling and that is being of service to others. For example, my best friend has played volleyball since middle school our freshman year she unfortunately suffered a really bad sprain in her wrist. For her volleyball was her outlet and her time away from real-world responsibilities. So not being able to play affected her everyday life. She had lost her normal way of letting out her stress and frustrations. Now I am in no way shape or form athletic unfortunately but I can walk pretty well. So on weekends or after school on days when we had something to do, I would walk with her and just listen.I had no way of healing her wrist or making the two weeks she was away from the sport disappear but I did my best to listen, give alternatives, and most importantly be there. What I plan to do with my degree is either become a child and family social worker or a healthcare social worker. By choosing those career paths I will be able to help families or patients that are maybe struggling financially or mentally. As a child and family social worker, I could prevent a child from living in unsafe or traumatic situations and find them a safer happier environment to develop in. Or something more simple like helping a person in need find a job to support not only themselves but others if that's the case. Obtaining my social work degree will also allow me to do what I love. Just like the saying "Find something you love doing and you'll never work a day in your life." Potentially providing a better future for those I am able to reach through my future profession is motivation to stick with it. When I obtain my degree I will do such things as collaborate with community partners and hold a variety of drives to acquire supplies, clothes, food, and other basic needs of those in the community.Being of aid to others has always been something that came naturally and I am hoping to continue it in the future.

The two people that supported my academic journey the most were my parents. Ever since I started getting alphabetical grades in grade 2 I've been on the honor roll. I would always keep myself from getting below an 80 average on my report card. Some might call me an overachiever sometimes but personally, I've always had a fear of failing a class. But my mother was always more hands-on and active in supporting me in accomplishing my educational goals. However, I couldn't have done it without my mother. If I had a competition she made sure I was there at least 20 minutes early each time. For every spelling test/ bee I had in elementary, she made flash cards and drilled me until I could recite each one perfectly. Every uniform day she made sure my rank and medals were precise down to the inch. And my hair was always up and out of the way perfectly. She pushed my limits when I didn't even believe in myself. For example, when my parents separated a few years back my mom moved to another city and I went with her. Which meant new schools and people. At first, I started off in regular classes, which were easy for me, and I guess my teachers thought so too. Because then began the process of trying to put me in GT ( gifted/talented) classes. I myself had no interest in doing it simply because I thought that I couldn't and I've always had a big fear of failure which sometimes stop me from going for new things. Some way somehow she found out and permitted them to put me in the classes anyway. Which I would say I did pretty well in. Even though she always wanted me to excel in everything she also would tell me that it’s okay to not be good and to fail. She made it clear that no matter what grade I brought home or what place I got in something as long as I tried my absolute best she was proud of me. Mistakes and failures were learning opportunities in her eyes. To come back stronger and better than you did the first time. Unfortunately, it saddens me that I no longer have my mother in this world helping every step of the way. But that doesn't mean I've stopped reaching for the stars it made me wanna go even higher. Because I know my mother saw great potential in me and ill be a fool to let all of our hard work go down the drain because she is no longer here to hold my hand. My mother continues to be one of my biggest motivators to this day and to her I will always be indebted and grateful.

Honestly, student loan debt is a scary thing if you aren't prepared for them. They will be with you till the day you are laid to rest if you don't manage to pay them off before then. Also, I understand that if you don't pay them off someone will still have to finish paying the money you owe. Not even bankruptcy can save you from school loans. Which is why I want to be as prepared and informed as I possibly can be.Because I don't want my choices to affect anyone other than me and after that, I don't want to chin deep in debt either. My first and most obvious approach is scholarships. I've realized that there are so many different types of scholarships out there just waiting to give someone money. Who in their right mind wouldn't take the opportunity for free money? Now I know that I am not guaranteed to win every scholarship I've applied for or anything at all. But so far I have at least applied to forty-one scholarships on bold.org alone. I have about six other sites just like this with even more. Now just as I stated before scholarships aren't a guaranteed win so another method I'm using to prepare for student loan debt is Saving money from my current job. Now I know working part-time and time In fast food isn't amounting to thousands. However, it could pay for more of my cheaper expenses such as books or materials I might need for classes. I'm also relying on FAFSA a little to help relieve the burden of college and its expenses. What better way to cut down on college expenses than to not be in college anymore? It's not impossible to shorten the amount of time you're in school completing your degree. This way I'm trying to map out the shortest and quickest route to getting any amount of time shaved off the years that are currently ahead of me. After gaining my bachelor's I plan to apply to accelerated programs to speed the process of obtaining my master's in social work and/or do school online which could also cut the risk of student debt. One of my goals while in college is to do work studies which will also give me a source of income. All while helping me to gain experience in my field it's a win-win situation. I already have a potential work-study job lined up. Now I don't expect to walk away from college without paying a little out of pocket but I won't be one of the ones taking on thousands of dollars in loans. Unknowingly getting taken advantage of in the process because of something they weren't informed about.

In September of 2021, I lost my mother which was a very traumatic experience. I didn't want to get out of bed, go to school or even eat. But I know that wouldn't be something she would want from me. So I have to put what I needed to do before what I wanted to do so I put my big girl pants on and I started going back to school. I didn't allow myself to miss too many days nor did I allow any of my grades to drop below a B. I turned my pain into motivation to make her proud. I had to get a job, pay bills and take care of my little brother all at 16. I know nothing in the real world is handed to you for free. And I will have to fight for want I want in life. Some of my life goals include me going to college for my bachelor's degree in social work and progressing on to my master's in social work. While obtaining my bachelor's degree I hope to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA and participate in internships and work studies. In addition to socializing and building a network that will hopefully open doors for me later in life. Completing my academic goals will allow me to move on to my professional goals. Which include opening my clinic, owning and renting out real estate, and having a partially self-sustaining business to have my money also work for me. I know most people always say they wouldn't be able to break up families and stomach the cases. But to me, there's an ugly side to every job and someone has to do it and I think I'm up for the job. Now I'm not saying that it won't be a hard thing to do but sometimes it is for the best. I want to be able to help those who can't help themselves. Kids are much weaker and more powerless than adults. They are overlooked and outspoken 99% of the time and without someone projecting that voice they could stay that way, unfortunately. I want to be that person to amplify their voices and save them when they can't save themselves.

My academic goals in life include me going to college for my bachelor's degree in social work and progressing on to my master's in social work. While obtaining my bachelor's degree I hope to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA and participate in internships and work studies. In addition to socializing and building a network that will hopefully open doors for me later in life. Completing my academic goals will allow me to move on to my professional goals. Which include opening my clinic, owning and renting out real estate, and having a partially self-sustaining business to have my money also work for me. I always have tried to give back to my community when the opportunity presented itself. At my church, we hold a lot of food drives in which we aim to fill up our church van to the brink with non-perishable foods to help our local homeless shelters. We also collect clothing items such as socks and hats items that can be worn universally. In fact, for January, my church is collecting winter gloves and hats to give out to the less fortunate during these cold winter months. I participated in my JROTC's service learning projects during my sophomore year where we collected cleaning supplies for a nursing home and homeless shelter. Because covid was still at an all-time high and those were the items they requested. Unfortunately, I was able to participate in delivering the items but I did donate to the cause. This year we did socks for seniors. The name is self-explanatory. Helping others these past few years has helped me to realize that it's something that for one makes me feel good when I can put a smile on another person's face and two that this is something that I would like to do in the future. And my past experiences had led me to want to become a social worker. My inspiration stems not only from volunteer work but also from close friends and family experiences as well as my own. By going into social/human services will be able to help people for a living. Helping good fit parents get the help they need, giving kids a better place to call home, and being there for people when they have no one else. I hope to be a light in someone's life and inspire them to do better so they can help the next person and hopefully the cycle continues.

I grew up poor, my parents grew up poor, their parents grew up poor, and so on. My family has never had the opportunity of even dreaming of becoming upper class barely middle-upper class. My maternal grandfather worked in a brickyard and my grandmother worked in a field picking flowers. Their hands were calloused and worn down; they never missed a day of work seeing as they had seven kids to provide for in a 3 bedroom house. My mother always worked factory jobs which took a major toll on her body. She had carpal tunnel in her hands from repeated use of hammers and tools. Along with arthritis in both of her knees so eventually her body grew tired and during covid, she couldn't work anymore. My father has always done landscaping jobs as far as I can remember. On days that it rained he couldn't work so, it was a money loss. We got by but it isn't a lifestyle I want for my future or my future kids if my life takes that route. I don't want to be a billionaire per se but I would like to live comfortably. I don't want to wonder where my next meal is coming from or whether or not I'm going to have enough to make next month's bills. I want to be able to give my kids everything they need and want in life without having to scrape money together or them having to miss out on stuff because we don't have it. Which is why I plan on creating generational wealth for future generations. Starting by attending Benedict college of course and majoring in social work to eventually be able to obtain my master's and open my clinic. I also want to get my hands on real estate properties so I can rent out my trailers and eventually apartments. I want to focus on getting myself assets before I start splurging on possible liabilities. For example, a laundry mat will always be something that will be needed especially in lower-class neighborhoods. For the most part, they can be self-sustainable so I won't have to be there full-time to take care of it. Also, a car wash is something that can be self-sustainable that can bring in passive income. I plan to have some of my money working for me instead of me working my butt off working for the money. My end goal is just to be able to live a comfortable, happy life.

If I could have the entire world read one book it would be 1984 by George Orwell. When I first read this book I was in ninth grade and to be honest I didn't entirely understand what I was reading at the time. Because I was more focused on the fact that It was an assignment than what the book was saying. However, I found myself reading it a second time on my dime and it allowed me to gain a better understanding of the book itself and the lesson it taught. What I believe the book teaches us is that tyranny and power are made possible through the tongue and how it is used. The book is based on a type of totalitarian or communist government. In the book, the governmental figure was called big brother and they would have all types of propaganda. For example, they would have a poster with the saying "big brother is watching you".This was entirely true the people in this fictional book were under surveillance 24/7 non-stop. Everything they did was monitored; they had no private life. The government had total control over their lives. The book went as far as showing the characters erasing and changing history to fit the narrative they wanted and the poorer class was none the wiser. Some slogans in the book went like "War is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength." Which was to confuse the people. Because obviously slavery is not freedom but by saying this it allowed them to control the population through fear.Because a person the is under the rule is free from danger and damnation. They tell them things that don't make sense but are forced to believe because big brother is all they know. For example, earlier on in this book, it says something like 2+2=5. Now naturally we know that it's 4 but that was the power they had over reality.

While growing up life wasn't always easy. Seeing your parents work till they were tired and beat trying to provide for you and your siblings was a really hard picture to see. There were times when we woke up in the middle of the night to the power being off and it being freezing cold in the house having to huddle up in one room to get some type of warmth. And other days having to walk a couple of streets over to my aunt's house just to be able to shower and brush my teeth after having the water cut off. But my parents always made sure we had food in our stomachs, clothes on our backs, and shoes on our feet. We might not have always gotten everything we wanted to be, but we surely had what we needed. They made a way for us out of no way and for that, I am forever grateful to both of them. Seeing my parents bust their butts day in and day out at the dead end and factory jobs always saddened me knowing that things would be different for them if they didn't have mouths to feed. But instead of just feeling sorry and remorseful for them and myself I've decided to repay their hard work. My parents always told me I could do anything I put my mind to and they always told me to get a good education so I won't have to live paycheck to paycheck or struggle as they did in life. Even after they separated and my mom had custody of me and my siblings they never allowed their feelings for each other to get in the way of supporting and uplifting us. Unfortunately September of 2021 I lost my mother which was a very traumatic experience. I didn't want to get out of bed, go to school or even eat. But I know that wouldn't be something she would want from me. So I have to put what I needed to do before what I wanted to do so I put my big girl pants on and I started going back to school. I didn't allow myself to miss too many days nor did I allow any of my grades to drop below a B. I turned my pain into motivation to make her proud. So I've decided to use their hard work and perseverance and drive myself to achieve greatness in life.

The future career I am hoping to pursue is a child and family social worker. Why a social worker and a child and family one at that you may ask? I know most people always say they wouldn't be able to break up families and stomach the cases. But to me, there's an ugly side to every job and someone has to do it and I think I'm up for the job. Now I'm not saying that it won't be a hard thing to do but sometimes it is for the best. I want to be able to help those who can't help themselves. Kids are much weaker and more powerless than adults. They are overlooked and outspoken 99% of the time and without someone projecting that voice they could stay that way, unfortunately. I want to be that person to amplify their voices and save them when they can't save themselves. And not only do I want to help the kids that aren't necessarily with bad people or in unsafe situations but maybe their parents need a little time and help to get their lives together to become the best parent they can be. Sometimes all we need is a little help in life. I had my own experiences with a social worker and I know other people that have been in the system and know that it's not always as perfect as it's made out to be. My personal experience with a social worker was my high school social worker. I lost my mother in my junior year of high school and naturally, the school was informed. She would call me into her office and I remember our conversations. She made me feel like it was okay to be emotional and grieve when I wasn't allowing myself to. That experience is something I still carry with me. Furthermore, I want to have that same impact on someone's life. I see videos and news articles online talking about how something unspeakable happened to a child and later find out that they could've been saved but were left to fend for themselves by the very people who "dedicated" their careers to their well-being. I want to prevent those unspeakable evil acts towards innocent little children and protect them from all the bad the world has to offer. Some days there are times when I get invited out somewhere but I didn't allow myself to go because I was behind on work in class. Because me having to work after school to make rent after my mother passed away. As well, participating in the orchestra after after-school practices and performances caused me from time to time to get behind in my work a little. However, I never let myself get so behind that it affected my grades. Even if that meant staying up after I got home after working a Friday night in fast food.

The teachers who greatly influenced my life weren't math, science, English/language arts, or even social studies teachers which is my favorite subject by the way. They were my JROTC teachers my freshman year of high school started in 2019 which everyone should know is the year of the school year where we thought we were getting a few weeks off not entire semesters and school years. I started the class in my second semester of 9th-grade year I had it my very first period of the day. Now a little side information my older sister had taken a JROTC in high school also but she never completed it. She stayed about a week and dropped out because it was too hard. Now with that in mind I expect nothing but tough army men making us do push-ups the entire semester. However, it wasn't anything I had imagined. My SAI and AI weren't always the most lenient people but they always had our best interests at heart. Mondays were drill and ceremony days we earn commands and practiced calling them. During those drills, my AI intentionally or unintentionally taught me perseverance. I'm not always the best at what I do and sometimes I get frustrated and what to give up. Even so, he'd never allow it even if he had to pull me out of the formation and make me do it over and over until I got it. Tuesdays were lesson days of course we learned about military leadership and all that good stuff but we also learned real-world skills that we could use later in life. Such as table manners, dining etiquette, and map reading. Wednesdays were uniform days which were easy really. Thursdays were my absolute favorite days thought and let me explain why. On Thursdays, we got to choose the topic we wanted to learn about whether it was taxes, car payments,how to do an interview, investments, or stock. Real-world things that we will need in life. Now don't get me wrong reading writing math is important too but we get taught a piece of that every year whether we want to or not. The difference between them and other teachers is that you can feel and see that they wanted you to succeed.No matter what you wanted to do or be they always found a way to help. When I first express that I wanted to be a social worker they gave me advice and insight into the different types of social workers, what degree is best to go into the field with, and what kinda work I would be doing. Nonetheless, even though they babied us sometimes they always taught us the importance of doing your own research and finding out the truth yourself instead of waiting on somebody else to do it. And that is one of the most important things that has stuck with me all four years I've taken that class. There is a saying that goes like "if you want something done right you have to do it yourself". which I completely agree with because no one is going to put in the work for something that you want or need unlike you. The entire class altered the way I was navigating life in just a few weeks of me being in there for the first time in my ninth-grade year. I no longer believe in anything without checking it for myself. Along with teaching myself things that school isn't going to.

While growing up life wasn't always easy. Seeing your parents work till they were tired and beat trying to provide for you and your siblings was a really hard picture to see. There were times when we woke up in the middle of the night to the power being off and it being freezing cold in the house having to huddle up in one room to get some type of warmth. And other days having to walk a couple of streets over to my aunt's house just to be able to shower and brush my teeth after having the water cut off. But my parents always made sure we had food in our stomachs, clothes on our backs, and shoes on our feet. We might not have always gotten everything we wanted to be, but we surely had what we needed. They made a way for us out of no way and for that, I am forever grateful to both of them. Seeing my parents bust their butts day in and day out at the dead end and factory jobs always saddened me knowing that things would be different for them if they didn't have mouths to feed. But instead of just feeling sorry and remorseful for them and myself I've decided to repay their hard work. My parents always told me I could do anything I put my mind to and they always told me to get a good education so I won't have to live paycheck to paycheck or struggle as they did in life. Even after they separated and my mom had custody of me and my siblings they never allowed their feelings for each other to get in the way of supporting and uplifting us. Unfortunately September of 2021 I lost my mother which was a very traumatic experience. I didn't want to get out of bed, go to school or even eat. But I know that wouldn't be something she would want from me. So I have to put what I needed to do before what I wanted to do so I put my big girl pants on and I started going back to school. I didn't allow myself to miss too many days nor did I allow any of my grades to drop below a B. I turned my pain into motivation to make her proud. So I've decided to use their hard work and perseverance and drive myself to achieve greatness in life. After I graduate high school I would like to go on to accomplish my bachelor's degree in social work. Helping and guiding those who are lost and can't help themselves. There are so many good parents out there who love their children and want nothing but the best for them, but just need a little extra help in providing for them financially because they're doing it alone and have nobody else to help them along the way. I would like to be that helping hand that allows them to do better for themselves and their kids.

The school I chose to attend is Benedict college.My reasoning for attending this HBCU is numerous but most importantly I find it motivating to be surround by people like look like me and come from similar backgrounds all reaching to achieve greatness.The feeling you get when you meet other people your age that look like you, sound like you, dress like you.Finding out they want to become doctors nurses lawyers it makes you feel proud and uplifted.I have nothing against PWI colleges but I feel more comfortable being around people that would be able to understand my struggles and the adversity that I had to overcome to get to where I am today.Benedict is known for its band and music which I also am attending for I love music and I love to play music and there nothing like a HBCU band.And a lot HBCU’s are perfect for first generation college students giving that nurturing and homey feeling because of the people and the culture it provides.These colleges and universities have unique programs and opportunities for those like me that we couldn’t previously access or still cannot access going to a PWI.And if I’m being honest I would rather go somewhere I’m appreciated then somewhere just to be a diversity student.Nothing could beat the atmosphere and the experience that you would get attending a historically black college.

Hi, you don't know me so ill introduce myself my name is Laquan Barnett I am currently a senior in high school with less than five months left in school. Well, high school anyway because after I've completed high I plan to continue my education and obtain my bachelor's degree in social work. Now the past few years haven't been easy on anyone covid, lockdowns, and social distancing. It's been rough even on me but I didn't let any of that stop me. To give you a little insight into the past years of my roller coaster of a life I was 11 when my parents separated. We had lost our childhood home and now I had to move cities with my mom to live with my aunt for a while. And what comes along with moving cities? In new schools, I was thrown into a different environment that I had to adapt to. Which I did pretty well if I do say so myself within a few weeks of being here in my new school I was put into GT ( gifted and talented ) classes. And that continued for three years until my mom finally got back on her feet we moved into our own house and life was good again. Until March 2020, the school was only supposed to be out for a week or two but little did anybody know the worst was yet to come. The year 2020 was hard I was no longer in school face to face, and we were sent packets of work to complete for school credits. Which was hard and confusing without having an actual teacher there. I was teaching myself the material. Our summer plans were canceled because everything was closed down. I couldn't hang out with my friends as often anymore. But things took a turn for the better later in the year we gained a sense of normality back as we started going back to school face to face the schedule was weird but I didn't even care I was just happy to be out of the house again honestly. But then September 12, 2021, happened on this day I experienced one of the most painful things in my life. I woke up that morning to find that woefully my mother had entered eternal rest. My whole world was turned upside down. I felt lost, scared, hopeless, just altogether ready to give up on the world and this thing we call life. But I knew that isn't what she would've wanted and I also had other people relying on me to continue. After that, I had taken on the sole financial responsibility of taking care of my little brother who was thirteen at the time. So it was double everything school fees, phone bills, groceries, shoes, and clothes. I had no idea what I had signed myself up for but I tried my absolute best. Because I know we didn't have anybody else to rely on seeing as everyone has their problems and our relationship with our father wasn't great at the time. Through all of this I never once let my grades fall below an 80% average. And as for my attendance, I never allowed myself to miss more than one day a month because I knew what I had to do and I wasn't gonna let anything get in my way of succeeding in life.

I've read books of many kinds throughout my life professional and amateur. Ranging from something as simple as "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister to "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. Both books have taught me life lessons and given me a little bit of wisdom in their way. For instance, in The Rainbow Fish, the fish had beautiful scales that everyone admired and wanted. The rainbow fish gave grudgingly at first but then had no problem sharing his beauty with friends and those around him. The book shows how sharing can make someone else's day and make you feel better about yourself in the process. Hurston's book Their eye were watching god taught me a valuable life lesson. The lesson I learned from the novel was how letting others limit you diminishes your potential. Along with that, it's more important to follow your heart and what you want to do instead of trying to listen to the criticisms and wishes of those around you. Both of these messages help me become the person I am today and continue to help me grow in life. I no longer allow the fear of rejection or the approval of others to stop me from trying to accomplish anything I put my mind to. And along the way, I try to share my experience with others so they to can have the confidence and self-assurance they need to be whatever they put their minds to. One last book I would like to mention is a book I read during my eight grad year of school. Which is the novel "To kill a mocking bird" by Harper lee. Now I can't remember every last detail about the book if I'm being honest but I do remember one of the lessons it teaches. Which is about protecting the innocent basically. Which if I'm honest has had a big impact on my career choice and want I want to do in life. I am an aspiring child and family social worker."Why did I choose this particular career choice?" you may ask. Well, it's because I want to help those who can help themselves young and old because harming the innocent is one of the worst things a person could do. The youth will always be our future and it is up to us the older generations to protect and guide them on to greatness to progress ourselves to a better tommorow.

On September 12, 2021, I lost my beloved mother I was 16 at the time and it had truly turned my life upside down. My life became a constant battle of stress and uncertainty. First starting with my living arrangements. I wanted to stay in the town where I had lived with my mother for the last five years. All my friends were here and at my school, I had grown to love the little town called Ridgeway. Plus my mother and my father were divorced and I only visited my dad on weekends our relationship was there but it wasn’t the greatest. I had to fight to stay where I was and none of it was easy. Eventually, my dad let me and my little brother stay with our older sisters in our mom's house. I got a job and became my little brother's main provider our child support got cut off not even a month after my mother passed and my father didn’t help out much financially. At the age of just 16, I had to take on the responsibility of taking care of another human being paying bills such as rent, light bills, and the internet bill just to stay close to the people I loved the most. Along on top of those bills, I also had to pay for my school fees and phone bill. I felt as if life was instantly put on hard mode for me. Dealing with the loss of my mom was one of the most surreal experiences I ever went through. Going through the stages of grief by myself. Celebrating my first birthday without her. But I powered through it in school I kept my grades up and only allowed myself a certain amount of days to miss because I knew that my mother wouldn't want my grades to slip because of her. So I turned my pain into my motivation and came out on top being within the top of my class. I got a promotion in my JROTC class and became a sergeant major. I balanced playing the viola going to competitions and working. Top 20 of my class rank. I refuse to let the unfortunate events in the present affect the bright future I have ahead of me. I will go on to become a social worker to help those who can’t help themselves. Being the change I want to see in not only my community but the world itself. Hoping to inspire others with my story. Because I am resilient, determined, and persevering.

The college has been my end goal since the moment I started getting actual grades. Everyone around always told me “go to college and make something of yourself” and “ go to college so you won’t have to struggle like the rest of us”.I always found their words to be a mixture of encouragement and also motivation just not the motivation to go to college. But as I grew older and experienced life in this past year I’ve grown to learn things about myself and I found what I think is my passion in life. Which is helping people more specifically as a social worker. It is very obvious that to become a social worker I will need my college degree. Which is why ever since I set my mind on becoming a social worker I’ve been gathering as much information as I can about the best way I can succeed in college. The first step was to establish what schools I would find myself flourishing at. When deciding on a college not only is your major important but also if that school reflects you and aligns with your principles. I’m an introverted Christian African American female. So I would like to be around people who I can get along with because college is a big step from going to living with family to living with strangers. So I feel as if it’s always important to consider the people you will be surrounding yourself with for the next two-four years. Friends can be an important part of your support system too. Another step I took to help prepare myself for college was to look for real-world people who are currently already studying my major and look at their workload and mistakes getting my mind prepared. Along with mapping out some steps, I could take to avoid the mistakes they made. The benefits of a college degree can be endless.Some being connections/networking college bonds can last a lifetime if you let them and kindness and respect goes a long way.Who knows one day your lab partner could be the key to getting your dream job.Now a college degree doesn’t guarantee you a job but it does aid in getting one especially in the field you study in.Breaking generational curses now I know college is not the only way this can be done but is sure is a big one.Because people mindsets can be influenced by those around them.if you’re a older sibling you going to college despite the challenges you’ve faced or where you came from could very well influence the little people around you to do better.Now to make this alittle personal for me a college degree benefits me in a way that helps me fulfill what I fill is my life’s passion .Without my future degree I won’t be able to help those who can’t help themselves. College is my choice and I’m determined to make the best out of it.