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Santana Abney

2,165

Bold Points

5x

Nominee

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

As a bisexual black woman, the odds are already stacked against me. But that hasn't put a damper on my goals. I am proud of who I am. I know what it's like to be judged by others for simply existing in the body you were born in. A skin color you cannot change. A gender that is treated as weak. A sexuality that is seen as just a phase. So as I live and walk this earth I always want to show compassion to people and not assume I know someone just from their outside appearance, because at the end of the day, what’s inside is what will take you further. Ever since I was 8 years old, psychology has always been my passion. I love advancing my knowledge on new people and topics not only in the United States, but in other parts of the world. My mom and I would often sit together watching a new murder mystery or documentary, like "Hawaii 5-O" (the 1968 version), or "The First 48". Seeing investigators analyze the state of mind criminals were in will always be an intriguing process to me. Learning about people's backgrounds and environmental influences is a subject I am plan to study with my upcoming 2022 college enrollment. I may not be everyone's pick, but I definitely bring something to the table. I am confident in my abilities as a person. I have a strong passion in treating all people empathetically, especially those suffering with mental illnesses. Being a criminal psychologist doesn't only mean dealing with crimes. It's also about helping someone who came from an unjust environment. It's about ensuring they get the help and healing they deserve. Thank you for reading.

Education

McDaniel College

Bachelor's degree program
2022 - 2026
  • Majors:
    • Psychology, General
  • GPA:
    3.6

Bowie High

High School
2018 - 2022
  • GPA:
    3.8

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      psychology

    • Dream career goals:

      A high success rate with patients. Making sure I meet the needs of patients who were in high stress situations. Help criminal cases with my expertise. Be an influence for other women in my field. Be an influence for other minorities in my field.

    • Student Ambassador, making phone calls out to prospective students and parents, updating families on upcoming student events at McDaniel, setting up for prospective student events, directing visiting families to meeting areas, mingling with students

      McDaniel College Admissions Team
      2022 – Present2 years
    • Rode around Prince George’s county with partner to assist on air filter changes and rooftop systems at community centers, kept an itinerary of buildings completed and reported to supervisor, arranged lists of materials needed to order for stock up

      MNCPCC and Summer Youth Enrichment Program
      2022 – 2022
    • Worked with various managers in IT to create a mock application fighting against cybersecurity attacks.

      Latin American Youth Center/Maryland Multicultural Youth Center
      2021 – 2021
    • Created and maintained Excel spreadsheets of property permits violations and inspector assignments. Participated in team ZOOM meetings as well as contractor ZOOM meetings to discuss property building and permit violations.

      Summer Youth Enrichment Program and Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement
      2020 – 2020
    • Crew Member, Front of House, Prep, Register, and Back of House

      Tropical Smoothie Cafe
      2021 – 20221 year

    Sports

    Swimming

    Club
    2013 – 20185 years

    Arts

    • Concert Choir and Chamber Choir

      Music
      Winter Concerts, POPS Concerts, Spring Concerts, Virtual Concerts
      2018 – 2021

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Carson Daycare — Daycare Assistant
      2015 – Present

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Politics

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Entrepreneurship

    Girls Ready to Empower Girls
    As someone who came from a family of women who have all gone to college or have graduated from college, I feel that I must uphold the legacy of my mother and aunties. A lot of the women in my family grew up in the days when women were mostly household wives and took care of the children. But looking at the accomplishments of the women in my family getting their degrees, becoming business owners, and becoming bosses of their own, I find it extremely motivating that they took those first steps as being black women who went to school and made a career for themselves when women working and black women working was very taboo topic. I would love to go to school and flourish in my dream career of psychology and become a psychologist who owns her own office and is the CEO. I know it would not only make my family proud but myself proud to uphold my dreams of a powerful independent young woman being able to succeed on her own. A fond memory of mine I can remember is seeing my mom come home from work and still being able to put food on the table, play with me as a kid, and still take me to daycare every day. She was also the one who always took me to soccer practice, took me to play dates, took me to my doctor's appointments, and always made sure that I had what I needed to be taken care of. Seeing my own Grandma take care of my aunts and my mom, and have a stable job for 30-plus years is an amazing accomplishment, especially being a black woman in the South and a housewife. For years black women have been disadvantaged and haven't had the same opportunities within the work field or in education. I want to show society that those hardships that have been put on me since a child won't stop me from accomplishing my dreams of going to college and earning my degree. There is also a disproportionate amount of women against men in the psychology field and I would like to close that gap as much as possible when I’m older. I want to be an inspiration for young women that will follow me in my family to see me as a role model and to see that they will be able to accomplish anything they want to and that their education is possible no matter what hardships the world will try to put upon them.
    Arnetha V. Bishop Memorial Scholarship
    Mental health and learning about mental health has always been a topic of mine that I hold near and dear to my heart. Wellness and health isn't always just about your physical. Your mental and emotional health is just as important and deserves as much care and attention as your physical well-being. When I earn my degree in psychology, I plan on becoming a licensed therapist for minority children and young adults who have experienced sexual abuse at the hands of their family. I chose this career because so many children who have emotional and physical trauma never get the help or guidance to heal, especially black children, and then grow up as unhealed adults. I would like to help these kids and young adults who come from unfortunate circumstances to work through their trauma with someone who looks like them and can give them a sense of familiarity and comfort within therapy. Providing not only affordable but reliable for people in my community is a goal of mine I know I will accomplish. My degree will provide me with the resources to take those steps and reach out to those who may not even know their available options for therapy. I want to emphasize the importance of spreading the information around to those in my community who come from a life of struggles, and to know they haven't been ignored. I hear you. Mental health is no joke, as I come from a family of people who suffer from depression, anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder. The stigma that my family members have felt from being ostracized to suffering in private really pains me to see. No one no matter their gender or race should feel as a burden because of their mental problems or feel as though they are a problem. I've seen how depression impacts my parents, my friends, and even myself. It's a constant state of figuring yourself out and having patience with yourself. And that is what I will offer to my future patients. The space to feel zero pressure and to know it's okay to go through those rough moments in life. It doesn't make you weak. It doesn't mean you're less of a person. And it doesn't mean you're a bad person. It's never your fault for having these problems and seeking help is the most honorary step you can take towards knowing you will be okay in the end.
    Sloane Stephens Doc & Glo Scholarship
    Winner
    Although we go through life with many different traits and personality characteristics, optimism and honesty are two of the most important things any individual can practice. Such easy words, but with so much weight and baggage. Optimism is something that we all can struggle with possessing, and it's quite understandable. Life takes us on a joyride with curves and hills along the way, especially when we’re least expecting it. And sometimes those sharp parts can dull our outlooks on life. Sometimes they leave scars so prominent it’ll take years just to see them fade. But they always teach us lessons. Always a constant reminder that you were once going through the most turbulent lesson of your life. But you got through it. You pushed through even when those moments felt like a lifetime. It’s so easy for us to be the opposite of optimistic, pessimistic. It’s easy to seek out the bad apples over the good ones. Until suddenly the pain gets a little bit better day by day. Until you can wake up in the morning with less weight on your shoulders. Knowing that the future holds a greater outcome and greater peace than that small fraction of a terrible moment is enough to keep your heart in the right place. Honesty, though sounding so simple, is one of the hardest things we humans practice. We keep our most raw and truest opinions to ourselves in fear of hurting our loved ones, in fear of upsetting someone. We’re taught from a young age that “honesty is the best policy” and being truthful is one of the biggest respects we can give to someone. But sometimes being allowed to speak freely is shunned. It’s taboo, even disrespectful, especially when youth try to speak their minds. How can something we were taught from as young as 2 years old be deemed “disobedient”? Why am I being shut down for yearning for my voice to be heard? And even though there is backlash in speaking the truth, it should never stop you. Being afraid to have open conversations with people will only set yourself back from living in the freedom of being unapologetically you. Once you have the confidence of understanding your own thoughts and headspace, you can conquer anything the world tries to throw in your path. For me, these two words have been carrying me through to a happier place in life for as long as I can remember. No matter how bad it’s seemed or how close I was to giving up and losing hope, optimism and honesty had my back. By believing in myself and that “time will heal all wounds”, it kept me going. By not being afraid of being confrontational, being honest with those who have wronged me or hurt me, I was able to release all the harboring resentment and pain in my soul. It’s not an easy journey, and I definitely take it a day at a time. But I’m always getting better, always.