Perseverance to me means pushing through no matter the obstacle put in front of you. The most recent thing I have gone through where I had to show perseverance is when my best friend was murdered. My initial response was to take time off from school and grieve properly, along with giving up on our plans to start our nonprofit organization. After crying for a week straight, I realized that if I gave up on our plan for our nonprofit organization, I would be letting him down; after all, we had already started researching what we needed. I knew that I would have also let myself down if I would have dropped out after I had worked so hard to get this far. I had no choice but to push through with my education if I wanted to see our plans in action. I knew that I could not stop my life even though I lost someone I was extremely close to. I had to keep going no matter what and remember the amount of support he gave even when I wanted to give up. I will continue to work hard and accomplish my goals with him in mind. There are days when I want to give up, but I think of all the encouraging words I received from my friend and get back on track. It is not easy to just get past this tragedy, but I think about how he would celebrate my school accomplishments, even though he was a school dropout. I also knew that I could not give up because I am a first generation and I want to set an example for my nieces and nephews. I want my family to see that I am capable of breaking cycles and breaking barriers. Showing perseverance as a student and worker is very important. The reason why is that you have to be able to separate personal problems from work, especially if you are working with the public. The reason why is that outside problems may interfere with how you interact with others and can cause a disconnect with the person you are talking to. Perseverance in professional work settings may also include getting proper assistance, like therapy so that an individual will not have lingering problems coming to work. An individual should take proper precautions when going through their outside problems. With these things being said, I will continue to show perseverance and get my goals accomplished.

This year, I was troubled between dropping out of school or accepting a FASFA Loan in order to complete my education. I had to make a decision on whether I wanted to pay off a debt for the next ten years or drop out and get a job. Usually, I would have taken the easy way out and chose to drop out, but this time I decided to do what I needed to do for my future. I would have ran away from this problem last year, but I noticed that I stayed strong and came up with solutions. To me, making the decision to take a loan was a big risk. This showed me that I was now doing what was best for my future. I am more open to taking risks for what's right for my future now, than I would have been last year and this makes me really happy.

I strive to live a healthy lifestyle. I have started practicing yoga, staying away from people who only focus on negativity, eating better, and practicing self care. I started to change my lifestyle once I started to experience heart issues. I was really stressed out from putting other people's problems before my own. I did not realize how much of a toll it was on my body, until I took a break from everything. I started to see that I felt better once I put myself first. Yoga has helped be with my breathing and has taught me patience. On my journey of being healthy, I found that I needed to slow down on fast foods and started eating healthier. For example, instead of fried chicken, I will bake my chicken. Instead of eating snacks in between meals, I will drink water. I learned that when I focused on myself, I did not have as much unnecessary stress and I started practicing self care. My self care includes nail days, getting my hair done, eating new foods, spas, and/ or spending time with people who make me happy. The more I put my health first, the happier I began to feel.

Higher education is important to me because it shows strength. I am the first person in my family to pursue a Masters Degree and I also plan to be the first doctor as well. I am showing the younger children in my family that anything is possible, even if you come from nothing.

If I were living the life of my dreams, it would be me owning my own therapy and PRP business, owning land, traveling the world, and teaching generational wealth. I would also be known for real estate as well. I would be known as a person who loves to help others and provides great resources.

I am excited about learning more things and meeting new people. I am also excited about being working in my field. To maintain a healthy mind, body, and soul during this school year, I practice yoga, say my prayers, get facials, spend time with my family, and write in my journal at the end of the day to relieve my mind.

I am a first generation college student who has grown up in a poor community. I have survived the violence and drugs of my community, being one of the only females from my neighborhood and family to make it this far. I plan to make the world a better place by providing resources for those in need of them. I will also be a listening ear for those individuals wanting to talk to someone. I can provide my voice for those who do not have one or are afraid to advocate. I plan to use my life experiences to help others and show them how strong they are.

I plan to help people see the healed version of themselves. I would like to be a therapist and I plan to advocate for people who are without a voice and provide resources for those who are in need. I plan to provide equity for those who come to me. My goals are to help individuals so well, that they don’t need my services anymore. I want the people I help to that the work I do is sincere and I want it to encourage them to help others. Being trusted is important in this field and so is honesty. I plan to help individuals see the good in themselves and help conquer their fears and worries.