I enjoy playing golf recreationally for several reasons. Primarily, it is an opportunity to bond with other players, such as my father-in-law. Additionally, I found that when collaborating with executive leaders and board members, they appreciate the opportunity to talk about their own game. It has helped me “fit in” with certain circles; once certain people of influence learned I played, they treated me like I deserved to be in their sphere, even though I had already earned my position. Also, it is just fun to hit things and golf allows me to do that legally, without risking things flying towards my head at full speed, such as with softball or volleyball. I have faced several challenges as a female golfer. My first challenge was the lack of access: I was a first-generation low-income student, the daughter of a single parent, and I grew up in an urban area. Neither my high school nor my undergraduate college had a female golf team. It was decades into my adulthood when I finally had the chance to take a lesson, where I faced my next challenge. While I was doing my best, I was having trouble with basic swings. Suddenly, my male instructor yelled, “Oh, I know what it is! Your breasts are too big!” Who expects to receive comments about their body in the first 10 minutes of their first lesson? As I stood there like a deer in headlights, he said, “I will be right back,” then left me on the course alone, for about 15 minutes. I only had a 50-minute lesson, and we wasted half of it because this guy thought my breasts were too big?! I was livid! If this was the reaction I was going to get from my instructors, perhaps waiting until adulthood to learn was a good thing. If I had been younger, I might have just given up. The instructor returned all smiles. He said, “I don’t usually instruct women, so I called my sister. She gave me some advice on how to adjust your stance and your swing to account for your (he then waved his hands over his own chest) um, body type. We can start your lesson over from the beginning now!” If you’re wondering why I didn’t whack him with my club, my trauma response is typically to freeze (unless you put a gun to my head, in which case I will fight you until the police come and you’re sentenced to 7 years in prison). I continued the lesson, fully taking advantage of the opportunity to imagine the ball was this guy’s head. When the lesson concluded, the instructor said, “I’m glad we figured out how to work around your body! I encourage you to keep at this! Most women are better at the short game, but you have a powerful swing that makes your long game strong. That’s usually where only men excel! Despite your physical impediments, you could be an amazing player!” That was my first and last lesson with him. Another challenge I face is the lack of access to affordable lessons taught by female instructors. The lower-cost lessons in my area are all taught by men. Due to the costs of treating my husband’s ongoing illness, I have been unable to afford lessons at the more exclusive clubs where female golf pros are available. Since my husband’s diagnosis in 2019, which prevents him from playing, I now only play on the rare occasions we visit my in-laws in another state, as their active living community includes an 18-hole course.

I am passionate about the US Constitution because I recognize its significance in shaping our nation's foundation, past, present, and future. It is vital as Americans to each do our part in protecting our individual rights and liberties guaranteed in our Constitution, which ensure a just, fair, and equitable society. I have been personally impacted by violations of civil rights and those experiences drive my commitment to fight for civil rights throughout my career. Years ago, my youngest brother was participating in a peaceful protest that I was watching on a live stream from home. Suddenly, my baby brother, just 20 years old, was being beaten by police, just for the act of banging a drum and chanting, a clear violation of his rights guaranteed by The First Amendment. When they took him into custody, they further violated his rights by denying him medical treatment (he had injuries that later required hospitalization), refusing him access to a lawyer, and rejecting his request to make a phone call. My mom immediately went to find him but was redirected to different precincts FOUR times. He was at the first precinct the entire time. After 47.5 hours in custody, the police finally let him call someone; the only number he remembered was mine. When he was released, they kept his coat, his phone, his drum, and his money. He was charged with disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. He refused to take a plea deal and pled not guilty. The DA delayed the trial multiple times (a clear violation of the right to a speedy trial). When they finally got to trial, the judge admonished my brother for "wasting the court's time by not taking a plea deal", yet eventually the charges were dismissed. This experience inspired me to become involved in advocacy to protect The First Amendment, which led me to my six years of work with the ACLU of Pennsylvania. At ACLU-PA, I was responsible for leading the Annual Fund, recruiting volunteer fundraisers, organizing events, supervising part-time employees and interns, and managing development operations; my work enabled the great work of the organization. Now that I am an MPA student, my master's thesis is on protecting the Americans with Disabilities Act in specific communities. In 2019, my husband was diagnosed with kidney failure and is currently waiting for a kidney transplant. Last year, he began using a wheelchair. In 2020, New York City initiated a program in Jackson Heights (a community in Queens) meant to encourage community engagement and increase the physical activity of community members. However, through my research, I have discovered an unintended consequence: the rights guaranteed to people with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act are being violated daily. Adults, senior citizens, and children with disabilities now face restrictive barriers to transportation, emergency services, and in some cases, entry into their own homes! People in wheelchairs should not be relegated to using "community loading zones", often several blocks away, as if they were an Amazon package or a large couch. Their civil rights are worth protecting, just as much as those who are able-bodied, if not more. Despite raising this issue with the responsible government agency, partner non-profits, and several elected officials, no one will move to correct the violations - in fact, things have gotten worse in the year since this was brought to my attention. Disability Rights are Human Rights are Civil Rights. I am proud to fight for these rights through my continued academic research as part of my MPA program. Thank you for your consideration of my scholarship application.