"To be a great champion, you must believe you are the best. If you're not, pretend you are." ~Muhammad Ali The song that has the most important message to me is "I Am A Champion" by Carrie Underwood featuring Ludacris. I've been told by many, including my loved ones, that I'll never be successful and to keep wishing upon a star because my dreams are too big and will never come true. However, I've become determined more than ever to prove them wrong. Each morning, I begin my day by listening to this song on repeat. It breathes life into me and reminds me that I can and will achieve everything that I've set my mind on. In this song, Ludacris spells out the characteristics of a champion: C stands for Courage. (Do you have it?) H stands for Hurt. (Have you been?) A stands for Attitude. (Is yours positive?) M stands for Motivation. (Do you have it?) P stands for Persevere. (Are you determined?) I stands for Integrity and an Innovative career. (Do you have both?) O stands for Optimistic and Open. (Are you both?) N stands for Never give up. (Will you?) This song enables me to stay focused and answer positively to each of these questions each day. Though I've encountered several knockdowns, I have and will continue to rise after each one and defeat any obstacle that stands in my way. In the end, it is all about who wants it the most. A champion must fight for what he/she believes in. After all, who else will do it better than you? So, are you ready? FIGHT!

"I believe every one of us is born with a purpose. No matter who you are, what you do, or how far you think you have to go, you have been tapped by a force greater than yourself to step into your God-given calling." ~Oprah First, I must thank Arthur Panos, Elana Panos, and TA Wapakoneta for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship. This scholarship is dear to me because it reminds me of my father's story and how it has paved my walk with God. My father, who is African and now in his early 60s, came to America in his mid 20s to work hard, live what many call the 'American Dream', and begin his journey to success. Faith is what is most important to my father, so it became the primary focus in our household. I was raised in a co-dominant household. My father is Muslim, and my mother is Christian, so I learned and practiced both religions, which I still do today. Though, I have faced many trials and tribulations, I know for certain that without God and my personal faith, I would not be who I am and where I am today. I thank God several times throughout the day for all of the blessings and lessons that He has placed and will place in my life. Every door opens or closes for a very specific reason. I know and trust that God surrounds me with people to pull me up not join in defeat. I trust when it does not make sense. In Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." I want to give a special thanks to my aunt, who is a pastor and has also been my spiritual mentor since a little girl, because I know and recited these verses during what I now consider the lowest points of my life. I am strong today because I trusted God and always understood that there is a promotion in every problem. As my relationship with God continues to grow each day, I think (and know) that my faith will assist me with my career in dentistry by guiding me to always be moral, ethical, and professional while holding the 'secret sauce'. Now, I know you are wondering what is the secret sauce, and I am proud to share it with you. It simply means are you helping others? To take it a step further, is God F.I.R.S.T in all aspects of your life? If you answer 'yes' to all of the following, then you have the secret sauce, too, and do not realize it. F: finances I: interest R: relationships S: schedule T: trust In the words of Joel Osteen, I declare that "I am blessed, prosperous, redeemed, forgiven, talented, creative, healthy, whole, confident, secure, disciplined, focused, prepared, qualified, motivated, valuable, free, determined, equipped, empowered, anointed, accepted, and approved. Not average, not mediocre, I am a child of The Most High God. I will become all I was created to be. In Jesus' name. Amen." Thank God when you do not see a way. Each setback is a setup for God to show out in your life.

"The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison." ~Ann Wigmore I love superfoods because of the various health benefits they possess. They are packed with high vitamin and mineral content, which helps the body fight off diseases and keeps you healthier. Further, superfoods are said to aid in weight loss, a well-balanced diet, improve energy levels, reduce aging, and promote heart health. Why wouldn't you love superfoods? It seems to be a no brainer to me. I am a pescatarian, so as you can imagine, my favorite superfood is salmon. Not only is it amazingly delicious, it contacts high omega-3 content, which aids in preventing heart disease. I eat it baked or fried with vegetable rice, which is delicious and the perfect meal for dinner. My other favorite superfoods are avocado, blueberries, yogurt, beans, leafy greens, broccoli, kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chia seeds, eggs, olive oil, garlic, oats, and turmeric powder. I eat avocado in my bowls from Chipotle and Cava as well as in my homemade chip dip, which people frequently ask me to make for them. I eat blueberries as a snack and in my smoothies along with turmeric powder and other fresh or frozen fruit. I eat overnight oats, chia seeds, and greek yogurt for breakfast at least three times per week. This meal is so powerful and gives me a great amount of energy to get through the day. On weekends, I eat eggs, spinach, and fruit for breakfast. Kidney beans, lima beans, and lentils are my go-to when making a soup. I eat leafy greens, kale, spinach, and tomatoes daily in my salads for lunch and sweet potatoes as a side for dinner or baked with vegetables and salmon as a meal. I also sauté spinach with garlic and sweet cream and eat it as a side for dinner. My parents instilled in me as a young child that leafy greens are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, which are essential for being healthy and living a long life, so I automatically grew to love them ("Thanks, Mom and Dad. You all know best."). I cook with olive oil because it contains many beneficial fatty acids and powerful antioxidants. I also put garlic in majority of the meals that I cook. Not only do I consume superfoods, I use them for other reasons as well. For example, I mix greek yogurt and turmeric powder in my homemade facial formula every Sunday to keep my skin smooth and clear of blemishes. Turmeric powder is used for skin disorders, respiratory tract, joints, and digestive system. Many may not know, but turmeric is also commonly known as a dietary supplement to aid with depression, allergies, arthritis, respiratory infections, and liver disease. My parents swear by turmeric and take one tablet per day, which helps their body pains and keep their blood pressure low. They are walking testimonies. In conclusion, superfoods are the secret to life, so please make sure you either start or continue incorporating them into your diet daily.

"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand me." ~John Lennon A healthy lifestyle is important to me because I am able to live the key to life, which is happiness. I exercise 5-6 times per week, drink a gallon of water per day, eat 4-5 salads per week, do not smoke or drink alcohol, and am a pescatarian, so I stay away from many unhealthy foods. With these lifestyle standards in effect, I feel amazing each and every day, regardless of what comes my way. I once heard that a healthy outside starts from the inside, and this is very true. What you consume, whether it is food or negative energy, will become your mindset. Though this was not an overnight path to step into, I have now trained my brain to think positive and make myself a priority so that I can love myself unconditionally and live a long life. I have a lot that I want to accomplish in my life, and the only way to cross off everything on my list is to live a healthy lifestyle. "Nurturing yourself is not selfish - it's essential to your survival and your well-being." ~Renee Peterson Trudeau

"In these moments of heartbreaking grief, I remember the only reason we have an empty space is because we were blessed with someone who loved us so beautifully it occupied an entire part of my soul." ~Chelsea Ohlemiller The loss of my grandmother caused me to focus on what matters most in my life, which is to never take precious moments for granted, especially with loved ones. On June 19, 2017, my life changed forever. Before I reveal what happened, here is the sequence of events that led up to that day. On June 8, 2017, my grandmother, who is one of my best friends, called me while I was driving home from work. I conversed with her briefly before promising her that I would call her back later that evening because it was a lot of traffic, and I needed to focus on the road. However, once I arrived at home, I packed my suitcase for a weekend vacation, and due to the excitement on a fun weekend ahead, it slipped my mind to call her back. On June 9, 2017, my grandmother was majorly affected by an awful car accident. A county waste truck ran a red light and struck the vehicle my grandmother was riding in going home from her monthly grocery store run. She was immediately airlifted to the nearest trauma hospital. Due to several broken ribs, arms and legs as well as a collapsed lung, my grandmother underwent an 8 1/2 hour of intense, yet successful operation. While my grandmother was on the path to a full recovery, a nurse made a fatal mistake. She sedated and administered medication to the wrong patient, which was my grandmother, and she went into a vegetative state. Innumerable doctors and nurses attempted to revive her, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. On June 19, 2017, my grandmother was pronounced dead. As I held and kissed her hand just minutes before, I reflected on the last day that I heard her voice: June 8, 2017. If only I would have called my grandmother back to at least say "I love you" one last time... I want to "fight" to achieve, enjoy and live in these uniquely special, but short-lived moments with loved ones whenever possible because there may never be another one like it.

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe One of my passions is to return to school and obtain a second BS in dental hygiene followed by a MS. I want to gain the necessary experience and partner with other dental professionals to give back to underrepresented/underserved communities. Currently, I possess a BS in cellular, molecular and physiological biology with a minor in psychology. After derailing from my academic journey for many years, I received the much needed mental and emotional support from my loved ones to decide that there is no better time to return to school. I recently got accepted into Virginia Commonwealth University's Dental Hygiene Program and will begin classes in August. Though I am nervous, I am extremely excited to hop back on my journey to success and establish a career in the dental field once and for all, which has always been a dream of mine since childhood. Once I finish this step in my career path, I plan on working as a dental hygienist at a local dental office while obtaining my masters to become a program director and educator. My main focus in life right now is to accomplish this goal so that I can partner with dentists whose vision and passion align with mine. I wish to open my first dental hygiene practice in an underserved community and provide affordable preventative services within the next five years. Over the years, I have realized that there are innumerable communities that simply do not have the funds and/or resources to obtain the knowledge and promote positive oral health, so I want to do everything in my power to bridge that gap and show them that they have a seat at the table as well.

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?" ~Martin Luther King Jr. I believe that performing any acts of service is important, but those that are 'out of the norm' will yield the most growth and development as well as leave a lasting difference. I reside in a community that has a lot of elderly neighborhoods, so I help them shop in our local food markets and load their groceries into their vehicles. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I received stimulus checks. Since I was not financially affected, I gave them to my leasing office to pay towards other tenants' past due rent bills who were affected. Also, I started in 2020 and still continue to make family dinner kits and donate them to a local non-profit organization to deliver to families who are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently, I hosted an office baby shower for a coworker whose husband is currently deployed. She is now a mother of two, and her husband will not be here for the birth of their second daughter. After the baby shower, I received a thank you note that expressed her appreciation. She also shared with me that she has never received any financial or emotional support from family members, and no one has ever done a baby shower for either of her children, so it meant a lot to her. She wrote, "I didn't realize until now that this world needs more people like you in it."

"When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new." ~Dalai Lama I actively listen to those around me by not speaking while they are speaking. I provide them with my undivided attention and show them that I am hearing them by nodding and making eye contact at all times. I remain focused and do not jump to conclusions or judge. I also do not plan on providing a response unless it is prompted. To me, listening means to respect the individual who is speaking by giving your attention silently and seeking understanding. Listening means permitting the ability for trust to be built and feelings to be expressed. It also provides an opportunity for someone to become vulnerable and share personal, uncomfortable situations that could lead to comfort, validation and problem solving.

To quote Mae Jemison, an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut, “What we find is that if you have a goal that is very, very far out, and you approach it in little steps, you start to get there faster. Your mind opens up to the possibilities.” My first goal was in dentistry. I acquired an interest in oral health when I lost my first tooth. I recall frequently asking my parents why I lost my tooth. As a means to promote positive oral health, my parents always replied with, “Too much candy and juice.” Once I concluded that their answer would never change, I immediately modified my diet to prevent further tooth loss. Although poor diet is a cause of poor oral health, the loss of deciduous teeth is normal, which my parents never shared with me. Growing up, my parents instilled the importance of positive oral health in their children because they witnessed their siblings loose permanent teeth in middle adulthood. My parents enforced preventative oral behaviors, such as proper flossing and brushing as well as good eating habits. As I became an adolescent, I was intrigued to determine why my extended family members had no permanent teeth and wore dentures in their early 40s. As a hobby, I researched oral health and shared my findings when I visited them in South Carolina during school breaks. Now, in my adulthood, I continue to educate them on relevant knowledge that I have obtained from online publications on the American Dental Association’s website. I also engage in conversations to broaden my dental knowledge with my hygienist and dentist while attending routine preventative care visits. Consequently, they ask why I have not established a career in dentistry yet because of my extensive knowledge and passion for the field. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the dental hygiene profession’s employment rate is anticipated to increase over the years at a significantly higher rate than other occupations. In the next five years, I envision myself as a societal advocate for positive oral health. I plan to broaden my experience by partnering with other dentist professionals and working with community-sponsored outreach events that benefit less fortunate people. Further, I plan to conduct ongoing research to provide the best, affordable preventative dental care. I will promote awareness and engage my local community on the importance of oral health via conducting seminars to stress the importance of oral health, how it may affect general health, and preventative care behaviors to promote positive oral health. Although I am aware of the challenge that people may encounter in seeking internship and/or dental experience early in their career, I would like to create a six-weeks recurring internship/shadow program to further align with my passion.

... Where should I begin? First, it is important for me to share with you that my father arrived to America from West Africa to seek the 'American Dream' in the early 1980s. I grew up with two older brothers. We understood that the color of our skin mattered to simply EXIST after hearing my father's unfortunate and unforgettable truths. However, I realized later in life that I had an additional challenge that my brothers would never encounter: being a woman. During childhood, my father instilled faith came first followed by family and education. These were the answers to surviving. I was forced to understand that nothing would ever be given to me. My parents struggled to provide a life that they never had for their children. We lived in predominately white neighborhoods, so we went to highly ranked schools. I vividly remember being told that I did not "belong" in "their" schools. Was it because I am black? Hmm. I lived in Germany from 4th grade until the middle of 7th grade. I was frequently asked which one of my parents were in the military. When I answered, "My father WAS but retired before we relocated here," I received death stares. Was it because we are black? Should my parents not have money to provide an experience for their children to explore other cultures and ways of living? Hmm. Fast forward to my college days, I graduated with Latin Honors at a predominately white institution years ago. I remember walking across the stage and barely receiving claps from the audience. Was it because I am black and intelligent that I did not "belong"? Hmm. After obtaining my undergraduate degree, I entered the finance industry while taking a break from school to work and establish my independence as an adult. As I climbed up the ladder, I received salary increases, bonuses, professional achievement awards, and promotions. Immediately, I began to realize the many targets had been placed on my back. Was it because I am black, a woman, and young in a predominately white, older male industry? Hmm. Dentistry has always been a strong passion of mine since childhood. I have applied for internships at local, all white dental offices during the pandemic and been told that they are not seeking interns at this time, yet I would see new interns on their website with warming welcomes from the team on a rolling basis. Was it because I am black and do not "belong" in their practice? Hmm. Through the tears and 'why me?' every other day, I received a congratulatory email confirming that my breakthrough has arrived. I received admission from Virginia Commonwealth University's Dental Hygiene Program to begin my journey on giving back to others who are underserved and underrepresented. I want to ensure that they are where they DESERVE to be. My goal is to obtain the necessary degrees to become a Dental Hygiene Program Director and Educator. In the coming years, I envision myself as a societal advocate for positive oral health by broadening my experience and knowledge along with partnering with other dentist professionals and community-sponsored outreach events that benefit less fortunate people to provide the best, affordable preventative dental care. I'll promote awareness via conducting seminars to stress the importance of oral health, how it may affect general health, and preventative care behaviors to promote positive oral health. Further, I am aware of the many challenges that BIPOC encounter when seeking internships early in their career, so I would like to create a six-weeks recurring internship/shadow program to further align with my passion.