From young age, I knew I wanted financial freedom. So I knew that getting a degree was only the first step in that goal. I never called it a dream because I was once told "Dreams don't come true, but you can work towards a goal". So I chose finance as my major because I wanted to become financially literate so I can teach not only my family, but other low-income families and future first-generation students. I plan on using my education to be a motivation to all the younger girls in the world. My goal is to complete a bachelor's and master's degree and eventually work as a C.F.O (Chief Financial Officer) at a major investment company. Once I have reached that goal, I plan to help the women in my community learn how to manage their finances so they can have better lives. I also want to teach children at underfunded schools the importance of being financially literate so they don't end up in the same position down the line. My mission is to advance the knowledge of finances among the residents in the City of Flint, my hometown, so that we as a community can build the once thriving city to a new glory. In order for me to achieve this goal, I plan to work hard and gain as much knowledge as I can so I can give back to the community that raised me. The reasoning behind my goals is due to where i'm from. I am a low-income, first-generation black female college student that wants to make a difference in her community. It's been times where we had to go without certain essentials to make ends meet. I don't want that for my future self or anyone else. So me being successful in college and pursuing this goal has all been motivated by my family, because the number one thing I want is to give my family a better life if I can. My number two is to encourage young black girls to get into white, and or male dominated fields because you have to be the representation you want to see. One of the things I want to do with my education, besides just working, is to motivate the women in my community to do more. To do what they thought they couldn't because they had no support. I want to become their support system to lean on when times get tough and they need guidance. In conclusion, I want to be the change, I want all the young girls to see that they can be me and more. To see that I am not the limit, but the beginning of what's to come.

My favorite aspect of Minecraft is that in creative mode, you live forever. Living forever isn't a luxury in our lives, well at least not yet, so being able to experience new things with our worrying about hunger, pain, or aging is somewhat peaceful. The resonates deeply with me because in my opinion, we don't get enough time on this earth. Nothing is guaranteed; you being born is a miracle in itself. And on to of that, some people don't make it past childhood, let alone birth, so being born is your first strike of luck. In Minecraft, you aren't born, you just appear. From nothing to now pixels on a screen. In a way it is similar to birth, except in this game, you have the option of not dying or wanting for anything. Minecraft creative mode provides the illusion of freedom. Freedom from aging, of pain, of hunger, and of wanting for anything because in creative you have it all. I guess that's why Minecraft always stuck with me growing up. Because growing up, I didn't have all my wants or needs, I got hurt, I grew up, and everything else that makes us human. So in Minecraft, I still got to be the little 10-year old girl who just built three luxury mansions for me and my brothers and a farm so we could live together and have fun exploring caves.

My favorite series is Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami. This series was eye-opening as a person who is just getting into anime. I love that the main point of the show is that the main character to die in the end. Most shows want to have a happy ending but that isn't always the case. The author does amazing work giving each character a realistic story and goal. For Itadori Yuji, his goal was to save as many people as he could. For Gojo Satoru, his goal was to uplift the future generation of sorcerers to become stronger. But nit all goals are for the good of humanity in this story for example, Geto Suguru. His goal was to eradicate all non-sorcerors. My favorite character is Geto Suguru; The layers to his character each hold a significance to his current self. That is what I love about Gege Akutami's work; the way he conveys emotions of characters internal struggles and hardships is something rarely seen in anime. This series proves that just because you're the main character, doesn't mean you are guaranteed the win. Jujutsu kaisen artstyle is also something that i'm drawn too. Gege is colorblind so some character appearances are different in each volume which lead to them being different in the anime. But I think that both Gege and Mappa Studios did a great job of protraying each character's personality. I love the attention to detail they display in each character, some even providing insight on future chapters/episodes to come. Overall, Jujutsu Kaisen is my favorite anime and manga series and I would recommend it to everyone.

My favorite Disney Channel shows growing up was "Dog With a Blog" and "Jessie". I would call the crossover "Dog or Lizard?". It starts with the James-Jennings family deciding to finally take a family trip, including Stan obviously, to New York City. They decide to fly on a plane to get there, but run into many problems along the way. From Bennett and Ellen getting separated from the kids to them almost missing the flight starts off the episode. During this time, it would be a typical day for the Ross household; full of chaos. The two families will meet at the airport terminal in New York. There isn't much interaction between them since they are in rush. The kennels containing Stan and Mrs. Kipling are accidentally switched and this goes unnoticed until each family arrives at their destination. Stan is spooked as he tries to find an escape from Jessie and the Ross's. Eventually Stan asks Zuri for help getting back to his family. She can't believe it's a talking dog. Zuri then asks Luke and Ravi to help get Stan back to his family and claims that he spoke to her. They don't believe her but they agree to go with her anyways. During this time the James-Jennings family hasn't noticed that Stan wasn't in the kennel. And Jessie and Emma are distracted by shopping. Zuri, Luke, Ravi, and Stan eventually make it back to the airport terminal and search for the James-Jennings family. Avery finally opens the kennel and notices the giant water moniter in place off what they thought was their loving, cuddly, talking dog, Stan. Avery tells Tyler and Chloe that Stan isn't in the kennel and that they need to sneak back to the airport. Whole distracts Ellen and Bennett by being all cute and using her usual antics. Tyler, Avery, Zuri, Luke, and Ravi eventually meet at the airport. They exchange animals and Zuri tells Avery and Tyler that they have a talking dog. Ravi and Luke apologize for their sister as Avery and Tyler internally panic. The episode ends with both pets at their respective families. Disney channel overall was my childhood. These two tv shows stuck with me throughout my childhood. I loved the story each episode and show presented and how it was acted out. "Dog With A Blog" and "Jessie" will always be in my top five Disney channel shows.

As a young black woman in America, I face adversity everyday. But one of the most rememberable moments was when I participated in Michigan DECA competition. Leading up to the competition, I struggled getting the resources in order to prepare for my event. I had to save for weeks to afford the registration and a professional outfit to wear. All my research had to be done at school between periods because of my unstable internet at home. but despite these challenges, I persevered and worked hard to create my presentation for the competition. The night before the competition, I accidentally deleted some of my slides. So I slept 4 hours before it was my turn to compete. At the end of the day, I won a medal at the district level. I overcame all the challenges that came my way by asking for help. I relied on my friends and family to help me get access to the materials I needed to succeed. I also overcame adversity by constantly reminding myself that no matter the outcome, I put my all into my presentation. So with the help of everyone and remembering that "win or lose i'll be fine", I took home a district champion medal. I didn't qualify for states but just being recognized at districts was enough for me. I would say that this experience has shaped me into becoming more knowledgeable about using my resources and asking for help. I also learned that there is no such thing as too "ambitious". Going after your goals was key to my success in this competition on top of using my resources. So aiming high and running into problems shouldn't scare you, instead learn from your shortcomings and use them to grow. My advice to those who want to compete, whether it's a race, art, or even a debate, is to make sure you give it your all. Not giving up is number one when you compete for anything, but number two should always be to make sure you complete your goal at the same time. I went in with the mindset that I wanted to win a medal, and I did. That's not to say just because "you think it, so it will happen" but to set that standard for yourself to want success and not prepare of failure. Let your ambitions run wild and most importantly make sure you are having fun in the process. You will thrive when you do things you have a passion for.

My favorite athlete on Team USA is Quincy Wilson. This young man has accomplished what over millions of people work for at the age of 16. He is the youngest male in U.S history to compete for Team USA in the Olympics. I would say he is my favorite because he is representation that age doesn't define your determination. I ran track throughout middle school and part of high school, so I know the drive you must have in order to compete. So seeing a young, talented, black man thrive in a sport I used to play brought joy to my heart. Watching him break records and encouraging future runners is inspiring to me because it shows that age isn't a deciding factor in your success. I admittedly only watch gymnastic events during the Olympic Games. But watching someone you can relate to do good things lights a fire in me to do better. That's why I can confidently say that Quincy Wilson is a major reason that I am tuned in for this years olympics. Im excited to see how this young man does against some of the best from around the world. But win or lose, I believe that he is becoming a symbol of the new age of runners.

Travel is crucial in the development of a person. Whether it is international travel or just a few cities away, exploring new cultures is something I think is fundamental in growing as a person. I can speak from first hand experience that travel provides a transformative experience. For perspective, I am from Flint, Michigan, a small city without many opportunities but its own unique culture. One of my first travel experiences was going to Toronto, Canada. On my trip there, I observed the differences and similarities between Canada and the U.S . It was infighting to witness and the experience overall was great. But I say this to say, no matter where you go, you will learn something new about yourself, a different culture, and how you connect to it. Reflection in my opinion lead to connection on a deeper level. I remember my trip I took to NYC and it was a complete culture shock. I went from a small town where I knew everyone to a big city that seemed to grow as I walked. That trip was spent in deep reflection and comparing how I used to live versus how I could live. When I reflected on how the different cultures made me feel; it was almost like a revelation. Not only do you reflect, but you can change your perspectives. I went on a college tour that went through multiple states. I honestly thought that North Carolina was all fields and a few small towns, I couldn't be further from the truth. Exploration can change the narrative you were once fed or assumed to be true. And that to me is one of the best parts of traveling, seeing if it lives up to the expectations from what you assumed it to be. Travel is one stop among many in the path of self development. You learn to grow from each experience, good or bad, and based on that experience you change. Because the truth is, everything you do changes your mentality. So it is important to engage in all events when they arise because you never know when you'll get that oppurinity again.