“Chase Your Dreams” Scholarship--Apply Today!

shayla2004 · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 15

“Chase Your Dreams” Scholarship

Are you ambitious? An excellent leader? And always chasing your dreams?
Well, you could win a $500 scholarship to your dream college.

In 300 to 400 words, explain how AND why you are chasing your dreams.
You may discuss your extracurricular activities, awards, hardships, and/or community involvement.

All high school and undergraduate students are eligible.
Entries will be judged on creativity, originality, and relevance to topic.

Post your essay on this message board.

Deadline: Friday, November 30, 2007 at 5pm CST

Note: If you do not follow ALL directions, you will be disqualified.

Contact information:
info@careervoices.com

mattsscholarship · Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 1

You could say I don't come from an easy background, but then again, who does. I grew up in poverty, always on welfare, always moving, without a father. I played every sport I could as I was growing up for fitness and acceptance. I did well at them all, but I most excelled at Baseball.

I went through a rough period in my life were I was benched because the coach and I did not get along and it made me loose passion for the game. I joined the military after high school because my scout died and I didn't see a opportunity to play because I could not afford to.

After spending several years in the military fighting Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, I developed severe depression and was discharged without a place to go. It is now 4 years later and I am still struggling to survive.

However, I forced myself to make it through the depression and committed to finishing the full season of summer league baseball over the summer. I made it all the way through and we made the playoffs.

After watching the movie Friday Night Lights and listening to the coaches speech about being perfect, I realized that my calling is to be a teacher and a coach. Depression only comes when your not walking in your true passion and doing what makes you happy with your life.

I am chasing my dream because I now know, that no matter what the hardships or obstacles I face, I have to be perfect. I have to go to bed every night knowing in my heart that I did everything I possibly could to better myself and better my teammates, or better anyone who I can help. Nothing gets me more emotional or teary eyed, then those great moments in sports, when you know you have done everything you could to help others out, and you see them succeed or give it their all in whatever it is they are doing. I want to become a teacher and a coach for that reason, and to me, that to me is how I am chasing my dreams.

jessica_fuentes07 · Joined: 24 Mar 2007 Posts: 1

Jessica Fuentes
Lane Tech High School

I turned on the TV thinking of nothing to watch I start flipping around the channels. MTV, ABC News, BET, Oprah, Disney, there was nothing really eye-catching on. Then I noticed a small dog’s face flash by. I quickly turn back to catch that face again; I surprisingly turn to the Animal Planet channel. The show “Animal Emergencies” was broadcasting and it immediately seized my attention.
The episode I was watching told the story how this dog miraculously survived from a heinous crime of animal cruelty. When the animal cops got conformation of a warrant to search and seize the property, they immediately rummaged through the house for the ill-treated dog. Finally they reached the backyard. Upon arriving closer and closer to the dog they notice how emaciated the dog looked. You can see the skeletal shape popping out of the skin, scratches and rashes forming, and how the dog just sat there when they came to him just exhausted from being out in the cold so long. They paused for a moment, and shocked beyond belief. I sat there shocked as well. The chain was on the dog’s neck so tight and for a long period of time it was embedded to its skin. They couldn’t take off the chain or it would have pulled the skin with the chain off. I felt like crying. I remembered my Dad came in and waited for me to give him a big hug, but I couldn’t move. I was so captured by this story; I had to know how they would save this maltreated dog.
I studied their every method. I examined intently when the surgeons properly mapped out a procedure in taking the chain off without cutting the skin too deep. I was amazed. They cut perfectly, just enough for them to take off the chain and stitch up the skin. Then about a week later, the dog looked absolutely healthier. I was so astounded at the transformation; there wasn’t any sign of the chain welded to the dog’s neck or the lack of food its body was starved from. At that moment, I knew I wanted to help and save animals. I wanted to be a veterinarian.
When starting school in the fall, I had sought colleges or universities that had the program of my interest, which I found was Animal Sciences. I decided I needed to first visit the college and see if I get the feeling this is the college for me.
Now two and a half hours later, which I liked because it wasn’t too close from home and it wasn’t too far from city life either, I set foot at University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign. I went on an Orange and Blue day, so there were a lot of students walking around as well as hopeful future students like me. My tour group and I had to meet at Union Hall. We heard lots of information to types of colleges/programs, tuition, dorms/residence halls, requirements, and extra circular activities they have available. I saw countless of students in the various rooms sitting on chairs and studying, sleeping probably due to staying up late from work, meeting up with other students to have group discussions; I felt a sense of a community-a close tight knit bond with the students and staff. After the tour was done, I decided to go visit the college I would want to apply to. Upon arriving I arranged a meeting with the Dean of the College of ACE’s. I was so thrilled that I got to meet with him and talk. I told him about my aspiration of becoming a veterinarian and sought apply to this school. He answered my questions and encouraged me to apply.
After leaving his office and the long walk to the car, I pictured my future. Then I stood there and just looked around, and I knew, right then and there, this was the college for me. This was my future.
_________________
Jessica Fuentes

James · Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 1

Recently I bought a picture at an African American memorabilia show; the picture was called "Emancipation". It was a tribute to all of the great African American men and women in history who fought for human rights and for their people. My heritage is very important to me, and I believe it foreshadows the possibilities of what I could become. I cannot allow myself to be caught up in careless acts because I represent more than that. I represent a young man who possesses a determination brought on by family love.
What matters to me is the impact I will have on others and how I will provide for my family. I want to be remembered for making a change and paving a path for others no matter their race or creed. I want to live by the example that I have been shown by my family. My commitment to live up to the legacy of my role models is what keeps my confidence level high. I can’t let any struggle hold me back because I come from a people who have fought against hardship and persevered. If they have been able to stand the test of time, I must aspire to the same caliber of determination.
It is this determination that I believe will enable me to flourish at a college institution. I want to succeed and rise to the challenges ahead. Pursing a career in business allows me to engage myself assertively in society and create endless opportunities.
When I was growing up I spent a lot of time with my grandmother, in 1992 she decided to start her own business. She began to made ethnic dolls out of fabric, and since then she has had great success. She has been placed into the Leo Moss Black Doll of Fall and in numerous high scale galleries across the United States. She involved me in her business and showed me how to effectively advertise and promote a product. I grew up around the business lifestyle and learned a lot from others along the way. For my senior project I created a website for her business Heritage Designs and since then I have been getting a lot of positive feed back. During my month long project I was in charge of marketing and public relations where I contacted numerous media publications and handled sales transactions. Here is a link to the site http://mysite.verizon.net/heritagedoll/index.html

Thank you,
James L. Berry

MissJoelleee · Joined: 09 May 2007 Posts: 1 Location: California

When I began my first semester of college, I had no idea what I wanted to major in, or what I wanted to do after I graduated. Now, it’s the last week of my sophomore year, and I have just tacked another minor onto my already full load. As a double major in sociology and political science, and a minor in women’s studies, some people have no idea what I want to do.

When I tell them I want to go to law school, they say, “but your not mean like a lawyer.”

They’re right. I’m not.

That’s why I want to do civil rights law. It is my dream job, and I have the confidence to know that I can actually do it. Although I grew up in a middle-class, white neighborhood, I know nothing of the prosperity that my friends had. Raised by a single mother, my brother and I were placed on Medicaid from a very young age. After my grandmother died, we didn’t have health insurance at all. Reforming the healthcare system is just one of the things that motivate me to go to law school.

I read the newspaper everyday, and I everyday I get more and more depressed. Whether it is another restriction on a woman’s right to choose, deceitful information given through abstinence only sex education programs through public schools, a right-wing religious attack on our personal lives, or the ethnocentrism I see when people talk about immigration, I understand that there are so many things that need to be done in this country. I am only one person, but I know that I can dedicate my life to fight for the rights of the people of the United States.

Another reaction I get when I tell people I plan on going to law school is that I’m only going for the money. I just want to laugh.

I have no idea if I want to work in the public sector or as a private attorney, but I do know that money doesn’t matter. I also know that going into this type of law requires a lot of pro bono work, and I am ready to tackle whatever comes my way.

Court87 · Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 1 Location: California

My interest in photography began my sophomore year in high school. I started taking pictures of nature and scenery around my country home. When I started photography classes at my high school, I began contemplating a career in photography. Finding a subject, capturing it in an artistic way, and developing of that picture are all very intriguing elements of the process of creating a photograph. I excelled very quickly in my beginning and advanced classes which motivated me to do well. I began asking for new ideas and more assignments in my photography classes. My interest in photography has only grown more intensely throughout the years.

It has been my experience that my creative work has been well received. Several of my nature photos have been featured on our local news station’s websites and on the actual weather report that was aired on television. I have had some of my work published in a magazine called Rogue Voice which is located in San Luis Obispo. My work in my high school classes has been displayed at various art shows, many times as a part of the promotional literature for the shows. I have had requests from people to sell copies of some of my work especially for their unique composition and interesting subjects.

I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 18. I had to struggle through adversity to even be alive today, which has made me a stronger person. My whole life was put on hold for over a year to battle this disease. While I was going through all of this, I focused on what I wanted to do with my life. My conclusion is that I desire to live life to the fullest which includes going back to school to become a professional photographer. I had to leave college as I struggled to survive. I had to face my own mortality. I stayed strong even through the most painful of procedures, and I have survived cancer. Focusing on my future helped me to stay positive even at the lowest point of my life.

At this point in my life I have a choice to make. I can pursue a job and start my career, or I can get a beneficial education to accomplish more than just getting a job. I believe that a well rounded education will prepare me for a life long career. It is my hope that by attending Brooks Institute of Photography my pursuit for excellence will be rewarded with many opportunities for increasing my knowledge and experience in this profession to which I have chosen to devote my life.

emilyib619 · Joined: 17 May 2007 Posts: 1

I'm 24 years old and a single mom of a three month old baby boy. My eyes have seemed to be shut since I graduated high school. I feel like I was living in a dream state this whole time while everyone else around me went forward. I just stood in place. My new baby boy has shed light and purpose to my life now. He has lifted the curtain to all the opportunities in my life that I never went for. Now I am turning in circles trying to land in the direction that will lead to my success.
I have always known I wanted to be a nurse. When I was younger I would pretend my cats and dolls were my patients. When I was 10 years old, I came home from school and nobody was home. I heard a whimpering sound coming from under my bed. It was my cat. I didn't know what was wrong so I pulled the cat out from under the bed and to my surprise there was blood and something strange going on down there on my cat. The next thing I know there was a whole body of a kitten but it's head coming out of my cat. At ten years old you think I would of freaked out, but I didn't. I somehow knew to grab a sheet and gently help the cat relieve the kitten's head. I helped with all seven kittens.
I went into labor with my son this year and all of a sudden it hit me. I want to be a labor and delivery nurse. I hve enrolled in maric college for their nursing program, but I have a balance of 4761.00 and no way of paying it. There has always seemed to be a fork in the road no matter what for me. Nothing has come easy. It seems the people I have loved the most in life have either been taken away from me or gone crazy.
I am trying very hard to chase my dream. I have enrolled in a program. I now am putting all the faith in getting scholarships to achieve my dream.

nolesgirl_07 · Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Florida

During my visitation to the Howard County Correctional Facility, all that separated me from inmate 159736 was a panel of glass and a seven-year conviction. The orange jump suit he wore screamed the obvious, that he was a criminal. I looked deeply into his tired eyes and saw a glimpse of his life, a life now determined by the consequences of his poor decisions. To me inmate 159736 is more than a substandard, insignificant felon; he is my Dad.

I am determined to accomplish my goals and chase my dreams. I know I can overcome obstacles and face challenges head on. Having a parent in jail has taught me that I can use my unfavorable fortune and turn it into a positive experience. I know that I can rise up from difficult times and better myself as a person.

I hope to share this knowledge with other children of incarcerated parents. I want to mentor them and show them that they do not have to follow in their parents’ footsteps; they can be their own person, independent of their parents’ actions. The decisions I make are determined by the courage of my convictions; I want to share that message with the world.

While I have had many obstacles in my life, I have excelled in academics, extracurricular activities, and community service. I have an SAT score of 1220 a GPA of 4.3, and over 250 hours of community service. I am involved in many clubs and honors activities including: Key Club, Quill and Scroll Honor Society, yearbook, National Senior Beta Club, National Honor Society.I use my involvement in clubs to make a difference and bestow on to others a sense of leadership. I am currently the editor-in-chief of yearbook, the Quill & Scroll Honor Society historian, and a committee chairman in Beta and NHS.
I feel that I deserve this scholarship because I am not only an active member of the community, but I have also overcome great hardships in my life I have learned from my misfortune and used it to better myself. I was recently accepted into Florida State University, where I plan to continue my lifelong commitment to service and academics. If I am awarded this scholarship, I will be able to chase my dreams of becoming a doctor and living a life defined by my accomplishments. Laughing

Mariela · Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Washington, DC

Even though I was born in the District of Columbia; it is not the place where I grew up. At the age of two, I was taken to El Salvador where I lived for ten years. I consider El Salvador my first country and it is from there that the desire to succeed in life arose. I lived there in one of the many poor neighborhoods surrounded by drunk men and gangsters. As I became old enough to understand my surroundings, I told myself that I wouldn't stay there forever. From that point, I became determine to go up the ladder that leads to the doors of success. At the age of ten, I knew that one day I would return to the US. While I waited for the day of my departure, I was preparing myself by putting a lot of effort in my English class to learn as much English as I could. After two years, at the age of twelve, I had to make the hard decision to come back to the US and live with my father. The hardest part of my decision was that I had to leave my mother in El Salvador because she couldn't come with me. I truly value the magnitude of my mother's sacrifice and this has made me more determine to become a somebody in this country.

When I started to go to school here in the US, I went with an eagerness and determination to learn more and more each day. Because of my hard work and determination, my English progressed at a very fast rate. Once I became confident enough of my ability to speak English, I joined the FIRST Robotics Team of my school during the 9th grade and I have been a member since then. Even though my English wasn't the best, the teacher sponsors of the team were very supportive and encouraged me to give presentations about the team at the FIRST Robotics Competitions. My confidence built an ambition within me to take advantage of any opportunity and project that came my way. Because of my ambition, I got my school involved with the InvenTeams Program. Teacher sponsors and students were very supportive and, as a team, we were able to make a prototype of a cellphone locker invention. This prototype was presented at MIT where I was put in change to be the spokesperson. So, I explained the invention in the MIT's auditorium to a large number of people. I believe the teacher sponsors influenced me to challenge myself beyond my own expectations.

The people who have participated in the FIRST Robotics Competition and the InvenTeams Program with me and the environment have influenced me to become an engineer. If given the opportunity to go to college and complete my education, I hope to become an engineer and possibly a doctor. By first majoring in engineering, I hope to become an inventor to invent something innovative that will improve this country by solving a problem or simply making our way of living much easier. I hope to become a doctor because I want to help people to live a healthier life. Additionally, by becoming a doctor, I hope to gain knowledge which will help me come up with an idea to invent something that will help cure certain diseases in our country and the world. I also hope go back to El Salvador to practice my profession and make the same contributions I would make here.

tk · Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 1

I am a determined individual. I am back in community college after enduring a 17 year marriage. It has always been my dream to return to college. I always knew it would happen one day. I am living the reality of my dream right now actually. I have been married for a long time with 3 wonderful girls. My oldest daughter graduates high school next month. My middle daughter is in junior high. She made the principals honor roll back in March of this year. She has also recently been selected to tutor her peers twice a week. My youngest scores 98-100 weekly on her 2nd grade spelling test. She is also one of the top readers in her class. I am proud of my girls. I have always preached the value of education to my children. I taught each and of my girls to read & write before the started school.
My failed marriage helped to spark positive change for me. Helped may sound like an odd choice of words. You see, if I may get personal for a moment. I don’t mind telling you I am a cervical cancer survivor due to my husband’s infidelity. Thank goodness it wasn’t worse. My soon to be ex-husband (truck driver by trade) was a meth using alcoholic for years off and on. I knew of the alcohol abuse. Wasn’t aware of the meth use until recently(last summer). He was a truck driver so it was very easy for him to hide his infidelity as well as his drug & alcohol abuse. I never allowed him to abuse alcohol in my home. I was married to a functional alcoholic/drug for a long time and wanted out for the past ten years. I did notice things. He was also violent pushing me or breaking things and such. He would act real ridiculous a few times a year. That was enough. I thought it was a mental issue such as bipolar or something. I rationalized the fact that he was on the road most of the time was a good thing. I could raise my children and when they were old enough I could go to work. I thought it was going to be hard to raise and provide for my girls on my own. I was a stay at home mom for many, many years. I went back to work. With being at home for so long with not many job skills the best I could find 4 ½ years ago was a sales job in the field of office automation for $8.00 and hour. I wasn’t getting child support I couldn’t afford a divorce. I was eventually asked by one of my customers to come and work for them. They needed someone with my customer service skills. Now I am their senior customer service rep. and administrative assistant. I am current making $14.00 hr. now. Which is an improvement. However, still not enough for a family if four. I also drive 40 miles a day round trip now. With a daughter about to enter community college. I am still in city housing. I encourage my daughters work hard so they can have better choices.
I took a chance and stepped out in faith. I have just started classes at Cerritos Community College this summer. I am taking 12 units this summer. I will be in two sessions. I took out a personal loan for my divorce, computer and school & book fees. I know the Lord helped me get the loan. Because I have only been at my new job a year and a half and do not make a lot of money. I wanted to make the best use of the loan. I am taking 3 online classes and one on campus class. I originally planned to go in the fall. I thought to myself why wait for FAFSA. I didn’t want to sit around and look at my circumstances and feel like I had to continue to wait to start toward a better quality of life. I was very concerned with taking time away from my children while attending school. That is one of the reasons it put it off. That coupled with the drama with my husband. I figured if I apply for a loan all they can do is say no. I began taking steps and doors began to open. I filed for divorce, child support order and paid for college tuition all in one week. That was powerful. I am so excited. I have the encouragement of my family and extended family and friends. I have help with my children. I am not on public assistance which feels good. I do budget well. I was left with a car note as a result of the pending divorce I just filed for. The bright side is it could be worse. It is not easy. Nothing worth having is. So I have a lot on my plate but I know I can do. I am so unbelievable happy about being in school and moving forward. I wish someone would pay me go to school all day. My girls find that funny. My oldest daughter had some struggles with her education but is turning it around and will march with her class. I am very proud of her. She has told me she is proud of me too. I am ambitious. I feel I have leadership ability. I have lead sunday at church. I Have lead successful project at work. I am pursuing my dream full force. There is no stopping me. I feel like I can do anything. I am chasing my dream of finishing college to have a better life for me and my daughters.
_________________
May God's best be yours.

likeitsgolden · Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 1

I would be considered a non-traditional student. I first attended college as a high-school graduate in 1972. At that time African American students attending college were somewhat of a novelty and a new cultural experience. Most of us attended college because the financial aid was available for poor inner-city students. I had no examples or role models who understood the importance of a college education and thus I did not see it as the golden opportunity that it was.

I’ve spent by work career in the field of information technology, and because I lacked certifications or a college degree I’ve never been able to move into a management position. Although I’ve always held a position of leadership and maintained excellent skills, without a college degree I was always overlooked for management.

I’ve been a single mom for many years. I have to admit my greatest motivation to return to college has been seeing my life experiences repeated through the experiences of my children. My eldest daughter recently graduated college. As I saw her life as a single mom begin to mirror mine I encouraged her to keep going, helping however I could, so that she could graduate. I didn’t want her to feel less than qualified to excel when personal and professional opportunities came her way.

I know the challenges I faced in maintaining a decent quality of life for my family and fully understand the difference a college education would have made in the opportunities that were available to me. Just as I’ve encouraged my children to make the investment in themselves I am choosing to lead by example and do the same. Pursuing my dream, I’ll be attending college in the fall and working toward my degree in Management Information Systems, and I will after much effort, proudly include college graduate among my accomplishments.

knheard3 · Joined: 04 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

Devastatingly, school violence, murder, rape, and drug abuse are the meat and grits of every headliner and the presiding evidence of the deterioration of moral society. It is so easy to judge the youth involved in these crimes, but has anyone ever taken the time to ask why?

I was raised in the Scotlandville area of Baton Rouge where drugs, sex, and violence of every kind were available at will. My parents divorced when I was only five years old. Negative influences surrounded me, pressuring me from every angle. The only thing that saved me from my peers was my family. My mother, father, and grandmother instilled everlasting values in me. Each day they told me that I was beautiful; I would be something—anything! It does not sound like much, but it means everything. So many youth receive criticisms, beatings, and curses rather than blessings. With minds saturated with negativity, no good can emerge.

When time is taken to encourage, educate, and instill values within these hurting youth, they can excel. I want to give youth the same opportunity that was given to me. There is still hope. Values may start in the home, but they do not have to end there! My dream is to set up a teen/youth center that kids can come to after school to complete homework, receive tutoring, participate in recreational activities, get a hot meal, be counseled, and hear God’s everlasting Word.

I have been continually preparing myself for this dream by teaching abstinence classes with Rīz (Rise) Up Louisiana for five years and facilitating the Y.I.E.L.D. (Youth Instruction and Empowerment in Leadership Development) meetings twice a month. I continue to use these leadership skills as the 2008 Senior Class President and instructor of the Dance team at my church, Joy of Deliverance Ministries. I plan to major in Child Development and minor in Biblical Studies at Liberty University in Virginia. By participating with service organizations like VolunTEENS, I give back to many communities and to the youth within them.

You cannot choose what family or environment you are born in, but you can control how you respond to it. By sowing in time, values, education, and hope, the efforts of a few will reap a harvest of many. Once the youth begin to realize their potential, a burst of creativity will overflow! Are you ready?
_________________
Krystal N. Heard

pspfan · Joined: 01 May 2007 Posts: 1

Jeremy Goss
DeBakey High School for Health Professions

My inspiration to become a doctor came from a former student at DeBakey High School. Her self-drive, tenacity, and will to help others motivated me to follow suit. She always spoke out about the AIDS epidemic in Africa and what our contributions as Americans could do to end the suffering there. Seeing her fulfillment in helping others provoked me to join the cause. I learned her drive and her passion; she sparked my interest in AIDS and HIV prevention and from there on, my own will to help others took over. Before her, I lacked motivation and was content with my laziness and lack of focus. In her tutelage, I learned what it meant to care and to put someone else before myself. As a procrastinating sophomore when I first met her, I felt guilty for squandering my time and effort that could have been spent toward a greater cause, checking my Myspace account.
From her, I learned that a doctor can make a tremendous contribution to those suffering abroad and at home. Her drive was enough to motivate me to give all that I can for others. In pictures she showed me of children disfigured by AIDS, I saw the hurt in their faces and vowed to help. Though she never knew it, she helped me find my purpose.

Not only are doctors hailed among educated professionals, they also boast some of the most revered titles and distinctions in most countries. Nevertheless, I choose to study medicine not for the title or reverence, but for the ability to change lives on a level that no other career can. Doctors, plastic surgeons in particular, are fortunate in that they can alter lives for the better with the proper swipe of their scalpel. While most plastic surgery today is for cosmetic means, I aim to practice reconstructive plastic surgery, helping those whose lives have not been so fortunate. So often do we value beauty and aesthetics over personality that we forget what it means to be human.
Cleft lip has crippled children everywhere; it does not shut down their immune system nor does it leave them paralyzed, but it does isolate them from society, ostracizing them on the playground, only because we judge with our eyes more often than with our hearts. I can change all of that. First college, then med-school, then off to save lives.

- Jeremy Goss

mirchi · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

Sasha T.
Burnaby Mountain Secondary School

I believe that leadership is implementing and accomplishing a goal which positively influences the target audience. Being an exceptional leader takes great commitment and responsibility. You need to be open to a variety of ideas and opinions, as they all work together to reach an amazing result!

Apart from being extensively involved in the school Student Ambassadors, United Nations, ICBC Counter Attack and IC CARE; I have also been actively involved with organizations such as the Down Syndrome Research Foundation, and Simon Fraser University Science Alive Girls Club. After holding a position in our school’s Student Council, I am representing our school at the District Student Advisory Committee.

Involvement Club: Charity Activists Relentlessly Envisioning - is dedicated to contributing to the community by fundraising, raising awareness or volunteering our time, and was established by myself in 2004. Some of our activities have included holding "Literacy Pays" events, where we participate in selling books to raise money for the BC Children’s Hospital and "Coin Days" to raise money for the South East Asian Tsunami Relief Fund. IC CARE has worked with the Adoptive Families Association of BC and Make Poverty History, to increase awareness about youth homelessness and child abuse taking place right under our noses. In the past, we have also worked with the Amber Heart Breast Cancer Foundation, providing adolescents with vital information on breast cancer such as facts, symptoms, and testing procedures.

By creating this link to volunteering in the community within my school, I have increased student involvement. This has benefited not only society, but my peers as well. Undertaking the responsibility of this group has not been easy, as I have had to learn to utilize my time efficiently. My goal was to provide youth with a portal through which they could connect with their community, volunteer, gain experience and an insight into their traditions, values, and community history. With help from supporters, I have turned this dream into reality!

I have learnt that confidence, compassion, and commitment were the qualities necessary to make my endeavors a success and I can proudly say that through continuous effort and hard work, I have achieved much more than I set out to do when I began my journey.

juice · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

Like most of my peers, I have been asking myself a question, what do I want out of my life? This question bothers many people, and not only the college students who are trying to figure out the path that will lead them to the comfortable life.

One might ask, what is that comfort that we all are striving for? Is it a state of mind or is it some unknown world that we are so eager to enter. It varies from person to person; there are several aspects, such as the way we’re raised, making of our lives that could influence a person and the future decisions that we will make.

The biggest part of our decision-making is the way we were raised and the culture we have gotten used to. Many people believe that the success depends on the family background that we have. There are those who say that if the person was raised in a rich family, all opportunities are available to them and there is a high chance that this person will live a comfortable life. The same people say that if the person was raised in a poor family there are too many obstacles to overcome and most of the time these barriers on the way are too hard to cross. On the other hand, there are those people who say that the United States is a land of opportunities and any person could achieve their goals if they set their mind to it.

Every young man my age dreams of being the next Michael Jordan, or the next Troy Aikman. For me, it was quite different. I wanted to actually do something that would make a difference in other people's lives; I wanted to be like my dad.

My persona is my dad. I pick him because he has implemented me with a lot of inspiration, wisdom, and guidance. It is definitely hard to choose between him and my mom. He is one of the ones who have shaped me into who I am today.

My dad is a person who inspires people to look at things from a different perspective or angle. Seeing things in a different point of view sometimes helps people to understand their life or thoughts better. He is always saying, “think things out before you do something; can help you not make a mistake, the first time”. When he makes things for the house, he thinks and draws sketches of how he wants it to look a couple of times. He will have his thoughts and sketches to refer to so he will not make a mistake.

His wisdom has made me into how I think things out today. He has always said that you can work harder or work smarter. Meaning, when you use your head instead of your back it is helpful in getting the task accomplished. That’s why the harder you study in college the further that you will get in life. If your heart is really in what you want to get accomplish than you will get far in life.

The guidance that he gives is helpful in understanding what you may be going through. For instance, he has given me guidance on how college is important. Without having a college degree you have a hard time being able to get through life living comfortably. The chances of you not going to college and living comfortably are slim. What you learn and achieve in college is applied throughout the rest of your life.

I think that now, you can see how my dad has implemented his inspiration, wisdom, and guidance through other people and me. Being able to think things out will make you better able to understand what is going on with what you do in your life. When you do not understand what is going on, you get lost in the end.

Throughout my life I have adapted to certain things that are truly unequal, unfair, and unjust. There has always been a mountain in the way of a goal or a dream. But the mountains of life aren’t always there to make things difficult. They are there to make you fight for what you want. And I feel that you have to fight to succeed this day and age.

My fight is for me to go on to college. I want to go to college more than anything in the world. The reason it is so important to me is I would like to be the first one to graduate from college in my family. I could then be a better role model for my younger sibling and for my brother. I could then show them that I took all of the mountains, the inequalities, the unfairness, and the injustice and made it work for me. I could show them that it is possible for middle class African American kids to go to college.

With faith, hard work, and perseverance anything is possible. Anything can be achieved once you set your mind to it, and that’s just what I want to let them know. I think that if I can make it to college, I can always find ways to aid and assist my family to get their college degree.

My goal is to go on to medical school and to become a psychiatrist. I have always wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. I enjoy working with people, and I would love to heal the world one person at a time. Mental illness is such a problem in our country that I feel there should be more people to work with the mind.

Psychiatrists, psychologists, and neurologists are people who are shied away from. The reason is that many people are in denial that they have a problem. That is the reason I want to be a psychiatrist. I could help heal people from severe depression, suicidal ideation, and other things that affect the mind. I think that if people weren’t so afraid of admitting that they have a problem, mental illness would be at an all time low.

There are people who need mental help, and aren’t getting it. If they were getting the help that they needed, many crimes would be constrained. With a college education, I can do anything I set my mind, heart, and soul to do. Then I can be the best that I can be for my self and my family. Once I have completed my college education, I will be on top of the world. Like my dad always says “Do it right or don’t do it at all”.

Knowing that life truly is short and can only be lived once is probably the best line of thinking for inspiration that my dad has ever giving to me. All humans live on a large planet, filled with exciting new experiences, adventures, knowledge, and a wealth of resources to help one with gaining wisdom and knowledge. To realize this and to allow life to take place in this is to responsibly live life.

Why should anyone try to live life in a constant motion towards becoming greater, becoming stronger, and becoming wiser and more educated? Why not? For facing life with arms crossed, brow furrowed, and expectation as a rule is, without question, a waste. Living life is all about striving forward. So why not do what one can, utilizing one’s God-given tools, to become the greatest individual one can be? Live. Accept. Face. Strive. Truly live. And that’s the reason I would like to receive the NEF African American Leadership Scholarship Award. I have become, and am a True Leader.
_________________
Dominique