Success in education has always been something that has pushed me to be a better person. Through the ups and downs of life changes, I focused on keeping my grades up and controlling at least that part of my life. After high school my journey started out at Northeast Community College for Childhood Education. One of my passions since elementary school was other people. I loved allowing my time to help and serve. However, with all the twist and turns that your first year of college throws at you, I changed my major to Business, based on a gut feeling. Everyone who knows me well knows I am not by any means good at Math.  I began falling behind in my studies and regretting the decision I had made. The summer before my sophomore year I had the opportunity to be a dorm leader at a Junior High Church Camp. With that eye opening experience, my life journey leads me to where I am now. This past May I received my Associate degree in Human Services and will be a junior at Wayne State College majoring in Human Services and Counseling. Keeping my passion for others, I hope to work for Child Protective Services or another area that allows me to support others, like I have been supported.

Mentoring has had an out-of-this-world impact on me that I cannot at times put into words. TeamMates was first introduced it to me when I was in the 5^th grade. Meeting my mentor for the first time was nerve-racking and all-around scary. I had no idea what to expect and honestly was not planning for my life to be changed. In 5^th grade, I was crushed, bruised, had little to no self-confidence, and was not ready to let anyone influential into my life. However, ten years later and through many conversations with both giggles and happy tears, that crushed, damaged, and scared 5^th grader is now a very successful, flourishing young woman that has many things to be joyful about. There is no possible way I could ever repay my mentor for the support she has given me over these years. She has not only watched me grow but has helped shape the person I am today.

Now that I have the foundation of mentoring, I hope one day I can have an impact on someone else’s life. I would like to thank the Mentors Foundation for awarding me this scholarship, my mentor for being my solid rock, and my parents for encouraging me to be a better person today than I was yesterday.