Hometown Heroes 2021 Scholarship Ballot

Growing up as a child i’ve always been a giving person. I was always sad or felt sorrow for people when I seen that some people were less fortunate than others. My dream is to make it to the league in football and be better than the average NFL player. I want to be a Hall of Famer and money will roll in from being a football player. With that money I dreamed of putting the youth and the unfortunate in a better situation. I believe One Man can make the world better. When you have a positive affect on your peers and on anybody you come in contact with; then that will lead to those people picking up your positive tendencies and spreading them. I hate seeing kids bullied because their life isn’t luxurious or “perfect” and I want to put a change to that. Give kids something to work for will also take kids out of the streets and away from gangs. I want to build communities and recreational centers for the youth because that’s really the people who will be vital to the next generation. They’re going to be the ones to make new inventions, innovations, discoveries, etc. and if we actually allow those children to see how much of a difference they can make than we will become stronger as one. I believe this is one of the best investments you can do with your money and it doesn’t only have to be your hometown; it could be any community that you see struggling and feel like you can make a difference. Every human deserves a chance at life and a chance to live a good one. Sometimes you have to show people multiple point of views for them to understand how important their actions are and how it affects their peers. If you hold yourself to a high standard than the people around you will see the results of that and change their ways. Kids also look up to their elders and if they see them doing the right things then it will lead to kids actually living by the right codes and making the right choices. You rarely see a kid hold the door for another person or use their manners. Organizations like boys scouts should be invested into because they teach children the morals of being a respectful young man while also having fun. The one thing you can’t get back is your childhood and that plays a major role of how you view people and things. I just want to be able to say i’ve actually changed a couple communities and not just be able to say i’ve tried but to actually say i’ve succeeded in doing so. "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill As an aspiring nurse, I hold the importance of giving back to my community close to my heart. It is my desire to accomplish my goal of becoming a pediatric nurse and coming back to my community to provide care for patients and families, advocate for fair and adequate healthcare community programs that help support health and wellness in all communities through out Richmond County, work with community partners to implement a healthcare initiative that focuses on the mental health of children with a specific focus on high school aged children and be a role model by creating a healthcare mentoring program for young aspiring African American female students in the community that would expose them to different aspects of the healthcare field. Growing up in a small community within Richmond County, I have always had the desire to want to help people in my community. I have often thought of how I could change something about where I live, how could I help my community gain better access to healthcare and how could I mentor females that look like me into a promising career in the healthcare field. By accomplishing my goal of becoming a nurse would give me the platform that would specifically allow me to combat the stigma of the types of people and accomplishments that are produced in lower economic environments which are often labeled as neighborhoods with bad reputations. People who live in these areas are often thought of by outsiders that they do not want to achieve or have higher goals for themselves because of the area or events that has taken place. By being provided with the opportunity to attend North Carolina Central University it will allow me to show my community in which I live that not all people who live in my neighborhood are bad or don't have the personal drive to do good and be successful. I have great confidence that I can accomplish my goal so that I can return and show my community and young females that working hard and persevering will pay off not matter where you com from. When others come to my community I want them to feel humbled and welcomed. I want the best for the people in my community. I want others to see my community as one of the best. I want them to be astounded by my community, seeing what I see and feeling what I feel about it. By contributing to my community, I can ensure that it is the best place to be. It has always put a good feeling in my heart when I find myself thinking of the different ways I plan to positively impact my community. Giving back to my community does not only have to involve me, but it can involve other as well because the more people you have involved the better the impact will be. Once I accomplish my set goals and make my community a better place people will see that small people from small communities can achieve big things. I understand that the person of the "Hometown Hero’s" Scholarship is to recognize young leaders in our community who are involved in the development of our community. This is exactly why I feel like this scholarship is right for me. Hi, My name is J'Niya Akeeva Covington and I'm currently a senior at Richmond Senior Highschool. This schoolyear was nothing like no other! We all had to adapt this was my senior year, so my schedule wasn't going to be all that difficult, but it got me thinking. How is us not being able to attend school affecting not just me, but others as well? My mother was telling me of a little boy who is in the 3rd grade he struggles to pay attention on his "Zoom and Team meetings" because he is a kid with ADHD. I knew his mother was trying to help him but, she works a full-time job. This is how I contribute to my community instead of me just doing my own Zooms at my own home. I go to his house from 8:00am when we have our first zoom to whenever he finished his last zoom for the day and after that I even stay after and help him with this homework. I have been volunteering helping this kid since school started in August until now. I know it's not much, but I hate to think that kids are falling behind in school just because they weren't being able to learn in a school setting. This opportunity to be there for him showed me that everyone learns differently and just because things may be easier for me doesn't mean others aren't struggling. And whenever I see someone struggling it gives me a chance to provide some type of assistance wherever I am needed. I’m currently a senior now and my Gpa is currently over a 4.0 I am making my family proud by showing them all that I am achieving with my education. I plan on furthering my education in health care and continuing to make my family proud of me and with that hopefully changing people’s lives for the better. I would hope for nothing more than to have a patient from when they first came into my care and leaving me feeling as if they could climb the highest mountain. I love to see and learn about all the new advances we have in today’s healthcare and I would love to be a part of that team. I have been through so much in my lifetime. I just try to never let those things hold me back. In today’s society the world is always changing we continue to learn new things every day. That leaves me to always continue to advance my education every chance I get. By doing this is how I can make valuable asset to the world as a college graduate once I get that degree, I want to be benefiting just my community but my world. I always knew I wanted to be a nurse but ever since this Pandemic started it made me realize how it’s so much out there in the world. It’s not just my community but it’s a whole world out there and with that being said I would love to take my career from college further and becoming a travel nurse. This past year going through a pandemic and not being able to go to school, the one thing has kept me going is me going to college next year. Growing up I saw my sisters and cousins going to college and using it to reinvent themselves. From that point I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps. I now have my chance and I am not going to let it pass. My name is Evan Ingram, son of Curtis and Eva Ingram. I am a senior at Richmond senior High School. I play varsity football and wrestling team for 4 years for my high school. I have four sibling and all of them correct me when I’m wrong and push me when I don’t feel like working or get lazy. Being the youngest child out of five and Coming from a father who worked in the prison system and a mother with a four-year degree has molded me into a hardworking man. I see the people around me working hard and being successful and I want to do what it takes to be just like them. It has given me a drive that I do not see in my peers. It has shown me that I can do anything I put my mind to and work hard for. My goal in life is to come back and help my community in any way possible weather it’s helping another young man who wants to be an engineer or working and giving back. I am deserving of this scholarship because I am known for being an assiduous student, I am in the top of my class. I have 3.71 GPA That is on the rise. I am a respected student in my school and a well-respected person in my community. I love my community and I plan to make it proud. I will be very proud to represent the Hometown Heroes Scholarship as a recipient. I am excited to join you as a RSHS Alumnus. This scholarship will not only help me financially but also give me the confidence I need to go through college. In the fall I will be attending North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The reason I chose NC AT is their engineering program. I feel like there engineering program will take me to the next level. I also love the culture of the school and what they stand for. When I get there, I plan to be an Honor student and make my family proud and give hope to my hometown and show that anyone can be successful. My career path after college will be Mechanical Engineering, I plan to build car and plane engines with the degree I earn from AT. In conclusion I have impeccable determination and I feel I would be a perfect candidate for your scholarship. This Scholarship will help me to reach my financial and academic goals in life and help me to further my education and reinvent myself. Last but certainly not least I would just like to thank the scholarship committee for taking the time out of your day to read my essay. The most important thing to me is to be able to help people. Whether it is helping them do a task, giving advice, or just having a normal conversation with them can go a long way. Helping someone goes far beyond doing favors and doing projects. Helping someone is understanding that the things you do and say can impact someone for better or worse. I think trying to understand how someone feels helps that person know that you are there for them no matter what.Throughout my adolescent years, I've done an abundance of things to help people in need of support and organizations that needed a helping hand. While in church, our youth group would pick up food and groceries for those in the projects. The majority of the time being people who were disabled or of an elder age. We also participated in Operation Christmas Child, a program dedicated to helping kids in third-world countries experience Christmas, or at least the feeling of receiving gifts despite troubling times. Being in BETA Club provided opportunities to help people in need also. There were times when you could donate clothing or essential items to a program or a family who needed an uplifting. While playing football, we were willing to volunteer and help staff in the school or different organizations that have done well for us with no expectation of receiving back. Having the blessing of helping others has helped me as a person because I know that as a human being, you can help someone and make their day better by only being present at the time. You may make their day better, but perhaps you can save a life. Unjust and Inhumane treatment towards anyone is shameful. No one should be judged anyway or discriminated against for being themself. The constant social injustice towards black people is an example. The fact that black people are at a disadvantage of being respected for human rights is disgusting. It's unacceptable. Those things apply to LBGTQ people also. We citizens of the United States of America should fight for these things and keep a standard for everyone. As a black person, I experience struggles that people other than my race will never understand. Such as subtle treatment differences I receive from some people. I provide diversity and activism for anyone victimized. I'll fight against any unjust treatment and hold the standard expected of being a successful black man. My name is Zayla Brewington, and I am a senior at Richmond Early College High School, attaining my high school diploma and an associate degree in Science through Richmond Community College. Once I graduate, I will be attending Wingate University to earn my bachelor's in biology and later joining a Physician Assistant program to become a Dermatological Physician Assistant. In this essay, I will be discussing the importance of giving back to one's community and how I have and continue to give back to mine.More than we ever realize it, our community does so much for us. It contains our loved ones, neighbors, friends, and even foes. It teaches us our ways and prepares us for life. It gives us a sense of protection and wanting to explore all that the rest of the world has to offer. We become so used to what our community gives us that we rarely think or decide to give back to it. Giving back to one’s community is so much more important than one realizes and can be done in so many ways, even unintentionally. Once one has given back, it might not feel all that rewarding or beneficial. But little does one know that it does not go unnoticed.Throughout my middle school and high school years, I have accomplished much volunteer work in my community. For example, I volunteer weekly at my local foodbank, Foundation of Jesus Christ Deliverance Temple in Ellerbe, making food bags for the community. In October of last year, I donated handmade keychains with inspirational sayings for the youth at Sandhills Behavioral Center in Rockingham. As well as volunteering and doing community service, I am involved in the Beta Club, Environmental Club, and the Book Club offered by my high school. With these clubs, I donate my spare time by doing some of the things I love, such as reading and volunteer work, by helping my community and environment.By others and I give back to our community, we are considered role models for younger children and those around us. We are showing them just how important it is to give back and examples of ways to do so. When I think of how others have given back, I think of my hometown and the many heroes it contains who dedicate their all and keep my community thriving. For example, the trash pickup men, the family-owned businesses, the local ice cream shop, the hardware store, and even the pastors; Even though these workers have family members who have left and come back, they keep the businesses in the family, and through our community, we all know each other for a lifetime. These are some of the many people that continue to keep my hometown growing, safe, and prosperous. These are my heroes who give their all, especially to their community. My community, as well as others, would not be the same without them. There are also those who were raised in the community that left and returned, bringing back their knowledge, causing many benefactions for the community. Since becoming a Beta in seventh grade, I have participated in many community service projects. Stuff The Bus is an annual service provided by Beta club and Richmond County Schools. Through this service, Richmond County accepts classroom and school supplies as donations for all our 15 schools in the county. Prior to the involvement of our RSHS Beta club, school supplies were dropped off at the Richmond County Schools Central Office. Oftentimes, these much-needed supplies sat unused in a room while teachers spent their money on supplies or kids went without. RSHS Beta felt the urge to better serve our students and teachers with Stuff The Bus supplies by delivering them to the schools. With proper planning and execution, our Beta team now, literally, “stuff” an RCS school bus parked outside of our local Walmart. We do not leave until the bus is full! As the year 2020 brought us many challenges, school needs changed. Stuff The Bus was beneficial by providing supplies needed to prepare students for COVID-19 safety measures in addition to regular school supplies. The supplies were needed more than ever since students could not share items this year. By changing the distribution of supplies to all of the schools in the county, guidance counselors and social workers have access to these supplies year-round. Each school received items based on needs. For example, elementary schools receive supplies according to their age group and learning need; the same for middle, high, and alternative schools. Also, supplies were delivered by our very own Beta members. As one of the organizers of this project, I assist my sponsors in finding Betas to help make deliveries as well as sorting and loading the boxes of supplies. This service activity gave me the opportunity to serve an entire county of students. I was able to impact over 8,000 students by helping to collect and distribute these supplies. This also makes things easier for teachers and counselors by delivering them to the school campus instead of them having to go to the central office. We also delivered enough cloth face masks for each student to have a week's worth of masks. We live in a poor community and many businesses have shut down or had to lay people off during the pandemic. Being able to help with these supplies can be the difference between a child being able to complete work and feel successful and not having supplies at all. This not only helps the students and teachers, but also the parents, grandparents and others who care for these children. Many of the projects we do allow us to help a small group. This event has allowed me to serve our entire community as well as lead my fellow Betas. It is important that we give back to our community because at some point in our lives we will need our community. I support my community because when I run for president of the United States I will need the support of my fellow citizens in my community.