I am a first-generation and low-income student. At age six, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. As a result of the chemotherapy and treatment, I experienced blindness, seizures, hypertension, and memory loss. I am grateful to be a nine-year cancer survivor and one of the valedictorians in my high school graduating class. I owe much of who I am to my mother. She is determined, intentional, and supportive of everything I do. She raised all ten of her kids by herself and made it look easy, even when times were challenging. My determination to achieve comes from the determination my "momma" had as she obtained her associate's degree with eight kids.
I plan to major in Political Science with a minor in Economics at Stanford University. I aspire to become a public-interest attorney to help marginalized people who can not afford effective counsel and have little hope of getting a chance at life in our legal system, like my brother, Unjolee Moore. Unjolee is a victim of perjury, official misconduct, prosecutorial misconduct, and a coerced confession. Unjolee is also a victim of ineffective and negligently appointed counsel and was sentenced to life for a crime he did not commit. I believe God created me to be a catalyst to change the systemic racism, mass incarceration, and wrongful convictions that plague our criminal "justice" system and negatively impact our society. 

As a first-generation and low-income student who is working to fight the cycles of poverty, being able to afford college is a priority. With the assistance of the My Hometown Heroes scholarship, it would provide the means for me to continue my undergraduate studies without the financial burden of worrying about insurance, medical bills (associated with college), personal expenses, and textbooks. 

I hope the My Hometown Heroes (MHH) Scholarship Committee considers my scholarship application because I am dedicated to serving my community, determined, optimistic, and resilient. I anticipate being an example to other scholars, proving that we can all rise above our circumstances with resilience and distinction to achieve a greater good.