Page 80 - 2021 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD E-BOOK1

BREANNA MARIE WILLIAMS….

HOW WILL YOU HANDLE THESE CHALLENGES ?

• FACING ADVERSITY Caused by Covid-19 Pandemic, Systemic Racism, Blacks Murdered by Police:
So much has happened over the past year that things sometimes seem surreal to me. Like most people in
the world, my life has been dramatically change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve experienced an array
of emotions from joy to heartbreak, anxiety and sadness. A few times I’ve found myself overcome with
these emotions simultaneously. The events that we witness due to COVID-19, the numbers African Ameri-
can murders at the hands of the police, have shaken me at my core. It has been devastating and heart-
breaking to witness the events unfold before my eyes. I’ve had to readjust my perspectives and focus on
what I could do to keep myself mentally and physically healthy. This experience has taught me how to re-
group, re-center and balance myself in order to be the best me at all times. Just as the Civil Rights did for
our older generation, I believe the adversity our generation is facing and how we respond will be our defin-
ing point in history.

• KEEPING YOU FAITH In God to Overcome the Adversities You Will Surely Face:

“ As long as you live on this earth you will surely face adversity” was a piece of advice often told to me by
my great aunt who recently passed away. She would tell it to me whenever I felt like things were not go-
ing my way. She would remind me to lean on my faith in God, give him control, to bring me out of what-
ever the situation I was facing. As well, my mother plays a major role in my spiritual development and
foundation, she helps me to understand that I can’t control the challenges that will come my way in life.
She has taught me that adversity - obstacles faced are temporary not permanent and should always be
used as life lessons.

• STAYING COMMITTED TO ACHIEVEMENT Academic Success, Individual Development, and Spiritual
Growth:

Most young people don't realize their beliefs early on determine the rest of their life; what you believe at a
young age has a direct impact on who and what you become in the future. As a child, I was taught to be-
lieve in myself, strive for greatness and reach for whatever my stars might be. Although neither of my par-
ents completed their college degree, I was lucky enough to be raised in an environment that emphasized
the importance of education, encouraged self-reliance, and above all, promoted the tenacity needed to be
successful in life. Many young people today are in search of success. Some might not consider that success
is actually a journey, not a destination. I understand and appreciate that concept. That along with my faith
in the God, love and support of my family, has allowed me to make choices in life that have resulted in me
being grounded and focused young women I am today.

“Young Scholars Achieving As They Endure The Unknown”

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