Tell us how you overcame obstacles in your life.

“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela. This quote is not only my favorite but will be one of many that will define me in years to come.

Growing up on the Southside of Chicago in the Roseland community, I had to overcome many challenges. Those challenges helped create the person I am today. Intelligent, confident, and ambitious are all words I use to describe myself. Those characteristics help me maintain a 3.6 GPA at Northern Illinois University while majoring in business administration. Every morning as I get dressed for class, I remind myself that a person who never fails will never be successful.

Everyone meets a roadblock in life, but roadblocks are only installed to make you think and work harder than your usual, pushing you to excel well above your means. “What you put out in the atmosphere is what you receive” is the motto I live by. Helping and motivating others to be better than me really gets me excited. I plan to be a motivational speaker for financial planning, advising other youth as well as people who are twice my age.