Legal Eagle by Madison

Legal Eagle by Madison - May 2023 Scholarship Essay

In Yoruba culture, one's life mission is to work on one's Iwa or Character. Eshu, the trickster, is known to pose tough opposition, and one must make decisions along the journey. Compiling one's life experiences, values, and beliefs influences decisions when faced with Eshu. My adolescent library contained several character-shaping books, such as Anansi The Spider, which focused on leadership characteristics such as wisdom, knowledge, and creation. These Sabie or writings and the principles taught in them helped to shape my academic & professional goals.
Seeking wisdom and knowledge, I enrolled in my first college course at Tarrant County College when I was thirteen. The goal was an Individual Education Plan that included a more challenging curriculum. This non-traditional academic pursuit enriched my education, expanded my knowledge, pushed my creativity, and assisted in developing wisdom and foresight. I excelled academically and will graduate this spring with my high school diploma and an Associate of Arts, making my attendance at a 4-year university more attainable.
When the world stopped in the spring of 2020, I launched a podcast discussing issues concerning mental health, politics, and my academic experiences. The podcast grew exponentially as other girls saw themselves in the issues and topics I discussed, leading to the podcast gaining a global audience. This was the catalyst for creating my non-profit organization.
As the Co-Founder and CEO of The Pragmatic Prodigies, a 501(C)3 dedicated to advocating for equity in advanced education and eliminating Teen Period Poverty, I am committed to mentoring and partnering with organizations to serve my community. Continuing my education will further develop my skills and allow me to advance my mission and vision of identifying obstacles that impede black and brown girls from reaching their highest potential.While moving the conversation from theory to action, I realized that women and girls in the Morningside Middle School community would miss up to 5 weeks of work or school due to a lack of access to menstrual products that harmed them socially, economically, and academically.
To address these demoralizing and often embarrassing issues, I used pragmatism, skills, and resources to collect period products to be housed in a portable building on the school grounds. In partnership with the local community college, social service organizations, and local government officials, over 20,000 period products have been collected. Though the immediate need has been met, I am determined to seek a permanent legal solution to what is deemed a luxury. The Pink Tax is a luxury tax on female products, like women's razors, pads, tampons, and other sanitary items.
As an academic, entrepreneur, and pragmatic prodigy, I am committed to using critical thinking skills and intellectual prowess to serve my community and, ultimately, the nation as a Supreme Court Justice. I aspire to use my talents in the legal field to craft relevant, relatable, and realistic legislation that removes barriers, fosters equity and provides spaces and experiences where underrepresented and marginalized students are recognized, embraced, and celebrated.
Around 3% of all attorneys in the US are black women; thus, our culture is underrepresented in the courtrooms and overrepresented in jails. Receiving this Scholarship is vital because it allows me to focus on earning a degree at Spelman in humanities with an emphasis on Political Science to achieve my dream of becoming an attorney specializing in global rights, privacy, and product inclusion without worrying about the financial burden of student loan debt. This is not just for me; it's for my family, community, mentees, and the next generation.