**Building Business, Building Impact: My Journey in Leadership, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship** by Kylah

**Building Business, Building Impact: My Journey in Leadership, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship** by Kylah - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

For as long as I can remember, I have loved leadership, creativity, and solving problems. Whether it was organizing group projects in school, helping my sister grow her baking business, or managing daily tasks as a shift leader at work, I always found myself in situations where I had to step up, think critically, and bring people together. That is why I chose to study business management and marketing.

To me, business is not just about making money. It is about people. It is about understanding what they need, how they think, and how to create solutions that make their lives better. I love the idea of connecting with people through marketing and leading teams toward a shared goal. Business combines creativity with logic, leadership with service, and vision with action. That balance excites me.

My passion for business started with my family. I grew up watching my aunt build her own salon. She did not just open a shop. She created a space where women felt beautiful, confident, and cared for. Her business was not just about hair. It was about community. Seeing how she turned her passion into something that helped others inspired me. It made me realize that business is more than a job. It is a way to make a difference.

That lesson stuck with me when my sister started her baking business. She had talent, but she needed help getting her business off the ground. I stepped in to help her market her treats, track orders, and manage inventory. I loved the process of taking an idea and turning it into something real. It was exciting to watch her small business grow, and I knew then that business was what I wanted to do.

When I started working, I saw another side of business. Leadership. I worked my way up from an entry-level job to a shift leader at Tropical Smoothie. I trained new employees, made sure everything ran smoothly, and handled inventory. I saw how a good leader could make work easier and more enjoyable for everyone. I also saw how bad management could make things stressful. That experience taught me that strong leadership and smart marketing are the foundation of any successful business.

Now as a student at the University of Oklahoma studying business management and marketing, I am learning even more. Through my involvement in the Price College Multicultural Business Program, the Black Business Network, and the American Marketing Association, I have built leadership skills and worked on real business projects. I have also interned with companies where I helped solve real business challenges.

I chose this major because I want to use business to create opportunities, especially for women and underrepresented entrepreneurs. My goal is to help young women gain the confidence and skills to start their own businesses.

For me, business is not just a career. It is a way to build something meaningful, help others, and leave a lasting impact. That is why I chose business management and marketing.