I am Aunye Bolden, an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Honored as a Gates Scholarship and Questbridge Scholarship recipient, I have embarked on the opportunity to study Public Health and Molecular and Cellular Biology at Johns Hopkins. As a low-income student, I have benefitted from the financial support from the prestigious awards. For the 2024-2025 academic year, I will provide a valuable perspective of being low-income and first-generation. Each experience is a catalyst for my dedication to scholarly inquiry. To be specific, I have focused on researching the profound impacts of the opioid epidemic on Black mothers. With a keen interest in exploring the intricate connections between structural racism, trauma, and opioid usage within this demographic, I will contribute to a deeper understanding of the critical issues within the academic community.