In June 2024, I graduated from the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School after earning both an Advanced High School Diploma and an Associate of Science in Business Management from Tidewater Community College. I balanced difficult coursework and extracurricular responsibilities while maintaining a high GPA. After being accepted to the University of Virginia for fall 2024, I deferred my enrollment to pursue hands-on experience in agriculture. Over the past 10 months, I have volunteered on farms in the United States, Spain, Morocco and Italy. My experiences solidified my goals to pursue a career in agriculture finance, where I aim to consult with farmers on implementing green technology. While my skills in budget traveling and long layovers made my education abroad financially feasible, I need to rely on a completely different skill set to make college possible. I moved out at 18 and will be funding my entire education independently. Scholarships play a crucial role in my ability to have the opportunity to pursue college. If you would like any additional information on my journey or want some gardening tips, please reach out to me at amitai.prince@gmail.com In addition, please feel free to review my LinkedIn for a more in-depth overview of my work and volunteer experience. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amitai-prince