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Aaron Thompson

1,625

Bold Points

4x

Nominee

1x

Finalist

Bio

Every day there is a story of someone facing discrimination based on race, religion, gender, etc. Developing ways to become a more empathetic and accepting society is my goal. I aspire to become a lawyer. I want to operate a legal clinic that benefits our society. That includes tackling many issues such as wrongful imprisonment, unjust housing evictions, and various forms of discrimination. I'm passionate about what I want to do to make this world a better place for generations to come.

Education

Harvard College

Bachelor's degree program
2023 - 2026
  • Majors:
    • Social Sciences, General
    • Economics
    • Political Science and Government
  • GPA:
    3.6

Dallas County Community College District

Associate's degree program
2021 - 2022
  • GPA:
    4

Rosie Sorrells Education And Social Services H S

High School
2020 - 2023
  • GPA:
    4

Life H S Waxahachie

High School
2019 - 2020
  • GPA:
    3.7

Navarro College

Associate's degree program
2019 - 2020
  • GPA:
    4

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Political Science and Government
    • Economics
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Law Practice

    • Dream career goals:

      Open a pro bono clinic

    • Intern

      City Attorney's Office
      2021 – 2021
    • Election Clerk

      City of Dallas
      2021 – 2021
    • Host events and entertain customers

      Parties with Charm/ Character Clubhouse
      2019 – 20212 years

    Sports

    Track & Field

    Junior Varsity
    2017 – 20203 years

    Awards

    • District 4x200 Champions (2018)

    Research

    • Human Services, General

      Africare via Gifted & Talented Program — Research 6 Principles of Humanitarian Engineering
      2017 – 2018
    • Human Services, General

      UNAIDS via Gifted & Talented Program — Research 6 Principles of Humanitarian Engineering
      2018 – 2019

    Arts

    • Mountain View

      Youth Choir
      2016 – Present

    Public services

    • Advocacy

      Take Down Tobacco — Student Facilitator
      2021 – 2021
    • Volunteering

      City of Dallas — Organized and prepared milk in storage
      2020 – 2020
    • Advocacy

      UNAIDS — Advocate/Endorser
      2018 – 2019
    • Volunteering

      Waxahachie Food Bank — Organizer/Worker
      2019 – 2019
    • Advocacy

      Africare NGO — Advocate/Endorser
      2017 – 2018

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Politics

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Vincent U. Cornwall Legacy Scholarship
    With a lifelong passion for social justice and community engagement, I have come to realize that financial literacy is a critical issue that affects everyone, particularly those from marginalized communities. Many people who grow up in low-income homes lack the resources and education necessary to manage their finances effectively, which can lead to a cycle of poverty that persists for generations. As a result, I have decided to use my experience in civic engagement to educate my community about financial literacy, with a particular focus on policy, resources, and marginalized communities. I believe that by empowering people with the knowledge and tools they need to manage their finances effectively, we can break the cycle of poverty and create a more equitable society. One of the main challenges I have encountered in this work is the lack of resources available to people who come from low-income homes. Many financial literacy programs are geared toward people who already have a basic understanding of personal finance, which can be overwhelming for those who are just starting. In addition, many of these programs require a significant investment of time and money, which can be a barrier for people who are already struggling to make ends meet. More often than not, our Black communities end up getting the short end of the stick. Without proper access to financial literacy resources, coupled with cultural and generational ideas of wealth and money management, it is almost impossible to create social mobility within our communities. To address this issue, I want to develop a financial literacy curriculum that is accessible and relevant to people from all backgrounds. This curriculum will be designed to be delivered in a variety of settings, including schools, community centers, and online platforms. It covers topics such as budgeting, saving, investing, and credit management, and is tailored to the specific needs and challenges faced by people from low-income communities. In addition to developing this curriculum, I also want to build partnerships with local organizations and government agencies to promote financial literacy and advocate for policy change. I believe that by working together, we can create a more supportive and equitable environment for people who are struggling to manage their finances. Having worked with my school's Student Voter Empowerment Coalition and March to the Polls, I have experience when it comes to planning, organizing, and delegating and I would leverage those skills to help benefit my community. Ultimately, my goal is to break the cycle of poverty that disproportionately affects minority students from low-income homes through financial literacy education, community empowerment, and advocacy for policy change. I believe that by empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools they need to manage their finances effectively, we can create a more just and equitable society for all.
    Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
    I think existing as a person of color, more specifically, a Black man in society comes with its daily struggles. In the past few years, seeing the constant neglect and abuse of minorities was mentally draining. I became depressed. I no longer spoke to my parents or played with my brother because I was angry. Additionally, I was starting the school year in a new high school, unfamiliar with any of the students. I was struggling to make friends and participate in class. My parents recognized my behavior and encouraged me to join an after-school club. Little did I know, this would ignite a flame and spark my passion for public service. I joined my school's government and civic engagement club and immediately fell in love with the work they were trying to do. Instead of going to school angry, I was provided an outlet to voice my opinions and concerns with the country's current climate. Understanding how minorities usually take the brunt of poor and misguided legislation, I turned my sites to the public defender crisis. I've learned many things about the legal system and the dismal realities that exist for our public defenders. For instance, when states don't assume financial responsibility, many local governments are left to cover the cost of public defense. In most instances, that funding is not sufficient, negatively impacting our most vulnerable citizens: disenfranchised people of color who cannot afford private attorneys. Knowing such, I decided, in my heart to become an attorney and help reform statewide indigent defense commissions (IDCs). These are responsible for funding, improving, and evaluating defender services. I ask myself, "How can a public defender take on so many cases, especially with the limited resources at their disposal?" The simple answer is they cannot. That is why I want to change their story, birthing a renewal for our defense system. As an attorney, I would advocate for improved public defender resources. And I'd use my understanding of the law to advise the indigent defense commissions to consider new policy installments. In fulfilling this goal, I'd get to work in cohorts with state governments introducing policies that will incentivize and reinspire public defenders who only satisfy their job requirements because of their experiences within the broken system. Such policies would make information more readily available for appointed counsel where open-file discovery would be a requirement. Paired with several other laws, this could metamorphose the reality of public defense as it is known.
    Student Memes Scholarship
    Fun fact, actually, really really sad fact: @aaron_thompson_05