My decision to major in Computer Science was inspired by my passion to express creativity while incorporating my love for technology. I see programming as a limitless art form; anything you imagine can be created with the proper knowledge, skill, and work ethic. Its problem-solving-based nature forces creative solutions to come about from the programmer; while coding offers the challenge of overcoming obstacles to create anything I can dream. In the future, I plan to become a video game developer because I believe video games are an incredible form of creative expression that connect people. My goal is to become a top gaming developer uncovering breakthrough technology led by a diverse team of men and women. There is a lack of diversity in professional STEM environments, despite that Blacks over index in technology usage. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black. This results in a massive amount of underrepresentation in video games. As an aspiring game developer, I aim to bring diversity to the forefront of the industry and introduce new takes on Black culture to the medium. I'm inspired by Latoya Peterson, the founder of Glow Up Games, who launched a creative game studio that seeks to diversify the characters in gaming, allowing gamers to see themselves in the video games they play. Joseph Saulter also gives me hope as the chairman of the International Game Developers Association’s Diversity Advisory Board. To prepare for this opportunity, I’ve immersed myself in technology courses and activities including coding, engineering, robotics, and gaming. By choice, many of my Saturdays and summers were spent in camps for engineering, robotics, mobile app development and gaming; these were great opportunities to apply my STEM coursework. As an imaginative person and avid gamer who became a DJ at age 9, I hope to someday combine the numerous creative fields including music composition, graphic design, computer science, art, story writing, and animation to culminate in one playable package. The ability to apply my creative mind daily in my career path is imperative to the overall satisfaction I get out of my job.

I realize that I need diversity to survive. Growing up in a small lake town, I never had Black neighbors or teachers. My elementary school had about 500 kids and there were never more than 10 Black kids while I attended. Periodically, I was made aware by other students that I was the only one who didn’t look like them. In third grade I attended a summer camp in the area. While playing catch with a camp counselor and another camper I wasn’t getting the ball. I asked the kid to pass it to me to which he responded, “I don’t throw the ball to Black people.” By 8th grade, I was feeling increasingly isolated. I was called the N-word on the football team. The perpetrator was labeled “misunderstood.” In History class the teacher assigned homework to draw a cartoon about a Jim Crow law. I didn’t want to draw anything light-hearted about Black people being discriminated against. I felt frustrated that the teacher didn’t realize this sent the wrong message to the class. I realized how much the lack of diversity was affecting me and others around me. They were immune to it I was suffering for it. Reading self-esteem books written by Black male authors helped me realize that I needed to change my environment and approach to building relationships. For high school, I was in a new district with 53% ethnic enrollment. I joined clubs and met new friends. I became friends with all types of people and felt happier in school. Previously assimilating with narrowly socialized people to fit in resulted in low self-confidence. Now, between a diverse student body and teachers, and inclusivity programs, I feel authentic. I will continue to embrace who I am, and advocate for inclusivity because it makes us all better.

If Superman’s suit and cape are the things that instantly transform him into a hero, then my DJ controller and speakers are my superpowers. My personality is naturally reserved and little shy, but when I turn on my DJ equipment, I feel confident and in control. I started learning DJ techniques at age 7 from a well-known Detroit DJ. I loved the technology behind blending beats; it wasn’t until after I performed at a few events that I realized a great DJ could elevate the energy in a room. I continued to practice, and by the time I was 10 people were so amazed by a kid with this talent, that I was asked to be a guest DJ on a Detroit hip hop station. After settling myself I performed a flawless set. The station’s social media went crazy, they loved DJ Super Clark. The radio performance motivated me to advance my talent from an activity to a business. With the help of my parents, I launched a website and used social media to build my brand. Through middle and high school, I performed at Detroit Lions events, the Detroit Opera House, theaters, and community events. During a tough time in middle school being a DJ made me feel good about myself; I was good at it, and people liked me for it. I am continuing to evolve this skill by learning how to create my own music and produce remixes of existing songs. I hope to someday combine the numerous creative fields including music composition, graphic design, computer science, art, story writing, and animation to culminate in one playable package. The ability to apply my creative mind daily in my career path is imperative to the overall satisfaction I get out of my job.

I realize that I need diversity to survive. Growing up in a small lake town, I never had Black neighbors or teachers. My elementary school had about 500 kids and there were never more than 10 Black kids while I attended. Periodically, I was made aware by other students that I was the only one who didn’t look like them. In third grade I attended a summer camp in the area. While playing catch with a camp counselor and another camper I wasn’t getting the ball. I asked the kid to pass it to me to which he responded, “I don’t throw the ball to Black people.” By 8th grade, I was feeling increasingly isolated. I was called the N-word on the football team. The perpetrator was labeled “misunderstood.” In History class the teacher assigned homework to pick a Jim Crow law and draw a cartoon about it. I didn’t want to draw anything light-hearted about Black people being discriminated against. I felt frustrated that the teacher didn’t realize this sent the wrong message to the class. I realized how much the lack of diversity was affecting me and others around me. They were immune to it I was suffering for it. Reading self-esteem books written by Black male authors helped me realize that I needed to change my environment and my approach to building relationships. For high school, I was in a new district with 53% ethnic enrollment. I joined clubs and met new friends. Within months I became friends with all types of people and felt happier in school and in my own skin. I had previously assimilated with narrowly socialized people to fit in resulting in low self-confidence. Now, between a diverse student body and teachers, and inclusivity programs for everyone, I’ve never felt more authentic.

Our society tends to overlook and under-serve people that are handicapped or have learning disabilities. As a child I noticed the unkind things that people would say and their intentional avoidance of people in these groups, and it saddened me. I made a commitment to kind to handicapped and learning-challenged people. In second grade there were students that struggled with reading. As an advanced reader I wanted to help my classmates that were laughed at when reading aloud. I asked my teacher if I could be their reading partner to befriend and help them. I didn’t even think of it as service; it just felt like the right thing to do. In fifth grade I volunteered to be the bus buddy for younger students with learning disabilities. They were so excited to socialize with a “big kid,” and give me high-fives. These kids were often avoided by other students, and they just wanted to feel like they belonged. By middle school I was a professional DJ and I wanted to use my talents to give back. One of my most rewarding experiences was donating DJ services for a special-needs school party. The students were so excited that there was a special party for them. I did shout-outs for the kids to make them feel extra special. In high school I volunteered to play music for social activities at a senior assisted living facility. Their wheelchairs and limitations didn’t matter to me, I wanted the residents to feel appreciated and seen. Giving back and serving people is a way of life for me. My service has not always been through a non-profit organization, but it has been consistent by touching people who often feel isolated. Creating inclusivity for people with handicaps and learning disabilities is a critical part of being diverse.

My decision to major in Computer Science was inspired by my passion to express creativity while incorporating my love for technology. I see programming as a limitless art form; anything you imagine can be created with the proper knowledge, skill, and work ethic. Coding offers the challenge of overcoming obstacles to create anything I can dream. The combination of programming and coding are what I’ve loved since I was a child. Throughout my STEM journey it has been very eye-opening see the underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM fields. Coming into high school after testing into the school’s STEM program, I was immediately presented with this issue. Despite my school having a nearly 40% Black student population, I was one of only 5 Black students in engineering, and one of 4 in programming. Every STEM class has been the least diverse class on my schedule, and this severe lack of diversity only continues to worsen the higher you climb the STEM ladder. I am almost always the only Black student in my upper-level programming courses including Advanced Programming, Video Game Design, and AP Computer Science. This lack of diversity permeates the professional STEM environments, despite that Blacks over index in technology usage. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black. This results in a massive amount of underrepresentation in video games. Attending a diverse university with a national ranking in my field will help me reach a goal of bringing diversity to the forefront of the industry and introduce new takes on Black culture to the medium, while inspiring the next generation of Black STEM students. I'm inspired by Latoya Peterson, the founder of Glow Up Games, who launched a creative game studio that seeks to diversify the characters in gaming, allowing gamers to see themselves in the video games they play. Joseph Saulter also gives me hope as the chairman of the International Game Developers Association’s Diversity Advisory Board. To prepare for this opportunity, I’ve immersed myself in technology courses and activities including coding, engineering, robotics, and gaming. By choice, many of my Saturdays and summers were spent in camps for engineering, robotics, mobile app development and gaming; these were great opportunities to apply my STEM coursework. I hope to be the first person in my family to graduate from college debt free, and one day establish a scholarship for Black STEM students.

If Superman’s suit and cape are the things that instantly transform him into a hero, then my DJ controller and speakers are my superpowers. My personality is naturally reserved and little shy, but when I turn on my DJ equipment, I feel confident and in control. I started learning DJ techniques at age 7 from a well-known Detroit DJ. I loved the technology behind blending beats; it wasn’t until after I performed at a few events that I realized a great DJ could elevate the energy in a room. I continued to practice, and by the time I was 10 people were so amazed by a kid with this talent, that I was asked to be a guest DJ on a Detroit hip hop station. After settling myself I performed a flawless set. The station’s social media went crazy, they loved DJ Super Clark. The radio performance motivated me to advance my talent from an activity to a business. With the help of my parents, I launched a website and used social media to build my brand. Through middle and high school, I performed at Detroit Lions events, the Detroit Opera House, theaters, and community events. During a tough time in middle school being a DJ made me feel good about myself; I was good at it, and people liked me for it. While I don’t see being a DJ as my career path, it was a great way to learn new technology and build confidence. In the future, I plan to become a video game developer because I believe video games are an incredible form of creative expression. Numerous creative fields including graphic design, computer science, art, music composition, story writing, and animation culminate in one playable package that is the manifestation of an entire team’s imaginations. My goal is to become a top gaming developer uncovering breakthrough technology led by a diverse team of men and women. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black. This results in a massive amount of underrepresentation in video games. Attending a diverse university with a national ranking in my field will help me reach a goal of bringing diversity to the forefront of the industry and introduce new takes on Black culture to the medium while inspiring a new generation of STEM students. I'm inspired by Latoya Peterson, the founder of Glow Up Games, who launched a creative game studio that seeks to diversify the characters in gaming, allowing gamers to see themselves in the video games they play. Joseph Saulter also gives me hope as the chairman of the International Game Developers Association’s Diversity Advisory Board. To prepare for this opportunity, I’ve immersed myself in technology courses and activities including coding, engineering, robotics, and gaming. By choice, many of my Saturdays and summers were spent in camps for engineering, robotics, mobile app development and gaming; these were great opportunities to apply my STEM coursework.

I hope to be the first person in my family to graduate from college debt free, and one day establish a scholarship for Black STEM students. Throughout my STEM journey it has been very eye-opening see the underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM fields. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black resulting in underrepresentation in video games. Attending a diverse university with a national ranking in this field will help me reach a goal of bringing diversity to the forefront of the industry and introduce new takes on Black culture to the medium. My goal is to become a top gaming developer uncovering breakthrough technology. As an imaginative person and avid gamer who became a DJ at age 9, I hope to someday combine the numerous creative fields including music composition, graphic design, computer science, art, story writing, and animation to culminate in one playable package that showcases cultural diversity.

My decision to major in Computer Science was inspired by my passion to express creativity while incorporating my love for technology. I see programming as a limitless art form; anything you imagine can be created with the proper knowledge, skill, and work ethic. Coding offers the challenge of overcoming obstacles to create anything I can dream. The combination of programming and coding are what I’ve loved since I was a child. Throughout my STEM journey it has been very eye-opening see the underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM fields. Coming into high school after testing into the school’s STEM program, I was immediately presented with this issue. Despite my school having a nearly 40% Black student population, I was one of only 5 Black students in engineering, and one of 4 in programming. Every STEM class has been the least diverse class on my schedule, and this severe lack of diversity only continues to worsen the higher you climb the STEM ladder. I am almost always the only Black student in my upper-level programming courses including Advanced Programming, Video Game Design, and AP Computer Science. This lack of diversity permeates the professional STEM environments, despite that Blacks over index in technology usage. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black. This results in a massive amount of underrepresentation in video games. Attending a diverse university with a national ranking in my field will help me reach a goal of bringing diversity to the forefront of the industry and introduce new takes on Black culture to the medium. After a campus visit to the University of Central Florida in Orlando, I knew this was the school for me. The diverse student body Engineering labs, Interactive Digital Media courses, and student support services are everything I want in a university. Additionally, the modern campus has the #1 graduate school in the country for video game design and a partnership with Disney. My goal is to become one of the university’s big success stories; a top gaming developer uncovering breakthrough technology led by an entirely diverse team of men and women. A scholarship award would allow me to attend UCF without accumulating debt. I hope to be the first person in my family to graduate from college debt free. To prepare for this opportunity, I’ve immersed myself in technology courses and activities including coding, engineering, robotics, and gaming. By choice, many of my Saturdays and summers were spent in camps for engineering, robotics, mobile app development and gaming; these were great opportunities to apply my STEM coursework. As an imaginative person and avid gamer who became a DJ at age 9, I hope to someday combine the numerous creative fields including music composition, graphic design, computer science, art, story writing, and animation to culminate in one playable package that highlights cultural diversity. The ability to apply my culture and creative mind daily in my career path is imperative to the overall satisfaction I get out of my job.

I’ve come to realize that I need diversity to survive. Growing up in a small lake town in Metro Detroit, I never had Black neighbors or teachers. Ethnicity data from my elementary school shows Black people made up 0.6% of the student population. In a school with 500 kids, there were never more than 10 Black kids while I attended. Periodically, I was made aware by other students that I was the only one who didn’t look like them. In third grade I attended a summer camp in the school district. While playing catch with a camp counselor and another camper named Ben, I realized I wasn’t the ball. I asked Ben to pass it to me to which he responded, “I don’t throw the ball to Black people.” I was very torn up about it. Not much beyond a slap on the wrist was given to him because I don’t think they knew how to address racism. The lack of diversity continued to show up negatively through classmates and teachers. By 8th grade, I was feeling increasingly isolated. Racism and insensitivity had occurred inside and outside the classroom. I was called the N-word while playing on the football team. The perpetrator was labeled “misunderstood.” In History class while learning about Jim Crow laws, the teacher assigned homework to pick a Jim Crow law and draw a cartoon about it. I knew the assignment was very wrong. I didn’t want to draw anything light-hearted about Black people being discriminated against. I felt frustrated that the teacher didn’t realize this sent the wrong message to the class. I realized how much the lack of diversity was affecting me and others around me. They were immune to it and my confidence was suffering for it. I started to read self-esteem books written by Black male authors which helped me realize that I needed to change my environment and my approach to building relationships. I had to turn it up to 11 and not shrink. For high school, I was accepted into the STEM program in a new school district where the ethnic composition is more diverse than anything I was used to, and diversity was embraced. This school has 53% ethnic enrollment with nearly 40% Black. Every week I tried to meet classmates. I joined several clubs and met new friends with similar interests. Within months I became friends with all types of people and felt happier in school and in my own skin. During my freshman year, I reflected on how comfortable I was in school; realizing that I previously assimilated with narrowly socialized people to fit in, which resulted in low self-confidence. Now, between a diverse student body and teachers, student clubs, and programs to create inclusivity for everyone, I’ve never felt more authentic. Diversity saved me from sadly disassociating myself as a proud Black young man, and it helped me develop an appreciation for all types of people. I will continue to embrace who I am, and advocate for inclusivity because it makes us all better.

Our society tends to overlook and under-serve people that are handicapped or have learning disabilities. As a child I noticed the unkind things that people would say and their intentional avoidance of people in these groups, and it saddened me. I made a commitment to kind to handicapped and learning-challenged people. In second grade there were students that struggled with reading. As an advanced reader I wanted to help my classmates that were laughed at when reading aloud. I asked my teacher if I could be their reading partner to befriend and help them. I didn’t even think of it as service; it just felt like the right thing to do. In fifth grade I volunteered to be the bus buddy for younger students with learning disabilities. They were so excited to socialize with a “big kid,” and give me high-fives. These kids were often avoided by other students, and they just wanted to feel like they belonged. By middle school I was a professional DJ and I wanted to use my talents to give back. One of my most rewarding experiences was donating DJ services for a special-needs school party. The students were so excited that there was a special party for them. I did shout-outs for the kids to make them feel extra special. In high school I volunteered to play music for social activities at a senior assisted living facility. Their wheelchairs and limitations didn’t matter to me, I wanted the residents to feel appreciated and seen. Giving back and serving people is a way of life for me. My service has not always been through a non-profit organization, but it has been consistent by touching people who often feel isolated. Creating inclusivity for people with handicaps and learning disabilities is a critical part of being diverse.

I realize that I need diversity to survive. Growing up in a small lake town, I never had Black neighbors or teachers. My elementary school had about 500 kids and there were never more than 10 Black kids while I attended. Periodically, I was made aware by other students that I was the only one who didn’t look like them. In third grade I attended a summer camp in the area. While playing catch with a camp counselor and another camper I wasn’t getting the ball. I asked the kid to pass it to me to which he responded, “I don’t throw the ball to Black people.” By 8th grade, I was feeling increasingly isolated. I was called the N-word on the football team. The perpetrator was labeled “misunderstood.” In History class the teacher assigned homework to pick a Jim Crow law and draw a cartoon about it. I didn’t want to draw anything light-hearted about Black people being discriminated against. I felt frustrated that the teacher didn’t realize this sent the wrong message to the class. I realized how much the lack of diversity was affecting me and others around me. They were immune to it I was suffering for it. Reading self-esteem books written by Black male authors helped me realize that I needed to change my environment and my approach to building relationships. For high school, I was in a new district with 53% ethnic enrollment. I joined clubs and met new friends. Within months I became friends with all types of people and felt happier in school and in my own skin. I had previously assimilated with narrowly socialized people to fit in resulting in low self-confidence. Now, between a diverse student body and teachers, and inclusivity programs for everyone, I’ve never felt more authentic.

Our society tends to overlook and under-serve people that are handicapped or have learning disabilities. As a child I noticed the unkind things that people would say and their intentional avoidance of people in these groups, and it saddened me. I made a commitment to kind to handicapped and learning-challenged people. In second grade there were students that struggled with reading. As an advanced reader I wanted to help my classmates that were laughed at when reading aloud. I asked my teacher if I could be their reading partner to befriend and help them. I didn’t even think of it as service; it just felt like the right thing to do. In fifth grade I volunteered to be the bus buddy for younger students with learning disabilities. They were so excited to socialize with a “big kid,” and give me high-fives. These kids were often avoided by other students, and they just wanted to feel like they belonged. By middle school I was a professional DJ and I wanted to use my talents to give back. One of my most rewarding experiences was donating DJ services for a special-needs school party. The students were so excited that there was a special party for them. I did shout-outs for the kids to make them feel extra special. In high school I volunteered to play music for social activities at a senior assisted living facility. Their wheelchairs and limitations didn’t matter to me, I wanted the residents to feel appreciated and seen. Giving back and serving people is a way of life for me. My service has not always been through a non-profit organization, but it has been consistent by touching people who often feel isolated. Creating inclusivity for people with handicaps and learning disabilities is a critical part of being diverse.

My decision to major in Computer Science was inspired by my passion to express creativity while incorporating my love for technology. I see programming as a limitless art form; anything you imagine can be created with the proper knowledge, skill, and work ethic. Its problem-solving-based nature forces creative solutions to come about from the programmer. While coding offers the challenge of overcoming obstacles to create anything I can dream. The combination of programming and coding are what I’ve loved since I was a child. Throughout my STEM journey and all the lessons learned from it, nothing has been more eye-opening than learning how much more Black representation is needed in STEM fields. Coming into high school after testing into the school’s STEM program, I was immediately presented with this issue. Despite my school having a nearly 40% Black student population, I was one of only 5 Black students in engineering, and one of 4 in programming. The Black students in class often felt like we had to stick together due to our small numbers compared to our common core classes. Every STEM class has been the least diverse class on my schedule, and this severe lack of diversity only continues to worsen the higher you climb the STEM ladder. I am almost always the only Black student in my upper-level programming courses including Advanced Programming, Video Game Design, and AP Computer Science. It seems that many are desensitized to the lack of diversity, and this can only transfer into technology and the workplace if there are not more people of color in STEM. This lack of diversity equally permeates the professional STEM environments, despite that Blacks over index in technology usage. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black. This results in a massive amount of underrepresentation in video games. As an aspiring game developer, I aim to bring diversity to the forefront of the industry and introduce new takes on Black culture to the medium. After experiencing the negative effects of mono-culturalism, I am extremely passionate about making a cultural impact in STEM. After a visit to the University of Central Florida, I knew this was the school for me. The diverse student body engineering labs, digital media courses, and student services are everything I want in a university. The modern campus has the #1 graduate school in the country for video game design and a partnership with Disney. My goal is to become one of the university’s successes; a top gaming developer uncovering breakthrough technology. A scholarship would allow me to attend UCF without accumulating debt. While my parent’s saved money for me to attend college, my mother battled cancer twice while I was growing up. Her treatments affected the savings for college, but I am grateful that she is cancer free. I hope to be the first person in my family to graduate from college debt free, and one day establish a scholarship for Black STEM students.

What do Art and STEM mean to you and why? My decision to major in Computer Science was inspired by my passion to express creativity while incorporating my love for technology. I see programming as a limitless art form; anything you imagine can be created with the proper knowledge, skill, and work ethic. Its problem-solving-based nature forces creative solutions to come about from the programmer. While coding offers the challenge of overcoming obstacles to create anything I can dream. The combination of programming and coding are what I’ve loved since I was a child. In the future, I plan to become a video game developer because I believe video games are an incredible form of creative expression. Numerous creative fields including graphic design, computer science, art, music composition, story writing, and animation culminate in one playable package that is the manifestation of an entire team’s imaginations. As an imaginative person and avid gamer, that is a process I would love to be a part of for the rest of my life. To prepare for this opportunity, I’ve immersed myself in technology courses and activities including coding, engineering, robotics, and gaming in addition to becoming a DJ at age 9. By choice, many of my Saturdays and summers were spent in technology camps. I’m excited about my future pursuing something that I love, and I would be grateful to receive a scholarship to help me reach my goals. In high school several of my friendships were developed through mutual technology interests like coding club, gaming tournaments and programming. By choice, many of my Saturdays and summers were spent in camps for engineering, robotics, mobile app development and gaming; these were great opportunities to apply my STEM coursework. Throughout my STEM journey and all the lessons learned from it, nothing has been more eye-opening than learning how much more Black representation is needed in STEM fields. Coming into high school after testing into the school’s STEM program, I was immediately presented with this issue. Despite my school having a nearly 40% Black student population, I was one of only 5 Black students in engineering, and one of 4 in programming. Every STEM class has been the least diverse class on my schedule, and this severe lack of diversity only continues to worsen the higher you climb the STEM ladder. I am almost always the only Black student in my upper-level programming courses including Advanced Programming, Video Game Design, and AP Computer Science. It seems that many are desensitized to the lack of diversity, and this can only transfer into technology and the workplace if there are not more people of color in STEM. This lack of diversity equally permeates the professional STEM environments, despite that Blacks over index in technology usage. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black. This results in a massive amount of underrepresentation in video games. As an aspiring game developer, I aim to bring diversity to the forefront of the industry and introduce new takes on Black culture to the medium. After experiencing the negative effects of mono-culturalism, I am extremely passionate about making a cultural impact in STEM through characters, art and music. The ability to apply my creative mind daily in my career path is imperative to the overall satisfaction I get out of my job. Thinking outside the box while merging technology and art keeps me from feeling trapped inside one.

I’ve come to realize that I need diversity to survive. Growing up in a small lake town in Metro Detroit, I never had Black neighbors or teachers. Ethnicity data from my elementary school shows Black people made up 0.6% of the student population. In a school with 500 kids, there were never more than 10 Black kids while I attended. Periodically, I was made aware by other students that I was the only one who didn’t look like them. In third grade I attended a summer camp in the school district. While playing catch with a camp counselor and another camper named Ben, I realized I wasn’t the ball. I asked Ben to pass it to me to which he responded, “I don’t throw the ball to Black people.” I was very torn up about it. Not much beyond a slap on the wrist was given to him because I don’t think they knew how to address racism. The lack of diversity continued to show up negatively through classmates and teachers. By 8th grade, I was feeling increasingly isolated. Racism and insensitivity had occurred inside and outside the classroom. I was called the N-word while playing on the football team. The perpetrator was labeled “misunderstood.” In History class while learning about Jim Crow laws, the teacher assigned homework to pick a Jim Crow law and draw a cartoon about it. I knew the assignment was very wrong. I didn’t want to draw anything light-hearted about Black people being discriminated against. I felt frustrated that the teacher didn’t realize this sent the wrong message to the class. I realized how much the lack of diversity was affecting me and others around me. They were immune to it and my confidence was suffering for it. I started to read self-esteem books written by Black male authors which helped me realize that I needed to change my environment and my approach to building relationships. For high school, I was accepted into the STEM program in a new school district where the ethnic composition is more diverse than anything I was used to, and diversity was embraced. This school has 53% ethnic enrollment with nearly 40% Black. Every week I tried to meet classmates. I joined several clubs and met new friends with similar interests. Within months I became friends with all types of people and felt happier in school and in my own skin. During my freshman year, I reflected on how comfortable I was in school; realizing that I previously assimilated with narrowly socialized people to fit in, which resulted in low self-confidence. Now, between a diverse student body and teachers, student clubs, and programs to create inclusivity for everyone, I’ve never felt more authentic. Diversity saved me from sadly disassociating myself as a proud Black young man, and it helped me develop an appreciation for all types of people. I will continue to embrace who I am, and advocate for inclusivity because it makes us all better.

After experiencing the negative effects of mono-culturalism, I am extremely passionate about making a cultural impact in STEM. Throughout my STEM journey and all the lessons learned from it, nothing has been more eye-opening than learning how much more Black representation is needed in STEM fields. Coming into high school after testing into my school’s STEM program, I was immediately presented with this issue. Despite my school having a nearly 40% Black student population, I was one of only 5 Black students in engineering, and one of 4 in programming. Every STEM class has been the least diverse class on my schedule, and this severe lack of diversity only continues to worsen the higher you climb the STEM ladder. I am almost always the only Black student in my upper-level programming courses including Advanced Programming, Video Game Design, and AP Computer Science. It seems that many are desensitized to the lack of diversity, and this can only transfer into technology and the workplace if there are not more people of color in STEM. This lack of diversity equally permeates the professional STEM environments, despite that Blacks over index in technology usage. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black. This results in a massive amount of underrepresentation in video games. As an aspiring game developer, I aim to bring diversity to the forefront of the industry and introduce new takes on Black culture to the medium. To prepare for this opportunity, I’ve immersed myself in technology courses and activities including coding, engineering, robotics, and gaming in addition to becoming an entrepreneur DJ at age 9. By choice, many of my Saturdays and summers were spent in technology camps. I’m excited about my future pursuing something that I love, and I would be grateful to receive a scholarship to help me reach my goals. After a visit to the University of Central Florida, I knew this was the school for me. The diverse student body engineering labs, digital media courses, and student services are everything I want in a university. The modern campus has the #1 graduate school in the country for video game design and a partnership with Disney. My goal is to become one of the university’s successes; a top gaming developer and patent breakthrough technology. A scholarship would allow me to attend UCF without accumulating debt. While my parent’s saved money for me to attend college, my mother battled cancer twice while I was growing up. Her treatments affected the savings for college, but I am grateful that she is cancer free. I hope to be the first person in my family to graduate from college debt free, and one day establish a scholarship for Black students who share passion for STEM.

After a visit to the University of Central Florida, I knew this was the school for me. The diverse student body engineering labs, digital media courses, and student services are everything I want in a university. The modern campus has the #1 graduate school in the country for video game design and a partnership with Disney. My goal is to become one of the university’s successes; a top gaming developer uncovering breakthrough technology. A scholarship would allow me to attend UCF without accumulating debt. While my parent’s saved money for me to attend college, my mother battled cancer twice while I was growing up. Her treatments affected the savings for college, but I am grateful that she is cancer free. I hope to be the first person in my family to graduate from college debt free, and one day establish a scholarship for Black STEM students. Throughout my STEM journey I’ve witnessed the underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM. Despite my school having a 40% Black student population, I was one of 5 Black students in engineering, and one of 4 in programming. Every STEM class has been the least diverse class on my schedule, and this lack of diversity continues to worsen the higher you climb the STEM ladder. Minimal diversity also permeates the professional STEM environments despite that Blacks over index in technology usage. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black resulting in underrepresentation in video games. Attending a diverse university with a national ranking in this field will help me reach a goal of bringing diversity to the forefront of the industry and introduce new takes on Black culture to the medium. As a person who experienced the negative effects of mono-culturalism through 8th grade, diversity and inclusion are very important to me. To prepare for this opportunity, I’ve immersed myself in technology courses and activities including coding, engineering, robotics, and gaming in addition to becoming a DJ at age 9. By choice, many of my Saturdays and summers were spent in technology camps. I’m excited about my future pursuing something that I love, and I would be grateful to receive a scholarship to help me reach my goals.

Over the past few years I've seen the social justice movement positively impact my community by people making an effort to be intentionally diverse and kinder to each other. Growing up in a small lake town in Metro Detroit, I never had Black neighbors or teachers. Ethnicity data from my elementary school shows Black people made up 0.6% of the student population. In a school with 500 kids, there were never more than 10 Black kids while I attended. Periodically, I was made aware by other students that I was the only one who didn’t look like them. In third grade I attended a summer camp in the school district. While playing catch with a camp counselor and another camper named Ben, I realized I wasn’t the ball. I asked Ben to pass it to me to which he responded, “I don’t throw the ball to Black people.” I was very torn up about it. Not much beyond a slap on the wrist was given to him because I don’t think they knew how to address racism. The lack of diversity continued to show up negatively through classmates and teachers. By 8th grade, I was feeling increasingly isolated. Racism and insensitivity had occurred inside and outside the classroom. I was called the N-word while playing on the football team. The perpetrator was labeled “misunderstood.” In History class while learning about Jim Crow laws, the teacher assigned homework to pick a Jim Crow law and draw a cartoon about it. I knew the assignment was very wrong. I didn’t want to draw anything light-hearted about Black people being discriminated against. I felt frustrated that the teacher didn’t realize this sent the wrong message to the class. I realized how much the lack of diversity was affecting me and others around me. They were immune to it and my confidence was suffering for it. I started to read self-esteem books written by Black male authors which helped me realize that I needed to change my environment and my approach to building relationships. As social justice became an increasingly important national topic, I saw indifference change to effort in my school and community. A march was organized for social justice in my community and I attended with my mother. The people there knew that there was injustice, but they didn't know how to do their part. My mom and I shared that just speaking to people of color, being kind and teaching their kids not to isolate other children was important. I shared some of my experiences so they could realize the lack of inclusivity that existed in the community. It was freeing to share with an entirely white audience that being narrowly socialized doesn't benefit a community, it hardens it. While more progress needs to be made, I have seen more inclusive community events, cultural celebrations and an effort to be more neighborly. The local library has even started to carry more diverse books. I have an appreciation for all types of people. As a member of this community, I will continue to embrace who I am, and advocate for inclusivity because it makes us all better.