Hobbies and interests
Speech and Debate
Cheerleading
Foreign Languages
Politics and Political Science
Chinese
Spanish
Arabic
Finance
Economics
Business And Entrepreneurship
Dance
Exercise And Fitness
Public Speaking
Reading
Music
Upcycling and Recycling
Community Service And Volunteering
Environmental Science and Sustainability
Reading
Young Adult
Literature
Self-Help
Christianity
I read books daily
Kelaiah Benjamin
2,630
Bold Points1x
FinalistKelaiah Benjamin
2,630
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
Hello, my name is Kelaiah Benjamin! I am a sophomore at Georgia State University and, the oldest of four daughters at home. I am a first-generation higher education student. In college, I'm pursuing political science. I aspire to one day travel the country, speaking at middle schools and high schools to inspire teens to pursue their dreams and goals. Students have so much potential, but many are discouraged by their past and current circumstances. I want to change that. My first step in accomplishing this is to be bold in my own pursuit. Earning scholarships would not only alleviate financial stress from my mom, who is financially responsible for me, my 3 younger sisters, and my grandmother, but will also allow me to focus on school and continue my journey.
Education
Georgia State University-Perimeter College
Associate's degree programMajors:
- Political Science and Government
Denmark High School
High SchoolChattahoochee High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Political Science and Government
- Finance and Financial Management Services
Career
Dream career field:
Law Practice
Dream career goals:
company founder
Sports
Cross-Country Running
Club2016 – 20171 year
Cheerleading
Intramural2014 – 20206 years
Cheerleading
Junior Varsity2018 – 20191 year
Public services
Volunteering
Youth Climate Action Team — Logistics and Press Team member2021 – PresentVolunteering
Letters for Rose — Social Media Manager2021 – Present
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Bold Caring for Seniors Scholarship
During the pandemic, seniors in nursing homes were unable to get visits from loved ones. Though this rule was intended to protect their health, it resulted in many of the residents feeling alone. Letters for Rose has over 400 teenager-led chapters all over the world with the common goal of sending letters to nursing homes to reduce loneliness. After learning about this problem and organization, I decided that I wanted to be a part of the solution by joining Letters for Rose.
Within the organization, I am a social media manager for the Alpharetta chapter. I collaborate with other managers from Georgia to create posts and inform teens that may be interested in writing letters. Increasing the number of people interested will increase the number of elders that we are able to write to and I think it is so important to continue to spread this message.
Even when you know that you are loved, an encouraging message can go far. It is scientifically proven that happiness in older people is linked to a longer life. Not only can a positive message increase happiness, but it can also inspire people to pay it forward. My hope is that these letters make the day of the nursing home residents and show them that people care for them and are thinking of them.
I improve the lives of elderly people in my community by offering them friendly, encouraging messages, and recruiting others to do the same.
Bold Learning and Changing Scholarship
Like Andy Warhol, I learned that if you want your life to change, you have to change it yourself. So often do people take a backseat in their life. They have all of these hopes and wants for themselves, but it's almost as if they are waiting for someone or something to change for them. Perhaps a moment where everything clicks or they suddenly gain the motivation to get things done.
Through trials in my pursuit of education, I have learned that actively pursuing your goals is not a matter of motivation but a matter of discipline. Waiting for a sense of motivation that may never come will constantly fail. It's about having the discipline to do tasks that you need to do regardless of how motivated you feel at the moment. Because it's your own life, it has to be your personal mission to change it. It's only when you decide to change your life, map out the big goals, and actively set things in motion to propel you towards your goal, that things will actually change. Improvement is something that needs to be worked towards every day.