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Sophie-Clement Zouga Ndong

4,505

Bold Points

4x

Nominee

4x

Finalist

Bio

Working on my own website=(https://carnelian-chivalrous-lamprey.glitch.me/) and pursuing a Computer Science degree at the University of Houston. My dream career is to become a video game designer.šŸŽ®šŸŽ§šŸ’» In my spare time, I enjoy trying out new things like fencing and learning Spanish.

Education

University of Houston

Bachelor's degree program
2021 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Computer Science
    • Computer and Information Sciences, General
    • Computer Programming

Elsik H S

High School
2017 - 2021

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Computer Programming/Programmer, General
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Computer Games

    • Dream career goals:

      Co-Founder

      Sports

      Track & Field

      Junior Varsity
      2015 ā€“ 20161 year

      Arts

      • Orchestra
        Present

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        Independent ā€” Provide food for my community and family.
        2017 ā€“ 2019

      Future Interests

      Volunteering

      Entrepreneurship

      Chris Jackson Computer Science Education Scholarship
      I have always had a passion for video games and thought how cool it would be to create and design them. A few years ago I enrolled in this amazing organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is a program for girls from different backgrounds to come together to grasp more knowledge about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I desired to pursue something similar to computer programming. While I was in this program, we were assigned a project that could help our communities and that is how my idea came to life. A website that small food businesses owned by minorities can utilize as a trusted place to grow their establishments. Thatā€™s the aspiring goal that I have for my website, Afro Foods. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My inspiration also came from a man named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up-to-date estimated data. Seeing his website, motivated me to continue improving my website after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on Afro Foods and plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am excited that this could help my community and many others. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality. My dream career is to work for a video game company or perhaps become a team member of Microsoft, Google, Best Buy, Apple, or any technology-related organization. While working on my dream career, I am also focusing on Afro Foods' progress. By the time I have obtained my degree, I will also be a part-time entrepreneur since my website, Afro Foods will be complete by then. Receiving this scholarship would not only fund my tuition but my career aspirations as well. If I want a chance at working for Google, for instance, I need my degree. Although my financial predicament does not guarantee me obtaining this degree, nonetheless, I know I will have it. I have been working hard since before high school to pursue higher education not just for me, but for my family too. I would make an extraordinary candidate for this scholarship because I am not just chasing a degree, but a career path that will benefit me and everyone around me.
      1989 (Taylor's Version) Fan Scholarship
      My year was a wild one as well as a journey of me trying to find myself and be the best version of myself. Life is all about living it to the fullest, moving forward, and getting past your obstacles while improving yourself. As I'm growing and learning, I like to listen to my childhood music. Out of all the songs on the album, Style, Shake It Off, and Out of the Woods are great examples of songs that would get repeatedly blasted on my radio. Style is also one of my favorite childhood songs. The memory associated with this song is after-school rides with my mom when she used to have a car. My mom would always have the radio on for my convenience and there was nothing better than listening to the radio after a long day at school and sitting in the back of the car watching the other cars drive by while the clouds slowly drift. Then all of a sudden a song came on, and I knew it was Taylor because I recognized her voice, but I wasn't sure what was the name of the song yet (this was my first time listening to it). This song is so nostalgic in a way that it made me love car rides and even inspired me to work hard so I can afford my own car someday and get the chance to blast music in my own car. Coming at number two is Out of the Woods. Out of the Woods makes me feel like I'm trapped in my own mind and I cannot escape because I am my own enemy. I want to escape and think of happy thoughts but I keep remembering I have an assignment due in a couple of days, I'm not good at my job, I have accomplished so much but so little at the same time, and I feel like I'm bothering everyone. To me, the woods represent my mind, and when Taylor says "Are we out of the woods yet" I say no I'm not out of the woods yet. I have been running in circles in my mind for some time now and when I check my phone I realize I have been daydreaming and procrastinating for hours. Not on purpose, but because a bad grade on an assignment or exam, or maybe just a bad day led me to drown in my own thoughts. Shake it off makes me feel the opposite. I love Taylor because of how she just wants to be herself and how nice she is. She is also someone who was once a victim of bullying throughout her school years and even now as an artist. However, Shake it Off is a great song that shows she is bigger than rumors and untrue negative comments that critics may say about her, and I'm happy for her. I love this song because personally if I was being bullied or something was bothering me it would be hard for me to just "shake it off" because humans are not machines. We all have feelings and don't like to feel like we mean nothing or serve no purpose. Shake it Off is the third song on my soundtrack because it reminds me that I do have a purpose. It is a perfect workout song, listen on the radio, or a song just for quick motivation to listen to in the morning. The song is also good to play after failing an exam or getting a bad grade because it reminds me that it is ok.
      Yvela Michele Memorial Scholarship for Resilient Single Parents
      I am the second child of two Gabonese parents. After my father went back home my mother raised my sisters and me in Houston, Texas on her own while attending college and scraping money from whatever jobs she could find. My mother was an entrepreneur back in Gabon, however, once we came to the United States the American Dream started to seem closer to a dream than reality. Despite all of this, my mother worked hard so her daughters could have a fair opportunity for an education in the States. This reminds me that my problems are not as big as I think and it inspires me to persevere in my school journey, complete my bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems, and one day give back to my mom, family, and community. During my sophomore year of high school, I received a letter from Rice University. This was weird because I have not applied to any colleges or universities yet let alone Rice University. It was not an acceptance letter though, it was an invitation letter to enroll in their Aerospace and Aviation Academy. Obtaining a letter to attend this Academy was a big deal because it is hard for people to get accepted, and I just got accepted without even applying. However, this huge achievement soon turned into a hefty expense. The invitation also stated I had to pay more than six thousand dollars to be in this academy. This opportunity reminded me of my financial predicament. Unfortunately, we could barely afford food let alone pay tuition to an academy that lasts less than two weeks. Nevertheless, this experience made me realize to keep pursuing my dreams because people were always watching me. My family, friends, teachers, and representatives of several colleges and universities were watching my growth and achievements, even if I may feel it is going unnoticed. Another problem that affects me to this day is when the electricity at our home was disconnected. What is mentally draining about this situation is not the electricity being cut itself, but not knowing when it will come back on. Days passed, then weeks, then months. Although my father didn't physically live with us, he was in charge of the bills and rent and this time the electricity bill was unpaid. This wasn't the first time it happened, but it was the first time it happened for this long. That situation was very complicated because it was hot and I had to go to school. However, it sharpened my problem-solving skills. For instance, I couldnā€™t use my printer, but I could use the one at school to print my essays. Printing my essays at school is just one out of a hundred examples of how this situation taught me to think creatively. How I would write my papers was a complicated process. I didnā€™t have a flash drive either so all my essays were saved in Google Docs. I couldnā€™t write my essay on my laptop so I would write it out on scratch paper. Then I would take these papers to school and type my entire paper into a computer in the library, send it to my school email so I can have a copy of it there, and then have it printed. This experience showed me how to always expect the unexpected, and properly prepare for it with an organized mindset. I am currently working on a website that is meant to help those suffering from food insecurity. I am pursuing programming so my skills can be good enough to help others in the future.
      Olivia Woods Memorial Scholarship
      The Giver by Lois Lowry is a fictional novel written in 1993. The main character, Jonas, is a teenage boy who was brought up in a utopian world. However, as the story progresses he is given the title "The Reciever" and realizes that his world is far from utopian after all. Jonasā€™s bravery and ambition lead him to discover the secrets of the past that were covered to protect the residents of this new era. Jonas decided he wanted to visit Elsewhere, a forbidden destination only meant for those who disobeyed or were proclaimed dead. Primarily, this world is unknown of color everyone perceives everything as black and white. After Jonas discovered the color red he wanted others to see this color as well. Colors were eradicated from this new world to prevent issues like prejudices and colorism. However, Jonas saw color as a gift that was taken away from him, an option that he should be allowed to make but no longer gets to. This small detail is the beginning of Jonas' rebellion. After Jonas is given the gift of seeing colors he now is starting to form feelings. Although in a normal world, this makes sense for a teenage male, in this "utopian" era feelings are not allowed and residents must take pills to get rid of them. After Jonas stopped taking his pills and let his emotions free he noticed how those butterflies he was feeling in his stomach were a good thing. However, Jonas cannot explain the feelings that he has for the person he loves, Fiona, because she has no idea what those feelings are since they are not allowed nor taught. Jonas could never be with Fiona because they are each given arranged marriages when they are adults, so Jonas must flee this world that has taken his rights to discover the truth so people in the future may choose their mates. Lastly, after Jonas was taught the joys of life, he also learned the hardships. He was given memories of hunger, illness, war, and much more. After being given these memories he does not want to continue his training anymore and decides he wants to quit being The Reciever. However, he is told by his teacher, The Giver, that he is the only one that can handle this task. After hearing that Jonas continues on his rebellious journey and finally makes it to Elsewhere which in turn gave everyone in the new era back all the positive lost memories. Jonas was scared when he was given the title The Reciever because it meant he was different from his peers. He was also afraid through his training and when he was in Elsewhere because he didn't want to unmask the truth of the past. But along the journey, he realized there were things more important than fear. Like love, happiness, pain, and even fear because these emotions let us know that we are human and without them, the world can only be dystopian. The Giver by Lois Lowry has changed the way I see life in general. It is so easy to believe everything is black and white but turns out it is not that simple. It is important to look at everything in depth and not just from what is easy to see.
      Freddie L Brown Sr. Scholarship
      Petty! Yes, she took my toothpaste She took it because I made her mad How will I cleanse my teeth now? She still has not given it back As much as it makes me twitch As much as it irks my soul I should have known where this would go Now I must swallow my pr-pride And make amends with she For I need my toothpaste back I hate Ms. Petty There is a chunk of empty space in the middle of the Thanksgiving pie Guess who ate it even if she didnā€™t like it... She just didnā€™t want anyone else to indulge in the pie The same person who ripped up one expensive sneaker and left the other alone So the owner could know the pain of walking half barefoot home Then she shreds the ownerā€™s clothes Smiles in the mirror and strikes a pose She pours Kool-Aid where gasoline should be into the neighborā€™s car Because she knows they wonā€™t get far Cleaned the car with dirty rags And didnā€™t even help take the groceries out the shopping bags Her friend didnā€™t like her attire So she poured milk on her that had already expired Then hit her in the ankle with a scooter And planted a virus right in her computer One day the neighbors were running their mouths So she gave them something to talk about She vandalized their laundry and mixed the colors with the whites Shrank all the polos, and made them tight Snipped the teeth off the womanā€™s comb and burned her skirts Replaced the manā€™s cologne with some sticky drink Then buried his watches in the dirt She leaves crumbs in the corners of the neighborā€™s house just so the roaches will never leave Then she dug up the already claimed watch from before And what she did with it you will never believe She not only pawned it but gave the money to the neighbor's enemy Then smirked and befriended he Turns out the ownerā€™s enemy is a hacker She paid him to plant the furtive virus in the first place Which didnā€™t leave a mark, not even a trace Donā€™t double-cross Ms. Petty I will crease your Nikeā€™s Donā€™t irritate my inner Ms.Petty I will dip your garments in feces What I did was malicious But the pie was delicious I should come clean about the sneaker But I donā€™t feel sorry for that either Perhaps placing juice in the tank wasnā€™t funny Next time Iā€™ll replace the oil with honey Now the neighbors lie awake and never rest They have a new addition to the family, pests Maybe I should apologize? No, they shall bow down beneath my size Yes I did all those things And I have more tricks up my sleeve I never got caught for I am nothing but an innocent child That is all they see As long as I get my way Because it is always about me They will love Ms. Petty
      Youssef Universityā€™s College Life Scholarship
      With $1,000 I would put it towards my housing. I have always wanted to live on the University of Houston's campus. There are plenty of quiet study spaces and the vibe is great. With their many humongous water fountains, diverse art, striking nature, and plenitude of squirrels, the University of Houston is somewhere I would want to reside. However, between paying for my tuition and textbooks, there is no way I would have anything left for housing. Which is why I don't live on campus. With $1,000 though that could be a great jumpstart to save up for housing and I could pay for the rest with time. Living on campus is a big deal to me because I always feel at home when I'm there even if it isn't my physical home. There are plenty of benefits to living on campus like less commuting. Since I live far commuting is time-consuming for me. Instead of taking public transportation for one to two hours to attend school and go back home, living on campus eliminates this option saving me more time to study. Additionally, it closes the distance I have to travel to get to my classes which allows me to have healthier alternatives like walking or biking to class. I couldn't pay for housing now with just $1,000 since it is way more than that. With $1,000 though, I would be one step closer to saving time while living somewhere that is healthier for my mindset.
      WCEJ Thornton Foundation Low-Income Scholarship
      My greatest achievement so far is receiving outstanding grades on my essays and papers. I made a perfect score on my final History exam. This was not my first time scoring a perfect score on an exam in my history class. Every time I got a perfect score though I was so amazed at myself. I didnā€™t think it was possible to score perfect scores on essay-only exams or even score that well in college. I am currently a freshman at the University of Houston and before I was a student at Elsik High School. All my life from elementary to high school the writing rubric has seemed to always change. My essays were never satisfactory and I donā€™t remember making above a C back then. However, I get to college and Iā€™m doing extraordinary. My goal was to at least make a B because thatā€™s how high my expectations were. Anything more than that seemed impossible. After taking my exam and reloading the virtual grade book just to make sure I wasnā€™t dreaming, I went to my teaching assistant Valerie who also was a grader. She told me she found absolutely nothing wrong with my essays and how I was spot on and answered the prompts amazingly. She let me take the graded exam home and I still have it to this day, hung on my wall like it is some kind of medal. In another class, my writing class, I noticed I was improving in writing. Before college, I didnā€™t know what was wrong with my essays so I continued to make the same mistakes. Then my first semester of college came and my writing teacher gave us a resource called The Writing Center, which is a place meant for tutoring help with papers. After receiving tutoring the flow of my papers made sense and I got Aā€™s on all of my papers as well. Finally, my papers sounded amazing and I can say that confidently. Earning exceptional grades on my papers and essays made me feel ecstatic. It wasnā€™t just a letter in the transcript that meant a passing grade. It meant I improved and maybe my writing wasnā€™t always as bad as I thought. All these years I thought I would never improve. Even though I took Advanced Placement Writing courses, I still walked out of those classes knowing deep down I didnā€™t learn anything. Coming to college, however, showed me that I was on the right track the whole time, but the way I was taught to write just didnā€™t stick. This experience revealed to me that choosing to attend college was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Not only did my writing style improve, but my character also changed in a mature manner that could have never happened without the help of college. In the future, I hope to achieve more outstanding results. Now that I know itā€™s possible, Iā€™m going to do whatever it takes to have those perfect scores again.
      William M. DeSantis Sr. Scholarship
      A life lesson I have learned is the importance of adversity and how it shapes someone. These life lessons give us positivity and hope that we can carry for the rest of our lives whenever we feel doubtful. My positive thinking came from a situation that will always be significant to my life and future decisions. Adversity is essential for character development because it gives the person perseverance while building a positive attitude. When I was in middle school, the electricity was cut off. At first, this predicament only lasted days. Then days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. It was hot and I had to go to school while in this situation. We barely had scraps of food given to us out of generosity from our friends. Whenever I got out of bed my head would feel dizzy and my vision would go black because I was not eating enough. However, I got through this situation by simply thinking positively. That may sound easier said than done, but I kept reminding myself if I did not cause the situation I am in, then I shouldnā€™t ponder too much on it. Additionally, there were plenty of positive things to be happy about. For instance, I couldnā€™t use my printer, but I could use the one at school to print my essays. Printing my essays at school is just one out of a hundred examples of how this situation taught me to think creatively. How I would write my papers was a complicated process. I didnā€™t have a flash drive either so all my essays were saved in Google Docs. I couldnā€™t write my essay on my laptop so I would write it out on scratch paper. Then I would take these papers to school and type my entire paper into a computer in the library, send it to my school email so I can have a copy of it there, and then have it printed. This process required quick thinking because I was only given a few days to write each of my essays. Alongside that, the school opened at 7 AM and the library would close at 7:20 AM because the first class of the day started at 7:30, so I had to type fast. Nevertheless, I managed to turn in every essay before the deadline. The process sounds insane at first but I didnā€™t overthink I just did what I had to do. The voice in my head was screaming about being tired, but I tuned it out by studying more. Another reason this voice was so strong is probably because of my irregular eating. I wasnā€™t getting enough to eat, but I had free breakfast and lunch at school five days out of the week. In other words, I starved on weekends. However, I could persevere through two days out of the week which at the time, sounds way better than not eating at all. Although I did starve on the weekends, I managed to stay content by thinking about my prosperous future, because my future is bigger than the obstacles life throws at me. Knowing that I did not want to live a life questioning when the electricity will come back, or how much longer I have to endure this, was enough for me to overachieve in school. This experience should have negatively impacted my achievement in school but it didnā€™t. Instead, it inspired me to carry a positive mindset that would help me persist through this predicament and excel in life.
      Bold Perseverance Scholarship
      I was playing video games on my PlayStation when all of a sudden, the electricity disconnected. It was an ordinary day in the middle of summer. Later my mother told me my father had not paid for the electricity. Escaping from this situation, he left us to deal with it alone. My siblings, mother, and I had no idea this day would turn into weeks, then months. I could never forget the feeling of my body burning up or physically feeling my body grow weak and tired from a lack of food. The closest thing we got to air conditioning was a slight wind that would pass by now and then. As for food, we survived on canned goods and tapped water. The scariest part about this situation, I did not know when it would end. I still have nightmares about it to this day. Itā€™s a miracle I did not acquire a stomach virus or severe heatstroke. However, I am grateful to have gone through this predicament. It made me learn to never take anything for granted. Persevering through this situation made me realize how important it is to be grateful even for the tiniest things.
      Bold Giving Scholarship
      Giving is amazing because both parties receive some kind of satisfaction. Whether itā€™s love from seeing the other personā€™s smile or unwrapping a gift to discover itā€™s something you wanted, is an amazing feeling. That feeling however does not always have to come from gifts. Being a good friend or offering someone a free meal are also great gifts of giving. Being a good example is a natural form of giving. Meaning, one does not think or plan this gift, they just naturally act and people watch or follow. For instance, a good friend indirectly gives a comfortable atmosphere, like my best friend Sam. Sam has a heart of gold. She picked me up when I was down and offered me something to eat when I could not afford food myself. Then over the summer, I discovered I could volunteer at my local church. We acquire food from the Houston Food Bank and then give it away to families who may need it. Volunteering was one of the best decisions I have ever made because it gave me satisfaction. Iā€™m satisfied knowing that I helped put food on someoneā€™s table. Iā€™m also grateful to Sam for giving me the best gift of all, being a true friend. Giving is important to me because someone gave me something when I could not give back at the time. That someone was Sam. Sam helped me by giving me the gifts of joy and relief. Joy because she gave me free meals and relief because I knew she had my back. Volunteering allows me to share these gifts with multiple hungry families.
      Studyist Education Equity Scholarship
      My parents came from a country where the right to education is not spread equitably. Teachers were infuriated because they were not paid enough. The government did not listen to their anger and funding was barely provided. The only successful schools were the private ones, so my mom thought I should enroll in a private catholic school. Unfortunately, this option gradually became too expensive for my mom, so she came to the United States. Equal access to education for all has always been important to me. Making citizens pay for education feels the same as hiding valuable knowledge. I am forever grateful for the privilege to say I completed my academic years in the United States. Education is not treated seriously nor is it accessible back home. Had I remained in my old country, I would not be the same person I am today. Educational inequity successfully erases hope, courage, and confidence within the lower and working classes. Because these classes do not have access to the same resources, it leads to a mindset that allows the poverty cycle to thrive. Even the most intelligent low-income students get trapped in this cycle because they were not taught how to leave it. Taking a stand for equitable education is more than just questioning affordability for classes. Itā€™s essential for the prosperity of the country. Children must grow up, attend college, and one day become future leaders. Therefore, it's important these future leaders all have access to the same tools.
      Loan Lawyers 2021 Annual Scholarship Competition
      After realizing the difference between my home country (Gabon) and the United States, I acquired certain gratitude for my offered opportunities. I was not aware I once lived in a corrupt country because that was all I knew and I adjusted to it. When I came to the United States it was like someone had given me a pair of spectacles. I could see for the first time. Although living in pauperism in the United States is not easy, I taught myself to have hope. The root of financial freedom is hope and I could not achieve that persistent mindset in Gabon because hope had been completely eradicated. In the United States however I know I can change my financial predicament, into financial freedom. There is a book I fell in love with called Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. In the book, Noah mentions how he loves making his own money because the more money you have the more options that are open to you. I agree with this statement. Because a limited budget means limited options which leads to a limited mindset. That is why financial freedom is important to me. Because I am given more choices. I don't mean deciding between whether I want to eat pizza or a beef shawarma today. I mean making an unethical decision between paying for face soap or paying for toothpaste. I no longer want to choose between a face full of pimples or bad breath. Currently, I am studying at the University of Houston to obtain a Computer Science degree. Although this degree will help find me a suitable career, it is not what will gain my financial freedom. Financial freedom has to be gained from an income that will forever reproduce itself even when I am not working. I was searching and researching high and low for a guaranteed income that will last, something that can be passed down to my grandchildren. That's when I discovered stocks. Alongside stocks, I found bonds, cryptocurrency, and much more. That is how I will achieve my financial freedom. Why purchase shoes from my favorite store Footlocker and then take months or years to save up to buy more shoes, when I can invest instead. That way the money that I earned from Footlocker I can use to purchase as many shoes as I want and afford any other needs. Another benefit to investing in Footlocker stocks is the dividends. Dividends are extra money that is given quarterly, semi-annually, or annually along with the stock. Dividends are like taxes only I am not paying that tax. The tax is given to me. Diversifying my portfolio, (investing in multiple companies), is guaranteed financial freedom for eternity. Choosing between wants and needs is something I have done my entire life and I have chosen needs every time. I don't regret these decisions because they are responsible ones, however, I know there is another way. A way to not have to ever choose again. A gradual path that promises freedom from the shackles of my limited-budget mindset. One day I will choose, but I will choose because I want to not because I need to.
      Shreddership: A Music Scholarship
      Carlynn's Comic Scholarship
      An anime I can respect with my whole heart is Attack On Titan. In fact, I respect it so much that when the final season ends I will not rewatch it. It has nothing to do with lack of desire, but how the storyline unfolds to reveal multiple meanings is intriguing yet terrifying. This anime has had plenty of moments where the scene could be compared to real life and I could relate to it. An example was The Great Titan War between the Marleyans and Eldians. Long story short the Eldians donā€™t like Marleyans because Marleyans have the physical strength of Titans. So because Eldians were scared of this power, (though they would never admit it), they oppressed the Marleyans instead. This xenophobia reminded me of the French colonizing my hometown, Gabon. Although I could see both sidesā€™ viewpoints, I sympathized with the Marleyans due to personal experience.
      Caring Chemist Scholarship
      Technology is one of the biggest achievements humanity has ever had. That is why I want to major in a computer degree since technology is forever advancing. I have plenty of other goals like minoring in music and traveling. However, I want to focus on my educational career since my degree will be of use to me after college as well. Some objectives I have set for myself are pursuing a Masterā€™s degree at the University of Houston and completing my unofficial website Afro Foods. My website would not have been possible without the beauty of Computer Programming. Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us where we had to create our own websites, and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. I am currently working on Afro Foods and as I said before, plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality in the future. Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. After obtaining my degree I plan to improve my website and share it with not only my community but the whole world. With the help of technology, I can help multiple communities at once and my goals would be accomplished. Technology will always exist so I want to use it to my advantage to help others.
      Dr. Samuel Attoh Legacy Scholarship
      A legacy is a struggle one has to go through and others will tell their story. For someone to leave a legacy, means that person accomplished something huge and let others tell why they were so great. There are different kinds of legacies, but what they all have in common is that they get turned into stories. The legacy or story I want to leave behind is the one that tells people I was a leader. An extraordinary leader that cared for her community and anyone in need. I want to help others because I come from a family of people who have lost hope but also pushed themselves to get back up even when no one had their back. Now it's my turn to have someone else's back. Later between June and July, I was volunteering for Episcopal Church Christ the King, a small church in our neighborhood. The Church was a representative of Houston Food Bank and we would give food to families in need from Monday- Friday. I volunteered every Tuesday during the summer, and after becoming familiar with my tasks, I was the fastest and most self-reliant team worker. Volunteering allowed me to comprehend the word ā€œleaderā€ as a term that should be expressed through great effort. Because of this experience, I learned people will tell stories about how I helped others by placing food in their kitchens. Another part of my journey to creating my legacy is providing aid to other communities that are not near me. One of my goals at the current moment is to design a website from scratch. The name of my website is Afro Foods, and the point of this site is to help minority-owned food businesses grow their establishments virtually, instead of remaining in one area. This idea came to me during my Girls Who Code program I was attending during the summer. With the help of the Internet, I can help communities worldwide and not just in my area. I see myself as a leader who inspires others. With that said, I want to be a part of organizations such as Cross-Cultural Solutions in order to continue volunteering abroad as well, while searching for a small job and attending university all at once. Although this sounded overwhelming at first juggling various goals, it is something I always wanted to do and I enjoy helping other people. Furthermore, I am willing to give back to my community any way I can and that is the legacy I want to leave.
      Act Locally Scholarship
      Community means everything to me. I work hard in school and even harder outside of school. I am an overachiever not only for myself but for others that look up to me. My family, friends, and community are counting on me to do the absolute best that I can. I want to make them all proud. I am currently volunteering for Episcopal Church Christ the King, a small church in our neighborhood. This Church is a representative of Houston Food Bank. Here we hand out food to multiple families. After volunteering at The Episcopal Church I thought about all the other ways I could help even more people in other communities all over the world and not just my own. That is why I created Afro Foods so that I may help others with the assistance of technology. Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. During the same year, I enrolled in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to learn more about coding. There was a project assigned where we created our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My new goals were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. I am currently working on Afro Foods and plan to make it a concrete website during my time at the University of Houston. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others outside my neighborhood. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. Family and community are some of the most amazing things anyone could have. Handing out food to those in need on the weekends and joining Girls Who Code was one of the best decisions I have ever made. These experiences taught me how to be appreciative and the significance of being a part of a huge change even if it is just within my community. I want to make a positive change not only for my local community but outside communities as well. That is why I want to improve my website. I want to volunteer in my community but also help out without having to travel. Speaking of traveling, I am also interested in joining organizations such as Cross-Cultural Solutions, so I can volunteer abroad as well. Furthermore, if I want change to happen I must commence with my own community, and with time I can make a difference in other communities as well. In order to see people caring for others, I have to start with myself.
      Rho Brooks Women in STEM Scholarship
      There is plenty that I want to achieve and see. But for now, my main goals are continuing my education in Computer Science and possibly minoring in music. Of course, there is plenty more that I want to do like travel for instance. However, I want to focus on my educational career a little longer. Some objectives I have set for myself are pursuing a Masterā€™s degree at the University of Houston as soon as I leave Elsik High School and completing my unofficial website Afro Foods. My website would have been impossible to make without the beauty of Computer Programming! Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. I am currently working on Afro Foods and as I said before, plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality. My experience with Girls Who Code has not only shaped my aspirations but my values in life as well. This amazing organization showed me the importance of community and even inspired me to start volunteering again. Now I not only want to work hard for myself, but I also want to make my community proud as well. What I hope to achieve from Afro Foods is a balanced community. An objective I have set for myself is having Afro Foods completed by the time I am in college. What the future holds is unknown but I know I want to make my community, friends, and family proud.
      Faith and Tech Scholarship
      I have been working on this website since 2020. My unofficial website Afro Foods is meant to assist minority-owned food businesses, expand their establishments without moving. My goal is to bring more attention to these businesses with the help of technology. Computers mean the world to me and I want to show others the beauty of it as well. However, without hope, I could not go to college and pursue a degree in Computer Science. Actually, I could but I do not want to. Faith is important to my success because it is what wakes me up every morning. I cannot imagine my life without it. Without faith, there is nothing I could do and there is nothing greater than it. If I can spread my faith to others outside of my community with technology, that would be a huge accomplishment.
      Art of Giving Scholarship
      Community means everything to me. I work hard in school and even harder outside of school. I am an overachiever not only for myself but for others that look up to me. My family, friends, and community are counting on me to do the absolute best that I can. I want to make them all proud. Last year, between June and July, I was volunteering for Episcopal Church Christ the King, a small church in our neighborhood. The Church was used as an area to give families food and was a representative of Houston Food Bank. After volunteering at The Episcopal Church I thought about all the other ways I could help even more people in other communities and not just my own. That is why I created Afro Foods so that I may help others with the assistance of technology. Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. During the same year, I enrolled in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to learn more about coding. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My new goals were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. I am currently working on Afro Foods and plan to make it a concrete website during my time at the University of Houston. I am really excited this could help not only my community but many others even outside my neighborhood. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch because there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. Family and community are some of the most amazing things anyone could have. Handing out food to those in need on the weekends and joining Girls Who Code was one of the best decisions I have ever made. These experiences taught me how to be appreciative and the significance of being a part of a huge change even if it is just within my community. That is why I need this scholarship. This scholarship is not just something to help me pay for college. It is a step closer to achieving my goals of aiding not only my community but other communities as well.
      Susy Ruiz Superhero Scholarship
      When I was younger I did not want to go to college. That is a lie, I did want to go to college but I had no idea how I was going to pay it off. I felt this way because my parents did not leave me much savings and my scores were not that eye-catching. However, my favorite teacher changed my mindset. My teacher, Ms. Van, was very caring about others. She always preached about treating others with respect and there was never a boring day in her class. She was also very understanding of any situation given. I was already going through a tough time with my family, school, and then on top of that taking the SAT. My stress levels were through the roof this whole year and she was like my comfort person without even knowing it. After taking the SAT I felt awful. My scores finally came in and they were not what I thought they would be at all. "I studied so hard how could this be?" I thought as I cried into my pillow at home. As I stated before it's not that I did not want to go to college; my financial predicament prevented this dream, at that point I had no clue how I was going to get in. After the day of my SAT, I sobbed that entire night because those scores meant a lot to colleges and it would take a miracle just to obtain that perfect score. I arrived at school and I felt terrible because I had a headache, probably from crying so much. Classes went by at a snail's pace but finally, I arrived at Ms. Van's class. I am not too sure of what happened before that lead up to this moment, but I know she said something that made me smile. We were having a conversation about plans after high school with a couple of other students and I told her I wanted to major in Computer Programming or Computer Science. What she said after was so simplistic yet meaningful. Ms. Van told me that I was one of the smartest students that she knows and that I could do anything I put my mind to. She said that with a warm smile and then the bell rang and it was time for my next class. Ms. Van gave me hope, and through her words revealed to me my true potential. She had this peculiar way of teaching by making me listen to her. Not just because she was the teacher but because I wanted to listen to her and pay close attention to every lesson she gave me. Not only did she teach me what I needed for a school test, but she also showed me what I needed for the real test. That real test is called life. Because of her I now realize that no matter what happens in life to never give up. I will have my ups and downs but that should not stop me from achieving my goal of getting into college or any other goal besides that. Fast forward a few years later and I have been accepted into my dream university, the University of Houston, and three others.
      Sikdope ā€œMusic Is The Cureā€ Scholarship
      Learning English was difficult but it was not that bad since I was young. What was more difficult though was relearning French. I was born in Gabon where French is one of the most popular languages spoken. By four years old, I practiced piano and was already fluent in French, however, after moving to the United States I had to learn a new language, English. This experience was frustrating because I was gradually losing my French since I did not speak it as much anymore. Along with my French, my piano skills were fading too. The transition from moving to another country lead to me practicing piano less and less. I was devastated when I realized I could not play piano anymore because I have not been practicing like I used to. My experience coming to the United States was already awful and I had just got here. Two things that made me who I am were now gone and I felt absolutely helpless. A few years passed and I was now in intermediate school, which comes between elementary and middle. Although I forgot how to play piano, that would not take away my love for music. There was not a teacher that taught piano so instead, I went for something that reminded me of piano, and that is how I discovered violin. That is how my seven-year Orchestra journey commenced as well as my passion for playing the violin. Music whether it be from my violin or listening to a playlist has impacted my life positively and only brings me more joy. In fact, it was because of music that I could restore my french. Music has taught me nothing but happiness and hope. I want to spread that same happiness and hope with my career. In the future, I aspire to be a computer programmer. Currently, I am working on Afro Foods, my website, so that I may utilize it to help others. Afro Foods is meant to help minority-owned food businesses by bringing these businesses to more communities but virtually. My goal is to bring thousands of diversified communities together through my website Afro Foods and more importantly with the universal language of food.
      Kap Slap "Find Your Sound" Music Grant
      Without my financial predicament, I would still be doing what I am now but without stress. I would still be preparing for college and taking care of loved ones because that is what's important to me. I am completely grateful for my friends and family so I devote all my time to them. I could not be the person that I am without the help and love of my community, family, and friends. I still would want to pursue higher education because learning or the gift of knowledge is a huge characteristic of who I am. Attending college is not just about finding a career right after. To me, it also shows how one can apply the new skills that were given while in college. Later in the future, I plan to employ those skills I was taught in order to continue helping out my community. Lastly, without money being an issue I would buy more food. Currently, I volunteer at the Episcopal Church Christ the King. This church is used as a place for families to obtain free food. This free food is given to us by the Houston Food Bank. I am grateful for the free food, and the opportunity to help others in need. However, I witnessed firsthand how some of the food given may not even be edible because the expiration date has passed. Or some families may need food but cannot consume the food that we have stored, due to personal reasons like health issues and religion. I would be using my time to not only volunteer but purchase food as well for those who can't. If money was not a problem I would do more for others in my community. After obtaining my degree I could help even more people outside of my neighborhood. As long as I can continue learning and helping others, I know I am utilizing my time wisely.
      SkipSchool Scholarship
      My favorite musical artist would have to be Lindsey Stirling. The way her fingers fly across the fingerboard of the violin and her effortless dancing could catch anyone's attention. I have watched and listened to her play ever since she had a smaller platform. She was told that dancing and playing at the same time was impossible, however, not only did she prove them wrong but she did it while hovering in the air!
      Pandemic's Box Scholarship
      Before the pandemic, I was not sure how I was going to get into college. I was sad and nervous about my SAT scores because they were important for getting into college. No matter how hard I studied my scores just did not meet the required level to even have my application considered. However, due to the pandemic, I no longer have that problem. Although I still practice to this day to improve on my SAT scores, I can rest easy knowing that it isn't as necessary as it used to be. Because of the pandemic, I have been able to not only be accepted into four different universities, but I found a way to grab several universities' attention without the need for a perfect SAT score. This pandemic has allowed me to accomplish something great and that is being accepted into college.
      Impact Scholarship for Black Students
      There is plenty that I want to achieve and see. But for now, my main goals are continuing my education in Computer Science and possibly minoring in music. Of course, there is plenty more that I want to do like travel for instance. However, I want to focus on my educational career a little longer. Some objectives I have set for myself are pursuing a Masterā€™s degree at the University of Houston as soon as I leave Elsik High School and completing my unofficial website Afro Foods. My website would have been impossible to make without the beauty of Computer Programming! Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. My inspiration also came from a seventeen-year-old male named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up-to-date estimated data. After seeing his website, this motivated me to continue improving my website after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on Afro Foods and as I said before, plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality. My visionary ideas will benefit not only me but those around me as well. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. Currently, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. My website will be completed by the time I am in college. What the future holds is unknown but I know I want to make my community, friends, and family proud.
      Normandie Cormier Greater is Now Scholarship
      An experience that impacted me very much was when the electricity company disconnected our power at home. One of my biological parents was supposed to make sure we were financially stable but instead, he vanished and left us for another life outside of the United States. . That situation was very complicated and taught me how to multitask and problem-solve. Such as, cooking at my neighborā€™s place and utilizing candles. There was even another time on one of my birthdays when I had to use the stars from the night sky just to see myself cutting the cake. I spent weeks, months without proper needs and if I needed anything like printing an essay for school; I would print the essay at the school library. My day would start off at school and then ended with me showering in the dark. I would even stay after school longer and dread the ride back home. But those past experiences have taught me to move forward and never take anything for granted. Experiences like these have shaped who I am, showing me how beneficial having a caring family is, as well as the importance of not giving up on my goals to help others.
      Brandon Zylstra Road Less Traveled Scholarship
      Throughout my high school experience, I have encountered many obstacles and I have either hurdled over them or gave up and never came back to them. I learned personally that itā€™s better to ignore and analyze certain things than to react on first instinct; As well as coming to school with a positive attitude on the outside, even if I had a gloomy one on the inside. I always came to school with a positive attitude, because school was the only place where I could occupy my mind. Nevertheless, my experiences of texturism, financial issues, and turning down opportunities I couldnā€™t afford, have influenced the person I am today. Although I have encountered many obstacles, my biggest problems have shown me that they were really my smallest. I still struggle to this day with issues that I tried to solve. Through all of these predicaments, I have learned to be a persistent person. Because of these issues, it has shown me to just keep going because I would like to grow, forging my path, not being a negative person. On the contrary, I want to be the best person that I can be, in order to inspire others. After confronting my adversity, it has allowed me to do good for others like volunteering at my Episcopal Church and creating a website to help my community. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. At the moment my main goals are to continue my education at the University of Houston in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. What inspired this passion was when I enrolled in this program called Girls Who Code and I knew then I wanted to do computer programming. I am very passionate about coding and helping others. Attending college is a huge step that I am willing to take in order to achieve my goals. A huge obstacle I have to face every day is my financial predicament and how I am going to afford college. However, I won't let it change my mind about college because helping people is something I want to do through my gift.
      Taylor Price Financial Literacy for the Future Scholarship
      Throughout my high school experience, I have encountered many obstacles and I have either hurdled over them or gave up and never came back to them. I learned personally that itā€™s better to ignore and analyze certain things than to react on first instinct; As well as coming to school with a positive attitude on the outside, even if I had a gloomy one on the inside. I always came to school with a positive attitude, because school was the only place where I could occupy my mind. Nevertheless, my experiences of texturism, financial issues, and turning down opportunities I couldnā€™t afford, have influenced the person I am today. Early in my years of school and even to this day I have always gotten comments on my hair. For example, some remarks were heartening others disheartening; the disheartening remarks didnā€™t make me feel discouraged about myself, instead, they only left me discombobulated. Most of these unwitting comments came from my brown female peers that look like me. So I couldnā€™t seem to comprehend at the time, why someone would say such a thing. It was a malicious choice of words. I overcame these types of conversations by educating myself and getting rid of anyone I believed to be driven by an ignorant mind. Another problem that impacted me very much was when the electricity company disconnected our power at home. One of my biological parents was supposed to make sure we were financially stable but instead, he vanished and left us for another life outside of the United States. . That situation was very complicated and taught me how to multitask and problem-solve. Such as, cooking at my neighborā€™s place and utilizing candles. There was even another time on one of my birthdays when I had to use the stars from the night sky just to see myself cutting the cake. I spent weeks, months without proper needs and if I needed anything like printing an essay for school; I would print the essay at the school library. My day would start off at school and then ended with me showering in the dark. I would even stay after school longer and dread the ride back home. But those past experiences have taught me to move forward and never take anything for granted. Lastly, some positives of my high school career were many opportunities were given to me. Some of them would make a lasting impact on the rest of my life. Switching from Symphonic to Chamber Orchestra or enrolling in Girls Who Code made me feel ecstatic. But other opportunities like getting a letter to enroll in Aerospace and Aviation Academy, also made me feel great but I failed to go through with it because I could not afford the summer tuition. At that time I was thrilled and sad that I had to pass up the opportunity, due to the fact of this Academy being too costly. But this experience taught me to keep pursuing my dreams. Because of that letter, it showed me that people were watching me thrive even when I wasnā€™t looking. So ever since then, I have always done my utmost. Although I have encountered many obstacles, my biggest problems have shown me that they were really my smallest. I still struggle to this day with issues that I tried to solve. Through all of these predicaments, I have learned to be a persistent person. Because of these issues, it has shown me to just keep going because I would like to grow, forging my path, not being a negative person. On the contrary, I want to be the best person that I can be, in order to inspire others.
      Make Me Laugh Meme Scholarship
      This meme is hilarious to me because it relates to what is currently happening right now with Joe Biden being president and Kamala Harris as his vice president. Even if someone may not know of the popular childhood favorite television show Scooby-Doo, the joke is still clear enough for any American to comprehend. The caption of the meme states "Let's see who is really behind this" and then they reveal Kamala Harris, with Biden's head as a mask. I loved watching Scooby-Doo growing up and I am also very engaged in politics at the moment so this meme really made me smile and I hope it makes someone else's day too.
      Future Leaders in Technology Scholarship - High School Award
      I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. But for now, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science at the University of Houston so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. An objective I have set for myself is having Afro Foods completed by the time I am in college. What the future holds is unknown but I know I want to make my community, friends, and family proud.
      WCEJ Thornton Foundation Low-Income Scholarship
      My greatest achievement currently was getting accepted into the University of Houston. Getting accepted was just the beginning of my career and it showed me what I am capable of. I am grateful for this accomplishment of pursuing a higher education all while making my website. A few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. I work so hard on this website because one day it will be one of my greatest achievements. I plan to make Afro Foods a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. But for now, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. What also inspired my website was a repetitious cycle of pauperism in my life. There were times when I did not have enough to eat because my mom could not afford a lot of food and it was really ruining my physical and mental health. This experience taught me how to help and comprehend other people's struggles. An objective I have set for myself is having Afro Foods completed by the time I am in college. What the future holds is unknown but I know I want to make my community, friends, and family proud.
      "Your Success" Youssef Scholarship
      I would love to go to college or happily take the place of someone who doesnā€™t want to. It would be amazing to wake up in a bed on a college campus, instead of waking up in a home where the roof is tearing apart. I want to spend the rest of my days in a library with books filled with imagination. Because education is a beautiful thing that allows your mind to travel farther than logic. Although college may not be for everyone, it isnā€™t a waste of time but a great way to spend time. I believe not only can college bring many beautiful experiences and even hardships, but it can be a gateway out of my current predicament. College is important to me personally because I want to gain more experience in Computer Science and/or Computer Programming. Then later I plan on utilizing that experience to design my own website or create my own video games. There is plenty that I want to achieve and see. But for now, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science and possibly participate in the University of Houston's Orchestra. Orchestra is one of the many extracurriculars that I currently partake in and I enjoy playing violin for myself and others. Some objectives I have set for myself are pursuing a Masterā€™s degree at the University of Houston as soon as I leave Elsik High School and completing my unofficial website Afro Foods. My website would have been impossible to make without the beauty of Computer Programming! Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. Afro Foods is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. I am currently working on Afro Foods and as I said before, plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming and with the utilization of coding, make my friends, family, and community proud.
      Harold Reighn Moxie Scholarship
      Throughout my high school experience, I have encountered many obstacles and I have either hurdled over them or gave up and never came back to them. I learned personally that itā€™s better to ignore and analyze certain things than to react on first instinct; As well as coming to school with a positive attitude on the outside, even if I had a gloomy one on the inside. I always came to school with a positive attitude, because school was the only place where I could occupy my mind. Nevertheless, my experiences of texturism, financial issues, and turning down opportunities I couldnā€™t afford, have influenced the person I am today. Early in my years of school and even to this day I have always gotten comments on my hair. For example, some remarks were heartening others disheartening; the disheartening remarks didnā€™t make me feel discouraged about myself, instead, they only left me discombobulated. Most of these unwitting comments came from my brown female peers that look like me. So I couldnā€™t seem to comprehend at the time, why someone would say such a thing. It was a malicious choice of words. I overcame these types of conversations by educating myself and getting rid of anyone I believed to be driven by an ignorant mind. Another problem that impacted me very much was when the electricity company disconnected our power at home. One of my biological parents was supposed to make sure we were financially stable but instead, he vanished and left us for another life outside of the United States. That situation was very complicated and taught me how to multitask and problem-solve. Such as, cooking at my neighborā€™s place and utilizing candles. There was even another time on one of my birthdays when I had to use the stars from the night sky just to see myself cutting the cake. I spent weeks, months without proper needs and if I needed anything like printing an essay for school; I would print the essay at the school library. My day would start at school and then ended with me showering in the dark. I would even stay after school longer and dread the ride back home. But those past experiences have taught me to move forward and never take anything for granted. Lastly, some positives of my high school career were many opportunities were given to me. Some of them would make a lasting impact on the rest of my life. Switching from Symphonic to Chamber Orchestra or enrolling in Girls Who Code made me feel ecstatic. But other opportunities like getting a letter to enroll in Aerospace and Aviation Academy, also made me feel great but I failed to go through with it because I could not afford the summer tuition. At that time I was thrilled and sad that I had to pass up the opportunity, due to the fact of this Academy being too costly. But this experience taught me to keep pursuing my dreams. Because of that letter, it showed me that people were watching me thrive even when I wasnā€™t looking. So ever since then, I have always done my utmost. Although I have encountered many obstacles, my biggest problems have shown me that they were really my smallest. I still struggle to this day with issues that I tried to solve. Through all of these predicaments, I have learned to be a persistent person. Because of these issues, it has shown me to just keep going because I would like to grow, forging my path, not being a negative person. On the contrary, I want to be the best person that I can be, to inspire others.
      Bubba Wallace Live to Be Different Scholarship
      Throughout my high school experience, I have encountered many obstacles and I have either hurdled over them or gave up and never came back to them. I learned personally that itā€™s better to ignore and analyze certain things than to react on first instinct; As well as coming to school with a positive attitude on the outside, even if I had a gloomy one on the inside. I always came to school with a positive attitude, because school was the only place where I could occupy my mind. Nevertheless, my experiences of texturism, financial issues, and turning down opportunities I couldnā€™t afford, have influenced the person I am today. Early in my years of school and even to this day I have always gotten comments on my hair. For example, some remarks were heartening others disheartening; the disheartening remarks didnā€™t make me feel discouraged about myself, instead, they only left me discombobulated. Most of these unwitting comments came from my brown female peers that look like me. So I couldnā€™t seem to comprehend at the time, why someone would say such a thing. It was a malicious choice of words. I overcame these types of conversations by educating myself and getting rid of anyone I believed to be driven by an ignorant mind. Another problem that impacted me very much was when the electricity company disconnected our power at home. One of my biological parents was supposed to make sure we were financially stable but instead, he vanished and left us for another life outside of the United States. . That situation was very complicated and taught me how to multitask and problem-solve. Such as, cooking at my neighborā€™s place and utilizing candles. There was even another time on one of my birthdays when I had to use the stars from the night sky just to see myself cutting the cake. I spent weeks, months without proper needs and if I needed anything like printing an essay for school; I would print the essay at the school library. My day would start at school and then ended with me showering in the dark. I would even stay after school longer and dread the ride back home. But those past experiences have taught me to move forward and never take anything for granted. Lastly, some positives of my high school career were many opportunities were given to me. Some of them would make a lasting impact on the rest of my life. Switching from Symphonic to Chamber Orchestra or enrolling in Girls Who Code made me feel ecstatic. But other opportunities like getting a letter to enroll in Aerospace and Aviation Academy, also made me feel great but I failed to go through with it because I could not afford the summer tuition. At that time I was thrilled and sad that I had to pass up the opportunity, due to the fact of this Academy being too costly. But this experience taught me to keep pursuing my dreams. Because of that letter, it showed me that people were watching me thrive even when I wasnā€™t looking. So ever since then, I have always done my utmost. Although I have encountered many obstacles, my biggest problems have shown me that they were really my smallest. I still struggle to this day with issues that I tried to solve. Through all of these predicaments, I have learned to be a persistent person. Because of these issues, it has shown me to just keep going because I would like to grow, forging my path, not being a negative person. On the contrary, I want to be the best person that I can be, to inspire others.
      JuJu Foundation Scholarship
      My visionary ideas will benefit not only me but those around me as well. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. But for now, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. What also inspired my website was a repetitious cycle of pauperism in my life. There were times when I did not have enough to eat because my mom could not afford a lot of food and it was really ruining my physical and mental health. I could not focus in class and if I got out of bed too fast, my vision would go black and my head got dizzy. I want to make a stable enough income knowing that I will never have to experience that kind of hunger again. My financial predicament also affects how I am going to pay for my tuition when I go off to college next year. What I hope to achieve from Afro Foods, is balanced community orientation as well as a stable income to provide for my family and continuously purchase enough food that could actually last a month and not just a week. An objective I have set for myself is having Afro Foods completed by the time I am in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality. My greatest inspiration is my family, friends, and community. Knowing that I have all those people by my side, drives my perseverance and reminds me how proud I want to make them.
      GRLSWIRL Scholarship
      My visionary ideas will benefit not only me but those around me as well. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. But for now, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. I was also inspired by a repetitious cycle of pauperism in my life. There were times when I did not have enough to eat because my mom could not afford a lot of food and it was really ruining my physical and mental health. I could not focus in class and if I got out of bed too fast, my vision would go black and my head got dizzy. I want to make a stable enough income knowing that I will never have to experience that kind of hunger again. My financial predicament also affects how I am going to pay for my tuition when I go off to college next year. What I hope to achieve from Afro Foods, is balanced community orientation as well as a stable income to provide for my family and continuously purchase enough food that could actually last a month and not just a week. Some objectives I have set for myself are making Afro Foods an official website by the time I am in college, pursuing my degree in Computer Programming, and helping out my community by volunteering for Houston Food Bank.
      Charles R. Ullman & Associates Educational Support Scholarship
      People should be involved in their communities not only because it is a good thing but also to help each other thrive. One should want better for their community and give back whenever they can. Later between June and July, I was volunteering for Episcopal Church Christ the King, a small church in our neighborhood. The Church was a representative of Houston Food Bank and we would give food to families in need from Monday- Friday. I volunteered every Tuesday during the summer, and after becoming familiar with my tasks, I was the fastest and most self-reliant team worker. Volunteering allowed me to comprehend the word ā€œleaderā€ as a term that should be expressed through great effort. Because of this experience, I learned people will tell stories about how I helped others by placing food in their kitchens. Another part of my journey to my future career is providing aid to other communities that are not near me. One of my goals at the current moment is to design a website from scratch. The name of my website is Afro Foods, and the point of this site is to help minority-owned food businesses grow their establishments virtually, instead of remaining in one area. This idea came to me during my Girls Who Code program I was attending during the summer. With the help of the Internet, I can help communities worldwide and not just in my area.
      John J. DiPietro COME OUT STRONG Scholarship
      Her singing and dancing are both unique. But her violin playing would make anyone stop and listen. She makes her own music and donates to those affected by Covid-19, which influenced me to go back to volunteering at my church as well. She is the complete definition of extraordinary. Even if I may not know her personally, I can say that Lindsey Stirling is one of my top ten role models. I have been watching her videos and listening to her music since I was in middle school, I am now in high school. By just watching her play the violin, it has allowed me to continue playing the violin myself, even during times where I grew apathetic. Stirling's journey began on YouTube and she is now on tour. This gradual journey was one that I wanted for myself, in not only playing the violin but as well as my educational and career goals like going to college. I work so hard on my goals so that I may see and do things I have never done before, like travel. But after a while, I focused more on my education and career and I put my violin aside. So sometimes I like to watch Stirling's old videos or listen to her music because it reminds me of why I love playing the violin and it helps me stay consistent. Stirling has taught me more than to just never give up. She showed me that when I feel like giving up, I should grab my bow and let it dance on the strings of my violin because it's just the perfect way to express how I feel.
      Undiscovered Brilliance Scholarship for African-Americans
      My visionary ideas will benefit not only me but those around me as well. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. But for now, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. Of course, I was also inspired by a repetitious cycle of pauperism in my life. There were times when I did not have enough to eat because my mom could not afford a lot of food and it was really ruining my physical and mental health. I could not focus in class and if I got out of bed too fast, my vision would go black and my head got dizzy. I want to make a stable enough income knowing that I will never have to experience that kind of hunger again. My financial predicament also affects how I am going to pay for my tuition when I go off to college next year. What I hope to achieve from Afro Foods, is balanced community orientation as well as a stable income to provide for my family and continuously purchase enough food that could actually last a month and not just a week. Some objectives I have set for myself are having Afro Foods completed by the time I am in college and investing in stocks. My website would have been impossible to make without the beauty of Computer Programming! Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. My inspiration also came from a seventeen-year-old male named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up to date estimated data. After seeing his website, this motivated me to continue improving my website after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on Afro Foods and as I said before, plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality.
      KUURO Master Your Craft Scholarship
      My visionary ideas will benefit not only me but those around me as well. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. But for now, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. I was also inspired by a repetitious cycle of pauperism in my life. There were times when I did not have enough to eat because my mom could not afford a lot of food and it was really ruining my physical and mental health. I could not focus in class and if I got out of bed too fast, my vision would go black and my head got dizzy. I want to make a stable enough income knowing that I will never have to experience that kind of hunger again. My financial predicament also affects how I am going to pay for my tuition when I go off to college next year. What I hope to achieve from Afro Foods, is balanced community orientation as well as a stable income to provide for my family and continuously purchase enough food that could actually last a month and not just a week. Some objectives I have set for myself are having Afro Foods completed by the time I am in college and investing in stocks. My website would have been impossible to make without the beauty of Computer Programming! Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. My inspiration also came from a seventeen-year-old male named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up to date estimated data. After seeing his website, this motivated me to continue improving my website after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on Afro Foods and as I said before, plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality.
      "What Moves You" Scholarship
      ā€œEveryone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.ā€ by Albert Einstein is what motivates me to be such a persistent person. Not only did I find this quote, but I found a video by a YouTuber named Prince Ea who utilized this quote in his video. The video is about the many flaws of the American School System and how students are judged based upon it. Prince Ea used the quote by Albert Einstein to portray how students are judged based on the concept of grades. Ea then explains how something as nanoscopic as one awful grade, could influence someone not only in but also outside of the classroom and the rest of their lives. I really needed this video and quote altogether because it was very inspirational to me during the time in my life that I discovered it. I am not an all A's student, but I try my best. I take Advanced Placement courses, study, and in some classes I do great in others I do not. Remembering this quote helps me take a deep breath and realize that I will make mistakes and I cannot allow myself or anyone else to make me believe I am anything less than worthy, because of a bad grade. I don't know what awaits me in the future, but I know that I love Computer Programming, and I want to present my skills to my family, friends, and whoever needs to see them. This quote really made me change my mindset and attitude and has inspired me to always be an overachiever but not overwhelm myself also.
      Elevate Black Entrepreneurs Scholarship
      My visionary ideas will benefit not only me but those around me as well. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. But for now, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. I was also inspired by a repetitious cycle of pauperism in my life. There were times when I did not have enough to eat because my mom could not afford a lot of food and it was really ruining my physical and mental health. I could not focus in class and if I got out of bed too fast, my vision would go black and my head got dizzy. I want to make a stable enough income knowing that I will never have to experience that kind of hunger again. My financial predicament also affects how I am going to pay for my tuition when I go off to college next year. What I hope to achieve from Afro Foods, is balanced community orientation as well as a stable income to provide for my family and continuously purchase enough food that could actually last a month and not just a week. Some objectives I have set for myself are having Afro Foods completed by the time I am in college and investing in stocks. My website would have been impossible to make without the beauty of Computer Programming! Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. My inspiration also came from a seventeen-year-old male named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up to date estimated data. After seeing his website, this motivated me to continue improving my website after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on Afro Foods and as I said before, plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality.
      Elevate Women in Technology Scholarship
      My visionary ideas will benefit not only me but those around me as well. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. But for now, my main goals are to continue my education in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. Of course, I was also inspired by a repetitious cycle of pauperism in my life. There were times when I did not have enough to eat because my mom could not afford a lot of food and it was really ruining my physical and mental health. I could not focus in class and if I got out of bed too fast, my vision would go black and my head got dizzy. I want to make a stable enough income knowing that I will never have to experience that kind of hunger again. My financial predicament also affects how I am going to pay for my tuition when I go off to college next year. What I hope to achieve from Afro Foods, is balanced community orientation as well as a stable income to provide for my family and continuously purchase enough food that could actually last a month and not just a week. An objective I have set for myself is having Afro Foods completed by the time I am in college. My website would have been impossible to make without the beauty of Computer Programming! Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. My inspiration also came from a seventeen-year-old male named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up to date estimated data. After seeing his website, this motivated me to continue improving my website after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on Afro Foods and as I said before, plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality.
      Brady Cobin Law Group "Expect the Unexpected" Scholarship
      A legacy is a struggle one has to go through and others will tell their story. For someone to leave a legacy, means that person accomplished something huge and let others tell why they were so great. There are different kinds of legacies, but what they all have in common is that they get turned into stories. The legacy or story I want to leave behind is the one that tells people I was a leader. An extraordinary leader that cared for her community and anyone in need. Later between June and July, I was volunteering for Episcopal Church Christ the King, a small church in our neighborhood. The Church was a representative of Houston Food Bank and we would give food to families in need from Monday- Friday. I volunteered every Tuesday during the summer, and after becoming familiar with my tasks, I was the fastest and most self-reliant team worker. Volunteering allowed me to comprehend the word ā€œleaderā€ as a term that should be expressed through great effort. Because of this experience, I learned people will tell stories about how I helped others by placing food in their kitchens. Another part of my journey to creating my legacy is providing aid to other communities that are not near me. One of my goals at the current moment is to design a website from scratch. The name of my website is Afro Foods, and the point of this site is to help minority-owned food businesses grow their establishments virtually, instead of remaining in one area. This idea came to me during my Girls Who Code program I was attending during the summer. With the help of the Internet, I can help communities worldwide and not just in my area. I see myself as a leader who inspires others. With that said, I want to be a part of organizations such as Cross-Cultural Solutions in order to continue volunteering abroad as well, while searching for a small job and attending university all at once. Although this sounded overwhelming at first juggling various goals, it is something I always wanted to do and I enjoy helping other people. Furthermore, I am willing to give back to my community any way I can and that is the legacy I want to leave.
      Creative Expression Scholarship
      African-American Entrepreneurs Grant ā€” Female Award
      My visionary ideas will benefit not only me but those around me as well. My website, Afro Foods, is a virtual map for unknown food businesses owned by minorities that would like to expand their business so that anyone may find them. I created this website from scratch with HTML because I believe there are plenty of amazing minority-owned food businesses out there that aren't recognized as much; They deserve to be appreciated and invested in as much as their popular competition. But for now, my main goals are continuing my education in Computer Science so that I may gain more experience and improve my website. Of course, I was also inspired by a repetitious cycle of pauperism in my life. There were times when I did not have enough to eat because my mom could not afford a lot of groceries and it was really ruining my physical and mental health. I could not focus in class and if I got out of bed too fast, my vision would go black and my head got dizzy. I want to make a stable enough income knowing that I will never have to experience that kind of hunger again. My financial predicament also affects how I am going to pay my tuition when I go off to college next year. What I hope to achieve from Afro Foods, is balanced community orientation as well as a stable income to provide for my family and continuously purchase enough food that could actually last a month and not just a week. Some objectives I have set for myself are having Afro Foods completed by the time I am in college and investing in stocks. My website would have been impossible to make without the beauty of Computer Programming! Before making Afro Foods, I already enjoyed coding. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. There was a project assigned to us that had to do with us creating our own website and that is how my idea came to life. I continued working on Afro Foods after my summer program was over. My plans at the time were to work for a video game company but later my goals also were how I was going to attract low-income communities to Afro Foods since that is my target audience. My inspiration also came from a seventeen-year-old male named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up to date estimated data. After seeing his website, this motivated me to continue improving my website after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on Afro Foods and as I said before, plan to make it a concrete website during my time in college. I am really excited that this could help not only my community but many others even outside my state. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality.
      3LAU "Everything" Scholarship
      The art piece I have linked below is one very dear to me. I currently have it in my room so that I may look at it anytime I need to. Grief, struggle, and hardship is what the painting represents. But it can also portray hope and ambition. I can't help but stare at this painting and think to myself "I should continue". The perseverance revealed in this painting tells me that I can continue because the person who painted this creation (my mom) would have wanted that for me. Many financial predicaments I have been through like going without electricity for three months, allowed me to see the positive side of things. Because of this painting, I went through this experience just fine and I encountered future situations with a brighter mind.
      Rosemarie STEM Scholarship
      My main goal is continuing my education and pursuing a degree in Computer Science. My website would have been unattainable had it not been for the beauty of Computer Science! Before deciding on a field, I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. My goal was not only to work for a video game company but also to attract low-income communities to my website, Afro Foods. My inspiration came from a teenage boy (the same age as me) named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up to date estimated data. After seeing his website, this motivated me to continue making my websites after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on several websites that could help my community, and I made them all using HTML. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality. This isn't just a part of my educational goals, but a gateway to my future career and another way to utilize my coding passion for not only myself but others around me.
      Cynthia Lennon Scholarship for Girls
      I submitted a picture of a painting I drew a few years back. The painting portrays flowers and to me, that is a perfect representation of "Conserve Life". Because what better way to describe this quote then where all life started, in nature.
      Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
      Throughout my high school experience, I have encountered many obstacles and I have either hurdled over them or gave up and never came back to them. I learned personally that itā€™s better to ignore and analyze certain things than to react on first instinct; As well as coming to school with a positive attitude on the outside, even if I had a gloomy one on the inside. I always came to school with a positive attitude, because school was the only place where I could occupy my mind. Nevertheless, my experiences of texturism, financial issues, and turning down opportunities I couldnā€™t afford, has greatly influenced the person I am today, as well as my mental health. Early in my years of school and even to this day I have always gotten comments on my hair. For example, some remarks were heartening others disheartening; the disheartening remarks didnā€™t make me feel discouraged about myself, instead, they only left me discombobulated. Most of these unwitting comments came from my brown female peers that look like me. So I couldnā€™t seem to comprehend at the time, why someone would say such a thing. It was a malicious choice of words. I overcame these types of conversations by educating myself and getting rid of anyone I believed to be driven by an ignorant mind. Although I have encountered many obstacles, my biggest problems have shown me that they were really my smallest. I still struggle to this day with issues that I tried to solve. Through the predicament regarding my hair, I have learned to be a persistent person. Because of this issue, it has shown me to just keep going because I would like to grow and forge my own path. On the contrary, I want to be the best person that I can be, in order to inspire others.
      Chris Jackson Computer Science Education Scholarship
      The ingeniousness of my website would have been unattainable had it not been for the beauty of Computer Programming/Computer Science! Before deciding on a field, my desires had to come first, and my desired career field second. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. My goal was not only to work for a video game company but also to attract low-income communities through my website, Afro Foods. Afro Foods is a website I made from scratch that is supposed to benefit food businesses owned by minorities. My inspiration came from a teenage boy (the same age as me) named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up to date estimated data. After seeing his website, this motivated me to continue making my websites after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on several websites that could help my community, and I made them all using HTML. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality. I believe I'm the best candidate for this scholarship because it isn't just about me anymore, I have realized that it is now about everyone who looks up to me. If I were to acquire this scholarship, I could do so much more then just paying my tuition, I could create a dream and turn that visionary aspiration into a beneficial reality. So as said, it isn't just about the overflowing joy of receiving this scholarship, but the one step closer to my aspiring goal.
      Future Leaders in Technology Scholarship - High School Award
      The ingeniousness of my website would have been unattainable had it not been for the beauty of Computer Programming! Before deciding on a field, my desires had to come first, and my desired career field second. I have always had a passion for video games and the imagination behind creating my software. So a few years pass and I enroll in this beneficial organization named Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an institution where girls with different backgrounds come together to grasp more about coding. Being a part of this influential team meant a lot to me and revealed that I preferred something similar to computer programming. My goal was not only to work for a video game company but also to attract low-income communities. My inspiration came from a teenage boy (the same age as me) named Avi Schiffman, the creator behind the Coronavirus website, which tracks the coronavirus all over the world with up to date estimated data. After seeing his website, this motivated me to continue making my websites after I grew apathetic. I am currently working on several websites that could help my community, and I made them all using HTML. During my college years, I plan to gain more experience in computer programming, and with the utilization of coding, my website can become a reality.