I was born into a humble family in Kyrgyzstan. Since childhood, I was an active and curious child, but during my teenage years, I became withdrawn due to difficult family circumstances. Everything changed when, at the age of 17, I joined a grant-funded program for girls, where 40 talented young women studied programming for nine months - and that became a turning point in my life. It was there that I was first introduced to the concept of a growth mindset. I was inspired by my fellow students - smart, strong, progressive young women. That program didn’t just teach me how to code - it gave me faith in myself, big dreams, and bold thinking. Since then, technology has become my purpose, my passion. After completing the program, I continued to pursue STEM, but I had to pause my education for five years due to financial hardship. I chose to support my family by working. Still, I never gave up on my desire to study. That’s when I made one of the hardest decisions of my life - to leave my home country in pursuit of a dream: to study in the U.S., in the global hub of innovation: Silicon Valley. In America, I faced deep loneliness, uncertainty, and chronic stress. I juggle college and 2–3 jobs to pay for my education. It’s difficult, but every day we choose our own version of “hard.” It’s hard to sit and do nothing. It’s hard to study, but not getting an education and falling behind is also hard. It’s hard to work, but not working is hard too. So every day I feel grateful for this incredible opportunity to pursue my higher education. Immigrating to the U.S. has been a transformative experience for me. It’s taught me to trust myself, the journey, and God, while also deepening my sense of gratitude. This journey has strengthened my belief in myself, made me more resilient, and encouraged me to take meaningful steps toward building a brighter future rather than dwelling on uncertainties. I love this quote: "The best way to predict the future - is to create". Also this incredible country has shown me how to move quickly, adapt fast despite all my fears. In this, I’m deeply inspired by my older sister - a person who rose from poverty and hardship to graduate with honors and get accepted into a Master’s program in the UK. During the most difficult times, when our family didn’t even have money for transportation or baby food for our newborn brother, she never gave up. Her strength and perseverance have been a lifelong example to me. I chose to study STEM in college because I truly believe that when people and technology come together, they have the power to create lasting, sustainable change. In the summer of 2025, I will begin a research project focused on digital literacy for teachers in Central Asia. My goal is to help integrate artificial intelligence into the region’s educational system, allowing teachers to move away from outdated methods and focus on progressive, modern learning. After graduating, I plan to continue my education and build a career focused on developing AI tools for schools in developing countries. I dream of a world where children and teachers in remote corners of the world have access to quality, modern education - because I have personally witnessed the lack of technology in remote regions of Central Asia. I believe that since I have started the change within myself, I can help change the world too.

My journey into STEM began with my participation in a women’s empowerment IT bootcamp, where 40 young women united to break barriers and promote equality in Kyrgyzstan’s tech industry. This transformative experience introduced me to inspiring women from rural regions, shaping my perspective on the power of education and technology. Over nine months, we immersed ourselves in programming while attending workshops and industry events. Though I had always dreamed of studying abroad, I had to pause my education for five years due to financial difficulties, working to support my family. During this time, I gained industry experience as a programmer, further solidifying my passion for technology and education. Now, as a community college student, I am preparing to transfer to a top university such as Stanford or Columbia, where I can develop my expertise and continue my mission of using AI to bridge the digital divide in education, particularly in rural communities. I chose to pursue a STEM field because of its transformative potential to create solutions for pressing educational and technological challenges. My programming journey has shown me how technology can be a powerful tool for solving real-world problems, particularly in education. I am driven by the potential to create meaningful solutions that contribute to society. Specifically, I am committed to developing AI-powered education tools for Central Asia, with a long-term vision of expanding their impact globally. After the bootcamp, our team held 15 programming workshops in rural schools, which showed me the urgent need for better technology in underserved communities. This experience inspired my current research project on AI-powered digital literacy for teachers. I want to explore how AI can help educators in underdeveloped regions by providing tools to improve their teaching and adapt to modern technology. So I will collaborate with teachers from rural schools to test and refine an AI-powered teaching assistant. This interactive chatbot will help teachers with lesson planning, provide guidance on using digital tools, and offer AI-generated recommendations tailored to local educational needs. By using natural language processing, the assistant will be accessible to teachers with limited technical knowledge, making it a scalable solution for bridging the digital divide in education. Once tested, I plan to expand this project to Central Asia, where many countries face similar digital literacy challenges. This initiative is deeply personal to me because I have seen firsthand the challenges of limited access to education. Growing up in Kyrgyzstan, I witnessed the disparity between urban and rural schools, where many teachers struggle to incorporate technology into their lessons. My experience conducting workshops in rural areas reinforced the importance of providing teachers with the right tools to support their students. Winning this scholarship would allow me to fully focus on my studies without the stress of tuition fees, giving me the freedom to expand my drive and make a meaningful impact. I would start by actively contributing to my community college - launching student clubs, organizing STEM events, and fostering collaboration among students passionate about technology. This support would also enable me to dedicate more time to research and community-driven projects, particularly in AI and education. As I continue my preparation to a top university by maintaining high GPA and great academic performance, I will gain the knowledge, mentorship, and resources to scale these initiatives beyond Kyrgyzstan, creating AI-driven advancements in education with a global impact. Through AI-driven innovation, I am committed to reshaping digital literacy in education and ensuring that no teacher or student is left behind in the digital age.

1. Being born a woman in Central Asia means being strong, navigating challenges, and finding the courage to believe in your dreams despite the odds. I was born in the heart of Kyrgyzstan, a country renowned for its breathtaking mountains, rich culture, and warm people. Yet, amidst this beauty, gender equality remains elusive. In Kyrgyz traditions, women have often been seen as having fewer rights - whether in the workplace, at home, or in society at large. Despite these challenges, I was fortunate to receive a grant for a women’s empowerment IT bootcamp. Alongside 40 other girls, I spent nine months learning programming and English. I also took part in a tech project for teenage girls, where we developed a product and presented our startup. These experiences connected me with incredible women, especially those from rural areas, and they transformed my perspective. I started to dream big, set goals, and truly believe in myself. At just 17 years old, I realized how much our environment shapes us. Unfortunately, after this project, I couldn't continue my education as I had to step in to support my family financially. After 5 years gap, I decided it was time to pursue my aspirations again. I resolved to earn a bachelor’s degree and specialize in IT. Now, I’m fully immersed in my studies, working hard to maintain a high GPA and gain as much knowledge as I can. I’m also preparing to transfer to a top university next year, determined to achieve my goals. 2. What excites me most about STEM is the endless potential it offers to solve real-world problems and create meaningful change. I am naturally curious, deeply oriented toward the pursuit of knowledge, and committed to growth. STEM perfectly aligns with my values and goals, where every innovation has the ability to shape a brighter future. Also I identify myself as a creative person, the STEM field it is a science sphere, where using our creativity we can create, conquer, develop, change, implement the richest, fantastic and useful and innovative ideas into the reality. I love this feeling of capability with technologies and inventions. The positive impact I want to make is through bringing AI into the education system of rural schools in Kyrgyzstan (with mission to expand the working system of integration of AI to the other countries in the world). The old post-Soviet system now puts too much paperwork on teachers and uses outdated teaching methods, which slows them down. Teachers are some of the most important people in shaping future generations, as they have a direct influence on children, who are the foundation of our future. My impact includes using AI to make teachers' administrative tasks easier and to create more engaging, personalized learning for students. AI in Kyrgyzstan and much of Central Asia - is still new, especially in education. Many teachers still use old methods, spending a lot of time on paperwork and not having access to digital teaching tools. AI could help by reducing administrative work, making lesson planning easier, and improving student learning through personalized tools. This research could be the first step toward a bigger impact. While the focus is on Kyrgyzstan, the results could help rural schools worldwide by showing how AI can improve digital literacy and modernize education in underserved areas. This year, I started working on a research project "AI-Powered Digital Literacy for Teachers in Central Asia" which aims to explore barriers to AI adoption in non-Western schools and develop an AI-powered assistant to support teachers in digital literacy, lesson planning, and AI-integrated education. My research project is the first step toward making this vision a reality. 3. At the age of 23, the biggest decision I made was to move to the USA to pursue my bachelor’s degree. Moving to a new country, or even just living away from home for a while, is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. I left behind my comfortable life to focus on my studies. The first six months were very tough. I often felt terribly lonely, exhausted, and unmotivated. However, this challenges to integrate with new country’s values, culture and make a new environment of good people, friends - it was just beautiful process, which made me more resilient and much more positive thinking and grateful person. I also realized how important it is to take care of basic needs. Good sleep, healthy food, and regular exercise are essential for staying in a good physical and mental state. Once I focused on these, I started making plans for a brighter future. I started to do 5 minute gratitude practice and journaling every day. I learned that believing in myself is the first step to making my dreams a reality. I started to learn how to trust to God, myself, my journey. Now, I am proud of how far I’ve come. Moving abroad was not easy, but it worth it because it has shaped me into a more resilient, hopeful, and determined person. I am excited to keep learning, growing, and working towards achieving my goals.

I was born and raised in Kyrgyzstan, a country in Central Asia where 94% of the land is covered by breathtaking mountains. These mountains have shaped not only the geography of my homeland but also my character. Much like Malgorzata “Maggie” Kwiecien, I have had to climb my own mountains - both literal and figurative - to pursue my dreams and overcome challenges. Growing up in a low-income family, my dream of studying in the United States seemed distant and unattainable after I graduated from high school. Financial constraints meant that I had to put my education on hold for five years. However, I firmly believe that dreams have no expiration date. Through perseverance, hard work, and a deep belief in myself, I am now living my dream of studying in the U.S. as a first-generation international student. Moving here alone, without a support system, was daunting, but it has also been the most transformative journey of my life. This experience resonates deeply with Maggie’s story of bravery and determination. Before coming to the U.S., I built my career in software development in Kyrgyzstan. My passion for engineering aligns with Maggie’s professional dedication. I am currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science and aspire to transfer to Columbia University. For a young woman from Central Asia, studying abroad and charting this path is a monumental achievement. Like Maggie, I am intellectually curious and driven to master whatever I set my mind to, whether it’s coding a complex algorithm, navigating a new culture, or striving for academic excellence. Maggie’s love for physical challenges also inspires me, as sports are an integral part of my life. I am a passionate runner, and my connection to the mountains goes beyond admiration - they are my sanctuary and my source of strength. I hike, climb, and find peace in the vast, rugged terrain of my homeland, which has taught me resilience and endurance. Every run I take reminds me of the beauty of pushing through barriers, just as Maggie did in her adventures as a skier, climber, and diver. On a personal level, I admire Maggie’s boldness and her zest for life. Her commitment to growth - both physical and intellectual - is a trait I strive to embody daily. Like her, I am always eager to learn, debate, and explore. My journey is fueled by the same thirst for knowledge and passion for new experiences. Whether it’s tackling a challenging class, exploring the U.S., or diving into a new sport, I am driven by a curiosity that mirrors Maggie’s. Moving to the United States has been a test of my courage and adaptability. I had to leave behind my family, friends, and the familiarity of my culture to pursue my education. The transition was not easy, but it has taught me to embrace uncertainty and find strength in challenges. Maggie’s story gives me hope and reinforces my belief that bravery, determination, and an unrelenting spirit can lead to extraordinary achievements. Maggie’s life is a powerful testament to the strength of women who dare to dream and push boundaries, regardless of the obstacles they face. I am honored to share similarities with her in our passion for engineering, love for physical and intellectual challenges, and determination to forge new paths. This scholarship would not only help me continue my education but also inspire me to honor Maggie’s legacy by striving for excellence in all that I do.