Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

The hardest part about love is the hurt that comes with it. The ones I love the most have the ability to hurt me the most. For example, I have unconditional love for my mom, but with that love comes a lot of hurt. Instead of showering me with kisses and encouragement, she gives me "tough love;” she shows me love by providing for me and giving me direction and purpose. I have always felt the need to make her proud and be worthy of her, but nothing was ever good enough. I have gone out of my way to be seen by her, by doing things like taking initiative around the house, completing an independent research project, getting a part-time job, and more, but I can never seem to get noticed. I understand that she loves me and is proud of all my accomplishments, but I will never be a son. This isn’t intentional; she doesn’t mean to hurt me in this way, and unfortunately I am not the only girl in the world with this problem. In fact, son preference is very common in the Black community. Reading the phrase “Black women raise their daughters and love their sons” taught me everything I needed to know. It forced me to stop trying to get my mother’s approval and stop competing with my brother. Anything I do should be to make myself proud and I don’t need approval from anyone else. Embracing this perspective has taught me independence and self-discipline, and fostered self-confidence. I’ve learned the importance of self-love. My mother’s love looks different from what I imagined, but it has still helped get me to where I am today. Her love has taught me the value of family and compassion. It motivates me to work harder and be the best version of myself, inspiring me to advocate for myself and to be passionate in all that I do. My father, on the other hand, has given me more hurt than love. When he and my mom separated, he showed me that his love was conditional. I quickly learned that I only get recognition from him when he is on good terms with my mother. My father’s inconsistency taught me to accept things that are out of my control and move on. While helping my mother care for a baby for over a year, I have grown and learned so much. He has taught me patience and perseverance. He also led me to improve my time management and organization skills. Generally the best lesson of all was to remember to have a little fun. Overall, my family shaped me to be the person I am today. I am so grateful for the support system I have and the love I am given, whatever that love may look like. With that, I am able to put out a lot of love into the world.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

The hardest part about love is the hurt that comes with it. The ones I love the most have the ability to hurt me the most. For example, I have unconditional love for my mom, but with that love comes a lot of hurt. Instead of showering me with kisses and encouragement, she gives me "tough love;” she shows me love by providing for me and giving me direction and purpose. I have always felt the need to make her proud and be worthy of her, but nothing was ever good enough. I have gone out of my way to be seen by her, by doing things like taking initiative around the house, completing an independent research project, getting a part-time job, and more, but I can never seem to get noticed. I understand that she loves me and is proud of all my accomplishments, but I will never be a son. This isn’t intentional; she doesn’t mean to hurt me in this way, and unfortunately I am not the only girl in the world with this problem. In fact, son preference is very common in the Black community. Reading the phrase “Black women raise their daughters and love their sons” taught me everything I needed to know. It forced me to stop trying to get my mother’s approval and stop competing with my brother. Anything I do should be to make myself proud and I don’t need approval from anyone else. Embracing this perspective has taught me independence and self-discipline, and fostered self-confidence. I’ve learned the importance of self-love. My mother’s love looks different from what I imagined, but it has still helped get me to where I am today. Her love has taught me the value of family and compassion. It motivates me to work harder and be the best version of myself, inspiring me to advocate for myself and to be passionate in all that I do. My father, on the other hand, has given me more hurt than love. When he and my mom separated, he showed me that his love was conditional. I quickly learned that I only get recognition from him when he is on good terms with my mother. Even though I had many half-siblings, as he had relationships with other women, I never got the chance to build a bond with them. I knew I couldn't rely on my father to introduce me to his other children, so I took the initiative and reached out to them myself. As a result, we now keep in close contact. This taught me the importance of being an active member of the family to secure love and relationships. My father’s inconsistency taught me to accept things that are out of my control and move on. I have always tried to appreciate the small things in life. I would have never thought the “small things” would include an infant. At the start of quarantine, a baby (Da’Khari Brown, three months old) joined my family due to unfortunate circumstances with his immediate family, teaching me a new level of what love means. My mother was recently unemployed due to Covid and needed help caring for him. I would drop him off and pick him up from daycare, feed and bathe him, and entertain him. While helping her care for him for over a year, I have grown and learned so much. He has taught me patience and perseverance. He also led me to improve my time management and organization skills. Generally the best lesson of all was to remember to have a little fun. Overall, my family shaped me to be the person I am today. I am so grateful for the support system I have and the love I am given, whatever that love may look like. With that, I am able to put out a lot of love into the world.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

The hardest part about love is the hurt that comes with it. The ones I love the most have the ability to hurt me the most. For example, I have unconditional love for my mom, but with that love comes a lot of hurt. Instead of showering me with kisses and encouragement, she gives me "tough love;” she shows me love by providing for me and giving me direction and purpose. I have always felt the need to make her proud and be worthy of her, but nothing was ever good enough. I have gone out of my way to be seen by her, by doing things like taking initiative around the house, completing an independent research project, getting a part-time job, and more, but I can never seem to get noticed. I understand that she loves me and is proud of all my accomplishments, but I will never be a son. This isn’t intentional; she doesn’t mean to hurt me in this way, and unfortunately I am not the only girl in the world with this problem. In fact, son preference is very common in the Black community. Reading the phrase “Black women raise their daughters and love their sons” taught me everything I needed to know. It forced me to stop trying to get my mother’s approval and stop competing with my brother. Anything I do should be to make myself proud and I don’t need approval from anyone else. Embracing this perspective has taught me independence and self-discipline, and fostered self-confidence. I’ve learned the importance of self-love. My mother’s love looks different from what I imagined, but it has still helped get me to where I am today. Her love has taught me the value of family and compassion. It motivates me to work harder and be the best version of myself, inspiring me to advocate for myself and to be passionate in all that I do. My father, on the other hand, has given me more hurt than love. When he and my mom separated, he showed me that his love was conditional. I quickly learned that I only get recognition from him when he is on good terms with my mother. Even though I had many half-siblings, as he had relationships with other women, I never got the chance to build a bond with them. I knew I couldn't rely on my father to introduce me to his other children, so I took the initiative and reached out to them myself. As a result, we now keep in close contact. This taught me the importance of being an active member of the family to secure love and relationships. My father’s inconsistency taught me to accept things that are out of my control and move on. I have always tried to appreciate the small things in life. I would have never thought the “small things” would include an infant. At the start of quarantine, a baby (Da’Khari Brown, three months old) joined my family due to unfortunate circumstances with his immediate family, teaching me a new level of what love means. My mother was recently unemployed due to Covid and needed help caring for him. I would drop him off and pick him up from daycare, feed and bathe him, and entertain him. While helping her care for him for over a year, I have grown and learned so much. He has taught me patience and perseverance. He also led me to improve my time management and organization skills. Generally the best lesson of all was to remember to have a little fun. Overall, my family shaped me to be the person I am today. I am so grateful for the support system I have and the love I am given, whatever that love may look like. With that, I am able to put out a lot of love into the world. I should be chosen for this scholarship because I have been working toward this for over 6 years, and by “this” I mean studying mathematics at a HBCU. The only issue is I cannot afford it and my EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) is $0, so I am trying my hardest to fund my dream alone. Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

The hardest part about love is the hurt that comes with it. The ones I love the most have the ability to hurt me the most. For example, I have unconditional love for my mom, but with that love comes a lot of hurt. Instead of showering me with kisses and encouragement, she gives me "tough love;” she shows me love by providing for me and giving me direction and purpose. I have always felt the need to make her proud and be worthy of her, but nothing was ever good enough. I have gone out of my way to be seen by her, by doing things like taking initiative around the house, completing an independent research project, getting a part-time job, and more, but I can never seem to get noticed. I understand that she loves me and is proud of all my accomplishments, but I will never be a son. This isn’t intentional; she doesn’t mean to hurt me in this way, and unfortunately I am not the only girl in the world with this problem. In fact, son preference is very common in the Black community. Reading the phrase “Black women raise their daughters and love their sons” taught me everything I needed to know. It forced me to stop trying to get my mother’s approval and stop competing with my brother. Anything I do should be to make myself proud and I don’t need approval from anyone else. Embracing this perspective has taught me independence and self-discipline, and fostered self-confidence. I’ve learned the importance of self-love. My mother’s love looks different from what I imagined, but it has still helped get me to where I am today. Her love has taught me the value of family and compassion. It motivates me to work harder and be the best version of myself, inspiring me to advocate for myself and to be passionate in all that I do. My father, on the other hand, has given me more hurt than love. When he and my mom separated, he showed me that his love was conditional. I quickly learned that I only get recognition from him when he is on good terms with my mother. My father’s inconsistency taught me to accept things that are out of my control and move on. While helping my mother care for a baby for over a year, I have grown and learned so much. He has taught me patience and perseverance. He also led me to improve my time management and organization skills. Generally the best lesson of all was to remember to have a little fun. Overall, my family shaped me to be the person I am today. I am so grateful for the support system I have and the love I am given, whatever that love may look like. With that, I am able to put out a lot of love into the world.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

Mathematics and computer science is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but computer science interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

The biggest challenge I have ever had to overcome was a “surprise baby” joining my family at the start of quarantine. At the start of quarantine, a baby (Da’Khari Brown, three months old) joined my family due to unfortunate circumstances with his immediate family, teaching me a new level of what love means. My mother was recently unemployed due to Covid and needed help caring for him. I would drop him off and pick him up from daycare, feed and bathe him, and entertain him. While helping her care for him for over a year, I have grown and learned so much. He has taught me patience and perseverance. I could never see myself raising a child so young, but I am like a second mom to him now, with my mother being the first. This relates to me wanting to attend college because I’ve done something that I never thought I could. His presence gave me motivation to want more out of life, and to conquer my fears. He’s shown me that I can do the impossible, or at least what I believe to be impossible. He’s taught me so much, and just enough to want to go out into the world and learn more. I changed what I believed to be true, and opened my mind to the endless possibilities the world has to offer. Raising him has better prepared me for college than any class I’ve ever taken. He’s forced me to be independent and grow up, which is a huge part of college. He also led me to improve my time management and organization skills. Generally the best lesson of all was to remember to have a little fun. Life lessons are better experienced than learned, and raising him is definitely an experience while I learn something new everyday. Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I also participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I plan to do something similar with my STEM education. I hope to help African American children learn and excel with a computer software system that I create. I want to help children because they are the future, and I am extremely grateful for those to decided to help me and give me a more promising future.

The biggest challenge I have ever had to overcome was a “surprise baby” joining my family at the start of quarantine. At the start of quarantine, a baby (Da’Khari Brown, three months old) joined my family due to unfortunate circumstances with his immediate family, teaching me a new level of what love means. My mother was recently unemployed due to Covid and needed help caring for him. I would drop him off and pick him up from daycare, feed and bathe him, and entertain him. While helping her care for him for over a year, I have grown and learned so much. He has taught me patience and perseverance. I could never see myself raising a child so young, but I am like a second mom to him now, with my mother being the first. This relates to me wanting to attend college because I’ve done something that I never thought I could. His presence gave me motivation to want more out of life, and to conquer my fears. He’s shown me that I can do the impossible, or at least what I believe to be impossible. He’s taught me so much, and just enough to want to go out into the world and learn more. I changed what I believed to be true, and opened my mind to the endless possibilities the world has to offer. Raising him has better prepared me for college than any class I’ve ever taken. He’s forced me to be independent and grow up, which is a huge part of college. He also led me to improve my time management and organization skills. Generally the best lesson of all was to remember to have a little fun. Life lessons are better experienced than learned, and raising him is definitely an experience while I learn something new everyday. So, in conclusion, I would consider my greatest achievement to be that I helped raise an amazing child.

The biggest challenge I have ever had to overcome was a “surprise baby” joining my family at the start of quarantine. At the start of quarantine, a baby (Da’Khari Brown, three months old) joined my family due to unfortunate circumstances with his immediate family, teaching me a new level of what love means. My mother was recently unemployed due to Covid and needed help caring for him. I would drop him off and pick him up from daycare, feed and bathe him, and entertain him. While helping her care for him for over a year, I have grown and learned so much. He has taught me patience and perseverance. I could never see myself raising a child so young, but I am like a second mom to him now, with my mother being the first. This relates to me wanting to attend college because I’ve done something that I never thought I could. His presence gave me motivation to want more out of life, and to conquer my fears. He’s shown me that I can do the impossible, or at least what I believe to be impossible. He’s taught me so much, and just enough to want to go out into the world and learn more. I changed what I believed to be true, and opened my mind to the endless possibilities the world has to offer. Raising him has better prepared me for college than any class I’ve ever taken. He’s forced me to be independent and grow up, which is a huge part of college. He also led me to improve my time management and organization skills. Generally the best lesson of all was to remember to have a little fun. Life lessons are better experienced than learned, and raising him is definitely an experience while I learn something new everyday.

The hardest part about love is the hurt that comes with it. The ones I love the most have the ability to hurt me the most. For example, I have unconditional love for my mom, but with that love comes a lot of hurt. Instead of showering me with kisses and encouragement, she gives me "tough love;” she shows me love by providing for me and giving me direction and purpose. I have always felt the need to make her proud and be worthy of her, but nothing was ever good enough. I have gone out of my way to be seen by her, by doing things like taking initiative around the house, completing an independent research project, getting a part-time job, and more, but I can never seem to get noticed. I understand that she loves me and is proud of all my accomplishments, but I will never be a son. This isn’t intentional; she doesn’t mean to hurt me in this way, and unfortunately I am not the only girl in the world with this problem. In fact, son preference is very common in the Black community. Reading the phrase “Black women raise their daughters and love their sons” taught me everything I needed to know. It forced me to stop trying to get my mother’s approval and stop competing with my brother. Anything I do should be to make myself proud and I don’t need approval from anyone else. Embracing this perspective has taught me independence and self-discipline, and fostered self-confidence. I’ve learned the importance of self-love. My mother’s love looks different from what I imagined, but it has still helped get me to where I am today. Her love has taught me the value of family and compassion. It motivates me to work harder and be the best version of myself, inspiring me to advocate for myself and to be passionate in all that I do. My father, on the other hand, has given me more hurt than love. When he and my mom separated, he showed me that his love was conditional. I quickly learned that I only get recognition from him when he is on good terms with my mother. My father’s inconsistency taught me to accept things that are out of my control and move on. While helping my mother care for a baby for over a year, I have grown and learned so much. He has taught me patience and perseverance. He also led me to improve my time management and organization skills. Generally the best lesson of all was to remember to have a little fun. Overall, my family shaped me to be the person I am today. I am so grateful for the support system I have and the love I am given, whatever that love may look like. With that, I am able to put out a lot of love into the world.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well. I will use my degree to create a digital safe space from African American children to discuss their experiences.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.

Mathematics is the career field for me because I have been working toward this for over 6 years. I have always known I loved math, and when I entered 6th grade, I joined the Ingenuity Project. The Ingenuity Project is a STEM focused program for Baltimore City public school students. It has allowed me to take challenging math and science classes and conduct independent research. My independent research was conducted under Dr. Candice Marshall at Morgan State University. I participated in Dr. Marshalls’ Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences (SAAMS). I took an Intro to Actuarial Science class in the summer program, which helped prepare me for my research during the school year. I studied the effect of Covid-19 on Health insurance rates, using actuarial science methods. After all the research I conducted for my practicum, my love for mathematics only grew and I am confident that this is the right academic path for me. I believe the mathematics major program in college would be a perfect fit for me. With this mathematics degree, I plan on pursuing a career in Engineering. College will allow me to further my knowledge and experience with engineering, and I plan on pursuing a career in engineering after college with my earned bachelor’s degree. I want to pursue the engineering field because it is problem-focused; I am able to identify a problem, and using mathematics and engineering, solve the problem and improve an aspect of society. Moreover, I am most interested in the Natural Sciences, specifically, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is my main focus, but most sciences interest me as well. Overall, my ideal college experience is at an HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities), studying a STEM major and acquiring a bachelor's degree to pursue a career in STEM as well.