My mother wiped the tears from her face, looked deeply into my 7 year old eyes, and made me promise her that I would strive to do the things I love by completing a college education. My mother had me make that promise because I had caught her crying after our lights were turned off again and I had told her I should get a job so that I could help her. Her hope for me has always been that, unlike her, I would be able to work in a career I feel passionately for and that would provide income for a comfortable life. That’s what it means for me to be the first person in my family to receive a college degree, that I could have a career I love that could finance a comfortable life.
Since that day I have been determined to keep my promise. During my pursuit of discovering exactly what I love to do, I found those things that brought me joy. Like, spend many hours’ constructing elaborate cities out of Lego’s, then demolish everything just to start all over again or how my mind would race with ideas of how I would improve my favorite video games by making them more efficient and/or challenging as I maneuvering through the different levels within the games. In my quest to gain knowledge to create the external construction and inner working of the many forms of technology, my mother sacrificed and supported me during my participation in many diverse STEM programs.
During my participation in these programs, I dedicated all my free time in the evenings, on the weekends, and during school brakes, affording me access to the knowledge and the supplies to create through trial and error. In addition, my participation in these STEM programs allowed me to collaborate with other inventors, as we used our hands and our minds to turn thoughts into working products through coding and building things like remote control robots, interactive web sites, and heart monitors.
I have explored my love of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through many programs, and now I’m choosing to focus my efforts on Computer Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University’s Honors Engineering Program. Being the first person in my family to receive a college degree means I will keep my promise to my mother, but, more importantly, that I will keep the silent promise I made to myself to become financially stable to take care of my mother, who has sacrificed so much for me. By earning my college degree, I will be able to pursue a career that will allow me to do the things I love and start my own non-¬profit organization that can give youths the tools to explore the world of technology. I want to use my degree to work on a team that will design, create, and test a small device that can be inserted inside the body to conducting the functions of a kidney, instead of dialysis treatment. Even if I lack resources, I will stay focused and keep pressing towards my dreams, but my hope is that you will help me fulfill to my promise.
Current Whereabouts:
Currently I am preparing to begin college within 2 weeks. I have used this summer to study math because it is pertinent to my success as an engineer.
Life & Professional Aspirations:
At North Carolina A&T State University, I will work diligently to acquire the skills that I need to collaborate with “Fortune 500” companies such as The Boeing Company which is an American multinational corporation that not only design and manufacture products like aircrafts and satellites; they assist inventors by supplying leasing and product support. I will need their support to work with my team of engineers that will help me to design and manufacture a medical breakthrough inspired my health challenge. We will invent a small device that can be inserted inside the body to conducting kidney functions, replacing time consuming dialysis treatments which I relied on for 3 months last year. Additionally, because of all the hands on experience and knowledge I acquired through my participation in many divers STEM Programs, I must return to my community to open a Non-Profit Organization that would teach under privileged youth, like myself, how to transform their ideas into useful working sellable products allowing them to explore their “limitless options”.
High School: From the Heart Christian School in Suitland, MD
class of 2016
Activities & Accomplishments:
I have been privileged to be appointed to positions of leadership in some distinguished organizations which have shaped my character, professional conduct, and compassion towards others. In my senior
Best Memories:
My best high school memories took place during my Bible Class. Bible Class is a required course for every student each year at From the Heart Christian School and for that I am very grateful. That class helped us all to learn a lot about ourselves and god’s plan for our lives. We could start out on one topic and with one curious response and the whole lesson would change. In that class we all could bring out concerns and fears to seek God’s word for understanding. In that class we were able to get support, guidance, and prayer from my pears. We became our brother’s keeper. In that class everyone felt safe to share their intimate thoughts, questions, and concerns. Personally, in that class I was able to get the spiritual tools I needed to fight depression while I was in the fight of and for my life.
On August 16, 2015, after being diagnosed with Stage 5 Kidney Failure I was to immediately begin dialysis because there was “no option”. I was to be rushed into surgery to have a catheter placed into my chest, began dialysis treatment, and awaited my name being placed on a kidney donor list with the warning that it may take 3 or more years before I would reach the top of the list to be eligible to receive a kidney donation. I did not want to burden my mother with my feeling but in that class I was able to express the depths of my heart, seek God’s word for peace, and be loved on by my entire class and teacher.
