AROC AI/ML Scholarship

As someone with over a decade of experience working in tech, particularly within startup environments, I’ve worn many hats: technical support, problem-solver, systems thinker, and advocate. While my roles have not always been explicitly focused on AI or machine learning, I’ve spent years closely involved in platforms that leverage automation, algorithms, and digital tools to connect users to essential services like mental healthcare. This hands-on exposure to data workflows and system optimization sparked something deeper in me: a desire to be part of building technology that doesn’t just serve people efficiently, but serves them equitably. That’s what led to one of my most personal and passionate goals: creating an AI-powered app designed to help people of color find culturally competent healthcare providers. As a Black woman who has spent years navigating both the healthcare system and the tech industry, I know how difficult it can be for marginalized communities to find care that sees them fully and treats them equitably. Racial and cultural bias in healthcare is well-documented and often perpetuated by the very systems meant to help. I envision an app that goes beyond directories and search filters. Using AI and machine learning, this tool would analyze patient feedback, provider credentials, and treatment outcomes to recommend providers who not only meet clinical needs but are also culturally aware, inclusive, and aligned with the user’s identity and values. It would be a platform built with real people and real equity in mind, not just algorithms chasing engagement. Though I am still developing the technical foundation to bring this idea to life, my years in tech have taught me the importance of user-centered design, ethical data use, and collaborative development. I’ve seen how biased systems are often created by teams lacking lived experience or diverse perspectives. That’s exactly why voices like mine and innovations like this are so urgently needed in the AI and machine learning space. Returning to school is a critical step toward equipping myself with the technical and legal knowledge to build this app responsibly and at scale. I want to not only develop the platform but also ensure it protects user data, complies with health regulations, and addresses bias head-on. My long-term goal is to sit at the intersection of technology, ethics, and advocacy creating tools that not only use AI, but challenge the way AI is developed and deployed for marginalized populations. This scholarship would support my continued education in these areas and help bring my vision closer to reality. The future of AI should be equitable, inclusive, and people-first. I plan to be part of that future by building tools that make healthcare more just, one app at a time.

Artificial intelligence is a new field that I am not only interested in but plan to pursue. It all started my sophomore year when I decided to start taking coding classes. As me and my classmates learned the basics of programming, we had the opportunity to create a program of whatever we wanted. My project was using python to create a funny program of a bug chasing students around, which was a funny moment that happened in my coding class a couple weeks before. The program involved many advanced coding components to make the bug move and chase the kids. Of course it wasn't a full on AI but it was a start. Later that year, a new app called chat gpt came out. I was extremely fascinated by it. I used chat gpt for different types of help. For example, when I had a challenging question from class I used chat gpt. When I was starting to learn Java and needed to fact check something, I used chat gpt. Artificial intelligence is something that I cherish, but it also scares me. I always knew I wanted to do something tech related and I’m still finding my niche on what I want to do exactly. I am looking at jobs such as software engineering, data science, and information technology. I have done research and have found videos about all tech jobs being replaced by AI. Whether this is true or not, concerns me, but I have an idea. I can work to create and manage AI. I love it and am fascinated by it so this would be perfect for me. Now, my goals revolve around AI in different corporate settings to better the world. One of my goals is to use AI to decrease misdiagnosis in the healthcare industry and to solve other errors that may take place. I dont want AI to do a human's job but I think it can be useful to prevent and correct mistakes. As someone who has suffered from two ACL tears, I am passionate about healthcare and I want to find ways to be involved in it through technology. I want to also bring all my knowledge about AI to the Caribbean, especially the US Virgin Islands where my parents were born and raised and where I have spent much of my childhood, visiting my grandparents and other extended family. As a young kid, when I visited St Croix and St Thomas, I would always be upset about how much catching up the USVI had to do with technology. I want to make technology as available in the USVI and the entire Caribbean as it is in the states, so that residents can have the same quality of life as people on the mainland.