GKD Advancement in STEM Scholarship

From a young age, I've been fascinated by technology, viewing computer science as both a creative outlet and a powerful tool for problem-solving. Throughout high school, my academic journey was shaped by my passion for programming, robotics, and control theory. This passion led me to do research under a Ph.D. candidate at UT Austin, make breakthroughs and create new algorithms within VEX Robotics, and contribute to projects like Elapse, a student-led app development team. My career goal is to become a Software and Systems Engineer, where I can explore the cross between Computer Science and Robotics. I want to continue researching to learn more about robotics and push the field forward. I want to be at the forefront of cutting-edge research in both Robotics and Software Engineering, building innovative solutions that push technological boundaries and make a tangible impact. I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science, immersing myself in research that pushes the boundaries of what technology can achieve. I grew up with a legacy of greatness all around me, with both my parents getting their Ph.D after immigrating from Nigeria with nothing, and I want to continue along that vein. A Ph.D. will give me the knowledge and experience to contribute to the field and allow me to mentor and inspire future generations of engineers further down the line. This scholarship would provide the financial support necessary to dedicate myself fully to my academics. Without worrying about getting a job to pay for school, I can focus entirely on research, coursework, and especially projects that help me learn in a broader context of real-world applications. With this scholarship, I can continue to develop past projects like the research robotics and focus on new, upcoming projects like an app I am developing for my church that would allow students to ask questions about the bible and connect more with their Godly community. I’ve been serving at One Community Church (OCC) for a couple of years, trying to give back to the students, and now that I am graduating, I wanted to leave something behind as a sort of legacy. I’ve seen OCC do some truly amazing things, especially for the African-American community, and I really want to do what I can to give back what I once received, pouring out what so many others have poured into me. I deserve this scholarship not only because of my dedication to pushing the boundaries of computer science, my strong academic track record and my commitment to making a lasting impact in the field and the community.