Bookman 5 Scholarship

As a child of immigrants, I know firsthand how one can climb the economic and social ladder and improve their standing. My parents—who were certainly not a part of the upper echelon of Nigerian classes—came to America and now live a much better lifestyle than if they stayed back in their land, fit enough to nurture a family and a business. Their braveness has allowed me not to make any excuses. My parents didn't make excuses; they continued to work hard, and I'm grateful. Anytime I would bring back my report card, and there was a "B" on it, my parents would say, "You need to find out what that person with an "A" is doing. In Nigeria, we say "Naija No Day Carry Last," meaning that we will continue to strive to be the best in anything we do. I use that phrase as motivation whenever I am faced with difficulty in my life. I want to use my college education to secure financial security for myself and my future children. I want to help athletes and continue to be involved in sports, so that's why I want to be a physical therapist. In high school, my physical therapist would inform me about the duties of the position, and ever since then, I've wanted to become one. I also like to put smiles on other people's faces, I get joy from helping others. I intend to open my own clinic after receiving my doctorate in physical therapy and hire skilled individuals of color. If I'm in that position, I can keep hiring Black doctors, and when those doctors get established they will continue the process of hiring Black Doctors. This will lessen the gap in the number of Black doctors in the healthcare field. This will allow Black people to trust medical professionals that look like them. Whenever you see someone that looks like you you are more comfortable and more vulnerable to them. I plan to use this scholarship to fund my bachelor's program education. Education is very important to me and I plan to put any funds I get toward my education. I want to earn my doctorate in physical therapy within the next ten years. I think that it is essential for Black people to continue to generate generational wealth for the future, so they don`t have to endure what we had to go through. Additionally, I want to use my degree to practice in various fields. I want to work with children, geriatric patients, and collegiate athletic teams.

College is the thing I’ve looked forward to for most of my life, I can say. Just having finished my first year I can say that it was worth looking forward to. However, college is important to me because my parents always told me growing that “a college degree is something no one can ever take away from you.” I have based my whole life onto that small phrase, and I truly believe it. I want a college degree because your knowledge is something no one can ever take away from you, or try to belittle you with it. College is also important to me because I want to make an actual change in this world. I want the hunger population to go down, the waste of clothes, food, toxic chemicals, and more to be eradicated from our earth. I want to make a change all across the board; solve problems that people don’t think about daily, and get rid of the problems that are on our mind daily. I want a college degree in biology and communications because, I want to go to medical school and do public speaking around the world while also helping people with their health needs and other matters. I am out to make a big change in this world and that’s why I need this scholarship, so I can continue to go to school without worrying about the financial burden I am causing my family. As well as, so I can show my younger siblings that it is possible to make it out of tough situations and In Hannah Montana’s words “Life’s what you make it, so let’s make it rock!” I have had to overcome a lot of hardships, most of them being financial burdens. I remember days I had to go hunger because my mom only had enough to buy formula for my younger siblings, and I would just tell her I ate at school just so she didn’t worry. I remember moving into my grandmas house because the bills became to much for a single mom of five to handle on her own. All I have in this world is my faith and my family, and soon to be college degree. The only three things you can truly count on. With this scholarship I will pay on my school and try to relieve some stress off of my family. As far as when I finish school, I will give my mom everything she wanted our family to have but just could not financially meet, as well as I will thank my spiritual mentors for helping me see God’s true plan for my life and delivering me from unprecedented circumstances. Going to school and acquiring my degree are just the first steps of my success story that I am ready to unfold.