Dr. Jade Education Scholarship

When I imagine the life of my dreams, I see freedom, purpose, and impact rooted in my passion for food science, education, and service. I wake up in my dream life as Dr. Delmonica Farrior, leading a thriving flavor and sensory consulting firm based in North Carolina. My mornings start with gratitude, movement, and intention, a jog or walk through my neighborhood, followed by a meeting with my team of food scientists and product developers. We’re working with both major brands and small startups to create delicious, inclusive, and sustainable food products that reflect the cultures and communities they serve. Alongside my work, I’m actively running my nonprofit, Future Food Innovators Foundation, with hopes of a mobile sensory lab that travels across the state especially to rural and underserved communities. Our lab will bring science to life for students through aroma challenges, taste tests, and experiments that connect everyday foods to STEM careers. In my dream life, I see students who once participated in our summer camps now pursuing degrees in food science, nutrition, or public health and some even coming back to work for my consulting firm or serve as mentors in the foundation. Financially, I am free. My student loan debt is gone, and I’ve built generational wealth for myself and my family. I own my home in the Triangle area of North Carolina and have the ability to travel not just for leisure, but to speak at global food conferences, attend wellness retreats, and explore food cultures across the world. I’m no longer in survival mode, I’m in legacy mode. My dream life also includes vibrant health. As a stage IV breast cancer survivor, I carry with me a deep appreciation for every single day. I envision a body that feels strong and supported, thanks to holistic care, joyful movement, and nourishing food. I’m also using my platform to advocate for improved healthcare equity, especially for Black women battling cancer and chronic illnesses. Family, friendship, and faith are at the center of everything I do. I host Sunday dinners with loved ones, mentor young women in STEM, and lead wellness workshops that blend faith, food, and science. I’m no longer just working to break generational curses, I’m building generational blessings. Living the life of my dreams doesn’t mean everything is perfect; it means I have the tools, community, and clarity to navigate challenges while still pursuing joy. It means I’m using my education, my voice, and my experience to open doors for others and to live fully, boldly, and intentionally. This dream life is not far away. Every scholarship, every step forward, every act of resilience brings it closer. And I’m committed to doing the work to make it real, not just for myself, but for every student who sees a future in science because someone like me made it visible.

In the life of my dreams, I am living each day in alignment with my highest purpose, designing spaces that do more than provide shelter; they heal, empower, and inspire. Architecture, to me, is a catalyst for transformation. It is a discipline that shapes experiences, nurtures resilience, and creates opportunities for equity. Every project I lead addresses housing insecurity, environmental challenges, and social inequities through innovative, sustainable, and culturally responsive design. I work at the intersection of design, justice, and community impact. Each space I create is grounded in a deep respect for its context and the people it serves. My buildings integrate sustainable technologies, celebrate local culture, and foster connection between individuals and their environment. The work is not only functional but also aspirational, offering places where people feel safe, valued, and inspired to thrive. My role extends beyond the drawing board. I collaborate with community leaders, policymakers, engineers, and artists to ensure that every project reflects a holistic vision for the future. I lead initiatives that transform vacant lots into vibrant public spaces, reimagine underutilized buildings as community hubs, and design housing that is affordable, dignified, and environmentally responsible. These projects are living examples of what it means to design with both creativity and conscience. Mentorship is an essential part of my vision. I actively guide emerging designers, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, so they have the knowledge, tools, and confidence to shape the profession in their own right. In this way, my work creates a ripple effect, empowering others to lead, innovate, and push the boundaries of what architecture can accomplish. In this life, success is measured not only by the quality of the spaces I create but by the quality of life they foster. It is reflected in families finding stability in well-designed homes, in neighborhoods revitalized through thoughtful planning, and in public spaces that bring people together. It is evident in sustainable solutions that reduce environmental impact while improving daily life for generations to come. Every day is guided by a commitment to excellence, integrity, and purpose. I wake up knowing that the work I do contributes to a larger legacy, one that values human potential, honors the planet, and challenges the status quo. The spaces I design are not just physical structures; they are platforms for connection, opportunity, and hope. Ultimately, my dream life is defined by impact. Through architecture, I build more than walls and roofs; I build pathways to possibility. I create environments where people can envision brighter futures, where communities feel empowered, and where design becomes a force for justice, beauty, and lasting change.

The life of my dreams begins in a world where I no longer have to choose between survival and service. In that world, I wake up each morning in a sun-filled home I own, where my three children have everything they need; not just to survive, but to thrive. There’s true joy in our routine. My mornings are peaceful, not rushed. I’m not emotionally drained and scrambling to get everyone dressed, while mentally preparing for back-to-back work meetings and business school assignments. Instead, I’m mindfully preparing to lead a workshop for single parent entrepreneurs, guiding them through systems I once had to piece together in the middle of my own chaos. In the life I’m building, I’ve completed my MBA with honors and have launched a thriving coaching and consulting business that serves single mothers and neurodivergent entrepreneurs. People like me, who have been underestimated or underserved by traditional systems. I help them design businesses that work with their brains and lifestyles, not against them. I’ve created a library of trauma-informed resources, toolkits, and digital dashboards that simplify business operations and restore a sense of peace and possibility in their lives My business funds a nonprofit branch that offers free workshops, childcare stipends, and microgrants for mothers who are starting over. I travel across the globe speaking at events, leading retreats, and hosting pop-ups in communities where hope is in short supply. Thankfully, I’m not doing it alone as I’ve built a team of like-minded professionals (many of whom were once my clients) who now walk beside me as fellow collaborators and leaders. And at the heart of this dream? True freedom. Financial freedom, time freedom, creative freedom. I get to show up for my children in the way they deserve, at school plays, in bedtime routines, on spontaneous road trips where we don’t have to count pennies for gas or snacks. I’m fully present, not drained or distracted. I’ve broken the generational cycle of scarcity, and built a legacy of abundance. But this dream doesn’t happen without dedication, and I’m no stranger to that or hard work. I’m currently earning my MBA while working full-time, managing my household, and laying the foundation for this very future. Every long night and early morning is an spiritual investment in that vision. The Dr. Jade Education Scholarship would help me get there faster. It would relieve financial pressure and allow me to pour more of my energy into building the business, community, and life I envision: not someday, but right now.

I wake up to bright sunlight pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows across from my bed, feel the warm island breeze and smell the hint of unfamiliar spices in the air. I grab the silky, white bedsheets beneath me just to make sure it’s real. I inhale the scent of clean linen. It’s real. I am thousands of miles away from home in Thailand, free of charge, on a work trip--my fifth trip in just three months. I’ll spend five days here making travel content for my award-winning social media accounts and blog website and I’ll have the other three days free to explore the city of Pa Tong and work on my latest Afro-futurist sci-fi novel. This doesn’t feel like “work” to me. Through my travel content on social media, I teach others that Black people also deserve to travel and to explore the world. I provide tips so that Black people, Black women in particular, will feel less afraid to step out of their comfort zone and explore the world. I am fortunate enough to provide a $1,000 study abroad scholarship to HBCU students once each semester. I also share about the history and culture of the places I visit, with special emphasis on African diasporic history and cultures. This fuses my love of storytelling (history) with my love of travel. In addition, having completed my Master’s in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, I had the courage, confidence, and expertise to embark on my novel writing dreams. I completed and published The Legend of the Zodiac, a zodiac-inspired fantasy novel with Black main characters. This became a best-seller and was praised for putting centering Black, BIPOC, queer and disabled people in an epic fantasy. I allow readers of all ages see themselves in a genre that’s traditionally white and male-centered. I aim to do the same in my forthcoming science-fiction novel. That’s what my dream life looks like to me. Along with these career goals, it is important for me to give back to my community, serving those less fortunate and guiding Black youth. In my current role as an academic advisor at an HBCU, I mentor hundreds of young, African-Americans as they pursue their academic goals. This matches my previous education background as being in a role where I serve others gives me great satisfaction. In my future life, I will remain active in my service orgnization, a historically Black sorority, in order to both serve and change the travel industry and literary landscape.

I have always been a big dreamer and dream chaser; wishing, while believing I would become a college graduate to escape poverty and soar beyond the statistics of my childhood community. Now that my dreams of becoming a college graduate are reality and I am pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, my life goals have become much clearer. The life of my dreams is brightly painted as spearheading, establishing, and actively teaching in an educational center with the mission “to provide solid education through an interactive learning style to prevent violence and increase literacy‭ ‬rates for youth within the community”. The center will provide its students with the opportunity to enhance their creativity and develop their intellectual abilities through hands on creative learning. My days would be filled with the sounds of joy and laughter from students expressing their excitement for learning. This would bring joy to my heart to know that every student at my school will receive the attention they need and deserve. Boredom would not exist, there would not be a dull moment. All subjects would be taught with enthusiasm and accommodations for all learning styles by teachers who agree with and stand for the school’s vision. The instructors will carry out the school’s mission using a common sense leadership approach. There would be emergency food and shelter assistance, neighborhood student bus pick up and drop off, certified instructors, study hall with private seating for independent study, hands-on skill building training, resume writing, safety training, and private support groups for suicide prevention and awareness. As a survivor and overcomer of peer bullying, I would pride myself in having a Bully Free Zone policy set in place. Every student will know that there is a zero tolerance for bullying. Also there will be an open door policy for students to seek help in confidence to eliminate retaliation. The community will have so much confidence in the center, that the support would be endless and will lead to lessening the impact of and eradicating the ongoing social issues. All social issues have a root cause. We would determine the root causes through a thorough community needs assessment to insure we are providing programs and services relevant to our target audience. No matter what happens in life, dreaming births hope. When one dreams, there is something to look forward to. I live each day knowing my dreams will become reality as long as I choose to never give up.

My favorite part about dreaming is that it's not as much pressure as settle goals. Don't get me wrong, I love working towards a goal, but when I dream, it's out of the box, and it relieves me of the pressures of my goals because dreams don't necessarily have to be realistic. When I imagine myself living the life of my dreams, I imagine myself wealthy and able to pour into every black athlete around the world. I would start professional sports leagues for HBCU and black students, build strength and conditioning facilities around the world with technology only the professionals have access to. This wouldn't only benefit athletes, because in the world of business, there's a job for everyone. This dream would have to involve coaches, mentors, therapists, psychologists, physical therapists, doctors, trainers, chefs, nutritionists, tutors, and much more where that comes from. As a former collegiate student athlete, I know I needed all of this. I needed a community, and not everyone has access to these things. Mental and physical health are two of the most important things for anyone, but especially for a young adult using their body every day to pay for school or take their talents to the next level. Going from a PWI to a HBCU, I know that resources start to run slim especially when it comes to athletics. At Clark Atlanta, I ran so much, that my shoes grew holes and I formed stress reactions in my metatarsals on my right foot. Meanwhile at Kennesaw State, we had a pair of shoes for practice, a pair for home games, a pair for away games, and a pair for breast cancer awareness month. Black students deserve better. Black athletes deserve to be reimbursed for their hard work the same way athletes at a PWI would. Providing an environment for black students and athletes to be surrounded by the proper love and care that they deserve would help them perform in the classroom. They would be surrounded by people that look like them and want to pour into them. They would be taught to become leaders by those who care about more than how they are performing on the field/court right now, but how they are performing in life after the ball stops. Black athletes are more than just what they do on the field, but some of us need help finding that out about ourselves. My dream is to provide an environment for black athletes to excel in their sports, classroom, life, and post-graduation while being surrounded by black leaders, mentors, friends, and family with similar goals. We have suffered, we have had our ideas and talents striped from us. We deserve better, and it’s ok for us to do things for ourselves. This Dream is investing in our future.

My dream life would be surrounded by happiness and health. I would be comfortable with myself and in my skin. For me, this looks like managing my health and wellness. I want to have a life where I am actively managing my anxiety and depression, keeping active, and focusing on my spiritual connection with God. This dream life involves me focusing on the betterment of myself. I wish to always be challenging myself to learn and grow in ways that I have not experienced. I will likely have pursued higher education. I will build a rehabilitation center for women. I want to create a safe space for survivors of traumatic events to recover from their injuries. I would work with like-minded women in healthcare to provide spaces for Black Woman to receive care. I also want to work in maternal health care, focusing on providing women with the resources to obtain safe birthing plans. The maternal morbidity of Black women around the world is something that I want to spend a lot of time advocating for. I would love to work closely with a non-profit that focuses on the health and wellness of Black Women. In this dream life I want to be the best friend, sister, daughter, and aunt that I can be. I want to be present in the lives of my loved ones. I want to continue to grow in these relationships as they are so important to me. I will have enough to support my family, allowing my mom to retire. My entire family will be in optimal health and living out their dreams as they see fit. My dream life includes travel, philanthropy, advocacy, and volunteerism. My mother has always wanted to build a women's clinic in. I her native home of Sierra Leone and it would be amazing to help her actualize this dream. I hope to travel the world and experiences all the pleasantries that life has to offer. My dream life includes enjoyment, laughter, and nature. I would love to visit every continent at least once with my loved ones. I am most looking forward to exploring Africa. I want to be able to build a home for my family in Sierra Leone. I hope that my family and I are able to visit frequently. I want my future children and nieces and nephews to be able to connect with our culture.