Goobie-Ramlal Education Scholarship

I am both a first-generation college student and a middle school dropout. As a teenager, I could not attend school due to finances. I had to help my family by taking the place of my father at only 14 years old. He was hit by a truck, hospitalized, then mysteriously left the country and returned to Mexico. He was an illegal immigrant, and it is believed that he was deported, though no one was ever able to confirm this. Because of my predicament, I never thought I would be able to go to college. There have been many challenges that I have overcome on my journey, but I stayed persistent and motivated. I, now as an adult, have a full-time job as I complete my degree. I am a full-time student, financially responsible for my elderly mother, and advocate for children's rights in my free time. It is extremely rewarding, but also exhausting and stressful. I deeply care about my grades as well as my job and family responsibilities. My own academic journey has inspired me so much. It has made me realize that education is not something that is reserved for a few lucky people. I was always smart enough to go to college, and I was always able to handle the workload. I just never realized it. Even as I started my journey, I doubted myself so much, but the right professors put the belief in my head that every goal I had was in reach. Without having these people shift my mindset from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, I would've never tried. Because of this, I have decided that I want to spend the rest of my life doing that same thing for other people who don't believe in themselves. I want to be an educator. I want to spend the rest of my life helping students who do not believe in themselves, or find it hard to achieve academic success, the way I did. I want to be the person that I needed when I was a child. I will not only help students reach their academic goals but also be a safe space for children who may be going through hardships at home. I want to be part of the reason someone graduates. In my classroom, there will be no place for judgement, and I will do my best to create an inclusive environment that is also free from AI. To accomplish this goal, I am transferring to the University of South Carolina this fall and obtaining a bachelor's degree before starting my first teaching job that will be in an elementary school and in time, I will obtain a master's degree and move on to teaching higher grades. I hope to be able to reach students in many phases of life, and my dream wouldn't be possible without the support I have received. Receiving any scholarships at all would make my goals easier to reach and allow me to spend more time studying. Thank you all for taking the time to read this and even considering me for a scholarship.

Moving from Jamaica to the United States at the age of twelve was a life-changing experience that shaped my identity, my goals, and my determination to succeed. Leaving Jamaica meant leaving behind the home, culture, and familiarity that I had always known. Arriving in a new country came with many challenges, including adjusting to a different education system, new social environments, and the expectations that come with building a life in a place that is unfamiliar. At such a young age, I had to learn how to adapt quickly, remain resilient, and find my place in a new world. Being part of an immigrant family has taught me the true meaning of hard work and sacrifice. I watched my family work tirelessly to build a better life and create opportunities that were not always available to us before. Their determination and strength inspired me to value education and see it as a pathway toward opportunity, stability, and growth. As a college-bound student, I carry not only my own dreams but also the hopes and sacrifices of my family who believed in the possibilities that education can provide. My experience as an immigrant has also given me a deep appreciation for diversity and the importance of understanding different cultures and perspectives. Adjusting to a new environment helped me develop empathy for others who may feel out of place or face challenges while trying to find their voice. These experiences have shaped the way I view the world and have influenced my decision to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education. Through my education, I hope to make a positive impact by helping create inclusive learning environments where children from all backgrounds feel respected, supported, and encouraged to succeed. Many children come from immigrant families or multicultural homes, and it is important that classrooms reflect understanding and acceptance of those experiences. I want to be an educator who helps children feel proud of their identity and confident in their ability to learn and grow. My personal journey has also strengthened my determination to continue pursuing my goals despite challenges. Throughout my life, I have learned that obstacles can become sources of strength and motivation. Education represents opportunity, growth, and the ability to create meaningful change not only for myself but also for others. By continuing my education and earning my degree, I hope to use my experiences to inspire and support the next generation. My journey from Jamaica to the United States has shaped my resilience, compassion, and commitment to making a difference. Through education, I plan to uplift children, support families, and contribute positively to the communities I serve. I believe that by investing in children and their early learning experiences, we are helping to build a stronger and more inclusive future for everyone.

"Education is the great equalizer," is what my Jamaican grandfather would often say. He immigrated to the United States by way of Canada in 1967. My Jamaican grandmother came to work in Livingston, NJ, as a domestic helper in 1967. They met at church and the rest is my history. The value of education is something that was so deeply instilled in my mother that it trickled down to me, too. Despite having great grades throughout secondary school, my mother became a single mother at the age of 29. My biological father is Bahamian and never received a college education. The man my mother later married and who I call my dad, is also a descendant of immigrants, from Trinidad & Tobago. He graduated from high school and chose to become an auto mechanic. Going to college has always been an assumed destiny for me and I got on board as my mother would occasionally ask me what problems I planned to solve in my lifetime. My desire to make a positive impact on the world stems from a desire to see my grandmother free of constant pain. After she left her work as a domestic, she became a nurse's aide at a psychiatric hospital. Because a colleague did not sufficiently carry her share of the weight of a patient they were moving, my grandmother's back was injured when she attempted to prevent the patient from falling to the ground. For over 40 years, she has suffered with pain. As an anesthesiologist, I will not only be able to ensure that surgeries can be completed without unnecessary pain to the patients, but also manage the chronic pain needs of patients who suffer from chronic pain, without shaming them. Unfortunately, due to the dearth of health equity in the United States and across the globe, many patients avoid seeking preventative health care because it is inaccessible. It might be because of its cost, lack of transportation, or insufficient paid time off from work. It could also be that not enough physicians practice medicine in or near their neighborhood. Even worse, if someone who makes a modest income, or one of their children, becomes injured, the cost of an ambulance and whether it is worth it is often debated. Finally, no one should have to suffer in pain, like my grandmother does. She has expressed her feelings of pain and her desire to be rid of it to provider after provider, with little help. People with brown skin are often assumed, by well-meaning healthcare providers, to be drug seekers if they express a need for pain medication. This results in shame, and no one should feel bad about wanting to be pain-free. As a biomedical engineer, I will be able to create and produce devices that deliver analgesia to patients who need it, without judgment and with safely. Since I also plan to go to medical school and become a physician, I will be able to use my inventions and other tools of the trade to ensure that no one has to suffer in pain without help.

My name is Anaya Diaz, and my parents are from the Dominican Republic. My father immigrated to New York City when he was 18, following his mother who had come a year earlier to establish a stable life. He hoped that his efforts would pay off for his children one day. I am proud to say that my brother and I have had many opportunities thanks to our parents' hard work. We are honors and AP students with a passion for music, surrounded by kind and intelligent people in a community that our parents could only have dreamed of. We grew up in the Bronx, NY, in an area that was beautiful but deteriorating. My parents moved us to a small town in New Jersey, where my brother and I discovered our passions; he found physics, and I found computer science. I took computer science seriously for the first time in high school. Though my middle school had offered an elementary level class, I didn't understand the importance and impact of computer science on our world. But now I do. I have learned multiple coding languages in high school, and just this past summer, I discovered the various branches of the computer science industry. Cybersecurity particularly fascinated me; it's the effort to defend and protect people against cyber crimes. Unfortunately, some people misuse their cybersecurity knowledge for unethical purposes, such as hacking. I want to fight against that. My parents, who grew up without the technology we have today, are vulnerable to the dangers of the cyber world. My family in the Dominican Republic and my old neighborhood in the Bronx don't have access to the same educational resources I was lucky to receive. I moved to New Jersey and realized the advantages that so many people had from the start, advantages I never would have had if my parents and their parents never immigrated here. In college, I hope to get the education and opportunities that everyone deserves. No one should be vulnerable to a growing threat just because they were never given a chance. Too often, lack of resources is taken advantage of because people don't know any better. I want to educate, give back to my communities, and advocate for the importance of computer science and the need for diversity in the industry. Someone needs to be the voice and the open door for those who are just waiting for an opportunity to come but need a little help to get there. I want to be that person for my parents, grandparents, and the generations that will come after me. I am the product of my parents' progress and triumph.

As a first generation Hispanic I have seen the struggles that immigrant parents face first hand. Whether it is language barriers or only being accepted to low paying jobs because of your race or legal status, It impacted my parents for years. However my parents were the masters at making situations stress free for me and my younger brother. Multiple times my parents got eviction notices and struggled to provide the next meal, but through all of it my parents kept my brother and I worry free. When we lived in old motels for three months my parents would tell us that we were on vacation and that we would be back at home soon. I remember watching my mom wash our clothes in the motel bathtub so I could go to school some what clean. All of this was brought to light to me when I turned 16, my family now is well off but at the cost years of blood, sweat and tears. My parents have preached education on me for as long as I remember, telling me that as a U.S. citizen I have unlimited doors of opportunity waiting to be opened and that I should take advantage of all of them. They tell me that they only dreamt of the opportunities I have as immigrants. They always tell me that a pen weighs less than a pail, referring to the laborious jobs they had to do when they got to America. For that reason I want pressure a masters degree in criminology. My upmost goal is to join the FBI to prevent mass crimes and to ensure that criminals are punished accordingly. Learning about crime would also help me put an end to crimes that many immigrants face during their journeys to the U.S. like human human trafficking. It would be an honor to me and my family to be considered for this scholarship.

As a college-bound student of an immigrant family, I have experienced a unique blend of cultures and perspectives that have shaped my worldview and motivated me to make a positive impact on the world, which is something I really appreciate, being able to experience both side of spectrum. Growing up, my parents instilled in me the importance of education and the opportunities it can provide for personal and professional growth. As an immigrant, my parents faced numerous challenges and sacrifices in pursuit of a better life for our family, and I have always felt a sense of responsibility to pay it forward and give back to my community. In college, I plan on majoring in international studies with a focus on human rights and social justice. I believe that education is a powerful tool for creating positive change, and I hope to use my education to advocate for marginalized communities and work towards a more equitable and inclusive society. I also plan on participating in service-learning opportunities and internships to gain hands-on experience and make a tangible difference in the world. Along with that, I hope to use my personal experience as an immigrant to shed light on the struggles and challenges faced by immigrant communities and work towards policies and initiatives that support and empower them. I hope to use my experience as an immigrant and the skills I acquire in college to advocate for marginalized communities and promote equality and justice. Although it dosen't directly fall under my majors or minor. I also plan on using my education to give back to my community and help others achieve their goals. I hope to mentor and support young immigrants, particularly those who may face similar challenges as I did. Overall, my experience as a college-bound student of an immigrant family has taught me the value of hard work and determination. I am excited to use my education to make a positive impact on the world and contribute to a more inclusive and just society. I believe that my unique background and perspective can provide valuable insights and contribute to important discussions and decision-making processes. Ultimately, I hope to use my education and experiences to make a positive impact on the world through activism, advocacy, and service. I am grateful for the opportunities that education has provided for me and am determined to use my skills and knowledge to make a difference in the world.