Grandmaster Nam K Hyong Scholarship

I did not grow up in the United States, so my experiences were different from most people of my generation. Born and raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country is one of the world's poorest countries. The infant mortality rate is outrageously high. Many children do not go to school since their parents cannot afford to pay for their education, as even primary and secondary schools are not free. Luckily, my parents sent me to school despite the financial struggles. I woke up every day at 4:00 AM to attend classes. Roads were almost inexistent, and we did not have school buses, so I made sure I left the house three hours earlier to walk to school. There were times when I was denied access to school despite all my efforts simply because my parents did not have the money to pay for my school fees. But I kept in mind that the future would be bright if I worked hard enough. Taking inspiration from Eleanor Roosevelt, who stated that "the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." I worked harder than any student in my class, and I academically outperformed them all. Soon before I knew it, I was elected as my class's president for two consecutive years, where I advocated for reforms on behalf of my peers to the school's governing body. I was only twelve years old at the time. I moved to Atlanta, in the United States, at age thirteen. After my arrival, I realized how technologically advanced the world is. I was then determined to make an impact technically. Upon my arrival, I attended Freedom Middle School, Clarkston High School, and Duluth High School, where I graduated with honors in May 2017. After my high school graduation, I decided to be a computer science major at Georgia State University. Today, I am a university's senior aspiring to become the first person in my family ever to graduate college, leading the way for others to follow in my footsteps. I make the President and Dean's list regularly, and I have the grade point average to show for it. Most importantly, I have gained priceless experiences tutoring my peers in Computer Science and U.S History at Georgia State University through Trio Student Support Services and the Supplemental Instruction Program. In addition, I am a member of several Honor Societies and Clubs where I volunteer to mentor students in my local elementary school in mathematics, reading, and writing through Duluth high school's "Book Buddies Program." I cherished the time I spent mentoring others because I instinctively believe that mentorship is the root of success in life, and I believe in the talent of those around me as I guide them to reach their full potential. Community services have interestingly shaped my mind, but life has taught me a priceless lesson- Greatness is a state of mind, an aspiration that all humans have in common. Ironically, nobody is perfect individually. But it is from others that we take our inspiration- We build upon other people's ideas to achieve true greatness, just like a healthy tree has many roots, branches, and leaves before there could be any flower or fruit. As members of the Duluth high school national Honor Society, we performed countless volunteer works. I participated at the Infinite Energy Center's Concession Stands to support the International Youth Organization by helping out in the concession stands (at the Gwinnett Arena). At the Plantation South, We volunteered by helping out at the Ice Cream Social and serving ice cream to the elderly. These experiences helped forge my decision to choose a career that I would love and add value to humanity. Today, I aspire to become a Software Developer to invent, develop and program medical devices capable of diagnosing and treating patients without requiring highly invasive medical procedures to save lives like right now. I see myself as a successful programmer in five years, completing my graduate degree. I also aspire to mentor future generations in the cybersecurity domain. Eventually, I intend to create programs that encrypt each patient's file so that hackers cannot easily access them. Leadership means exemplarity and acknowledging strengths and weaknesses while allocating the necessary resources for a successful outcome. I will succeed. I know what it means to struggle through life, and I know what seizing an opportunity means. I have realized that many are still wondering about the future, thinking that destiny is predetermined. They do not understand, as I have, that what you make of your ambitions is the foundation of a reliable posterity. The future looks brighter from my perspective through the lenses of determination. I find strength in my aspirations, and determination is my fuel. So much is at stake here; I incarnate hope from many individuals, I can not afford to lose this fight. Hence, I must remain disciplined and focused on turning my aspirations into realities, especially now that I am going through the last two semesters of my undergraduate degree. We have all faced issues in our lives, but what makes the difference is the state of mind we choose to adopt while facing these problems. One may only achieve excellence after surpassing himself. There is no distinction without hard work and perseverance. I know this because I am experiencing greatness, and my existence exemplifies excellence. My experiences demonstrate that excellence prevails over mediocrity and procrastination.