Impact International Student Athlete Scholarship

When I started thinking about writing this essay, I realized that it is very difficult to talk about myself, whether in a positive or negative context. It just seems like I am not being objective enough, but I will try my best to describe my personality and experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today so that you can get a broader picture of my current life, as well as the plans and goals I want to fulfill in the future. August 20th, 2018 was the day my life took a major turning point. It was the day I came to the US for the first time, scared, with two suitcases, overpacked with my desire for success, new experiences, and advancement in the field of education and the game of basketball. For the first time in my life, I felt what it was like to be miles away from the safety of my home. I needed to quickly learn to adapt to a new culture and the new way of learning in school because everything seemed to be very different compared to my home country, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As an international student, I learned how to be independent and take responsibility for myself, because the circumstances have taught me to deal with problems and obstacles on my own. I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to come here, play the sport that I love, get my degree, and become a school psychologist. I met lots of beautiful people along the way, made great connections in the world of basketball and psychology, and learned so much about diversity, interpersonal relationships, and social justice. This experience made me a better person. It broadened my horizons and made me more open-minded. Although I have been going through a difficult period lately, including the loss of close family members due to COVID19, two devastating knee injuries in less than a year, that temporarily separated me from playing basketball-the thing that brings me joy and helps me stay excited about life, I still found a way to gain strength to keep working hard and never give up, which I am most proud of. Things I went through have taught me an important lesson: life is very unpredictable and not a single opportunity should be taken for granted. From now on, I use every moment to work on myself, help others, and positively change our society. My parents are my greatest support, they always have my back, no matter good or bad moments. They made so many sacrifices to provide me with everything I need to finish my education and play basketball, and my biggest wish and number one priority is to make them proud. I want to inspire young people, especially from my home country, to follow my example and try new things, without fear of risk or failure. I want to show everyone that it is possible to achieve great goals, even if you come from a small, rather poor, and underdeveloped environment. I am trying to be a role model for young children, and promote the importance of sports, education, mental and physical health. This scholarship would help me financially by making my last year as an undergraduate student a lot easier and less stressful for me and my parents. But I think it also goes way beyond the money, it means to support, it means that someone cares about international students and understands how difficult it could be for us. It means motivation for the future and wind in the back for everything that is coming.

My name is Anais Bonnemaison, I am from France, and after graduating from Canada and playing over there I wanted to pursue my dream of playing in the United States to come true. For two years my coaches give me the chance to studying for free as I was playing for the team. My first experience in the United States allows me to grow up as a person and a player. Since I left home and I could see the world differently. I could open my mind and adapt myself to the country that gives me a chance of becoming a better person. I developed skills to understand better the different cultures in this world. When I arrived I did not know how to talk English and understand it really well, but after sharing moments with people around me, and with experiences, I could graduate with a 4GPA and honor Summa Cum Laude. Like a lot of students and athletes, the covid situation was not easy to deal with, and with the travel canceled to go back home, I spend time with my teammate's family which was a wonderful experience to see the American version of Christmas. All this to say that does not matter the circumstances I am always fighting for what I want, and I will always be thankful for these two years under a full scholarship that permits my mother to put money for her and do not give me everything to allowing me to live my dreams. That why I am writing to you right now. I have been recruiting to play basketball at MSU Denver, I will be studying my study criminology and criminal justice, but covid made recruitment really difficult for Juco players, and in that way, I do not have a full scholarship. So I try to find one to help me to pay my insurance and my meal plan.