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Rita's First-Gen Scholarship

Funded by
user profile avatar
Claire Wooster
$35,250
1 winner$35,250
Awarded
Application Deadline
Mar 1, 2022
Winners Announced
Apr 16, 2022
Education Level
High School
66
Contributions
Recent Bold.org scholarship winners
Eligibility Requirements
Education Level:
Must be a high school senior
Background:
Must be a first-generation student

My grandmother, Rita, was an Assyrian immigrant who grew up and suffered persecution in the Soviet Union. Her family fled to Iran where, believing passionately in education, she worked to help her three brothers attend school, despite not having the opportunity to complete high school herself.

After marrying a U.S. soldier and moving to America, she had a son, my father. She worked as a waitress and then in a factory, learning English (her fifth language) along the way.

My father grew up to be the first in his family to finish high school and get a college degree. A career diplomat, he became a U.S. ambassador. His children, myself included, never had to worry about access to education.

This all thanks to my grandmother, who desperately wanted an education herself, but sacrificed for others instead. She elevated the course of our family's trajectory forever. I would like to honor her by changing the course for someone else.

This scholarship is open to any high school senior who will be a first-generation college student. Refugees are strongly encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate is a student who has experienced obstacles or sacrifice in pursuit of their education. These obstacles or sacrifices can be in the form of time, money, being away from family, having to care for or support one's family, completing school despite social, religious, familial, or cultural pressure not to, etc.

To apply, tell me about an adversity you have faced in the pursuit of education, how you navigate it, and what you hope to do given this opportunity. I look forward to hearing your story.

Selection Criteria:
Ambition, Need, Boldest Bold.org Profile
Published October 7, 2021
Essay Topic

Main essay question (400-600 words):

Tell me about an adversity you face in the pursuit of education, how you navigate it, and what you hope to do given this opportunity.


Short answer questions (200-300 words):

(1) What does it mean to you to get a college education?

(2) Tell me about a typical day or week in your life outside of school.

(3) Tell me how you feed your curiosity inside and/or outside of school.

600–1200 words

Winning Application

Mchunde Mteulwa
Gilbert A. Dater High SchoolCincinnati, OH
My is Mchunde Mteulwa I am a senior at Dater high school class of 2022. My name is Mchunde Mteulwa I am 17 years old. I live in Cincinnati Oh. I go to Gilbert A. Dater High School. I am from Democratic Republic of the Congo. But who is Mchunde Mteulwa? On May 31, 2004 Bora Kapela gave birth to a baby boy named Mchunde Mteulwa in Nyarugusu camp of refugees in Tanzania. How did my parents become refugees in the camp of Nyarugusu? Everything starts back to 1995 when president Mobutu was in power as an eternal king of Zaire. There was a rebel group that was led by Laurent Kabila due to take over the government of Mobutu Seseseko Nkuku ngbendu wa zabanga. For it was very hard to take over the government of president Mobutu it required the rebel group to do a revolution which killed more than 9 millions of Congolese people in the country. Because of this civil war, the state of Congo was very messy. Millions Of people fled into the foreign countries such as Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Angola, Nabia, etc. At this time my father and mother were not yet married. My mother and her family suffered a lot during the war and have no place to rest or food to eat. My father at that time was incharge of helping people get safely into the boat to go through Tanganyika lake to tanzania. Not only was my family's life hard, but the lives of all Congolese people were hard, as well. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. and the Government of Tanzania decided to form a camp for refugees from Congo called Nyarugusu camp in 1996. Even though the UNHCR served people food, the lives of people were still terrible. Some people starved and also lacked access to education. My dad stood and say“ school shall be here in camp. I know because of war we are immigrants but we still need education in the camp too” eventually the school was built there in the camp this was 2002. Two years later Mchunde Mteulwa was born in March. 31. 2004 I was in my mother wood for 2 years according to the words of my mother. It wasn’t easy for me to grow up because just after I was born. 1 week later my mother got very large breast sickness, her left breast rupturing. For this I didn't get my mom’s breast feed since I was just 1 weeks to when I started to walk. I went to school at age 4 in 2008. I did not fail any class during all my school years. I was so proud when I got the first student with the highest grade point in the whole school. In 2014 both of my parents started to get sick. It was a very terrible time in my life that I will never forget . My brother and I decided to quit school to take care of our parents. We do very hard work just to get little money to feed the family. In a camp hospital is free to get treatment. My parents were sick for 1 year. There was a time when my brother and I started to make bricks and then sell them just to get some little money to make sure life is going. For the will of God in 2016 they announced that the US will take some families from Nyarugusu Camp. My family was one of these families. I said in my heart that “Now my ways to become a very professional doctor get the light”. We came to the US on april/12/ 2016. I was 11 years old. Just as we arrived here in the US two weeks later my father got into a hospital called The University of Cincinnati Hospital. I was kind of disappointed, but my father kept encouraging us to just follow our dreams. The first school I attended in the US was Roberts Academy. I attended Roberts Academy until April 30th, 2016. I attended there from April 30,2016 to 2018,Now I am a senior at Dater High School preparing to graduate in 2022. “ I see light in the future and by hope and encouragement I will reach the light of success and help everyone. Education is a long journey for all students. In my education I face so many challenges such as working to help my family pay bills while my father sick. My father always get sick. so it my duty to focus on two things working and educations, If get this opportunity I will go to college to achieve my goal of becoming a fetal echo sonographer. I will do my best to make sure I achieve and when I achieve I will help other too to achieve their dream too. For me to get a college education it mean to be prepare to achieve your goal in the future whoever to become engineer, doctor, mechanical and more, because college is the way for this your can't be a doctor without going to college. I believe that college is one of path everyone need to take to success and help their community. I wasn't born just to make my parents proud but I was born to make my community, my country and my world proud of me being in this world, My grandfather told me this If you you want people to help you, you need to be the first to help them. Outside of school I feel so bad because I feel like my grades will drop very bad. among things that I fear to be destroyed is my grades because I feel like without it I will not achieve my dreams. in my community I am a helper and adviser. I spend 10 dollar every month to help homeless to get somethings to eat. Thank you very much for reading my story and my ideas be blessed.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Mar 1, 2022. Winners will be announced on Apr 16, 2022.

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