Ruth Hazel Scruggs King Scholarship

Hey there! My name is Ira, and I'm thrilled to share with you my enthusiasm for making a positive impact on the world through my career. I'm a student who's passionate about technology, urban planning, and football – and I can't wait to show you how I plan on using my interests to make a difference in the world. To start, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I've always been fascinated by how technology affects our society, from the way we communicate with each other to the way we work and play. At the same time, I'm deeply invested in how the design of our cities and communities affects the quality of life of individuals and groups. As a result, I'm stuck between choosing to major in computer science or urban planning. On the one hand, I'm excited by the idea of developing cutting-edge technology that can make people's lives easier and more efficient. On the other hand, I'm passionate about creating vibrant, healthy, and sustainable communities through urban planning projects. When I'm not in class, you can usually find me on the football field. Some people might wonder how football fits into my grand plans for making a difference in the world, but I see it as an integral part of who I am. Football has taught me the value of teamwork, discipline, and perseverance – all of which are skills that I'll need to achieve my career goals. So, how do I plan on making a positive impact on the world? Well, the truth is that I'm still figuring that out. But I do have a few ideas that I'm excited to explore. One of my goals is to work on developing technology that can help reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. As someone who cares deeply about the environment, I believe that this is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet today. I've been following the latest research on things like carbon capture, renewable energy, and smart grids, and I'm excited about the potential for technology to make a real difference in this area. Another idea I have is to work on improving the design of cities and communities so that they're more livable and equitable. I've seen firsthand how the built environment can impact people's quality of life, whether it's through things like access to public transportation, availability of green space, or the affordability of housing. I believe that by working on urban planning projects, I could help create more vibrant, healthy, and sustainable communities for people to live in. Ultimately, what drives me in this pursuit is the desire to make a positive impact on the world and leave it a little bit better than I found it. I believe that technology and urban planning are two powerful tools that can be used to create positive change, and I'm excited to explore how I can use them to make a difference. In addition to my career aspirations, I also feel a deep sense of responsibility to use my talents and opportunities to help others. Whether it's through volunteering, mentoring, or simply being a good friend and neighbor, I want to contribute to my community and make a difference in people's lives. Overall, I'm excited to see where life takes me and how I can use my skills to make the world a better place. Thank you for taking the time to read about my passions and plans for the future. Let's go change the world – one step at a time!

I will be attending the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics to study and master being an Aviation Electrician and Aviation Maintenance Operator. Growing up as an African American in a rough neighborhood, society would always try to bring me down. From schools trying to discreetly shame me as a black man to white people giving me odd glances as I complete my day-to-day. My motivation for engineering comes from the fact that before I die, I want to leave my mark on the world. My biggest fear is not knowing what I can truly become, and I plan to overcome that fear before I die. I know engineering is dangerous and can cause plenty of harm, my best friend’s dad died from his love of engineering. That loss and heartache motivates me to want to do more. As a black man in America, I have to work ten times harder than the white man if I want to succeed in life, and I’ll do so. I plan to spend some time in the Air Force, working on planes and hopefully being assigned new projects. I plan to create and/or find an energy source big enough for planes to make at least an 8-hour to 15-hour trip that is healthier and more efficient than kerosene. I’m very intrigued by the idea of solar planes, a plane strictly used based on the energy of the sun and its heat rays. Another idea for when I'm financially stable would be to find a way where compressed and modified air can become the main source of transportation for aircraft. Since air, is scientifically proven to be a gas compressed of nitrogen and oxygen, there should be a probable chance for it to be used as transportation. If wind turbines are running off of air and electricity, we should be able to implicate that into modern-day transportation theoretically. As well as creating worldwide impacts, I want to pave the way for inner city kids to be able to want to make an impact in the jobs that lack the black population. The black community apart of S.T.E.M. is only 9%, this needs to change. Why, because Black people have the power to change anything. If we can overcome racism, slavery, and poverty, we can overcome anything. We can be the future, we can change the future, and we can better the future, it all starts with one degree at a time.

Ruth sounds like an amazing woman! She reminds me of my grandmother, who was also a nurse and a farmer. My grandmother achieved a delicate balance of becoming a health care professional while working on the farm and raising three kids. She is one of my greatest role models and I hope to make her proud by earning a degree and contributing to the world. One of my greatest accomplishments so far was becoming an Eagle Scout. My grandmother always supported my personal journey and encouraged me to be the best I could be. She valued education and hard work as the primary pillars of success. For as long as I can remember, we participated in community service events such as church cleanups, nature trail maintenance and fundraising to benefit others. One of my favorite opportunities to serve was building beds for children with an organization called Sleep in Heavenly Peace. It was so rewarding to build something with my own hands that would help a child in my community get a good nights sleep. In addition to Scouting, I also study Tae Kwon Do. While earning my Black Belt, I learned the importance of perseverance to achieve a goal. It isn’t always easy learning new skills but persistence and dedication pays off. I learned to focus my attention on the details that could improve my performance and achieve success. Tae Kwon Do has given me the confidence to become a strong leader and set a good example for others. The important values I learned from my grandmother were amplified by both Scouting and Tae Kwon Do. This gave me a strong foundation on which to build my future plans. My intended major at Mercyhurst University is Intelligence Studies. After I graduate from college, I would like to work for either the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as an intelligence analyst. I would like to work at one of these three agencies because I want to help make the world a safer place by taking down criminals and those that want to cause mayhem. By being an intelligence analyst, I will be able to find and collect information on potential threats that decision makers can then act on. The better informed our leaders are, the better equipped they will be to handle the issues that face our country. Ultimately I didn’t end up choosing health care or farming as a career path but I know that my education and hard work will contribute to the world in a meaningful way.