Sallie Rowland Bright Futures Scholarship

Growing up I was always caring for others and their needs. The topic of homelessness has always weighed heavy on my heart. As a child, I did not understand why these people were outside and why they were not home with their families. Eventually, I learned the homelessness problem in America is not due to lack of housing, on the contrary, there are 553,742 homeless people and upwards of 17 million vacant homes. The issue lies in the fact that there is a lack of affordable housing in our country. To think the reason human beings are sleeping outside through torrential downpours, frigid winters, and sweltering summers is due to limited access to affordable and safe housing is sad. As an architect, I have the opportunity to create housing for the forgotten within our society. Humble yet hungry is a core value that I tend to cling to. Ever since the eighth grade, I have been dedicated to my career in Architecture, and every academic decision I have made since then has been for me to get further and establish myself in the field. I know that I have the potential to be great, but the reason that I know that this is my calling is not because I want to be famous or to be rich, but because I want to help those that others tend to look down upon. Though I am very dedicated to my studies, I still make time to have fun because I know that no one can be successful and healthy without a balanced lifestyle. I always make time for the things I enjoy such as cooking, dancing, skateboarding, playing bass guitar with my friends, and working part-time. However, I know that these things are not my main priority and I manage my time well by always getting my work done first. I am a fast learner and I apply the things I learn in class to my schoolwork, and my dedication to my craft has allowed me to maintain a 3.67 GPA. Though I have always been described as independent and as having an "If you want something done right do it yourself" attitude, I understand I could not have gotten this far without the help of my community. I mean, every superhero has a team such as the Avengers or the Justice League right? Like them, I realize that I have my own strengths, but I am not afraid to ask someone else to help where I am weak. I see my "team" in all types of people such as my family, classmates, professors, coworkers etc. I know that I have people counting on me to succeed, and knowing that I have people that see my strengths and are there for me when I am weak is the reason why I can continue pushing forward. Only 17% of registered Architects are women, and only 4% are black women. I plan to foster change by using my role to implement affordable housing, creating safe spaces for the less fortunate. By moving forward in my career, I plan to join the 2% of licensed black architects by establishing my own firm. With this firm I plan to use architecture to change the lives of people for the better; allowing them to live their lives where they don't have to make tough decisions because of money. I feel my history in leadership and volunteerism has set the stage for my future in helping others and I will always use the knowledge I have gained to help others.