I looked up to see thousands of empty seats- knowing that even if my mom and I cleaned for the rest of our lives, we’d never finish cleaning the entire arena. I remember asking myself, why would she choose to do this as her job, a goal she could never accomplish? Until this moment, I had spent the first 10 years of my life fully believing my mother was a superhero, with unlimited ability to achieve anything she set her mind to. I’d been eager to finally help my mother at her weekend job and experience what had always seemed to prevent her from being able to cheer me on at my soccer games. After mopping the floors and scrubbing the dirty seats, I dozed off into a trance of boredom and frustration. In this moment of disillusion, staring at the empty arena, I snapped back into reality when I heard a muffled tune playing. One that felt peacefully familiar to me. It came from my mother’s little battery power speaker. Today I can hear the lyric just as clearly as the day I first understood them in Spanish- “It’s never enough for me, Because I always want more for you.” In the next moment, I put my head down and started cleaning, fully committed to the impossible. This moment in the Arena shaped my outlook, mindset and drive to be the person my mom had sacrificed everything for. Her goal was never to finish cleaning the stadium, her goal was to create a life for me, so that I could have the opportunities that she didn’t have. After entering high school, I knew that I would have to work twice as hard compared to some of my classmates. My mom didn’t have time or even the experience to help me with my homework, choose classes, or independently communicate with my teachers or counselors since she spoke little English. It was on me. I’ve motivated myself to complete homework before and after soccer practices, stay after school to get additional support from teachers and available tutors, and built a community of friends, teammates and mentors who keep me accountable to my bigger goals. My goals aren’t dissimilar to those of my mom’s. She made hard choices in order to give me more choices. As I set goals for the future, I believe that community should work for everyone but so often many are left out, unheard and underestimated. To achieve this goal, I want to be the first in my family to start and run a business. Business has the power to bring people together and empower them with choice- the most valuable asset of all. The muffled sound of my moms speaker will always play in the background of my journey. I am committed to changing the narrative she replayed throughout her own life. As I take control of my future, I hope she recognizes that she has done enough for me. And now I have unlimited opportunities ahead.
My name is Trevaughn Sheppard, a first-generation college student and a junior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, pursuing a degree in Aviation Business Administration, focusing on Supply Chain Management in Aviation and Aerospace and a minor in Project Management.
Joining the Army National Guard has empowered me to serve my country while managing college expenses to some degree. As the president of Future Business Leaders of America and a dedicated member of the Student Advisory Board, I am deeply engaged in community service, leadership development, and mentorship. I serve as the Vice President of the Business Eagles program at the O'Maley College of Business, a prestigious group that aims to launch high-achieving students into the dynamic aviation, and aerospace sectors.
The internships I secured at The Boeing Company, first as a Supplier Quality Intern and later as a Property Management Analyst intern, provided me with a real-world application of my studies and a deeper understanding of the aerospace sector's supply chain complexities. They also afforded me the opportunity to contribute to the industry I am so passionate about, directly linking my academic experiences with my professional development.
This scholarship is more than financial aid; it's a beacon of hope in the wake of my father's passing. His absence left a void, not just of love and guidance, but of economic support, shaking the very foundations of our home. As the sole breadwinner for five, my mother's unyielding efforts to keep us afloat have deeply moved me. Determined to lighten her load, I've shouldered the responsibility for my education costs, doing so to ensure that my siblings' futures remain bright and unhampered by our present trials. The scholarship funding will empower me to continue serving my community, maintaining my academic excellence, and contributing to the aerospace industry without the burden that financial constraints often bring. Your support would not only ease a financial burden—it would honor my father's legacy and fortify a family's dream of a better tomorrow. This scholarship will afford me the invaluable opportunity to engage in advanced projects and research initiatives, attend pivotal industry conferences, and network with leading professionals in the aviation field.
Each step of my journey is dedicated to inspiring young black professionals, demonstrating unequivocally that the peaks of success can be scaled through sheer perseverance and unwavering commitment. By advocating for inclusivity, I will encourage a more dynamic dialogue within the industry, where different viewpoints lead to smarter, more creative solutions. Granting me this opportunity is not just an investment in my future—it's a vote of confidence in a vision that transcends barriers, and a celebration of the power of ambition to redefine what it means to be the business leaders of tomorrow.
With this degree, my goal is to pay tribute to my father’s legacy and motivate the next wave of visionaries to leave a lasting impact on the world. Your support has the power to turn these aspirations into a shared reality.
