Comics enhance my life's purpose. And my purpose is to create. As someone who grew up as an artist and comic book lover, I’ve been able to combine my passions. Creating comics was one thing, but reading comics was another. Moon Girl is one of Marvel’s newest additions to the franchise. Known as Lunella Lafayette, Moon Girl was Marvel’s smartest person in the known universe. As someone who is going to college for computer science, Moon Girl was a great inspiration to me because she too loved technology. Her whole shtick is that she is a scientist and loves to build her own superhero gear! Even though Lunella is a preteen, I could see myself in her as a black girl in tech. Lunella gave me hope for my future: I can create whatever I can and as long as I stick true to my beliefs. I can always succeed.

All my life I've been surrounded by video games. Gaming was always at the forefront of my life, whether I was playing by myself or with my friends. I grew up playing Mario and Pokemon on the Nintendo DS, and even now I play those very same games on the Nintendo Switch. I've had such a great time as a gamer that I thought there could be a way that I too could make amazing video games. I learned that in order to become a video game developer, I would have to become a programmer. Ever since I realized this, I dreamed of working for Nintendo and I've been on a steadfast path to gaining an education in computer science. Growing up I was greatly enriched by my community. I was fortunate to have such plentiful access to many free programs that supported the inclusion of women in STEM. In high school, there was Tech it Out Philly, a program that taught grade school students how to code their own websites. I took the knowledge from this program and entered my first hackathon called Femmehacks in my junior year. I was able to work in a large team with other high school girls and create a website that allowed its user to search and discover hackathons based on their local area. In college, there was Kode With Klossy, a second web development program that prepared me for the Intro To Web Development class that I am currently taking this semester. In this camp, I had a group project where I was able to develop a website that collected a series of easily accessible resources on mental health for students. I am also a member of RTC (Rewriting the Code), a fellowship where I have met and been inspired by college aged women to become a better advocate for women in tech. And because of this fellowship, I have also been able to connect with two great women who have mentored me about the video game and business industries. I am also enrolled in CodePath’s Android App development course for the fall. This is my first time learning how to develop an app, and now I get to have plenty of hands on experience in a group project where we are creating our own social media app from the ground up. After I graduate, I plan on earning a job at Nintendo and accomplishing my own side project. So while I gain the experience of working as a game developer, I also want to delve into the business world and create my own startup company. Recently, I've been inspired by the movie Little (2019) to run my own tech company that concentrates on app and software development. I even plan on using a portion of my profits to fund my very own scholarship for black college students. I’ve learned that college truly is a great way for low-income students like myself to escape the cycle of poverty. The systematic racism against funding low-income black students in higher education in this country is at an all time high, and certain racial identities will continue to hinder student’s chances of gaining financial aid. Paying for college has become a detrimental factor in the lives of many students, so I want to help future generations avoid struggling as much as I have. Also, as someone who would become an important figure in the tech industry, I plan to use my status and become an advocate for free college tuition and easily accessible financial aid. All the people I've met and all the programs and organizations I've been a member of so far have molded me into the amazing women I am today. And it is because of that fact is why computer science was an inevitable path for me. The support gave me strength. While the STEM field has always been a bit of a reach for minorities such as myself, I have had nothing but fruitful experiences. I've learned how to build websites, develop apps, and I've met other students who too dream of working in the video game industry. Becoming a game developer for Nintendo has been the biggest dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I'm positive that now that I'm in college, opportunities will continue to present themselves as long as I continue being ambitious with my career plan. I plan on taking any opportunity I can to teach me how to build my own games. With all this experience and the support from my colleagues, I know that one day I'll be able to make my dream a reality. And when I'm older, I hope my work inspires future developers, especially fellow black girl gamers, to pursue their dreams too.

All my life I've been surrounded by video games. Gaming was always at the forefront of my life, whether I was playing by myself or with my friends. I grew up playing Mario and Pokémon on the Nintendo DS, and even now I play those very same games on the Nintendo Switch. I've had such a great time as a gamer that I thought there could be a way that I too could make amazing video games. I learned that in order to become a video game developer, I would have to become a programmer. Ever since I realized this, I dreamed of working for Nintendo and I've been on a steadfast path to gaining an education in computer science. Growing up I was greatly enriched by my community. I was fortunate to have such plentiful access to many free programs that supported the inclusion of women in STEM. In high school, there was Tech it Out Philly, a program that taught grade school students how to code their own websites. I took the knowledge from this program and entered my first hackathon called Femmehacks in my junior year. I was able to work in a large team with other high school girls and create a website that allowed its user to search and discover hackathons based on their local area. In college, there was Kode With Klossy, a second web development program that prepared me for the Intro To Web Development class that I am currently taking this semester. In this camp, I had a group project where I was able to develop a website that collected a series of easily accessible resources on mental health for students. I am also a member of RTC (Rewriting the Code), a fellowship where I have met and been inspired by college aged women to become a better advocate for women in tech. And because of this fellowship, I have also been able to connect with two great women who have mentored me about the video game and business industries. I am also enrolled in CodePath’s Android App development course for the fall. This is my first time learning how to develop an app, and now I get to have plenty of hands on experience in a group project where we are creating our own social media app from the ground up. After I graduate, I plan on earning a job at Nintendo and accomplishing my own side project. So while I gain the experience of working as a game developer, I also want to delve into the business world and create my own startup company. Recently, I've been inspired by the movie Little (2019) to run my own tech company that concentrates on app and software development. I even plan on using a portion of my profits to fund my very own scholarship for black college students. I’ve learned that college truly is a great way for low-income students like myself to escape the cycle of poverty. The systematic racism against funding low-income black students in higher education in this country is at an all time high, and certain racial identities will continue to hinder student’s chances of gaining financial aid. Paying for college has become a detrimental factor in the lives of many students, so I want to help future generations avoid struggling as much as I have. Also, as someone who would become an important figure in the tech industry, I plan to use my status and become an advocate for free college tuition and easily accessible financial aid. All the people I've met and all the programs and organizations I've been a member of so far have molded me into the amazing women I am today. And it is because of that fact is why computer science was an inevitable path for me. The support gave me strength. While the STEM field has always been a bit of a reach for minorities such as myself, I have had nothing but fruitful experiences. I've learned how to build websites, develop apps, and I've met other students who too dream of working in the video game industry. Becoming a game developer for Nintendo has been the biggest dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I'm positive that now that I'm in college, opportunities will continue to present themselves as long as I continue being ambitious with my career plan. I plan on taking any opportunity I can to teach me how to build my own games. With all this experience and the support from my colleagues, I know that one day I'll be able to make my dream a reality. And when I'm older, I hope my work inspires future developers, especially fellow black girl gamers, to pursue their dreams too.

As an African American female I've had my share of adversity; because growing up as a black woman in America, I face a system that sets me up to fail. I have had enough obstacles to overcome that many privileged Americans will never face in their entire lifetime, but that just means that once I achieve all my goals, the victory will be even sweeter. I aspire to become a game developer for Nintendo and run my own tech company. And I know that to accomplish this, I would have to earn a college degree in computer science. But there are obstacles to being successful in higher education. College truly is a great way for low-income students like myself to escape the cycle of poverty. The systematic racism against funding low-income black students in higher education in this country is at an all time high, and I believe my racial identity will continue to hinder my education. Paying for college has become a detrimental factor in the lives of many students, especially the ones coming from a historically underrepresented group. Knowing that these difficulties affect me, I had taken charge of financing my education. That’s why my greatest achievement so far is receiving enough financial aid that lasted me an entire semester. Financial hardships are my battle. And I made sacrifices to gain it. When I was a senior in high school who was entering college admission season, I had to sacrifice a lot of my free time and work even harder than I had before to maintain good grades. Getting into a good school and earning merit based scholarships were crucial, so I had to cut off a lot of my leisure time. My sacrifices were a heavy toll on my well being, including my mental health, as I didn't have enough time to sit down and relax. My days were filled with applying to scholarships as I stressed and worried about whether or not I would earn enough money from them. When my father passed away a few months before, I had lost his parental presence and my family had lost a vital income that could have been going toward college. Saddened by his loss, I was fortunately able to put in hundreds of scholarship applications. I knew he would want me to continue working as hard as he did. While I was awarded a few scholarships, I was able to pay off my tuition for my first semester of college in the fall. And even before I was accepted into the University of West Georgia, the college awarded me another scholarship that allowed me to pay in-state tuition. So while I did have to sacrifice my free time, the work that I had put in made everything worthwhile. This had taught me I could stay on a schedule, and complete daily tasks everyday. And most importantly, I overcame the habit of procrastination that had foiled me all throughout my high school career. But through this experience, I learned that not every student is putting this much effort into their scholarship search as I am, and because of that, I want to be able to help them. Throughout my senior year of high school, I had gained a bit of popularity due to my dedication to applying to scholarships; even now in college, I've made it clear to my friends that scholarships are ideal if they never want to get into debt, and some have taken my lead. But not every student can put in the amount of work that I have. When I'm older, and I'm running my own tech company, I plan to donate a large portion of its profits to fund a scholarship program for minority students. I want my program to be able to financially help students, as well as help them create strong scholarship and college essays. I wouldn't want future generations to struggle as much as I did, and they shouldn't. Also, as someone who would become an important figure in the tech industry, I plan to use my status and become an advocate for free college tuition and easily accessible financial aid. My experience has led me to overcome a large amount of adversity, and it grew me into an amazing woman. I have high hopes to be academically, socially and culturally successful in college, but that starts with me not needing to stress about paying for my tuition. I've already put in the work before, and I believe I can continue overcoming hard times.

As an African American female I've had my share of adversity; because growing up as a black woman in America, I face a system that sets me up to fail. I have had enough obstacles to overcome that many privileged Americans will never face in their entire lifetime, but that just means that once I achieve all my goals, the victory will be even sweeter. I aspire to become a game developer for Nintendo and run my own tech company. And I know that to accomplish this, I would have to earn a college degree in computer science. But there are obstacles to being successful in higher education. Financial aid is a hurdle few minority students can gain completely. The systematic racism against funding low-income black students in higher education in this country is at an all time high, and I believe my racial identity will continue to hinder my education. College tuition has risen exponentially over the years. Attending college to get a good degree and eventually a good career is a big need for many people, including myself; but paying for college has become a detrimental factor in the lives of many students, especially the ones coming from a historically underrepresented group. Knowing that these difficulties affect me, I had taken charge of financing my education. Financial hardships are my battle. And I made sacrifices to gain it. When I was a senior in high school who was entering college admission season, I had to sacrifice a lot of my free time and work even harder than I had before to maintain good grades. Getting into a good school and earning merit based scholarships were crucial, so I had to cut off a lot of my leisure time. My sacrifices were a heavy toll on my well being, including my mental health, as I didn't have enough time to sit down and relax. My days were filled with applying to scholarships as I stressed and worried about whether or not I would earn enough money from them. When my father passed away a few months before, I had lost his parental presence and my family had lost a vital income that could have been going toward college. Saddened by his loss, I was fortunately able to put in hundreds of scholarship applications. I knew he would want me to continue working as hard as he did. While I was awarded a few scholarships, I was able to pay off my tuition for my first semester of college in the fall. And even before I was accepted into the University of West Georgia, the college awarded me another scholarship that allowed me to pay in-state tuition. So while I did have to sacrifice my free time, the work that I had put in made everything worthwhile. This had taught me I could stay on a schedule, and complete daily tasks everyday. And most importantly, I overcame the habit of procrastination that had foiled me all throughout my high school career. But through this experience, I learned that not every student is putting this much effort into their scholarship search as I am, and because of that, I want to be able to help them. Throughout my senior year of high school, I had gained a bit of popularity due to my dedication to applying to scholarships; even now in college, I've made it clear to my friends that scholarships are ideal if they never want to get into debt, and some have taken my lead. But not every student can put in the amount of work that I have. When I'm older, and I'm running my own tech company, I plan to donate a large portion of its profits to fund a scholarship program for minority students. I want my program to be able to financially help students, as well as help them create strong scholarship and college essays. I wouldn't want future generations to struggle as much as I did, and they shouldn't. Also, as someone who would become an important figure in the tech industry, I plan to use my status and become an advocate for free college tuition and easily accessible financial aid. My experience has led me to overcome a large amount of adversity, and it grew me into an amazing woman. I have high hopes to be academically, socially and culturally successful in college, but that starts with me not needing to stress about paying for my tuition. I've already put in the work before, and I believe I can continue overcoming hard times.

All my life I've been surrounded by video games. Gaming was always at the forefront of my life, whether I was playing by myself or with my friends. I grew up playing Mario and Pokemon on the Nintendo DS, and even now I play those very same games on the Nintendo Switch. I've had such a great time as a gamer that I thought there could be a way that I too could make amazing video games. I learned that in order to become a video game developer, I would have to become a programmer. Ever since I realized this, I dreamed of working for Nintendo and I've been on a steadfast path to gaining an education in computer science. Fortunately, I've had plenty of chances to learn many new things about computer science, and I was able to gain a lot of experience in this field! Growing up I was greatly enriched by my community. I was fortunate to have such plentiful access to many free programs that supported the inclusion of women in STEM. All the people I've met and all the programs and organizations I've been a member of have molded me into the amazing women I am today. And it is because of that fact is why computer science was an inevitable path for me. The support gave me strength. While the STEM field has always been a bit of a reach for minorities such as myself, I have had nothing but fruitful experiences. I've learned how to build websites, develop apps, and I've met other students who too dream of working in the video game industry. I'm positive that now that I'm in college, opportunities will continue to present themselves as long as I continue being ambitious with my career plan. With all this experience and the support from my colleagues, I know that one day I'll be able to make my dream a reality. After I graduate, I plan on earning a job at Nintendo and accomplishing my own side project. So while I gain the experience of working as a game developer, I also want to delve into the business world and create my own start-up company. Recently, I've been inspired by the movie Little (2019) to run my own tech company that concentrates on app and software development. I even plan on using a portion of my profits to fund my very own scholarship for black college students. As I become an important figure in the tech industry, I hope I can stand as a role model for other African Americans who hope to succeed as well as I did. Becoming a game developer for Nintendo has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I got into STEM because I learned that computer science could help me become a programmer. As I continue through college, I plan on taking any opportunity to teach me how to build my own games. When I'm older, I hope my work inspires future developers to pursue their dreams too.

All my life I've been surrounded by technology. I always had a computer at home, and I was able to use it for both educational and extracurricular activities; the latter helping me to discover online gaming. Video games were at the forefront of my life so much that I took being a gamer a step forward. I enjoyed playing on my DS, where Mario and Pokemon ruled my after school life. I realized with my passion, I could create my own video games. I could even work for Nintendo. And ever since then, I've been on a long steady path to gaining an education in computer science. Because I learned that to become a game developer, I would have to first learn how to code. Luckily, as I was growing up, I was fortunate to have such plentiful access to many free programs that supported the inclusion of both black people and women in STEM. I’ve worked in programs like Tech it Out Philly, RTC (Rewriting the Code), and CSSI Google, which have all been great experiences. I've learned how to build websites and apps; and I've even met other students who too dream of working in the game industry. But as I grew as a student and as a person, I learned that the STEM outreach in low-income communities is limited, so I'm taking charge to change all of that. Money truly does make a difference- at least in the case of any low income student in America trying to achieve their dreams. Every student should have the right to have access to programs that teach them how to code, or even build a computer. But these programs are inaccessible in some communities due to the lack of funding. The systematic racism that keeps African Americans from affording higher education, or even having the minimal amount of access to STEM programs in their community are silencing the future voices of black engineers, scientists and doctors. As a girl who grew up not quite below the poverty line, pursuing a career in STEM wasn’t quite difficult for me because my community provided me with a lot of free CS programs which were located right in my own neighborhood. But my experiences fall far from the struggles of any other poor black kid trying to pursue a similar career. There have been minimal efforts to include African Americans in the STEM community. Black people have one of the lowest demographics in STEM compared to other races, but with my help, I’d love to be able to execute programs as well as provide the funding for them to raise those numbers. By providing the necessary tools, there would be more black people in STEM than ever before. Due to the exponential rise of college tuition over the years, black students are finding it difficult to continue their studies. As an African American myself, I'm already aware of the obstacles to being successful in higher education, especially by obtaining things like financial aid. The systematic racism against funding low-income black students in higher education in this country is at an all time high. For people coming into college from low-income families, they should be able to pursue their studies worry free from financial strain. Due to this difficulty, I would love to be able to gather funds to help students avoid applying for loans and getting into debt. Recently, I've been inspired by the movie Little (2019) to run my own tech company that concentrates on app and software development. In the movie, the protagonist businesswoman Jordan Sanders also developed app software with an emphasis on video games! I plan on donating a portion of my profits to fund my very own scholarship for black college students. As someone who would become an important figure in the tech industry, I plan to use my status and become an advocate for free college tuition and financial aid. With the donation of my scholarship, I would hope to help not just one student, but an entire community that would reap the benefits of that student's drive for success. I want to give others an opportunity to overcome adversity and make a positive impact on the world. There’s so much that one student can do, and they should have the ability to exercise that power. With STEM becoming more and more of a popular career field, black students from low income neighborhoods are being left behind. There are so many passionate individuals out there who would love to learn how to code, or to build a computer, so that passion needs to be nourished. Interests usually die out unless there are some clubs or programs to help exercise a student's abilities. With my education, I’ll use my coding superpower, my business management skills, and the many resources in a network I would have grown over the years to help implement stronger STEM programs in every neighborhood we can reach. I grew up completely enriched by my community. Thriving from their support, and falling more and more in love with programming in each passing day. With all this experience and the support from my colleagues, I know that one day I'll be able to make my dreams a reality: landing my dream career at Nintendo, and providing the support to the next generation of black scientists, engineers, and doctors. Black lives will matter when the access to education and technology is equal for everyone.

2019 was the year that reaffirmed who I was. As a graduating high school senior, I was on a fast path track to college, for I would be majoring in computer science. Throughout my life, I had spent so much time attending programs to help me become a better coder. All that effort became worth it when I was awarded the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. My hard work had gone noticed. As a black student, people don't expect people like me to succeed, but with the achievement of this award, I knew my place was here in tech.