1. I selected speech-language pathology as my major, at Misericordia University. The ability to communicate effectively is such a core aspect of being human. When I hear about people who are unable to do so as a result of a communication disorder, it makes me want to do what I can, to change this outcome. I want individuals who have diseases and disorders that affect their communication abilities, to have the ability to communicate and engage with those in their lives. 2. One strength that I have is that I am flexible. I am able to analyze a situation or environment, and adapt as needed. It could be nerve-wrecking at times, but I’m able to do it. This is important because it allows me to thrive and confront new challenges. One weakness I have is that I overthink. Sometimes, I am preoccupied with doing things perfectly, that it causes me to procrastinate as opposed to taking initiative and learning through trial and error. 3. My name is Amatullah Fulani. I am a young Muslim woman who dares to dream and bring those dreams into fruition. My life goals include doing whatever I can to increase literacy across the world and assisting those with communication disorders. I believe that this scholarship would be one step towards using my skills to help humanity and leave my mark in this world. My skills and passions have the potential to help humans on a bigger scale and I’m ready to make it happen. 4. My favorite book is an older children’s book called “The Potluck.” It gives me so much nostalgia. It’s a book about children bringing different dishes to a potluck and each child brings a dish that begins with the letter of their first name. It’s meant to teach phonics. I think it’s very cute and wholesome. My favorite movie is “Tangled.” It’s the Disney movie about Rapunzel. It does a great job of portraying mental and emotional abuse. It was very inspiring to see Rapunzel break free from her guardian’s abuse and come into her own. I love the movie and it means a lot to me. I do not have a favorite song, to be honest. 5. As a Muslim, I would say my greatest achievement would be taking the initiative to try to learn Surah Baqarah. It’s the longest Surah in the Qur’an and contains so much wisdom for us to understand and adhere to. Of course, the entire Qur’an does. It’s just that this Surah is very lengthy, so taking the time to learn the whole chapter requires a lot of discipline and concentration. Undertaking this endeavor is a personal success to me and I pray the Almighty makes it easy for me.

I believe it is my professional duty to use my skills to address the education and healthcare crisis in this country. As a young girl, I’ve always had a passion for language arts, phonetics, and health sciences. I have an immense love for reading and educating children in literacy and language arts. My career goals are concentrated in the areas of education and healthcare. I desire to become a speech-language pathologist, which combines these two niches. I desire to become a multi-faceted professional who makes contributions across a variety of domains. As an aspiring speech-language pathologist, I would be responsible for assessing and treating speech, language, and swallowing disorders, across the lifespan. An individual’s quality of life is educationally, socially, and mentally impacted with these deficits. This profession would allow me to make a positive impact in many individual’s lives through comprehensive assessment and therapy. All over the world, we hear about a variety of disorders, diseases, and differences that impact communication abilities. There’s autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and traumatic brain injuries, just to make a few. As a speech-pathologist, I would be able to use my knowledge to serve these populations locally and abroad. There are a variety of communities that need these services and I have every intention to treat as many communities as I can. I have the power to make a great impact through this profession because of how versatile it is. Research strongly demonstrates that speech and language deficits have an impact on educational performance, which then affects life outcomes. Youth with speech and language disorders have an increased risk of having literacy difficulties in school. When literacy levels become deficient, that has a negative impact on society. Speech-pathologists play a powerful role in addressing this issue by collaborating with many professionals through sharing their knowledge and giving appropriate treatment. Over the course of my career, I aim to complete many projects that would improve humanity. I want to create communication materials that would assist autistic children, allowing them to communicate efficiently with the world around them. I plan to collaborate with reading specialists to address the literacy crisis present in the school system. Additionally, I plan to conduct research concerning language development in children. The research would give parents and professionals a blueprint for increasing childhood language development, thus giving them a great foundation for education outcomes. In the healthcare niche, there’s many adults with cognitive-communication disorders due to dementia, a TBI, and other diseases. I desire to help older populations as well. Research indicates that older populations are at risk of being neglected and there are deficits within acute care facilities that serve them. Through my career, I plan to implement therapy to treat their disorders, increasing their quality of life. By engaging in this work, I play a role in helping society’s most vulnerable populations. As a young Muslim woman of color, there are not many like me in the field. I want this to change, as there is an urgent need for culturally competent care across education and health professions. My field of choice is expected to grow, due to the services that are needed. I do need financial assistance for my education and would appreciate any help. This scholarship would be of great assistance. Thank you for your time!