As an African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, I am no stranger to adversity. From living in a home with plywood where windows should be to having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years without a real job at all. Not knowing from time to time, which one of our utilities were going to be shut off or whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I have been able to overcome the adversity I have faced in my life by holding onto hope. American young adult fantasy author Laini Taylor once said, “Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” I believe that hope begins by seeing that something is possible. My hope to one day attend an HBCU began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. You hear the stories and sit through the lectures from adults but it is not until you have a visual representation that it really sinks in. It was not until my one of my teacher brought in a former student of hers to show our class a presentation about her study abroad trip to France that I started to hope that I will one day to the same. My hope of becoming an architect did not start until I met an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. Witnessing where hard work in school and life can take you is inspiring. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step of my journey starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else. I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out employment and scholarship opportunities to apply for. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

I am currently pursuing a degree in Construction Management Engineering Technology at Norfolk State University. I have always been interested in buildings and building things in general. I can remember taking road trips with my family and marveling at every detail of the skyscrapers as we pulled into every major city. I loved to build elaborate structures in the video game Minecraft as well as with physical Lego bricks. Once I found out that these things are called Architecture and Construction it became my dream job. This dream became a tangible goal when my father introduced to a friend of his who is an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. Witnessing where hard work in school and life can take you is inspiring. He a since become one of my mentors. Receiving his guidance on the possible routes to take towards my career goal has been a blessing. My ultimate career goal is to become a world renowned Architect. The one who goes to the inner city communities, like the one he came from, to work towards rebuilding our neighborhoods. I want to be the Architect who brings back hope to the low-income communities. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to be more and do more in their lives. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. My first step towards my career goals is to study hard and do well in all of my courses in order to secure summer internships in my field of study. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. Then go on to complete my degree in Construction Management in 2027. As a first generation college student from a low-income family, I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out scholarship opportunities to apply for as well as employment if necessary. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

My name is Angelo Little II. I am African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, that has had to overcome many obstacles in order to pursue higher education. Growing up I have experienced quite a bit of adversity. From living in a home with pile wood where windows should be to our utilities shut off not knowing from time to time. Having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years at a time without a real job at all and not knowing whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I did not have much hope for the future. I only had a plan to find and keep a job when I grew up so that I would not experience the financial insecurity and instability I faced during my childhood. It is hard to overcome an obstacle like a lack of hope until you see that it is possible to hope for more and achieve it. My older sister is the first person to spark hope in me that higher education was something I could actually obtain. She always knew she wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). She worked hard during high school and took full advantage of every opportunity her teachers and counselor presented her to make that happen. Seeing her receive letter after letter of acceptance into various colleges turned my spark of hope into a flame. My hope to one day attend an HBCU myself began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. The day my sister helped me completely overcome the obstacle of a lack of hope was the day she sent me a PDF file outlining the steps I needed to take in order to get into the college or university of my choice. This document included links to websites and apps to apply for scholarships so I would not have to worry about how to pay for school. This passing on of knowledge really set me on my way to pursuing a higher education. Now that I am well on my way to starting my college journey I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step on my path, starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else. I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out employment and scholarship opportunities to apply for. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

My name is Angelo Little II. I am African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, that has had to overcome many obstacles in order to pursue higher education. Growing up I have experienced quite a bit of adversity. From living in a home with pile wood where windows should be to our utilities shut off not knowing from time to time. Having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years at a time without a real job at all and not knowing whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I did not have much hope for the future. I only had a plan to find and keep a job when I grew up so that I would not experience the financial insecurity and instability I faced during my childhood. It is hard to overcome an obstacle like a lack of hope until you see that it is possible to hope for more and achieve it. My older sister is the first person to spark hope in me that higher education was something I could actually obtain. She always knew she wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). She worked hard during high school and took full advantage of every opportunity her teachers and counselor presented her to make that happen. Seeing her receive letter after letter of acceptance into various colleges turned my spark of hope into a flame. My hope to one day attend an HBCU myself began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. Now that I am well on my way in my college journey I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step on my path, starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else. I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out employment and scholarship opportunities to apply for. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

My name is Angelo Little II. I am African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, that has had to overcome many obstacles in order to pursue higher education. Growing up I have experienced quite a bit of adversity. From living in a home with pile wood where windows should be to our utilities shut off not knowing from time to time. Having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years at a time without a real job at all and not knowing whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I did not have much hope for the future. I only had a plan to find and keep a job when I grew up so that I would not experience the financial insecurity and instability I faced during my childhood. It is hard to overcome an obstacle like a lack of hope until you see that it is possible to hope for more and achieve it. My older sister is the first person to spark hope in me that higher education was something I could actually obtain. She always knew she wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). She worked hard during high school and took full advantage of every opportunity her teachers and counselor presented her to make that happen. Seeing her receive letter after letter of acceptance into various colleges turned my spark of hope into a flame. My hope to one day attend an HBCU myself began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. The day my sister helped me completely overcome the obstacle of a lack of hope was the day she sent me a PDF file outlining the steps I needed to take in order to get into the college or university of my choice. This document included links to websites and apps to apply for scholarships so I would not have to worry about how to pay for school. This passing on of knowledge really set me on my way to pursuing a higher education. Now that I am well on my way to starting my college journey I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step on my path, starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out employment and scholarship opportunities to apply for. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

Ever since graduating High School one of my goals is to be an example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step of my journey starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. I am currently peer mentoring high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else. As an African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, the main obstacle that I have had to overcome in order to pursue higher education is a lack of hope. Growing up I have experienced quite a bit of adversity. From living in a home with pile wood where windows should be to our utilities shut off not knowing from time to time. Having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years at a time without a real job at all and not knowing whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I did not have much hope for the future. I only had a plan to find and keep a job when I grew up so that I would not experience the financial insecurity and instability I faced during my childhood. It is hard to overcome an obstacle like a lack of hope until you see that it is possible to hope for more and achieve it. My older sister is the first person to spark hope in me that higher education was something I could actually obtain. She always knew she wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). She worked hard during high school and took full advantage of every opportunity her teachers and counselor presented her to make that happen. Seeing her receive letter after letter of acceptance into various colleges turned my spark of hope into a flame. My hope to one day attend an HBCU myself began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. The day my sister helped me completely overcome the obstacle of a lack of hope was the day she sent me a PDF file outlining the steps I needed to take in order to get into the college or university of my choice. This document included links to websites and apps to apply for scholarships so I would not have to worry about how to pay for school. This passing on of knowledge really set me on my way to pursuing a higher education.

As an African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, I am no stranger to adversity. From living in a home with plywood where windows should be to having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years without a real job at all. Not knowing from time to time, which one of our utilities were going to be shut off or whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I have been able to overcome the adversity I have faced in my life by holding onto hope. American young adult fantasy author Laini Taylor once said, “Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” I believe that hope begins by seeing that something is possible. My hope to one day attend an HBCU began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. You hear the stories and sit through the lectures from adults but it is not until you have a visual representation that it really sinks in. It was not until my one of my teacher brought in a former student of hers to show our class a presentation about her study abroad trip to France that I started to hope that I will one day to the same. My hope of becoming an architect did not start until I met an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. Witnessing where hard work in school and life can take you is inspiring. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step of my journey starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else.

Being awarded a Scholarship such as this will give me a chance to be an example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step of my journey starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else. As an African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, the main obstacle that I have had to overcome in order to pursue higher education is a lack of hope. Growing up I have experienced quite a bit of adversity. From living in a home with pile wood where windows should be to our utilities shut off not knowing from time to time. Having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years at a time without a real job at all and not knowing whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I did not have much hope for the future. I only had a plan to find and keep a job when I grew up so that I would not experience the financial insecurity and instability I faced during my childhood. It is hard to overcome an obstacle like a lack of hope until you see that it is possible to hope for more and achieve it. My older sister is the first person to spark hope in me that higher education was something I could actually obtain. She always knew she wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). She worked hard during high school and took full advantage of every opportunity her teachers and counselor presented her to make that happen. Seeing her receive letter after letter of acceptance into various colleges turned my spark of hope into a flame. My hope to one day attend an HBCU myself began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. The day my sister helped me completely overcome the obstacle of a lack of hope was the day she sent me a PDF file outlining the steps I needed to take in order to get into the college or university of my choice. This document included links to websites and apps to apply for scholarships so I would not have to worry about how to pay for school. This passing on of knowledge really set me on my way to pursuing a higher education.

As an African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, the main obstacle that I have had to overcome to pursue higher education is a lack of hope. Growing up I experienced quite a bit of adversity. From living in a home with plywood where windows should be to our utilities shut off not knowing from time to time. Having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years at a time without a real job at all and not knowing whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I did not have much hope for the future. I only had a plan to find and keep a job when I grew up so that I would not experience the financial insecurity and instability I faced during my childhood. It Is hard to overcome an obstacle like a lack of hope until you see that it is possible to hope for more and achieve it. My older sister is the first person to spark hope in me that higher education was something I could actually obtain. She always knew she wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). She worked hard during high school and took full advantage of every opportunity her teachers and counselor presented her to make that happen. Seeing her receive letter after letter of acceptance into various colleges turned my spark of hope into a flame. My hope to one day attend an HBCU myself began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. The day my sister helped me completely overcome the obstacle of a lack of hope was the day she sent me a PDF file outlining the steps I needed to take to get into the college or university of my choice. This document included links to websites and apps to apply for scholarships so I would not have to worry about how to pay for school. This passing on of knowledge was the final ingredient needed to set me on my way to pursuing higher education. Now that I am well on my way to starting my college journey I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step on my path, starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find a balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else.

As an African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, I am no stranger to adversity. From living in a home with pile wood where windows should be to having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years without a real job at all. Not knowing from time to time, which one of our utilities were going to be shut off or whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I have been able to overcome the adversity I have faced in my life by holding onto hope. American young adult fantasy author Laini Taylor once said, “Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” I believe that hope begins by seeing that something is possible. My hope to one day attend an HBCU began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. You hear the stories and sit through the lectures from adults but it is not until you have a visual representation that it really sinks in. It was not until my one of my teacher brought in a former student of hers to show our class a presentation about her study abroad trip to France that I started to hope that I will one day to the same. My hope of becoming an architect did not start until I met an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. Witnessing where hard work in school and life can take you is inspiring. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step of my journey starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else.

As an African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, the main obstacle that I have had to overcome in order to pursue higher education is a lack of hope. Growing up I have experienced quite a bit of adversity. From living in a home with pile wood where windows should be to our utilities shut off not knowing from time to time. Having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years at a time without a real job at all and not knowing whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I did not have much hope for the future. I only had a plan to find and keep a job when I grew up so that I would not experience the financial insecurity and instability I faced during my childhood. It is hard to overcome an obstacle like a lack of hope until you see that it is possible to hope for more and achieve it. My older sister is the first person to spark hope in me that higher education was something I could actually obtain. She always knew she wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). She worked hard during high school and took full advantage of every opportunity her teachers and counselor presented her to make that happen. Seeing her receive letter after letter of acceptance into various colleges turned my spark of hope into a flame. My hope to one day attend an HBCU myself began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. The day my sister helped me completely overcome the obstacle of a lack of hope was the day she sent me a PDF file outlining the steps I needed to take in order to get into the college or university of my choice. This document included links to websites and apps to apply for scholarships so I would not have to worry about how to pay for school. This passing on of knowledge really set me on my way to pursuing a higher education. Now that I am well on my way to starting my college journey I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step on my path, starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else.

As an African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, the main obstacle that I have had to overcome in order to pursue higher education is a lack of hope. Growing up I have experienced quite a bit of adversity. From living in a home with pile wood where windows should be to our utilities shut off not knowing from time to time. Having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years at a time without a real job at all and not knowing whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I did not have much hope for the future. I only had a plan to find and keep a job when I grew up so that I would not experience the financial insecurity and instability I faced during my childhood. It is hard to overcome an obstacle like a lack of hope until you see that it is possible to hope for more and achieve it. My older sister is the first person to spark hope in me that higher education was something I could actually obtain. She always knew she wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). She worked hard during high school and took full advantage of every opportunity her teachers and counselor presented her to make that happen. Seeing her receive letter after letter of acceptance into various colleges turned my spark of hope into a flame. My hope to one day attend an HBCU myself began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. The day my sister helped me completely overcome the obstacle of a lack of hope was the day she sent me a PDF file outlining the steps I needed to take in order to get into the college or university of my choice. This document included links to websites and apps to apply for scholarships so I would not have to worry about how to pay for school. This passing on of knowledge really set me on my way to pursuing a higher education. Now that I am well on my way to starting my college journey I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step on my path, starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else.

I have many goals for my time in college. I wish to go to an HBCU out of state, pursue a degree in architecture, study abroad in another country, preferably France or another country in Europe, and meet new people. I have already achieved one goal by being accepted to attend Norfolk State University in Virginia in the fall, as well as their SPARC Summer Bridge Program. The SPARC Program will prepare me for what is expected of me academically in the fall, as well as provide an opportunity to become acclimated to the college campus experience. Having this advance experience will allow me to make connections with administrators and fellow students that may be an aid to me along my collegiate journey. My ultimate career goal is to become a world renowned Architect. The one who goes to the inner city communities, like the one he came from, to work towards rebuilding our neighborhoods. I want to be the Architect who brings back hope to the low-income communities. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to be more and do more in their lives. My hope of becoming an architect did not start until I met an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. It really hit home at that point why working hard and obtaining a college degree is important. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step of my journey starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. Having said that, my first step towards my career goals is to study hard and do well in all of my courses in order to secure summer internships in my field of study. Then go on to complete my degree in Construction Management and Design in 2027. As a first generation college student from a low-income family, I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out scholarship opportunities to apply for as well as employment if necessary. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

After college my ultimate career goal is to become a world renowned Architect. The one who goes to the inner city communities, like the one he came from, to work towards rebuilding our neighborhoods. I want to be the Architect who brings back hope to the low-income communities. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to be more and do more in their lives. My hope of becoming an architect did not start until I met an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. It really hit home at that point why working hard and obtaining a college degree is important. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step of my journey starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. I have already taken multiple steps toward achieving my career goals. The first is being accepted to attend Norfolk State University in Virginia, as well as their SPARC Summer Bridge Program. So far I have studied hard and done well in all of my courses, earning a 3.5GPA. I have joined the National Society of Black engineers and the National Association of Home Builders collegiate chapters on campus. I plan to attend the NAHB conference in February of 2025. I have already secured a summer internships with Grunley Construction in Rockville MD. I plan to go on to complete my degree in Construction Management and Design in 2027. As a first generation college student from a low-income family, I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out scholarship opportunities to apply for as well as employment if necessary. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

I have always been interested in buildings and building things in general. I can remember taking road trips with my family and marveling at every detail of the skyscrapers as we pulled into every major city. I loved to build elaborate structures in the video game Minecraft as well as with physical Lego bricks. Once I found out that these things are called Architecture and Construction it became my dream job. This dream became a tangible goal when my father introduced to a friend of his who is an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. Witnessing where hard work in school and life can take you is inspiring. He a since become one of my mentors. Receiving his guidance on the possible routes to take towards my career goal has been a blessing. My ultimate career goal is to become a world renowned Architect. The one who goes to the inner city communities, like the one he came from, to work towards rebuilding our neighborhoods. I want to be the Architect who brings back hope to the low-income communities. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to be more and do more in their lives. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I also want to be able to design houses that a family can call home. Home to me means safety and peace. It is a place where no matter what happens during your day or in the world around you in general, you are eager to go back to it at the end of the day. Its a place where the sparks of hope I previously mentioned can turn into full on blazes that propels a person to set and pursue goals for the future. My first step towards my career goals is to study hard and do well in all of my courses in order to secure summer internships in my field of study. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. Then go on to complete my degree in Construction Management and Design in 2027. As a first generation college student from a low-income family, I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out scholarship opportunities to apply for as well as employment if necessary. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

I have always been interested in buildings and building things in general. I can remember taking road trips with my family and marveling at every detail of the skyscrapers as we pulled into every major city. I loved to build elaborate structures in the video game Minecraft as well as with physical Lego bricks. Once I found out that these things are called Architecture and Construction it became my dream job. This dream became a tangible goal when my father introduced to a friend of his who is an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. Witnessing where hard work in school and life can take you is inspiring. He a since become one of my mentors. Receiving his guidance on the possible routes to take towards my career goal has been a blessing. My ultimate career goal is to become a world renowned Architect. The one who goes to the inner city communities, like the one he came from, to work towards rebuilding our neighborhoods. I want to be the Architect who brings back hope to the low-income communities. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to be more and do more in their lives. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. My first step towards my career goals is to study hard and do well in all of my courses in order to secure summer internships in my field of study. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. Then go on to complete my degree in Construction Management and Design in 2027. As a first generation college student from a low-income family, I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out scholarship opportunities to apply for as well as employment if necessary. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

I have always been interested in buildings and building things in general. I can remember taking road trips with my family and marveling at every detail of the skyscrapers as we pulled into every major city. I loved to build elaborate structures in the video game Minecraft as well as with physical Lego bricks. Once I found out that these things are called Architecture and Construction it became my dream job. This dream became a tangible goal when my father introduced to a friend of his who is an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. Witnessing where hard work in school and life can take you is inspiring. He a since become one of my mentors. Receiving his guidance on the possible routes to take towards my career goal has been a blessing. My ultimate career goal is to become a world renowned Architect. The one who goes to the inner city communities, like the one he came from, to work towards rebuilding our neighborhoods. I want to be the Architect who brings back hope to the low-income communities. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to be more and do more in their lives. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. My first step towards my career goals is to study hard and do well in all of my courses in order to secure summer internships in my field of study. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. Then go on to complete my degree in Construction Management and Design in 2027. As a first generation college student from a low-income family, I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out scholarship opportunities to apply for as well as employment if necessary. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship I can achieve my goals.

I have always been interested in buildings and building things in general. I can remember taking road trips with my family and marveling at every detail of the skyscrapers as we pulled into every major city. I loved to build elaborate structures in the video game Minecraft as well as with physical Lego bricks. Once I found out that these things are called Architecture and Construction it became my dream job. This dream became a tangible goal when my father introduced to a friend of his who is an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. Witnessing where hard work in school and life can take you is inspiring. He a since become one of my mentors. Receiving his guidance on the possible routes to take towards my career goal has been a blessing. My ultimate career goal is to become a world renowned Architect. The one who goes to the inner city communities, like the one he came from, to work towards rebuilding our neighborhoods. I want to be the Architect who brings back hope to the low-income communities. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to be more and do more in their lives. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. My first step towards my career goals is to study hard and do well in all of my courses in order to secure summer internships in my field of study. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. Then go on to complete my degree in Construction Management and Design in 2027. As a first generation college student from a low-income family, I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out scholarship opportunities to apply for as well as employment if necessary. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

I have always been interested in buildings and building things in general. I can remember taking road trips with my family and marveling at every detail of the skyscrapers as we pulled into every major city. I loved to build elaborate structures in the video game Minecraft as well as with physical Lego bricks. Once I found out that these things are called Architecture and Construction it became my dream job. This dream became a tangible goal when my father introduced to a friend of his who is an African American man with his own Construction and Design Company. Witnessing where hard work in school and life can take you is inspiring. He a since become one of my mentors. Receiving his guidance on the possible routes to take towards my career goal has been a blessing. My ultimate career goal is to become a world renowned Architect. The one who goes to the inner city communities, like the one he came from, to work towards rebuilding our neighborhoods. I want to be the Architect who brings back hope to the low-income communities. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to be more and do more in their lives. I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. My first step towards my career goals is to study hard and do well in all of my courses in order to secure summer internships in my field of study. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. Then go on to complete my degree in Construction Management and Design in 2027. As a first generation college student from a low-income family, I know my biggest challenges along the way will be financial ones. However, I believe I am up to the challenge. I will consistently seek out scholarship opportunities to apply for as well as employment if necessary. Moreover, I know that with the help of this scholarship and many others like it, I can achieve my goals.

As an African American male from a low-income home in Detroit Michigan, the main obstacle that I have had to overcome to pursue higher education is a lack of hope. Growing up I experienced quite a bit of adversity. From living in a home with pile wood where windows should be to our utilities shut off not knowing from time to time. Having a father that either bounced from job to job or spent years at a time without a real job at all and not knowing whether or not we could afford school clothes and supplies when it was time to go back to school. I did not have much hope for the future. I only had a plan to find and keep a job when I grew up so that I would not experience the financial insecurity and instability I faced during my childhood. It is hard to overcome an obstacle like a lack of hope until you see that it is possible to hope for more and achieve it. My older sister is the first person to spark hope in me that higher education was something I could actually obtain. She always knew she wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). She worked hard during high school and took full advantage of every opportunity her teachers and counselor presented her to make that happen. Seeing her receive letter after letter of acceptance into various colleges turned my spark of hope into a flame. My hope to one day attend an HBCU myself began the day my older sister left for her first year of college. The day my sister helped me completely overcome the obstacle of a lack of hope was the day she sent me a PDF file outlining the steps I needed to take to get into the college or university of my choice. This document included links to websites and apps to apply for scholarships so I would not have to worry about how to pay for school. This passing on of knowledge was the final ingredient needed to set me on my way to pursuing higher education. Now that I am well on my way to starting my college journey I want to be that example that stirs hope in another inner city youth. I plan to spread hope at each step on my path, starting with showing my little brother that despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic it is possible to recover academically and graduate with honors. During my time in college, I plan to be a peer mentor to high school students who seek to take a similar route to higher education that I have. I have a few of my own currently and they have given me hope in the likelihood of doing well in my studies and still having an enjoyable college experience. I want to share that hope with another student like myself who struggled to find a balance between homework and extracurricular activities in high school. Finally, I will use my degree in Construction Management and Design to come back to my community to work on rebuilding our neighborhoods. It is hard to have hope for the future when everything around you is abandoned or in a state of disrepair. I believe that hope starts at home. If people can see changes made and big things happening around them there is the possibility that a spark of hope will grow in that person to do more and be that hope for someone else.