Every day brings us overwhelming amounts of moments, but it is only the important fragments of those moments that are stored in our minds and brought back up as memories. These memories fill up the chapters of our never-ending stories. Sometimes, we can dig through the pages in those chapters and remember certain days like we remember our last name. Sometimes, we find that only the words we heard or the faces we saw were important enough to put on the page. For me, many of those defining fragments return to my family’s decision to seek a new life in America in 2006. Growing up, I saw how economic instability shaped every aspect of my life. From a young age, I watched my parents make sacrifices to keep us afloat, all while supporting several relatives back home in Nigeria. Their resilience, determination, and ability to persist through adversity became a constant source of inspiration for me. Through them, I learned the value of hard work, the importance of education, and the need to seize every opportunity for growth--not just for myself, but for the people I could one day uplift. Now, as I complete my third year at Georgia Tech, I carry those lessons with me into my studies in Computer Science. I have goals to use technology as a tool for empowerment and change. As of 2025, technology undeniably has the power to transform lives. More specifically, computer science--one of the fastest growing and most lucrative industries--has the power to transform lives. My computer science goal is to become a software engineer who builds accessible, human-centered applications related to education, food, or fashion. I plan to engage in more coding bootcamps and personal projects in Java to elevate my skills; driven to make my work technically strong and impactful socially. I have also immersed myself in opportunities that foster both technical skills and leadership skills at Georgia Tech. Internships, student organizations, panels, and community service projects, for example, have deepened my understanding of how technology can bridge gaps and create opportunities for underserved communities. This exposure has allowed me to practice another goal of mine: carrying forward the values of resilience, dedication, and care that my parents instilled in me. Becoming a visible representation for Black women in the CS field is another personal goal of mine beyond explanation. As a first-generation college student and Nigerian-American woman, simply being in this space--where only 3% of computer science professionals are African American women--holds incredible weight. My experiences in college so far have taught me that my presence alone challenges expectations and creates space for others who don’t always see themselves represented. I learned that visibility is powerful, and It has inspired me to be intentional in leading younger black girls and encouraging conversations about inclusion in my career field through conferences/panels. Every academic, career, and/or community-focused step I take, whether I realize it or not, helps shift the narrative of who "belongs" in tech. In the future, I see myself not just as a computer scientist, but as an advocate and an inspiration for minorities in the CS field. Inspired by my family’s sacrifices and supported by the opportunities I’ve been fortunate to access, I aim to make a lasting impact on my community through my technical creations and my presence. In the end, the fragments of our stories are what define our goals. Mine is a story of perseverance, opportunity, and hope. Given the support of this scholarship, I am confident that I can continue writing chapters to uplift underrepresented communities in CS, which is my ultimate goal.

For me, hope for the future is built in moments of community—when people come together not just to work toward a goal, but to see and support each other. These moments stay with you, not always because they were loud or dramatic, but because they reflected something deeper: connection, care, and a shared belief in something better. I have found the most hope in the quiet strength of collaboration. Those honest conversations, collective wins, and the unexpected bonds formed along the way have shaped my sense of hope for the future, and one such community moment came during my freshman year of college as an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers. One of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had at Georgia Tech was helping organize the Black Women in STEAM Brunch, hosted by our chapter of NSBE. Before we were even assigned roles, the team—made up of ONLY young, female black students from different class years—had a deep bonding session. It was the first time I worked closely with a group of only women who shared not only my academic interests, but also the lived experience of navigating the granular Tech space and community as Black women. That initial conversation set the tone: this wasn’t just a team project, it was a space where we would directly support and learn from each other for the next three months. I joined the communications committee where I worked in a smaller group on the event flyer, T-shirt designs, and social media. While the work was mostly behind the scenes, we all understood the importance of how the event was presented. We were making graphics, however, we were mainly shaping how these hard-working women would feel when they walked into the event: seen, welcomed, and celebrated. The brunch brought together Georgia Tech alumnae, faculty, staff, and other Black women in tech to speak to students like me. They shared stories about being the only black woman in the room, navigating career changes, and building confidence in your career over time. They were honest, they were personal, they preached themes of resilience, and they were deeply encouraging to me. As a first-generation Nigerian-American woman in Tech, I have sometimes felt unsure of where I fit in. But being in that space with a community and support system gave me confidence and a sense of certain belonging. Through this early college experience, I learned how community creates space for personal growth and for the growth of others ready to follow in our footsteps. As I continue to navigate the tech world, I’m constantly reminded of the urgent need for diversity and inclusion. Black women make up only 3% of the computer science industry which is a statistic that’s more than just a number. Lack of representation affects who builds technology and who it serves. When tech is shaped by a narrow group, it often leaves entire communities out. That’s why spaces like the brunch matter: because they make room for voices that are too often overlooked. Being part of that team—and part of the community we built in our chapter of NSBE—gave me more than professional development: it gave me hope. Hope that tech can, one day, be more inclusive for black women. Hope that women like me can not only belong, but lead. And hope that every step us women take to lift each other up brings us all closer to the future we academically strive for.