As a young kid, nothing captured my interest. So unsurprisingly, I was often bored out of my mind. Then, one summer, my mom signed me up for a coding camp at our local university. I didn't want to go, but my parents practically forced me. I still remember the camp: "Programming with Alice." Despite my objections, I absolutely loved it. Each mini-project we did was fun and captivating in its own unique way. Something about all the possibilities a few lines of code could achieve fascinated me. After that class, I begged my parents to continue signing me up for Computer Science (CS) related courses, experimenting with anything I could get my hands on. Once I entered high school and joined robotics, I saw firsthand how CS can be combined with different fields of study to solve more tangible problems. When I dreamed of creating the fabled "Pure Pursuit" algorithm, a curved motion control algorithm, something no one else in our organization had done before, CS led me through researching applied control theory to make the algorithm work successfully. After weeks of programming, testing, and refining, I was finally able to see my dream come to fruition. For me, CS wasn't just about solving the problem but about turning my creativity into a reality. Whether developing my own messaging app to have Apple's iMessage on Android or writing a simple program to regulate my computer temperature, my imagination came to life through CS. Finding and understanding new concepts is who I am at my core. And that's what I love about CS. It's not limited to one single field of study. It's a tool used to innovate within any space. But it isn't just a tool for me; it's my form of self-expression, allowing me to explore my creativity freely. I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science, immersing myself in research that pushes the boundaries of what technology can achieve and allowing me to mentor and inspire future generations of engineers further down the line. I've also been shaped very much personally due to my involvement in my Church. At first, serving in Church felt like a routine. I held doors for students, cleaned after service, passed out notes, gave communion, and welcomed first-time guests. While I enjoyed serving and felt good to know I helped others, I didn't have a deeper reason for being there. Then, while walking past, I caught something my pastor said that resonated strongly with me. "We pour into others what others have poured into us." I began to reflect on the many mentors, friends, and leaders who had invested their time and energy into me. They hadn't just helped shape my faith; they helped shape me. I realized that my experiences weren't meant to be kept but shared to benefit others. I imagined it like a cascading fountain of cups. When one cup gets poured into it, it can tip and pour into the next, continuing the flow of wisdom. I started going out of my way to be intentional while serving, striving to give back the way others had given me. I was chosen to co-create and lead a specialized student leadership group, Student Ambassadors, which gave me the opportunity to reach others. Now that I am graduating, I want to leave something behind as a legacy. I've seen OCC do some truly amazing things, especially for the African-American community, and I really want to do what I can to give back what I once received, pouring out what so many others have poured into me.

From a young age, I've been fascinated by technology, viewing computer science as both a creative outlet and a powerful tool for problem-solving. Throughout high school, my academic journey was shaped by my passion for programming, robotics, and control theory. This passion led me to do research under a Ph.D. candidate at UT Austin, make breakthroughs and create new algorithms within VEX Robotics, and contribute to projects like Elapse, a student-led app development team. My career goal is to become a Software and Systems Engineer, where I can explore the cross between Computer Science and Robotics. I want to continue researching to learn more about robotics and push the field forward. I want to be at the forefront of cutting-edge research in both Robotics and Software Engineering, building innovative solutions that push technological boundaries and make a tangible impact. I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science, immersing myself in research that pushes the boundaries of what technology can achieve. I grew up with a legacy of greatness all around me, with both my parents getting their Ph.D after immigrating from Nigeria with nothing, and I want to continue along that vein. A Ph.D. will give me the knowledge and experience to contribute to the field and allow me to mentor and inspire future generations of engineers further down the line. This scholarship would provide the financial support necessary to dedicate myself fully to my academics. Without worrying about getting a job to pay for school, I can focus entirely on research, coursework, and especially projects that help me learn in a broader context of real-world applications. With this scholarship, I can continue to develop past projects like the research robotics and focus on new, upcoming projects like an app I am developing for my church that would allow students to ask questions about the bible and connect more with their Godly community. I’ve been serving at One Community Church (OCC) for a couple of years, trying to give back to the students, and now that I am graduating, I wanted to leave something behind as a sort of legacy. I’ve seen OCC do some truly amazing things, especially for the African-American community, and I really want to do what I can to give back what I once received, pouring out what so many others have poured into me. I deserve this scholarship not only because of my dedication to pushing the boundaries of computer science, my strong academic track record and my commitment to making a lasting impact in the field and the community.

At first, serving in Church felt like a routine. I held doors for students, cleaned after service, passed out notes, gave communion, and welcomed first-time guests. While I enjoyed serving, and it felt good to know I helped others, I didn't have a deeper reason for being there. Then, while walking past, I caught something my pastor said that resonated strongly with me. "We pour into others what others have poured into us." I began to reflect on the many mentors, friends, and leaders who had invested their time and energy into me. They hadn't just helped shape my faith; they helped shape me. I realized that my experiences weren't meant to be kept but shared to benefit others. I imagined it like a cascading fountain of cups. When one cup gets poured into, it can tip and pour into the next, continuing the flow of wisdom. I started going out of my way to be intentional while serving, striving to give back the way others had given me. I was chosen to co-create and lead a specialized student leadership group, Student Ambassadors, which gave me the opportunity to reach others. I'll never forget the first time someone came to me for advice. A fellow student struggling with school and family issues who wanted me, of all people, to pray over him. His father walked out on him, and his "emotional outlet," football, was in jeopardy due to academic probation. Weeks later, he returned and told me how my words and prayers strengthened him. We both cried that day. Now, serving means more than a routine. Through these experiences, I've built connections that continue to shape me. I've met some of my closest friends and mentors, and in turn, I've been able to become a source of support for others.

From a young age, I've been fascinated by technology, viewing computer science as both a creative outlet and a powerful tool for problem-solving. Throughout high school, my academic journey was shaped by my passion for programming, robotics, and control theory. This passion led me to do research under a Ph.D. candidate at UT Austin, make breakthroughs and create new algorithms within VEX Robotics, and contribute to projects like Elapse, a student-led app development team. My career goal is to become a Software and Systems Engineer, where I can explore the cross between Computer Science and Robotics. I want to continue researching to learn more about robotics and push the field forward. I want to be at the forefront of cutting-edge research in both Robotics and Software Engineering, building innovative solutions that push technological boundaries and make a tangible impact. I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science, immersing myself in research that pushes the boundaries of what technology can achieve. I grew up with a legacy of greatness all around me, with both my parents getting their Ph.D after immigrating from Nigeria with nothing, and I want to continue along that vein. A Ph.D. will give me the knowledge and experience to contribute to the field and allow me to mentor and inspire future generations of engineers further down the line. This scholarship would provide the financial support necessary to dedicate myself fully to my academics. Without worrying about getting a job to pay for school, I can focus entirely on research, coursework, and especially projects that help me learn in a broader context of real-world applications. With this scholarship, I can continue to develop past projects like the research robotics and focus on new, upcoming projects like an app I am developing for my church that would allow students to ask questions about the bible and connect more with their Godly community. I’ve been serving at One Community Church (OCC) for a couple of years, trying to give back to the students and now that I am graduating, I wanted to leave something behind as sort of a legacy. I’ve seen OCC do some truly amazing things, especially for the African-American community and I really want to do what I can to give back what I once received, pouring out what so many others have poured into me. I deserve this scholarship not only because of my dedication to pushing the boundaries of computer science, my strong academic track record, and my commitment to making a lasting impact in the field and the community.

From a young age, I've been fascinated by technology, viewing computer science as both a creative outlet and a powerful tool for problem-solving. Throughout high school, my academic journey was shaped by my passion for programming, robotics, and control theory. This passion led me to do research under a Ph.D. candidate at UT Austin, make breakthroughs and create new algorithms within VEX Robotics, and contribute to projects like Elapse, a student-led app development team. My career goal is to become a Software and Systems Engineer, where I can explore the cross between Computer Science and Robotics. I want to continue researching to learn more about robotics and push the field forward. I want to be at the forefront of cutting-edge research in both Robotics and Software Engineering, building innovative solutions that push technological boundaries and make a tangible impact. I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science, immersing myself in research that pushes the boundaries of what technology can achieve. I grew up with a legacy of greatness all around me, with both my parents getting their Ph.D after immigrating from Nigeria with nothing, and I want to continue along that vein. A Ph.D. will give me the knowledge and experience to contribute to the field and allow me to mentor and inspire future generations of engineers further down the line. This scholarship would provide the financial support necessary to dedicate myself fully to my academics. Without worrying about getting a job to pay for school, I can focus entirely on research, coursework, and especially projects that help me learn in a broader context of real-world applications. With this scholarship, I can continue to develop past projects like the research robotics and focus on new, upcoming projects like an app I am developing for my church that would allow students to ask questions about the bible and connect more with their Godly community. I’ve been serving at One Community Church (OCC) for a couple of years, trying to give back to the students and now that I am graduating, I wanted to leave something behind as sort of a legacy. I’ve seen OCC do some truly amazing things, especially for the African-American community and I really want to do what I can to give back what I once received, pouring out what so many others have poured into me. I deserve this scholarship not only because of my dedication to pushing the boundaries of computer science, my strong academic track record, and my commitment to making a lasting impact in the field and the community.

My journey into AI/ML began not in a formal classroom, but with curiosity and experimentation. As a self-driven student deeply interested in technology and creativity, I saw AI not just as a technical discipline, but as a medium to make systems smarter, more intuitive, and more human-aware. My hands-on experience has been shaped by personal projects, formal programs, and ongoing research, each pushing me closer to my goal of making impactful contributions in this rapidly evolving field. My first structured exposure to AI came through Inspirit AI, a program led by Stanford alumni. There, I worked on an AI-driven mental health sentiment analysis tool. I learned to fine-tune transformer-based models, clean and preprocess real-world data, and train models using Python and TensorFlow. More than just learning the tools, I learned how AI could be applied ethically to solve pressing societal issues. Later, I expanded my learning at UT Austin’s Artificial Intelligence Summer Program, where I explored reinforcement learning and computer vision in more depth. I developed a project that combined OpenCV and neural networks to track objects in real time, similar to how autonomous vehicles understand their environment. I was amazed by how AI systems can replicate the sensory inputs and reactions of human beings. That sparked my interest in applying control theory (something I had explored in robotics) to the design of smarter, adaptable AI agents. Independently, I’ve taken my knowledge further by coding and training my own AI models. I built a custom version of the classic Snake game where an agent learns to improve through trial and error using Q-learning. This taught me not only how reinforcement learning works, but also the challenges of balancing exploration and exploitation in training AI. I’ve also experimented with creating a generative AI model that could compose short poems, combining NLP techniques with creative storytelling. These projects are hosted in my GitHub repositories and reflect my love for building things that are both fun and functional. AI also plays a role in my work as the backend lead for Elapse, a Flutter/Firebase app my team and I designed to streamline VEX robotics tournament management. Although Elapse isn't AI-powered yet, I'm currently integrating smart scheduling algorithms that learn from user input and adjust dynamically. This blend of app development and adaptive logic is how I imagine applying AI in real-world tools that students and teams use. Beyond my work, I’ve had the privilege of conducting undergraduate-level research at the University of Texas at Austin under the guidance of a Ph.D. candidate in control theory. I contributed to a project that modeled robot behavior in uncertain environments using AI and probabilistic methods like Kalman filters and Monte Carlo Localization. My research culminated in a whitepaper, and I’m currently working toward publication. This experience strengthened my understanding of how AI intersects with real-time systems, robotics, and decision-making under uncertainty. Looking ahead, I want to continue developing intelligent systems that enhance the way we live and work. I’m particularly interested in tools that empower people rather than replace them. I envision designing algorithms that not only optimize for accuracy but also for fairness, interpretability, and user collaboration. Whether it’s using AI in education, healthcare, or creative expression, I believe that machine learning is most powerful when it augments human potential. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, I don’t just want to consume these technologies; I want to shape them. By building tools that are both innovative and responsible, I hope to contribute to a future where AI is accessible, ethical, and deeply human-centered.

Lovejoy High School has been an extraordinary journey for me, both academically and mentally. It has been a place where my mind has been constantly engaged, my perspectives broadened, and my capabilities stretched, although not without difficulties. Some challenges I experienced throughout high school are not only being one of the only black people, but specifically the only Nigerian, figuring out where I belong amongst a crowd of Americans. My school is predominantly white. Being the child of two first-generation immigrants, I've never quite "fit" in. Ever since moving to the district in fifth grade, I seemed to stick out like a sore thumb. Many things that seemed to be common sense to the other students around me simply didn't click. While other kids hung out with friends and traveled on weekends, I studied, did homework, or biked around outside. This became especially bad when I got to high school. I was not the only African American in my school, however seeing as I was in the GT (Gifted and Talented) program, robotics club, and taking AP (Advanced Placement) Classes, I realized no one was in a similar position to the one I was in. For every commonality I shared with someone, there existed a caveat. If they were in GT, they weren't in robotics. If they were in the robotics, they weren't in GT. And worst of all if they were in either, they weren't African American much less African. This ultimately left me feeling isolated, a sole solitary entity doomed to never connect on a deep level with his peers. For a long time, I struggled trying everything I could to connect with those around me. I changed my vocabulary, lied about my childhood experiences, and even at one point considered leaving the programs I was in just to be able to have those kinds of connections. However, I clung to my identity and learned to accept that I was different from the other kids and that being different was a positive. While dealing with those challenges was difficult, there were silver linings during those times, being the basketball team, specifically the robotics program. Since I was young, I've loved the sport of basketball. One key thing about basketball that drew me in was how background didn't matter on the court. Everyone has the same goal: To play basketball at a high level. Doesn't matter your religion, the color of your skin, your accent, or anything else. Joining the basketball team and playing in a place where nothing else mattered allowed me to see that it is possible to look past physical characteristics and connect with people over shared hobbies and experiences. Through basketball, I was able to make friendships I thought previously not possible. Similarly, the robotics program expanded my friendships. Going into the program, I knew I wanted to program, but I was afraid that others wouldn't be willing to work with me. To my great surprise, they welcomed me with open arms and quickly assimilated me into their culture. The environment that exists in our robotics labs is one of no judgment, where everyone is working together toward the same tasks whether that be programming, building, or driving. Robotics also had the effect of strengthing my resolve to become a computer scientist as I became entranced by the real-world applications of programming. When I finally won the last robotics competition of the season, my team and I had set several records for our school. We had triple crowned meaning we won the top award in all three categories, and we ultimately placed thirteenth in the world for VEX Robotics. On that day, I knew for certain that I was destined for a computer career, pursuing the same things that drove me to join robotics in the first place: chasing the freedom and creative expression I felt most when designing and programming. Ever since I was young, the ability to create has fascinated me—to take what was once nothing and shape it into something usable. My earliest memories of this feeling were when my mother, with pure intentions, signed me up for programming camp at the Univeristy of Texas at Dallas, against my will. Despite heavy objections, I underwent the entire week's course, and to my surprise, I experienced something surreal I couldn't quite place my finger on. As I participated in more camps and became more invested in engineering, I gradually realized that this feeling represented a kind of freedom. Why am I interested in computer science? Because it gives me the freedom to create new, unimaginable things. Computer science is my way of bringing what lies in my mind into the physical.

Lovejoy High School has been an extraordinary journey for me, both academically and mentally. It has been a place where my mind has been constantly engaged, my perspectives broadened, and my capabilities stretched, although not without difficulties. Some challenges I have experienced throughout high school are not only being one of the only black people, but specifically the only Nigerian, and figuring out where I belong amongst a crowd of Americans. However, it's not all bleak as I have had the incredible opportunity to be a part of a team and program, through Robotics and Basketball. My school is predominantly white. Being the child of two first-generation immigrants, I've never quite "fit" in. Ever since moving to the district in fifth grade, I seemed to stick out like a sore thumb. Many things that seemed to be common sense to the other students around me simply didn't click. While other kids hung out with friends and traveled on weekends, I studied, did homework, or biked around outside. This became especially bad when I got to high school. I was not the only African American in my school, however seeing as I was in the GT (Gifted and Talented) program, robotics club, and taking AP (Advanced Placement) Classes, I realized no one was in a similar position to the one I was in. For every commonality I shared with someone, there existed a caveat. If they were in GT, they weren't in robotics. If they were in the robotics, they weren't in GT. And worst of all if they were in either, they weren't African American much less African. This ultimately left me feeling isolated, a sole solitary entity doomed to never connect on a deep level with his peers. For a long time, I struggled trying everything I could to connect with those around me. I changed my vocabulary, lied about my childhood experiences, and even at one point considered leaving the programs I was in just to be able to have those kinds of connections. However, I clung to my identity and learned to accept that I was different from the other kids and that being different was a positive. I've since learned to embrace who I am, the culture of my parents mixed in with the culture of where I grew up, and the experiences that shape me every day. While dealing with those challenges was difficult, there were silver linings during those times, being the basketball team, specifically the robotics program. Since I was young, I've loved the sport of basketball. One key thing about basketball that drew me in was how background didn't matter on the court. Everyone has the same goal: To play basketball at a high level. Doesn't matter your religion, the color of your skin, your accent, or anything else. Joining the basketball team and playing in a place where nothing else mattered allowed me to see that it is possible to look past physical characteristics and connect with people over shared hobbies and experiences. Through basketball, I was able to make friendships I thought previously not possible. Similarly, the robotics program expanded my friendships. Going into the program, I knew I wanted to be a programmer, but I was afraid that others wouldn't be willing to work with me. To my great surprise, they welcomed me with open arms and quickly assimilated me into their culture. The environment that exists in our robotics labs is one of no judgment, where everyone is working together toward the same tasks whether that be programming, building, or driving. Robotics also had the effect of strengthing my resolve to become a computer scientist as I became entranced by the real-world applications of programming. When I finally won the last robotics competition of the season, my team and I had set several records for our school. We had triple crowned meaning we won the top award in all three categories, and we ultimately placed thirteenth in the world for VEX Robotics. On that day, I knew for certain that I was destined for a computer career, pursuing the same things that drove me to join robotics in the first place: chasing the freedom and creative expression I felt most when designing and programming. Ever since I was young, the ability to create has fascinated me—to take what was once nothing and shape it into something usable. My earliest memories of this feeling were when my mother, with pure intentions, signed me up for programming camp at the Univeristy of Texas at Dallas, against my will. Despite heavy objections, I underwent the entire week's course, and to my surprise, I experienced something surreal I couldn't quite place my finger on. As I participated in more camps and became more invested in engineering, I gradually realized that this feeling represented a kind of freedom. Why am I interested in computer science? Because it gives me the freedom to create new, unimaginable things. Computer science is my way of bringing what lies in my mind into the physical. I am interested in attending the Machine Learning Summer Academy at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin because Computer science is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the world and the front-runner in the rapid expansion of this field in Artificial intelligence. This summer academy is an excellent opportunity for me to gain experience in the booming field of artificial intelligence, and build important teamwork, coding, and thinking skills similar to real-world work environments. Having already attended a residential computer science course before, I am not foreign to the benefits of a camp such as this one. With the bonus of expanding my skill set going into a professional career, attending has little downside.