“She’ll have to stay at a community college.” These were the words that rang in my head as I heard my parents discuss the future that was going to befall me. It truly dampened my joy and zeal as I heard the financial struggle of two immigrant parents trying to determine how to provide financial support for their children meanwhile giving them an opportunity for an education. I had always wanted to be a hairdresser when I was younger, I would love to be able to showcase my creativity while bringing a smile to the faces of my clients. My passion for this industry is no longer as strong, however, my passion for another sector has been fired up. At the current moment, I no longer desire to do hair, rather I would like to put my efforts into an entirely different career, that of cyber security. As an African-American woman, there aren't many people who look like me in this career field, however, I would like to be the face of representation that shows that such a career is possible and attainable for young black women who want to see our technology and privacy protected and improved upon. I would love to go into the penetration testing facet of cybersecurity and become an ethical hacker. I also would love to go and explore other facets of cyber security such as data protection and even see the advancement of AI and how that affects the way we protect our technology and information in the future, starting now. This scholarship will truly help me as a first-generation college student, as it will allow me to be able to pursue my passions without the stress and worry that money brings and more specifically the lack thereof. Being a first-generation college student, a first-generation American, as well as the eldest child there are many atypical barriers as opposed to those who have family who already understand the college experience. Being the first to do many things in the family including going to school, I have found myself in need of a village and support system that will help me to be successful. This scholarship will help to ease the financial burden that getting an education brings and will allow me to put my focus on my studies so that I can give my best. I will have the resources I need to be the smartest person in the room even though I may look the most different in the rooms that I enter. It would truly be an honor to receive this scholarship and have the ability to give my all in the spaces that I would not have been able to enter if it were not for the financial help that I received from this scholarship.