Going to college means giving myself a future I spent years hoping for. My family and I lived as refugees for nine years before coming to the United States in 2017. When we arrived, I made continuing my education my priority. Today, I raise two young children, work overnight shifts, and study computer science. My life has changed, but my commitment to finishing college has stayed with me. As the first person in my family to attend college, I had to learn the system on my own. My parents encouraged me, but they couldn't explain financial aid, registration, or degree requirements because they had never attended college. I learned by asking questions and seeking guidance. Understanding which classes I needed helped me feel more confident about completing my degree. My interest in technology began before we came to America. While living as a refugee, I took a three-month computer course. I was the youngest student and finished first in my class. That experience showed me I could succeed at something I enjoyed. Now, I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Metropolitan State University, preparing for a career as a software engineer. College has helped me become more patient with difficult problems. When a program does not work, I have to examine my code, test changes, and understand my mistakes. Finding a solution after struggling with an assignment gives me confidence. I can see that I am learning, even when the process takes longer than I expected. Through my education, I want to qualify for a stable career that allows me to support my children. Working overnight as a personal care assistant while caring for them during the day makes studying difficult. I arrange schoolwork around their needs and the help my family can provide. Earning my degree would give me the chance to pursue work I enjoy and improve our financial stability. I also want to use my skills to make information easier for people to access. When I was learning how college worked, clear instructions and guidance made a difference. I would like to help develop applications that guide students and families through school and community resources. As I gain experience, I also hope to help refugee and immigrant girls learn basic coding and complete their first projects. Receiving the Hines Scholarship would help cover educational expenses while I support my household and finish my degree. College means becoming the first college graduate in my family, preparing for work I care about, and creating more choices for my children. I look forward to the day they can watch me graduate, and I want them to know that their own goals deserve the same effort.

I was the youngest student in a three-month computer course, and I finished first in my class. This was before my family and I came to the United States, when I had limited access to technology. I enjoyed learning about computers, but I did not yet know how that interest could become a career. That class gave me confidence in what I could learn. My family and I lived as refugees for nine years. During that time, I kept hoping we would come to America and have a chance at a better life. When we arrived in 2017, my main goal was to continue my education. We had waited so long for this opportunity, and I wanted to make the most of mine. Starting school in a new country meant learning English while adjusting to a different way of life. I felt embarrassed when I needed someone to repeat what they said. I wanted to understand without having to ask again. Over time, I became more comfortable asking questions because leaving without understanding made things harder. As the first person in my family to attend college, I also had to learn how college worked. My parents encouraged me, but they had never gone through the process themselves. Financial aid, registration, and degree requirements were unfamiliar to all of us. Choosing classes meant figuring out which ones counted toward my degree and what I needed to take next. Asking for guidance helped me make those decisions. Today, I am studying for a bachelor's degree in computer science at Metropolitan State University, and I want to become a software engineer. I still enjoy computers, but now I am learning how to create programs myself. A programming assignment can take hours when I cannot find a mistake. When I finally understand the problem and my code works, I can see how much I have learned. I am also raising two young children and working overnight as a personal care assistant. My children may need me when I have an assignment to finish. After work, I can be tired and still have studying to do. Sometimes my family helps with childcare, and I complete schoolwork around the time I have. My progress is not always as fast as I want, but I am proud that I have continued. My experiences influence the work I hope to do. I would like to help build tools that give families clear instructions for finding school and community resources. For someone unfamiliar with those systems, knowing where to begin and what steps to follow can make a difference. I also hope to help refugee and immigrant girls try coding and complete their first projects. This scholarship would help cover school expenses while I support my children. Continuing my education has mattered to me since we arrived in America. Now, I look forward to the day my children can watch me graduate. I want to earn that degree for myself and show them what I worked toward while raising them.

I am a Computer Science student at Metropolitan State University. I enjoy learning how technology works and how it can be used to solve real problems. I did not always imagine becoming a software engineer. At first, computers were simply something I was curious about. As I learned more, I realized that computer science could give me a career that combines creativity, logic, and problem-solving. What motivates me is seeing myself improve. Programming does not always come easily to me. Sometimes I spend a long time trying to understand why my code is not working. When I finally find the problem, the time and frustration feel worthwhile. Each solution gives me more confidence and makes me curious about what else I could create. If I could do anything with my life, I would build applications that make everyday tasks easier. I am especially interested in software that can be understood by people who are not comfortable with complicated technology. Families, students, and caregivers already carry many responsibilities. The tools they use should save them time instead of adding more confusion. I have already taken my first steps toward this goal. I created a weather application called Skylo that lets users search for a city and view current weather information through an API. Building it showed me that I could take an idea, work through the difficult parts, and turn it into something real. I hope to continue growing from a student who is learning to code into a software engineer whose work genuinely helps people. What excites me most about STEM is the chance to build something that did not exist before. I experienced that while creating Skylo. I started with a blank webpage, designed its appearance, connected it to a weather API, and tested it many times. When I searched for a city and saw the weather information appear, I could not stop smiling. It was a small project, but it worked, and I had built it myself. That moment showed me that computer science is both logical and creative. Programming requires me to examine a problem, test possible solutions, and learn from mistakes. One incorrect line can prevent an entire program from working. Finding and correcting that line helps me understand not only what went wrong, but also how the program works as a whole. My computer security course has added another layer to the way I think. I am learning that successful software must do more than look attractive and perform its intended task. It must also respect people’s privacy and protect their information. Security should be considered from the beginning of development rather than added only after a problem occurs. Through my career as a software engineer, I hope to create applications that are secure, accessible, and useful. I also want to encourage more girls to see themselves as creators of technology. As I gain experience, I hope to help beginners build their first webpages or simple applications. I want them to feel the same excitement I felt when I watched my first project work and realized, “I made this.” The greatest challenge I have faced is continuing college while raising two young children who need constant care and working overnight shifts. Full-time childcare is more than I can afford, so I arrange help around my class schedule. When I finish work in the morning, my responsibilities do not end. I may still need to care for my children during the day, travel to campus, study, and complete assignments before the next deadline. At first, I tried to manage the pressure by sleeping less and pushing myself harder. There were days when I stayed awake for more than 24 hours because I was afraid that resting would cause me to fall behind. Eventually, I understood that I could not continue that way. Working harder was not enough; I needed to work differently. I began planning each week around my shifts, childcare arrangements, classes, and deadlines. Instead of waiting for several free hours that rarely came, I divided assignments into smaller tasks. I might read a few pages while my children rested, complete one section before work, or correct one part of my code during a quiet moment. I also arranged childcare for campus days and began asking for academic support before I became overwhelmed. This challenge has not disappeared, but I handle it differently now. I no longer believe that everything must go perfectly for me to succeed. When plans change, I adjust and continue with the time I have. Some days, progress happens only twenty minutes at a time, but those minutes still move me closer to my degree. This experience has taught me to be organized, flexible, and patient with myself. It has also taught me that asking for help is not a weakness. Sometimes, it is what makes continuing possible.

While living as a refugee, I had the chance to take a basic computer class. I was the youngest person in the class, and I did not expect to finish in first place. I was proud of myself, but surprised as well. That experience made me realize I was good at learning technology, even though I had very little experience. It was the first time I could imagine myself building a career with computers. Years later, before taking one of my Java courses, an instructor told me that the class was difficult and that many students struggled with it. That warning made me nervous. I wondered if I should choose something easier, but I enrolled anyway. The class was challenging, but I kept practicing and asking questions when I did not understand something. I finished the course with an A. That grade gave me more confidence than I had before because I had succeeded in a class I was almost afraid to take. I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and aim to become a software engineer. So far, I have studied Java, C, Scheme, and Prolog. I have worked on assignments involving data structures, files, pointers, and algorithms. In one C course, I completed a cipher lab. Projects like that have taught me to be patient. When my code doesn't work, I check it part by part, make changes, and try again. That is what I enjoy about Computer Science. It can be frustrating when a program fails, but it is satisfying when I finally understand the problem. Programming also allows me to be creative because there are several ways to achieve the correct result. Every course introduces me to something I have not seen before, and I like knowing that there will always be more for me to learn. After moving to the United States, many systems were unfamiliar to me. College applications, financial aid instructions, degree requirements, and school websites were not always easy to understand. Since I am the first person in my family to attend college, I did not have someone at home who could explain everything to me. I had to ask questions and learn the process as I went. Because of that experience, I am interested in software that makes complicated information easier to understand. I would like to help create tools that guide immigrants, first-generation students, and families toward educational and community resources. I also want more women and girls to see themselves in technology. I did not grow up seeing many female software engineers, so this career did not always feel familiar to me. Sometimes seeing another woman succeed can help a young girl believe she belongs in STEM, too. I hope that completing my degree and becoming a software engineer will help me encourage other women to consider this field. Balancing college, two young children, and overnight work is not easy. There are times when I am tired and still have an assignment waiting for me. However, I continue because I enjoy what I am learning and know what this degree can mean for my family. I chose STEM because it challenges me, keeps me curious, and gives me skills I can use to help others. I want to build useful technology and help make the field more welcoming to other women.

As a single mother and college student, time is the one thing I can never get back. Every hour must be divided among raising my toddler and infant, working overnight to support them, attending college full-time, and finding enough energy to study before doing it all again. The hardest part is deciding what needs my attention first. If my baby needs me while I am studying, I close my laptop because being their mother must come first. My children depend on me for meals, comfort, bedtime routines, and the small moments that make them feel safe and loved. At the same time, earning my bachelor’s degree in Computer Science requires concentration and hours of practice. A programming assignment that looks short can take hours when my code does not work correctly. Sometimes, I spend a long time searching for one mistake or trying different solutions before a program finally works. Most of my study time begins after my children go to bed. On the nights I work, my shift ends at 6 a.m., and sometimes I still have schoolwork waiting for me. Deadlines do not change because I am tired, so there are times when I sleep less to finish an assignment. I also feel guilty when studying takes time away from my children, even though I know finishing college will benefit them. I cannot afford full-time daycare for both of my children, so I depend on help from my family. I arrange my classes, work schedule, and study time around that support. If someone is suddenly unavailable to help, the study time I planned may disappear. As a parent, I cannot ignore an unexpected situation because my children’s needs must come first. Before I receive a paycheck, I already know where most of it needs to go. Rent, groceries, transportation, diapers, and clothing come first. Then I must consider textbooks, school supplies, and other college costs. Sometimes, I have to delay buying something I need for myself because my children or school need the money more. I am determined to finish my degree, even when balancing everything feels overwhelming. As the first person in my family to attend college, I did not have someone at home who could explain financial aid, degree requirements, or which classes to take. I learned those things by asking questions and figuring them out one step at a time. Finishing my Computer Science degree would help me qualify for a reliable job and provide for my children without worrying about every expense. Receiving the $2,000 Organic Formula Shop Single Parent Scholarship would help cover tuition, textbooks, and other educational costs. That would leave more of my paycheck available for childcare and my children’s daily needs. It would also reduce some of the pressure I feel when school expenses and household bills are due at the same time. After graduating, I want to work as a software engineer. In college, I have learned Java, C, Scheme, and Prolog, and each language has taught me a different way to solve problems. I am still exploring what type of software I want to develop, but I know I want to use my skills to create programs that are clear, useful, and easy for people to use. Most importantly, I want a career that allows me to consistently support my children. My children are still too young to understand why I work and study so much, but one day I hope they will watch me receive my degree. I want them to know that finishing college was something I did for myself and for them.

I began my journey not in the United States, but as a refugee. Living in uncertainty at a young age taught me lessons about resilience, adaptability, and hope that continue to shape who I am today. My early experiences showed me that stability is never guaranteed, and that education can become a powerful path toward opportunity. As a woman from the African diaspora and now a mother, I carry both the strength of my cultural heritage and the responsibility to build a better future for my children. My identity has been shaped by perseverance, faith, and a deep respect for hard work. Adjusting to life in the United States required more than learning new academic material; it required navigating unfamiliar systems, cultural expectations, and complex processes. From understanding paperwork to adapting to classroom environments that felt very different from what I had known, each step required courage. At times, I felt out of place, especially in technical courses where few students shared my background. However, these challenges strengthened my confidence and independence. I learned to advocate for myself, seek guidance when needed, and embrace my differences as strengths rather than barriers. Through my educational journey, I have gained a new perspective on growth and possibility. Studying Computer Science while raising my child has taught me discipline, patience, and resilience. My refugee background gives me a deeper understanding of how limited access to resources can shape opportunities. That awareness motivates me to succeed not only for personal achievement, but to represent immigrant and minority women in STEM fields where we are often underrepresented. I now understand that my story is not something to hide; it empowers me. My academic focus in Computer Science connects directly to the impact I hope to make. Technology influences nearly every aspect of modern life, from education and communication to healthcare and economic opportunity. I want to contribute to building systems that improve access to information and create opportunities for underserved communities. In the future, I hope to mentor young immigrant and minority girls who are interested in STEM, showing them that their background does not determine their limits. Representation matters, and I want to be part of expanding what is possible. Receiving the Rose Ifebigh Memorial Scholarship would ease financial pressure and allow me to focus more fully on completing my degree. As a student balancing motherhood and academic responsibilities, financial support would reduce stress and enable me to pursue opportunities such as internships, certifications, and advanced coursework. More importantly, this scholarship would recognize the resilience and determination that immigrant women bring to higher education. My journey began with displacement, but it continues with purpose. I am committed to transforming past hardship into meaningful achievement and building a future defined by stability, impact, and opportunity for both my family and my community.