I don’t recall much from my freshman year of high school. I spent my days in pitch-black rooms, agonizing over the implications of chronic migraines that I experienced daily. Just a few months prior, I had been blessed with acceptance to a competitive high school that specialized in analyzing healthcare and biomedical science. Now, instead of examining case studies like a doctor, I became another patient cycling through the healthcare system, exposed to witnessing the unfair treatment that some are subject to. For those with chronic conditions, the definition “achievement” holds uncertain meaning. Many disorders will never improve; some goals will always be unattainable. I managed to get lucky, and the worst bits of my condition have ceased to exist. However, this didn’t come without incident. It took an extremely long time for this pain of mine, a BIPOC woman, to be realized as truth. As a combination of both my experiences in healthcare and the approach my institution took, my interest in becoming a physician was dispelled. How could I set foot in this industry knowing that so many people of my ethnic background had issues obtaining access to vital resources? As inequities experienced by various populations became highlighted during the pandemic, I asked myself how I could enter an industry where I could make a more significant impact on my community. The answer was, however, sitting right under my nose: public health, a field dedicated to finding different ways to make health services more accessible, combined with biological research, a field that I have adored since my middle school days. I’ve always loved being in the laboratory, working with physical items to solve otherwise impossible problems. I settled on studying epidemiology specifically, aiming to microscopically observe the issues that disproportionately affect underprivileged populations, especially in the community of New York City that has always been close to home and my heart. When I look towards instances such as the coronavirus pandemic, I see families, looking as black as my own, being torn apart due to misconceptions and lack of access to assistance. I hope that by providing research results that back cheaper, much more accessible solutions for infectious and chronic conditions, access to solutions for those who need them will become much more streamlined. I aspire to use this position to also become a public advocate for public health issues, amplifying often disregarded voices. This aspiration requires, however, much more education than just a high school diploma, and so I enrolled in higher education. During my first year, I started to work with my professors to unravel mysteries and set the grounding basis for the experiments that I hope to run in the future, to protect the lifeline that has been so ingrained in my blood from the beginning of my existence. I am a rising sophomore at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, aiming to double major in Biochemistry and Gender Studies (concentrating in Public Health). As a college student, independence in the transition process has definitely been a defining path in my life, as neither of my parents had streamlined higher education pathways that could assist me. Yet I rest knowing that in the future, the opportunities that I will have to make a difference will be endless. The progress that I have made up to this point will help me become a more diligent and hard-working individual who recognizes life's fragility. Furthermore, I intend to apply the life lessons that I learned in my future, combating obstacles once more in my journey to push for systemic change and working to help others combat their health issues.

I recall my third-grade teacher asking, "What is your dream job?" I didn't know that becoming "a researcher" is rare for someone of my background, as I am both African American and an Asian female. However, as I became older, I began to notice how prominent the issue of diversity within the research field is. Scrolling down the list of Nobel Prize winners in the sciences, I couldn't seem to find a biracial female amongst a field of white men. In fact, when looking at the amount of people who have been recognized in their respective fields for their contributions to science, I realized that barely any of these winners are females. When reflecting on my previous experiences, I realized that I often spent many days at my local library, intrigued by the reading workshops that I attended. I began to encourage more minority females to participate in STEM through co-founding GirlSTEMpowerment's (GSP) New Jersey chapter. Before the pandemic, most of my organizations’ events involved holding workshops at libraries, serving as a perfect parallel to the experiences that I had as a child. Conducting labs focusing on extracting strawberry DNA or constructing "bionic" arms out of cardboard and strings proved to be strenuous work, but the end goal was always more than I had imagined. GirlSTEMpowerment was recently asked to create a video discussing females in STEM, which would become an educational lesson to girls in India. Although filming is not my strong suit, I wanted to inspire other girls to pursue their academic interests. I hope girls can see themselves in women such as Wangari Maathai, who I introduced in my video as the first African female to win the Nobel Prize due to her work in sustainable development. Through my experience with GirlSTEMpowerment, I've had the opportunity to nurture skills that I can apply to my future. Previously, I hid in the background, allowing others to express their thoughts even when I disagreed with them. Now I know that I've always had the capability to become a leader, fighting to fix the social injustices that pervade our world. As I leave New Jersey to pursue my undergraduate education, I hope that GirlSTEMpowerment will continue to stay true to its mission for many years to come. I want the workshops that GSP hosts to serve as centers for innovation, creation, collaboration, and realization that will carry on into the lives of others. The legacy that I leave behind will be preserved onto the internet under girlstempowermentnj.org, a reminder of a fragment of history backing a movement that worked tirelessly to fight against the paralyzing issue of gender inequity. Hopefully, some of the children that I’ve taught will move on to contributing to the community just like I have, encouraging their future generations to pursue whatever they desire to. Plus, I hope that one day, I'll be that woman winning a Nobel Prize for making a difference in the sciences, showing BIPOC women that they indeed have the world at their disposal.

To Ms. Najal Judd: When was the last time you heard the proverb “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”? Popularized by British author William Edward Hickson, the quote is self-explanatory - the “lesson we should heed” is to keep on trying, no matter what circumstances we face. It is quite a simplified example of perseverance, yet the saying is commonly recited in elementary school classrooms. This mantra not only applies to the humanities, but should also be remembered in STEM classes. I recall performing the classic titration lab during my chemistry class and being disappointed when my titration did not become the perfect shade of light pink that the experiment necessitated. It took many calculations and patience to get this right - which eventually made it all worthwhile. The same rule applies to my computer science coursework, which gives me both joy and headaches simultaneously. Realizing that I forgot to type a single semicolon within hundreds of lines of code in Java can be disappointing enough, but being able to fix the countless errors that typically come with complex coding takes the utmost amount of patience. My takeaway from being in STEM classes is that they require a lot of perseverance - not to say that other majors don’t, but STEM fields often come with complexities that require a lot of critical thinking. So, when I eventually go to college and groan about a three-hour lab, I’ll know that the extended time will allow me to use trial and error to achieve the best results possible. With regards, Ayana Hampton P. S. If considered as a finalist, I’d love to discuss my work with STEM through working with the nonprofit GirlSTEMpowerment.

During my freshman year, I often experienced agonizing migraines that left me incapable of focusing on my studies. I quickly fell behind my peers, and often felt misguided when considering my future. Additionally, I had learned in class that before graduating medical school, students are required to recite the Hippocratic oath, citing that doctors must treat the human itself regardless of the person’s background or ailment. As an African-American and Asian myself, I understand the systemic racism that promotes discrimination against individuals of certain ethnicities. As someone who is a minority with chronic pain, I assumed that I would never reach the level of success that I so greatly desired to have. This changed for me in 2019, when I was asked by a friend to become the co-founder of GirlSTEMpowerment’s New Jersey chapter, which was part of an organization that began last year to encourage girls in 3rd - 8th grades to pursue STEM. Although I personally have never experienced any stigma for being a woman in science, I still understand the lack of progression that has been made to alleviate gender differences in these fields of study. Additionally, I recalled attending workshops at my local library, being captivated by the different scientific experiments that volunteers conducted. Knowing that they impacted my interest in the sciences, maybe I could fuel the interest of these girls. Through my experience with GirlSTEMpowerment, I've had the opportunity to nurture skills that I can apply to my future. Previously, I hid in the background, going along with others’ opinions even if I could provide some constructive criticism. However, roles such as managing email correspondence and facilitating meetings have given me the opportunity to realize the strengths that I have. GirlSTEMpowerment not only allowed me to recognize that I can persevere, but also motivated me through providing a reflection of myself in the girls who I taught, just as eager to learn as I once had. Additionally, my grades were finally able to get back on track, and I received the honors of being both a College Board African American Scholar and an AP Scholar with Honors. I anticipate working in the community after earning my undergraduate degree and a master's degree in Public Health, focusing on epidemiology and community health. My future goal is to combat issues of adversity once more by working with under-resourced communities to combat disproportional disease rates within minority groups. Once financially stable enough, I also would like to dedicate my time to advance access to education services, providing many with the resources that will allow them to make more informed decisions regarding healthcare. To accomplish this goal, I would need a post-secondary degree as positions in Public Health are rare, if they even exist, without a degree of higher education. I’d like to thank Mirajur Rahman for offering this scholarship and providing those who have had struggles throughout their life the opportunity to share their story. If I am fortunate enough to win, instead of worrying about future loan payments, I will be able to participate in unpaid opportunities, which will both advance my understanding of community health but will allow me to give back to my community and those who need it the most. With regards, Ayana Hampton

My childhood was propelled by two interests: scientific discovery and assisting others. I did not consider psychology to be a field of interest, as stereotypes against mental illness were prevalent in my childhood. However, in ninth grade, one of my friends was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Witnessing his struggles altered my perception of psychiatric illness, and motivated me to explore this unfamiliar subject. I subsequently enrolled in Introduction to Psychology and fell in love with Psychology. I am currently taking Social Psychology and Abnormal Psychology through my local community college. Over time, I began to consider the severe impact of mental disorders on those who live in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. This has drawn my interest in sociocultural anthropology. As someone raised around various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, the concept of being able to study how one's identity fosters their perception of the world is incredibly intriguing to me. I hope to become an advocator, fighting for systemic justice for those whose voices are often silenced. With the help of the Simple Studies Scholarship, I will be able to dedicate more time to focus on my educational pursuits. This scholarship will enable me to undertake a curriculum that encourages understanding human perception and thought, enabling me to become a leader who recognizes individuals' differences.