Think back to the most challenging period in your life, when time seemed to stand still, yet without it, remarkable changes and events in your life would not have occurred. For me, this period occurred in late 2020, amidst a serious civil war in Ethiopia and the frightening spread of COVID-19. I was in 10th grade that year, and I had first-class rank. I was so motivated and filled with hope that I never imagined that such events would occur and force me to discontinue my education in 2021. Returning to that time reminds me of the depths of despair that people might experience. It was a time when we lacked control over everything, including our own lives. Death and hopelessness were common things.  However, everything passed, and it taught me the biggest life lesson at a young age. The lesson was that certain aspects of life may be beyond our control, and we should only focus on what we are capable of doing. Despite not being able to attend regular classes, I managed to enroll in church courses and learn how to play the harp, which has now become my hobby. Additionally, I was able to take advanced English language classes near my home, which helps my everyday communication. I engaged in activities that aligned with the situation I was in. The failure and inability to do the things I want also taught me a lot about patience. I was unable to halt the war or pandemic, nor could I continue my education. I was unable to alter or overcome those challenging events. However, I managed to continue living and maintain a positive outlook, which helped me get through that difficult period. I know that many of us experience the hardest times, such as the death of a loved one, natural disasters, pandemics, war, and other catastrophic and major life events that we have no control over. At this time, to overcome these adversities, we can only draw closer to God, apply some psychological techniques to calm ourselves, and focus on the things we can control. As a result, I learned that in any tough situation, we have to keep living our lives and contribute something we can to our future ambitions. Because of that day, I will forever remind myself that any challenge I face today will also be the best way to grow and be a better person. Therefore, I encourage individuals across the globe, confronting any challenge, regardless of its magnitude, to do their utmost and view the challenging period as a learning opportunity that can serve as the foundation for their future success. I also advise us to never stop contributing to our future success, during the most critical times when we face challenges. In general, let us know that the awful things we face in life have a better purpose and teach us a valuable lesson.

My sweet parents are always the reason I am here today. They are my role models, inspiring and teaching me to strive diligently toward my goals. Both of them were born and raised in rural areas, overcoming numerous challenges to attend school. They understand the value of education, which is why they've made so many sacrifices for us to get the best education possible. We had our own house in Tigray, where we were born. Even financing our education was a breeze. However, my parents chose to leave their comfortable life just for me and my siblings to pursue a better education in the main city. I am always impressed by their decision to transport us to Addis Ababa (Addis), Ethiopia's capital city, despite the financial challenges of moving to a new city. However, as Ethiopia's political stability deteriorated, their decision faced consistent opposition from their relatives and friends. When deaths and arrests became commonplace, people began to leave Addis and return to their respective regions. At that time, everyone was urging my parents to return to our neighborhoods. Even my siblings and I were unhappy about leaving that beautiful life behind. Little did we know the value of education. In addition, life in Addis was extremely expensive, particularly for a large newcomer family like ours. However, this did not alter their decision, as education remained their top priority.  We faced terrifying events over time, such as the coronavirus pandemic and the outbreak of a civil war in Ethiopia. This was the most challenging time in my life, yet it taught me the most valuable lessons. Given the civil war between our region (Tigray) and the rest of Ethiopia, it was unsettling when people in our new neighborhood (Addis) started to recognize our identity and began to hate us without any apparent reason. During the civil war, my father and other Tigrayans faced imprisonment due to their identification. We were unable to return to Tigray due to the ongoing civil war there. As a result, even though there were still classes in Addis, my father's situation and our identity prevented us from continuing our education. Thus, we took a gap year. That year, I learned about patience—that not everything is in our control and that we can only work on what we can do.  Once the situation began to stabilize, my father was released from prison, and we returned to school with a more mature mindset and a deeper appreciation for the importance of education. My parents' sacrifice for us inspires me to work hard for my passion in software development. I did well in my classes and received a good scholarship here in the United States. This is the fruit of their sacrifice, and I have already begun to repay them by demonstrating that I have come to the United States, where a better education system is available, through my own hard work. I am delighted to see their pride in me, even though I haven't yet revealed my potential. I am now a sophomore in college. Throughout the course of my college education, I plan to maintain my high academic standing, develop my coding skills, participate in internship programs, and take advantage of research opportunities. I would like to work on reducing problems and speeding up services in healthcare, transportation, and other areas. I have plans to make applications available to people in rural areas with their native language to contribute to my country’s development. Therefore, I aim to be a part of Ethiopia's technological advancement in various fields, as well as other technological innovations worldwide.

My intense interest in specific classes was the first factor that guided me to discover my passion. Since I enjoy math and science, I decided early on that I would major in those subjects. As I dug further, I started to focus on how I might enjoy my work and still make a difference. Then, in high school, I discovered my enthusiasm for computer science, specifically software development. Given the difficulties my hometown experiences due to its lack of access to technology in some places, I am genuinely motivated to pursue this degree. As Ethiopia, where I am from, is a developing country, there is a pressing need for improvements in technology in healthcare, education, transportation, agriculture, and so on. As a result, this has greatly influenced my decision to pursue software development, in addition to my academic interest in it. I know that in addition to alleviating various issues, application advancement creates employment opportunities for individuals. Drivers, for instance, can find employment opportunities and provide excellent customer service with accurate and clear payment methods, while passengers can use such apps to easily and safely find a driver. Similarly, expanding farmers' access to technology can help them utilize apps for managing pests and diseases, managing crops, tracking market prices, and so on. Particularly, agriculture in developing countries necessitates significant technological advancements to boost productivity. As a result, I aim to provide people with these resources in their native languages. The uses that technology has for development might seem obvious. Unfortunately, some people in developing countries remain unaware of these advantages, even though the majority of us understand the things mentioned above. I believe that making applications accessible to those who have never heard of them will change the world and reduce poverty. That is why I am excited about my decision to address these limitations in the world. Therefore, throughout the course of my college education, I plan to maintain my high academic standing, develop my coding skills, participate in internship programs, and take advantage of research opportunities. I would like to work on reducing problems and speeding up services in healthcare, transportation, and other areas. Finally, I would like to mention that the John Young 'Pursue Your Passion' Scholarship will help me financially to cover a portion of my college expenses, which will have a positive impact on my effort to achieve my goals.

Think back to the most challenging period in your life, when time seemed to stand still, yet without it, remarkable changes and events in your life would not have occurred. For me, this period occurred in late 2020, amidst a serious civil war in Ethiopia and the frightening spread of COVID-19. I was in 10th grade that year, and I had first-class rank. I was so motivated and filled with hope that I never imagined that such events would occur and force me to discontinue my education in 2021. Returning to that time reminds me of the depths of despair that people might experience. It was a time when we lacked control over everything, including our own lives. Death and hopelessness were common things. However, everything passed, and it taught me the biggest life lesson at a young age. The lesson was that certain aspects of life may be beyond our control, and we should only focus on what we are capable of doing. Despite not being able to attend regular classes, I managed to enroll in church courses and learn how to play the harp, which has now become my hobby. Additionally, I was able to take advanced English language classes near my home, which helps my everyday communication. Thus, I learned that in any tough situation, we have to keep living our lives and contribute something we can to our future ambitions. In that gap year, not only did I learn patience and life lessons, but I also found out what I would like to study. It gave me time to think about how I could achieve my goals, and this is where the idea of studying abroad came from. Computer science—developing software—is what I would like to pursue after graduation. It is my passion, as I am a math and tech person. It also solves so many problems. For instance, my country, Ethiopia, and other developing nations require technological advancements in various fields such as agriculture, education, hospitals, transportation, government organizations, and all their systems. Therefore, I aim to develop applications and systems that enable developing nations to leverage these technological advancements to expedite tasks and enjoy an easy lifestyle. I would like to provide farmers and people in the villages with numerous opportunities to access information in their native languages. Furthermore, I would like to contribute to new technological innovations around the world. This is why I am here in the United States. More than the buildings, roads, and infrastructure, the technology and systems in the United States have motivated me to learn here, participate in internship programs, communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, and apply these experiences in the future.  My sweet parents are always the reason I am here today. They are my role models, inspiring and teaching me to strive diligently toward my goals. Both of them were born and raised in rural areas, overcoming numerous challenges to attend school. The fact that they transported me and my siblings to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city, just for us to get a better education, despite the financial challenges of moving to a new city, truly impresses me. Moreover, their love for their country, community, and culture is amazing, and growing up and seeing their optimism makes me love my country so much. They make me see how gifted we Ethiopians are by nature and how we all should work smart in our fields to benefit each other and grow our country. Their strength in general inspires me all the time to keep thriving and have a positive impact on my country and the world.

A couple months ago, I watched one of the most amazing and life-changing TED talks by Emilie Wapnick, “Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling." When I initially read the title, it didn't make sense to me. However, the video was all about the thing I had wanted to hear since my childhood. Since fifth grade, I have been writing poetry outside of the classroom, drawing different kinds of pictures, singing hymns, and playing the ten-string harp known as "Begena." I also achieved outstanding grades in my classes, and I aspired to be a software developer. However, having grown up with the belief that students should specialize in a single field of study, I found myself unhappy with my diverse interests. People literally told me to have a single goal in life, which they call "a stance." As a result, the inability to choose a specific field left me feeling aimless for years. Like some students my age, I used to hate the question, “What are you interested in?” In her speech, “Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling," Emilie Wapnick claims that “There is nothing wrong with you. What you are is a multipotentialite.” (5:44-5:53). Wapnick made the statement above to highlight how having multiple potentials is a superpower, let alone to make us feel down. I shed joyful tears watching the video for the first time. The fact that the things I wanted to accomplish seemed too distant from each other to pursue nearly made me detest thinking about the future. The video eliminated all of the negative feelings I had about my ambitions. It allowed me to see the journeys of several entrepreneurs, which gives me confidence and helps me explore how I can capitalize on each of my passions to create my own innovations. As a result, I consider knowing this to be one of my greatest accomplishments, as it teaches me to enjoy and use all of my abilities.  Currently, I am a sophomore college student majoring in computer science. Software development is one of my passions because I am a math and tech person, and it can solve so many problems. I would like to contribute to new technological innovations around the world. I also want to contribute to the technological development of developing countries, like my country, Ethiopia. I aspire to develop applications that farmers, students, patients, and all citizens can utilize for a more convenient lifestyle, as the availability of these apps in their native languages not only speeds up systems but also positively impacts development. In general, in addition to developing myself and working on the things I enjoy, such as singing hymns, playing the harp, drawing, and writing poetry, I would like to create software and apps that can impact the world.

One of the few things I never get bored of talking about is why I chose to pursue a career in software development and how it will change my country and the world. The first compelling reason that led me to discover my passion was the subjects I enjoyed. I'm a math and science person, so I knew from the start that I would pursue a major in those classes. As I delved deeper, I began to narrow it down to how I might enjoy my profession while making a difference. Computer science, specifically software development, makes my heartbeat faster with excitement. Given the challenges my hometown faces due to limited access to technology, I am truly inspired to pursue this major. As my home country, Ethiopia, is a developing nation, there is a significant need for advancements in healthcare, education, agriculture, and transportation. In these areas, our system could greatly benefit from technological advancements. As a result, I chose this field, not only because of my interests and passion, but also because of the potential solutions and impacts it could provide. Throughout the course of my college education, I plan to maintain my high academic standing, develop my coding skills, participate in internship programs, and take advantage of research opportunities. Reducing delays and other problems in healthcare, transportation, and other services is something I would like to work on. My main goal is to create applications that offer the best accommodations for users in various places. Not only will application advancements alleviate various issues, but they will also create employment opportunities for individuals. Drivers, for instance, can find employment opportunities and provide excellent customer service with accurate and clear payment methods, while passengers can use such apps to easily and safely find a driver. Similarly, students can benefit from the advantages that technology offers them, as technology makes the educational system simple for both teachers and students. Furthermore, expanding farmers' access to technology can help them utilize apps for managing pests and diseases, managing crops, tracking market prices, and so on. Agriculture in developing countries also requires significant technological advancements to increase productivity. As a result, I aim to provide farmers with these resources in their native languages, thereby addressing these limitations. Unfortunately, many people in developing countries remain unaware of these advantages, even though the majority of us understand the things mentioned above. My decision to address these limitations in Ethiopia and elsewhere excites me. I believe that providing these opportunities to those who have never heard of them will change the world and reduce poverty. Using technologies in different career categories will increase productivity. Even in restaurants, hotels, banks, immigration offices, and various government and public sector organizations, technology can significantly reduce delays and solve numerous other problems. Interestingly, being part of an underrepresented minority in this field helps me understand the challenges that arise from a lack of technology. While it can be difficult to find mentors with similar experiences and backgrounds, and to be underrepresented in leadership roles, it is far more valuable as it gives me diverse perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and a unique understanding of the problems. Finally, I would like to mention how helpful the SigaLa Education Scholarship is to me. This scholarship will help me financially to cover a portion of my college expenses, which will have a positive impact on my efforts to achieve my goals.