1. Tell us about yourself. My name is Bonnie, and I’m a mother of four, a cybersecurity student, a content creator, and a woman who is deeply driven by purpose and resilience. My life hasn’t followed a traditional path. I’ve faced financial hardship, relationship trauma, and personal doubt, but I’ve never stopped pushing forward. I care deeply about using technology as a tool for protection and empowerment, especially for people who are often overlooked. I’m passionate about helping other women, especially mothers and young girls, see that it’s never too late to rewrite your story. My personal mission is to lead by example, protect the vulnerable, and use every tool I have to create positive, lasting change. 2. What’s a real-world issue you feel deeply connected to, and why? I feel deeply connected to digital inequality and online vulnerability, especially in underserved communities. So many people, especially low-income families, small business owners, and young users, are vulnerable to digital threats like identity theft, cyberbullying, misinformation, and financial scams. What makes this issue personal to me is that I grew up in a single-mother household, and now I’m raising four children as a single mother myself. I’ve seen firsthand how little access we had to digital safety tools, and how dangerous that can be. Our phones, bank accounts, social media, and medical records live online, but most people have no idea how to protect them. I want to change that. 3. If you had the power to make change in that area, what would you do? If I had the power to create change, I would launch a nonprofit that offers free or low-cost cybersecurity education and services to communities that are often left behind. This would include digital safety workshops at local schools, churches, and community centers. I’d build a mobile app that helps users, especially parents and business owners, learn how to protect their data in plain language, without confusing jargon. I’d also advocate for policy changes that require schools and public institutions to include digital safety in their curriculums. My vision is to make cybersecurity as accessible as public health or basic education, because in the digital age, it’s just as important. 4. How did you choose your area of study, and what do you hope to do with it? I chose to study cybersecurity after years of feeling powerless in a world that’s becoming more digital every day. After a difficult breakup, financial instability, and witnessing people around me fall victim to digital scams, I realized that I wanted to be on the other side of the screen, not just using technology, but understanding it and using it to protect others. Cybersecurity spoke to me because it combines logic, problem-solving, and protection. I plan to use my degree to work in digital forensics or ethical hacking, while also building a platform that educates everyday people, especially women and small business owners, on how to stay safe in a digital world. 5. What’s one goal you’ve set for yourself in the next 5 years, and how do you plan to get there? In the next five years, I plan to become a certified ethical hacker and launch my own tech consulting business for women-led brands and small businesses. I want to be someone who makes cybersecurity feel less intimidating and more empowering. To reach this goal, I’m currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree, studying for CompTIA A+ and Security+ certifications, and building my brand presence through tech content on social media. I plan to keep networking, take on internships or freelance opportunities, and stay involved in both cybersecurity and women-in-tech communities. Every day, I take one more step toward building the future I envision. 6. How has education helped you better understand yourself and your purpose? Returning to school as an adult and a mom has been one of the most transformative things I’ve ever done. It forced me to face my insecurities and prove to myself that I am capable, worthy, and smart. Through studying cybersecurity, I’ve learned that my purpose is not just about personal success, it’s about using my knowledge to protect and uplift others. Every class I take helps me connect the dots between my lived experiences and the bigger impact I want to make. Education gave me language for my passion, structure for my goals, and belief in my purpose. 7. How has your identity as a woman influenced the way you move through the world? Being a woman, especially a Black woman and a mother, means I carry multiple layers of strength and expectation every time I step into a room. In many spaces, I’ve been underestimated or overlooked, especially in male-dominated areas like tech. But I use that as fuel. I know what it feels like to be unseen, so I go out of my way to see and support others. My womanhood has made me more empathetic, more resourceful, and more determined to break barriers for the next generation. It also fuels my drive to create spaces where other women feel safe, informed, and respected, online and offline. 8. What does leadership mean to you, and how have you embodied it? Leadership, to me, means being willing to go first, not because you’re the loudest, but because you care enough to make a way for others. It’s not about titles, it’s about service. I’ve led in quiet ways: by showing up for other young mothers, by guiding friends through resume building and job applications, and by raising my children with strength and compassion even when life felt overwhelming. Through my content creation, I’ve built a space where women can learn about tech, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. Leadership looks like showing up, staying consistent, and never letting fear stop you from speaking up or stepping up. 9. Describe a time you had to be resourceful or resilient. What did you learn from it? When I left a toxic relationship, I had to rebuild my life from scratch, with four kids and no financial safety net. I had to figure out housing, work, school, and mental health all at once. I used every resource I could find, food banks, scholarships, public programs, and I taught myself how to budget, how to apply for aid, and how to start fresh. It was the hardest season of my life, but it taught me how powerful I really am. I learned that resourcefulness isn’t about having all the answers,it’s about having the will to find them. 10. If awarded this scholarship, how would it help you pursue your dreams? This scholarship would be a game-changer. It would ease the financial stress of tuition, certifications, and tech tools I need for school. More importantly, it would give me the breathing room to focus on my education and growing my cybersecurity platform without sacrificing time with my children. With this support, I can keep pushing forward, toward graduation, toward professional certification, and toward building a future where my story becomes someone else’s inspiration. I’m not just investing in myself,I’m investing in the next generation of women and girls who deserve to see themselves as capable of anything.

My name is Bonnie, and I’m a proud mother of four, a cybersecurity student, and a woman deeply committed to growth, resilience, and purpose. I come from a single-mother household, and that experience shaped everything about the way I see the world, the way I navigate challenges, and the way I show up for others. Growing up, I watched my mother work tirelessly,sometimes multiple jobs, just to make sure we had the basics. Her sacrifices were constant, and though we often didn’t have much, we always had love, faith, and a fierce determination to keep going. From her, I learned the power of perseverance. I also learned that success doesn’t always come quickly, but it’s built step by step through hard work and faith. That mindset has carried me through my own journey as a single mother pursuing higher education while working and raising my children. Being raised in a single-mother household didn’t make life easier, but it did make me stronger. It taught me to adapt, to problem-solve, and most importantly, to lead with empathy. I know what it’s like to feel overlooked, unsupported, or underestimated. And that’s exactly why I’m committed to turning my life into a platform for change, not just for me, but for others like me. I’m currently studying cybersecurity because I believe that technology is a powerful tool for equity and safety. In a world where so much of our personal information is vulnerable, I want to be part of the solution. My dream is to use my education to protect digital communities, especially marginalized groups and small businesses that often don’t have access to cybersecurity resources. My long-term goal is to open a nonprofit that provides tech support and digital protection for women-owned businesses and families in underserved communities. Beyond my professional goals, I also want to make a personal impact. I want to show my children, and other young people from single-parent households, that your beginnings do not define your endings. I want to be a living example that you can rewrite your story at any point, and that the strength you’ve built from hardship is not a weakness, it’s your foundation. Receiving the Iliana Arie Scholarship would not only relieve some of the financial pressure I face as a mother and student, but it would also affirm that my story, like so many others, is worthy of investment. With your support, I will continue striving not just to succeed, but to serve, uplift, and protect others as I go.

My involvement in my local church has been the foundation for how I serve others in my community. Growing up and even now as an adult, the church has been a space not only of spiritual growth but of community action. Through my church, I’ve learned that service isn’t just about grand gestures, it’s about showing up consistently for others, especially when they need it the most. As a mother of four, my church family has supported me in ways that words can’t always express. In return, I’ve felt called to pour that same love and support back into others. Whether through volunteering in children’s ministry, helping with food drives, or supporting back-to-school outreach events, I see every opportunity to serve as an extension of my faith. My church taught me that faith without works is dead, and that it’s our duty to be the hands and feet of Christ on earth. One of the biggest ways I’ve served is by working with young mothers and at-risk youth. Many of the girls I’ve connected with are going through some of the same struggles I faced, lack of guidance, limited access to resources, and the burden of trying to grow up too fast. I’ve been able to mentor them, pray with them, and offer tangible help, such as connecting them to free baby supplies or transportation for job interviews. My church has always emphasized that ministry doesn't only happen on Sundays, it happens every day, in our neighborhoods, schools, and homes. In addition, the discipline and leadership skills I’ve gained through my church have carried into my broader community involvement. From organizing community clean-ups to participating in coat drives during the winter, I’ve learned how to bring people together to make a difference. These experiences have helped shape the leader I am becoming, and they are part of the reason I chose to pursue a degree in cybersecurity. In today’s world, protecting people doesn’t just mean physical safety, it also means safeguarding their digital lives. I see this as a modern form of service, one that allows me to merge technology with purpose. Being rooted in faith has taught me that service doesn’t require perfection, it requires compassion, patience, and a willing heart. I believe that when you serve others with genuine love, you're planting seeds that will grow long after you’re gone. My goal is to continue building a life that reflects that principle, serving from the heart and using every resource I gain, including my education, to be a light in my community.