Some people find their path early. Mine revealed itself slowly, through years of hard work that didn't always look like progress at the time. Growing up in Ripley, Tennessee, as the only girl among four siblings, I learned early that responsibility wasn't something you waited to be given it was something you stepped into. Watching my older brother, who has autism, navigate schools and healthcare taught me that systems matter: when they work well, they create opportunities; when they don't, people are left behind. Like Debra S. Jackson, I returned to college at forty believing education could transform my career and my impact on others. For more than two decades, I built my career through experience rather than a degree. I began in retail management, leading diverse teams and solving problems under pressure. Looking back, I loved project management long before I knew it was a profession; I was energized by one question: How can this work better? Those instincts led me into consulting and healthcare project management with Deloitte, HCA Healthcare, and the Tennessee Department of Health. Every role confirmed I had found my calling and that leading larger initiatives would require education to match my experience. Returning to college as an adult learner required faith in myself as I balanced coursework with contract positions and family responsibilities. When my Deloitte contract ended and I faced unemployment mid-degree, pausing would have been understandable. Instead, I made the most important decision of my life: I kept going. I hadn't returned simply to earn a credential, I returned because I finally believed I was worth investing in. That decision led me to graduate Cum Laude from Nashville State Community College and to continue at the University of Memphis, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems with a minor in Project Management. Receiving an ADHD diagnosis as an adult gave me answers to questions I had carried for years. I had spent my life believing I simply needed to work harder to keep up; instead, I learned my brain processes information differently. As a Black woman, I came to understand how often girls who look like me go undiagnosed, learning to mask their struggles rather than receive support. That realization strengthened my desire to become the kind of leader whose success reminds others that their potential is never defined by someone else's timeline. My education has reinforced what I have always believed: technology should improve people's lives. I want to lead technology and AI initiatives that make healthcare and government services easier to navigate. Whether helping families navigate probate documents through my mobile notary business or contributing to public-sector projects, I have seen how confusing systems create unnecessary stress in life's hardest moments. I want to build solutions that remove those barriers. Through Urban League Young Professionals, mentoring my nieces and nephews, and serving families through my business, I have learned that meaningful change happens one conversation, one project, and one person at a time. My long-term goal is to complete my MIS degree, earn a master's in Strategic Communications, and lead projects that combine technology, communication, and servant leadership to expand opportunities for underserved communities. This scholarship would do more than reduce a financial burden. It would allow me to focus on my coursework and continue serving my community. Returning to school at forty taught me that growth has no expiration date. I’m not starting over, I am building on everything that has brought me here, and I intend to use my education to open doors for others, just as this scholarship would open another door for me.

1. I am a nontraditional student, entrepreneur, and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) dedicated to bridging gaps between communities and the systems that serve them. As the founder of The Notary PM, I combine notary services with project consulting to make legal and business processes more accessible. I care deeply about equity, efficiency, and empowering others to see themselves as problem-solvers. What drives me is the belief that operational excellence and empathy can, and should work together to improve lives. 2. I feel deeply connected to the issue of unequal access to essential services, whether in government, business, or legal systems. I’ve seen how bureaucracy, outdated processes, and lack of resources disproportionately impact underserved communities. This matters to me because I’ve experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate these systems without guidance or access. 3. I would develop community-based service hubs that combine notary, project management, and technology training under one roof. These hubs would streamline paperwork processes, offer workshops on digital tools, and connect people to trusted professionals. By merging operational expertise with community outreach, these spaces could eliminate barriers and empower individuals to take control of their personal and professional needs. 4. I chose Business Administration with the intention of transferring into Management Information Systems because I see technology as a powerful lever for change. My goal is to combine business strategy with technical skills to create efficient, people-first systems in both public service and entrepreneurial spaces. 5. My goal is to grow The Notary PM into a certified minority- and women-owned business that partners with state and local agencies to improve operational workflows. I plan to achieve this by completing my degree, expanding my technical expertise, building strategic partnerships, and pursuing WBE/MBE certifications. 6. Returning to school has reminded me that learning is not just about acquiring knowledge, it’s about uncovering what you’re capable of. My coursework and leadership training have strengthened my confidence and clarified my purpose: to use my skills to create systems that are both efficient and equitable. 7. Being a woman; especially a Black woman, in leadership and technical spaces has taught me to be both strategic and resilient. I move with intentionality, knowing I may have to prove my capabilities twice over, but I also use that as fuel to break barriers for myself and for the women coming after me. 8. Leadership means creating space for others to succeed while staying accountable to your mission. I’ve embodied this through my work on the Urban League YP Operations Committee, where I’ve improved onboarding systems, and through my role at Deloitte, where I coordinated cross-geo teams to solve complex payroll challenges. 9. While launching The Notary PM, I had to build everything from scratch, services, branding, systems while working and going to school full-time. Limited resources forced me to be creative, using free tools, partnerships, and my own skill set to get off the ground. I learned that resilience is about finding possibilities where others see limitations. 10. This scholarship would allow me to focus more on building my technical expertise, scaling my business, and deepening my community impact. It would help cover tuition and materials so I can dedicate more time to learning, innovation, and creating pathways for others to access the systems and resources they deserve. I believe being a visionary means seeing possibilities where others see limits and turning those ideas into actionable systems that create lasting impact. My ability to merge operational excellence with empathy drives everything I do, whether I’m managing complex projects, building community engagement strategies, or creating tools that make services more accessible. I’ve pushed boundaries by launching The Notary PM; a business that combines notary services with project consulting, while returning to college as a nontraditional student. I also stepped into leadership roles at Deloitte, overseeing high-stakes payroll transformation work for over 20,000 employees across global teams. In each case, I navigated spaces where women like me are underrepresented, proving that skill, vision, and determination can shift outcomes. My vision is to use technology and strategy to create equitable, accessible services for underserved communities. This scholarship would help me finish my degree in Management Information Systems, grow my business, and expand my community impact. With your support, I can continue breaking barriers, opening doors for others, and turning my passion into lasting public change.

I’m a nontraditional student based in Tennessee, currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration with plans to specialize in Management Information Systems and Project Management. I’m also the founder of The Notary PM, a business that merges notary services with project management consulting to support small businesses and underserved communities. My passion for leadership comes from a deep desire to create what I didn’t see growing up, Black women in decision-making roles who lead with empathy, clarity, and strategy. Leadership, to me, is the act of building what’s missing and inspiring others to do the same. One example of this was during my time as a retail manager. I noticed our store was suffering from high shrink rates, leading to lost revenue and confusion during audits. There was no effective system to track inventory in real time, so I created a manual stock count process from scratch. I trained the team, built a usage guide, and incorporated it into daily operations. Within weeks, we had accurate reporting, and our district leader scaled my process across multiple stores. That experience taught me that leadership doesn’t wait for permission, it solves problems, takes action, and shares success. Now, I’m applying that same proactive mindset to my business and studies. Whether I’m organizing payroll data in a system migration project or supporting community partners through notary services, I lead by listening, identifying inefficiencies, and building sustainable systems. I’ve also taken on leadership within professional groups like the Urban League Young Professionals and PMI Nashville to stay engaged, visible, and impactful. I plan to continue motivating others by mentoring new professionals, hosting leadership workshops, and expanding The Notary PM into a resource hub for emerging Black entrepreneurs. Leadership is an ongoing practice; and with this scholarship, I’ll continue building toward a future where others don’t just follow me, but rise alongside me.

My name is Brystal Pearson, and I’m a non-traditional student currently pursuing an A.S. degree in Business Administration, with plans to transfer to the University of Memphis to major in Management Information Systems and minor in Project Management. While my journey has taken unexpected turns—beginning in retail management, transitioning into national consulting, and now launching my own business—each step has brought me closer to where I truly belong: in the STEM field, at the intersection of technology, systems, and people. I’m deeply motivated by transformation. Whether I’m restructuring workflows for a major payroll implementation or helping a legal office digitize client intake, I thrive in roles where I can bring clarity, creativity, and strategy together to make operations—and lives—better. If I could do anything with my life, I’d build a career and a business that help people navigate complex systems with confidence. I imagine myself leading a firm that consults on digital transformation for underserved communities, small businesses, and public agencies. I want to help others use technology not just to survive, but to scale and thrive. At the same time, I envision mentoring other women—especially Black women—who are interested in tech, showing them that your past doesn’t disqualify you from a bold, purpose-driven future in STEM. That vision is why I’m drawn to STEM—particularly the “T” in technology. To me, information technology is more than just software. It’s a universal language of access and possibility. What excites me is that IT offers a way to solve real-world problems at scale. When implemented thoughtfully, technology closes gaps, increases efficiency, and can make society more equitable. That possibility motivates me daily. My time as a business project manager for a global SAP SuccessFactors implementation confirmed that. When systems aren’t set up with care, people suffer—paychecks are missed, data is misreported, trust is eroded. But when systems are built with intention and empathy, they can uplift entire teams. That experience inspired me to become the kind of IT project manager who not only leads implementations, but also advocates for the people those systems are meant to serve. My long-term goal is to work on government and public-sector digital transformation projects, ensuring technology is not just efficient, but ethical and inclusive. I am proudly pursuing a career in STEM through the field of Management Information Systems and IT Project Management. My focus lies in process design, data analysis, and automation—using tools like Excel, Power BI, and Smartsheet to improve systems in sectors like healthcare, education, and public services. I bring a human-centered approach to every project I touch. Whether it’s a spreadsheet or a workflow engine, I don’t just see lines of code or cells—I see lives that will be impacted by how well we do our jobs. Of course, getting here hasn’t been easy. One of the greatest challenges I’ve faced was rebuilding my confidence after a career disruption, while managing ADHD, returning to school after a decade, and launching a business. This year, my consulting contract with Deloitte ended unexpectedly due to restructuring. I had been excelling in my role and took pride in my impact. When it ended, I felt unmoored and unsure if I had the credentials or capacity to continue on this path. What made it harder was navigating ADHD symptoms like task paralysis and racing thoughts. But instead of letting that stop me, I used what I knew: I built systems for myself. I created Trello boards, weekly reflections, accountability check-ins, and used project management methods to keep myself on track. I enrolled at Nashville State Community College and launched The Notary PM, a consulting and notary business that brings operational structure to small businesses and legal professionals. I also joined PMI Nashville and the Urban League Young Professionals to stay connected to purpose-driven peers and mentors. Overcoming this season wasn’t about pretending everything was fine. It was about being honest, resourceful, and resilient. As someone who has self-funded my education, launched my business with limited resources, and often juggled multiple jobs to make ends meet, I understand the weight of financial pressure—but I’ve never let it stop me. I’ve learned how to build structure under stress and pursue excellence with whatever tools I have. Success doesn’t always look like a straight line—it looks like showing up when things are hard, building even when resources are limited, and believing in your purpose even when others can’t yet see the vision. Receiving this scholarship would not only ease the financial pressure of continuing my education, but also validate my belief that people like me—Black women, adult learners, systems thinkers—belong in STEM. I’m not just studying information systems to land a job. I’m learning this field to change systems from the inside out. I want to be a voice at the table, a bridge between complexity and clarity, and a builder of better, more human-centered processes. And someday, I want to inspire the next woman who’s unsure if she belongs in STEM to know that she absolutely does.

My journey into technology has been anything but traditional. As a Black woman navigating career transitions, I’ve worn many hats—from retail management to project coordination for major system implementations at Deloitte. Today, I’m a certified CAPM professional, enrolled in community college, working to complete my bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems, and preparing to sit for the PMP exam. What guides me through each chapter is the belief that technology can do more than streamline operations—it can change lives. And that belief has been made personal by my own experiences with ADHD, career reinvention, and the pursuit of equity in tech spaces. Growing up in a rural part of Tennessee, I never imagined I’d be working on high-level payroll system integrations and data analysis projects. My earlier career centered around operational excellence in retail environments. I knew how to manage people, solve problems under pressure, and optimize systems with limited tools. What I didn’t know was that these were foundational skills in tech—specifically in project management. When I stepped into tech through the lens of business process improvement, I realized that I didn’t have to be a coder to contribute to innovation. Still, the path hasn’t been easy. I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 30, after years of silently struggling with forgetfulness, time management, and focus—especially during my first attempts at college. The diagnosis was a turning point. It didn’t just give me answers; it gave me tools. I now manage my ADHD with medication, structure, and self-compassion. This has made returning to school at NSCC not just possible but empowering. I plan to transfer to the University of Memphis to earn a BBA in MIS with a minor in Project Management—credentials I intend to pair with real-world consulting experience through my new business, The Notary PM. Technology has opened doors that once felt sealed shut. I’ve built dashboards in Power Query, managed CR logs across international teams, and advocated for process transparency—all while mentoring others through the Urban League Young Professionals and managing committee operations. I’m also the first in my family to pursue tech formally, and I take that responsibility seriously. I want to build systems and pathways that help other Black women enter tech without needing to follow a linear path. I want to create platforms that merge notary services, data analytics, and business operations consulting—spaces that uplift small business owners, real estate agents, and healthcare professionals. Receiving the Empowering Black Women in Tech Scholarship would relieve financial pressure and accelerate my ability to complete my education while continuing my business and community work. More importantly, it would represent something I rarely saw growing up: investment in Black women with unconventional stories. Women who don’t fit the mold, but who build better ones. This scholarship would allow me to scale my vision faster. With support, I can finish school, earn my PMP, grow The Notary PM, and continue mentoring. My long-term goal is to develop tech-enabled programs that support neurodivergent professionals and elevate operational efficiency for minority-owned businesses. I believe tech should be built by people who understand struggle, because they’ll build systems that are accessible, inclusive, and transformational. I represent the very need this scholarship was created to address. I’m not just trying to enter tech—I’m reshaping what it means to belong here.

I never imagined I'd be pursuing a career in I.T.—not because I wasn't capable, but because I didn't see women like me represented in the field. For years, I thrived in retail leadership, where I developed strong skills in team management, problem-solving, and process improvement. But deep down, I knew I wanted more. I wanted to build systems, streamline operations, and solve complex challenges using technology. That realization led me to a bold pivot: returning to school to major in Management Information Systems and launching a tech-enabled notary and project management business, The Notary PM. As a Black woman in Tennessee reentering the academic and professional world in my 30s, I represent the very change I want to see in tech. I recently earned my CAPM certification, and I'm currently preparing for the PMP while balancing school and contract roles. My mission is to make tech feel accessible, approachable, and transformational—especially for women, small business owners, and underrepresented communities. When considering the most impactful tech innovation of the past decade, I'm drawn to cloud-based collaboration platforms. During my retail career, I witnessed how siloed information created inefficiencies. Now, as a project management professional, I leverage these platforms to break down barriers, enabling seamless collaboration regardless of location or technical expertise. What makes these platforms revolutionary isn't just their capabilities but their accessibility—creating pathways for non-technical professionals like myself to enter the technology field. I serve on the Urban League's Operations & Information Committee, where I contribute to projects that uplift my community. I want to show young girls that you don't have to code to have a place in tech. You can lead, design, analyze, manage, and innovate. You can change lives. My goals center on creating similar pathways for others. I aim to establish a tech-enabled consultancy helping small businesses implement affordable digital solutions. I'm passionate about creating educational content that demystifies technology for women and underrepresented groups. By learning AI and data analytics, I plan to become a more data-driven project manager who can help organizations make informed decisions. Dynamic Edge's commitment to empathy, innovation, and community mirrors my own values. To me, being a "Dynamic Woman in I.T." means using tech to empower others, not just yourself. It means being agile, curious, and unafraid to reinvent yourself. And it means bringing your whole self—your lived experience, your voice, your vision—to the table. Representation isn't a buzzword for me—it's personal. When I walk into a room and share that I'm building a tech-forward business, studying MIS, and working toward my PMP, I know I'm changing the narrative for women like me. The statistic that only 27% of the STEM workforce identifies as women isn't just a number—it's a call to action. With support from the Dynamic Edge Women in STEM Scholarship, I will continue my education and build a career that advances my goals while creating opportunities for others. Like Dynamic Edge's commitment to supporting local communities in Ann Arbor and Nashville, I believe in using technology to strengthen community connections. By supporting my education, Dynamic Edge would be investing not just in one woman's STEM journey, but in the ripple effect of knowledge-sharing and empowerment that will extend to countless others through my business, educational content, and community engagement. Technology has transformed how we work, connect, and solve problems. As a Dynamic Woman in I.T., I'm committed to ensuring these transformative benefits reach everyone—especially those historically underrepresented in STEM.