Hello, My name is Charles Carter and I am a veteran, husband, father, and non-traditional student who is returning to college to obtain my undergraduate degree. I returned to college this spring and I am currently enrolled as a senior student at Arizona State University. I am scheduled to graduate from ASU at the end of the year and I plan to attend graduate school to pursue my MBA in the spring of 2025. My educational goals align with my strategic career plans to become a business manager and community leader. I often think about ways to provide needed services in my community by launching projects that fulfill a need. I always aspired to be a business professional, who was able to create employment opportunities to those in need. I have a heart for helping others and I simply want to use my talents to make a positive in the lives of people I encounter. My journey has been shaped by my life experiences. The various roles I have had taught me resilience, leadership, and the importance of community. My education and work experience are equipping me with the skills I need to achieve my economic development goals, obtain funding, organize and successfully operate programs to make a difference. The broad scope of my interests allows me to explore various perspectives, which helps me think creatively and adapt to different situations. I also have real world experience as business professional, working with large corporations and small nonprofit companies. My specialization in Human Resources is also crucial because it teaches me how to manage people effectively, a skill that is essential for any successful venture. Working at a nonprofit foster care agency has given me firsthand experience in understanding the needs of vulnerable populations. It has shown me the importance of creating services that can make a real difference in people's lives. This job has also taught me valuable lessons in empathy, communication, and problem-solving. These are skills that I believe will serve me well as an advocate. My primary goal for attending college is to obtain the skills needed to help people. I see myself operating an organization that focuses on addressing various shortcomings in my community. One of my main goals is to create opportunities for the less fortunate, especially those who are often overlooked. I want to start programs that provide jobs and services to under-served communities, to mentor young entrepreneurs, and share the knowledge and experience I have gained to improve the lives of people. Thinking outside the box, I envision combining my interests in tinkering and teaching with my mentoring aspirations. For example, I could start a program that offers workshops and educational services to local teens and young adults . This program could teach trades and life skills, while providing participants with instructions and guidance to learn career success strategies. My background as a non-traditional student, husband, and father has given me a unique perspective on life. I have learned to balance multiple responsibilities and to persevere through challenges. My time in the Army taught me discipline and the importance of teamwork. All these experiences have prepared me for success. In conclusion, my studies at ASU and my diverse life experiences are positioning me to succeed on this path. As you can see, I am committed to improving the lives of people. My mission is to give back. I believe that with hard work, creativity, and a strong sense of purpose, I can achieve these things and make a lasting impact. Thank you for considering my application for this scholarship. Sincerely, Charles Carter

Hello, My name is Charles Carter and I am a senior undergraduate student at Arizona State University and a future community leader. I often think about ways to provide needed services in my community by launching projects that fulfill a need. I aspire to be a community advocate and organizer. My journey has been shaped by my life experiences. The various roles I have had taught me resilience, leadership, and the importance of community. My education and work experience are equipping me with the skills I need to achieve my economic development goals, obtain funding, organize and successfully operate programs to make a difference. The broad scope of my interests allows me to explore various perspectives, which helps me think creatively and adapt to different situations. I also have real world experience as business professional, working with large corporations and small nonprofit companies. My specialization in Human Resources is also crucial because it teaches me how to manage people effectively, a skill that is essential for any successful venture. Working at a nonprofit foster care agency has given me firsthand experience in understanding the needs of vulnerable populations. It has shown me the importance of creating services that can make a real difference in people's lives. This job has also taught me valuable lessons in empathy, communication, and problem-solving. These are skills that I believe will serve me well as an advocate. My primary goal for attending college is to obtain the skills needed to help people. I see myself operating an organization that focuses on addressing various shortcomings in my community. One of my main goals is to create opportunities for the less fortunate, especially those who are often overlooked. I want to start programs that provide jobs and services to under-served communities, to mentor young entrepreneurs, and share the knowledge and experience I have gained to improve the lives of people. Thinking outside the box, I envision combining my interests in tinkering and teaching with my mentoring aspirations. For example, I could start a program that offers workshops and educational services to local teens and young adults . This program could teach trades and life skills, while providing participants with instructions and guidance to learn career success strategies. My background as a non-traditional student, husband, and father has given me a unique perspective on life. I have learned to balance multiple responsibilities and to persevere through challenges. My time in the Army taught me discipline and the importance of teamwork. All these experiences have prepared me for success. In conclusion, my studies at ASU and my diverse life experiences are paving the way for my future as a community advocate. I am committed to creating opportunities for growth and development and improving the lives of people. My mission is to give back to the community. I believe that with hard work, creativity, and a strong sense of purpose, I can achieve my career aspirations and make a lasting impact. Thank you for considering my application for this scholarship.

Hello, My name is Charles Carter and I was born and raised in Marrero, Louisiana. I currently live and work in the New Orleans metropolitan area. I am a non-traditional student who decided to finally return to school and obtain my degree after being out of school since 2015. I enrolled at Arizona State University in January 2024 and I am a senior undergraduate student who is projected to graduate this school year. I am excited to finally be back in school after being out for over 9 years. I regret that fact that I was not able to achieve my college degree after graduating high school, but it was something that I always said that I would do. After I graduated high school, I joined the Army and served honorably as an active duty enlisted service member in the years to follow. It was upon returning home from the Army, that I started working in various fields to support myself and was still adjusting to life outside of the military. I worked but did find time to start taking classes in the evenings. Then, life happened and I became a single parent, so my focus shifted from being a student to becoming a father and a provider. I attempted to take night classes while working full time throughout the years, but I encountered personal setbacks and financial challenges that caused me to delay my plans of finishing college. Before long, all of the distractions that life brings seemed to happen and school became more of a fantasy than reality. Not completing this task has always been one of my biggest regrets. I struggled for years, realizing the limitations of not having a degree and the effect that has had on my pay and career choices. This was a painful experience, facing rejection repeatedly for not having the required credentials needed for upward mobility. The "paper ceiling" is real. Yet, I believe I have handled this rejection gracefully for years. Now, I am ready to conquer this obstacle and move forward. That is why I was so psyched this past spring when I returned to school. I was determined to begin taking the courses I need to obtain my bachelor's degree and move on with my career. I currently work for a nonprofit foster care agency in New Orleans, LA. Obtaining my degree will allow me to advance into a leadership role in the Human Resources department and have a greater impact on assisting the children we serve. Let’s be honest though, college is expensive.This is the primary reason I applied for this scholarship because finding alternative funding sources to help pay for my education will ease the financial burden that I am now responsible for. The impact of receiving this scholarship would be tremendous because it will make the dream of graduating from college a reality. I thank you for reading my essay and the opportunity to share my story with you. I am hopeful and would be delighted if I am selected for this scholarship. It will provide much-needed assistance to me and my family. Sincerely, Charles Carter

My name is Charles Carter, and I am a senior undergraduate student at Arizona State University. I often think about ways to provide needed services in my community by launching businesses that fulfill a need. I aspire to be a business owner. My journey has been shaped by my experiences as a Black man, an Army veteran, a husband, and a father to a wonderful daughter. These roles have taught me resilience, leadership, and the importance of community. My education and work experience are equipping me with the skills I need to achieve my entrepreneurial goals. The broad scope of my interests allows me to explore various perspectives, which helps me think creatively and adapt to different situations. My specialization in Human Resources is also crucial because it teaches me how to manage people effectively, a skill that is essential for any successful business. Working at a nonprofit foster care agency has given me firsthand experience in understanding the needs of vulnerable populations. It has shown me the importance of creating services that can make a real difference in people's lives. This job has also taught me valuable lessons in empathy, communication, and problem-solving. These are skills that I believe will serve me well as an entrepreneur. In ten years, I see myself running multiple successful businesses that address various needs in my community. One of my main goals is to create opportunities for others, especially those who are often overlooked. I want to start businesses that provide jobs and services to under-served communities. I also hope to mentor young entrepreneurs, sharing the knowledge and experience I have gained over the years. Thinking outside the box, I envision combining my interests in photography and digital media with my entrepreneurial aspirations. For example, I could start a multimedia company that offers affordable services to individuals and businesses. This company could provide everything from promotional items to digital marketing, helping clients reach a wider audience. My background as a non-traditional student, married man, and father has given me a unique perspective on life. I have learned to balance multiple responsibilities and to persevere through challenges. My time in the Army taught me discipline and the importance of teamwork. All these experiences have prepared me for the challenges of entrepreneurship. In conclusion, my studies at ASU and my diverse life experiences are paving the way for my future as a business professional. I am committed to creating businesses that not only succeed but also give back to the community. I believe that with hard work, creativity, and a strong sense of purpose, I can achieve my career aspirations and make a lasting impact. Thank you for considering my application for the Rev. and Mrs. E B Dunbar Scholarship.

Hi, I would like to first introduce myself and share my background so that you can get a better understanding of who I am and why I decided to pursue this opportunity. My name is Charles Carter and I was born and raised in the New Orleans metropolitan area. I am the oldest of three, an Army veteran, husband, father, and die-hard New Orleans Saints fan. I returned to school this year to obtain my bachelor's degree, after being out of school for almost a decade. My current classification lists me as a senior undergraduate student. I am attending college online at Arizona State University, and I am expecting to graduate this Fall. Afterwards, I am planning to start graduate school within the next year to pursue my MBA. In addition to me being a full-time student and family man, I also work full time in the administration department for a small nonprofit foster care agency in New Orleans. There, I manage all of the human resources responsibilities for our agency and I take pride in the work we are able to do, which helps to improve the lives of the children we serve in the foster care system. I returned to school this spring because I decided to further my education in order to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to prepare me for a greater leadership role in the field of Human Resources. I believe that my life experiences and lessons learned along my journey have allowed me to remain humble an also equipped me to lead and guide others. My willingness to help anyone in need, kind heart, and positive outlook is what fuels my desire to always encourage people to never quit when facing life's challenges so that they may overcome and obtain successful outcomes. I guess that you can say that I delight in seeing others succeed. It brings me joy. Throughout my career, I have encountered thousands of people from all sorts of backgrounds during different stages of their life. The thing that I noticed that we all had in common was that we are all simply looking to improve our circumstances. We all have goals, dreams, and aspirations. I identify with them in so many ways. We all working to achieve something and often find that we need someone to helps us along the way. For this reason, I am applying for this scholarship in order to help me obtain the funding I need to accomplish the academic goals that I have set. I thank you for taking the time to read my essay and I am hoping that something that I have said resonates with members of the selection panel and increases my likelihood for consideration. Once again, thank you for this opportunity to share my story with you. Sincerely, Charles Carter

Hello, I would like to first introduce myself and share my background so that you can get a better understanding of who I am and why I decided to pursue this opportunity. My name is Charles Carter and I was born and raised in the New Orleans metropolitan area. I am the oldest of three, an Army veteran, husband, father, and die-hard New Orleans Saints fan. I returned to school this year to obtain my bachelor's degree, after being out of school for almost a decade. My current classification lists me as a senior undergraduate student. I am attending college online at Arizona State University, and I am expecting to graduate this Fall. Afterwards, I am planning to start graduate school within the next year to pursue my MBA. In addition to me being a full-time student and family man, I also work full time in the administration department for a small nonprofit foster care agency in New Orleans. There, I manage all of the human resources responsibilities for our agency and I take pride in the work we are able to do, which helps to improve the lives of the children we serve in the foster care system. I returned to school this spring because I decided to further my education in order to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to prepare me for a greater leadership role in the field of Human Resources. I believe that my life experiences and lessons learned along my journey have allowed me to remain humble an also equipped me to lead and guide others. My willingness to help anyone in need, kind heart, and positive outlook is what fuels my desire to always encourage people to never quit when facing life's challenges so that they may overcome and obtain successful outcomes. I guess that you can say that I delight in seeing others succeed. It brings me joy. Throughout my career, I have encountered thousands of people from all sorts of backgrounds during different stages of their life. The thing that I noticed that we all had in common was that we are all simply looking to improve our circumstances. We all have goals, dreams, and aspirations. I identify with them in so many ways. We all working to achieve something and often find that we need someone to helps us along the way. For this reason, I am applying for this scholarship in order to help me obtain the funding I need to accomplish the academic goals that I have set. I thank you for taking the time to read my essay and I am hoping that something that I have said resonates with members of the selection panel and increases my likelihood for consideration. Once again, thank you for this opportunity to share my story with you. Sincerely, Charles Carter