Growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I experienced poverty and war throughout my childhood. My father was killed before I was born, and I lost my mother at a very young age. After her passing, I lived on the streets for two years, begging for food and unable to attend school, until a kind woman took me in and gave me hope for a better future. When I was 12 years old, I learned about an organization called Un Jour Nouveau (Africa New Day), which offered to pay for my school tuition. My passion for education motivated me to pursue this opportunity, despite having to walk more than two hours each way, four days a week, to attend classes. Through this program, I began learning English and developing leadership skills. At the age of 14, I started a club for young women who could not afford a traditional education, many of whom were also orphans or survivors of sexual violence who had been rejected by their families. My goal was to share the knowledge I had gained and provide encouragement to other young people in my community who did not have the same educational opportunities. I had always dreamed of moving to the United States to continue my education. In 2019, I moved to Nairobi, Kenya, to take English courses and prepare for the TOEFL exam. I applied for a student visa in 2021 and was initially denied, but I did not let that discourage me. I reapplied later that year, was accepted, and began attending El Camino College in the spring of 2022. Originally, I planned to study International Business because I wanted to help improve my home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, I soon realized that this was not my true passion. As a child, I was fascinated by how electronics worked, and I would often take devices apart to understand how they were built. I began helping people repair phones and other electronics to earn money and survive. Even so, I never considered engineering as a career because, in my country, it is often viewed as a profession for men. Coming to the United States and seeing women succeed in STEM reignited my passion and inspired me to pursue Electrical Engineering. I am currently a third-year Electrical Engineering student at California State University, Los Angeles. Through engineering, I hope to create opportunities for underserved communities and inspire young women, especially Black women and girls, to pursue careers in STEM without fear or limitations. I am seeking support to help pay for my remaining four semesters at Cal State LA so I can continue pursuing my dream of becoming an engineer and using my education to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others.

Growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I experienced poverty, war, and the loss of both of my parents at a young age. After my mother passed away, I lived on the streets for two years before a kind woman took me in and encouraged me to pursue an education. At 12 years old, I joined a program called Un Jour Nouveau (Africa New Day), which paid for my school tuition. Although I had to walk more than two hours each way to attend classes, I remained committed to my education because I believed it could change my future. These experiences shaped my sense of purpose by teaching me resilience, compassion, and the importance of creating opportunities for others. At 14, I started a club for young women who could not afford a traditional education, including orphans and survivors of violence, to encourage them to continue learning and believing in themselves. After moving to the United States in 2022, I discovered my passion for Electrical Engineering. Seeing women succeed in STEM inspired me to pursue a career where I can use technology to support underserved communities and encourage more young women, especially Black girls, to pursue careers in engineering and science.

Hearing Maggie’s story was deeply inspiring, as I have not heard of other women overcoming the same struggles I have experienced. Her determination and bravery is remarkable. Growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I have experienced poverty and war my entire life. My father was killed before I was born, and I lost my mother at the age of 10. After her passing, I lived on the street for 2 years begging for food and unable to go to school. At the age of 12, I heard about an organization called Un Jour Nouveau (Africa New Day) that offered to pay for my tuition. My passion to receive an education led me to pursue this opportunity, despite having to walk over two hours each way, four days per week. Through this program, I began learning English and leadership skills. At the age of 14, I started a club for young women who couldn’t afford a traditional education, many of which were also orphans or rape victims who had been shut out by their families. My intention was to pass on the knowledge I had gained to other young people in my area who did not have the same opportunity to receive the education I had. After 3 years, my club included over 100 young women that met once a week to learn together. I had always dreamed of moving to the United States to continue my education. In 2019, I moved to Nairobi, Kenya, to take an English course and pass the TOEFL exam. I applied for a student visa in 2021 and was denied, but I didn’t let this discourage me. I reapplied and was accepted later that year, and began attending El Camino College in the Spring of 2022. Originally, I planned on going to school for International Business to help my home country of DR Congo. However, I quickly realized this was not my passion. As a child, I was always fascinated with how electronics worked, and would often take electronics apart to see how they were made. I started helping people fix their phones and other devices in order to make some money to survive. I never pictured this as a career I could pursue though, because in my country, engineering is a man’s job. Coming here and seeing women in STEM reignited my passion and pushed me to pursue Electrical Engineering. I am currently one semester away from finishing my Associate’s Degree and I have applied to several Electrical Engineering programs for Fall 2025. Hearing Maggie’s story is further proof that women like me can achieve anything we put our minds to despite what society says. Maggie and I share a similar hunger for knowledge and determination that pushes me to continuously grow and advance in my field. Through this scholarship, I hope to continue Maggie’s legacy by setting an example for other women in my country. My goal is to inspire the young people of DR Congo to dream big the same way I have, and start a chain reaction to innovate solutions to the conflict in my country.