Farmer or Scientist? The two career paths my mind has been fighting between for years. The idea of spending my days absorbing the beauties of nature captivates me while my love for science calls me. My ultimate life goal is to combine my love for nature and science by entering into the field of bioinformatics where I will concentrate on genetics and genetically modified organism (GMO) produce. The field of bioinformatics research is heavily centered around computer science. A field that daunted me from the very beginning. Unfortunately, as I walked into my computer science class in my sophomore year, I doubted myself. I told myself I was not fit to pursue a STEM career because of my struggles in previous math classes. As the year went on, surrounded by peers who encouraged me, and my favorite teacher Mr. J, I learned to love the science behind computers and stopped wondering what if one day I pursued my dreams and decided to begin day one of fulfilling my dreams. Mr. J taught me to love the science behind computers and inspired me to novelly think. Discovering the pathways of computer science allowed me to find different ways to harbor my creativity. From mobile game development to receiving Java certifications, Mr.J’s class prepared me for the greatness I know lies ahead for my future. Being a recipient of the passion Mr.J holds for teaching us how to code by helping us with endless debugging problems has inspired me to emulate the same passion he has for computer science in my future. When I first joined Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy in 2022, I received support to design a web application to help teenagers like me who struggled with invisible illnesses. Designing this platform on both the front and back end of web development taught me the reality of computing while allowing me to create a center for teens to come together and share their struggles. As I have struggled with Graves disease throughout the majority of my teenage years, I know firsthand how isolating it can be to battle an invisible illness. As a child who grew up around constant research, going to hospitals and doctor appointments to seek care for my autoimmune disease, I know firsthand how important it is to have doctors who can be reliant upon systems put in place to function without error. As I enter into a career in bioinformatics, I want to serve as the scientist who saved my life through research. Research centered on developing cures and bettering my understanding of autoimmune disorders while using my intelligence to serve disadvantaged communities. The endless possibilities science has given us equip me with the tools to create high-yielding GMO food to help curve global problems such as food insecurity. Holding the superpower of being able to produce more food for our ever-growing population is something I am deeply passionate about and will continue to strive towards in my education. Completing my STEM degree in computer science will empower me to continue the work I started with Girls Who Kode and Kode with Klossy, creating applications where isolated individuals can come together. I am confident that generations after me will utilize the same resources to guide them to achieve their dreams just as I intended. Computer science has endless possibilities, and my education will prepare me to create spaces I wish I had growing up. With the Sunshine Legall scholarship, I will continue fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves and ensure a better future for the generations after me.

180 BPM- As the beats of the metronome began to click, I tried to recall everything I had learned in my 12 hours of drum major camp. Mentally, the beats were speeding up. Physically, I was slowing down, losing the momentum and adrenaline that had been coursing through my veins as I climbed up onto the podium. Eyes dazed, my one goal was to keep tempo, after, I could do whatever I wanted, but for the 7 minutes and 41 seconds of the show, I had to keep tempo. The day I got named one of my school's Drum Majors can arguably be one of the best days of my life. To me, marching band is a forever flexible band-aid, one that can mold perfectly around any wound and heal it. This provides a home to many students, myself included, and as Drum Major, I was tasked with the honor of protecting it. 110 BPM- My average heart rate on days I forgot to take my medicine. The summer before my senior year I got surgery after struggling with Graves Disease throughout my teenage years. A surgery that was intended to heal me came at the cost of me temporarily losing my voice. Even though I was utterly at my weakest, I had to persist and find a way to keep tempo within the band. Just because I had a plagued sunny disposition, the band could not stop; I had to keep tempo. During recovery, as I laid in bed, gloomily frail but still determined, I realized perhaps I had gone about keeping tempo the wrong way. I put immense pressure on myself, fearing that if I conducted a 4/4 pattern during a 3/4 measure, the band would be destined to spontaneously combust and our plumes would be the first thing to go up in flames. My uncertainties only rose as I struggled to figure out how I would be able to lead without a voice. In this time of despair, I discovered the village it took to lead a band— one that expanded far beyond just me. 70 BPM-“Actions speak louder than words.” This phrase seemed to be steadily pulsating through my mind. It was always a saying I heard but never truly applied to my life. No one remembers what you said; they reminisce on what you did. The way I treat my friends and family makes an irreversible mark, a mark that is meant to represent who I believe I am, not a mutilated version of myself. Acting with kindness was a way I learned to show my appreciation for others without speaking. Nurturing the new members of the band by immersing them in our community meant more to me than any conversation that surrounded it. This unexpected change in my life carved for me a spot in my band that represented appreciation instead of a hyper-fixation on the words left said or unsaid. One word can make someone smile but an action can change someone's life. I realized that my actions have power and hold forever a remarkable importance in my relationships with others. Throughout my time as Drum Major, even though I had less than an ideal voice to tell people I care about them, I believe I was able to show them. In the end, I learned keeping tempo within the band requires taking time to reset the metronome and consider the value it adds to the alignment of the show.

The day I got named as one of the Drum Majors can arguably be one of the best days of my life. To me, marching band is a forever flexible band-aid, one that can mold perfectly around any wound and heal it. This provides a home to many students, myself included, and as drum major, I was tasked with protecting it.  The summer before my senior year I got surgery after dealing with Graves Disease throughout my teenage years. A surgery that was meant to help me came at the cost of me temporarily losing my voice. Even though I was utterly at my weakest, I had to persist and find a way to keep tempo within the band. As I lay in bed, gloomingly frail but still determined, I realized I had gone about keeping tempo the wrong way and my uncertainties rose as I struggled to figure out how I would be able to lead without a voice. In this time of despair, I learned words in life only get you so far; the real impact happens when you focus on your actions. I realized how my actions impact others, impact my village. The impact I created in this community became centered around how I cared for others, not just what I said.  This same moment of realization pushed me beyond band leadership and into the exploration of my future career. Unfortunately, as I walked into my computer science class in my sophomore year, I began to doubt myself. I told myself I was not fit to pursue a STEM career because of my struggles in previous math classes. As the year went on, surrounded by peers who encouraged me, and my favorite teacher Mr. J, I learned to love the science behind computers and stopped wondering what if one day I pursued my dreams and decided to begin day one of fulfilling my dreams.  Mr. J  taught me to love the science behind computers and inspired me to think of the possibilities that await me. Discovering the pathways of computer science allowed me to find different ways to harbor my creativity. From mobile game development to receiving Java certifications, Mr.J’s class prepared me for the greatness I know lies ahead for my future. Being a recipient of the passion Mr.J holds for teaching us how to code by helping us with endless debugging problems has inspired me to emulate the same passion he has for computer science in my future.  When I first joined Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy in 2022, I received support in these programs to design a web application to help teenagers like me who struggled with invisible illnesses. Designing this platform on both the front and back end of web development taught me the reality of computing but allowed me to create a center for teens to come together and share their struggles. As I have struggled with Graves disease throughout the majority of my teenage years, I know firsthand how isolating it can be to battle an invisible illness.  Completing my STEM degree in computer science will empower me to continue the work I started with Girls Who Kode and Kode with Klossy, creating applications where isolated individuals can come together. I know the power of being provided with external resources to excel in computer science. I am confident that generations after me will utilize the same resources to guide them to achieve their dreams just as I intended. Computer science has endless possibilities, and my university education will prepare me to create spaces I wish I had growing up.

One day or day one? At the beginning of my sophomore year, as I walked into my computer science class, I already began to doubt myself. For some reason, I had told myself that I was not cut out to pursue a STEM career because of the unfortunate struggles I had in my previous math classes. Luckily for me, my sophomore year computer science class wiped away all fears from my mind. Surrounded by peers who encouraged me, and my favorite teacher Mr. J, I learned to love the science behind computers and stopped wondering what if one day I pursued my dreams and decided to begin day one of fulfilling my dreams. Mr. J not only taught me to love the science behind computers but inspired me to start thinking of the possibilities that await me within the field of computer science. Discovering the pathways of computer science allowed me to find different ways to harbor my creativity and intelligence and create things truly unimaginable. From mobile game development to receiving Java certifications, Mr.J’s class prepared me for the greatness I know lies ahead for my future. Being a recipient of the passion Mr.J holds for teaching us how to code by helping us with endless debugging problems has inspired me to emulate the same passion he has for computer science in my future. When I first joined Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy in the summer of 2022, I remember being excited by the thought of being surrounded by fellow girls all aspiring to pursue pathways not ‘typically pursued’ by girls. Through the support I received in this program, I was able to design web applications to help teenagers like me who struggled with invisible illnesses. Designing this platform on both the front and back end of web development taught me the reality of computing but allowed me to create a center for teens to come together and share their struggles. As I have struggled with Graves disease throughout the majority of my teenage years, I know firsthand how isolating it can be to battle an invisible illness. My ultimate life goal is to combine my love for technology and science by entering into the field of bioinformatics where I will concentrate on genetics and genetically modified organisms (GMO) produce. The endless possibilities science has given us and continues to give us allow me to educationally equip myself with the tools needed to create GMO food to help curve global problems such as food insecurity. Holding the superpower of being able to produce more food for our ever-growing population is something I am deeply passionate about and will continue to strive towards in my education. With my completed STEM degree in computer science accompanied by bioinformatics research, I plan to continue the work I started with Girls Who Kode and Kode with Klossy, creating applications where isolated individuals can come. I know the power of being provided with external resources to excel in computer science. I am confident that generations after me will utilize the same resources to guide them to achieve their dreams just as I intended. Computer science has endless possibilities, and I know my university education will prepare me to create spaces I wish I had growing up.

One day or day one? At the beginning of my sophomore year, as I walked into my computer science class, I already began to doubt myself.  For some reason, I had told myself that I was not cut out to pursue a STEM career because of the unfortunate struggles I had in my previous math classes. Luckily for me, my sophomore year computer science class wiped away all fears from my mind. Surrounded by peers who encouraged me, and my favorite teacher Mr. J, I learned to love the science behind computers and stopped wondering what if one day I pursued my dreams and decided to begin day one of fulfilling my dreams.  Mr. J not only taught me to love the science behind computers but inspired me to start thinking of the possibilities that await me within the field of computer science. Discovering the pathways of computer science allowed me to find different ways to harbor my creativity and intelligence and create things truly unimaginable. From mobile game development to receiving Java certifications, Mr.J’s class prepared me for the greatness I know lies ahead for my future. Being a recipient of the passion Mr.J holds for teaching us how to code by helping us with endless debugging problems has inspired me to emulate the same passion he has for computer science in my future.  When I first joined Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy in the summer of 2022, I remember being excited by the thought of being surrounded by fellow girls all aspiring to pursue pathways not ‘typically pursued’ by girls. Through the support I received in this program, I was able to design web applications to help teenagers like me who struggled with invisible illnesses. Designing this platform on both the front and back end of web development taught me the reality of computing but allowed me to create a center for teens to come together and share their struggles. As I have struggled with Graves disease throughout the majority of my teenage years, I know firsthand how isolating it can be to battle an invisible illness.  My ultimate life goal is to combine my love for technology and science by entering into the field of bioinformatics where I will concentrate on genetics and genetically modified organisms (GMO) produce. The endless possibilities science has given us and continues to give us allow me to educationally equip myself with the tools needed to create GMO food to help curve global problems such as food insecurity. Holding the superpower of being able to produce more food for our ever-growing population is something I am deeply passionate about and will continue to strive towards in my education.  With my completed STEM degree in computer science accompanied by bioinformatics research, I plan to continue the work I started with Girls Who Kode and Kode with Klossy, creating applications where isolated individuals can come. I know the power of being provided with external resources to excel in computer science. I am confident that generations after me will utilize the same resources to guide them to achieve their dreams just as I intended. Computer science has endless possibilities, and I know my university education will prepare me to create spaces I wish I had growing up.

“You are your sister's keeper”, my mother told me as I walked out the door on my first day of kindergarten. “You are your sister's keeper”, my mother told me as I walked out the door on my first day of first grade. “You are your sister's keeper”, my mother told me as I walked out the door on my first day of second grade. This motto stayed consistent throughout the years. I did not want to be my sister's keeper, I just wanted to be me. Chikamara Obioha, an 18-year-old normal girl flying through life solo. This however proved itself to be extremely difficult. While I was on my ‘flying solo’ journey, I wanted to find something that no one else in my family would know about and no other girl could compete against me for it. I found myself in the realm of computer science. At the beginning of my sophomore year, as I walked into my computer science class, I unfortunately already began to doubt myself. For some reason, I had told myself that I was not cut out to pursue a STEM career because of the unfortunate struggles I had in my previous math classes and the lack of self-efficacy I had in myself. My lacking confidence stemmed from an underrepresentation around me of people who looked like me achieving the dreams I held. I thought to myself, “Is this path really for me?” Even though I wanted to define a path for myself unmarked by anyone before me, I found the lack of sisterhood isolating. When I first joined Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy in the summer of 2022, I remember being excited by finally finding this sisterhood that I thought I wanted to reject but truly needed. Through the support I received in these programs, I was able to design web applications to help teenagers like me who struggled with invisible illnesses. Designing this platform on both the front and back end of web development taught me the reality of computing and allowed me to create a center for teens to come together and share their struggles. As I have struggled with Graves disease throughout the majority of my teenage years, I know firsthand how isolating it can be to battle an invisible illness. I plan to continue the work I started with Girls Who Kode and Kode with Klossy, creating applications where specifically isolated young girls individuals can come together and find community with my post-secondary education degree where I plan to enter the field of bioinformatics research. I know the power of being provided with external resources to excel in computer science, and I am confident that generations after me will utilize the same resources to guide them to achieve their dreams just as I have done and will continue to do. There are endless possibilities within computer science and I know my university education will prepare me to create spaces I wish I had growing up.

One day or day one? At the beginning of my sophomore year, as I walked into my computer science class, I already began to doubt myself. For some reason, I had told myself that I was not cut out to pursue a STEM career because of the unfortunate struggles I had in my previous math classes and the lack of self-efficacy I had in myself. My lacking confidence stemmed from an under-representation of people who looked like me achieving the dreams I held. I thought to myself, “Is this path really for me?” Luckily for me, my sophomore year computer science class wiped away all fears from my mind. Surrounded by peers who encouraged me, and my favorite teacher Mr. J who reflected a version of myself I failed to see in the field of computer science, I learned to love the science behind computers and stopped wondering what if one day I pursued my dreams and decided to begin day one of fulfilling my dreams. Mr. J not only taught me to love the science behind computers but inspired me to start thinking of the possibilities that await me within the field of computer science. Discovering the pathways of computer science allowed me to find different ways to harbor my creativity and intelligence and create things truly unimaginable. From mobile game development to receiving Java certifications, Mr.J’s class prepared me for the greatness I know lies ahead for my future. Being a recipient of the passion Mr.J holds for teaching us how to code by helping us with endless debugging problems has inspired me to emulate the same passion he has for computer science in my future. When I first joined Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy in the summer of 2022, I remember being excited by the thought of being surrounded by fellow girls all aspiring to pursue pathways not ‘typically pursued’ by girls. Through the support I received in this program, I was able to design web applications to help teenagers like me who struggled with invisible illnesses. Designing this platform on both the front and back end of web development taught me the reality of computing but allowed me to create a center for teens to come together and share their struggles. As I have struggled with Graves disease throughout the majority of my teenage years, I know firsthand how isolating it can be to battle an invisible illness. With the Stephen L Davis Lift As We Climb scholarship, I plan to continue the work I started with Girls Who Kode and Kode with Klossy, creating applications where isolated individuals can come together and find community with my post-secondary education degree where I plan to enter the field of bioinformatics research. Receiving an education principled in computer science will help me achieve this goal as computational skills are an essential aspect of succeeding and performing well within the field of bioinformatics. I know the power of being provided with external resources to excel in computer science, and I am confident that generations after me will utilize the same resources to guide them to achieve their dreams just as I intended to do. There are endless possibilities within computer science and I know my university education will prepare me to create spaces I wish I had growing up.

One day or day one? At the beginning of my sophomore year, as I walked into my computer science class, I already began to doubt myself. For some reason, I had told myself that I was not cut out to pursue a STEM career because of the unfortunate struggles I had in my previous math classes and the lack of self-efficacy I had in myself. My lacking confidence stemmed from an underrepresentation around me of people who looked like me achieving the dreams I held. I thought to myself, “Is this path really for me?” Luckily for me, my sophomore year computer science class wiped away all fears from my mind. Surrounded by peers who encouraged me, and my favorite teacher Mr. J who reflected a version of myself I failed to see in the field of computer science, I learned to love the science behind computers and stopped wondering what if one day I pursued my dreams and decided to begin day one of fulfilling my dreams. Mr. J not only taught me to love the science behind computers but inspired me to start thinking of the possibilities that await me within the field of computer science. Discovering the pathways of computer science allowed me to find different ways to harbor my creativity and intelligence and create things truly unimaginable. From mobile game development to receiving Java certifications, Mr.J’s class prepared me for the greatness I know lies ahead for my future. Being a recipient of the passion Mr.J holds for teaching us how to code by helping us with endless debugging problems has inspired me to emulate the same passion he has for computer science in my future. When I first joined Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy in the summer of 2022, I remember being excited by the thought of being surrounded by fellow girls all aspiring to pursue pathways not ‘typically pursued’ by girls. Through the support I received in this program, I was able to design web applications to help teenagers like me who struggled with invisible illnesses. Designing this platform on both the front and back end of web development taught me the reality of computing but allowed me to create a center for teens to come together and share their struggles. As I have struggled with Graves disease throughout the majority of my teenage years, I know firsthand how isolating it can be to battle an invisible illness. With the Morgan STEM Scholarship, I plan to continue the work I started with Girls Who Kode and Kode with Klossy, creating applications where isolated individuals can come together and find community with my post-secondary education degree where I plan to enter the field of bioinformatics research. Receiving an education principled in computer science will help me achieve this goal as computational skills are an essential aspect of succeeding and performing well within the field of bioinformatics. I know the power of being provided with external resources to excel in computer science, and I am confident that generations after me will utilize the same resources to guide them to achieve their dreams just as I intended to do. There are endless possibilities within computer science and I know my university education will prepare me to create spaces I wish I had growing up.

While I am not a dancer, my life motto has been to learn to dance in the rain. Taking obstacles for what they are and finding ways to enjoy and think through them. When my mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, it was modern-day technology and innovative solutions from her doctors that enabled her to continue her role as a mother and career as a medical doctor. I felt as though instead of dancing with the rain, I was dancing against it. Even though my mother was healed, I felt a sense of longing within myself to fulfill the roles of the innovators that saved my mother to save many more. Thankfully, my school provided me with many opportunities to continue my pursuit in becoming an innovator who saves lives, but in a way that emulated a sun show, beautiful yet unexpected. This academic year, I received the honor of participating in my school's Intern Mentor course which allows students to conduct research while gaining experience in a field of their choice through an internship. Currently, I intern at iNovex under the Mentorship of Janelle Pasch, Program Manager of the Foundry Program. iNovex is a premier innovator program for the United States Department of Defense that specializes in full-stack software development, architecture, engineering, cyber security, data integration/analysis, and compliance automation solutions. As an intern, I shadow each of these departments gaining hands-on experience in software development. I assist in collecting data to contribute to the research and development laboratory, where we are currently working on their Mobi Software, an online data-sharing software designed for companies to transfer and share data sets. Within the research and development laboratory, I follow the design process of computational and engineering systems. This year, I have focused my research on how socioeconomic divides and elementary education impact an individual's digital literacy score and to what extent someone's level of digital literacy controls their financial comfort. Through this research, I want to find solutions to close the digital literacy gap by proposing improvements to governmental programs that are aimed at helping close this barrier but have been deemed unsuccessful or have a relatively low impact. Last academic year, I participated in my school's adjacent independent research program under the guidance of Dr.Chan, a Researcher at the Frederick National Laboratory, and Dr.Roberts, a Chief Scientist at the International Space Station where I got the opportunity to research cancer cell development on the International Space Station. This research revolved around the qualities of the microgravity environment on the station and if that provided a more ideal environment to stimulate cell division. I truly believe this educational experience has significantly shaped the ambitious and motivated student I am today. Researching the intersectionality of programming and biology under conditions that far exceed the scope of my high school classroom allowed me to experience what my future holds for me. As I continue my academic journey primarily within the field of computational biology/bioinformatics I am excited to find novel ways to look at scientific questions, old and undiscovered From supporting my mother through her illness to continuing to push the boundaries of science in a cross-cutting way, I hope to find my rhythm at a university studying what I have learned to love, so I can continue to dance in the rain.

180 BPM- As the beats of the metronome began to click, I tried to recall everything I had learned in my 12 hours of drum major camp. Mentally, the beats were speeding up. Physically, I was slowing down, losing the momentum and adrenaline that had been coursing through my veins as I climbed up onto the podium. Eyes dazed, my one goal was to keep tempo, after, I could do whatever I wanted, but for the 7 minutes and 41 seconds of the show, I had to keep tempo. The day I got named one of my school's Drum Majors can arguably be one of the best days of my life. To me, marching band is a forever flexible band-aid, one that can mold perfectly around any wound and heal it. This provides a home to many students, myself included, and as Drum Major, I was tasked with the honor of protecting it. 110 BPM- My average heart rate on days I forgot to take my medicine. The summer before my senior year I got surgery after struggling with Graves Disease throughout my teenage years. A surgery that was intended to heal me came at the cost of me temporarily losing my voice. I realized that even though I was utterly at my weakest, I had to persist and find a way to keep tempo within the band. Just because I had a plagued sunny disposition, the band could not stop; I had to keep tempo. During recovery, as I laid in bed, gloomily frail but still determined, I realized perhaps I had gone about keeping tempo the wrong way. I was putting immense pressure on myself, fearing that if I conducted a 4/4 pattern during a 3/4 measure, the band would be destined to spontaneously combust and our plumes would be the first thing to go up in flames. One does not criticize the moon for not shining each night, yet I criticized myself for making human mistakes. My uncertainties only rose as I struggled to figure out how I would be able to lead without a voice. 70 BPM-“Actions speak louder than words.” My words could now only get me so far; the real impact happened when I focused on my actions. Letting go of the tension I had built within myself despite my vocal loss allowed me to become more vulnerable with my peers and lead them confidently through my actions. My surgery may have left a reminiscence of a scar, but it did not break the leader I knew I could be. Nurturing the new members by immersing them into the band community meant more to me than any conversation that surrounded it. This unexpected change in my life carved for me a spot in my band that represented appreciation instead of a hyper-fixation on the words left said or unsaid. One word can make someone smile but an action can change someone's life. I realized that my actions have power and hold forever a remarkable importance in my relationships with others. Throughout my time as Drum Major, even though I had less than an ideal voice to tell people I care about them, I believe I was able to show them. In the end, I learned keeping tempo within the band requires taking time to reset the metronome and consider the value it adds to the alignment of the show rather than having the beat play off tempo. Once I understood the power of my words, I chose them with more care and judged myself not based on my words, but on my actions.