After attending Morgan State University and majoring in Computer Science, I believe that higher education will allow me to build the foundation I need to turn my dreams into a reality. By receiving a college degree, I will learn the tools, skills, experiences, and professional network necessary to further my career in technology. Not only will higher education allow me to chase my dreams, but it will allow me to serve others. Higher education is an investment that I will make in myself and my future. It is also a chance to leave a lasting impact on others. Technology has always been a subject that interested me. I enjoy seeing how technology can be used to make life easier and solve problems. Whether it was helping family members fix devices or learning about how programmers use technology to create new programs that benefit people. Naturally, my passion for technology led me to my desire to major in Computer Science. By furthering my education, I will learn programming, software development, and other technical skills such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data science. Not only will college allow me to chase my dream of becoming a technology professional, but it will allow me to become part of a field that is shaping the world we live in. My dream is to one day use technology to open doors for others. As I was growing up, I realized that not everyone came from a home with computers, or even reliable internet access. Nor did everyone have the opportunity to learn about technology at a young age. Students are extremely hindered if they don’t have access to technology which can negatively affect their education. With my education, I hope to help close the digital divide by creating programs that will allow me to teach kids and young adults coding, digital literacy, and other computer skills. If I can teach students these skills, they will have more opportunities to pursue STEM in their careers and change their futures for the better. Community service has shaped who I am. Community service and leadership are two other aspects I want to continue to pursue once I begin my college journey. Volunteering in my community through my church, volunteering with community service events, serving on the Kent Baptist Church technology team and being a part of Kappa League have shown me the importance of serving others. Not only have these experiences shown me that I enjoy helping people, but they have taught me what it means to be a leader. Leaders help others succeed and allow their talents to be used for the good of your community. I know that higher education will allow me to leave a positive impact on others. Technology has given me so many opportunities and I hope to be able to give that back to others by opening doors. By pursuing my dreams and serving my community, I hope to create better opportunities for generations to come. Receiving a scholarship would reduce some of the stress of paying for college, allow me to focus on reaching my goals and graduate debt free.

I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in STEM because I’ve always enjoyed troubleshooting and figuring out how things operate. From fixing a computer for one of my family members to learning about computational thinking in AP Computer Science Principles to browsing and testing out new technology, I love the fact that one solution can simplify life for so many people. STEM allows me to take my curiosity and create answers that allow people to live better lives. This fall, I will be attending Morgan State University and majoring in Computer Science. I understand that technology will continue to impact every aspect of our lives. Whether we are talking about healthcare or education, automobiles or communication, I know that there will always be a way to use technology to improve the world we live in. My goal is to be on the forefront of creating those solutions while also ensuring that everyone has equal access to those improvements no matter where they are from or how much money they have. One thing that I have noticed growing up is that not everyone is given the same access to technology. Some students are able to work from home on high-speed Internet, have up-to-date computers, and have been exposed to learning how to code. Other students do not have those privileges. That technological gap can hinder students’ ability to learn and limit their career options before they even graduate high school. I want to use my career to help bridge that digital divide. Whether I end up working in software development, cybersecurity, or any other STEM career, I also hope to give back to my community. One of my goals is to start a program to help teach kids coding, digital literacy, and other technology skills. I want students to see that there are opportunities for them to create their own websites, develop their own apps, use tech to solve real-world issues, and have a career in STEM, if they want to pursue those opportunities. Through volunteering in my church, community organizations, and Kappa League, I have learned that true leadership means serving others. What better way to impact our community than to empower the next generation? Volunteering has taught me that change will last when you use what you know to lift someone else up. Throughout my career, I hope to mentor students, volunteer with local STEM outreach programs, and help create opportunities for young people to unlock their full potential. For me, a STEM degree is not just a way to further my career, it’s also a way to help open doors for others. With technology, I hope to create opportunities that allow me to touch the lives of others and better my community through innovation, education, and inspiration.

I want to positively affect the world through better use of technology, education, and service. Technology has given me the opportunity to solve problems and change lives. By majoring in Computer Science at Morgan State University, I hope to continue to learn about how technology can not only benefit myself but others. My dream is to use technology to allow others to take advantage of opportunities like those I have been given. Ever since I was young, I noticed that not everyone had the same technology available to them as I did. Not everyone has access to reliable internet or computers. Not everyone is exposed to the ability to learn how to code and use technology to their advantage. I hope to one day start a program that allows students to learn technological skills. Learning how to code, do cybersecurity, and have computer literacy can help open so many doors for students and help them prepare for technological careers. Community service has helped shape who I am. I have been volunteering at my church, Kent Baptist Church, since I was little. Through that, I have learned to help others and step up when I am needed. Being active in my church allowed me to develop leadership skills, discipline, and a strong commitment to serving others. Doing service has always been something I strive to do. Whether it was volunteering in my church, doing service projects, or helping classmates during church service with technology problems. I helped out at my youth and community closet by helping those who needed assistance picking out clothes or finding sizes. Through these acts of service, I have learned that you can change someone’s day or life by doing small tasks. I want to continue to learn how I can better serve those around me. If I can teach a child something new or help out a family in need by giving my time, I want to learn how to do that. Technology can do so many positive things as well, but we as people have to ensure we use it to the best of our abilities. I would love to be part of creating artificial intelligence that helps solve real-world problems. I want to use technology to allow people from all backgrounds to benefit and have access to opportunities. I want young students to look up to me as a role model and know that they can be successful if they work hard and stay committed to their education. By teaching others and helping people better themselves, I can open doors and help create opportunity. Together we can help better my community and the world.

I am currently a senior at Bishop McNamara High School. I am a hardworking student who plans to use my education to not only create great opportunities for myself but also for those in my community. As a child of a single mother, I have learned many valuable lessons on hard work and perseverance. My mother has always instilled the value of education and how it can open doors to a better life. If you asked 100 teenagers what led them to volunteer in their community, most would probably say they started volunteering because of a parent or mentor. For me, it was my mom. I've watched my mom volunteer for many years as a mentor for her sorority's youth group, sing in the church choir, and help with events at my school. She often made me volunteer to help at our church, even though I would rather not have. I later realized that helping others without getting something in return can still benefit me greatly. Community service has helped shape who I am. I've been volunteering at my church since I was little. Through that, I have learned to help others and step up when help is needed. Being active in my church allowed me to see how leadership begins with serving others. One of my favorite activities within my church is helping the technology team. We provide live-stream services for people in our community who are unable to attend in person. Volunteering with the church's technology team allowed me to see how technology can connect people. I also learned many valuable skills, such as teamwork, responsibility, and dependability. When others are counting on you to do your job, you learn to take things seriously. This experience helped me decide to pursue a career in technology. One example of community service I've done outside of my church is being a part of the Kappa League. Kappa League allows me to help package care bundles for men who might need them. That experience opened my eyes to how small gestures can impact another person’s life. I have also volunteered at Heaven’s Tender Touch Day Care. I would help watch and take care of some of their younger children. I learned how to be patient and responsible at a young age, thanks to that daycare. I try to make an impact in my community by being reliable, helping out when needed, and giving back. In college, I will major in Computer Science. At home, I am the “IT guy.” I love the logical thinking that comes with working with technology. After college, my goal is to teach children to code or develop computer skills, especially for kids who do not have access to computers or the internet, as I did growing up. I want to show how technology skills can create opportunities and open doors that they thought were closed, and give them the confidence to have faith in their gifts and abilities. This goal will help me continue to help out in my community. As I focus on my goals, I’ve learned not to take opportunities for granted and to do my best in all that I do. It would be incredibly inspiring to know that the Shepherd E. Solomon Memorial Scholarship Committee believes in me. Receiving a scholarship would reduce some of the stress of paying for college and allow me to focus on reaching my goals. I think I have made an impact in my community by consistently showing up, helping people, and dedicating my spare time to serving those around me.

If you were to ask 100 teenagers what leads them to volunteer in their community, most of them would probably say that they started volunteering because of a parent or a mentor. For me, it was my mom. I've watched my mom volunteer for many years as a mentor for her sorority's youth group, sing in the church choir, and help with events at my school. She often made me volunteer to help at our church, even though I would rather not have. I later realized that helping others without getting something in return can still benefit me greatly. I'm grateful that my mother guided me to that realization early on and that she taught me to care about something other than myself. Community service is more than just something I do to graduate from high school. It is an opportunity to meet new people, gain new skills, find networking opportunities, and build a connection with your community. The neighborhoods I pass through keep me aware of the need in my community. I also sometimes do community service at Heaven's Tender Touch Daycare, the daycare I grew up in. Being able to work with children at such a young age taught me to be patient and to not lose my temper when dealing with others, which is a skill that still helps me today. Service also helps me stay connected to my community, which teaches me that my power lies in helping others, and that is why I want to use my degree to help others. I plan to receive a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Music, or both, and I am confident that this is the path that I want to pursue. Knowing that service is a lifelong commitment, I feel it would be helpful to have the resources to one day, once I have furthered my education, to go back to my community and teach coding, give music lessons, and or tutor, to help someone see their value and help them step out with courage to pursue their dreams. Through my research, I have found the life of Bishop Ron O. Beazer Sr. inspirational. The fact that he was willing to show up and give his time and energy to people is the core of what I hope to do, and I would be honored to have my name and works written alongside Bishop Ron O. Beazer Sr.