One of the main reasons why I am so involved in my community is because of the way it makes me feel. When I go to school and stay after to help my teachers out, it makes me feel good. Knowing that giving just two hours of my time to my teachers cut their workload in half, and give them more time to plan and do other activities that would be more beneficial to their students. I say the same about volunteering with the 2nd mile Ministries. When I volunteered with the 2nd-mile ministries, I was not only fortunate in helping the organizers of the event, I was able to work with kids. I was able to share a connection with the youth. It's great because our youth is the future, and being able to serve the youth, I mean that would make me feel great, knowing in 20 years that I would be served by the same youth. Importantly, serving the community helps me by networking. When I network, it opens doors for me, I would be able to get job positions and connections that I did not know that I would be able to get. I work every single day to influence change in my community. The most important way that I show a change in my community is by volunteerism. I volunteered at countless organizations such as the United Way of Northeast Florida, Jacksonville Public Library, etc. I have volunteered at my school, not only tutoring but by organizing for my teachers. I have also volunteered at the library, where I am in the Teen Advisory Board, where I help plan for the Library. It mainly assists the library in planning all over the city of Jacksonville. I also show a change in the community through leadership. I feel as though every single community needs a leader. Not just a leader, the community needs a leader that will dedicate himself to assisting the community in any way, shape, or form. I show that every single day by helping anyone I can. I have stepped out of my way to assist the disabled and the handicapped when they needed to get from Point A to Point B. I have assisted the youth, by helping them with supervision and tutoring when it was needed. And most importantly, I have shown leadership within my community with my selfless acts, character, and my kindness.

My name is DaMonne Allen and I want to pursue a career in STEM. I attended Andrew Jackson High School here in Jacksonville, FL. Ever since I was little, I have always been a STEM kid. I was always interested in science, math, technology, and most importantly Engineering. I have always drawn bridges and I almost wanted to become a Civil Engineer, but that changed. I knew a Civil Engineer was an option but It was only one of my options, I also wanted to be a truck driver, businessman, Football player, baseball player, and more. The list goes on, I was never sure about what I wanted to be until my last year of Middle School. I was in a guitar class in my 8th-grade year, and I never really decided what I wanted to do, All I knew was that I wanted a job that paid 6 figures. My counselor then told me that it would be a good idea to go into Computer Science, the reason being that I told him that I have always been sort of techy, I just knew how things worked and how they operated. I fixed and wired a television at the age of 8, and I was putting things together and taking things apart at the age of 9. Back to the point, my counselor told me how people are paid 6 figures, but they don't like their jobs, a prime example would be a sewer diver. We then talked about taking me out of my guitar classes and putting me in an AIT, which stands for Advanced Information Technology. We agreed and that's how it all started. I haven't turned my head ever since. I am mainly interested in getting my Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. The main reason why I want to get my degree in Computer Science is that I could do more with a degree in Computer Science than a degree in Cybersecurity, I want to go into Cybersecurity but I want to have a backup plan just incase Cybersecurity doesn't work out. Now if you ask me how I want to go into Cybersecurity with a degree in Computer Science, I have a great answer. There are people with degrees in Sociology, Business Administration, Education, and Culinary Arts. They were all able to break into Cybersecurity with certifications and boot camps. I choose to not only get my degree in Computer Science but most importantly, I plan on doing Internships, certifications, and boot camps to successfully go into Cybersecurity. I plan on making a positive impact on the world by better-securing devices worldwide. Hacking is an extremely bad issue that has been around for over half of a century, some viruses have originated dating back to the 70s. Hackers hack every day, most importantly big companies are hacked daily. Big companies such as Bank of America, Amazon, Walmart, and more. They happen but the companies don't admit it because they don't want their companies to look bad. I want to change it all, I want to not only secure devices, but I also want to make them difficult to hack. There are all sorts of code, you have SQL which is a Structured Query Language used in databases, you have Javascript which is used in a lot of online applications such as apps, and you have Python which is the largest and most known code, it's used in hacking, video games, and data analytics. I want to not only make a super coding language, but I want to crack the hackers that code for malicious purposes.

My name is DaMonne Allen and I attend Andrew Jackson High School of Advanced Technology in Jacksonville, FL. I am in the National Honor Society and one of the recommendations was that I volunteer. As of December 2022, I have done over 60 hours of volunteering. Volunteering has helped me because it has helped me become a more positive person and because of that, I have appreciated not only helping those that needed it, but I have also become more responsible. I was always bored and never really got out, there were times when I would never have any hope, Volunteering has changed that a lot. I found bonds with people that I never knew I would find. I have met so many people that have helped me become a better person and I have also helped people via volunteering and most importantly assistance! Ever since I started Volunteering, I have been very fortunate in not only putting in a good word for myself, but I was able to work as a team and develop a better work ethic and teamwork. I have volunteered with multiple organizations including the United Way of Northeast Florida, 2nd Mile Ministries, Jacksonville Public Library, etc. My mindset has changed and I always feel the need to help those that need assistance. I mentioned earlier that Volunteering changed my mindset by making me a more positive student, It really has due to seeing those who struggle on a daily. I look at things from other people's perspectives and ever since I have not looked back. I am very fortunate in letting you know that I have helped countless amount of people. I financially need this scholarship because I want to pursue higher education. I want to go to college and get both my Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Master's Degree in Cybersecurity Essentials. I can get both of the scholarships on a 3+1-year plan. The way it works is getting my Bachelor's Degree in 3 years, and getting my Master's degree in 1 year. Tuition isn't cheap and I need assistance in supporting the higher education that I want to pursue. I will be a first-generation student when I go to college. I come from a family that doesn't have much money and I feel as though this scholarship would help me a lot because it would help me pay for my college and would be stress-free when I do go to college to get my degrees.

I did a Do It Yourself experiment during Hurricane season in October of 2022. I live and reside here in Jacksonville, FL. In October of 2022, Hurricane Ian hit Orlando, FL and Tampa, FL. I felt really bad for the elderly who lost all of their things during the storm so I created a volunteer account in which I started with the United Way of Northeast Florida. I created 45 custom get-well cards for the elderly who experience a loss of a loved one or their materials. I also helped with donating clothing to the families that lost clothing and goods during the floods of Hurricane Ian. I currently volunteer at the Library and I am a part of the TAB program. The TAB program is a program that stands for Teen Advisory Board, and what they do is help assist the youth and the staff of the Library by creating events and ideas that assist the staff in planning for our youth. For example, we have a cake decorating competition that's coming up. The TAB program helped plan the competition and is the reason why it is happening. I also volunteer as a guardian at a Fall Festival last fall, I assisted staff and organizers with not only setting up equipment but guiding other volunteers in the right direction. I assisted children who were undersized on the rides and I also assisted parents who got lost and needed to find their way to their rightful destination at the event. I also went to a local park to pick up trash, I was fortunate in picking up trash, and I served my community by making the park look better, not only was I able to pick up trash, I was also able to recycle and clean the park. I also have served as a teacher's assistant and a tutor. When there were kids that needed help with math work, I stepped in and I help tutor them. I also assisted teachers in planning for their students. I did this for about a year, and I plan on continuing to do this in the future. I have done a lot of volunteering in the community in the year 2022. I plan on continuing to assist my community throughout next year. I want to go to church more often and assist my community that way, I feel as though joining a church and being a part of the community would be my way of volunteering and supporting my community in the nearby future.

My name is DaMonne Allen and I have dealt with a mental illness known as ADHD, which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, I have dealt with this mental disorder my entire life. It all starts with my youth, I think my mother has it and my sister has it as well. I wanted to share my story with you because I am a high school scholar and I feel as though I am a role model for a lot of people that suffer from ADHD. When I was a kid, I always had trouble focusing, I was hyper when I wasn't supposed to be. I was very busy, what I mean by busy, I mean I always gave teachers, guardians, and peers a very hard time. I think I flipped a table over, struck multiple students, and I would run all over the classroom. My case of ADHD was so bad that I could only do half of a day in school. I would be good for the first half, and then I would become a monster during the 2nd half of school. I was prescribed medication to stop a lot of ADHD, it helped but it didn't help as much as it should've. After disciplinary action, and higher doses of medicine, I was able to turn it around, I was on the A Honor Roll and I haven't been in any major trouble ever since. However, I still struggle with ADHD. I zone out and get very distracted, and I also have a hard time concentrating. Sometimes, reading a book could be one of the hardest things I could do. But over the years, it has gotten better, if I had to compare myself to where I was before and where I am now, there would be a major improvement. I plan on going to College to further my education, I would like to get my degree in Computer Science, so that I could go on to have a successful career in the fields of Computer Science and Information Technology, its what I want to do, it may not be a degree that would assist those with mental illness. I also plan on becoming a peer support specialist so that I could help those who deal with mental illness and addictions as well. I have family members that have addictions so I also have knowledge on what addictions are and how they start.

When I was in 8th grade, I didn't know what I wanted to do, I would always tell my counselor that I wanted a job that paid 6 figures. And we talked about it, and we discussed how a lot of people have jobs that pay 6 figures, but they don't like their jobs. Later on that year, My counselor Mr.Townsend, who was the Assistant Principal of the curriculum at the time, talked about how this Computer class would help me develop a love for computers and eventually gain a 6 figure pay. I was taken out of my Guitar class and I was put in the Computer class. I went on to not only visit my future High School but was able to gain a lot of industry certifications. I then went on to attend the Andrew Jackson High School of Advanced Technology here in Jacksonville, since then my love for computers get better by the day, I have always loved computers, so I found an interest in Computer Science. I was in my 9th-grade year at Andrew Jackson doing DIT, which stands for Digital Information Technology, it is an entry-level class you take before you go on to take the main classes for Cybersecurity. I wanted to dig deeper into the field of computers so I would find myself, exploring the command prompt and toying with the hardware and as a result, I fell in love with not only computers but Computer Science. I found that almost everything we do consists of computers. I wanted to extend my knowledge. I want to go into Cybersecurity and Computer Science so I plan on getting my 3+1 Degree where I would get my Bachelor's in Computer Science in 3 years, while I would get my Masters's in Cybersecurity in 1 year. I come from a Military family, Both of my grandfathers served in the military. My grandfather Elzie served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. and he suffered from PTSD, it was really bad. The same goes for my Uncle Willie, he served 2 years 10 months 2 days in the Vietnam War. And it seemed to be worse, he would have mood changes and suffered from addictions. My grandfather Sherwin served in the Army, he served from 1982 to 1989, and he served 7 years as a Paratrooper. He was stationed at Fort Bragg, and he did missions in both Korea and Grenada. I have a military family who served this country, A lot of them gave their body and their mental/psychological health to this country.

I want to become an ethical hacker, I hate that hackers are always hacking innocent people and this is one of my biggest motivations for wanting to go into the field. I want to be a white-hat hacker, I want to hack for the people, I want to install firewalls and prevent black-hat hackers, red-hat hackers, and grey-hat hackers from breaching our systems. First, I want to get my Computer Science degree, my need for a Computer Science degree is to get a good understanding of what computers are and a great understanding of the hardware, software, and the overall breakdown of why they work and how they work. I believe that Computer Science will help prep me for hacking because I will know the mathematics, breakdown, and most importantly the science of computers. This degree would assist me and help prep me for Cybersecurity. I was fortunate in being able to take AP Computer Science in High School, and in the process, I was able to learn how to code in JavaScript. This was a huge accomplishment for me because I was able to learn code while I was still in Highschool. Fast forward to my Senior year, I am taking both Operational Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity Essentials. Because of these two classes, I learned how to use a Pen testing application known as Kali Linux, and I was able to learn my second coding language known as Python. Within 2 years, I have achieved some of my goals, by learning about pen testing, learning how to code, and most important being able to make it this far. My non-Computer Science goal is being able to be successful. Every day I wake up and deal with self-doubt asking myself if I am going to make it in the field of Computer Science. But I have to constantly let myself know that I am determined and that I am ready to deal with the process. Another goal is making good money, I did research and I saw that a person that is going into Cybersecurity makes a minimum of 70K a year. This is great money for someone at an entry level and this is my main goal. Lastly, my final goal is to be able to be independent, I don't want to be a burden to my family, I want to get a job and this field because it is what I love, by going into this field, I could make enough money to not only care for myself but to be independent.

I plan on making a difference regarding our youth, One way that I would like to contribute to this cause is by giving back to the community. Our community is very crucial to society, and our youth will be the future of the community. If we don't get our youth the help that they need, then our community may be in danger. There are lots of things that contribute to youth violence, it may be roughhousing, pettiness, lack of discipline, and gang violence. It is a fact that Gang violence may be the leading cause of youth violence. When there are gangs, they often tend to recruit the youth to join, it's almost like a pyramid scheme. I say this because gang members are recruiting youth members, and then another youth member recruiting another youth member. It goes on and on, till our entire youth takes part in violence. So I feel as though a great solution for this would be contributing to the community. The way that I would like to give back to the community is by putting a teen center in the community. Over time, this may turn the community around a bit. The teen center would help guide kids by enforcing discipline, tutoring the youth, and providing counselors so that the youth could always have someone to talk to. Our youth needs guidance, support, and most importantly, Discipline. Another great way would be to form a mentorship program. I want to create a mentorship program because hosting Mentoring programs, not only would assist in guiding our youth but would also prepare our youth for the world. A teen center and Mentorship program would both be effective ways in assisting the youth. The reason why I chose both the Mentorship and Teen Center is that they would be very crucial in the black community. A lot of youth violence happens and occurs in the projects and hoods of America. It is extremely common when there are households that exclude the father. The father may always be working, imprisoned, deceased, or a deadbeat. Therefore, male youth aren't able to find guidance so where they turn to gangs for guidance. When this happens, youth violence tends to go through the roof. That's where the mentorship program comes in. The mentorship program would guide young men and promote discipline and help guide troubled youth. It would be the same concept with the teen center. However, the teen center would just provide more resources.

The song that has the most important message to me is Legend by Joyner Lucas featuring Rick Ross. The bars and verses aren’t exactly the cleanest. But in a way, the song has changed my life and the way I see things. The song starts off with Joyner’s lyrics starting off as if he thinks everything is a dream. Joyner Lucas is a very successful artist; I say this because Joyner Lucas has done songs with some of the greatest rappers that the industry has to offer. And when Joyner raps his first verse, it shows him questioning rather everything is a dream. Through the rest of the song, Joyner talks about not having a father figure and working long nights. This shows how Joyner didn’t always have the best days in terms of work, it shows how Joyner worked hard to get where he is. All these factors have played a significant role in Joyner’s success. Rick Ross then raps his verse and spoke on how money was the only honest thing there was, and how crazy people are today. This song is crucial to who I am because it’s playing a significant role in why I think the way that I do. This song has helped me on long days in which I have to stay up late and do extra work for classes. I say this because Joyner Lucas’s situation was a lot worser than mine. This song has helped me on long days where the work becomes overwhelming. It helps remind me that hard work does pay off. Rick Ross taught me that money is the only honest thing, reason being is that money plays a crucial part in how this world spends. He also and most importantly taught me not to trust everyone around me.

I am interested in Information Technology which is known as IT. As a black male, I am very pleased to go into this field. I chose to go into Information Technology because it is such a great field to go into. Not only is it a great field, there is also a lot of money in the field as well. Everything that we do consists of technology; With that being said, that means that there are lots of technology jobs opening up. I don't like how the technology field are dominated by whites, I feel as if not there isn't enough minorities in the the field of technology. My goal is to change that, I'm currently in High School, and I am currently getting my certifications in the field. I want to be a Software Developer because I always be sort of creative, and I feel as I can change the world with my creativity. I really want to be an ethical hacker, but software development is the main reason why I want to go into Cybersecurity. I know it sounds a bit confusing but my goal is to positively change the world in a sort of creative way, in other words, I want to make the world a better place. And by doing so, it all would start with technology. I would use my knowledge of ethical hacking to prevent hackers from hacking systems. And I would use my knowledge of Software Development to create Hack-prone software's that can be used effectively. I also want to become an ethical hacker, and stop hackers from hacking into systems. I just want to specifically stop unethical hacking as a whole. It isn't fair to work hard and build a company just to have hackers steal all of your data, and take your money. If you aren't hacking for a good purpose, then you shouldn't be hacking at all. The problem I want to solve is the issue where the technology field lacks of minorities. I want to change that by breaking into the field of Cybersecurity. Once I become a successful ethical hacker, I would then go and get my degree in Business Administration and start a Cybersecurity company that favors minorities. Minorities play such a huge role as buyers, but they don't play a significant role as creators, or fixers. And that needs to change. I sit back and look at the world, and just about every minority such as blacks and Hispanics seem to always be the hardest workers. But somehow, minority such as blacks and Hispanics seem to be renters in their own community. I have a vision and a goal for that to change that. I feel as if my plan would work, and not only could it benefit minorities in the tech field but future education. Here's how, when minorities are see IT specialists such as Cybersecurity analyst, Software Developer, Computer Programmer, and Help-desk technicians, they would be inspired to go into the field of technology. And therefore, I would not only change technology within career paths, I would also change career paths for education as well.

My Former Assistant Principal is the reason why I want to go into Computer Science. One day, he called me up from class and he told me that I would be great fit for Computer Science. He then told me that this I.T. class would be a great fit for me, this class then taught me all of the basics of what I wanted to do. I will be a first generation college student, and I will be getting my Bachelors in Science Degree in Computer Science. I love computers because they play a huge role in today's society. The reason why I wanted to go into Computer Science is because I would like to dig deeper into the world of computers. I want to understand how computers are broken down, configured, put together, and how the idea came to life. I also want to become a ethical hacker because in todays society, hacking is a big issue. Hackers are able to use backdoors and bate so many people into getting their systems compromised. Welp, that doesn't sit well with me, I would love to make my mark on the world by changing hacking all together. I want to make unethical hacking impossible, by creating a new version of code that would seem nearly impossible to hack into, making black hats actually get a job and do something that would have an positive impact on society. I also wanted to go into Computer Science because it is a growing field, when you get into a growing field, there seems to be a lot of money. For example, An entry level ethical hacker could make up to $75,027.00 a year. I think that the Tech Industry does have social and moral obligations due to how big and how much of a role technology plays in todays society. Technology is bigger than ever, without technology we don't have a lot of the things that we have. Consumers can't consume, and without satellites, we can't communicate. It's bad because there is hackers that are able to install ransoms and breach companies that we the consumer rely on. We rely on Tech Companies not because of hackers hacking them, its because they control the availability of technology to the consumer good. Tech Companies are responsible for pretty much all technology and with that being said, Tech Companies control not only the social, but control the moral aspects of being inclusive to consumers.

I will be a first generation college student, and I will be getting my Bachelors in Science Degree in Computer Science. I love computers because they play a huge role in today's society. The reason why I wanted to go into Computer Science is because I would like to dig deeper into the world of computers. I want to understand how computers are broken down, configured, put together, and how the idea came to life. I always been sort of techie with technology, and very good at math. So I knew STEM would always be a good fit, so I started looking for career paths. Then one day, I remember that my Assistant Principal at my middle school wanted me to go to go into Computer Science. I then took his advice and wanted to become a ethical hacker because in todays society, hacking is a big issue. Hackers are able to use backdoors and bate so many people into getting their systems compromised. Welp, that doesn't sit well with me, I would love to make my mark on the world by changing hacking all together. I want to make unethical hacking impossible, by creating a new version of code that would seem nearly impossible to hack into, making black hats actually get a job and do something that would have an positive impact on society. I also wanted to go into Computer Science because it is a growing field, when you get into a growing field, there seems to be a lot of money. For example, An entry level ethical hacker could make up to S75,027.00 a year. I would then invest my money into my self by creating my own cybersecurity company, which would test and higher great hackers that would have the same ideology that I would.

Less than a month ago, my aunt passed away. Her name was Aunt Retha, and we were close. The loss did make me sad. I am still hurt and devastated by the loss, and I haven't fully recovered. But every single day my aunt seems to be my biggest motivation to keep on going. I remember being a lot younger than I am now, such as my early childhood when me, my aunt Retha, and my sister Daisha all walked down Broughton Street. My aunt was very loving, courageous, and very impactful when it comes to the person that I am today. She has helped me with self-discipline, respect, and obedience. My goal is to become an ethical hacker, which is a white hat hacker. I would stop a lot of bad hacking by installing firewalls, locking malicious creators such as black hats, red hats, and grey hats from hacking important systems. I am currently taking classes, courses, and performing exercises that will help prepare me for what I want to do. However, I still must go to colleges and get my bachelors, I also have to take bootcamps, and get certifications for my field. My aunt helped me in so many ways, she always kept her head up in bad situations, and she most importantly used courage to keep me motivated to do right by everyone. As a result, I stay motivated, I discipline myself to be better than the day before, and most importantly I keep my head up in tough situations. I am staying motivated to become successful because of my Aunt Retha.

DaMonne Allen wiseGEEK S.T.E.M October 26, 2022 SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY I will be a first generation college student, and I will be getting my Bachelors in Science Degree in Computer Science. I love computers because they play a huge role in today's society. The reason why I wanted to go into Computer Science is because I would like to dig deeper into the world of computers. I want to understand how computers are broken down, configured, put together, and how the idea came to life. I also want to become a ethical hacker because in todays society, hacking is a big issue. Hackers are able to use backdoors and bate so many people into getting their systems compromised. Welp, that doesn't sit well with me, I would love to make my mark on the world by changing hacking all together. I want to make unethical hacking impossible, by creating a new version of code that would seem nearly impossible to hack into, making black hats actually get a job and do something that would have an positive impact on society. I also wanted to go into Computer Science because it is a growing field, when you get into a growing field, there seems to be a lot of money. For example, An entry level ethical hacker could make up to S75,027.00 a year. I really feel as if science is important to society because it is apart of everything that we do. We as a global society use science everyday. When we walk, were using science. If it wasn't for science, we probably wouldn't even exist. Math is like the brother of Science, when both are used, creations happens. You have great people in the field of science such as the great Charles Babbage, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, etc. Galileo Galilei discovered that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Charles Babbage created the Analytical Machine model which paved the way for computers. Albert Einstein discovered his theory of relativity. An Isaac Newton created his 3 laws of motion, alongside CALCULUS. All of these ideas are still being used till this very day. Everyday, everything seems to be evolving from what it was the day before, a great example would be technology as a whole. To be more specific, I would say computers. If it wasn't for Math and Science, computers wouldn't exist, better yet, Computers wouldn't even evolve. My point is that without Science, we are not able to do 100% of the things that we do, nor would we have the ideology to make world-changing creations.