First and foremost, I would like to personally thank you for the generosity of Show your Mettle - Women in STEM Scholarship for offering phenomenal scholastic opportunities to women in STEM. I will also like to extend heartfelt congratulations to Show your Mettle - Women in STEM Scholarship for accomplishing great feats and soaring paralleled heights on the educational forefront for students. I'm applying to the Show your Mettle - Women in STEM Scholarship as a Quantum lead to catapult change in the landscape as the City of Cincinnati and the State of Ohio - one life at a time, starting with my very own. Therefore, as a non-traditional student from Howard University, now is a precedential time to embark upon an educational endeavor to continue education; supplemented by the immersion of experience to develop greater economic independence and revitalize communities in the City of Cincinnati and State of Ohio. To win Show your Mettle - Women in STEM Scholarship means I have not only one monetary support, opportunity in business Industries, markets and local economies yet an opportunity to run a 26 mile marathon utilizing and contributing to the advancement of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to analyze, solve and innovate working systems, prototypes and inventions by incorporating the fundamentals of STEM in business. My employment goals upon earning a business degree with the automotive technician trade from Cincinnati State Community Technical College by June 2023 is that I will be owner and principal of a privately owned investment firm diversified in three options: real estate, business and automotive headquartered in the City of Cincinnati Ohio to yield aggressive, conservative and Innovative financial investing to appreciate the depreciating assets by implementing advantageous options for the private sector which are accurate, robust and lucrative with minimum risk and maximum advantage on the primary and secondary market in the State of Ohio. I am a double minority underrepresented in the business sector pursuing a double major in Business Administration with a specialty in Auto to break barriers, shatter glass ceilings and demystify socio-economical stigmas pertaining to women using STEM in business – on a macro level. As an African-American Woman in the United States of America, who is disabled, I embody the “American Dream” by electing to harness the reigns of education in pursuit of liberty, opportunity, prosperity and success through equal opportunity law despite my gender, race, socio economic status or circumstances at birth, as a first generation student, by choosing to attend college to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. This very motivator resonates as a fuel source to empower me to trailblaze in order to ascribe to my “higher sense” of self and develop a complex system of emotional intelligence, such as: ambition, drive, persistence, perseverance, tenacity and self-motivation to break barriers, shatter glass ceilings, demystify social economical stigmas, inequality, social injustice and status quotas of minorities in underrepresented fields of study, occupations, sectors and industries in the United States and across the globe.

First and foremost, I would like to personally thank you for the generosity of Show your Mettle - Women in STEM Scholarship for offering phenomenal scholastic opportunities to women in STEM. I will also like to extend heartfelt congratulations to Show your Mettle - Women in STEM Scholarship for accomplishing great feats and soaring paralleled heights on the educational forefront for students. I'm applying to the Show your Mettle - Women in STEM Scholarship as a Quantum lead to catapult change in the landscape as the City of Cincinnati and the State of Ohio - one life at a time, starting with my very own. Therefore, as a non-traditional student from Howard University, now is a precedential time to embark upon an educational endeavor to continue education; supplemented by the immersion of experience to develop greater economic independence and revitalize communities in the City of Cincinnati and State of Ohio. To win Show your Mettle - Women in STEM Scholarship means I have not only one monetary support, opportunity in business Industries, markets and local economies yet an opportunity to run a 26 mile marathon utilizing and contributing to the advancement of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to analyze, solve and innovate working systems, prototypes and inventions by incorporating the fundamentals of STEM in business. My employment goals upon earning a business degree with the automotive technician trade from Cincinnati State Community Technical College by June 2023 is that I will be owner and principal of a privately owned investment firm diversified in three options: real estate, business and automotive headquartered in the City of Cincinnati Ohio to yield aggressive, conservative and Innovative financial investing to appreciate the depreciating assets by implementing advantageous options for the private sector which are accurate, robust and lucrative with minimum risk and maximum advantage on the primary and secondary market in the State of Ohio. I am a double minority underrepresented in the business sector pursuing a double major in Business Administration with a specialty in Auto to break barriers, shatter glass ceilings and demystify socio-economical stigmas pertaining to women using STEM in business – on a macro level. As an African-American Woman in the United States of America, who is disabled, I embody the “American Dream” by electing to harness the reigns of education in pursuit of liberty, opportunity, prosperity and success through equal opportunity law despite my gender, race, socio economic status or circumstances at birth, as a first generation student, by choosing to attend college to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. This very motivator resonates as a fuel source to empower me to trailblaze in order to ascribe to my “higher sense” of self and develop a complex system of emotional intelligence, such as: ambition, drive, persistence, perseverance, tenacity and self-motivation to break barriers, shatter glass ceilings, demystify social economical stigmas, inequality, social injustice and status quotas of minorities in underrepresented fields of study, occupations, sectors and industries in the United States and across the globe.

As an African-American Woman in the United States of America, I would like to “change the world”, set and break Guinness World Records by electing to harness the reins of education to contribute to significant developments in higher education and STEM by being amongst: 1. African American Women deeply underrepresented in Engineering; only 5% are black women. 2. African American Women are deeply underrepresented in Physics and between 2002 and 2012, only 1% were graduating physics majors. 3. African-American women account for only 1.6% of Ph.D. earners in Mathematics in the United States Therefore, it is the utmost honor and lifetime reward to study in the living honor, legacy, and tribute of men and women who left an everlasting impression on and in the field of engineering, physics, and mathematics. They serve as the biggest influence in my life. Due to the nature and propensity of a world collapse resulting in human extinction, I believe STEM takes precedence over any and all other subject matters or topics, at this hour, including: international affairs, government, economics and/or business, due to loss of cumulative civilization = loss of human lives. Extinction risks of humanity bankrupts the present and the future. According to a report from McKinsey & Company; global assets have grown from $440 trillion in 2000 to $1,540 trillion in 2020. As humans, our existence in the world is fragile and severely unstable which can lead to a world collapse in 2040, as predicted by MIT, due to, but not exhaustive of: a new world order, rumors of war, a recession, pandemics, in particularly, a human-engineered pandemic. In lieu of the aforementioned, I estimate the monetary value of a world collapse at $1,540 trillion + the estimated value of the future in US Dollars, lost; +3,080 trillion! Therefore, I am attending Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, University of Cincinnati, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University which totals over $1,000,000.00 to perform research and development (r&d) to discover or innovate a solution to end the extinction of humanity. To enlist support from astute businesses, such as Rho brooks Women in STEM to solve the fight against the Battle of Extinction which has +$3 trillion in devastating impacts on the economy and business revenues, together is the ultimate honor. Thank you for your time and consideration, Carrie Jones

First and foremost, I would like to personally thank you for the generosity of the Future Leaders in Technology Scholarship - College Award for offering this phenomenal opportunity to 2022 scholastic candidates! I would also like to extend congratulations to your firm for accomplishing great feats and soaring unparalleled heights in the educational industry for students, educators, organizations, and ultimately humanity. I am applying for the Future Leaders in Technology Scholarship - College Award as a quantum leap to catapult change in the landscape of the United States and globally – one life at a time, starting with my very own, by establishing sustainability of humanity for heirs of the future who possess the mandate chosen, at this hour, to answer the call of mankind in the form of academia, scholarship and business acumen. Due to international affairs and current events pressing issues to threaten the existence of mankind. Existential risks of humanity bankrupt the future. According to a report from McKinsey & Company; global assets have grown from $440 trillion in 2000 to $1,540 trillion in 2020. As humans, our existence in the world is fragile and severely unstable which can lead to a world collapse in 2040 due to, but not exhaustive of new world order, rumors of war, a recession, pandemics, in particular, a human-engineered pandemic. This leads us to focus on the possibility of human extinction and its existential risks to humanity above all other subject matters due to time sensitivity and heightened probability of occurrence as precedence. Instead of the fore mentioned, I estimate the monetary value of a world collapse at 1,540 trillion + the estimated value of the future in US Dollars, lost. I estimate its value at +3,080 trillion. The 7th Mass Extinction is of humans and is predicted to be a human-engineered pandemic and is expected to cause a world collapse by 2040 (or earlier) as researched by MIT. This threat of mass extinction supersedes all and threatens current and future civilization, generations, economies, businesses, and ultimately the totality of lives. Therefore, I dedicate my life span to the “quest of knowledge” in the pursuit of purpose to investigating, discovering, researching, analyzing, and solving problems scientifically and mathematically about extinction risk to humanity through the interdisciplinary studies: engineering, physics, and mathematics to eliminate the risks and deescalate the acceleration rate of human-engineered pandemics leading to the extinction of humanity, including all generations by attending Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, University of Cincinnati, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University which totals over $1,000,000.00 to perform research and development (r&d) to discover or innovate a solution to ending extinction of humanity. To enlist support from astute businesses, such as the Future Leaders in Technology Scholarship - College Award to solve the fight against the Battle of Extinction which has +$3 trillion in devastating impacts on the economy and business revenues, together is the ultimate honor. Thank you for your time and consideration, Carrie Jones

First and foremost, I would like to personally thank you for the generosity of the donors – supporting Bold.org for offering phenomenal opportunities to 2022 scholastic candidates! I would also like to extend congratulations to your organization for accomplishing great feats and soaring unparalleled heights in the educational industry. I am applying to the “Minority/Women in STEM Scholarship” as a quantum leap to catapult change in the landscape of our country and world– one life at a time, starting with my very own. As an African-American Woman in the United States of America, I would like to “change the world” by electing to harness the reigns of education in pursuit of an Associates in Engineering, a Bachelors in Physics, and a Doctorates in Medicine. . These financial statistics show that the women who shattering glass ceilings are rare: • African-American Women are deeply underrepresented in Engineering; only 5% are black women. • African American Women are deeply underrepresented in Physics and between 2002 and 2012, only 1% were graduating physics majors. • According to Fortune.com, African-American women account for only 3% of Doctors in the United States From my vantage point, the most significant developments have occurred in the field of higher education and STEM. Therefore, it is the utmost honor and lifetime reward to study in the living honor, legacy, and tribute of underrepresented minorities who left an everlasting impression on and in the field of engineering, science, and math. Thank you in advance for your scholastic investment!

My name is Carrie Jones and I believe in YOU. I believe in your PURPOSE, I believe in the VISION you are building and the individual lives you are CHANGING. In my humble opinion, life is an invention revised over time by the recipient to create a working prototype. Creativity is the engine that powers my life, and my life is dedicated to helping visionaries make their dreams come true, solve problems, and create opportunities. Starting at the age of 18, I created my first company and served as a Creative Director outsourcing to other countries as a dorm room entrepreneur from Howard University. I am now seeking to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. In my work with hundreds of contracts, I’ve discovered what kind of support companies need to get real-world results and generate income. Companies need ideas, support, structure and planning, positive reinforcement, feedback, assistance, and dedicated workers. I’ve learned how to put my experience into service to obtain a 20/20 vision. As an adult, I have utilized creativity in the form of ideas, inventions, websites, books, products, services, and businesses to troubleshoot, solve and engineer solutions to problems. I present ideas in a myriad of mediums consisting of prototypes, flow charts, drawings, websites, and business concepts. It is a tool in one's arsenal to give life beauty, enjoyment, utility, purpose, and meaning and it also solves problems. I believe in you, and I believe in companies helping the world for it needs what you’ve got to offer, and the need for what you’ve got to offer is deep and urgent. Let’s start a rewarding association that will change lives, my life, and the world. The next step is yours. Creatively, Carrie Jones

There comes a time in our journey called “life” when we reach a major crossroad and must choose a direction that will affect us for a long time to come. Throughout my life, I have reached such a crossroad and my story reveals the effect of my choices through American and Japanese philosophy which illustrates mental health and articulates how my experiences shaped my goals, relationships, and understanding of the world. An American philosophy, which I invented, for mental illness, depicts an anecdote of a caterpillar whose inherent birthright was knitted into the essence of its’ being, at birth, as a self-fulfilling prophecy to fulfill its’ destiny and purpose – to become a butterfly and fly - limitlessly. The caterpillar can experiences barriers, boundaries, and bureaucracies, similar to one diagnosed with a mental illness, due to the systematic bombardment of external and internal stimuli from and in society which includes, but is not limited to disenfranchisement, stigmatization, stereotyping, ostracization, marginalization and labeling, to say the least. These limitations are the caterpillar’s inability to fly and even soar, limitlessly due to the judgment, opinion, and viewpoint of others – in society. Once the caterpillar breaks the chains of bondage and reclaims its life, it can journey to recovery and experience a metamorphosis to transform into a beautiful butterfly. As a champion of mental illness, I have conquered more obstacle courses than an athlete at the Olympics and this has shaped my educational goals: My name is Carrie Jones and I am permanently disabled yet ABLE. I am first generation - the first person in my family to either graduate high school and/or attend college. I would like to complete a double Bachelor’s degree in English and Business concentrating in Finance and Accounting. I have been the primary source of support for myself, as head of household, since the age of 16 – when emancipated as a Ward from the State of Ohio. I would be remised if I failed to indicate that during my first semester (Spring 2022) at Cincinnati State Community and Technical College, I administratively withdrew due to my mother's death. I am currently 36 and returning to college as a freshman and a non-traditional student after 16 consecutive years of academic inactivity and I demonstrate significant financial need and commitment to pursue a Bachelor’s degree. As a non-traditional student, who survived a life-threatening and altering incident in 2017, an opportunity to reintegrate into a gainfully rewarding educational and employment opportunity is not only a pre-requisite to ascertain yet a mandate. In lieu of this, I am often reminded that the race isn’t given to the swift or the quick but to the one who endures to the end. From this perspective, I view challenges, setbacks, and failures as broken pieces of clay which can be reconstructed into a masterpiece, again and again. The contributions from leaders, innovators, and pioneers removed barriers; as a result, major events occurred in the disabled community that would have a lasting effect on the Nation, as we know it: Jim Carey Mariah Carey Taraji P. Henson Will Smith Jada Pickett In the spirit of heralds who overcame adversity and achieved goals despite personal challenges, I contribute to the philosophy; I refer to as the “American Dream”. The very notion of the “American Dream” can be perceived as the stimulus of the economy. It is the engine and mitochondria powerhouse that fuels ambition and drives surmounting to success based upon the law, policy, and regulations for individuals, families, businesses – and even the disabled. This national ethos permits all to accomplish their goals despite these challenges. I am a double minority underrepresented in the business sector pursuing a dual degree in English and Business to break barriers, shatter glass ceilings and demystify socio-economical stigmas about women in the business industry – on a macro level. As an African-American Woman in the United States of America, who is disabled, I embody the “American Dream” by electing to harness the reigns of education in pursuit of liberty, opportunity, prosperity, and success through equal opportunity law despite my gender, race, socio-economic status or circumstances at birth, as a first-generation student, by choosing to attend college to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. In closing, in Japanese philosophy, there is a concept known as “Kintsugi” which is the ancient art of repairing broken pottery with golden lacquer. The BIG idea behind the concept is making the broken and imperfect seemingly perfect; accentuated by beauty. The incorporation of leaders, organizations, institutions, and associations, such as Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship integrated are essential building blocks to exhibiting the art of “Kintsugi”, mending broken pottery pieces with beauty to establish a healthy regimen ascertaining the courage to grow, triumph over adversity, and overcome obstacles leading to academic scholarship and gainful employment through the “American Dream” to create “butterfly effects” all over the nation, one caterpillar – at a time, through scholarship.

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for the generosity of the “Slater Miller Memorial Fund” administered by the Miller Family to offer this phenomenal opportunity to 2022 scholastic candidates! I would also like to extend congratulations to your organization for accomplishing great feats and soaring unparalleled heights in the automotive industry for students, educators, and organizations. I am applying to the “Slater Miller Memorial Fund” as a quantum leap to catapult change in the landscape of the City of Cincinnati and the State of Ohio – one life at a time, starting with my very own. In the spirit of Slater Miller, it is my utmost desire to study in the living legacy of inventors, and engineers who pioneered and rebranded the United States via a trade - the auto industry. Although women are almost half of the US labor force, they represent just over one-quarter of the Automotive Workforce. In 2020: Women held 26.1% of jobs in the motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment manufacturing industry. Women of color made up a fraction of employees in the industry: Black women: 6.2% Asian women: 1.7%  Latinas: 3.1%  White women: 17.5% Women were 21.1% of automobile dealers and 9.0% of automotive repair and maintenance employees (Catalyst.org). The social causes I care about and intend to address are wage disparity, equity, inclusion, and representation in underrepresented fields. Therefore, as a double minority, enrolled in Cincinnati State Technical and Community College’s Pre-Business Administration Program for Accelerated Summer Session 2022 seeking a trade as Automotive Technician starting in Fall 2022 to break barriers, shatter glass ceilings and demystify socio-economical stigmas about women in business and automotive industry. As a double minority in the United States of America, I embody the “American Dream” by electing to harness the reigns of education in underrepresented fields in pursuit of liberty, opportunity, prosperity, and success through education despite my gender, race, socio-economic status or circumstances at birth, as a first-generation student, by choosing to attend college to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree with a specialized trade as a female automotive technician through innovation, technology, engineering, and business. I am currently a participating member of the Honors Program, Trio Program, and Collegiate Writing Club. I look forward to working with Miller Family, as an exemplary student and candidate of honor, shortly to enhance the lives of individuals, families, and businesses - nationwide. Thank you in advance for your scholastic investment, Carrie M. Jones

Generosity is a generator that catapults energy into motion kinetically in the form of inertia to beneficiaries who are chosen stewards or vessels charged to pass the baton by “paying it forward”. This miraculous “act of kindness” is typically the social fiduciary responsibility of individuals, businesses, organizations, and even members of society; articulated as altruism, benevolence, philanthropy, and even social enterprise which can catalyze the self-actualization of an individual, community, city, state and even country. It is typically allocated for the specific awareness of a cause. Generosity is a vehicle and locomotive engine which sustains personal, social, educational, corporate, and political economies one gift or act at a time for economic growth, sustainability, and succession for humanity, society, and civilization. The ideology of generosity is a concept ingrained in every one of us, during childhood, when learning how to share with others. This early inception of social etiquette as generosity left an everlasting impression like wet cement on my heart which today catalyzes purpose. As a recipient of intrinsic and extrinsic generosity, my set of personal beliefs has experienced an internal and external stimulus. This paradigm shift, I contribute to the efforts of organizations like “Bold Generosity Matters Scholarship”. In the epicenter of the hardest moment of my life, I serendipitously discovered the “Bold Generosity Matters Scholarship” as a lighthouse on Bold.org. The essay prompt provided on “generosity” resonated vitality and I felt compelled to write a response as a form of a “thank you”! From this day forward, I have committed to display the power of generosity unto others despite all odds in my own life and occupation of choice – as a way of life. Thank you, generously, Carrie Jones

My name is Carrie Jones and I am permanently disabled yet ABLE. I am first generation - the first person in my family to either graduate high school and/or attend college. I would like to complete a double Bachelor’s degree in English and Business concentrating in Finance and Accounting with a minor in Real estate. As a disabled non-traditional student, I have conquered more obstacle courses than an athlete at the Olympics: I have been the primary source of support of self, as head of household, since the age of 16 – when emancipated as a Ward from the State of Ohio. I would be remised, if I failed to indicate that during my first semester (Spring 2022) at Cincinnati State Community and Technical College, I administratively withdrew due to my mother's death. I am currently 36 and returning to college as a freshman and a non-traditional student after 16 consecutive years of academic inactivity and I demonstrate significant financial need and commitment to pursue a Bachelor’s degree. I am a double minority underrepresented in the financial sector pursuing a dual degree in English and Business to break barriers, shatter glass ceilings and demystify socio-economical stigmas pertaining to women in the finance and real estate industry – on a macro level. As a non-traditional student, who survived a life-threatening and altering incident in 2017, an opportunity to reintegrate into a gainfully rewarding educational and employment opportunity is not only a pre-requisite to ascertain yet a mandate. As an African-American Woman in the United States of America, who is disabled, I embody the “American Dream” by electing to harness the reigns of education in pursuit of liberty, opportunity, prosperity and success through equal opportunity law despite my gender, race, socio economic status or circumstances at birth, as a first generation student, by choosing to attend college to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. It is imperative to note, as a disabled individual, the limitations I have experienced systematically stem from the bombardment of external stimuli from and in society which includes, but are not limited to: disenfranchisement, stigmatization, stereotyping, ostracization, marginalization and labeling, to say the least. In lieu of this, I am often reminded that the race isn’t given to the swift or the quick but the one who endures to the end. There comes a time in all of our lives when we reach a major crossroad and must choose a direction that will affect us for a long time to come. Over the course of my life, I have reached such a crossroad and my story reveals the effect of my choices. In the Japanese philosophy, there is a concept known as “Kintsugi” which is the ancient art of repairing broken pottery with a golden lacquer. The BIG idea behind the concept is making the broken and imperfect seemingly perfect and perfect accentuated by beauty. I overcome adversity and achieve goals despite personal challenges by a philosophy; I refer to as the “American Dream”. The very notion of the “American Dream” can be perceived as the stimulus of the economy. It is the engine and mitochondria powerhouse which fuels ambition and drive surmounting to success based upon the law, policy, and regulations for individuals, families, businesses – and even the disabled. This national ethos permits all to accomplish their goals in spite of these challenges. My career goal is to leave an everlasting impression on the community, impact local and regional change, develop greater economic independence and revitalize communities through the law, finance, city and urban planning in the State of Ohio.

My name is Carrie Jones from Cincinnati, Ohio and I am permanently disabled yet ABLE. I am first generation - the first person in my family to either graduate high school and/or attend college. As a disabled non-traditional student, I have conquered more obstacle courses than an athlete at the Olympics: I have been the primary source of support for myself, as head of household, since the age of 16 – when emancipated as a Ward from the State of Ohio. I would be remised if I failed to indicate that during my first semester (Spring 2022) at Cincinnati State Community and Technical College, I administratively withdrew due to my mother's death. I am a double minority underrepresented in the financial sector pursuing a dual degree in English and Business to break barriers, shatter glass ceilings and demystify socio-economical stigmas about women in the finance and real estate industry – on a macro level. As a non-traditional student, who survived a life-threatening and altering incident in 2017, an opportunity to reintegrate into a gainfully rewarding educational and employment opportunity is not only a pre-requisite to ascertain yet a mandate. As an African-American Woman in the United States of America, who is disabled, I embody the “American Dream” by electing to harness the reigns of education in pursuit of liberty, opportunity, prosperity, and success through equal opportunity law despite my gender, race, socioeconomic status or circumstances at birth, as a first-generation student, by choosing to attend college to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. Instead of this, I am often reminded that the race isn’t given to the swift but to the one who endures to the end. There comes a time in all of our lives when we reach a major crossroad and must choose a direction that will affect us for a long time to come. Over the course of my life, I have reached such a crossroads and my story reveals the effect of my choices. In Japanese philosophy, there is a concept known as “Kintsugi” which is the ancient art of repairing broken pottery with golden lacquer. The BIG idea behind the concept is making the broken and imperfect seemingly perfect and perfect accentuated by beauty. From this perspective, I view challenges, setbacks, and failures as broken pieces of clay which can be reconstructed into a masterpiece, again and again – once kilned in the fire and refined as pure gold. I plan to use my education to give back to others who are underserved or underrepresented in the form of philanthropy by incorporating a non-profit. This is a lifelong endeavor dedicated to the immersion of experience into the community to become a dedicated educator and leader. The incorporation of organizations, institutions, and associations, such as Mary Pearlea integrated are essential building blocks to exhibiting the art of “Kintsugi”, mending broken pottery pieces to establish a healthy regimen to ascertain the courage to grow, triumph over adversity, and overcome obstacles leading to academic scholarship and gainful employment through equal opportunity. I overcome adversity and achieve goals despite personal challenges by a philosophy; I refer to as the “American Dream”. The very notion of the “American Dream” can be perceived as the stimulus of the economy. It is the engine and mitochondria powerhouse that fuels ambition and drives surmounting to success based upon the law, policy, and regulations for individuals, families, businesses – and even the disabled. This national ethos permits all to accomplish their goals despite these challenges.

Dear Scholarship Committee, First and foremost, I would like to personally thank you for the generosity of the “William M. DeSantis Sr. Scholarship for offering this phenomenal opportunity to 2022 scholastic candidates! I would also like to extend congratulations to your firm for accomplishing great feats and soaring unparalleled heights in the educational industry for students, educators and organizations. I am applying to the William M. DeSantis Sr. Scholarship as a quantum leap to catapult change of the landscape of the City of Cincinnati and State of Ohio – one life at a time, starting with my very own. My name is Carrie Jones and I am permanently disabled yet ABLE. I am first generation - the first person in my family to either graduate high school and/or attend college. I would like to complete a double Bachelor’s degree in English and Business concentrating in Finance and Accounting with a minor in Real estate. My career goal is to leave an everlasting impression on the community by incorporating aggressive and innovative financial investing in the Real Estate industry as a tool to impact local and regional change, develop greater economic independence and revitalize communities through the law, finance, city, urban planning and scholarships in the State of Ohio as a Real Estate/CPA Attorney; practicing as a Realtor®. As an African-American Woman in the United States of America, I embody the “American Dream” by electing to harness the reigns of education in pursuit of liberty, opportunity, prosperity and success through free enterprise despite my gender, race, socio economic status or circumstances at birth, as a first generation student, by choosing to attend college to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. There comes a time in all of our lives when we reach a major crossroad and must choose a direction that will affect us for a long time to come. Over the course of my life, I have reached such a crossroad and my story reveals the effect of my choices. In the Japanese philosophy, there is a concept known as “Kintsugi” which is the ancient art of repairing broken pottery with a golden lacquer. The BIG idea behind the concept is making the broken and imperfect seemingly perfect and perfect accentuated by beauty. I overcome adversity and achieve goals despite personal challenges by a philosophy; I refer to as the “American Dream”. The very notion of the “American Dream” can be perceived as the stimulus of the economy. My previous involvement in school and other activities serve as an engine and mitochondria powerhouse that fuels ambition and drive surmounting to success based upon experience. This equips me to accomplish goals in spite of these challenges and this lesson helps mw move forward and made me stronger in life.