My black leader is my high school French teacher and mentor, Madame Kindia Pgouda. She is a Black woman from Cameroon. Madame Pgouda taught me French in 9th, 10th, and 12th grade. Since I stepped foot into her classroom, Madame Pgouda has mentored me. She is a second mother in my life and always looks out for me. I had taken French for many years before meeting Madame Pgouda, but it's only under her that I truly learned the language. I am proficient thanks to her. Even now as a college student, Madame Pgouda is still my role model and inspiration. I really want to make her and myself proud, and that motivates me to keep grinding. Madame Pgouda has not only educated me in French, but in life. When I began high school, I was a much different person than I am today. Part of that is growing up, but the most significant difference between my 9th grade self and the person I am today is the level of confidence. At that time, I was extremely insecure as well as anxiety-ridden. Madame Pgouda saw something in me, and helped build me into a better Enam. She calls me out when I am wrong, and praises me when I am right. She treats me as if she birthed me, and I am truly grateful for that. Madame Pgouda’s faith in me helped me cultivate faith in myself. Madame Pgouda has helped me solve some of the biggest issues in my life with the simplest advice. For example, I was dealing with a lot of interpersonal conflicts, and she told me that I simply should focus on what I could control. The way she presented this advice to me, it seemed so obvious. I kicked myself for not thinking about it that way before. I cannot control other people. I can only control myself. She told me this about 1 year and a half ago, and since then, I have gotten into very few arguments. When I graduated high school, Madame Pgouda told me her wish for me is that when I see a problem, I solve it. One year later, I still think about that everyday and motiates everything I do. I actually joined several organizations at my college simply because I saw an issue and knew it needed to be fixed. For example, I am a Computer Engineering student and the ECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering) classes are unstandardized. Students will be in the same course but learn completely different things due to different professors expected to perform the same if they are placed in the next course subsequently. I found that to be outrageous and joined the ECE Student Advisory Board to advocate for myself and my peers. My career goal is to work on medical technology, a field wrought with inequity. Because Madame Pgouda saw me nearly 5 years ago, I will be able to change lives and better patient outcomes. Madame Pgouda lit a fire in me and she was able to do this because of the amazing person she is. I admire Madame Pgouda because she is so real. She tells me the truth. She’s so honest with me because she’s honest with herself. When she’s not on top of things, she reflects and adjusts. Madame Pgouda is never afraid to be wrong, nor is she afraid to praise someone when praise is due. Madame Pgouda is truly my role model. I love her and I am grateful to have met her. 40 years from now, I will remember her and her influence.

The person I admire the most is my French teacher and mentor, Madame Kindia Pgouda. She is a Black woman from Cameroon. Madame Pgouda taught me French in 9th, 10th, and 12th grade. Since I stepped foot into her classroom, Madame Pgouda has mentored me. She is a second mother in my life and always looks out for me. I had taken French for many years before meeting Madame Pgouda, but it's only under her that I truly learned the language. I am proficient thanks to her. Even now as a college student, Madame Pgouda is still my role model and inspiration. I really want to make her and myself proud, and that motivates me to keep grinding. Madame Pgouda has not only educated me in French, but in life. When I began high school, I was a much different person than I am today. Part of that is growing up, but the most significant difference between my 9th grade self and the person I am today is the level of confidence. At that time, I was extremely insecure as well as anxiety-ridden. Madame Pgouda saw something in me, and helped build me into a better Enam. She calls me out when I am wrong, and praises me when I am right. She treats me as if she birthed me, and I am truly grateful for that. Madame Pgouda’s faith in me helped me cultivate faith in myself. Madame Pgouda has helped me solve some of the biggest issues in my life with the simplest advice. For example, I was dealing with a lot of interpersonal conflicts, and she told me that I simply should focus on what I could control. The way she presented this advice to me, it seemed so obvious. I kicked myself for not thinking about it that way before. I cannot control other people. I can only control myself. She told me this about 1 year and a half ago, and since then, I have gotten into very few arguments. When I graduated high school, Madame Pgouda told me her wish for me is that when I see a problem, I solve it. One year later, I still think about that everyday and motiates everything I do. I actually joined several organizations at my college simply because I saw an issue and knew it needed to be fixed. For example, I am a Computer Engineering student and the ECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering) classes are unstandardized. Students will be in the same course but learn completely different things due to different professors expected to perform the same if they are placed in the next course subsequently. I found that to be outrageous and joined the ECE Student Advisory Board to advocate for myself and my peers. My career goal is to work on medical technology, a field wrought with inequity. Because Madame Pgouda saw me nearly 5 years ago, I will be able to change lives and better patient outcomes. Madame Pgouda lit a fire in me and she was able to do this because of the amazing person she is. I admire Madame Pgouda because she is so real. She tells me the truth. She’s so honest with me because she’s honest with herself. When she’s not on top of things, she reflects and adjusts. Madame Pgouda is never afraid to be wrong, nor is she afraid to praise someone when praise is due. Madame Pgouda is truly my role model. I love her and I am grateful to have met her. 40 years from now, I will remember her and her influence.

My goals are to become a successful computer engineer and filmmaker. My career path is that I will graduate from Georgia Tech and begin a career in medical technology. My name is Enam Amevo. I am a rising sophomore at the Georgia Institute of Technology majoring in Computer Engineering. I am a first generation Togolese-American. My mother came here in 2000 and my father came in 1997. I am the eldest of 3 sisters. I enjoy manga, comic books, anthropology, psychology, world history, and sociology. I am fascinated by humanity and am always striving to understand others. As a Computer Engineering major, my degree plan is geared towards learning how to integrate sensor technology. It is my hope that upon graduation I can work in the field of medical technology and innovate usage of sensors to detect illnesses and monitor the body. I’d also like to develop tools to assist doctors with their work, for example, surgery tools that can alert you when you’re cutting too deep. While I innovate in medical technology, I would also like to work on camera technology and consumer technology such as cell phones. My other career interest is becoming a filmmaker. I have always been interested in media production, and plan to pursue my engineering career in a film hub such as Atlanta, New York City, or California and make valuable connections. The beauty of filmmaking is that a degree in the practice is not necessary. The film world is all about who you know and what you can do for them. Not to mention, I already have experience in filmmaking and some connections in the industry. I am very excited for the path I have ahead of myself. In regards to film, I am interested in the following roles: editor, director, cinematographer, visual effects artist, producer, production assistant, and screenwriter. I would also like to work on a couple TV shows. Once I am old and decide to retire from engineering, I would like to become a teacher and guide the next generation. I don’t think I will ever retire from filmmaking, just because it is production based rather than a salaried role with a company, so I can simply pick up a production whenever I have time. As Whitney Houston said, “I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.”. Kids need adults that see them as people and are dedicated to their growth. As a teacher, I would want to expose children to film production and STEM opportunities that I did not have growing up. Kids are expected to know what they want to do way too early. It’s insane that decisions one makes from 14-17 can have such a large impact on their future. I would like to give children early exposure to career fields so that they can have a sense of what they like and don’t like. The great thing is that at that point, my finances will be great so I will be able to afford to help the children. As a product of the Atlanta Public Schools system, I know all about going to a school with little to no resources, but my loving teachers made all the difference. I’m excited to see what I can do when I match the dedication my teachers had, but also have the funds to support my students to do whatever. This life plan may seem like a lot, but trust me, I’m going to do it all. Nobody can ever tell me what I can’t do.