What defines authenticity? Interacting with others has always felt like a struggle, a puzzle that didn’t come naturally. Moving to America from Ethiopia added to this difficulty. Learning new customs and behaviors was challenging, but I was quietly, and constantly observing even as a child. From age three, I was already shaping how I presented myself, trying to understand what it meant to “fit in”. I realized early on that much of my behavior was stolen from others. I often wondered, am I truly being myself, or am I just a collection of everyone who has crossed my path? This question haunted me as I tried to reflect on my identity, my mind often going blank as I pondered, am I real? I have carried these questions with me since I was five. As I watched the other kids play at recess, I sat companion-less with one thought swirling in my head. Am I real? How can I be real if every action I took wasn't mine? How could I be real if my personality was borrowed? I tried to think back to before I was adopted; was I always like this or was I an individual in my birth home of familiarity and safety? Growing up in a new country, oftentimes I felt I would be happier back in Africa. From the moment I stepped off the plane, the pounding in my heart started and never stopped. I knew it was the biggest privilege to come to America and start a new life with a family that loved me; where the constant rumbling in my stomach would finally end. Yet, the wretched thought of having to start over, surrounded by people who looked nothing like me, drained much of the appreciation society had drilled into my brain. In elementary school, my efforts to assimilate felt like a performance. I tried to mirror the personalities of the “popular girls” around me, down to every step I took, every gesture, and every item of clothing draped on my body. Yet, my physical differences reminded me that I stuck out like a sore thumb. I began to question if anyone is truly “real” or if everyone is piecing together their identity from the fragments of those they encounter. I concluded everyone “mimics” the ones around us shaping who we are and what we become; while also, silently forming how society functions. Last summer, I was able to see this in action while volunteering as a Therapy Aide for adolescents with disabilities. We started off each day by asking our campers to tell us one interesting thing about their day and one interesting thing about the day of the person next to them. This little exercise taught the kids to open their minds and think about others. Although it seemed like an unimportant, mundane task; this assignment helped develop social skills for the campers that everyone needs in order to function and thrive in society. Through this experience, my knowledge of children with disabilities expanded and a deeper understanding of empathy for everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship. I am attending University of Illinois Chicago to study Human Development and Learning with a minor in Disabilities and Human Development. However, out-of-state tuition is higher than expected. As an Ethiopian teen, growing up in rural Michigan, I want to attend UIC where they have my unique area of study and a diverse population to continue my finding my authentic self. Most importantly, this scholarship will help me provide a brighter future to the next generation of kids like me.

What defines authenticity? Interacting with others has always felt like a struggle, a puzzle that didn’t come naturally. Moving to America from Ethiopia added to this difficulty. Learning new customs and behaviors was challenging, but I was quietly, and constantly observing even as a child. From age three, I was already shaping how I presented myself, trying to understand what it meant to “fit in”. I realized early on that much of my behavior was stolen from others. I often wondered, am I truly being myself, or am I just a collection of everyone who has crossed my path? This question haunted me as I tried to reflect on my identity, my mind often going blank as I pondered, am I real? I have carried these questions with me since I was five. As I watched the other kids play at recess, I sat companion-less with one thought swirling in my head. Am I real? How can I be real if every action I took wasn't mine? How could I be real if my personality was borrowed? I tried to think back to before I was adopted; was I always like this or was I an individual in my birth home of familiarity and safety? Growing up in a new country, oftentimes I felt I would be happier back in Africa. From the moment I stepped off the plane, the pounding in my heart started and never stopped. I knew it was the biggest privilege to come to America and start a new life with a family that loved me; where the constant rumbling in my stomach would finally end. Yet, the wretched thought of having to start over, surrounded by people who looked nothing like me, drained much of the appreciation society had drilled into my brain. In elementary school, my efforts to assimilate felt like a performance. I tried to mirror the personalities of the “popular girls” around me, down to every step I took, every gesture, and every item of clothing draped on my body. Yet, my physical differences reminded me that I stuck out like a sore thumb. I began to question if anyone is truly “real” or if everyone is piecing together their identity from the fragments of those they encounter. I concluded everyone “mimics” the ones around us shaping who we are and what we become; while also, silently forming how society functions. Last summer, I was able to see this in action while volunteering as a Therapy Aide for adolescents with disabilities. We started off each day by asking our campers to tell us one interesting thing about their day and one interesting thing about the day of the person next to them. This little exercise taught the kids to open their minds and think about others. Although it seemed like an unimportant, mundane task; this assignment helped develop social skills for the campers that everyone needs in order to function and thrive in society. Through this experience, my knowledge of children with disabilities expanded and a deeper understanding of empathy for everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship. I am attending University of Illinois Chicago to study Human Development and Learning with a minor in Disabilities and Human Development. However, out-of-state tuition is higher than expected. As an Ethiopian teen, growing up in rural Michigan, I want to attend UIC where they have my unique area of study and a diverse population to continue my finding my authentic self. Most importantly, this scholarship will help me provide a brighter future to the next generation of kids like me.

Interacting with others has always felt like a struggle, a puzzle that didn’t come naturally. Moving to America from Ethiopia added to this difficulty. Learning new customs and behaviors was challenging, but I was quietly, and constantly observing even as a child. This impacted me socially and mentally throughout my life, but I have persevered through my leadership opportunities and wanting to make a difference for others. I often wondered, am I truly being myself, or am I just a collection of everyone who has crossed my path? I have carried these questions with me since I was 5. As I watched other kids play at recess, I sat companionless with one thought swirling in my head. Am I real? I began to question if anyone is truly “real” or if, like me, everyone is piecing together their identity from the fragments of those they encounter. I have been given the ability to apply leadership skills acquired through my many experiences over the years. As I tried to figure out how I fit, I always stepped up to lead because I knew it made me happy, especially when I was helping those younger or within the community. I participated in Girl Scouts for nearly 10 years where I developed leadership qualities. That helped me prepare for my next opportunity as a Therapy Aide volunteer at a day camp mentoring and assisting adolescents with disabilities. There, each camper started their day telling us one interesting thing about their day and one interesting thing about the day of the person next to them. This little exercise taught the kids to open their minds and think about others more instantly. Although it seemed like an unimportant, mundane task; this impactful assignment helped develop social skills for the campers that everyone needs to function and thrive in society while building authenticity. Through this experience, my knowledge of children with disabilities expanded. As well as a deeper understanding of empathy for everyone and helped me solidify my college goals. Currently, I am a leader of little ones as an Assistant Preschool Teacher in my work- study program. My skill of being quick thinking and stepping up to the task is highly important and valued at a childcare center. As I look back to my younger years and constantly questioning if I was authentic while trying to find my place, I wonder if I have found my answer yet. I believe that my servant leadership roles, learning more about my culture, and recent studies have helped to grow my sense of self and I think I am getting closer to my full answer. I have been accepted to study Human Development and Learning at the University of Illinois Chicago and the 5 year MSW program at Loyola Chicago. At either university, I will be able to explore how people grow, adapt, and learn. Perhaps, by studying the fundamental ways in which we build our identities, I’ll finally deepen the answer I've so desperately desired while preparing me for my future. I want to understand what it means to be authentic and create opportunities to build a life where I can have a career in helping others do the same. I believe I will thrive there, find my authenticity, heighten my understanding of the human mind, and maybe, at last, answer my lifelong question if people are real. I am excited about my future of leading youth to grow into confident adults who are comfortable in their skin and their surroundings.

I always make an effort to be a leader when it helps communities. Growing up I participated in Girl Scouts. Through Girl Scouts, I have been given the opportunity to develop and build leadership qualities. For instance, my troop and I volunteered at a local nonprofit outreach ministry. There we were given the task to organize food, clothing, and other miscellaneous items. I took this moment to strengthen my leadership qualities by directing the other members of my Girl Scouts troops on how to help and where they're best needed. I also suggested we switch stations occasionally to keep us all motivated and stimulated. I have always had the urge to take initiative and step up to the task when it is needed and help others. I was given another opportunity to improve and exhibit my ability to lead by example. This past summer, I had the chance to volunteer at a day camp for adolescents with disabilities through the Comprehensive Therapy Center. My heart grew daily, and I looked forward to helping the "campers" learn new ways to develop their communications, skills, and actions through our activities with the behavioral-focused theme of the week. We started off each day by asking our campers to tell us one interesting thing about their day and one interesting thing about the person next to them day. This little exercise taught the kids to open their minds and think about others more instantly. Although it seemed like an unimportant, mundane task, that no one thinks about; this impactful assignment helped develop social skills for the campers that everyone needs in order to function and thrive in society. Through this experience, my knowledge of children with disabilities expanded. As well as a deeper understanding and empathy for everyone. My position as a Therapy Aide helped me to solidify my college goals and this has been reinforced by my current position as an Assistant Preschool teacher in my work-study program. As an assistant teacher, I have been given the ability to apply the leadership skills acquired through my many experiences. When working with kids, making quick decisive, decisions are critical because they always keep us teachers on our toes. My skill if being quick thinking and stepping up to the task is highly important and valued at a child care center. My strive to be a servant leader has been a constant principle in my life.

Interacting with others has always felt like a struggle, a puzzle that didn’t come naturally. Moving to America from Ethiopia added to this difficulty. Learning new customs and behaviors was challenging, but I was quietly, and constantly observing even as a child. From age three, I was already shaping how I presented myself, trying to understand what it meant to “fit in.” I realized early on that much of my behavior was stolen from others, everything I did was an act. I often wondered, am I truly being myself, or am I just a collection of everyone who has crossed my path? This question haunted me as I tried to reflect on my identity, my mind often going blank as I pondered, am I real? I have carried these questions with me since I was 5. As I watched the other kids play at recess, I sat companionless with one final thought swirling in my head. Am I real? I began to question if anyone is truly “real” or if, like me, everyone is piecing together their identity from the fragments of those they encounter. The conclusion I came up with was that “mimicking” the ones around us shapes who we are and what we become; while also, silently forming how society functions. This lifelong question, Are people real?, is why I aim to study the areas of human behavior. Learning more about how humans work will help me to not only answer my own explorations, but it will also help to shape my future in helping others grow and develop in our society. This past summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a day camp for adolescents with disabilities through the Comprehensive Therapy Center. My heart grew daily, and I looked forward to helping the "campers" learn new ways to develop their communications, skills, and actions through our activities with the behavioral-focused theme of the week. My position as a Therapy Aide helped me to solidify my college goals and this has been reinforced by my current position as an Assistant Preschool teacher in my work study program. I have been accepted to study Human Development and Learning at the University of Illinois Chicago and the 5-year MSW program at Loyola Chicago. This scholarship will allow me to be a first generation college graduate. At one of these universities, I will be able to explore how people grow, adapt, and learn. Perhaps, by studying the fundamental ways in which we build our identities, I’ll finally deepen the answer I've so desperately desired while preparing me for my future. I want to understand what it means to be authentic and create opportunities to build a life where I can have a career in helping others do the same in a non-profit setting for children who don't feel like they belong or are uncomfortable in their own skin. As a young, black woman, I have grown immensely over the last few years, and I believe I will thrive in the diverse environment of college, where I can heighten my understanding of the human mind and maybe, at last, answer my lifelong question then pass it along to others.