One of my most valuable and unique talents is my ability to lead with empathy, resilience, and an open mind. I am a hard worker who approaches every opportunity with dedication and passion. Being a first-generation student and American, my journey is deeply rooted in sacrifice, perseverance, and hope. My parents came to the United States with nothing but dreams for my siblings and me. They survived two civil wars, faced near-death experiences, and left everything behind to give me a chance at a better life. My existence is a living testament to resilience. Growing up, life was not easy. I faced numerous obstacles, just like my parents did, but I learned to persevere. Through these experiences, I developed my strongest qualities: open-mindedness, hard work, leadership, and resilience. I believe these traits are essential in building a more empathetic and understanding global community. I am committed to using them every day in my interactions, my work, and my future goals. I lead by example. I volunteer regularly in my community, uplifting those around me and advocating for marginalized groups. I believe that empathy starts with listening and understanding. That’s why I always make it a point to learn from others' experiences and support their voices. My long-term goal is to continue this work on a global scale by founding a nonprofit organization focused on youth empowerment and education, especially in under-resourced countries. As someone from Liberia, I have seen firsthand how difficult it is for children to access basic educational materials. Many children don’t even have pencils or notebooks. Some cannot attend school simply because their families cannot afford it. My nonprofit will begin by sending school supplies, sponsoring children’s education, and providing financial support for families in need. Over time, I want to expand this work to include programs that support orphans with mental health services, food, shelter, and access to education. I believe education is one of the most powerful tools to change the world, and I plan to share that. My goal is not only to provide resources but also to create opportunities that allow young people to thrive. Many of them have the talent and ambition; they just need the support. I am committed to using my voice, my skills, and my story to uplift others, foster understanding, and create lasting change. A better world starts with empathy, and I plan to lead that change, one step at a time.

Question 1 I plan to attend law school in the fall of 2029. This has been a dream of mine for many years, and I am committed to putting in the necessary work to make it happen. Law school will provide me with the knowledge, skills, and platform to advocate for those whose voices are often ignored. I see it as a stepping stone to making real and lasting change in my community. Question 2 My short-term goals include opening my own nonprofit organization and becoming the first person in my family to graduate from college. These goals are very personal to me, and they represent both progress and legacy. I want to inspire others in my family and community to believe that they can achieve more, even when the odds are against them. My long-term goals include graduating from law school, passing the bar exam, and securing a job in both civil law and big law. I want to gain experience in various legal fields so I can better understand how systems work from the inside out. Eventually, I aspire to become the mayor of my city. I believe this position would allow me to enact real change and create policies that serve and protect underserved communities. My ultimate dream is to improve my community and ensure that young people of color feel heard, supported, and safe. Question 3 I have been involved in several nonprofit organizations and community work programs, which have helped me grow personally and professionally. These experiences have taught me a great deal about laws, community issues, and how to address them effectively. One of the most impactful experiences I had was serving as the president of a nonprofit program called Youth in Action. In this program, we focused on identifying problems in our local communities and around the world, then working together to create real solutions. We advocated for minority groups and organized events to raise awareness. One of our major initiatives involved inviting police officers from our community to sit down with us and have open conversations. We discussed how many young people, especially youth of color, feel unsafe and targeted by law enforcement. These dialogues were difficult but necessary, and they helped build understanding on both sides. Question 4 At my school, I served as a SafeBAE Ambassador, where I spoke out against sexual violence and emphasized the importance of consent. I gave a presentation on consent and how society often fails to take it seriously. I also discussed gender bias and how it affects the way we talk about sexual violence. This was a very taboo topic, and I noticed that some students looked at me strangely or chose not to pay attention. At first, I felt uncomfortable, but I quickly reminded myself why I was doing this work. I am an advocate, and I won’t let others’ opinions stop me from standing up for what’s right. What I took away from that experience was the importance of never backing down and always standing ten toes down on what I believe in. Question 5 If given the opportunity, I would focus on supporting youth of color and those from historically marginalized communities. My goal would be to offer workshops, develop inclusive curriculums, and create mentorship programs that equip young people with the tools they need for effective civic engagement. I would also connect youth with opportunities to engage in issues that are relevant to them, such as racial justice, community safety, education equity, and mental health. My goal is to empower the next generation to be changemakers, leaders, and advocates in their own right.

One of my greatest personal achievements is coming out of my shell and growing into the person I’ve always wanted to be. From a young age, I’ve had a deep passion for helping others and a strong sense of empathy. But for a long time, I struggled with self-doubt and lacked confidence. I often compared myself to others and believed that success meant simply reaching the top. Over time, I learned that true success is about lifting others as you rise. Freshman year of high school was one of the most difficult times in my life. I isolated myself, focused solely on academics, and lost touch with the joy and connection that once gave me purpose. I felt invisible, like I was just going through the motions. Everything started to change when I watched a motivational video that said, “Sometimes in life, you're not always given a second chance.” That quote hit me hard. I realized I couldn’t keep shrinking myself to fit in. I had to take charge of my own story. I began by taking small but meaningful steps reconnecting with my passions, challenging myself, and saying "yes" to the opportunities that once scared me. I traveled alone to Maine for sexual violence prevention training with SafeBAE, stepped into leadership roles with Rhode Island for Community Justice (RICJ), and found a supportive community that believed in my voice. I interned with Brown University’s Health Department, took pre-college psychology courses through Summer@Brown, and discovered a passion for mental health and social justice. At school, I served as the civic and student liaison, joined the student advisory board, and mentored my peers through programs like MAC, Empower Her, and ALPHAS. I led as cheer captain and mental health peer educator, created a prototype app through Brown’s YEP program to reduce community littering, and served as the Rhode Island Youth Health Ambassador. I also interned with programs like ASM, METEE, and YWEC, and advocated for consent education as a SafeBAE ambassador. One of the most transformative experiences was studying abroad in Cape Verde through the Global Leadership Journey program, where I completed a capstone on the normalization of violence and explored how different cultures respond to trauma. As vice president of the Youth Action Council, I led racial healing events, honored 9/11 survivors, and helped distribute food to the homeless. Through all these experiences, I rediscovered my voice and redefined what leadership means to me. Today, I lead with empathy, integrity, and a deep commitment to equity because the point isn't to rise alone, but to bring others with you. This journey has not only shaped who I am, but it also helped me discover my purpose. In the future, I hope to become an attorney and work in Big Law for a few years. Then, I want to return to the city where I grew up and serve as mayor. My focus will be on improving education by pushing for stronger, more inclusive curricula and expanding opportunities for students in underserved communities. Eventually, I also plan to open a nonprofit that supports youth in the foster care system giving them the tools, mentorship, and community they need to thrive.

A personal achievement I am most proud of is coming out of my shell and growing into the person I’ve always wanted to be. From a young age, I’ve had a passion for helping others and a strong sense of empathy. But for a long time, I lacked self-confidence. I doubted myself constantly and compared my progress to others. I used to think that success was only about getting to the top. but I’ve since learned that true success means lifting others as you climb. Freshman year of high school was one of the hardest times of my life. I isolated myself, focused only on grades, and felt like I was simply going through the motions. I was disconnected from joy, purpose, and community. Everything changed when I saw a motivational video that said, “Sometimes in life, you're not always given a second chance.” That quote stuck with me. I realized that I couldn’t keep shrinking myself to blend in. I needed to take ownership of my life. So I started small: reconnecting with my passions, opening myself up to new experiences, and saying "yes" to opportunities that once scared me. I traveled alone to Maine for sexual violence prevention training through SafeBAE. I stepped into leadership roles with Rhode Island for Community Justice (RICJ), where I found a community that believed in my voice. I interned with Brown University’s Health Department and took pre-college psychology courses through Summer@Brown, which deepened my interest in mental health. At school, I became the civic and student liaison, served on the student advisory board, and mentored others through programs like MAC, Empower Her, and ALPHAS. I led as cheer captain and as a mental health peer educator. I created a prototype app to reduce littering in my community through Brown’s YEP program. I served as the Rhode Island Youth Health Ambassador, interned through ASM and the METEE and YWEC programs, and raised awareness about consent as a SafeBAE ambassador. One of the most life-changing experiences was studying abroad in Cape Verde through the Global Leadership Journey, where I completed a capstone on the normalization of violence and explored cultural responses to trauma. As vice president of the Youth Action Council, I organized racial healing events, honored 9/11 survivors, and distributed food to the homeless. Each of these experiences helped me reclaim my voice and redefine what leadership means to me. Today, I lead with empathy, purpose, and a commitment to inclusion because the point isn’t to rise alone, but to bring others with you.

I’ve been volunteering since freshman year—not because it was required or to build my resume, but because I genuinely love being active and giving back to my community. Over the years, I’ve noticed different issues in my community, and each time, I’ve felt inspired to do something about them. One of the first problems I saw was how much litter was in my neighborhood. During a program I joined called YEP (Young Entrepreneurs Program) through Brown University, my group and I came up with an idea for a nonprofit and created a mock-up for an app that would show the closest trash cans, garbage pick-up days, and local clean-up efforts. It was a small idea, but it made me realize how tech and creativity can be used to help solve everyday problems. In sophomore year, I became a Rhode Island Youth Health Ambassador, where we worked on raising awareness about mental health in schools. We ran campaigns to open up conversations about how students were feeling and how to support one another. Around the same time, I joined SafeBAE, a nonprofit that focuses on ending sexual assault among teens. I went to their convention, got trained as a peer educator, and then started a club at my school. With my co-advisor’s help, I trained students to be peer educators too, and we held an assembly teaching our classmates about consent, their Title IX rights, and hosted awareness events like Denim Day. In junior year, I joined my school’s advisory board. We focused on reducing food waste from school lunches and finding ways to improve chronic absenteeism. We even partnered with a company that helped us reuse leftover food in a safe way, which was a really impactful project. This year, as a senior, I became a Civic Liaison and worked with the AP Government class to help students become more civically engaged. On May 30th, we’re actually bringing a real voting machine to school for a mock election to help students understand how voting works. I’ve also been serving as Vice President of a nonprofit where we give food to the homeless, teach students about mental wellness, financial literacy, and train new peer educators for SafeBAE. Each experience has shown me that change doesn’t have to start big—it just has to start somewhere. Giving back to my community has helped me grow as a person and a leader, and I hope to keep doing this kind of work long after high school.

One issue in my community that I’ve taken the initiative to address is littering and environmental neglect in local neighborhoods. Growing up in a low-income area, I noticed how often public spaces were filled with trash and how few resources were available to keep them clean. It bothered me that this issue was so normalized—especially in communities like mine, where we already face so many other challenges. I realized that cleaner environments not only improve health and safety, but also restore a sense of pride and care in our neighborhoods. That belief motivated me to act. Through the Young Entrepreneurs Program at Brown University, I created a business plan for a mobile app that helps people locate the nearest trash cans and recycling bins. The idea was simple: if people knew where to dispose of their waste properly, they’d be less likely to litter. But the goal behind it was much bigger. I wanted to create a tool that encourages responsibility and makes environmental awareness more accessible, especially for younger people. I also hoped to spark conversations around how the environment we live in affects our mindset and quality of life. So far, the project has helped me build leadership, design-thinking, and problem-solving skills. I pitched the app to mentors, refined my idea with their feedback, and learned how to think strategically about impact. More importantly, I saw how a small idea could address a real-world issue—and that empowered me to keep going. In the future, I would love to partner with local government, schools, and community organizations to turn the app into a real, functioning tool. I’d also like to lead cleanup campaigns and workshops that involve youth in environmental advocacy. This would not only help reduce litter but also build a culture of accountability and care for our shared spaces. I believe the more people feel invested in their community, the more they’ll work to protect it. My motivation comes from my personal experiences—growing up in a place where people deserve more than they’re given. I’ve learned that change doesn’t always start with big systems. Sometimes, it starts with one person who sees a problem and chooses to act. I want to be that person. By continuing to develop my idea and expand this work, I hope to leave my community better than I found it.

My name is Enetu, and I am a 17-year-old first-generation student raised by a single mother. I come from a low-income background, and my journey has not been easy. I’ve experienced deep loss, lived through financial hardship, and recently, my family’s home burned down. These challenges could have been reasons for me to give up—but I’ve never seen them that way. Instead, I use every obstacle as motivation to rise, push harder, and become the first so others can follow. I want to be the first Black woman in the room, the first on the stage, the first at the table—so I can open the door for many more to come after me. I’ve never allowed my circumstances to define my potential. I’ve actively sought out opportunities to lead, serve, and grow. I participated in the Young Entrepreneurs Program at Brown University, where I created a business plan for an app that helps reduce littering by guiding people to nearby trash cans in their community. As a Rhode Island Health Ambassador, I advocate for health issues affecting underserved populations. I’ve also served on the Student Advisory Board, Principal’s Cabinet, and as a Student Liaison—fighting for student voices to be heard and respected. Leadership is important to me, but so is impact. I’ve participated in programs like the Youth Action Council, Global Leadership, and SafeBAE, where I help raise awareness about consent and prevent sexual violence among youth. These experiences have shaped me into someone who leads with empathy, purpose, and strength. Mentorship has been one of the most powerful tools in my life. From a therapist in 10th grade who shared my interest in psychology, to a mentor in 12th grade who was a business attorney, each person has helped me shape my future. Their guidance helped me discover my passion for law and my dream of becoming a lawyer—one who protects the rights of the unheard, and stands for justice in every form. Despite everything I’ve been through—losing loved ones, facing financial struggle, and surviving a house fire—I choose resilience. I choose to move forward, to represent my community with pride, and to use every experience to become stronger, wiser, and more driven. This scholarship would allow me to attend Howard University and continue building a life rooted in advocacy, education, and leadership. I don’t want to just succeed for myself—I want to pave the way so others like me know it’s possible.

My name is Enetu, and I am a proud first-generation, low-income student raised by a resilient single mother. My journey has been shaped by empathy, advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to breaking generational barriers—not just for myself, but for my community. Throughout high school, I’ve devoted myself to service and leadership in many forms. I have volunteered with Youth in Action and Action Through the Nonprofit for Justice, where I learned how to use my voice to advocate for equity in education and community policy. I served on my school’s advisory board to help make sure student concerns were heard, and I became a health ambassador for the state of Rhode Island, helping educate communities on health resources and access. One of my most transformative experiences was my internship at Brown Health, where I helped transport patients throughout the hospital. This work taught me humility, urgency, and the importance of compassion in every interaction. I also participated in a special outreach program at the University of Rhode Island, where we performed for children with disabilities to teach them about road safety and emergency preparedness. These moments reminded me that service can be joyful, powerful, and deeply human. Currently, I serve as a civic liaison at my high school. I’m organizing a mock election to help students learn about their voting rights and the importance of civic engagement. I believe in teaching others how to advocate for themselves and for others—because that’s how real change begins. I’ve recently committed to Howard University, a school that represents excellence, history, and the same commitment to justice and leadership that drives me. Attending Howard means everything to me. It’s the place where I will grow, learn, and continue building the tools I need to give back to my community on a larger scale. However, just as I was preparing for this next chapter, my family suffered a devastating setback—our home caught on fire. This unexpected tragedy has placed enormous stress on my single mother, who is already doing everything she can to support me. On top of that, Howard is currently expecting her to take out a $27,000 loan, which she may not even qualify for. This financial burden has cast uncertainty on my ability to attend my dream school. I am applying for this scholarship because it would significantly lower the cost of my education and bring me closer to my goal of being the first in my family to graduate college. I see higher education not just as a personal achievement, but as a way to break cycles of poverty and limitation. I want to prove that where you start doesn’t determine where you end up—and that someone like me, raised with little but full of hope, can make a meaningful impact in the world. This scholarship would not just support my college education—it would support a future rooted in service, leadership, and resilience. Thank you for considering my story and for helping students like me dream bigger.