There is an old saying, “There is no place like home.” That philosophy has been spread everywhere from generation to generation, lands to lands, and families far and wide. Even in the popular old Hollywood smash hit, The Wizard of Oz, that of all the exotic places you may roam, and all the beautiful scenery that captures your sight, the only thing everyday that crosses your mind is the will to trudge on and return to where your heart resides. This phenomena that resides with so many of us unconsciously is the grave illness of being homesick. But what is the alleviation of this powerful yearning that has infected so many of us? Immigrating to America eleven years ago was not an easy task. Not only did I have to deal with the culture shock of living in a new country where I didn’t know the customs, people and language that well, I also had to deal with bullying until I was a senior in high school. It didn’t help that my family and I lived in a neighborhood with high rates of substance abuse and an above-average poverty level. Despite all of this, I made an effort to never limit myself and to always strive for the best. I remember the idiom: “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” which often encourages me to never give up and continue going after the things I’ve set my mind to. While I’ve undoubtedly hit many roadblocks in my pursuit of education, I always try to recall the many sacrifices that my family and I have made to be able to make it thus far. I sometimes remember the discouraging words that have been spoken to me by advisors and friends when I’ve spoken of my dreams. Being told “You’ll fail” and “How on earth will you achieve that” can take shots at one’s self confidence. However, when one understands that sometimes even shooting for the sky can be limiting, they’ll find that those words lose the effect that they were supposed to have on them. One of my long-term goals include going back to school to get my Ph.D. in economics. Today, as the world faces COVID-19 which is disproportionately impacting Black lives and a national movement to stop police brutality, it’s crucial that Black women be represented in the field of economics. The exposure that I got into introduction to economics classes was to consider “all things equal,” assuming that racism didn’t exist, and that society was perfect. This is what many people are trained on. There needs to be a more nuanced approach and a diversity of thought in economics as it relates to appreciating interdisciplinary research. By getting my Ph.D. in economics and venturing into the economic research sector, I hope to advance the field of economics by increasing the diversity of the voices asking impactful economics questions and finding creative solutions. The AMPLIFY Immigrant Students Scholarship will have a significant impact on my education because although I've decided to go to a state school where my tuition is cheaper, other expenses such as room and board, course fees, and books are not covered by the school and must be paid out of pocket. I plan on using the scholarship to offset some of these educational expenses.

In just a matter of weeks, the lives of people all around the world have been turned upside down due to COVID-19. Many lives have been lost, millions of Americans and people in other countries have lost their jobs, all schools have been closed and students and faculty alike have now transitioned to distance learning, and the prices of food have increased due to heightened demand. However, in all of this, I along with many people all over the world, have found comfort, humor, support, and peace in the time of COVID-19 because of the uplifting songs in my playlist.

I had never had a mentor before. Then I received the Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA) scholarship at Prince George’s Community College. The scholarship covers college students’ tuitions and matches them with a mentor in the career fields that they aspire to be in. Asha Teelock is a senior analyst at MetLife Investment Management. Despite her busy schedule, she ensured that we met up throughout the month to check my academic progress and how I was doing mentally. She gave me career and life advice that has contributed to my current success. I admire Asha Teelock because she’s making a difference in STEM by committing herself yearly to being a mentor to underrepresented students at Prince George’s Community College. Mentorship is severely lacking in our generation, but especially in minority communities. They deserve the professional socialization and personal support to facilitate success in Community College and beyond that comes from mentorship. Growing up, I used to think economics was boring because I reduced it to being a field that only studied scarcity, decision-making, and how people used resources and responded to incentives. I wasn't aware that economics could help answer questions such as: "What causes recessions?" "Why do women earn less than men?" and "Why are some countries rich and some countries poor?" As I've taken some economics classes, I've grown to realize that it's such a broad field that can help me understand historical trends and even make predictions in the coming years. Having both lived in the United States and Nigeria and not only seeing but experiencing income inequality as well as the disparity in the quality of education received by the rich and poor inspired me to study economics. I wanted to get an understanding of the economy, its effect on my life, and how the decisions of every consumer affect it. I love how the field intersects many disciplines such as the environment, health, education, and immigration. After working for some time, I plan on going back to school to get my Ph.D. in economics. Today, as the world faces COVID-19 which is disproportionately impacting Black lives and a national movement to stop police brutality, it’s crucial that Black women be represented in the field of economics. The exposure that I got into introduction to economics classes was to consider “all things equal,” assuming that racism didn’t exist and that society was perfect. This is what many people are trained on. There needs to be a more nuanced approach and a diversity of thought in economics as it relates to appreciating interdisciplinary research and also looking at behavioral economics. By getting my Ph.D. in economics and venturing into the economic research sector, I hope to advance the field of economics by increasing the diversity of the voices asking impactful economics questions and finding creative solutions.

Her almond-shaped brown eyes are often gazing; the dark brow on her glowy forehead furrowed as they too crease in concentration; the full, long lips of her wrinkle-free face curves her mouth into a smile as she focuses. This is the way my mother learns, the way she chooses, calculates, examines, and teaches. This is the facial expression that I have been raised under, the look to which I can ascribe every mannerism in my being. It is the look that defines my mother, and the look that has created me. This look — those deep-set eyes, the closed lips, the sharp and sarcastic tongue — has taught me patience, perseverance, strength, and sacrifice. My mother's eyebrows taught me perseverance and love, a mark left over from her adolescence. She grew up surrounded by hatred and destruction. Death, abandonment, and war. Abused and tested by her mother, aunts, and siblings, my mother was forced to be her family’s person before she was seventeen; she was forced to be her own person. No matter how hard she tries to conceal the evocative images, the twinge in her brow and back remains the keepsake. It tells me, she tells me, that I don’t have to limit myself. She teaches me the importance of loving others but never forgetting to love yourself. She taught me boldness. It’s never easy to take the first step without a supporting hand. But it’s possible. I learned strength from her mouth: her pursed lips and the slight smirk. It was the mouth that held in the tears, held back the cruel words, and held up her chin. It was the mouth that kissed me as a child and smiled at my inquisitiveness, despite the poverty, despite the suffering, and the corruption. To this day, I don’t understand how she managed to care for an infant, maintain a teaching career and never miss any honor roll award ceremonies back in our native country, Nigeria. But the strength that she possessed, that she still possesses despite being worked to the bone, the sleepless nights, and the responsibility. Strength in the face of trials and tribulations, strength when there’s nothing or nobody to support you — is priceless. Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose, and strength is made perfect in weakness, but sacrifice is the greatest of them all. And that’s what I see every time I stare into my mother’s eyes. I can never repay her, nor begin to thank her for every opportunity she gave me. But I’ll never forget it because I can see it every time she looks at me. What can I have learned from my mother? How to be myself, how to never limit my abilities and how to be better than I currently am. And I’m always observing, always learning, and discovering something new about my mother. And all I have to do is stare at her. It’s written there in her face. All I have to do is stare.