Forging a New Path to the Classroom My journey to education technology did not begin in a lecture hall, but on a factory floor. For fifteen years, I worked as a production supervisor, where my most important duty was not managing output, but nurturing potential. I spent countless hours training young hires, many from my own community, and witnessed a familiar frustration in their eyes—not a lack of intelligence, but a deep-seated belief that traditional education had failed them. That frustration became my catalyst. At 40, I am now pursuing a Master’s in Educational Technology to bridge the gap between their potential and the systems that should serve them. My resilience is not that of a student overcoming a single obstacle, but that of a man who has spent two decades building a life and is now brave enough to rebuild his purpose to serve others. This pivot is my greatest act of resilience. It means setting aside a stable career to embrace the financial and personal uncertainty of becoming a student again. It means studying late into the night after putting my own children to bed, demonstrating that the pursuit of knowledge has no age limit. My life experience is my greatest asset; I understand the practical needs of learners who have been left behind because I have sat with them in break rooms and listened. My mission is to leverage technology to create equitable, accessible, and engaging learning tools for adult and non-traditional students. I envision digital platforms that honor different learning styles and life experiences, particularly within Black and Brown communities. This isn’t an abstract goal—it is a necessity. I have seen the talent that is overlooked and the minds that are untapped because the right tools to reach them do not yet exist. The Mireya Manigault Memorial Scholarship would be a profound affirmation of this mission. It would directly alleviate the significant financial burden of returning to school, allowing me to focus on developing the sophisticated, culturally responsive learning software I propose. More than that, it would represent an investment in a vision of education that is inclusive, practical, and transformative. This scholarship would empower me to build a legacy of empowerment, ensuring that the next generation of learners is met with a system that sees their potential and has the technological tools to nurture it. I am not just changing my career; I am working to change the paradigm, and I am committed to honoring Mireya’s memory by building a future where every learner has the tools to succeed