I am Ezaria Alexander, a young African American woman from the Metro Atlanta area in Georgia. Being from this area, I am surrounded by so many brilliant people of color who have worked very hard for what they have. My school has a club tied to a larger organization called Girls Who Code. As a club member, Girls Who Code has allowed me to meet other people with the same interest in tech as I do. It's not just any type of people I am meeting in this club; I am meeting other women of color interested in tech. I have been a member of this club since the seventh grade, and from dedicating so much of my time to this club, I have become highly devoted to becoming a part of the tech industry. From being in this club, I learned that the tech industry needs to have the social and moral obligation to be inclusive to all its consumers because everyone should feel like a product is made to make them more comfortable. Tech industries should consider all dimensions of one's identity, including age, culture, race, technology proficiency, disability, etc. The extent to which you create a product that would be inclusive to all is endless since there are always ways to improve upon work. It is not only necessary to make sure that you are doing something so that you will be able to represent everyone but also respect them. Showing the consumers that you appreciate them will create benefits for all. The industry will be getting more business, and the consumer will feel like there is an industry that can adequately and respectfully represent them. Knowing that so many of us women of color are interested in tech, I have a new confidence to pursue a major in computer science, which would make me the first person in my family to attend a four-year college. Being the first person in my family to plan to attend a four-year institution means I should do something significant with the degree. When I enter the tech industry as a computer engineer, I will work towards creating my own tech business that will also bring attention to environmental health. I firmly believe that by not using recycling products, we are constantly adding more and more dumps on the earth that will eventually be burned up, causing damage to the atmosphere. My business will focus on renewing devices by taking parts of out-of-date computers and making them new and improved by recycling the old. The recycled but new devices will be at a much lower price than the computers you see today because I aim to make something that everyone can look forward to having, no matter their socioeconomic status.

I am Ezaria Alexander, a young African-American woman from Atlanta, Ga. When I think of Atlanta, I think of a city full of successful black people and businesses. Although I live in such a concentrated black area, I attend a majority-white school, and it has always been difficult for me to feel like I genuinely belong around them. Being at a majority white school gets more difficult every day as so much is happening in the media, such as the black lives matter movement. When I see all of these things in the media affecting black people, it always makes me pay attention to the reactions of those at my school. I am always disappointed to learn that many of my white peers will tend to ignore what is happening because it does not affect them. Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCUs is the perfect place for me. I am choosing to attend an HBCU in the fall of 2023 because going there will allow me to discover my true self. My whole life, I have gone to majority-white schools. Being at majority-white schools my entire life has not allowed me to have my own personality. It seems like I was always catching myself "code-switching" when I was around people who would judge me if I acted in any other manner. The only way that I have ever been able to meet people that are like me is through Black/minority-based clubs such as the Black student union. In addition, HBCUs do something that predominantly white institutions do not do, and that is accurately teaching Black history, which is a subject that tends to get lost or left out of the curriculum at white institutions.

My school has a club tied to a larger organization called Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code has allowed me to meet other people with the same interest in tech as I do. It's not just any type of people I am meeting in this club; I am meeting other women of color who are interested in tech. I have been a member of this club since the seventh grade, and from dedicating so much of my time to this club, I have become highly devoted to becoming a part of the tech industry. Knowing that so many of us women of color are interested in tech, I have a new confidence to pursue a major in computer science, which would make me the first person in my family to attend a four-year college. Being the first person in my family to plan to attend a four-year institution means I should do something significant with the degree. When I get into the tech industry as a computer engineer, I will work towards creating my own tech business that will also bring attention to environmental health. I firmly believe that by not using recycling products, we are constantly adding more and more dumps on the earth that will eventually be burned up, causing damage to the atmosphere. To prevent adding unnecessary mess, my business will focus on renewing devices by taking parts of out-of-date computers and making them new and improved by recycling the old. The recycled but new devices will be at a much lower price than the computers you see today because I aim to make something that everyone can look forward to having, no matter their socioeconomic status. The tech industry needs to have the social and moral obligation to be inclusive to all its consumers because everyone should feel like a product is made to make them more comfortable. Tech industries should pay attention to all dimensions of one's identity, including age, culture, race, technology proficiency, disability, etc. The extent to which you create a product that would be inclusive to all is endless since there are always ways to improve upon work. It is not only necessary to make sure that you are doing something so that you will be able to represent everyone but also respect them. Showing the consumers that you appreciate them will create benefits for all. The industry will be getting more business, and the consumer will feel like there is an industry that can adequately and respectfully represent them.

Integrity is “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.” My definition of integrity also means being honest with oneself, staying true to myself, and doing what I think is right. I incorporate integrity into my life by ensuring I am not a fool to fall for peer pressure and do what I feel is right. I have been in several situations where people want to see me act out of character, but because I show integrity and honor to myself, I know that for myself. I also incorporate integrity into my daily life with the little things like telling my mom about my day or making sure that I study and do homework instead of looking up the answers. Making sure I show integrity every day has helped me not to worry about hiding the truth from people because I would never put myself in an uncomfortable situation like that. Without lying to people, I can also have a very peaceful life and not worry about losing precious relationships by making stupid decisions that won’t benefit me. I want others to tell me that I am dependable and accountable as I weave my way around problems I may encounter as a leader.