Volunteering is defined as work performed for the betterment of the community. As I reflect on my volunteering experience, I realize that giving back transcends this definition. Throughout my upbringing, I witnessed my mom's ritual of delivering pans brimming with food to the Daily Bread Community Kitchen every first Monday of the month after receiving her paycheck. After taking care of her expenses, she would set aside $50 and some coupons to purchase ingredients for donating meals to the Kitchen. The summer when I turned 12, I had the privilege of joining her in the kitchen, learning to cook my first meal, which was destined for donation. She taught me to dice bell peppers, onions, and garlic, adding them to the tomato sauce to create delicious spaghetti. These moments spent cooking not only deepened our bond but also allowed us to cherish precious time in each other's company. As time went on, my culinary skills expanded as I continued to help her cook dishes to donate. Whenever we could spare some time, we served food to members of our community who faced food insecurity. The gratitude shared by those we served left an indelible mark on my heart. That transformative summer enlightened me with a passion for the spirit of giving. It awakened a sense of community-centeredness within me that continues to thrive to this very day. Currently, I serve as a youth board director for a local nonprofit known as Family Connections Communities in Schools (FC-CIS). FC-CIS supports Neighborhood Leaders who work one-on-one with low-income students and their families. They offer assistance in providing diapers, and formulas, and work to fill in any gaps that may hinder a child’s health, academic readiness, and stability. I am now working to start a youth organization. Youth Neighborhood Leaders (YNLs) is a newly proposed program to work alongside current adult Neighborhood Leaders (NLs). NLs will mentor Athens high school students in activities such as food distributions, hygiene kits, and neighborhood cleanups. YNLs will also be key partners in strategic planning, producing the Athens Community Plan for Children. All of these diverse experiences, whether in the kitchen or gathering in meeting rooms, have molded me into the person I am today. These encounters have instilled within me the qualities of leadership, determination, patience, and wisdom that define a true community advocate. As I continue to navigate my journey, I embrace the invaluable lessons from every endeavor, and I wholeheartedly embrace the ongoing commitment to give back and make a positive difference in the lives of others. I am committed to continuing my meaningful work with FC-CIS for my community. However, my current circumstances, with two jobs, impose limitations on my ability to dedicate the time I desire to the organization. As a student without financial support from my parents, I bear the weight of funding my education, class expenses, and personal expenses. The strain of managing two jobs, one of which is low-paying as a front desk clerk and the other as a tutor with limited hours, often leaves me struggling to make ends meet. Often, I search for side hustles like focus groups or research studies to scrape together some additional funds. Unfortunately, this constant financial pressure has overshadowed my once innovative ideas to help my community, replacing them with stress, exhaustion, and fatigue as I try to balance a full-time college schedule and work. Receiving this scholarship would offer a lifeline. I would have the freedom to be a pillar member of my Athens community, actively engaging not only in my education but also in my service to others.

As a first-generation immigrant, my family's journey to the United States has been marked by numerous challenges, yet it has instilled in me a determination to succeed. My dad came in 2006 to pursue his passion: researching malaria. My mother joined him in 2009, and in 2012, my two sisters and I were finally able to be reunited with our parents, in Georgia, leaving behind our community in Senegal. Adjusting to this new reality meant relying solely on each other for support. That meant my parents took loans when their combined incomes couldn’t make ends meet and had to work weekends to pay off their debt so that we could be clothed and fed. When I became of working age, my financial needs became my responsibility. Despite the challenges that came with it, my parents instilled in us a powerful belief—that even though we lacked the luxuries others have, we possessed our minds, and through hard work, we could achieve anything. This belief ignited a fire within me, and amidst the difficulties, I set my sights on excelling academically. I worked hard to get accepted to the universities I applied to, became an active community advocate in my school district, and became valedictorian of my high school class. Now, as a computer science major, I continue to propel myself to a life of hard work and learning. I am a research assistant in a forestry resources lab that uses computer image processing to study population changes in species in Georgia. My love for learning is rooted in my family’s origin, struggles, and perseverance. My journey has taught me to embrace my future with gratitude, appreciating the progress I've made along the way. The resilience and spirit instilled in me by my family's experiences continue to drive me forward.