I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. My ambition is to be seen by my parents as a daughter and by my siblings as a sister. I'm afraid my family doesn't recognize me, and I want to be recognized for who I am rather than what I'm not.I am the oldest girl and the second oldest of ten children. In this environment, I am constantly reminded to put others first and that being selfless will pay me, especially as a daughter. I'm afraid that by breaking customs and following my own rhythm, I'm losing a piece of my culture and a piece of myself. I'm afraid of failing as well. I've spent my entire life surrounded by humans and caring for them. This is the first time in my life that I have had time to myself and care for myself. For the first time in my life, I am afraid of the unknown; previously, the unknown provided comfort because my life was a continuous disaster over which I had no control. It was in middle school that I recognized I needed help to cope with underlying difficulties. Mental health concerns are not discussed in African households, so it was difficult for my parents to comprehend what I was going through.I was treated for depression, anxiety, and anger disorders. My breaking point was in 7th grade when my former best friend had been raped at the age of 12 and had a baby at the age of 13. I had to be hospitalized as a result of that tragic experience, as well as other family concerns. Even though I was taught appropriate coping strategies in school and in counseling, I can honestly state that I never had time to deal with my mental illness; instead, I found other methods to occupy my mind and time, such as sports and marching in the school band. I've always felt like I wasn't good enough because of my attempts to persuade my parents to view me as more than a daughter, which has led me to refuse to seek aid or support from others, even in time of need. I created a wall around myself at an early age to protect myself from emotional anguish because I can't physically feel it. Prior to this, my method of coping with everything was to simply ignore it and let whatever occurs happen. Because I grew up with that wall around me, I have problems reading social cues and empathizing with people. I understand that in order to achieve and pursue my goals, I must take care of my mental health. I'm spending a lot of time on myself and taking mental days when I need them, as well as getting plenty of sleep. I want to be the first in my family to earn a bachelor's degree and set an example for my younger siblings. I aspire to work as immigration or criminal defense attorney. My mission is to fight for justice and to assist individuals who are powerless or without a voice in finding their way. In the future, I hope to live overseas after graduation and participate in the Fulbright program to provide community service. I aspire to return to my home country to teach English to girls and assist them in discovering and exploring themselves as powerful women. By pushing myself over the limits I set for myself, I've accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, and it's given me goals and dreams.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space,I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work and validated my decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I recently got my Associate in Paralegal Studies with a 3.6 GPA and transferring to the University of Richmond to finish it off as a Bachelor. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I don't want money to be the reason why I stop dreaming. I'm a college student who's carrying myself without my parent's financial support. This money will help me reach one step closer to my dreams.

My mom is the reason I am the way I am, the good and bad. My mother was born in Burundi, Africa. Her mother had about 15 kids and she was the middle kid, therefore my grandparents couldn't afford to give her an education. My mom got married to my dad in her early 20's and my dad was in his early 40's. My parents immigrated to Tanzania, southeast Africa when a civil war broke out in Burundi. I was born in a foreign land and lived there until I was about six years old and then we immigrated again to the United States of America after another civil war broke out. My mom left everything, and everyone in her family when we came here. My dad had family here but unfortunately, my mothers didn't. We were promised the dream life when we got here. Immigration moved us to 2 bedroom apartment for 6 people including an infant and on the third floor. When we got here, no one knew how to speak the language, or where to go, or who to ask for help. My mom had to teach herself, how to use the simple things that normal people would know how to use such as the stove or microwave, and then she would teach the rest of the family. Since my mother didn't know how to read or write in our home language, so she never learned English to this day, she still struggles with it. My mom's first job was at the Jefferson Hotel, which was 30 minutes away from my house. She would walk 15 minutes to catch the bus and then walk another 5 or so when the bus drops her off. She did this until she was pregnant with her seventh kid. My mom and my dad walked everything to get everything including groceries and food on the table. She was the first one in my family to get her permit and license, therefore making it easier to do everyday chores. After a couple of years, my mother worked at a warehouse that sold cold cheese that has meat wrapped around. My mom hated that job because it was freezing cold and it was making her weaker and sicker, but she stayed there for about five solid years because she had to provide for the family no matter the cost. When she left the place, she was pregnant with her ninth kid, and could no longer work there and stand the cold. As growing up I saw the struggle my mother was going through, working day and night to provide for us and still try her best to give us the world. Seeing her struggle, made me promise myself that I was going to give her the world when I grow up. Hard work and dedication are the values my mother taught me. When I chose my career path, I choose a path that mostly gives me a stable future and still fights for what I believe in. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had actually become a college student. Earn a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds... I also received a promotion at Feed More just after my one-year anniversary on the job. My mother made it all possible.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work. I grew up suffering from depression and anxieties, consistently wondering, whether I was good enough or if I was just killing myself trying to become someone that I was not. I feel like I felt small my whole life that I want to pick a field where I was in control, where people would listen to me when I spoke, where when I spoke the whole room would be quiet and when I showed my pieces of evidence it wouldn't be brushed off as if it was nothing. I chose my future career based on how I felt growing up, how I have been belittled my whole life, and how what I said didn't matter simply because of my gender. I want to change how African women are viewed as in America and in my home country.

Hello, my name is Hiniye Madelaine,I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

Hello, my name is Hiniye Madelaine and I am applying for this scholarship because I can. I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

Hello, my name is Hiniye Madelaine and I am applying for this scholarship because I can. I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills.. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. In middle school, I've developed depression, anxiety, & anger issues. In seventh grade, my former best friend had got rape at 12 and had a baby at 13. With that traumatic event, I had to be hospitalized to be able to cope with that traumatic event and among other family issues. I found other healthier ways to help cope instead of self-harming. I started to play sports and march in the band in the school band. Because of trying to prove myself to my parents to see me as more than just a daughter, I've always thought that I was not good enough which led me to not want to lean on others for help or support. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women.

Hello, my name is Hiniye Madelaine and I am applying for this scholarship because I can. I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. In middle school, I've developed depression, anxiety, & anger issues. In seventh grade, my former best friend had got rape at 12 and had a baby at 13. With that traumatic event, I had to be hospitalized to be able to cope with that traumatic event and among other family issues. I found other healthier ways to help cope instead of self-harming. I started to play sports and march in the band in the school band. Because of trying to prove myself to my parents to see me as more than just a daughter, I've always thought that I was not good enough which led me to not want to lean on others for help or support. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

Hello, my name is Hiniye Madelaine and I am applying for this scholarship because I can. I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. Because of trying to prove myself to my parents to see me as more than just a daughter, I've always thought that I was not good enough which lead me to not want to lean to others for help or support. In middle school, I've developed depression, anxiety, & anger issues. In seventh grade, my former best friend had got rape at 12 and had a baby at 13. With that traumatic event, I had to be hospitalized to be able to cope with that traumatic event and among other family issues. I found other healthier ways to help cope instead of self-harming. I started to play sports and march in the band. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. Because of trying to prove myself to my parents to see me as more than just a daughter, I've always thought that I was not good enough which lead me to not want to lean to others for help or support. In middle school, I've developed depression, anxiety, & anger issues. In seventh grade, my former best friend had got rape at 12 and had a baby at 13. With that traumatic event, I had to be hospitalized to be able to cope with that traumatic event and among other family issues. I found other healthier ways to help cope instead of self-harming. I started to play sports and march in the band. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. Because of trying to prove myself to my parents to see me as more than just a daughter, I've always thought that I was not good enough which lead me to not want to lean to others for help or support. In middle school, I've developed depression, anxiety, & anger issues. In seventh grade, my former best friend had got rape at 12 and had a baby at 13. With that traumatic event, I had to be hospitalized to be able to cope with that traumatic event and among other family issues. I found other healthier ways to help cope instead of self-harming. I started to play sports and march in the band. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams.

Hello, my name is Hiniye Madelaine and I am applying for this scholarship because I can. I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

Hello, my name is Hiniye Madelaine and I am applying for this scholarship because I can. I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. That first semester flew by and before I knew it I had become a college student. Earning a 4.0 validated the hard work, validated the decision to leave H.S. early, but mostly validated me to myself! It turns out that investing in myself was contagious, I ended up working a full-time job during my spring semester. During the pandemic which was my summer semester, I worked 2 full-time jobs and went to school full time. I was elected Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Vice President for my college and was in charge of the recruitment committee and where we recently got our recruitment numbers above the 15 percent goal we had set. I’ve been on the Dean’s list and the President’s honor rolls every semester since I’ve been at Reynolds. Recently I received a promotion at the non-profit Feed More Just after passing my first anniversary on the job. Now I find myself dreaming of endless possibilities. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. I hope to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to live abroad after college and do some community service through the Fulbright program in the future. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams. I now believe that if you want something to happen or if you want to achieve the impossible, you have to grab it, claim it to be yours through hard work.

I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, southeast Africa, and I came to this foreign country when I was six years old. I am the second eldest of nine kids and the oldest girl. In this space, I am always asked to put myself second and was told that you will get rewarded when you are selfless, particularly as a daughter. I always put my education on hold because I was expected to become a housewife therefore, education is pointless or at least secondary. In my culture and tradition, it is very common for the man to be the one who gets both an education and to be the primary voice in the household. I am very determined to break those barriers and start a new tradition. Having loving parents who had no formal education of their own is difficult. They valued my education in theory, as part of the struggle to find my place in America, but at the end of the day, there is still that strong cultural pull towards an eventual role as a housewife. Being the eldest girl in this context has provided many life skills, but often you have to drop everything to support the family when something comes up. During high school, I found my aspirations diminished by a lack of imagination and the inability to find a model path I could follow. I stopped investing in the education side of things and graduated early under the mistaken belief that simply moving on to the next step would fix my concerns. I'm not sure that I was emotionally or academically ready to move to college, and I spent the early part of the semester working like crazy out of fear, spite, anger & curiosity of what would happen if I tried. Because of trying to prove myself to my parents to see me as more than just a daughter, I've always thought that I was not good enough which lead me to not want to lean to others for help or support. In middle school, I've developed depression, anxiety, & anger issues. In seventh grade, my former best friend had got rape at 12 and had a baby at 13. With that traumatic event, I had to be hospitalized to be able to cope with that traumatic event and among other family issues. I found other healthier ways to help cope instead of self-harming. I started to play sports and march in the band. I hope to become the first college graduate in my household and to be an example for my young siblings. My goal is to fight for justice and to help those who feel helpless or voiceless find their path. I hope to return to my home country one day to teach girls English and to help them discover and explore themselves as strong women. I have achieved much in a short time by pushing myself past the limits I set and it has given me aspirations and dreams.