I have lived in a divorced family my whole life, and I have been lucky enough to have loving parents in both households. My dad is a legal African immigrant, who came by himself to America, my mom is a US citizen, and I have my younger sister who is also my best friend. Though a lot of the time we have been lower income, my life has been very fulfilling, and full of love. One of the things that made my life the most fulfilled was soccer. That sport gave me confidence, friends, leadership, and a good headspace. Whenever school or home was rough I would play soccer. If I was having a bad day I would turn to soccer. I didn’t know what I would do without the sport in my life. Until three years ago I had played nonstop. I tore my ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus at a game, and was given a 2 year recovery plan. My life went downhill fast. I fell into a deep depression and became suicidal. I was in that place for a very long time, but once I was able to pass a ball again, I started to recover physically and mentally. My hero, soccer player Virgil VanDijk got me through the tougher times as he’d had the same injury and came back to the game. I worked hard through community college, and found my place. I had physical therapy, and trainers available to me, who helped me get into the best shape of my life and playing again. I was happy for a while, until September of 2024. We lived with my grandparents to help with cost of living, and my mom’s dad assaulted her. There were authorities involved and he lied. For 6 months we were evicted from the house, and forced to live with someone else. As of March 2025, we were finally allowed to come back, and all charges had been dropped. I hesitated to go to college as it would be too expensive for me and my family, but my mom encouraged me to go because it was my dream. I work hard, and am dedicated to my schooling and career. I hope to be a marine conservationist, and somehow continue to incorporate soccer into my life. This scholarship would mean the world to me, and be the biggest help for me to achieve my dreams academically and professionally.

As a surfer, fisher, and oceanic wildlife enthusiast, I want to protect our precious oceans to help maintain the health and wellbeing of everything on our planet. I understand that the ocean itself and the things that inhabit it are essential to our world. I truly believe it is my calling to protect those that do not have a voice to protect themselves. I’ve always specifically been fascinated by sharks and the misunderstandings that surround them. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to know what I wanted to do with my life from a very young age. I watched the nature documentaries with sharks, and I always thought they were unfairly mistreated. They are a key species to the delicate balance of our ecosystem and once I get my degree, I will use it to protect them. I want to apply my education to get through to others and hopefully save the species we have left. Getting my degree would help me get into a field where I can help put my dreams into motion. I would start locally, and focusing on certain audiences by promoting sustainable fishing techniques, and explaining why it is important to adopt them. Then, I would expand my knowledge and voice to larger audiences. I want to help create reserves, protect wildlife, and rehabilitate species endangered from human exploitation. I would use governments and their vast resources and power to enforce rules and regulations for the betterment of the planet. I could use what I learned to help make the oceans heal, become healthy, and thrive once more. I think that if I share what I know to enough of the right people I can truly help our oceans heal and flourish once again. I have a genuine love and passion for learning about the ocean and how I can better take care of it. Learning the biology aspect could help me get into bioengineering or become an entrepreneur of a business or nonprofit that focuses on sustainability. I am transferring to Hawaii to help get hands on experience with sharks and working in labs, but I am in need of some financial help. I will be the first college graduate for my immediate family and am so grateful to start this new chapter of my life, and finally put my hopes and dreams into motion. I’m prepared and excited for hard work and new experiences that await me.