My perseverance has allowed me to demonstrate impeccable performance in college, and in my personal life. I gifted myself the gift of life and opportunity by choosing to have faith and overcome many challenges. My background establishes me as "unlikely" to be successful in society because I was a part of the lowest sector of poverty and opportunity. College was initially not an option for me because no one in my family understood the college process. I was trying to understand where my faith would take me through many challenging times. It was my passion, grit, innovation, determination and willingness to learn that granted me with opportunities. By staying perseverant I was able to be the change that I wanted to see in my family lineage. I am not another statistic in society and that is what makes me unique. I am extremely grateful for the experience education has granted me during my time at Northern Illinois University. In order to give back to the community I started volunteering at various organizations locally. Local organizations include Feed my Starving Children, The Salvation Army, and The animal shelter, not limited to children's events at my university. One particular summer I was taking an education class as an elective, and I became acquainted with my professor. I learned that she owned a school in Africa, so I asked her if I could volunteer to teach the students and donate a few school supply kits for the students national exams. Two weeks after asking her, I was in Kenya teaching the students business skills, calculus and sharing my stories about persevering through challenges. My goal was for the students to understand that if they persevere they could accomplish anything they desired. I wanted the students to understand how perseverance could set them apart from their dreams and their reality, and from their peers and competitors. At this point in time I knew my faith led me to help others because the challenges I overcame could help someone else who may be experiencing similar situations. I was the first in my family to go out of the country. (in December 2021 -January 2022) I promised the students I would go back to Kenya after receiving my bachelors degree (August 2022) After going Kenya and volunteering at the school, and also receiving 90 hours in total for community service locally, my university awarded me as community service champion. Currently, I am a August 2022 candidate for a bachelors of science in marketing. My plan after graduation is to continue into the digital marketing masters program at Northern Illinois University. I plan to be an innovative leader in the marketing industry and work at a fortune 500 company. I have two classes during the summer. This scholarship would assist with the financial excess cost for those two classes, and complete my bachelors degree. Thank you for your consideration and review of my application. You can view my LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahnetta-jones/ Sincerely, Jahnetta Jones