To start, I’m an international student from Nigeria. However, I previously lived the first half of my life in the United Kingdom before relocating to Nigeria to start my secondary school journey. Finding myself in a boarding school with strict rules and schedules, and in a new country with different cultures and ways of life I wasn't familiar with was a lot to take in as a 10-year-old at the time. I struggled to adjust both to the rigorous academic system and the unfamiliar environment, and I resented those moments of my life and my parents for sending me there when I could have just stayed in the UK. However, as the years went by, hate turned to gratitude. I gradually started to embrace the opportunity presented to me. I came to understand the cultural importance of my home nation and the ethnic group I’m honoured to be a part of, the Igbo tribe. I learned the meaning behind my Igbo name Chineyem which translates to "God's gift" and came to respect it rather than hold it with shame. I became more mature and independent due to the disciplined nature of boarding schools and developed a competitive spirit to excel in everything I do. Although challenging at such a young age, this shift in environment has truly shaped me into the person I am today. Ready to tackle any situation and adapt to any environment I find myself in. That is why I chose to share this as my background. Studying in the US as an international student has been full of both diverse experiences and struggles. One such struggle is financial hardship. As the eldest of four siblings all pursuing their education, I’ve come to deeply understand the sacrifices parents make to provide for their children, Sending us to school while supporting us and themselves is a reality most children, especially firstborns, eventually realise at some point in our life the extent to which our parents put themselves out for us. In my first year of university, despite my parents unwavering support, I could see the cracks in the financial support they always provided for my siblings and me. Though they do their best to shield us from the difficulties they endure by telling us to focus on our books and health and not to worry about the expenses, I am old enough to be aware of the challenges they face in silence every day and in turn, try to share in their responsibilities even if a little. I’ve taken part-time jobs that could help cover costs for feeding and external expenses, as well as participated in a co-op opportunity at my university that could temporarily cover housing to ease the burden. But at the end of the day, these positions are temporary and not a constant source of financial support. This scholarship would provide some financial relief, giving my parents breathing space to focus on supporting my siblings while I continue striving for success on my academic journey.

My genuine interest in cybersecurity arose during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. With all the free time due to the lockdown, I decided to tweak around with my Nintendo 3DS. I had had it for years with barely any games so decided to learn how to jailbreak it to get “free” games. Accomplishing this task marked a significant encounter in my life with technology and made me feel like a pro. Now that I’m older, it made me realise the security implications of what I had done and filled me with questions. If it was that easy for an inexperienced kid to penetrate an operating system, how effortlessly would it be for experienced individuals to hack their way into software and company data to achieve their own goals? This curiosity led me to the field of cybersecurity to better comprehend the measures put in place to protect these systems. This also drove me to participate in a research program with professors investigating the privacy risks associated with cloud-based antivirus and whether they secretly exploit our data. This experience not only allowed me to acquire technical skills such as reverse engineering and knowledge on cloud security but also strengthened my resolve to contribute to the tech world to offer protection to data and systems while preventing exploitation. Throughout my journey, I’ve encountered numerous challenges that have shaped my perspective of cybersecurity. One of the most significant has to be familiarising myself with tools about cybersecurity. Early in my college experience, grasping the foundations of program analysis and reverse engineering especially when working with complex tools like Ghidra during my summer research as a freshman with my tech professors was difficult. It was time-consuming and most of the time I felt that my low knowledge of the tools was holding us back and made me even consider dropping out from the research program. However, with the supporting resources we have at our disposal thanks to this modern step in technology, I was able to work and strive harder to keep up and assist my professors in every way I could. I put my shame aside and asked embarrassing questions to my mentors or other students to build a knowledge reservoir on the topics we were tackling as well as practice on side projects to better sink in the tools I was working with. It took dedication and a methodical approach, breaking down problems into manageable tasks, and diving deep to yield results. As a result, these challenges have influenced my perspective on not only cybersecurity but on life as a whole, teaching me that staying dedicated and having the will never to back down from any slight inconvenience or challenge will always yield results in the long run. You may struggle and feel incompetent in what you do, but if you're willing to put the work in, you'll eventually see your efforts show their fruits. Moving forward, I aim to apply these lessons to complete my degree and certifications, refining my skills to be competent in whatever the job market and tech world have to offer. I’ll also aim to foster support and opportunities for people like myself, ensuring others have the chance to grow and become confident in their roles.

To start with, I am an international student from Nigeria, the eldest of three siblings, each of whom is smart and creative in their way. As the firstborn I’ve matured faster to learn how to look after myself and my brothers as is the duty expected. To say it was hard being saddled with the burden I never asked for would be an understatement but not something I ain't proud of. I previously lived the first half of my life in the United Kingdom with my mum and siblings while my dad was in Nigeria trying to make ends meet. But, a turning point in my life would come when my dad wanted us to relocate back so I could start secondary school. Finding myself in a boarding school with strict rules and schedules, and in a new country with different cultures and ways of life I wasn't familiar with was a lot to take in as a 10-year-old at the time. I struggled to adjust both to the rigorous academic system and the unfamiliar environment, and I resented those moments of my life and my parents for sending me here to fend for myself. However, as the years went by, hate turned to gratitude. I gradually started to embrace the opportunity presented to me. I came to understand the cultural importance of my home nation and the ethnic group I’m honored to be a part of, the Igbo tribe. I learned the meaning behind my Igbo name Chineyem which translates to "God's gift" and came to respect it rather than hold it with shame. I became more mentally mature and independent due to the disciplined nature of boarding schools and developed a competitive spirit to excel in everything I do. Although challenging at such a young age, this shift in environment has truly shaped me into the person I am today. Ready to tackle any situation and adapt to any environment I find myself in. As a result, with a determination to adapt and thrive wherever I find myself, I saw studying in the U.S. as the best course of action and more than just a new location but rather a chance to immerse myself in a dynamic learning environment, collaborate with like-minded individuals in the field, and gain exposure to real-world technology that I wouldn't be able to experience on this scale back home. One of my biggest inspirations was my supervisor during my first internship at a fintech company. He played a pivotal role in helping me understand SQL which was a requirement for the program and did not undermine me for not knowing certain functions or code. He sparked my interest in the world of analytics, leading me to pursue a minor in Business analytics. He engaged me in projects related to it, allowing me to develop a business mindset ready to use critical-thinking skills to solve real-world problems. Their guidance not only strengthened my technical skills but allowed me to explore the possibilities of combining cybersecurity and analytics to shape my future. After graduation, I plan to pursue certifications relating to cybersecurity and business analytics from licensed establishments to boost my credentials. I’ll then come back and leverage the skills I’ve gained in both fields to create a start-up revolving around prioritizing security for citizens and businesses, and make an impact in Nigeria to help it grow and thrive in the ever-evolving technological world. I'll also aim to foster support and opportunities for people like myself who need it to succeed as a way to continuously give talented minds a chance like my supervisor did.