"Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world; but to change ourselves” Mahatma Gandhi. I like this quote because even though I have a bucket list of things I would like to see in the world, the truth is that we humans make up the world, and if change is to begin anywhere, it must start with us. Among the many changes I want to see in the world, spreading LOVE ranks first. Love possesses incredible power, the likes of which only a few people on earth are aware. Love has the ability to heal and bring peace into the world. It is decent and pure, innocent and true. When the energy of love seizes you, resisting it is pointless. It has the power to heal old wounds and cleanse you of any negativity, and most importantly love gives us the assurance that we are not alone in this world. With everything going on in the world, I think now is the time for us to care for and love one another. It breaks my heart to see that no one is showing love and affection. People are killing each other, people are committing suicide as a result of depression and bullying, and even on their death beds, they are cursed and criticized, the rich look down on the poor, there are sexual discriminations and, most tragically, it is no longer safe on the streets. As a black kid, I don't feel safe staying out late, even though there is security around the clock and calling the cops could be the fastest thing ever. However, these same cops are the ones who kill people simply because they are holding a hairbrush; these same cops would rather believe that I am the VILLAIN rather than the VICTIM. It's funny how I used to feel so at ease walking and playing in the streets, it is not the say the same anymore. Returning to the realization, perhaps I felt safe only because I was a child, and in my eyes, everyone had good intentions; I couldn't tell the difference between Good and Evil, just like they say, “To a pure heart all hearts are pure". Three years back, I was never an advocate for world peace and love until I moved to the USA for college. I expected everyone to be caring and loving like I saw on TV, but I had no idea that wasn't the case. I met good people, which I will not deny, but as they say, there are always bad apples among the good. Racism was the first heinous experience I recall having. I went to a shopping mall to get some groceries and some little kids laughed and called me "Black Monkey." when I told the mother to inform their children to stop being disrespectful towards me. What happened next was unexpected; never in my life had someone made me feel so low; the mother told me, "Don't tell me how to train my children; if they said that about you, maybe it is true." I felt the agony and pain wash over me, her words left a mark on me, one which I will never forget. I am sure there are more experiences from people whose life stories are heartbreaking. Let us learn to love and appreciate one another. This is the kind of change I would like to see in the world. But this is just my viewpoint. Mahatma Gandhi once said, you must be the change you wish to see in the world. Let spreading love start with us.

This is a difficult question that made me think deeply, but after many thoughts, I realized that I have heard many wise things from my parents, professors, and even celebrities, but I wouldn't say the wisest thing, but the wisest thing said in a specific context. I was in senior high school at the time. I was exposed to a variety of new learning materials and classes like chemistry, physics, biology, and others. This was one of the most difficult times of my life; I was dealing with a lot of issues, and it was the first time I felt so dumb; I cried almost every day keeping up with these classes. When I was almost finished with senior high school, it was time for me to decide what field of study I wanted to pursue in college. Fear gripped me as a nursing aspirant, forcing me to make a quick decision. I remember telling Mother that I didn't want to be a nurse any longer and that I'd rather study art or something less demanding. my mother asked why, and I told her about my fears. She fixed her gaze on me, and I could almost tell she had a soft spot for me. She looked me in the eyes, smiled, reached for my hands, and said calmly, "baby, don't say it's hard until you try." Her words melted slowly in me; it wasn't what I expected to hear; I'd say I was hoping for something along the lines of "do what your heart says," but all I could feel at the time was her words running through my spine. It's been three years, and every time I think of those words, they inspire me to keep going and to never give up no matter how hard things get.

There are many things I'd love to do with $1,000, such as buy clothes, dine at a fancy restaurant, and do many other things on my bucket list. But asking myself the same question. What would I do if I had a grand? The truth is, I would put it to good use. I am a first-year international student in the USA and ever since I came here, I have always dreamt of starting my own business. I'd like to be a cloth reseller-this is just a side dream- I discovered that clothing sold on most shopping sites is affordable. I devised a strategy to purchase these clothes and ship them to Nigeria, where my mother would act as my business partner, selling the clothes at a higher price. Clothes shipped to Nigeria from countries such as UK, USA, China, and Germany are thought to be of high quality. I am almost certain that the business will be profitable for me. However, I lack the necessary funds to start the business. I realized could earn twice as much money with this, which would help me pay for my tuition in the long run. I am fully aware that starting a business is a gamble; I could lose everything or become extremely wealthy, but what is life without risk? Every day, we expose ourselves to dangers that we are completely unaware of. I am very hopeful that I will be awarded this scholarship so I can put my dream into action.

Growing up, I read a lot of books, but none of them piqued my interest or inspired me the most. This all changed the day my father gave me a book as a gift for the first time. I was overjoyed because it was the first time, I had ever received a present from my day. "Gifted Hands" by Ben Carson is the title of the book, all I could say was, "Thank you." When I opened the book, I noticed the perfect combination of hydrogen peroxide and alkyl ketene dimer. "Don't eat the book," my dad pointed out as I forcefully perceived the book. I just laughed like a child who had been given candy. That evening, I began reading the book: it was around 3:39 a.m., and I was flipping through pages every minute, engrossed in my book. My eyes were getting watery, and I could tell they were tired. I drank my cup of espresso in the hopes of preventing myself from falling asleep. This isn't my first book, but it's one I'll remember for the rest of my life. It is a very inspiring story, it not only reassures me about my future career, but it also made me realize that with determination, I can do almost anything I put my mind to. I have made a lot of mistakes that have caused me to doubt myself and right now as I write this, I have conflicting thoughts: will I be accepted, and what if things don't work out? However, as Ben Carson puts it, "success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by how you respond to them." If I consider these obstacles to be a containing fence, they become justification for my failure. I'm willing to keep attempting till succeed.