Being the first-generation student in my family means a lot to me. I am proud of myself because college is challenging. One of the hardest challenges I have faced in life is coming from a single-parent and low-income household. I remember not being able to get and have what other kids have, but some how my mom made a way, this stuck with me ever since and I made a promise to myself that when I get older that I will go to college, get my degree, and succeed so that I can give my mom, my future kids, and me the life we deserve. The second hardest challenge I have faced, coming from a single-parent and low-income household, is my mom having a stroke; she is not a burden to me, but it makes life worse. She was not responding for months when I needed her, but I still kept my grades up and did not use that as a crutch. Not only am I juggling school, but I am also taking care of my mother and grandmother, and working full-time. Now that she can help me a little and do certain things for herself, it makes my load easier, but I am in college, about to become a junior with a 3.0 GPA. The third hardest challenge I have ever faced in life was racism and discrimination. These type of events messes with me a little. I am really strong, and I have always experienced racism in school, but having to experience this outside of school is a different kind of pain, and it is dangerous. Reality hit so hard when it happened, and I realized that their are people in this world who really do not like you. I also realized that as a black woman, it does not matter how many times someone picks at you; the moment you open your mouth, you become the aggressor, and now you are the "angry black woman" or being told you cannot work somewhere because you are a "woman". I overcame these things by teaching myself that people's hate comes from how they feel about themselves, and it has nothing to do with me, because no matter what you say or do, there will always be a problem in this world. I use my life experiences as a form of motivation, to remind myself that one challenging day, one failed assignment, one Karen, someone's hate is not the end, but actually a step further. I always remind myself that people have it harder than me, but still give myself grace. As of today, I am passing my classes, and I am almost complete with two years at Baton Rouge Community College and then I will transfer to Southern University. I am doing everything I said I was going to do and everything I was told I could not do. This scholarship will help me pay off student debt and build a high yield savings account for emergencies and bills.

My name is Kenya Riney, and I am from a small country town called Belle Rose, LA. I love horseback riding, fishing, and riding four-wheelers. When I am not in school, I enjoy trying new restaurants, reading self-development books, exercising, and making the most of life. I chose engineering as a major because I enjoy problem-solving, art and design, and how it is applied to our way of living. One of the hardest challenges I have faced in life is coming from a single-parent and low-income household. I remember not being able to get and have what other kids have, but some how my mom made a way, this stuck with me ever since and I made a promise to myself that when I get older that I will go to college, get my degree, and succeed so that I can give my mom, my future kids, and me the life we deserve. The second hardest challenge I have faced coming from a single-parent and low-income household is my mom having a stroke, she is not a burden to me, but it make life worse. She was not responding for months when I needed her, but I still kept my grades up and did not use that as a crutch. Not only am I juggling with school, I am taking care of my mother and grandmother, and working full time. Now that she can help me a little and do certain things for herself, it makes my load easier, but I am in college about to become a junior with a 3.0 GPA. The third hardest challenge I have ever faced in life was racism and discrimination. These type of events messes with me a little. I am really strong and I have always experienced racism in school, but having to experience this outside of school is different and dangerous. Reality hit so hard when it happened, and I realized that their are people in this world who really do not like you because of your ethnicity. I also realized that as a black woman, it does not matter how mat times someone picks at you, the moment you open your mouth you become the aggressor and now you are the "angry black woman" or being told you cannot work somewhere because you are a women. I overcame these things by teaching myself that people's hate comes from how they feel about themselves and it has nothing to do with me because no matter what you say or do their will always be a problem in this world. I use my life experiences as a form of motivation, to remind myself that one challenging day, one failed assignment, one Karen, someone's hate is not the end, but actually a step further. I always remind myself that people have it harder than me, but still give myself grace. As of today, I am passing my classes and I am almost complete my two years at Baton Rouge Community College and then I will transfer to Southern University. I am doing everything I said I was going to do and everything I was told I could not do because I am a girl.

Coming from a single-parent and low-income household is not for the weak. One of the hardest challenges is not being able to get and have what other kids have, so I made a promise to myself that when I get older to go to college, get my degree, and succeed so that I can give my mom the life she deserve. The second hardest challenge is coming from a single-parent and low-income household, then your parent having a stroke that makes everything worse. Not only am I juggling with school, I am taking care of my mother and grandmother, and working full time. I plan to use my life experiences as a form of motivation, to remind people that, that one challenging day, that one fail assignment, that one Karen, etc. is not the end. I always remind myself that people have it harder than me, but still give myself grace. As of today, I am passing my classes and I am almost complete my two years at Baton Rouge Community College and then I will transfer to Southern University. I am doing everything I said I was going to do.

Growing up in Belle Rose, a small town with little to no opportunities, I’ve always known that education would be my way out, and my way forward. I come from a low-income background, and I will be the first person in my family to graduate from college. That fact motivates me every day to push through challenges and stay focused on my goals. My life changed dramatically when my mom had a stroke. Her health declined suddenly, and our family was thrown into emotional and financial instability. We had to move in with my grandmother, I took on the role of caregiver for both my grandmother and my mom. It was a difficult time and still is. Not only did I have to adjust to a new living situation, but I also had to take on more responsibility at home while trying to keep up with school. Despite everything, I remained committed to my education, because I knew that was the only way to build a better life for us. These experiences have shaped my decision to attend community college. It was the most realistic and responsible option for me. It wasn’t that I couldn’t go to a university, but I was scared to leave my mom in that type of condition, so this is close to my mom, keep costs down, and still get a quality education. Community college is giving me the foundation I need to succeed in life. I'm learning how to manage my time, give myself grace, and stay focused when things get tough. My goal is to transfer to a four-year university after completing my associate degree. I plan on finishing my degree in Mechanical Engineering, because I want a career that allows me to make a difference and provide stability for my family. Long-term, I want to work in a field where I can help others who have faced similar struggles especially in underrepresented or underserved communities. Being a first-generation college student means everything to me. It’s about breaking generational cycles and opening the door for those who come after me giving them hope whether that’s my younger cousins, siblings, or future children. My education is not just about me, but it’s about getting me, my mom, and sister out the hood. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial burden. It would allow me to focus more on my studies and less on how I’m going to afford textbooks or tuition. It be a shift in confidence in my journey. Thank you for considering my application and for investing in students like me who are determined to turn challenges into change.

Pursuing a career in STEM has been both a rewarding and demanding journey. I am up late hours of the night studying, and the next thing I know, I am being told by my advisor that it is okay to start filling out applications in my career field. As I look forward to graduating from school, I am excited, anxious, and nervous. The excitement comes in when I can visually see my life coming together, me getting my dream job, breaking generational curses, and doing everything I said I was. I am anxious about what's next to come financially. My mom is disabled. I don't have financial support because she is on a fixed income. Financially, things are always a struggle, but I make the best out of it, and I do not complain. I am determined to be the first person in my family to graduate. Even though I am determined to graduate, the financial burden tied to tuition, study material, and school books is more numbers on a piece of paper. These financial burdens slow down my progress. I learned and managed to use free online materials, making friends to borrow textbooks, and working a full-time job in the plant while studying. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to worry less about my financial situation and more about school, passing, and graduating. This scholarship will give me peace of mind while taking my engineering courses and other major courses. It would allow me to focus on studying more, applying for jobs in my field, and refining my skills. In the future, I hope to work in Mechanical Engineering, robotics to be exact. This field of study can help me help people improve in their everyday lives. I want to give back to my community. I was always taught to never forget where I have come from and what I have been through. Giving back would be like a thank you for the motivation, and hopefully, I can inspire someone to go just as hard as me. One day, I hope I can help students, family members, and friends find scholarships for college because it is always a way. This scholarship will be more than financial support; it will be a huge investment in my future, an investment in my purpose, and an investment in STEM. Even if I do not get picked, I am beyond thankful that you considered my application and read it.