During my freshman and sophomore years of high school in Ghana, I was part of a committee dedicated to merging education and entertainment into spectacular school events. My friends and I noticed how monotonous the boarding school life was so we decided to spice things up by coming together to create different events that were uniquely fun and educative. Since the school is tremendously diverse, some events included annual Mock African Union Summits, where students dress in attire representing their ethnic backgrounds while others pretend to be African leaders discussing domestic and international affairs and providing solutions to them on a panel. Other events we held were mock radio talk shows, movie nights, Freshers Madness, and more. It enabled us to develop interpersonal skills and promote new ways of accomplishing tasks. We also learned to promote a sense of community and scholarship throughout the school environment. I was also part of the Student Council and was elected as Student President. With this leadership position came several responsibilities such as overseeing the student body and assisting the administration in the management of school resources. The tasks assigned to me weren’t easy but my desire to positively impact my school and those around me encouraged me. My rewards were seeing my schoolmates and teachers become more involved and happy to be at school. Moving back to New York didn’t alter my mission so I continued to contribute to the communities I found myself in. I applied for the Community School Internship, Blue Legends, the Legendary Podcast, and more just so I can help turn school into a meaningful and exciting place for everyone. I helped brainstorm school events, created flyers and posters, hosted open houses, and tutored. For some, school is an escape from the harsh reality of life and where leaders are bred, so I plan on adding to that exceptional process wherever I go. With that in mind, I want to take my community contribution to a higher level. The education system in New York City lacks diversity because of the effects of de facto segregation. Schools are representative of the neighborhoods they are located in and if there is a high degree of de facto segregation in a neighborhood, then the schools will also be segregated. This is an issue because minority students, like me, are separated from white students simply by the schools they are placed in. The standard of being a minority plays a significant part in the type of education we receive because we are not provided with the same learning opportunities as White students. If schools were to be diverse, combining Black and White students and staff, there is no way that students would not receive the same educational opportunities as their peers, regardless of race. Ultimately, the lack of diversity in schools teaches students to fear their differences, instead of understanding that there is beauty in them. From this stems racism and prejudice, things that can only be reversed by reforming the education system. Through my participation in the aforementioned clubs, I developed a deeper understanding of social inequalities, especially in the United States. My passion for writing and debating created in me a desire for activism and leadership that pushes me towards my dream of justice for minorities which is why I want to use my voice, just like activists before me to dismantle systematic racism in society and create a better world for people who look like me. I plan on using this scholarship to fund my education so I can gain experience, skills, and knowledge to make my dream a reality.

I am from a middle-class family in the Bronx, New York. My parents are Ghanaian and Togolese immigrants who traveled to the United States to ensure that my two sisters and I get quality education and preparation for our future careers. My Dad works as a Radiologist, my mother, a teacher. While I am aware of our comfortable living conditions, I am also aware that it requires significant effort and sacrifice to ensure that my sisters and I are taken care of. Additionally, my parents are responsible for the upkeep of several extended family members back in Africa that require much financial support. So I have taken the initiative to financially plan for my university education by working and saving whenever possible. Even with those efforts, I still need financial assistance to advance my goals of attending Columbia University and pursuing a concentration in Political Science so I can achieve my dream of becoming a leader and activist that reshapes the structure and hierarchy of society. Gaining scholarship or grant funds will undoubtedly give me the needed boost in the direction of my aspirations and lessen the burden on my parents. The education system in New York City lacks diversity because of the effects of de facto segregation. Schools are representative of the neighborhoods they are located in and if there is a high degree of de facto segregation in a neighborhood, then the schools will also be segregated. This is an issue because minority students, like me, are separated from white students simply by the schools they are placed in. The standard of being a minority plays a significant part in the type of education we receive because we are not provided with the same learning opportunities as White students. If schools were to be diverse, combining Black and White students and staff, there is no way that students would not receive the same educational opportunities as their peers, regardless of race. Ultimately, the lack of diversity in schools teaches students to fear their differences, instead of understanding that there is beauty in them. From this stems racism and prejudice, things that can only be reversed by reforming the education system. Through my participation in extracurricular clubs such as the African Union Committee, Debate Club, Mock Radio Shows, Community Circles, and more, I developed a deeper understanding of social inequalities, especially in the United States. As a minority, I experience social injustices such as poor housing, lack of educational funding, and racism just to mention a few. My passion for writing and debating has created in me a desire for activism and leadership that pushes me towards my dream of justice for minorities. I want to use my voice, just like activists and abolitionists who came before me to dismantle systematic racism in society and create a better world for people who look like me. I plan on using this scholarship to fund my education so I can gain experience, skills, and knowledge to make my dream a reality.

During my freshman and sophomore years of Datus International School in Ghana, I was part of an extracurricular committee dedicated to merging education and entertainment into spectacular school events. My friends and I noticed how monotonous the boarding school life was so we decided to spice things up by coming together to eradicate the boredom in the school community. Since the school is tremendously diverse, with students and staff from different countries all over the world, some events included annual Mock African Union Summits-which later turned into a separate committee of its own-where students dress in attire representing their ethnic backgrounds while others pretend to be African leaders discussing domestic and international affairs and providing solutions to them on a debate panel. Other events we held were Mock radio talk shows, where students explore problems with the education system in West Africa and other political issues. Furthermore, the committee also designed movie nights, Jams, Freshers Madness, and others that were all geared towards aiding students to wind down after a long and tedious school week. It was an exceptional experience for my friends and me because we found a way to combine learning and leisure, a concept that is surprisingly foreign in other schools. It enabled us to develop interpersonal skills, teamwork, and promote new ways of accomplishing tasks. We also learned to promote a sense of community and scholarship throughout the school environment. I am grateful that I can look back and see the traditions I was part of introducing flourish. Other extracurricular activities I have participated in throughout high school include a Christian evangelism committee called the Scripture Union, SYEP Hats and Ladders and HypotheKids Internships, and more. Had I not decided to take part in these programs, I would not individual I am today. Due to these experiences, I developed my intellect, interpersonal skills, creativity, and computer literacy. I am from a middle-class family in the Bronx, New York. My parents are Ghanaian and Togolese immigrants who traveled to the United States to ensure that my two sisters and I get quality education and preparation for our future careers. My Dad works as a Radiologist, my mother, a teacher. While I am aware of our comfortable living conditions, I am also aware that it requires significant effort and sacrifice to ensure that my sisters and I are taken care of. Additionally, my parents are responsible for the upkeep of several extended family members back in Africa that require much financial support. So I have taken the initiative to financially plan for my university education by working and saving whenever possible. Even with those efforts, I still need financial assistance to advance my goals of attending Columbia University and pursuing a concentration in Political Science so I can achieve my dream of becoming a leader and activist that reshapes the structure and hierarchy of society. Winning $1,000 will undoubtedly give me the needed boost in the direction of my aspirations and lessen the burden on my parents.

Diversity is the practice of including others from different ethnic and social backgrounds. It is also about respect for all and not only recognizing differences between people like gender, age, race, religion just to name a few, but also valuing and embracing these differences. Furthermore, it is a critical component of society because it is imperative for people to be part of a community that exposes them to others that are different from themselves. This helps one learn about others, which in turn helps one learn about oneself. Most importantly, diversity must be present in the education system because it is critical that one does not feel isolated and like they are the “only one.” Based on personal experience in two different countries, it will result in a feeling of inferiority which is a tremendous barrier to educational success. I am from Tema, Ghana, and as a result of growing up in this culturally rich country, I was exposed to various cultures, peoples, customs, and academic disciplines. I was challenged on a daily basis by teachers and students from all different races and ethnicities and this had a profound effect on me. For example, I am now multilingual and this will be an advantage if I decide to pursue a career in Foreign Relations, which I am very much interested in doing. Additionally, the curriculum in Ghana is not limited to core subjects like math and science but emphasizes others like home economics, drama, foreign language, and even vocational studies. Many of these courses are taught by teachers who are completely different from me and contain students equally as different. This allows me not to feel isolated and more comfortable in my own skin because I am free to be myself without fear of being judged or compared to somebody else. The teachers do not have preconceived notions of how I will act based on my race, gender, and where I come from. In contrast, this has not been my experience in the United States. I currently attend Longwood Preparatory Academy in the South Bronx section of New York City. This school is not diverse because the entire student population is mostly either Black or Hispanic. In fact, the only Whites and Asians I see in my school are some teachers. The effect of this is a limited and stifling education because I am not exposed to anybody different and thus feel restricted and less encouraged to take any educational risks. It is as though I am “trapped” by the familiarity, making it hard for me to branch out into foreign settings since I am not accustomed to them enough to be comfortable in them and be myself. It makes me feel out of place because I don’t know how to relate to people who are different from me. The education system in New York City lacks diversity because of the effects of de facto segregation. Schools are representative of the neighborhoods they are located in and if there is a high degree of de facto segregation in a neighborhood, then the schools will also be segregated. This is an issue because minority students, like me, are separated from white students simply by the schools they are placed in. The standard of being a minority plays a significant part in the type of education we receive because we are not provided with the same learning opportunities as White students. If schools were to be diverse, combining Black and White students and staff, there is no way that students would not receive the same educational opportunities as their peers, regardless of race. Ultimately, the lack of diversity in schools teaches students to fear their differences, instead of understanding that there is beauty in them. From this stems racism and prejudice, things that can only be reversed by reforming the education system. As a young, black woman, I desire the opportunity to advance my knowledge to the world in hopes of changing it for the better. The lack of diversity in education is just one of the many societal issues that I aspire to rectify. Others include promoting representation of all backgrounds in politics, reforming the education and medical system, and more, to give people of color the elevation they need. I want to get rid of the concept of “minority and majority” in society and rather promote unity regardless of race or ethnicity. I participated in many debates as a member of the African Union Club at my high school in Ghana. If not for the A.U club, I wouldn’t have discovered how much I love exploring different social and economic issues and developing my theories on ways to solve them. I’ve read numerous books about my role models like Nelson Mandela, Wangari Maathai, and Martin Luther King, just to name a few. I was inspired by them because of the way they used their voices to educate and lead in unique ways. Watching the news from a young age exposed me to the issues that societies struggle with so I was moved by how these leaders took the initiative to use themselves as vessels of change and progression. No matter the oppression they faced, they pushed on because they had a mission. I have a mission too. I plan on taking Columbia College’s Liberal Arts courses so that I too can use my voice and develop my passion so I can lead just like those who came before me. I am aware of the effort, dedication, and sacrifice needed in order to be able to restructure society and break down barriers that promote division instead of unity. Whether it is in the field of politics, law, or foreign relations, I am ready to learn, serve, and lead. I aspire to represent others who may look up to me and look like me in many different ways. The sky is just the starting point for me and my skin color is not a limit but rather a means to foster breakthrough.