Through all hardships, I will continue to persist, leading my life with intent, as my dream version of the future self remains unwaveringly dedicated to my community, advancing minorities in STEM, and ensuring equitable access to technologies and technological resources for all.

Cocoa & Shea butter, Ultra Sheen hair grease, Ampro Prostyle hair gel, Olive oil sheen spray, and three separate yet similar brands of tea tree oil are all scents that remind me of my early childhood. My mom would spend each night before school making sure my hair was slicked back into braided ponytails with barrettes, hairball ties, and the nicest and most expansive array of hair bows a little black girl had ever seen. After that, she'd put me in a nice oatmeal bath for my eczema, scrubbed me down really good to get all the morning's dirt off of me from the park, and lathered my face in an obnoxious amount of Vaseline to keep my skin from drying up. She'd put me to bed with a scarf and a bonnet ten times the size of my head because I was a terrible sleeper, tucked me in with my favorite plushy (Gingy from Shrek), and planted four kisses on my forehead because it was my favorite number. Needless to say, I got some of the BEST sleep of my entire life when I was in elementary school. The next morning, my mom would help me get dressed and make me a breakfast of Aunt Jemima's Whole Wheat pancakes and Cream of Wheat. Before going to school each morning, I remember I'd go to the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror and just smile. There was no specific reason, other than the fact that I knew that I was arguably one of the flyest kids on the block and had one of the best moms ever. So I guess there was a reason. I'd have a great time at school, get my gold stars for the day, and then I'd come back home and do the same routine all over again. Every day growing up with a single mother has been a day that I would trade for nothing more. Being with her has shown me that although my father may have left me at a young age, there was absolutely nothing that I was missing out on. I didn't need a "perfect" or "complete" family to feel whole. Even while life was putting forth some of the biggest obstacles my mother had ever seen, she made sure to show up for me every day. Growing up, I never realized just how important that was until now. My mother has shown me her strength, love, commitment, and bravery every day for the past 6,921 days that I have been living. Due to this, I've grown into a strong, proud, and fearless black woman. I have aspirations, dreams, goals, and ambitions, all things I know I will one day accomplish due to the confidence my mother has instilled in me at a young age. For this reason, I wake up every day, go to the nearest bathroom, walk up to the mirror, and smile. Because I know I am STILL the flyest kid on the block, and I credit my mom for it. This isn't just an essay for a scholarship. This is a love letter to my mother, Dana Jones. Thank you for all that you do.

In 2013, I built my first Kano Raspberry Pi Computer at a technology program for black youth. I hooked it up to a small monitor and immediately pulled up youtube. I remember playing "The Fox" by Ylvis and felt so proud of myself because I could finally hear the audio in the speaker clearly after hours of trying to figure it out. Once I realized that I forgot to plug in the speaker, I laughed at my mistake with my friends for ten minutes straight. That's when I first realized my love for STEM. A story so ridiculous, yet so impactful, made me recognize that now at 18, coding and building software is something I want to do for the rest of my life. However, my journey in tech has not been a simple one. When I entered middle school, I found that my passion for STEM slowly began to fade away due to recurring family problems. My mind was so clouded with my own personal doubts, lack of confidence, and negative experiences that I forgot why I initially got into tech in the first place. It took me a while to get back in my groove and break out of this toxic mindset that was holding me back. Nevertheless, I finally realized that STEM was my getaway from real-world problems. Simply because a computer could never assess my worth, judge my character, or negate my accomplishments. In that, I found a sense of empowerment. Now, I pride myself in attending North Carolina A&T State University, being a Rewriting the Code Black Wings Outreach Committee Member, being the youngest Google Developer Club Marketing Lead at my university, and being a triple minority in STEM. My future career aspirations involve becoming a Software Engineer or Web Developer. I believe that by staying persistent, I will easily achieve this goal. However, my goal In the future is to create a leadership-based summit for minorities interested in all things STEM and Tech. By doing so, I hope that I will be able to give back to all of the communities that helped me become the person I am today. My ambitions are at an all-time high and I am so excited to see all the future opportunities which await me because one day, I'll look back at the little black girl building Rasberry Pi's and laugh at the fact that I still forget to plug in speakers.