I am a Vietnamese female student pursuing data science, driven by a belief that technology should protect and empower young people rather than isolate or harm them. Much of my community involvement has grown from working closely with students who navigate online spaces daily without the tools or guidance needed to stay safe, confident, and supported. Over the past several years, I have been actively involved in education-focused community programs for high school students in Vietnam and internationally. I have taught introductory machine learning concepts, mentored students through academic and research projects, and helped create environments where young people feel comfortable asking questions without fear of judgement. Although my work often involves technology, its core purpose has always been human: helping students feel capable, supported, and safe both online and offline. Through mentoring, I have witnessed how bullying has evolved. Harm no longer ends when students leave school grounds; it follows them onto social media, messaging platforms, and online communities. In response, I emphasize digital responsibility alongside technical learning. When teaching, I include conversations about respectful communication, online boundaries, and the lasting consequences of digital behavior. I encourage students to pause before reacting, document harmful interactions, and reach out for support instead of silently enduring abuse. Building awareness and openness within these spaces has proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent cyberbullying from escalating. I also prioritize on peer empowerment. Younger students are more likely to listen to someone close to their age, who understands their digital environment. By mentoring older students and encouraging them to support others, I help build networks of accountability and care. These small, consistent efforts reduce isolation and make it easier for students to speak up when something feels wrong. My commitment to youth safety extends beyond prevention to education. I believe children and teens stay safer when they understand how platforms work, such as how algorithms amplify content, how anonymity affects behavior, and how to protect personal information. Teaching these concepts gives students agency, providing them the confidence to use the internet. As I prepare to enter higher education, financial need is a significant factor in my journey. I come from a family that values education but has limited resources to support the rising costs of tuition, materials, and living expenses. Scholarships are not supplemental for me; they are essential. Financial support would allow me to focus on learning, research, and continued community engagement without the constant pressure of financial strain. Looking ahead, I aim to combine data science with youth advocacy by developing tools, educational programs, and policies that promote digital safety and mental well-being. I see protecting young people online as both a technical challenge and a moral responsibility. Through education, mentorship, and awareness, I strive to create environments where children and teens can grow without fear. The Matthew E. Minor Memorial Scholarship represents the values I work toward daily: protection, responsibility, and meaningful impact. I would be honored to carry those values forward as I continue my academic and youth advocacy journey.

The movie that has had the greatest impact on my life is Hidden Figures. I first watched it during a time when I was questioning what education truly meant beyond grades and credentials, and I was attracted by the film's title. I did not expect a historical film about the space race to resonate so personally, but it changed how I understood learning, persistence, and the responsibility that comes with knowledge. Hidden Figures follows the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, three Black women mathematicians whose work at NASA that shaped major scientific achievements while remaining largely unrecognized. What stayed with me was the way education functioned in their lived and became their anchor. Learning was a steady force that helped them move forward, adapt to obstacles, and support one another in environments that doubted their presence. Their knowledge provided them with stability and direction, even when the recognition they received was not commensurate with their contributions. As a Vietnamese female student pursuing data science, I found myself in them through my experiences. I have moved through educational systems where representation is limited and expectations are uneven. Watching these women master complex mathematics and emerging technology reminded me that preparation builds confidence over time. Their attention to detail and commitment to understanding their work deeply influenced how I approach my own studies. I learned the value depth, patience, and consistency rather than rushing toward short-term outcomes. The film also reshaped my perspective on leadership and learning. Katherine Johnson's insistence on accuracy showed me that responsibility begins with understanding your work fully. Dorothy Vaughan's decision to learn programming and bring her entire team with her demonstrated how education can strengthen a community. Mary Jackson's pursuit of further education reflected the courage required to keep learning even when the path is unclear. Together, their stories showed me that knowledge grows stronger when it is shared. That lesson stayed with me as I began teaching machine learning to high school students in Vietnam. Many were curious and capable, yet hesitant because they lacked exposure and guidance. I watched students grow more confident when they were given spaces to ask questions, test ideas, and understand technology on their own terms. Seeing that transformation reinforced my belief that education changes how people see their own potential. Hidden Figures strengthened my drive to pursue higher education. I now see learning as a foundation for service as well as growth. Education allows me to design programs, mentor students, and create opportunities that extend beyond myself. It has taught me patience, responsibility, and the long-term value of understanding over immediacy. This movie helped me see the bigger picture of education: progress is built steadily, through preparation, persistence and care. As I continue my academic journey, I aim to use my education to grow thoughtfully, contribute meaningfully, and support others as they find their own paths forward.

The first time I taught a student to write a line of code, I realized that technology could be more than a tool; it could be a bridge. In Vietnam, I met high school students who were curious about computer science but had never had access to mentors, hands-on projects, or encouragement. Many were hesitant to try, convinced that coding wasn't for "people like them." I remembered feeling the same way when I first encountered programming: intimidated, unsure, and quietly hoping someone would guide me. That memory became the spark for my own journey as a coder and educator. My computer science goals are rooted in curiosity and responsibility. I want to explore machine learning, system design, and ethical technology, studying how algorithms scale, how decisions embedded in code influence the real world, and how bias can enter technical systems without anyone noticing. Internships in Viettel Solutions, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam, and Nashtech Global taught me how code interacts with society. It predicts customer behavior, classifies patents or improves technical workflows for thousands of users. Yet the most meaningful lessons came from teaching. At Tiny Tensor, the machine learning bootcamp I co-founded, I watched students, especially girls, grew from hesitant participants into confident problem-solvers. They learned to debug their models, explain reasoning, and imagine futures in STEM they once thought unreachable. Alongside technical goals, I am passionate about expanding access to education and mentorship. I have organized research workshops, led national competitions, and founded the Society of Scholars to help high school students publish STEM research. I am interested in designing learning experiences that reduce barriers, build confidence, and provide guidance I wish I had when I first started coding. Leadership, for me, is about creating spaces where others feel empowered to experiment, make mistakes, and grow. I plan to combine these goals by designing technical tools and educational programs that support each other. For example, I envision online modules that teach coding and machine learning to students in underserved communities, paired with mentorship networks that guide them through projects, research, and pathways to further learning. Technology alone is not enough; opportunities must be scaffolded with human support, encouragement, and real-world context. My aim is to build systems where learning is interactive, inclusive, and accessible, and where the next generation of coders sees themselves represented in technology. Receiving the Lyndsey Scott Coding+ Scholarship would allow me to pursue a rigorous computer science education while scaling these initiatives. It would be more than financial support; it would validate the idea that a coder can be both technical and community-driven, that ambition and service can coexist. With this support, I will continue building bridges between code and opportunity, ensuring that talent is recognized over circumstance and that every student has the change to explore, create, and belong in STEM.

Education has always represented more to me than academic achievement. It shows possibility, the ability to imagine a brighter future and to help others do the same. I am currently a high school senior who has lived and studied across two educational systems, Vietnam and the United States. Through that journey, I have learned that while access to education is rarely equal, support from a community can make learning transformative. My academic interests lie in computer science and data science, particularly in how technology can be designed responsibly and inclusively. Outside the classroom, I am involved in educational and community-based initiatives. I co-founded and taught a Tiny Machine Learning Bootcamp for high school students, many of whom had never written code or considered themselves capable of working in STEM before. What began as a small idea grew into a nationally recognized program in Vietnam, reaching students who lacked access to hands-on technology education. Watching hesitant students, especially girls, gain confidence and express their ideas clearly remains one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. In addition to teaching, I have organized student competitions, led research workshops, and mentored younger students interested in technology and entrepreneurship. These experiences have shaped the way I understand leadership, which is responsibility, not just visibility or authority. I believe leadership means creating spaces where others feel supported enough to try, fail, and grow. Community involvement has been central to everything I do. Whether I am helping students navigate research opportunities or designing programs that lower barriers to learning, my goal has always been the same: to make education feel possible, not intimidating or out of reach. This goal closely reflects the legacy of Aserina Hill. Although she never had the opportunity to complete her own education, she dedicated her life to supporting others in achieving theirs. Her story reminds me that impact is not measured by titles or degrees, but by consistent acts of care and generosity. If I were to start my own charity, its mission would be to provide accessible, low pressure educational support for students from under-resourced backgrounds who have the motivation to learn but lack of guidance, mentorship, or financial stability. The organization would serve middle and high school students, particularly those navigating unfamiliar educational systems or balancing school with family responsibilities. Instead of focusing on competition or prestige, the charity would emphasize exploration and confidence building. Volunteers, primarily college students and professionals, would provide academic tutoring, mentorship, and exposure to fields such as technology and research through beginner-friendly projects, workshops, and small group sessions. Just as importantly, volunteers would serve as role models, showing students that uncertainty and learning are normal parts of growth and their goals are valid and achievable. My plans after high school include pursuing higher education in computer science and data science while continuing to build educational programs alongside my studies. I aim to eventually create long-term initiatives that combine technology, education, and community support. The Aserina Hill Memorial Scholarship is more than financial assistance to me. It represents belief, in students, in education, and in the power of generosity to change lives. With this support, I would continue working toward a future where opportunity is not limited by circumstance, and where education remains a shared commitment between individuals and their communities.

College, to me, represents access to knowledge, mentorship, and the ability to turn ideas into impact. As a student who was lived and studied in Indiana, far from where I grew up, I have come to understand higher education not simply as personal advancement, but as a responsibility to give back to the communities that shape us. I was raised in Vietnam, where opportunity often depends more on geography and circumstance than on ability. When I later studied in Indiana, I encountered a different educational system; however, I also notice familiar patterns beneath the surface. In my AP Computer Science classroom, I was one of only two girls. This imbalance made me more attentive towards who spoke, who led, and whose ideas influenced the direction of the class. That experience sharpened my awareness of who gets heard and who does not, even in spaces designed to promote opportunity. Instead of accepting that imbalance, I began building around it. I co-founded and taught a Tiny Machine Learning Bootcamp for high school students, many of whom had never written code or imagined themselves in STEM. What started as a small idea became a nationally recognized program in Vietnam, featured in multiple publications. I watched students, especially girls, transform from hesitant participants into confident problem-solvers who could defend their models and explain their thinking. That experience changed my goals. I no longer wanted to pursue technology for its own sake; I wanted to use it as a tool for inclusion, education, and social impact. I plan to pursue higher education in computer science and data science, focusing on ethical technology, machine learning, and systems design. I want to research how bias enters technical systems and how design choices can either reinforce or challenge inequality. Alongside that work, I aim to continue building educational programs and mentorship networks that support underrepresented students, both locally and internationally. Indiana has played a meaningful role in this journey. It is where I first experienced the tension between opportunity and access within education, and where I learned that community matters as much as curriculum. The legacy of Bonita J. Gribble, her connection to family, community, and Ball State University, resonates deeply with me. Her life reflects a belief in education not only as a pathway for success, but also as a commitment to service. This scholarship would provide more than financial support to me. It would allow me to focus fully on my studies, pursue research opportunities, and remain engaged in community-base initiatives without the constant pressure of financial constraints. More importantly, it would support an education environment where students from many backgrounds are able to learn, contribute, and grow. I see higher education as a place where opportunity is cultivated through learning, effort, and mutual support. With the support of the Bonita J. Gribble Memorial Scholarship, I will continue working toward creating environments where more people are able to participate, contribute, and discover what they can become, at their own pace and in their own way.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics have always represented more than academic subjects to me. I observe them as tools for building futures, solving unanswered problems, and empowering communities that are often overlooked. As a Vietnamese female student and a member of a historically underrepresented group in STEM, I have learned firsthand how difficult it is to enter spaces where few people look like me. Yet these challenges have enhanced my motivation. I want to create opportunities not only for myself, but for other young people whose potential is limited by circumstances instead of ability. My interest in STEM began with question that came to me during a sleepless night: Could learning technology change someone's life trajectory? Growing up in Vietnam, I witnessed how uneven access to high-quality STEM education was, especially in rural areas. When I later moved to the United States and returned to Vietnam during summer breaks to teach, I could see the contrast even more clearly. Many students were curious, intelligent, and motivated, but lacked resources, mentors, or exposure to hands on learning. I saw myself in them. This realization inspired the most formative experience in my STEM journey, which is co-founding and teaching a Tiny Machine Learning Bootcamp for Vietnamese high school students. What began as a small I thought about while in my Hackathon, then gradually it grew into a program that was featured in four national magazines and reached students who had never programmed a device or used machine learning tools before. I taught them how to build models, understand sensors, and connect code with real world applications. More importantly, I watched them develop confidence in themselves through their actions such as asking questions boldly, experimenting without hesitation, and imagining futures they had never dreamed of before. That experience strengthened my belief that STEM is not centered around innovation; it also focuses on access, representation, and impact. It showed me that I wanted to pursue computer science and data science as platforms for larger change rather than just academic disciplines. Whether I was teaching engineering concepts, designing stress-relief technology for overworked students, organizing business competitions, or leading research workshops for young scholars, the mission guided me is use STEM to empower others. My current work merges technology with community impact, from creating educational programs, developing beginner-friendly tools, to using data-driven approaches to solve practical problems. As I continue to advance my own skills in machine learning, programming, and analytical modeling, I want to bring others with me. My long-term goal is to become a leader in technology who expands STEM access globally, especially for women and students from underrepresented backgrounds. I hope to build organizations and platforms where young people grow from learning STEM to start seeing themselves belong in it. This scholarship would support more than my education. It would support the work I am committed to, which is using STEM to open doors, challenge inequities, and build pathways for the next generation of innovators. The obstacles facing women in STEM are real, but so is our potential. With the plan I have in my mind and the first step starts with college, I am determined to contribute to a future where talent is valued over stereotypes and where young women everywhere can pursue STEM with confidence.