1. I describe myself as an ambitious and persistent person. When I have a goal, nothing stops me; I will always dig a little deeper. This shaped who I am today because I have had, and still have, to overcome challenges, such as moving to the United States from Brazil to study and figuring out my life away from my family. My connection to Nigeria and the African diaspora isn't big; one of my inspirations is the writer Chimamanda Adichie, who, just like me, moved to the United States and found a whole new world. Also, Brazilian music, especially Samba, mentions saints from Umbanda and Candomblé, two religions of African matrix, that connect to me beautifully through music. 2. I learned that just because I'm in a different culture, it doesn't mean that everything is different. As humans, we have a lot in common with people from different places, especially in such a globalized society. One aspect of my experience that helped me grow was keeping in mind that I'm not fragile just because I am from a different country. Even though I felt vulnerable many times, I am representing my culture and my country where I live, and showing that we are not less than anyone by imposing myself is fundamental. Realizing that changed the way I felt about myself, and made me see that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. 3. A new perspective I've gained about myself is that sometimes the best people may not share their nationalities with me, but they share their lives. My friends and I became so close so suddenly that I can barely remember how it happened, but now, I can't imagine my life without them. I was in a very hard streak, where I was feeling displaced and homesick, when the first member of our current friend group noticed me. When she started talking to me, I liked it, but wondered, why me? But in a blink, I didn't question it anymore. We became close; consequently, I became close to other people, too, and our differences stopped being so noticeable. I didn't forget my Brazilian Identity, not at all. I just changed my perspective; I may have a different nationality, but to them, I'm simply Marcela, or Celia (a pet name). A lesson I learned was that home can be in many different places, be it your family's house, or a nice town across the Americas. All that really matters is who gives you that homey feeling of being chosen, even if you don't know why. 4. With my Business Management major, I'll have good abilities to build a strategy, and an open range of opportunities. With my career goal and my major, I expect not only to have resources for a comfortable life, but also to use them to return to the community that allowed me to build a home there. I expect to be there to help out with the festivals, donate to fundraisers, be present in the lives of people who impacted mine, and help those who are lost like I once was. Receiving this scholarship would play an important role in helping me achieve my future goals. By reducing the financial burden, it would allow me to dedicate more time and energy to my academic development, professional growth, and extracurricular opportunities. This support would not only ease my expenses but also enable me to focus on building the skills necessary for my future career. Ultimately, this scholarship would bring me one step closer to achieving my aspirations and making a meaningful impact in my community.

To me, the American Dream looks surprisingly ordinary. It looks like a wooden house in a quiet suburban neighborhood. It looks like children laughing in a backyard while their parents watch from the porch. It looks like public schools that offer not only quality education but opportunities to explore sports, arts, leadership, and new passions. It looks like walking down the street at night without fear. It looks like a stable job, a fair chance to succeed, and the confidence that hard work can lead to a better future. Growing up in Brazil, these images often felt like scenes from a movie. Today, as I prepare to move to the United States alone at eighteen years old to study Business Management, they have become something much more personal. My definition of the American Dream is not wealth or luxury. It is the opportunity to build a safe, dignified, and fulfilling life through hard work, perseverance, and sacrifice. In Brazil, I learned that stability is not something everyone can take for granted. Many people work tirelessly yet still struggle to achieve the quality of life they desire. Simple things that should be ordinary—feeling safe in your neighborhood, trusting public institutions, or knowing that your taxes are being used effectively—can feel uncertain. These experiences shaped my understanding of success. I do not dream of becoming rich. I dream of living in a place where effort is rewarded fairly, where families can plan for the future with confidence, and where children have opportunities to grow into the best versions of themselves. However, I understand that dreams are never free. Behind my opportunity to study in the United States stand years of sacrifice from my parents. They have worked hard, made difficult choices, and invested in my future so that I can pursue opportunities they never had themselves. As excited as I am for this new chapter, I would be lying if I said I am not afraid. Leaving my family, my friends, and everything familiar behind is one of the hardest things I have ever done. For the first time in my life, I will be navigating a new country on my own. Yet that fear reminds me why this journey matters. Every challenge I face will be a reflection of the faith my parents have placed in me. I am not crossing the American continent because the path is easy. I am doing it because I believe their sacrifices deserve to become something greater. By studying Business Management, I hope to build a meaningful career, contribute positively to the communities around me, and create opportunities for others just as opportunities have been created for me. One day, I hope to look out from the porch of that suburban home and see my children enjoying the opportunities that once seemed distant. If that day comes, it will not be because I found an easy path. It will be because my parents sacrificed, I embraced uncertainty, and together we transformed hope into reality. To me, that is the American Dream: not a destination, but the chance for each generation to build a better life for the next.

When I was sixteen, I left Brazil for Wisconsin with two suitcases and more courage than I understood at the time. As a foreingner, I knew moving ten thousand miles from home would be difficult. What I did not expect was how hard it would be to build a new life where people did not always understand what I meant — even when I spoke their language. At first, everything felt exciting. I had a kind host family, explored new places, and enjoyed all. But homesickness does not arrive all at once; it grows slowly. I soon realized that speaking English fluently did not mean I could fully express my emotions or feel understood. When Malgorzata moved from Poland to the United States, she did so without a support system. I realized I had done something similar. I had not only moved countries — I had taken a risk without knowing what the outcome would be. I had to create my own stability. Calling my family required coordinating time zones, and comfort often came with delay. Even with a loving host family, the differences were mine to navigate. Independence was no longer an idea; it was something I practiced daily. Like a business, I had to build a foundation before anything else could grow. One experience changed me. I had become friends with a group of boys at school and believed we got along well. Then, without warning, they asked me to leave the lunch table. One of them said, “People from other countries should go back home.” Later, one admitted their girlfriends had pressured them to distance themselves from me. First, I felt ashamed. Then I began to understand. In Brazil, friendships between boys and girls are common, even when they are dating other people. In the United States, it is not always viewed the same way. That moment showed me how cultural differences can create misunderstanding — and how insecurity can lead to exclusion. I could not control their assumptions, but I could control my response. I chose reflection instead of anger and maturity instead of resentment. Being brave is not always about confronting others. Sometimes it is about staying open after rejection. Maggie was known for her intelligence and courage. And we both needed strength to keep learning, keep growing, and keep building. In school, I refused to let loneliness define me. I worked hard in my classes, participated in theater and choir, and played sports. I did these not only for enjoyment, but to prove to myself that I belonged. Now, in a Business major, I want to understand how organizations function and how they can positively shape people’s lives. My experiences have taught me the importance of leadership, culture, and inclusion, and I hope to build environments where differences are valued. My greatest achievement is who I have become. After being excluded, it would have been easy to withdraw. Instead, I remained open. I met two girls who showed genuine interest in my story, and through them I built a supportive community. I once searched rooms for connection. Now I am surrounded by people who truly care. Pursuing higher education in the United States is financially demanding. The Brazilian currency does not stretch far here, and tuition is high. I see the sacrifices my parents make, and that responsibility motivates me daily. In business, success requires planning and resilience — qualities I have been developing long before college. The life I am building is not centered on comfort, but on growth. Moving to the United States taught me that courage is often quiet and steady.

I never knew how it started, and I have no clue when it will end. Sometimes I wonder if it started when I was thirteen. That's when I found out about some depression symptoms and started relating, but maybe it was before, when I started to hide, or when I tried to eat silica gel when I was ten, thinking it would be lethal. I was never diagnosed, but I do take medicines for depression, which I think is enough of an answer. When I was fresh out of the pandemic, a lot of stuff happened. I didn't have many friends at school; I was bullied. And at the beginning of the school year, one of my good friends dropped me with no explanation. I tried talking, asking, but he didn't want to have anything to do with me. I took the rest of the year hard, always trying to clear the gap, and not being successful. At the end, I was alive, and it was over, but I was still aching a lot from the four tormented years. When I started in my new school, I wanted a friend group ASAP, and because of that, I confronted bullies instead. And one of them really affected my time there. But after some months, the dust settled. Lucky me, I was one of many new students, and that helped to have a nice friend group with people who were also unadjusted, which made the rest of my year better. I was really happy in that school. I thought things were settled, but the following year proved me wrong. Most of my friend group transferred schools, and the ones that remained, well, got along with the main bully. So what happened is that I was left out, just a shadow standing without being noticed. But I thought that I could get closer to other people, some of whom were already my friends, but not in my friend group, and it worked for a while. But turns out I was broken, so again, the gap couldn't be cleared. There was one specific case that led me to almost kill myself. I had a friend who was also unadjusted. I counted on him a lot. He was my only friend, which turned out terribly, because he took advantage of my trust and manipulated me into doing sexual stuff with him, and I did. Like a child, I fell for his manipulation three times until I set boundaries, and he dumped me. It was extremely painful, because as I said, he was the only remaining friend, and I've never felt so dispensable before. But eventually, I started healing. It took me a lot, and it isn't over. I still deal with depression, but now, my parents have become more aware of mental health struggles, and I have made better friends who get me and support me. I still struggle with letting things go, struggle with the fear of losing everything again. Just the thought of me being almost at a point of unaliving myself frightens me, but I have been working a lot for this never to happen. And I want to keep working to help others. I want to support NGO's, go to therapy groups, and offer everything that helps me deal with depression to the people who are struggling with this terrible condition right now. Everyone deserves a chance at a fresh start and to live a peaceful life, but more than this, everyone deserves a listener, and I am proud to be one, because it makes a very big difference.

I have always been a businesswoman. When I was in fourth grade, I started a book business. I asked buyers to tell me what they wanted to see in a book (for example, one client requested a story about a panda), and based on their input, I wrote a story. In the end, I made some very nice books, even a series about a panda girl. That was my first business. I tell this story with great pride because I am inspired by two things: entrepreneurship and creative writing. I combined them, and I made good money doing it (from a nine-year-old's perspective, of course). A few years later, the slime craze began, and it wasn't long before I started a slime business. My message to clients was the same as with the books: personalize your slime, and I'll take care of the rest. In 2020, the pandemic hit, and it didn't take long for me to adapt my ambitions to this crazy situation. I started a cookie business and called it Queen Cookies. In the process, I learned a lot about what my parents were working with at the time, namely the food industry, quality control, and ingredient management. I was cautious not to contaminate the cookies; for example, I wore a kitchen apron, gloves, and a face mask. I sold everywhere in my community. The turning point came when my mother posted Queen Cookies on her Instagram account: her friends and family members loved it. I invested a lot of time in this business, and even after the pandemic, I continued to sell, but in person. My business fell dormant during my sophomore year because I had to focus more on school, but I hope to start it up again someday. My previous business ventures reveal a great deal about who I am and why I am interested in studying business. The area of finance impresses me the most: managing money, making smart budget decisions, all to ensure the best revenue while offering high quality. This is an area I want to explore further in the business world. Having decided to study finance, I am looking for the best universities and, of course, the best conditions. I am aware that studying in the United States is very expensive, costing around $50,000, which is why a scholarship is essential for me. A scholarship would not only allow me to pursue my dream of studying finance in the United States, but also empower me to continue building businesses that combine creativity, adaptability, and impact — qualities that I have been developing since I was nine years old.

I never knew how it started, and I have no clue when it will end. Sometimes I wonder if it started when I was thirteen. That's when I found out about some depression symptoms and started relating, but maybe it was before, when I started to hide, or when I tried to eat silica gel when I was ten, thinking it would be lethal. I was never diagnosed, but I do take medicines for depression, which I think is enough of an answer. When I was fresh out of the pandemic, a lot of stuff happened. I didn't have many friends at school; I was very bullied. And at the beginning of the school year, one of my good friends dropped me with no explanation. I tried talking, asking, but he didn't want to have anything to do with me. I took the rest of the year kinda hard, always trying to clear the gap, and not being successful. At the end, I was alive, and it was over, but I was still aching a lot from the four tormented years. When I started in my new school, I wanted a friend group ASAP, and because of that, I conquered bullies instead. And one of them really affected my time there. But after some months, the dust settled. Lucky me, I was one of many new students, and that helped to have a nice friend group with people who were also unadjusted, which made the rest of my year better. I was really happy in that school. I thought things were settled, but the following year proved me wrong. Most of my friend group transferred schools, and the ones that remained, well, got along with the main bully. So what happened is that I was left out, just a shadow standing without being noticed. But I thought that I could get closer with other people, some of whom were already my friends, but not in my friend group, and it worked for a while. But turns out I was broken, so again, the gap couldn't be cleared. There was one specific case that led me to almost unalive myself. I had a friend who was also unadjusted. I counted on him a lot. He was my only friend, which turned out terribly, because he took advantage of my trust and manipulated me into doing sexual stuff with him, and I did. Like a child, I fell for his manipulation three times, until I settled boundaries, and he dumped me. It was extremely painful, because as I said, he was the only remaining friend, and I've never felt so dispensable before. But eventually, I started healing. It took me a lot, and it isn't over. I still deal with depression, but now, my parents became more aware of mental health struggles, and I have made better friends who get me and support me. I still struggle with letting things go, struggle with the fear of losing everything again. Just the thought of me being almost at a point of unaliving myself frightens me, but I have been working a lot for this never happens. And I want to keep working to help others. I want to support NGO's, go to therapy groups, and offer everything that helps me deal with depression to the people who are struggling with this terrible condition right now. Everyone deserves a chance to a fresh start, and to live a peaceful life, but more than this, everyone deserves a listener, and I am proud to be one, because it makes a very big difference.