My passion is farming and gardening.I may not be exactly sure how this inclinations came about but I would say it has to do with my natural love for the outdoors, plants and animals.My love for plants and animals, I believe came as a result of my early years of exposure by my grandmother to farming and poultry where I used to assist her in tending to her farm and chickens. Also, my Father loves flowers around the house and I remember following him to water the flowers every morning as a little boy growing up in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. I took this interest to class and was always interested in the science of plants and animals to understand how they function just for the love of it. I would go to Biology class even if I didn't have to because I find it interesting and relate with it so effortlessly.If there was a course that covers the art of farming and food production, I definitely would be drawn to that because I love any course that will expose me to the environment and the outdoors especially as I don't have any issues getting my hands dirty. For this reason, I have applied to different Universities to study Agriculture Science for the 2022 Fall session. I enjoy every moment of farming ever since I discovered the amazing moment of seeing seeds developing into plants. It is magical to me and I still have not gotten over that "magic" till today. I intend to go into farming in the future after college and one day own my farm. Also, recently, I am regularly supporting a food bank program where I assist in loading and unloading of food items as well as distribution of food supplies to the elderly. My dream is to end hunger among the poor all over the world and I hope to be a farmer after college.My impact will be felt by my community in solving the food crisis that sees some children go to bed without food everyday. I want to be remembered for feeding as many children in Africa especially. This is based on my experience in Nigeria, where I see so many hungry children begging on the street and I feel sad each time I see them.Knowing that I can contribute to ending hunger gives me joy.

I was born in San Diego and had to be taken to Africa at infancy by my Mother and only relocated back to the United States at the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic due to the closure of schools in Nigeria. My support for equality and diversity will start from my experience while in Nigeria, a country where I spent 16 years of my life. Nigeria is a Country of over 500 languages and different tribes and cultures. In Nigeria, there has been this constant domination of the presidency by a certain tribe, the Hausa/Fulani ethnic group and because of this, there is agitation by my Mothers ethnic tribe as the third largest for the post of the president of the country. I was in the youth vanguard for the equality and diversity of all Nigerians and constantly raising awareness and posting on social media for the actualization of equal rights to all Nigerians. On the world scene, I support the Black Lives Matter movement. Although started in the US,it is now a global human rights movement. It is a campaign to end violence and systemic racism towards Black people and other people of color.I am constantly writing and making sure my voice is heard in my own little way on matters of equality and diversity. The Social justice movement has raised consciousness on many issues that have impacted negatively for decades. My community became more involved in protest and being involved many people and myself felt good that at last, our voices were being heard.

I was born in San Diego and had to be taken to Nigeria when I was 4 months old and just relocated to the United States at 16 years old and counting due to the covid-19 when all the schools were forced to close in Nigeria. I grew up with my grandparents in a small village and got integrated into the community very early. My grandmother is into cassava and poultry farming where I assist her tend to her farm and will follow to sell the produce at the local market every two weeks. It was a close knit community where everybody knew each other. It is very important to be interested in our communities for lots of reasons. I will start with the community where I grew up. Community and clan are very special to my Father's family because issues and assistance are rendered or resolved on a communal basis. All members of the community belong to one age grade or the other. Starting from the Village head who is the Chief of the community. Churches and other groups have their own associations and all help in charity works in my community. Farming assistance is rendered by the different age grades by visiting members' farms to harvest and process some of the crops. Weddings too are done on that basis by contributing money and running errands for the families involved in the wedding. I have assisted greatly in both communities that I have lived and currently living. I followed my age grade members to the farm to work on a regular basis before leaving Nigeria.Also, at the local church, I play Saxophone for the church every Sunday service for free and for young couples who cannot afford to hire musicians for their weddings. When I relocated to the United States in 2020, my aunt encouraged me to participate in community service and since then, I have actively participated on a weekly basis at the Cholla Fair food bank in Escondido, California where I help in loading and distributing food to the elderly in the community. Seeing the smiles on their faces and the bond makes me feel good and to know I am doing a good thing for my new community. I love anything that will expose me to the environment and the outdoors especially as I don't have any issues getting my hands dirty. For this reason, I have applied to different Universities to study Biological Sciences or Agriculture Science and Agriculture food sustainability for the 2022 Fall session I sincerely think that there is no feeling like when you give back. Like my Father will always say; the giver's hand is always on top of the receiver. So I want to be known for giving back to my community,State and Country. My passion and dream is to be a farmer and contribute to ending hunger among the poor in my community, Africa and the World. By the grace of God, I would like to make an impact in curbing World hunger in any way I can in future.

The most inspiring book I have read is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. My Father has this book in his collections and used to tell me to read it. He read it when in secondary school.Things Fall Apart is a very captivating and interesting book about an African village setting with their culture and ways of life before the coming of the White man who came as a District Officer (D.O) during the colonial period in Africa. In the book, Okonkwo the main character has many wives and children who all assisted on the farm in different capacities. He had a big farm and was considered a very wealthy man by the society they lived in at the time. With the coming of the colonial masters, the children were asked to go to school and worship the White man's God Before the coming of the Whites, the society Okonkwo lived in had their own conflict resolution methods.The imposition of the colonial master's ways of life brought so much disagreement and conflicts in the "Amakwu" village. Some of the villagers were for the new ways of life brought by the colonial masters and some were against it by still holding on to their old ways and at the end Things Fall Apart. I am greatly inspired by this book because of the character of Okonkwo who is a bridge builder between the colonial masters and his people. I also love the many wise sayings and proverbs in the book like when Okonkwo said at a village meeting that " When Echieke the bird said that since humans had learnt how to shoot without missing, she too has learnt to fly without perching" and "No matter how tall a teenager is, he cannot see what an elder sees seating"

There is a particular art work in my grandpa's living room that is so captivating and imposing. I used to be scared of it growing up as a baby because of the way it was painted and the color used in the work. I grew up with my Grandparents in the village after my mother relocated with me to Nigeria while I was 4 months old. I only got back to the United States in 2020 after almost 17 years due to the covid-19 pandemic. My Grandpa used to carry and tell me not to be scared of the art work because of its importance to him.The art work is a work done by Amarachi Ubani and its about a mother breastfeeding her baby with tears in her eyes.My Grandpa relates to the art work because he had a similar experience growing up with her late mother. They could barely feed after the loss of their father, so the mother was all they had to hold on to for everything. I got to see the importance of the art work on a daily basis as I see African mothers and their babies on their back going about their daily chores in the little village where I grew up and I can relate and understand their connection to their babies.Each time my grandpa tell me the story about the artwork, I see in his eyes how he loved and missed the mother.

Being born in San Diego and had to be taken to Nigeria at infancy to grow up in a rural village setting with my Grandparents and only returned to the United States due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I am in a very good position to write on this topic.I was only four months old when my mother took me to Africa and I was there until 2020, that is almost 17 years of my life outside of my Country of birth. I always dream of returning to California as my parents kept insisting life in America is not safe for teenagers due to peer influence, drugs and gun violence.My dream of returning to the United States came true in 2020 when Covid-19 broke when all the schools in Nigeria had to close due the pandemic. My parents had no choice than to send me back to America to continue my education and I was so elated; At last, I am going back to my country. Covid-19 brought so many changes in all aspects of our lives on how we interact, socialize,healthcare delivery,transportation,technology and learning.For the developed Countries, Covid helped and boosted so many companies business in terms of delivery services and e-commerce.Amazon and so many on-line businesses saw an upward surge in business. While businesses that had to do with personal contacts suffered greatly. The hospitality business suffered most in this area. Hotels, airlines and most tourist destinations had to close and some have not recovered or returned to business two years down the line.Covid in a way made many businesses close shop and in another transformed and prospered some companies who were innovative and embraced technology. The healthcare sector was the most affected as all eyes are on the Doctors and other healthcare workers to proffer solutions to the crisis.The situation across the world was one of desperation and total chaos. Most hospitals did not even have bed space for those affected with the virus.In Nigeria and other African countries, many people had to resort to all sorts of herbs and concoctions as a cure for the virus. Prices of Chloroquine, a Malaria medication that is very cheap on a normal day, became very expensive once President Trump said it can cure the virus. Normal household bleach was consumed based on Trump's alleged approval in some villages in Africa. It was all sorts of fake news upon fake news on the origin and cure of the virus. The importance of technology was very glaring in the covid-19 period. Technology assisted humanity greatly on so many fronts; delivery, meetings,learning and interaction. Companies such as Zoom, Cisco Webex, Webinar and Tik Tok made so much impact through their technology.I remember talking to my cousins via zoom and it was such a relief and easy technology. It also assisted my Father in his business with his Chinese partners in agreeing on samples of some certain goods before shipment to Nigeria. Today, those technologies have come to stay to aid us in navigating through this covid-19 pandemic. Covid brought so many changes on how we socialize and keep our hygiene level. Most Countries had to ban large gatherings for different occasions such as football, soccer, marriages,church and bars.The fashion industry saw facial masks from different cloth makers and they were made to match their clothing lines for their various customers. It is during Covid that my dream came true and I truly feel happy after stepping out of the airplane at Los Angeles International airport. I came to realize that in life, while some people are sad over certain situations, others will be happy. I feel bad and sympathize with families that lose family members.But on the other hand, I am grateful to God Almighty that barely a year on getting to the United States and learning how to play the America Football, I am proud to say that I am the football captain of my school and rising star award. Covid brought blessings into my life.

I am the Boy that was born in San Diego but had to be taken by Mother to Nigeria at 4months old to grow up in an African village setting with my Grandparents. I relocated to the United States after 16 years plus due to the covid 19 pandemic in 2020. 1. Why I deserve the scholarship: i. Because cost of university education is beyond my family income in Africa ii. My parents are in Africa iii. My passion for agriculture and farming. iv. My grandpa told me to and be a graduate of American University 2. My academic and career goals i. PhD in general Agriculture ii. Farm owner some day iii. Ending hunger in the world, especially Africa 3. How I overcame obstacles I am the first of 4 boys, there has always been the significant challenge of being the pacesetter, always pressured to do more, give more and achieve more.I started playing computer games as I found peace doing it but my result in school got worse because of gaming. Ultimately, I found joy in music and sports and because of these two things.Indeed I changed course and stayed focused and my grades started to look good again till today.

As an extrovert, if I may describe my personality, I am drawn to virtually every activity I am exposed to; but over the years I can say that working out and sports have stood out for me.Table tennis is a sport I learnt to love when my mother, who constantly got worried because I was overweight at about 220lbs at the age of 13, had to get a table-tennis board. She felt this would help me lose weight and help us as a family to bond. I perfected this skill with little or no formal training so much that I became one of the competitive contenders to beat when I played in school. Working out and losing so much weight boosted my confidence and well being. It gave me more focus and strength to think of the unthinkable and today, I am very healthy. American football surprisingly came to me as a wildcard. Growing up in Nigeria I had never understood how an oval shaped object could be called a ball and never understood the technique of playing American football.Soccer was my thing and I played it every other day in school in Nigeria. The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 prompted my relocation to the US. My aunt advised that at 6.3ft & 320lbs I could do well in football; I tried out the sport and the rest is history. Practice, watching the NFL and training rigorously have helped perfect my skill. Just over a year of playing this game, I was made the school team captain, which has increased my passion for this game. My regular working out and engaging in sports has made me more healthy. I have converted the fats into muscles and the Doctors are urging me to maintain my new way of life.

Independence is a stage in one's life when you get to make your own decision and choices without needing the help of anyone. Being the first of 4 Boys set me on the path of independence at an early age. My Mother will teach me house chores and other work around the house and I am responsible for teaching my younger brothers.Growing up in Africa set me on the path of self reliance very early in life.I have to wake up very early to do our morning chores before going to school every morning. At the time, I thought it was punishment until I started seeing the benefits when I relocated to the United States in 2020 and had to be by myself and do things independently of my parents. There is a saying that " If you want to go far, go with someone" The saying implies that in anything that we do in life, we need other people's assistance. I never knew that taking my dog for a walk,doing my house chores, applying for scholarships, studying and turning in my homework and preparing meals for my siblings and I is being independent until I experience it in California. Independence is a stage in life where you get to decide for yourself without the help of anyone, not even your parents or guardian. Being independent has a positive impact on me and everyone in the family. It gives me the chance to leave home and the family to go out there in the world and find what makes me happy and do it. It increases my self-esteem and self-confidence, it makes me trust myself to be competent in any situation I find myself in while being optimistic about myself. An independent life is empowering.

I was born in San Diego and taken by my Mother to Africa when I was barely 4 months old and just relocated back to the United States after 16 years.Being the first of 4 boys, there has always been the significant challenge of being the pacesetter.This constantly set me off balance because I didn't know how to keep up with high expectations. I tried to use the rebel method and constantly unperformed but this tactic didn't quite work out. Rather, what I got was more pressure in addition to being compared with others. This situation started to affect my school work as I started to lose focus, communicate less and withdrawn.I became the laughing stock in my school and in 20th position in my class rating out of 23 students. I was overweight and not happy about the situation. I had to reach a compromise when I realized I was causing serious problems to my mother.I had to make her realize that I was going to make it even if it wasn't at her pace. This prompted the saying; "Mum relax, I always come through" which she still reminds me of every time I speak with her. And indeed I changed course and stayed focused and my grades started to look good again. Now I understand life better and know that it's not always about how I feel or my own ways but that there has to be the need to reach a compromise to manage any situation I find myself in. Today, I am doing very well and have made success in academics and sport. Barely a year after learning to play American football, I am the captain at Escondido High School.

I was born in California even though I didn't spend all my growing years in America. I was taken to Africa by my Mother when I was 4 months old and grew up under the caring and loving arms of my grandmothers.After years of schooling outside the USA, I find myself back in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic and had to relocate with my brother to America.We are in this great country looking for the American dream through football and schooling. This scholarship will mean so much to me because of the financial difficulty my Mother is facing on a daily basis of taking care of my three Brothers and me.My Mother is in Africa and had to send me whatever money she can afford from time to time.I thought America is paved with silver and gold until I relocated and found out that to get a dollar is a big challenge. But with hard work, everything is possible. Winning the Tyde memorial scholarship will go a long way in helping me fulfill my dream of earning a college degree in Agriculture or Biological Sciences.It will mean freedom from poverty and deprivation, after graduation from the University. My passion and dream is to own a farm someday.So going forward, after graduation, I will pursue my life long ambition of working in the Agricultural sector and ultimately owning my farm.My love for plants and animals, I believe came as a result of my early years of exposure by my grandmother to farming and poultry where I used to assist her in tending to her farm and chickens. I took this interest to class and was always interested in the science of plants and animals to understand how they function just for the love of it. I would go to Biology class even if I didn't have to because I find it interesting and relate with it so effortlessly.If there was a course that covers the art of farming and food production, I definitely would be drawn to that because I love any course that will expose me to the environment and the outdoors especially as I don't have any issues getting my hands dirty. For this reason, I have applied to different Universities to study Biological Sciences or Agriculture Science for the 2022 Fall session. I enjoy every moment of farming ever since I discovered the amazing moment of seeing seeds developing into plants. It is magical to me and I still have not gotten over that "magic" till today. I intend to go into farming in the future after college and one day own my farm. My dream is to end hunger among the poor all over the world and I hope to be a farmer after college.My impact will be felt by my community on solving the food crisis that sees some children go to bed without food everyday. Knowing that I can contribute to ending hunger gives me joy.

I was born in San Diego and had to be taken to Africa at infancy by my Mother.I am the first of four boys who spent about 16 years growing up in Nigeria.As the first Son in an African setting, my relationship with my mother is more like the "the second in command" after my father. My relationship with my Mother is very cordial and I remembered my Mother saying she cried for hours after my birth because her family were looking for boys in the family. In my Mother's family, there were six sisters so the pressure to give birth to a baby boy was more like breaking the jinx of giving birth to girls in their family.This singular reason brought me and my mother closer right from infancy. My Mother will ensure nobody discipline me without her approval and she gives the kind of discipline I deserve. She loves me to a fault and I don't take her for granted.My mother will register me for Music lessons,Taekwondo,karate,and Soccer clubs.Those clubs and lessons proved to be important life changing and character formation in every child later in life. Her constant prayers and discipline, though mild but tough, made me the person I am today since I relocated to the United States in 2020.

Being the first of 4 boys, there has always been the significant challenge of being the pacesetter, always pressured to do more, give more, achieve more both in school and at home.I grew up in Nigeria and was not too happy because my parents refused my request to go for my Senior High in America the country of my birth.So I was at loggerheads with them because of this reason. This constantly set me off balance because I didn't know how to keep up with high expectations. I was always functioning outside myself. I tried to use the rebel method and constantly unperformed but this tactic didn't quite work out. Rather what I got was more pressure in addition to being compared with my brothers who were doing well academically. This situation started to affect my school work as I started to lose focus, communicate less, withdrawn and unappreciated. How could I find that balance and prove that I had it in me but just needed the space to do it at my pace. I love the outdoors, interacting and socializing but this didn't fit into the picture set for me, it seemed nothing I did counted for much. Music and sports were my avenue for escape which I held to express my inner passions I had to reach a compromise when I realized I was causing serious problems to my mother who had done so much for me; I had to prove to her that I could achieve the target if I had her support no matter what she thought of me. I had to make her realize that I was going to make it even if it wasn't at her pace. This prompted the saying "Mum relax, I always come through" which she still reminds me of every time I speak with her. And indeed I changed course and stayed focused and the grades started to look good again even before I left Nigeria. My grades got even better when I finally relocated to the United States in 2020. I understand life better now and know that it's not always about how I feel or my own methods but that there has to be the need to reach a compromise to manage any situation I find myself in. Life is about give and take and ultimately the ability to manage the resources available to reach set goals. Success in academics and impacting my environment are my target and proving that 'I always come through'

Being the first of 4 boys, there has always been the significant challenge of being the pacesetter, always pressured to do more, give more, achieve more. I was born in California and had to be taken to Nigeria at about 4 months old,my outlook on many things are totally different from a typical American of my age. I relocated to the United States in 2020 at the peak of covid-19 pandemic when all the schools were shut down in Nigeria. I spent a good part of my life with my grandparents in a typical African village setting who were farmers. So I learnt so many things about farming and investment early in life. My grandmother had a cassava and poultry farm and I was an able farm hand on the farm and most times had to follow her to the market every 7 days to sell her produce.It was my first time I had to learn about investment from an old woman. She taught me about putting back your profit into the business in order to make more profit, which is re-investment in modern business terms.Also, I learnt about being prudent and not to be wasteful if you have to invest.Lastly, I learnt about selling what people always want and putting a small profit margin on them and having volume sales.When I am on holiday and have to go to be with my parents,I will tell my Father the story about going to the market with my Grandma and telling him the secrets of her success in business.

Being born in San Diego and having to be taken to Nigeria when I was 4months old and growing up in the city and village made me who I am today.At a time in Nigeria, I never believed that I'd ever set foot on American soil again.I kept believing and praying to God to do the impossible for me and God indeed did it for me. In 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic broke out and all schools in Nigeria were closed, with the uncertainty, my parents had me and my Brother relocated to the United States.I became the happiest person on the planet the day I arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport and setting my foot on American soil after 16 years of my life. I wept with joy and knew that I was finally home. My Father is a great disciplinarian and thorough person. He made sure things are done properly without cutting corners. As his first born among the four boys, my Father ensured I do things correctly at all times.At a time, I thought my Father hated me for his constant being on my case. He made sure I learn to participate in all activities;inter house sports, church, house chores, music lessons, gardening and rearing of the chicken.He made sure I do my school assignments and turn them in on time.The same goes for my house chores and my soccer practice every Saturday. Looking back and reflecting on my upbringing by my Father today while in California with my younger brother, I reflect on so many things he taught me and I will always be grateful. I remember him telling me to wake up very early everyday to pray and do my chores before going to school and that has helped me immensely since I arrived in the United States. I am not struggling like my cousins that were raised in America in doing my domestic chores and that discipline spirit has made me to do well academically too.The fighting spirit and attitude has spurred me to learn how to play American football in a year and today I am the captain of my school team. Under my captain ship, my school has been upgraded from division 5 to division to 3. My Father always made sure my brothers and I did well in school and excelled academically.He is always saying: Education is the light and bread and food for any Man. Without education, he would say;such a person is in darkness.Today, my GPA is 3.2 plus and I have applied to many Universities waiting to be admitted to earn my degree in four years. Your scholarship will go a long way in helping me achieve the task ahead.

Being born in San Diego and having to be taken to Nigeria when I was 4months old and growing up in the  city and village made me who I am today.At a time in Nigeria, I never believed that I'd ever set foot on  American soil again.I kept believing and praying to God to do the impossible for me and God indeed did it for me. In 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic broke out and all schools in Nigeria were closed, with the uncertainty, my parents had me and my Brother relocated to the United States.I became the happiest person on the planet the day I arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport and setting my foot on American soil after 16 years of my life. I wept with joy and knew that I am finally home.As an extrovert, if I may describe my personality, I am drawn to virtually every activity I am exposed to; but over the years I can say that sports have stood out and gave me HOPE.It gave me more focus and strength to think of the unthinkable. American football gave me Hope surprisingly. and it came to me as a wildcard. Growing up in Nigeria I had never understood how an oval shaped object could be called a ball and never understood the technique of playing American football.Soccer was my thing and I played it every other day in school in Nigeria.So upon  my relocation to the US. My aunt advised that at 6.3ft & 320lbs I could do well in football; I tried out the sport and the rest is history. Practice, watching the NFL and training rigorously have helped perfect my skill. Just over a year of playing this game, I was made the school team captain, which has increased my passion for this game. My Hope in the American dream is greatly enhanced by engaging in football and has made me a better person and my hope has come alive.

I was born in San Diego and had to be taken to Africa at infancy by my Mother and only relocated back to the United States at the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic due to the closure of schools in Nigeria.So my view and opinion of the social justice movement will start from my experience while in Nigeria. Social justice movement in Nigeria is not as vibrant as it is in the United States,Europe or some countries in Asia. So many reasons has made the Youths especially to rise to the occasion to be heard by the authorities and leaders in power. In Nigeria, the End-Sars protest was very popular among the students and youths who were affected by the killings by the police. Youths were targeted by the police for many different reasons and it got to a point that the police kept killing them until the youths revolted and the Country was on lock down for almost a month. At the end of the protest, the police unit called State Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS) was disbanded by the Government of Nigeria to pacify the protesters. On the world scene of the social justice movement, I will start from the United States with the Black lives Matter movement. Although started in the US,it is now a global human rights movement. It is a campaigns to end violence and systemic racism towards Black people and other people of color.It went global with protests in Europe and other parts of the world. In far away Australia, the aborigines called out the Government to their plight. Secondly, Greta Thunberg and the Schools Strike movement dominated headlines globally and eventually became a world wide movement against climate change and pollution.One girl with a protest sign outside Sweden’s parliament every Friday inspired a worldwide movement in less than one year. The Schools Strike movement wants politicians to act on the climate crisis and this very protest impacted the climate change movement positively. Also, the South Africa’s apartheid policy of the mid-20th century sanctioned racial segregation. It barred non-white South Africans from political and economic equality.People held strikes and protests against their government’s apartheid policy for decades. This, along with economic sanctions, led to the end of apartheid.Nelson Mandela played a central role in the movement, and spent 27 years in prison for it. After the dismantling of apartheid, Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically elected leader. To me this very movement is the most significant because of the time it took and have it affected Africa and racism world wide. The Girl child rights to education led by Malala who grew up in Pakistan at a time when the Taliban had banned girls from attending school. Her peaceful promotion of girls’ education made her a target; the Taliban shot her on a school bus but she survived.Today she still promotes women and children’s rights to education, working with young activists across the world. The Social justice movement has raised consciousness on many issues that has impacted negatively for decades. My community became more involved in protest and being involved. Many people felt good that at last, their voices were being heard. .

1. Community is very important and everything to me especially who grew up in an African communal setting. I was born in San Diego and had to be taken to Nigeria at infancy by my mother. Growing up in Africa, Nigeria to be specific and visiting other African Countries made me see the World from another perspective. My African community is something I cherish and admire based on the originality and ingenuity of the people. I still marvel about the tales by moonlight story series and the experiences of my parents while growing up in the village as kids. Growing up in the City of Port Harcourt, a cosmopolitan Oil and Gas capital of Rivers State, My Parents ensured that my Brothers and I visit the Village (Country Home) every Christmas to celebrate with our Grandparents, Uncles, Cousins, Aunties and the entire clan. The community is the bedrock of any society. Events such as weddings, initiation into manhood, farming and burial are all done on communal basis. The community is a strong support system on which Societies are based. Upon coming to the United States in 2020, I found out that there is a strong community on different fronts; race, class and all.To be part of the community I volunteer at Cholla fair food bank in Escondido to distribute food to the elderly. I have found out that in Africa and America, community is very important in our existence as human beings. 2. I was born in San Diego but had to to taken by my Mother to Africa, Nigeria to be precise and spent 16 years of my life over there. I grew up in Port Harcourt an Oil and Gas cosmopolitan city and the village in the Eastern part of the Country with my grandparents.I love farming,sports and music with passion.I may not be exactly sure how this inclinations about farming came about, but I would say it has to do with my natural love for the outdoors, plants and animals.My love for plants and animals, I believe came as a result of my early years of exposure by my grandmother to farming and poultry where I used to assist her in tending to her farm and chickens on a daily basis. I took this interest to class and was always interested in the science of plants and animals to understand how they function just for the love of it. I would go to Biology class even if I didn't have to because I find it interesting and relate with it so effortlessly. For this reason, I have applied to different Universities to study Biological Sciences or Agriculture Science for the 2022 Fall session. I enjoy every moment of farming ever since I discovered the amazing moment of seeing seeds developing into plants. It is magical to me and I still have not gotten over that "magic" till today. I intend to go into farming in the future after college and one day own my farm.

In the middle of the pandemic in April 2020, my parents decided to move my brother and me to the United States, of course, I was nervous about moving from Nigeria to the United States but it had to happen to ensure I was in the best position to succeed. September arrives, our flight to the United States was ready, said my goodbyes and I was off. Arriving my aunt was sure to let me know that the change was not going to be easy to handle, and she let me know that I was going to begin school in the next couple of days this was the moment I realized my new life was not going to be easy to adjust to but I was going to move on and get it done either way. Fast forward a couple of months later I joined the football team at my school, began to meet new people, and make friends. This experience made me understand that change is inevitable and we cannot avoid it, this also made me more confident and sociable I can talk to people with ease and respect and have become more assertive knowing what I want and striving to get it. With everything that has happened in my life in the past year I realized some expectations for myself and these are to bring energy and joy when I walk into a room, I expect myself to be able to help those around me to the most of my ability be it mentally, academically, or physically, and I strive to do my school work with enthusiasm and perfection. My personal goals are to go to a four-year college to get a bachelor's degree in biology, lose most of my body fat and gain muscle, bench press 225 pounds, play college football, and get a full-ride scholarship to college.

As an extrovert, if I may describe my personality, I am drawn to virtually every activity I am exposed to; but over the years I can say that working out and sports have stood out for me. Table tennis is a sport I learnt to love when my mother, who constantly got worried because I was overweight at about 220lbs at the age of 13, had to get a table-tennis board. She felt this would help me lose weight and help us as a family to bond. I perfected this skill with little or no formal training so much that I became one of the competitive contenders to beat when I played in school. Working out and losing so much weight boosted my confidence and well being. It gave me more focus and strength to think of the unthinkable. American football surprisingly came to me as a wildcard. Growing up in Nigeria I had never understood how an oval shaped object could be called a ball and never understood the technique of playing American football.Soccer was my thing and I played it every other day in school in Nigeria. The Covid pandemic in 2020 prompted my relocation to the US. My aunt advised that at 6.3ft & 320lbs I could do well in football; I tried out the sport and the rest is history. Just over a year of playing this game, I am made the school team captain, which has increased my passion for this game. My self-care practice of working out and engaging in sports has made me a better person today. I have converted my fats into muscles and now more attracted to the females in my school and getting great approvals from my family and friends

I am the first of the first Boys in my family and can say so many things about friends and friendship. Growing up in an African setting before relocating to the United States in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Africans have really affection when it comes to friendship. Most of my brother's friends are my friends and we do things together on that basis. Friendship to me means loyalty. A true friend should be loyal to his friend at all times; through thick and thin. A true friend should be able to look into his friend's eyes and tell him the truth even if it will hurt the friend. So friendship to me is always telling the truth. Friendship means support to me. Someone to lean on in times of trouble and not when it is rosy alone. A good friend will always be there when it is really rough for the other person. Lastly, friendship to me is finding a brother in me or in the other person who is a friend.

My favorite hobbies farming/gardening.I may not be exactly sure how this inclinations came about but I would say it has to do with my natural love for the outdoors, plants and animals.My love for plants and animals, I believe came as a result of my early years of exposure by my grandmother to farming and poultry where I used to assist her in tending to her farm and chickens. Also, my Father loves flowers around the house and I remember following him to water the flowers every morning as a little boy growing up in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. I took this interest to class and was always interested in the science of plants and animals to understand how they function just for the love of it. I would go to Biology class even if I didn't have to because I find it interesting and relate with it so effortlessly.If there was a course that covers the art of farming and food production, I definitely would be drawn to that because I love any course that will expose me to the environment and the outdoors especially as I don't have any issues getting my hands dirty. For this reason, I have applied to different Universities to study Biological Sciences or Agriculture Science for the 2022 Fall session. I enjoy every moment of farming ever since I discovered the amazing moment of seeing seeds developing into plants. It is magical to me and I still have not gotten over that "magic" till today. I intend to go into farming in the future after college and one day own my farm.Also, recently, I am regularly supporting a food bank program where I assist in loading and unloading of food items as well as distribution of food supplies to the elderly.

Being the first of 4 boys, there has always been the significant challenge of being the pacesetter. There is constant "War" between me and my Brothers. We virtually fought over everything; remote control,towel,hats,pen,T.v channel,food and everything you can think of under the sun.It got to a point where my parents will blame me for everything-all the fights between my brothers. Like they say; patience is a virtue. My Father called me and told me to be calm and patient when the drama and fighting starts among my brothers.As an extrovert, if I may describe my personality, I am drawn to virtually every activity in school and outside school I am exposed to over the years. My Mother had to enroll me in Music and Soccer lessons and everything changed between me and my Brothers. Music,Soccer and Table-tennis was the unifying point for us and me especially. Learning to play the Saxophone was the breaking of the ice as it brought calmness and focus on my personal life.Whenever, my brother tends to start the fight, I will bring out the Saxophone and play some christian songs and they will all be singing along to the song. Learning to play Saxophone brings so much patience to me. Patient is important to me because I have to be an example to my younger brothers who looks up to me as their big brother. To be patient, makes me to understand and see the other side of people therefore avoiding confrontation all the time.

Being the first of 4 boys, there has always been the significant challenge of being the pacesetter. As an extrovert, if I may describe my personality, I am drawn to virtually every activity I am exposed to; but over the years I can say that music and sports have stood out for me.The saxophone and football are at the top of my chart. I stumbled into the saxophone when in my junior-high school band there was a need for someone to fill the gap playing the saxophone. My hands were raised and this started my story as the only saxophonist in the school band at the time. I had found a niche for myself where I had a skill that made me standout and admired by students, teachers and parents when I played. American football surprisingly came to me as a wildcard. Growing up in Nigeria I had never understood how an oval shaped object could be called a ball and never understood the technique; soccer was my thing. The Covid pandemic in 2020 prompted my relocation to the US. My aunt advised that at 6.3ft & 320lbs I could do well in football; I tried out the sport and the rest is history. Practice, watching the NFL and training rigorously have helped perfect my skill. Just over a year of playing this game, I was made the school team captain, which has increased my passion for this game. I desire to play in the NFL someday God's willing and running my own Jazz lounge.

Being the first Son in the African family setting where I grew up until I relocated to the US in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic make me to see life differently. I am fortunate to have come from a family that i well respected, I have seen on many occasions where my parents constantly give a helping hand to people in buying food, assisting in paying school fees and hospital bills. I played the Saxophone and have used this musical instrument to treat young and struggling couples by playing on their wedding days for free. I feel fulfilled doing this every weekend in my Church in Nigeria before I left Nigeria.On so many occasions while in Nigeria, I have been in the position to help my school mates whose parents are out of the State to Stay with my family during the short mid-term breaks. Most times, I will talk to my Mother in allowing two or three of them to stay with my family for the period. I can always see the deep appreciation they feel in their eyes when I vacate my room them and share many goodies with them. Showing empathy for friends and people I feel more blessed than is something that I will always do. Like my Father will say; it is more blessed to give than to receive.

As an extrovert if I may describe my personality, I am drawn to virtually every activity I am exposed to; but over the years I can say that music and sports have stood out for me; The saxophone and football making the top of my chart. Playing the Saxophone gives me inspiration when i see people sing and react to the song I play on the Saxophone. I stumbled into the saxophone when in my junior-high school band there was a need for someone to fill the gap playing the saxophone. No one was willing or interested in this instrument that seemed 'old-school'. My hands were raised and this started my story as the only saxophonist in the school band at the time. I had found a niche for myself where I had a skill that made me standout and admired by students, teachers and parents when I played. American football surprisingly came to me as a wildcard. Growing up in Nigeria I had never understood how an oval shaped object could be called a ball and never understood the technique; soccer was my thing. The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 prompted my relocation to the US, I tried out the sport and the rest is history. Practice, watching NFL and training rigorously have helped perfect my skill. Just over a year of playing this game, I was made the school team captain, which has increased my passion for this game and has given so much joy and fulfillment in my High School in Escondido, California. Now i derive so much joy and confidence in myself when i see the love from my school mates and how I have loss so much weight playing football. I feel so much joy now more than ever in my life.

I have always been drawn to Biology and Agriculture science. I may not be exactly sure how this inclination came about but I would say it has to do with my natural love for the outdoors, plants and animals.The love for plants and animals I believe came as a result of my early years of exposure by my grandmother to farming and poultry where I used to assist her in tending to her farm and chicken poultry. As a child I remember I always said I would own the biggest farm and produce food to end world hunger because I didn't understand why some people did not have enough to eat. This prompted me to create a small garden in the back yard and raise a couple of chickens and rabbits. I took this interest to class and was always interested in the science of plants and animals to understand how they function just for the love of it. I would go to Biology class even if I didn't have to because I find it interesting and relate with it so effortlessly.If there was a course that covers the art of farming and food production I definitely would be drawn to that because I love any course that will expose me to the environment and the outdoors especially as I don't have any issues getting my hands dirty.For this reason, I have applied to different Universities to study Biological Sciences or Agriculture Science for the 2022 Fall session. I intend to go into farming in the future after college and one day own my farm. Recently, I am regularly supporting a food bank program where I assist in loading and offloading of food items as well as distribution of food supplies to the elderly. Opening of food bank and soup kitchen in my community will be my way of giving back to the society. By the grace of God,I would expand to other States and to Africa. Also,I will assist young boys and girls who are interested in the sciences by mentoring them from my High School and community where i grew up. As an African American, so many of us do not study the Sciences and I will use my influence in future to encourage young African Americans to get interested in the Sciences. The minority communities not doing well in the sciences too will touched by my mentor-ship program. I sincerely think that there is no feeling like when you give back. Like my Father will always say: the givers hand is always on top of the receiver. So i will want to be known for giving back to my community,State and my Country.

Confidence in me is having the feeling about my looks,abilities, qualities, or ideas. As an extrovert,I am drawn to virtually every activity I am exposed to; but over the years I can say that music and sports have stood out for me as activities that boost my confidence. The saxophone and football are at the top of my chart. I stumbled into the saxophone when in my junior-high school band in Nigeria.There was a need for someone to fill the gap playing the saxophone and the school band. No one was willing or interested in this instrument that seemed 'old-school'. My hands were raised and this started my story as the only saxophonist in the school band at the time. I had found a niche for myself where I had a skill that made me standout and admired by students, teachers and parents when I played. Playing the saxophone has made me feel more confident and a "Star" in my school as all eyes and fingers are pointed at me when I go about my daily activities in school. American football surprisingly came to me as a wildcard. Growing up in Nigeria I had never understood how an oval shaped object could be called a football and never understood the technique. The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 prompted my relocation to the US. My aunt advised that at 6.3ft & 320lbs I could do well in football; I tried out the sport and the rest is history. Practice, watching the NFL and training rigorously have helped perfect my skill. Just over a year of playing this game, I was made the school team captain, which has increased my passion for this game and boosted my confidence the most

As an extrovert if I may describe my personality, I am drawn to virtually every activity I am exposed to; but over the years I can say that music and sports have stood out for me; The saxophone; table-tennis and football making the top of my chart. I stumbled into the saxophone when in my junior-high school band there was a need for someone to fill the gap playing the saxophone. No one was willing or interested in this instrument that seemed 'old-school'. Over the years I have developed this talent with the support of my parents who at some point enrolled me in a music school to brush up my skills. To further perfect my saxophone skills, I practiced with more experienced Saxophonist and put my skill to test by playing in our local church choir every Sunday. Also, I played at weddings for free in order to perfect my skills. American football surprisingly came to me as a wildcard. Growing up in Nigeria I had never understood how an oval shaped object could be called a Football and never understood the technique; soccer was my thing. The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 prompted my relocation to the US. My aunt advised that at 6.3ft & 320lbs I could do well in football; I tried out the sport and the rest is history. Practice, watching NFL and training rigorously have helped perfect my skill. Just over a year of playing this game, I was made the school team captain, which has increased my passion for this game. I desire to reach the NFL someday while running my Jazz music lounge.

Being the first Son in the African family setting and culture put so many responsibilities on me to be selfless.The first son is the first male blood of the man and he is considered the heir apparent of the family in our culture. As an Igala by tribe and in Igala culture, the first son,whether he is rich or poor, his opinion is always sought and respected by members of the family. My three younger Brothers look up to and depend on me for so many things; chores,cleaning the house, sweeping,brushing their teeth,washing themselves and so many more.I am expected to be responsible and set a good example for my siblings. Also, my parents are constantly on my case for excellence and me being indeed the head and not the tail.As a first child is enormous, I endure the eternal pressure from my parents to be successful and help in all situation in my community.I always get the largest share of everything and the largest share of responsibilities too.I feel like my mother’s second husband as she sees the reflection of my Dad in me so i have to there for her especially when she is having trouble with my Father. Volunteering is what i enjoy doing at Cholla View Food Bank, where I distribute food to the elderly and putting smiles on their faces. I am a Saxophonist and render my services free to young couples who wed at our local church. Selflessness is the second name of an African first Son and it is rewarding spiritually.

Life is what you make of it goes the saying. I consider myself a very dynamic and vibrant person, social and not limited by challenges. Life is full of up and down and at each point in life, I try to make the best of every situation. The things that I value most in life are: 1. Life itself, 2. Family 3. Environment. The things I am passionate about are: 1. Sports 2. Music 3. Farming and Food sustainability I am passionate about Agriculture and Biology and generally like putting smiles on people's faces. Making an immediate impact in my community at Cholla view food bank as a volunteer and seeing the elderly smile as i hand them food has made life more fulfilling to me as time i distribute food, i see my self attaining my goal in life about ending world hunger. I intend to achieve my goal by studying Agriculture so that i can end up owing my own farm. Where i will produce different food and ultimately help in ending world hunger in my own little way starting from my community and going international as I grow in my business. Life is about giving back to the society and to the system in social volunteering and creating innovative ideas in food production & environment programs. Opportunities in life I believe are in abundance on a daily basis. This how i see life.