I am a queer trans person and the single parent of a three-year-old. It's been really fun and challenging to have a child in this current world. LGBTQ+ people are more accepted and able to live freely but it's mostly still very challenging to be trans and be out in the world on one's own with a small child. On top of that, the extra responsibilities that come with single parenting are numerous and sometimes isolating. I often feel anxiety and concern that others are judging me based on my presentation and how they think I should be. One good thing that has come of that is that I now dress very professionally every day. I did this to protect myself and feel in control of how others may perceive me but in the end, it has been the best thing I could have done for myself. I feel more respected everywhere I go and my kid notices that too. She loves me so much! not just because I dress well, but because I am her loving parent and it's this magical feeling of knowing I am a good person and good parent that keeps me going. That feeling I get from wearing a suit is a symbol of how every LGBTQ+ person should feel in the world: confident, welcome, and respected. I want to empower other trans people and youths coming into their own lives to feel this way. By receiving this scholarship, I will be less concerned about how to pay my bills and more able to walk confidently in the world and have the extra energy to be mentoring and empowering others. Being a strong, supportive parent is my number one priority but my education is almost just as important to me and to the future of my family. With my Computer Science and Math degrees, I plan to do research into applications of linear algebra to find new ways of solving interesting problems. It's such an interesting tool, linear algebra, in that it is applicable to many fields and problems. It is used in quantum computing, graphics, machine learning, data science, computer networks, and security, as well as numerous other places. Linear algebra also has a strong potential for use in ways we haven't thought of yet. This interests me to no end and I hope to help discover more applications and ways of using it.

As a trans queer person growing up in the conservative South, I had to be vigilant to protect myself and hide my identity for many years. I now fully support myself through school and no longer speak to my own mother. It's been a big journey to get the courage to even make that choice, but it was necessary to protect myself. Because of this, I have been able to find my own chosen family and heal through therapy and community, but it isn't easy. People who have supportive families are very lucky, and now as a single parent to a three-year-old, I am learning how to be the type of parent I wish I could have had for myself. It's an incredible responsibility and opportunity to pass along a new way and definition of what family can really be. I am a Computer Science and Math major and I plan to do something with linear algebra as that is my favorite thing to study. I love that it is so useful in all sorts of applications but I think I will focus on Quantum Computing or Data Science in the end. I am working on my Bachelor's but I want to get a Master's and do research into linear algebra applications before going out and getting a job in industry. I will make an impact in the LGBTQ+ community by mentoring and supporting others like me who have not had the support they need and deserve to make a difference in the world and live their dreams. I want every young trans person to feel loved and to know they are perfect and wonderful to exist in their communities.