There is always a rock that ripples a wave. That was the first lesson I had learned in the summer of 2018. With the hot heat, and the constant pressure of being better, I became my own worst enemy. It was eighth grade and I never strayed away from reaching my full potential; which meant participating in a rigorous STEM program that followed the entirety of my summer. In this program I went to Rutgers to research an effective way to teach kids throughout our community about the importance of STEM. That was the start of discovering my true passion and finding how to use my gifts to help people. Mathematics, most people say, is the study and the application of numbers. But for me, it is the exercise of my intuition. For me, it started with adding the numbers on the sides of houses, then it led to taking the area of the tiles in any room. That’s why from a young age, I was drawn to mathematics more than any other subject. From my perspective, I think I fell in love with math when I learned that math is embedded in the world around us. Personally, no matter the subject, whether it was algebra or precalculus, I have always been drawn to math. Math has been an outlet to showcase how I can solve problems and put together solutions. When I was a little girl, I found myself answering problems and getting satisfaction from getting them right. As cheesy as this may sound, math class has become like an ongoing adventure. This adventure brings curiosity and thrill that makes it all worthwhile. For example, you might get an answer that is mathematically correct but does not logically align with the question. That allows you to look more closely at the problem to make sense of it. To make sense of it all, I found the field of physics; the field I want to pursue in.During physics class, I learned that every math equation solves real life problems. The ranges of physics are endless, From can openers, light bulbs, and mobile phones to muscles, lungs, and brains; from paintings, piccolos, and pirouettes to cameras, vehicles, and cathedrals; from earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms to quarks, DNA, and black holes, physics helps us comprehend how the world around us works. That is the basis of my career. I want to be able to advance our civilization through a way that I can make a difference. I want to be a rock that ripples the wave through our world. With the right financial help, I can study these principles in college that will help me learn the things I need. This scholarship can be the first step in boosting my career.

Hi, my name is Mikayla Blackwood and I was born in St. Andrews, Jamaica. I moved to America when I was only 7 years old and I want to be able to make a change in this world through the field of STEM. There is always a rock that ripples a wave. That was the first lesson I had learned in the summer of 2018. With the hot heat, and the constant pressure of being better, I became my own worst enemy. It was eighth grade and I never strayed away from reaching my full potential; which meant participating in a rigorous STEM program that followed the entirety of my summer. In this program I went to Rutgers to research an effective way to teach kids throughout our community about the importance of STEM. That was the start of discovering my true passion and finding how to use my gifts to help people. Mathematics, most people say, is the study and the application of numbers. But for me, it is the exercise of my intuition. For me, it started with adding the numbers on the sides of houses, then it led to taking the area of the tiles in any room. That’s why from a young age, I was drawn to mathematics more than any other subject. From my perspective, I think I fell in love with math when I learned that math is embedded in the world around us. Personally, no matter the subject, whether it was algebra or precalculus, I have always been drawn to math. Math has been an outlet to showcase how I can solve problems and put together solutions. When I was a little girl, I found myself answering problems and getting satisfaction from getting them right. As cheesy as this may sound, math class has become like an ongoing adventure. This adventure brings curiosity and thrill that makes it all worthwhile. For example, you might get an answer that is mathematically correct but does not logically align with the question. That allows you to look more closely at the problem to make sense of it. To make sense of it all, I found the field of physics. During physics class, I learned that every math equation solves real life problems. The ranges of physics are endless, From can openers, light bulbs, and mobile phones to muscles, lungs, and brains; from paintings, piccolos, and pirouettes to cameras, vehicles, and cathedrals; from earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms to quarks, DNA, and black holes, physics helps us comprehend how the world around us works. That is the basis of my career. I want to be able to advance our civilization through a way that I can make a difference. I want to be a rock that ripples the wave through our world. With the right financial help, I can study these principles in college that will help me learn the things I need. This scholarship can be the first step in boosting my career.

Mathematics, most people say, is the study and the application of numbers. But for me, it is the exercise of my intuition. For me, it started with adding the numbers on the sides of houses, then it led to taking the area of the tiles in any room. That’s why from a young age, I was drawn to mathematics more than any other subject. From my perspective, I think I fell in love with math when I learned that math is embedded in the world around us. To understand and scope the importance of mathematics, we first have to understand that math has roots in everyone's mind. And because of this, we can analyze and find solutions to everyday problems. The intricacy of these issues frequently warrants the use of advanced mathematical concepts and methodologies. It starts in school as math is one of the core subjects to use that knowledge to work through problems in science, art, computer science, etc… Building the analytical skills one learns through math, helps to better understand our world and look at the logical side to any situation. In our history, math is the source of all of our technological advances. From the age of the pyramids to our current times, math is responsible for where we are now. Back then, math had helped us with many things such as bookkeeping, solar/lunar calendars, structural engineering, and even has traces in the arts. It enables us to spot patterns and predict the future. Thus, math helps us understand the world. Personally, no matter the subject, whether it was algebra or precalculus, I have always been drawn to math. Math has been an outlet to showcase how I can solve problems and put together solutions. When I was a little girl, I found myself answering problems and getting satisfaction from getting them right. As cheesy as this may sound, math class has become like an ongoing adventure. This adventure brings curiosity and thrill that makes it all worthwhile. For example, you might get an answer that is mathematically correct but does not logically align with the question. That allows you to look more closely at the problem to make sense of it. In short, math is the foundation for everything we have learned. Because understanding and recognizing the patterns that math has can help us. Math not only embodies the present but our future as well.