As an immigrant, the idea that my work ethic needed to be tireless and vigorous was ingrained in my mind from a young age. This idea held true, I often found myself working twice as hard to achieve the same objective. When finally, I no longer experienced a language barrier and achieved those objectives with ease I learned to maintain my double effort to dedicate myself to my studies, which established my love of learning. Eventually, this work ethic transformed also into my heavy involvement in the school and community whether it was being the Student Body Treasurer, Cheer Captain, City of Raleigh volunteer, or Academy of Finance president. Often leaders are chosen by their proficiency and excellency in an area that indicates a promise of success or their strong particular passion and drive that inspires others to execute. My philosophy lies in the idea that great leadership is composed of all those factors accompanied by a vision that pursues novel ideas for development and improvement. I have always been passionate about Economics and Business- partly because I saw my parent’s struggle and stress over managing finances and I wanted to educate myself on a sector so important. At my school , I applied to be in the Academy of Finance at my school- where I led as a class director and event director, prior to becoming president of the program. With the 2020-2021 school year online, many officers that I led struggled to meet the expectations of a typical school year. It was challenging to go from a team that was experienced to rookie members, but having that novelty was an advantage because it allowed more openness to change. As we geared up for our biggest event of the year, the pie fundraiser, I met with the executive team to discuss logistics, shift times for pickups, and any questions prior to set up and delivery day. The majority of funding for the year comes from this event, yet the selling of the pies, pick up times, organization and sorting, money collection and confirmation, distribution, and customer records are all done by students. The day of distribution is chaotic: broken pies, long lines of parents, box shortages, and windy weather. With broken pies and misplaced forms, my team looked to me to get through the rush. Adapting to the situation, I established a broken pile that would be donated, and thankfully we ordered accordingly ahead of time extra pies in case of mishaps and mishandling. For the long lines we rotated roles often and communicated as if we were in a kitchen. For example, I distributed pies from the truck, carried them to cars, and worked the “front desk” to showcase that I would be wherever the help was needed and my teammates followed. A leader has the quality of not only leading by example but calmly adapting to the situation as it changes. Although my time of leading pie fundraisers is over, I plan to lead in college and beyond in a way that aligns with my academic interest for business and passion for personal finance. My goals include creating an educational app that revotionalizes personal finance services, budgeting, and investment tracking. Moreover, I’d like to establish a foundation that supports passionate students like myself pursuing a higher education through guiding the application and financial aid process for free, as well as offering scholarships within. Receiving the Next Young Leaders Scholarship will have a profound impact on my academic, professional, and life goals as I’d have an opportunity to apply and educate myself, while giving back to the community.

Cover, Retell, and Check. This is precisely how I get ready for my exams. I take notes "Cornell Style" where my right hand covers the right side, while the left side is open to view the terms and my scribbled thoughts about a concept. Most importantly, before I lift my hand up to check my answer I retell myself a story about the concept. I make this story up when initially learning - this way I am able to make connections and recall it easily. For instance, when studying for my "Principles of Management" course, I come across multiple theorists on management theory, such as Henri Fayol. To remember Fayol’s contribution I would tell myself this story, “Henri and Henry. Henri Fayol goes to Henry Ford to tell him that the best way to optimize car production is to have ‘unity of command,’ where all the workers listen to Ford as the one and only superior. Fayol tells Ford ‘We are name- twins acoustically, we are superior, and everyone should listen to us!’” The story itself is silly and made up, however because it sounds so radical the concept of unity of command ( and that Fayol introduced it) will be memorable. This strategy is amazing because it’s not direct memorization, but rather explaining a concept through storytelling and asking questions. “Why does Fayol go to Ford? Ford produces cars and runs a company and Fayol believes that efficiency comes from listening to one superior command.” Creatively spinning my answers in a way that will be funny, thus more interactive to me. Receiving the Bold Study Strategies Scholarship will have a profound impact on my academic and professional goals as I’d have an opportunity to continue learning and sharing creative study strategies without stressing over tuition costs.

When I was younger I spent countless days outdoors: thinking, observing, playing, and learning. Whether it was watching the green hills by the pond be covered with layers of snow or the pond itself forming a thick layer of ice to skate on. I love nature for the breath of fresh air and the changes that I find myself surrounded with daily, the ease I feel when I run on the muddy path by the local lake in the rain. Last year, as a virtual student, I tried to spend almost every day by the lake near my house or out in my backyard. Whenever I would get a break, I wanted to calm my mind by the green scenery or the assortment of different leaves in the fall, or the barren trees with which the blue sky popped even more. When I experienced virtual burnouts, going on these walks to the lake and being outside was what eased my mind and allowed time for myself to process my feelings, in a safe space that provided the quietness and silence that I needed. It wasn’t solely about the aesthetically pleasing views, but my deep connection to nature, the way it made me indulge in every single moment, reminding me that each second was temporary. Luckily for me, I was in an AP Environmental Science class around the same time, so I became even more fascinated by the complex communities of species and ecosystems around me. Additionally, I worked on reducing my carbon footprint, so that the environment that I cherished so much would be preserved. Receiving the Bold Nature Scholarship will have a profound impact on my professional and life goals as I’d have an opportunity to apply and educate myself, while conserving the community.

Joy is the ringing laughter of my sisters during winter break. Joy is going on walks right before the sun sets- surrounding myself in the refreshing scenery of nature that I am blessed within a few steps of my home. Joy is the first snow in North Carolina that reminds me of my hometown in Russia. Yet, joy is so much more than nostalgic moments of my life. It is the triumph and simultaneous relief of securing an internship in a male dominated technology industry. An industry that often can make you feel unqualified as a female- in which your voice can be a mere echo. Joy is also the passionate conversations I share with my peers about mental health and the importance of its prioritization. I find joy in teaching my mother English- even if to me her fragmented phrases make total sense- the confidence on her face as her mispronounced “Esland”, turns into “Island”, where the “S” is silent. Joy isn’t something to seek out for, because it exists in the present moment, whether it’s making blueberry oatmeal or facetiming a loved one. Many of my instances of joy have been through my passion for business technology and advocating for awareness surrounding personal finance through the Academy of Finance at my school, where I have the privilege of being the president. I’d like to establish a foundation that supports students like myself pursuing a higher education through guiding the application and financial aid process for free, as well as offering scholarships within. Receiving the Bold Joy Scholarship will have an extensive impact on my academic, professional, and life goals as I’d have an opportunity to apply and educate myself, while giving back to the community.

“How are you?” A phrase greeted by a deceiving conditioned response: “I’m good”. Our closest friends will relate this response despite experiencing immense stress- invalidating their own feelings. A healthy life doesn’t simply consist of nutritious eating, daily exercise, restful sleep, and constructive habits, but also emotional and mental stability. The key to living a fulfilling healthy life is a mind-body balance and meaningful relationships. The uneasiness of the mind from the inside can do equal damage as unhealthy physical habits. Identifying to rest or remove stressful factors can have a profound impact on mental wellbeing and allow an opportunity to maintain a sustainable and balanced lifestyle. Having a circle of support that checks in, loves, and appreciates us provides opportunities of interaction and contributes to an emotional equilibrium. Like many, I lacked meaningful social interactions during the pandemic lockdown and experienced a virtual burnout. As part of the student government, I met with administration to discuss ways to promote resources to address student's concerns; whether strengthened student connections or stress reduction groups. As I advocated for mental health and the importance of its prioritization, expressing my real feelings encouraged others around me to share their sentiments. I was always intrigued by business and finance due to its innovative nature, yet I recognize that the field can be toxic at times through its competitiveness, motivating me to be a part of the change that focuses on mental wellbeing. I'd like to establish a foundation for students like myself, in need of financial aid, who are passionate about implementing healthy habits and listening in their educational endeavors. Receiving the Bold Longevity Scholarship will have an extensive impact on my academic, professional, and life goals as I’d have an opportunity to apply myself intellectually, while giving back to my community.

Money is not taboo. At least in my family, I witnessed the struggle and stress my parents had with managing finances- including their inability to contribute to important savings such as retirement.The advice that I found useful for any type of investments was quite simple- to think of investments as regular expenses and budget accordingly. Inspired by my family’s situation, I became passionate about understanding various sectors of personal finance. Allocating for investments as expenses established consistency and prompted me to not invest more than I could afford. Even with a part time job, every month, my investments would be in a separate category that I knew I would have to contribute towards my IRA, index funds, and stocks. As I became passionate about understanding various sectors of personal finance and desired to know more about investing, saving, and creating, I joined the Academy of Finance at my school where I prepared for a career in Business and Economics, while taking courses that intersected finance management. As a senior, I am taking two classes at a local community college that allow me to further pursue my interest within the field. One of my goals includes creating an app that revotionalizes personal finance services, budgeting, and investment tracking, along with education. Moreover, I’d like to establish a foundation that supports passionate students like myself pursuing a higher education through guiding the application and financial aid process for free, as well as offering scholarships within. Receiving the Bold Investing Scholarship will have an extensive impact on my academic, professional, and life goals as I’d have an opportunity to apply and educate myself, while giving back to the community.

Money is not taboo. At least in my family, I witnessed the struggle and stress my parents had with managing finances- including their inability to contribute to important savings such as retirement. Inspired by my family’s situation, I became passionate about understanding various sectors of personal finance. As I desired to know more about investing, saving, and creating- my parents had limited answers. At my public school, I joined the Academy of Finance to gain knowledge about finance management, but also to prepare for studying Economics and Business in college. Business technology intrigued me as I could design tools to help families and individuals seize control of their finances. My interest was piqued during an internship for a technology company where I collaborated with content owners to refresh applicable resources, producing something impactful that reflected user interaction. One of my goals includes creating an app that revotionalizes personal finance services, budgeting, and investment tracking and education. As the President of the Academy of Finance, I capitalized on my future goal by promoting the program, which attains unparalleled resources for educating students on financial freedom and preparing them for future careers without a charge. Additionally, my experience creating content for local realtors allowed me to create a product for someone else that also attained engagement, further motivating me to apply the knowledge from my studies into an app to help others. Moreover, I’d like to establish a foundation that supports passionate students like myself pursuing a higher education through guiding the application and financial aid process for free, as well as offering scholarships within. Receiving the Bold Make Your Mark Scholarship will have an extensive impact on my academic, professional, and life goals as I’d have an opportunity to apply and educate myself, while giving back to the community.

“How are you?” A phrase with an associated conditioned response: “I’m good”. Our closest friends will relate this phrase despite experiencing immense stress- invalidating their own feelings. As an active listener, I read one’s body language and cues such as the droopy eyes of my mom after her double shift or the frazzled look of a classmate studying the week of midterms when they respond, “I’m good”. Often words can be deceptive and completely contradict our feelings. Preventing the conversation from fading, I focus on restating what someone says to me- ensuring that I am understanding their perspective and ideas. Making eye contact and allowing someone to finish their ideas before adding my commentary or thoughts, allows me to fully concentrate during the dialogue. Like many, I lacked meaningful social interactions during the pandemic and experienced a virtual burnout. It became a habit for me to say that I was fine, despite being mentally exhausted. However, as I began to advocate for mental health and the importance of its prioritization, expressing my real feelings encouraged others around me to share their sentiments. As part of the student government, I meet with administration to discuss ways to promote resources to address student's concerns; whether strengthened student connections or stress reduction groups. Listening is a remedy for the soul, allowing me to share the excitement I have for others, or providing support. As a listener of my community, I'd like to start a scholarship for students like myself, in need of financial aid, who are passionate about implementing healthy habits and listening in their educational endeavors. Receiving the Bold Listening Scholarship will have an extensive impact on my academic, professional, and life goals as I’d have an opportunity to apply myself intellectually, while giving back to my community.

The screen flashed a “Thank You” slide. My group worked relentlessly in my Entrepreneurship class with a local company- preparing programs and marketing to increase female participation in the IT field. Intrigued by the industry, I conducted research that proved the unawareness surrounding the gender gap in technology-merely 28.8% women in the entire industry. The summer of my junior year, I applied to be an analyst for a technology company, inspired by the completion of the project, the minority of women in the field, and the intersection with business. Upon starting the internship, I felt extremely underqualified, often finding myself in large meetings with few other women and struggling to share my thoughts in fear of being inexperienced. Although, the more I worked with content owners to refresh applicable resources and track data usage, I realized my input held a significant point of view from a female audience that would otherwise be overlooked. My goal is to launch a free program that revolutionizes personal finance, such as basic budgeting and investing, including simulations, so that users are accustomed to the market. Within the program, I hope to start a foundation which provides resources for women to expand their interest and pursue business technology, amongst guidance in schools, and financial support through scholarships. As the President of the Academy of Finance at my school, I have capitalized on my future goal by promoting the academy, which attains unparalleled resources for students on financial freedom and encourages female leadership on executive teams. Coming from an immigrant household, I've learned the importance of professionally pursuing a career- receiving the Bold Passion Scholarship will have an extensive impact on my academic, professional, and life goals as I’d have an opportunity to apply myself within the field, while giving back to my community.

The screen flashed a “Thank You” slide. My group worked relentlessly in my Entrepreneurship class with a local company- preparing programs and marketing to increase female participation in the IT field. Intrigued by the industry, I conducted research that proved the unawareness surrounding the gender gap in technology-merely 28.8% women in the entire industry. The summer of my junior year, I applied to be an analyst for a technology company, inspired by the completion of the project, the minority of women in the field, and the intersection with business. Upon starting the internship, I felt extremely underqualified, often finding myself in large meetings with few other women and struggling to share my thoughts in fear of being inexperienced. Although, the more I worked with content owners to refresh applicable resources and track data usage, I realized my input held a significant point of view from a female audience that would otherwise be overlooked. My goal is to launch a program that revolutionizes personal finance, such as basic budgeting and investing, including simulations, so that users are accustomed to the market. Within the program, I hope to start a foundation which provides resources for women to expand their interest and pursue business technology, amongst guidance in schools, and financial support through scholarships. As the President of the Academy of Finance at my school, I have capitalized on my future goal by promoting the academy, which attains unparalleled resources for students on financial freedom and encourages female leadership on executive teams. Coming from an immigrant household, I've learned the importance of a higher education. Receiving the Bold Driven Scholarship will have an extensive impact on my academic, professional, and life goals as I’d have an opportunity to apply myself within the field, while giving back to my community.

Money is not taboo. At least in my family, I was aware of how much money we had and basic items that we couldn’t afford. The financial crisis of 2008 impacted my family immensely, for many including my family merely paying rent due to loss of jobs and low savings left was nearly impossible. When I moved to the US with my family from Russia, the idea of the pursuit of happiness manifested as financial freedom. At eight year old I believed that the quantity of money meant financial prosperity, oblivious that any quantity if not managed well can result in stagnancy and instability. The first time I’ve ever had an opportunity to openly discuss personal finance management was at a summer program after seventh grade. I found myself feeling incredibly underqualified; My peers who were older than me discussed interest rates, the stock market, 401ks- and I was clueless on what those terms meant and their potential to contribute towards financial freedom. Through lots of research, Youtube videos, and even Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, I began to understand the relationship between the market, money, and me. At my final evaluation, despite feeling as an outlier myself, I was regarded highly on my developing budgeting skills and applied knowledge of investment types by my instructors. To me financial freedom is not falling into the pitfall of not allocating my savings properly or the inability to manage money with confidence- to have my money work for me. I’d like to have enough funds for my retirement to maintain my lifestyle and live comfortably and in the case of an emergency have savings set aside that wouldn’t plummet my financial health. The feeling of liberty from not stressing over my personal finances and being able to participate in activities that I enjoy, such as going to a gymnastics class, without shaking over the transactions that I make. Additionally, my financial freedom also relies on my decisions concerning my education and in what ways I will seek aid to cover my tuition and educational expenses to hopefully avoid debt. My mom often says, “You’re one emergency away from a financial disaster,” to remind me of the unpredictability of life and the imperativeness in planning. I am humbled by this statement because it proves and displays how there are countless people who aren’t secured from emergencies occurring and based on the severity can easily suffer. At the same time, I am motivated to proactively manage my income and build spending habits that will allow me to capitalize on my financial flexibility in the future. As I desired to know more about investing, saving, and creating- my parents had limited answers due to little experience with such topics; I’ve joined the Academy of Finance at my school to gain knowledge about personal finance and management, but also to be prepared for studying Economics and Business in college. Amidst college applications, I’ve realized how stressful and important scholarships can be towards someone’s financial future and their ability to attend an institution- which is why I hope to open a scholarship fund myself that aids students who are passionate about economics and finance to mitigate and prevent debt from accruing. Money can make many nervous because of the lack of knowledge surrounding it and the unknown- my position as the President of the Academy is to invite students and promote the organization so students like myself can take steps to educate themselves on how to be financially responsible citizens.

Step on to the mat, look back, step back, one foot off, deep breath, foot on the mat again, and go. This was the mantra in my head as I prepared to do my backhandspring at the tumbling gym. The inclined panel guaranteed more air time, so even if out of fear I wouldn’t jump hard enough, I could still get over. Yet, the more I inched towards the bottom of the mat- the goal to get to the spring floor- the less of an incline there was. I looked back, I couldn’t possibly do this, if I jumped with good technique my hands would land on the floor. What if my arms caved in? Or worse- what if I’d land on my knees like I did at tryouts? I had worked on this skill for three years and every time I bailed out of fear. This was my senior year- I didn’t want to go back to my car and scold myself on the way home for not attempting something I’ve long been ready for. My pep talk was over- I gave a big exhale, put one foot on the mat, looked behind me, put the other foot on the mat, it was time to fully commit. Wiping my sweaty palms, I sat, let myself fall, and at the last second I jumped with all my might. The moment my hands hit the floor, I knew it, my body position felt right, and I had so much force I was able to push my arms off the floor with ease. My body was shaking and I felt a wave of relief as I shot up. Without repeating my mantra I did another backhandspring, just to know that it was real. It was- resistance became my champion of change.

I like to call myself a reading enthusiast, seizing the chance to read whenever the opportunity arises, yet I’ve got some unconventional choices. I’m an avid fan of dictionaries. While they’re useful for vocabulary but (admittedly) boring at first glance, I can flip through the pages and become lost in the dialogues, ages, movies, and books a single word has travelled through. My childhood favorite was the Oxford Picture Dictionary that belonged to my mom. This edition had more than just words — the simple pictures and diagrams allowed me to conjure an array of scenarios. In contrast, my beloved Russian-English dictionary was my godsend in a world without instant access to Google Translate, with its thick, yellowing pages that contained the answers to almost every inquiry. Dictionaries became my source of comfort and discovery. In days past, I’d furiously flip through basic words I heard repeatedly, not knowing what they meant. Yet, now these books are my zones of liberty, keepers of terms that are unfamiliar, but represent opportunities to educate myself. Even in Russian, there are words that describe feelings not defined in other languages. Scanning a Russian dictionary allows me to maintain my level of knowledge and further challenge myself with complex phrases I haven’t been exposed to in my rather small Russian speaking environment. I smile and listen, because that beloved, worn translation dictionary connects me to my mom — we look at the words together and while I am the translator, she becomes the learner.

I purposefully flip to the end of every book to see what the big reveal will be. Sometimes it’s so shocking it creeps into me and forces me to flip backwards. When I first started journaling, I was confident that my thoughts, values, and prized possessions were those scrambled across different pages of my composition notebook.This was my resistance, my way of instilling the past in every present moment because I didn’t want my voice to be forgotten. Through writing, I was establishing a sanctuary for my heart and mind where I could relive my thoughts and vivid experiences. I’ve realized that this facade of stories was not me, they were only small pieces that portrayed a favorable version of me. Those were stories that I wanted to reminisce upon and that would be appealing to the eyes of strangers. My entries were words at the tip of my tongue that when transduced to sentences lost their meaning. They were simply desirable portrayals of what could have been captivating to someone else. My world around me was shifting and I was stuck writing versions of myself that were molded by everyone around me but not me. I wanted to let go and allow all circumstances to flow organically the way they are meant to be: without force or worry. As I compiled my thoughts together, my ink ran free on my papers. I wrote of my aspirations, distresses, instances of awe, appreciations, and times of struggles. I wrote about the chipped checkers I played with my dad, confectionery design, and the old wrapping paper piled on my desk. How the rainbow loom bracelets brought back childhood nostalgia and my disdain for sweet tea. Resistance may be the champion of change, but to me surender is the proprietor of growth.

All you need is 20 seconds of bravery. Those were the words that circled my head when I saw the fall Starbucks sticky note board with scribbles of inspirational messages. Those were the words that I repeated in my head when I stood up for my beliefs and voiced my real opinions, though different from the people I looked up to. Those were the words that reminded me that even when I was scared and feeling unprepared I have put enough work and practiced enough to try a new skill at tumbling. I find it fascinating how twenty seconds, makes the the most distinct differences amongst us. The unknown scares us, we feel that we are never ready, that the next step can be so overwhelming it’ll crush us. Yet, upon the realization to allow everything to flow naturally the way that it is meant to be and let it fall in its place gives me comfort. It empowers me, because even if everything everything plays exactly the opposite of what I had imagined it too, I’m no longer guessing, I’m aware of the outcome. Perhaps I fail, but those twenty second of bravery, allow me to fail forward. To learn without regret; to burn a passion from within to continue; to question one’s commitment. Sometimes all we need is twenty of second of bravery to speak, to feel, to understand, to try, to grasp, and to grow. To face our fears and run towards them, embracing opportunities unapologetically.