How much is a life worth? How much is my life worth? These may seem like extreme questions—how badly could he want this scholarship?—but they’re questions I’ve had to ask myself growing up. My family has been robbed at gunpoint multiple times. A childhood friend passed away from what might have been a treatable illness. I’ve watched my parents battle through mental, physical, and financial struggles just to keep the rest of us afloat. All of this forced me to think about money from a very young age. But the conclusion I’ve come to isn’t directly about money. Rather, it’s this: a lack of financial literacy perpetuates cycles of poverty, and poverty—left unchecked—can lead to death. So, how do I plan to fix this? The answer is simple—but the work won’t be. I plan to use my college degree in Finance to guide low-income individuals in building generational wealth. While most financial advisors serve only those who can afford them, I want to bridge that gap by offering financial education and advisory services to the communities that need them the most—immigrants, working-class families, and young people with no financial role models. Additionally, I plan on using my education from my minor in legal studies to advocate for much fairer economic policies—did you know Black and Latino borrowers pay a higher interest in mortgage payments compared to White borrowers? Whether through public service or non-profits, I will be part of the conversation that reshapes our economy into one that serves people fairly. Finally, I hope to increase mentorship for younger generations. I never got to see too many successful people who looked like me in my field. As a Black immigrant pursuing Finance, I understand the importance of having underrepresented people in boardrooms, firms, and high places of leadership. Through sharing my story, opening doors, and advocating, I aim to diversify the field and ensure that future generations see finance as a place where they belong. I will establish a mentorship program available to underrepresented individuals so they can build connections and receive guidance in their steps. But these are just future goals. What am I doing now? I currently volunteer with a local government representative, helping constituents access housing resources and public support systems—issues I’ve personally experienced. This work has opened my eyes to how many services go unused simply because people aren’t aware they exist. I also work with local charities to assist families facing food and housing insecurity, which has further deepened my understanding of structural inequality—and my responsibility to challenge it. This scholarship wouldn’t just help me achieve my goals. It would help me uplift others—thousands of them. With the education and support this award provides, I will be able to help ensure that fewer people grow up asking themselves, What is my life worth?

Jewelries, a car, and our house. These are some of the things we had to sacrifice to move to the U.S. Upon arriving, we had nowhere to go, and my parents could barely find work. It took the grace of my uncle, though we are not related, I call him uncle due to how much he has helped us, for me to be enrolled in school. America was once described as "the land of opportunities." They were right. The opportunities are endless, yet few know how to access them. This is not due to laziness or negligence. Rather, it is due to the simple lack of financial literacy. The lack of financial literacy perpetuates a cycle of poverty, which ultimately leads to death. I watched a childhood neighbor drop dead from stress, my grandmother lose her leg due to our inability to afford proper treatment, and watched my father nearly go blind and paralyzed due to an illness. My neighbor would be alive if she aware of government relief programs, my grandmother would have both legs if she knew of local free clinics that could have stopped the infection before letting it spread, and my dad, would not have had to suffer so much if we had known how to leverage a proper health savings account. While these tragedies had separate causes of their own, I am positive, without a doubt, that things could have ended differently if we were more aware of what resources we had access to, and—better yet—how we could have grown our limited resources. Stories like mine are, unfortunately, not unique. I live in a community where such tragedies are not as uncommon as one might wish. And the unfortunate truth? No one is coming to help us. The same stories, tragedies will continue to repeat themselves. At least that is what most people believe. I have made it my responsibility to break this cycle, not only for myself, but for mine and all other communities. As a future financial strategist, my goal is to help those who, for lack of knowledge, do not know better. While does on Wall Street merely watch the market rise and fall, I hope to track the rise and renewal of both local and global communities through finance. Finance is more than mere numbers—it it is an opportunity. An opportunity to bridge the gap between those who have, and those who do not. However, I refuse to wait till after college to bridge this gap and have a positive impact on society. In an effort to help others and have a positive impact on society. I have volunteered with a district representative, here in Pennsylvania, where I am involved with community engagement with constituents, including organizing a financial literacy workshop for the community. Through this internship, I am currently educating myself on the wide array of government resources that are available to those in need. In the next five years, I will have established an organization dedicated to bridging financial gaps by offering financial services to underserved communities. This will be accomplished through workshops, webinars, and even night school lessons if necessary. In five years, I would have healed, built, and grown communities through financial literacy. Through my college education, and my experience with community engagement, I will prevent others from having to sell their car, home, and even jewelry, and instead help others build a sense of financial security.

Jewelries, a car, and our house. These are some of the things we had to sacrifice to move to the U.S. Upon arriving, we had nowhere to go, and my parents could barely find work. It took the grace of my uncle, though we are not related, I call him uncle due to how much he has helped us, for me to be enrolled in school. America was once described as "the land of opportunities." They were right. The opportunities are endless, yet few know how to access them. This is not due to laziness or negligence. Rather, it is due to the simple lack of financial literacy. The lack of financial literacy perpetuates a cycle of poverty, which ultimately leads to death. I watched a childhood neighbor drop dead from stress, my grandmother lose her leg due to our inability to afford proper treatment, and watched my father nearly go blind and paralyzed due to an illness. My neighbor would be alive if she aware of government relief programs, my grandmother would have both legs if she knew of local free clinics that could have stopped the infection before letting it spread, and my dad, would not have had to suffer so much if we had known how to leverage a proper health savings account. While these tragedies had separate causes of their own, I am positive, without a doubt, that things could have ended differently if we were more aware of what resources we had access to, and—better yet—how we could have grown our limited resources. Stories like mine are, unfortunately, not unique. I live in a community where such tragedies are not as uncommon as one might wish. And the unfortunate truth? No one is coming to help us. The same stories, tragedies will continue to repeat themselves. At least that is what most people believe. I have made it my responsibility to break this cycle, not only for myself, but for mine and all other communities. As a future financial strategist, my goal is to help those who, for lack of knowledge, do not know better. While does on Wall Street merely watch the market rise and fall, I hope to track the rise and renewal of both local and global communities through finance. Finance is more than mere numbers—it it is an opportunity. An opportunity to bridge the gap between those who have, and those who do not. However, I refuse to wait till after college to bridge this gap and have a positive impact on society. In an effort to help others and have a positive impact on society. I have volunteered with a district representative, here in Pennsylvania, where I am involved with community engagement with constituents, including organizing a financial literacy workshop for the community. In the next five years, I will have established an organization dedicated to bridging financial gaps by offering financial services to underserved communities. In five years, I would have healed, built, and grown communities through financial literacy. Soon, others will also go from having to sell jewelry to having built a sense of financial security.

Jewelries, a car, and our house. These are some of the things we had to sacrifice to move to the U.S. Upon arriving, we had nowhere to go, and my parents could barely find work. It took the grace of my uncle, though we are not related, I call him uncle due to how much he has helped us, for me to be enrolled in school. America was once described as "the land of opportunities." They were right. The opportunities are endless, yet few know how to access them. This is not due to laziness or negligence. Rather, it is due to the simple lack of financial literacy. The lack of financial literacy perpetuates a cycle of poverty, which ultimately leads to death. I watched a childhood neighbor drop dead from stress, my grandmother lose her leg due to our inability to afford proper treatment, and watched my father nearly go blind and paralyzed due to an illness. My neighbor would be alive if she aware of government relief programs, my grandmother would have both legs if she knew of local free clinics that could have stopped the infection before letting it spread, and my dad, would not have had to suffer so much if we had known how to leverage a proper health savings account. While these tragedies had separate causes of their own, I am positive, without a doubt, that things could have ended differently if we were more aware of what resources we had access to, and—better yet—how we could have grown our limited resources. Stories like mine are, unfortunately, not unique. I live in a community where such tragedies are not as uncommon as one might wish. And the unfortunate truth? No one is coming to help us. The same stories, tragedies will continue to repeat themselves. At least that is what most people believe. I have made it my responsibility to break this cycle, not only for myself, but for mine and all other communities. As a future financial strategist, my goal is to help those who, for lack of knowledge, do not know better. While does on Wall Street merely watch the market rise and fall, I hope to track the rise and renewal of both local and global communities through finance. Finance is more than mere numbers—it it is an opportunity. An opportunity to bridge the gap between those who have, and those who do not. However, I refuse to wait till after college to bridge this gap and have a positive impact on society. In an effort to help others and have a positive impact on society. I have volunteered with a district representative, here in Pennsylvania, where I am involved with community engagement with constituents, including organizing a financial literacy workshop for the community. Through this internship, I am currently educating myself on the wide array of government resources that are available to those in need. In the next five years, I will have established an organization dedicated to bridging financial gaps by offering financial services to underserved communities. This will be accomplished through workshops, webinars, and even night school lessons if necessary. In five years, I would have healed, built, and grown communities through financial literacy. Through my college education, and my experience with community engagement, I will prevent others from having to sell their car, home, and even jewelry, and instead help others build a sense of financial security.