My name is Riley, and there are many things that motivate me. I try to stay on the sunny side, which is incredibly difficult in today's climate. Finding new little things to look forward to helps the days pass more meaningfully, and refills both my hope and my willpower. The thought of having a delicious coffee for breakfast will motivate me to push on with my homework while I work into the early hours of the morning. Looking forward to an afternoon with my friends will motivate me to get all my chores and work done on time. Knowing that I can keep looking for and finding these little motivators helps me bridge the gap to my bigger motivators, which take much longer to accomplish than an afternoon of focus. Right now, my greatest motivation is to become an electrical engineer. The long nights studying can wear me down, but knowing what is at the end of this path keeps the fire lit beneath me. If I could be literally anything in the world, I would be some type of woodworker or architect. I worked for a while making furniture for college dorms, and I got to pitch my own designs to different schools. Shape, texture, size, and even function were all considered for those designs. I have also made my fair share of tables, cabinets, bookshelves, and many other things. My “hobby” would also make me money- I would love to be a video game tester. I don’t have much, if any, free time because I work full-time, am a single mother, and go to school full-time at night. But I really love all video games and often find myself thinking of ways to improve my favorites. I think being paid to do that would make me very happy. The thing that excites me the most about STEM is the literally limitless possibilities. Even just within my one chosen flavor of engineering, there are so many possible jobs that await me. Then there are tens of other types of engineers out there, doing only what they know. I find it interesting that most of the things we use and take for granted today were once engineered. Being able to continue creating things that will one day be taken for granted is something that I feel could be my positive impact on the world. Right now, there are ten things within my physical reach that are increasing my comfort exponentially that didn’t exist 100 years ago. I think being able to create something new that would be widely accepted and used, and then keep it affordable, would be one of the best things I could do with my time. My greatest challenge is that I am doing this entirely alone. Being a single mom presents many financial challenges, and working full-time somehow creates even more. Thankfully, I have been able to secure a job that provides just enough money to pay for rent, utilities, my daughter’s before- and after-school care, the food we need to eat, the gas to get to and from work / her school, and the very seldom “extra” thing. There usually isn’t enough in my account to cover some of the things or experiences I would love to provide for my daughter. Having a cushion between us and the crushing needs of surviving alone could be the difference between lying awake at night, wondering how I will keep my daughter from feeling left out of her peers, and getting a full night's rest. Her before- and after-school program is amazing, but it is expensive. I drop her off around 0700 each morning and pick her up around 1730 each evening. This is an unfortunate byproduct of having to be at work before her school starts and not being able to leave work until after her school is already out. I often feel very guilty about being away from her for 10-11 hours a day. Being able to take her somewhere extra fun, like a water park, or maybe to get her nails done once a month, or to the movie theater, would help me feel as though the gap between what I am able to provide and what she deserves is smaller. Any amount would greatly improve my situation and would be very much appreciated. The way I “overcome” this feeling is by completely dedicating all of my evenings to her. We spend a lot of time doing free things like going to the park, riding our bikes, reading, coloring, or playing with dolls. Every moment I can give her my full attention helps me feel better about the things she may be missing out on because we don’t have any money.

In ten years from now, I will: - Be a landlord of 5+ duplexes in a quiet area. I plan on building these myself (with my dad). - Own my own home with enough rooms that I can have consistent visitors - Have paid off all of my debt, and any debt my parents or sister still have at that time - Have saved enough for my daughter to have her first car and also to go to the college of her choosing - Open or manage a local charity that keeps kids from going hungry These are all incredibly important to me. My parents and I built the house they live in now and did everything ourselves except for the HVAC and electrical work. Since then, I have gotten a job in HVAC and am in school to become an electrical engineer. My father has always been able to accomplish any task he sets his mind to, and we have been talking about buying a few acres to build duplexes for years. With his guidance and the skills I am learning now as an engineering student, I can completely build these duplexes by hand by myself. Working in the construction department at Hobby Lobby has already taught me how to be a great landlord. Owning a house with my daughter would mean never having to wonder where we would sleep again. She would know where home is, and wouldn't need to worry herself about if she was staying the night with grandpa or not. Paying off my debts and those of those closest to me would be my way of getting back at my parents for all the times they supported me. They have kept me standing through many storms, even during their own struggles. After paying these debts, I will begin saving for my daughter's first car. It has always been my dream to give my children their first car and to have that moment where they can't believe I did that for them. She already deserves it, good thing she is only 6, so I have some time to accomplish this goal. I also want to pay for her first year of college. I know this will alleviate any stress she could have that might hinder her from blossoming. I want her to find herself and what makes her happy without any fears. Another goal I will accomplish within ten years is to manage a local charity that keeps children from going hungry. Over the last couple of years, we have been lucky enough to qualify for free school meals. This is great, while the school year lasts. It would be a wonderful quest not only to fund these meals for the kids but also to find a way to feed them during the summer. I am thinking I will set it up so that once a week, families in need can come to the school to pick up canned goods. Then, as time goes on, I would like to have a small drive-through-type place near the school that provides free warm meals for the children. This would operate based on local donations and be supplemented by me.

I am currently enrolled in the electrical engineering course at National University in California. Every morning, I wake up and get my daughter ready, take her to her before-school care, and drive to work. Then I work a full 8 hours, drive to her after-school care, and then we get ready for our evening activity. I try to do at least one thing with her that gets her my full attention, which means we do a lot of coloring, park visits, and riding our bikes near the house. After whatever activity we choose for the day, I feed and clean her, then get her to bed. Only after all of this am I able to boot up my computer and start working on school. It is fairly common for me to study into the early hours of the morning, sometimes even falling asleep in my recliner, where I do most of my schoolwork. I have a little less than 2 years left to complete my degree and move on to the job-finding process Winning this scholarship would give me a lot of peace of mind. Being a single mom presents many financial challenges, and working full-time somehow creates even more. Thankfully, I have been able to secure a job that provides just enough money to pay for rent, utilities, my daughter’s before- and after-school care, the food we need to eat, the gas to get to and from work / her school, and the very seldom “extra” thing. There usually isn’t enough in my account to cover some of the things or experiences I would love to provide for my daughter. Having a cushion between us and the crushing needs of surviving alone could be the difference between lying awake at night, wondering how I will keep my daughter from feeling left out of her peers, and getting a full night's rest. Hazel’s before and after-school program is amazing, but it is expensive. I drop her off around 0700 each morning and pick her up around 1730 each evening. This is an unfortunate byproduct of having to be at work before her school starts and not being able to leave work until after her school is already out. I often feel very guilty about being away from her for 10-11 hours a day. Being able to take her somewhere extra fun, like a water park, or maybe to get her nails done once a month, or to the movie theater, would help me feel as though the gap between what I am able to provide and what she deserves is smaller. Any amount would greatly improve my situation and would be very much appreciated. As for what gives me an "advantage" over those I am competing against, I might note that I am pursuing an electrical engineering degree, which is less common for women. My degree of choice, the hours I am able to work while in school, and being a single, struggling mom should all help my case for needing some funds to continue my education.