My name is Ronard Williams, and I am a rising sophomore at North Carolina A&T State University, majoring in Chemical Engineering. As I look ahead, I see myself becoming a food scientist. Ensuring that food ingredients are safe and nutritious is crucial for public health. By developing new products and improving existing ones, I can contribute to a healthier society. Chemical engineering will provide me with the skills to analyze and enhance food quality, making it safer for everyone. Food science fascinates me because it combines my love for chemistry and my desire to help others. I want to ensure that the food people eat is not only safe but also nutritious. My goal is to develop new food products that can improve health outcomes, especially in communities that lack access to nutritious food. By focusing on food safety and quality, I can make a meaningful impact on public health. Alternatively, I am also interested in working at a chemical plant. I want to be involved in the diverse tasks that challenge workers daily. I am eager to analyze data and troubleshoot issues in operations to ensure efficiency and safety. The hands-on experience in a chemical plant will allow me to apply my knowledge of math and science in real-world scenarios, making a tangible impact on the industry. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals by providing financial support for my education. As a Black man in a STEM field, I understand the importance of representation and the need for diverse perspectives. With this scholarship, I can focus more on my studies and less on financial stress. It will also allow me to participate in internships and research opportunities that can enhance my skills and knowledge. My high school GPA of 3.74 reflects my dedication to my studies. At North Carolina A&T State University, I am committed to maintaining high academic standards. This scholarship will enable me to continue my education without the burden of financial constraints, allowing me to fully engage in my coursework and extracurricular activities. In conclusion, my plans for the future involve becoming a food scientist or working in a chemical plant. Both paths will allow me to use my chemical engineering skills to make a positive impact on society. This scholarship will provide the financial support I need to achieve my educational and career goals. Thank you for considering my application for the Bright Lights Scholarship.

My name is Ronard Williams, and I am a rising freshman at North Carolina A&T State University, where I will be majoring in Chemical Engineering. I am an African American bisexual man, and this part of my identity has shaped many of my experiences. People often think they know everything about me when they do not. They always assume that I am gay when I am bisexual, and I wish people would learn how to respect bisexuality. Growing up as a bisexual man in the African American community has not always been easy. There are many stereotypes and misconceptions about what it means to be bisexual. People often misunderstand or dismiss my sexuality, and it can feel like I am constantly having to defend who I am. Even within the LGBTQ+ community, there is sometimes a lack of understanding and acceptance of bisexuality. This has made me more determined to educate others and advocate for greater acceptance and understanding. Throughout high school, I have worked hard to excel academically and in extracurricular activities. I graduated with a 3.74 GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society, Sociedad Hispanica Honoraria, and Quill and Scroll. I was also the captain of the Track and Field and Cross Country teams. These experiences taught me the value of leadership, perseverance, and teamwork. I also placed second in the district rally for Computer Science and qualified for the state rally, which sparked my interest in technology and engineering. As I begin my studies in Chemical Engineering, I am excited about the opportunities to make a positive impact on the world. My goal is to use my education to address environmental issues and develop sustainable solutions. I believe that as an engineer, I can contribute to creating a cleaner and healthier planet for future generations. I also want to be a role model for other LGBTQ+ individuals, especially those who may feel marginalized or misunderstood. Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community and having faced challenges related to my sexuality has made me more empathetic and resilient. I want to use my experiences to help others who may be going through similar struggles. I plan to be active in LGBTQ+ organizations on campus and advocate for greater inclusion and acceptance. I also want to mentor younger students and provide them with the support and guidance that I sometimes lack. In conclusion, my experiences as a bisexual African American man have shaped who I am and fueled my passion for making a difference. I am committed to using my education in Chemical Engineering to address environmental challenges and promote sustainability. I also want to be an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and work towards greater acceptance and understanding. Thank you for considering my application for the M.R. Brooks Scholarship.

As a kid, I always loved math. I believe that the difficulties math faces and the competition it might create for me are the main reasons I love math so much. I continually try to achieve one of the highest grades in my math classes, and if I don't succeed, I make an effort to improve. Even if math has a lot of problems, I still have time to learn from them. It has always been my favorite subject. I've taken Introduction to Engineering Design and Introduction to Computers, two dual-enrollment courses. These two classes have challenged me to think creatively. I was motivated to choose the area of chemical engineering by my instructors for Introduction to Engineering Design, Chemistry, and Pre Calculus. Out of all of my prior teachers, these three have challenged me the most; they not only forced me to think more critically but also to the point where I had to put in more effort on my own to achieve the outcomes I required. I decided to become a chemical engineer because I believe that it will allow me to use my understanding of science and math to solve problems that exist in the real world.

Everyone has their struggles. They can come from many things, whether from a subject in school, sports, hobbies, or just past trauma. With these struggles, you can either build yourself into a better person or let them eat you inside out. You and I both know that the best option to pick would be to make yourself a better person, but to do that, you have to try and find the things that made you struggle the most. Yes, we know that finding these things can be challenging for us, but if you want to be a better person, then you have to do what is right. My struggles started when I was younger, trying to figure out who I was. I would constantly ask, “Why are you always hanging with females and never with boys?” “Why don’t you want to play football or basketball?” I never knew the answers to those questions, and I would always respond, “I'm just trying to have fun”, which I was. Trying to make myself seem normal, I realized that I was pretty fast in my second-grade PE class after getting first place in our one-minute run around the gym. I decided to start running. The track is a place where I feel like I can run against other people and also against myself. Even with track and field, I was still confused about who I was. Struggling to do my best in school, the only subject that I was good at was math. Math is a very challenging subject, and I always wanted to get the best grades in my math classes. As I went into high school, it was intimidating to be around a new group of people that I had never met or hung around before because I was so used to seeing all of the same faces that I did back in middle school. During my first year of high school, I met a lot of individuals who were different from me personality-wise. This made me realize how important diversity is to me. Without diversity, I think it would be impossible to understand more about the various social groupings that exist around you. As we went through quarantine, I lost focus in all of my classes and started making C’s and D’s in classes that I knew I could have made an A or a B in. This was an eye-opener for me because I know what I am capable of, and failing classes is not one of those choices. I decided that I would finally start trying in school again in my second semester of the 9th-grade year and ended up getting all A’s in my classes. From then to now, I have always been in the top 3 in my classes and haven’t received lower than a B in any of my classes. Now, I am in multiple clubs and sports, such as the Student Council, No Place for Hate, Spanish Club, Service Club, ACE, track and field, and cross country. All of these activities have made me the person I am today, which is a leader. When I show maturity, I find that teachers and students treat me respectfully. This is important to me because I plan to be a future engineering major, and being a leader will help me do better with teamwork and taking responsibility in different situations like projects and problem-solving. Overall, I learned a lot about myself over the past few years and that when I try my best to do something, the outcome will always be the way that I want it.