Wow! So much I can say about myself and my story. I came to the U.S. five years ago as a 12-year old immigrant from a tiny remote village in Nigeria. My dad and mom didn’t graduate high school and could barely read or write. My dad was an orphan at a very young age and, he can’t remember much about his parents. They died three years apart at young ages. My grandpa died because of an accidental gunshot wound. As a single parent, my grandma struggled to take care of her six children even though she was in poor health. My grandma eventually died from a severe hernia because she didn’t have the equivalent of $1.50 at that time to pay for surgery. My dad and his siblings were too poor to send themselves to school because where they lived, you had to pay for every level of education. My dad’s oldest brother was the only person in the entire family that completed high school after their parents died. It remains a mystery to me how my uncle even graduated high school. Every time I listen to my dad tell the story of their family experience, I cry. As a young boy, my oldest uncle became a domestic servant after the death of their mother to help financially support his siblings. He also sent himself to high school and graduated top of his class. Although he did not attend a university, he got a bank job in Lagos, Nigeria, to help take care of his siblings, who were still living in the village. After working a few years in the bank as a clerk, he realized that he did not make enough money to continue taking care of his siblings. My uncle was able to immigrate to the U.S. with $500 in his pocket in the late 1970s. It was all by the grace of God. Even though his siblings were too old to go back to school, my uncle insisted on sending them to school because, in our culture, there is an old saying that "whenever someone wakes up, it is their morning." Unfortunately, my dad and his siblings had to stop attending school because the school fees became too expensive, and it broke my uncle’s heart. My uncle struggled but worked hard, and after many years, he was able to bring my dad and another brother to the U.S. Although my parents currently have entry-level jobs and earn low wages, we are very thankful for the opportunity to live in the United States! I always dreamed about having a better life than I had in the small village in Nigeria. I came here in the middle of 7th grade. It was hard to fit in because of the bad quality of education I got in my village. I had to push myself very hard because my English was not strong at that time. My parents and my uncle had to take my sister and me to the library every summer to pick up books. Sometimes we stayed there for hours reading as a way to improve my mastery of the English language. So basically, no one expected me to even get through high school, let alone apply to college due to the language barrier. My father's limited educational opportunities weigh heavy on my heart. With the golden opportunities I have living in the U.S. today, I set a goal to attend college. I believe that the pursuit of higher education is my calling and would be an effective way to make a difference in our world and the lives of others. I will persevere with a strong desire to obtain a Bachelor's degree in Biology and continue to get a Ph.D. in medicine. And I wish to establish my practice someday. With a Medical degree and opening a hospital in Africa, I will be in the right position to help underprivileged women with reproductive disorders. The death of my grandmother from a hernia is my big motivation. Despite the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19, I continue to better myself and those around me in two main areas. First, I know that education is power, and it is essential to self-improvement; therefore, I am faithful in attending tutoring each week to ensure I maintain a strong GPA of 3.5. Secondly, I realize how important it is to read and write effectively, including the ability to utilize cursive writing. I am currently taking weekly sessions in cursive reading and writing to ensure I can understand, and make sense of writing from different age groups. It will help me to better communicate with those who are around me regardless of their generation. I continue to strive to help those around me, especially my community and church family. I have been a member of the First Baptist Church of Merrifield (FBCM), located in Falls Church, Virginia since, 2016. Since joining FBCM, I have served in the following ministries: 1) the Youth Council, 2) the Junior Missionaries, 3) the Music & Fine Arts Ministry, and 4) the Usher Board. While all of these ministries allow me an opportunity to better myself, I still find it imperative, all at the same time, to exercise my interpersonal skills to help those around me. I volunteer in youth councils, provide assistance with youth events, visit nursing homes and rehabilitation centers praying, reading scripture, and worshipping with the residents. As a member of the Music & Fine Arts Ministry, I participate in the youth choir, and I am a member of the liturgical praise and worship group where I encourage and motivate the congregation spiritually. I also serve on the Usher Board, where I greet members and visitors and take care of their needs throughout the service. Periodically, I also assist with food drives, gather and provide school supplies to children, and feed the homeless. I believe that we are blessed when we bless others.

I am a member of the First Baptist Church of Merrifield, where I serve in the music & fine arts ministry, usher board, as a junior missionary, and as a president of the youth council. As a junior missionary, I visited youth and senior citizen centers (before the coronavirus) in the hospital. Also, I organized food drives, gathered, and provided school supplies for teens in need. I fed the homeless and needy people in my community with my fellow junior and senior missionaries. As a president of the youth council ministry, I help to advance church programs. And activities for the local communities. I also organize and lead the youths in our annual community festival. Besides, I assign specific roles to teens in my church for youth worship services on Youths Sundays. During worship services, I sing in the youth choir and usher. I also play a vital part in the zoom worship services. In addition to all the serves, I'm also a member of the National Honor Society, where I serve the communities and help students when needed. I came from a very poor background. None of my grandfather's children finished high school or graduated, except for the older son, which is my uncle. He managed to finish high school and graduated from college by the grace of God. My dad and his siblings had no one to help them when their parents died. They had no properties like houses, land, and they couldn't even provide food, clothes, or anything for themselves because they were too young by then. None of my parents even finished high school or graduated. So what I'm saying is that I'm a low-income family who is working very hard to apply as many scholarships available to help me pay some or most of the college expenses. This scholarship will have an impact on me because it will assist me in my college journey. It will support me by paying for my college books and also my meal plan. I wish to become a medical doctor, an obstetrician-gynecologist, to be specific. I believe that this is my calling and an effective way to make a difference in our world. I would love to get a bachelor's degree in biology and continue to get a Ph.D. in medicine. After, I would love to practice in the medical obstetrician-gynecologist field. Also, I would like to have an internship and complete my residency in a hospital and obtain the knowledge I need to establish my practice someday. The reasons why I chose this past are because firstly, I love babies, and I would love to help pregnant women have a safe delivery. I would also love to diagnose and treat reproductive disorders such as infertility and pelvic pain in women. The death of my grandmother precipitated my goal because she died of a hernia. So I would love to help people that may find themselves in her situation. With my medical education, I want to help the underprivileged.