I am the second child of two Gabonese parents. After my father went back home my mother raised my sisters and me in Houston, Texas on her own while attending college and scraping money from whatever jobs she could find. My mother was an entrepreneur back in Gabon, however, once we came to the United States the American Dream started to seem closer to a dream than reality. Despite all of this, my mother worked hard so her daughters could have a fair opportunity for an education in the States. This reminds me that my problems are not as big as I think and it inspires me to persevere in my school journey, complete my bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems, and one day give back to my mom, family, and community.
During my sophomore year of high school, I received a letter from Rice University. This was weird because I have not applied to any colleges or universities yet let alone Rice University. It was not an acceptance letter though, it was an invitation letter to enroll in their Aerospace and Aviation Academy. Obtaining a letter to attend this Academy was a big deal because it is hard for people to get accepted, and I just got accepted without even applying. However, this huge achievement soon turned into a hefty expense. The invitation also stated I had to pay more than six thousand dollars to be in this academy. This opportunity reminded me of my financial predicament. Unfortunately, we could barely afford food let alone pay tuition to an academy that lasts less than two weeks. Nevertheless, this experience made me realize to keep pursuing my dreams because people were always watching me. My family, friends, teachers, and representatives of several colleges and universities were watching my growth and achievements, even if I may feel it is going unnoticed.
Another problem that affects me to this day is when the electricity at our home was disconnected. What is mentally draining about this situation is not the electricity being cut itself, but not knowing when it will come back on. Days passed, then weeks, then months. Although my father didn't physically live with us, he was in charge of the bills and rent and this time the electricity bill was unpaid. This wasn't the first time it happened, but it was the first time it happened for this long. That situation was very complicated because it was hot and I had to go to school. However, it sharpened my problem-solving skills. For instance, I couldn’t use my printer, but I could use the one at school to print my essays. Printing my essays at school is just one out of a hundred examples of how this situation taught me to think creatively. How I would write my papers was a complicated process. I didn’t have a flash drive either so all my essays were saved in Google Docs. I couldn’t write my essay on my laptop so I would write it out on scratch paper. Then I would take these papers to school and type my entire paper into a computer in the library, send it to my school email so I can have a copy of it there, and then have it printed. This experience showed me how to always expect the unexpected, and properly prepare for it with an organized mindset.
I am currently working on a website that is meant to help those suffering from food insecurity. I am pursuing programming so my skills can be good enough to help others in the future.