I got into STEM on my healing journey after a traumatic experience. My entry into computer science wasn’t driven by a regular classroom assignment, but by a desperate search for structure after experiencing domestic violence. Because I was so eager and inquisitive to change my situation, I found comfort in coding; while my physical environment was completely volatile, consistently building gave me a chance to rediscover my capabilities and reinvent my life. I have always been fascinated by how systems work, and how to fix and build them from the ground up. But as a Black student who dares to be exceptional, my chances to excel have constantly been met by disproportionate representation, stereotypes, and cultural factors from my own community and the world around me. Today, the world is changing at an exponential rate. Almost all systems have integrated into digital frameworks and, furthermore, into artificial intelligence (AI). My goal as a Black scholar in STEM is to make sure that no one is left behind in this rapid shift. The stark underrepresentation of Black professionals in STEM directly mirrors the digital divide in marginalized communities. When our community has lower participation, it means a lack of diverse perspectives, a lack of resources, and a lack of quality education, which directly hinders innovation and equity. I am pursuing software engineering with a focus on AI research because true equity requires engineers who actually understand the ground-truth reality of underserved populations. My technical ambitions are fueled by my work as the founder of the Rego Foundation, where we have scaled to reach over 8,000 young women. Through this non-profit, I envision initiatives that increase access to quality STEM education for youth, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds who completely lack the resources to adapt to changing tech environments. Through sensitization, mindset change, and mentorship from industry role models, we can inspire youth to become exceptional creators, founders, and problem solvers for the issues that directly affect their own communities. All sectors are transforming fast, particularly the finance sector, which is a basic need for everyone. I plan to use AI to bridge this gap by developing machine learning models that account for thin data profiles. In many underserved communities, traditional data for financial vetting simply does not exist. I aim to build AI systems that can interpret alternative data points, such as community-based savings habits, to unlock institutional access for those who are currently invisible to standard banking algorithms. To achieve this, I developed and am still iterating on RegoNow, a digital framework designed to formalize and secure informal group-savings systems. By digitizing these informal economies, I am creating the exact datasets needed to deploy AI-driven financial tools that accurately reflect creditworthiness. This will boost innovation, entrepreneurship, access to quality education, and create a more equitable society for the younger generation. Ultimately, my goal is to establish a Technology and Innovation Center that operates as a practical hub for youth. Here, young people will use modern tech stacks to solve local logistical and financial bottlenecks. By combining AI research with localized fintech tools, I want to build an ecosystem where technical skill leads directly to economic independence. I am not looking to pursue a career in the STEM industry just to fit into the status quo; I am here to open up new doors and rebuild the entry points for the people who have been systematically left behind.

Surviving domestic violence in a foreign country taught me that independence isn't a feeling; it is a structure built from choice, preparation, and resilience. When I moved far from my family, I didn't speak the language, had no support system, and what I thought was a mutually loving relationship quickly devolved into a cycle of physical violence and control. Numb with fear, with no money, no plan, and nowhere to go, I realized surviving meant more than courage; I had to actively take control of my life. That pivotal decision pushed me to step into the unknown, rebuild from scratch, and eventually help other women do the same. By 2016, I felt ready to share my story and listen to other survivors. Driven to give back, I partnered with friends to launch safe-space clubs in impoverished communities. As women spoke openly about their trauma, I learned about the deep complexities of systemic violence they faced daily. I poured these lessons into launching the Rego Foundation, a nonprofit helping young women become self-sufficient through skills training, entrepreneurship, and technology. Today, the foundation has reached over 8,000 young women across Uganda. Most importantly, I am no longer afraid to chase my own dreams. One aspiration I carried quietly for years was returning to school. Inspired by my mother, who single-handedly carries the weight of our extended family and always taught me that knowledge is the one thing no one can take from you, I am now pursuing Software Engineering at Dallas College, proving it is never too late to start over. My immediate goal is to transfer to a four-year university for my Bachelor’s degree, followed by a Master’s specializing in Artificial Intelligence. I am particularly focused on Algorithmic Equity; the science of ensuring automated systems include, rather than exclude, populations with non-traditional financial or educational backgrounds. My interest in engineering was solidified by the needs I encountered while building the Rego Foundation. As the organization grew, manual, informal processes often failed those we served. To bridge the gap between community empowerment, technology, and financial security, I developed RegoNow, a digital platform built to transition informal, high-risk community savings methods into a secure, transparent digital ecosystem. This project proved that my future in engineering isn't just about writing code; it is about turning complex logic into life-changing, real-world solutions. By digitizing these informal economies, I am creating the datasets needed to deploy AI-driven financial tools that accurately reflect the creditworthiness of marginalized communities. My non-traditional background gives me a ground-truth edge in this industry. I do not build for a hypothetical user, but for the women I sit with every week who require secure, low-latency tools to protect their capital and build sustainable lives. Currently, as a STEM Delegate at Dallas College, I actively advocate for inclusivity in tech. I bridge the gap between students and administration, coordinate peer mentorship, and lead workshops to make coding accessible to underrepresented peers. Ultimately, I intend to establish a Technology and Innovation Center operating as a hybrid incubator where young people use modern tech stacks to solve local logistical and financial bottlenecks. This journey has shown me that growth comes from choosing to keep going. By expanding my technical reach, I want to show other women and girls what is possible when you refuse to give up on yourself.

I view code as the most efficient tool for social architecture. My entry into computer science wasn’t driven by a classroom assignment, but by a survival mandated search for structure after experiencing domestic violence. In the wake of trauma, I discovered that while my physical environment was volatile, syntax was consistent. I didn’t just learn to program; I learned to build a logical foundation for a life that had been stripped of one. My self-taught proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript was the starting point for a deeper technical pursuit: leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve resource allocation failures. I am pursuing software engineering with a focus on graduate-level AI research, specifically in the field of Algorithmic Equity. My goal is to develop machine learning models that account for thin data profiles. In many underserved communities, traditional data for financial vetting simply doesn't exist. I aim to build AI systems that can interpret alternative data points, such as community-based savings habits, to unlock institutional access for those who are currently invisible to standard algorithms. The qualitative data for my technical ambitions comes from my work as founder at Rego Foundation. What began as a safe-space club for survivors has scaled to reach over 8,000 young women across Uganda. As we grew, I saw exactly where manual, informal processes failed. This led me to develop RegoNow, a digital framework designed to formalize and secure the group-savings systems common in these communities. By digitizing these informal economies, I am creating the very datasets needed to eventually deploy AI-driven financial tools that accurately reflect the creditworthiness of marginalized entrepreneurs. For instance, in a traditional FinTech model, an algorithm might look at a woman in Uganda and see "no bank account, no credit history, low-income area" and assign a high-risk score. An Equity-driven AI, however, would be designed to recognize consistent weekly contributions to a community savings circle (RegoNow), 100% repayment rate within that circle and a growing micro-enterprise. My non-technical background gives me a ground-truth edge over other engineers. I do not build for a hypothetical user; I build for the women I sit with every week who require secure, low-latency tools to protect their capital and build sustainable, self-sufficient lives. I intend to establish a Technology and Innovation Center that operates as a hybrid incubator—a production house where young people use modern tech stacks to solve local logistical and financial bottlenecks. By combining AI research with localized fintech tools, I plan to create an ecosystem where technical skill leads directly to economic autonomy. A biased algorithm is a social failure, and a social problem is often a system awaiting a better architectural solution. I am not looking to join the tech industry to maintain the status quo; I am here to re-engineer the points of entry for those who have been systematically left offline.