Unlike most Disney princesses, Mulan is not solely defined by romance or beauty and does not wait for a prince charming to change her life. She defies all odds, breaking gender roles as she joins the army disguised as a man and eventually proves herself to be equal to her male comrades. In quite a few instances, she even surpasses their wits with her intelligence and outsmarts the enemy in unexpected ways. In a film way ahead of its time, Mulan proves that strength and intelligence do not depend on gender, but on who you are and how hard you are willing to work. An eccentric character, Mulan has a lot more to offer than be a damsel whose principal purpose is to exist for the other male characters to win over.

While the transition into college was stressful, I found meaningful ways to cope. Considering this was my first ever learning in the USA, I had to navigate different realities, particularly being so far from home and family. I realized that I had to develop a routine to maintain my mental, physical, and nutritional health while at school and living alone. To begin with, I had to adjust to the different time zones, meaning I had to afford myself ample sleep in the new environment. I set up a weekly alarm routine and made sure I followed it diligently. I do not drink caffeine too late at night regardless of late nights of studying. I would rather have water. I avoid napping during the day and most importantly, I only use my bed only for sleeping. Secondly, I exercise regularly. This helped with following my sleep routine and improved my overall fitness. Exercising to me is a time for me to reflect on the day and life in general. I mix working out in the gym, running the campus, and cycling. I found this particularly great as I have come up with solutions to some of my work. I remember fondly the policy paper that I framed whilst working out in the gym. I got an A+ for that particular paper. I understand eating a balanced diet when relying on dining halls is a huge challenge but I made a decision to make home-cooked meals and when I am swamped, I use the dining halls. This saves a lot of money when I cook for myself. I had to train myself to eat at fixed times, though I feel I am depriving myself. I snack on bananas, nuts, dried fruits, and carrots, staying off sodas, candy, and chips. I do afford myself the occasional Saturday cheat days where I eat anything I crave. I also believe a good circle of friends is necessary for overall well-being. I have 4 friends, with whom I confide and study. They fulfill my need for companionship, socializing, and hanging out. I particularly like the idea that we want the same things in life. We work together, study together, hang out together and pass together. I am most happy that I found a circle of friends in the USA, so far from home. Other things I believe are important to maintaining good well-being include taking time for self-care. I am not into shopping but I found the silver lining in it - self-relief. I recognize the risks of substance abuse - I do drink on random occasions and I always make sure to never drink more than 2 pints. I participate in campus programs to meet and mingle with other students. This, in my opinion, is crucial in maintaining my mental, physical, and nutritional health while at school.

Ultimately, I would have reached self-actualization when I own and manage a multi-national agribusiness organization, coupled with my wife's dream of successfully running an orphanage. I believe we are currently laying the necessary foundation for these dreams to pass.

My name is Takudzwa, which means "We are Honored". I would like to believe I am an honor to those people who come into my life. I present a positive outlook on life, no matter the situation. I love helping. That is my true calling for being an honorable person in someone's life.

Issues and stigmas surrounding mental health are misconstrued in many societies. They are particularly misconstrued in some least developed countries. I had the great opportunity to write a dissertation for my honors studies on the experiences of adolescents with mental disabilities living in a poor neighborhood in Alexandra, South Africa. The research was an eye-opening experience. How service providers percieve mental disability or adversely mental health is somewhat surprising. Many adolescents with disabilities are denied access to sexual and reproductive health services because they are deemed asexual, without feelings and sexual vigor. This bears a negative impact on their mental health. As such, STI, STD and HIV/Aids rates, together with being a marginalized group of society, are often high and often go untreated. This has a ripple effect on their beliefs, how they mold and percieve relationships and how they associate with the general society. After completion of studies, I truly appreciate the value of a good mental health. Now that I am married, I appreciate mental health. I understand mental health as a holistic approach.

Life is a journey. I remember the day my family had a home invasion in Bruma, a neighborhood in Johannesburg, South Africa. Before that, my family and I were living a decent life but on this one dark evening on May 16, 2017, at around 2:00am we had a home invasion. Thieves wielding firearms entered the house through the upstairs bathroom window that we left open. Upon entry, they made their way to my bedroom first, woke me up and asked who else was in the house. I told them everything they needed to know, except the silent alarm. We proceeded to my parent's bedroom. The thieves restrained us on the floor as they ransacked the house of all valuables and money. They asked if we owned any firearms - which fortunately we did not. Satisfied, they contemplated shooting us. As they debated amongst themselves, one was remorseful and actually convinced his pals to spare us. They left. However, the silent alarm had already triggered, notifying the security team who waited in ambush. Soon as the thieves left the house, little did they know they had not taken access chips to safely pass the boomgates. Back home, we managed to cut ourselves loose, secured the house and notified the security company about the situation. When the thieves were driving towards the boomgate, they must have had realized their mistake and unfortunately for them, a gun fight broke out. Of the 6 of them, the only person who survived was the very guy who encouraged his pals to spare us. Talk about retrospective justice. Although both satisfying and horrific, this left a profound and lasting memory. My parents decided to relocate to Zimbabwe and the house that they built, I am pretty sure had that memory written all over it. The durawall is high, CCTV and outside lights light up the night. We have 3 mean and dangeorus looking dogs. Whenever they drive around, they look around. At night, they sense of security is heightened. These are classical signs of PTSD. Life indeed is a journey.

Being an active community leader in my neighborhood in Mainway Meadows, Waterfalls, Zimbabwe has been an interesting journey thus far. As social services have degenerated in Zimbabwe, so has crime increased. In my neighborhood, before stepping down and taking up studies in the USA, I was part of the residents' committee. To combat the increasing house buglaries in our neighborhood, we took the decision to have controlled access into the area. Although there were a lot of obstacles and opposition to this idea, I went ahead and wrote a proposal to the city and motivated our reasoning and what our plan entailed. As such, I felt the unintended results of this were beneficial to the cause. In a bid to control access and movement, a wall was constructed and access pointed gated. However, what was perhaps the most rewarding goal was the development of bus stops and street lighting, all residents funded. We improved internet connectivity as we contracted ADT to install CCTV + alarm systems and landlines in all homes for quick responses. Residents funded, we managed to acquire patrol vehicles and set up neighborhood watch groups to ensure that everyone was safe. We sent volunteers for 6 months security guard training. This was employment creation - considering the dire situation in Zimbabwe. It was an impressive project, that is self sustaining. I hope that with such work, we can spread the model of development to other areas and not only secure neighborhoods, but create employment in a difficult economy.

Recovery means getting back up when I get knocked down. This applies to every aspect of life. I remember vividly when I was knocked into oblivion, losing my father to COVID-19 pandemic, with whom I had planned my initial studies in the USA. It was a dark and very diffucult time but I took heart, recovered my drive and now I am here in the USA. When I mess up, faulter and misstep, I always aim to bounce back. For every 1 step backwards, I aim to take 2 or more forward. Every challenge in life is a test. The pressure that comes with it either breaks pipes or makes diamonds. I would like to believe I am that diamond - that is recovery to me!

I am a Public Administration Graduate student at the University of Alabama. I am a first generation in my family to come and study in the USA - making my American Dream a reality. After completing my studies, which I am to complete with a 3.7 GPA or better, I want to be a Policy Analyst, working for the state department, particularly focusing on incarceration. I have already completed a paper on incarceration in the state of Alabama, a cause I am very passionate about.

Mental health remains a sensitive subject for many, particularly among men. The African notion that men are strong and do not cry has led to many problems among men. Mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community, seems a far fetched stretch of the imagination for many men in African settings, well at least in the community I grew up in. I grew up hearing sentiments like, "men do not cry", "men are not weak", "men do not show any tears"... a reality I personally experienced when I lost my father. In changing that perception, I always am thankful for my wife. She showed me that it was ok to cry, that it was ok to feel vulnerable and weak. As such, when I lost my father, I took time out to mourn and grieve, however painful it was, it was exactly what I needed to retain my state of well-being. I left for the USA knowing very well that I had buried my father a week before, goodness it was painful. I checked myself in for counseling, and we would always have virtual zoom calls with my wife when I went for the counseling. Our relationship grew. She filled a huge void I had and today, we are running this life race together. I excelled in my first semester in my graduate studies, getting a 4.0 GPA score, most of which I owe it to my wife. She pushed me. She was there for me when I needed her the most. In all, she ensured my mind was in the right place I needed it to be. My mental health was her primary focus and she did it perfectly. I understand that mental health is key to leading a fulfilling life. I always advise my friends that it is ok to feel vulnerable, let alone cry and grieve. Allowing oneself that time and space to clear your mind is key to staying healthy too. When I read stories of suicide among men, it usually is a case of mental health. Men tend to suffer in silence when they are faced with challenges or domestic issues. Men are often abused by their partners and are afraid of speaking up because they might be seen as weak among their peers. As such, there is a need to research mental health issues among men. It could provide important information in ensuring mental health services for men are prioritized

Having learned in South Africa, and coming from Zimbabwe, there are fundamental differences that I picked up, most of which can be narrowed down to good governance practices. Now that I am studying in the United States, I have a clearer understanding of what a 'standard of education' should be. Most policies in Africa are influenced by 'politics of the stomach' where if politicians enact favorable policies to the electorate, they remain in office. For instance, in South Africa, the Department of Basic Education always revises the matric pass rate depending on how learners performed. As such, in 2021, the pass mark in Mathematics was lowered to only 30%. Now, the problem with this change is that University admission requires that prospective students pass with 50%. How do they justify a pass average mark in matric students when at admission, they do not qualify? Good governance lacks. If I can make education better for future generations, I would advocate for standardized pass marks which should never be altered because that respective stream performed dismally in their finals. Zimbabwe in the SADC region has a high standard of education but because of political turmoils, both locally and regionally, Zimbabwean's are often required to convert their results to the host local standards. Fundamentally, if education is standardized in the SADC region, we would be better served in servicing the needs of future generations when it comes to education.

In early January of 2021, coming from a family vacation, my father fell ill to COVID-19. For days, my family and I were hands-on trying to give him the best home medication and care we could but unfortunately, on the 11th of January 2021, he succumbed to the dreaded virus. Life stopped. I could not believe that a healthy man had lost the battle. I could not believe my father was no more. That was the worst pain I have ever had to deal with in my life. All the plans I had with him. All the business ideas and ventures we had discussed whilst on a family vacation. All that down the drain. The pain was immense. I felt the world curving in on me and I was suffocating. My father was an academic. He always pushed me to excel in all my studies. Quite frankly, the choice of taking up a Master of Public Administration was a decision he influenced me with, for the goal we set. Now that I realize the path, I am more than committed to seeing our vision come to pass. I will finish this graduate degree, take the reins on what we set out to achieve. If I can be half the man my father was, I would have surely outdone myself. It is doable. I can also get a doctoral degree. I can also run and manage the companies we own. I for sure know that I have the leadership qualities that he instilled in me to effectively and efficiently run successful businesses. In the face of adversity, rise, and shine, and if all else fails, redesign and start again.

I am excited about the use of BlockChain Technology in the agriculture sector of African economies. Traditionally, farming in most African countries has been historically divided along racial lines. The lack of partnership networks for many small emerging farmers means they do not have access to lines of credit and other valuable non-monetary 'assets'. Thus, the absence of formal partnership networks that support emerging farmers across many African states presents a major challenge to the development of the agricultural sector. This bears a direct impact on food security, job creation, poverty reduction and exacerbates social inequalities. BlockChain technology has a plethora of uses that can potentially solve some of the inequalities in the agriculture sector. With regulation, a free trading space with a universal ledger of accounts and currency is a good solution to bridging the gap in partnership networks. Small emerging farmers present an untapped market in creating food security and resilience thus the use of blockchain technology is fundamental and central to efforts of eradicating poverty and hunger. The 4th industrial revolution - the technology age, could not have been welcomed.

Solving problems is an acumen that I pride myself on, and excel at. My previous job experiences required exceptional research skills. I had never read or studied anything about blockchain management before being appointed a senior research consultant. I found myself in uncharted waters. I figured it was a sink or swim for me. I chose to swim. I had to read books, journals, and business articles, watch video tutorials on youtube... all to catch up with the rest of the team. It was an interesting journey that by the time I had to produce my first periodic report, I excelled and was made group manager in less than 3 months of employment. Once in the role, I had to figure a way to collaborate our work as we were dealing with a 'racially' sensitive issue in South Africa. My team was diverse - people from different backgrounds. Meetings were tense and charged. I knew I had a problem on my hands to make everyone understand that we had work to do and make them feel complete and satisfied doing it. Technology and web platforms for work collaboration were paramount in my quest. I changed a few things to ensure maximum participation. I can say now, I am a good problem solver - duly praised by the CEO for excellent work done. Mind you, I was an outsider to the organization but managed to win the team over for organizational benefit. I attribute this to the vast professional network that helps me solve any problem regardless of complexity.

In early January of 2021, coming from a family vacation, my father fell ill to COVID-19. For days, my family and I were hands-on trying to give him the best home medication and care we could but unfortunately, on the 11th of January 2021, he succumbed to the dreaded virus. Life stopped. I could not believe that a healthy man had lost the battle. I could not believe my father was no more. That was the worst pain I have ever had to deal with in my life. All the plans I had with him. All the business ideas and ventures we had discussed whilst on a family vacation. All that down the drain. The pain was immense. I felt the world curving in on me and I was suffocating. My father was an academic. He always pushed me to excel in all my studies. Quite frankly, the choice of taking up a Master of Public Administration was a decision he influenced me with, for the goal we set. Now that I realize the path, I am more than committed to seeing our vision come to pass. I will finish this graduate degree, take the reins on what we set out to achieve. If I can be half the man my father was, I would have surely outdone myself. It is doable. I can also get a doctoral degree. I can also run and manage the companies we own. I for sure know that I have the leadership qualities that he instilled in me to effectively and efficiently run successful businesses. In the face of adversity, rise, and shine, and if all else fails, redesign and start again.

Ever since taking up studies in the U.S.A, I have been amazed by the efficiency of drive-thru automated teller machines. Coming from Africa, I am amazed by the idea of its applicability in an African context. I have done some research on the feasibility and the costs associated with start-up. There is a need for more research because of the prevailing volatile conditions of the Zimbabwean political and monetary environment. Such is the environment predictable, the chances of either success or failure hinge on an excellent business model that constantly adapts to an ever-changing landscape.

Instagram handle: @takudzwa_katuruza #freefromdebt #proudlybama #coolgraduatestudent #proudfathertobe

If I were a highly influential figure, I would fight for the greater control of opioids abuse amongst teens in the United States. Drug abuse in poor communities is rife, spurred on by the easy access to such drugs. Educational and health outcomes for such people are extremely poor and chances that they will languish in poverty. The perpetuation of this vicious cycle will only escalate until better, working solutions are introduced. For solutions to be effective, they need to be community centered, not prescribed from an outside onlooker perspective. I would use my influence to lobby authorities to have a consultative approach to the problem and using community members as points of implementation to the problem. Once a community owns the project to solve their problem, there is commitment to see it through. This further creates a circular economy from which the local community will benefit and have a plethora of benefits in fighting poverty and ultimately the war on drug abuse in such communities.

For most people in the world, having an opportunity to come to the United States of America is a uniquely distinct opportunity that many want, but many never get. When I first decided that I wanted to learn in the USA, I looked at the requirements for admissions and thought they were excessive. I did my own calculations to convert percentage scores to GPA and I thought I did not qualify for the masters program I wanted. However, I proceeded with application and to my surprise, I met all the requirements, without the need to even write Graduate Record Examinations or any test of English proficiency. That was the beginning of my immigration story. My acceptance letter to study at the University of Alabama delayed and I got it when most scholarship application dates had expired. I also could not get any form of assistance as I was coming for graduate school and had no academic record. This financial hurdle almost proved to be hardest one to jump over. Luckily for me, when my father passed away early this year to COVID-19 complications, he had left an education fund in which we tapped into for my studies. Hurdle, behind! Schooling in the USA is costly, particularly if you are an international student. I have 3 siblings, an older brother, 1 in varsity and the other in high school. I was working a comfortable job, with which I hoped that I would pay my tuition in instalments. Little did I know that the school needed the whole lump-sum. $50,000.00 is a lot of money for most people coming from Least Developed Countries, whose median income is $300/ month. Yet, the realisation of this dream took all my savings, had to sell a house stand just to fund this journey. It has been one to remember yet one filled with the desire to succeed and make it a better place for my family and community at large. I successfully had my visa interview, issued a visa and managed to fly to the United States to take up studies. Life in the USA is interesting and somewhat puzzling. I have more questions than satisfactory answers I have. However, I have learnt to appreciate the grander and beauty of the university and its surroundings. It is an experience worth while a life time of happiness. I have met an even more diversified population than that I grew up in. I am learning different cultures, food, language. American English is quite different from Zimbabwean English. I laugh at myself that when I listen to someone speak, it is as though I am hard of hearing. Now, with this scholarship, considering the journey I have on, I want to ensure that I use the funds to go to my tuition or possibly accommodation. These are the two main priorities for me to ensure a successful completion of my degree in a timely and with excellent grades.

Technology plays a vital role in almost every aspect of life. The far reaching benefits of using advanced technologies are more pronounced in developed countries as compared to developing countries. Zimbabwe, a 3rd world country, whose data prices are astronomical, still legs behind in this respect. As such, the country is not reaping the plethora of benefits associated with the 4th industrial revolution and the internet age. Across the socio-economical and political sectors, the country still uses rudimental tools in capturing transactions and information. For instance, in the Southern Africa region, Zimbabwe was the first country to introduce "smart IDs" but today, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia in particular have adopted and fully utilised the use of smart IDs in capturing citizen information and integrated them into many sectors of the economy. The diversity of technology thus becomes important in modernising a population of any country. Different technologies can form an ecosystem within which conditions for economic growth. I aspire that one day, with a successful management consultancy firm, I want to commission various projects that raise awareness around child marriage practices in rural Zimbabwe. The way social media depicts and portrays women as objects of sexual exploitation and pleasure has a profound impact on the beliefs around child marriages in Zimbabwe. Facebook is a powerful tool to spread the message across as it is most accessible to the majority of people with smart phone devices. Combined with a good theory of change, basing on a recent case of child marriage exploitation in Zimbabwe, were a girl child of 14 died giving birth, and the subsequent uproar, I see it necessary to strengthen the units involved in looking after the girl child. Facebook plays a vital role in propelling this cause onto the national agenda. I hope to use my experience in project management and advocacy to further the plight of eradicating the practice of child marriages in Zimbabwe, both for the girl and boy child. The degree I am currently enrolled in is giving me great impetus in pursuing this dream as an accomplished researcher, public policy, budget, evaluator, administrator in dealing with social issues and rendering long lasting sustainable solutions to the problem. I am amassing a wealth of knowing and experience in the USA, adding onto to that I gained in South Africa and I hope to combine that and apply it to the Zimbabwean situation and better improve my community.