Pursuing a Business Degree to Drive Change in My Community Growing up, I often saw the challenges faced by my community—limited opportunities, especially for women, and a general lack of resources that could help people pursue their dreams. From a young age, I knew I wanted to be part of the solution, but I wasn't sure how. It wasn’t until I began exploring the world of business that I realized the power of education in driving real change. Business, for me, isn’t just about financial success; it’s about building systems, creating opportunities, and fostering growth. This is why I have chosen to pursue a business degree: to equip myself with the tools necessary to make a meaningful impact. My decision to study business administration comes from a deep-rooted desire to understand how organizations function and how they can be harnessed to benefit society. Through my studies, I have learned that businesses, when properly managed, can be incredible forces for good. They create jobs, provide essential services, and drive innovation. But I also understand that businesses can only truly thrive when they are inclusive and ethical, values that I hold dearly. I am particularly interested in how business practices can be applied to real estate, an industry that directly impacts people's lives by shaping the communities they live in. One of my career goals is to merge my knowledge of business with technology, particularly in real estate. I believe that by using technological advancements in this field, we can provide better, more affordable housing solutions. This is especially important in communities like mine, where access to quality housing is a major issue. By utilizing data-driven approaches and innovative business strategies, I hope to improve housing availability and affordability, ensuring that more people have access to homes that meet their needs without financial strain. I want to build a business that doesn’t just prioritize profit but focuses on making lives better. Through my business education, I also aim to address another key issue in my community: the lack of support for women pursuing careers. Having been raised in an environment where women are often discouraged from pursuing higher education and ambitious career paths, I want to be a role model for other girls who might face the same societal pressures I did. I believe that by establishing myself as a successful businesswoman, I can help break down the barriers that hold women back. I want to mentor young women, create opportunities for them within my future business, and show them that their gender should never limit their potential. The impact I plan to make goes beyond individual achievements. I want to help build a community where businesses are a force for good, where women are empowered to pursue their dreams, and where everyone has access to the resources they need to succeed. This is why I am committed to my business degree. I am confident that the education I am receiving will not only allow me to build a successful career but will also enable me to contribute to the greater good. In the end, my pursuit of a business degree is driven by a vision of creating positive change. I believe that with the right skills and knowledge, I can help shape a future where my community can thrive—economically, socially, and ethically. I am excited for the opportunity to use my education to drive this change, and I look forward to the challenges and rewards that lie ahead.

Breaking Barriers as a First-Generation Female College Student The moment I told my family I was going to college, the room fell silent. In my community, girls were not expected to pursue higher education. Instead, they were told to stay home and focus on traditional roles. I knew that in choosing a different path, I would face resistance not only from my family but from society as a whole. But for me, the decision was about more than just going to college—it was about proving that being a girl did not limit my ability or my worth. Being the first girl in my family to attend university came with immense pressure. I wasn’t just navigating the academic world; I was also battling societal expectations. Community members questioned why a girl like me would want to study. They told me that my future should involve managing a household, not earning a degree. This constant reminder that I was challenging the norms of our community created a heavy weight on my shoulders. But each obstacle I faced only strengthened my determination. I believed that education was the key not just for my own success, but for changing the lives of future generations of girls in my community. Despite the resistance, I pushed forward. I enrolled in business administration with the goal of not just excelling in my studies but also paving the way for other girls to follow. However, the journey hasn’t been easy. Balancing the demands of school with the societal pressure to conform has been exhausting. There have been moments of doubt, moments when I questioned whether the fight was worth it. But every time I felt the weight of the pressure, I reminded myself why I was doing this. I wasn’t just studying for myself—I was fighting for a future where girls could pursue their dreams without fear of judgment. This scholarship would be life-changing for me, not only financially but emotionally. Financially, it would ease the burden of tuition and allow me to focus more on my studies rather than worrying about how to pay for them. I am currently majoring in business administration. My long-term career goal is to work in real estate. With this scholarship, I will have the resources to focus fully on my education and build the foundation I need for my future career. Emotionally, this scholarship would serve as validation that my efforts to break barriers are recognized and valued. It would symbolize the support of those who believe in gender equality and the importance of education for all. It would show my community—and myself—that girls are just as capable as boys and deserve the same opportunities to thrive and succeed. In the end, this scholarship is more than just financial aid; it’s a stepping stone toward achieving my dreams. By pursuing higher education, I am proving that girls can excel in any field they choose. With your support, I am confident that I will not only reach my goals but also inspire other girls to follow their dreams, regardless of the societal limitations placed upon them.

“Women are imperfect. A woman's place is the house. It is not right for a woman to work. A woman's job is raising children and caring for her husband. Women are not given freedom because they will spoil. Males are higher than females.” These phrases may seem strange to the twenty-first century when it seems that women have more rights than ever. But these are the words that I grew up hearing and still hear today. Despite this, I am still trying in various ways to establish my path, through this backward society from which I may never escape. In retrospect, this struggle started from the time I was born, NO, since my parents' marriage. My parents are from two different parts of Yemen, my father is from the north, where the tribal and customary system prevails. While my mother is from the south, Yemen, which was occupied by Britain and I think that this made the people there more open and receptive to changes. Because of this, I grew up in a strange childhood, wavering between different concepts of values ​​and morals. At the beginning of my childhood, I lived among the family of my father. I often heard phrases such as, respect your brother even if he is younger than you, go and get him a glass of water, clean your brother’s room. were said to my female relatives. What made me wake up from my childhood slumber was this phrase when my middle sister was born: “Do not be sad, God will compensate you with a male child in your next pregnancy, I will pray for you.” It was said by a woman came to visit my mother after she gave birth. I was shocked even though I was only five years old, I started wandering “Why is she saying that? Are boys better than girls? Am I a burden to my mother because I am a girl?” But my mother's tender voice sounded, glimpsing the cloud of pessimistic questions that almost overwhelmed me, and she said, "I don't care if I have a male or a female, for they are all a blessing from God, and what's wrong with girls? What adorns life other than the girl? There is no difference between them" After a while, due to my father's many long trips to the United States, I moved with my mother and sister to live with my mother's family in the South. Life there was more peaceful. I did not hear those phrases often anymore, although the male bias is still inevitable. During that time I wanted to prove my worth. I wanted to show that my mother did not need a son to support her, I could support her just as well. I studied, worked hard, participated in competitions to make my mother proud, and I won. I resolved to continue my university studies in the United States, although there was a lot of opposition and I lost many things, I did not want to surrender to a fate that I did not create. I know I may be different because of the beliefs with which I was raised. I may not be accepted in society here. But still, here I am, in my first year of collage, the first child in the family to go to college, and being the first child who go to collage, taking a step many girls have only dreamed of taking. I will continue to work, to study and to show my mother and my family that, though I am a girl, I have dreams and will succeed.