I was born in Ethiopia and moved to the United States as a foreign exchange student at 15, an experience that shaped my resilience and ignited my passion for mental-health access. Coming from a developing country, mental health was rarely discussed in my community. During a time when I needed support most, my struggles were dismissed. I was forced to learn my own emotional language and seek help independently because I believed I deserved care, regardless of others’ opinions. That belief inspired me to begin sharing my story on social media by creating content that educates, normalizes mental-health conversations, and encourages people to seek support without shame. What began as personal healing has grown into advocacy and community connection. Currently, I am a BS Psychology student and a Registered Behavior Technician working full-time with neurodiverse children through evidence-based ABA therapy. My work focuses on helping children build communication, independence, and confidence using patience, creativity, and individualized care. Every child I work with reinforces why accessible, culturally informed mental-health services matter. My long-term goal is to become a Clinical Psychologist and help close gaps in mental-health care for underserved communities. Coming from a low-income family and being ineligible for state aid, I pay for school entirely out of pocket through my ABA work. Balancing academics, work, and advocacy is challenging and often limits the time and energy I can dedicate fully to my studies and passions. This scholarship would allow me to reduce my work hours, better balance my commitments, and pursue research opportunities that will prepare me for graduate education. More than financial relief, it would be an investment in my growth personally, professionally, and in the communities I hope to serve

The moment someone decides they want to change their circumstances is the moment their recovery journey begins. For me, I grew comfortable abusing substances because I believed my difficult childhood and trauma justified my usage. What I didn’t realize was that I was hurting myself for things I had no control over. I thought using was soothing, but I was stealing from myself the opportunity to heal and grow. When I finally decided that I wanted to change, to heal, and to stop numbing, I had to face the scariest thing for me at that time: sobriety. But I also knew sobriety offered the possibility of a life I wouldn’t have to numb to survive. I had to accept that even though I wasn’t in control of what happened in the past, the direction my life takes now depends on how willing I am to stand up for myself. With the help of therapists, community, and God, I began building a relationship with myself, noticing the things that make me smile and feel present and alive. Today, with my education in psychology and my online advocacy, I use my recovery to support vulnerable people and be a voice for those still finding theirs. Recovery, for me, is a commitment to oneself. It is the belief that I deserve better and the willingness to take the difficult path of leaving something behind to move closer to my best self. Recovery means choosing myself, and continuing to choose myself, every day.

I lived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city, for most of my life; therefore, coming across unprivileged neighborhoods was an everyday experience I had. Often, I perceived extreme poverty, unemployment, a lack of sustainable living, and other societal affairs. As I uncovered more about my country, I obtained that one accurate way to combat this nation's issues is through technology and innovation. As my appetite for art and creativity grew from time to time, the people I encountered in Ethiopia and some other African countries spurred my wish to become a problem solver for unrecognized communities. A majority of the sub-Saharan African population practices traditional farming agriculture, which also accounts for many Ethiopian communities' primary livelihood source. However, what they get in return is rarely beneficial or profitable. As a result, a large percentage of the population lives below the poverty line. Conventionally, the lack of technological advancement within the agricultural sector has resulted in low productivity. Using the knowledge and experience I will gain, I plan to provide an affordable and effective technology for the farming sector in Ethiopia and Africa that can benefit a considerable part of the nation and the people. Additionally, generating electricity in the developing world is crucial, considering the fast-growing population and over-dependence on fossil fuel. In Ethiopia, the use of affordable and clean energy is not widespread. However, the adoption of solar energy in Ethiopia, with its nearly year-round sun-soaked atmosphere, would be an enormous low-cost, low-risk source of power. With the right design and use of materials, Africa has a huge opportunity to increase its power supply from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind technologies. Therefore, I plan to implement creative and sustainable solutions to the developing world through product design and innovation. With a major in product design, I believe it is crucial to expand from a problem solver to an opportunity and business creator. Africa is a continent with many young people, and consequently, the demand for jobs is continuously climbing. With many underserved consumers and emerging markets full of possibilities, I plan to start a company that not only provides sustainable solutions but creates job opportunities for many and guarantees quality to the rest of the world. Hence, with practical training and a professional degree in product design, I aim to present a high-quality African brand that contributes to advancing appropriate technologies to solve societal problems and help poorer countries transform their economies.

Generating electricity across the globe is crucial. However, the fast-growing population and over-dependence on fossil fuels are some issues that concern me. The idea of climate change has always been a topic of discussion in many areas however, I am passionate about developing ideas and solutions to combat climate change around the world. I grew up in Ethiopia and I experienced the effects of climate change almost on a day-to-day basis. In Africa, the use of affordable and clean energy is not widespread. Taking Ethiopia as an example, with its nearly year-round sun-soaked atmosphere, the adoption of solar energy would be an enormous low-cost, low-risk, and eco-friendly source of power. I believe there are various opportunities across the world for a cleaner and more sustainable source of energy and with the right design and use of materials, there is a huge opportunity to increase the power supply from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind technologies. I plan on getting a degree in Product Design to manufacture and design quality products that are reasonably priced in order to meet the demands of many in enabling them to have access to renewable and eco-friendly energy sources. Not only does this contribute to the well-being of the environment but also brings economic growth to many nations.

I lived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city, for most of my life; therefore, coming across unprivileged neighborhoods was an everyday experience I had. Often, I perceived extreme poverty, unemployment, a lack of sustainable living, and other societal affairs. As I uncovered more about my country, I obtained that one accurate way to combat this nation's issues is through technology and innovation. As my appetite for variety and creativity grew from time to time, the people I encountered in Ethiopia and some other African countries spurred my wish to become a problem solver for unrecognized communities. A majority of the sub-Saharan African population practices traditional farming agriculture, which also accounts for many Ethiopian communities' primary livelihood source. However, what they get in return is rarely beneficial or profitable. As a result, a large percentage of the population lives below the poverty line. Conventionally, the lack of technological advancement within the agricultural sector has resulted in low productivity. Using the knowledge and experience I will gain, I plan to provide an affordable and effective technology for the farming sector in Ethiopia and Africa that can benefit a considerable part of the nation and the people. Additionally, generating electricity in the developing world is crucial, considering the fast-growing population and over-dependence on fossil fuel. In Ethiopia, the use of affordable and clean energy is not widespread. However, the adoption of solar energy in Ethiopia, with its nearly year-round sun-soaked atmosphere, would be an enormous low-cost, low-risk source of power. With the right design and use of materials, Africa has a huge opportunity to increase its power supply from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind technologies. Therefore, I plan to implement creative and sustainable solutions to the developing world through product design and innovation. I was casually doing some shopping with my family in my home town. As we were strolling through the market, a salesman approached us and started selling us products. He had a handful of gadgets such as cables and chargers, and his main selling point was that the products were made in Europe. I was intrigued that he could use the country's title and not say anything else. From my observation, people often did not question the products because of their confidence in the value and standard. It was almost like an understood language between the seller and the buyer; everyone knew that Europe's products guarantee quality. I tried to think of products made in Ethiopia, which also resonated with quality, but I could not find anything similar. With a major in product design, I believe it is crucial to expand from a problem solver to an opportunity and business creator. Africa is a continent with many young people, and consequently, the demand for jobs is continuously climbing. With many underserved consumers and emerging markets full of possibilities, I plan to start a company that not only provides sustainable solutions but creates job opportunities for many and guarantees quality to the rest of the world. Hence, with practical training and a professional degree in product design, I aim to present a high-quality African brand that contributes to advancing appropriate technologies to solve societal problems and help poorer countries transform their economies. One of the ways I have been preparing myself is by pursuing higher education. However, since my home country doesn't offer product design or similar fields, I decided to enroll at a University in the US. Additionally, I have been taking entrepreneurship courses, one of them being offered online by Harvard on Entrepreneurship in emerging economies.

At age 15, I made the boldest decision of my young life: to live and learn in a foreign land thousands of miles from home. I came to the US with so much ambition to pursue a quality high school education that I never had access to in my country, Ethiopia. During my 2-year stay, I stayed with four families in total with whom I had some of the best experiences while learning to overcome the hardships and challenges I faced during the years. This picture is of my first dinner with my host brothers after I arrived in America.