Traveling 11 hours and 10 minutes across the Atlantic Ocean with nothing but dreams in my heart and a suitcase filled with more African snacks than clothes meant embarking on a journey fueled by uncertainty and hope. This journey transformed a young immigrant girl into a passionate young woman. My full name is Uririoghene, a name fervently called out by my parents when I am in trouble. My friends and family in Nigeria call me Uriri. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, I moved to Colorado, USA, at 19, playing the role of an aspiring college student and the primary caretaker of my grandma. I aspire to be a Cybersecurity Lawyer, merging my passion for law with the ever-expanding cyber world. As the cyber world grows, so does the platform for various crimes, making it essential to have legal experts who understand the laws that protect people. As a female immigrant navigating the peculiar world of foreign higher education, I have encountered a spectrum of challenges that have shaped the essence of my journey. Attending classes and engaging in academic conversations revealed that my voice as a female immigrant sometimes struggled to fit the existing narratives. Balancing the demands of academics with the need for cultural preservation has been challenging. Social stereotypes and biases have often shadowed my capabilities, hindering my ability to prove my academic and intellectual strength. These experiences have impacted my approach to education, building resilience in me to prove myself, especially in the field of law. Pursuing higher education as an immigrant comes with its fair share of challenges, from language barriers to financial issues. As the first child and daughter of my African parents, I had the responsibility of being a good leader to my siblings. I had to show perseverance and strength when finances became a major source of worry, or when the wave of loneliness was worse on some days. Regardless of these challenges, I remain resilient and committed. My passion for law began as a little girl. I knew what I wanted at a young age, and I stuck with it, crediting my mum for that. Watching her in her element as one of the few female lawyers in Nigeria gave me so much to dream about. Growing up in a country with a lot of corruption and a peculiar legal system, I saw people getting away with more than they deserved just because they had money. This made me furious, and that fury fueled my desire to pursue law, particularly in the cyber world, where phishing, fraud, hacking, and malware are rampant. The urgency for legal expertise in this field is growing. I learned that the law still has flaws that cannot be controlled. Having experienced two different legal worlds, I have no bias and can look at things more critically and objectively. My unique background, shaped by the trials and triumphs of being a female immigrant, is a source of resilience and cultural insight. As a future legal professional, my multicultural background will enable me to bridge gaps and foster a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to legal problem-solving in the cyber world. In conclusion, my journey from Lagos to Colorado has been filled with challenges and growth. My experiences as a female immigrant have instilled in me resilience and cultural insight that will serve me well in my career as a Cybersecurity Lawyer. My aspiration to protect people in the cyber world through legal means is fueled by my background and the lessons I've learned along the way. This journey is just the beginning.

"What does it mean to travel 11hrs 10minutes across the Atlantic Ocean with nothing but dreams in your heart and a suitcase filled with more African snacks than clothes.?" For me, it meant starting a journey fueled by uncertainty and hope, a journey that transformed a young immigrant girl into a passionate young lady. "Uririoghene!" as I am fervently called when I am in trouble with my parents, is my full name. I am called Uriri by Friends and Family from my Home, in Nigeria. I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to Colorado, USA when I was 19, playing the role of an aspiring college student and primary caretaker to my grandma. Coming here, I aspire to be a Cybersecurity Lawyer, merging my passion for Law with the ever-expanding Cyber World. This is a field in which knowing the Law that protects people is necessary, the more the cyberworld expands, the more platforms for various crimes increase as well. As a female immigrant navigating the peculiar world of foreign higher education, I have encountered a spectrum of challenges that have shaped the whole essence of my journey. Through the process of attending classes and engaging in academic conversations, It became clearer that my voice as a female immigrant sometimes struggled to agree with the already existent narratives. Balancing the demands of academics with the need for cultural preservation has been very 'interesting' for sure, social stereotypes and biases have shadowed my capabilities, hence hindering my ability to prove my academic and intellectual strength. This had an impact on my approach to education, building the resilience in me to prove myself, especially in my field of Law. Pursuing Higher education as an immigrant has its fair share of challenges, ranging from the language barrier to financial issues, as the first child and daughter of my African parents, I had the responsibility of being a good leader to my siblings, hence I had to show perseverance and strength a lot of times when finances became a major source of worry, or the wave of loneliness is worse on some days, regardless of all this, I hope to be resilient and committed to overcoming this hurdles. My passion for Law began as a little girl, I knew what I wanted at a young age, and I stuck with it, I give credit to my mum for that, watching her in her element as one of the few female lawyers in the country gave me so much to dream about. In a country with a lot of corruption and a very peculiar legal system, I grew up seeing people getting away with more than they deserve just because they have the money, it made me furious, and that fury turned into fuel for my desire to pursue Law, particularly in the cyber world, with a lot of phishing, frauds, hacking and malware going on, the urgency grows. I did learn, however, that it cannot always go as planned, and the Law still has flaws that cannot be controlled. I have to admit, my immigrant status brings a diverse perspective to take on the legal field. having experienced two different legal worlds, I have no bias and can look at things more critically and objectively. To conclude, my Unique background, shaped by the trials and triumphs of being a female immigrant, is a source of resilience and cultural insight. As a future legal professional, my multicultural background will enable me to bridge gaps, which would foster a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to legal problem-solving in the cyber world.

As a college student, I am actively engaged in addressing the important social issue of Phishing. Coming from a country where I see this happening to people of all ages, it has become a major concern, not to mention the fact that I have been a victim as well. Being excited to have my first phone, I was gullible and nearly cost my family an unplanned expense. My approach involves a combination of education, research, personal experience, and hands-on involvement within campus and my local community. First of all, I am pursuing a major in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on cybercrime /cybersecurity. This provides me with a deeper understanding of the root causes and dynamics of the social issue in discussion, Phishing. To give a peek at the standing of what phishing is in today's world, it is a social engineering and cybersecurity attack where the attacker pretends to be someone else via email or any other electronic communication with the intent to have access to sensitive information. I was able to critically analyze the problem and explore potential solutions thanks to my continuous academic foundation. In addition to education, I am involved in campus organizations dedicated to raising awareness about this social issue and figuring out how to protect people from this. Through events and awareness campaigns, I hope to inform my college peers and others about the signs to watch out for as well as challenge awareness. This is something that can happen to anyone, and in a computer-based world that is ever developing, the need for consciousness is needed more than ever. Beyond the walls of the campus, I plan to seek out volunteer opportunities and collaborate with local organizations that are addressing the issue, this would network me and broaden my horizon on how this issue has affected millions and hence foster empathy. This hands-on involvement contributes to my understanding of practical solutions. Furthermore, with my medium social media presence, I follow and keep up with news and trends concerning the issue of phishing, this helps my awareness and allows me to connect with other people who think like I do concerning this issue and are motivated to stop it, as the saying goes 'teamwork makes the dream work!' Lastly, I recognize the need for personal growth and continue to educate myself in addressing this social issue and can admit there are times when I can be biased and ignorant, I actively want to learn from different perspectives. To conclude, my efforts to address this issue as a college student come in different ways, that merge education, hands-on experience, volunteering, and self-reflection. I hope to be committed and contribute to a better and more aware society where we can reduce more victims in this ever-rising social issue.

I have always wanted to make valuable contributions, be the voice for change and make a positive difference in the lives of others. I recall that in my last year at elementary school, I observed that we did not have specific books in the school; hence I contested for and won the position of Library Prefect, after which I was able to influence the donation of books to the library as a public service to my school. Supporting the educational mandate of the school, I got the backing of my parents and used the network of a few of their friends to donate the books to the school. Over time on my academic journey, I served in other positions, such as the Assistant Head Girl. At another time, I was Welfare Secretary, becoming the student representative on the Welfare Board of my previous student community. One of my achievements was crowdsourcing to upgrade the waste disposal units within the school. These positions enabled me to contribute positively to reforms within my school community, motivating my passion for service while incubating the skills needed for a career in public service. It serves as a huge inspiration, knowing I was able to make something happen in my Community no matter how little the effect might be. I honestly did not save a baby from a burning building, but the contribution I made out of the bond of the community spoke volumes to me. Standing for the good of society, defending the helpless, speaking for the downtrodden and vulnerable, and wanting to make a positive change in society by rewriting public policies motivated my quest for a career in public service and, subsequently, my application to the School of Public Service to study Criminal Justice. I chose the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, for my career trajectory in public service because of its highly rated program in criminal justice, program flexibility, career prospects, seasoned faculty, and the testimonies of its alumni. Also, I noticed that the school hosts various ad hoc programs, especially in leadership and homeland security. Moreover, I love the city of Colorado Springs for its stunning natural scenery. A sight to behold. Public service allows me to become that agent for social change where I can tackle human rights, racism, and civil liberties and be a victim advocate, amongst others, since the opportunities for influencing social change through public service are diverse. Rendering law enforcement services in court systems or correction facilities to upload the law and to see criminals receive sentences for crimes where necessary, for example, would fulfill my dream of becoming a lawyer. Already, I have started building on my soft skills, which include leadership, empathy, communication, critical thinking, negotiation, respect for hierarchy, resilience, and the ability to work collaboratively to advance my career as a Criminal Justice Expert. Finally, I am excited that the School of Public Affairs would help me advance my unique attributes, after which I can continue with graduate studies, be a Policy Advisor or Project Manager or choose from many other career paths.

Community is a word that has unsaid synonyms, Community reflects family, Community reflects tight relationships, and community reflects love. One of the strongest emotions of all. I have always wanted to make valuable contributions, be the voice for change and make a positive difference in the lives of others. I recall that in my last year at elementary school, I observed that we did not have specific books in the school; hence I contested for and won the position of Library Prefect, after which I was able to influence the donation of books to the library as a public service to my school. Supporting the educational mandate of the school, I got the backing of my parents and used the network of a few of their friends to donate the books to the school. Over time on my academic journey, I served in other positions, such as the Assistant Head Girl. At another time, I was Welfare Secretary, becoming the student representative on the Welfare Board of my previous student community. One of my achievements was crowdsourcing to upgrade the waste disposal units within the school. These positions enabled me to contribute positively to reforms within my school community, motivating my passion for service while incubating the skills needed for a career in public service. Standing for the good of society, defending the helpless, speaking for the downtrodden and vulnerable, and wanting to make a positive change in society by rewriting public policies motivated my quest for a career in public service and, subsequently, my application to the School of Public Service to study Criminal Justice. I chose the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, for my career trajectory in public service because of its highly rated program in criminal justice, program flexibility, career prospects, seasoned faculty, and the testimonies of its alumni. Also, I noticed that the school hosts various ad hoc programs, especially in leadership and homeland security. Moreover, I love the city of Colorado Springs for its stunning natural scenery. One of the ways I can give back to this community is by volunteering in welcoming international Students. The feeling of welcome, the feeling of I-am-not-alone, is a great catalyst to the mind of any student hence fueling success. if my Community is successful, I am. Public service allows me to become that agent for social change where I can tackle human rights, racism, and civil liberties and be a victim advocate, amongst others, since the opportunities for influencing social change through public service are diverse. Rendering law enforcement services in court systems or correction facilities to upload the law and to see criminals receive sentences for crimes where necessary, for example, would fulfill my dream of becoming a lawyer. Already, I have started building on my soft skills, which include leadership, empathy, communication, critical thinking, negotiation, respect for hierarchy, resilience, and the ability to work collaboratively to advance my career as a Criminal Justice Expert. Finally, I am excited that the School of Public Affairs would help me advance my unique attributes, after which I can continue with graduate studies, be a Policy Advisor or Project Manager or choose from many other career paths. A wholesome way to give back to the community. A dream come true.