I see myself making a huge impact on people, either on a stage or any platform. I could use music to get the message across to the public, give a presentation about a new skill to learn and giving the audience a different atmosphere they have never felt before. I have a lot of ideas that could develop the world in various aspects and I believe that winning this scholarship would give me the confidence to go on and achieve my dream vision of my future self.

My family had always wanted to come to the US to escape the economic, political and other problems we faced in our country. Although we did have the chance to leave my country and probably change our citizenship, my parents wanted my siblings and I to complete our primary and high school education first. I was upset with my parents as to why they would make this decision, but later on, it did pay off . My parents were worried that I was young, naive, gullible and always ready to give into peer pressure. They were also afraid that if they do go ahead and live in the US with my siblings and I at a very young age, we would hardly learn about our culture. So despite the problems my family faced, my parents trained us up in our cultural values, made us experience how life could be hard on us sometimes and taught us how to solve life problems economically, socially or in any other aspect. I really appreciate the decision my parents made before letting me continue my tertiary studies in the US. During my high school years in my country, I thought that the type of school work they taught me was for nothing. But now, everything I learnt in high school has given me an advantage for anything I learn in the US as any lesson taught was nothing new to me. Right now, I have met people in the US who appreciate my culture and see me as a unique person. However, it is because of my family that I can stand out in terms of academics and other activities. I will forever be grateful to my family and I look forward to passing down my culture and heritage to my future generation.

When I was younger, I was known as the perfect description of an introvert. Among my siblings, I was the quietest and weirdest person anyone could ever meet. My mindset was so messed up that I could easily get bullied and cheated without realizing it. I hated my childhood to the point that if I was given a chance to start my life all over, I would take it without thinking twice . I regretted every decision I made because most of them ended up in me being scolded or being in trouble. That made me to always second guess my decisions even if it looked clear that it was the right one to make. However, I think it is better to know some things late than never. With what I know now, I can now use it to avoid future mistakes Although I still had my flaws, I tried to improve my mindset everyday by making sure that every book I read, music I listened to, tv shows I watched and other information I took in, added value to my life. Right now, I have never felt more confident in myself. I have been able to achieve a lot with the decisions I have made so far without even second guessing them. I can see myself gaining more innovative and problem solving skills which can help me in making a positive impact in the world today. Firstly, I would like to address some issues in my country, Nigeria, which I could help solve. I am currently studying geology at New Mexico Highlands University and I believe that with my course of study, I have what it takes to develop my country in various ways. Right now, Nigeria faces problems like unstable power supply, unemployment, poor economy, and so on. With my course of study, I can find ways in which I can give alternative mediums for boosting the economy of Nigeria rather than focusing mainly on crude oil. I would also be conducting researches on different varieties of minerals that have electrical and magnetic properties which could be used to develop the power supply in Nigeria. I can also help to create awareness of our environment and the mineral resources we see around us. This action can help reduce the rate of pollution in the world which are mostly man made. The “little” actions people do like littering, deforestations, bush burnings, driving of cars with bad fumes and other inventions of environmental hazards contribute to the pollution we see today. There are important minerals around us that can be useful for any field of study and the more we pollute the environment, the less we see these resources. So creating awareness about these things would go a long way in preserving the minerals around us so we can put them to good use and hence, develop the world in various aspects. I am glad I took a great step in improving my mindset because if I didn’t, I do not think I would be enthusiastic or confident about changing the world for the better. Now, I look forward to having a positive impact in the world so when the next generation sees how beautiful the world would’ve been by then, we would all have a great story to tell.

Before I state my points, I would like to say that I am glad I am not the only person in the world that has this question in mind. In fact, this question is the reason why I admire babies so much. If not all of them, most of them are always curious about how the universe works. The questions about what happens you touch a naked wire, why a fire is hot, what happens when you put your hand in a frying pan would be answered either the easy way or the hard way. The important thing is that their curiosity must be satisfied and this is what keeps babies to do absurd or dangerous activities so they can learn. I believe that if we have this kind of attitude towards learning about our universe, we would have achieved a lot of knowledge, capable of putting an end to some of the problems in the world . You may be thinking, what could be so important about the universe that we have to learn more about it. Some may say that though it is important, it could be too boring as they go through the process. Although this could be true in some cases, I can recommend some ways to take your mind off the idea of the process being boring. Take a look at some of the famous scientists and inventors of all time like Louis Pasteur, Richard and Orville Wright, Issac Newton, Alexander Graham Bell and so on. What did they have in common that they had the urge to go the extra mile and invent the telephone, an airplane or the cure for sicknesses? An open mind! Nowadays, our brains are fixated on a normal routine which is by getting a job and making money to provide for the family. A person looking to achieve great feats is likely to fail with that mentality. However, these scientists took a stand not to be remembered as ordinary people but people who contributed to the development of the world we see today. They had the mindset of refusing to adapt to the normal routine of the society which made them extraordinary. Fun fact, this all started as they began to learn about the universe and make something out of it. As the saying goes, “knowledge is power”, these scientists then acquired the power (knowledge) from the universe to change the world and they never failed in doing so. This may just be one of the importance of acquiring knowledge about the world but trust me, it has a great effect in improving your mindset. At times we keep focusing on the processes if we need to achieve something and that has been a terrible mindset I once had. In this life, I have come to know that if you keep looking at the tracks while you are running a race, you will fall. Instead, keep your eyes focused on what you are going to achieve and I assure you that you will be more likely to succeed in life. You may be thinking, what does this have to do with learning about the world. Trust me when I say that absolutely no one has ever regretted acquiring knowledge about the world. Do you know the feeling that famous scientists had when they invented something that contributed to the development of the world? Even if some scientists didn’t invent anything, their knowledge about the world has never let them down. I guarantee you that the more you begin to study Mother Nature and all her gifts towards us, the more you begin in love with her, the more you will amazed by how much you can learn and the more you tea what you can do to make a difference in our world today. Seeing how much you can achieve by learning about the world, I encourage you to focus on the achievements you would get rather than the processes involved. As for me, I am already thinking about I can put an end to some problems in my country, Nigeria. For instance, Nigeria has unstable power supply, bad economy, scarce job opportunities and so on. I am currently studying geology which deals with not just rocks but also mineral resources. With the knowledge I will acquire through geology, I can help utilize so many resources in Nigeria and provide alternative ways to boost its economy, other focusing mainly on crude oil. I am also looking into underrated mineral resources in order to prove that inspiration indeed comes from the things we do not expect. If I do not achieve my dream of helping my country in these times, I will not feel bad because the knowledge I would have already acquired through my field of study will pay off one day. I hope that anyone who reads this would establish the enthusiasm to know more about our universe and also pass this gene from generation to generation.

I have read so many amazing books like The diary of a Wimpy Kid, On the run, The Last kids on Earth, Oblivion, and so on. But there is one book that has changed my life for the better. This book taught me how to live well, how to discipline myself and how to succeed in life. It is a popular book that has been distributed all over the world, yet people fail to see the truth behind it. If only we all could not just read but study and meditate on it, we would find all the solutions we need in our everyday problems. If you guessed it right, you would know that I am talking about the Bible. As an unbeliever that I once was, I had always felt depressed and like the odd one out among my friends, family and even the world. But I would love to thank my parents for leading me to the truth and teaching me how to read the Bible. I first started out by “reading” amazing stories like Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den, Samson the strong, and one of the greatest stories of all time which was Jesus’ life on earth. I then got to know that the Bible was also called the “Word of God”; meaning that everything that God, the creator of Heaven and earth, said or is saying to us now is in this book. So I went on to figure out what He says about me and I came to understand how He sent His only Son to die for each and every one of us. This gave me hope that no matter what people say about me, there is Someone that loves me more than anyone can, including my family. From a person who was once an unbeliever in God, I can boldly say that if every person could “study” the Bible and live by it, the world will be a better place to live in. I do encourage everyone to study the Bible and join me in experiencing joy and peace that flows like a river and passes all human understanding, (Philippians 4:7).

When I was in primary school, I was considered as an an average student. I never knew what it is was like to be good at something. This made me feel inferior to people, friends and even my family. I kept asking myself if I was really part of my family because I figured they were good in different things while I was the most unfortunate one. My family is known for having high Christian virtues as my father is the senior pastor at Spirit Life Revival Ministries. My mother, on the other hand, found her way to Christianity at some point in her life. Although my parents had been teaching me about Christianity, I hadn’t always been serious about it. But after hours of looking down on myself, I decided to pray to God on my own for the first time so I can prove if God really existed. I prayed that one day I would actually be the smartest of my classmates, though I did not believe it would come to pass. But when I started my classes in high school, I became the most outstanding pupil among my classmates for the first time in my life. I had never been so happy in my life and then I realized that it was all God’s plan. It was because of Him that now I can finally believe in myself and succeed in anything I do. When I got to higher classes, the downfall of my academic performance was about to begin when one of my teachers talked with me. She said I shouldn’t relent on my attitude to work because other students and teachers were looking up to me. I later learnt that I was always used as an example for anyone who wanted to succeed in their academics; a boy who once thought he never belonged. This gave me confidence and since then, I have been able to do well academically well and influence my schoolmates who looked up to me. I picked up an interest in geography which was a wide subject that most students usually avoided. I learnt about rocks and how they contribute to our society so today, I am currently studying geology at New Mexico Highlands University. I figured that minerals could have more uses than it is originally used for so I am looking forward to conducting laboratory experiments on them to see how I can alleviate some problems in my country. I will forever be grateful to my parents for helping me study in the US which has always been a dream of mine. I would love to repay them by receiving this scholarship, even if it is the least I can do to thank them for making my dreams come true. In my definition, Influence can be defined as the ability to have an effect on someone or something.