The dream of breaking the cycle of my family not going to college has motivated me from a young age. My mother, as a single mother, immigrated our family to the United States to provide us with opportunities we would not have had elsewhere. Winning this scholarship would mean so much to me--it would be a stepping stone toward reaching my educational goals and fulfilling my dream. Receiving this scholarship would have a tremendous impact on my life. As a first-generation college student, I am familiar with the struggles that come with affording higher education. This scholarship would help me not only pay for my tuition but also provide me with the financial security I need to focus on my studies. With the opportunity to pursue my degree without the fear of overwhelming debt, I know that I can excel in all aspects of my academics. As a motivated and hard-working student, I am a strong believer in the power of education. I have worked hard to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to reach my goals. Unfortunately, I am facing the challenge of not having access to the resources necessary to attend college due to financial hardship. Thankfully, I am applying for this scholarship, which will provide me with the opportunity to pursue higher education and realize my dreams. Being accepted into the PD Instore Scholarship would be a life-changing event for me. It would enable me to pursue my dream of obtaining a degree in healthcare, which I could then use to help people in my hometown who lack resources. Additionally, it would allow me to attend college and gain invaluable education and experience. With the scholarship, I would have access to quality education and research opportunities, giving me the means to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those around me. I have always been passionate about helping those in need. Growing up in one of the least developed countries in Ethiopia with limited resources, I was witness to many of the inequalities and injustices that were commonplace. This experience motivated me to become an advocate for those without a voice and to help create change. As a result, I have dedicated much of my time to volunteerism and charitable work. My commitment to helping those in need has led me to strive for a career in international development. I plan to work with UNICEF as a general service staff and specialize in human service management in the future. I was moved by the work they do around the world and by helping children who were like me back in the refugee camps. Seeing how fortunate I was to come to the United States, where I don't have to worry about my basic needs being met, has solidified my desire to give back and make sure that. Everyone around the globe is given the same opportunities. These are the people who helped thousands of refugees like me back home so joining them would be a great honor of mine. My passion for helping children in refugee camps in Africa is important to me and my community because I have seen the conditions they endure. More than just providing aid, I want to help ensure that those children receive the education they need to make positive changes in the world. As someone who has been in the camps, I understand the need for compassion and understanding. I believe that by working together and exhibiting empathy, we can give these children a brighter future and hope for a better tomorrow. The children in refugee camps face overwhelming obstacles, especially those who have lost one or both of their parents. They are thrust into adulthood prematurely, without the guidance and support that a family can offer. In such circumstances, it is more important than ever to provide assistance to these young people and to ensure that their basic needs are met. As someone who has seen the situation in Africa firsthand, I feel a special connection to these children and an obligation to help them in any way possible.

Coming to a new country is a struggle, let alone as an immigrant who must try to adjust to a new country. In the wake of my father's passing, I was raised by a single mother who sacrificed everything for our education and brought us to the United States. This inspired me to become a driven and hard-working student early on. Arriving In the United States has been one of the most challenging journeys for my family. Dealing with the language barrier and coming from a small refugee camp with minimal resources where we did not have access to an education system, and straight away being thrown in Washington, where we came when we first arrived in the United States, was different and hard to adjust to the environment. One of the first encounters we had was commuting with the people we had been staying with as caseworkers assigned us and being terrified of everything: the food, going outside, talking with them. We felt hopeless and clueless, and a sense of being in jail because we had no idea who to ask for help and were even scared to get our daily duties done. We could move into a place of our own, but that was when everything compiled for us as we turned on the stove and did not know how to turn it back off, getting locked in the bathroom. With our minimal English efficiency, we ran for help outside and approached this middle-aged man who used to work in the front yard of our apartment with the only words we knew being service and pointed to our stove. He sensed that we were new and helped assist us, and thought about how to work things around the house. Starting school for the first time in America was a terrifying experience for someone who did not ever go to school before. It was challenging for me to communicate, read, or write in English. Not knowing a single word of English in a foreign country was a struggle that only one with this specific experience could feel. As I walked into an American school for the first time on a Monday morning, I got lost immediately and found myself wandering around the three floors in a circle for a couple of minutes. Being with students who knew the language and went through K-4 in an American school is something that someone who can not understand or speak the language can not keep up with. New school and not knowing anybody from the school, feeling lost and left out. When I wanted to ask for help, I'd find myself speaking Somali. My classmates made fun of how I came from another country and did not speak English. I remember one girl asking, "How do you not know how to read, write, or speak English?" That moment motivated me to prove that I'm capable and just as innovative as them. All these experiences only shaped and made me the strong, resilient person I’m today. I was able to realize all the opportunities that were given to me and cherish them. Currently, I'm a high school student enrolled in a PSEO program that allows students to earn college credit, earn an associate degree, and work towards a four-year degree to become a Human Service manager. All this would not be possible if I did not overcome all the obstacles I faced.

The American dream is a place of Opportunity, a place to escape from civil war, and everyone can call home without being judged. For me, America has allowed me to obtain free education be become the person I always wanted to be. As a single mother, my mom fled to America for my family to get the education she always wished she had but never expressed due to civil war breaking out and becoming a caregiver for her family. I will forever be thankful not to worry about where my next meal will be coming from and a cozy home to come. I cannot imagine All this without living in America, the land of Opportunity, freedom, and chasing dreams. I hope to obtain a four-year degree and become a human-services management. All this would not have been possible without the fantastic chances in life to succeed that America gives you. I hope to use my degree to help others in times of difficulty. I hope to retain my bachelor's degree in human services management. Helping people brings me different types of happiness. And reward to see putting a smile on other people's faces. People who guided me during the tough time when I came to the U.S being newly exposed to a new culture, langue, and weather, Are the people that stuck with me to this day. Before arriving in the U.SI had a dream of helping people. I would not be able to have the opportunities I have today due to the lack of resources back home. You had to have money to attend any schooling making it difficult for people to think about achieving their dream. Jobs were difficult for people to find because of how many there were. My mom raised us as a single mom and had to constantly find ways to put food on the table for me and my five other siblings making it difficult for her to even think about putting us in school. As a first-year generation student, I hope to make that dream of becoming human service management, on the opportunities I get and be the change the world needs. All the significant obstacles I went through made me a robust and brilliant person. The struggle I have went shipped into the person I am today. Being more resilient, patient, and taking on the challenges life throws at me with a more driven mindset and that you will go through hardship.