Imagine being an immigrant parent with little to no knowledge of English. An immigrant parent has difficulty helping their child with school work due to a language and understanding barrier. Being in this situation is very frustrating because you helplessly watch your child struggle with their school work. Unfortunately, this is a reality that some immigrant parents face today. I have come across some parents facing this difficulty when I spend volunteering at my neighborhood library. As a volunteer, I participated in a tutoring program for kids in elementary and middle school. I tutored kids after school on Wednesdays and in the morning on Saturdays. In this particular library branch, the majority of kids that attend these tutoring sessions have immigrant parents. However, the kids also happen to be a part of the Ethiopian community. As a volunteer at the library, one of my most memorable experiences was when an Ethiopian mom came up to me with a pleading look. She first asked if I spoke Amharic and proceeded to ask me if I can explain her child’s homework to her and correct it. I quickly reassured her that I would help her child and inform her about the library's tutoring program. She thanked me for my help and expressed her feelings of gratitude for sharing the program with her. This exchange deeply resonated with me as an immigrant from Ethiopia myself. I sympathized with her; that lady could have been my mother or someone I personally know asking for some help. The language barrier creates obstacles for immigrant families maneuvering through daily life. Hence, it is important to have someone who can understand and communicate with you. I was thankful for my Amharic speaking skills at that moment because I was able to use them to help someone. Furthermore, my ability to speak Amharic has allowed me to communicate easily with other Ethiopian parents that come to the library and even offer my assistance where it’s needed. I plan to major in Economics with a Pre-Law concentration and French at Ohio Wesleyan University. These educational pursuits will allow me to attend law school and get my JD in hopes of becoming a lawyer with my own firm. I want to be a defender representing minorities and immigrants. I can empathize with the experiences and hardships of other immigrants. Given the current political climate of this country, I think it is imperative to have lawyers that advocate for underrepresented people within the community.

“That’s the girl with the long name,” is how I’m known to some people. My name means grapevine and is a very old and traditional Ethiopian name. I am an Ethiopian immigrant who moved to the US at 6 years old. Although I moved from my birthplace, I did not want to leave my culture behind. I continued to speak Amharic in the house so that I wouldn’t forget it. I realized I love learning languages. I started learning French when I was 5 years old and continued through high school, leading the National French Honor Society activities. I am currently in the French Club at my University and plan on majoring in French. Another way my parents ensured I had abundant exposure to my Ethiopian culture was by enrolling me in Sunday School. I became an official Sunday School teacher responsible for creating lesson plans, assignments, and assessments for 6-8-year-old kids. I discovered that I love being a leader. I also wanted to give back to my church community, as I grew up in the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian faith attending Sunday School since second grade. I was inspired to pass my knowledge onto other kids because of the great teachers that educated and helped me appreciate my faith. I started as a teacher’s assistant, monitoring classroom behavior and filling in as the teacher if they were absent during my freshman year of high school. After a couple of months, I got a new classroom and started teaching on my own. I love helping and serving my community, so I volunteered at my local library. I helped restart a tutoring program at my library branch for kids in elementary and middle school. Through this tutoring program, I have connected with other immigrants and heard their stories. As a volunteer at the library, one of my most memorable experiences was when an Ethiopian mom came up to me with a pleading look. She first asked if I spoke Amharic and proceeded to ask me if I can explain her child’s homework to her and correct it. I quickly reassured her that I would help her child and inform her about the library's tutoring program. She thanked me for my help and expressed her feelings of gratitude for sharing the program with her. This exchange deeply resonated with me as an immigrant from Ethiopia myself. I sympathized with her; that lady could have been my mother or someone I personally know asking for some help. Along with being involved in my community, I was a part of my high school's Debate Team, and debating about real-life political and social issues helped me realize my passion for helping people and advocating for issues that matter to me. I plan to major in Economics with a Pre-Law concentration and French at Ohio Wesleyan University. These educational pursuits will allow me to attend law school and get my JD in hopes of becoming a lawyer with my own firm. I want to be a defender representing minorities and immigrants. I can empathize with the experiences and hardships of other immigrants. Given the current political climate of this country, I think it is imperative to have lawyers that advocate for underrepresented people within the community.

“That’s the girl with the long name,” is how I’m known to some people. My name means grapevine and is a very old and traditional Ethiopian name. I am an Ethiopian immigrant who moved to the US at 6 years old. Although I moved from my birthplace, I did not want to leave my culture behind. I continued to speak Amharic in the house so that I wouldn’t forget it. I realized I love learning languages. I started learning French when I was 5 years old and continued through high school, leading the National French Honor Society activities. I am currently in the French Club at my University and plan on majoring in French. Another way my parents ensured I had abundant exposure to my Ethiopian culture was by enrolling me in Sunday School. I became an official Sunday School teacher responsible for creating lesson plans, assignments, and assessments for 6-8-year-old kids. I discovered that I love being a leader. I also wanted to give back to my church community, as I grew up in the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian faith attending Sunday School since second grade. I was inspired to pass my knowledge onto other kids because of the great teachers that educated and helped me appreciate my faith. I started as a teacher’s assistant, monitoring classroom behavior and filling in as the teacher if they were absent during my freshman year of high school. After a couple of months, I got a new classroom and started teaching on my own. I love helping and serving my community, so I volunteered at my local library. I helped restart a tutoring program at my library branch for kids in elementary and middle school. Through this tutoring program, I have connected with other immigrants and heard their stories. As a volunteer at the library, one of my most memorable experiences was when an Ethiopian mom came up to me with a pleading look. She first asked if I spoke Amharic and proceeded to ask me if I can explain her child’s homework to her and correct it. I quickly reassured her that I would help her child and inform her about the library's tutoring program. She thanked me for my help and expressed her feelings of gratitude for sharing the program with her. This exchange deeply resonated with me as an immigrant from Ethiopia myself. I sympathized with her; that lady could have been my mother or someone I personally know asking for some help. Along with being involved in my community, I was a part of my high school's Debate Team, and debating about real-life political and social issues helped me realize my passion for helping people and advocating for issues that matter to me. I plan to major in Economics with a Pre-Law concentration and French at Ohio Wesleyan University. These educational pursuits will allow me to attend law school and get my JD in hopes of becoming a lawyer with my own firm. I want to be a defender representing minorities and immigrants. I can empathize with the experiences and hardships of other immigrants. Given the current political climate of this country, I think it is imperative to have lawyers that advocate for underrepresented people within the community.

As someone once said, “helping one person might not change the world but it can change the world for one person." This powerful quote serves as an inspiration for me to lead a selfless and impactful life. I aim to lead a meaningful career in which I help other people, especially immigrants. The hardships that immigrants face in the United States are horrendous, which is why I want to help immigrants. Imagine being an immigrant parent with little to no knowledge of English. An immigrant parent has difficulty helping their child with school work due to a language and understanding barrier. Being in this situation is very frustrating because you helplessly watch your child struggle with their school work. Unfortunately, this is a reality that some immigrant parents face today. I have come across some parents facing this difficulty when I spend volunteering at my neighborhood library. As a volunteer, I relaunched a tutoring program for kids in elementary and middle school. I tutored kids after school on Wednesdays and in the morning on Saturdays. In this particular library branch, the majority of kids that attend these tutoring sessions have immigrant parents. However, the kids also happen to be a part of the Ethiopian community. As a volunteer at the library, one of my most memorable experiences was when an Ethiopian mom came up to me with a pleading look. She first asked if I spoke Amharic and proceeded to ask me if I can explain her child’s homework to her and correct it. I quickly reassured her that I would help her child and inform her about the library's tutoring program. She thanked me for my help and expressed her feelings of gratitude for sharing the program with her. This exchange deeply resonated with me as an immigrant from Ethiopia myself. I sympathized with her; that lady could have been my mother or someone I personally know asking for some help. The language barrier creates obstacles for immigrant families maneuvering through daily life. Hence, it is important to have someone who can understand and communicate with you. I was thankful for my Amharic speaking skills at that moment because I was able to use them to help someone. Furthermore, my ability to speak Amharic has allowed me to communicate easily with other Ethiopian parents that come to the library and even offer my assistance where it’s needed. Interactions like this with other immigrant parents and or students have showcased my passion for creating change. I plan to major in Economics with a Pre-Law concentration and French at Ohio Wesleyan University. These educational pursuits will allow me to attend law school and get my JD in hopes of becoming a lawyer with my own firm. I want to be a defender representing minorities and immigrants. I can empathize with the experiences and hardships of other immigrants. Given the current political climate of this country, I think it is imperative to have lawyers that advocate for underrepresented people within the community.

“That’s the girl with the long name,” is how I’m known to some people. My name means grapevine and is a very old and traditional Ethiopian name. I am an Ethiopian immigrant who moved to the US at 6 years old. Although I moved from my birthplace, I did not want to leave my culture behind. I continued to speak Amharic in the house so that I wouldn’t forget it. I realized I love learning languages. I started learning French when I was 5 years old and continued through high school, leading the National French Honor Society activities. Another way my parents ensured I had abundant exposure to my Ethiopian culture was by enrolling me in Sunday School. I became an official Sunday School teacher responsible for creating lesson plans, assignments, and assessments for 6-8-year-old kids. I discovered that I love being a leader. I also wanted to give back to my church community, as I grew up in the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian faith attending Sunday School since second grade. I was inspired to pass my knowledge onto other kids because of the great teachers that educated and helped me appreciate my faith. I started as a teacher’s assistant, monitoring classroom behavior and filling in as the teacher if they were absent during my freshman year of high school. After a couple of months, I got my own classroom teaching students of my own. I love helping and serving my community, so I volunteered at my local library. I helped restart a tutoring program at my library branch for kids in elementary and middle school. Along with being involved in my community, I was a part of my high school's Debate Team, and debating about real-life political and social issues helped me realize my passion for helping people and advocating for issues that matter to me. I plan to major in Economics with a Pre-Law concentration and French at Ohio Wesleyan University. These educational pursuits will allow me to attend law school and get my JD in hopes of becoming a lawyer with my own firm. I want to be a defender representing minorities and immigrants. I can empathize with the experiences and hardships of other immigrants. Given the current political climate of this country, I think it is imperative to have lawyers that advocate for underrepresented people within the community.

As Marrion Garretty said, “a mother’s love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.” My mother’s love is that for me. Her devotion to my success is the reason I know failure is not an option. She has taught me that setbacks lead to the most remarkable comeback. Her wisdom comes from a story of hardships. My mother, Rahel Tiruneh, moved to America from Ethiopia 11 years ago with a high school diploma. She came to this country hardly speaking English, with two kids, a husband, and a family to support back home. She always stressed the importance of education and wanted to be an example for my sister and me. She was attending school to get her associate's degree while raising two kids under eight full-time. Watching her go to school and keep up with her responsibilities amazed me. She never missed a beat. I remember wishing to be like her when I was little. She stayed up late at night doing her homework and going to classes while waking up early to pack our lunches. Never once did she complain about the amount of work she had. My relationship with my mom has grown as I have gotten older. I treat her as not only my parent but also my best friend. I can talk to her about anything, and she gives me the best advice. Her most extensive advice is not to let anything get in the way of my education. She always reminds my sister and me, “the fun and games can follow after you have gotten your education.” I remind myself of this statement anytime I want to give up. My mom is why getting a college degree is essential to me because not only is it my degree, but it is also my mother’s. I want to be able to look at my mom four years from now as I am walking across the stage with my degree and say, “I did this for you!” I am thankful to have such a loving and strong mother in my life who motivates me and supports me to strive for better. My goal is to not only attend a four-year university but to attend debt-free. I do not want my mom to have to worry about the cost of my education. Especially since she is still paying off her student loans. Being a recipient of this scholarship will ease the cost of my education.

Rosalind Franklin is my favorite scientist because of her grand contributions to science. She discovered the molecular structures of DNA and RNA, which paved the way for understanding DNA, the building block of life. She is a multi-faceted scientist who did an intensive study of viruses that developed a modern understanding of virology. She serves as an inspiration for women, especially in the science field.

I am not even going to try to pronounce this name. It is a really long name,” said the teacher followed by a long pause. “First name is Y-e-w-o-i-n-h-a-r-e-g.” Oh, that’s me. I softly say, “here,” as the whole class reverts their attention towards me. I look down as their piercing eyes stare at me like a hawk locking eyes with its prey. I pray for the attention to end, but apparently, this embarrassment isn’t enough. The teacher asks me to come to the front of the class so she can introduce me. It was the first day of second grade and my first day of school in the United States. I did not know what to expect, as I was still adjusting to life here in the States. Luckily, there was no language barrier because I came from an English school in Ethiopia, but that’s about where the similarities ended. In Ethiopia, we used to stand when the teacher enters the classroom as a sign of respect. At the beginning of the day, I stood when my teacher started talking. I looked around and the whole class was still sitting. I immediately sat back down hoping no one had seen me. I was also used to teachers rotating between classrooms and having multiple teachers, so I was confused when the same teacher kept teaching through the day. Since I moved here during the summer, I didn't really get a chance to make friends. I sat alone during lunch and went outside by myself for recess. My peers were hesitant to approach me, unsure of my English speaking skills, and already comfortable with the friends they had made the previous year. I spoke only Amharic with my parents at home, so I promised myself that I would practice speaking as much English as possible. I tried starting conversations with others but was instantly judged for my accent, so I retreated. In the afternoon, an Ethiopian girl from the other second-grade class approached me and introduced herself. She asked me a few questions regarding my move to the US. I noticed I was not nervous to speak to her in English; instead, I was excited to talk to her. I was glad to have found someone that I could relate to. She asked to become my friend and introduced me to her friends. This gave me the courage to try again with my classmates. By the end of my first day, I made several new friends and felt well on my way to find my place. Moving to America and adjusting to life here has led me to be open-minded to new outcomes. I learned that stepping outside of my comfort zone can reap positive consequences. Not only did I adapt to a new setting, but I also did so by staying true to myself. It has also led me to be more appreciative of my culture since this was the first time that I had been surrounded by people with cultures different from mine.