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Zachary Houtz

1x

Finalist

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Piano
  • Guitar
  • Electric Guitar
  • Volleyball
  • Track and Field
  • Stocks And Investing
  • Basketball
  • Trivia

Reading

-

Bio

I believe having a goal you hold in high regard is an important step for a successful future. I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life, but I did know I wanted to go to college and keep on learning. My mother lost her job due to Covid-19 and then my sister started college, so financial stability was hard to come by. After overhearing many disheartening money conversations between my parents, that's when I realized I wanted to make sure I would not have to worry the same way they do. I knew I needed to figure out how to make money work for me. I decided to pursue a passion I developed over that last year involving global markets. I had always been aware of the possible career opportunities that come from the stock market, but I was never aware of all the intricacies and hidden aspects that make them so interesting. After some research, I set my sights on the foreign exchange markets. Before long I had learned a great amount of knowledge about the trading world. I set up a demo account so I could practice without any risk. My passion for learning, and my interest in the behavior of money as a whole, came together to create a path for my future. Being able to practice trading gave me the ability to learn and refine my own strategies. As a result, I set my sights on becoming a successful trader. I am excited to be a first-generation college student and look forward to earning a degree in Finance and pursue a career in trading.

Education

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Bachelor's degree program

2024 – 2028

Majors:
  • Business/Managerial Economics
  • Finance and Financial Management Services
Minors:
  • Economics

Schuylkill Haven Area High School

High School

2020 – 2024

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Majors of interest:
Finance and Financial Management Services

Career

  • Golf Cart Attendant

    Sports · Byler Golf Management

    Jan 2023 – Jan 2024

  • CA (Community Assistant): Create a safe community mindset in my dorm by planning events and enforcing policies by completing room checks and nightly walkthroughs.

    Education · Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education- Kutztown University

    Jan 2025 – Present

  • Community Pool Attendant

    Recreational Facilities and Services · Lake Wynonah Property Owners Association

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2022

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
International Trade and Development
Dream career goals:
To be able to sustain myself & my family with my own financial investments.
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Volunteering
  • Entrepreneurship
WCEJ Thornton Foundation Low-Income Scholarship
I have always had a passion for learning and have taken my academics seriously. I achieved distinguished honors throughout high school and was inducted into the National Honor Society. However, I am most proud of my latest achievement, receiving a Board of Governors Scholar Award from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. The Board of Governors Scholar Award is a prestigious honor that is only given to a select few incoming freshman university students. It is reserved for the best of the best, including high school valedictorians, and is only awarded to forty exceptional incoming students each academic year. Being a Board of Governors Scholar is an honor and comes with exclusive opportunities such as special housing in the Board of Governors Scholar Living Learning Community, unique academic and social activities, a merit scholarship, professional networking, and student support and mentoring programs. My family has always praised my academic achievements and commended me for my good grades but I had wondered if their praise stemmed from their parental bias or if I truly was more academically inclined than most of my peers. Having my university recognize my outstanding academic achievements made me realize that I can do anything I set my mind to. I have always been an inquisitive person with a passion for learning and the drive to teach myself new things. Many times, the knowledge I would gain during my studies at school just was not enough to satisfy my curiosity. Which led me to conduct my own research at home and further expand my knowledge. Over the years, I have delved deeper into learning many subjects and skills ranging from learning to play musical instruments to studying the stock market. I had good relationships with my high school teachers and sometimes I would challenge them by presenting alternative ways of solving problems or correcting them when they were mistaken. It meant a lot to me when I found out that my teachers were proud of my inquisitiveness and they were more than willing to provide wonderful recommendations for me for my college applications. One teacher wrote me a thank you card expressing how thankful she was to have me in her class, saying that I kept her on her toes challenging her each day. After receiving the Board of Governors Award, I felt that I was being recognized for all the years of hard work not only in my academics but also in my overall character. Receiving this recognition made my passion for learning even stronger and gave me the confidence to leave home to attend Kutztown University and become a first-generation college student. I had never been aware of my family’s financial state. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. I gained an interest in how money and the stock markets work during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we were able to trade fake money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and I learned of all the intricacies of the markets over the last two years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to set my career goal of becoming a successful trader. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy. Since I already have a good working knowledge of the markets from conducting my own research, I believe I am on my way to achieving my career goal of being a successful trader and being more financially stable.
Sloane Stephens Doc & Glo Scholarship
I have always had a passion for learning. Many times, the knowledge I would gain during my studies at school was not enough to satisfy my curiosity so I would conduct my own research at home and further expand my knowledge. I have delved deeper into many subjects over the years, most recently my future field of finance and trading. I had never been aware of my family’s financial state until my mother lost her job and I began overhearing disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents finished college, so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a future path of how I could become more financially stable. I gained an interest in how money and the stock markets work during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we were able to trade fake money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and I learned of all the intricacies of the markets over the last two years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to set my goal of earning a degree in finance and becoming a successful trader. I believe putting people first and doing the right thing is one of the best ways to make a difference in the world. I have enjoyed doing this by helping my community through numerous service and fundraising events over the years. All my community service work is very important to me, but one particular organization holds an extra special place in my heart. Every summer since I was three years old my family has spent time at Camp Swatara, a not-for-profit Christian campground close to our home. I always looked forward to this annual vacation to our “home away from home,” and I still do. As I grew older, I knew I wanted to give back to my favorite place that I enjoy every summer. For many years, I have enjoyed volunteering my time at the campground performing numerous service duties. In the spring I clean, repair, and set up sports equipment, and clean the playgrounds, to get the camp ready for the summer season. During the summer, I clear hiking trails of brush and fallen trees and repaint trail blazes to guide hikers along their way. One summer, I had the pleasure of being asked by the camp director to help set up and run a children’s carnival to raise funds for much-needed improvements to the buildings and grounds. In addition to making a positive impact on my community and making new friends through my service projects, all my volunteer experiences have assisted with my personal growth by helping me to evolve into a caring, kindhearted, and responsible individual. Through these experiences, I learned how important it is to be the kind of person that your community can count on. In the future, I hope to be able to help financially support the organizations I enjoy volunteering with.
Harry & Mary Sheaffer Scholarship
I have always had a passion for learning, and knew I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge after graduating high school. I had never been aware of my family’s financial state. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. I gained an interest in how money and the stock markets work during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we were able to trade fake money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and I learned of all the intricacies of the markets over the last two years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to set my goals of attending college to earn a degree in Finance and eventually become a successful trader. My parents have always instilled the importance of helping your community. Because of this, I believe putting people first and doing the right thing is one of the best ways to make a difference in the world. I currently do this by volunteering in many different ways throughout my home and campus communities, from larger service projects like community clean-ups and fundraising events, to helping my fellow neighbor or student in need. I plan on continuing to make a difference throughout college and beyond. I have joined clubs and organizations on campus that strive to help the local community and promote empathy and inclusion. In addition to making a positive impact on my community, all my volunteer experiences have also assisted with my personal growth by helping me to evolve into a caring, kindhearted, and responsible individual. Through these experiences, I learned how important it is to be the kind of person that your community can count on. Having the vision that people come first and you need to do the right thing and make a difference in this world, has helped me strengthen my relationships with my friends and family as we volunteered together. Helping others has also allowed me to meet new friends through my volunteer work. With my financial skills, my college education, and my experience volunteering and bringing people together, I feel that I can make a real difference in my community. In addition to continuing to volunteer my time, I also plan on helping financially support the non-profit organizations that I have enjoyed volunteering with over the years. As my parents did, I also plan to instill the importance of community, empathy, and inclusion in the next generation. I am excited to be a first-generation college student attending Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in the Honors College and look forward to continuing to help build a more empathetic community.
Special Delivery of Dreams Scholarship
Two years ago, I received a message that my close friend had been killed in a car accident. This was the first time I had experienced what it was like for someone to be taken from me. For quite a while I struggled to process everything and this tragedy would end up changing the way I looked at my life. It is impossible to predict how long we have left. Combining this fact with the principle that a happy life is one with no regrets is contradictory. If life is unpredictably finite, and to succeed in life you must achieve all of the goals you set for yourself, is success even possible? This worried me tremendously, and I knew I couldn’t ignore this realization. I had so much I wanted to achieve in life. So after many months of trying to process everything, I decided that instead of judging a life only by one’s achievements, judge it on the efforts put forth. This mentality aligns well with the accepted idea that the world rewards effort and you get what you put forward. Losing my close friend was a very emotional and tough time for me, but this tragic event led to my newfound way of thinking and changed my life. I decided to start putting forth more consistent and meaningful effort to achieve my goals. I decided to work hard on everything that I can right now, that way no matter what happens, I can be proud of knowing that I have always put forth my best efforts. I believe putting people first and doing the right thing is one of the best ways to make a positive difference in the world. I have enjoyed doing this by helping my community through numerous service and fundraising events over the years, from larger service projects with community clean-ups and fundraising events to helping my fellow neighbor in need. In addition to making a positive impact on my community, my volunteer experiences have also assisted with my personal growth by helping me to evolve into a caring, kindhearted, and responsible individual. One of my future goals is to be able to financially support some of the community organizations that I enjoy volunteering with. Receiving this scholarship would lessen the financial burden that comes along with attending college, allowing me to focus even more on my academics and not be worried about the debt I am accruing. In the long term, this scholarship could also help me complete my goal of monetarily assisting my community. One way I would encourage the younger generation to pursue philately, would be to set up a community club where students can come to learn about the hobby and gather with fellow students that share an interest in stamps.
Our Destiny Our Future Scholarship
I believe putting people first and doing the right thing is one of the best ways to make a difference in the world. I currently do this by volunteering in many different ways throughout my home and campus communities, from larger service projects like community clean-ups and fundraising events, to helping my fellow neighbor or student in need. I plan on continuing to make a difference throughout college and beyond. I have joined clubs and organizations on campus that strive to help the local community. In addition to making a positive impact on my community, all my volunteer experiences have also assisted with my personal growth by helping me to evolve into a caring, kindhearted, and responsible individual. I have also gained new friendships through my volunteer work and strengthened my current relationships with friends and family as we worked on service projects together. Through these experiences, I learned how important it is to be the kind of person that your community can count on. All my community service work is very important to me, but one particular organization holds an extra special place in my heart. Every summer since I was three years old my family has spent time at Camp Swatara, a not-for-profit Christian campground close to our home. I always looked forward to this annual vacation to our “home away from home,” and I still do. This campground provides a safe, fun, and nurturing environment for children and families to grow their relationships. As I grew older, I knew that in some way I wanted to give back to my favorite place that I enjoy every summer. Over the past many years, I have enjoyed volunteering my time at the campground performing numerous service duties. In the spring I clean, repair, and set up sports equipment, and clean the playgrounds. During the early summer, I enjoy being part of a crew that clears hiking trails of brush and fallen trees and repaint trail blazes to guide hikers along their way. One summer, I had the pleasure of being asked by the camp director to help set up and run a children’s carnival to raise funds for much-needed improvements to the buildings and grounds. We were able to raise enough money to add a water play area, including two small pools and a splash pad. The project was able to be completed last summer. It was very rewarding to see the happy campers cooling off and playing together in the new water play area. I love contributing to this campground that is near and dear to my heart, and it has been wonderful getting to know all the camp staff on a more personal level. Having the vision that people come first and you need to do the right thing and make a difference in this world, has helped me strengthen my relationships with my friends and family as we volunteered together. Helping others has also allowed me to meet new friends through my volunteer work. One of my goals is to eventually become a successful trader after graduating from college. In the future, I plan on helping financially support the non-profit organizations that I have enjoyed volunteering with over the years. I also believe it is important to lead through service. In addition to continuing to volunteer and to help financially support organizations in need, I would also like to lead the younger generation through service. I believe getting each generation involved in their community is important for everyone's success.
STLF Memorial Pay It Forward Scholarship
I believe putting people first and doing the right thing is one of the best ways to make a positive difference in the world. I have enjoyed doing this by helping my community through numerous service and fundraising events over the years, from larger service projects with community clean ups and fundraising events to helping my fellow neighbor in need. All my community service work is very important to me, but one particular organization holds an extra special place in my heart. Every summer since I was three years old my family has spent time at Camp Swatara, a not-for-profit Christian campground close to our home. I always looked forward to this annual vacation to our “home away from home,” and I still do. This campground provides a safe, fun, and nurturing environment for children and families to grow their relationships. As I grew older, I knew that in some way I wanted to give back to my favorite place that I enjoy every summer. Over the past many years, I have enjoyed volunteering my time at the campground performing numerous service duties. In the spring I clean, repair, and set up sports equipment, and clean the playgrounds, to get the camp ready for the summer season. During the early summer, I enjoy being part of a crew that clears hiking trails of brush and fallen trees and repaint trail blazes to guide hikers along their way. One summer, I had the pleasure of being asked by the camp director to help set up and run a children’s carnival to raise funds for much-needed improvements to the buildings and grounds. We were able to raise enough money to start their next improvement project, which was adding a new water play area, including two small pools and a splashpad. With the funds raised at the children’s carnival, the project was able to be completed last summer. It was very rewarding to see the happy campers cooling off and playing together in the new water play area. Since the camp is a not-for-profit facility and they keep their rental fees low so every family can enjoy visiting, they rely heavily on volunteers and donations for the upkeep and improvements of the buildings and grounds. I love contributing to this campground that is near and dear to my heart, and it has been wonderful getting to know all the camp staff on a more personal level. One of my future goals is to be able to financially support Camp Swatara in addition to volunteering my time. In addition to making a positive impact on my community, all my volunteer experiences have also assisted with my personal growth by helping me to evolve into a caring, kindhearted, and responsible individual. I have also gained new friendships through my volunteer work and strengthened my current relationships with friends and family as we worked on service projects together. Through these service experiences, I also learned how important it is to be the kind of person that your community can count on. It is for these reasons that I feel it is important to set an example and lead through service.
Tony Alviani Memorial Scholarship
I am fortunate to have a wonderful father figure in my life. My father has gone through many tough times throughout his life but has always kept his head up and powered through for himself and his family. My father did not have what you would consider a happy childhood. His mother was in high school when he was born and he was taken care of by his grandparents while he was little. They did not have much money, so food was often scarce. He still tells me stories about how he would go to bed hungry. His mother was always in and out of relationships so much that she didn’t even know who his father was. To this day, my father has no clue who his father is. His mother ended up having two other children from two different men. When my father was still very young, he was put in charge of watching his two younger siblings while his mother would go out drinking with whatever man was willing to pay for them. When he was old enough to get a job, he worked at the local fast-food restaurant and the local car garage so he could buy food for himself and his younger siblings. My father did not let this horrible upbringing bring him down. Even though he was working two jobs while still in high school, he made sure to graduate and even earned straight As. He had no money to continue his education, especially since he was still raising his two younger siblings. He got an entry-level job at the local aluminum plant and over the years worked his way up to being a supervisor. He met my mother, fell in love, and started a family. He made sure to be a caring and involved husband and father. Our family finances have never been great, but he made sure we always had food to eat and the things we needed. When I was in elementary school, he realized he was not happy at the plant and wanted to pursue a career in the auto industry. He had always loved helping at the local garage and thought he would like to be a mechanic. At the age of 38, my father had the courage to go back to school. He attended Universal Technical Institute Trade School and earned a certificate in Auto Mechanics. He is now the lead mechanic and shop foreman at a garage that values his great mechanic work and his strong work ethic. My father is a wonderful father figure because of how he powered through his rough past and had the courage to pursue his dreams and be there for his family. He instilled his work ethic in me and also made sure that I knew it was possible to do anything I set my mind to. Because of him, I had the courage to pursue my dream of attending college and being a first-generation college student.
Jorian Kuran Harris (Shugg) Helping Heart Foundation Scholarship
I’ve always had a passion for learning and hoped that I would be able to continue my education after high school. I had not been aware of my family’s financial state until my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic. I began overhearing disheartening conversations regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities were limited. I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the way they have. I’m excited to be a first-generation college student, but I am solely responsible for paying for my education. This scholarship would alleviate some of my student loan debt, allowing me to focus more on my studies instead of worrying about the high cost that college entails. I’ll never forget the day I received a message that my close friend had been killed in a car accident. This was the first time I had experienced what it was like for someone to be taken from me. For quite a while I struggled to process everything and this tragedy would end up changing the way I looked at my life. It is impossible to predict how long we have left. Combining this fact with the principle that a happy life is one with no regrets is contradictory. If life is unpredictably finite, and to succeed in life you must achieve all the goals you set for yourself, is success even possible? I knew I could not ignore this realization. I had so much I wanted to achieve in life. After many months of trying to process everything, I decided that instead of judging a life only by one’s achievements, judge it on the efforts put forth. This mentality aligns well with the accepted idea that the world rewards effort and you get what you put forward. This tragic event led to my newfound way of thinking and changed my life. This was the moment when I decided to not only set goals but to put forth a more consistent and meaningful effort to achieve them. I decided to work hard on everything that I can right now, that way no matter what happens, I can be proud of knowing that I have always put forth my best efforts. I decided to take my future seriously and started researching different careers that I might enjoy and ways that I could start working towards that career early, before attending college. I remembered a unit in my high school American Cultures class where I had gained an interest in the stock market. During this lesson, students competed against each other investing fake money to see who would yield the best returns on their investments. This appealed to me since I’ve always been an analytical person. I decided to do more research on my own and learned many of the intricacies of the markets over the last few years. I set up a demo account so I could practice trading without risk, which gives me the ability to refine my strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to major in Finance and become a successful trader. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy. Since I already have a good working knowledge of the markets from conducting my own research, I believe I am well on my way to achieving my career goal of being a successful trader and being more financially stable.
Bulkthreads.com's "Let's Build Together" Scholarship
I believe having a goal you hold in high regard is an important step for building a successful future. Without a goal, it becomes quite easy to start drifting through life with no real motivation. I have a strong passion for learning and knew I wanted to continue my education after high school so I set my goal of becoming a first-generation college student. I had not been aware of my family’s financial state until my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic. I began overhearing disheartening conversations regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities were limited. I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the way they have. I decided to adopt a core practice of self-discipline, which has become an important part of how I go about my daily life. I have always focused on my schoolwork and achieved high academics, but I realized that alone was not enough to get me where I wanted to be. I began to improve my daily routine making my days more streamlined and organized, which gave me more time to focus on academics and to work on myself and my future. I had gained an interest in the stock market during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we invested fake money. This appealed to me since I’ve always been an analytical person. I decided to do more research on my own and learned many of the intricacies of the markets over the last few years. I set up a demo account so I could practice trading without risk, which gives me the ability to refine my strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to major in Finance and become a successful trader. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy. Since I already have a good working knowledge of the markets from conducting my own research, I believe I am on my way to achieving my career goal of being a successful trader and being more financially stable. I also believe putting people first and doing the right thing is one of the best ways to build a better world. I have done this by volunteering throughout my community. I plan on continuing to make a difference throughout college and beyond. In my opinion, building a successful life means having a career that I am passionate about and will enjoy doing each day. Along with earning enough income to comfortably provide for my family and to be able to help financially support the organizations I currently enjoy volunteering with.
Mark Green Memorial Scholarship
My passion for learning and my analytical nature, but also my humorous and caring side are some of things that define who I am. I have always enjoyed learning new things. A few years ago, I taught myself to play piano and guitar. Many times, the knowledge I would gain during my studies at school just was not enough to satisfy my curiosity, so I would conduct my own research at home and further expand my knowledge. I enjoy the thrill of figuring out how things work and researching new subjects. Many friends and teachers have also agreed that even though I am analytical in nature, I am also very creative, humorous, and good at lifting people’s spirits. A past English teacher of mine even wrote a special note thanking me for my being a part of her class and giving her “a career first” because of my dedication to my studies and high academics but also bringing a very creative and fun side to the classroom through class projects. I take my academics very seriously, but I am smart enough to know that sometimes you also need to have a lighter side and enjoy life. I had never been aware of my family’s financial state. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. I gained an interest in how money and the stock markets work during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we were able to trade fake money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and I learned of all the intricacies of the markets over the last two years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to set my career goal of becoming a successful trader. There is only so much I can learn from my own research, so attending college to major in Finance is also part of my goal. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy. Since I already have a good working knowledge of the markets from conducting my own research, I believe I am on my way to achieving my career goal of being a successful trader and being more financially stable. I am excited to be a first-generation college student attending Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in the Honors College and look forward to the future. In my opinion, a successful life means having a career that you are passionate about and will enjoy doing each day. Along with earning enough income to comfortably provide for your family and to help financially support the many community organizations I currently enjoy volunteering with.
Redefining Victory Scholarship
In my opinion, a successful life means having a career that you are passionate about and will enjoy doing each day. Along with earning enough income to comfortably provide for my family and to help financially support the many community organizations that I currently enjoy volunteering with. I believe having a goal you hold in high regard is an important step for a successful future. Without a goal, it becomes quite easy to start drifting through life with no real motivation. I have not always held this opinion with such importance. In my early years of high school, I had not put much thought into my future. All I did know was that I wanted to go to college. For what I was unsure, but I knew I wanted to keep learning. I started thinking more seriously about what I wanted to do with my future and decided to research different jobs I might be interested in and ways a student could start working towards a career early. I had gained an interest in the financial markets during a project in my high school American Cultures class sophomore year. We had a unit on the stock market, and we competed with each other trading with artificial money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and learned many of the intricacies of the markets over the last three years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. After more research, I set my sights on the foreign exchange markets. Before long I had learned an immense amount of knowledge that I could not wait to put to use so I opened a small Forex trading account to continue my research with some of my own real money. My passion for learning, and my interest in the behavior of money as a whole, came together to create a path for my future. My demo trading account gives me the freedom to practice and experiment so I can continue to refine my strategies and learn. My Forex trading account with real money lets me experience the actual highs and lows that come along with trading in the markets. Trading in the markets is far from easy, but I believe that my research and practice in trading over the last three years has given me a jump start at understanding financial markets. The knowledge I have acquired through my research and practice, along with earning my Business degree in Finance is a recipe for success. In my mind, time is one of the biggest limiters for success. The sooner you can start on something, the better. I believe that the head start I have given myself already, will benefit me greatly in college and beyond. I am very excited to be a first-generation college student and to continue to learn about the intricacies of financial markets. However, I come from a low-income family and I am solely responsible for paying for my education. This scholarship will help lessen the financial burden that college entails, so I can focus even more intently on my goal of earning my degree in Finance and becoming a successful trader.
The F.O.O. Scholarship
I’ve always had a passion for learning and hoped that I would be able to continue my education after high school. I had not been aware of my family’s financial state until my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic. I began overhearing disheartening conversations regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities were limited. I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the way they have. I gained an interest in the stock market during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we invested fake money. This appealed to me since I’ve always been an analytical person. I decided to do more research on my own and learned many of the intricacies of the markets over the last few years. I set up a demo account so I could practice trading without risk, which gives me the ability to refine my strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to major in Finance and become a successful trader. I’m excited to be a first-generation college student, but I’m solely responsible for paying for my education. This scholarship would alleviate some of my student loan debt, allowing me to focus more on my studies instead of worrying about the high cost that college entails. I also believe putting people first and doing the right thing is one of the best ways to make a difference in the world. I have done this by volunteering throughout my community. I plan on continuing to make a difference throughout college and beyond. In the future, I hope to help financially support many of the organizations that I enjoy volunteering with.
First-Gen Futures Scholarship
I have always had a passion for learning, and I knew that I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge after graduating high school. I had never been aware of my family’s financial state. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. I gained an interest in how money and the stock markets work during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we were able to trade fake money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and I learned of all the intricacies of the markets over the last two years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to set my career goal of becoming a successful trader. There is only so much I can learn from my own research, so attending college to major in Finance is also part of my goal. Kutztown University has a highly accredited business program including an Applied Investment Management program. This program allows students in the business college an opportunity to invest actual university funds in the markets. The goal is to provide business students with hands-on experience and yield a return on our investments. The returns are then used to sponsor scholarships for Kutztown University business students. I look forward to being a part of the AIM program and continuing to refine my skills and learn from the wonderful professors. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy. Since I already have a good working knowledge of the markets from conducting my own research, I believe I am on my way to achieving my career goal of being a successful trader and being more financially stable. I am excited to be a first-generation college student attending Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in the Honors College and look forward to the future. I feel that my hard work throughout high school and my independent research and practice in trading has given me a great start to fulfilling my dream of being a first-generation college graduate.
Dr. Christine Lawther First in the Family Scholarship
I have always had a passion for learning, and I knew that I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge after graduating high school. I had never been aware of my family’s financial state. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. It means so much to me to be a first-generation college student. I have worked hard throughout high school and have proven that I am ready for college. I feel that my degree will help me to achieve a financial stable future. I gained an interest in how money and the stock markets work during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we were able to trade fake money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and I learned of all the intricacies of the markets over the last two years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to set my career goal of becoming a successful trader. There is only so much I can learn from my own research, so attending college to major in Finance is also part of my goal. Kutztown University has a highly accredited business program including an Applied Investment Management program. This program allows students in the business college an opportunity to invest actual university funds in the markets. The goal is to provide business students with hands-on experience and yield a return on our investments. The returns are then used to sponsor scholarships for Kutztown University business students. I look forward to being a part of the AIM program and continuing to refine my skills and learn from the wonderful professors. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy. Since I already have a good working knowledge of the markets from conducting my own research, I believe I am on my way to achieving my career goal of being a successful trader and being more financially stable. I am excited to be a first-generation college student attending Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in the Honors College and I look forward to the future.
Scholar Budget Define Your Dream Scholarship
I have always had a passion for learning, and I knew that I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge after graduating high school. I had never been aware of my family’s financial state. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. I gained an interest in how money and the stock markets work during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we were able to trade fake money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and I learned of all the intricacies of the markets over the last two years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to set my career goal of becoming a successful trader. There is only so much I can learn from my own research, so attending college to major in Finance is also part of my goal. Kutztown University has a highly accredited business program including an Applied Investment Management program. This program allows students in the business college an opportunity to invest actual university funds in the markets. The goal is to provide business students with hands-on experience and yield a return on our investments. The returns are then used to sponsor scholarships for Kutztown University business students. I look forward to being a part of the AIM program and continuing to refine my skills and learn from the wonderful professors. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy. Since I already have a good working knowledge of the markets from conducting my own research, I believe I am on my way to achieving my career goal of being a successful trader and being more financially stable. I am excited to be a first-generation college student attending Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in the Honors College and look forward to the future.
Joe Gilroy "Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan" Scholarship
I believe having a goal you hold in high regard is an important step for a successful future. Without a goal, it becomes quite easy to start drifting through life with no real motivation. I have not always held this opinion with such importance. In my early years of high school, I had not put much thought into my future. All I did know was that I wanted to go to college. For what I was unsure, but I knew I wanted to keep learning. I started thinking more seriously about what I wanted to do with my future and decided to research different jobs I might be interested in and ways a student could start working towards a career early. I started researching a few ideas, but nothing quite worked for me. Then I looked back to a project in my American Cultures class from sophomore year. We had a unit on the stock market, and we traded with fake money. I gained an interest in how money works and why it behaves the way it does. I had been aware of the possible career opportunities that come from the stock market, but I did not consider trading the markets as an option at first because at the beginning of the lesson, I did not understand it too well. I was not yet aware of all the intricacies and hidden aspects of the markets that make them so interesting. The more I looked into it, the more interesting it became. I have always been a technical and analytical person, which has made the study of Finance very appealing to me. After some more research, I set my sights on the foreign exchange markets. Before long I had learned an immense amount of knowledge about the trading world that I could not wait to put to use. I set up a demo account so that I could practice without any risk, and I have been doing that ever since. My passion for learning, and my interest in the behavior of money as a whole, came together to create a path for my future. Trading became something I have the freedom to practice and experiment with, which gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. As a result of these opportunities, I set my goal of becoming a successful trader. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy and can start to work towards while still in high school by continuing to practice with my demo trading account. Through my research, I learned a lot about finances as a whole. But there is only so much I can learn on my own. That is why attending college to major in Finance is part of my goal. I believe that I have found my perfect career. I cannot wait to attend college and continue learning.
John Young 'Pursue Your Passion' Scholarship
I have always had a passion for learning, and I knew that I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge after graduating high school. I had never been aware of my family’s financial state. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. I gained an interest in how money and the stock markets work during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we were able to trade fake money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and I learned of all the intricacies of the markets over the last two years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to set my career goal of becoming a successful trader. There is only so much I can learn from my own research, so attending college to major in Finance is also part of my goal. I can’t wait to be a part of the Honors College at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and earn my business degree in Finance. I look forward to continuing to learn about the financial world. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy. Since I already have a good working knowledge of the markets from conducting my own research, I believe I am on my way to achieving my career goal of being a successful trader and being more financially stable. I also enjoy volunteering and helping my community. I hope that my passion for my chosen field of study and my college degree will also allow me to be able to financially support the many non-profit organization where I volunteer my time. I am excited to be a first-generation college student attending Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in the Honors College and look forward to the future.
Angelia Zeigler Gibbs Book Scholarship
I have always had a passion for learning, and I knew that I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge after graduating high school. I had never been aware of my family’s financial state. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. I gained an interest in how money and the stock markets work during a unit in my high school American Cultures class where we were able to trade fake money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and I learned of all the intricacies of the markets over the last two years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. That is when I decided to set my career goal of becoming a successful trader. There is only so much I can learn from my own research, so attending college to major in Finance is also part of my goal. I can’t wait to be a part of the Honors College at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and earn my business degree in Finance. I look forward to continuing to learn about the financial world. Becoming successful in the markets is far from easy, but it is a path that I will enjoy. Since I already have a good working knowledge of the markets from conducting my own research, I believe I am on my way to achieving my career goal of being a successful trader and being more financially stable. I am excited to be a first-generation college student attending Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in the Honors College and look forward to the future.
TEAM ROX Scholarship
I believe putting people first and doing the right thing is one of the best ways to make a positive difference in the world. I have enjoyed doing this by helping my community through numerous service and fundraising events over the years, from larger service projects with community clean ups and fundraising events to helping my fellow neighbor in need. All my community service work is very important to me, but one particular organization holds an extra special place in my heart. Every summer since I was three years old my family has spent time at Camp Swatara, a not-for-profit Christian campground close to our home. I always looked forward to this annual vacation to our “home away from home,” and I still do. This campground provides a safe, fun, and nurturing environment for children and families to grow their relationships. As I grew older, I knew that in some way I wanted to give back to my favorite place that I enjoy every summer. Over the past many years, I have enjoyed volunteering my time at the campground performing numerous service duties. In the spring I clean, repair, and set up sports equipment, and clean the playgrounds, to get the camp ready for the summer season. During the early summer, I enjoy being part of a crew that clears hiking trails of brush and fallen trees and repaint trail blazes to guide hikers along their way. One summer, I had the pleasure of being asked by the camp director to help set up and run a children’s carnival to raise funds for much-needed improvements to the buildings and grounds. We were able to raise enough money to start their next improvement project, which was adding a new water play area, including two small pools and a splashpad. With the funds raised at the children’s carnival, the project was able to be completed last summer. It was very rewarding to see the happy campers cooling off and playing together in the new water play area. Since the camp is a not-for-profit facility and they keep their rental fees low so every family can enjoy visiting, they rely heavily on volunteers and donations for the upkeep and improvements of the buildings and grounds. I love contributing to this campground that is near and dear to my heart, and it has been wonderful getting to know all the camp staff on a more personal level. One of my future goals is to be able to financially support Camp Swatara in addition to volunteering my time. In addition to making a positive impact on my community, all my volunteer experiences have also assisted with my personal growth by helping me to evolve into a caring, kindhearted, and responsible individual. I have also gained new friendships through my volunteer work and strengthened my current relationships with friends and family as we worked on service projects together. Through these experiences, I learned how important it is to be the kind of person that your community can count on.
Kumar Family Scholarship
I am analytical in nature and have always taken my academics seriously, but I am also creative, humorous, and enjoy lifting people’s spirits. A past English teacher of mine even wrote a special note thanking me for my being a part of her class and giving her “a career first” because of my dedication to my studies and high academics but also bringing a very creative and fun side to the classroom. I strive for high academic success, but I am smart enough to know that sometimes you also need to have a lighter side and enjoy life. I love making my friends laugh, especially after having a difficult day. I enjoy supporting and helping others. I am always willing to help fellow classmates with lessons, give pep talks and cheer on my fellow teammates, and volunteer with the many organizations throughout campus and my community that are near to my heart. In addition to supporting and helping others, I have always had a strong passion for learning. I knew that I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge after graduating high school and I am excited to be a first-generation college student attending Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. I have always enjoyed learning new things. Many times, the knowledge I gained during my studies at school was not enough to satisfy my curiosity, so I would conduct my own research at home and further expand my knowledge. I enjoy the thrill of figuring out how things work. A few years ago, I taught myself to play piano and guitar. I still enjoy improving my skills and creating music. Once I set my sites on a new subject to learn, there is no stopping me. Whether it is broadening my knowledge of my field of study for my career or learning new technics and improving my jumping skills for my track and field events or my hitting skills for my volleyball team. I have delved deeper into many subjects over the years. Finances were not often an issue for my family. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. After learning a about the stock market in my American Cultures class sophomore year, I became intrigued with the intricacies and hidden aspects of the markets. I decided to continue studying the markets on my own and have learned an immense amount of knowledge about the trading world. I set up a demo account to practice my skills without any risk. Trading has become something I have the freedom to practice and experiment with, which gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. I decided to set a goal of attending college to attain a degree in Finance and eventually becoming a successful trader. Since I come from a low-income household, my parents do not have the funds to assist with my college costs. I am solely responsible for funding my education. This scholarship will lessen the financial burden that attending college entails, so I can focus even more intently on my studies and fulfill my dream of being a first-generation college student.
Andrea N. Santore Scholarship
I am excited to be a first-generation college student at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania studying Business with a major in Finance and a minor in Economics. I find the financial world fascinating and have set my career goal of becoming a successful trader. I gained an interest in the financial markets during a project in my high school American Cultures class sophomore year. We had a unit on the stock market, and we competed with each other trading with artificial money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and learned many of the intricacies of the markets over the last three years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. After more research, I set my sights on the foreign exchange markets. Before long I had learned an immense amount of knowledge that I could not wait to put to use so I opened a small Forex trading account to continue my research with some of my own real money. My passion for learning, and my interest in the behavior of money as a whole, came together to create a path for my future. My demo trading account gives me the freedom to practice and experiment so I can continue to refine my strategies and learn. My Forex trading account with real money lets me experience the actual highs and lows that come along with trading in the markets. Attending college to study Business and earning my bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics will give me even more knowledge of the financial world and prepare me for my career in trading. I will also have opportunities to collaborate with fellow students and professors who share my passions for finance and trading. My university has an Applied Management Investment program where students use real university funds to invest and trade, which will give me real-world experiences. Neither of my parents have completed college, so their employment opportunities are limited. I would often overhear disheartening conversations about finances. Attending college and earning my degree will help me to lead a more financially stable future. Trading in the markets is far from easy, but it is a challenge that I look forward to and will enjoy.
Let Your Light Shine Scholarship
I am excited to be a first-generation college student at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania studying Business with a major in Finance and a minor in Economics. I find the financial world fascinating and have set my career goal of becoming a successful independent trader. I gained an interest in the financial markets during a project in my high school American Cultures class sophomore year. We had a unit on the stock market, and we competed with each other trading with artificial money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and learned many of the intricacies of the markets over the last three years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. After more research, I set my sights on the foreign exchange markets. Before long I had learned an immense amount of knowledge that I could not wait to put to use so I opened a small Forex trading account to continue my research with some of my own real money. My passion for learning, and my interest in the behavior of money as a whole, came together to create a path for my future. My demo trading account gives me the freedom to practice and experiment so I can continue to refine my strategies and learn. My Forex trading account with real money lets me experience the actual highs and lows that come along with trading in the markets. Since I have been practicing trading for the past three years, I have already accumulated an immense amount of knowledge of market patterns. Attending college to study Business and earning my bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics will help make my dream of becoming an entrepreneur come to fruition. Trading in the markets is far from easy, but I believe that my research and practice in trading over the last three years has given me a jump start at understanding financial markets. The knowledge I have acquired through my research and practice, along with earning my Business degree in Finance and Economics is a recipe for success. In my opinion, a successful life means having a career that you are passionate about and will enjoy doing each day, along with being able to provide for your family and to give back to your community.
Phoenix Opportunity Award
Finances were not often an issue for my family. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. Neither of my parents completed college, so their employment opportunities are limited. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. I have always had a passion for learning, and I knew that I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge after graduating high school so I would have more employment opportunities and a chance at a more financially stable future. After learning about the stock market in my American Cultures class sophomore year, I became intrigued with the intricacies and hidden aspects of the markets. I decided to continue studying the markets on my own and have learned an immense amount of knowledge about the trading world. I set up a demo account to practice my skills without any risk. Trading became something I have the freedom to practice and experiment with, which gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. I decided to set a goal of attaining a degree in Finance and eventually becoming a successful trader. Being a first-generation college student had a large influence on my career goals. I wanted to attend college to have a chance at a more financially stable future than my parents.
Jessie Koci Future Entrepreneurs Scholarship
I am excited to be a first-generation college student at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania studying Business with a major in Finance and a minor in Economics. I find the financial world fascinating and have set my career goal of becoming a successful independent trader. I gained an interest in the financial markets during a project in my high school American Cultures class sophomore year. We had a unit on the stock market, and we competed with each other trading with artificial money. This appealed to me since I have always been an analytical person. I have a strong passion for learning, so I decided to do more research on my own and learned many of the intricacies of the markets over the last three years. I also set up a demo account so I could practice trading without any risk. This gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. The more I delved deeper into my research and practice, the more intriguing trading became. After more research, I set my sights on the foreign exchange markets. Before long I had learned an immense amount of knowledge that I could not wait to put to use so I opened a small Forex trading account to continue my research with some of my own real money. My passion for learning, and my interest in the behavior of money as a whole, came together to create a path for my future. My demo trading account gives me the freedom to practice and experiment so I can continue to refine my strategies and learn. My Forex trading account with real money lets me experience the actual highs and lows that come along with trading in the markets. Since I have been practicing trading for the past three years, I have already accumulated an immense amount of knowledge of market patterns. Attending college to study Business and earning my bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics will help make my dream of becoming an entrepreneur come to fruition. In my opinion, a successful life means having a career that you are passionate about and will enjoy doing each day, along with earning enough income to be able to comfortably provide for your family. Trading in the markets is far from easy, but I believe that my research and practice in trading over the last three years has given me a jump start at understanding financial markets. The knowledge I have acquired through my research and practice, along with earning my Business degree in Finance and Economics is a recipe for success.
Kalia D. Davis Memorial Scholarship
I am analytical in nature and have always taken my academics seriously, but I am also creative, humorous, and enjoy lifting people’s spirits. A past English teacher of mine even wrote a special note thanking me for my being a part of her class and giving her “a career first” because of my dedication to my studies and high academics but also bringing a very creative and fun side to the classroom. I strive for high academic success, but I am smart enough to know that sometimes you also need to have a lighter side and enjoy life. I love making my friends laugh, especially after having a difficult day. I enjoy supporting and helping others. I am always willing to help fellow classmates with lessons, give pep talks and cheer on my fellow teammates, and volunteer with the many organizations throughout campus and my community that are near to my heart. In addition to supporting and helping others, I have always had a strong passion for learning. I knew that I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge after graduating high school and I am excited to be a first-generation college student attending Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. I have always enjoyed learning new things. Many times, the knowledge I gained during my studies at school was not enough to satisfy my curiosity, so I would conduct my own research at home and further expand my knowledge. I enjoy the thrill of figuring out how things work. A few years ago, I taught myself to play piano and guitar. I still enjoy improving my skills and creating music. Once I set my sites on a new subject to learn, there is no stopping me. Whether it is broadening my knowledge of my field of study for my career or learning new technics and improving my jumping skills for my track and field events or my hitting skills for my volleyball team. I have delved deeper into many subjects over the years. Finances were not often an issue for my family. However, when my mother lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, I began overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances. I began to worry, and I knew when it came to my future, I did not want to worry the same way my parents have. I knew I wanted to figure out a path of how I could become more financially stable. After learning a about the stock market in my American Cultures class sophomore year, I became intrigued with the intricacies and hidden aspects of the markets. I decided to continue studying the markets on my own and have learned an immense amount of knowledge about the trading world. I set up a demo account to practice my skills without any risk. Trading has become something I have the freedom to practice and experiment with, which gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. I decided to set a goal of attending college to attain a degree in Finance and eventually becoming a successful trader. Since I come from a low-income household, my parents do not have the funds to assist with my college costs. I am solely responsible for funding my education. The Kalia D. Davis Memorial Scholarship will lessen the financial burden that attending college entails, so I can focus even more intently on my studies and fulfill my dream of being a first-generation college student.
Redefining Victory Scholarship
Success to me is achieving financial stability by having a career that you love. But to do so, you must first create educational and career goals that you can start working towards as early as possible. I believe that having a goal you truly hold in high regard is possibly the most important step for success. Without some kind of final destination in mind, it becomes quite easy to start drifting through life with no real motivation. In my early years of high school, I had not always held this opinion with such importance. I had not put much thought into what I wanted to do with my future. However, something I did know was that I wanted to go to college. For what in particular I was unsure, but I knew I wanted to keep learning. I started to think more seriously about what I wanted to do with my future. I felt that in order to be successful, a certain level of self-control needed to be present. I had always focused on my schoolwork and achieved high academics, but I realized that alone was not enough to get me where I wanted to be. I started researching different jobs I might be interested in, and ways a student could start working towards a career early. Finances were not often an issue for my family, however, in 2020 my mother lost her job because of the coronavirus pandemic. After overhearing many disheartening conversations between my parents regarding finances, I slowly began to worry when it came to money and I knew when it came to my future, I did not wish to worry the same way my parents had. I knew I wanted to figure out a future path of how I could become more financially stable. I started researching a few ideas, but nothing quite worked for me. Then I looked back to a project in my American Cultures class from sophomore year. We had a unit on the stock market, and we traded with fake money. I gained an interest in how money works and why it behaves the way it does. I had been aware of the possible career opportunities that come from the stock market, but I did not consider trading the markets as an option at first because at the beginning at that point, I was not aware of all the intricacies and hidden aspects of the markets that make them so interesting. The more I looked into it, though, the more feasible of an option it became. I have always been a technical and analytical person, which has made the study of Finance very appealing to me. I decided to pursue my newly found passion involving global markets. After some research, I set my sights on the foreign exchange markets. Before long I had learned an immense amount of knowledge about the trading world that I could not wait to put to use. I set up a demo account so that I could practice without any risk, and I have been doing that ever since. Out of seemingly nowhere, my passion for learning, and my interest in the behavior of money as a whole, came together in one opportunity to create a path for my future. Trading became something I have the freedom to practice and experiment with, which gives me the ability to refine my own strategies and learn from every nuance I encounter. As a result of these opportunities, I set my goal of becoming a successful trader. By conducting my research in trading, I ended up learning a lot about finances as a whole. Everything regarding finance has become surprisingly interesting to me, but there is only so much I can learn from my own research. There is still so much for me to learn about why money moves around the way it does, and how it impacts the markets. That is why attending college to major in Finance is part of my goal. I believe that I have found my path to success. I cannot wait to continue learning after high school and put my practice to the test as part of Kutztown Universities Applied Investment Management Association where students manage university funds with the goal of yielding a great return on investment. I am excited to continue learning about the financial world, have real experiences in the business field with internships, and surround myself with individuals who have similar passions. This scholarship opportunity will help me on my path to success by alleviating some of the financial burden of college so I can focus more intently on my educational and career goals. Becoming a successful trader is far from easy, but I know that it is a path that I will enjoy.
Zachary Houtz Student Profile | Bold.org