My maternal grandfather was taken out of school at the age of 12 so he could work and provide for his younger siblings. His father had left the household and his mother needed the financial help. Because of his age, he was not able to secure a job. He strapped a box with paint brushes and a can of paint onto his bicycle and rode around Kingston, Jamaica offering to fix or create the signage in front of people's stores. This was over 72 years ago and is the story behind The Riley Sign Center, a business that has grown to be one of the oldest, most respected graphic arts firm in the Caribbean. From this box of paint and paint brushes, grew a business that he used to support his siblings, their children and his own 9 biological and 5 adopted children. I grew up listening to this story, and was acutely aware of the goodness that grew out of his entrepreneurial spirit. Every time I visit the office in Jamaica, I beam with pride, knowing how it came to be. My grandfather is a stellar example of what a successful man looks like. I want to be that man. Throughout the years, I developed a love for Engineering. I have a particular affinity for Mechanical Engineering and to be more granular - sustainable engineering. My role model is my cousin who is an aero-space engineer. He too came from humble beginnings and has managed to create his own engineering firm and use it to feed his family and do good for his community. A career in the field of engineering will give me the chance to create my own business which will focus on solving complex challenges facing many industries. My goal is for my firm to have a positive effect on social and economic development with minimal impact on the environment, and lead to little depletion of materials needed for future generations to thrive. I plan on working with many industries that need better, more sustainable buildings in particular heating and cooling systems, ventilation, lighting and environments needed to help keep workers happy and productive. What can be better than solving for issues, working across many industries and doing what I love most - a STEM related job? The effort I see put forth by family members at work, making someone else successful, quite often with no gratitude is reason enough for me to assume risk and work for myself. My intent is to form my own engineering firm, while in school and hire my colleagues who will partner with me to work with current engineers, adding our voice to their project. Hiring a current student, will provide real live experience for the student and provide the engineer with the latest in knowledge and technology – nothing like divergent thinking. I will then charge a commission for our contribution and pay my colleagues for all their input. Once I graduate, I will work on a commission basis at first while I create my own consulting firm. As my reputation grows and I am in demand, I will hire additional help. The world needs more people like me, a student with diverse learning needs, who understands that everyone may need accommodations, but still need to be part of society at large. By creating my own business, becoming and entrepreneur I can accomplish this dream. I am passionate about entrepreneurship because it gives me room to be productive, while being ME! Thank you for the opportunity.

Generosity comes in many forms and shapes. My super power is being courageous enough to be who I am and to support the underdog in my school. This is how I demonstrate my generosity. I am the biggest cheerleader for my friends. I think I am because I have been fortunate to be born in a family that cheers me on daily. Having diverse learning needs and being written off by teachers, my family realized that I do need support to keep my self-esteem high. Having so much support and encouragement, and a positive educational experience, I can encourage others so I model this at school. Whenever my friends are with me, I focus on the positive and I encourage them to do the same. I let them know that even though things may go wrong or if they feel down...it is a small period in their lives. We have so many opportunities ahead of us, we can turn things around. As they emerge from an issue or period of sadness, they realize I am correct. It takes so little to be generous … I think the same effort it takes to be mean, I chose to be positive, generous. It feeds my soul. I always encourage my friends to spread the spirit of generosity, positivity and support. By doing so, we can create a more supportive, loving, and inclusive outcome for all.

I am the biggest cheerleader for my friends. I think I am because I have been fortunate to be born in a family that cheers me on daily. Having diverse learning needs and being written off by teachers, my family realized that I do need support to keep my self-esteem high. Having so much support and encouragement, and a positive educational experience, I can encourage others so I model this at school. Whenever my friends are with me, I focus on the positive and I encourage them to do the same. I let them know that even though things may go wrong or if they feel down...it is a small period in their lives. We have so many opportunities ahead of us, we can turn things around. As they emerge from an issue or period of sadness, they realize I am correct. I always encourage my friends to spread the news of positivity and support. By doing so, we can create a more supportive, loving, and inclusive outcome for all. What is the meaning of life, if not to support others and to take care of my fellow man? I was raised to be a man of service, a man who spreads joy, loves abundantly, takes care of others. Life would be empty if I lived only for myself. I am grateful that I was raised this way, it is the only way we will drive change in this world. I share the meaning of life by being selfless and sharing with others every day. Thank you.

I am the biggest cheerleader for my friends. I think I am because I have been fortunate to be born in a family that cheers me on daily. By sharing my inner joy, I live a selfless life. It is mantra..be selfless, spread joy. Having diverse learning needs and being written off by teachers, my family realized that I do need support to keep my self-esteem high. Having so much support and encouragement, and a positive educational experience, I can encourage others, so I model this at school. Whenever my friends are with me, I focus on the positive and I encourage them to do the same. I let them know that even though things may go wrong or if they feel down...it is a small period in their lives. We have so many opportunities ahead of us, we can turn things around. As they emerge from an issue or period of sadness, they realize I am correct. I always encourage my friends to spread the news of selflessness, positivity and support. By doing so, we can create a more loving, an inclusive outcome for all. My mother, my family sacrificed so much to help ensure my success I am committed to spreading this level of joy. This comes through being selfless. It would be wrong of me to keep all my joy to myself. Every time I commit a selfless act, it builds my confidence. I will always encourage everyone to do for others. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

I was diagnosed as being ”learning disabled” at the age of 2. My mother refused to ascribe that label to me. She told me I am brilliant and have diverse learning needs. She is certainly forward-thinking. As I entered public school, I was often teased and left out of playgroups, I became insecure. I befriended the adults and spent most of my time with teachers and parents. This was how I expanded my vocabulary, learned how to hold a conversation, stand up for myself and speak my mind. I turned lemons into lemonade as my grandmother would often say. I was placed in a school that catered to my learning style but still felt like an outsider. Over the years I have developed a group of friends who support me. I am grateful for all the experiences I've had, they have helped to shape the man I am becoming. One who is compassionate and determined to be successful. When I stop to think about the goodness among my friends and those who support me I know the world is better than we often think. I display my gratitude by reciprocating. I seek out students who are not part of the ”in” crowd and work hard to make them feel at home. Were it not for my early experiences, I would not know how to do this. I am a child of divorce, my mother works so hard to provide for me. Every day she shows me why I must be grateful for everything. Good and bad, how to take lessons from every experience. I do just that. I set lofty goals for myself. I will work towards attain,I am grateful that I am an eternal optimist and I live with gratitude every day. Thank you.

I was diagnosed as being ”learning disabled” at the age of 2. My mother refused to ascribe that label to me. She told me I am brilliant and have diverse learning needs. She is certainly forward-thinking. As I entered public school, I was often teased and left out of playgroups because I lacked some social skills and was insecure. I befriended the adults and spent most of my time with teachers and parents. This was how I expanded my vocabulary, learned how to hold a conversation, stand up for myself and speak my mind. I turned lemons into lemonade as my grandmother would often say. I was placed in a school that catered to my learning style but still felt like an outsider. Over the years I have developed a group of friends who support me. This act of generosity gives me hope. My friends, my generation is kind, compassionate and that is not often celebrated. Quite often, we hear nothing but negativity about today’s youth. When I stop to think about the goodness among my friends and those who support me I know the world is better than we often think. Having optimism gives me hope. People who support me gives me hope. Passing along that support gives me hope. My goal is to always stand up for others like me. The misunderstood, the overlooked, the ignored. I am now an A student, more determined than ever to be successful. To make my mother proud. To help others and to ensure that children like me understand that they too have a place in this world. To help adults understand how their actions impact students like me. My mission gives me hope. I set lofty goals for myself. I will work towards attain them and with your help, I am committed to doing so, to spread hope. That...gives me hope. Thank you.

I was classified as being ”learning disabled” at the age of 2. My mother raised me to understand that there is nothing disabled about me. I learn differently. She also insisted that I, therefore, needed to be taught differently and learn early how to study. I have great metacognition. I understand my limitations but know strategies to work around them. Without persistence, I could not have gotten to this point in my life, a senior accepted into college. I have far to go. It took a while for me to grow enough confidence and persistence coupled with determination to be successful. I know I must create the right setting to learn. I thrive best in a setting with no distractions and I must budget the right amount of time to read and re-read my assignments. Year after year, I work hard towards being a successful student. It can be exhausting, yet I persist. There is no one time I can pinpoint because it feels as if my entire academic success is hinged on my ability to be persistent. I am proud of my accomplishments this far and will continue to work hard to make myself and my family proud. Every student needs to dig deep, shut out distractions and approach every issue that limits their ability to learn with a mindset to be persistent. Thank you for your consideration.

I was diagnosed as being learning disabled at the age of 2. It took a lot of hard work by a lot of people to get me here...a college-bound senior. I put in the work. I understand how I learn and what I need to be successful. I am determined to succeed, to prove naysayers wrong. I aspire to be an engineer, showing everyone that obstacles can be removed and every student can be successful with the proper support. As I enter college, I will work with the learning support program at my college so I can continue to thrive. I never take it for granted that I will be successful, it requires real commitment and hard work. Every day may be a struggle but one I am prepared for. With hard work, confidence, intrinsic and obligatory motivation, I will accomplish my goals. I will succeed. Thank you.

Some people were born with the gift of being able to speak their minds and be confident. For me, it was learned behavior. I am a first-generation American and my parents grew up in the Caribbean where children could be punished for being vocal. And being confident, can be seen as being boastful. During her doctoral studies, my mother read a book in which the author Annette Lareau stated that children should be encouraged to speak up and engage others respectfully in conversation. By so doing, they would do better as they begin their careers as they would know how to negotiate and navigate their careers better. It took that advice for my mom to encourage me to speak my mind, she focused more on helping me grow my confidence. It has served me well. How I grew my confidence was accidental. My confidence grew as I started an exercise program to relieve stress and to maintain my mental health. The more I exercised the better I felt, the more my confidence grew. Confidence is not singular, it means growing in strength and as in my case, making friends along. When my friends feel good about themselves, as a result of my modeling behavior, that helps boost my confidence. It cannot be bottled up, it has to be shared...given away. I tell myself, this is a gift to my future self to keep building and growing in confidence. The route to being more confident is different for everyone, mine is to share the good feelings and to continue my exercise routine. Being accepted into college is the ultimate stamp on why I need to be confident.

Before Covid, I was always encouraged to ”take a break”, ”relax”, ”don't overdo it” ..hard to believe this advice was coming from my mother who also said,” Work hard and do well in school.” What she would emphasize is work hard, play hard! It took a pandemic for me to truly appreciate the need to slow down and focus on my health, my mental health. I started running. When I run or exercise it feels like I can leave all my worries behind. As exhausting as it is, I feel so much healthier than I ever have. The best part of this is as I began to enjoy the benefits of exercise, I encouraged all my friends to join me. Today, we are a group of 4 young, healthy men. Mental health has risen to the top of everyone's discussion topics since Covid. Taking care of one's self is critical. Taking care of friends and sharing what works is just as critical. Each one helps one and that can also help one's mental state. Among the disparities that surfaced during Covid is the lack of health care for some. Not everyone can afford a therapist or medication. Exercise is a great way to relax and take care of mental health. It has worked for me.

Overcoming adversity should be my middle name. I was diagnosed as being ”learning disabled” at the age of 2. My mother refused to ascribe that label to me. She told me I am brilliant and have diverse learning needs. She is certainly forward-thinking. As I entered public school, I was often teased and left out of playgroups because I lacked some social skills and was insecure. I befriended the adults and spent most of my time with teachers and parents. This was how I expanded my vocabulary, learned how to hold a conversation, stand up for myself and speak my mind. I turned lemons into lemonade as my grandmother would often say. I was placed in a school that catered to my learning style but still felt like an outsider. I cannot say there was one particular moment of adversity, it feels as if there was ongoing adversity. What I can say is, every time I have a challenge I dig deep, access the situation and work through it...keeping in mind, it will all work out in the end. As a result, I have a group of friends who support me and me. It is my superpower. My goal is to always stand up for others like me. The misunderstood, the overlooked, the ignored. Overcoming adversity has made me more understanding of others, patient, and an advocate. I am now an A student, more determined than ever to be successful. To make my mother proud. To help others and to ensure that children like me understand that they too have a place in this world. To help adults understand how their actions impact students like me. I set lofty goals for myself. I will work towards attain them and with your help, I am committed to doing so. Thank you.

Some people were born with the gift of being able to speak their minds. For me, it was learned behavior. I am a first-generation American and my parents grew up in the Caribbean where children could be punished for being vocal. During her doctoral studies, my mother read a book in which the author Annette Lareau stated that children should be encouraged to speak up and engage others respectfully in conversation. By so doing, they would do better as they begin their careers as they would know how to negotiate and navigate their careers better. It took that advice for my mom to encourage me to speak my mind. It has served me well. Needless to say, when speaking one's mind it must be done respectfully. I tell myself that to not do so, is in essence, dishonest. If I miss an opportunity to speak my mind, I am hiding who I am and that is a disservice to me. If I am to grow up to be an honest and honorable person I must always challenge myself to speak up. It takes practice. Sometimes I take a deep breath, listen closely then formulate a response. I encourage others to do the same. Speaking one's mind is not rude, it's not boastful it is a commitment to one's self, to be honest, to respectfully engage others, and to help others do the same. I tell myself, this is a gift to my future self. It bears repeating, it is not easy but telling myself over and again to be open and honest helps me to speak my mind at all times.

I am the biggest cheerleader for my friends. I think I am because I have been fortunate to be born in a family that cheers me on daily. Having diverse learning needs and being written off by teachers, my family realized that I do need support to keep my self-esteem high. Having so much support and encouragement, and a positive educational experience, I can encourage others so I model this at school. Whenever my friends are with me, I focus on the positive and I encourage them to do the same. I let them know that even though things may go wrong or if they feel down...it is a small period in their lives. We have so many opportunities ahead of us, we can turn things around. As they emerge from an issue or period of sadness, they realize I am correct. I always encourage my friends to spread the news of positivity and support. By doing so, we can create a more supportive, loving, and inclusive outcome for all.

My bucket list is short and thanks to my mother, I'm chipping away at it. As time passes I’m sure to expand my list. The list as it currently stands includes traveling to Japan to attend an anime event. What fun that would be to go and be there with like-minded people. While I appreciate and enjoy comic-con, going to Japan is the ultimate dream. Next is my dream to be in the engineering program and a reputable school, and I got accepted into a great program. Now time to complete that successfully. Other plans are to be able to purchase a house for my mother. Short but impactful bucket list. Thanks to my mother I visited the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and Jamaica to visit the place of her birth. For now, I will continue to dream.

I aspire to be an engineer. Deep inside me lives an artist. The artist in me needs to create, so I draw. I draw characters and create something new every day. It feeds my soul. Having a creative outlet is important for everyone. It resets the brain. It gives me time to pause and enjoy something I do, just for me. I use my creativity to accomplish balance in my life and am happy about it. With everything happening in the world today, I encourage everyone to find their creative spirit, lean on it and use it to sustain them. It works!

I was classified as being ”learning disabled” at the age of 2. My mother raised me to understand that there is nothing disabled about me. I learn differently. She also insisted that I, therefore, needed to be taught differently and learn early how to study. I have great metacognition. I understand my limitations but know strategies to work around them. To be successful, I know I must create the right setting to learn. I thrive best in a setting with no distractions and I must budget the right amount of time to read and re-read my assignments. Once I have done so, I then listen to books to support what I read. I jot notes and then whatever I’m focused on I can demonstrate that I understand. Overall time, setting, reading, laying our information and revisiting as I study have made me an ”A” student. I am proud of my accomplishments and will continue to work hard to make myself and my family proud. Study strategies are critical to every student’s success.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York in an apartment building. My mother ensured that I grew with an appreciation of nature by taking long walks in the country where my Aunt lives. Each time we take a nature trip, as we called them, I realized my mood changed. I felt more positive, enlightened. I decided to start a garden in my building, so I could be closer to nature and help others to have the same feeling of euphoria. It is critical that as human beings, we have an opportunity to reset from time to time. Nature provides such an opportunity. With everything happening around us, if we take more time to appreciate and enjoy nature we will be healthier. On the other hand, we need to preserve nature so future generations have an opportunity to experience the beauty that surrounds us. We must promote and preserve the need for nature so everyone can have a healthy outcome. Some communities do not have access to nature at its best, open parks, wide-open spaces, clean bodies of water, we need to do better. Society needs to make it equitable for all humans so everyone can enjoy what my family fought so hard to provide for me. Access to nature. I show my appreciation by helping to tend to the garden in my building, helping my grandmother, aunts and uncles plant their gardens and tend to them. Whenever possible, I walk in Prospect or Central Parks with my friends so they too can enjoy our natural surroundings. Nature is important for all humans to thrive. I highly value having experiences in nature and try to share that with my family and friends.

I was diagnosed at the age of 2 as being “learning disabled”, more specifically, my cognitive skills were delayed. Many teachers immediately decided I was not capable of learning. My family thought different and worked hard to help me develop metacognition. This experience, my family’s support and love made me develop a great sense of self, an individual who has a keen understanding of what it means to be written off an counted out. I decided very early, I would do my best to support my school mates, who may not have this level of support and confidence. As new students enter my school, I could see they lacked confidence which may have been a result of not feeling supported and being written off by other educational institutions. I welcome them, introduce them to others and let them know that I am here to support them while I introduce them to others who would welcome them and offer support too. It is important for them to feel seen and understood. This is the model for my life, I have found my calling, by being empathetic, I feel fulfilled. I was supported and I want to support others. It has served me well, making me feel fulfilled and happy to be a positive light for others. As I enter college, I have no doubt I will find my place, and will continue to support others as I grow in my educational journey. This empathy goes beyond my fellow students and leads me to support others such as the senior citizens in my building. People don’t need pity, just a smile, support and some help along the way. That is my super power!