Category: Scholarship

[T]here are many decisions that I am thankful for that have molded me to become the person I am now. During the summer of my sophomore year in high school, I took an American Sign Language class at my community college despite already completing two years of Spanish. I was unaware that the casual interest in this language would ignite the passion for my career. As I learned about the deaf community, I found a desire to help people who are physically impaired.

I attended a mission trip to the Tenderloin district in San Francisco, one of the most dangerous places in California. As I talked to the homeless people there, I realized that they were just appreciative to have someone listen to them. These people wanted someone who would hear their opinions, to know their voice mattered. All these decisions led to experiences that have encouraged me to pursue the major Communication Disorders, in which I can have a career as a speech-language pathologist, serving others who are physically incapable.

In the first eight years of my life, I lived in a very Asian American populated community and was ignorant to the fact that I could be treated differently because of my ethnicity. My family moved away, however, to Vail, Colorado, a ski resort town filled with many wealthy Caucasian people. It was a tremendous culture shock for me to move to a state in which there was less than 3% of Asian Americans total. The only other Asians I met in my city were either adopted or people who recently came to America.

I struggled with making friends with people in my school because I did not have anything in common with them. I was bullied at my local jazz class because the shapes of my eyes and my lips. I was embarrassed to wear my hair in a ponytail because my face would be exposed to others. Even when we moved from Colorado to California, I still continued to struggle with my identity as an Asian American. People would think I was only excelling in my classes because of my ethnicity instead of my work ethic. I tried to inform them that I succeeded because of the hours I spent studying and investing my time in my studies. Getting A’s in school did not come naturally to me because of my ethnicity. To avoid being bullied, I even attempted to fail some of my tests.

If I graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders, I will prove that it was because of my hard work and dedication to pursue my passion that allowed me to receive that diploma. It was not because I’m Asian. It was not because of the salary. It was because of a passion that was stirred in me in my sophomore year. It was because of a love for people.

We are proud to announce Rachel Lillian Wong is one of the current DiversityJobs Scholarship finalists. Vote for her essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘star’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.

[O]n April 12, 2015, a terrified Sub-Saharan African (SSA) migrant on a sinking ship in the Mediterranean frantically called the European journalist, Meron Estefanos, for help. Shortly after, more calls came. At least 400 people are believed to have died and a week later, the worst migrant boat tragedy on record lead to the death of approximately 850 migrants. The most astonishing and depressing fact is that this story is not unique. SSA migrants have been drowning on the Mediterranean for years now. My life could have been analogous to that of the migrants if my parents had not afforded my family and I the opportunity to move from Nigeria to England and America. Growing up as a “third culture kid” (i.e. a culture outside of my parents) molded me to have a multicultural worldview. It also motivated my professional and educational goals to aid migrants by advocating for development in SSA. My current mindset, however, did not come about overnight.

When I moved to America 14 years ago I was the Nigerian kid, with a British accent, living in Virginia; hardly the quintessential, suburban Virginia high school student. Seldom did I find myself feeling comfortable in any particular social group. I was an aloof kid with an affinity for many “nerdy” things and a cultural background that often perplexed people. I found myself reclining into a state of confusion, alienation, and lack of self-confidence. It was not until my volunteer work in college that I realized these traits, which I had come to perceive as burdens, were gifts, for I was part of a much larger social community of global citizens.

I often reminisce back to time spent volunteering as an English as a Second Language teaching assistant for SSA migrants. I naturally interacted and brokered relationships with the migrants and my colleagues. I became cognizant of my global responsibilities, which heightened my value for diversity and my stance against social injustice. As worthwhile as these volunteering days were, I knew working to aid the exploited and marginalized needed to be at an institutional level for longitudinal impact. A degree in International Development will be my next step in doing my part as a global citizen. My principal task upon obtaining this degree will be to get nations to achieve transparency, accountability, and amalgamated policy to create a “world community” for migrants.

Witnessing the plight of the disenfranchised and wanting to garner greater understanding of the international arena to develop solutions to economic crises propelled me to study International Development. I chose this degree to work with like-minded individuals, broker relationships between SSA and European nations, inspire innovative perspectives and initiatives, and provide solutions to avoid the ongoing tragedies on the Mediterranean. As a young adult, I was able to overcome my personal obstacles and take advantage of my cultural competence. This same opportunity must be afforded to present and future migrants who could have had a story very similar to my own.

We are proud to announce Adedamola Ladipo is one of the current DiversityJobs Scholarship finalists. Vote for his essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘star’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.

[I] wanted to do something with the movies the moment I watched Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’ at six years old. I remember thinking wow, something so horrifying, so unsettling, now that’s a career for me, that’s exciting. But in fact, in many ways I think what interests me about the movies is the fact that, let’s be honest, they show us things we don’t want to see.  Whether it be birds or, I don’t know, the squalor of a candidate’s room. I chose film because I had come to see this was a medium unlike any other, and it fit my interests, it fit my identity.

Watch his full video essay below:

We are proud to announce Fareed Ben-Youssef is one of the current DiversityJobs Scholarship finalists. Vote for his essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘star’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.

[W]hen asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I used to say that I wanted to be ‘Queen of the World’. Now older and wiser, I realize that that is not a feasible aspiration. But I do want to be a Senator, or maybe even President. I want to use a position of political power to impact my constituents in a positive way, creating demonstrative change in the lives of many.

I chose Government as my major as a means of accomplishing this goal. In college, I have actively pursued coursework that can give me knowledge of various world systems and the current national and global political frameworks. As I learn how these work, I hope to prepare myself for my future work as a legislator.

Gaining enough knowledge, however,  is only part of the challenge. Part of becoming an elected official involves a struggle I have dealt with my whole life: having self-confidence.

It is hard to succeed in a world that maintains an institutional framework that predisposes you to fail. As an African-American, as a Latina, and as a woman in the United States of America, I have regularly faced discrimination, harassment, racism, and sexism. It often seems as if I am supposed to accept them.

I did for much of my formative years. Not only did I allow people to say offensive comments, but I believed them. I believed it when people said I was not good enough, or smart enough, or simply just not enough. I was not capable of success; I should give up. Why try?

But now, I ask, why not? After learning more about others who came before me—the trailblazers, the female leaders, the inspirational people of color—I  now realize that I must follow in their path. I know that prejudice still exists; I have experienced it. But I also know that someone needs to defy the stereotypes and show the world that an African-American, Latina woman can succeed, that she can be smart, that she can be enough, and more.

I plan on using my Government degree from Harvard to do just that. Wherever  my future studies take me, whichever career I choose to pursue, I know that I will be doing justice to myself and all of the other little girls who aspire to be Queens of the World, Presidents or Senators. I am doing this for them.

We are proud to announce Taji Alessandra Hutchins is one of the current DiversityJobs Scholarship finalists. Vote for her essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘star’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.

[I] am not entirely certain how I chose my major; maybe it chose me. Some have said nursing is a calling. I’m not sure I would go so far as to say I was called. I do feel an affinity for connecting with people in crisis, and all hospitalized patients and their families are in crisis. Since 1983, I have worked as an LVN, primarily in behavioral health and long-term care.

There have been obstacles in my path. Three obstacles I love very much are adults now. My children, of course, always came first when they were young. I took the bulk of pre-nursing requirements when I could, literally here and there. I also continued to work and juggle the demands of being a wife, mother, daughter-in-law, vet, baker, and chauffeur with those of being a student. Finally in 2010, after twenty-plus years and ever changing requirements, I was ready to apply to nursing school in earnest. My two oldest children were launched, and my youngest was in high school. Four years on the waiting list, and I was in, accepted at Monterey Peninsula College Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing!

On the Monday after Thanksgiving 2013, my husband turned to me and said he was leaving. He removed his grandmother’s photograph from the wall and left. A few hours later a process server was knocking at my door. That was the end of my marriage. The biggest obstacle this created was that of pain.

I have to say I am still in a great deal of pain. I did not fully realize how painful a divorce could be. I had been divorced before, but there were no children involved, and no house to sell quickly at a loss. I think that leaving my home of 14 years was the biggest challenge because of the landscaping I had nurtured and the neighbors I now miss. I haven’t entirely processed this loss yet; I’m still working on the death of my parents, who died within seven months of each other (in Aug 2012 and Mar 2013).

How do I move forward now? I’m not young, and I haven’t thought of myself as flexible or nomadic in a good while. I have had to become both. I must. It’s that simple. I will prepare for the worst and hope for the best, out of necessity rather than choice. I look around and see other people with problems more profound than mine. As a nurse, I can do something about that. I can give people hope. I will give people hope. I may pursue a career in behavioral health, or simply just work on a medical-surgical floor as an RN, where the need is great. After all, I am now flexible, dedicated, and familiar with personal crises in a way I was not before my divorce. So at sixty years of age, I will begin a new career. I hope to do well.

We are proud to announce Tara Larkin is one of the current DiversityJobs Scholarship finalists. Vote for her essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘star’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.

[F]ollowing roughly eight years of service at home and abroad I left the ranks of the military to obtain a college degree. The intent of this degree was to earn my Right of Passage to the US Army Officer Candidates Course so that I could continue to serve with honor. I majored in Professional Studies Criminal Justice obtaining numerous Dean’s List awards while working full time as a janitor and taking no less than 15 hours a semester.

I managed to graduate with a 3.36 GPA in three years, only to have the door of reality slammed in my face following graduation. That reality was the downsizing of the military. Degree in hand I applied to every branch of service for OCS, but all to no avail. In short order, I found myself seeking new enlistment with any branch that would take me, again producing no opportunity. I found myself slipping further into debt working for menial pay, ultimately filing for bankruptcy losing my home and vehicle.

Following my position as a janitor I worked as an installer of fiberglass insulation, “quite possibly the most miserable thing I have ever done”. After that, I managed to land a job as a defense contractor functioning as a Financial Technician at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock Arkansas until that position was eliminated due to budget cuts. I then took a job as a delivery driver for O’Reilly Auto Parts which I did until I landed a job a Correctional Officer for the state of Arkansas. Currently, I am an employee of the US Federal Bureau of Prisons. Not the dream job I was looking for, but at the least a secure position that enables me to continue to provide for my little girl.

Since taking the job as a Correctional Officer I have been taking classes with American Public University, and currently have a 4.0 GPA. The quarter semester beginning on January the 5th 2015 will exhaust my GI-Bill benefits placing me in a position to find alternate means of funding for my collegiate studies. That being said, I understand that I am just like so many other people working their way through school, possibly in a better place being that I obtained my undergraduate education on the GI-Bill. But, so many other people may not have done or seen what I have that enabled me to use that education benefit.

My military service is what got me through the door with the BOP, but the acquisition of an M.A. in Criminal Justice will get me through the next door in my pursuit of career development. This graduate degree will enable me to be considered for careers in the realm of criminal investigations, which opens many more doors than just the next federal prisons “Sally Port”. I hope that you find this bit of my history worthy of a scholarship to continue working towards my graduate degree.

We are proud to announce Scott Hunter is one of the current DiversityJobs Scholarship finalists. Vote for his essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘star’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.

[W]hile many high school students approach graduation with an understandable sense of dread and panic in regards to choosing a career and a future for themselves, I have been blessed to discover my calling at a very young age. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1992-1995 civil war, my family and I were forced to flee our home and immigrate to Slovenia as refugees in 1994 and eventually the United States in 1999. While our story may seem unique, many other families were forced to embark on similar journeys, often losing family members to village militias conducting ethnic cleansing campaigns. Even as a child, I knew that this was wrong. I knew that nobody should ever be killed, tortured, or displaced based on not just their religion, but their ethnic background, skin color, or any other distinction beyond their control. My innate belief in the importance of justice is what ultimately led me to pursue a career in law.

In school, I studied diligently because I knew that to achieve my dream I would have to excel academically. In 2011, I graduated as the salutatorian of my senior class, a member of national honor society, and the editor-in-chief of my school newspaper. Unlike many of my fellow graduates, I was ecstatic to attend college not so much to pursue my adolescent freedom, as much as I viewed it as the first step towards becoming an attorney. During my junior year of college, I made the decision to study abroad in the Netherlands.

While the Netherlands is an amazing country full of natural beauty, history, and exquisite art, I was drawn to it because of its place in the arena of international law. The Netherlands is not only home to the International Criminal Court, but also the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and most important to me, the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. During my time in the Netherlands, I was able to view the trial of a former Bosnian war criminal that commanded the troops that killed my uncle and left my cousins without a father. While I knew that I would be shaken by the experience, I never realized what a huge effect it would have on me.

Upon my return home I decided to apply to the Webster University Combined Degree Program, a program that allows you to attain your master’s degree while completing your undergraduate degree. I was immediately accepted into the program, and I decided to pursue my master’s degree in international relations. While the law will always be my passion, during my time abroad I realized that because of my experiences as a refugee fleeing genocide, simply becoming a lawyer would never make me feel whole. I have now decided to pursue a career as an international lawyer focusing on fighting human rights abuses all around the world. I want to dedicate myself to ensuring that every victim of war, genocide, or crimes against humanity receives justice in a court of law.

We are proud to announce Samra Cordic is one of the current DiversityJobs Scholarship finalists. Vote for her essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘star’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.