75 StudentEssqys submittedto: World Missions

in response to
a

The
Mqlissa B. Perkins Scholarship Awcrrd

Please duplicate and post on your bulletin boarcl, thanks! ! ! ! t ! ! ! !!t lTorld Missions Inner-city Extension Center Inc. Malissa B. Perkins Scholarship WWW.exten stio n center-dc. or g E mail Addr es s: exlensioncenter@yerizo n.n et ELI GIB ILI TY REO UIREMENTS : Thepurpose of the Malissa B. Perkins Scholarship is to award talented deserving high schoolseniorswho are makingscholarly or"o*pTithments in their school and community .financial assistanceneededto attend college. Tie scholarship is limited to senior high school studentsthat resicJe in the District of Cotumbia. The iompteted application should be submitted to: World Missions Inner-city EXTENSION Center,Attention Dr. JoAnn Perkins, President Malissa B. perkins scholarship Awards committee,.p.o. Box 92083iWashington, LtC 20090-2083and must be receivedby or on Mother's Day of'each year.. CRITERA Please note that the scholarship awards committeehas ranked each step according to its value of importance and candidatesare required to respond to each qiestion in order to be consideredas a candidatefor an award. Candidatei are also reqiired to submit an electronic copy as well as seven(7) hard copies of the applicationlo the fottowing email address: gxtensioncer?ter{tD,verizon.net. Hard copiessnoita be mailed to the address indicatedabove. The criteriafor a candidate being etigible for a scholarship is asfollows. L Candidate must be already acceptedin a college. (s points) 2. Candidaternustbe witling to becomea membeiof oir communitybook club. (Spoints) 3. Candidatemustsubmit three (3) lettersof recommendation--one must befrom his or her Ttrincipal/guidancecolmselor, and other letters can be from nonprofessional. (15 points) family members 4' A onepage single-spacedessay(typed)describing what their plans are and as to how the Melissa B. Perkins Scholarship will allow them to)each their goals.(30 points). 5. candidate mus'tsubmit detailed documentationabout their high school/communityservice experiencesinform of letters,pictires, certificates and other documentationthat substantiatetheii level of iommitment ti having complete d <: ommunityservice. 6. The candidate mustprovide a cu,rrent fficiat High School transcript.

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May9,2013

someof thetime I don'tknowhow to describe myselfbecause I,m different from therest. But I do know that I'm an original.My nameis DiamondBailey andlife for me began on July 7th of 1994'r'mthe youngest of five and, ready to makebig changes in life. I like to sayI was raised by my motherandmy brotherbecause my fatherfigurewasn,t sucha figureto me.I use his absents asinspiration to my life sowhenI grow up I canfind someone who is betterandvery encouraging' As I've grownmy motherinfluences me to do betterandwork harder. At timesI getlazybut shestill pushes me till I understand it hasto be done. My motheris a strongblack African-American womanwho's been thloughhell andbackandto know shehasn,t givenup yet is helping me strivefor greatness to seeher smile.I've been knownto be strong because I,ve been taught not to cry andI choose not to express my feelings. But onefeelingI couldn,t hold backwaswhenmy heroes my UncleBernardandmy grandma browndiedandit wastotal shock andamajorpause in my life. Two peoplewho had the faith in me andalwaysmade me smile. My unclewaslike a fatherto me andalwaysknew how to helpwhen it wasproblems andmy grandmother always asked me "howis school?! I'm goingto berightat your graduation baby,,. I loveandmissthemmuch. Thefact thatthey'rein a betterplacealsohelpsme striveto better anddreambig. So all these people havehelpedme realized,that I wantto write a bookbut alsowantto sranmy own business or an organizationthat helpsthe lessfortunate. I wantto givethemsomething to live for otherthandrugsandalcohol.I wantthemto be ableto startover andfresh.Sowhile I,m in school I'm goingto began to writemy bookandalsoseeif I couldgetheipto startmy otganization' I sayto myself all thetime I wantto be thenextoprah,help the onesthat aren,t blessed' I havebig dreams but I knowit's goingto behardto facewithouta full plan.I believe thattheMelissa B. Perkins scholarship will helpme pursue my dream asnot only see how to sponsor my book but alsomy organization. I believethis scholarship will getme a stepforward to whatI canbecome in life asbecoming the next oprah winfrey andbeginning my life asan adult' This would helpme out a lot regarding to my parents not beingableto pay for everything

&,^r\t*'l K, Nn*n*
My interests in the social sciences d"ates back to my early yearsin school,where I exceptionally excelledin various social studiescourses. During'my eleventhgradeyear of high school,I was able to participatein the GeorgeWashingtonUniversity Early doU.g. prograrni This highly selectiveprogram allowed me to take a fui collegeschedule with collegestu-dents in collegeclassrooms. Upon completionof this program,not only will I graduate with-a high school diploma but an Associates Degreefrom Georgewashington dniversi{,. as a result of my participationin this program,I was able to further my knowledgeand passion in the social sciences by enrolling in courses including Introductionto Psychology,Urban Sociology,Child and AdolescentDevelopmentas well as Raceand Minority Relationi. Th.r" courses iosteredmy intens-e interestin pursuinS; the field of social sciences during my undergraduate career.Due to my religiousupbringing and community servicethroughmychurch, thJAfrican American cultural through culinary arts constantly surroundedme. During my outreach, we preparedmeals for local shelterinhabitants. Thesedeliciousmealswere often fried and filted with massive amountsof caloriesand saturated fats. I often wonderedhow I would incorporate thesedistinct interests into one field of studv and ultimately a career.Throughresearching various careers and undergraduate majors,my goal is to obtain an undergraduate d"gr*. in Sociilogy with a minor in Health and Wellness.After completingmy degreefrom the Geoige Washington University, I plan to attendculinary schoolto obtain a.Baking,Culinary, and pastry arts tiaining. By combiningthesefields of studies,and using my own perstnal testimony of overcomingmy issues with obesity,I hope to be able to enhance the lives of many p"opt" and empower underprivileged communitiessufferingfrom obesityand other weight ielated morbidity,s. My dream is to ultimately open mv own culinary schooi and empowerment center that will serveto reinventtraditionalAfrican American dishes.The main mission of the culinary schoolwould be to teachand find alternatives as well as substitutions to someof the ingredientswithin these traditionaldishesto make thern healthierwhile preservingthe conventional tastesand the historiesbehind eachof thesedishes.By making thesesulstitutions,I hope to aid as well as educatethe African American on ways to enhancetheir lives and diets and to "oro*unity ultimatelyreducetheir chances of associated morbiditiessuchas diabetesand hypertension, to name a few, Coming from a single parenthousehold, my mother bearsthe cost of providing for the entirehousehold, often sacrificing a lot. Obtainingthis scholarship would take someof the burdenfrom my mother.Another reasonwhy I shouldreceivethis scholarship is because I feel that I haveworked very hard during my high schoolyearsby obtaining a 3.5 GpA in my coursework from SchoolWithout Walls and, a3.3 GPA from my courseworkat the George WashingtonUniversity. Additionally, I have beenan activeparticipantin severalorganizations and clubswithin my school and neighborhood communities,Receivingthis scholarship would help me tremendously in achievingmy goals,becominga leaderand Jffectively servingmy community.

'Sn*: fitna*hn
plans Future andHowr.nffiw'r aidin achieving goals

Jones,1

Ronald Reganonce said,"The philosophyof life is that if we rnakeup our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard towardsthat goal. We never lose.,,I have held tight to this quotewhen referringto my long and short term goals.My life and my mind are filled with charming goalsanxiouslywaiting to be pursuedso thereis no way I can lose. Hard work is the key to that castleand I hold the key aroundmy neck, My shorl term goal as clichd as it may soundis to simply graduate. Being the studentthat I am, not only do I want to graduate, but I want to graduate viledictorian with honors.This meansso much to me, primarily, because I've worked my entirehigh school careerfor this very moment,this very goal. Graduating to me not only marksthe end ol.ry high schoolcareer, but also marks the begiming of my transitory stageinto adulthood.Graduating-is my shortterm goal because it took a lot of dedication,sacrificesand commitmentto get to this stagein my life. ily making this my goal, I can ensurethat I make it to the next point in my life. Two other short term goals that i have which go hand in hand are to receive all scholarships I apply for and to get accepted into the collegesof my choice.It is essential during this period in my life to take advantage of opportunitiesund b."ome as investedin my future ai possible'Without a scholarship, I will be limited when it comesto selectingmy final college decision.The cost of attendance will be one lessfactor I will have to fear. GettingaccepteJ into rigorous collegeswill allow me to go aboveand beyondthe expected. All *y goul, arsrelated more than any domino effect because once I achievetheseshortterm goals a Oirectpath will be createdfor achievingmy long term goals,which makesthem all priorilties. My long term goal is to go down in history. I will be a revolutionaryeconomist making societyand the market a betterplace.My accomplishments will give hope to all minorities aroundthe world. They will be encouraged to know that we unythitrgwe put our mind to. "utt.1o Dreamsare achievableas long as we keep our minds focused. I will changJth. world and center myself aroundothersthat also believethey can changethe world and togJther we will. At the age of 17,Ihave taken on the role of being a secondmother. I was given the opporlunity of having aparLtimejob but never given the chanceto spendthe money I earned. It went straight to my mother for help with the utility bills, rent, and home essentials. I did not grumble because I knew the resultsif the bills did not get paid; from experience.With time, it didn't botherme insteadit was a weekly routine that I followed consistently. Although times have gotten unbearable,i still hang tight to my goals, dreams and aspirations. Nothing could separate me form those.As I look aheadto the fuiure, I know that I will soon createrelief for my family. Going to college,being a first generation collegegraduate and being a successful economistwill be the pathwayto that relief. I have the determination to push through anythingbut only one burdenstill sits on my chest,which is paying for college. With fortitude, I will destroy that burden as fast as it came about. I spendfro*, applying to scholarships; seekingout all my opportunities. With the Melissa B, PerkinsSctroiarsnip-t will be stepscloserto achievinggoalsbecause I will not have to havethe burdenof paying foi college while also attendingcollege"I know that gateswill openand rewardswill U. po"r""A out"foil" allowing me to createhappinessfor my family again-.

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Mercedes Young Essay: describingwhat their plons are snd as to how the MelissaB. perkins Scholarship will allow them to reoch their goals.

A y o u n gg i r lg r o w i n g u p i n t h e S Eq u a d r a no t f our Nation's C a p i t a lI,h a da l w a y s dreamed of becoming a h i g hr a n k i n g accountan tr a s u c c e s s f e o un l g i n e e rF . r o me a r l yo n I k n e wt h a t M a t h a n dS c i e n c w e e r eg o i n g t o b e m y n i c h ei n l i f e .I h a v ea l w a y s eb o u t b e e np a s s i o n a ta n u m b e r sa , n g l e se , quations , c t o r sg fa , r a p h sa , n de x p o n e n t s . u tf a s c i n a t e b B dy m e c h a n i s m s , logistics c,o m p u t e r sr,o b o t s p , n da e r o s p a c e , l a n e sa , a t h a n ds c i e n c e m c a m en a t u r a l l y t o me. W h i l ec o n q u e r i n n ge a r l y a l lt a s k s a n d a n yc o m p e t i t i v c eo n t e s t s relating t o t h e s p o r to f M a t h , e x c e l l i n ig n t h e s ea r e a s proved to bea non-challeng er m e . M a t h r e q u i r e t fo sh o u g h t . l t i st o d a y , , w a so n y e s t e r d a y a n dw i l l c o n t i n u e to beontomorrow. T h es u b j e c o t r t o o l m o s tc o m m o n l v u s e di n o u r e v e r y d a y lives. S o m em i g h tt h i n kw h i l el o o k i n g a t m e t h a t m y s h o r tt e r m g o a l : m ; a y b e p r e t t yo b v i o u s . Y o us e eb a s e d on appearance s a l o n eo n e m a ya s s u m e meto beyourtypicalseventee nar ye o l d ' S u r p r i s i n ge ly nough however t h e y w o u l db e w r o n g .I a m a s e v e n t e e y ne a ro l d ,i n t e l l i g e n t , f u n l o v i n gm , e m b e r o ft h e e l i t eN a t i o n aH l onorSociety ,n a c t i v e a p a r t i c i p a ni t n Urban Alliance organizatiow n ,h o a p p r e c i a t ea sg o o db o o ka s m u c ha s c l o t h e sS . o a st o o b t a i ns u c c e sw si t h m y l o n gt e r m g o a l s I h a v es p e n tt h e l a s ty e a rm a k i n g g r e a ts t r i d e s a n d e f f o r tt o a c c o m p l i sm hy s h o r tt e r m g o a l sT ' hese achievemena ts r e a sf o l l o w st:o g r a d u a t e h i g hs c h o ow l i t h h o n o r st,o b e accepted at a top college o r u n i v e r s i to yf my choosing a,n dt o e a r nm y w a y t o c o l l e g e monies t h r o u g hs c h o l a r s h i p as n dv a r i o u s o t h e rs o u r c e s I. n t e n to n g r a d u a t i nw g ith honors I c o n t i n u o u s lfy o c u so n t h e r e q u i r e m e n tn se c e s s a r y complete to t h e s ei m p e n d i n g tasks. R e g a r d i nm g y l o n gt e r m g o a l s I m u s tp r o p e r l y a l i g na n dc o n f i g u r e the course of my short term goals, as they are directlyrelated.Yousee,my longterm goalsare: to be debt free after c o l l e g et,o r e a c hg r e a th e i g h t s inthe fields o f e n g i n e e r i no gr a c c o u n t a n c y . . . p o s s ib ys t a t u e " C El O Finally I w o u l dl i k et o i n e v i t a b l p ylace myself in a position o f g r e a tw e a l t h . Today, college is becoming more difficult to afford.lt is a challenge to fund a college education ' Scholarship as r et h e b e s tw a y t o k e e pa d v a n c i nig n t o a n yf i e l da p e r s o n w a n t st o p u r s u eN . o t o n l yd o e sa s c h o l a r s h irp e w a r dw i t h m o n e y , but it isimportant a n da n h o n o rt o receive o n e .l t g i v e s r e c o g n i t i oa nn dt h e c r e d i te a r n e d t h r o u g hh a r dw o r k a n d d e d i c a t i o n I. w a n tt o b e t h e o n e w h o s h o w s t h i s c o m m i t m e na t n d d e t e r m i n a t i oa ns I p r o g r e sts hrough an college e d u c a t i o nl . f awarded t h i ss c h o l a r s h i p , o u l db e a b l et o n o t o n l yt u i t i l lm y o w n Iw aspirations b, u t t h i ss c h o l a r s h w i pi l l b e a g i f tt h a t I w i l l n e v e r forget.

LeydiGuevara I havealways been interested in studying science, especially Biology,To me,the worldof cells,thehuman complexity andrelativeness of theworld arejust extremely fascinating topicsto learn. Thisyear, I hadtheopportunity to takeanAdvanced Placement class for EiologyandI couldnot beanyhappier to be in thatclass. Though, I haveencountered countless challenges, noneof themcouldeverbecompared to the manyconcepts andtheories I havebeen amazed to discover. Givenmy interest in science, I wouldlike to attend college andthengo to medical sch.ool to become a cardio thoracic surgeon. However, it should benoted thatfollowingmy passion for science and education is only onereason to why I wantto be a doctor. I leamed thatbeinga doctor requires not only intelligence, but alsoa very hurnanwillingness to do whattheydo. Doctors mustlovehelping otherpeople andlive for thepeople. I imagine myseifwaking up in themomings andrealizing thatI will be saving someone,s [ife. My futureplansareto graduate from college andtravelaroundtheworld helping people in countries with scarce resources. Whileworkingat a cornmunity clinicin my area,Ilearned thateveryperson should haveaccess to medicine, disregarding his or her colot,language or culture. It is not fair thattherearemanypeople dyingdailybecause theyarenot economically stable to affordproper medicine, I haveneverfelt with such a strong desire to helpmy community andhelpour world.In my plansis alsotheideato studyeducation while in college andteach for a few years beforegoingto Med school. Thereason behind this is thatI loveinteracting with people andI wouldlike to workwith theyouth.My intentions areto become an activecommunity mernber eitherby beinga doctor, or beinga teacher. My ultimately goalis to behuppy with whatI love.whichis workingwith peoplefrom my community. TheMelissa B. Perkins scholarship will helpachieve these goalsby givingmethe opportunity to fully pay for collegeanddedicate mostof my time to studying. This scholalship will give rnethe chance to furthermy education in a greatuniversityunA allowmeto startmy dream career, Thescholarship canalsoassist meto payfor my booksthis fall anddur:ing the springsemester aswell. overall, this scholarship would makea very significant contribution to my continuing education in a placewhereI will prepare myselfto serveasa criticalthinkingandactivecommunitymember. I also believe thatwinningtheMelissa B. Perkins scholarship will motivate me to continue doingwhat I am already doing.Givenmy community service duringhigh school,I am confident that I will continue to be involvedwith thePerkins programandalsomakemy ovmcontribution to inspire moreyouth.I will behonored to win the Melissa B. perkins scholarship anduponreceiving the scholarship I will commitmyselfto thepursuit of excellence, andwork to become a very individual in my community.

Daryl ParisBright MalissaB. perkinsSchoiarshio Shining,,Bright"rn Farne,s Reality As a young teen girl with neon-colored clothes,not-s_o-trendy glasses, and an undeviating srnile on lny face, I rushedinto the doors of Duke Eltington Schoolof the Arts, as a little freslman with a big drearn. I could not stopmy stomachfrorn fuming inside out as I waited irnpatientlyfor my first acting class.Yet, despiie*yi*..usurable abundance of nervousness, I was also confident, and hungry learnmore aboutthjrq r1ys1..ious, yet :ager, exciting, fbrm of art calledtheatre'I could not wait to niatty live rrLyar"u-n-orrpontaneousmusical outbreaks in the cafeteria'I wasjust dying to gain the infbnnation I neededin order to u, ;,trr. next big thing on

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tltite aioI know that mvfirst rheatre Deparlment meeti'g would turn my

As an incorning freshman'I had the.opportunity to watch the upperclasslnen perfbnn monologues' Among all of the pieces, senioiAleca plper'sperfonlanceaffected me the most.I noticedher whole-hearled physical,mental,an,Jemotionalcornrnitment, while she expressed completeand utter wlnerability to the large room fuli;;;.ople, This influential rnoment helped me realizethat this mysteriousart of theatie is rso much rnorethanju.stthe lights, the actors,and the fame.Theatrecan changepeople,slives. Attending Ellington has inspiredrne to alTect societyin rnoreways than one.As a result, I realizedthat I have the p.wer to achieve o"" oi:-/irt**t goalsin lif:e:transfo'ning the generalmedia's perceptionof beauty. Through*reutre,i huu. the capacityto r.edefine beautyin such a way that the short dark-skinnld girl wlth the curvy figure can be considereo just as beautiful in societyas the media's more commonstereotypical imagesof beauty.Despitethe challenges that come with living the iif.eof an artist, i itilung to clevote rny life to conveying, tluough my art, that hurnanbeiigs, of every "-* sizr;and every color arebeautiful in their own unique ways. Receivingfinancial assistance from the iMalissa B. perkins scholarshipwould suppotlmy ability to attendmy first choice of coilege.Cott"g" audition ,.ur* is a toughperiod of costly traveling,tirne-consumingprepwation, anJ the stressfulreminderthat nothing is protnised;but, this did not stop me from pursuingmy passion.In rnid-March,I received miraculousnews that I was chosenas one out o1'onlyauputfive acting slots to be a parl of camegie Mellon's school of Drama class of 20 17. Aftertrearing this infonnation, I knew that being accepted into my dreatnschoolwas not merely fate. i have worked extremelyhard over thesepast four yearsto createlimitless optionsfbr myself. However, limited access to financial resources to fund my educationis the oniy obstacte in my pursuit to success. carnegie Mellon university (cMU) is a private inrtitrrtion that provideseverythingthat I needin a post-secondary education. with diversepffiation of dedicated students and l passionate teachers, I want to be immersedin this environmentwhere i will leam from many differentperspectives, so that I can developa1d define ,ny o*r, personal ideas, tale'ts, and beliefs' cMU's internationalenvironment and sfudy abroadprogramsare also very strong,and -Unfortunately, are essential fbr my arlistic and professional goals. the tuition and feesat carnegieMellon are lnore than $62,000per year. while fortunateto receivesomesupporlby my widowed grandmother, it wouldbe impossibiefc,rus topuy for all of the expenses without additionalaid. Therefore,it would be an honor to be gruit;A financial urrirtun"., especially, from the world Missions Inner-city Extension ct:nter that supports my passionfor educationand servingmy comrnunity.

Michael Burieil

My Personal Goat Statement

since mlddle school' mentors, guidance counselors, and teachers have ensure informed a bright methatto future for myself t neeJto attencl college, obtaining a colrege because degree it willestablish is important a legacy to me or r,'iehu,. learning ro,m. ,.i *v family, rJ,. family have settled c*;*r*i;ns many forjustt nicr'r.h5oioiptoru,-but in my r ;ur,,"re than thar, iron, ro pursue inthefields of Athletic a degree Trainingl Exercise science ano xinerioio*u, goar tu is to entrepreneur become young a bysrarting myowngymandbecoming , ;,;;;;;i:rrr arhretic trrin*r,-r missi0n i,rue to attend made college it my byanyni*rnrrlecessary, Receiving perkins theMalissa justfinance B, scholarship myeducation won,t butit wiilarso finanr* irv ir..rsuanJarpirutionr, Throughout mychildhood, mymother has struggled to make ends meet ina singre household' parent which isa common African Amerlcan story,*niy rort u, wourcr say to to g0to college me;,,Mikey I want soyouwanthave you to struggle liker doi, rv',rr'rliv hasfaced years many obstacres like homelessness' over the hunger, unu*p6yt*nt,andror*. ir.r,ir}, we,ve been these abre obstacles to hurdre over andmaintain out.otplrur*, 6oing through these hardships felt helped like hell, medevelop but they a since or pr,rposu'uil claracter andI believe thecollege justhelp experience meachieve alone willnot mylifegoals butit witlalso furil',*, il',ut p*rsonat oevetopment, further' it willhelp corege.wi, take mesoar me to unbelievable heights andtravel to gredt cJestinations. A wise man once said to me: "lf y.u want success asmuch asyouwant yournext you willbe successfu l" breath then lc o'n s u r n e de s e th i n s p i r a t i o n a r wa on rd ss e d d u t h e m a s motivation' anothe sro u r co ef A success isallI wantto belI want to beabre to goaway, obtain higher knowredge, roots and to teach thevounser senerations of the wonderfurr opportuniries ffff,,:i::limv theworrd has Upon , . ifs rril,. obtaining mydegree in l(irie.ridevelop a companv disadvantageo to focus on v"rtrr andtheirhealrh .on.*ll1gYi.'.ll1l^l9,nu'o

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be oneof the climaxes in crass whire'',-,,,i,lg s cpA, Ater a, i;; #J,if,lft?'ilil:i::llll:T|'i#,,,;_TJ absolute best I can fl:,*T,,'', beand College will /:

think thatyouhave to bea *o'r,oui*l"L', to maintain a healthy-physique, 'can butstuclies thatif youwalk have for30,minutes shown t oty utong urith a. hearthy ui-, rnaintain v"i', minor a nutritious contribution rife. willhelp This tackle ournr,ion', obesity ,it., ,i j .r, bethe,tru oiun uiaof people

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striving to tlr''i** thegoals rrutrorlr,ror myself. Receivi'g this scnorarshio

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World Missionr;Inner-City Extension CentcrInc. P()Box 9208.i \l/ashington, I)C 20090-2083 MalissaB PerkinsScholarshin

Hello, n1)'nameis Nyeka Gravesand I am a seniorat Spirigarn SeniorHigh School.I have beenattencling.Sp.ingarn for four years.In my fbr.u'years I have erccomplished many things. I ltar,'e sel mati goa'lsrlrrt]nig my yearsbut now that I atnsenior I finally have decidedon what I want to do with my lifb' First of all I would like to attencl collegeat UDC and obtain my z\il;ociat'^ l)egr',.t: itr (.rltrpui:'t'Science. once [ finish Llpmy AssociateDegreeI would like to transferto Morgan Stateor Bowie Stateto continuenty ,t,",dy. Secondly I irould to obtain apart tirne-f ob .t] rer:ei','er thejob lraining skills for my future careeras a computer Technician. I also would like to br: in the military, but my.body ,ir" anclnry asthma won't allow me to accomplish th'is-goal, so i irlan to lose40 poundswithin"this ,rnl,ot'. u,ld u,orl<on controlling my asthmaso I could be a parr of the National Gtrardin the fall. Th.ereasonwhy I *r., U.-" p"rt of the National Guard at the [)c Armory is because I have beenin JROTC for the oast4 yearsand by being in JI{OTC has sho,vri. fi}.,-t11zn'r' things, such as bein.g a.ble motivatepeople into being bettercitizens, leadingfellov' citizensin to right direction,and how to be a parl of a team. So being in the militarv is sonrcthing that I really would enjoy and it canalsomatieme a stronger leader. By being in 'IRoT'c I have had the chanceto servemy conLmunity by helping in ail ways I possibly citn' I havethc r:llancc'to tnr:etlots rrf people;everirhe irrrportant ores, suchas the Attorney General, the I ili rvfarshats, ,Vlayor"(iray, a.nd the Chanccllor Kaya HencJerson. I truly love serving others'I icive'i, give iraokto lrrrl'' comrnunityand I lo'e lending a helping hand when needed. If vr'u a'skany of'lll\i peefsor tnr/ teachers they wotrlcitcll yorrhow rnuclrrime and dedication I havepul irrto gt-,l.ileriing alj my cornmunityservice.I never knew abourtJrisscholarship before.I oilly continueci i.c'CornmunityServicebecause I wanterJ to, It's n;rt sornething that someone mademe do aitci; was uot forceclto do communilv service"I choicr:t,r do thii own my own. Every timc sontteone rreeded help with anythingI was alrvai,sther: foL therl and I was always there0n time. lit; :\'olllo -lesr.ic)n was how this scholanririp coulclnr;lpnie with my,goals.Well it c:an help me frr!iiil the 1:';a.1" thai I havefor my furule liiL aheacl ol'nre. I could pay fbr schooland my schoolexpe'fr:ies s:lchas ny i:looks anclm1, clasl;es,

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Briana Whitfield Goalsare somethingthat I have alwayshad to think about.As a child I had to grow up quickly and seethe reai life problemsof divolce and drug addictiontear my family into little incrementsand shardsof rvhat it had oncebeen.ih.r. experiences shaped my goalsfrom then on. Neither of my parentsfinishedhigh school. All of ttreir lives they struggledtrying to make endsmeet flom month to month. The stressfroin my mom and dad alwaysarguingover financesled hirn into the arms of a powder he thought $'ould curehis problems,and rnaybethey did give him a tempolary euphoriathat ever54hing was okay, but it wasn't,and things only got worse.I neverwant to live like tirat again.Not knorving rvhereyour next meal wiil .o*. from or if your dad is going to stealall the money. from your piggy bank. This bringsme to my short te'l goals. My short term goal is to graduate high schoolof course.This in itself is u hrig" feat in my family. My mom only madeit to the eleventhgradeand even worse my dad only 16s ninth' My brother droppedout of high schoolin th. tenth grade,and nry older sister graduatedayear iater than sheshouldhave.Next in line is me. As mosi parents, mv parentswant me to do better than they did. They expect me to graduate from high school and go on to collegeand I will. I will do it but not only for them but for myself. Alother goal I have for myself is to graduate at the top of rny.lus u, Valedictorian.as of right now I am nurnber three in my classbut I am ittiuing so hard to move up to those two spotsby the end of the year. This is alsothe year in which I would love to win the city championshipin softball with my team. I have been the captain ibr two years now and I haven't been able to carry my team through the playoffs and win the championship. This year is thatyear. I have obtainedmy acceptance letter from GeorgeWashingtonUniversity. Me graduatingfrom high school and attendin-e universiiy will leal me into my long term lhat goai of gaining my rnedicaldegreefrom Johns Hopkins University and becomingan orthopedist. Practicingmedicinehas alwaysbeena lifelong goal for me sinceI was about five yearsold' i know how clich6d it seerns ,la\Myer,, for childrentolnswer ,doctor,, 'dentist','firefighter', 'policeman'to or the question"what do you want to be when you grow up?", but for me it just always seemed right. Admittedly not until tenth grade,after I studieda coursein spotlsmedicine,did I find that I had wantedto be an Bonesare my passion, "ttLdir;.--^ broken onesthe most interestins. I want the American Dream. I want to live in a-nicesuburbanneighborhood with a husbandtwo kids and a dog, in a housewith greengrassand a nice picket fence.I want thosechildren to grow up and not have to live from plycheck to puy"t , * nogovemmentassistance ".t such as food starnps and welfare. Theseprograms are greatfor families in need suchas mine but I don't want to be in needanymore. I don,twant my family to have to go to free food centersbecause thereisn't anythingto eat in the house. B^ecoming an orthopedistis a somethingI have always wanted becauseI love the f'eeling of helping,the ovenvhelmingjoy of making ,o*"onl feel better. My priority for now is graduating high school.I4ost of my other stepscan'tbe set into motion withtut a high schooldiploma. The Melissa B' Perkins Scholarship will be a tremendoushelp for things suchas and other supplies.Collegeisn't cheapbut with the help of'sciiolarships"like |g*t the MelissaB. Perkinsit is possible.

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plans My career andhow the Mellssa B. Perl<ins Scholarshlp u*!!l a!lownle to reachmy goals. I w a so n c e t o l dt h a t" O n c e y o uh a v e y o u rg o a l s t o g e t h ey r o uw i l l n e e d to put in IIA% of youreffortin orderto transfer these visions into reality." Thisis somethingthh aa t sg u i d e d m y a p p r o a cth o s c h o oa l n dl i f ea n dw i l lc o n t i n u t e o do so. G r o w i nu gpi n N i g e r i a l i,f ew a st o u g h I . s a wa l o t o f m y i r i e n d s d r o po u t o f h i g h s c h o oa l n dt a k em e n i a l j o b s , a wm a n y Is o f m yf r i e n d s lose o u t o nt h eo p p o r t u n i t y t o l i v eu pt o t h e i rp o t e n t i a al n df u l f i l tl h e i rd r e a m sI. s a wt h a t m y c o u n t r y was r i c hi n m a n y n a t u r arle s o u r c ee ss ; p e c i a lo ly i l .M y h o m e l a nh da s$ q r c . 1 b i l l i oin n GDP currently w,h i l er a n k i n 3 g L s ti n t h e w o r l d , b u t s t i l lN i g e r i c aa n n oa t fford to provide freeeducation for itschildren, or constant goodroads, electricity, and safe .his waterfor i t sp e o p l eT should n o t b e t h e r e a l i t yN . i g e r i ia st h e e i g h t h bigges oti le x p o r t i n g c o u n t r y i n t h ew o r l d , b u t y e th a sn o r e f i n e r i e N s ,i g e r i a wastes b i l l i o no sf d o l l a r a s n n u a l lty o e x p o rc t rude o i l a n dp a y s to import it back in afterit hasbeenrefined. Thisis precious wasted money that coutd be used to improve t h eq u a l i t y o f l i f ef o r a l lN i g e r i a nIsb .e l i e va e sa c i t i z e n of Nigeria , at th i t ' sm y r e s p o n s i b i ltio ty h e l pm y c o u n t r yH . ere i n t h i sf i e l d ; I c a nw o r kt o b e a n a g e no t f change .ere H i n t h i sf i e l d , I c a nw o r kt o m a k e a difference. N om a j o r changc eo m e s o v e rn i g h tI, k n o wt h i s . C h a n gie s h a r da n dr e q u i r e s theright q s , skills ,u a l i f i c a t i o n a n dd e d i c a t i oi n o r d e r to make i t h a p p e nM .y g o a l career i st o b e c o m e a chemica eln g i n e e arn dw o r kt o b u i l d t h ec a p a b i l i t y o refine o i li n N i g e r i a . a v en o i l l u s i o n s t h a t t h lh wiis l lb ea n e a s y r o a db , u tl d o n o t b e l i e vt e h a ta n yg r e a t a c c o m p l i s h m ea nr te se a s yI. d o n o t s i m p l y w a n tt o a t t e n d college c;o l l e gie st h e d o o r w a t yh a tw i t lb r i n g m e a s t e pc l o s etro m y g o a t sl.f I r e c e i vte h e M e l i s sB a P e r k i nS sc h o l a r s h li t pw , i l ld e f i n i t e lb ye a d e c i d e f d actor in my college decision. I will be ableto afford attending University of Houston; I see a l o to f o p p o r t u n l t i e ps r o v i d eb d yt h e U n i v e r s i o ty f H o u s t of n o r m e a n dI k n o wI w i l lg e ta b e t t e r C a r e ee rxperienc e p r e p a r a t i o n and o n m y c a r e efri e l dt h a ni n a n y o t h e rc o l l e g e . W i t ht h e M e l i s sB a P e r k i ns sc h o l a r s h iIp , i l lb e s u r e w t h a tI w i l l attend year. college this

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Describewhat your plans are and as to how the Melissa B. Ferkins Scholarshipwill allow you to reachyour goals. Growing up in Cameroon (Africa) was never really easy for me. I never considered myself a child because I never had the opportr-rnity to be one, Coming from a polygamousfamily has lots of disadvantages; the family is so big that everyoneis fighting for attention.My father had four wives and eighteen children and it was not always easy becausesometirnesI felt abandoned. Being the seventeenth out of eighteenchildren was very difficult because everyone was alreadygrown up and they expectedme to act like a grown up. My parentsnever went to collegeand I have witnessedfirst handhow difficult life can be without a degree, My mom never had the time to spend with us becauseshe was dividing her time betweentwo jobs. She was always tired when she got back horne. My mother encouraged me and my siblings to pursue a collegedegreeso that life would be easierfor me. With a demandingwork schedule, that included multiple low paying jobs my dad grew frustratedthat there was never enough money to care for us. One day he-just gaue ufatrd disappeared for a while. SometimesI did not seemy father for weeks and my mom had to take care of our every needs. My mom was always working hard becauseit was up to her to make sure that we did not "sini(". She was always worrying or looking so sad becausesire did not know what tomorrow would bring. She sold most of her possessions just to put my sisters tluough high school, Seeing my mom go through life and carcy all of our burdens on her shoulders and still stay strong greatlysaddened me because i wanted to help her but could not. l vowed to myself to go to school, get the best gradesand go to college. I am determinedto becomea professionaland help my mother in the Taterpart of her life but without the money to afford college,I still will not be able to help her. Gettingthe Melissa Perkins Scholarship would. greatly help me to continue to pursue a degreein higher education so that I can achievemy dreamsof becominga medical doctor, This money would help relieve my mom from worrying how I am going to afford American Universitywhich l plan to attendin the fa1l. I have always aspiredto becomea doctor ever since I was a kid and hope and pray that ). would make it. In all the foufieen yearsthat I live in Afiica, I witness people die from curable diseases including my father for lack of doctors. This really pushedme to be a doctor because L like to know that I helpedmake a changeor helped safea life. College in America is extremely expensive and I am ready to do all the necessary work to achievemy goals. I just hope that you consider me for your scholarship becauseI promise not to let you down. Due to all the challenges I faced growing up; I becamea very determined, motivated and responsible person.I never want to see my mom cry again at night or not be able to see her children during the holidaysbecause we were either iiving with a relative,who could feed us, or shewas working a 16 hour day. I am confident these experienceswill make me an excellent member of your community, as it has my high school community. Some people call me an obsessivereader which I disagree with because I jr"rst love readingand I do not think this makesme obsessive. If I pick up a book that I like, I can't drop it down until am donereading.I just keep telling everyone that calls me an obsessive readerthat "There are worsethings to obsess about.'i Failure is not an optioncandidate for your scholarship because FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION FOR MElllll

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$ffiymame is \fictpn AiokuhE aqrd I amnls?the {?ttn grade attending The*rdsre Roosevelt SemfrorF5f,gh School" EurrEngnr3rePeifldhood yeans amd growing up | $naveexperienced good days also survfved and l$ved through had omes" My chifrSlrood was a pretfgr fuc? ofr?e growing up witfr four of my Selpow bnothers beaanrse we always had a clsse amd coslrpetitEve relatiomship wigr oHr parem{s" flfut dad was a \reryr barsy ffi?as? so fosfrng hFm tc a tragic sEekness was realily heant hreaking not only to rme hut to tlne rest of mnyfamlfly and friemds" ! always looked up to rmy father growfrmg up lEke alrmost every yotlsrs boy growlng up because *re was a rnrell beaitt naan witfir a farmily that lowed tee floved amd loved hiraaback dearly amd a careetr im engineerring he loved so
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lMy paremts are treae insplratfrons im wry life hecaerse they in$flqaes?ced me to always do my best at a[! timres, be an hsnest lrard worker and drearm of a fsture flnat ! love amd tnuly wanted to pnrrsue wit8e atf mrgr fiaeart' I wi!! be attemd8ng the Unfiversi*y of ttrre BEstric* mf Soilumnbia Enthe faHfl of 2O'13 to study politfrcal sciemce and legafl studies becaqdse I wamt to look lforward to a very prosperous and ennEchimgGareer im tlre fFeld of law amd alsp becaurse I hawe alurays fl*ad a vEsfos? of aspErfrmg to hecos??e a law3rer. AddFtEona3lyE decided ts study hoth poEFtiea!scFemce atrd $egaFstardies beeause E kmow it the kraarwledge I ga6arfrom it will alilow nre to attack problemas freffis a dfrSferemtaragf,easad flsra dt'fseremt way t&na$is effeetive to rme and ot$ners" f, he$$eweil am sne cpfthe best eandEdates fclr th$s scholanship beeaErse i ar$ rs?vs0wed Ern nnpr c$swrs$r b3r heFpEngdomate r$es$s and $reep my c&sE"sreh clean and agways eoflSamlzed *o also being involved w[th t]ae Won"id Wisslsar $raterSFty Exte*asEonSemter *hat *nelps tlae G@y??rmwmity hy donatimg BSeffi?s fvom gfrfte to foCId afl$CIver fon peopfle i*s mmed aard workimgg with kids aftev sc$aos$amd susffiffii*r pr$Sraoms" So F belierre Hshmaafld ge* tgais sc$toflans0alp hecaalse ! kasxpw I aamw,e!"t!rgr eS 6t aaadthis ssFr*$anship wlgf, reaii3r gaelpsEae tm rasasfimame$a3i3l affia!?y amd get me to the flewe$ sf ashfrev$mgrmy goads ev:eoiflege amd Em ma3r l3fe.

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My nameis MahletBekeleandI am a senior at Theodole Roosevelt Senior High School.I am graduatingin Jril-2O13;m the top ten percentof my graduatingclassand rhis is due to my irardwork anddetermination. I haverisenabovemany obstacles iri my life,s path to get whereI am today. have always been part a of my life and thesevaluableexperielces ftruggles haveprepared rne for the next phasein my journey. I moved to the United Statesfrom Ethiopia five yearsago in pursuit of the ,American Dream' and broughtwith me all my dreamsand the detenninationneeded to achievethem. i had personal motivation, perseverance and a positiveattitude. When I first arrived,I ha6 to leam Englishbecause rny first language is Ethiopian(Amharic). Over the pastfive years,I have expanded my command of theEnglishlanguage andenthusiastically ou.t.o*. the challenges of learninga new culture'I aspireto becorne a medicaldoctorthatpratticessurgery. To accoirplish this goai,I will graduate from high schoolandthenattendcollege,whereI w]il earnrny degree in rnedicine' I arn a flrm believerin becominga changeagentbicause this paramount as my vision towardsimpactingothers towardsachieving gr-atness.My family hasbeenmy foundationfor wanting betterfor rnyselfbut t thinkihat it is ilrportant to impact in the lives of othersthroughcomnunity involvement andthroughan earned professional iole within the medicalsciences. It will be hardwork; however,I welcometo the challenge so that I becomea weil-roundedindividual throughoutthe developmental phasesI will be rnt!1"ingin the nearand latterparts of rny life. I am proud of rnyself and I want-others to feel proud of ihemselvesso that they areresilient to the stressors in life and towardsthe attainmentand achievement of short a'd long-term goals'Overcoming theseobstacles hasmad.e me a shongerpersonemotionally. I have learned how to survivewithout luxuriesandto pushmyselfto the besiof my abilities,Now, I can offer the strengthof my experiences to any post-secondary institution so that I can continue to achieve holisticsuccesses andto impactin the lives of others. Highereducation is irnportant to me because I am passionate aboutmakinga difference and ensuringthat I havea 'bright' future. Beyondhigh schoolI am seeking to si:dy to becomea change agentso that I canimpactin the lives of others.As a collegestudeit I will learn more aboutsocialissues so thatf am betterequipped to assist othersthal areless fortune. Higher education is thepathwaythat leadstowardsadvancement. Giving back is alsoa sincere passlon of mine, as I am interested in becomin g atrailblazerso that I can impact in the lives of thosethat follow. I envisioncomingbackinto the high schoolsettingas a coliegestudelt and lateras a professional so that I canprovidethe 'gifts' that I havereciived to a hLd-working high school student.As a student leader within my schoolpresently, I consider myself to be J.people person'that rralues advocacy andprogramdevelopment. I want othersto feel the impactof ny success andto feel empowered towardsachieving their goals,despiteany challenges presented to them. This is why volunteerismis nearand dearro *y Gart. es a high school stridentat Theodore Roosevelt SeniorHigh School,I havecompleted over 519 clocumented community servicehours. My volunteerexperiences spanfrom working throughoutWashington,DC with variouspublic serviceagencies and throughtutoring stud.ents in achievement towJrd.s their academic goals' I havelearned to appreciate the encouragement of diversityand seekto pursuea career thatwiil allow me to adtrance fiorn theseinhoductoryskills that I haveleamed. Continuingin this hendwill allow me to advance theseskills as a collegestudent andas I transition into a well-rounded professional.

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In sum,the MelissaB. PerkinsSchoiarship wili ailow me to continue to concepfualize concrete shortand long-term goals. I will be the first-genemtion collegestudent within rny family and I am nervousaboutthe steps aftergraduation. However,this nervousness is a good thingbecause I accept the challenges andI am appreciative of any resources to assist me so that I cancontinue to evolveandto alsoimpactin the livesof others.This scholarship wili allow me to attend collegeso that I canmajor within a field that allowsme to irnpactsocialald collective change.Please know that I am an appreciative student.I valueanyresources that are available andwill utilize theseresources so that I am ableto fulfill my dreams, but alsoso that I am ableto advance my skills towardsirnpactingin the lives of othels. This is representative of what 'change' shouldentail. It shouldinvolvean individualtakingthe initiativeto want to succeed andto grow and to empowerothers towardsfeelinga sense of self-eff,rcacy andself-worth towards achievingtheir holisticgoals.

TO: World Missions Inner-city Extension Center, lnc. From:Solomon Kassahun, Student Cardozo SHS RE: Malissa B. perkins Scholarship Date: April 29,2013
I have been accepted to Penn state in Altoona, PA as a Nursing studentfor the fall of

2013' I am originally from Ethiopia, I came to this country three yearsago barely speaking English' I have worked very hard to become a 3.36 graduatingsenior.I have Iearnedthe languageand the culture' I am also the captain of the track team with a specialtyin distance running and the undefeated Captainof the tennisteam. To obtain my goal of becominga nurseI need to be financially stable.Both of my parents are working, however my family strugglesto keep food on the table and maintainhousehold expenses' My father is a lung cancerpatient and it has beendifficult for him to work fulltime due to his diagnosis'consequently,my mother struggles aloneto keep pace with the family bills. I have three other siblings; one is currently a freshman at Allegany college in Maryland. I don,t evenhave my own room' I am sharingmy bedroom with my two other brothers.There is no privacy in our house'without a scholarship like this, the total expense would be a struggle.This scholarship will benefit me in collegeby helping me to buy books, supplies,transportation and other miscellaneous items. For thesereasonI humbly apply to receivethe D.c Metropolitan organization has worked tenaciouslyto better

scholarship' I am a strong,honesthard working student,who myself and succeed in order to give back to Scholarship would be an honor.

my community.Receivingthe MalissaB. perkins

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Personal Statement: Are you Blackor Latino?I did not truly knowthe answer until the summer of 2011when I wasinvitedto present at the NationalCouncilof La Raza'sYouth Leadership program. This question wasnerve-racking not because of the numberof spectators, but ratherbecause I didn't knowif therewas a right answer.Throughmy own research, I attempted to answer this very diffrcultquestion: Whatdoesa college-bound Dominican youngmanresiding in Washington D.C haveto sayaboutwherehe camefrom andin whatwayscan I contribute to society? My investigation led me to find that85 percent of Dominicans areof Africandescent, whichwasan eye-opening realization. In my experience, I havefogndthat Dominicans tendto denyour African roots.In speaking to my mentorManuelaboutthis apparent enigma, he helped merealize what it means to be Dominicanandour historythat is oftenomitted.With Manuel,s encouragement andthis newfoundknowledge of mine,I cannow embrace my rootsanduse themasa catalyst to branchout to different communities. Ultimately, I took a deeper look in myselfthat day andembraced that I wasAfro-Latino,andI haveneverfelt soempowered. This realization of my identityimpacted my life tremendously because it hasallowed me to bridgeout to the African AmericanandLatino communities on my campus andabroad, in orderto dispelethnicmisconceptions andto work towardbuilding coalitions. Beingoneof the founders of the GlobalKids Club at my high schoolhasallowedme to create andfostera safe space wherestudents candiscuss international affairsandhow to be involvedin the community. We striveto raiseawareness amongour peers aboutenvironmental andsocietal issues across the globeandto provideopportunities to travelauossWashington, D.C. lines.Through my involvement with this organization, I haveeventraveledto Mexico andIndonesia to serve asa

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culturalambassador, speaking aboutAmericancultureandbeinginvolvedin grassroots community service. Throughthesevariedexperiences, I havelearned that my heritageis muchmorethan delicious tastingfoodsor warm-hearted peoplewho arerenowned for their home-cooked meals. Therootsof my peopleandthe obstacles we haveovercome havegivenme the motivation and resiliency to become the first college graduate in my family. It is irnportant to engage the Dominican youthof Washington, D.C.because asanimmigrant myself I know firsthand how it is to facelanguage andculturalbarriers. OnceI am in college, I wouldlike to participate in a program whereI canvolunteered to give backto my communityby mentoringstudents in high schoolandby servingas a positivementoron their pathto college.More importantly,all of these life lessons havemadetealizethat the pathto success is clearlyeducation andThe MalissaB. Perkins Scholarship will serve asthebridgeto helpme accomplish my goals. My past experiences will allow me to look beyondadversity andto appreciate the opportunities thatI havebeen presented to me. My multi-cultural experience will allow me to represent, embrace, andrelishin the diversityof a world-class university,