THE COLLEGE DREAM THAT STARTED IN NAIROBI,KENYA. by Barbara

THE COLLEGE DREAM THAT STARTED IN NAIROBI,KENYA. by Barbara - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

I am originally from Kenya, Africa. I lived in the city of Nairobi, and one of the biggest problems in Nairobi is homelessness among women. Most young girls leave the villages they are from and travel to the city to look for work, in order to provide for their families. Unfortunately, due to high unemployment rates in Kenya, most girls cannot find work and end up homeless on the streets without any money to go back home or feeling too ashamed to return home. Seeing this, I promised myself that I would do better for myself. I would go to college. College for me, meant success, it meant being a doctor. Ten years later, I arrived in the United States of America eager to achieve this dream. Now, I am here attending University of Central Florida and the importance of college is clearer than when I was ten. College has expanded my mind and given me many opportunities. First, college provides the educational skills required to be able to get a great career. I am majoring in biomedical sciences with the intent of applying to medical school, without college, I couldn’t possibly be a doctor.
The college experience has taught me to be compassionate. It has opened me up to serving humanity. The Global Medical Brigades club which is a part of the University Of Central Florida offers service to impoverished areas that cannot afford medical care. In August, 2019, we travelled to Ghana, Africa. This was a trip to remember for all my days. I volunteered for over two weeks at the local clinic with other students in the triage station, optometry station and general consultation station. The residents of the small town in the Central region of Ghana would not be able to otherwise afford yearly health physicals. We also managed to build biodigesters which are circular dome shaped tanks that use bacteria to break down organic matter. At the end, the sanitary units are fitted with water accessories so that the residents can use the toilets. A community with over 100 families would share 10 communal bathrooms. During the night, the bathrooms would be too far away and because of this, they would relieve themselves outside their houses and so building individual bathrooms was very beneficial for the community. This year, the Global Medical Brigades Club is going to Greece to provide medical care to Syrian refugees and I am excited to be a part of it.
College encouraged my leadership skills as well. I am the Vice President of the American Association of University women at UCF where we strive to teach girls negotiation skills as well as the skills needed to stand out at a workplace. This year, I was preparing to take students to The National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) hosted in Maryland where we would meet speakers who would challenge us and send us back to our university so that we could inspire other college women. Unfortunately, due to the corona virus, the event was postponed.
As I review my college experience, I know that I would not be the same without it.