Academic and activism goal by Rasheed

Academic and activism goal by Rasheed - August 2022 Scholarship Essay

"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you." -Oprah Winfrey
My name is Rasheed Martin, and I am a student of life who is passionate about having a positive impact on society through engineering and activism. I currently attend NYIT as a 4th year pursing my B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. I have a 3.94 Cumulative GPA heading into my 4th year. I chose to pursue engineering, specifically Electrical and Computer Engineering because of my passion for technology and the curiosity of how said technology works and integrates in society. During my childhood, I developed my passion for computers, and I have been locked in ever since. I truly believe that I can make an impact on society through the field of engineering in ways of innovation and representation for the black community as we are underrepresented in the industry. My career outlook is to be a firmware engineer as I discovered my direction after my internship with Rockwell Automation in the summer of 2022. I have a burning passion for programming as well as a significant interest in hardware and circuits. Firmware engineering or embedded software engineering is a career that I feel best represents my interests as well as potential for growth. A reason I should be selected is because I am a leader of my community. As of right now, I am the President of the Black Student Union (BSU) on the NYIT Manhattan Campus where I previously served as the Senator for the BSU. As the President of the BSU, I have plans of implementing many initiatives that will have a significant impact on the black community at NYIT and others. The BSU’s mission for the upcoming year is food insecurity and hunger regarding low-income communities. I am organizing a variety of events such as Food drives, Food insecurity education and volunteering events are food banks etc... I should be chosen for this scholarship because of my drive to be a leader and have a significant impact on my community not only through engineering but other endeavors. Regarding engineering, my career aspirations will allow me to create revolutionary and innovative technology that can impact my community in ways that make their lives easier. Ultimately, there is an abundance of reasons that I should be selected but specifically I should be selected because of I am a student of life and a leader of my community. As a black man pursuing a degree in STEM, especially as difficult as engineering, it is very important for me to show other individuals in my community that this degree is achievable. I currently pay for my tuition by myself, and it has been tough, but it is one of the best investments I have ever made. I have been able to find something that makes me happy and drives that hunger in me. I am very passionate about engineering and making an impact. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship and I hope are you able to see my qualifications for this scholarship.

Best,
Rasheed Martin