They say that I have no impact. That my words have no weight in a planet of over seven billion people shouting to have their voices heard. In a world plagued with famine, war, and global warming, it is normal to feel as though we do not have any influence in the crises of our planet. However, I believe that change begins with just one person. Receiving the Calvin Coolidge scholarship would allow me the opportunity to transform my dreams into existence.
Growing up in a diverse family who finds their roots in Kenya and India, I have come to understand the true meaning of difficulty. From a tender age of five, my parents exposed me to the reality of living in a third world country. Witnessing an overpopulated country with soaring poverty levels that trump advancements in education and underemployment, I
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I brought the perspective I gained from Kenya to the United States and I will always recall those memories as their lives have impacted my own. I also applied my Hindu culture; we believe in performing acts of karma, or the spiritual principle wherein one who does good deeds will receive a prosperous future. As a founding member and treasurer of the South Asian Society, I aim to apply my heritage and values to my local community. In our club, I make frequent trips to the local soup kitchen known as the Jubilee Center which meets the needs of the homeless in Broward County. I enter with cans of food toppling out of bags and a new identity with every visit, where the citizens know me as “Juice Lady” from my swift deliveries of kool-aid. The scenes of poverty were inescapable, evident on the faces of adults and children. It was extremely important to me to interact with the children as I would my sister or friend. To me they were not destitute kids; they were just kids, like