Meet Rodnise Cinmelus, one of our 2017 scholarship recipients! She won this scholarship while a junior in high school at Martin Luther King Junior High School in Lithonia, GA and is in the process of starting her senior year there! We are providing Rodnise with a $2,000 scholarship that she will receive through disbursements each fall and spring semester of college for 4 years!
See some excerpts from Rodnise’s scholarship application materials below:
Please tell us about yourself and your goals for the future.
I will be the first person in my immediate family to graduate and attend college. After graduation, I plan to attend FSU or Valencia college in pursuit of a Human Resource Management degree. I also plan to work part-time while in college. I hope to organize and fund an organization, similar to this program, supporting youth mentorship.
Why do you think you need to participate in this particular scholarship program?
This scholarship program is a great opportunity that aids in students’ academic success and offers college and career preparation that would be beneficial to my future. With that being said, I understand that there is a strong commitment to uphold in which I will fulfill to my best ability. I believe education is a gift that should not be taken for granted so I take it upon myself to take advantage of it and am truly grateful considering that education isn’t accessible in some parts of the world. Most importantly because I know how hard it was for mom when she was growing up so I try to make the best out of what I’m given to create a better future for my family and I. In addition, the scholarship program could potentially open doors for me that I might not be able to do on my own. For this reason, I took advantage of this opportunity to better myself.
What is the purpose of this program in your own words?
I am an honor student in the National Honor Society, a member of the Ladies of Distinction group and former dancer of the Queens of Halftime at MLK Jr. High school. In addition, I am a responsible individual who strives for the best out of myself, has a willingness to help others in need and a strong work ethic. With that being said, whenever a task is put in front of me, I make it a priority of mine to fulfill the assignment in its entirety with quality work. In the future, I plan to graduate high school as valedictorian and go off to college where I will then continue my studies towards becoming an Optometrist. I chose this profession because I struggle with vision problems myself and can understand the frustration of not being able to see from far or near distances so I’d like to help other children and one day hopefully open a business of my own that aids in helping families to get quality eye care at an inexpensive cost.
What is the purpose of our program in your own words?
I believe the purpose of the program is to encourage success from students and aid them with resources that they may not be able to attain on their own. Thereby, expanding students knowledge of what to expect in reference to the process of decision making regarding their future. In particular, I appreciate that the program offers various preparation towards academics, character, and career choice because it is always helpful having someone to support and assist you through rough patches when deciding on what you’d like to do in the near future. Likewise, the program exists to not only help succeeding students but to make sure that they continue in their goals and contribute to their communities in order to instill an environment amongst other children the importance of education.
Why are you choosing to go to college?
I’ve made the decision to go to college because I’d like to continue my studies to acquire a bachelor’s degree that would help me pursue a medical career as an Optometrist. Moreover, I’d like to secure in the future that I have a successful career instead of a job and believe college will guide me in that direction by working hard. Considering that, I watched my mom sacrifice so much of her life for my siblings and me, I want to be able to show her through my actions, that none of it was taken for granted. I owe everything to my mom and I plan to make something out of myself because I know she works way too hard, for me not to. On another note, I understand that college is a strong commitment but I am determined to persevere through it because I value my education and want to broaden my horizons. Also, in college, you can create connections with people of the same mindset and earn internships that can lead to full-time employment.
The world can be a challenging and sometimes scary place. There will be many times the easier route (choice/decision/option) will not allow you to reach your full potential financially (work), emotionally (relationships), and even spiritually (in ethics and character). Why, in such a challenging atmosphere, do you deserve to succeed? How do you represent the fact that you’re striving to be better and do better?
I believe life has tribulations in order to test individuals perseverance and ultimately make them question their previous and present decisions. However, it is up to the person whether or not they believe that path is for them and if they are really passionate about it. With that being said, I appreciate the rough times in life because I interpret it as a growing lesson understanding that nothing worthwhile ever comes easy and with that knowledge in place, it frames my mindset of persistent consistency. Moreover, when challenges are presented and attempt to hinder me in my goals, I remain determined in order to reaffirm myself that victory has yet to come and will only get closer by me carrying on better than the last time. I know it will only get easier as I get accustomed to the hardships because my hard work will not be compromised and I will achieve what I deserve.
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