I have traveled the world ever since I was born. Through traveling, I have gotten to be a part of so many new cultural experiences throughout my life, and my life has only just begun.
The best way to answer this question is to share one of my most memorable traveling experiences. A while back, I was on a competitive travel soccer team, and one year we traveled to a remote town in Mexico. In Mexico, my all-girls team had to compete against an all-boys team because recreational girls' teams aren’t prevalent there. In Mexico, they are really only centered around boys because they are considered to be Mexico’s future. Because of that trip, my team and I inspired girls of all ages to push back against the norms of Mexico and try something new. We gave uniforms, cleats, and soccer balls to the girls that attended to spark pure hope within them. Our goal was to help the girls start their own team, and that goal flourished because of us.
I was only 10 years old, but I was the star of the team because of three things. One, I was the only African American on the team. Two, I was the youngest and still was a crucial player. And three, I was fluent in Spanish. Traveling to another country with a team who looks nothing like you was scary. I felt alone and disconnected. However, I eventually connected with everyone because I spoke perfect Spanish. All I did was respond to the crowd during an interview after our winning game, and I became a celebrity in two minutes. After the interview, I was met with lines and lines of people, adults, and children, who wanted to meet me. I took pictures, taught some kids how to do tricks, etc. One thing that struck me was that they were heavily intrigued by my hair. Something that I believed to be a regular sight, turned out to be a revelation. My frizzy little afro changed the lives of several people.
This experience has truly awakened my interest and will help me contribute to and lead the Global Initiatives Program at Poly. It fascinated me how they never thought this could be possible. No one thought that it was possible for a little Black girl to be able to be filled with interesting things. I want to be able to spread that joy and wonder of my global perspective into the lives of countless others. I hope that the Global Scholars program will expand and deepen my global perspective in more ways than just me traveling around the world and surprising other people with my skills. I hope to learn through various experiences what it is like to have a different perspective than my own. The Global Scholars program is an amazing opportunity that I would love to be a part of. I know that I can contribute to this program in many strong ways, which is why I am applying for this opportunity.
