Passion drips from the lips of the preacher at the pulpit. Passion shakes on the shoulders of the general during war. Passion clings to the moist brow of the attorney during a heated courtroom debate. The passions of others, like lawyer and activist Thurgood Marshall, have opened doors for me as an African-American woman. I am grateful for Marshall’s work over 50 years after the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, which pushed racial integration in schools and defended the concept that “separate was inherently unequal.” The devotion of others has inspired and humbled me, and it is with this same passion that I honor education and service to others today. My passion for education is steeped in the notion that I believe it literally saved my life in the form of opportunities that took me out of an unsafe environment. Growing up on the south side of Chicago in one of the city’s worst neighborhoods was difficult, and I understand now it could have been much worse. Gangs had a wealth of power, drugs permeated the streets, and young girls were cautioned to watch for “Stranger Danger.” I could not play outside, so instead I read. I made friends with Alice in Wonderland, or Huck on the Mississippi, Pip in England, and John Steptoe’s “Black Cinderella”—Nyasha in Zimbabwe. My mother, seeing the passion for knowledge in me as a young child, enrolled me in a magnet elementary school on the other side of Chicago, to which I would ride the bus for two hours a day. There I flourished and soon I was recruited to test for entrance into the Pre-International Baccalaureate Program, a curriculum that prepared gifted and talented students for the International Baccalaureate Program in high school. I had been given an opportunity to pursue a high quality education in a public school, a chance some African-Americans, in their devotion, had died for to guarantee. The passion I have to serve others has its roots in my high school experience, during which I noticed some pivotal points of interest. At my high school, African-American students composed a small percentage of those placed in gifted education, with most students being labeled “regular education students,” who were poor pupils from the area’s housing projects. They had fewer resources and opportunities to pursue college preparatory work when compared to their white or wealthier counterparts, and it was no secret that the “regular” kids were at the bottom of the totem pole. It became clear to me as I listened to others berate them that they were not expected to go on to college. As an African-American student in a gifted program, I had access to a wealth of resources. I felt angered that my peers were excluded from the smorgasbord of knowledge, which many others were encouraged to partake in freely. It was the first time I was mature enough to see the inequities of education, my prized and valued yellow brick road. Passion to enact change welled in my stomach and stayed there.
As a beginning college student at rural Mythic University I continued to experience injustice. Professors seemed surprised at my academic abilities, students questioned my worth by muttering “affirmative action” under their breaths, and white people openly stared at my brown skin on the street. My passion for change had no choice but to evolve into action. I joined professional organizations like the College of Education Student Council to voice my concerns, and I formed a new organization, the Multicultural Education Student Association, when they were not addressed. Through this organization I was able to form support groups with other students and mentor first-year students of color in the college. As my education progressed, I decided to fight injustice intellectually in the study of the politics, economics, and sociology of education, which revealed the reasons why and how disparities occurred in education and society. In my senior year, I will explore these disparities in my honors thesis research, which focuses on the ability of students of color and low socioeconomic backgrounds to transition from community college to four-year institutions. Researchbased evidence is a powerful tool to enact change, and I look forward to gathering this evidence during an upcoming summer internship, during which I will interview students of color about their experiences. Currently I challenge myself socially by removing myself from comfort zones. An example of such is my study abroad experience to occur in the fall semester, 20xx. I have committed to completing my student teaching requirement at Bognor-Regis University, on the southern coast of England, amidst a culture of people I have never been exposed to, thousands of miles from home. Despite some admitted nervousness over the challenge of this experience, my passion for success drives me to overcome any obstacle and achieve success in every area I venture. My graduate school experience will be used to seek out knowledge (for which my thirst can never be quenched) and for research. My research interests include studying factors that affect equal access to educational resources for students of color in grades K-12 and equality of student access to higher education. These interests will guide the creation of projects that will lead to real-life applications. I will also pursue a master’s degree, then a doctorate in Public Policy with a concentration in education and urban planning. My long-term goal of becoming a policy analyst for the government’s Department of Education would give me the opportunity to help develop effective public policy in these areas of interest. W.E.B. Dubois said that a “talented tenth” of educated African-Americans could go forth to enact social change for the oppressed. I believe I am a living example of Dubois’ passionfilled dream. My passion has given me the power to propel that social change in an often unjust society. For all of those denied opportunity I want many more to receive it. If awarded the Beinecke Scholarship I would use this support to explore, research, and contribute treasures to the field, valuable not only for their intellectual depth, but also because of their social implications for a better society and America.