Future and Nostalgia by Jazmine

Future and Nostalgia by Jazmine - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

The topic of technology has always sparked my intellectual curiosity, even as a child. Whenever my single mom would go to work and leave me in the care of my grandparents, I often found myself in the care of my iPad or television as well. I learned from an early age how to navigate the internet, and while I acknowledge the fact that maybe I should’ve spent more time outside, I’ll never deny the fascination that the internet brought me.

It continued to peak my curiosity in middle school, when I was finally able to take my first technology-based class. It was there that I learned that I could actually type at a really decent speed—it was there that I discovered a passion. However, I still needed to figure out what in specific I wanted to do. Alongside my peers who wanted to be lawyers and doctors, I knew I wanted to pursue computer science. I just needed to know what exactly it was that I would pour my educational efforts into.

I took classes like engineering, computer science A, and network engineering I. Although every class I took was interesting and undoubtedly insightful, I admit that none of them would compare to my senior year of high school. I took cybersecurity, and realized that learning about the different threats and safety precautions for different forms of technology and the internet was what truly ignited a spark from within me.

It felt like finally experiencing the fireworks that romance authors always write about, except I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. Getting into the computer science program at the University of Texas at Austin only furthered this determination of mine, and from then on I’ve been committed to my goals and the dreams that have followed it. My future college education, alongside the fact that I graduate high school with my security+ are what truly motivate me to succeed as a first-generation college student from a low-income, single-parent household.

Of course the cool, inspirational aspects of cybersecurity and technology make me drawn to it, but I also want to appreciate the feelings of happiness that tech can invoke within me. I always remember days of gathering around a beat up living computer or PS3, bringing joy to me and my extended family of cousins when we would spend holidays together. I remember fascination and wonder as I realized how people could modify their Tumblr profiles by using URLS and manipulating the website to show GIFS and specific effects. Despite being a male-dominated field, IT always strikes domestic and feminine memories for me, and I hope to break through any stereotype and stigma in order to achieve my dreams and bring pride to my entire family.