In August 2011, I founded my organization “Empower My Hood,” in an effort to empower teenagers in my community- Queens Village, to further their education by attending college. What I didn't know at the time was that I was embarking on something bigger than my community. On April 23rd, 2012, I was featured by New York 1 as the "Queens Person of the Week" and at just 16 years old, I was the youngest Queens person to withhold that honor. Two years later, I am a student of CCNY's 7yr BS/MD program - Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Science- Class of 2017, and I continue to service my community by actively helping teenagers and their parents gain insight into the intricacies of the college process.

Today, I am preparing to further my mission of service by traveling across the globe with my fellow Sophie Davis peers to empower communities less fortunate than our own. I have been successful in uplifting the Queens Village community, and it would be an absolute honor to embark on this heartfelt mission in the beautiful country of Ghana.

Thank you so much for your kind consideration and for planting a seed into my future.

Ayana Cole