Jerrica Burnham
Mesquite, Texas
Raytheon Scholars, 2010
My mother is a very motivated and optimistic woman. Through times when it doesn't seem like the sun will shine, she will help you get past the cloudy days. I didn't know how I was going to pay for college, or if I would be able to attend an out of state school; I hadn't received any scholarships, and it was getting close to decision-making time. I needed to know which school I was going to attend. My mother encouraged me to keep applying for scholarships. She told me I just had to be patient and believe – and within a few weeks I started receiving scholarships, and made the decision to go out of state to college. My mom's faith in God and her trust in my abilities help me to persevere and realize my dream. My mother ways of life just help develop me into the young lady I am today: I'm not afraid of hard work, I am a very determined individual and I know that I can achieve my dreams if I just keep persevering even when times get rough.

I live in a single parent home, and I did not want my mother to worry about carrying an overwhelming financial burden. At the same time, I refuse to let financial roadblocks steer me away from the path towards going to college, earning a degree in accounting, and become a successful person -- someone who uses her experiences and talents to give back to her community. Perhaps someday I will be in a position to help other young women fulfill their educational goals. I am confident that I have worked hard, and through my academic achievements as well as my school and community service, I have demonstrated a desire to put scholarship funds to good use. I am doing all I can to pursue and realize my educational goals, and grow as a contributing member of my community and my world.

My future goals for myself are to continue on to get my masters degree in accounting and become a CPA with one of the big four accounting firms. I also dream of starting a nonprofit organization called Break Through, to help students in high school through tough situations. The organization would provide the students with counseling, make sure they go to school, check their grades and even provide shelter for certain students. They would go to college, keep in contact with us and serve the community, because someone helped them. I also want to start a scholarship fund for high seniors and undergrad college students who have at least a 3.2 GPA and come from a single parent home that has financial need, and I want to donate money back to the scholarship funds that gave me money when I was in college.

I have demonstrated a desire to put scholarship funds to good use. I am doing all I can to put my scholarship funds to good use by pursuing and realizing my educational goals, and growing as a contributing member of my community and my world. I am already helping recent high school graduates prepare for their transition to college. Because I realize that was me last year, and how lost I was, I have prepared some students with a college survival list as they pack and prepare for college. The Raytheon Scholars Scholarship is helping me give back to the community because I realize how grateful I am.

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