Howard University Tuition Fund
Donation protected
My name is Taniayah Dorsett I aspire to use my passion for social justice and advocacy to become a successful agent of change in my community, and a college education can without a doubt help me do so. Recently I have been accepted to both Spelman College and Howard University, but I will be unable to attend without financial support.
My goal is to attain a law degree and become a defense attorney. I have recently developed an interest in being a public defender which I believe is a good starting point in becoming a successful private defense attorney, then later a District Attorney. Aside from being a lawyer my biggest goal is to establish a nonprofit organization that will help women in domestic violence situations find stability and safety in their lives. The services of the nonprofit will include childcare, shelter, group counseling and social workers to aid in finding jobs and housing. Since elementary school I’ve wanted to be a lawyer and establish a nonprofit that would help women, and every step I have taken has shown my ambition, dedication and devotion to reaching those goals.
I have proven to be an incredible, ambitious student that is well on track to graduate from Oakland Technical High School on May 27th, 2020 and attend a 4 year institution where I plan to major in political science/pre law and minor in business. I'm maitainig a current 4.0 GPA, and I scored a 1170 on the SAT. I have great leadership potential and have developed a great work ethic over my high school career. I took the initiative to create my own college savings and was even working 2 jobs at one point because being able to attend a great college of my choice has always been my main priority. In addition I use my free time for creative writing, and I have been awarded for two of my short stories (attatched here & here ) by We Write Here. We Write Here is a publisher for Oakland youth, grades 6th-12th, that accepts writing submissions, and awards one writing submission a week and then publishes it on their website. Recently I was also selected to participate in the District Attorney Justice Academy, an award winning program that starts as interactive seminars in January and ends as a paid summer internship.
I demonstrate exceptional leadership skills not only inside the classroom but in my community as well. For the past five years I have participated in a nonprofit organization called Women of Multi Colors United (WOMCU) which hosts annual conferences meant to uplift, empower and encourage women of all ethnicities. At each conference I lead the women in song, praise dance, and my biggest highlight, spoken word. In my poems I speak on the experience of being a young black woman in this country and what it means to not only be part of the black community but part of the women’s community as well. The conference offers the opportunity for everyone to find comfort in one another’s success and triumph stories.
WOMCU also provides workshops that teach women and young ladies how to be entrepreneurs. WOMCU has played a large role in shaping my character into who I am today by giving me a safe supportive space to express myself and feel understood by other people with similar experiences. Performing at these conferences has also helped me feel more confident in myself by developing my public speaking and leadership skills. The CEO and founder of WOMCU acknowledged and praised these skills in this attached letter of recommendation .
During my junior year of high school, Tech offered a criminal justice dual enrollment course that was taught by the Assistant District Attorney of San Francisco, Seth Steward. Professor Steward told us real-life stories about his experience as a prosecutor, the roles that the jury and judge played, and the rights of defendants. In this class I found my true calling and discovered my desire to one day be a District Attorney. In this class I developed my voice as a leader. I was able to direct discussion topics, work with other students on group projects and was never afraid to participate in dialogues regarding prosecutorial discretion, standards of proof and how issues of race and class impact the criminal justice system. I found that my ability to not only lead others but work with them, is a gift that I wish to continue developing in my postsecondary education, a gift that Mr. Steward also recognized. Which is why he was more than happy to write me a letter of recommendation for college.
My entire life I have always been completely dedicated to my education, and over coming any and every obstacle I may face. For most of my life I’ve struggled with over coming personal issues within my family dynamic, but despite not always being in a stable environment I have dedicated my life to being the best I can be, regardless of past and present experiences. By devoting myself to my education, I know that all things are achievable. As I’ve grown, doing my best in school just became a part of who I am and a part of my happiness. My education is my power, and road to success. My dedication, ambition and devotion to reaching my goals in life are not all that defines me as a person, but my ability to use my past as motivation and to turn negatives into positives is what makes me who I am.
My goal is to attain a law degree and become a defense attorney. I have recently developed an interest in being a public defender which I believe is a good starting point in becoming a successful private defense attorney, then later a District Attorney. Aside from being a lawyer my biggest goal is to establish a nonprofit organization that will help women in domestic violence situations find stability and safety in their lives. The services of the nonprofit will include childcare, shelter, group counseling and social workers to aid in finding jobs and housing. Since elementary school I’ve wanted to be a lawyer and establish a nonprofit that would help women, and every step I have taken has shown my ambition, dedication and devotion to reaching those goals.
I have proven to be an incredible, ambitious student that is well on track to graduate from Oakland Technical High School on May 27th, 2020 and attend a 4 year institution where I plan to major in political science/pre law and minor in business. I'm maitainig a current 4.0 GPA, and I scored a 1170 on the SAT. I have great leadership potential and have developed a great work ethic over my high school career. I took the initiative to create my own college savings and was even working 2 jobs at one point because being able to attend a great college of my choice has always been my main priority. In addition I use my free time for creative writing, and I have been awarded for two of my short stories (attatched here & here ) by We Write Here. We Write Here is a publisher for Oakland youth, grades 6th-12th, that accepts writing submissions, and awards one writing submission a week and then publishes it on their website. Recently I was also selected to participate in the District Attorney Justice Academy, an award winning program that starts as interactive seminars in January and ends as a paid summer internship.
I demonstrate exceptional leadership skills not only inside the classroom but in my community as well. For the past five years I have participated in a nonprofit organization called Women of Multi Colors United (WOMCU) which hosts annual conferences meant to uplift, empower and encourage women of all ethnicities. At each conference I lead the women in song, praise dance, and my biggest highlight, spoken word. In my poems I speak on the experience of being a young black woman in this country and what it means to not only be part of the black community but part of the women’s community as well. The conference offers the opportunity for everyone to find comfort in one another’s success and triumph stories.
WOMCU also provides workshops that teach women and young ladies how to be entrepreneurs. WOMCU has played a large role in shaping my character into who I am today by giving me a safe supportive space to express myself and feel understood by other people with similar experiences. Performing at these conferences has also helped me feel more confident in myself by developing my public speaking and leadership skills. The CEO and founder of WOMCU acknowledged and praised these skills in this attached letter of recommendation .
During my junior year of high school, Tech offered a criminal justice dual enrollment course that was taught by the Assistant District Attorney of San Francisco, Seth Steward. Professor Steward told us real-life stories about his experience as a prosecutor, the roles that the jury and judge played, and the rights of defendants. In this class I found my true calling and discovered my desire to one day be a District Attorney. In this class I developed my voice as a leader. I was able to direct discussion topics, work with other students on group projects and was never afraid to participate in dialogues regarding prosecutorial discretion, standards of proof and how issues of race and class impact the criminal justice system. I found that my ability to not only lead others but work with them, is a gift that I wish to continue developing in my postsecondary education, a gift that Mr. Steward also recognized. Which is why he was more than happy to write me a letter of recommendation for college.
My entire life I have always been completely dedicated to my education, and over coming any and every obstacle I may face. For most of my life I’ve struggled with over coming personal issues within my family dynamic, but despite not always being in a stable environment I have dedicated my life to being the best I can be, regardless of past and present experiences. By devoting myself to my education, I know that all things are achievable. As I’ve grown, doing my best in school just became a part of who I am and a part of my happiness. My education is my power, and road to success. My dedication, ambition and devotion to reaching my goals in life are not all that defines me as a person, but my ability to use my past as motivation and to turn negatives into positives is what makes me who I am.
Organiser
Taniayah Dorsett
Organiser
Oakland, CA