Scholarship Submission

This is my Andrew Whites essay submission for the need-based scholarship from ICOHS college. First and foremost, I would like to give all my appreciation to the administration & faculty at ICOHS for the opportunity to participate in the Information Technology Network Specialist (ITNS) program. And more specifically to Beverly & Priscilla for all their time and dedication that they put into empowering student prospects, like myself, to be involved in this industry. This essay will answer the two questions; why do I want to be in the computer field and the importance of this position in today’s society, which are presented as prompts for the scholarship.

To answer the first question, I will have to give a bit of background on myself and the position I currently find myself in. I am a San Diego native, and a current resident of the downtown metropolis area. I completed high school in 2007 and immediately joined the U.S. Navy upon graduation. I joined the Submarine service as an Electronics Technician in 2008 and by 2012 (the year I was discharging) had become one of the first IT specialists of the submarine fleet. At this time my training for IT mostly revolved around network security, as I held a Top Secret (Secret Compartmented Information) [TS SCI] clearance.

Upon my honorable discharge in 2012 I completely separated from the US government as our beliefs were at odds. Not to say I am against them, it is more to do with the tactics involved within the organization that I do not agree with and therefore must separate myself from. After several years in the civilian sector doing miscellaneous jobs, I found myself living on the streets of San Diego with little to turn to beside my conscience. In 2018, I again turned my life around and entered into a technical college called Associated Technical College (ATC), which I attended for 14 months, 10 of which I completed while living in an astro van. In 2019 I completed my certificate training and transitioned from ATC into a community college called San Diego City College (SDCC) where I began studying communication & psychology. I spent two and a half semesters at SDCC until last year (2020) during the fall semester, when many things had compounded in my life and school was the least of my worries. If anything, it added to the stresses I was experiencing and I decided to drop out to instead focus on my mental health.

In the three months that I have spent away from school I have learned more about myself than in the prior 30 years of my existence. It had a lot to do with the time alone I have spent consciously thinking about my past, present & future life. Which leads me to why I want to be in the computer field.

The greatest thing that this time of reflection has afforded me is the awareness of my passion; to empower others to follow their joy and to give them the means to do such. Now this may seem like a very basic statement and a difficult task to complete as it is so broad; however, I have a plan. Due to the current state of the world and the trajectory that the technology sector is taking I know that with this knowledge & skill set I will be able to leverage my understanding of business, human psychology and sheer determination to create a platform that will give others the opportunity to reach for greater heights. I recently started a YouTube channel revolving around the gaming industry and more specifically survival games, in an attempt to teach others how to move “from surviving to thriving,” which is also my brand's slogan. I also believe that with the power of technology and a clear set of goals anything can be achieved.

One of my first goals as an entrepreneur in the computer field is to get the training and field experience while working for technology companies to learn to build PC’s that I can then give away for free to individuals that may not have the financial means to complete their immediate goals. From there I want to build an industry changing computer that interfaces sound & vibration as a way to immerse a user into the worlds that they are diving into which can then be coupled with software that will give people the opportunity work through life traumas and heal from things they have experienced within a virtual world which will then be able to translate into real-world application. To sum it all up, I want to empower the world to the best of my ability through the utilization of technology.

The importance of the computer field & technology is vast and all-encompassing in today’s society, which is why I have retargeted myself to learn these skills needed to be involved within it. With each new day and the advancements that this field creates, all other beliefs are challenged and improved upon. From science & religion to art & finance, every other industry is affected by technology and the pace at which it enhances our understanding & beliefs. With the ability to communicate with anyone around the world and share information in an instant, we are getting closer to joining the human race as a single entity, a single mind that will learn to be kinder to itself within time.

From here my appreciation can only be shown with action, which I intend to do eloquently.

Thank You,

Peace & Unity

Andrew White