The selection committee selected Zina Ogunnaya to be the recipient the Jimmy Nhat Nguyen Scholarship for the school year 2023-2024. We definitely related to Zina's experience and struggles as a first generation immigrant and college student, but were most impressed by her long list of awards, among which include LBCC Juneteenth Writing Award, Health Worker Spotlight Award, and McDonald's Scholarship. A recommendation from Zina's English teacher sums up her qualifications well: "She is easily in the top 1% of students I have had the privilege of working with in my 22-years as an English Professor at LBCC."
I am a first-generation Nigerian immigrant and Long Beach City College student who will be transferring to graduate school in the Fall of 2023. In addition, I am a returning college student who is attending community college to fulfill my graduate school requirements in the area of clinical psychology. My long-term goal is to serve as a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive clinical psychologist who engages in art therapy with youth.
I am applying for scholarship assistance to complete my final semester at Long Beach City College and, hopefully, support my first-year tuition in the clinical psychology program that I am interviewing for. I am someone who became passionate about the field of psychology over time. I returned to college to study psychology after a five-year hiatus from school and a personal experience with mental illness that changed the trajectory of my life.
I was hospitalized for psychosomatic symptoms that showed me the importance of learning more about mental health conditions. Because I grew up in a culture that did not discuss topics concerning mental illnesses, I decided to explore employment opportunities in the field prior to going back to school to study psychology. These experiences led me to serve as a certified crisis counselor and youth engagement specialist with nonprofit organizations such as the Crisis Text Line. Eventually, my journey moved me to further explore how I can support individuals from underserved backgrounds who struggle with barriers to quality healthcare.
I decided to go back to school for psychology in 2021 and become a Long Beach City College student because I desired to understand concepts, such as abnormal psychology, that will one day support my ability to serve as a competent mental health clinician. I am also passionate about promoting the holistic well-being of people from marginalized communities. For example, I am currently undergoing medical examinations to become a kidney donor for my father who was diagnosed with a kidney condition.
Although the path ahead concerning how I will cover the cost of school expenses while taking time off from work to serve as a kidney donor is unclear, I know that there are resources on campus to support my academic success. The Long Beach City College scholarship is a critical resource that will support my ability to thrive both personally and professionally, in school and in my community. Thank you for pouring into our future academic success and providing educational support to community college students through the Long Beach City College scholarship opportunity.