The process of applying for scholarships can be long and arduous. Below, you will find an example of a personal statement I recently penned for one at my university in D.C., Enjoy!

Whilst pursuing my bachelor’s degree at Washington State University in the Pacific Northwest, my peers that I studied alongside had a variety of goals they hoped to achieve in their careers.

Some wanted to be in the entertainment industry, others hoped to rise through the broadcasting industry to the point where they could be in a cushy chair anchoring the nightly newscast. Noble pursuits to be sure, but from my perspective, both sound equally awful and wildly boring.

To me, the path of a member of the media should be one that is centered on undermining the success of evil people and exposing the misdeeds of the seemingly benevolently powerful. Though I learned about how to write and produce media at W.S.U, I never had the chance to pursue this avenue in a manner that I would consider to be effective and compelling. As a result, I decided to apply and was subsequently accepted to American University in Washington, D.C.

Though I did get accepted into my program, the overwhelming price point for one year of study has forced me to look for scholarships that would ease the financial burden. And so I am putting forth myself as a candidate for a 2016 Fellowship from the Massey Foundation of Canada.

Now, I know that there will be others probably more qualified than I also seeking the grant, but none of them match my passion for doing what is right and using my skills to help those who don’t have a voice today and desperately need attention shown to the issues that they face.

In 2014 when Batman fans all around the internet were banding together to fund a documentary on formerly uncredited caped crusader creator Bill Finger, I donated a valuable piece of art in order to ensure the campaign’s success. His heir sent me a very kindly worded letter in response.

In 2015, I discovered the Heaven’s Gate Cult still has an active presence online. I emailed the people behind the site and sent them very tough questions on their controversial association that I later presented to people in order to educate them on this infamously deranged/sad organization.

This year, I produced a freelance interview with Columbine parent and gun safety activist Tom Mauser. Speaking to that man and hearing the pain in his voice only solidified my desire to find stories and people out there in the world who aren’t able to present their causes to an audience.

And so, I find myself here now. If you believe that I would be a courageous, bold and provocative newsman in the mold of Mohammed Al Nabbous, Rory Peck, Marie Colvin or countless other brave people killed on the job, I urge you to bestow this prestigious award upon me. The world needs people who will risk it all to bring truth to power, chase monsters and expose hideous misdeeds. I believe I am going to be one of them and will make a difference.