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August 2017
Ross Nehemiah Downin, MS
Northcentral President’s Scholarship Essay
“Dismantling the Cycle of Poverty of at-Risk Youth”

“Dismantling the Cycle of Poverty of at-Risk Youth”

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I consider myself a die-hard sports enthusiast, and an advocate of physical fitness. My

first loves are in this order: God, family, Los Angeles Lakers, all other sports described by

ESPN, and youth mentoring. Receiving a Doctoral Degree in Sports Management through

Northcentral University’s School of Education, along with being awarded a full tuition through

NCU’s President’s Scholarship Program would be a humbling experience for me, and would

support my dream of collaborating sports management and youth mentoring in an effort to

significantly impact the lives of at-risk youth.

As a part-time working student, NCU’s One-to-One Learning module is quite attractive.

Their strategically structured support system provides flexibility in an effort to meet the needs of

students with complex schedules, such as myself. I encouraged that NCU has individualized one-

on-one student, professor, and faculty real life relationships that support students as they multi-

task complex schedules, and studies along with other personal commitments.

As a youngster I was fortunate to be raised by both of my parents in a loving and

nurturing household, where healthy meals, physical activities and education was a given. My

mother always had a heart for children, especially for disadvantaged youth. When I was in

middle school my parents opened our home to foster six sisters. The unconditional love

displayed by my parents made a huge impact in my life. I was quite protective of my sisters and

often was moved with compassion listening to life journey stories that they shared. At the early

age of thirteen is when I first entertained the idea of working with at-risk youth as a profession.

As an undergraduate student I received the opportunity to work with the Boys and Girls

Club of America (BGCA) as a Youth Development Professional. It was an excellent springboard

that caused me to become more involved in community health and fitness awareness. It was then

that I developed the ability to leverage resources and increase opportunities that successfully lead
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to positive outcomes for the youth I connected with. While working at BGCA, one day

unexpectedly a young girl in my group came to me and said, “Mr. Ross, I wish you were my

dad.” Her words stunned me and left me speechless.

According to a study conducted by Concordia University and the University of Ottawa,

submitted to the Science Daily, “disadvantaged kids are more likely to drop out of high school,

become premature parents and raise their own children in poverty.”Having observed first-hand

how positive stimuli arouses activity and creative energy in the behavior of youth inspired me to

obtain my Masters. My objective is to dismantle the cycle of poverty of at-risk youth through

education and positive stimulation, regardless of their socioeconomic environment. I plan to use

my degrees not only to address poor eating habits, and encourage the importance of physical

stimuli through sports management, but to also develop a platform that will place emphasis on

accountability, leadership, and the importance of education.

I generally depend on financial aid and student loans to finance my education. Receiving

a full tuition scholarship would lessen my financial obligations and would greatly support me in

pursuing my higher degree education. To be a resource to others by continuing my education by

way of Northcentral University’s President’s Scholarship Program would be an auspicious and

welcomed opportunity.

Works cited:

Concordia University. (2010, November 16). Disadvantaged youth more likely to be high-school

dropouts, young parents and poor adults. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 22, 2017 from

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101116103630.htm
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