Explaining financial need and how this support will help the student accomplish you professional goals

My name is Prince Njanji. My home country is Zimbabwe. I am in my first year, first semester in the United States, pursuing a Master of Global Management (MGM) with a concentration in Global Digital Transformation at Thunderbird School of Global Management, a unit of the Arizona State University Enterprize. With a MSc of Public Administration (University of Zimbabwe), BSc in Politics and Public Management Honours (Midlands State University) and an English teaching certificate, I ascertain that by combining this knowledge with the MGM at Thunderbird, I will leave a long lasting impact.

An opportunity to enrol at Thunderbird is the best thing that have happened to me. Becoming part of something bigger to myself have always been something I yearned for growing up. Now that I am enjoying the academic journey at ASU, I find it difficult to navigate the United States when I are not sure how my financial situation will sustain me throughout the studies. The culture of bills is new to me. From accommodation, transportation costs, food for me and food to send to my family back in Zimbabwe, and basic necessities that equip me to succeed in academia, I at times feel overwhelmed. As a man, I ignore these hurdles because in Zimbabwe, man are taught to be strong and resilient.

Growing up, I have been underprivileged. I was raised by maternal grandfather and grandmother for I never knew my father and my mother passed when I was seven. Life became hard as a began understanding that navigating life is hard, especially when there are no opportunities in the country of birth. My confidence level was impacted drastically that even today, I am still recovering. Gladly, I am improving each day passing by. The American way of life is fast-tracking this goal to regain confidence. Even so, I am grateful that I succeeded in my Ordinary and Advanced Level education while living on the country side. Walking long distance to and school and without lunch box. I would leave home early in the morning to return late in the evening. This did not take away my hope to be an executive manager.

With the help my my sister, I was able to enrol at the Midlands State University, a public institution in the Midlands Province. I began to realise my full potential. Though the resources I needed was insufficient. For instance, I only got a laptop in my final year. I soldiered on despite all this. I was not able to attend the graduation ceremony because I did not pay school fees. I was hurt but I was just hopeless.

On completing the undergraduate studies, I was determined to find employment. My hopes were in vain. Zimbabwe remains under serious misgovernance crisis, with nepotism determining whether you land a job. Thing got better for my sister and hence she committed to fund my postgraduate studies, hoping that I will get the job I have been waiting for.

Luckily, I was privileged to get some experience in the Non-Governmental Organizations, the private sector as well as the public sector as a Project Coordinator, HR Administrator and Provincial Administrator, in that order. I gained some critical insights on how the world of employment works. With my passion for research, I identified some areas of research with the aim to improve peoples lives. Having emerged from a humble background and with low income, my goal was to fully support my family's education needs. But my pay check was not enough.

Therefore, having read and understood the story of Dave Fisher and Mitch Kanai, I am confident that I will be one of the beneficiaries of the Dave Fisher '67 and Mitch Kanai '81 Scholarship. As an international student coming from Zimbabwe, a developing country, life have been hard. Whilst in the United States, an opportunity to study without the burden of having to worry about financial matters matters the most to me at the moment. With this scholarship, I would continue my education in the MGM, an opportunity that I otherwise would not have.