![](https://futureofstemscholars.org/sites/default/files/olivia.png)
FOSSI: Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Olivia Fogel and I love art, poetry, and I am really passionate about community service. I graduated from Ashley Ridge High School, and I am currently a freshman at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. I plan to major in biomedical engineering with a minor in Spanish, and I hope to eventually become fluent. I want to use my degree to help improve current health care practices and technology worldwide.
Why are you passionate about pursuing a degree in a STEM-related field?![](https://www.aiche.org/sites/default/files/media/image/110805075110008555bioengineering_143707863_fogelpersonalityphoto1_0.jpeg)
I am passionate about pursing a degree in a STEM-related field, because I would like to use my passion for science and technology to improve lives and make a difference, especially in my community. I am very passionate about equal access to health care and I want to use my degree to create and improve technology to make it safer and more affordable to improve the quality of life for those around me and potentially across the nation.
FOSSI: Why is receiving the FOSSI scholarship important for you?
Receiving this scholarship is extremely important to me because it will help cover a great deal of my tuition and allow me to attend my top school. Going to an HBCU is very important to me and because there are no HBCUs in my state with my major, I am attending an out of state school, which has a much higher cost of tuition. Currently, I am the only one in my household attending college, but by the time I graduate, my siblings will be. This will cause a significant financial strain on my family, so this scholarship will help my family significantly.
FOSSI: Share a few fun facts about yourself.
- I run three small businesses: I operate a 360 photo-booth business, I make t-shirts, and I do face paintings for parties.
- I own a 100-pound German Shepard named Broadway.
Hear more from Olivia about why pursuing a STEM degree is important to her.
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