I arrive in Oslo, Norway on October 9, 2021, a day before the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. As I stand on the hotel’s balcony, the sun is shining bright, and as I breathe in the fresh air, I take in the glorious view that is filled with exquisite buildings. The warm air blowing against my skin awakes my soul causing me to reminisce on how I made it to the point to be chosen to receive the Nobel Peace Prize Award. Eleven months ago, I attended one of Dr. Rice’s conferences, and while waiting for her to speak, I thought about how blessed I was to receive my Master’s Degree in Nursing. When I realized that I was able to achieve my goal because of my faith in God, determination, and support system, instantly, I wanted to help …show more content…
When I am finally on the stage, the bright lights nearly blind me and somehow let me know that this is not a dream, but a dream come true. After I accept the Nobel Peace Prize, I turn and face the audience to deliver my acceptance speech.
“Thank you so much, Dr. Rice! I am honored to accept this award that has been bestowed upon me tonight. First, I would like to give thanks to God because without Him nothing is possible. I would also like to take a few moments to share with you the amazing night that I experienced in launching the Pay It Forward Scholarship.”
“To start the night, Dr. Rice and I took the stage and talked about The Center for New Generation and how the Pay It Forward scholarship intertwined with the program. Then, singers including Tamela Mann and Stevie Wonder took the stage and sang. During the concert, many viewers donated. At the end of the night, Dr. Rice called me to the stage and without warning, announced that I would be ending the program with one last song. Surprised, I seized the microphone shaking, but as the words of Diana’s Ross’s famous song ‘Reach Out and Touch’ flowed from my vocal chords, I began to weep as I reflected on how I had felt about the uncertainty of my future, and realizing that students who received the scholarship would not have to experience the same uncertainty. At the end of my song, I thanked the viewers and quoted Dr. Rice’s motto, "In America it does not matter where [students] come from; it matters where [they] are