Amad Dao

My name is Amad, and I'm a 17-year-old boy from the Bronx, but I was originally born in Brooklyn. I have two other younger siblings, my little sister and little brother, that I love deeply. My family is originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa. A huge portion of my family is from that side, but I also have some family from Florida and other countries. My mom and dad were born in Sierra Leone, but my grandfather on my mom's side is from Fort Pierce, Florida, in the South.

My family takes the country and our culture in Sierra Leone very seriously. Africa's culture is built around family and support. We always provide whatever they can to keep things moving for the family back home and the local people in the rural communities. That has become a tradition in what my family does, especially my mom, for people in our local community and overseas in Africa. We donate things like money, clothing, food, and canned goods. It’s traditional to give to our people; even if we don’t have much, we still have more than others.

My family and I would do whatever it takes to make sure that our family back home is progressing in many positive ways. Occasionally, we would go back to Sierra Leone to visit some of our close family members and see how they were doing. My family has heavily influenced my identity as a proud Sierra Leonean man by consistently doing good deeds for others in our country. I have learned to appreciate what I have and value what is given to us. Our faith also makes us appreciate all opportunities. My mom makes herself well known in the community and is always providing for the community through volunteering and service. Because I have watched this all my life, I aspire to do the same and give back.

After high school, I plan on going to college. To accomplish this, I am trying to consistently keep up with my schoolwork and grades. This is to make sure I am able to go to my desired colleges in the future. I have always wanted to major in computer science or get into the field of technology. I especially like this field because I like using and fixing technology a lot. Another major I wanted to look at is business because I have started a company that provides sports wear, heavily inspired by my current activities like hockey, football, and tennis. If I learn more about business in college, it will prepare me to help my new business grow and develop.

My background experiences have heavily shaped my future goals to be an independent person who is confident enough to go after my dreams and teach others. I really believe this because I have always wanted to help others and create the things I have done previously in my life successfully. My history of playing ice hockey, football, and other sports has encouraged me to attempt to make a company that provides all and any sports wear. I believe that with my desire, passion, and ability to help many people who desire to play sports, I want to make sure that they have easy access to it.