FOSSI: Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Mia Handfield. I am a native of Miami, Fl, where both of my parents were born and raised. They both attended the historic Booker T. Washington Senior High School which is the same high school that I graduated from. I love to laugh, cook and draw, and I am passionate about helping people.
As I grow older, my dream is to use my degree, passion, and love, to pour back into my community. It is my aspiration to return the investment that I have been blessed with.
FOSSI: Why are you passionate about pursuing a degree in a STEM-related field?
I am passionate about pursuing a degree in a STEM-related field because I have witnessed firsthand the impact of STEM on the lives of others. Minority communities are riddled with ailments that often serve as hindrances to achieving ambitions. My family is no different. Within my own household, I have witnessed the day to say struggles that accompany illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and lupus.
STEM paves the way for research that has led to action resulting in the betterment of one's life, which is what I desire to contribute to. I am passionate about my pursuit in a STEM-related field, specifically science, because I am passionate about doing what I can to see people who look like me, minorities, thrive.
FOSSI: Why is receiving the FOSSI scholarship important for you?
Receiving the FOSSI scholarship is important to me because it helps me, as well as others that come from similar backgrounds, know that there is space for us in fields where we are marginalized. It shows us that our work, determination, and passions do not go unrecognized. Receiving this scholarship affirms that all my hard work has not and will not be in vain. As a double minority (Black and a woman), sometimes it seems like the world would like me to be invisible, but this scholarship solidifies the fact that my presence and my impact are and will continue to be very real.
FOSSI: Who is a role model that has influenced you?
A role model who has influenced me is my former English teacher, Ms. Ashawte Smathers. She encouraged me to reach further than my mind could imagine. Although she was never in the STEM field and would tell anyone that her brain gets a little "discombobulated" when she would think of anything STEM related, she still pushed me to go after what I wanted full force.
I remember when I doubted myself and thought my goals seemed impossible to achieve. I told Ms. Smathers that everything seemed impossible; she looked at me and said, "Excuses are monuments of nothingness, they build bridges to nowhere, those of us who use these tools of incompetence, seldom become anything but nothing at all." I didn't want to hear it, but I realized that in that moment, she was preparing me for the challenges that I was to encounter and reminding me that the road ahead is hard, but it will always be up to me to navigate through them without finding crutches.
FOSSI: Fast forward – where do you see yourself in ten years?
In ten years, I see myself owning and running a newly opened community clinic in an underserved area of
Miami like where I live and went to school. The clinic would offer dentistry (I'd be the primary doctor), optometry, therapy, family physicians, and sessions that cater to information on ailments that are typically found in minorities. I see myself living out my dream of helping to elevate my community financially, academically, physically, and even emotionally.
FOSSI: Share a few fun facts about yourself.
- I'm the youngest of 3 children.
- I think I'm pretty funny (I'd call myself a comedian).
- I like sneakers.
- I've always been highly active in church and in my community.
- I can't dance (not even to save my life, it's pretty bad).
- I draw every once in a while.
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