In the housing boom of the early 2000s, like many people, I tried to “flip” a house. As a real estate broker, I had access to excellent sources of information and listened to the market. I looked closely at a sensible opportunity and when it presented itself, I was ready to act. I made a “good” deal with HUD, feeling well positioned to make a significant profit – in the range of thirty to forty thousand dollars. This experience, especially the inability to make any real profit, was an eye-opener. My exuberance, it seems, was – to quote Mr. Greenspan – “irrational.” The market was turning, time was passing, money was drying up and opportunities were disappearing. Through the lessons learned from this experience, observations made during my fifteen years in the real estate industry, coupled with a new perspective on life gained through the physical disability that forced me to leave the real estate industry, should I acquire $150,000 in cash to invest in a distressed property, my goal and purpose today would be very different, more fulfilling, and ultimately, I hope, more financially viable. My objective would be twofold. :1 Invest responsibly, with sound financial advice from trusted advisors (e.g. CPA, successful real estate investor network, commercial real estate brokers, financial planners, etc.) to ensure a reasonable return on investment. Essentially, I proceed with a stewardship mindset, as if the money had been entrusted to me by socially conscious investors who were counting on me to treat their money with the utmost care, ensuring the best possible return on investment, both on the financial than civic plan.1 Serving underrepresented people with disabilities in the community.-- Search for project ...... middle of paper ...... I believe an added benefit would be to improve the value surrounding the property, and creating a model to follow in other communities across the country. Thank you for considering my scholarship application and essay. My vision is to use the training I gained from completing the degree program I started almost twenty years ago (and then stopping to raise my children), combined with my fifteen years of experience in business ownership and management and my direct knowledge of disability issues, to serve the disability community as an advocate and pioneer in improving accessibility, hopefully at the national scale. Receiving this scholarship would greatly help me work toward my educational goals and then pursue my professional goals and give back to the community. I am grateful for your consideration.