Blaine Sandoval Young American Scholarship

There's one question that I continuously ask myself when I need the motivation to get up and create change in my life: If I don't, then who will? Essentially this question serves as a reminder that if I don't put in the effort and dedicate time to things that are important, they won't get done. If I don't volunteer this weekend, how will things change? If I don't go to practice, how will I get better? If I don't study tonight, how will I pass tomorrow? As a student, being ambitious and putting yourself out there play a large role in being successful. In retrospect, school isn't the only thing this mentality can be applied to. Thinking in the mindset of "if I won't, who will" can prove beneficial in other aspects of our lives. Thinking this way has gotten me into the National Honor Society, where I have volunteered and tutored for over 100 hours. It has also motivated me to be a part of different clubs to learn more about how I can create positive change in my community. These clubs included Soroptimist Club, where I attended various service events to impact the community even more. I've branched out into clubs I never thought I'd be interested in like Engineering Club and STEM-Med Club—which have shown me how interesting the STEM field can be. One of the newest clubs I've joined is Cards for a Cause, where I am able to create encouraging cards to send to young cancer patients at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children. Alongside being a part of these different organizations, I have participated in different sports throughout my high school career. I have done basketball since the 6th grade for Sacred Hearts, and also played for two different club teams: Kalakaua Basketball and Sharks Basketball. Last season during my junior year, my varsity team made it to the D2 state championships and finished second. In my freshmen year of high school, I began bowling for my school. This year my team finished 1st in ILH D2, and I qualified for states next week. In my junior year, I did track and field—participating in the 100m, 200m, and 800m. On top of extracurriculars, I balanced my schoolwork and maintained a cumulative GPA of 4.04 throughout my years of high school. In total, I have completed 7 honors classes and 1 AP class, and am currently enrolled in AP Biology and AP Literature. These classes have strengthened me academically and challenged me to work harder. Now that I am nearing the end of my senior year of high school, I have decided that I want to pursue sonography. During an internship at Rehab Therapy Partners Kaimuki, I discovered my interest in sonography. I plan to attend a university that offers a Diagnostic Medical Sonography program to follow through with my career plan of becoming an ultrasound technician. I want to be able to utilize my education opportunities and efforts through being successful in the future. I'm excited to be a medical care worker and be able to create positive change by providing service to others.