#Nfinite8 Legacy Scholarship

I was introduced to soccer by my father, and I can’t thank him enough because it’s transformed my once monotonous life. The first time I saw the beautiful game, I was immediately captivated. The passion I witnessed on that screen was infectious. The beauty was indescribable. All I’m going to say is, it puts your favorite actress to shame. I suffer from sickle cell disease, though. With Sickle Cell, there’ll always be things that you are told will be impossible for you to achieve. For instance, I’ve always struggled athletically, not because I don’t try, but it’s because my body won’t let me. This disease has put me in a cage all of my life. I can never practice as long as the others, run as long as the others, or play as hard as the others. Within seconds of sprinting, I’ll be gasping for air, but guess what? That didn’t stop me from being one of the fastest kids in the school. I will never let Sickle Cell diminish my potential. Sickle cell can’t stop me from loving the game, and it still doesn’t stop me from dreaming that one day I’ll overcome this disease. I still practice every day myself for that 0.00001% chance that I do the impossible because I believe nothing is truly impossible. We thought making it to the moon was impossible a couple of decades ago; now we have a whole station just chilling up there. Seeing the impossible become possible is also why I chose to pursue technology, where the only true limit is your imagination. My love for this sport inspires me to achieve the unachievable, not only when it comes to the sport, but in everything I do in life. I’ve garnered over 100k views as a content creator, accomplished great things academically, like earning an Azure DP-900 certification and graduating with a 4.0, and I’ve even hosted a school soccer tournament. Yes, the kid with Sickle Cell held an athletics tournament and even scored in the final. I proved that day, and I hope to continue to prove to others with Sickle Cell that the only impossible thing is something being impossible. My disability is the reason I refuse to give up and strive for greatness. Don’t get it twisted, though I’m not great because of it, I’m great despite it. One thing sickle cell definitely won’t stop me from is changing the world. When I first discovered computers, I realized I could have my own digital canvas, but unlike canvases in real life or Sickle Cell, there are no borders to confine me. Computers give you the power to be the master of a digital world, and that world can have massive effects on the real world. I find myself drawn to the computing discipline because it’s the antithesis of impossibility. I believe in the power of technology to do the impossible, so I want to utilize that power. I want to create software that alerts authorities of potential crimes before they happen, create devices to facilitate the movement of oxygen in Sickle Cell patients, or even create the next Candy Crush. Sickle Cell will not be the shackles that hold me back. I’ve seen so many miracles on a football pitch, so why can’t I create miracles in my own life?