You Deserve It Scholarship

My brother has always been my guiding star. From patiently teaching me basic algebra to navigating the complexities of high school, his unwavering support was my constant. The most profound lesson he imparted was a challenge: to be better than him. This simple directive ignited a clear ambition within me: to graduate high school early. His support was everything, which is why its sudden absence, as he immersed himself in his Physical Therapy studies, hit me hard. Suddenly, there was no time for him to help me grasp difficult concepts or offer his usual encouragement. Weeks would pass where the only time I saw my brother was him asleep in his bed, exhausted from all-night study sessions. This profound loss of his direct guidance led to an alarming dip in my grades just before winter break. I knew I couldn't continue in that direction. Returning to school, I was fueled by a fierce determination not only to restore my academic standing but also to honor the promise I made to my brother of graduating early. Winning the You Deserve It Scholarship would be a pivotal step toward achieving my goal of early graduation and, crucially, would significantly alleviate my family's financial burden for college essentials. My parents have shared that they lack the funds to cover my transportation and other vital college expenses, having just financed my brother's demanding medical education. I am fully prepared to take responsibility for all four years of my books and transportation costs. This scholarship, providing enough for these immediate needs, would empower me to focus solely on my studies to become a Nutritionist, rather than having to divide my time between academics and a part-time job. It would allow me to dedicate myself entirely to the passion I've discovered and want to pursue, ensuring I can achieve my full academic potential and, ultimately, help others on their wellness journeys.

I recently learned a powerful lesson: how to transform the various challenges once meant to bind us into the foundation upon which we flourish. From a young age, I was captivated by the inner workings of machines and the logic behind how computers and robots functioned. Going above and beyond with any little project that I had my hands on was never a question someone on my team had to ask. Whether I would build the robot from scratch, teach myself programming languages or stay after class to test extra designs, I loved every fleeting second. There was an assessment for my robotics class called "Find the Endpoint" where a team had to design a robot that could navigate a course using various sensors. Everything was going well until the last day–the distance sensor on our robot wouldn’t pick up the first obstacle when presenting. No amount of debugging could fix it before the deadline approached. I felt like all of our hard work meant nothing and I began to question if I belong in engineering. Mr. Hudacek told me a harsh truth: “Not everything we build will succeed. It’s our duty as engineers to find the solutions that can solve our problems–no matter how imperfect”. These words gave me a realization: the reason my designs felt lacking and the reason I doubted myself was because I focused my energy on achieving perfection rather than growing from imperfections. I realized that setbacks weren't walls to stop progress, but steps for us to climb. From that day forward, I re-ignited the flame that drew me to engineering. This heartfelt passion has evolved into a commitment to creating innovative machines, and software that can solve real-world problems. Today, I’m working with New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) to program an app that will aid coaches in lesson-planning. Despite my motivations and academic excellence, the reality of my financial situation is constricting me. My family relies solely on my mother’s income, and although she works tirelessly, her income can’t cover the high cost of attendance, such as housing, of most engineering-based institutions. This scholarship would allow me to focus on pursuing my passion for engineering and my commitment to changing the way we approach problem-solving without financial burdens. Instead of being paralyzed by an unspoken obligation to get everything exactly correct, I’ve learned to think critically and move my team forward with confidence.