Attending Purdue University in the fall, my aim is to graduate with at least a bachelor’s in computer engineering Achieving a B.S. in Computer Engineering will support me in attaining my goals by setting me up for a profession in the field where I can create a company and be part of a team leading the nation into a better technological future. By learning skills in digital hardware, computer design, and more, I will have a wide range of careers available with sustainable pay, such as being a computer hardware engineer or a computer systems engineer but with the long-term goal of creating an innovative technology-based company. This will allow me to do good, help people, and improve efficiency in the field. I don't have any standout events in my life that I could point to and state, "This is who I am". I've experienced my neighbor's house lighting on fire on Christmas, elementary school bullying, and more, yet I sit here today not being defined or shaped by a singular event. Instead, I've found a way to shape my life experiences into making me a different and better person. Yet, there is a period of time that I'll always reflect on. In comparison to others’ obstacles, my lack of self esteem may seem insignificant, but to me, it was life-changing. Around the start of quarantine, I was insecure about my weight. This insecurity clouded my mood everyday. I’ve spent hours and days sitting in my self-hatred, venting it to the Google search-bar when I couldn’t find someone to talk to. However, with plenty of time during school from home, I took initiative, joined the gym and I started to lose weight. I started to feel more confident and trying new things didn’t feel as scary. Since then, I’ve joined clubs with public speaking like Model UN and I tried out for tennis after never playing before. The values of resilience, self-belief, and kindness have appeared in my life via my immigrant parents. They've had their own struggles from time to time, such as my mom dealing with an abusive father-in-law. I've watched my parents grow through different struggles, and they've come out even better and as true role models for a young, misfit Indian boy. My parents have made me more proud of my background than any athletic or academic achievements I've received, and they've taught me many things and one stands out. You have to be odd to be number one. My mom has always pushed me to be greater, being proud of my straight A's but encouraging me at the same time to push for more like a job or an internship. My dad has always been willing to put in effort to get me where I need to be, whether it's a ride to a tennis tournament or paying for private tutoring lessons. My parents have shaped who I was yesterday, who I am today, and who I will be tomorrow.

You have to be odd to be number one. These words have shaped my experience and life. I don't have any standout events in my life that I could point to and state, "This is who I am". I've experienced my neighbor's house lighting on fire on Christmas, elementary school bullying, and more, yet I sit here today not being defined or shaped by a singular event. Instead, I've found a way to shape my life experiences into making me a different and better person. The values of resilience, self-belief, and kindness have appeared in my life via my immigrant parents. They've had their own struggles from time to time, such as my mom dealing with an abusive father-in-law. I've watched my parents grow through different struggles, and they've come out even better and as true role models for a young, misfit Indian boy. My parents have made me more proud of my background than any athletic or academic achievements I've received, and they've taught me many things and one stands out. You have to be odd to be number one. My mom has always pushed me to be greater, being proud of my straight A's but encouraging me at the same time to push for more like a job or an internship. My dad has always been willing to put in effort to get me where I need to be, whether it's a ride to a tennis tournament or paying for private tutoring lessons. My parents have shaped who I was yesterday, who I am today, and who I will be tomorrow. In comparison to others’ obstacles, my lack of self esteem may seem insignificant, but to me, it was life-changing. Around the start of quarantine, I was insecure about my weight. This insecurity clouded my mood everyday, wishing I wasn't in the body I was in. However, with plenty of time during school from home, I took initiative, joined the gym and I started to lose weight. I started to feel more confident and trying new things didn’t feel as scary. Since then, I’ve joined clubs with public speaking like Model UN and I tried out for tennis after never playing before. Attending Purdue University in the fall, my aim is to graduate with at least a bachelor’s in computer engineering. Achieving a B.S. in Computer Engineering will support me in attaining my goals by setting me up for a profession in the field where I can be part of a team leading the nation into a better technological future. By learning skills in digital hardware, computer design, and more, I will have a wide range of careers available with sustainable pay, such as being a computer hardware engineer or a computer systems engineer. This will allow me to do good, help people, and improve efficiency in the field. I've taken more risks and challenges in my academic career and more by not being scared to fail and instead being excited to learn. In college, I plan to stick to the same mentality: you have to be odd to be number one. Being number one is a personal goal and it's a continuous journey for me to follow, and I believe I'll be able to make a positive impact in my community, family, and eventually the world on my journey as a computer engineer.

I was a student of Ms. Walter at Elgin High School in IB Social and Cultural Anthropology and I learned many interesting things that made me fall in love with the subject of anthropology. If I were an anthropologist conducting fieldwork, I would choose to work in the Middle East in a Gulf Cooperation Council country (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, etc.) studying the kafala system. The kafala system is a labor system commonly practiced in the middle east where migrant workers work under a sponsor in a Middle Eastern host country. Sponsors control their mobility, housing, job situation, and more, leaving workers with limited agency. The system works under limited labor protection laws and is sustained by the workers' desires for money to escape poverty. The question I'd be exploring is how does the kafala system contribute to the development of rigid social hierarchies in host societies? The anthropological focus of the study would center around power dynamics, class, and cultural labor beliefs with a sociopolitical focus. The kafala system harshly enforces negative power dynamics between sponsors and employees and understanding the broader impacts of the lack of agency provides an insight into social and cultural hierarchies in these Middle Eastern host societies. I'd conduct the ethnography primarily through the means of interviews rather than participation observation given the context of the study. I'd interview sponsors and employees, analyzing both sides of the story to examine where the source of the power dynamic issue truly lies and how the situation can be improved. This anthropological study aligns with my passions and value for social justice and improving conditions for others which has presented itself in my life so far through the numerous volunteering opportunities I've participated in. By learning more and researching the kafala system, I'd be able to create a report which details the underlying causes behind the negative power dynamics through a culturally relativist perspective but also to advocate for workers' rights and agency. I've lived my life in acknowledgement that I'm blessed to live in a society where the government and culture respects human rights to a greater extent than many nations and cultures, and I aim to use my anthropological knowledge that I learned in Elgin High School to work towards advocating for the rights of people who are less fortunate. Workers who suffer in the kafala system may appear to do it by choice or to themselves, but given the situation they're in in regards to money, social status, and education, they have almost no other choice.

You have to be odd to be number one. These words have shaped my experience and life. I don't have any standout events in my life that I could point to and state, "This is who I am". I've experienced my neighbor's house lighting on fire on Christmas, elementary school bullying, and more, yet I sit here today not being defined or shaped by a singular event. Instead, I've found a way to shape my life experiences into making me a different and better person. Ms. Stephens's grandparents' values of resilience, self-belief, and kindness have appeared in my life via my immigrant parents. They've had their own struggles from time to time, such as my mom dealing with an abusive father-in-law. I've watched my parents grow through different struggles, and they've come out even better and as true role models for a young, misfit Indian boy. My parents have made me more proud of my background than any athletic or academic achievements I've received, and they've taught me many things and one stands out. You have to be odd to be number one. My mom has always pushed me to be greater, being proud of my straight A's but encouraging me at the same time to push for more like a job or an internship. My dad has always been willing to put in effort to get me where I need to be, whether it's a ride to a tennis tournament or paying for private tutoring lessons. My parents have shaped who I was yesterday, who I am today, and who I will be tomorrow. I began playing tennis my freshman year, and my passion for the sport and the supportive team I've played with have also shaped who I am today. I began at the bottom of varsity, yet when I showed up to an optional sectionals practice, I played fearlessly and hit harder shots. My coach's words inspired me when he said "I might have to play Aadi at singles next year". That summer I grinded day after day with friends, my dad, or even by myself. The hard work I put in taught me a lesson: you have to be odd to be number one, and that's exactly what I did. I began playing #1 Singles sophomore year all the way to the end of senior year where I finished 16-8 and almost qualified for state. My coach and teammates constantly pushed me, whether I was up 6-0 5-0 or down 0-6 0-5. I was always told to continuously put in effort, to stay humble in victories and to keep my head up in losses. To coach, it never mattered whether I won or lost as long as I tried my best and I had fun. I've applied this to my daily life. I've taken more risks and challenges in my academic career and more by not being scared to fail and instead being excited to learn. In college, I plan to stick to the same mentality: you have to be odd to be number one. Being number one is a personal goal and it's a continuous journey for me to follow. To conclude, I believe my academic success (straight A’s for 4 years) and my athletic journey in tennis makes me a prime candidate to receive Stephens's scholarship. Yet, I say this in acknowledgement that there are several other candidates promoting Stephens' grandparents' values who have proven their capabilities in and out of the classroom and I truly believe that regardless of the recipient, they’ll make good use of it for themselves and their community.