Growing up as a second-generation Indian American, I have been exposed to western and eastern cultures throughout my development. I am very grateful to have been exposed to these cultures because they both bring completely different elements to my individuality. I can appreciate its benefits and understand its importance. The main contributor to cultural integration has been technological advancement in an increasingly globalized society. This, among many other perks of technological explorations, like Artificial Intelligence, has inspired me to pursue a future career in technology and engineering. When I talk about myself, I cannot omit the fact that I'm a twin. My twin brother, diagnosed with severe autism and developmental delay, is the main inspiration behind my passion for engineering, especially robotic engineering. I always ponder how I can help my brother develop verbal, social, and self-help skills. His everyday struggles must be addressed, and I intrinsically feel a responsibility to be part of his solution. How can we avail technological advancement to its full potential to help those who struggle to reach theirs? My journey to becoming an engineer and an innovator starts from here. The lack of well-trained professionals to teach autistic children in school settings is a significant drawback for one-on-one sessions. My brother never received a one-on-one session with his therapists at school. Group therapy is very distracting, and he was denied the social skill group due to his inability to focus. My mom fought for it but never received a favorable answer due to the lack of well-trained professionals. However, instead of hoping for a well-trained professional to appear, what if I learned to code one? As technology continues to become more affordable, one child and one robot could eventually be an efficient solution. The robot can provide individual and undivided attention to a single child in accordance with the preferences, disabilities, and needs of the child. Robotic inventions are changing the way of the modern world. Robots are less intimidating than humans. When I speak from experience, I understand autistic people have difficulties processing and understanding other people's emotions. Interacting with a robot is much easier for them than with humans. I always engage with my brother to bring out his deep, delved personality. Most of the time, the interactions annoy or frustrate him, which breaks my heart. In this scenario, interacting with a robot can help my twin brother overcome the social development barriers that prevent him from engaging in meaningful interaction with me. The best engineering college with hands-on experience is Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. My goal is to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Robotics from that university to aid me in my ambitions to build and invent a unique robot that can facilitate the development of children with autism. However, Kettering is a private institution and far more than what I can afford. Therefore, I'm applying for as many scholarships as possible to turn my vision into reality.

"Come here buddy, give me a hug". I saw my mom trying hard to hold her tears in. She was lying on the bed. I have never seen her in such a state so far in my life. I ran to her and hugged her. I sensed something was wrong. She looked into my eyes and asked "Will you be there for your twin brother for your entire life?" I was in middle school and my twin brother Akshay was in a self-contained classroom for special needs. He is diagnosed with severe Autism Spectrum Disorder & is non-verbal from a very young age. She was looking at me. "Of course, mom! I'll always be there". Later my dad conveyed to me that she is diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and it has spread to her lungs. That was the saddest day in my life. I couldn't imagine my days without her. My brother always clings to her. How is he going to accept it? She has undergone severe treatments, and surgery, and my dad spent long hours taking care of her and my brother. Focusing on his job was very difficult for him. He lost his job and his debts piled up. I got emotional support from the social worker and tuition support from the youth club. After 3 years of continuous treatments, my mom got into remission and after one more year, my dad found a job. I learned the hardships of life from a very young age. The importance of being able to support one's family when they are in crisis will never be easy if they have no money. I decided to do the Dual Enrollment and Early College Program in Engineering courses through high school when I was in 11th grade. I studied hard and attended evening classes too as part of my Early College. My brother has his puberty episodes every day and showering him and helping him with daily schedules have become a part of my chores. I joined as a volunteer in Friendship Circle for teen trips for kids with autism and disabilities. I helped my brother with community outings through the friendship circle and he became the biggest strength in my whole life. He taught me patience, kindness, love, and empathy. I maintained a GPA of 3.88 out of 4.0 scale. Awards of Excellence, Dean's list, Perfect Attendance, Principal's List, Honor Roll, the National Technical Honor Society awards and CTE Certifications in Robotics Systems are all the results of my discipline and hard work. I couldn't continue in my Boy Scouts in 12th grade as I have to attend evening classes and have to concentrate on my part-time job as a warehouse worker. Winning this scholarship will definitely lessen my financial burden and help me to continue to focus on my pursuit to achieve a Bachelor of Engineering Degree which will lead me to my dream job and thus help me support my family and develop the community.