Practicing martial arts has taught me to have an empowered mindset. This mindset was born from my black belt test. At my dojo, we refer to the black belt test as the "Crucible test". The name refers to the process of the refinement of metals at extreme temperatures. In the same way, the “Crucible test” is meant to refine us, as martial artists, so that we come out of it as stronger people. To earn my blackbelt, I was required to endure endless rounds of sparring; demonstrate the excellent performance of a myriad of martial arts techniques; and complete hundreds of repetitions of push-ups, crunches, and squats. Halfway through the test, my legs gave out from all the squats, and I collapsed on the ground from intense leg cramps. At that moment I had a choice: give up or find it somewhere within me to finish my test. I chose the latter. So now, when my college professors swamp me with papers to write, exams to study for, and assignments to complete I am prepared. I am prepared because I know that I am capable of enduring the storm and thriving in the refining fire. That is why, when I feel overwhelmed with my academic responsibilities, I simply remind myself: "It's just like The Crucible." Being rewarded with this scholarship would greatly help fund my dream of going to physical therapy school so that I can one day use movement to empower others, just as martial arts did for me.

I started teaching martial arts in August 2018. As a teacher, I am firmly passionate about using martial arts to transform the lives of my students by teaching them the importance of respect, integrity, and discipline. Teaching has been the most invigorating experience of my life. Every time I go to work, I am privileged of having a myriad of opportunities to positively impact my students. I once had a student who was very lazy and gave little effort to the techniques in class. These types of students are what I like to call “opportunity students.” Instead of viewing him as a burden, I saw him as an opportunity. I decided to do what is called “catch them doing something right.” As soon as I saw this student exhibiting positive behavior, I praised him for it. His behavior changed drastically. Instead of laziness, he gave me his best effort. You would’ve thought he was a completely different kid. It is that experience, and many more just like it, that fuels the crackling fire that is my passion for teaching. There’s nothing more fulfilling than making a positive impact on a student. I’ve seen students change for the better drastically, and it never gets old. I feel incredibly blessed and privileged to be a part of the lives of my students. This mission fuels me and inspires me.

Around the globe, 24.9 million people remain trapped in modern-day slavery. 71% of trafficking victims are women and girls. And each year, human trafficking earns profits of $150 billion. My goal for the future is to not be a bystander. I can't stand by, knowing of the suffering these people, and wait for the world to do something about it. For my future, success will be defined by how many people I'm able to help. However, my plan to help others will take an extensive amount of education, experience, expertise. As a soon graduating senior, I plan to go to the local community college after high school. Doing so will help cut my college costs so more money can go towards my future. After this, I would like to transfer to a four-year college where I can major in international business and logistics. My ultimate career goal is to work in either a disaster relief or slavery combating organization. The reality is that these organizations need logisticics experts to transfer resources all across the globe. This would be me. I've already interviewed members of organizations I'd like to work for and they've given superb advice on getting into this career field. I'm currently looking at colleges such as California Maritime academy, Texas A&M university, and others which can provide me with the education I need. After college, I also need internships. I hope to one day intern for Samaritan's purse, a disaster relief organization. I believe that they can offer me vital experience for my career. Additionally, I understand that my future career will require me to travel a lot, therefore in college I plan to study other languages and take study abroad courses. All these puzzle pieces fit into my ultimate plan to helping others.

From the moment my students walk into the dojo, they have the goal of achieving a black belt. They want to look like the ninja turtles, power rangers, and karate kids they see on TV. Even though I do want my students to be great martial artists, I have a more important goal for them. As a martial arts teacher, I ultimately desire to help my students improve their character. After four years of teaching martial arts, I've seen kids go from timid to confident, from out of control to disciplined, and from prideful to humble. It is a process that takes time but is invigorating. As a kid who struggled with his self-esteem, this mission is personal to me. I love it when I can teach a shy, timid student a jump-spiraling sidekick to show them what they are capable of. I strive to show my students that they are more than what they limit themselves to. I like to say that martial arts is a vehicle for self-discovery. I use martial arts as a tool to teach my students confidence, discipline, and respect. I like to refer to trouble maker students as "opportunity students." Problem students aren't burdens but an opportunity to change a life. I have a pair of twin students with whose self-control I've been working on for the past two years. They typically like to be interrupting and bother other students. But recently, their discipline and leadership have drastically improved. I never gave up on my attempts to positively change their behavior. I believe you should never give up on a student.

Throughout my three years of teaching martial arts, I have lived by the following motto: I will teach this class because it is the most important class I'll ever teach; I am patient and enthusiastic, and I lead by example. The motto is called the instructor's creed, and many martial arts instructors use it to help them get in the teaching mindset. As a teacher, patience is imperative to everything I do. During my years of teaching, I've encountered numerous students who are defiant or consistently interrupt me. When I encounter these students, I also confront a temptation. It is the temptation to lash out, to let my frustration take control, and to put them in their place. However, if there is anything martial arts has taught, it is to control your emotions, and if there's anything teaching has taught me, it's that the students that are the most difficult to be patient with need patience the most. The truth remains that for my students to improve in martial arts or with their character, I must be patient with their rate of progression. My job as a martial arts teacher goes far beyond kicks and punches. It extends into teaching my students good character. I want my students to grow into disciplined, self-controlled, and patient people. But how can my students do that unless I am willing to first set the example for them myself? It is my job to lead by example and show my students how to treat others with patience.