As a professional gymnast, I train for nearly 20 hours a week. Since six years old, I have been training every week to learn the skills to compete against the best in the state and the country. The days are full between school and the gym, but it has disciplined me to use my time wisely. Through my experience as a gymnast, I learned to understand the difficulties of overcoming disadvantages and how to cope with the ups and downs of my sport. My dream has been cut short each of the last three years. COVID canceled the national championship in 2020, then I tore my ACL in 2021. Only weeks away from qualifying for my first National competition, I landed wrong from the high bar and suffered my first major injury. That day, I had a choice to make. Either I could walk away from my dream with my head held high and be proud of what I accomplished, or I could rise above the injury and get back to where I wanted to go all along. I said let’s go, and my parents gave me the support I needed and made personal sacrifices for me to continue my journey. After ACL surgery and nine months of rehabilitation, I again qualified to compete at the USA Men's Gymnastics National competition, this time in Mesa, Arizona. Out of 185 participants from across the United States, 51 advanced. I placed 52nd, just missing advancing to round 2 by .3. Having come so far, I was frustrated that my 2022 season was ending, but I am determined to increase my skills to get back to Nationals next year, my last opportunity before high school graduation. This experience helped me understand the trials I might face in the future, and what it will take to accomplish my dreams no matter what the circumstances may be. While my sport has been important to me, my other dream is to become an aeronautical engineer. To achieve this dream, I have been taking AP and college-level courses to prepare and take me to the next level. With hard work and perseverance, I have maintained over a 4.0 through high school, and with my love for math and science, I look forward to continuing my education at a high-ranking engineering university so that I can one day build commercial and military aircraft. To afford the school of my choice, I need financial assistance. My parents are government employees who have accomplished much with their college degrees, but there are limitations on what they can afford. Throughout my childhood, I have observed the right ways to achieve my dream job by admiring the hard work of my parents. Both of my parents had to work part-time and full-time jobs while they attended college. They both earned bachelor’s degrees that led to careers in government for Tarrant County and the State of Texas. I am very proud of what they accomplished, but I know they have higher expectations for me and my brother to succeed beyond where they reached. Thanks to their example, I am committed to reach higher by working hard and giving it my all in both high school and college. And I know that my education will someday allow me to become an aeronautical engineer, and build commercial and military aircraft for the greatest country in the world. Please help me realize my full potential and consider this request for the Blaine Sandoval Young American Scholarship. Kind regards, Ahren Peters

As a professional gymnast, I train for nearly 20 hours a week. Since six years old, I have been training every week to learn the skills to compete against the best in the state and the country. The days are full between school and the gym, but it has disciplined me to use my time wisely. Through my experience as a gymnast, I learned to understand the difficulties of overcoming disadvantages and how to cope with the ups and downs of my sport. My dream has been cut short each of the last three years. COVID canceled the national championship in 2020, then I tore my ACL in 2021. Only weeks away from qualifying for my first National competition, I landed wrong from the high bar and suffered my first major injury. That day, I had a choice to make. Either I could walk away from my dream with my head held high and be proud of what I accomplished, or I could rise above the injury and get back to where I wanted to go all along. I said let’s go, and my parents gave me the support I needed and made personal sacrifices for me to continue my journey. After ACL surgery and nine months of rehabilitation, I again qualified to compete at the USA Men's Gymnastics National competition, this time in Mesa, Arizona. Out of 185 participants from across the United States, 51 advanced. I placed 52nd, just missing advancing to round 2 by .3. Having come so far, I was frustrated that my 2022 season was ending, but I am determined to increase my skills to get back to Nationals next year, my last opportunity before high school graduation. This experience helped me understand the trials I might face in the future, and what it will take to accomplish my dreams no matter what the circumstances may be. I feel that I am a good candidate for a scholarship at your university because I have demonstrated the attributes of being a hard worker, leader and a collaborator through my experiences as a professional Level 10 gymnast. Through this sport, I have overcome trials and setbacks to go on to compete at gymnastics’ highest levels. Now I know that with hard work and my proven track record at school, I can succeed in all areas of my life. I have also learned the value of giving back by volunteering each year to Gabriel’s Promise, a charitable organization that helps provide an education for underprivileged children in Sudan. As I continue to achieve my personal goals, I look forward to working more with those who have less. Please help me realize my full potential and consider me for this scholarship. Kind regards, Ahren Peters

At this point in my life, I have two goals – to further achieve as a competitive gymnast, and to become an aeronautical engineer. As a gymnast, I train for nearly 20 hours a week. The days are full between school and the gym, but it has disciplined me to use my time wisely. I have also learned to cope with the ups and downs of my sport. My dream has been cut short each of the last three years. COVID canceled the national championship in 2020, then I tore my ACL in 2021. I worked hard to recover and came back to compete at my first national championship in 2022 in Mesa, Arizona. Out of 185 participants from across the United States, 51 advanced. I placed 52nd, just missing advancing to round 2 by .3. Having come so far, I was frustrated that my season was ending, but I am determined to increase my skills to get back to Nationals next year, my last opportunity before high school graduation. While my sport has been important to me, my other dream is to become an aeronautical engineer. To achieve this dream, I have been taking AP and college-level courses to prepare and take me to the next level. With hard work and perseverance, I have maintained a 4.0 through high school, and with my love for math and science, I look forward to continuing my education at a high-ranking engineering university so that I can one day build commercial and military aircraft. To afford the school of my choice, I need financial assistance. My parents are government employees who have accomplished much with their college degrees, but there are limitations on what they can afford. I feel that I am a good candidate for this scholarship because I have demonstrated the attributes of being a hard worker, leader and a collaborator through my experiences as a professional Level 10 gymnast. Through this sport, I have overcome trials and setbacks to go on to compete at gymnastics’ highest levels. Now I know that with hard work and my proven track record at school, I can succeed in all areas of my life. I have also learned the value of giving back by volunteering each year to Gabriel’s Promise, a charitable organization that helps provide an education for underprivileged children in Sudan. As I continue to achieve my personal goals, I look forward to working more with those who have less. Please help me realize my full potential and consider this request for financial assistance to attend college and pursue a bachelor's degree in engineering. Kind regards, Ahren Peters

As a gymnast, I train for nearly 20 hours a week. The days are full between school and the gym, but it has disciplined me to use my time wisely. I have also learned to cope with the ups and downs of my sport. My dream has been cut short each of the last three years. COVID canceled the national championship in 2020, then I tore my ACL in 2021. I worked hard to recover and came back to compete at my first national championship in 2022 in Mesa, Arizona. Out of 185 participants from across the United States, 51 advanced. I placed 52nd, just missing advancing to round 2 by .3. Having come so far, I was frustrated that my season was ending, but I am determined to increase my skills to get back to Nationals next year, my last opportunity before high school graduation. While my sport has been important to me, my other dream is to become an aeronautical engineer. To achieve this dream, I have been taking AP and college-level courses to prepare and take me to the next level. With hard work and perseverance, I have maintained a 4.0 through high school, and with my love for math and science, I look forward to continuing my education at a high-ranking engineering university so that I can one day build commercial and military aircraft. I feel that I am a good candidate for this scholarship because I have demonstrated the attributes of being a hard worker, leader and a collaborator through my experiences as a professional Level 10 gymnast. Now I know that with hard work and my proven track record at school, I can succeed in all areas of my life. Please help me realize my full potential and consider this request for financial assistance.