The distant thunder of artillery echoed across the broken cityscape, shaking the ground beneath Sergeant Elena Torres’ boots. She pulled her scarf tighter over her nose to block the acrid smell of smoke and twisted metal. Around her, the devastation stretched for miles—collapsed buildings, burned-out vehicles, and the faint cries of survivors trapped beneath tons of concrete and steel. Elena’s hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the controls of the CR-7, a state-of-the-art rescue robot affectionately nicknamed “Cruz” by her team. Cruz, a squat machine with articulated arms and a sensor-packed head, stood at her side, its optics glowing faintly as it scanned the wreckage. “Focus, Torres,” she whispered to herself, gripping the control pad. “People are counting on you.” The headset in her ear crackled. “Sergeant, we’ve located a heat signature three meters under the debris field near sector 12,” came the voice of Lieutenant Harris back at the operations base. “Possible survivor. You’re the closest unit.” “On it,” Elena replied, adrenaline sharpening her focus. She toggled Cruz into action, watching as its clawed hands flexed in readiness. The robot’s treaded wheels hummed as it rolled toward the coordinates, weaving carefully around jagged rebar and unstable rubble. As Cruz approached the site, its sensors painted a grim picture. The debris was dense, with beams and slabs interlocked in precarious positions. One wrong move could cause the entire structure to collapse further. Elena knelt beside the robot, opening its interface on her tablet. The screen displayed a detailed 3D map of the debris, generated by Cruz’s lidar and thermal imaging systems. A faint red outline marked the shape of a human body beneath the rubble. “You’ve got this,” Elena murmured to Cruz, as if the machine could hear her. In a way, it could; its semi-autonomous AI would adapt to her commands and the environment in real time. “Let’s start with the top layer,” she instructed, moving the joystick. Cruz’s claws carefully gripped a chunk of broken concrete, lifting it and placing it aside. The robot’s precision was remarkable, but the stakes made every motion feel agonizingly slow. Minutes stretched into what felt like hours as Cruz continued its delicate excavation. Elena monitored every movement, her pulse quickening each time a piece of rubble shifted ominously. Sweat trickled down her temple despite the chill in the air. The human-shaped heat signature on the tablet’s screen pulsed faintly, a fragile beacon of hope. Then came the voice. Faint and muffled, but unmistakably human. “Help…” Elena’s breath caught. “I’m here,” she called back, her voice steady despite the lump in her throat. “We’re going to get you out. Just hold on.” The cry was faint but urgent. “I can’t move… my leg…” “Understood,” Elena replied. “Cruz, priority: extract survivor.” The robot’s AI recalibrated, analyzing the safest path to reach the victim without causing further harm. Its arms extended, carefully creating a narrow channel through the debris. The headset crackled again. “Sergeant, be advised, the structure is unstable. Seismic sensors are picking up increased vibrations. You need to move quickly.” “Copy that,” Elena said, her voice firm. Her fingers flew over the controls as Cruz worked with machine-like precision. A slab of concrete shifted, revealing the pale face of a young woman partially buried in the rubble. Her eyes widened as she saw the robot’s glowing optics. “Stay still,” Elena instructed gently. “Cruz will lift the debris off you. I’ll guide it.” The young woman nodded weakly, tears streaming down her dirt-streaked face. Cruz reached out with its claw, gripping the beam pinning her leg. Elena adjusted the grip and angle carefully, ensuring the robot wouldn’t crush or jostle her further. “Almost there,” Elena said, her voice a mix of encouragement and focus. With a mechanical whir, Cruz lifted the beam, freeing the woman’s leg. She gasped in relief, though her face twisted in pain. “You’re safe now,” Elena reassured her. She activated Cruz’s onboard medical module, which deployed a stretcher and immobilized the woman’s injured leg. The robot’s gentle efficiency was a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding them. As Cruz carefully transported the woman out of the debris field, Elena felt a wave of relief and pride. This was why she had joined the robotics rescue unit—to bridge the gap between human compassion and machine precision, saving lives in situations too dangerous for people to navigate alone. Back at the operations base, medics took over, and Elena finally allowed herself to exhale. Lieutenant Harris clapped her on the shoulder. “Another life saved, thanks to you and Cruz. Nice work, Sergeant.” Elena nodded, her gaze drifting back to the battered cityscape. For all the destruction she had witnessed, moments like this reminded her of the resilience of the human spirit—and the boundless potential of robotics to amplify it. Together, they were rewriting the rules of what was possible in the face of unimaginable adversity. Hello, my name is Lael Ayala, and thank you for reading my short story. I am a third year Mechanical Engineering student at Harvard, and I am also an Army ROTC Cadet. This story was inspired by my dream to build robots for the Army. I hope you like it. Thank you, Lael Ayala

Clairo’s song, “Sofia ,'' deeply resonates with my life. The lyric “Sofia darling you and I, shouldn’t feel like a crime” reflects how I feel about my sexuality. I’ve known that I was gay since I was twelve. However, even though, America is very accepting toward gay people and so are my parents, coming out was very paralyzing. Logically, I know being gay isn’t wrong,but I was hesitant to claim that title. Perhaps it was because of my religious background. As a devout Christ-follower, being gay and a Christian seemed like a conflict of interest. It was a constant spiritual battle in my soul over what I knew I wanted versus what I am supposed to want. I knew being gay was a sin becuase it’s in the Bible, and same sex couples cannot procreate so it unnatural, and therefore against God’s will. However, it felt pretty natural to me, and I wondered why God made me this way. As a result of this cognitive dissonance, I decided to read the Bible cover to cover to help ease my anxiety and reveal some answers. While it did bring me closer to God and start a relationship with him, it only led to more questions than answers. Does God love me or hate me? That question had me running in circles. It was exhausting. Ultimately, I grew tired of asking pointless questions and realized that only I could give myself an answer. So I decided that even if being gay is a sin, we are all sinners, so I might as well live my life happy and free. God loves me either way. Admitting you’re gay to yourself is way different than coming out to other people. And as scary as coming out is, talking to girls is terrifying. So whenever I’ve had a crush on a girl, I would never voice it. Besides, having a best friend is just like having a girlfriend just without the kissing. That’s why I relate to the lyrics in “Flaming Hot Cheetos” that go “Girlfriend or girl, that's a friend? It's easy just to pretend.” I like to fantasize that a friend is my girlfriend, and when we would hang out that we were actually going on dates. With all these daydreams I came up with in my mind, I didn’t need an actual girlfriend. These thoughts deterred me from even flirting with girls. Overtime though, with the help of Clairo and other queer artists like Kehlani, and Janelle Monae, at 17, I had the courage to finally come out. It was hard and definitely one of the toughest obstacles I’ve ever faced in my life, but with music, and ironically, God’s love, I found the strength to live out in the open. Thank you, Clairo, for making music that impacts the lives of many and still continuing to give back to your hometown. Even if you don’t award me the scholarship, this essay made me realize how far I’ve come from the insecure 12 year old girl who was still figuring herself out to the strong authentic woman I am now. Once again thank you so much for your impact on my life. Love, Lael Ayala

My primary life goal is to produce impactful work that affects the lives of many in a positive way. I gravitated toward mechanical engineering to achieve this goal because I was naturally intrigued by math and science and its applications to solve complex problems. Ever since I was little, I have always wondered how things worked. I was probably one of few 6th graders reading books about the science behind television and the internet. Since then, I have grown stronger in my interest, and have gained unique engineering experiences. For example, this past school year, I was in an internship for Catalyst Coalition where we built a prototype for a UV-light sterilization box for the COVID-19 virus. Our prototype used a shoebox and a system that operated UVC-Light at a frequency that killed the most germs. It also had features to make it safe for users. It’s projects like this that help me understand how engineering can be used to help others. Because of these experiences, I’ve been more inspired to pursue a mechanical engineering career. Now, I am the Senior Captain for my high school robotics team. As a Captain, it is my job to integrate my teammate’s skill sets and lead them throughout complex tasks. When our robot nearly collapsed on itself during one of our competitions, I did not panic, but instead focused on the task of building a completely new robot in two weeks. Though we encountered many obstacles, one being an immense time constraint, I remained constant, encouraging, and optimistic. My feedback and suggestions to my team were constructive, but never belittling or negative. I believe that this trust and communication resulted in us buying into this “All In” mentality that allowed us to intensely focus on building this awesome robot in record time. As a result of our focus, our robot did much better and placed 4th in our next competition. Later, some of my coaches and teammates thanked me for my contributions and how they respected my serious, but positive attitude. They said they admired my tenacity and dedication to the team. They appreciated how instead of yelling at them and doing all of the work myself, I took the time to teach them the different engineering skills and included everyone in the development of the robot. I feel like I was a good role model for women in STEM because the following year there were twice as many girls who tried out for the robotics team as the year before. I believe that my leadership in STEM sets a positive example of how engineering projects can make a difference in one’s community and how Afro-latina and other minority women belong in the STEM fields. In regards to my future plans, I’m proud to announce that I will be pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree at Harvard University in the Fall, and be an Army ROTC cadet. After college, I am going to serve in the Army and I want to serve in the Engineer Corps. After I serve my 4 years active duty in the Army, I would want to work for the United States Space Force or NASA, so that I could use my engineering degree to serve my country and create innovative technology. Through my leadership roles I strive to advocate for those around me and create a positive impact on the world. I hope that I am selected for this scholarship so that I can continue to inspire young minority women in STEM in college and beyond. Thank you for your consideration, Alicia Ayala

Education has been the cornerstone of my family for generations. My Great-Great grandmother, Mama Inez Butler was one of the few African Americans in the early 1920’s to earn her Master’s degree. Her son, my Great- Grandfather, Dr. Wendell Butler, was also an icon as he was the first Black dentist and first minority Vice Mayor in his town of Roanoke, Virginia. The pursuit of higher education has transcended to my mother who has her Doctorate in Nursing and to me with my goal of graduating with an bachelors, masters, and ultimately a doctorate degree. My father also plays an instrumental part in my life. Coming from a family of Puerto Rican immigrants, higher education was not a priority. Consequently, my father was a C-student and never graduated college which is one of his biggest regrets . As a result, we studied rigorously . When I got a bad grade for my writing, he assigned me 5 extra writing worksheets a day. Even when other kids made fun of me for the extra homework, he insisted it was for my own good. He was right. In the 5th grade I won the Georgia state Award for best writer! Now, in high school, I’m thankful for my parents’ emphasis in education.Because of this instilled desire to learn new things, I joined the Robotics team, and have fallen in love with engineering. I’ve been doing robotics for the past 4 years, and this year I have been promoted to Lead Mechanical Engineer.Most people say that they never use half of what they learn in school, but I don’t know how many times I’ve used a geometry or physics formula to help me fix a problem on the robot. I have recently used my engineering and biology education in my current internship where we are building a UV-Light sterilization box for the COVID-19 virus. After hours of research and testing, my team and I were able to create a prototype using a shoe box and a system that operated UVC-Light at a frequency that killed the most germs, and added features that make it safe for users. We hope to make this a finished product soon, as a device like this could help the community. Without my STEM education, I would have never been able to complete such a difficult project. Overall, my education is the foundation of my principles, and has provided me many opportunities and perspectives for which I am grateful for. Through continued academic growth I plan to improve my community by creating innovative solutions through engineering. In the future, I hope to get other people inspired in STEM, and even start a scholarship fund for aspiring young minority engineers. My Great-grandfather had a moto. It was simple “I can do it “.With that, I humbly submit this essay in hopes of obtaining a scholarship to support my desire to continue his legacy to lead by example through hard work and education. Thank you for your consideration, Lael Ayala

I’ve thought about this question a lot, and my first instinct was to go with something cliché like my parents, or a relative. While my mom and aunt are certainly role models in my life, upon further inspection I realized that the first and most influential role model in my life is Batman. I discovered superheroes at four years old, and the first superhero I fell in love with was Batman. Me and Batman may seem like polar opposites, but he was the first person I looked up to, and modeled myself after. Something about the all black costume, martial arts skills, and mysterious demeanor drew me in, and I started changing myself. Before, I was a bit of a girly girl, and wore lots of bright dresses, but after I discovered Batman, I became a Tomboy, and wore lots of dark masculine clothing. I even started to walk like Batman, slow and calculating every step. You could not tell me that I was not a superhero! I am 16 years old now, and while Batman is still my favorite superhero, I am somewhat less obsessed. Nevertheless, Batman still influences who I am and the way I think today. For starters, I still like to dress in dark masculine clothing, and pretend like I’m always in deep thought. On a more personal level, Batman has taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to. With him being the only hero in the Justice League without superpowers, he had to rely on only his mind and his fighting skills to save the world. Even without powers he still managed to be a badass, fending off supervillains, and leading a team of superheroes who were more powerful than he was. He didn’t let not having powers stop him from beating intergalactic bad guys. This showed me that I can’t have any excuses either. No matter how daunting obstacles seem there was always a way through them; you just have to be clever enough as well as sometimes take risky measures to solve problems. Batman also taught me how to take control of my own life, and made me think of myself as this larger than life character. It’s kind of funny, but it made me think of myself as the main character in my own story in which everything happens for a reason, the obstacles are only designed for “character development”, and there will always be a somewhat happy ending. Thinking of life in this way made me assume that I was going to be successful at everything I did, and made me take more risks, because I knew I was going to be successful. While this isn’t true, of course I failed sometimes, but I was not afraid of failure because I knew that everything was going to work out. I mean, they can’t kill off the main character right? This type of thinking made me do bolder things such as investing in the stock market, starting a new diet, applying for leadership positions in my clubs. It made me stay with these new things even if they were hard (cutting back on sugar was a struggle) because I knew that I was eventually going to make money, have abs, and get that leadership position. Success is guaranteed. In addition to making me think that I could do anything, Batman also inspired me to become an engineer. Seeing Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox make all those high tech gadgets is what sparked my interest in engineering. I wanted to be like Batman and engineer things that not only look cool, but also help people, and make a difference in the community. Because of my interest, I joined my school’s robotics team in middle school, and I am now the Lead Mechanical Engineer for my high school’s robotics team. I have been a part of so many cool projects that help the community such as building a shower that saves people’s unused water so it isn’t wasted, and building a UVC light box to kill the Coronavirus. Because I saw Batman constantly helping people, I wanted to do the same and be more active in my community, and engineering is one of the ways I do that. It’s crazy how a superhero I discovered when I was four years old still affects my life today, and even caused me to want to be a mechanical engineer in the future. Our first role models really shape us forever. Thank you for reading my essay and giving out scholarships to students like me. I really appreciate it. Sincerely, Alicia Lael Ayala

The failure that I am most thankful for in my life is getting cut from the Thunderbolts softball team. For context, the Bolts were the #5 ranked 14 years and under softball team in the country. They had at least 10 Power 5 Division 1 coaches watching their games at all times, and they had numerous connections to D1 schools across the country. Being cut from the team meant that I had lost access to all those resources and opportunities that the organization provided for me. It was the first time I ever got cut from a team, and it was a major blow to my ego and self- confidence. However, it forced me to reflect, and ask myself why I wasn’t performing as well. It made me realize that I have been somewhat slacking off, and that the level of work that I was used to putting in, wasn’t going to cut it at the higher level. I needed to work twice as hard to be as successful against elite competition. I absolutely hated the feeling of rejection, but the rejection from the Bolts motivated me to work harder, and push myself, so I would never get cut again. I took my skill development seriously and did many strength training and speed conditioning programs. I never went a day without hitting, and hit at least 4 buckets of balls a day. I started dieting and intermittent fasting, so I can get in better shape. I also got into yoga and stretching to keep me loose and relaxed. I even focused more on my mental game, visualizing my at bats, recording a log of what worked in my at bats and what didn’t, and practicing positive self- affirmations like “I Got This!” All of these things made me a better softball player. I am now 16 years old, and I am thankful that getting cut from the Bolts caused me to undergo these lifestyle changes over the past 2 years. I am now on the EC Bullets, the #11 ranked 16u team in the nation. Even though they are not as good, I realize that I am happier now with this team because it feels like more of a family. I also realize that I didn’t need the resources the Bolts had in order to be successful. I had D1 coaches looking at me for my own merit, not my team’s reputation. I am confident that the changes I made after getting cut, are what led me to be committed to Harvard University softball team, a D1 and Ivy League school (Yes, I’m actually committed to Harvard lol, and will be going there after I graduate High school). Even though getting cut from the Bolts was the lowest moment in my softball career, it reignited my motivation to work hard everyday and for that, I am thankful. Also, thank you for reading my essay, and giving out scholarships to girls like me. I really appreciate it, -Alicia Lael Ayala

To the woman who gave me life: You fed me and nurtured me Before I even knew your name Though I cried and threw fits You loved me just the same You’ve been there for me Since my literal day one Singing me lullabies Like “The Lake, the Moon, and the Sun” All the tears and blood and bad days You washed away with your kiss Oh how people search far and wide For love as pure as this When I’m stressed about school You say “Don’t worry, be Happy!” And we dance in the kitchen To the best of Bob Marley When I am up to bat, you cheer At the top of your lungs Your obnoxious screaming and shouting Are why I hit so many Homeruns We laugh and laugh And hitch goofy fits We would tell dad our jokes But he probably wouldn't get it From long talks in the car To your interrogations of questions Your words and wisdom Have taught me many lessons You always have my back And front and sides too When I need some advice I always call you Whenever I’m tired and anxious You rub my head and we snuggle I swear no matter how old I am I’ll never be too grown to cuddle Everyday after work Your real job begins You clean, and cook, and take us to practice By golly, your work never ends Though you toil and labor Day in and Day out You never complain For you love us, without a doubt Your Unconditional love Is one like no other For that I am eternally grateful To call you my mother

Hello, My name is Lael (Lay-el) Ayala. I’m a 16 year old Afro-Latina. I love playing softball, and running( hence why I’m an outfielder :) I enjoy hikes, and being out in nature. I am very passionate about STEM; I am the Lead Mechanical Engineer for my High School Robotics team. I like hanging out with my friends, and going on new adventures. On the surface, I’m just an average teen. But, of course, people are more than what they appear to be. Like all black people in America, because of our history, we never had the same opportunity or resources. My Great- Grandfather, Dr. Wendell Butler, realized that education was the key to liberation. He graduated from Howard, got his doctorate in Dentistry, and became the first black dentist in his city of Roanoke, Virginia. This is pretty impressive considering it was the early 50’s, and he lived in a mostly white town. Grandaddy instilled his values of education and hard work into future generations, and eventually me. Because of this emphasis on education, as early as I can remember, I’ve had the dream to go to an Ivy League college. While my mom’s family (Black) had an established value for higher education, my dad’s family(Latino) did not. Coming from a family of Puerto-Rican immigrants, just going to college would be an accomplishment; to go to an Ivy League college, however, now that was an ambitious feat. I knew softball would be my ticket to the Ivies, so I worked my butt off in the classroom as well as on the field. I was mostly studying, working out, or playing. Finally, all my hard work came to fruition when Coach Allard called to offer me a spot on the Harvard University Softball Team! Of course, I was ecstatic. I could not wait to tell Grandaddy. He was happy for me for being able to go to a school like Harvard, and for being able to achieve one of my dreams. However, he was quick to remind me that it’s not your education that matters, but what you do with it. He iterated that Harvard was a place for difference makers. It should not be enough for me to go to Harvard, get my degree, and then get rich. I should want to change the world. While changing the world sounds a bit ambitious, I do plan on using my Ivy League education to make a difference in my community . When I graduate from Harvard, I’ll be the first one on my dad’s side of the family to graduate from college, and one of the few black female engineers to graduate from Harvard. I want to use my experience and education to help other black, latinx, and first generation women get involved in STEM, and get into the Ivies. As a black woman, it’s important for me to help other black women in any way I can because there are so few of us in predominantly white institutions, and in career fields like engineering. Whether it's in the form of mentoring, creating organizations, or providing scholarships, black women have to look out for each other, and create more opportunities for us to succeed. Besides making a difference in my community, I do hope that the quality of my education allows me to be a millionaire by 35 :) But seriously, I want my career to be meaningful and helpful to others. That’s why I am interested in Robotics. Robots are literally designed to help humans with everyday tasks, and to make humans lives’ easier. Robots are the present and the future, and I hope that one day I’ll be able to start my own robotics company, or at the very least build rovers for NASA. In addition to meaningful work, I also hope that my career gives me the opportunity to travel. Traveling is a big goal of mine, and I hope that my liberal arts education from Harvard will give me an even more worldly perspective, so that I can deeply appreciate and understand the different cultures I interact with. All in all, my education will make me a more well-rounded person. It will give me insight into different cultures, and strengthen my love for traveling. It will give me the experience necessary to be successful at big engineering companies like BostonDynamics and SpaceX.It will provide more opportunities for me to make a lasting impact in the world, and help other black women succeed too. But most importantly, it will let me meet other amazing and driven people who will inspire me to be my most confident and courageous self. Thank you for giving me, a black girl, an opportunity to succeed. Even though I am going to Harvard, I currently cannot afford it. So, I appreciate you offering scholarships to give girls like me more of a chance of getting into an Ivy League institution, and helping black women rise to the top. Once again, thank you for reading my essay, and allowing me this opportunity. Sincerely, Lael Ayala