Switching from a small, hands-on private school to a large, fast-paced public school exposed my weaknesses in studying, work ethic, and overall effort toward school. These realizations became very clear at the beginning of my sophomore year at my new high school, where I learned I was not as “advanced” as I had formerly believed. Even though I had never physically seen my new classmates, I was still able to realize in each Zoom box the skills and drive that I lacked in order to be an effective student. This pushed me to adapt to different and more fast-paced teaching styles. Looking at my grades may not show it, but sophomore year was the most impactful year of my high school career because the skills I obtained would otherwise not have been gained until my freshman year of college. As someone who enjoys being involved in the community around me, I believe this was one of the more upsetting setbacks. It challenged me to participate in other activities and services that students do not tend to participate in because of the perception of irrelevance to college applications. Some of these things included volunteering at National Honor Society-sponsored events, putting up bulletin boards around the school, coat drives, and roadside clean-ups. Serving as a Patrol Leader in Boy Scouts during this time provided a crucial outlet for me to contribute to community service initiatives while honing essential leadership and problem-solving skills. After returning to in-person education junior year of high school, I took on more leadership roles outside of school, becoming the Senior Patrol Leader in Boy Scouts, President of the Robotics Club, Recruiter for the National Key Service Club, Vice President of the Python Club, and a council member of my church's Youth Against Peer Pressure group. Although these roles were not initially my preference, they underscored the importance of supporting positions and the collaborative effort required to make a community feel less like an institution. As Patrol Leader, I was able to develop skills that are easily transferable to leadership roles, despite the difference in purpose and duty. I was able to properly learn the responsibilities revolving around overseeing group dynamics, making decisions under pressure, and ensuring the success of collective efforts. The combination of these things has equipped me with invaluable leadership experience that will undoubtedly translate seamlessly into future roles. As an undergraduate student majoring in information science on the data science track, I have developed a strong interest in applying ethical data practices to develop real-world business solutions. Through courses in Object-Oriented Programming, Entrepreneurial Opportunity Analysis and Decision-Making, and Database Design & Modeling, I have learned to collaborate on analytical projects and apply data-driven solutions throughout the entire project life cycle. Through my current role as a data engineering intern at Navy Federal Credit Union, I have been able to apply techniques in SQL, ETL processing, and Power BI development to increase efficiencies, generate reports and dashboards, and drive business results throughout Real Estate Lending. This realization has motivated me to pursue a master's program that is not only focused on technical theory but also focuses on business implications and applying technical tools to drive business insight. I aspire to pursue roles such as Business Intelligence Analyst, Data Strategy Consultant, and Data Scientist, allowing me to bridge the gap between business and technology through ethical data use.