Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Women in STEM Scholarship will help me in completing my educational goals and my future career goals. I am currently in my first semester of my freshman year in the University of Kentucky and currently on my way to earning a dual degree in Business Management and Computer Engineering with a possibility of getting a minor in Computer Science. If I were to continue at the normal pace it would take me about five to six years to accomplish but I'm determined to finish either on time with my graduating class of 2028 or at most an additional year so I will be taking summer classes with a sprinkle of some winter intersession courses to hopefully speed along what I need to get done. Once I graduate from University of Kentucky, my goal is to get my law degree at one of the top 25 law schools in the US. Attending a top law school will hopefully give me an edge to have a chance to practice law with the Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate General (JAG). For deciding my majors, specifically choosing something from the STEM field, I realized that I will need to be a part of an industry that is going to grow and keep advancing no matter the part of my life that I am a part of the field. Everything in life is related to business but a business degree is very common and I wanted something that will push me academically and put me above the rest of the competition. I have always been good at math and since I was able to read, I have always been surrounded by computers and learning how to code for them. That structure has made me interested in advancing technology today like artificial intelligence (AI) and I believe with my degree in Computer Engineering and minor in Computer Science, I can make a difference in the field surrounding it. The biggest fear of advancing technology is advancing it too much and creating a universe where the Terminator can be created or a type of Ultron can attempt to destroy humanity. With my degree in Computer Engineering and my goal to become a lawyer, as a woman in the STEM field I want to limit the possibility of technology becoming corrupted by being made with the wrong goals or getting stolen by a force that wants to ultimately take over the world. While a little dramatic, technology is a fickle thing and I want to not add unnecessary deaths that could have been saved if from the beginning the use of AI in robots that were put on the field during wars were better managed. While I myself might not be able to single handily stop it, I want to create something that could and that is my goal for joining the STEM field.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Kayla Nicole Monk Memorial Scholarship will help me in completing my educational goals and my future career goals. I am currently in my first semester of my freshman year in the University of Kentucky and currently on my way to earning a dual degree in Business Management and Computer Engineering. If I were to continue at the normal pace it would take me about five to six years to accomplish but I'm determined to finish either on time with my graduating class of 2028 or at most an additional year so I will be taking summer classes with a sprinkle of some winter intersession courses to hopefully speed along what I need to get done. Once I graduate from University of Kentucky, my goal is to get my law degree at a top 25 law school. This will hopefully give me an edge to have a chance to practice law with the Marine Corps as a JAG. I decided to further my education in STEAM because the future is going to be AI centric and I know that if I want to stand out, I need to be ahead and get the knowledge of the future now. Because I want to be a lawyer, I have come to realize that the new wave of law suits are going to be against AI companies because AI can be used to take an image of a person or the sound of their voice and be able to replicate it in any media. This has been shown with background actors signing contracts that allows people to use the image of the actor without asking permission. Within the 7 years I am in school, AI capabilities will increase and I know that if I want to have a solid future, I need to get ahead of it now. I also do not want a terminator that will eliminate mankind because it sees one too many dystopian movies. So I'm hoping that while I'm in school for my law degree, I can help not turn our world into a wasteland as seen in most AI movies. This scholarship will help me focus on my education instead of worrying if I would be able to pay for the next course. It will also help me settle my college debts sooner so once I start my own family in a hopefully terminator-less world, I do not have to be plagued by debts that were needed to create a solid life. Thank you for looking over my application and for at least considering me to earn this scholarship.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Kumar Family Scholarship will help me in completing my educational goals and my future career goals. I am currently in my first semester of my freshman year in the University of Kentucky and currently on my way to earning a dual degree in Business Management and Computer Engineering. If I were to continue at the normal pace it would take me about five to six years to accomplish but I'm determined to finish either on time with my graduating class of 2028 or at most an additional year so I will be taking summer classes with a sprinkle of some winter intersession courses to hopefully speed along what I need to get done. Once I graduate from University of Kentucky, my goal is to get my law degree at a top 25 law school. This will hopefully give me an edge to have a chance to practice law with the Marine Corps as a JAG. If I were to earn the Kumar Family Scholarship, it would greatly help me create a better life for myself. I am the oldest child out of five kids and while my parents want to help pay for my college education because they want their kids to be more accomplished than themselves, they still have four other kids they have to help get through elementary, middle, and high school. I know with the family business and trying to survive economically, they have their hands full and I do not want to be much of a burden or cause of worry for my parents already hectic lives. I also do not want to be in my adulthood trying to start my own family but having to worry about college debt. My overall goal is that I can allow my own kids to got to college mostly worry free and not have to worry about their parents trying to pay for their college. I also do not want them to feel like they need to get a job during college if they don't want to like I had to do to at least take some of the burden from my parents. With the money from this scholarship, I hope I can make myself a life I can look back at and be proud of all my accomplishments without them being tainted with college debt like most kids in America have to worry. I thank you for looking over my application and at least considering me for earning this scholarship.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Ben Brock Memorial Scholarship will help me in completing my educational goals and my future career goals. I am currently in my first semester of my freshman year in the University of Kentucky and currently on my way to earning a dual degree in Business Management and Computer Engineering. If I were to continue at the normal pace it would take me about five to six years to accomplish but I'm determined to finish either on time with my graduating class of 2028 or at most an additional year so I will be taking summer classes with a some winter intersession courses to hopefully speed along what I need to get done. Once I graduate from University of Kentucky, my goal is to get my law degree at a top 25 law school. This will hopefully give me an edge to have a chance to practice law with the Marine Corps as a JAG. My interest in majoring in computer engineering stems from my father who is a veteran of the Marine Corps. After my father retired from the military when I was around six, he started teaching himself how to code in the basic language of C and most of the time he would sit me on his lap and start teaching me how to code as well. As the years have progressed, so has his knowledge on programming languages that he has shared with me. With the recent hype of AI, he too learned how to create his own version of Artificial Intelligence and he would usually bounce his ideas off of me when he was dealing with a bug. With the future leaning toward being AI centric, and my background in knowing how to create websites or build RPGs, I realized that along with my goal of owning a business, I should also help with stopping the Terminator from being built. I have also realized that with me becoming a lawyer, most future law suits are going to stem from AI with its ability to steal faces of actors or possibly learn how to steal voices of singers. AI opens a philosophical debate surrounding anything law and I realized that I should be ahead of the game and start becoming certified in the future. With a mix of growing up around programming and hoping to make a noticeable change in the world, I have become very interested in computer engineering, although the different math classes required for my degree are a bit challenging. I thank you for looking over my application and at least considering me the opportunity to earn this scholarship.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Dynamic Edge Women in STEM Scholarship will help me in taking the next step forward with my education and toward completing my future career goals, especially those revolving around STEM. After I graduate from high school in May 2024, my goal is to get a bachelor's degree in either business, some type of management course, or mechanical engineering, specifically aerospace engineering. So far, I have been accepted into four universities but my top choices are either Regent University or the University of Kentucky. If I decide to attend Regent University, then I will complete a business course but if I decide to choose the University of Kentucky, I will then have to pick between the engineering course or business major. I am so far leaning more toward the University of Kentucky than Regent because of their engineering program and the proximity to my family. Either way, once I get my bachelor's degree in whatever major I choose, I want to go to school for an additional three years so I can obtain my law degree, a Juris Doctor (JD), during my graduate years of college. From there, I want to join the military and become a lawyer with the Marines for at least four years. My favorite tech invention of the last ten years would have to be the Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT). While artificial intelligence has been around since the 50s, Chat GPT itself has opened my eyes to artificial intelligence being more than just simple Non Playable Characters (NPCs) I have created within games. I have done research on the workings of how AIs like Chat GPT has been built and I have learned that it is simple high school math used in the code. Math terms I have learned in my Honors Algebra II and Honors Pre-Calculus class have popped up like Magnitude, Dot function, Distance formula, mid-point formula, trigonometry, etc., and I understand the math. While in the class I had no idea how I could use the math I learned in real life, software programming has allowed me the chance to exercise the lessons I thought had no use in the real world. This has further interested me in the advancement of AI and software development as a whole. From my perspective, AI is the future despite movies like Terminator depicting the unfortunate future, and I want to get ahead of it so hopefully there is not a terminator created. That is my future goal as a Dynamic Woman in I.T.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Anthony Bruder Memorial Scholarship will help me in taking the next step forward with my education and toward completing my future career goals. After I graduate from high school in May 2024, my goal is to get a bachelor's degree in either business, some type of management course, or mechanical engineering, specifically aerospace engineering. So far, I have been accepted into four universities but my top choices are either Regent University or the University of Kentucky. If I decide to attend Regent University, then I will complete a business course but if I decide to choose the University of Kentucky, I will then have to pick between the engineering course or business major. Either way, once I get my bachelor's degree in whatever major I choose, I want to go to school for an additional three years so I can obtain my law degree, a Juris Doctor (JD), during my graduate years of college. From there, I want to join the military and become a lawyer with the Marines for at least four years. Unfortunately, my time as a student athlete was short since during my freshman year I was forced to comply to the Covid-19 regulations that were implemented on schools and I moved from California to Tennessee in my sophomore. Luckily, I was able to squeeze in a new sport, Wrestling, into my schedule during my junior year of high school. During this time though, I was the Drill Team commander in JROTC and I was taking advanced courses like AP US History and three honor classes. I got into the wrestling season when it started but I missed out on a lot of pre-season opportunities so I felt like I was always one step behind. I was able to pick up quickly in the sport from my experience with martial arts and was able to stay on top of both teams with my academics always being a priority. During my senior year I was a part of JROTC as the intelligence & security officer, I took three dual enrollment courses, and I became team captain of the Lady Hawks Wrestling team. I worked hard and had an easier time managing all my activities with the idea of student being more important than athlete. Being a student athlete taught me the importance of time management, stress management, and keeping my eyes on what was important, which were always my grades. My parents always insisted that if my grades got to a certain point they would pull me out of my extracurriculars because they knew that if I wanted a future in college, I had to have good grades. Because of their support, my lowest grade was an eighty-nine in physics. Now more than half way through my second semester, I will be ending all my classes with A's. Living the life of a student athlete hasn't changed my goals for my career that I had since middle school but it did change my personal goals, which I know would impact how I reach my career goals. I have become healthier, stronger, and my knowledge in how to protect myself has increased. I want to continue being an athlete of some sort in college and I know I can do it because I did so much during my high school career.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Jessie Koci Future Entrepreneurs Scholarship will help me in taking the next step forward with my education and plans to create my own business. After I graduate from high school in May 2024, my primary goal is to get a bachelor's degree in business, specifically some type of management course. So far, I have been accepted into four universities but my top choices are either Regent University or the University of Kentucky. If I decide to attend Regent University, then I will complete a business management course but if I decide to choose the University of Kentucky, I will then have to pick a regular business class, though I do not know which one yet. Either way, once I get my bachelor's degree in whatever type of business I choose, I want to go to school for an additional three years so I can obtain my law degree, a Juris Doctor (JD), during my graduate years of college. From there, I want to join the military and become a lawyer with the Marines for at least four years. I have chosen this education path because from a young age, I always wanted to own a business/an idea. Now, I am genuinely interested in creating a business that will revolutionize an industry either with an idea or my dedication toward an objective that would secure my dream. My family from all sides have started a simple business that has evolved into something big. My great uncle on my father's side created a store that sold records in the 80s and was able to help his family by giving them pieces of the business. My aunt on my father's side started a music store that is slowly expanding to now beyond her home. My grandparents on my mother's side manage a screening business that helps keep them a float. My own family runs a Diamond Art business that has become a number one seller for the product. All my life I have been surrounded by people who have thought outside of the box to create something for themselves and I want to follow in their footsteps by solving a problem with my own business. I know that having a great idea for a business doesn't automatically secure your success but while most businesses lack cash flow to keep sustaining their businesses, my goal is to earn scholarships, like this one, so I don't go into debt. This will allow me to work during my college days and save up to create my dream through my business. A successful life for me is a happy family, economically & physically secure, and hopefully making a positive impact in my community.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Robert F. Lawson Fund for Careers That Care Scholarship will help me in taking the next step forward with my education and toward making a positive impact on the world. After I graduate from high school in May 2024, my goal is to get a bachelor's degree in either business, some type of management course, or mechanical engineering, specifically aerospace engineering. So far, I have been accepted into four universities but my top choices are either Regent University or the University of Kentucky. If I decide to attend Regent University, then I will complete a business course but if I decide to choose the University of Kentucky, I will then have to pick between the engineering course or business major. Either way, once I get my bachelor's degree in whatever major I choose, I want to go to school for an additional three years so I can obtain my law degree, a Juris Doctor (JD), during my graduate years of college. From there, I want to join the military and become a lawyer with the Marines for at least four years. Currently, as a cadet of the Army JROTC, I am a part of several teams that include Color Guard, Saber Guard, and Honor Guard which allows me the opportunity to help my community by presenting the American flag at schools or elderly homes, performing special ceremonies for the students at Rossview High School, and opening important events like assemblies and games with presenting the colors. I am also a Lady Hawks varsity wrestler and team captain. Stereotypically, lawyers are seen as evil, ignoble, devil-spawned beings that are known for their frivolous law suits and outrageous prices for said law suits. They are seen as ruthless and heartless because they usually tear into people on the stand and seem to be cocky about what they are doing. The thing is though... they must complete these things to get to the truth. As human beings, we all lie. A natural occurrence that we have been doing since we learned right from wrong. As lawyers, it is their job to pick through the falsities and find the nuggets of candor from people. It is their job to bring justice to those who deserve or protect people that are being wrongfully accused. If they cannot trust themselves, how can people believe in a lawyer that doesn't have enough confidence to get them the justice they deserve? This is why I want to become a lawyer. Being a lawyer allows me the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world through my career. While I do not know what type of lawyer I want to be yet, I do know I want to bring justice. In a society we are in now where words are being censored and everybody wants to step on others because of their attributes, I want the world to be safe for my children. So while I am fighting for my country and even after, I'm going to make a positive impact on the world by fighting for justice.

Since joining JROTC as a freshman, the number one goal was to become the Battalion Commander. Throughout the next three years, I worked hard to achieve this goal by joining a variety of teams, participating in different events, and keeping my grades up. Finally, at the end of my junior year, my hard work was rewarded and I was given the chance to interview with my Major and Command Sergeant Major for the position. I went into the interview feeling confident about my responses to the questions asked until they inquired whether or not I intended to rejoin the wrestling team. Knowing this decision would make or break my most desired achieved goal, my response to the question would be vital. The Commanders wanted a fully committed candidate to JROTC and not someone who would split their time between obligations. The dilemma was that I fell in love with the sport, team camaraderie, and adrenaline rush I got when my team qualified for the state championship the year before. I wanted to use my leadership skills to help bring back the state championship for my school. I hesitated for a moment, but my answer was clear even before the instructor asked the question. Unfortunately, I did not get the position I had aspired for my entire high school career, but instead placed on the primary staff as the security and intelligence officer. At first, I felt disappointment because I had promised myself I would be the Battalion Commander but I failed. Fortunately, what I felt quickly turned into determination because I was going to work hard and help bring home the state championship for my school. Although I continued to give my free time to the JROTC program and their many community events, I immediately put all my energy into becoming an asset to my new wrestling team. Using the same determination, drive, and leadership skills our wrestling team was able to become the Team Captain of my school’s wrestling team my Senior year. This experience has prepared me to enter the adult world by lighting a fire within myself. While initially a cheesy thing to consider, I feel my confidence has definitely soared after my senior year because while a "No" from one person could just be another door opening for a "Yes." Going into the real world as an adult instead of an adolescent where I can't back down and I have to stand my ground requires me to be determined and confident because no one will fight for me except for me. That is how I have used overcome adversity and used it as a stepping stool.

Since joining JROTC as a freshman, the number one goal was to become the Battalion Commander. Throughout the next three years, I worked hard to achieve this goal by joining a variety of teams, participating in different events, and keeping my grades up. Finally, at the end of my junior year, my hard work was rewarded and I was given the chance to interview with my Major and Command Sergeant Major for the position. I went into the interview feeling confident about my responses to the questions asked until they inquired whether or not I intended to rejoin the wrestling team. Knowing this decision would make or break my most desired achieved goal, my response to the question would be vital. The Commanders wanted a fully committed candidate to JROTC and not someone who would split their time between obligations. The dilemma was that I fell in love with the sport, team camaraderie, and adrenaline rush I got when my team qualified for the state championship the year before. I wanted to use my leadership skills to help bring back the state championship for my school. I hesitated for a moment, but my answer was clear even before the instructor asked the question. Unfortunately, I did not get the position I had aspired for my entire high school career, but instead placed on the primary staff as the security and intelligence officer. At first, I felt disappointment because I had promised myself I would be the Battalion Commander but I failed. Fortunately, what I felt quickly turned into determination because I was going to work hard and help bring home the state championship for my school. Although I continued to give my free time to the JROTC program and their many community events, I immediately put all my energy into becoming an asset to my new wrestling team. Using the same determination, drive, and leadership skills our wrestling team was able to become the Team Captain of my school’s wrestling team my Senior year. This experience has prepared me to enter the criminal justice realm to better serve victims by lighting a fire within myself. While initially a cheesy thing to consider, I feel my confidence has definitely soared after my senior year because while a "No" from one person could just be another door opening for a "Yes." Going into the criminal justice world as a lawyer where I can't back down and I have to stand my ground unless someone could get wrongly accused requires the same fire of determination and leadership I exemplified throughout my years in high school. After I earn my law degree, I want to join the armed forces with the Marine Corp and as I am serving my country, I want to be a lawyer. This will allow me to protect my loved ones and help bring justice in the military. That is how I believe I can make a difference.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Greer Innovation Scholarship, A Scholarship For Creatives, will help me in taking the next step forward with my education. After I graduate from high school in May, my main goal is to get a bachelor's degree in business, specifically some type of management course. So far, I have been accepted into four schools but my top choices are either Regent University or the University of Kentucky. If I decide to attend Regent University, then I will complete a business management course but if I decide to choose the University of Kentucky, I will then have to pick a regular business class, though I do not know which one yet. Either way, once I get my bachelor's degree in whatever type of business I choose, I want to go to school for an additional three years so I can obtain my law degree during my graduate years of college. From there, I want to join the military and become a lawyer with the Marines for at least four years. Currently, as cadet of the Army JROTC, I am a part of several teams that include Color Guard, Saber Guard, and Honor Guard which allows me the opportunity to help my community by presenting the American flag at schools or elderly homes, performing special ceremonies for the students at Rossview High School, and opening important events like assemblies and games with presenting the colors. I am also a Lady Hawks varsity wrestler and team captain. My creativeness comes out either through my fictional writing where I can freely create worlds or through video editing where I can manipulate elements of the world around me. I like to think my want for a different world came through my passion of reading where, since I was in fifth grade, has grown to a big variety of books that include the Harry Potter books to 1984 to A Series of Unfortunate Events. These books have inspired me to want to create a world of my own through my creativeness and I want to express this through my own business. My experience with creativity has influenced my belief, relationships, and career aspirations in a way that allows me to believe I can change anything I set my mind to. If I don't like something, then I am going to figure out a way to find a solution by thinking outside of the box and looking at ways I can manipulate elements to what I need most. I attend Rossview High School and I believe my school does need to use more innovation to increase engagement with school pride. While the education part of Rossview is great and we are one of the best schools in Clarksville, the pride in the school has definitely decreased over the years I have attended. The school needs better ways to engage with students who are more focused on themselves than they are with others.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Brian Lara Memorial Scholarship will help me in taking the next step forward with my education. After I graduate from high school in May, my main goal is to get a bachelor's degree in business, specifically some type of management course. So far, I have been accepted into four schools but my top choices are either Regent University or the University of Kentucky. If I decide to attend Regent University, then I will complete a business management course but if I decide to choose the University of Kentucky, I will then have to pick a regular business class, though I do not know which one yet. Either way, once I get my bachelor's degree in whatever type of business I choose, I want to go to school for an additional three years so I can obtain my law degree during my graduate years of college. From there, I want to join the military and become a lawyer with the Marines for at least four years. Currently, as cadet of the Army JROTC, I am a part of several teams that include Color Guard, Saber Guard, and Honor Guard which allows me the opportunity to help my community by presenting the American flag at schools or elderly homes, performing special ceremonies for the students at Rossview High School, and opening important events like assemblies and games with presenting the colors. I also was an assistant basketball coach for a team of 9-10 year old's for the city of Clarksville. Through my experiences in helping my community either on my own time or through the school, I learned the way of giving back to those who need it. As a Latina who grew up in America but learned Puerto Rican traditions, I understand being underrepresented because I'm not dark enough for one race or light enough for another. Once I finish serving my country and settle down, I want to start my own law firm business. Through my business I want to help students and kids get the opportunity to do great things without making them cut corners just because statistically they fail at certain checkpoints. I want to set up something that will allow students to get the tutors they need to be able to confidently apply to top tier schools like Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, or even Harvard. I have learned throughout my experience as a student is that cutting down grades just so more students pass will not help but instead fundamentally hurt students and their chances of getting the education they deserve. By hopefully winning this scholarship, I will be able to pay off my college debts quicker and have more time to help students like myself wanting to make a different but not wanting to cut corners in their education.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Frederick J. Salone Memorial Wrestling Scholarship will help me in taking the next step forward with my education. After I graduate from high school in May, my goal is to get a bachelor's degree in either business, some type of management course, or mechanical engineering. So far, I have been accepted into four schools but my top choices are either Regent University or the University of Kentucky. If I decide to attend Regent, then I will complete a business course but if I decide to choose the University of Kentucky, I will then have to pick either the engineering course or business. Either way, once I get my bachelor's degree in whatever major I choose, I want to go to school for an additional three years so I can obtain my law degree during my graduate years of college. From there, I want to join the military and become a lawyer with the Marines for at least four years. Unfortunately, my wrestling career started late in my high school life. My freshmen year was ruined by the Covid-19 pandemic that shutdown schools and most extracurriculars, which included sports, in California. I was only able to join the JROTC drill and color guard team. After my first year in high school, my family packed up and left the state because we were having trouble staying afloat and moved to Tennessee. My second year of high school was focused on building a life I was comfortable with and getting used to the new school system where instead of the standard 10 point grading scale, it was a 7 point grading scale. My math was advanced from learning in California but I was severely lacking in my Language Arts department. I was not prepared to join a new sport and instead kept with JROTC's drill and color guard team. In my junior year, I was finally stable enough to join Rossview's Wrestling team and started learning the new sport. The problem in my junior year was that I was swamped with becoming Drill Team commander and taking more advanced classes in preparation for college that I wasn't able to truly fall in love with the sport until the middle of the season. I worked hard but I only became varsity for a few weeks when the main person got injured. But that moment... That moment made me want to become varsity the following year. I worked hard the rest of my school year as I helped my wrestling team place 2nd in the Tennessee State duals and got my drill team back on a winning streak. In my senior year, the wrestling team had a schism and instead of one wrestling team, there were two, a male and a female team. I was now a part of the brand new Lady Hawks Wrestling team. Most of the power houses on the female team left for another school and the few who were left behind had to build the team back up. I was made captain of the team and made sure to work my butt of to become a varsity wrestler that helped encouraged my team to become the best student-athletes that they could. My team placed 6th in regional duals and I placed 6th in individual duals. While I did not have a long wrestling career in high school, I was still proud of myself for all the work I was able to put into the team during my senior year with the leaderships skills I learned.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe the money from the Barbara J. DeVaney Memorial Scholarship Fund will greatly help me create a better life. I am in my second month of being a senior and I'm hoping to have a great final year in high school. I am currently a part of the Army JROTC as the intelligence and security officer while being a part of the Color Guard, Saber Guard, and Drill Team. I am also a part of the Lady Hawks Wrestling Team and the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) organization. I like volunteering and giving back to my community so I like to assist coach basketball players who are around the age of nine to ten. After I graduate from high school, my goal is to get a bachelor's degree in either business or engineering depending on which university accepts me. I want to go to either the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) or Notre Dame University. If I get accepted into UNC, then I would only major in business for four years. If I get accepted into Notre Dame, then I will double major in both engineering and business for five years to obtain my bachelor's degree. Once I get my bachelor's degree in whatever major(s) I choose, I want to go to school for an additional three years so I can obtain my law degree during my graduate years of college. From there, I want to join the military and become a lawyer with the Marines for at least four years. If I were to win, the money from the Barbara J. DeVaney Memorial Scholarship Fund would greatly help me create a better life. I am the oldest child with four younger siblings and I will be leaving for college once I graduate from my senior year of high school. While my parents want to help pay for my college because they want their kids to be more accomplished than themselves, they still have four other kids they have to help get through school. I know with the family business and trying to survive economically, they will have their hands full and I do not want to become too much of a burden. I also do not want to be in my adulthood trying to start my own family but having to worry about college debt. With the money from this scholarship, I hope I can make myself a life I can look back at and be proud of all my accomplishments without them being tainted with college debt.

My name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Bright Lights Scholarship will help me immensely for my future plans. I am currently a senior in high school and once May of 2024 passes, I will be a high school graduate and getting prepared to go to college. Before I graduate, I do have last-minute goals I want to complete before I leave. I want to get As in all my classes and excel in my extracurriculars. This involves me bringing back a first-place trophy for my wrestling team at state duals because we only got second place last year. I also want to continue getting my JROTC Drill team trophies since we got one for the first time since COVID-19 hit last year. I want to graduate with the highest honors and as long as I continue with the path I am on, I should hopefully be able to earn the type of diploma I want. Once I do graduate from high school, my goal is to get a bachelor's degree in either business or engineering depending on what college I go to. I want to attend either the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) or the University of Notre Dame. I have not yet decided if I should get a master's degree but once I am done, I will go to school for another three years to get my law degree. From there, I want to join the Marine Corps and become a lawyer with them. The Bright Lights Scholarship will help me achieve my future academic and professional goals much easier than if I did not have the help of this scholarship. I am the oldest of five siblings and will be the first child to leave my parents' home. I have big ambitions and while my parents would love to help me in any way they can, they still have to take care of my four younger siblings and their futures. I know I will have to work so I can get the books I need and to pay for my dorm and tuition but I'm hoping to not be in too much debt like I have heard from most graduated college students I have talked to. This scholarship will help me fight off the quicksand of debt and allow me to move on from college faster instead of having to worry about debt when I should be moving forward with my life.

I have a lot of experience being a good leader from being the oldest daughter out of five kids to being a part of JROTC since I was a freshman to being a part of school extracurriculars like being president of a club, being a part of Wrestling and a part of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Through all my experiences, I believe I possess three big qualities that make anyone a good leader. I am a motivator, a communicator, and a uniter. In my opinion, without these attributes, I would not have been a part of groups of people who have succeeded in great things. To begin, I am a motivator. I like to think with my attitude, I can draw people in and give them the motivation to become the best they can possibly be. To make people want to improve themself, I believe a leader has to have a positive attitude during everything they do and be a real team player. Studies show that people do not want to be around people who are self-centered and do not care for anyone else. That is not how you motivate people. A leader needs to be a teacher and show people the way that is required. Next, a leader needs to be a communicator. A leader needs to not only be able to speak to motivate others but also be able to listen to everyone. Everyone has a voice that could greatly help and improve any project or goal that wants or needs to be achieved. There is no room for any misunderstandings of any messages that need to be communicated and it helps stop any possible future conflict that might arise that could disturb others but instead be dealt with responsibly. Communication also helps improve relationships between the team and makes sure nobody is left behind. Finally, a leader needs to have the ability to unite others toward a common goal. I believe this quality brings together the other two qualities, motivator and communicator, to be used effectively on the field or any place where leadership is required. Nobody is the same and everyone has different skill sets that could be valuable in any type of situation. Being able to unite people and blend their skills makes a strong leader. To conclude, the qualities I possess that I believe are crucial to being a great leader are having the ability to motivate people toward a common cause, communicating among people to lead them successfully, and having the ability to unite everyone no matter their differences.

As an avid reader, this question is very difficult to answer because there are so many good books to read. Want something full of action but the mood is very depressing and heartbreaking? The Series of Unfortunate Events is a great read. Want a book based on Gods and Goddesses but is still a fantasy? The Percy Jackson books are a must-read. Want to read about attempted Utopias and the main character breaking the system? The Divergent Series is really interesting. There are so many choices of good books that could easily be chosen but my favorite book that I think people should read is Animal Farm by George Orwell. The book is centered around a farm and its animals. The animals don't feel like they are being treated the way they should be so they decide to take over the farm themselves and rebel against the human in charge. This allows the animals to be equal and happy... until there are specific animals that are more equal than the other farm animals. This story is a watered-down version of the author's other book, "1984". Animal Farm was more children-based and light-hearted despite the harsh reality the book shares in its theme: corrupted leaders in power will do anything to control the masses with schemes and lies unless individuals start to think for themselves. In my opinion, in this day and age, this message needs to be spread. Politics and disagreements have become a big thing in society as those in power make everyone fight each other over silly things when we should be united. In the story, when the animals didn't have to worry about fighting each other, they were able to accomplish their goal of revolting against their tyrant but once their heads started to get messed with, they could not revolt and were stuck under their new tyrants' thumbs. This seems to be happening to us in today's world. This book has left an impact on me since I read it in 5th grade and I believe everyone should read it.

I am surrounded by music every day. Whether it is from my love of listening to songs for background noise, or the people around me sharing their favorite songs and artists, I am always surrounded by songs. It's always different. My music choices vary depending on my mood and activities. For example, if I am working out I would want some type of upbeat song or a song that I can easily nod my head along with the beat. If I am doing homework I will want a song that has a catchy tune where I can mouth the lyrics but do not have to focus on it because I have listened to the song too many times. I am a Latina and my father loves sharing anything and everything about our culture which does include music. From fast-beat salsa songs that just make you want to have a twirl in the middle of the living room to slow, sad songs where you can look out the window and pretend to be in a music video where you don't have to know what the words mean but can hear the pain in the way the singer adds tone to their song. I am also considered a Gen-Z meaning everyone is listening to some type of music either through their Beats or when somebody makes a TikTok video. To put it simply, I am surrounded by different types of music every day and it has changed the way I view the world. When I listen to music, it seems to give depth to life. I am young, only just turned 17 in July and have not experienced much in my short amount of time on Earth but these artists have. People like Mark Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilar, Barbra Streisand, and Chris Stapleton have lived through major events like falling in love, being happy with their lovers, agonizing heartbreak, and moving on more times than I have. Through all their poetic words are life experiences I get to temporarily live through. But it's not just the life I get to look through when I am listening to their songs. I also get to connect with different cultures with people all around the world sharing their songs and words for the rest of us to hear. Lara Fabian, a Belgian-Canadian pop singer and writer, sings love songs in eleven different languages just so she can sing about love in every way she can without limiting the feeling to just simple words in one language. I think that's how I would like to view the world. Being able to learn something new so I can add it to my ability to show others my own story. That is how music has shaped the way I view the world.

I love reading. I have a lot of interests that range from writing to video editing but reading is on a whole other level. Something about reading about a whole other universe and getting engulfed in the words always draws me towards books. My earliest memories of loving to read books were when I was in fifth grade and was reading the Harry Potter series. From there, I have read several series like Unfortunate Series of Events, the Percy Jackson books, Keeper of the Lost Cities, Hunger Games, Divergent, and many solo books. Each author of each story has always made me stop and think. Imagine what it would be like if I were a character in the book and had my own plot or just one of the extra characters that barely get a mention but still hold a vital role in the story. But it isn't just the joy I get from reading that makes me love reading. It's all the little lessons that I have read. For example, family is always such a huge concept in books. If not the first book of the series then definitely the sequel. Family is essentially the context of the character or, what I have learned, people in general. Family makes whoever the person is today because when the character is born, all they are is just a lump of insignificant clay that screams if their needs are not met. The time put into the child creates the person they will be later on in the chapters. The family creates the twists we readers love so much and all the angst we loathe but love in any good story. Family isn't always the blood relatives of the lump of clay either. Found family is always a common trope used and it's always exciting to read because if I were to look around my friends, I can easily say they are my family because they have helped form my, now not so much of a lump, piece of clay. I have learned a lot from all the books I have read but family is something I will never look twice at because of all the books I have read. All the books I have read have shaped my goals and ambitions for my future. I have read many failed utopia stories and broken people that I can sadly relate to with the people surrounding me in high school. I want to work hard, become someone people can look up to, and help better my country, and if I can, the world. People fight over the silliest things and soon, everything might crumble because no one can work together. Those are my goals that are shaped by all the reading I have done since fifth grade.

Disney has been a very influential aspect of my life since I have been a young child. From the juvenile age of five and watching The Little Mermaid to almost being old enough to leave my parents and now watching Lion King with my five-year-old brother, Disney has always made me feel magical. I could be in my bedroom watching Moana with my younger sisters or watching Aladin with my younger brothers and think that the happiest place was home with my family. Disney is a very big part of my life and I think without it I would not be where I am now. And maybe that is what my favorite thing about Disney is. It is the feeling that I'm not just some person watching a movie but instead in the world of whatever I'm watching, whether that is with Cinderella running down the stairs as the clock strikes twelve or talking to dancing dishes with Belle. It is magical. That is the simplest way to describe my favorite part of Disney. While Disney has hit a slump in producing quality action films and simple animated movies that do not have any hidden motives, Disney still gives me chills at how remarkable the stories are. To put it simply, Disney is my childhood. And not only my childhood but my four younger siblings' childhood and even my parents' teenage years. It has taught me so many things that I still apply today and throughout my high school career. I have learned from Tiana to face my fears and work hard for what I want to accomplish like in wrestling without relying heavily on others but knowing how to work with people who want to help me. I have learned from Rapunzel to step out of my comfort zone and instead of being the shy person in the background who doesn't know how to have fun, I instead learned to loosen up and have worked with kids younger than myself in either the classroom or on the basketball courts. I have learned to help others from Robin, how much family is important in this cold world from Stitch, to prove my honor in all my actions from Mulan, and knowing I have grown into something I should be proud of from Alice. Despite Disney not being as impactful now as it was back in my day, I still love Disney. Disney is something magical and something I cannot wait to share with my future family because of the impact it has had on my life.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the Lauren Czebatul Scholarship will help me achieve my goals financially. I am just about to enter my senior year of high school on August 7th and hopefully have a great final year. After I graduate my senior year, I will hopefully enter either the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) or the University of Notre Dame. If I get into UNC I will get my bachelor's degree in a business major as quickly as I could by taking summer courses and getting my master's degree after I get my bachelor's degree. If I get into Notre Dame then I will double major in Business and Aerospace Engineering as I get my bachelor's degree as quickly as I could. I have not yet decided whether or not I will get a master degree. Regaurdless of whether or not I get my master degree or what school I get into, I will be getting my law degree before I join the marines and become a lawyer with them. This particular scholarship will help me acheive both my academic and carreer goals. I am the oldest daughter out of five kids and I know college is really expensive. I am the first bird to leave the nest and while my parents want to help as much as they can in my dreams, they have to look out for my younger siblings and their own college dreams. This scholarship will help not put as much of a financial strain on them and help make college easier as I transition away from the safety of my parents' home and into the world. This scholarship will also help me not be in as much debt as I would be without it, meaning I will be able to work toward making my family comfortable and afford my future kids' dream rather than continue to pay my college debts. My extracurriculars during my high school years include Army JROTC, wrestling, and assistant coach to the Clarksville's 9-10 year olds basketball. In JROTC, I am apart of the Drill, Color Guard, Saber Guard, and Honor Guard teams. Since middle school though, I have always tried to volunteer at schools and become teacher assistants in elementary school, specifically Kindergarden and first grade classes. Since joining JROTC though, I have truly learned through service learning how valueable volunteering is and giving back to the community. It has led me to be more connected with the people of my city and since I live near an army base and a lot of veterans or military personel live around me, I am able to thank them for their service through volunteer work. Volunteering has also made me feel proud of myself and boosted my self confidence. I would like to thank you for considering me for the scholarship and hope you have a blesed rest of your day/night.

My dream version of my future self is a Latina who can make a name for herself but can happily come home to my family and not have to worry economically over my family.

There have been several movies that have impacted my life like Disney movies or the Star Wars movies but a movie series that has changed my way of thinking about anything and everything is the Final Destination series. There are five movies and each and every one of them has affected me in everything and anything I do. The first movie was out in 2000, the second in 2003, the third in 2006, the fourth in 2009, and the fifth in 2011. Basically, in each movie, a group of people is going to die in a plane crash, a rollercoaster accident, an accident on the highway, or some horrifying other way but one person sees the whole accident in a vision before it happens and tries to stop them. Only a small group would listen or not be able to get to where they will die and five minutes later, the accident occurs and the rest of the people die. The problem and the plot of the movie series are that death cannot be stopped no matter what. There is no way to stop it and it will kill whoever was supposed to die and whatever way they were supposed to die in the correct order. The only way to stop death is to a new life. The story is entertaining and gives great suspense despite the sometimes questionable acting, but the main hooker is all the different ways the characters die. This series is five different movies that show mundane and painful ways we can die if death was out for us. They die of simple things. I'm sure you have seen the meme where you are driving behind a truck full of logs. That meme is actually a scene in the second movie. I can never look at a pile of pipes or logs in a truck and not worry about them falling out and smashing into my car. Ever ridden on a roller coaster and wonder how safe it is? Final Destination 3 actually displays the fear with a series of unfortunate events. The movies have taught me to never put my hand inside a sink disposal and to look both ways before I cross the street. Afraid of bad luck? These movies are all about bad luck and have sent fear throughout my body about everything and anything that could potentially hurt me. This is why the Final Destination movies have changed my life. I would suggest watching it.

This is just a funny experience I had in my AP US History class that I thought I could share: So I'm in my class, not working on anything too demanding because it is one of the only times when we had free time. Out of nowhere, my teacher asks, "Is anyone from California?" Funny this is, I was born in California and lived there until I was 14. Usually I wouldn't mind stating that fact but something in his voice just made me pause and know that something was about to happen that involved my past home. So with a warm face, I raise my hand and just make eye contact with my teacher. His eyes widen in surprise, "You are from California? I would never have guessed it." I nod my head as I hear my friends start to laugh, "Yup." He shakes his head and continues with what he was thinking, "Well I don't hate California itself, I just hate Californians," my head falls onto my table, "Especially from Southern California," and I groan out loud as everyone starts laughing because I lived about two hours away from San Diego. I raise my head with a smile before I joke, "This explains my grades," and everyone joins in as my teacher quickly shakes his head with a smile. "No no no, nothing like that. Californians in the army make it out that other people should be jealous of them that they were from California." I shake my head with a laugh as I shrugged my shoulders, "There is nothing to be jealous of, gas prices are really high over there compared to here," which is in Tennessee. And my friend from my right adds, "And you can die from droughts." - At the time it was really funny and I thought I'll share a small story. Thank you for considering me for the winner of the scholarship and I hope you have a great rest of your day.

In my opinion, math is simple because there is no ambiguity about whether or not the answer is right or wrong. There can be hundreds of different ways to find the right answer but there is only one correct answer. In other subjects like English, and History there can be several semi-right answers but never one true answer that teachers want us to guess. Most of the answers from English all depend on the type of mood of the author or how deeply you want to connect with the characters. Most of the answers from History depend on your perspective of the event and where you stand on certain views. Math takes out the extraness that the other subjects involved. Math has a certain order to it. If you want to find X, then follow the PEMDAS rule or the GEMS rule but each one is essentially the same. The same rules you learned in first grade are the same rules the teachers remind us of in high school. There is a pattern to every equation and sometimes it can be fun to figure out a certain problem. Plus, it is always fun to figure out what each button on the calculator does.

One person I admire and who has inspired me to pursue further education would be my father. He is the smartest person I know and has had an unlucky hand dealt to him but has improved his lifestyle from when he was young. He grew up in the projects in the Bronx, New York. He never got good schooling because the school system where he was was terrible and he was also the type to drop out because he was afraid to get hurt by bullies who would try to intentionally hurt him and couldn't get help. He dropped out in his Sophomore year of high school and stayed at home to help his mother with his siblings. He wanted to join the police force and got through most of the training but decided against it because he thought he wasn't capable of it. The 9/11 terrorist attack happened and he was there to witness the falling of the twin towers. The terrorist attack convinced him to finally leave home and join the military, the Marines. He joined, went through boot camp, and got put into intelligence. He didn't have a high school diploma and was still considered one of the smart people in the armed forces. After ten years of military service, he was one hundred percent disabled and a veteran. He still wanted to serve his country so he decided to enter politics and became a part of the city council, and soon after mayor of his city for four years. Halfway through his term as mayor of Murrieta, he decided to get his Bachelor's degree at Regent University with my mother. Through his politics, raising children, and pregnancy, they both achieved their bachelor's degrees. Soon after, they decided to go to law school and only barely failed their bar exam. My father is a very smart man and has pushed me to gain my secondary education and become the best that I can be because he never got the same opportunity as I potentially do. I have always loved debating since I was young. I love finding hidden pieces of evidence to use and finding the best way to outsmart the other person. Since my father was in politics since I was young, I have learned about different views on how things should be run. I want to follow in my father's footsteps and speak up in favor of my country which involves debating what should and shouldn't be done.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I believe that the North Star Dreamers Memorial Scholarship will help me achieve my career goals. Currently, I am a junior who will become a senior in August this year. After I graduate my senior year in June of 2024, I will hopefully enter either the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) or the University of Notre Dame. If I get into UNC I will get my bachelor's degree in a business major as quickly as I could by taking summer courses and getting my master's degree after I get my bachelor's degree. If I get into Notre Dame then I will double major in Business and Aerospace Engineering as I get my bachelor's degree as quickly as I could and then get my master's degree. No matter what university I end up in, I will like to get my law degree at most three years before joining the military, the Marines, and becoming a lawyer with them. After at least four years with them, I will like to settle down with my own family and make my own business though I'm not too sure the type or for what. The North Star Dreamers Memorial Scholarship will be very helpful with my career and life goals. Colleges and Universities are not cheap especially since the cheapest one that I want to go to costs 100,000 dollars for four years and my family is not the richest. My parents have five kids who will all go to college after their high school senior year and I may be the first bird to leave the nest, they have to save money for the rest of my siblings. I also can only work so much in my high school years due to my extracurriculars in JROTC and Wrestling, and trying to keep my grades high so I can graduate with the highest honors. The money from this scholarship in the name of Dr. Jeremy Michael Higgins will help me lower the number of student loans and potential student debt I will have after I graduate from college. It will help lower the amount of stress my parents will have in addition to their oldest daughter leaving their home and lower my stress of trying to figure out college and life at such a quick pace. Thank you for thinking about choosing me as a potential winner of this scholarship.

While I do not have a drug or alcohol addiction, my grandfather on my father's side did have an alcohol addiction that affected my father, which affected my everyday life. My grandfather could not live without drinking and would make my father, as a child, run to a store and buy alcohol for him. Because he was so known, the people there would just let my father buy the alcohol and he would quickly go home to give it to him because my grandfather would be in a lot of pain. My grandfather couldn't go a few hours without drinking and it affected my father's home life. He grew up in the projects in the Bronx, New York. My grandfather owned a record store and whatever he earned, he would go out to a bar or a store and get drunk. He became severely sick when I was very young and died after I first met him. Before he died though, he made my father promise him to never get a tattoo, have at least one boy, and never become him: an alcoholic. My father kept his promise and never drank too much, always afraid to become his father. My grandfather died after an argument with my father and it shook him up because he never got to tell him he loved him. My grandfather's alcoholism affected my beliefs and relationships. I grew up with my parents always telling me, more my father than my mother, to stay away from anything too addicting and telling me the disadvantages of both drugs and alcohol. My father would always tell me what happened to his father and I would always heed his warnings by making sure to not get stuck with the wrong crowd at school. Both my parents also warm me to never say anything hateful when someone is about to leave the house. The world is crazy and anything can happen to anyone. Deadly car crashes are everyday occurrences, mass shooters can pop up out of the blue, and you never know when a deadly disease or a zombie apocalypse can happen. If a loved one died and the last thing you ever told them was you hated them, then you will forever deal with the guilt of your last words being something hateful. No matter the argument, my parents always tell each other they love each other. After every fight, I always tell my siblings that I love them.

Two main lessons from martial arts I have learned that I have been able to apply in my normal life and academics are discipline, responsibility and respect. Since freshman year, I have been a part of JROTC and have been on the Drill, Color Guard, and Saber Guard teams. These were not easy feats and required discipline to keep my bearing in competitions and events, responsibility by practicing my movements and respectably keeping my uniform professional, and respect by giving it to my superiors and instructors. There are many lessons I have learned from martial arts that I have used throughout my life but discipline, responsibility and respect are the main lessons that I have used throughout my high school career.

Everyone needs to manage their finances both as an adult and as a student. Once you start managing your finances or budgeting, you will start to have a better idea of how or where the money you have earned is going. This will also improve your credit score and help avoid debt. Credit is essentially the ability to borrow money with the promise and trust that you will pay back whatever you owe. A credit score is a number that predicts your ability to pay something back on time. This is important because as a student, this will most likely be your first time dealing with finances without a parent's or guardian's help. Managing finances will help figure out how much money and time is needed to pay back student loans and/or avoid debt so you can reach your financial goals after you graduate college and start saving to own your own home, vehicle, and whatever else is needed or wanted. There are many ways to manage your finances well to have the chance to live a good life without worrying about going into debt because of unpaid loans. One good way to manage money is to make a personal budget. This will help develop good money habits by adding your monthly income, and expenses and finding the difference between the two to figure out where your money is coming from and where it is going. Make sure to keep track of what you are spending so you don't get stuck in debt for forgetting or not preparing to pay for something. Another good way to manage money is to prepare for the future. Sometimes you get bad luck and forgot you have a deadline on a certain item that you must pay off and you will have to pay the additional money you don't have as a consequence for missing it. It is better to have backup money for emergencies than not having any. Make sure to buy what you need first before what you want, and set up automatic savings without the temptation of spending extra cash. Also, make sure to save for retirement. Start small and save a little amount every month to add to your savings account. If you start saving small, compound interest can add up and help achieve your goal to have enough money to retire early. Lastly, I make sure to establish good credit habits so I can be trusted to make loans. Credit scores show your creditworthiness and they might affect your ability to rent an apartment, get any type of loan, and get considered for a job. Make sure pay your bills on time and don't get too close to the limit of your credit accounts to establish a good credit history.

In my own words, feminism means getting both sexes, females and males, the same rights as each other. This is important because no race can survive without the other and both should have the power needed to contribute to society. Men cannot survive without women because we reproduce the population and we cannot survive without men because they protect our families. An inspirational person on feminism who has impacted my view on the matter is my father. He believes in the movement and agrees that women and men are equal but he has shown me ways to get my point across to everyone that anyone should have equal rights, no matter the gender. In today's world, most people view feminists as blue-haired crazy people who yell on social media or in anyone's faces about the reasoning why females are so much better than males. They whine on and on about how men are ignoring us and not doing anything to help. They yell at women who are stay-at-home mothers and who rather be at home with their kids than be stuck in an office. That's not a feminist but someone who just wants to whine about the unfairness and target anyone who does not agree with them. What they don't understand is that it makes everyone wary of the subject and not able to use their first amendment to speak freely in case they get scorned. My father has shown me these types of people and told me not to become one of those people but someone who can calmly disagree with someone without ending in a yelling match. He taught me to be strong by teaching me how to defend myself both with my words and fists. My father taught me how to work hard and be myself without having to worry about other people's unimportant opinions. I have contributed to the feminist movement in my community and school by being myself and not being angry at the word. I have joined all extracurriculars that I wanted to including JROTC and Wrestling. I work hard to keep my grades up and not become some sex object for boys to use. I show my worth in everything I do by becoming one of the best marchers in my battalion or becoming the third best during my first year in wrestling in my weight class. I may not go walking around with a sign in my hand yelling about the wrongness of sexism but instead show it through my actions.

Hello, my name is Amora Ramos and I am currently a high school junior who will graduate in 2024. My goal after my senior year is to attend a college, either the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) or the University of Notre Dame. My plan changes depending on which university accepts me. If UNC accepts me then I'm going to get my bachelor's degree with majoring in Business. If Notre Dame accepts me then I will double major in Business and Engineering. After I complete my bachelor's degree in my desired major, I will get my master's degree. From there, I have two alternate plans that result in me having a law degree and joining the Marines. I will either get my law degree first and then join the Marines or join the Marines and get my law degree during my service. The Jorian Kuran Harris (Shugg) Helping Heart Foundation scholarship will help make a difference in my college career by helping me achieve my life goals. While my family is not the poorest family on the block, they have five kids who are all going to college and I will be the first bird to leave the nest. I do not want to put any additional strain on them by trying to pay for a higher education they never could afford at my age. I know I'm going to have to work throughout my college years and I know I will be in college debt, but I do not want to spend my life worrying about paying for education as I'm trying to raise my future family. This scholarship will help take away the stress from my family and myself as I try to better the world with my education. A time that I experienced physical or emotional weakness was this year. My first year of high school was in California but it was too expensive so my whole family moved to Tennessee during my Sophomore year. I was settling in and didn't do much extracurriculars except for JROTC. Because of that, my resume wasn't full of eye-catching things to catch universities' interest. I decided to add myself to the JROTC staff and join a sport. For my staff position, I went to become Drill Commander and for my sport, I decided to join wrestling. I was made captain of the Drill Team and I qualified for the Rossview High School wrestling team. I also enrolled myself in an AP class and three honor classes; my plate was full. I had to balance academics and my extracurriculars as I tried to stay a student-athlete. It was a hard period during the wrestling season and trying to keep up practices with Drill while keeping my grades high but I was able to manage. I started to lean on my family and friends and asked for help where I needed it. This made me become a stronger leader and when I do it all over again next year to end my high school career, I know I will be able to complete everything I wanted to since I first entered high school.

The biggest challenge I have overcome was during the 2022-23 school year when I was trying to make a name for other colleges to grab. I haven't done much in my two previous school years except for one AP class, a couple of honor classes, and JROTC. Nothing significant enough was going to get me into the ivy league schools I wanted so I knew that I needed more to add to my resume. I was already trying out for drill commander in JROTC and hope to rise through the ranks but that wasn't going to be enough so I decided to choose a sport and that's when my career in wrestling started. I wanted a sport that would be useful outside of school and something I could do in college. I already had practice in martial arts with my black belt in Taekwondo and thought wrestling would be the easiest sport to pick up. I signed up and was ready to begin... That's when I got the letter that I was chosen to become drill commander in JROTC. My plate was full as it was but I also got accepted into another AP class and I couldn't afford to fail it or I would lose my chance at graduating with the highest honors. My plate was stacked and I had a lot of people relying on me. I worked hard to keep my staff position, and the wrestling team, and keep all my grades up. I was swamped with all the responsibilities but throughout it all, I had to learn to not work on my own and lean on others to help me. I have learned to not keep my stress all to myself and take time for myself because I will only go through high school once. I finished out the wrestling season by being on varsity for a short time, and my team went to state championships. My Let 1 color guard got placed and broke a losing streak for the drill team. I have gotten all A's these last 9 weeks and I am proud of what I have accomplished this year.