Tennis is a sport that looks simple from the outside but has its intricacies once you start playing it. As soon as I picked up a racket, I was addicted. I had never faced a challenge like it, a sport that required more than just physical ability and a sense of belonging with a team. I had to be strong individually and couldn’t rely solely on my double partner to carry the match. Tennis was about finding the opponent’s weakness and exploiting it for points. It was contrary to everything I had known about sports in the past. Being in tennis showed me the importance of practicing and working as an individual. Every match was a chance to learn something new. Recognizing my shortcomings became easier the more I practiced, and aiming to improve them allowed me to see my growth by the end of the season. I’ve become more observant and well-rounded by working on communication with my doubles partner and my coach. The traits I have developed as a tennis player have helped me decide what I want to become in the future. I work well individually and with a team. I know how to spot weaknesses and address them. I’m willing to fail to succeed. These things have led me to engineering. It requires the duality of personal responsibility and the ability to work in different situations. The career is defined by finding weaknesses and solutions to them. It needs a person that thinks outside the box to succeed. Everything I’ve learned in tennis has helped me learn more about myself and apply it in the search for what I want to do with my life. It helped me adapt and look at a broader picture to find my interests. Being in athletics has given me the knowledge and skills to work with others I may not know and find common ground to build upon. It has taught me how to improve myself and how to use criticism without being influenced by it. Tennis has given me lifelong friends and a sport I can play well into the future. It’s changed my outlook on the world as well as the appreciation I have for other sports. I relish a challenge, which is why I took up the racket, but tennis has expanded my opportunities more than I could’ve imagined. I’m excited to take the next step in my life and go to college, but I will never forget what tennis has given me.

I live a healthy lifestyle with deliberate choices to have a smaller impact on the environment. My family has grown a garden every year so we spend less money on fruits and vegetables from the grocery store that require transportation and processing. We often trade the cucumbers and watermelons we make to our neighbors for fresh herbs and eggs. We raise beef for ourselves and sell it to others as well. It allows us to rely on ourselves and not encourage the wasteful processes regular grocery items go through. We reuse a lot of our waste and recycle items of glass, plastics, and cardboard. We compost organic waste and reuse it as fertilizer. Everyday choices that become habits are what impact our environment the most. How much water we’re using, for how long, and whether we’re using it efficiently is just a small part of our impact on the world around us. Many people are so focused on carbon emissions caused by transportation that they neglect the other forms it can take. Using electricity, for example, is one of the most impactful ways we can directly influence our carbon footprint. Most electrical plants are not run on sustainable energy sources, so using electricity as efficiently as possible is necessary to reduce environmental damage. Switching to LEDs, turning off lights instead of leaving them on all day, and switching to solar-powered outdoor lighting are some of the changes I’ve made. It’s also important that I create as little food waste as possible. Instead of going to the grocery store and buying what I want, I buy only the ingredients I need and try to eat as fresh foods as possible. When available, I’ll go to the farmer’s market for groceries instead. Over the week, less is thrown away and composted. I buy recycled products including clothing items to encourage the recycling and repurposing of items. If I can, I use public transportation to get to and from school to reduce the amount of gas I use. I live sustainably by being environmentally conscious and aware of the consequences my purchases may have on a larger scale. I think long-term with the items I buy, searching for quality, reliability, reusability, and recyclable purchases. I am food and fashion-conscious because those two industries are what cause the most pollution. I am aware of the impact my choices may have in our future and choose to live sustainably to promote the health of our environment over the demands of regular society.

When it comes to passions, everyone has their niche. They come in the form of hobbies, work, and even outside organizations such as clubs that band together in common interests. I am passionate about nature and human's impact on it. I am a conservationist caretaker and believe we should be more concerned with how we use natural resources, especially those of dwindling availability. Most resources are harvested for profit. Because of this, the effectiveness of the harvest is lacking, often having detrimental effects on the surrounding environment. In precious metal mining, poisonous concentrations of heavy metals are left behind and kill anything it touches. In uncontrolled deforestation such as what occurs in South America, the habitat itself is destroyed. I want to find a way to design machines and programs that will make harvesting processes more effective and more environmentally conscious. I know I have what it takes to overcome the obstacles in my way because I have the determination to persevere no matter what. I am not afraid of asking for help when I need it and am willing to work with others to find out how to beat that obstacle. Most obstacles serve as building blocks and tests to help me reach higher and dream bigger. Some obstacles, like school and sports, are good. Others such as the death of a family member test my mental and emotional health and make me realize other parts of myself I need to improve. The belief that failure is necessary to succeed allows me to move past what I have done wrong and become a better person. I also don’t take obstacles for granted. I realize that if I cannot climb over them, then maybe another path was laid out for me to take. Not every mountain is to be climbed by the same person, but none of them are insurmountable. In the future, during and after my college experience, I plan on working with local organizations to improve the community. I’ll volunteer at neighborhood centers, food pantries, and shelters. I’ll assist in organizing fundraising events to benefit the community. I believe in helping people in person, but I’ll also donate a portion of my earnings and time to national organizations such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Feed My Starving Children. It’s important to recognize and contribute to needs outside my own. Generosity and kindness will better the world. It only takes a little effort to change someone’s life.

My family inspires me to get involved in my community. Since I was old enough to understand, my parents taught me the importance of kindness and service. They taught me to give myself to others and not expect anything in return. The idea that I would do something for someone else and expect nothing in recompense has remained with me and shall remain for the rest of my life. To surmise a premise by psychologist Jordan Peterson, you cannot bend reality to your will. Every action has a reaction and reality will always exist as it was meant to. He uses the example of how people lie and the lies get bigger the more they lie. Eventually, the whole charade will come crashing down and life will return to normal. I’ve also seen this work through kindness and relationships. Giving to the community allows the community to give back to you. When I work with others, the unique experience builds a support system when anyone needs help. My father was struggling with an illness and couldn’t complete his clerical duties at church. The community was more than willing to accept his absence until he could return. Some of the church members even sent us home with food so he would get better. We support each other through better or worse affairs through service in the community that allows us to further that support. I influence change in my community by participating in a monthly breakfast run by our local Knights of Columbus, a charity that gathers funds to support other charities. In my years working there, we have contributed thousands of dollars to the Neighborhood Center that feeds impoverished and homeless people, the domestic abuse shelter, Christian organizations such as Feed My Starving Children and Operation: Quiet Comfort, and local churches. I wake up early in the morning to get there around 6:30 a.m. We prepare sausage, eggs, and different types of pancakes for the start at 8 a.m. We work until 11:30 before cleaning tables and setting up for bingo to be held later in the day. I also do various service projects during the year. My school hosts a community service event twice a year where all of the students go out to improve the community. It is a half-day event that everyone participates in as a class. I’ve spent time at the retirement home with senior citizens to improve their spirits during the holiday season. I worked my junior year with students from surrounding towns to gather books and toys to donate to the domestic abuse and homeless shelter for the neighboring county. The biggest thing I remember is that it doesn’t take a lot to make an impact. One small act of kindness will brighten someone else’s day and improve your mood as well. Generosity and service are important to the community and to the people it supports. I will strive to remain active in my community and continue serving others by volunteering.

I know some of the basics when it comes to money like how banks exist and what interest is on different accounts. I’ve taken classes during school such as personal finance and economics which expanded my knowledge of finance, but the more complicated functions of banking and investing are still unknown to me. What is the difference between different types of retirement accounts and how do they differ between a personal account and a job-provided one? What should I look for in benefits for a job that would be more expensive to pay on my own? I realize I still don’t have the greatest understanding of finance, but I plan on listening to more podcasts about money and how to handle it as well as reading books recommended by my parents. The biggest obstacle for me will be sticking to a budget because I find it difficult to spend money only on necessities and putting a limit on what I can do. I won’t be able to eat out as often, go to the movies, or even hang out with friends as much. It’s also important to not go over budget on expenses which will be hard since I’ll be moving out and on my own for the first time where everything is an expense. It is especially important to be frugal as a student because of the high costs of college. The less you’re able to live on, the less debt you will have to pay in the long run. Budgeting will be extremely important because I don’t want to have too much debt after college. That’s why applying for scholarships and grants is essential for any aspiring college student. I have to understand the cost of my education and take charge of financing it. I’ve been practicing saving and investing in high school so I can understand it and do it next year. I know how to use a debit card and how online banking works, so I'll be able to access money anywhere. I understand when I need to start a retirement fund and until then plan on applying that money to tuition and college costs. I’m also going to work during my last three years to offset the cost as well. My goal is to leave college debt-free by being diligent in my work and not spending as much on wants. Going out with my friends every few weeks is fine, but I won’t go out to eat as often. I’m a selective spender by nature and don’t buy too much for myself. I will manage my finances carefully to maximize the worth of my money.

When I was a freshman, I convinced a couple of girls in my grade to join the tennis team with me. None of us were avid sports players in the past, but we decided to do it together to try something new. It was instantly our favorite thing to talk about. We looked forward to every practice and went to every game even if we weren’t able to play. Being with the team gave me a sense of drive and competitiveness I hadn’t felt in any other club. Being in a high school sport for the first time showed me the importance of practicing and working as a team. Even though I wasn’t the greatest player, if I was paired with someone of equal or greater level I could walk away from the match having learned something new. Recognizing my shortcomings became easier the more I practiced, and aiming to improve them allowed me to see my growth by the end of the season. I’ve become more observant and well-rounded by working on communication with my doubles partner and my coach. The best benefit of playing was the friends I got to play with. There were a few girls who played year-round, but they never treated the rest of the team as inferior players. They offered to teach us and worked with the coach to improve our game as well as their own. They could point out where we were struggling, what we were lacking, and what we needed to do to play better. We would always go out after a game and talk about how to improve, why we lost or won, and what could be done in practice to work on those weaknesses. My best memories come from playing in the rain until the match was canceled. We were all soaked for the ride home and were sad we didn’t get to play it all out, but we cheered each other up and sang songs the rest of the time. Being in athletics has given me the knowledge and skills to work with others I may not know and find common ground to build upon. It has taught me how to improve myself and how to use criticism without being influenced by it. Tennis has given me lifelong friends and a sport I can play well into the future. I’m excited to take the next step in my life and go to college, but I will never forget what tennis has given me.

The greatest lesson my mother taught me was to not be afraid but to be prepared. She saw the darkest parts of the human mind as a part of her career and felt the only way she could protect me from it was by educating me and sharing the truth. If I was going out with friends, I had to know what to do for a potential kidnapping. Going to the mall meant knowing what to do in an active shooter situation. I had to know not to panic and to think critically to escape the problem. She knew that by teaching me to identify threats, I could better avoid them. It has made me observant and resilient in the face of danger. My mother also instilled in me the virtue of service. I spend more time volunteering than working in a week. In the fall and Christmas seasons, I work with the FOP order she is a part of in their auction that raises money for their Shop With a Cop event. It’s offered to lower-income students and their families so they can get presents for Christmas. I also work with the local Knights of Columbus to raise money for churches and charities in the area by volunteering at their breakfasts once a month. There are also service projects I’ve carried out with clubs and my school to directly impact my community. In my junior year, I worked with students from other schools to gather toys, books, and games to donate to the domestic and homeless shelters nearby. We had over six hundred items in total before splitting them between the chosen locations. My school also holds community service events a couple of times a year where the students go out into the town to clean parks, offer help to senior citizens, and do other projects. Some of the greatest obstacles I’ve faced are time and my abilities. I had to learn time management the hard way after committing to too many things over the years and having to give some things up to not stress out as often over deadlines and events. The worst obstacles were the limitations I put on myself. I had to realize that I am fallible and have weaknesses like everyone else. If I couldn’t do something on my own or understand it, I had to ask for help. There’s nothing wrong with that either. Understanding my strengths and weaknesses has helped me identify other problems in my life and has allowed me to know when I needed the support of others to succeed. I overcame my self-implemented obstacles after many years of stress and failure which made me decide to change for the better.

I like to think of myself as a scientifically inclined person. I’m very observant and notice details others don’t see. This has helped me solve problems and notice more around me. I’m a detail-oriented person and sometimes get caught up in the small things because if I can’t do the small task right, then the larger task will fail. The same principle is used in education, coding, and apprenticeships so we can learn from our mistakes. I also find that the processes of mathematics come more naturally to me than others. I have a fascination with finding the answer and not the solution. I try to think in the long term and see what consequences a specific solution could have. I found engineering to be my most likely career choice because of its direct tie to solving problems. It has the analytical dependencies that I use in research. Secondly, I love learning about technology. It’s something so new, misunderstood, complex, and overwhelming that just taking a swath glance wouldn’t encompass all of the tiny components that are added to the greater machine. It’s incredible and impresses me every time I learn more about it. Computer engineering entails understanding circuitry and the flow of electricity. It connects unique processes to build a more intricate and complete piece. There’s always something new being made or a new solution is found and implemented. Everywhere you look, technology is constantly being upgraded. I’ve become an absorber of new information and continue to search for more knowledge. My personality and drive to learn have contributed to my interest in STEM fields. I’m interested in computer engineering because it entails a constant change of pace in work or subject while also fulfilling my desire to help people. It’s a specialization between the electrical engineering and computer science fields that also interest me. The inner workings of a device intrigue me and opening something up to discover what’s causing a problem is always fun. By entering this field, I hope to improve the longevity of electronic devices while also making them easier to recycle. If devices lasted longer, there wouldn’t be a need for as many repairs or replacements. It will also keep them out of landfills longer. Because computer components are built from so many valuable raw materials, having a more efficient way to recycle them to reuse those parts or strip them back to their basic form would be healthier for our planet and our pockets. Since these rare materials are disappearing in electronic waste, we’ll have less to build new computers from and rely more on the constant mining that pollutes the surrounding areas and contaminates the soil. Understanding what causes these problems as well as searching for solutions to them like using better-developed materials and efficient designs would prevent the continued deterioration of our natural resources. It would mean that the computer you bought during your first year of college would last your entire life with only a few upgrades. It means that a greater percentage of toxic waste would shrink or disappear, leaving a healthier environment for future generations. I want to help people realize the worth of quality over quantity so that the growing pile of unused cell phones, computers, and monitors diminishes and all are better for it.

First off, let me explain a little about myself. I’m very observant and notice details others don’t see. This has helped me solve problems and notice more around me. I’m a detail-oriented person and sometimes get caught up in the small things because if I can’t do the small task right, then the larger task will fail. The same principle is used in education, coding, and apprenticeships so we can learn from our mistakes. I also find that the processes of mathematics come more naturally to me than others. I have a fascination with finding the answer and not the solution. I try to think in the long term and see what consequences a specific solution could have. I found engineering to be my most likely career choice because of its direct tie to solving problems. It has the analytical dependencies that I use in research. Secondly, I love learning about technology. It’s something so new, misunderstood, complex, and overwhelming that just taking a swath glance wouldn’t encompass all of the tiny components that are added to the greater machine. It’s incredible and impresses me every time I learn more about it. Computer engineering entails understanding circuitry and the flow of electricity. It connects unique processes to build a more intricate and complete piece. There’s always something new being made or a new solution is found and implemented. Everywhere you look, technology is constantly being upgraded. I’ve become an absorber of new information and continue to search for more knowledge. My personality and drive to learn have contributed to my interest in STEM fields. I’m interested in computer engineering because it entails a constant change of pace in work or subject while also fulfilling my desire to help people. It’s a specialization between the electrical engineering and computer science fields that also interest me. The inner workings of a device intrigue me and opening something up to discover what’s causing a problem is always fun. By entering this field, I hope to improve the longevity of electronic devices while also making them easier to recycle. If devices lasted longer, there wouldn’t be a need for as many repairs or replacements. It will also keep them out of landfills longer. Because computer components are built from so many valuable raw materials, having a more efficient way to recycle them to reuse those parts or strip them back to their basic form would be healthier for our planet and our pockets. Since these rare materials are disappearing in electronic waste, we’ll have less to build new computers from and rely more on the constant mining that pollutes the surrounding areas and contaminates the soil. Understanding what causes these problems as well as searching for solutions to them like using better-developed materials and efficient designs would prevent the continued deterioration of our natural resources. It would mean that the computer you bought during your first year of college would last your entire life with only a few upgrades. It means that a greater percentage of toxic waste would shrink or disappear, leaving a healthier environment for future generations. I want to help people realize the worth of quality over quantity so that the growing pile of unused cell phones, computers, and monitors diminishes and all are better for it.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have parents that care about my financial literacy. From a young age, we learned to separate whatever birthday cash or money we received into saving, giving, and spending categories. I grew up listening to Dave Ramsey in the car, and he helped me as much as he helped my parents. As I grew older, they were sure to teach me more about the benefits and dangers of credit cards or how to open a checking account. I even put a few thousand dollars I had saved up into a mutual fund that I could play with. I know some of the basics when it comes to money like how banks exist and what interest is on different accounts. I’ve taken classes during school such as personal finance and economics which expanded my knowledge of finance, but the more complicated functions of banking and investing are still unknown to me. What is the difference between different types of retirement accounts and how do they differ between a personal account and a job-provided one? What should I look for in benefits for a job that would be more expensive to pay on my own? I realize I still don’t have the greatest understanding of finance, but I plan on listening to more podcasts about money and how to handle it as well as reading books recommended by my parents. The biggest obstacle for me will be sticking to a budget because I find it difficult to spend money only on necessities and putting a limit on what I can do. I won’t be able to eat out as often, go to the movies, or even hang out with friends as much. It’s also important to not go over budget on expenses which will be hard since I’ll be moving out and on my own for the first time where everything is an expense. I plan on educating others through my experience and encouraging them to listen to different podcasts or read a new book. I think hearing something about money from someone you know who has also struggled with it is more impactful than what you see online. There are plenty of resources available on personal finance, but being able to navigate them and find answers can be a task in itself. I plan on taking charge of what I know by first mapping out a budget and adjusting it to the costs I incur. I can help others avoid the mistakes I make by pointing them out and offering solutions. Going to college will prepare me for my career, but it's my responsibility to prepare myself for the costs that come with it.

The song "'C'est la vie" by Weathers has had the greatest impact on me. Not only are the melody and unique style stuck in my head in a good way whenever I listen to it, but the music also reminded me not to take life too seriously. The French phrase that the song follows means "such is life" and encourages the mindset of trying even if you fail. I first heard the song at a stressful time of my life when it felt like everything was spiraling out of control. It was the middle of marching season, and we weren't doing well at competitions. The band's morale had reached an all-time low that brought forth undesirable behaviors which lead to more disciplinary actions and overall tension. This piece reminded me that it's okay to accept that something's out of control and you can't do anything to fix it. It's all about striving for excellence even in failure. You have to accept the bad with the good and move on for it to get any better. This song especially showed me how not to hold onto past emotions and live in the moment. I would listen to it on repeat whenever I felt lost or hopeless. Although I may not listen to it as often now, when it comes on I can't help singing and smiling. It has had a huge impact on my outlook and will forever remain one of my favorite songs.