Despite always being in heavy crowds, I never thought of looking down upon Japan's culture and surroundings. In other words, I never knew how significant it was to immerse myself as a studying abroad student in a different country. Having the opportunity to live with a host family for two weeks, I didn't know what to expect, as it was my first time outside the country. Life in America always seemed like the typical, where I'd wake up, get ready for school, go to lectures, head home, and go to sleep. Transitioning to this new home, I just assumed that it would be just as similar, but who knew that I would be so wrong. It would first start with the trains. At first, I thought it was weird that everyone, and when I mean everyone, would be using the railway transportation system to go everywhere. Yet even though people were being pushed against others, it seemed like no one ever minded it. Then, when I arrived at my Japanese high school, who knew that I would have to sit in one seat for the duration of the entire day, where I'm instead more used to transitioning from class to class. It turns out that everyone shares the exact same classes. With more unusual things appearing in front of my eyes, nothing surprised me more than the restrooms. Why the restrooms? With heated toilet seats, water shooting up to clean yourself, and a sink without soap connected to the toilet itself, it was like I was looking at a completely new mechanism. It made me question whether I would survive the rest of my weeks in Japan alive or not. Well, it turns out that I'm back in America, still sulking that I had to leave. I'm in college now, taking Japanese courses every semester to help me become fluent. I even still talk to all the Japanese people I've met abroad. So, what am I trying to say? Without realizing it, for something that I thought I'd regret doing actually ended up changing my entire perspective on life. I've been engulfed in Japanese culture with the passion of learning as much as possible about it. I want to build this knowledge to its maximum height. I want to come back, being able to communicate through not only English, but their home language. In the perspective of first timers, I know studying abroad might seem scary at first. You leave all your friends and family that you've known for your entire life. However, with that sacrifice comes with something very beautiful. While it's hard to explain the feeling with the exact words, you become a person you never thought you would become, building connections, knowledge, skills that are going to be carried for as long as you live. This is why as the fire inside me continues to burn, I hope I can guide others to doing the same and perhaps give opportunities to those who cannot in the future.

When I looked at the courses, I had to add Japanese to my schedule. In order to learn the language correctly, I was forced to memorize everything in a short amount of time. While I could manage writing and reading properly, listening and speaking would be my downfall. Yet, these struggles kept my interest in Japanese culture running, motivating me to study even outside of class. However, in the following year, I would have to face a decision. I have put in so much work compared to all my other classes, yet unknowingly, I hesitated when I heard the state’s Japanese Olympiad was returning after the COVID hiatus. I have always been a shy person, so I wasn’t the type of person to participate in competitions. Despite this fear, I joined anyway to represent my school. To my surprise, my teacher even nominated me as the team leader, which added more pressure, while also motivating me. It would start from that point where we would arrange meetings every single week, going over all the topics. Even in the midst of when one of my teammates began to cry, as she didn’t believe she could succeed, I told her that she wasn’t alone, and that I believed in her, even if she didn’t believe in herself yet. Despite this, I also felt the struggle of whether I could help this team succeed towards victory. I dedicated most of my free time to studying and guiding my team towards victory, yet I failed to grasp all the topics by the end of the event. Although, I felt confident enough with my team that I believed we could do well. This would prove to be true, as we would have a clean victory in the preliminary rounds. However, we would face our true fears as we reached the final rounds. Our previous opponents had led us to underestimating the ones in front of us too much. We faced a battle of information, which we lost in both. In the end, we couldn’t obtain the number one title, but this experience turned out to be something I would never forget. I would carry these lessons and regrets into the next year, as I would again agree to participate in the same Olympiad. This time around, we were much better prepared, going over struggled topics from the previous year and getting more hours of sleep. Now at a different university, we were confronted with better results. Despite this, we were in the same position as we were in last year’s finals. As we were winning, we underestimated how fast one of the teams would raise their hands before us. However, we were able to fight back enough to the point where we became the runners-up for that year. We weren’t finished there, though, as we knew we had one more year to show results. For our final competition, we practiced as much as we could to answer questions fast. Not knowing whether this dedication would actually work, we entered the final stages once again. As we go ahead and introduce ourselves and the schools we go to, I could feel my body trembling in fear. Yet, instead, I would soon realize that I had underestimated my own skills. I had overdone it so much to the point where my team would take 14 out of the 15 speed questions, guaranteeing us the victory afterwards. It was at that point where I was able to stand in front of the crowd proudly, with my teammates and teacher, and cherish the 1st place trophy together.

Recently on TikTok, there was one trend about an eye zoom filter. Despite looking so realistic and charming, the root stems from no other but AI, where it creates a simulated video based on a photo of your face. Looking at the positive side, we have grown a long way. If we were able to take this trend and attempt to replicate it a few years ago, there would be numerous, noticeable errors. An example of this is with another famous TikTok comparison, where an AI-generated Will Smith eating noodles from years ago versus in 2025 was compared. In the old video, it was clearly seen that Smith was computer-generated, with even parts of his body becoming food. Contrarily, the 2025 video is very similar to his actual self, deceiving those who don’t look too carefully into it. In a few years, this significant chance led many to wonder how this is possible. With machine learning, it allows this technology to continue to learn from any environment around them, with no limits on stopping it from creating things beyond comprehension. Healthcare can often be misjudged when it comes to diagnosis and procedures. For example, did you know that when it comes to surgeries, surgeons have around a 25% miss rate for conventional methods. As the University of Michigan explains, neurosurgical teams aren’t always perfect and can be susceptible to mistakes all the time. While it is okay not to do everything correctly 100% of the time, when it comes to protecting the health of another, there shouldn’t be any chance of risk in the injury or death of a patient. By utilizing AI in modern technology, doctors can take better care of all patients. For example, an AI model, FastGlioma, was able to detect cancerous brain tumors often missed during surgery in 10 seconds. After a life-threatening tumor is removed, some of its remains resemble healthy brain tissue, making it difficult for doctors to determine whether a certain part of the brain is dangerous or not. Not only does FastGlioma make it easier to detect, but it transforms the 25% miss rate into 3.8%. This means that if there were 100,000 people affected by similar cancers in their brains, tens of thousands more people wouldn’t be victims of a misdiagnosis and could live longer. Another situation where a lot of lives are at risk is when it comes to forest fires. Specifically, mass destruction of buildings and lives occurred during the Los Angeles Fires of January 2025. Because of it, at least 30 deaths, 200,000 evacuations, and the ruins of 18,000 homes and structures were caused. However, according to the University of Southern California, we can utilize AI in satellites made out of AI-powered cameras that automatically scan for signs of wildfire, spotting flames before they spread. If alerted, firefighters will have access to location data and live images. Not only would this allow citizens affected by these fires to be notified of the threat near them, it would also allow them to actually glance at the fires through the camera lenses, determining the rate of speed and how long they have to escape. Despite its power, I would argue that through machine learning, artificial intelligence and humans are able to collaborate at the same time no matter what position as they both cover fields that the other cannot do as well. AI excels at handling repetitive, data-heavy tasks, while humans include critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and ethical judgment. This way, society can continue to utilize this technology while giving humanity a chance to continue to strive.

Community is taking part in a group where you share similar interests or paths with others. I always believed that no matter where you are in life, there is always a community that can welcome you at the cost of simply participating. As I am soon to reach adulthood, I can still recall the many moments when I decided to step up for the sake of others. Remembering my time in elementary school, I recall the moment when I decided to join my school’s Random Acts of Kindness group. Despite being shy, I wanted to use this opportunity to reflect upon myself and improve my local community. One memory that stands out is receiving the RAKtivist award against all my other classmates. One of the funnier reasons my counselor explained to us why I got it was how I accidentally started raking leaves not only at the house I was assigned to, but also at the neighbor’s, showing how I was just trying to do more than expected. Throughout my life, I have always been competitive, so I was simply trying to outdo others. Looking back at it now, I realize that sometimes overdoing things isn’t a flaw, but a reflection of always giving your all. Furthermore, you shouldn’t be scared of facing your fears, but instead be grateful for them existing. As you continue to face more and more, they reveal our deepest values and vulnerabilities that we can overcome and become stronger as human beings. As I continue with this mindset in high school, I decided to brainstorm goals I have for my future and how I could incorporate further communities in my life. While I struggled to find a passion, it would not be until I started taking Japanese classes in my freshman year. Despite not being popular across the nation, I was dedicated to testing out what difficulties would come and the outcomes it would provide. Unexpectedly, I began to excel amongst my classmates, arousing my interest in the class more. This commitment would bring me to the state’s Japanese Olympiad since the covid hiatus. Growing up, I have always been shy, so I wasn’t the person to participate in competitions. Despite this fear, I joined to represent my school. To my surprise, my teacher even nominated me as the team leader, which added more pressure, while also motivating me. I dedicated most of my free time to studying and guiding my team towards victory. That decision led to something I never imagined, where we were able to place in the top three. I continued competing for years, ultimately achieving first place in my final year and securing trophies to display for my school. As a soon-to-be college student, I hope to be able to develop my skills, where I can achieve a minor and hopefully have the opportunity to study abroad. However, I would like to discuss another community I participated in that I could take into my college life. I decided to take part in athletics and become a manager of the Boys Volleyball team, a new, uprising sport across the state. While it was a new experience, I learned what it was to guide and lead my fellow players to what they could work on and improve. From the many losses to the many victories, I came to enjoy the time we had as a team. So, as I move forward at Purdue University, majoring in Cybersecurity and further developing the communities I partake in, I’ll take these life lessons and experiences as reminders of where I’ve come from and where I’ll go.

As a kid, I felt like I had always thought my life was good, with no problems proving to be really difficult for me. I believe that this is because of the people with whom I was surrounded during my childhood. Specifically, ever since elementary school, I have managed to keep my best friend along with me throughout my whole K-12 school career, where we both would walk upon the stage to receive our diplomas. There were many times when we would meet at each other’s homes, whether it be talking about school, games, or even relationships, to the point where it was a standard for our families to see one another. Now, as we delve into our own separate paths, where I will be attending a college away from home and where he will be serving in the national army, we carry with us the bond we've built and the shared memories, supporting each other no matter the distance. Knowing his one-year older sister, who also decided to follow the same path, I believe that her success she has shown over the last year is an indicator of a similar track he will take as well. Yet, no one would guess that amid the end of school and the regional boys' volleyball tournament, he would be notified of the sudden passing of his sister. Everything that we were about to celebrate and fight for suddenly turned into a silence of mourning. At such a young age, I, like many others, assumed she would live a long life well into old age. I can remember every single memory we had with each other, delving into embarrassing moments of my friend and exposing him to certain things. These funny moments I recalled made me appreciate the time I was able to cherish while she was still with us. Yet, the grief that attacks me does not compare to what her family members have been feeling. As I helped as best as possible to grieve through the process of losing his role model, I could feel his throbbing heart echoing in pain as we spoke. After all, if I were to put myself in his same position, I would not be able to take the pain as well. In my position, I realize that it is necessary to share the importance of having a strong support system. Here, where everything could be going the best in your way, can suddenly be overturned by one mere event. Without the help of friends and family, I fear that he and many others could have viewed this in a different and dangerous situation where one’s own life with be at risk. As he continues to get better little by little, I understand that as you are able to put your trust in others, they can reciprocate the same. Take what’s around you and cherish it for every moment you can, as even if it isn’t tomorrow or the next day, it will eventually turn into a loose string.

When I first looked at my first high school course selection school, I could tell from my eyes the excitement that erupted from me. The amount of different classes that I could take was amazing. From a paper that had only a front and back side of a random course that I had never heard of was so fascinating. Yet, after the brief examination, I had no care whatsoever about the classes that I would end up enrolled in. The incoming freshmen year was one that I thought I could use to get ahead of the requirements to graduate, which I did by successfully completing the art credits requirements and starting on others. In my mind, I had all the time in the world to think of whatever I wanted to be and didn't worry about it for a second. The getting ahead system I was thinking about ended up benefiting me for my sophomore year as I was given no choice but to explore the unknown classes I'd seen earlier. Not knowing what to choose, I decided to take some inspiration from others, after hearing from some of my friends, I decided to take on a computing class, hoping that I wouldn't have to do as much work as I did in other classes, but I soon to realize that it would be the opposite when I met Jeb. The teacher, who we usually called Jeb, was the current and only one in the Computer Science department, where I began taking a 1st-year class called "Principles of Computing" under him. When I first walked into his classroom, everything was already as odd as ever. There were small boat figures everywhere, unfunctional computers on each desk, and even tennis balls attached to the chairs. Even the solo projector, which was found and used in every other classroom, was replaced with mini televisions placed on top of random boxes throughout the room. Yet despite the disorganized mess, he comes into the building, wearing a full-on suit as if he is offering something to a multi-millionaire boss. Not only does this continue the next day, but it never seems to end for as long as I see him. While it seems like he lectures the same way as another teacher does, the act of fighting for your life within each period shows the desperate need to survive the content given within his activities, especially when seen with his menacing hockey stick. I would have never expected anyone to go through many years with him. What was more shocking was that even with this strict and amusing teaching, a student managed to get 100% on the AP Computer Science A exam with his help, which few students out of millions manage to do across the nation. The fact that his unprofessional, yet intriguing personality led to unbelievable results became the reason why I knew that my journey with him could not end with that year. I had to witness what that one person experienced to achieve that same goal. Unfortunately, the AP course was no longer offered in order to make room for the other classes he taught, so I took the next step of principles and stepped up to Cybersecurity Fundamentals. In my Junior year, as I am welcomed back into his room, everything changes. Jeb, a person who doesn't look like he'll be able or have the desire to do anything significant, enhanced his entire room into a tech room during the summer. As he managed to win a grant against other teachers, he was given tens of thousands of dollars in a grant to do whatever he wanted to. He, alone, had the power to purchase as many devices, computers, and TVs as he desired, which he did. Despite this, nothing changed. Jeb stayed the same person as he was before, only integrating a little bit of new tools to his liking. He was even creating his own time in class to play his own video games that weren't and shouldn't have been played on school grounds. Yet, his continued behavior led to one of his best days as a teacher, where he would be awarded as the teacher of the year across the entire high school. As we continued to have a great time learning throughout the year, he decided to plan together on what to do in his next class, Advanced Cybersecurity, and the class I have been advocating for, AP Computer Science A. Even funny enough, he ended up wanting to teach the 4th year of the Engineering courses, meaning I would have him for three out of seven classes, which should have all happened if he hadn't decided to leave. In the coming summer, I received an email from my counselor, stating that Jeb will no longer be attending the school. I questioned myself. What will happen now? What will happen to the classes that I was supposed to have with him? For a couple of hours, I was in disbelief, claiming that all the ridiculous things we were going to do were all an imagination, just for him to abandon those thoughts. Even worse, the class that I thought I brought back ended up being removed due to the new teacher not being AP-certified. However, I was notified that Jeb decided to switch careers to Google. Realizing this, I knew I couldn't stay down and be sad about him disappearing without notice. I promised myself that whoever was the new teacher, I would learn diligently from them and one day hope to be put in the same shoes as Jeb. The fact that he was able to turn a low-salary teaching job into a six-digit salary job in a couple of years of teaching motivated me to think that no matter where you start, it can always result in what you believe will happen. So, as my major, I want to pursue artificial intelligence. From a young age, I never imagined there being a more advanced lifeform than humans, that the limits of man were boundless and never to be exceeded. Artificial intelligence was never really a significant part of my life, nor was I ever aware of it. It wasn't until I took computer science classes that I realized what doors AI would open in the world of technology. My research led me to AlphaGo, a computer program developed to defeat players in Go, arguably the most complex board game in the world. However, it constantly lost to rookie players in the beginning, so I thought this project was a complete failure. I never would’ve guessed that a computer would utilize and learn from its previous mistakes, evolving with every game to the point where it would win against former world champion, Lee Sedol, marching him to retirement whilst claiming, “computers cannot be defeated." By pursuing Purdue's degree in artificial intelligence, I'd play a part in perfecting a complex virtual mind that connects to the physical world, where we can both grow from our mistakes. Using AI for board games is just the tip of the iceberg. I hope to revolutionize it to the point where it can teach people how to further their knowledge and abilities in everyday interests outside their screens, such as instruments or sports. I hope to simplify tedious tasks, giving everyone more time and energy to pursue their passions. As I continue to strive for more complex computer science topics, I hope that I can be as good of a person as Jeb Campbell, perhaps even meeting him once again, from a previous student to a future coworker.

Despite hating books, as I never have been one to sit and constantly read in silence, I can deeply recall one book by Paul Kalanithi, “When Breath Becomes Air.” Throughout my life, I never really thought about what my future would be like, doing whatever came into my mind. While reading this novel, I was intrigued by the life Kalanithi decided to pursue despite being aware of his lung cancer. Imagine dedicating so much of your life to school to become a doctor who saves lives, just for you to need to be saved instead. Amid death, he still decided to chase not for himself, but for others. It made me reflect on how I should be more grateful for my life and how I should utilize it for those who couldn’t. While I have done many things to contribute to different communities, there is a specific one I want to discuss. So, starting with high school, I knew that I had to change the way I looked at things. Similarly to how becoming a doctor was special to Kalanithi, I decided to chase after my passion and show extreme dedication toward studying Japanese. Ever since I was a kid, I have always been wrapped around Japanese-related things, such as Nintendo, Pokemon, anime, etc, so when I realized that one of the few schools that had classes in Japanese, I knew I had to take it. Unexpectedly, I began to excel among my classmates, arousing my interest in the class more and more. This commitment would bring me to the return of the state’s Japanese Olympiad since the covid hiatus. Growing up, I have always been shy, so I wasn’t the person to participate in competitions. Despite this fear, I joined to represent my school. To my surprise, my teacher even nominated me as the team leader, which added more pressure, while also motivating me. I dedicated most of my free time to studying and guiding my team toward victory, yet I failed to grasp all the topics by the end of the event. Although, I felt confident enough with my team that I believed we could do well. This proved to be true, as we secured a clean victory in the preliminary rounds. However, we would face our true fears as we reached the final rounds. Our previous opponents had led us to underestimate the ones in front of us too much. We faced a battle of information, which we lost in both. In the end, we couldn’t obtain the number one title, but this experience turned out to be something I would never forget. I would carry these lessons and regrets into the next few years, as I would again agree to participate in the same Olympiad. That decision led to something I never imagined, where we were able to place in the top three. I continued competing for years, ultimately achieving first place in my final year and securing trophies to display for my school. While I can say that it was done by teamwork, I would have to give gratitude to our Japanese teacher. After knowing her for 4 years, participating in all the extracurriculars regarding the language, and even soon traveling to Japan together in an exchange program after hosting 2 students, she had made a substantial change in my life. I have always questioned whether how my life would change without her teaching this rare class. As I go into college, I too decided to take my learning further, where I hope to get a minor in Japanese alongside a major in Cybersecurity.

As I am soon to reach adulthood, I can still recall the many moments when I decided to step up for the sake of others. Remembering my time in elementary school, I recall the moment when I decided to join my school’s Random Acts of Kindness group. Despite being shy and timid, I wanted to use this opportunity to reflect upon myself and improve my local community. One memory that stands out is receiving the RAKtivist award against all my other classmates. One of the funnier reasons my counselor explained to us why I got it was how I accidentally started raking leaves not only at the house I was assigned to, but also at the neighbor’s, showing how I was just trying to do more than expected. Throughout my whole life, I have always been competitive, so I was simply trying to outdo others. Looking back at it now, I realize that sometimes overdoing things isn’t a flaw, but a reflection of always giving your all. Furthermore, you shouldn’t be scared of facing your fears, but instead be grateful for them existing. As you continue to face more and more, they reveal our deepest values and vulnerabilities that we can overcome and become stronger as human beings. This leads me to another insecurity I have, which is not being able to speak my native language, Vietnamese. Throughout my entire life to now, it has been very difficult to talk to many of my elders, having either me speak broken Vietnamese or them broken English. This problem especially comes up for me when I decide to volunteer at my nearby Vietnamese-Buddhist temple, where it would be socially awkward for me to be there alone with the monks. However, I recall the fundamentals of what it truly means to be me. I acknowledge that love doesn’t stem from what we can communicate to each other with our mouths. It’s more about the actions we do and how we let them speak for us, so while it may be hard to verbally talk, I know that using my physical strength to move things around and setting up these simple gatherings are things that the community will deeply appreciate me for. As I continue with this mindset, as I began my entry as a high school student, I decided to brainstorm goals I have for my future and how I could incorporate further communities in my life. While I struggled to find a passion, it would not be until I started taking Japanese classes in my freshman year. Despite not being popular across the nation, I was dedicated to testing out what difficulties would come and the outcomes it would provide. Unexpectedly, I began to excel amongst my classmates, arousing my interest in the class more and more. This commitment would bring me into the return of the state’s Japanese Olympiad since the covid hiatus. Growing up, I have always been shy, so I wasn’t the person to participate in competitions. Despite this fear, I joined to represent my school. To my surprise, my teacher even nominated me as the team leader, which added more pressure, while also motivating me. I dedicated most of my free time to studying and guiding my team towards victory. That decision led to something I never imagined, where we were able to place in the top three. I continued competing for years, ultimately achieving first place in my final year and securing trophies to display for my school. Lastly, I decided to take part in athletics and become a manager of the Boys Volleyball team, a new, uprising sport across the state. While it was a new experience for me, I furthered my experience in guiding and leading my fellow players to what they could work on and improve. From the many losses to many victories, I also came to enjoy the time we had as a team. So, as I move forward in my college journey, majoring in Cybersecurity and further developing the communities I partake in, I will take these life lessons and experiences as reminders of where I’ve come from and where I will go.

In searching for computer science classes that were offered at my high school, it was unfortunate that it was very limited to the fact that only 1 existed. However, what sparked in my mind was its only pathway that it led to, Cybersecurity. Just like many people, while diving into this topic, I had no clue what it would do in terms of my learnings about computers. How far would it depart from learning what I actually want to learn? Despite this, the flame that was ignited towards my passion for technology strived within me, so I entered this path. I would soon realize that this was a possibility where I could be proficient in while enjoying the topics it includes. It gives me the opportunity of protecting people from attackers while indulging with code still. At the same time, I'll be able to use my knowledge and display it anywhere across the world, assisting anything and anyone anywhere. It furthered my interest to the point where I am going ahead and finishing the pathway in my final year of high school, which I academically displayed well with an A in my 1st senior semester. Yet, it brings up an important question of not applying for this major earlier. While applying as an early decision for Purdue, I was having a difficult time deciding whether to put this class or engineering as my alternative major, as I love both topics and insistently take classes of both. While I may have put Cybersecurity to the side, it would have been my obvious choice as a 3rd option, and now, my current option, which will impact me if I hold a degree in it. In the current state of the world, technology is becoming bigger and bigger everyday, however we neglect the amount of danger it holds and the malicious users that intend to go about their ways. We are able to see how people can get a hold of someone's device easily through devious tactics or utilize artificial intelligence to manipulate reality. Knowing this problem as I have personally seen it happen, it gives me the ability to step in and do something about it. By becoming a Cybersecurity analyst, I will help reduce the danger of vulnerabilities and security breaches and even if I may only be 1 person, I will do my best to fight for what is right.

The teacher, who we usually called Jeb, was the current and only one in the Computer Science department, where I began taking a 1st-year class called "Principles of Computing" under him. Despite the disorganized mess in the classroom, he comes into the building, wearing a full-on suit as if he is offering something to a multi-millionaire boss. Not only does this continue everyday, but it never seems to end for as long as I see him. While it seems like he lectures the same way as another teacher does, the act of fighting for your life within each period shows the desperate need to survive the content given within his activities, especially when seen with his menacing hockey stick. I would have never expected anyone to go through many years with him. What was more shocking was that even with this strict and amusing teaching, a student managed to get 100% on the AP CSA exam with his help, which few students out of millions manage to do across the nation. The fact that his unprofessional, yet intriguing personality led to unbelievable results became the reason why I knew that my journey with him could not end with that year. I had to witness what that one person experienced to achieve that same goal. Unfortunately, the AP course was no longer offered in order to make room for the other classes he taught, so I took the next step of principles and stepped up to Cybersecurity Fundamentals for junior year. Fortunately for my senior year, AP CSA was offered, but during my summer before senior year, I received an email from my counselor, stating that Jeb quit. I questioned myself. What will happen now? What will happen to the classes that I was supposed to have with him? For a couple of hours, I was in disbelief, claiming that all the ridiculous things we were going to do were all an imagination, just for him to abandon those thoughts. Even worse, the class that I thought I brought back ended up being removed due to the new teacher not being AP-certified. However, I was notified that Jeb decided to switch careers to Google. Realizing this, I knew I couldn't stay down and be sad about him disappearing without notice. I promised myself that whoever was the new teacher, I would learn diligently from them and one day hope to be put in the same shoes as Jeb. The fact that he was able to turn a low-salary teaching job into a six-digit salary job in a couple of years of teaching motivated me to think that no matter where you start, it can always result in what you believe will happen. Now, as I transition into college, my goal is to pursue a future in AI. From a young age, I never imagined there could be a more advanced life form than humans, believing that human limits were endless and impossible to surpass. AI was never a significant part of my life, nor was I aware of it. It wasn't until I took CS classes that I realized the opportunities AI could offer in the world. My research led me to AlphaGo, a computer program designed to defeat players in Go, arguably the most complex board game in the world. Initially, it was often lost to novice players, so I thought this project was a failure. I never expected that a computer would learn from its mistakes and evolve after each game, eventually defeating former world champion Lee Sedol, forcing him into retirement while claiming, “computers cannot be defeated.”

The teacher, who we usually called Jeb, was the current and only one in the Computer Science department, where I began taking a 1st-year class called "Principles of Computing" under him. Despite the disorganized mess when entering the classroom, he comes into the building, wearing a full-on suit as if he is offering something to a multi-millionaire boss. Not only does this continue the next day, but it never seems to end for as long as I see him. While it seems like he lectures the same way as another teacher does, the act of fighting for your life within each period shows the desperate need to survive the content given within his activities, especially when seen with his menacing hockey stick. I would have never expected anyone to go through many years with him. What was more shocking was that even with this strict and amusing teaching, a student managed to get 100% on the AP Computer Science A exam with his help, which few students out of millions manage to do across the nation. The fact that his unprofessional, yet intriguing personality led to unbelievable results became the reason why I knew that my journey with him could not end with that year. I had to witness what that one person experienced to achieve that same goal. Unfortunately, the AP course was no longer offered in order to make room for the other classes he taught, so I took the next step of principles and stepped up to Cybersecurity Fundamentals for junior year. Fortunately for my senior year, AP CSA was offered, but during my summer before senior year, I received an email from my counselor, stating that Jeb would no longer be attending the school. I questioned myself. What will happen now? What will happen to the classes that I was supposed to have with him? For a couple of hours, I was in disbelief, claiming that all the ridiculous things we were going to do were all an imagination, just for him to abandon those thoughts. Even worse, the class that I thought I brought back ended up being removed due to the new teacher not being AP-certified. However, I was notified that Jeb decided to switch careers to Google. Realizing this, I knew I couldn't stay down and be sad about him disappearing without notice. I promised myself that whoever was the new teacher, I would learn diligently from them and one day hope to be put in the same shoes as Jeb. The fact that he was able to turn a low-salary teaching job into a six-digit salary job in a couple of years of teaching motivated me to think that no matter where you start, it can always result in what you believe will happen. Now, as I transition into college, my goal is to pursue a future in AI. From a young age, I never imagined there could be a more advanced life form than humans, believing that human limits were endless and impossible to surpass. AI was never a significant part of my life, nor was I aware of it. After watching a documentary about AlphaGo in class, a computer program designed to defeat players in Go, arguably the most complex board game in the world. Initially, it was often lost to novice players, so I thought this project was a failure. I never expected that a computer would learn from its mistakes and evolve after each game, eventually defeating former world champion Lee Sedol, forcing him into retirement while claiming, “computers cannot be defeated.”

As I began to choose classes for high school, I knew that Japanese had to be on it. However, who would have known that it would be more workload than all my classes together. Yet, these struggles kept my interest in Japanese culture running, motivating me to study even outside of class. However, in the following year, I would have to face a decision. I have put in so much work compared to all my other classes, yet unknowingly, I hesitated when I heard the state’s Japanese Olympiad was returning after the COVID hiatus. I have always been a shy person, so I wasn’t the type of person to participate in competitions. Despite this fear, I joined anyway to represent my school. To my surprise, my teacher even nominated me as the team leader, which added more pressure, while also motivating me. It would start from that point where we would arrange meetings every single week, going over all the topics. Even in the midst of when one of my teammates began to cry and she didn’t believe she could succeed, I told her that she wasn’t alone, and that I believed in her, even if she didn’t believe in herself yet. Despite this, I also felt the struggle of whether I could help this team succeed towards victory. I dedicated most of my free time to studying and guiding my team towards victory, yet I failed to grasp all the topics by the end of the event. Although, I felt confident enough with my team that I believed we could do well. This would prove to be true, as we would have a clean victory in the preliminary rounds. However, we would face our true fears as we reached the final rounds. Our previous opponents had led us to underestimating the ones in front of us too much. We faced a battle of information, which we lost in both. In the end, we couldn’t obtain the number one title, but this experience turned out to be something I would never forget. I would carry these lessons and regrets into the next year, as I would again agree to participate in the same Olympiad. This time around, we were much better prepared, going over struggled topics from the previous year and getting more hours of sleep. Now at a different university, we were confronted with better results. Despite this, we were in the same position as we were in last year’s finals. As we were winning, we underestimated how fast one of the teams would raise their hands before us. However, we were able to fight back enough to the point where we became the runners-up for that year. We weren’t finished there, though, as we knew we had one more year to show results. For our final competition, we practiced as much as we could to answer questions fast. Not knowing whether this dedication would actually work, we entered the final stages once again. As we go ahead and introduce ourselves and the schools we go to, I could feel my body trembling in fear. Yet, instead, I would soon realize that I had underestimated my own skills. I had overdone it so much to the point where my team would take 14 out of the 15 speed questions, guaranteeing us the victory afterwards. It was at that point where I was able to stand in front of the crowd proudly, with my teammates and teacher, and cherish the 1st place trophy together.

Community is taking part in a group where you share similar interests or paths with others. I always believed that no matter where you are in life, there is always a community that is able to welcome you at the cost of simply participating. As I am soon to reach adulthood, I can still recall the many moments when I decided to step up for others. Remembering my time in elementary school, I recall when I decided to join my school’s Random Acts of Kindness group. Despite being shy, I wanted to use this opportunity to reflect upon myself and improve my local community. One memory that stands out is receiving the RAKtivist award against all my other classmates. One of the funnier reasons my counselor explained to us why I got it was how I accidentally started raking leaves not only at the house I was assigned to, but also at the neighbor’s, showing how I was just trying to do more than expected. Throughout my life, I have always been competitive, so I was simply trying to outdo others. Looking back at it now, I realize that sometimes overdoing things isn’t a flaw, but a reflection of always giving your all. Furthermore, you shouldn’t be scared of facing your fears, but instead be grateful for them existing. As you continue to face more and more, they reveal our deepest values and vulnerabilities that we can overcome and become stronger as human beings. As I continue with this mindset as a high school student, I decided to brainstorm goals I have for my future and how I could incorporate further communities in my life. While I struggled to find a passion, it would not be until I started taking Japanese classes in my freshman year. Despite not being popular across the nation, I was dedicated to testing out what difficulties would come and the outcomes it would provide. Unexpectedly, I began to excel amongst my classmates, arousing my interest in the class more and more. This commitment would bring me into the return of the state’s Japanese Olympiad since the covid hiatus. Growing up, I have always been shy, so I wasn’t the person to participate in competitions. Despite this fear, I joined to represent my school. To my surprise, my teacher even nominated me as the team leader, which added more pressure, while also motivating me. I dedicated most of my free time to studying and guiding my team towards victory. That decision led to something I never imagined, where we placed in the top three. I continued competing for years, ultimately achieving first place in my final year and securing trophies to display for my school. However, this wasn’t the end of my passion towards Japanese, as I was willing and interested in hosting students from our partner school in Japan. As we bonded during their two-week stay, I continued to learn where our cultures differed and were similar. Beforehand, I was always nervous about traveling to a different country alone, but with this experience, it guided me to where I know that there are people who are willing to help you throughout your journey. As a soon-to-be college student, I hope to be able to take my skills and further develop them, where I can achieve a minor and hopefully have the opportunity to study abroad. So, as I move forward in my college journey, majoring in Cybersecurity and further developing the communities I partake in, I will take these life lessons and experiences as reminders of where I’ve come from and where I will go.

As a kid, I felt like I had always thought my life was good, with no problems proving to be really difficult for me. I believe that this is because of the people whom I was surrounded during my childhood. Specifically, ever since elementary school, I have managed to keep my best friend along with me throughout my whole K-12 school career, where we both would walk upon the stage to receive our diplomas. There would be many times when we would meet at each other’s homes, whether it be talking about school, games, or even relationships, to the point where it was a standard for our families to see one another. Now, as we delve into our own separate paths, where I will be attending a college away from home and where he will be serving in the national army, we carry with us the bond we've built and the shared memories, supporting each other no matter the distance. Knowing his one-year older sister, who also decided to follow the same path, I believe that her success she has shown over the last year is an indicator of a similar track he will take as well. Yet, no one would guess that amid the end of school and the regional boys volleyball tournament, he would be notified of the sudden passing of his sister. Everything that we were about to celebrate and fight for suddenly turned into a silence of mourning. At such a young age, I, like many others, assumed she would live a long life well into old age. I can remember every single memory we had with each other, delving into embarrassing moments of my friend and exposing him for certain things. These funny moments I recalled made me appreciate the time I was able to cherish while she was still with us. Yet, the grief that attacks me does not compare to what her family members have been feeling. As I helped as best as possible to grieve through the process of losing his role model, I could feel his throbbing heart echoing in pain as we spoke. After all, if I were to put myself in his same position, I would not be able to take the pain as well. In my position, I realize that it is necessary to share the importance of having a strong support system. Here, where everything could be going the best in your ways, can suddenly be overturned by one mere event. Without the help of friends and family, I fear that he and many others could have viewed this in a different and dangerous situation where one’s own life with be at risk. As he continues to get better little by little, I understand that as you are able to put your trust into others, they can reciprocate the same. Take what’s around you and cherish it for every moment you can, as even if it isn’t tomorrow or the next day, it will eventually turn into a loose string.

Having the privilege of a household computer, I've been connected to technology since I was a child. This sparked my interest in all things technology, and I began to realize my passion for helping others through technology. Deep down, I wish I could solve all issues regarding it, but that'd be physically impossible on my own. However, if I were to focus my efforts on furthering my studies towards it, my work could spontaneously and effortlessly assist people all over the world. However, in searching for computer science classes that were offered at my high school, it was unfortunate that it was very limited due to the fact that only 1 pathway existed, Cybersecurity. Just like many people, while diving into this topic, I had no clue what it would do in terms of my learning about computers. How far would it depart from learning what I actually want to learn? Despite this, the flame that was ignited towards my passion for technology strived within me, so I entered this path. I would soon realize that this was a possibility where I could be proficient in, while enjoying the topics it includes. It gives me the opportunity to protect people from attackers while still indulging in code. At the same time, I'll be able to use my knowledge and display it anywhere across the world, assisting anything and anyone anywhere. It furthered my interest to the point where I am going ahead and finishing the pathway in my final year of high school. As I continue with this as my major, I take this into consideration. In the current state of the world, technology is becoming bigger and bigger every day, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence. For example, currently on TikTok, one of the trends that is becoming influenced from one to the other is the eye zoom filter. Despite looking so realistic and charming, the root stems from no other but artificial intelligence, where it creates a simulated video based on a photo of your face. Looking at the positive side, we have grown a long way. If we were able to take this trend and attempt to replicate it a few years ago, there would be numerous, noticeable errors. Another example of this is with another famous TikTok comparison, where an AI-generated Will Smith eating noodles from years ago versus in 2025 was compared. In the old video, it was clearly seen that Smith was computer-generated, with even parts of his body becoming food. On the other hand, the 2025 video is very similar to his actual self, deceiving those who do not look too carefully into it. In the matter of a few years, this significant chance has led many to wonder how this is possible. However, many of us neglect the amount of danger it holds and the malicious users who intend to go about their ways. We are able to see how people can get hold of someone's device easily through devious tactics and utilize artificial intelligence to impersonate and manipulate reality. Knowing this problem as I have personally seen it happen, it gives me the ability to step in and do something about it. By becoming a Cybersecurity analyst, I will help reduce the danger of vulnerabilities and security breaches, and even if I may only be 1 person, I will do my best to fight for what is right. I hope to be able to take the CompTIA A+ exam to achieve a certificate in Cybersecurity and advance my studies towards a great career.

Ever since elementary school, I have managed to keep my best friend along with me throughout my whole K-12 school career, where we both would walk upon the stage to receive our diplomas. There would be many times when we would meet at each other’s homes, whether it be talking about school, games, or even relationships, to the point where it was a standard for our families to see one another. Now, as we delve into our own separate paths, where I will be attending a college away from home and where he will be serving in the national army, we carry with us the bond we've built and the shared memories, supporting each other no matter the distance. Knowing his one-year older sister, who also decided to follow the same path, I believe that her success she has shown over the last year is an indicator of a similar track he will take as well. Yet, no one would guess that amid the end of school and the regional boys volleyball tournament, he would be notified of the sudden passing of his sister. Everything that we were about to celebrate and fight for suddenly turned into a silence of mourning. At such a young age, I, like many others, assumed she would live a long life well into old age. I can remember every single memory we had with each other, delving into embarrassing moments of my friend and exposing him for certain things. These funny moments I recalled made me appreciate the time I was able to cherish while she was still with us. Yet, the grief that attacks me does not compare to what her family members have been feeling. As I helped as best as possible to grieve through the process of losing his role model, I could feel his throbbing heart echoing in pain as we spoke. After all, if I were to put myself in his same position, I would not be able to take the pain as well. In my position, I realize that it is necessary to share the importance of having a strong support system. Here, where everything could be going the best in your ways, can suddenly be overturned by one mere event. Without the help of friends and family, I fear that he and many others could have viewed this in a different and dangerous situation where one’s own life with be at risk. As he continues to get better little by little, I understand that as you are able to put your trust into others, they can reciprocate the same. Take what’s around you and cherish it for every moment you can, as even if it isn’t tomorrow or the next day, it will eventually turn into a loose string.