Parents always want the best for their children. Although some parents may disagree what is considered "the best". For me, my parents instilled in me the difference between wants and needs. I was not always given the latest electronics to play on or name-brand clothing to wear. Most of my friends had cell phones when they were eight or nine years old. My parents made me wait until I was thirteen. A gift of a cell phone is a gift of a monthly bill they would say. My parents have encouraged knowledge of various financial topics and decisions for as long as I can remember. My father was not encouraged by his family while growing up to be fiscally responsible. When he met my mother, he was approximately $45,000 in credit card debt alone. My mother educated my father and worked with him on spending and saving strategies. His debt was paid off by the time they were married as finances were very important in their lives. They were now both believers in the philosophy of living within your means. Much of their experience and beliefs have been engrained in me. I was blessed to be a recipient of the Guild Giving Scholarship last year. Part of their scholarship award was access to an online financial education program at no charge. I will be honest and admit that I am not completely finished with all the courses in the program. However, I will most definitely admit that I have learned a tremendous amount of information from the program. It is important to hear this information from another source, rather than just your parents. I can attest that this information was not taught to me in school. I now enjoy reading the information that shares some of the same scenarios that my parents have taught me. I highly encourage anyone and everyone to learn about money. Read about those people who have filed for bankruptcy. Read about those people who follow various spending methods with their living expenses. Read books. Watch financial channels on tv. Don't be afraid to ask others for financial advice that may have worked for them in their lives. Don't hesitate to ask for help from a financial advisor. There are so many ways today to educate yourself to become financially literate. The learning process never stops no matter how old you are. The same goes for learning to achieve financial independence in one's life.

One thing I do to help improve the lives of elderly people in my community is to participate in the Texas Ramp Project, an organization that provides wheelchair ramps for older adults and those with mobility issues who can’t afford to purchase one. I was introduced to the Texas Ramp Project through a day of service planned by my church. While I may have hit more thumbs than nails on my first ramp job, I have progressed immensely in my skills over the past ten years. I continue to participate in this organization throughout the year by building needed ramps as well as building modules in preparation for future approved locations. The Texas Ramp Project means so much to me that I chose this organization as the recipient of my Boy Scout Eagle Award Project. Not everyone is blessed to be able to walk or walk up and down even a few stairs. Until you have met or talked to someone who is physically challenged to complete a “simple” process of leaving their home, you may not understand. By combining time and talents of dedicated volunteers, we can provide a very simple yet very special gift. The completed ramp allows these people a safe way to regain or increase their independence, confidence, and dignity. Some of the recipients I met had not left their homes in months. These ramps are extremely lifechanging to the volunteers as well. There are always numerous smiles and tears of happiness at the end of the day. Knowing we built something to help others is so rewarding. I will continue to invite others to help me on these projects. Hopefully, these projects will be a seed for the world to grow a little better each day and blossoming the lives of those in need.

I think it is important for everyone to participate in acts of service daily. My parents raised me to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It’s a simple philosophy that if everyone joined in, the world would be a much better place. An act of service can be as small as returning a shopping cart to the grocery store cart corrals, opening the door for another person, or giving a compliment to someone. None of these acts cost money, and it is something every person can complete. I choose to donate my time and energy in various ways. In my school clubs, we plan candy drives and host a safe Halloween trick-or-treating event for the children in our community. We hold fundraisers such as Breakfast with Santa to bless adopted families with presents during the holiday season. We plan food drives multiple times a year to replenish the shelves at our local food pantries. We participate in “Service Saturdays” at various locations wherever we see a need. As a Boy Scout I have participated in food drives, trash/environmental cleanup, and other service projects. For my Eagle Scout project, I chose to build ramps for disabled people to provide a way to increase their mobility in and out of their homes and give them some independence. At my church, I am a vacation bible school instructor as well as serve in worship. I am a regular blood donor. I also partner with our Rotary Club in a flag program six holidays a year to beautify our city and promote patriotism. As you can see, I participate in many service acts. I strive to spread joy, love and smiles daily! I value the importance of being kind and making our world a better place to live.

I’ve experienced situations leading me to my dream occupation, an anesthesiologist. My grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent a routine surgery to remove the cancer. However, he never left the hospital alive. Our family discovered his pre-surgery medical testing was never reviewed. Had the medical team paid attention to his EKG and listened to my grandfather during his hospital stay, he may very well still be alive. My wisdom teeth were surgically removed in June 2021. Six months later, I broke my hand playing varsity football. Again, I needed surgical intervention to help my body heal appropriately. I had great interactions with my anesthesiologists. They helped ease my fears, educated me, and successfully completed their part of my necessary surgeries. It is from these instances which inspire me to become an anesthesiologist. I desire to become an integral part of a caring, educated, and thorough medical team adequately preparing and successfully executing surgeries to help others. While some people choose to have elective surgeries, most people require surgeries to remove cancers, set or replace bones, and overall improve their health in some way. I want to be a respected professional who is known to help others when there is a need. I will be attending Texas A&M University-College Station in the fall. I will be majoring in Biomedical Sciences followed by medical school and a residency. Although the road to becoming an anesthesiologist is long, I know I have the inner drive to see this pathway through to completion. Growing up in my household, I was pushed by my parents to be the best I can be. I put that same pressure on myself to set high goals and attain them. I participated in a wide variety of activities during my high school years all while attaining high academic performance. One of my highest goals to date is to attain the status of an Eagle Scout. I am nearing completion and after all my years in Scouting, you can be assured I follow the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. I take all these words seriously. I may not be the most popular, most handsome, most athletic, or the funniest kid. I just try to be the best all-around person in life that I can be. If everyone in the world was kind to one another, it would be a much better place. Again, I do not take the easy way out. I help do my part to make the world a better place with my words and actions. I use all resources wisely. I repeat my confirmation verse of Philippians 4:13 daily. “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” I put my faith in Christ and will do so until my days on this earth are done whether it is as a student or an anesthesiologist or a future parent. I hope you can put that same faith and trust in me as the recipient of the I Am Third Scholarship.