In the summer of 2024, I was selected to participate as a research volunteer for a computer science program through UMass Amherst. The way the program worked was that a PhD mentor would guide a group of undergraduate researchers in a project, whether the entire group worked on one big project or there were multiple unique projects happening within the group. One of the given possibilities for a project involved working with proof assistants. These are tools used to verify that code behaves as intended by the programmer, by writing that exact code in the proof assistant’s syntax and using mathematical theorems to prove that it works correctly. The proof assistant project still remained the most interesting to me, however no one else was doing it. Most of the other researchers in my group split into other different projects. I had two choices: work with a group on a project that didn’t seem to catch my eye, or take a risk and work on a project that seemed very interesting, but by myself. I decided to take the leap and do the proof assistant project. Looking back, I don't regret that decision one bit. I ended up making a translator that can convert code from Python into Rocq, a particular proof assistant, which can be assistful in the process of proving correct software using Rocq. I learned how to implement an algorithm for converting the Python code line by line, while advancing my testing and debugging skills. I discovered comparisons between Python and Rocq syntax that helped guide the programming process. Every time I managed to program the Rocq translation for a certain Python feature, it gave me a feeling of accomplishment that drove me to do more. What inspires me to write code is the rewarding feeling of successfully transforming an idea from my head into a computer program. This once seemed impossible when beginning to work on my translator project, especially by myself. I enjoy the feeling of pushing my boundaries and thinking one step deeper to truly understand how something logically works. What also inspires me to write code is our ability to use it to give back to our society, making it better and safer. It is important that software is flawless, because the more and more we depend on code, the more and more consequential an error or bug in the code will be. One real world application of the importance of faultless software, used in my translator project, involves its presence in the medical field. I was able to convert a Python function that helps determine whether someone has a disease or not into Rocq. Specifically, this function counts how many nucleotide letters, of DNA, have changed between two lists. There are endless ways to give back, especially with correct software, and I’m excited to explore more ways to contribute in honor of Chadwick, who always advocated for being a contributing member of the community! As President George H.W. Bush once expressed: “There could be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others.”

Throughout my middle school and early high school journey, solving problems and focusing were both burdensome. I’ve always had trouble being attentive and understanding assignments in class. I typically had to put in extra energy into accomplishing something, unlike my peers. Eventually, I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD, leaving me discouraged. When I first took a programming class during my sophomore year of high school, I initially figured that it was simply not for me. Once again, I had trouble learning and focusing, this time with code. Determined, I took my disability head on and developed good habits that have made me a more efficient coder, such as meditating and exercising. However, what really fueled my focus, and programming interest, was our class switching from using Snap, a rather rigid programming language, to Python. Not only did I find Python more flexible than Snap, but it allowed me to be more creative and I enjoyed the feeling of developing a program using a more advanced language. I realized that passion fuels focus, but I also learned that there is no one-size-fits-all concept to programming — everyone has their own preferred programming language so that they can code their way. Programming has taught me discipline — which has poured into many areas of my life. Inspired, I pursued more programming classes, in spite of my ADHD, turning that quest for knowledge into a career path of software and web development. On that path, I’ve learned other advanced languages, such as Java and HTML, and have created fun projects, such as a software that stores cryptocurrency files. My teacher even recommended that I take discrete math in my senior year of high school, a class that gave me a lens to view computer science in a way that is more understandable, more logical, more profound. It allowed me to think of programming less as work, but more as solving an engaging puzzle. Having my programming passion, and being someone who enjoys giving back, I then asked myself this critical question: How can I use coding to serve my community? I thought of possibilities such as making an app for a virtual library, using AI to diagnose patients at a local hospital, or building a website that prevents scams. I know that I am the best candidate for this scholarship because my story corresponds with Chris’s. We both overcame a setback for a higher education and are always looking out for the little guy in our community. Nevertheless, as problems in our community become more advanced, our solutions will need to be more advanced, and that’s where computer science steps in. Earning this scholarship will help me to invest in my ability to serve my community using technology, in honor of Chris’s amazing legacy. There are endless ways to give back, especially with computers, and I’m thrilled to contribute! As President George H.W. Bush once expressed: “There could be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others.”

Throughout my middle school and early high school journey, solving problems and focusing had been burdensome. I’ve always had trouble being attentive and understanding assignments in class. I typically had to put in extra energy into accomplishing something, unlike my peers. Eventually, I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD, leaving me discouraged. When I first took a programming class during my sophomore year of high school, I initially figured that it was simply not for me. Once again, I had trouble learning and focusing, this time with code. Determined, I took my disability head on and developed good habits that have made me a more efficient coder, such as meditating and exercising. However, what really fueled my focus, and programming interest, was our class switching from using Snap, a rather rigid programming language, to Python. Not only did I find Python more flexible than Snap, but it allowed me to be more creative and I enjoyed the feeling of developing a program using a more advanced language. I realized that passion fuels focus, but I also learned that there is no one-size-fits-all concept to programming — everyone has their own preferred programming language so that they can code their way. Programming has taught me discipline — which has poured into many areas of my life. Inspired, I pursued more programming classes, in spite of my ADHD, turning that quest for knowledge into a career path of software and web development. On that path, I’ve learned other advanced languages, such as Java and HTML, and have created fun projects, such as a software that stores cryptocurrency files. My teacher even recommended that I take discrete math in my senior year of high school, a class that gave me a lens to view computer science in a way that is more understandable, more logical, more profound. It allowed me to think of programming less as work, but more as solving an engaging puzzle. Having my programming passion, and being someone who enjoys giving back, I then asked myself this critical question: How can I use coding to serve my community? I thought of possibilities such as making an app for a virtual library, using AI to diagnose patients at a local hospital, or building a website that prevents scams. I know that I am the best candidate for this scholarship because my story corresponds with Chris’s. We both overcame a setback for a higher education and are always looking out for the little guy in our community. Nevertheless, as problems in our community become more advanced, our solutions will need to be more advanced, and that’s where computer science steps in. Earning this scholarship will help me to invest in my ability to serve my community using technology, in honor of Chris’s amazing legacy. There are endless ways to give back, especially with computers, and I’m thrilled to contribute! As President George H.W. Bush once expressed: “There could be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others.”

As someone with ADHD, it’s always been discouraging seeing other kids understand course material much quicker and easier than I could. I knew, however, that I would need to stay during my teachers’ late days in order to get the extra help that I needed. Thankfully, my teachers have always been helpful in accommodating my disability. What motivates me to pursue a higher education is my desire to use computer science to help the world around me. When I first took a computer science class during my sophomore year of high school, I figured that it was just simply not for me. This was the case until my class went from using Snap, a more educational and amateur computer programming language, to the Python programming language later in the school year. Not only was Python more versatile and flexible than Snap, but I enjoyed the feeling of solving problems to create a functional program using a more advanced programming language. I was then inspired to pursue more computer science classes and turn that quest for knowledge into a career path that relates to creating software and web development. On that path, I’ve worked on engaging projects, such as a program that can safely store cryptocurrency files, a binary adding website that uses virtual light bulbs to represent 1s and 0s, and even a chart that uses data and artificial intelligence to visualize how a cereal’s amount of sugar impacts its overall consumer rating. On top of that, my teacher recommended that I take discrete math in my senior year, a class that has taught me new mathematical concepts that can be applied to programming. In spite of my learning disability, discrete math has provided me with a lens to view computer science in a way that is more understandable, more logical, more profound. Similarly to how my community has helped made learning easier for me, I’ve always enjoyed helping others in return. Being someone who enjoys giving back, I continuously ask myself this critical question: How can I use my love for computer science to serve my community? I’ve thought of possibilities such as making an app for a virtual library, building a website that protects users from cryptocurrency scams, or using artificial intelligence to help others with ADHD. I believe that earning this scholarship will not only help with funding my college education, but in the long run, it will help me to invest in my ability to serve my community using technology. There is an endless list of ways to give back, especially with computers, and I’m excited to see how I can contribute, despite my learning disability!

In the future, I see myself using my computer science skills to serve my community, whether that be making an app for a virtual library, using artificial intelligence to diagnose patients at a local hospital, or building a website that helps protect users from cryptocurrency scams.

Influencing others is like playing with Play-Doh: you mold those around you so that they, sometimes unknowingly, behave the way you want them to. Knowing the importance of this, I typically take the opportunity to influence others in a team setting. Whether that be keeping my partners on task while working on a critical project, high-fiving my teammates during a track practice to encourage them to keep pushing when tired, or helping volunteers load food trucks at a local pantry, I find that being a positive and uplifting role model can make any situation more enjoyable, for myself and others. The biggest hardship I’ve ever faced was getting cut from my high school's basketball team during my senior year. As little as it may seem in the grand scheme of things, this was something I'd been chasing tirelessly and obsessively for several years; it practically became my identity. Knowing that I put in an unimaginable amount of effort into something that I could not accomplish hit me like a truck, and regretful thoughts started to pour in like: “What if I did this move rather than that at tryouts?” or “What if I just sprinted a little bit faster?” Bearing this disappointment, I wanted to make sure that I never felt as regretful as I did after getting cut. I then started taking more chances, going up and talking to new people, and pushing myself more in track. From this experience, I’ve learned that it’s most often better to fear regret more than doing something outside of my comfort zone. A major that I’m currently planning to go into is computer science. When I first took a computer science class during my sophomore year of high school, I figured that it was just simply not for me. This was the case until my class went from using Snap, a more educational and amateur computer programming language, to the Python programming language later in the school year. Not only was Python more versatile and flexible than Snap, but I enjoyed the feeling of solving problems to create a functional program using a more advanced programming language. I was then inspired to pursue more computer science classes and turn that quest for knowledge into a career path that relates to creating software and web development. As someone who enjoys giving back, I then asked myself this critical question: How can I use my love for computer science to serve my community? I thought of possibilities such as making an app for a virtual library, using artificial intelligence to diagnose patients at a local hospital, or building a website that helps protect users from cryptocurrency scams. I believe that earning this scholarship will not only help with funding my college education, but in the long run, it will help me to invest in my ability to serve my community using technology. There is an endless list of ways to give back, especially with computers, and I’m excited to see how I can contribute!

This past summer, I read a "monster" of a story for a school assignment: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. As I dove into the novel to deduce its meaning, it has taught me, and can teach any reader, to analyze how literature is constructed through devices such as symbolism, intertextuality, and connections. Summarized, Frankenstein is about a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who builds a monster through an exhausting process. The lonely monster demands its creator to make it a companion, but after Frankenstein refuses, the monster blackmails him by killing his loved ones. At first, I was confused about why this could be meaningful, I mean don’t we see monsters rampaging all the time on television, especially just for ratings? However, as I examined the text closer, I realized that these tragedies happening to Frankenstein are essentially the universe, or at least a personified version of it, teaching him to not surpass what nature allows by having him suffer the consequences. While building his monster, to begin with, Frankenstein burns himself out to the point of insanity. This aspect conveys the real-world issue of how humans have a finite amount of energy we can invest. When we try to push past those limits, we take the ultimate toll. We work on something we’re passionate about and exert ourselves to the point where we not only hate what we’re doing, but damage ourselves. That said, my view of Frankenstein's meaning may be different from someone else's. Everyone has their own way of thinking critically about, and analyzing, literature, and the beauty of that can be realized through a novel like this.

Fueling yourself is like fueling a car. If you give yourself the right fuel, you’ll accelerate in whatever you do during your day-to-day. However, if you give yourself bad fuel, you’ll crash. I first started watching what I ate when I played sports during high school, more specifically: basketball, track, and cross country. Whenever I ate too much, too little, or simply junk food before playing or running, I felt like I was being weighed down from performing at my best. I wasn't being as explosive off the dribble, and not running as fast as I ideally could. After doing some research, I found that eating about 300-400 calories 3-4 hours before a game, meet, or practice—for example, an egg sandwich and an apple—and a eating light snack about an hour beforehand—such as a banana or saltine crackers—is usually the best bet for not feeling too hungry or heavy before exercising. That strategy has worked wonders for me and I started playing and running at my best ability, which makes competing a lot more fun. Those habits of eating healthy for sports poured into eating healthy simply for my well-being. I noticed that when I ate potatoes instead of potato chips, rice instead of Rice Krispies, and fruit instead of Fruit-by-the-Foot, I felt like I was doing myself a huge favor that continued to pay off, which is why eating healthy is one of the best inexpensive investments someone could make. I’ve noticed that eating cleaner leads to better physical health, with the incorporation of exercise, of course, making it effortless to have high self-esteem. On top of that, I’ve noticed changes mentally and in my traits as well. Eating well has helped me to better focus on my schoolwork, rather than to feel lethargic while doing so. It has also instilled self-control in me. Sometimes it can be tempting to eat that plate of dessert at the family cookout, but each time I resist that urge, it’s like my discipline muscle is doing a bicep curl; it gets stronger the more I successfully resist. From what I’ve learned, eating healthy is an act of self-love. Being willing to eat the right foods so that you can feel and be at your best demonstrates that you care enough about yourself to be fulfilled in any aspect of your life. Some may need to eat more or less than others, but no matter the case, as American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “the first wealth is health.”

I’ve always thought that the qualities I have developed, such as discipline, would allow me to thrive on my own. However, I’ve never actually been put to the test with this. I’m excited to see how I apply the soft skills I’ve picked up from the past couple of years, to this new, independent, journey of college. When facing the challenges of being an undergrad, I can make sure that my student self and personal self are their best by doing things such as taking appropriate breaks and exercising. My student self may face issues such as knowing which assignment to start from a big pile of homework, or keeping a good focus when studying. What I do now in high school to combat such issues is to simply make an ordered checklist. This provides me with a clear visual of the path that I need to take to efficiently and effectively check my work off. This also removes any mental clutter that comes with the overwhelmingness of new assignments. When actually doing those assignments, I follow a rule in which I take a 5 minute break after every 30 minutes of studying and/or completing work to keep me going. Not only do these small breaks rejuvenate my focus, but they keep me motivated too. During the work period, I always look forward to watching TV, playing Pokemon, or shooting hoops when break time comes. While those study strategies help my mind be at its best when working, they're only part of the equation. Focusing on my health as a person is a must, especially in college life, and I meditate, workout, stretch, and eat healthy now to do just that. I typically meditate in the mornings, and I do practices such as focusing on the outline of my body and box-breathing (inhaling for four seconds, holding for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, holding for four seconds, and repeating that sequence), which helps to ease stress and keep me in a “flow state," an immerse and content state of being. Exercising regularly and eating well are just as helpful: feeling good physically makes feeling good mentally a lot easier. Those habits help me become more confident, make better connections, and boost my self-esteem. Overall, a lot of what I need in college, and life in general, is balance: balance between schoolwork, making income, making connections, and rest. If I can use the practices discussed above to improve my well-being and productivity, then that balance should fall into place smoothly. As Mr. Miyagi once said in The Karate Kid: “Whole life have a balance; everything be better.”