Success can’t be described in a dictionary nor should it be measured by a statistic that denotes you as a number on a piece of paper. And as much as I hate to admit it, success often doesn’t feel like the ending of a movie where the protagonist throws their fist into the air and proclaims “I did it!”. Success can be considered complicated, but it can also be simple, as success is merely the culmination of the human experience. Throughout my life, I have always viewed success as grades, achievements, results, accolades, and metrics that always compare me to someone else, with the outcome being that I am “better” or “worse.” This thought process defined who I was: I strived to be the “best” at everything. In the classroom, on the athletic field, or even at home with my brother, I always had a desire to “beat” you in whatever it was that we were doing, because that’s what I defined success to be. The world supported my competitive nature in that success always came with one outcome, and I associated that outcome with a feeling. My entire thought process of what success meant changed in 2022 when I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. When I walked out of the hospital in August, less than a week from my birthday, I still believed that I could do it all. Though when I was presented with challenges in school, on the court, and even socially, I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t having success. I constantly second-guessed myself and thought about insignificant things over and over because I wasn’t having the success that I thought I should, and the only person I had to blame was myself. What I didn’t realize was that while trying to juggle my busy schedule, I also had a life-changing medical condition which took time, energy, and well-being away from me. This repeated feeling of failure led me to spiral. When I finally broke down and admitted that I wasn’t having success, I felt like there was nothing I could do about it to fix it. In reality, the only thing I could do to fix it was to fix my approach to what success meant. Moving forward, success wasn’t all about the numbers or the wins, but simply improving each day. I learned to appreciate and see the small victories that I had in my life, even if they weren’t victories by definition. On days I woke up, felt good, and my numbers were more in range, I deemed it a success. Games or practice when I was able to fully participate and not stop to manage my diabetes, I thought of it as a win, even if I didn’t make a single shot. This new thought process of success opened me up to living my life and enjoying it, rather than worrying about all the times I messed up, or how something wasn’t a success. Though I’ve had diabetes for many years, and have improved in many ways, I still face some of the same struggles as I did when I was first diagnosed. Instead of thinking about it as constant failure, and that successfully managing diabetes is impossible, I keep in mind that every day I wake up, and do something, it is a success. While my life is far from perfect, and to many people’s standards looks like a failure, I am a success story. I have found that I am happier in my life now than I was before I had diabetes, and I’m grateful that I experienced a time of perceived failure to get to the success that I always had. Success is living life to its fullest capacity, whatever that may look like for the individual. Mistakes and shortcomings were meant to happen because they teach us how to improve and remind us that even though you may not have gotten where you wanted to, you had the ability to get somewhere. The ability to experience life for yourself, not based on what other people deem as correct or good, is how success is achieved. Success at its core is the human experience; breathing in air and opening your eyes each day is the biggest success that anyone can have. This scholarship will allow me to continue to find success and live my life to the fullest. Whether it’s on the basketball court, in the classroom, involved in clubs, taking part in community service, or simply trying something new, having access to education and a school that supports me will allow me to find success in ways that I didn’t even know were possible.

Engineering to me isn’t just a career, but simply a way of doing things. What interests and excites me most about a career in engineering is the endless possibilities to create new things, solve problems, and simply do things hands-on from the ground floor. Ever since I was a young kid, I was fascinated with taking things apart, putting them back together, and fixing things despite having no knowledge of how they worked. I was excited to put together the most mundane of things, like a coffee table, because I simply enjoyed putting things together and figuring out how they worked. This thought process spilled over into many different parts of my life, whether it was the science kits I received every Christmas or birthday, or starting more and more projects over spring break and summer break as I grew up. Engineering excites me, because just like life, there are endless possibilities of things you can create and build, and you have the ability to explore whatever interests you. One of the pivotal classes that has helped me further explore engineering is an Honors Engineering class that I’ve been fortunate enough to take during my senior year. This class has blended the ability to get hands-on and build things, with the real-life responsibilities of an engineer, which include time management, paperwork and presentation, and most importantly, teamwork. While I know there are many individual aspects of being an engineer, such as individual approaches and ideas, it truly takes a team, who might have skills in different areas, to make a project complete. I first saw this when I was randomly assigned to a group of 3 during our rocketry unit, in which we were tasked with building a model rocket, essentially from scratch. While I went more into the design and physical construction of the rocket, I didn’t realize just how many calculations, descriptions, and research were needed for what we created to make sense. And despite our collaborative work and beautifully designed rocket, when it came to launch day, it didn’t make it more than 50 feet in the air before it fell apart. The experiences I’ve taken from this class, coupled with my passion for tinkering with things since I was a young kid, only further fueled my passion to go into engineering and figure more things out, both by myself and with others who share a similar passion to discover how things work. Most importantly, engineering also gives me the ability to create something that will help others. Whether it be safety technology in automobiles, improving upon technology for airplanes, or simply finding ways to create more environmentally friendly products, engineering will allow me to help others and make the world a better place. My dream would be to design cars for companies like Porsche or Ferrari, as well as being one of the people to advance the automotive industry and push consumer cars further as a mechanical engineer and designer. I also believe that there is still much work to be done in making cars safer and more convenient for people, especially those who have disabilities like me. I know that wherever I go, engineering will allow me to solve problems and ultimately help others, while doing what I’m passionate about, which has always been my goal and aspiration.

Being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in August of 2022 was one of the most difficult times in my life. Not only because of the physical limitations it put on my body, but the mental challenges it put me through. Being an athlete, I constantly ran “what if” scenarios through my head, and, while I denied it every time, I often thought to myself how I would be able to continue to do the things I loved to do and manage my health. Type 1 Diabetes has been the cause of many new habits; always bringing an extra bag with me, changing the way I eat, and most notably, making me take a step back sometimes and slow down simply because my body wouldn’t let me do what I wanted to do. I especially experienced this during my sophomore year of high school during the basketball season, when I often had to sit out of practices or games because I was too low or not feeling well. I also struggled mentally, both in school, at home, and during sports, as I felt I was underperforming, and I didn’t want to admit that my health was causing a setback. Looking ahead, I have made strides in how I manage my diabetes, and how I prevent it from controlling me. Not only am I committed to play Division 3 basketball at McDaniel College, but I will be graduating high school with over a 4.0 GPA, and plan to continue to challenge myself in the classroom and on the court. Playing basketball at the collegiate level has always been one of my goals, and I am proud that I’ve been able to achieve it despite my diabetes. I also aspire to become a mechanical engineer after college, and design cars for an automotive company. Another one of my goals since I was diagnosed was to not let my diabetes hold me back, and to prove to others who might be struggling with diabetes or other health complications that it doesn’t have to be a hindrance to living your life to the fullest. I’ve begun this journey by joining both the Dexcom Warriors program and Team Tandem, which are programs designed to bring the diabetic community together, show the world that diabetes doesn’t disable you from living your best life, and provide inspiration to those who are struggling. While I do still struggle with diabetes and have rough days, I try to think of this condition not as a disability, but rather as another part of who I am, and remind myself that I can still reach all of my goals and more.

Engineering, to me, isn’t just a career but simply a way of doing things. What interests and excites me most about a career in engineering is the endless possibilities to create new things, solve problems, and simply do things hands-on from the ground floor. Ever since I was a young kid, I was fascinated with taking things apart, putting them back together, and fixing things despite having no knowledge of how they worked. I was excited to put together the most mundane of things, like a coffee table because I simply enjoyed putting things together and figuring out how they worked. This thought process spilled over into many different parts of my life, whether it was the science kits I received every Christmas or birthday or starting more and more projects over spring break and summer break as I grew up. Engineering excites me because, just like life, there are endless possibilities of things you can create and build, and you have the ability to explore whatever interests you. While I’m specifically interested in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace, I know that there are many fields of engineering where I could find my niche, and love what I do. One of the pivotal classes that have helped me further explore engineering is an Honors Engineering class that I’ve been fortunate enough to take during my senior year. This class has blended the ability to get hands-on and build things with the real-life responsibilities of an engineer, which include time management, paperwork and presentation, and most importantly, teamwork. While I know there are many individual aspects of being an engineer, such as individual approaches and ideas, it truly takes a team, who might have skills in different areas, to make a project complete. I first saw this when I was randomly assigned to a group of 3 during our rocketry unit, in which we were tasked with building a model rocket, essentially from scratch. While I went more into the design and physical construction of the rocket, I didn’t realize just how many calculations, descriptions, and research were needed for what we created to make sense. And despite our collaborative work and beautifully designed rocket, when it came to launch day, it didn’t make it more than 50 feet in the air before it fell apart. The experiences I’ve taken from this class, coupled with my passion for tinkering with things since I was a young kid, only further fueled my passion to go into engineering and figure more things out, both by myself and with others who share a similar passion to discover how things work. Most importantly, engineering also gives me the ability to create something that will help others. Whether it be safety technology in automobiles, improving upon technology for airplanes, or simply finding ways to create more environmentally friendly products, engineering will allow me to help others and make the world a better place. To me, engineering is all about having a passion for creating things, being curious about how something works, finding a new way to do it or make it, and ultimately improving the world through it. It’s fitting that one of my favorite movies of all time features a young “robot,” who, similar to me, is interested in building things and figuring out how things work and dreams of being an engineer like I do. A quote that I took from this movie and live by is this: "See a need, fill a need."

The movie that has had the greatest impact on my life is the 2005 film "Robots." Not only does the film encapsulate what I want to do in my own life in the engineering field and have a creative mind, but also the mission I live by and carry with me each day: help others and make the world a better place. The film follows a young inventor, Rodney, whose dream is to be an inventor and display his inventions to the most prominent robot manufacturing company in the film, Bigweld Industries. But what is unique about his inventions is that they are not just flashy gadgets or fancy toys, but tools and machines that are aimed to help others. For example, the small flying robot which acts as Rodney's partner throughout the movie serves as an aid to Rodney's father, who works as a dishwasher in order to provide Rodney with the opportunities for him to achieve his dream of being an inventor. Rodney's mission of being an inventor goes much beyond his simple inventions, as he goes on to help an entire community of robots who need fixing, and who were denied parts or repairs. Rodney's dream was able to be realized not necessarily by his own personal accolades and abilities, but rather by his willingness to be a leader and serve a community of people (robots) that were neglected and otherwise deemed as "rejects," all while having a compassionate spirit and genuine passion for what he does. I first watched this movie when I was a kid, solely because of my interest in building things and robots in the world of technology. As I grew older though, the film always stuck with me and left me with the motto of the fictitious company, Bigweld Industries, as well as Rodney: "See a need, fill a need." I have tried to model my life around this quote, thinking about everything I do with the approach of trying to help others in the process. I believe my involvement in leadership in large part comes from this film and belief, as I have found myself stepping up to opportunities and offering my help where I would least expect it. For example, I never envisioned myself as being one of the leaders of the Black Student Union at my high school during my freshman year, yet when the faculty representatives asked for applicants for the position, I promptly replied with a yes, and have been involved as a leader ever since, and will be continuing my leadership in the affinity group into my senior year of high school. This movie has also shown me that my dream of designing cars is possible and doesn't have to be a decade-long mission of focusing on myself. In fact, the film highlights that achieving greatness and making a difference isn't something you do on your own, but rather an effort that takes a village of people who all have the common vision of helping others. As I enter my senior year of high school and higher education in the future, I take the lessons from this film on how to live your life. It is only by coincidence that the film aligns with my goal of receiving a degree in mechanical engineering, and going on to design and build cars that are affordable, safe, and comfortable for families like mine who are always on the go, and striving to serve. And as I walk through my life, and greet people every morning, I remember and live with this quote: "See a need, fill a need.”

The movie that has had the greatest impact on my life is the 2005 film "Robots." Not only does the film encapsulate what I want to do in my own life in the engineering field and have a creative mind, but also the mission I live by and carry with me each day: help others and make the world a better place. The film follows a young inventor, Rodney, whose dream is to be an inventor and display his inventions to the most prominent robot manufacturing company in the film, Bigweld Industries. But what is unique about his inventions is that they are not just flashy gadgets or fancy toys, but tools and machines that are aimed to help others. For example, the small flying robot which acts as Rodney's partner throughout the movie serves as an aid to Rodney's father, who works as a dishwasher to provide Rodney with the opportunities for him to achieve his dream of being an inventor. Rodney's mission of being an inventor goes much beyond his simple inventions, as he goes on to help an entire community of robots who need fixing, and who were denied parts or repairs. Rodney's dream was able to be realized not necessarily by his accolades and abilities, but rather by his willingness to be a leader and serve a community of people (robots) that were neglected and otherwise deemed as "rejects," all while having a compassionate spirit and genuine passion for what he does. I first watched this movie when I was a kid, solely because of my interest in building things and robots in the world of technology. As I grew older though, the film always stuck with me and left me with the motto of the fictitious company, Bigweld Industries, as well as Rodney: "See a need, fill a need." I have tried to model my life around this quote, thinking about everything I do with the approach of trying to help others in the process. I believe my involvement in leadership in large part comes from this film and belief, as I have found myself stepping up to opportunities and offering my help where I would least expect it. For example, I never envisioned myself as being one of the leaders of the Black Student Union at my high school during my freshman year, yet when the faculty representatives asked for applicants for the position, I promptly replied with a yes, and have been involved as a leader ever since, and will be continuing my leadership in the affinity group into my senior year of high school. This movie has also shown me that my dream of designing cars is possible and doesn't have to be a decade-long mission of focusing on myself. The film highlights that achieving greatness and making a difference isn't something you do on your own, but rather an effort that takes a village of people who all have the common vision of helping others. As I enter my senior year of high school and higher education in the future, I take the lessons from this film on how to live your life. It is only by coincidence that the film aligns with my goal of receiving a degree in mechanical engineering, and going on to design and build cars that are affordable, safe, and comfortable for families like mine who are always on the go, and striving to serve. And as I walk through my life, and greet people every morning, I remember and live with this quote: "See a need, fill a need."

As an African-American Engineer, I plan to not only represent my family and the time they have invested into my academic success but also represent other aspiring African-American students that their dreams are achievable and that the journey to success doesn't have to be alone. Representing my family means more than just my mother, father, and siblings who I live with and see every day. I also represent my church family, and the people who have prayed for me, watched me grow, and are equally invested in my success as a Christian believer. Church and my religion have always been a significant part of my life growing up. When I was younger, I often only saw Sunday morning church as a tradition that my family participated in because my parents were brought up in church. But as I continued to learn about the faith and how God has helped me in my own life, I found that I also was a part of a new family, who always cared for me, prayed for me in times of struggle, celebrated my victories, and most importantly, greeting me with open arms and love. My church family also led to me discovering some of my passions, such as leadership opportunities at my high school which started in my time as a junior usher during service, or my passion for music and choir, which blossomed from the youth choir. My faith and church family also brought me through some of the biggest struggles in my life. In 2022, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and at the time, I simply had no idea what I was dealing with. Being thrown into a life-long disability after a high point in my life had me questioning what I had done wrong. But I distinctly remember the first service back from my stay in the hospital, where I was greeted with hugs and prayers from the entire congregation, as well as my pastor especially praying over me and assuring me that the illness did not have the power to control me, and rather was simply a bump in the road. My church family instilled into me that I would be able to overcome my diagnosis, and while it would not be easy by any means, I was supported, prayed over, and loved constantly. This family and belief in my faith is what assures me that I do have the power to overcome and manage this illness to this day, and is what reminds me that I am powerful with God. Looking to the present, God has opened a new chapter in my family's life, with my mother being appointed as pastor of a small church located about 45 minutes from our house. This blessing has brought its own set of challenges as well, with a congregation of people that are vastly different from my home church where I have been a member my entire life, as well as my mother being an African-American female in ministry. Nonetheless, I have found myself trusting in my faith that it is all a part of God's master plan, and have been able to get involved with the music ministry and IT committee at the church, giving help where it is needed, and making the church accessible and open to all. In the future, I hope to graduate with a mechanical engineering degree from a top university and go on to build and design cars, with the ultimate goal in mind of bringing affordable, safe, and comfortable vehicles to the market that are tailored toward families like mine who are always on the go, and looking to serve others through their work and ministry. Without my family supporting me, I would not be able to be where I am now and have a strong belief in myself and what I can accomplish. I am confident that I will be able to achieve these goals, as I know I have not only my immediate family standing behind me, but all of my church family, and family of believers in Christ who are invested in me and want to see my success as a future African-American engineer and leader in the world.