My name is Anthony Ortiz, and I’m a first-generation high school senior, student-athlete, and aspiring journalist. I’ve always believed that success comes from showing up every day with intention—whether it's in the classroom, on the court, or in my community. I’m currently pursuing my academic journey with a 3.5 GPA while playing basketball, and I plan to major in journalism or multimedia studies at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). This scholarship would not only support my dream of becoming a well-respected journalist but also help lift some of the financial pressure that comes with being from a low-income household. Growing up in a household where money was often tight, I learned early on the value of hard work, self-discipline, and perseverance. I never let my circumstances define what I was capable of. As a small point guard, I had to develop vision, grit, and leadership to make my mark. Those same qualities shaped who I am off the court—determined, focused, and driven to improve myself and others. My interest in journalism began during the COVID-19 pandemic—a time of uncertainty and anxiety that affected my mental health deeply. Yet, in that time, I found strength through storytelling. I realized that journalism could be a way to cope, connect, and create change. Whether it's covering sports, writing editorials, or highlighting real issues in our communities, I knew I wanted to be part of that world. Even after failing to make the newspaper staff the first time I applied, I didn’t give up. Two years later, I was named Connections Manager, a leadership role that now allows me to mentor others, collaborate on important stories, and represent a voice in my school’s publication. I’ve also committed myself to community service outside of school. For two years, I’ve volunteered in the YMCA aftercare program, helping younger kids after school and supporting families in my area. I’ve also been part of my school’s Relay for Life team for two years, raising awareness and funds for cancer research—something that touches every generation. Through these experiences, I’ve learned that making a difference doesn’t require a title—it just takes consistency, compassion, and action. A recent personal experience deeply shaped how I see the world and the kind of journalist I want to become. A friend of mine was involved in a tragic accident after racing through an intersection and running a red light—killing two elderly people. I used to play basketball with him and talk to him in class. I never imagined he’d make a choice like that. The event devastated our community, and yet after a few days of coverage, the story disappeared. That silence struck me. It made me realize how many important stories fade too quickly. As a journalist, I want to shine a light on those moments—to bring truth, accountability, and understanding where it's most needed. The Sean Kelly Memorial Scholarship would allow me to pursue this mission while honoring Sean’s legacy. Like him, I believe in striving for excellence in everything I do. With this support, I will continue to grow as a student, an athlete, a writer, and a person who uplifts the voices around him—on and off the field.

My experience with anxiety was both a horrid and learning experience in my life. With anxiety, I have had some terrible thoughts and embarrassing moments. While I had those, I learned who Anthony Ortiz is. I embraced my flaws instead of hiding them. This is when I figured out what to do for the future. I am starting to be myself and have confidence in who I am. I can never go up to someone and just meet them. I would think that it is just so weird to go up to someone, talk to them, and somehow you won't embarrass yourself. This probably explains why when I got back to school after the pandemic, I had no friends to talk to and would sit alone at lunch. Looking back, I was sitting alone and every other table was filled with people's friends. I was just scared. During class, I had to present and it was about who I wanted to be for the future. Now, my desires for the future were clear, but presenting it to the whole class was a personal challenge. I go up, finish my introduction, and then the teacher asks me questions. I go completely silent and just hesitant to speak. I feel the stares at me, the silence bringing pain, and the embarrassment I felt during that moment was the worst moment of my life. After that day though, I was planning a way how to be gradually confident. Now, I planned to go up to people I knew in the past and reconnect with them. This worked, but now it was time for me to think about what I needed to do to be successful. I got into my school's newspaper and just finished publishing the first story there. I met new people because I forced myself to. Sharing my ideas with people I have never seen or talked to in my life improved my confidence. Change is what happened and what I needed. This is exactly why pursuing a college degree is important for me. For self-improvement, confidence, and experience the hard life. I have loads of potential. I want to make an impact on the world of journalism. The only person or thing holding me back is myself. Who will allow me to be free? First and foremost, thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship and share my experiences with the world. Next, this essay wasn't only for a scholarship, as it is also for me to share my experiences and how they shaped who I am today. An aspiring journalist who has big goals for the future. Anxiety was an obstacle, but I got through it and controlling it now. No one will stop me, but myself.

As I entered my junior year of high school, I was anxious to find out which teachers I would have. I wasn't looking forward to introducing myself to new classes and just wanted to get through the first day of school. I walked into my new English class and saw my teacher for the first time. She had an outgoing personality, which was evident from the way she dressed and introduced herself to everyone. On the first day of school, our assignment was to write a short essay about our hopes for the school year. As I wrote, I thought my piece was okay, but not great. When I presented it in class, my teacher cheered me on after every sentence she liked. "I want to improve my confidence and public speaking. I think this is the year where I do this in Ms. Lateef's class," I said. There was a huge round of applause, and that's how it all started. Ms. Lateef helped me learn what the world is going to be like once we are out of high school. "Adulthood is no joke, you must persevere." She would say we weren't ready for the obstacles that would come to us later on in life. This stuck with me, it got me thinking that next year I will be a senior. It got me thinking about my future. I am hoping that my future will be involved with sports journalism. She helped me understand that it will not be easy and you must do the most to succeed. In that class, this teacher, helped me express emotions. We had an open mic day, a poem on who we wanted to be, but also what we were going through mentally. Multiple projects we had during the school year, were about us, not anything else. All of a sudden when I get home, I'm open about what happened during that day or how I feel emotionally. Before this class, it was "good." I started to have my own opinion, perspective on life, and who Anthony Ortiz is. My confidence in my abilities started to become sky-high. I became more decisive in my approach because everything that was locked inside of me, is not there anymore. I felt more free after what Ms. Lateef told us to do and how to do it. I looked at teachers differently after having her. She wasn't only a teacher in school, she was a teacher in my life. My turnaround is based on her teachings. I can't thank her enough. In summary, Ms. Lateef was one of the most important people in my life. She helped me be who I dreamt of being. A confident, passionate, ambitious, and expressive. She also helped academically. Giving me college tips, how to apply, how to write an essay, and what to do now to improve my chances of getting in. Ms. Lateef is a person that I will never forget. I thank her and this scholarship panel for being able to express how she helped me with school and life.

My favorite athlete is Bam Adebayo, part of the USA men's basketball team. Playing for my favorite NBA team as well, Adebayo is the definition of hard work and perseverance. His story is inspiring, his play is exciting to watch, and his impact on basketball is much bigger than people think. Bam is the definition of a player and a person who will never give up—something I want to emulate in my regard. Coming from a single-wide trailer in rural North Carolina, Bam had a tough childhood. His mom had to work and could not take any days off. It was hard just to put food on the table. Today, Bam is in the NBA with one of the best teams in the NBA, making millions. It's hard to not cheer for Bam even if you are not a Miami Heat fan. Bam has an incredible story. After signing his big extension back in 2020, Adebayo surprised his mom with a memorable gift on her 56th birthday. A house that his mom can finally call hers. "I was so nervous," Adebayo said. "Because I never really gave her a gift like that. So it kind of gave me a feeling like when I first stepped on the Finals court. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know anything at the moment. It was like one of those 'aw' moments where you just sit there for a minute. And she enjoyed it." I want to remember my journey once I reach my goals. That is much more important than the prize. Bam Adebayo is a star in this league. It's for the right reasons. He is explosive, exciting, versatile, and he always finds a way to surprise you. Watching him as I grew up was like a book that just keeps getting better and better. On Team USA, it is no different. Even with a group of superstars on this squad, Bam still finds a way to make a grand impact. He's shooting from beyond the arc, getting in the mid-range, passing like a maestro, and obviously making plays on the defensive end. I love watching this guy play. He can do everything on the court. You can tell he's ambitious as well. Every time he goes out there, no matter the stakes of the game, he always wants to win. Which kind of brings up my attitude about my future. I won't let anything stand in my way and will do everything I am capable of doing to reach my goals. When we talk about the impact one has on the game of basketball, we usually bring up Lebron James or Stephen Curry. What about Bam Adebayo? One of the pioneers of the new Point Center right next to Nikola Jokic. The moments he had with the Heat over the past 5 years were absolutely special. His impact is no different. No one talks about it because he is an underdog and the media do not like underdogs. As an aspiring sports journalist, we have to give respect when it's due. When Bam makes a play out of the point guard position, my eyes are always peeled. Just a great player to watch. In conclusion, I see myself in Bam Adebayo. Ambitious, passionate, hard-working, looking to make an impact, and perseverance. His story, his play, and his impact are the reasons why I love watching him for Team USA and the Miami Heat. I wish Bam the best over there in Paris and will be watching every game hoping they win gold. Thank you for the opportunity to apply.

Since the start of COVID-19, my journey has been shaped by my experiences with mental health. Please understand that what I went through was terrible, and I am grateful it happened. Upon reflection, I can say that going through that had a beneficial influence on my future goals, my family's relationship with me, and a closer relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My path might have appeared hazy if COVID-19 had not happened. I had not decided on my future professional path before the Pandemic. I was dispersed everywhere. I was aware that sports were my passion, but I also understood that I would never play in the NBA. That's the way things are. In terms of other careers, nothing was appealing. I simply gave up searching for my ideal professional path and decided to go with the flow going forward. Then Covid-19 occurred, and that's when the element of boredom started to factor into my life. The NBA was scheduled to play in Orlando, Florida, having recently emerged from lockdown. There was no one with whom to discuss the return of the league. One day though, I found a sports app off Bleacher Report called Halftime Sports. Here, users can publish articles and have private conversations with the Halftime community about their preferred sports. That was my favorite part of school, where everyone was just talking about sports all day. I can now write and discuss COVID-19, even with its ongoing nature. I started writing articles all day long, getting better at it and enjoying myself in the process. I realized that this is the job and college path I want to take. Next year, when I go to college, I want to study sports journalism. Other than sports I was going through it mentally. No friends, no outside world, just me and my thoughts fantasizing about what I could do to myself to make life just a bit more interesting. That is where my family came in. They comforted me through mental obstacles and I did the same with them. I remember there was a day when I didn't get out of bed because getting up and making my bed didn't have a purpose. My mom then came into my room, pulled out a bed from under, and slept with me. She then turned on the TV and put it on ESPN. I still wasn't mentally right after that, but I felt more comfortable than before. Being lonely in silence was pain. When it comes to religion, I wasn't a big believer until after Covid happened. During Covid, my thoughts were stuck on the fantasization that this would never stop. This will be the rest of my life forever. Wake up, eat, sleep, repeat. It finally slowed down after 2 years. I started to think about God and even watched a movie about him during the summer of 2022. I started to believe and pray for my family. To be protected from any dangers ahead of them. Today, my religion plays a much bigger role in my life than it did before and I am glad. Without it, my life would be a darker place no doubt about it. In summary, my mental obstacles during the Pandemic were horrible, but it gave a positive impact on my life and my path to success. My future seems brighter and simpler because of the lessons I learned during the Pandemic. It's like a whole new beginning for me. Lastly, I want to say thank you for the opportunity to apply. Can't wait to see the result.

My ability to focus on the task ahead makes me a leader. See when I grew up basketball was something I loved to do and practice on every day. I believe my skills are up to par with people who are on my high school team. I do have my limits when it comes to my height and time. This doesn't stop me though. Every year, I have tried out for my school's basketball team and look to try again as a senior. Right now, my talents are at the YMCA. Coached by my dad, playing with my little brother who is 15. The position I hold on the court is Point Guard. Which I learned is a leadership role. The role that I play on this team is communication, making sure my best players are in the spots they need to be in. My job is to also hold people accountable for what they did wrong and give them tips on how to do it differently. This is just one way to describe me as a leader. As a leader, one must go through adversity. Myself is no different. In a season we started 2-1, we ended up losing our 3 straight in embarrassing fashion. I was struggling and our best three-point shooter was out for the last two games of the regular season. We also learned he was out for an upcoming playoff game as well. I knew someone had to step up and that would be me. I was struggling with my shot but on defense, I was getting steals and locking people down. On offense, I realized my job must be simplified. Give my other teammates the ball. My brother had 16 points and 10 points of my assists. We ended up blowing out the team we just got embarrassed by a week ago. We then headed into the championship game as an obvious underdog. Going against the best team throughout the whole season as they finished with an undefeated record. It didn't matter. Our best three-point shooter came back from an ankle injury and I made sure to give him the ball in the right spots at the right time. He had 4 threes off my assists. Then, we ended up winning by 9 and were crowned the champions after a 2-4 regular season. If that's not going through adversity, I don't know what is. Another trait of mine that makes me a leader is that I won't stop until there is a win next to my name. In the future, it is a guarantee that nothing will stop me from reaching my goal of becoming a sports journalist, starting a family, and being the best person Anthony Ortiz can be. What this scholarship panel doesn't know, is that I didn't get into Journalism class in my first two years of high school. Doesn't mean this stopped me though. In my Junior year, I finally got in and worked my butt off in that class. Getting all A's in that class and even had an article featured on the newspaper website. Stopping me just won't happen. I want to thank this scholarship panel for the opportunity to write this essay and have a chance to win. This means the world to me that I was just a part of this. Being a leader is a privilege and an opportunity to make a positive impact on the world. Maintaining a level of focus, so a group of people doesn't lose sight of the big goal is important, especially today. Once again thank you for this opportunity.

My name is Anthony Ortiz, and I attend Pembroke Pines Charter High. I am heading into my senior year of high school and am excited for my future. What I want to major in college is sports journalism. Sports has always been my number one interest because it is so easy to talk about. I can talk about anything related to basketball, football, baseball, and hockey. I actually would write articles on this app called 'Halftime Sports' weekly. While Covid was tearing the world apart this is what I was doing. This was the only thing I would do during that time. My articles weren't great from the beginning though. First, it would be just clumps of words together and then a picture. As I improved, I figured out how to write and be organized and how to attract an audience. Have a catchy title, multiple pictures, and paragraphs, and then follow those with quotes or evidence. Today though, the app doesn't exist anymore, and all 700+ articles I wrote are gone. This doesn't mean it's the end for me though. All great things must come and go. When I become a sports journalist, Halftime Sports will be a huge part of why. At home, I live with my parents, my brother, my step-brother, and my three pets. In our household, it's always drama especially nowadays. Me having one more year of grade and my brother has two years left of grade school. My parents don't have any experience when it comes to one of their kids going to college. Then, you also add me playing for the YMCA, volunteering, and trying to pursue a job, next month I will be a coach for a YMCA team, and in a week I will be taking a driver's test for my license. Then we can also add what they have to do with work. A lot is going on which in some ways is a good thing. From doing these things we can learn who we are as a person. Will I be a hard-working person who won't stop until he gets what he wants or will I just let every opportunity I have right now fade into darkness? I think there is a very obvious answer. Losing people that you love is never easy. I remember my grandma and I still remember the last time I saw her. Inside of my house, watching her on a stretcher getting hurried into an ambulance. It's by far the worst image I repeat in my head because my mom fought for her to make it in America since I was born. I still remember her voice and when I said something, she wouldn't understand, so she would look at me and then my brother and then just laugh. Seeing this scholarship reminded me of my grandma. That is why I want to honor Kalia D. Davis by exemplifying what she was. Hard-working, passionate, ambitious, and kind. All of those traits I feel like everyone needs to have if they want to be a successful person. Finally, I would like to say how appreciative I am of the chance to tell you about my experience and apply for the Kalia D. Davis Scholarship. The life, love, laughter, learning, and legacy-leaving legacy of Kalia serve as a potent reminder of the influence one person can have on the world. I pledge to commemorate her memory by using this scholarship to pursue my goals of greatness, kindness, and ambition in all facets of my life. I appreciate your consideration of my application.

My name is Anthony Ortiz and an upcoming senior at Pembroke Pines Charter High. I am a well-known volunteer in my community as I have helped raise over $400 for the American Cancer Society in a club called "Relay for Life." Heading into my senior year, I will also look to claim a bigger role in this club because I feel my contributions could be needed in one of those leading positions. I have also volunteered for young children at the YMCA. Helping with homework, participating in exhilarating activities, and having a blast. The kids were by far the best benefit of volunteering at the Y because I feel like I learned so much from them. I learned that there is so much life I am missing like having an imagination and thinking more outside of the box. An amazing experience that I will never forget. The financial need I have right now is my family's contribution as we are in a struggle right now. It's me, my parents, my two brothers, and three pets who live in the same house. One thing I have going for me though is this. Scholarships that I have been applying for all summer and getting my FAFSA done. These help out my family and take the stress off their shoulders for at least a year because my brother is just 1 year younger than me and will be going through the same thing as well. This is also the first time my parents will go through this with a child so they don't have everything figured out. That is why I want to shout out my teachers and give credit to them for helping me and the people around me in making their road to college a little easier. When it comes to bullying, I have experience of being the victim. In middle school before Covid-19 struck us. I was in the 7th grade and this person saw me as just a little boy, that's smarter than him. What's ironic was that he had the same first name as me. Anyway, he would be at the car line and if it wasn't just talking negatively of me, it would be the physical approach of picking me up off the ground and taunting me. I do not want to see anyone else go through what I went through. This is why at school, I don't stop meeting new people, which is a strength of mine because I am an up-and-coming sports journalist. When we stop talking, is when fighting starts to happen. Online bullying is horrible as well. Which is why I don't have Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter/X. I believe just using those platforms, is like someone is asking to get bullied. Spreading the word is the best we can do and what we are doing. With anti-bullying movements that can help show society in a different light. Bullying is just the start of mental health issues and eventually suicide if it's not addressed. Being a kind and genuine person is what I strive to be every day and this won't change for as long as I live. People should strive to do the same because this is what we are missing in this world.

My favorite game to play in co-op mode has to be Super Mario Bros WiiU. The game is a story that starts with Mario and his friends being introduced to Princess Peach's castle and eating at a table. Out of nowhere, Bowser snatches Princess Peach out of the castle with a huge crane and eventually grabs Mario and his friends across the entire map. That is where having friends playing the game with you can be so entertaining—going through each level in a total of 8 worlds to be on your way to try and defeat Bowser. The reason this is my favorite co-op game is because this is where I made the most memories with family members. For example, my uncle loves playing Mario and Nintendo in general. He would play with me and I still remember when he taught me the controls on the Wii remote. Me and my uncle bonded because of this game. We bonded so well that he is currently my Godfather. I still love the game today and still play it when I am at my uncle's house. A moment that I had with him was when he was still living with my Grandma and Grandpa, after lunch, and we both got on Super Marios. Didn't say anything to him and he didn't have to say anything else to me. We laughed and had some friendly fire during the game. My little brother comes in to play as well. He made the experience I had playing incredible. The trio of me, my uncle, and my little brother just having fun playing our favorite Nintendo game.

My plan to positively impact the world comes in many aspects and different times. Right now the impact I can make on the world is to help out my community in every way possible. If that is to volunteer in aftercare and help out children who need help with homework. I was providing money to help out with cancer research and support the American Cancer Society. This is a great start in making a great impact on the world, but there is so much to do. What I look for in my future is to become a sports journalist and hopefully a well-known one. In Journalism today, the truth is not always being told, and that irks me. Why lie and lose your integrity just to make headlines? When I become a sports journalist, the truth will always be told. Not only to be on a coach or player's good side but to show an example to the world that the truth is the best thing to do so relationships aren't broken or trust isn't broken. The world is divided because of the lack of integrity and trust someone has in another person. Lying is a horrible thing and it's not better for the person that is doing it as well. Did you know being dishonest can affect your mental health? A study from the American Psychological Association shows that over 10 weeks with a sample of 110 people, of whom 34 percent were adults in the community and 66 percent were college students. They ranged in age from 18 to 71 years, with an average age of 31. At the end of these 10 weeks, participants in the no-lie group described their efforts to keep from lying to others in their day-to-day interactions. Some said they realized they could simply tell the truth about their daily accomplishments rather than exaggerate, while others said they stopped making false excuses for being late or failing to complete tasks, Kelly said. Others said that they learned to avoid lying by responding to a troubling question with another question to distract the person, she said. Mental health and telling a truth or a lie are connected. I believe that when I become a sports journalist, I will use my platform to speak outside of just sports and explain why being truthful is a strong skill to have especially today. Being truthful can make you a well-trusted person in today's society. It also makes you a strong person. The easy way is to lie and escape a situation instead of being honest about the situation and facing the consequences. Now, sports journalism is something that I have expressed as my ambition, but even outside of that, I want to make a positive impact on the world because of the platform I could have later. Everything I discuss in this essay is from personal experience. I truly believe lying is the worst thing happening in our society today. As a journalist, I will bring exposure to this problem and bring back honesty to the world. Being a journalist won't be easy, but I will succeed.

I am Anthony Ortiz from Pembroke Pines, Florida, a student at Pembroke Pines Charter High School. Sports is something I focus on deeply. I love basketball, football, hockey, and baseball. Basketball was my first love because of the narratives surrounding the stars of the league, all-time performances, and learning about how it's not always the best team that wins. The last point applies to all the other sports that I mentioned and that is why it was easy to transition from basketball to baseball or hockey to football. Now, my plan to greatly impact the world would be to tell the truth. Spreading lies is just tearing this world apart. This is connected with media and even sports media these days. They lie on television by twisting reality. My goal is to showcase my abilities on television, in articles, and maybe even a book. The only way to do this is by expressing the truth. I look to change the landscape of how Journalism is looked at by speaking the truth. Outside of journalism is also where people show a lack of integrity. Whether it is in a close relationship with a person, parents, or even just a friend that someone is close to, lies are being told and it's not right. Once I have a platform, I will use this to express the truth and integrity is a huge skill to have in life. Another way I would make a positive impact on the world is to give exposure to schools around the globe. How would this make a positive impact? Well, bringing exposure to schools would show the entire world what schools are learning in elementary, middle, high school, and college. I would like to do this to see what can be different about the curriculum. Change how schools operate. This could bring advancement to schools and students would start to finally feel ambitious about their future careers. This scholarship would benefit me to bring not just a positive impact but change to a world that is broken. Not saying what I would do would solve every problem we have right now. Of course, we are far away from perfect. I believe though if I bring this change to the world, we will get closer to perfection and the motivation to get better across the world will be high. My drive is to be a journalist and to bring change into the world. Like in sports, the grind never stops.

Adversity is a gift and a curse in some ways. We go through horrible things that are out of our control, but at the end of the day, we learn who we are as people. For me, it was no different. Covid-19 hit the world and changed the future as we know it. I was in middle school while Covid was going on and was heading into my last year until I became a freshman in high school. The classes were online and boring, but I had a bigger problem. I didn't know how to talk or interact with people. I was lonely. Every day was the same thing. Wake up, go to school, come back home, and sleep—no new experiences in 8th grade. I started getting worried and nervous about how the rest of the future would look like for me. Will this never-ending cycle stop? Will the virus get me and if it does will I survive? The road to overcoming this adversity was not smooth and was a slow process. It all started with finishing 8th grade and pushing through the toughest year of my life. Heading into the summer though, it doesn't get any easier. The only thing I had going for me was that there were no people to laugh at me and stare at me awkwardly. I was home with my family which was the only place I wanted to be at the time. We can skip through my summer because I did absolutely nothing, but game, do a summer assignment, and spend some time with my family. Not knowing what I was walking into going to high school, I just hoped for a fresh new beginning. New environment, new me. I don't want to say everything changed, but what did was major in helping me continue through life. Meeting new people, volunteering, going out to places I have never seen before, and even being involved in class. Even though the negative thoughts in my head never went away, I ignored them and kept pushing forward. I learned that this is what life is. Life is hard and it's supposed to be hard. Without Covid-19, I wouldn't have to go through hard life lessons or be on a journey to figure out who I am. I wouldn't be writing this essay write now. I would be asking what is adversity? If anyone is going through anxiety and depression right now, just know that this is not the end. This is the lowest point of your life and if you keep pushing, you will eventually find yourself back on the top. Anxiety wasn't easy to go through, but learning what to do and not to do helped me prepare for today. Going through embarrassing and humiliating moments can help you figure out who you want to be and how to do it.

I love math because there is always a right answer, but the journey is different. It's something to enjoy when doing work at home or classwork. It is simply just satisfying to get the correct answer. Math is the source of many phenomena around the world and the reason why we have tech. That is so interesting when I think about it. Math provides a clear and logical structure where problems have definitive solutions. This is appealing because I want concrete answers to each problem I receive. Solving real-world problems with math is amazing. I play basketball and my jump shot was never the best, but obviously, I didn't stop working on it. Math can help with the jump shot by using angles of where my arms are located and where to release the ball. Is it accurate and precise? Yes. Most of the time the shot will go in because of math. Insane. Sticking to basketball and math, I am an aspiring sports journalist so receiving stats is the best thing. Points per game, field goal percentage, or something more complex like value over replacement player (VORP), or player efficiency rating (PER) is all math. Basketball is math when we are talking foundation. I love math because of the joy of getting an answer correct and the hard work of doing a math problem. It will never get old for me. Especially when it is involved with my favorite sport and part of what I want to achieve later on in life. Math is the love I never knew I needed, but I'm glad it is here with me.

Success to me looks like me being the person I have dreamed of being. Being a sports journalist is something that I have always wanted to do since elementary school. Talking to my friends about basketball and football. The simple questions I would ask people during lunch were who will win or have more points. As I grew up though, my thinking about the game became more complex—advanced stats, cap space for each team, etc. My mind is different from everyone else's because I believe debates about sports and learning more about the game shouldn't be taken lightly. Sports for me is life. If I don't reach the heights of being a great sports journalist, my life will feel like a failure. Dedication and perseverance are traits that I will need to become who I want to be. Now, I said if I failed to become a sports journalist, my life would be a failure. This is true, but not providing for my family and the future generation would be an epic failure. My parents gave me so much. The tools I need to become successful. I can't let them down and be a terrible person. Especially my mom. Her dream was to be a lawyer and she almost became one, but she didn't. After two weeks at law school, she found out she was pregnant with me. My mom quit law school and married my dad in 2007. I learned about this during Covid. Starting high school hearing this fact was motivation to be the best person I can be. To be an accomplished person I must demonstrate a trait I haven't shown yet. Dedication and commitment to the school. Coming off a freshman year that was still average in terms of my grades, I still felt like I grew as an individual. Volunteering, meeting new friends, finding out who Anthony Ortiz is. Back at this time, this was a big victory for me because it was difficult to interact with people around me. As time went on, it was easier to do things because I knew who I was. My sophomore year was my turnaround. All A's through the year and confidence was sky high. The impact that year had on me and my family was insane because I feel like my future could've been talked about in a much different sense if I continued the negative persona on myself. This opportunity is nothing short of amazing. This is an opportunity that will help me to be able not to stress in a time of learning the important things of journalism and myself. How will I be able to focus on my studies if I don't have the compensation? How do I help my family with tuition fees? This opportunity is a step toward becoming a successful journalist and bringing truth to the world of the sports world. Bringing reliability, trust, and integrity to the sports world has always been my goal. Making my mom and dad proud is a goal that will never go away. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this opportunity.

My character represents hard work and never taking days off. I believe this inspires people because once upon a time they saw a scrawny, insecure kid who was still going through the effects of the pandemic. Now, that kid from freshman year is confident, outgoing, and handsome. Looking back I did change who I was and how I did things. It's almost like another life but in a good way. Life was never as good as it is right now. I'm falling in love with the idea that things will change after high school and that I may learn more about myself in college. Another example of me representing hard work is pursuing the world of journalism. It all started before freshman year when we had to choose our classes. I decided to try and get into Journalism class. I didn't get in and there weren't enough spots to switch classes. The following year, I tried again. The same result and I didn't even bother to see if I could switch to the Journalism class. Next year though, I got in. In the class, I learned a lot that can help me be the best Journalist I can be. Working my hardest on every assignment and every story, this is a class I loved walking into every day. This is why heading into my senior year, I chose to do Journalism 2. However, during my English class, someone from the C.H.A.T newspaper showed up and was surprised to hear my name called out. She said I will be in the C.H.A.T for my senior year. I gave up at a time, but I never backed down. I finally got what a lot of people in the school were pursuing as well. "Don't be afraid to start over again. This time you're not starting from scratch, you're starting from experience." Heading into high school was tough for me. Dealing with anxiety through the pandemic and now learning how to deal with a new school would be a challenge. Trying to make new friends let alone talking to people was my strongest attribute. Friends I knew well before the pandemic would come to talk to me instead which was kind of a relief, but something was missing about me. I never really adjusted to high school while the other people around me have. This is why freshman year was my learning curve. From experience during my freshman year, I knew a lot of things had to change. The way I take care of my body, my morning routine, my approach to school, etc. I started over, but I knew how to. This is why I believe no one can stop me and my ability to do anything I can put my mind to.