My favorite scientific discovery is that of Endosymbiotic processes. This involves eukaryotic mitochondria and plastids that were formerly separate prokaryotic cells, with the cell that is incapable of doing respiration and photosynthesis being engulfed by other cells. Breaking down the word itself, the word “endo” implies entering something and “symbiotic” refers to a physical attraction between two organisms. The theory behind this was conceived by German botanist Andreas Franz Wilhelm Schimper in 1883. The proof for this theory involves green chloroplasts that are similar in nature to mitochondria, which suggests that they both came from somewhere independent bacteria. I find this to be my favorite for two major reasons that I find to be important. One is that I find it interesting that I can make the historical connection between the history of both mitochondria and chloroplasts and how they are related in terms of characteristics to bacteria. As a history buff myself, It gives me a great interest in the topic, which is important as one should ideally be able to make a connection to what they are studying. That being said, this fact helped rein me into IB Biology, at a time when I really did not like science class. Therefore, the topic actually kept me engaged in class, and in turn, helped me increase my class average.

Leadership, what is leadership? Many people believe that leadership can be derived from a job title, however, I believe that leadership is something that is learned with experience. Through various initiatives which have been fortunate to undertake in my school life, I have learned that this is truly the key to leadership and in turn, serving your community. When engaging in community service, I have taken many avenues. At my former high school school, I was a leader in JROTC, in which we undertook many service projects to help out the community as well as the school at large, such as initiatives to beautify the school. Moreover, I have also served the students of my school, being selected in November 2018 to consult with a committee composed of teachers, students, and principals from the district and develop ways to accelerate graduation rates. In addition to this avenue, I have also undertaken more pointed community changes. As a student ambassador for the T-STEM program, of which I was a part in my freshman and sophomore years, I served to represent our program at a multitude of events, including parent events, school fairs, and city conventions, during which many looked to me, a black man, as a guide for where they want to be in life. These experiences have influenced my thinking on service to one's community and how I can make a difference going forward. As a result, part of what I want to do with my future is to serve my community as an example for my younger peers in my hometown, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study.

One of my proudest moments of boldness and bravery was during the homecoming football game when I served as the color sergeant in charge of leading the four-man color guard onto the field for the performance of The Star-Spangled Banner. Given that this song serves as our nation’s national anthem, I had the unique role of making sure everything falls into place as it should in order to give the country the proper respect it deserves at that moment. Therefore, I made sure to do my best so I could do our unit and school proud on that day. On that day, I made sure that the other three members of the guard knew what their roles were. I also pushed myself to gain the confidence to call out commands sharply and swiftly as well as stood tall to make myself look professional. This moment made me realize how far I went from being just another private in the formation during my freshman year. I quickly went from being just another private in the formation to the head of the platoon (responsible for attendance, officiating class, and marching the platoon during PT days), to the color sergeant for the entire battalion. I have also seen through this action how I have and can affect others while in a position of leadership. Through my leadership on this day, I have been able to help shape my student colleagues into the leader that I have become in this present day. The things I learned from that day were very valuable and served as the catalyst for my leadership traits in JROTC, especially those displayed on that football field on that fateful day.

Engineering as a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines in my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. This interest followed me throughout my youth, having joined the robotics club in middle school and the T-STEM Academy in my high school. Engineering helps bring out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents my way of life. I recall with fondness my early teenage years, during which I frequently created stuff to make my life around the house easier. For example, I wanted to create a stand for my phone, so I created one out of a toilet paper roll after coming up with ideas for the design. Throughout my years in school, I have also had this same appetite for fixing problems. In high school, I have always taken higher-level classes, specifically in the realm of mathematics. Whether it be IB Math and IB Physics, or T-STEM Engineering or T-STEM Computer Science, I have always loved the critical thinking processes that have often been associated with my major. This question posed to me made me ponder for a while, especially being an African-American myself who looks to get in the field of technology and make a career out of it. Because of this, I have been in a state in order to look for self-reflection on my own experiences having been enrolled in advanced STEM-oriented classes since my freshman year in high school. A significant challenge for historically excluded groups in the United States in the field of technology has not to do with the ability for Black people to do well in such a field or even the quality of the institutions available for this purpose being poor. The real common denominator for those who are excluded from this field is access to the relevant institutions that propel such careers in this field. The root of this challenge is clearly the historical exclusion of African-American men and women in higher educational institutions of the US via Jim Crow Laws. This was one of the many failures of Radical Reconstruction following the Civil War, which was designed to address equality in the country by using the force of the federal government. Black people have also been historically discouraged to join such institutions or pursue such careers due to anti-black vigilante groups such as the Klu Klux Klan who terrorized freed slaves exercising their citizenship rights and freedoms. That being said, I find it to be important that I use this scholarship to provide for my community in a multitude of ways. First, I will be able to achieve my dream of helping the world by means of computer science, specifically in a government capacity. Secondly, I believe it will help bring me a job that will provide for me and my entire family, giving back to them after everything they have done in my lifetime to bring me to this moment. Lastly, but probably most importantly, I will be able to serve as an example for my younger peers in my hometown, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study.

Amelia Boynton and Samuel William Boynton were an African-American civil rights-era couple who worked for structural societal change in Selma, Alabama in the early 20th century. Amelia married Samuel (also known as S.W.) in 1929, and together, they used their strategic position in American society (both were government officials, with connections in the agricultural industry) to benefit the black community in their hometown. Specifically, they both worked to encourage the registration of black people to vote as well as getting black people to purchase land. They are the epitome of the idea of "each one, teach one", where he gave back to the community that they came from by meeting them where they were, whether it be in churches and homes, to show them how to become better, more productive citizens. Amelia and Samuel exemplified leadership at a time when there weren't many local black leaders in the community, and through their service, many hundreds and even thousands of community members were able to exercise their constitutional rights with ease. While this may not seem like a big deal today, at a time when black lives did not matter to the state, it was a gamechanger for people for black people to teach their people how to fight back at the ballot box. Indeed, acts like this in mobilizing the black vote did make progress, as there was a party shift throughout the 1930s and early 40s that saw the Democratic party take power in large part due to the Black vote. As a young man, I could only hope to make such a difference as these two individuals have done. I have always oriented my life towards service to others. For example, I am a leader in the JROTC program, in which we do many service projects to help out the school as well as the larger community. An instance of this occurred in the winter of my sophomore year when I helped cadets lay wreaths on veterans’ graves in Houston as part of Wreaths Across America. Learning about the stories of these two has given me the resolve need to continue this path by going to college at Texas A&M University. For a simple guy like me, I want my legacy to be one of having contributed to my community. That's all a person like me could ask for, especially considering that for most of my life I was accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills. Given this fact, I have done much throughout my high school career to push myself to be someone who can be considered a valued colleague. As a black man, going into a new arena like college, I will take the opportunity whenever possible to pave the way for other young black men who are vying to make a career in my field, and open doors for new opportunities for them whenever necessary. I make this promise because I know, just as Mr. Boynton knew, that ownership was key to the equation for my people, as it "makes any man respected." This promise that I have made to myself, is one I intend to keep for as long as I live because when my people, reach their political and financial peak, I reach my own political and financial peak.

STEM is a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines with my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. I recall with fondness my early teenage years, during which I frequently created stuff to make my life around the house easier, such as the time when I created a stand for my phone out of a used toilet paper roll. This interest followed me throughout my youth, with my relationship with technology reaching new heights for someone my age. Not only was this something that affected my personal life, but indeed this interest also followed me into the classroom, having taken the opportunity to join the T-STEM Academy in my high school. During my time in the T-STEM Academy, I was faced with many new innovations in education, one of which was the reimagination of our classes into 30-minute teaching sessions known as "workshops'', which ended up giving us time to tackle important issues that connect back to our curriculum using strategies and resources that were taught in these workshops. Among these concepts that I remember learning at workshops was the concept of Calculus, which was presented to me as really just simplified Algebra. When I think about Algebra in the STEM field, I immediately think of my experience in Python, and specifically the concept of Booleans which used various algebraic concepts to create a function that allows the user to computer various problems. Concepts like the area under a curve or the number of possible outcomes can be applied easier via calculus. Knowing this, I am able to greatly appreciate the role calculus plays in the STEM field. Finally, calculus is probably most important to STEM, for a non-mathmatical reason. It helps most to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, having kids explore ideas and concepts more thoroughly via these lessons. Even after I left the academy my sophomore year, this same appetite for fixing problems in our world never dissipated, having continued to take higher-level classes, specifically in the realm of calculus, having never let go of my fixation on a STEM career. Indeed, STEM and calculus can help bring out passions for innovation, an important trait that best represents the desire and ambition to solve the problems of the world.

STEM is a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines with my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. I recall with fondness my early teenage years, during which I frequently created stuff to make my life around the house easier, such as the time when I created a stand for my phone out of a used toilet paper roll. This interest followed me throughout my youth, with my relationship with technology reaching new heights for someone my age. For me, this included engaging in fun and creative projects in Python in order to automate my online experience or make a task easier for me. This also included using my skills in HTML to create a website using what I learned in that programming language. Indeed, my interest in computer science has a deeper purpose, as it brings out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents my way of life. Not only was this something that affected my personal life, but indeed this interest also followed me into the classroom, having taken the opportunity to join the robotics club in middle school and the T-STEM Academy in my high school. During my time in the T-STEM Academy, I was faced with many new innovations in education, one of which was the reimagination of our classes into 30-minute teaching sessions known as "workshops'', which ended up giving us time to tackle important issues that connect back to our curriculum using strategies and resources that were taught in these workshops. In allowing ourselves to explore ideas and concepts more thoroughly via these sessions, we were able to pursue an advanced level of critical thinking that could be put into serving our larger society. Even after I left the academy my sophomore year, this same appetite for fixing problems in our world never dissipated, having continued to take higher-level classes, specifically in the realm of mathematics, having never let go of my fixation on a STEM career. The reason I am passionate about STEM can only be described in one way. STEM helps bring out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents my personal desire and ambition to solve the problems of the world. The urge to solve the problems has clearly been one that has affected me my entire life and therefore has become a natural part of who I am. I have always oriented my career goals towards a career in STEM, and specifically in computer science, which I think has a very important place in today’s America, especially when coupled with trends in other countries showing that skills in this field are on being promoted at every level in leadership. My dream job in this computer science field is working for a FAANG company, where I believe I can make the most out of my talents as well as the biggest difference. Part of the reason I am applying to Texas A&M University is due to its reputation for producing great alumni in this field. Throughout my entire life, I have always oriented myself towards greatness, with much of that being due to the influence STEM has had on my life, which is why I believe that STEM is a path that will allow me to orient the entire world towards greatness.

I believe historical revisionism is the issue that plagues our world the most above all else. People from all walks of society, from politicians to the poor, from celebrities to, are forgetting where the history of where they come from, the history of their own country. I see this most notably in the United States, where it comes in the form of revisionist history being developed in regards to the history of slavery and colonialism. Whether it be by glamorizing certain aspects of this practice in order to whitewash and/or downgrade certain atrocities that took place, or even denying that certain realities even took place, this attitude towards history can have a negative effect on our social discourse that we have when addressing these very issues. As a high school student, I have had the chance to observe those, whether they be students or teachers, who comment on certain issues in our nation as well as present certain facts in a certain light. I have come to find that in many cases, the viewpoint that is presented by such people is due to the lack of insight of these people into their own history. It does get frustrating, not only knowing that such ignorance exists in the world, but also the fact that I will have to manuver in this world with such people for the foreseeable future. I think patience will be key in the upcoming years, and with this being the case, I believe people should be willing to make compromises with others they disagree with, no matter how illogical their ideas might seem. Learning about our history with race helps give us insight into who we are as a society and where we are headed in the future. The racism that existed in the 18th century, 20th, and 21st centuries are obviously very different. Despite this, I think that a common theme among them is that it is still very open rather than an isolated event. Many people to this day do not want to admit that we have a racism problem despite the fact that nowadays, especially due to the rise of social media, racism is more prevalent in our discourse. In my opinion, the main priority for historians and higher-level history teachers in this modern era should be to be objective about the history of our country and not spin it to confirm a personal narrative or an agenda of a higher power. When addressing and assessing history, we have to be engaged in an intellectual conversation on what effect it has, while at the same time combating any revisionist rhetoric and/or the presentation of an unrealistic binary choice on the matter.

Leadership, what is leadership? Many people believe that leadership can be derived from a job title, however, I believe that leadership is something that is learned with experience. Through various initiatives which have been fortunate to undertake in my school life, I have learned that this is truly the key to leadership and in turn, serving your community. At my school, I am a leader in JROTC, in which we do many service projects to help out the community as well as the school at large. In the winter of my sophomore year, I helped cadets lay wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers at Houston National Cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America movement. In addition, I have walked from my school after hours to my previous middle school to volunteer in helping out my former choir teacher in helping plan and aide in the choir concert that was held that evening. I have also served the students of my school, being selected in November 2018 to consult with a committee composed of teachers, students, and principals from the district and develop ways to accelerate graduation rates. I have also served as a student ambassador for the T-STEM program, of which I was a part in my freshman and sophomore years. In this role, I served to represent our program at a multitude of events, including parent events, school fairs, and city conventions. These experiences have influenced my thinking on service to one's community and how I can make a difference going forward. As a result, part of what I want to do with my future is to serve my community as an example for my younger peers in my hometown, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study.

For a simple guy like me, I want my legacy to be one of having contributed to my community. That's all a person like me could ask for, especially considering that for most of my life I was accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills. Given this fact, I have done much throughout my high school career to push myself to be someone who can be considered a valued colleague. Today, I can say with confidence that I have done so and through a variety of means. For example, I am a leader in the JROTC program, in which we do many service projects to help out the school as well as the larger community. An instance of this occurred in the winter of my sophomore year, where I helped cadets lay wreaths on veterans’ graves in Houston as part of Wreaths Across America. In addition, I have also served the students of my school, having been selected as a freshman to consult with a committee composed of teachers and students from the district and develop ways to accelerate graduation rates. This is my legacy, one that I have worked so hard in my life to attain. Thankfully, I feel like I have been recognized for such accomplishments already. For example, one day during History class, my teacher came up to me to recall a moment she had with one of the sophomores who she had met with during the open house held two days prior. During this exchange, she recounted how the sophomore spoke of me with such respect after she mentioned my name, and how it made her a proud teacher. This to me, serves as a symbol of my legacy being established within individuals at my school.

My sophomore year was the year I really became an exceptional student, and I owe it all to a mere science project given to me that year. This project was one that was given in chemistry class, in which I had to create a diagram of the periodic table with specific requirements. Instead of creating a Google drawing as required by the rubric, I decided to put my skills gained in my computer science class to work and create an interactive periodic table for my project, impressing my teacher and my student colleagues. To pull such a feat off, I had to change my attitude towards doing work on the weekends, having spent most of Saturday and Sunday every weekend working on the project. Having earned an A on the assignment, I realized that this approach was good for me in my studies. From then on, I have always challenged myself to be an innovator in my school life. This helped me accept my responsibility as a student to evolve beyond my shell to accomplish my goals. This is among my biggest accomplishments out of my four years in high school. It marked my transformation from having a rigid approach to my studies to being a more flexible and spontaneous student and more importantly, it forced me to take the initiative when given the opportunity. Today, I see the fruits of this method, being among the top 10% in my graduating class, as well as being a human being capable and ready to dive into new environments such as college.

By the time I had entered high school, I had only been living in Houston for a little over a year, having lived all my life in Atlanta, Georgia. I am also the son of two Nigerian immigrants, who are traditionally known for their more timid and reserved kids. These two facts combined allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. As a result, the move from one city to another shook up my life and brought about a fear of change that I never felt before. Therefore, I was in a difficult situation when I joined the JROTC at outset of my freshman year, which helped me accept upward mobility by increasing my responsibilities as I moved up the leadership structure of our battalion. At first, I was unnerved by this change in scenery, however, I soon came to embrace it. The following year, I was put in a position of leadership, being named platoon sergeant for my class. I quickly went from being just another private in the formation to the head of the platoon, responsible for attendance, officiating class, and marching the platoon during PT days. Slowly but surely, I grew to accept my responsibility as a student to evolve beyond my shell to accomplish my goals. I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” All my life, I have been characterized by a timid and insecure personality, or as Conrad would describe it, being a “coward”. Thanks to JROTC, I was able to move through life with ease while having an ideology of growth and optimism instead of stagnation and pessimism.

By the time I had entered high school, I had only been living in Houston for a little over a year, having lived all my life in Atlanta, Georgia. I am also the son of two Nigerian immigrants, who are traditionally known for their more timid and reserved kids. These two facts combined allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. As a result, the move from one city to another shook up my life and brought about a fear of change that I never felt before. Because of this, patience is important to me, as it forced me to accept upward mobility by increasing my responsibilities as I moved up the leadership structure of our battalion. At first, I was unnerved by this change in scenery, however, I soon came to embrace it over time. The following year, I was put in a position of leadership, being named platoon sergeant for my class. I quickly went from being just another private in the formation to the head of the platoon, responsible for attendance, officiating class, and marching the platoon during PT days. Slowly but surely, I grew to accept my responsibility as a student to evolve beyond my shell to accomplish my goals. I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” All my life, I have been characterized by a timid and insecure personality, or as Conrad would describe it, being a “coward”. Thanks to JROTC, I was able to move through difficult situations like I faced freshman year with more ease.

I have a unique relationship with this word as it is the meaning of my name. My first name, Ayodele, which originates from the Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria, translates into English from the Yoruba language as meaning "joy has come home." Because of this aspect of myself, I have always had a calling to live up to the meaning of my name and spread positivity in my life as best as I can to everyone I interact with. Indeed, I do think that positivity has a lot to do with living a long and healthy life. Joy for me is much deeper than the traditional stereotype, just a feeling of elation or excitement. For me, it means engaging with people and concepts that help bring out something you are passionate about, something you enjoy doing, something that does not feel like work. With this mindset, I am confident one can live an extended life full of the same. In this regard, the ways I bring joy to my life can be found in a multitude of avenues, primarily in engineering, which helps bring out my passion for innovation, a process which I have had an affinity since I was just a young boy. Career-wise, this passion helps bring about a sense of duty and purpose that lives beyond the fatigue that lingers with the thought of work. Having something like this, which you are passionate about gives you something to look forward to, and what makes people like me live up to the meaning of my name, and truly bring joy home.

At the outset of my high school career, I joined the T-STEM Academy at my high school in order to be better prepared for a career in the STEM field. During my time in the T-STEM Academy, I was faced with many new innovations, some in education, some in the organization of classes, but the innovation that caught my eyes the most was not the work of the academy but rather was part of a larger phenomenon in our world. Of course, I am referring to the more recent phenomenon of virtual reality in our world. The virtual reality space is one that is emerging as a space with the potential for new heights. The global impact of virtual technology on society has been considerably high due to the fact that in many parts of the world, including the United States, it has become the focal point of cultural phenomenons in gaming, entertainment as well as communication, becoming. In addition, the design of purchasable items such as a VR headset helps add to the mobility appeal that is often given with such systems. Specifically, virtual reality technology usage in relation to the rising trend of NFTs is one that intrigues me as a consumer, as well as an innovator. The potential that I see in this regard is very grand and very useful, and quite frankly, I see it as having the potential to revolutionize the way people see personal property and access to the work and content of other people, more so artists and people in that realm of work. Even after I left the T-STEM Academy during my sophomore year of school, I still maintained the same appetite for fixing problems in our world as I did coming into the academy. This is specifically due to my interest in such an obscure, but revolutionary technology in virtual reality.

When I was younger, one of my favorite animated TV shows was Phineas and Ferb. It was always an intriguing show, mostly because of the characters and what they did. Throughout the episodes, they made amazing stuff like a full-scale roller coaster, a super suit or traveling back in time to meet dinosaurs. The level of innovation seen by the main characters in the show helped push me towards being a more innovative person, and by extension, guided me towards innovative career choices. I soon became a huge engineering “nerd” and was always interested, just like Phineas and Ferb, in how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. This interest followed me throughout my youth, and is the reason why under took many opportunities in my life and is why I today plan on majoring in computer science at Texas A&M University.

Computer programming is a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines in my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. This interest followed me throughout my youth, with my relationship with technology reaching new heights for someone my age. This not only affected my personal life, but indeed this interest also followed me into the classroom, having taken the opportunity to join the robotics club in middle school and the T-STEM Academy in my high school. The reason I am passionate about this subject is that it helps bring out my passion for innovation, an important trait that displays my ambition to solve the problems of the world. I have always oriented my career goals towards a career in computer science, which I think has a very important place in today’s America, especially when coupled with trends in other countries showing that skills in this field are being promoted at every level in leadership. My dream job in this computer science field is working for a FAANG company, where I believe I can make the most out of my talents as well as the biggest difference. Part of the reason I am applying to Texas A&M University is due to its reputation for producing great alumni in this field. Throughout my entire life, I have always oriented myself towards greatness, with much of that being due to the influence STEM has had on my life, which is why I believe that STEM is a path that will allow me to orient the entire world towards greatness.

I have had the extraordinary privilege of being a Texan by choice, rather than by birth. I was originally from Atlanta, Georgia, as the son of Nigerian immigrants. One of the major benefits of my move from Georgia to Texas in the summer of 2018 was the enrichment of my life with a diverse environment. I believe that a very diverse atmosphere has enormous effects and benefits on academic environments. I have been fortunate to have seen such effects throughout Texas that have shaped how I interact with others as well as my own worldview. When I came to Texas, I will admit, I had my own preconceived notions as it relates to the people of this state. However, having lived in this beautiful state for close to five years now, I have gained a new appreciation for diversity among the American people. I think my main takeaway from being a Texan really resembles my idea of being an American. We are a multinational, multicultural people, whose individual contributions have shaped the idea of being a Texan. We are Texans because of our diversity, not in spite of it, and that has helped build cohesion and unity within our communities.

As someone who has been involved with JROTC in my formative years, the idea of being an influence is very much synonymous with leadership in my opinion. JROTC's mission is "to motivate young people to be better citizens" and it accomplishes this by having a set of cadets who, by virtue of experience, help guide, encourage and empower the younger cadets of all backgrounds. I know this first hand because I have been a proud cadet for three and a half years, and as I approach my last semester in this program, I have truly learned the value of being a positive figure for someone and a leader who strives to elevate individuals to accomplish their larger aims. I wasn't always the leader I am today. As a freshman, I was a very timid and reserved kid, which led to me becoming accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities. Never before had anyone tried to push me to get out of my comfort zone. Fortunately, I had mentors early on who guided and encouraged me to take the initiative when given the opportunity and do my best to extend a hand of leadership and confidence to others. Today, as the battalion commander for my unit, I always trying to exert some of the same nuggets of motivation that were pushed onto me, onto other kids like myself. I plan on going into the field of engineering and computer science more specifically. My interest in this field followed throughout my youth, having been engaged in creating projects in Python in order to automate my online experience or creating a website using what I learned in HTML to create multiple websites. Indeed, my interest in computer science has a deeper purpose, as it brings out my passion for innovation, and is the primary force propelling my own ingenuity. In this regard, I want to use computer science to help develop our species to reach greater heights, and I believe that with a degree in this field, I will be able to display to the world the contributions that I can make towards it’s future. For a long time, my dad could not find work due to the 2008 financial crisis and after years of being unemployed, moved to Texas in order to provide for us. In the summer of 2018, we moved to Texas to live with our dad, all while my mom had to sacrifice her own stable job as a nurse with an Atlantan hospital. As a result, I wasn't able to participate in some extracurricular activities such as the Boy Scouts or Road Runners. This scholarship will allow me repaqy my parents for all they have provided and sacrificed for me since I was a little kid. In doing so, it will primarily help me pay for my tuition at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, allowing me to center my focus on my academics in order for me to graduate with honors.

For a long time, I was accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. As a result, the move from one city to another shook up my life and brought about a fear of change that I never felt before. Therefore, when I became a freshman, I crafted an image for myself in high school, one that included stability and consistency. Over the years I have had in secondary education, I’ve slowly realized that the high school I envisioned for myself in the fall of 2018 was not the high school I got. Normally that would scare me, but this time, it changed my whole perspective for the better. Now, I have grown out of having a rigid approach to my studies, and more importantly, I now take the initiative when given the opportunity and do my best to extend a hand of leadership and confidence to others. Today, I see the fruits of this method, being among the top 10% in my graduating class, as well as being a person ready to dive into a new environment such as college. I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” All my life, I have been characterized by a timid and insecure personality, or as Conrad would describe it, being a “coward”. When I see this quote, I am reminded of my responsibility to have a continued acceptance of change and to never shy away from change wherever it finds me.

By the time I had entered high school, I had only been living in Houston for a little over a year, having lived all my life in Atlanta, my city of birth. I am also the son of two Nigerian immigrants, who are traditionally known for their more timid and reserved kids. These two facts combined allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. As a result, the move from one city to another shook up my life and brought about a fear of change that I never felt before. Therefore, when I became a freshman, I crafted an image for myself in high school, one that included stability and consistency. Over the years I have had in secondary education, I’ve slowly realized that the high school I envisioned for myself in the fall of 2018 was not the high school I got. Normally that would scare me, but this time, it changed my whole perspective for the better. After not getting the electives I wanted at the outset of my freshman year, I decided to leave PE and join the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC), a military-affiliated organization that helps teach young people how to become better citizens. While it did do just that, it also helped me become comfortable outside my shell. JROTC helped me accept upward mobility by increasing my responsibilities as I moved up the leadership structure of our battalion. This meant that I no longer could afford to stay content with certain realities as I had done in the past. By the end of my freshman year, I was one of the highest-ranking cadets of my graduating class in the program. The following year, I was put in a position of leadership, being named as platoon sergeant for my class. I quickly went from being just another private in the formation to the head of the platoon, responsible for attendance, officiating class, and marching the platoon during PT days. Senior year was the year I became an upper-level cadet, having had to maneuver in the position of Assistant Senior Army Instructor, coordinating my operations between company commanders. The adversity that I face was not a tangible nature, but rather of a mental nature. The opportunity I was given in ROTC, helped me not only on the drill pad but also in becoming comfortable in my own skin. I have grown out of having a rigid approach to dealing with people and more importantly, I now take the initiative when given the opportunity and do my best to extend a hand of leadership and confidence to others. Today, I see the fruits of this method, being among the top 10% in my graduating class, as well as being a person ready to dive into a new environment such as college. I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” All my life, I have been characterized by a timid and insecure personality, or as Conrad would describe it, being a “coward”. When I see this quote, I am reminded of my responsibility to have a continued acceptance of change and to never shy away from change wherever it finds me.

Giving and providing are very similar words and concepts, for to give you have to be in a position to provide. Now, many think that providing has to do solely with material items, however, people providing for one another can come in the form of things such as moral support, ideas, and information. It is, for this reason, I believe that giving is important, not only to our society but the human race in general. The largescale exchange of ideas that we see throughout the world today, would not have been possible in a climate that pushes isolationism, which is the only force that could be behind a negative response towards giving. For example, history has shown nations who refuse to give what they have towards nations less fortunate have a negative association and reputation bound to them. I believe that the best thing one could do to give back is investing in yourself. The reason for this is simple: you are in no position to help someone else if you cannot help yourself. In this regard, I have been focused on pushing myself towards a college education, after which I will be able to provide for my community in a multitude of ways, including helping the world using computer science, by a planned major. One of the more longstanding benefits that I will be able to sustain however is my ability to leave a legacy and serve as an example for my younger peers, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study. What I just outlined, is, in my opinion, one of the more successful ways to give back.

I have always heard that there are different types of learners. Much of the traditional ones were auditory, visual, and kinetic learners. In terms of the former most option, we may list it as a type of learning, however, I don't think we as a society really think much of listeners having a real talent to learn from others. Indeed, we don't think much of listeners, and often see them as followers or those with nothing to say. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. In reality, listeners are more capable of having an understanding of their surroundings and are therefore more socially capable than someone who is maybe more robustious than others. This is why I think listening is so important for society and is superior to being a good orator. Personally, I am a more timid and reserved individual, so, therefore, I naturally do more listening as opposed to speaking. This has allowed me to develop myself in my relationships with others, especially those who are close to me. I have had the opportunity to listen to conversations that my peers have with each other, and have learned an enormous amount in detail about a wide range of topics that affect me as a student as well as a human being. Listening is an underrated art, one which I hope will grow in prominence as the years pass on.

We are all humans. We live, we die. We come in with ambition and leave with contentedness. One thing that is universal among the human race is hope. Hope for a better future. Hope for their family and friends. Hope for new blessings. In my close two decades on earth, I have seen a lot of reasons to be a pessimist. I have experienced events that could serve as reasons to think that I am potentially living through the decline of society. However, in spite of all my experiences, there is one thing that brings hope to my life in terms of the future: innovation. I believe that innovation is an important trait to have in a person and that it is a trait that best represents me. I believe this because I see on a daily basis what someone who has an innovative spirit can do in this world. Even parts of my high school career have been marked by the many innovative things I have done at school and in my schoolwork. Going from the classroom to the boardroom, it is apparent that in the larger world, innovations are appreciated. Innovative products have historically increased people’s standard of living, ultimately making people's lives better and many business officials say that innovation is critical to their success because of the fact that it helps them see new methods to propping up their product. In this modern era of technology, this generation has undertaken the incredible feat of tapping into the technology of the time. From Tik-Toks to YouTube, kids have been able to change the world using the great resources at their disposal. Whether it be by pushing for rapid social change in the treatment of marginalized groups or pushing the political process in a certain direction more beneficial to the American people, we see that the losing streak for decency and positivity is slowly but surely coming to an end. This change is reflective of the level of humanity and responsibility this new generation is taking. Technology is here to stay, but the way we use it isn't constant. The way we choose to tap into technology is important to our future, and honestly speaking, I approve of how it is being done now. We as humans have high expectations for ourselves. As a society, we rely on hope to keep these expectations alive, to keep our dreams alive. We do this, even in the most unfavorable of circumstances. However, it is important to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and know a better life is possible. Going forward, I am confident that there will be a plethora of reasons to be hopeful for a better future.

Empathy is a concept that doesn't get the most attention in our world, even if it corresponds with a more honorable lifestyle. What people often don't think about when it comes to what it means to be empathetic is the fact these individuals have a specific way in which they move in life, and most especially in their relations with others. A lot of times, those who are commonly presented as being "the good guy", whether it be by politicians, the influencers or celebrities, lack one major trait that would warrant them being treated and described as such. This trait is called empathy. It is, for this reason, I believe that empathy is important, not only to our society but the human race in general. Moreover, I beleive that history tends to view people who lack such a trait very harshly. I believe that the best thing one could do is to treat others with empathy. The reason for this is simple: you are in no position to help others if you cannot understand others. In this regard, I always push myself towards understanding the unknown in my colleagues, even at the expense of my comfortability, so that I will be able to adequately contribute to society in a positive way.

42 is often a popular answer to this question when given to civil society. While it was and is an excellent joke/deflect answer to the question, I personally don't think that the answer can be found in Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Indeed, I don't think that it can be found in any book, mural, gadget, Snicker bar, TV show, or even anyone person. Although the meaning of life is different for every person I do believe is that society has a common set of goals that are completely universal for humans. Therefore, the meaning of life, the purpose of living, is to do whatever you can to advance yourself, your family, friends, and your community as a whole for the better. This takes an honorable approach to the existential nature of the question. It simply implies that the entire purpose of our existence is to be a good person and to live a life worthy of praise and pride. If you just live to exist, just to take everything day by day, with no real intention of planning for your future. This attitude is embodied in some of the worst in our society: alcoholics, drug abusers, murderers, etc. This attitude is also embodied by people, who although are not bad people, have not been able to tap into the inner potential that everyone has within themselves. Examples of this are people who have been put down by life to the point they feel like they cannot contribute in a positive manner, particularly people with suicidal tendencies. I believe that if everyone understood that they are the masters of their own destiny and that they can use that power to influence someone in a positive and constructive manner, people would feel a new sense of happiness, purpose, fulfillment.

I believe that a very diverse atmosphere has enormous effects and benefits on academic environments. I have been fortunate to have been in very diverse environments throughout my youth that has shaped how I interact with others as well as view people who don’t share my worldview. One of the major benefits of a diverse environment in my personal life was my move from Georgia to Texas in the summer of 2018. Prior to that, I lived all my life in the Georgian capital of Atlanta, my city of birth. When I came to Texas, I will admit, I had my own preconceived notions as it relates to the people of this state. However, having lived in this beautiful state for close to five years now, I have gained a new appreciation for diversity among the American people. I understand that in order to truly promote diversity among the peoples of this nation, one must be steadfast in their support for equality. This can be as simple as keeping consistent standards for those who agree with you, as well as those who disagree. As Nelson Mandela said himself in 1991, "any man who changes his principles depending on whom he is dealing with, is not a man who can lead a nation". The same principle applies in reverse as well. When faced with new types of people, I was able to grow as a person who contributes to society. In a world in which people have extremely isolated and ignorant views, a diverse community of races, genders, creeds, and beliefs helps give people experiences that build cohesion and unity within their communities.

I have always been considered to be an intelligent human being. Ever since I was in kindergarten, my own teachers have been amazed at how well I know of the events that go on in this world. Part of the reason for this is my extensive knowledge of some of the most pressing issues of our time. While this can be interpreted as a benefit or a negative depending on the person, I personally cannot truly say that this has negatively impacted my life. I say this because I have been able to turn my knowledge into a sword, a sword in which I can engage in debate and express my true thoughts to the world. A great example of this is historical revisionism, an issue that I believe plagues our world the most above all else. Whether it be by glamorizing certain aspects of this practice in order to whitewash and/or downgrade certain atrocities that took place, or even denying that certain realities even took place, this attitude towards history can have a negative effect on our social discourse that we have when addressing these very issues. As a high school student, I have had the chance to observe those, whether they be students or teachers, who comment on certain issues in our nation as well as present certain facts in a certain light. I have come to find that in many cases, I am more forceful in presenting my viewpoint due to my commitment to intellectual honesty. I think when speaking your mind, patience is also a key in conveying your ideas. No matter how illogical the ideas of those who disagree with you might seem, no matter how much they lack insight into history, it is important to maintain a composure worth of modern debate.

Something that stresses me the most is being in conditions where I have no control over the situation at hand. It makes me extremely nervous and always made me a more timid and reserved kid, as well as made me become aloof in school organizations and activities. Therefore, as I grew up, I actively searched for ways to deal with and put to bed this issue I have. Among the things that I always used to remedy this problem is playing music. I have always had a unique relationship with music. Throughout my life, I have always taken the opportunity to indulge and engage in musical endeavors whenever presented to me, such as participating in the choir and band. Above all else, I have been most musically influenced by songs. In all my life, I have heard songs that pumped me up, songs that I relaxed too, and songs I found solace in. They range from classical music to military marches. Mental health is a very important part of our society as it determines the course of our emotional and psychological state. Moreover, its maintenance is vital to our individual and collective success, as well as our social well-being. Having a positive state of mind, or lack thereof can drastically affect how we formulate our beliefs, how we respond to certain actions, and how we feel about others. It can also affect our stress handling techniques, which could in turn worsen our physical health. I think the way in which I handle my own mental health and try to relax is a responsible and great way to go about improving my life.

By the time I had entered high school, I had only been living in Houston for a little over a year, having lived all my life in Atlanta, Georgia. I am also the son of two Nigerian immigrants, who are traditionally known for their more timid and reserved kids. These two facts combined allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. As a result, the move from one city to another shook up my life and brought about a fear of change that I never felt before. Therefore, I was in a difficult situation when I joined the JROTC at outset of my freshman year, which helped me accept upward mobility by increasing my responsibilities as I moved up the leadership structure of our battalion. At first, I was unnerved by this change in scenery, however, I soon came to embrace it. The following year, I was put in a position of leadership, being named as platoon sergeant for my class. I quickly went from being just another private in the formation to the head of the platoon, responsible for attendance, officiating class, and marching the platoon during PT days. Slowly but surely, I grew to accept my responsibility as a student to evolve beyond my shell to accomplish my goals. I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” All my life, I have been characterized by a timid and insecure personality, or as Conrad would describe it, being a “coward”. Thanks to JROTC, I was able to move through difficult situations like I faced freshman year with more ease.

In the United States Army JROTC program, the mission is "to motivate young people to be better citizens." This mission and the corresponding curriculum which supports this mission have a lot to do with the encouragement and empowerment of all people from all backgrounds. I know this first hand because I am a part of this amazing program, and have been a proud cadet for four years. As I approach my last semester in this program, I have truly learned the value of encouragement. Motivation and encouragement do not come from any comes from internal mindset but is rather an outside force that is used commonly by leaders to affect others' actions and decision. A leader's role in motivation is to understand the needs and desires of others, to align and elevate individual drives into team goals, and to influence others and accomplish those larger aims. As a freshman, I was a very timid and reserved kid, which led to me becoming accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities. Never before had anyone tried to push me to get out of my comfort zone. Fortunately, I had mentors early on who guided and encouraged me to take the initiative when given the opportunity and do my best to extend a hand of leadership and confidence to others. Today, as the battalion commander for my unit, I always trying to exert some of the same nuggets of motivation that were pushed onto me, onto other kids like myself. I always take the time during class to spread positivity towards all the cadets present, most especially the LET 1s (freshmen). I always strive to put my colleagues at ease when they get nervous or are concerned about trying new things. My JROTC leadership has taught me a lot about encouragement.

Personally, I like to pursue various hobbies, honor programs, as well as student-led after-school activities. At my school, I pursue organizations such as JROTC, the academic team, the National Honor Society, the T-STEM Academy, and the International Baccalaureate program. Outside of school, I know how to play the clarinet and have extensive knowledge of the Russian, French, and Turkic languages. In addition, I also like to code in various programming languages and have practiced coding on Wikipedia. Based on all these things, I think my talent has truly been the fact that I am a jack of all trades in relation to learning new things. This, above all else, is the biggest strength that I think I bring to society. I practice my skills in a variety of ways, primarily because there is no one methodology to what I do. One of the main things is retaining the knowledge that I gain whatever I do. As a general rule, I try to be as well versed as I can be in the concepts and skills I learn. This works very well in the academic team, in which I compete in competitions related to the notable events that currently exist in our world. I think my talent for learning new skills is one that is representative of my willingness and readiness to undertake a challenge whenever I see one, wherever that might occur.

My bucket list has changed and expanded since I was just a little boy. If you would have asked me what I wanted to do with myself, what I wanted to do with my life before I die, when I was just 10 years old, I probably would have given such a hyperbolic and excessive list typical of someone that age. Even though at the time I gave unrealistic answers, that spirit to do something outside my comfort zone and to experience the world, a spirit that fueled my answers then, never faded even in this present moment. It has probably increased greatly since then. Among the things I want to do is travel the world as much as I can. Specifically, I want to visit the Russian Federation, a mysterious country, at least a dozen times in my life. Russia is a nation that has captivated me since I began junior high, with the language, culture, politics and history always appealing to me. This captivation went so far as to inspire me to learn the Russian language, a language which I am fairly proficient in today. Growing up in Dogulasville, Georgia, a small town just outside of Atlanta, I was very isolated from the rest of the world. This coupled with the fact I never left that often made my bucket list all the more important to me. It represented my ambition to follow my dreams and reach my goals. People who are committed to following their dreams are people to be admired, for it is people who follow their dreams who are capable to think about their lives decades in advance. I feel like my bucket list has allowed me to do just that.

"Thank you for being a friend". This phrase is one that has a ubiquitous connotation that is known throughout our country. At the time of writing this, it has been three weeks since the death and days since the 100th birthday of Betty White, the person most famously associated with this quote. In light of this, I've come to reflect on what that last word meant. What does it mean to be a "friend" and why do they draw out such strong feeli. For me, friends are a middle ground between those who are associated to you by fate such as a brother and those who are associated by choice like a girlfriend. I think this middle ground creates a perfect balance of both which. Friendship is the basis for any relationship, whether they be romantic, familial or acquaintanceships. Indeed, it is the best type of relationship to have, as it allows a certain level of joy to fill your life. In addition, the presence of friends always has a positive effect on your mental and physical health. I want to recall a quote that I think truely represents the value of friendship for me. The following quote is one I first heard by former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in describing his friendship with former President George H. W. Bush during the funeral of the latter in 2018: “There are good ships and wood ships, ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships, may they always be!”

STEM is a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines in my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. I recall with fondness my early teenage years, during which I frequently created stuff to make my life around the house easier, such as the time when I created a stand for my phone out of a used toilet paper roll. This interest followed me throughout my youth, with my relationship with technology reaching new heights for someone my age. For me, this included engaging in fun and creative projects in Python in order to automate my online experience or make a task easier for me. This also included using my skills in HTML to create a website using what I learned in that programming language. Indeed, my interest in computer science has a deeper purpose, as it brings out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents my way of life. Not only was this something that affected my personal life, but indeed this interest also followed me into the classroom, having taken the opportunity to join the robotics club in middle school and the T-STEM Academy in my high school. During my time in the T-STEM Academy, I was faced with many new innovations in education, one of which was the reimagination of our classes into 30-minute teaching sessions known as "workshops'', which ended up giving us time to tackle important issues that connect back to our curriculum using strategies and resources that were taught in these workshops. In allowing ourselves to explore ideas and concepts more thoroughly via these sessions, we were able to pursue an advanced level of critical thinking that could be put into serving our larger society. Even after I left the academy my sophomore year, this same appetite for fixing problems in our world never dissipated, having continued to take higher-level classes, specifically in the realm of mathematics, having never let go of my fixation on a STEM career. The only problem I could find was the fact that I was seemingly one of few black males in the program who wished to join in this fixation. The reason I am passionate about diversity in STEM can only be described in one way. STEM helps bring a natural passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents personal desire and ambition to solve the problems of the world. The urge to solve the problems is one that should exist in everyone, particularly due to the fact that the solutions to problems that affect everyone may not be the same depending on the people group in question. As a black man, I have always oriented my career goals towards a career in STEM, which I think holds a very important place in today’s America. My dream job in this computer science field is working for a FAANG company, where I believe I can make the most out of my talents as well as the biggest difference for my people. Throughout my entire life, I have always oriented myself towards greatness, with much of that being due to the influence STEM has had on my life, which is why I believe that STEM is a path that will allow me to orient the entire world towards greatness.

My favorite subject in school is history. This is primarily due to the intricate details that all contribute to the story of a nation, a war, or a people. Around the time when I got into the 7th grade, I became interested in Wikipedia, so much so that I joined as an editor and creator. I sometimes spent as much as entire dedicated days just editing, and over time, creating entire articles. Over time, my simple hobby soon morphed into something I became passionate about, with there now being a focus on my editing. I wanted to use my skills on Wikipedia to put my knowledge to good use. I noticed that there was a lot more complexity in many articles about countries in the West than articles about African nations or post-Soviet nations for example. As a result, I choose to create many articles on different topics, whether it be on the government, military, or culture of these nations. I feel like my contributions to the website in this regard have been recognized and appreciated by other editors, having been awarded eight barnstars (Wikipedia awards) over the course of my time on the platform. This experience helped me not only on Wikipedia but also in the classroom. Wikipedia helped me gain lots of knowledge that I eventually used in a multitude of areas such as competitions and research. In terms of the latter, I learned how to utilize the skill of establishing the values and limitations of using certain sources as well as how to eliminate bias in my research, a skill shared with historians as well. I learned how to find solid information on whatever topic I want with ease, whether it be online or inside books found at my local library. In this context, Wikipedia made me expand my understanding of historical analysis as well as recognize and appreciate the hard work historians undertake when chronicling periods of history.

My favorite subject in school is history. This is primarily due to the intricate details that all contribute to the story of a nation, a war, or a people. Around the time when I got into the 7th grade, I became interested in Wikipedia, so much so that I joined as an editor and creator. I sometimes spent as much as entire dedicated days just editing, and over time, creating entire articles. Over time, my simple hobby soon morphed into something I became passionate about, with there now being a focus on my editing. I wanted to use my skills on Wikipedia to put my knowledge to good use. I noticed that there was a lot more complexity in many articles about countries in the West than articles about African nations or post-Soviet nations for example. As a result, I choose to create many articles on different topics, whether it be on the government, military, or culture of these nations. I feel like my contributions to the website in this regard have been recognized and appreciated by other editors, having been awarded eight barnstars (Wikipedia awards) over the course of my time on the platform. This experience helped me not only on Wikipedia but also in the classroom. Wikipedia helped me gain lots of knowledge that I eventually used in a multitude of areas such as competitions and research. In terms of the latter, I learned how to utilize the skill of establishing the values and limitations of using certain sources as well as how to eliminate bias in my research, a skill shared with historians as well. In this context, Wikipedia made me expand my understanding of historical analysis as well as recognize and appreciate the hard work historians undertake when chronicling periods of history.

My favorite subject in school is history. This is primarily due to the intricate details that all contribute to the story of a nation, a war, or a people. Around the time when I got into the 7th grade, I became interested in Wikipedia, so much so that I joined as an editor and creator. I sometimes spent as much as entire dedicated days just editing, and over time, creating entire articles. Over time, my simple hobby soon morphed into something I became passionate about, with there now being a focus on my editing. I wanted to use my skills on Wikipedia to put my knowledge to good use. I noticed that there was a lot more complexity in many articles about countries in the West than articles about African nations or post-Soviet nations for example. As a result, I choose to create many articles on different topics, whether it be on the government, military, or culture of these nations. I feel like my contributions to the website in this regard have been recognized and appreciated by other editors, having been awarded eight barnstars (Wikipedia awards) over the course of my time on the platform. This experience helped me not only on Wikipedia but also in the classroom. Wikipedia helped me gain lots of knowledge that I eventually used in a multitude of areas such as competitions and research. In terms of the latter, I learned how to utilize the skill of establishing the values and limitations of using certain sources as well as how to eliminate bias in my research, a skill shared with historians as well. In this context, Wikipedia made me expand my understanding of historical analysis as well as recognize and appreciate the hard work historians undertake when chronicling periods of history.

By the time I had entered high school, I had only been living in Houston for a little over a year, having lived all my life in Atlanta. As a result, I became a more timid and reserved kid, which allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. As a result, the move from one city to another brought about a fear of change that I never felt before as well as a lack of confidence. This changed once I got to high school. At the outset of my freshman year, I decided to join JROTC, a military-affiliated organization. By increasing my responsibilities, I increased my confidence level and became more comfortable outside my shell as I moved up the battalion leadership structure. This meant that I no longer could afford to stay content with certain realities as I had done in the past. I had to, as our mission statement asserts: "seek the mantle of leadership". In doing so, I left my comfort zone, and for the better. These years were filled with much interpersonal development for me socially. I have grown out of having a rigid approach to life and now take the initiative when given the opportunity to extend a hand of leadership and confidence to others. I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” All my life, I have been characterized by a timid and insecure personality, or as Conrad would describe it, being a “coward”. Today, I am more confident than ever, and when I see this quote, I am reminded of my responsibility to continue this change in my life.

Joy is a unique emotion which I have a unique relationship with, the reason being it is the meaning of my name. My first name, Ayodele, which originates from the Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria, translates into English from the Yoruba language as meaning "joy has come home." Joy and happiness are words often interlinked as part of the same family, and as such experiences of joy often make people happy. Happiness is an emotion that cannot be quantified into a singular action. Everyone has that spark that makes them happy. For me, it's jokes. Jokes are my way to relieve myself of the pressures of the world and truely engage in the pleasures of life. I have always found solice in laughing, no matter the situation. Whehter it be light hearted or dark humor, I think that jokes always help bring out the joy in people, as it had with me. Its not just jokes that I recieve that make me happy. Indeed, telling jokes makes me happy as well, as it brings me joy to see a smile on people's face as a result of my influence.

The book I find most inspiring is not the most traditional example of such a book. On the contrary, William Golding's 1954 novel “Lord of the Flies” is a story that seems to serve as an example of the quite the opposite feeling. It depicts a story of a group of boys gradually descending into savagery while stranded on a deserted island. In his novel, Golding asserts that when mankind is left in a situation where societal standards do not apply they will succumb to their worst emotions and embrace the savagery within themselves. The reason I find it inspiring is because it serves a reason for someone like me to help mankind from meeting such as fate. Indeed, that was also the purpose of Golding including these elements in the story, especially by using imagery to display the full extent of the brutality of the kids. I like books that use objectively dark images as a symbol of a larger message. In this case the true nature of mankind will come out when we are not dictated by the rules of society. Golding exploration into this idea hits home even further when has seemingly innocent children fall prey to their own true savagry. I think that the inspiring force comes from the natural repulsion at such events.

Socialist realism from the Soviet era is an art form that inspires me the most. This art form is notable for its blocky and idealized style as well as its use of a direct message as opposed to having a complex artistic meaning. From 1924 to 1991, the timespan of the existence of the USSR, socialist realism was the prefered art form of the Soviet Government and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, making up a large majority as a result. Being the country with the longest timespan for this type of art, it was also the most restrictive, with propaganda being more restrictive than anywhere else in the world. Not even the artwork of other authoritarian nations could compete with such a form. At this point, given my description of socialist realism, you're probably wondering why I like it so much. The reason is because it is represented in my favorite piece of art, the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal. I like it because it conveys the message of the emancipation of the common man and the great things mankind could do as a result. I believe that on an individual level, many people, particularly black men, picture themselves in some fashion in terms of Soviet realist nature of the monument, especially in terms of success and progress. In this regard, the African Renaissance Monument for me, as a black man, resonates with how I percieve my future and my family. Personnally, I have seen myself and who I want to be in the man being pictured, who represents the idea of the provider, the protector, and the liberator. This is an idea I hope I will be able to achieve some day.

There are many sentences that I could share with the world. Sentences of an uplifting nature, dissuading you from reality. However, this does. It isn't wisdom. This is why my lone sentence that I would proudly let the world know of is, well different. This is why probably the wisest thing I have heard in the seventeen years of my existence is this: “cowards are more dangerous than heroes.” Now, the intent behind this quote is multifaceted, At the time of writing this, our society is going through major changes, for better and worse. However you will find that certain negative consequences of this change, particularly in children. Whether it be gang violence, bullying, or other horrible actions to engage in, they all have on common trait in the person or people who perpetuate them: they're all cowards. They all would rather engage in actions that cause excessive undue to others, instead of promoting love for one another. The traits exemplified are those of people who lack the courage to do or endure unpleasant things, which in many scenarios can cause serious harm to others and themselves. The reason this quote resonated with me so much is because I feel like our modern world sports so many more cowards instead of heroes. You constantly see in the news that the "villains" of the world, are more filled with violence, a cowardly act that , as opposed to peace, a state of being that is worth the effort, even when its unpleaent. I think acts such as these can be avoided if we as a society let these people know the reality of their actions. That reality, is that cowards are people who should never emulated, or followed, ever.

I have always had a unique relationship with music. Throughout my life, I have always taken the opportunity to indulge and engage in musical endeavors whenever presented to me, such as participating in the choir and band. Above all else, I have been most musically influenced by songs. In all my life, I have heard songs that pumped me up, songs that I relaxed to, and songs I found solace in. They range from classical music to military marches. Of all these songs I have listened to, there is only one song that inspired me. The song is known as "Uz Maršala Tita" (With Marshal Tito), and it originates from the former Yugoslavia. Now, this may very well be a weird choice of music, given I am a member of Generation Z admiring a piece of music written in the 1940s during World War Two. However, it is for this reason that this song has had such an inspiring influence on me. As a history buff, it appeals to me through that lense. It uses the historical significance of the time period as a means for cultivating power and unity in the population. It specifically does so by noting the shared Slavic heritage of all Yugoslavs as well as the history of the partisans, who were very active at the time of its writing. When I listen to this song, I feel very uplifted, in spite of the reality that I can't identify with the national allusions made in the song. Despite this, it makes me feel powerful and strong, and moreover, allows me to live out a parallel life in my head, in which I, much like the partisans, can do great things I put my mind to because I am born an bred from a stronger cloth.

A man without motivation is no man at all. This is my ethos and opinion as it relates to the role motivation has on one's life. This is because it is only human nature to have motivations, even if they are only subconcisous. Motivation is the simple reason people wake up every day and get out of bed. In many cases, motivation is the only thing keeping some people alive or having a feeling of self-worth. Motivation can come in many different forms. For many, it comes in the form of that special person you love who gives you the confidence to push ahead. For others, it is those loved ones who have passed on that motivate them to do better. It could just simply be something of material value, like a Snickers bar or that new video game that motivates you to work to achieve what you want. While all those examples are admirable motivations, I take a different approach. For me, my pride is my motivation. Pride in myself alone is not enough to fill you with motivation. Indeed, I am also talking about my pride in my family, my skin-colour, my country, my homeland, etc. Sometimes, we as a society give a bad connotation to being prideful, dismissing it as just unchecked ego. However, this simply is not the case. Pride can be an emotion that can serve as fuel for people to do great things. I know that for me, my pride was definitely a factor in terms of my academic standing, having had the mentality that I maintaining excellent grades in school was for my own honour as well as the honour of the family. All in all, my pride has left me with the drive to do great things for my community.

Tall, black, and smart. That is the general description people prescribe towards me when they first see me. Believe me, that’s quite an icebreaker when it comes to starting conversations, but there has to surely be more to me than my appearance at first glance. My name is Ayodele, but I go by Ayo (literally pronounced I-yo kinda the planet, often pronounced as Ey-yo by other, kinda like the song). My name originates from Nigeria and means "joy has come home". I also know the Russian language and have a very edgy sense of humor. Indeed, I have a lot of characteristics that reflect my individuality than meets the eye.

I am currently an African-American senior at Humble High School. A son of Nigerian immigrants, I hail from Humble, where I have lived for just under five years, having previously lived my entire life in Atlanta. Ever since I entered high school in the fall of 2018, I have been given and offered an array of unique opportunities to make the most out of my four years. Throughout my high school years, this has come to include my involvement in the National Honor Society, International Baccalaureate, as well as JROTC and T-STEM programs. I pride myself on having been put in a position of leadership throughout high school, being one of the battalion commander in JROTC as well as having served as an ambassador for T-STEM. Everything I have done until now has manifested itself into me now being among the top 10% in my graduating class, a fact that can help me go on to change the world. Part of what I want for my future is to have a positive legacy in society, and for a simple guy like me, I want my legacy to be one of having contributed to my community. That's all a person like me could ask for, having come from humble origins as well as done much throughout my high school career to push myself to be someone who can be considered a valued colleague. These are my plans for the future, one that I will work so hard to attain. As I prepare to do just that in a couple of months, I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” In this regard, I have high hopes for the future, as I have proven to be no coward in my work.

One of the many strengths that I think I bring to people is that I am very innovative, always trying to find a way to get something while being exceptional at the same time. One notable example was when I was a sophomore and I had a project in chemistry in which I had to create a diagram of the periodic table with specific requirements. At the time, I was a member of the T-STEM Academy, which I thought would offer classes that would be related to my career choice in the STEM field. Instead of creating a google drawing as required by the rubric, I decided to put my skills gained in my computer science class to work and create a periodic table in Scratch, a development website that utilizes block coding to achieve certain tasks. By the end of the project, I had a very interactive periodic table unlike most that were presented, impressing my teacher as well as most of my classmates. I earned a high A on that assignment, proving that not only my STEM background can get me a good grade, but also that I have the potential to do great things for my community. Ever since I entered high school in 2018, I have been given and offered an array of unique opportunities to make the most out of my four years. I have grown out of having a rigid approach to my studies, and more importantly, I now take the initiative when given the opportunity and do my best to extend a hand of leadership and confidence to others. Today, I see the fruits of this method, being among the top 10% in my graduating class, as well as being a person ready to dive into new higher-level environments such as college.

I hail from Houston, Texas, although I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. I moved to Humble, a suburb of Houston in the fall of 2018 and plan on graduating from Humble High School in May of 2022. At my school, I am a member of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program, where I have spent the most time participating in community service. I plan on going to Texas A&M University at College Station, where I plan on majoring in computer science. At my school, I am a leader in JROTC, in which we do many service projects to help out the community as well as a school at large. For example, in the winter of my sophomore year, I helped cadets lay wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers at Houston National Cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America movement. I have also served my community in other ways. On many occasiisons, I have helped set up and man booths representing the program both at Humble High School and at venues in the Humble area. In addition, our instructors, particularly the Sergeant Major who heads our entire operation, is always keen on our unit being one that serves the staff and students of our school. In many cases, it takes the form of simply moving boxes from the library to an offsite location or even helping set up testing sites for the annual STAAR, SAT school day, AP and IB tests. All these experiences done over the course of close to 4 years numbers to well over a hundred service hours just within the program. These experiences have influenced my thinking on service to one's community and how I can make a difference going forward. They have even inspired me to think about what I want to do with my future in terms of community service and living a life of service. In this regard, I want to become an example for my younger peers in my hometown, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study. At the same time, probably my most significant takeaway from these actions was a development in leadership. Leadership, many people believe that it can be derived from a mere job title, however, I believe that leadership is something that is learned with experience. Given my community service experience, I know this more than ever. Through various initiatives which have been fortunate to undertake in JROTC, I have learned that this is truly the key to leadership and in turn, serving your community.

I am currently an African-American senior at Humble High School. A son of Nigerian immigrants, I hail from Humble, a city outside of Houston where I have lived for just under five years, having previously lived my entire life in Atlanta. At HHS, I am a member of the JROTC program, the academic team, and the National Honor Society. Academically, I am ranked number seven in my graduating class, and am also a member of the International Baccalaureate program. Ever since I entered high school in the fall of 2018, I have been given and offered an array of unique opportunities to make the most out of my four years. I believe that going to college will help me provide for my community in a multitude of ways. First, I will be able to achieve my dream of helping the world by means of computer science, a subject I have had a great interest in since I was just a young boy. Secondly, I believe it will help bring me a job that will provide for me and my entire family, giving back to them after everything they have done in my lifetime to bring me to this moment. Lastly, but probably most importantly, I will be able to serve as an example for my younger peers in my hometown, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study. I am proud to be a person that is ready to dive any new environment in order to achieve my goals and dreams. As I take my first step to do so in a couple of months, I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” Knowing this, I will never shy away from a challenge wherever it finds me.

Selflessness and bravery are very similar words and concepts, however, generally the brave gets the most attention in our world as it is considered to be the more honorable lifestyle. What people often don't think about when it comes to what it means to be brave is the fact brave individuals must be selfless in the way the move in life, and most especially in their relations with others. In this modern era, those who are commonly presented as being brave, whether it be by politicians, the media or civil sociey as a whole, lack one major trait that would warrent them being treated and described as such. This trait is called selflessness. It is, for this reason, I believe that selflessness is important, not only to our society but the human race in general. Moreover, I beleive that history tends to view people who put their own interests above that of the population very harshly. I believe that the best thing one could do to be selfless is give back. The reason for this is simple: you are in no position to help someone yourself else if you cannot help others. In this regard, I always pushing myself towards the unknown even at the expense of my comfortability, so that I will be able to provide for my community in a multitude of ways. One of the more longstanding benefits that I will be able to sustain however is my ability to leave a legacy and serve as an example for my younger peers, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study. What I just outlined, the concept of selflessness, is in my opinion, the best way to achieve the preception of bravery among your peers.

I believe that innovation is an important trait to have in a person and it is a trait that best represents someone who actively trying to apply creativity in their life. Therefore, I believe that I apply creativity regularly in my life due to the fact that I am an innovator. I see firsthand on a daily basis what someone who has an innovative spirit can do in this world. As to how this principle relates to me, I have applied creativity to many facets of my life. I recall with fondness my early teenage years, during which I frequently created stuff to make my life around the house easier, such as the time when I created a stand for my phone out of a used toilet paper roll. This interest followed me throughout my youth, with my relationship with technology reaching new heights for someone my age. For me, this included engaging in fun and creative projects in programming languages in order to automate my online experience or make a task easier for me. This also included using my skills in HTML to create a website using what I learned in that programming language. Indeed, my creativity has a deeper purpose. Not only was this something that affected my personal life, but indeed this creative interest also followed me into the classroom, and more broadly in my future career choices.

One of my proudest moments of boldness and bravery was during the homecoming football game when I served as the color sergeant in charge of leading the four-man color guard onto the field for the performance of The Star-Spangled Banner. Given that this song serves as our nation’s national anthem, I had the unique role of making sure everything falls into place as it should in order to give the country the proper respect it deserves at that moment. Therefore, I made sure to do my best so I could do our unit and school proud on that day. On that day, I made sure that the other three members of the guard knew what their roles were. I also pushed myself to gain the confidence to call out commands sharply and swiftly as well as stood tall to make myself look professional. This moment made me realize how far I went from being just another private in the formation during my freshman year. I quickly went from being just another private in the formation to the head of the platoon (responsible for attendance, officiating class, and marching the platoon during PT days), to the color sergeant for the entire battalion. I have also seen through this action how I have and can affect others while in a position of leadership. Through my leadership on this day, I have been able to help shape my student colleagues into the leader that I have become in this present day. The things I learned from that day were very valuable and served as the catalyst for my leadership traits in JROTC, especially those displayed on that football field on that fateful day.

Gratitude is defined simply as the "readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness." In this regard, I feel that I can best express my gratitude towards my loved ones by my joyful spirit, one with which I have a unique relationship. My first name, Ayodele, which originates from the Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria, translates into English from the Yoruba language as meaning "joy has come home." Because of this aspect of myself, I have always had a calling to live up to the meaning of my name and spread positivity in my life as best as I can to everyone I interact with. Indeed, I do think that positivity has a lot to do with being grateful. Gratitude for me is much deeper than the traditional stereotype of simply saying "thank you". For me, it means engaging with people and concepts that help bring out something you are passionate about, something you enjoy doing, something that does not feel like work. In this regard, the ways I make others in my life feel loved can be found in a multitude of avenues, primarily in sharing my passions. The reason why is that those are the things that bring me joy in my life, and so my action of sharing what I am passionate about with the people I choose to surround myself with serves as a representation of my intent to share my love for such things with those people. This important aspect of my life and my character is what will truly make me live up to the meaning of my name, as once I gain the ability to change lives for the better, then joy will truly be coming home.

Nature is a gift of the universe, a fact which is one the most undervalued in our modern society today. Although I'm a tech guy by nature, I have always had a soft spot for nature, and more simply going outside wheneve I could. I have been heavilly influenced by my school in this regard, as many of the student led organizations I joined, whether it be JROTC or T-STEM, forced me to embrace the outdoors in ways I couldnt imagine. Much of this has to do with community service, a subject which I'm passionate about as well as is a central part of these organizations. My embrace of nature as a member of these organizations has caused me to have a certain appreciation for our world that most people don't consider. I've come to realize that the home we make as a species matters a lot, and the denegration of that home, namely the denegration of nature, is a major threat to our future on our Earth, our home. My proximity to nature throughout my life has encouraged me to learn frpm and protect our world, whether it be the animals of the forest or the clouds in the great blue sky.

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Computer programming is a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines in my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. This interest followed me throughout my youth, with my relationship with technology reaching new heights for someone my age. This not only affected my personal life, but indeed this interest also followed me into the classroom, having taken the opportunity to join the robotics club in middle school and the T-STEM Academy in my high school. The reason I am passionate about this subject is because it helps bring out my passion for innovation, an important trait that displays my ambition to solve the problems of the world. I have always oriented my career goals towards a career in computer science, which I think has a very important place in today’s America, especially when coupled with trends in other countries showing that skills in this field are being promoted at every level in leadership. My dream job in this computer science field is working for a FAANG company, where I believe I can make the most out of my talents as well as the biggest difference. Part of the reason I am applying to Texas A&M University is due to its reputation for producing great alumni in this field. Throughout my entire life, I have always oriented myself towards greatness, with much of that being due to the influence STEM has had on my life, which is why I believe that STEM is a path that will allow me to orient the entire world towards greatness.

I always have found it to be a journey when it comes to staying true to myself in my daily life. Although I can say with confidence that I have never wanted to pretend to be anyone other than myself in my life, I have had trouble in the fact that I am timider and more reserved than other kids. This allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. Therefore, when I became a freshman, I crafted an image for myself in high school, one that included stability and consistency. Over the years, I have become accustomed to such a lifestyle. As the need for such a change came as it naturally should over the years, I have noticed that kept certain valuable tendencies that quite frankly, make me who I am today. For example, as a timid person, I happen to do more listening than talking. I note that a major benefit of listeners, in general, is that they have a real talent to learn from others. As a listener, I became more capable of having an understanding of my surroundings and was, therefore, more socially capable as opposed to someone who is maybe more robustious than others. This has allowed me to develop myself in my relationships with others, especially those who are close to me. I have had the opportunity to listen to conversations that my peers have with each other, and have learned an enormous amount in detail about a wide range of topics that affect me as a student as well as a human being. In this regard, I have achieved a lot all while maintaining a central part of my identity.

STEM is a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines in my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. I recall with fondness my early teenage years, during which I frequently created stuff to make my life around the house easier, such as the time when I created a stand for my phone out of a used toilet paper roll. This interest followed me throughout my youth, with my relationship with technology reaching new heights for someone my age. For me, this included engaging in fun and creative projects in Python in order to automate my online experience or make a task easier for me. This also included using my skills in HTML to create a website using what I learned in that programming language. Indeed, my interest in computer science has a deeper purpose, as it brings out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents my way of life. Not only was this something that affected my personal life, but indeed this interest also followed me into the classroom, having taken the opportunity to join the robotics club in middle school and the T-STEM Academy in my high school. During my time in the T-STEM Academy, I was faced with many new innovations in education, one of which was the reimagination of our classes into 30-minute teaching sessions known as "workshops'', which ended up giving us time to tackle important issues that connect back to our curriculum using strategies and resources that were taught in these workshops. In allowing ourselves to explore ideas and concepts more thoroughly via these sessions, we were able to pursue an advanced level of critical thinking that could be put into serving our larger society. Even after I left the academy my sophomore year, this same appetite for fixing problems in our world never dissipated, having continued to take higher-level classes, specifically in the realm of mathematics, having never let go of my fixation on a STEM career. The reason I am passionate about STEM can only be described in one way. STEM helps bring out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents personal desire and ambition to solve the problems of the world. The urge to solve the problems has clearly been one that has affected me my entire life and therefore has become a natural part of who I am. I have always oriented my career goals towards a career in STEM, and specifically in computer science, which I think has a very important place in today’s America, especially when coupled with trends in other countries showing that skills in this field are on being promoted at every level in leadership. My dream job in this computer science field is working for a FAANG company, where I believe I can make the most out of my talents as well as the biggest difference. Part of the reason I am applying to Texas A&M University is due to its reputation for producing great alumni in this field. Throughout my entire life, I have always oriented myself towards greatness, with much of that being due to the influence STEM has had on my life, which is why I believe that STEM is a path that will allow me to orient the entire world towards greatness.

At the outset of my high school career, I joined the T-STEM Academy at my high school in order to be better prepared for a career in the STEM field. During my time in the T-STEM Academy, I was faced with many new innovations, some in education, some in the organization of classes, but the innovation that caught my eyes the mosts was not the work of the academy, but rather was part of a larger phenomenon in our world. Of course, I am referring to the more recent phenomenon of virtual reality in our world. The virtual reality space is one that is emerging as a space with the potential for new heights. The global impact of virtual technology on society has been considerably high due to the fact that in many parts of the world, including the United States, it has become the focal point of cultural phenomenons in gaming, entertainment as well as communication, becoming. In addition, the design of purchasable items such as a VR headset helps add to the mobility appeal that is often given with such systems. Specifically, virtual reality technology usage in relation to the rising trend of NFTs is one that intrigues me as a consumer, as well as an innovator. The potential that I see in this regard is very grand and very useful, and quite frankly, I see it as having the potential to revolutionize the way people see the personal property and access to the work and content of other people, more so artists and people in that realm of work. Even after I left the T-STEM Academy my sophomore year of school, I still maintained the same appetite for fixing problems in our world as I did coming into the academy. This is because specifically due to my interest in such an obscure, but revolutionary technology in virtual reality.

Sophomore year was the year I really became an exceptional student, and I owe it all to a mere science project given to me that year. This project was one that was given in chemistry class, in which I had to create a diagram of the periodic table with specific requirements. Instead of creating a Google drawing as required by the rubric, I decided to put my skills gained in my computer science class to work and create an interactive periodic table for my project, impressing my teacher and my student colleagues. To pull such a feat off, I had to change my attitude towards doing work on the weekends, having spent most of Saturday and Sunday every weekend working on the project. Having earned an A on the assignment, I realized that this approach was good for me in my studies. From then on, I have always challenged myself to be an innovator in my school life. This helped me accept my responsibility as a student to evolve beyond my shell to accomplish my goals. This is among my biggest accomplishments out of my four years in high school. It marked my transformation from having a rigid approach to my studies to being a more flexible and spontaneous student and more importantly, it forced me to take the initiative when given the opportunity. Today, I see the fruits of this method, being among the top 10% in my graduating class, as well as being a human being capable and ready to dive into new environments such as college.

STEM is a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines in my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. I recall with fondness my early teenage years, during which I frequently created stuff to make my life around the house easier, such as the time when I created a stand for my phone out of a used toilet paper roll. This interest followed me throughout my youth, with my relationship with technology reaching new heights for someone my age. For me, this included engaging in fun and creative projects in Python in order to automate my online experience or make a task easier for me. This also included using my skills in HTML to create a website using what I learned in that programming language. Indeed, my interest in computer science has a deeper purpose, as it brings out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents my way of life. Not only was this something that affected my personal life, but indeed this interest also followed me into the classroom, having taken the opportunity to join the robotics club in middle school and the T-STEM Academy in my high school. During my time in the T-STEM Academy, I was faced with many new innovations in education, one of which was the reimagination of our classes into 30-minute teaching sessions known as "workshops'', which ended up giving us time to tackle important issues that connect back to our curriculum using strategies and resources that were taught in these workshops. In allowing ourselves to explore ideas and concepts more thoroughly via these sessions, we were able to pursue an advanced level of critical thinking that could be put into serving our larger society. Even after I left the academy my sophomore year, this same appetite for fixing problems in our world never dissipated, having continued to take higher-level classes, specifically in the realm of mathematics, having never let go of my fixation on a STEM career. The reason I am passionate about STEM can only be described in one way. STEM helps bring out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents personal desire and ambition to solve the problems of the world. The urge to solve the problems has clearly been one that has affected me my entire life and therefore has become a natural part of who I am. I have always oriented my career goals towards a career in STEM, and specifically in computer science, which I think has a very important place in today’s America, especially when coupled with trends in other countries showing that skills in this field are on being promoted at every level in leadership. My dream job in this computer science field is working for a FAANG company, where I believe I can make the most out of my talents as well as the biggest difference. Part of the reason I am applying to Texas A&M University is due to its reputation for producing great alumni in this field. Throughout my entire life, I have always oriented myself towards greatness, with much of that being due to the influence STEM has had on my life, which is why I believe that STEM is a path that will allow me to orient the entire world towards greatness.

I have a unique relationship with this word as it is the meaning of my name. My first name, Ayodele, which originates from the Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria, translates into English from the Yoruba language as meaning "joy has come home." Because of this aspect of myself, I have always had a calling to live up to the meaning of my name and spread positivity in my life as best as I can to everyone I interact with. Indeed, I do think that positivity has a lot to do with living a long and healthy life. Joy for me is much deeper than the traditional stereotype, just a feeling of elation or excitement. For me, it means engaging with people and concepts that help bring out something you are passionate about, something you enjoy doing, something that does not feel like work. With this mindset, I am confident one can live an extended life full of the same. In this regard, the ways I bring joy to my life can be found in a multitude of avenues, primarily in engineering, which helps bring out my passion for innovation, a process which I have had an affinity for since I was just a young boy. Career-wise, this passion helps bring about a sense of duty and purpose that lives beyond the fatigue that lingers of the thought of work. Having something like this, which you are passionate about gives you something to look forward to, and what makes people like me live up to the meaning of my name, and truly bring joy home.

I always have found it to be a journey when it comes to staying true to myself in my daily life. Although I can say with confidence that I have never wanted to pretend to be anyone other than myself in my life, I have had troubles in the fact that I am more timid and reserved than other kids. This allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. Therefore, when I became a freshman, I crafted an image for myself in high school, one that included stability and consistency. Over the years, I have become accustomed to such a lifestyle. As the need for such a change came as it naturally should over the years, I have kept certain tendancies that quite frankly, make me who I am today. For example, as a timid person, I happen to do more listening than talking. I note that a major benefit of listeners in general are that they have a real talent to learn from others. As a listener, I became more capable of having an understanding of my surroundings and was therefore more socially capable as opposed to someone who is maybe more robustious than others. This has allowed me to develop myself in my relationships with others, especially those who are close to me. I have had the opportunity to listen to converstions that my peers have with each other, and have learned an enormous amount in detail about a wide range of topics that affect me as a student as well as a human being. In this regard, I have achieved alot all while maintain a central part of my identity.

Computer science is a profession that I have been interested in since I was young. Growing up, I was a huge nerd when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwined in my daily life as well as how it could be used to improve humanity as a whole. This interest followed throughout my youth, engaged in creating projects in Python in order to automate my online experience or creating a website using what I learned in HTML. Indeed, my interest in computer science has a deeper purpose, as it brings out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents my way of life. I think that computer science has a very important place in the U.S. because it is one of the primary forces propelling our human ingenuity. This is why I have always oriented my career goals towards a career in this field. Part of my plan for the future includes achieving my goal of working for a FAANG company. Part of the reason I am applying to the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University is due to its reputation for producing great alumni in this field. In this regard, I want to use computer science to develop our species to reach greater heights, and I believe that with a degree in this field, I will be able to display to the world the contributions that I can make towards its future.

I have always heard that there are different types of learners. Much of the traditional ones were auditory, visual, and kinetic learners. In terms of the former most option, we may list it as a type of learning, however, I dont think we as a society really think much of listeners having a real talent to learn from others. Indeed, we don't think much of listeners, and often see them as followers or those with nothing to say. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. In reality, listeners are more capable of having an understanding of their surroundings and are therefore more socially capable than someone who is maybe more robustious than others. This is why I think listening is so important for society and is superior to being a good orator. Personally, I am a more timid and reserved individual, so therefore, I naturally do more listening as opposed to speaking. This has allowed me to develop myself in my relationships with others, especially those who are close to me. I have had the opportunity to listen to converstions that my peers have with each other, and have learned an enormous amount in detail about a wide range of topics that affect me as a student as well as a human being. Listening is an underrated art, one which I hope will grow in prominence as the years pass on.

I have a unique relationship with this word as it is the meaning of my name. My first name, Ayodele, which originates from the Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria, translates into English from the Yoruba language as meaning "joy has come home." Because of this aspect of myself, I have always had a calling to live up to the meaning of my name and spread positivity in my life as best as I can to everyone I interact with. Indeed, I do think that positivity has a lot to do with joy and being in a joyous state of mind. Joy for me is much deeper than the traditional stereotype, just a feeling of elation or excitement. For me, it means engaging with people and concepts that help bring out something you are passionate about, something you enjoy doing, something that does not feel like work. In this regard, the ways I bring joy to my life can be found in a multitude of avenues, primarily in engineering, which helps bring out my passion for innovation, a process which I have had an affinity for since I was just a young boy. Career-wise, this passion is one that brings me joy as I feel like I am (or will be) making a difference with any of my innovations. For example, I will use this to propel my post-college career forward and then be able to serve as an example for my younger peers in my hometown, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study. This important aspect of my life and my character is what will truly make me live up to the meaning of my name, as once I gain the ability to change lives for the better, then joy will truly be coming home.

Engineering as a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines in my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. This interest followed me throughout my youth, having joined the robotics club in middle school and the T-STEM Academy in my high school. Engineering helps bring out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents my way of life. I recall with fondness my early teenage years, during which I frequently created stuff to make my life around the house easier. For example, I wanted to create a stand for my phone, so I created one out of a toilet paper roll after coming up with ideas for the design. Throughout my years in school, I have also had this same appetite for fixing problems. In high school, I have always taken higher-level classes, specifically in the realm of mathematics. Whether it be IB Math and IB Physics, or T-STEM Engineering or T-STEM Computer Science, I have always loved the critical thinking processes that have often been associated with my major. I have always oriented my career goals towards a career in engineering, which is very important in today’s America. My dream job is specifically in the computer science field, working for a FAANG company. Part of the reason I am applying to A&M is due to its reputation for producing great alumni in this field. Therefore, I believe that the College of Engineering at Texas A&M will be the best fit to help me reach this goal of mine.

For a simple guy like me, I want my legacy to be one of having contributed to my community. That's all a person like me could ask for, especially considering that for most of my life I was accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills. Given this fact, I have done much throughout my high school career to push myself to be someone who can be considered a valued colleague. Today, I can say with confidence that I have done so and through a variety of means. For example, I am a leader in the JROTC program, in which we do many service projects to help out the school as well as the larger community. An instance of this occurred in the winter of my sophomore year, where I helped cadets lay wreaths on veterans’ graves in Houston as part of Wreaths Across America. In addition, I have also served the students of my school, having been selected as a freshman to consult with a committee composed of teachers and students from the district and develop ways to accelerate graduation rates. This is my legacy, one that I have worked so hard in my life to attain. Thankfully, I feel like I have been recognized for such accomplishments already. For example, one day during History class, my teacher came up to me to recall a moment she had with one of the sophomores who she had met with during the open house held two days prior. During this exchange, she recounted how the sophomore spoke of me with such respect after she mentioned my name, and how it made her a proud teacher. This to me, serves as a symbol of my legacy being established within individuals at my school.

Leadership, what is leadership? Many people believe that leadership can be derived from a job title, however, I believe that leadership is something that is learned with experience. Through various initiatives which have been fortunate to undertake in my school life, I have learned that this is truly the key to leadership and in turn, serving your community. At my school, I am a leader in JROTC, in which we do many service projects to help out the community as well as a school at large. In the winter of my sophomore year, I helped cadets lay wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers at Houston National Cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America movement. In addition, I have walked from my school after hours to my previous middle school to volunteer in helping out my former choir teacher in helping plan and aide in the choir concert that was held that evening. I have also served the students of my school, being selected in November 2018 to consult with a committee composed of teachers, students, and principals from the district and develop ways to accelerate graduation rates. I have also served as a student ambassador for the T-STEM program, of which I was a part in my freshman and sophomore years. In this role, I served to represent our program at a multitude of events, including parent events, school fairs, and city conventions. These experiences have influenced my thinking on service to one's community and how I can make a difference going forward. As a result, part of what I want to do with my future is to serve my community as an example for my younger peers in my hometown, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study.

Ever since I entered high school in the fall of 2018, I have been given and offered an array of unique opportunities to make the most out of my four years. One of these opportunities was my admittance in the T-STEM Academy at my high school. Although this experience lasted only two years, this experience was one that renewed my faith in education as well as peaked my interest in STEM related careers. The innovative elements that were incorporated into the curriculum as well as the educational processes of the academy are ones’ that should be utilized in all school systems in the country, and should be kept in mind when developing the education of the future. During my time in the T-STEM Academy, I was faced with many new innovations in education. For one, our classes were reimagined into 30-minute teaching sessions known as ‘workshops'', during which the teacher would give us the general information needed for the class, and the rest of the period would be used for exploring this information, with this taking place inside the class as well as in the halls of the academy. This brought about a sense of maturity and leadership that is lacking in younger generations. This level of professional development allocated to us as students, some of which is only allowed in colleges, allowed ideas and concepts to be explored more thoroughly. For example, this reorganization of the time of students allowed us to pursue an advanced level of thinking that could be put into service projects as well as projects for the school. This level of thinking is missing in our student discourse today. This experience has influenced my thinking on education and how it can be reformed. For my part, I have done my fair share of using my experience in the academy to contribute to the development of education in my school district. In particular, in November 2018, I was one of two people who were selected to represent the students of my school in a student committee. Later that February, me and the other student returned to present ideas to an enlarged committee composed of teachers, students, and principals from across the school district in order to develop ways to accelerate graduation rates. This experience has clearly inspired me to develop the future of education for the better.

Giving and providing are very similar words and concepts, for in order to give you have to be in a position to provide. Now, many think that providing has to do solely with material items, however, people providing for one another can come in the form of things such as moral support, ideas, and information. It is, for this reason, I believe that giving is important, not only to our society but the human race in general. The largescale exchange of ideas that we see throughout the world today, would not have been possible in a climate that pushes isolationism, which is the only force that could be behind a negative response towards giving. For example, history has shown nations who refuse to give what they have towards nations less fortunate have a negative association and reputation bound to them. I believe that the best thing one could do to give back is investing in yourself. The reason for this is simple: you are in no position to help someone else if you cannot help yourself. In this regard, I have been focused on pushing myself towards a college education, after which I will be able to provide for my community in a multitude of ways, including helping the world by means of computer science, by planned major. One of the more longstanding benefits that I will be able to sustain however is my ability to leave a legacy and serve as an example for my younger peers, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study. What I just outlined, is, in my opinion, one of the more successful ways to give back.

I have a unique relationship with this word as it is the meaning of my name. My first name, Ayodele, which originates from the Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria, translates into English from the Yoruba language as meaning "joy has come home." Because of this aspect of myself, I have always had a calling to live up to the meaning of my name and spread positivity in my life as best as I can to everyone I interact with. Indeed, I do think that positivity has a lot to do with joy and being in a joyous state of mind. Joy for me is much deeper than the traditional stereotype, just a feeling of elation or excitement. For me, it means engaging with people and concepts that help bring out something you are passionate about, something you enjoy doing, something that does not feel like work. In this regard, the ways I make others in my life feel loved can be found in a multitude of avenues, primarily in sharing my passions. The reason why is that those are the things that bring me joy in my life, and so my action of sharing what I am passionate about with the people I choose to surround myself with serves as a representation of my intent to share my love for such things with those people. This important aspect of my life and my character is what will truly make me live up to the meaning of my name, as once I gain the ability to change lives for the better, then joy will truly be coming home.

For a simple guy like me, I want my legacy to be one of having contributed to my community. That's all a person like me could ask for, especially considering that for most of my life I was accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills. Given this fact, I have done much throughout my high school career to push myself to be someone who can be considered a valued colleague. Today, I can say with confidence that I have done so and through a variety of means. For example, I am a leader in the JROTC program, in which we do many service projects to help out the school as well as the larger community. An instance of this occurred in the winter of my sophomore year, where I helped cadets lay wreaths on veterans’ graves in Houston as part of Wreaths Across America. In addition, I have also served the students of my school, having been selected as a freshman to consult with a committee composed of teachers and students from the district and develop ways to accelerate graduation rates. This is my legacy, one that I have worked so hard in my life to attain. Thankfully, I feel like I have been recognized for such accomplishments already. For example, one day during History class, my teacher came up to me to recall a moment she had with one of the sophomores who she had met with during the open house held two days prior. During this exchange, she recounted how the sophomore spoke of me with such respect after she mentioned my name, and how it made her a proud teacher. This to me, serves as a symbol of my legacy being established within individuals at my school.

By the time I had entered high school, I had only been living in Houston for a little over a year, having lived all my life in Atlanta, my city of birth. I am also the son of two Nigerian immigrants, who are traditionally known for their more timid and reserved kids. These two facts combined allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. As a result, the move from one city to another shook up my life and brought about a fear of change that I never felt before. Therefore, when I became a freshman, I crafted an image for myself in high school, one that included stability and consistency. Over the years I have had in secondary education, I’ve slowly realized that the high school I envisioned for myself in the fall of 2018 was not the high school I got. Normally that would scare me, but this time, it changed my whole perspective for the better. At the outset of my freshman year, I decided to leave join the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC), a military-affiliated organization that helps teach young people how to become better citizens. While it did do just that, it also helped me become comfortable outside my shell. JROTC helped me accept upward mobility by increasing my responsibilities as I moved up the leadership structure of our battalion. By the end of my freshman year, I was one of the highest-ranking cadets of my graduating class in the program. The following year, I was put in a position of leadership, being named as platoon sergeant for my class, quickly going from being just another private in the formation to the head of the battalion. This change helped me not only on the drill pad but also in the classroom. One notable example was when I was a sophomore and I had a project in chemistry in which I had to create a diagram of the periodic table with specific requirements. Instead of creating a Google drawing as required by the rubric, I decided to put my skills gained in my computer science class to work and create an interactive periodic table for my project, impressing my teacher and my student colleagues. To pull such a feat off, I had to change my attitude towards doing work on the weekends, having spent most of Saturday and Sunday every weekend working on the project. Having earned an A on the assignment, I realized that this approach was good for me in my studies. From then on, I have always challenged myself to be an innovator in my school life. This helped me accept my responsibility as a student to evolve beyond my shell to accomplish my goals. My high school years were filled with much interpersonal development for me socially. I have grown out of having a rigid approach to my studies, and more importantly, I now take the initiative when given the opportunity and do my best to extend a hand of leadership and confidence to others. Today, I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” All my life, I have been characterized by a timid and insecure personality, or as Conrad would describe it, being a “coward”. When I see this quote, I am reminded of my responsibility to have a continued acceptance of change and to never shy away from change wherever it finds me.

Engineering as a subject is one that I have been interested in since I was a young boy. When I was growing up, I considered myself to be a huge “nerd” when it came to technology and was always interested in how it intertwines in my daily life as well as how it can be used to improve humanity as a whole. This interest followed me throughout my youth, having joined the robotics club in middle school and the T-STEM Academy in my high school. Engineering helps bring out my passion for innovation, an important trait that best represents my way of life. Throughout my years in school, I have also had this same appetite for fixing problems. In high school, I have always taken higher-level classes, specifically in the realm of mathematics. Whether it be IB Math and IB Physics, or T-STEM Engineering or T-STEM Computer Science, I have always loved the critical thinking processes that have often been associated with my major. I have always oriented my career goals towards a career in engineering, so far as my dream job is specifically in the computer science field working for a FAANG company. Part of the reason I chose the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University as my choice of higher education is due to its reputation for producing great alumni in this field. I think that engineering has a very important place in today’s America, especially when coupled with people like me who have a knack for innovation. In this regard, I believe that it will help me provide for my community in a multitude of ways, especially by being able to serve as an example for my younger peers in my hometown, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study.

By the time I had entered high school, I had only been living in Houston for a little over a year, having lived all my life in Atlanta, Georgia. I am also the son of two Nigerian immigrants, who are traditionally known for their more timid and reserved kids. These two facts combined allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. As a result, the move from one city to another shook up my life and brought about a fear of change that I never felt before. Therefore, I was in a difficult situation when I joined the JROTC at outset of my freshman year, which helped me accept upward mobility by increasing my responsibilities as I moved up the leadership structure of our battalion. At first I was unnerved by this change in scenery. The following year, I was put in a position of leadership, being named as platoon sergeant for my class. I quickly went from being just another private in the formation to the head of the platoon, responsible for attendance, officiating class, and marching the platoon during PT days. Slowly but surely, I grew to accept my responsibility as a student to evolve beyond my shell to accomplish my goals. I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” All my life, I have been characterized by a timid and insecure personality, or as Conrad would describe it, being a “coward”. Thanks to JROTC, I was able to mover through difficult situations like I faced freshman year with more ease.

By the time I had entered high school, I had only been living in Houston for a little over a year, having lived all my life in Atlanta, Georgia. I am also the son of two Nigerian immigrants, who are traditionally known for their more timid and reserved kids. These two facts combined allowed me to become accustomed to being aloof in school organizations and activities, having had no leadership or interpersonal skills, having never needed them before. As a result, the move from one city to another shook up my life and brought about a fear of change that I never felt before. Therefore, when I became a freshman, I crafted an image for myself in high school, one that included stability and consistency. Over the years I have had in secondary education, I’ve slowly realized that the high school I envisioned for myself in the fall of 2018 was not the high school I got. Normally that would scare me, but this time, it changed my whole perspective for the better. After not getting the electives I wanted at the outset of my freshman year, I decided to leave PE and join the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC), a military-affiliated organization that helps teach young people how to become better citizens. While it did do just that, it also helped me become comfortable outside my shell. JROTC helped me accept upward mobility by increasing my responsibilities as I moved up the leadership structure of our battalion. This meant that I no longer could afford to stay content with certain realities as I had done in the past. By the end of my freshman year, I was one of the highest-ranking cadets of my graduating class in the program. The following year, I was put in a position of leadership, being named as platoon sergeant for my class. I quickly went from being just another private in the formation to the head of the platoon, responsible for attendance, officiating class, and marching the platoon during PT days. Senior year was the year I became an upper-level cadet, having had to maneuver in the position of the battalion commander. This change helped me not only on the drill pad but also in the classroom. One notable example was when I was a sophomore and I had a chemistry project in which I not only met the rubric but also took the initiative to work above and beyond what was required to make it a visual masterpiece that I can explain in an unconventional manner. I earned an A on the assignment, which helped me accept my responsibility as a student to evolve beyond my shell to accomplish my goals. Ever since I entered high school in the fall of 2018, I have been given and offered an array of unique opportunities to make the most out of my four years. I now take the initiative when given the opportunity and do my best to extend a hand of leadership and confidence to others. Today, I see the fruits of this method, being among the top 10% in my graduating class. I am reminded of this quote by Lance Conrad: “Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.” All my life, I have been characterized by a timid and insecure personality, or as Conrad would describe it, being a “coward”. When I see this quote, I am reminded of my responsibility to have a continued acceptance of change and to never shy away from change wherever it finds me.

I have a unique relationship with this word as it is the meaning of my name. My first name, Ayodele, which originates from the Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria, translates into English from the Yoruba language as meaning "joy has come home." Because of this aspect of myself, I have always had a calling to live up to the meaning of my name and spread positivity in my life as best as I can to everyone I interact with. Indeed, I do think that positivity has a lot to do with joy and being in a joyous state of mind. Joy for me is much deeper than the traditional stereotype just a feeling of elation or excitement. For me, it means engaging with people and concepts that help bring out something you are passionate about, something you enjoy doing, something that does not feel like work. In this regard, the ways I bring joy to my life can be found in a multitude of avenues, primarily in engineering, which helps bring out my passion for innovation, a process which I have had an affinity for since I was just a young boy. Career-wise, this passion is one that brings me joy as I feel like I am (or will be) making a difference with any of my innovations. For example, I will use this to propel my post-college career forward and then be able to serve as an example for my younger peers in my hometown, particularly African-Americans whose goals are to work in my field of study. This important aspect of my life and my character is what will truly make me live up to the meaning of my name, as once I gain the ability to change lives for the better, then joy will truly be coming home.

MY favorite scientist is Russian national Andrei Sakharov, who is often credited as for his work int he Soviet nuclear weapons program, specifically the development of thermonuclear weapons. He also conceived the Tokamak, the design of which is often used in the designs of nuclear fission reacotrs around the world. Outside of the scientific space, he is also known heavily for his unapologetic dissidence against government activities and policies during the Soviet era, earning him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. His history of resistance to the government in spite of his persecution also earned him the naming of the Sakharov Prize in his honor.

One of the many strengths that I think I bring to people is that I am very innovative, always trying to find a way to get something while being exceptional at the same time. One notable example was when I was a sophomore and I had a project in chemistry in which I had to create a diagram of the periodic table with specific requirements. At the time, I was a member of the T-STEM Academy, which I thought would offer classes that would be related to my career choice in the STEM field. Instead of creating a google drawing as required by the rubric, I decided to put my skills gained in my computer science class to work and create a periodic table in scratch, a development website that utilizes block coding to achieve certain tasks. By the end of the project, I had a very interactive periodic table unlike most that were presented, impressing my teacher as well as most of my classmates. I earned a high A on that assignment, proving that not only my STEM background can get me a good grade, but also that I have the potential to do great things for my community. The T-STEM program challenged me to be an innovator not only in my school life but also in my personal life. This is what inspires me to think outside the box for the betterment of my community. I have expanded and improved upon this skill so that I can do much more things for the world at large.

I love to help other people with their problems, specifically via mentoring them using my own experiences. I mentor other students as part of the JROTC program, in which I am a four-year cadet and hold the rank of Cadet Captain. As a leader in this program, I am responsible for guiding my fellow students through the program, whether it be by teaching them drill and ceremony as well as teaching them the actual curriculum for the class. JROTC is a program that promotes and teaches life skills, leadership skills, and most importantly, as stated in its mission statement, motivates young people to be better citizens. Through my mentorship of others, I hope that I help shape my student colleagues into the leader that I have become in this present day. I hope, that after close to four years in this program, and having done everything that I have needed/wanted to do within the program, that I can do my best to promote these goals as best as I personally can for the next set of JROTC cadets. I say this because I know that I was influenced when I first came to the program, by people who were in the same position as I am in now. I remember being inspired to look forward to great things because of this. Even if I leave high school with nothing, I will still have the satisfaction of knowing that I did the same thing for another kid like me.

One of my many strengths that I think I bring to people is that I am very innovative, always trying to find a way to get something while being exceptional at the same time. One notable example was when I was a sophomore and I had a project in chemistry in which I had to create a diagram of the periodic table with specific requirements. At the time, I was a member of the T-STEM Academy, which I thought would offer classes that would be related to my career choice in the STEM field. Instead of creating a google drawing as required by the rubric, I decided to put my skills gained in my computer science class to work and create a periodic table in scratch, a development website that utilizes block coding to achieve certain tasks. By the end of the project, I had a very interactive periodic table unlike most that was presented, impressing my teacher as well as most of my classmates. As a result, I earned a high A on that assignment, but also proved to me that not only can I get myself a good grade, but also that I can do it in style at the same time. From then on, I have always challenged myself to be an innovator not only in my school life, but also my personal life. After having this mindset for two years, I have come to the realization that I have the potential make my own mark on whatever I do, which is what inspires me to think outside the box to better my community and the larger American society.

My favorite scientific discovery is that of Endosymbiotic processes. This involves eukaryotic mitochondria and plastids that were formerly separate prokaryotic cells, with the cell that is incapable of doing respiration and doing photosynthesis being engulfed by other cells. Breaking down the word itself, the word “endo” implies to enter something and “symbiotic” refers to a physical attraction between two organisms. The theory behind this was conceived by German botanist Andreas Franz Wilhelm Schimper in 1883. The proof for this theory involves green chloroplasts that are similar in nature to mitochondria, which suggests that they both came from somewhere independent bacteria. I find this to be my favorite for a two major reasons that I find to be important. One is that I find it interesting that I can make the historical connection between the history of both mitochondria and chloroplasts and how they are related in terms of characteristics to bacteria. As a history buff myself, It gives me great interest in the topic, which is important as one should ideally be able to make a connection to what they are studying. That being said, this fact helped rein me into IB Biology, at a time when I really did not like science class. Therefore, the topic actually kept me engaged in class, and in turn, helped me increase my class average.

One of my many strengths that I think I bring to people is that I am very innovative, always trying to find a way to get something while being exceptional at the same time. One notable example was when I was a sophomore and I had a project in chemistry in which I had to create a diagram of the periodic table with specific requirements. At the time, I was a member of the T-STEM Academy, which I thought would offer classes that would be related to my career choice in the STEM field. Instead of creating a google drawing as required by the rubric, I decided to put my skills gained in my computer science class to work and create a periodic table in scratch, a development website that utilizes block coding to achieve certain tasks. By the end of the project, I had a very interactive periodic table unlike most that was presented, impressing my teacher as well as most of my classmates. I earned a high A on that assignment, proving that not only my STEM background can get me a good grade, but also that I have the potential to do great things for my community. The T-STEM program challenged me to be an innovator not only in my school life, but also my personal life. This is what inspires me to think outside the box for the betterment of my community. For example, the story I just shared could be used as a basis for school education in terms of helping struggling students get a grasp on the concept at hand utilizing interactive mediums. I also want to be able to connect the people of my hometown of Houston to the outside world. Outside of technology, I have also been interested in international studies and history for a long time, which drives me to help alleviate the things that drive people into conflict with one another. One of the things I have thought of is a large monitor in the middle of a square transmitting a live feed from city to city, with the residents of other cities also being able to watch a feed of us. Both of these and more are possible with me being given the opportunity, and while I do still recognize that these are nonetheless challenges to overcome, I do believe that with the knowledge that I have gained and retained from the program, I do believe that I have the potential to do great things in this world.

I hail from Houston, Texas, although I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. I moved to Humble, a suburb of Houston in the fall of 2018 and plan on graduating from Humble High School in May of 2022. At HHS, I am a member of the JROTC program, the academic team, and the National Honor Society. Academically, I am ranked number seven in my graduating class, putting me in my school's top ten 10%, and am also a member of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP). I plan on going to Texas A&M University at College Station, where I plan on majoring in computer science. At my school, I am a leader in JROTC, in which we do many service projects to help out the community as well as a school at large. In the winter of my sophomore year, I helped cadets lay wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers at Houston National Cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America movement. I have also served my community in other ways. In 2019, I walked from my school after hours to my previous middle school to volunteer in helping out my former choir teacher in helping plan and aide in the choir concert that was held that evening. I have also served the students of my school, being selected in November 2018 to consult with a committee composed of teachers, students, and principals from the district and develop ways to accelerate graduation rates. I have also served as a student ambassador for the T-STEM program, of which I was a part of in my freshman and sophomore years. In this role, I served to represent our program at a multitude of events, including parent events, school fairs and city conventions. I believe that my college studies will help me provide for my community in a multitude of ways. First, I will be able to achieve my dream of helping the world by means of computer science, specifically in a government capacity. Secondly, I hope that my college studies will help bring me a job which will provide for me and my entire family, giving back to them after everything they have done in my lifetime to bring me to this moment. Lastly, but probably most importantly, I will be able to serve as a role model to my peers in my hometown as well as other African-Americans, particularly those in my field of study.

Through my mentorship of others, I hope that I help shape my student colleagues into the leader that I have become in this present day. I mentor other students as part of the JROTC program, in which I am a four-year cadet and hold the rank of Cadet 2nd Lieutenant. As a leader in this program, I am responsible for guiding my fellow students through the program, whether it be by teaching them drill and ceremony as well as teaching them the actual curriculum for the class. JROTC is a program which promotes and teaches life skills, leadership skills, and most importantly, as stated in its mission statement, motivates young people to be better citizens. I hope, that after close to four year in this program, and having done everything that I have needed/wanted to do within the program, that I can do my best to promote this goals as best as I personally can for the next set of JROTC cadets. I say this because I know that I was influenced when I first came to the program, by people who were in the same position as I am in now. I remember being inspired to look forward towards great things because of this. Even if I leave high school with nothing, I will still have the satisfaction of knowing that I did the same thing for another kid like me.

At the time of writing this, I generally wondered about what I have ever heard that would qualify as being the wisest. I am sure I have heard many wise things in the seventeen years of my existence, however they have obviously never resonated so much with me as the phrase I am about to share has. The wisest phrase I ever heard was “cowards are more dangerous than heroes.” I was first introduced to this concept on, of all things, YouTube, watching two channels engage in what can only be described as a rivalry. Without elaborating on the entire situation, one person ended up threatening the other to fighting, after which the other party responded by accepting his challenge, after which the other backed down. Furthermore the party that backed down later was seen posting a picture of his newly purchased rifle on social media, in a subtle threat to the other person. Responding to this, the other party made a video condemning this, giving a remark that would stick with me to this day: “cowards are more dangerous than heroes.” The reason this resonated with me so much is because I feel like our modern world, and its villains in particular, are filled more with cowards rather than people devoted to their goals. Namely, you see a very recent trend with social media of violence being directed at one particular person or group of people translating into violence in the real world being directed against those same people. In that, people often feel like vixens when they are actually cowards, a dichotomy which proves dangerous at times because it gives someone a set of boldness and confidence to conduct your self in just any manner.

I like to have a positive impact on my environment, both in big ways and small. In the more microscopic level as to how I integrate this into my daily life, I will say that I generally choose to use large bottles to drink water as opposed to small water bottles which can get everywhere If accumulated and can hurt the environment if not put in the correct place. Other stuff I do I include being meticulous about my habits when I let comes to waste, making sure that everything that is trash in my vicinity, even if it belongs to someone else, is taken care of appropriately. On a more macroscopic scale, I do help the environment in the framework of service projects sponsored by the JROTC program at my school, where I am a cadet officer. Many of these events include clean up at our local civic center during the rodeo and a trash day at our school.

Part of the American oath of office includes the phrase of defending the constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic”, a phrase signifying one’s fidelity to their homeland. That being said, a leader, whether it be in the U.S. or around the world, who can adhere to this part of the oath, is one to be looked up to. Therefore, after long thought, the historical figure that I have recently realized I actually admire heavily is Josip Broz Tito, the leader of Socialist Yugoslavia from the end of the Second World War to his death in 1980. The reason why is because of his foreign policy in relation to the Cold War superpowers as well as the larger international community that existed during his tenure. He was very firm in the defense of his country from foreign influence, even if it came from like minded nations like Stalin’s Russia. That approach is very commendable considering that the many “anti-imperialists” are fine to tolerate imperialism if it's packaged as Soviet communism. In doing so, he was firmer in his beliefs than other leaders. Even further, he made sure to internationalize his foreign policy by means of many different approaches, notably the Non-Aligned Movement, which he founded and was Secretary General of from 1961 to 1964. Domestically, he was a unifying figure, crushing all forms of ethno-sectarianism that occurred under his watch. As a military leader, he arguably saved Yugoslavia from destruction during the war. In fact, his death in 1980 has often been seen as a major contributing factor when it comes to the start of the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s and the subsequent breakup of Yugoslavia. It is obvious that because of his leadership, the Yugoslav state was able to defend itself from its enemies, foreign and domestic.

Throughout history, the rise of nationalism has always played an important part in building a country's cultural distinctiveness, for better or for worse, as it plays a role in helping promote the idea of the nation and its own interests, an idea which nationalism holds. That being said, my favorite book is Persepolis, a graphic novel written by French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, which illustrates from first-hand experience the impact nationalism has had in the history of Iran, particularly during the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s. Throughout the novel, Marji, the main character, engages in accusing those around them of being unpatriotic due to their distrust of the government. Marji herself criticizes her own father for not being "a hero" of the country, which emphasizes her lack of respect for people like her father, who is diminished in her eyes for being what she would consider unpatriotic. Furthermore, in the middle of the novel, Iranians such as Marji are also portrayed as patriots ready to spill their own blood for their people, displaying the militant-like line of thought that came about at the start of the Iran-Iraq War. Finally, Marji describes the action of martyrdom as one that will "inject blood into the veins of society," an image that Satrapi uses to address the legitimization of violence. Being a history nerd myself, I like how she portrays the manifestation of nationalist sentiment in the late 70s and early 80s, which made me think like never before about how people can easily be manipulated to fit narratives promoted by authoritative figures. Under such circumstances have people having also been manipulated under the guise of being a patriot.