I submitted via video response.

My name is Balentino Soto Gonzalez and I'm a first-year student at UCCS, proudly majoring in Mechanical Engineering. When it comes to school subjects I've never had as much interest in any other subject as I do in math. Math has taught me more than any subject I've learned in school and it's also what I've applied most to real-life scenarios. For instance, I've worked construction with my dad for almost 5 years now and not a day goes by where I'm not using math. Whether it's simply measuring/cutting pieces of 2x4 or calculating the angle at which I have to cut a piece of plywood to fit neatly alongside other pieces of plywood, I'll always love the satisfaction and hard work that comes out of it all. My personal favorite thing to do at work that involves math is framing a wall. Obviously, a blueprint gives you measurements for a wall. But there's always challenges that one faces when framing, that involves coming up with different ways to accomplish a project. An example of a challenge that one might face is the foundation of a house not 100% aligning with what's given on the blueprint thus, affecting where something might go. This is when one has to come up with ways around this challenge, while making sure everything aligns well in the end. Similarly, I once had to re-measure and cut a corner of a wall shorter than the normal height due to a support beam taking up more space than intended. The satisfaction of facing and beating challenges that are met along the way, and in the end admiring the finished product, is why I love math. I plan to major in Mechanical Engineering because I know I have what it takes to dominate in that field. As of January 2026, Ive been looking for technician internships at dealerships to start getting even more experience than I already have. I feel that companies in the future will admire the hard work I have put into my major even before starting college. I believe I deserve this scholarship because math will always be a part of me and who I am as a person.

Story: My name is Balentino Soto Gonzalez. I was born here in Colorado Springs and have lived here all of my life. Growing up I was always very creative and a hands-on kid. I loved building, drawing and just being artistic in general. To this day I'm still that way and love working on little projects at home whether that's working on my dad's truck or simply working on a painting at home. I work construction with my dad which grows my love for creativity and hands-on projects. I started working with him at the age of 14 and since then I've learned what it takes to be a construction worker and thrive in that area. When asked by others, "What do you want to do after high school?" I tell them that I want to be an automotive engineer. I've always loved cars and the idea of working on them in every way possible whether it's technical or mechanical. I believe I have what it takes to become an automotive engineer because I have the hunger and knowledge to be one. Hunger is the most important thing in my opinion because with hunger you can do anything. You can learn a new skill or learn new facts about something. After High School I will be an automotive engineer. I plan on starting at a community college for two years and then transferring to a university where I will then be taught more specifically on my career and apply to many internships to further educate myself and start gaining experience. Now with anything new, there's challenges, but again, with hunger anything is possible. Challenge: Freshman year I broke my leg causing me to miss a lot of school. I struggled a lot with keeping my grades up but that year I realized that grades don't define who I am. Instead, having the ability to understand what I learn in classes is what really mattered because it showed how determined I was to grow my knowledge. I recovered what I didn't learn Freshman year, sophomore year and started getting back on track to having better grades. Although my GPA wasn't the best, I still tried my hardest to understand what was being taught in all of my classes. I focused on not only studying my notes back at home but understanding more and learning by myself. For instance, if I didn't understand a certain unit in algebra II, I searched up videos at home on ways to learn the curriculum easier and understand it more. Not only that but I also participated in tutoring outside of school to be more one-on-one with teachers, thus proving how determined I was to really grow my knowledge. All in all, my courage and determination to grow is what got me through High School, and it's what I know will get me through college as well.