My passion for computers began in middle school, when my uncle gifted me my first computer. I was instantly fascinated, not just by what I could do with it, but by how it worked. I found myself wanting to understand every part of it as how the hardware was put together, how the software made it run, and how people built programs to bring ideas to life. That early curiosity quickly grew into a lifelong interest in computer science. At first, I dreamed of becoming a game developer. I loved playing games with my friends and wanted to create experiences others could enjoy. But over time, as I learned more about the digital world, my goals shifted. I became aware of how much of our lives now exist online, and how important it is to protect that space. This is what led me to cybersecurity. I want to work in a field where I can help make the internet safer, where I can defend people’s data, protect their privacy, and prevent digital threats. I hope that one day, others who share my interests will feel inspired by my journey just as I’ve been inspired by those ahead of me. To prepare for this future, I’ve been focused on learning everything I can about computer science. I’ve taken advanced classes in school, completed an IT internship with my school district, and constantly exploring online materials to stay up to date with the fast-paced evolution of technology. During my internship, I worked with a team to design the district’s College and Career webpage, where we created a clean, visually appealing layout using web development tools. Our goal was to help students feel more informed and confident about their post-high school choices. That project showed me the power of combining technical skills with user-centered thinking, a lesson I know will be valuable in cybersecurity as well. I also enjoy coding and writing programs in my spare time, often exploring small projects that help me sharpen my logic and problem-solving abilities. In the future, I can see myself running a cybersecurity company with a team of like-minded partners, helping clients protect their assets, information, and identities. I often read about the success stories of young people in tech, and I feel motivated by their ambition and creativity. It gives me confidence that, with continued learning and hard work, I too can make a meaningful impact. Ultimately, I want to take my passion for computers and transform it into a career that helps people. Cybersecurity is not just a technical field, it’s a way to contribute to society by protecting what matters most in a digital age. That is the future I’m striving toward.

One personal achievement I am most proud of is being accepted into an IT internship with my school district. This opportunity allowed me to grow both technically and professionally, and it gave me the chance to make a meaningful contribution to my school community. During the internship, I worked alongside a team of fellow students to redesign and improve the district’s College and Career webpage. Our goal was to create a site that would be visually engaging, easy to navigate, and most importantly, a helpful tool for students exploring their post-secondary options. My specific role focused on brainstorming layout ideas, organizing content, and assisting in the use of HTML and CSS to bring our vision to life. I helped select and format images, build page structure, and ensure consistency across various sections of the site. We decided to include a dynamic mix of college-related events, scholarship opportunities, career pathway resources, and alumni success stories to make the page more relatable and inspiring. I also worked to make sure the interface was user-friendly by gathering feedback from students and staff during the development phase. What made this project especially meaningful to me was its real-world impact. One of the biggest problems I’ve observed among my peers is uncertainty about the future. Many students feel overwhelmed by the pressure to choose a career path without fully understanding their options. This can lead to a lack of motivation, decreased engagement, and even missed opportunities. By contributing to the College and Career page, I felt I was helping address this issue, providing a resource that empowers students to make more informed, confident decisions about their futures. Throughout the project, I gained valuable insight into how technology and design can influence behavior and support education. I strengthened my skills in web development, team collaboration, and user-centered design. I also became more comfortable taking initiative and presenting ideas, especially when it came to making design choices that balanced aesthetics with functionality. This experience confirmed my desire to pursue a career in computer science, with a particular interest in cybersecurity. I realized how technology has the power not just to inform, but to protect and enable people. My internship showed me that even simple, well-designed digital tools can make a lasting difference, and that’s exactly the kind of impact I hope to make in the future. Whether it's securing information, building safe systems, or creating tools that empower others, I want to use my skills to contribute meaningfully to both individuals and communities. This internship was more than just a technical project, it was a reminder of why I love technology and how it can be used to improve lives.

The most significant challenge that I have faced throughout my whole life has been attempting to deal with my asthma. When I was two years old, my family and I discovered that I had asthma because of a sudden asthma attack I experienced during a birthday party; I could have died if my brother had not found me and told my parents to take me to the hospital. My asthma has affected me throughout my whole life as it has made certain physical tasks difficult to do. For instance, I performed very poorly in middle school due to the fact that my asthma had made P.E. extremely difficult to get a passing grade in. Additionally, my symptoms significantly worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic as I was locked inside during the global pandemic, preventing me from getting much physical exercise. Despite this, I was determined to improve my health, so I spent my entire two months of summer before entering high school to learn how to play tennis. I took lessons at my city park, and I practiced hard. When school started, I went to my school try out and was accepted to join my school's tennis team during my freshman year of high school. I participated very often in tennis, and I became much more physically active. With more motivation, I started to practice more frequently and for longer periods of time. Furthermore, I began coming to practice during Saturday mornings, pushing my physical capabilities even further. I have been with the tennis team all that time and made it onto the Varsity team in my sophomore year, and in my junior year, our team had an undefeated season. With the physical activity from tennis remarkably improving how I have dealt with asthma; so much so that it feels like asthma barely impacts my health now. My experience with asthma throughout my life has taught me that I can overcome any challenge I face, no matter the difficulty, through hard work and dedication. Tennis has played a major part of my life prepping me to be calm, collected and precise. It has improved my health to a better, and boosted my confidence to the greatest. It has eased my stress from my heavy school work, given me strength and energy to enhance productivity and develop healthy habits. . It helped me stay focused, organized, and motivated to reach my goal.

Experiencing COVID during my transition into high school and having both my Grandmother and uncle battling cancer has somewhat affected my academic ability, but I have taken college courses to help rectify it. Seeing how my mother has balanced her time between work and family to care for my Grandma and my uncle pushing me to study harder to maintain good grades and focus on the right career path. I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also volunteered as a student intern at my school district's Information Technology section. It was a great hands-on experience that helped me gain knowledge, and have a taste of the working environment of how to accomplish productive tasks. I have learned how to manage time and prioritize work. I also love coding, and writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. Growing up in my household with my mother who always devoted her spare time volunteering to help out at schools and communities has inspired my drive for helping others. My goal is to be able to utilize my knowledge and my time to continue providing support for other people in the future. Although sometimes I would be exhausted as I had to keep up with all my school work and activities, knowing that I could help bring a smile to others was worth every single effort I put in. I am working hard to achieve my goal of working in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community.

My name is Benjamin and I am a high school senior. Experiencing COVID during my transition into high school and having both my Grandmother and uncle battling cancer has somewhat affected my academic ability, but I have taken college courses to help rectify it. Seeing how my mother has balanced her time between work and family to care for my Grandma and my uncle pushing me to study harder to maintain good grades and focus on the right career path. I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also volunteered as a student intern at my school district's Information Technology section. It was a great hands-on experience that helped me gain knowledge, and have a taste of the working environment of how to accomplish productive tasks. I have learned how to manage time and prioritize work. I also love coding, and writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. One significant educational opportunity that I have taken advantage of is my school’s excellent dual enrollment program. As a student in the Early College Program at my school, I have been allowed to take up to two college courses per semester in place of my first-period class. Being able to take these college courses has granted me valuable insight into the experiences of college students and helpful ideas about what performance is expected in a college course. On top of extracurriculars, the positive experiences in the dual enrollment program have led to me utilizing my extra time to enroll in even more dual enrollment classes, outside of those required by my school’s program, which has allowed me to further deepen my understanding and educational career. For example, the Early College Program provides a selection of many different major-related courses, so I have taken additional computer science courses as I am hoping to major in computer science when I go to college. Of course, it has been no easy feat to juggle these large amounts of college courses alongside my normal high school classes, but getting the chance to learn college-level material this early has made it worth it.

My name is Benjamin and I am a high school senior. Experiencing COVID during my transition into high school and having both my Grandmother and uncle battling cancer has somewhat affected my academic ability, but I have taken college courses to help rectify it. Seeing how my mother has balanced her time between work and family to take care of my Grandma and my uncle pushing me to study harder to maintain good grades and focus on the right career path. I love computers and have always loved to learn how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes in order to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also volunteered as a student intern at my school district Information Technology section. It was a great hands-on experience that helped me gain knowledge, have a taste of the working environment of how to accomplish productive tasks. I have learned how to manage time and prioritize work. I also love coding, writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. One significant educational opportunity that I have taken advantage of is my school’s excellent dual enrollment program. As a student in the Early College Program at my school, I have been allowed to take up to two college courses per semester in place of my first period class. Being able to take these college courses has granted me valuable insight into the experiences of college students and helpful ideas about what performance is expected in a college course. On top of extracurriculars, the positive experiences in the dual enrollment program has led to me utilizing my extra time to enroll into even more dual enrollment classes, outside of those required by my school’s program, that have allowed me to further deepen my understanding and educational career. For example, the Early College Program provides a selection of many different major-related courses , so I have taken additional computer science courses as I am hoping to major in computer science when I go to college. Of course, it has been no easy feat to juggle these large amounts of college courses alongside my normal high school classes, but getting the chance to learn college-level material this early has made it worth it.

Experiencing COVID during my transition into high school and having both my Grandmother and uncle battling cancer has somewhat affected my academic ability, but I have taken college courses to help rectify it. Seeing how my mother has balanced her time between work and family to take care of my Grandma and my uncle pushing me to study harder to maintain good grades and focus on the right career path. I love computers and have always loved to learn how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes in order to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also volunteered as a student intern at my school district Information Technology section. It was a great hands-on experience that helped me gain knowledge, have a taste of the working environment of how to accomplish productive tasks. I have learned how to manage time and prioritize work. I also love coding, writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. Growing up in my household with my mother who always devoted her spare times volunteering to help out at schools and communities has inspired my drive for helping others. My goal is to utilize my time to provide support for others in the future. Of course I would be exhausted to keep up with all my school work and activities, knowing that I could help bringing a smile to others worth every single efforts I put in. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community.

Here's my poem I wrote when my dearest uncle passed away of cancer in 2023. I submitted to the PTA Reflection and won 1st place literature for that category. I'd like to share here: Hopeful - In any way...on any day.... by Benjamin Diep I am hopeful. Hopeful because of the way the Sun lets a summer day basks in its light, Or the way the Moon glimmers on a cool autumn’s night. Hopeful because of a massive elephant that grazes across savannah grounds, And teeny, tiny ants that roam and crawl up their dirt mounds. Hopeful because a storm, with its thunderous applause, Can make my dog zoom around the house, skittering on his paws. Hopeful because the serenity of a calm, cloudy day Lets me spend my time with family and friends, in any which way The world keeps spinning, serving up new experiences and whims, Putting me here to take it all in. And so, I am hopeful.

Experiencing COVID during my transition into high school and having both my Grandmother and uncle battling cancer has somewhat affected my academic ability, but I have taken college courses to help rectify it. Seeing how my mother has balanced her time between work and family to take care of my Grandma and my uncle pushing me to study harder to maintain good grades and focus on the right career path. I love computers and have always loved to learn how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes in order to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also volunteered as a student intern at my school district Information Technology section. It was a great hands-on experience that helped me gain knowledge, have a taste of the working environment of how to accomplish productive tasks. I have learned how to manage time and prioritize work. I also love coding, writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. Growing up in my household with my mother who always devoted her spare times volunteering to help out at schools and communities has inspired my drive for helping others. My goal is to be able to utilize my knowledge and my time to continue providing support for other people in the future. Although sometimes I would be exhausted as I had to ensure to keep up with all my school work and activities, knowing that I could help bringing a smile to others worth every single efforts I put in. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community.

Experiencing COVID during my transition into high school and having both my Grandmother and uncle battling cancer has somewhat affected my academic ability, but I have taken college courses to help rectify it. Seeing how my mother has balanced her time between work and family to take care of my Grandma and my uncle pushing me to study harder to maintain good grades and focus on the right career path. I love computers and have always loved to learn how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes in order to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also volunteered as a student intern at my school district Information Technology section. It was a great hands-on experience that helped me gain knowledge, have a taste of the working environment of how to accomplish productive tasks. I have learned how to manage time and prioritize work. I also love coding, writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. Growing up in my household with my mother who always devoted her spare times volunteering to help out at schools and communities has inspired my drive for helping others. My goal is to be able to utilize my knowledge and my time to continue providing support for other people in the future. Although sometimes I would be exhausted as I had to ensure to keep up with all my school work and activities, knowing that I could help bringing a smile to others worth every single efforts I put in. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community.

I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. I want to learn about Computer Science because ever since my uncle had gifted me my first computer when I was in middle school, I have always been fascinated by them. I was so interested in seeing how they were put together and how they function in the first place. Ever since, I have always tried to learn more about them; I began to classes in the subject and eventually wanted it to be my career. Originally, I had wanted to become a game developer, but now I wish to work somewhere in cyber security to keep the internet a safe place for everybody to enjoy and hope they get inspired by my same interests. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem ever-changing. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also love coding and writing programs, and I enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. When I was interning for my school's district, I had to design how the district's college and career page would look with a group of team members in a visually appealing way. We had come up with using a variety of different images and utilizing information about certain events revolving around college to ensure the page would be appealing to users and would draw in more students to focus on their future career in life. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community.

The most significant challenge that I have faced throughout my whole life has been attempting to deal with my asthma. When I was two years old, my family and I discovered that I had asthma because of a sudden asthma attack I experienced during a birthday party; I could have died if my brother had not found me and told my parents to take me to the hospital. My asthma has affected me throughout my whole life as it has made certain physical tasks difficult to do. For instance, I performed very poorly in middle school due to the fact that my asthma had made P.E. extremely difficult to get a passing grade in. Additionally, my symptoms significantly worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic as I was locked inside during the global pandemic, preventing me from getting much physical exercise. Despite this, I was determined to improve my health, so I spent my entire two months of summer before entering high school to learn how to play tennis. I took lessons at my city park, and I practiced hard. When school started, I went to my school try out and was accepted to join my school's tennis team during my freshman year of high school. I participated very often in tennis, and I became much more physically active. With more motivation, I started to practice more frequently and for longer periods of time. Furthermore, I began coming to practice during Saturday mornings, pushing my physical capabilities even further. I have been with the tennis team all that time and made it onto the Varsity team in my sophomore year, and in my junior year, our team had an undefeated season. With the physical activity from tennis remarkably improving how I have dealt with asthma; so much so that it feels like asthma barely impacts my health now. My experience with asthma throughout my life has taught me that I can overcome any challenge I face, no matter the difficulty, through hard work and dedication. Tennis has played a major part of my life prepping me to be calm, collected and precise. It has improved my health to a better, and boosted my confidence to the greatest. It has eased my stress from my heavy school work, given me strength and energy to enhance productivity and develop healthy habits. . It helped me stay focused, organized, and motivated to reach my goal.

I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security to keep the internet a safe place for everybody to enjoy and hope they get inspired by my same interests. I think we live in an increasingly digital world, and it is imperative for us to secure our livelihoods on the internet as much as possible. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem ever-changing. Although I consider myself proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I plan to use my engineering degree to accomplish my goal by helping others through a wide variety of methods online that involve experience in the computer science field. When I was interning for my school's district, I had to design how the district's college and career page would look with a group of team members in a visually appealing way. We had come up with using a variety of different images and utilizing information about certain events revolving around college to ensure the page would be appealing to users and would draw in more students to focus on their future career in life. Growing up in my household with my mother who always devoted her spare times volunteering to help out at schools and communities has inspired my drive for helping others. Following her footsteps, I've volunteered to work at the Senior Center in my city, serving food to the elderly during Thanksgiving weekend, to wrap presents and distribute to family in needs at my city's Angel Project, to serve lunches to helpers at the Rose Parade Floats, etc. Although sometimes I would be exhausted as I had to ensure to keep up with all my school work and activities, knowing that I could help bringing a smile to others worth every single efforts I put in. My goal is to be able to utilize my knowledge and my time to continue providing support for other people in the future. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. This scholarship means a lot to me as it will help me pursuing my passion with less financial burden for my parents who are working hard all their lives to support our family and to ensure my brother and I be able to continue with our education goals.

The most significant challenge that I have faced throughout my whole life has been attempting to deal with my asthma. When I was two years old, my family and I discovered that I had asthma because of a sudden asthma attack I experienced during a birthday party; I could have died if my brother had not found me and told my parents to take me to the hospital. My asthma has affected me throughout my whole life as it has made certain physical tasks difficult to do. For instance, I performed very poorly in middle school due to the fact that my asthma had made P.E. extremely difficult to get a passing grade in. Additionally, my symptoms significantly worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic as I was locked inside during the global pandemic, preventing me from getting much physical exercise. Despite this, I was determined to improve my health, so I spent my entire two months of summer before entering high school to learn how to play tennis. I took lessons at my city park, and I practiced hard. When school started, I went to my school try out and was accepted to join my school's tennis team during my freshman year of high school. I participated very often in tennis, and I became much more physically active. With more motivation, I started to practice more frequently and for longer periods of time. Furthermore, I began coming to practice during Saturday mornings, pushing my physical capabilities even further. I have been with the tennis team all that time and made it onto the Varsity team in my sophomore year, and in my junior year, our team had an undefeated season. With the physical activity from tennis remarkably improving how I have dealt with asthma; so much so that it feels like asthma barely impacts my health now. My experience with asthma throughout my life has taught me that I can overcome any challenge I face, no matter the difficulty, through hard work and dedication. Tennis has played a major part of my life prepping me to be calm, collected and precise. It has improved my health to a better, and boosted my confidence to the greatest. It has eased my stress from my heavy school work, given me strength and energy to enhance productivity and develop healthy habits. . It helped me stay focused, organized, and motivated to reach my goal.

I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. I want to learn about Computer Science because ever since my uncle had gifted me my first computer when I was in middle school, I have always been fascinated by them. I was so interested in seeing how they were put together and how they function in the first place. Ever since, I have always tried to learn more about them; I began to classes in the subject and eventually wanted it to be my career. Originally, I had wanted to become a game developer, but now I wish to work somewhere in cyber security to keep the internet a safe place for everybody to enjoy and hope they get inspired by my same interests. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem ever-changing. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also love coding and writing programs, and I enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. When I was interning for my school's district, I had to design how the district's college and career page would look with a group of team members in a visually appealing way. We had come up with using a variety of different images and utilizing information about certain events revolving around college to ensure the page would be appealing to users and would draw in more students to focus on their future career in life. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community.

I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. I want to learn about Computer Science because ever since my uncle had gifted me my first computer when I was in middle school, I have always been fascinated by them. I was so interested in seeing how they were put together and how they function in the first place. Ever since, I have always tried to learn more about them; I began to classes in the subject and eventually wanted it to be my career. Originally, I had wanted to become a game developer, but now I wish to work somewhere in cyber security to keep the internet a safe place for everybody to enjoy and hope they get inspired by my same interests. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem ever-changing. Although I consider myself proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also love coding and writing programs, and I enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. When I was interning for my school's district, I had to design how the district's college and career page would look with a group of team members in a visually appealing way. We had come up with using a variety of different images and utilizing information about certain events revolving around college to ensure the page would be appealing to users and would draw in more students to focus on their future career in life. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community.

I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. I want to learn about Computer Science because ever since my uncle had gifted me my first computer when I was in middle school, I have always been fascinated by them. I was so interested in seeing how they were put together and how they function in the first place. Ever since, I have always tried to learn more about them; I began to classes in the subject and eventually wanted it to be my career. Originally, I had wanted to become a game developer, but now I wish to work somewhere in cyber security to keep the internet a safe place for everybody to enjoy and hope they get inspired by my same interests. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem ever-changing. Although I consider myself proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also love coding and writing programs, and I enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. When I was interning for my school's district, I had to design how the district's college and career page would look with a group of team members in a visually appealing way. We had come up with using a variety of different images and utilizing information about certain events revolving around college to ensure the page would be appealing to users and would draw in more students to focus on their future career in life. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community. This scholarship will help me with books and materials in college so to prepare for the first stepping stone into my education goal.

I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. I want to learn about Computer Science because ever since my uncle had gifted me my first computer when I was in middle school, I have always been fascinated by them. I was so interested in seeing how they were put together and how they function in the first place. Ever since, I have always tried to learn more about them; I began to classes in the subject and eventually wanted it to be my career. Originally, I had wanted to become a game developer, but now I wish to work somewhere in cyber security to keep the internet a safe place for everybody to enjoy and hope they get inspired by my same interests. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem ever-changing. Although I consider myself proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also love coding and writing programs, and I enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. When I was interning for my school's district, I had to design how the district's college and career page would look with a group of team members in a visually appealing way. We had come up with using a variety of different images and utilizing information about certain events revolving around college to ensure the page would be appealing to users and would draw in more students to focus on their future career in life. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community.

I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. I want to learn about Computer Science because ever since my uncle had gifted me my first computer when I was in middle school, I have always been fascinated by them. I was so interested in seeing how they were put together and how they function in the first place. Ever since, I have always tried to learn more about them; I began to classes in the subject and eventually wanted it to be my career. Originally, I had wanted to become a game developer, but now I wish to work somewhere in cyber security to keep the internet a safe place for everybody to enjoy and hope they get inspired by my same interests. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem ever-changing. Although I consider myself proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also love coding and writing programs, and I enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. When I was interning for my school's district, I had to design how the district's college and career page would look with a group of team members in a visually appealing way. We had come up with using a variety of different images and utilizing information about certain events revolving around college to ensure the page would be appealing to users and would draw in more students to focus on their future career in life. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community. This scholarship will help me with books and materials in college so to prepare for the first stepping stone into my education goal.

The most significant challenge that I have faced throughout my whole life has been attempting to deal with my asthma. When I was two years old, my family and I discovered that I had asthma because of a sudden asthma attack I experienced during a birthday party; I could have died if my brother had not found me and told my parents to take me to the hospital. My asthma has affected me throughout my whole life as it has made certain physical tasks difficult to do. For instance, I performed very poorly in middle school due to the fact that my asthma had made P.E. extremely difficult to get a passing grade in. Additionally, my symptoms significantly worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic as I was locked inside during the global pandemic, preventing me from getting much physical exercise. Despite this, I was determined to improve my health, so I spent my entire two months of summer before entering high school to learn how to play tennis. I took lessons at my city park, and I practiced hard. When school started, I went to my school try out and was accepted to join my school's tennis team during my freshman year of high school. I participated very often in tennis, and I became much more physically active. With more motivation, I started to practice more frequently and for longer periods of time. Furthermore, I began coming to practice during Saturday mornings, pushing my physical capabilities even further. I have been with the tennis team all that time and made it onto the Varsity team in my sophomore year, and in my junior year, our team had an undefeated season. With the physical activity from tennis remarkably improving how I have dealt with asthma; so much so that it feels like asthma barely impacts my health now. My experience with asthma throughout my life has taught me that I can overcome any challenge I face, no matter the difficulty, through hard work and dedication. Tennis has played a major part of my life prepping me to be calm, collected and precise. It has improved my health to a better, and boosted my confidence to the greatest. It has eased my stress from my heavy school work, given me strength and energy to enhance productivity and develop healthy habits. . It helped me stay focused, organized, and motivated to reach my goal.

Experiencing COVID during my transition into high school and having both my Grandmother and uncle battling cancer has somewhat affected my academic ability, but I have taken college courses to help rectify it. Seeing how my mother has balanced her time between work and family to take care of my Grandma and my uncle pushing me to study harder to maintain good grades and focus on the right career path. I love computers and have always loved to learn how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes in order to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also volunteered as a student intern at my school district Information Technology section. It was a great hands-on experience that helped me gain knowledge, have a taste of the working environment of how to accomplish productive tasks. I have learned how to manage time and prioritize work. I also love coding, writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. Growing up in my household with my mother who always devoted her spare times volunteering to help out at schools and communities has inspired my drive for helping others. My goal is to be able to utilize my knowledge and my time to continue providing support for other people in the future. Although sometimes I would be exhausted as I had to ensure to keep up with all my school work and activities, knowing that I could help bringing a smile to others worth every single efforts I put in. I am working hard to achieve my goal as to work in the computer field and to actively participate in making a positive impact on my community.

I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security to keep the internet a safe place for everybody to enjoy and hope they get inspired by my same interests. I think we live in an increasingly digital world, and it is imperative for us to secure our livelihoods on the internet as much as possible. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem ever-changing. Although I consider myself proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I plan to use my engineering degree to accomplish my goal by helping others through a wide variety of methods online that involve experience in the computer science field. When I was interning for my school's district, I had to design how the district's college and career page would look with a group of team members in a visually appealing way. We had come up with using a variety of different images and utilizing information about certain events revolving around college to ensure the page would be appealing to users and would draw in more students to focus on their future career in life. Growing up in my household with my mother who always devoted her spare times volunteering to help out at schools and communities has inspired my drive for helping others. Following her footsteps, I've volunteered to work at the Senior Center in my city, serving food to the elderly during Thanksgiving weekend, to wrap presents and distribute to family in needs at my city's Angel Project, to serve lunches to helpers at the Rose Parade Floats, etc. Although sometimes I would be exhausted as I had to ensure to keep up with all my school work and activities, knowing that I could help bringing a smile to others worth every single efforts I put in. My goal is to be able to utilize my knowledge and my time to continue providing support for other people in the future. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology.

I love computers and have loved learning how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. I want to learn about Computer Science because ever since my uncle had gifted me my first computer when I was in middle school, I have always been fascinated by them. I was so interested in seeing how they were put together and how they function in the first place. Ever since, I have always tried to learn more about them; I began to classes in the subject and eventually wanted it to be my career. Originally, I had wanted to become a game developer, but now I wish to work somewhere in cyber security to keep the internet a safe place for everybody to enjoy and hope they get inspired by my same interests. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem ever-changing. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also love coding and writing programs, and I enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. When I was interning for my school's district, I had to design how the district's college and career page would look with a group of team members in a visually appealing way. We had come up with using a variety of different images and utilizing information about certain events revolving around college to ensure the page would be appealing to users and would draw in more students to focus on their future career in life.

Experiencing COVID during my transition into high school and having both my Grandmother and uncle battling cancer has somewhat affected my academic ability, but I have taken college courses to help rectify it. Seeing how my mother has balanced her time between work and family to take care of my Grandma and my uncle pushing me to study harder to maintain good grades and focus on the right career path. I love computers and have always loved to learn how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes in order to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also volunteered as a student intern at my school district Information Technology section. It was a great hands-on experience that helped me gain knowledge, have a taste of the working environment of how to accomplish productive tasks. I have learned how to manage time and prioritize work. I also love coding, writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation. One significant educational opportunity that I have taken advantage of is my school’s excellent dual enrollment program. As a student in the Early College Program at my school, I have been allowed to take up to two college courses per semester in place of my first period class. Being able to take these college courses has granted me valuable insight into the experiences of college students and helpful ideas about what performance is expected in a college course. On top of extracurriculars, the positive experiences in the dual enrollment program has led to me utilizing my extra time to enroll into even more dual enrollment classes, outside of those required by my school’s program, that have allowed me to further deepen my understanding and educational career. For example, the Early College Program provides a selection of many different major-related courses , so I have taken additional computer science courses as I am hoping to major in computer science when I go to college. Of course, it has been no easy feat to juggle these large amounts of college courses alongside my normal high school classes, but getting the chance to learn college-level material this early has made it worth it.

Experiencing COVID during my transition into high school and having both my Grandmother and uncle battling cancer has somewhat affected my academic ability, but I have taken college courses to help rectify it. Seeing how my mother has balanced her time between work and family to take care of my Grandma and my uncle pushing me to study harder to maintain good grades and focus on the right career path. I love computers and have always loved to learn how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes in order to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself fairly proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also volunteered as a student intern at my school district Information Technology section. It was a great hands-on experience that helped me gain knowledge, have a taste of the working environment of how to accomplish productive tasks. I have learned how to manage time and prioritize work. I also love coding, writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I would donate my time helping the elderly on how to detect scammers. I would provide training sessions for people in my community to come and learn more about technology. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation.

I love computers and have always loved to learn how they work since I was young, so I would like to secure a job in cyber security. As such, I strive to do as well as possible in my computer science classes to make this goal attainable. I try to read and watch whatever material I can about the future job market in these computer science fields, as they seem to be everchanging. Although I consider myself proficient already, I strive to take more computer classes to expand my understanding and one day be able to work in the field that I love. I also love coding, writing programs, and enjoy playing games with my friends. I sometimes visualize running a company in my late 20s with some partners, where I would be able to assist customers in protecting their assets, data, confidential information, etc. I enjoy reading about the success stories of people who have accomplished similar ideas, especially people who are closer to my age or generation.