The average person does not realize just how vulnerable they are, nor the average business, when they use insecure technologies. As a matter of fact, there are businesses in today’s world who solely create exploits for specific devices and sell those exploits for thousands of dollars. Our networks are playgrounds for bad actors. It has become very easy to hack a system, and ruin lives. When ransomware strikes hospitals, patient files become encrypted, critical systems stop running, and people’s lives are put at significant risks because nefarious cyber criminals effortlessly snuck into a network. As an ethical hacker, with the instruments that are available to both the good guys and the bad, from experience I can say that it is simple enough to penetrate a system. I am pursuing a degree in Cyber Defense at Northeast Lakeview College (NLC) to silently serve my country in defending our computer networks. A year ago, when I was a senior in high school, I thought I would be majoring in computer science since I enjoyed my Java and JavaScript programming classes then. Also, I had won a couple awards from competing in the UIL Computer Science competitions for Java, so I thought perhaps software engineering was where I was headed. The shift to cyber security gradually occurred as I continued my participation in the CyberPatriot competition that my school’s CyberPatriot club competed in annually. After I graduated, I began taking courses in the Cyber Defense program and was exposed to a variety of opportunities that allowed me to narrow my interests within my field. Subsequent to competing in the National Cyber League competition with NLC’s ethical hacking team ‘NightHAX’, I was assured that my career goal is to pursue blue team operations, as a cyber threat analyst. In cyber security, blue team is a group of individuals who perform system threat identification, ensure that security measures are effective, and perform analyses to ensure security. When I earn my Associates, I plan to earn the CompTIA Security+ and Linux+ certifications soon after. Then, depending where I am in my life, I will either join the U.S. Navy as a cyber threat analyst, or pursue a Bachelors degree in Cyber Security. I have many aspirations for my career, including speaking at a cyber security conference like the Texas Cyber Summit about my independent, or teamwork, conducted research. I have recently finished a solar engineering project with the Alamo Community Colleges team for the NREL US DOE Solar District Cup competition where we created a hypothetical solar photovoltaic system for our district use case, and I am still a freshman, so I hope to be a part of many more research opportunities (in my field though… no more solar engineering for me!). I hope to advance into technology management after my time as a cyber threat analyst has subsided. I am currently a part-time ELAR tutor at Jubilee Academies, so I am a solid writer and general communicator, and hope to bring that quality of myself into a management position someday. Then, I aim to become a computer science teacher for high school, to introduce kids to the incredible curiosity that is computers. I want to give students current information about technology, not information from dusty out-of-date textbooks. I also want to be able to bring back a wide range of field experience for my students before instructing them from a curriculum that I myself have not yet implemented upon live networks and business environments. I aim to give superb advice and knowledge to my future students, so that they may effectively protect our country’s systems.

Their professional attire threatened lethargy, and the air around them seeped with intelligence. I collected myself, silenced any anxious blips, and produced a firm introduction. I had made it to the Texas Cyber Summit, the first field conference I attended as an adult. This conference was costly for an 18 year old undergrad, but I managed to scrape enough money together for a ticket. This cyber security conference had companies scrounging for sufficient interns while simultaneously advertising their services. Workshops, ranging from hardware to ethical hacking tool presentations, were offered as well. As I was exploring the conference, jotting down notes and networking, I met a few like-minded youngsters. Of the newfound group, two of the girls had leadership roles in their Women in Cyber Security chapter featured at their university, and the boy was a silent, nonetheless excellent, hacker whom I had attended high school with. Our group appeared at 3 workshops, one of which was a 5-hour long OSINT seminar. My colleagues were incredibly distinguished, though I had much to be proud of, I couldn’t help the luring feelings of imposter syndrome and failure. They had been accepted into the notable NSA internship programs for cyber security, while I proudly stood upon a cyber security club I competed in during high school. We were all within a few years of each other, but I felt desperately behind, like I had in high school when compared against my skillful friend groups. In high school, I was good friends with the valedictorian, half of the Top 10 Graduates, prominent debate team members, and some of the best competitors in our school’s CyberPatriot team. It was a horrible, nagging feeling that chipped at my will. What certainly didn’t aid in motivating me towards my dream as a cyber threat analyst was the trauma I had experienced earlier on. I must tell you, I have grown tired of telling the sad story of how I was repeatedly assaulted at a young age, and how badly my parents treated me, just to conclude that I attempted suicide multiple times. I have nearly healed from that dreadful period in my life. Lately, I have realized that perhaps my poor performances in STEM classes throughout middle and high school was because I was not ready to try new things yet. I was mildly disturbed by change and did anything I could to avoid it, so I kept failing, and stayed in my lane. It has taken years of therapy, self-reflection, and self-love, to forgive myself for allowing such drastic academic and personal failure. Middle school me simply would not believe how much the present day me has achieved, and what wild goals I have set for myself. Over the past few years, I have been working extraordinarily hard to exceed my expectations. The first step to doing that was enrolling in a Cyber Defense program at a local college, the first thing middle school me would have been shocked at. The next was acing my technology classes and becoming a stellar cyber security student. As the first semester passed, I proceeded to entertain even more ideas, and applied for CIA and NASA programs, and got into both. I was also fortunate enough to be able to lead the Alamo Community Colleges team in the US DOE Solar District Cup competition, and compete in the National Cyber League competition with NightHAX (my college’s ethical hacking team). After many triumphs and tribulations, I have learned that I was never a failure, but a fighter. I have realized my worth, and have pushed myself to further my capabilities.

I am definitively set on studying computer science at college and earning a bachelors degree in it, so I can pursue a career that furthers and implements technology to evolve our society into becoming a safer and equal place for everyone. As an active political observer and participant, last year and what is currently occurring in the United States has outraged me, but I am one who acts on intelligence and facts as opposed to emotions, so I have been signing petitions, encouraging others to know and understand the truth and facts of political situations and a plethora of other things. Before last year I was not politically active, I was just someone who was passionate about programming and general computer science, but 2020 drastically altered my mindset and values. I realized that I am capable of change, no matter how big or small. Regarding the recent Georgia senate run-offs, I dedicated hours to calling registered voters in Georgia to vote and with the results, I am very content with having volunteered my time doing so. I used to belittle myself and didn't believe that I was able to be a 'successful' student, but I committed myself to school-work so that I can be accepted into a college with an established computer science program, therefore leveraging me to a higher position so that I can make geunine change in the world. Through computer science, people with disabilities can better navigate their environment through sensors and scanners, medicine and diagnoses can be made faster by the use of artificial intelligence and many other things such as these. I want to study computer science in college, so that I can help to advance this world into becoming a place without racism, homophobia, ableism and horrid political conflict. I am driven, dedicated and enthusiastic about solving the world's problems through something as astonishing as computer science.

As an ambitious person who has been captivated by the endless possibilities of computer science, I plan on attending university in the upcoming Fall 2021 semester, whether it is in-person or not. I am currently working through my last semester of high school with courses that suit my major (computer science), such as Web Design, Advanced Computer Science and Video Game Design. I am also taking additional courses that prepare myself for the professional world, such as a Microsoft Certification Course and a program called Destinations Career Academy, which strengthens my speaking skills in a professional environment and teaches me about common IT as well. Alongside these activities, last semester I was elected as the president of the Technology Student Association at TOPS (my school) and I am about to begin an internship with a company called Upkey that claims to advance my interpersonal and work skills by allowing me to work on a capstone project with other interns under experienced mentors. I am very enthusiastic about computer science, figuring things out and gaining a higher education, but I am concerned about how I will pay for food, travel and other necessities once I am at university, so I have been researching potential IT jobs to do once attending, despite my preference to focus on my studies. Fortunately, I have discovered what digital marketing is and many well-established programs/certifications that will aid me in landing a part-time job as a digital marketer. By utilizing this grant, I intend on purchasing a digital marketing program (with a certification), completing it as soon as I can, searching for a digital marketing job that pays well and alas be able to finally feel confident in university and my studies since money would be significantly less of an issue.

As a child who was greatly dissatisfied with schooling for a long time due to PTSD that went undiagnosed until my freshman year, I have grown to absolutely love education. After becoming a popular local artist (9th-11th grades), I had gained confidence in myself as a person and as a student, so I began focusing on school more. Because of the confidence I had developed as an artist, I had the strength to explore the wonders of computer science and was captivated, hence my drive to concentrate even more in school, so that I could enable better opportunities for myself in the future. As time passed, I realized that I didn't necessarily learn the way in which the school was teaching, so occassionally I became frustrated, but did not allow my frustration to prevent me from at least trying. Eventually, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, I retreated to online school with all of the other students. Astonishingly, being in this self-paced and quiet environment allowed me to flourish. After years of struggling in the average school system, not genuinely learning from it, I finally realized how wonderful and enticing education truly was. Alas, I was excited to be a student, waking up every morning and grabbing a quick breakfast from the fridge and heading to my first class, then the next and the next as I quickly took notes in my color coded journals and read books during the breaks. In regard to books, my room is now filled with them. My inventory consists of encyclopedias, science books, spanish, religious, historical-- you name it! I fell in love with learning through online school. This drive for knowledge and change definitively impacted my goals in my life completely; my previous goals now seeming feeble. My goals are now astronomically large: I am going to utilize technology to eliminate social and political injustice by improving the way technology is implemented, I am going to start a technology based political organization where we explore ways in which technology can be used to improve the state of the world, I am going to try my hand at robotics despite the topic involving a lot of math (a weak area of mine) and several other things so far that my list is seemingly longer than all of the books in the world combined. Education has become my trustworthy ally in which our relationship is an exchange. I learn from education, then I execute beneficial changes unto people and the world. Education has helped me to realize the infinite possibilities that are present once you dedicate yourself to learning and understanding things. Through education I've learned that anything is possible, no matter who you are or what your background is, hence its massive redefining change that it has laid upon me as a future computer scientist and political advocate.

Throughout my high school career, my studies were focused in the Arts and Humanities cluster and I was planning on becoming a professional artist, but late my junior year and the entirety of my senior year, the wonders of computer science had captivated me. I had never previously looked into computer science because I had believed that only super intelligent people in the math or electronics fields could do it, not allowing myself to understand the fact that everyone was once a beginner. After my few years of being a local artist, growing confidence in my own capabilities, I began exploring computer science. The more I looked at topics with names like Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol or what cyber security was all about, I was in awe and felt very compelled to dive into learning how these things worked. As great of a disparity it was to jump from the arts into something as intricately complex as computer science, all of my doubts had dissipated, with excitement taking its place. Regardless of lacking a mentor, or anyone around me who had solid technology experience (especially in a small rural town), I went online and reasearched whatever topics I encountered and found interesting... so, nearly everything. A few months pass and I am dedicated to online classes that are teaching people Cisco networking and constantly learning by being subscribed to tech communities, YouTube channels and newsletters. Participating in tech communities ultimately led me to my decision establishing that I definitively wanted to work in technology for the rest of my life, hence a degree in computer science. My goals after receiving my degree are comprehensive and strenuous, but by taking things step by step through patience, teamwork, experimentation and innovation, I know that they are possible. I want to enable far more inclusivity in the world, allow people to have equal resources and to fight the injustice that is present mainly toward the black community by creating technology that furthers them just as much as anyone else. As a queer Native American with PTSD, I understand struggling and by utilizing technology, I am going to change this world to be a better place for everyone. As plainly visible here, I am a solid political and social justice advocate, therefore my changes in technology will most certainly be focused in those areas. I believe that I am the best candidate for this scholarship because I am extremely ambitious, driven, logical yet creative and have clear goals and a firm path. Whichever of the universities that I applied to accepts me, I will start a technology based political group that will expand exploration into advancing social justice, climate change and providing assistance to people in need of it. I hope to encourage other computer scientists to be astronomically more involved in social and political justice to have an impact on the world as great and as amazing as the time Issac Newton published Principia Mathematica. This is only the beginning.

My history as a chess player begins back in elementary school where I was first introduced to it by joining my school's chess club. I was a very timid child then, at first merely observing people in the club playing chess against each other as I curiously lurked in the shadows. I took quick notice of the types of people whom participated in the club, they were quick-witted and logical, yet were extroverted...I admired that. With encouragement from one of the club leaders, I pushed myself to begin learning the intricate game and its methods. Diving into learning the game took courage for me, being as diffident as I was, but there I was mesmorized by it. As I grew older, I found interest in playing family members, as they were/are my closest ties and have yet to play in competition. On the contrary, I do find joy in watching others compete. From chess I have learned to read others better, yet not make the mistake of over nor underestimating them. I have applied the latter skill to a plethora of situations throughout my life thus far, such as when leading a team and having to decide who can most constructively execute priorities within a specific time frame. I have also learned how to effectively implement logic and creativity together from my experiences in playing chess into projects that are geared toward my major, computer science, like programming in front-end web development for websites and in general for learning new computer science subjects such as programming and designing. My goals involve travelling across Europe and India exploring the rich history that they hold (I am a huge history buff), being politically active by participating in local non-profits and becoming an innovative computer scientist (software engineer) that makes a significant amount of money. Years of playing chess has enabled me to develop a driven work ethic toward anything that I put my mind to. After practicing, playing different people and learning several methods for chess, my timid characteristic that I began with in my chess career faded and flourished into a stronger one. This affected my decision to transition from the arts and humanities field late my junior year and into my senior year (this year) into the STEM field. Although I was doubtful of my capabilities in mathematics and the sciences, I had always been intrigued by technology which involved a bit of both. Playing chess gave me the confidence that I needed in order to step outside of my comfort zone and begin learning what I had wanted to learn for the longest time. Additionally, the history of chess also sparked my further interest in foreign countries, hence my wanting to explore India and Europe. Futhermore, after watching Netflix's 'The Queen's Gambit' I was further enticed to involve myself in politics seeing as the main character Beth Harmon experienced sexism that still occurs today despite the show taking place in the 60s. I was also inspired by her will to perfect the game of chess, which encourages me to do the same.

I want to see more kids and teenagers getting involved in STEM and the fine arts in my community of San Antonio, TX. I've noticed that despite the large populace, there aren't many STEM or fine arts camps or classes here. There are more arts classes than STEM, though still not much, which I think is cool but STEM is massively expanding in our new age of technology. I am a computer science major though also a professional musician and from my standpoint as someone who is active in both technological and musical communities, we definitely need to increase the youth involvement in them and we generally need more programs. I believe that allowing the youth a vast amount of opportunities enables them to feel more free rather than to be confined by the couple of programs or classes present. The way I see it, the more programs we have as a community leads to more diversity, community involvement and growth in ideas and actions. Furthermore, I would love to tutor students who are interested in computer science. Perhaps a sponsor or a fundraiser could provide the materials to students who would like to get into the field. I know other passionate computer science students who I know would love to be a part of something like this. After I get my computer science degree (I am currently a senior in high school) I intend on being the best that I can be in my job in my future workplace and starting a fun computer science summer camp. Additionally, I have volunteered 36 hours to teaching young girls in my community as a volunteer leader at a rock camp called 'San Antonio Girls Rock Camp'. I taught them songwriting and performance techniques. I also gave a couple of presentations on how to navigate through the music business and what the musician culture is like in San Antonio. Lastly, I helped wherever I was needed since I am a multi-instrumentalist. By volunteering at the rock camp, I hoped to inspire and show the young campers there that it certainly is possible to be a female musician who makes money. Currently as a part of my new high school, Texas Online Preparatory K-12, I am a member in the organization called 'All Together' where we plan different projects that aid our communities, such as writing encouragement cards to cancer patients and helping with the local food drives.