For as long as I can remember, I have always cherished and valued my family. As I see it, this love along with my desire to become a family man was inherited from my father. I always idolized my dad who influenced my passion for cars by taking me to observe him fix these robust and amazing machines from as early as the age of four years old. Whether it was oil changes, switching tires, etc. I was extremely content just to be there with him. This sentimentality of both my desire to be a family man and my love for cars has become ingrained into me for as long as I can remember. Even so, I can’t help but ponder how the adverse effects of climate change will affect that possibility. However, thankfully, one of the greatest polluters, that being cars, is pivoting towards a more carbon emission neutral future. Many say that the future is electric, and maybe it is, however, that’s way too far from now. Right now, we need to focus on making our gas guzzlers more efficient. One current solution we have are the free valve engines created by Koenigseggs, a car manufacturing company based in Sweden. Its efficiency is the result of the cam-shaft being replaced by pneumatic valves which allow for smaller engines to be constructed using fewer materials, thus reducing weight. This technology opens up a new realm of possibilities in both the professional world but also the general public with increased fuel economy during times like these with heightened gas prices, lower carbon-emission levels from efficient use of fuel, and less warm-up time for catalytic converters whilst generating more horsepower than previously imaginable. With cars producing 1,373 million metric tons of carbon in 2020 as reported by the United States Energy Information Administration, this revolution, after some perfecting, will likely cut a drastic amount of carbon emissions. This is solely the United States as well. Now imagine if Europe, a more environmentally conscious and legally strict continent, were to implement such regulations that would introduce free-valve engines. Or, imagine just a single country like China, the world’s greatest polluter, with some estimates believing there are a quarter billion cars and others estimating closer to 300 million turning towards this new idea. Such an innovation could help lead us as a human race towards healing this planet that we have given so little regard to in the past. I still hold the hope that a change is possible and if we put enough effort as a collective, then so many dreams, such as my desire to be a father and work on cars with my children, will be possible.

In my years of being a practicing martial artist and now a black belt, I can attest that my experiences and tutelage under the Kickstart Kids Foundation have enriched my life incredibly. I’ve learned a multitude of lessons that have been able to improve my life such as how to trust people, be more outgoing and loving, be extremely respectful to my peers and those above me, and establish an understanding of the importance of exercise and healthy living. Throughout my academic life, I can attribute my successes to that said respect that I embodied, often addressing others by “sir”, “ma’am” and other honorifics, something that truly set me apart from my peers. My outgoing and lovingness helped me be more charismatic and confident, allowing me to connect with even more people that would help me in interviews for academic programs and conversations with counselors and teachers. This, coupled with my newfound trusting nature, helps with bonding and further pushes me towards greatness. Also, martial arts giving me an understanding of exercise and healthy living wouldn’t just stop at being physically active but would also help me branch out into weight lifting, a sport I love to indulge in, but also eating healthy and teaching me that health isn’t solely physical, but also your emotional, social, and mental health. Finally, although this isn’t the most applicable lesson I’ve learned to use in my day-to-day, I’m prepared to tuck the chin, protect the sternum, and gauge my distance just in case.

Starting in 6th grade, although hesitantly, my parents made me join martial arts to protect myself from local bullies. Throughout my first couple of months and fear turning into genuine interest, I quickly came out of my shell of shyness and became more extroverted, becoming more comfortable in my new setting, middle school. Years would pass and my friend group would expand, similarly, my interest only grew as I continued practicing and competing. This, in my early years of teenhood, would be my emotional release and would become part of my identity, something I still carry around today 7 years later. I was truly interested in martial arts because it only gave me positive outcomes such as learning different important values to succeed as a good person like loyalty, honesty, compassion, and respect all while being in a safe place that didn’t condone bullying, drugs, or intolerance. This passion of mine would truly be one of my greatest hobbies, that is, until quarantine. Quarantine stripped me of a lot, like many others, I faced adversity such as added financial strain, unemployment, a new setting for learning, death in my family and friends, and my first taste of mental illness. This adversity, however, would inspire change and growth in other ways in place of martial arts because quarantine had ripped that away from me so suddenly. Throughout the years in physical isolation, I had developed a liking for story-telling, music, painting, and social justice theory coupled with a prior liking of philosophy and theology. During the latter months of quarantine, I had moved in with my brother a city away. During this time, I only had one thing to do and that was to think away the unoccupied evenings whilst my brother was working. This thinking would manifest itself physically in my story-writing that pushed my previous conclusions and mental boundaries outwardly in bursts of explosive creativity and self-expression. Throughout my time with my brother, I had expanded and matured, becoming a multifaceted person with fascinating and niche interests. However, my world would come crashing down as I had experienced a period of deep hopelessness and sorrow that would be amplified by my friend’s death. My nights, previously filled with conversation and laughter with my brother, now turned into sitting in the darkness with a lack of interest, energy, or care for my hobbies whilst my brother was away. My hobbies quickly fell apart and the only thing I wanted to do was fast forward. This would take over my life for weeks, that is, until one night when my brother and I had conversed as we did so often prior. We shared that same sentiment, that same feeling, initially the only thing separating us being that clouded pane of glass that can be seen as inarticulation. That sincere conversation and the many following helped us out, allowing us to face that feeling, and eventually, overcome it. In my experience, without my brother or martial arts, I know that I wouldn’t be the same person as I am today. That’s why, in the future, I hope to spread my influence and to be that older brother that helped me face the world that so many others don’t have. As I am now, I am an older brother to some of my peers, but I hope to expand to those that are interested in martial arts at a young age, and from there, to everyone, because I want to see the potential of people that have the opportunity at having a role model and support system.

I’m the child of Colombian immigrants, my parents coming from Colombia decades ago and working their entire lives into their elder years. My father was a mechanic in Colombia and the United States until he started working long, hard hours in a metal and wooden pallets factory for over a decade and a half. On the other side, my mom did a variety of jobs throughout the years, coming from a poor family with 8 siblings and struggling in both countries, working in supermarkets, tending to old people, being a mother, etc. I’m the son of hard workers, people that don’t give up because giving up means death, and one of the most common talks we’d have as a family is to not have me in the future doing back-breaking labor like my parents. Thankfully, ever since birth, education has been a priority. Through achieving multiple checkpoints, I hope to reach my life goals; to become financially literate, rise from the boroughs of Houston, Tx, and help provide others that similarly share communal impoverishment with the resources necessary to become successful. The smaller steps necessary for me to accomplish what I want, consisting of both academic and professional barriers are graduating high school, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, getting my first internship in a company relevant to my field, and finally getting into a proper, well-established company. Although this is a drastic oversimplification, the truth is, I am more focused on attaining what I must so I can then fund others that lack the resources but has the drive to succeed. This stems from what I’ve observed from those that have influenced me the most such as my parents, teachers, counselors, coaches, friends, and community. This desire to give back has been near and dear to my heart for a significant amount of time and has only grown in the past year. The stresses of senior year were supplemented with the support from my teams and social circles that have only pushed me to become better, simply volunteering in the hopes to see me win even more than I could’ve ever imagined. This selfless deed that many took upon themselves has influenced me to my core, enhancing my need to give back as a way of payment and to further encourage positive change in my community, one of which sees historical, social, political, and economic exploitation frequently. This has spiraled me into performing now, even without my certifications and degree, by preparing my peers for college so when they’re in their senior year, they’re drastically more prepared than I was. This vision that I am motivated to seek out is going to benefit all aspects of life for the lower class and will likely be reflected through statistics. By me putting myself out there, I can provide things that not all low-income people are provided with which is someone that believes in them and will advocate for them because, in my experience, I have seen people fail due to lacking a singular person in their corner. As these people rise from their impoverishment, their mental, social, or physiological health will all improve seeing as how they’ll have greater access to better food and other resources, less stress from having to worry about bills, and a greater purpose since many children lack that crucial positive role model and motivation. This, plus having a more educated populous with higher earnings will gradually lower the crime rate that is rampant because the level of education, which ties into the overall micro-economy of communities, is statistically linked with levels of crime.

Born on January 12th, I’ve always found strength in the number 12. After finding this scholarship, I realized this was an opportunity to win 100 times my lucky number, especially for something as important as college. Now take what I just said, and change 12 to 13, because I was born on the 13th and I lied about my identity and lucky number, but I still deserve the money lowkey. My career goal is to create a cheaper plastic material so water bottle companies can use it to bottle drinkable water. Understanding that the plastic itself is dangerous, I’ll invest heavily into the funeral, insurance, and medical field whilst creating a company that spreads false information on fake, no-effect pills with a high price meant to target the elderly and the ignorant or something teehee. There will be lobbying. An obstacle that I’ve faced is my frequent night-terrors. I am often awakened in the middle of the night by sleep paralysis and I’m visited by shadowy figures that tamper with my psyche. To counteract this, I’ve simply stopped sleeping, I am on day 3, please send help, it’s either this or facing the hatman in a Benadryl-induced dimension slipping 14 hour mental and physical battle. $1,200 also helps teehee.