As a graduated senior from Mona Shores High School, I have taken 11 AP classes and 2 honors classes, granting me valedictorian out of 300 students. Besides academics, I have actively participated in various sports and clubs, earning 7 varsity letters and leading the National Honor Society's Environmentalism Committee. Through such extensive involvement, I have honed my time management skills, independence, and ability to perform under pressure. These aptitudes will help me excel in the future, whether in college or the workforce. My achievements have also allowed me to enroll in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan, where I plan to major in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering and possibly minor in Finance at the Ross School of Business. I started to enjoy mathematics in the fifth grade, and from there on I excelled in the subject, taking all four of the available AP math classes at my high school. I particularly enjoyed the reasoning or "proofs" behind equations, which led me to enroll in honors multivariable calculus at Michigan, furthering my understanding of the subject to prepare me for a career in engineering. I need to be challenged to enjoy anything, and mathematics combines rigor and pleasure for me. Additionally, the world of finance has piqued my interest, starting through a meeting with my neighbor, who owns a wealth management company. I became fascinated with the field and believe any basic knowledge of finance will prepare an individual for fiscal necessities. My effort toward these various passions will flourish at Michigan Engineering and be reflected in my grades, extracurriculars, and hopefully future profession. All my past accomplishments have provided me with an opportunity for success at the University of Michigan, and I intend to avoid letting my hard work become fruitless; however, given the popularity and prestige of the university, the price of attendance is costly. Receiving this scholarship would alleviate financial burdens, enabling me to focus more on my studies and pursue academic excellence. Less commitment to working filler jobs will provide me with time to immerse myself in the mechanical or aeronautical aspects of engineering, through competitive clubs or challenging classes, and lead to a prosperous, beneficial occupation. Ultimately, this scholarship will open doors for better opportunities and contribute significantly to my future success.

“Yes!” I cried as the crowd behind me erupted into a cheering unison. Finally, the moment of success had come. I had waited months for this match, but the true reason for celebration was in the journey leading up to it. It was a rocky start to my tennis career. I had just played the first match of my sophomore season at one doubles with Lydia Sowles, a girl permitted to play on the boys' team so she could continue soccer (both girls’ tennis and soccer being in the same season). We lost 6-1, 6-3, a disappointing score. Our coach reminded us that we cannot expect instant success without facing disappointment. However, the second match was worse: we lost 6-3, 6-0. Lydia and I, despite our friendliness, struggled to connect as partners. Not only was she a senior and I a sophomore, but she was also a girl in a boy’s sport, adding to our challenges. Match after match, we faced defeat, struggling to achieve a single victory. The outlook was grim. Our coach then taught us a valuable lesson. Tennis, like other activities, is essentially mental. To flourish in doubles, it is vital to maintain a positive attitude toward oneself and one’s partner and not let failures bring us down. We needed grit. Physical skill alone was not enough, as we had lost to players of lesser ability. With a firmer mindset and spirit, Lydia and I gradually turned our losing streak around. By Conferences, our win-loss ratio had improved to 12:11. Despite this, there was a problem: the teams we needed to play in Conferences had already beaten us badly. Seeded fourth due to past failures, our attitudes were pessimistic. Yet, we reminded ourselves of our coach’s advice and our recent victories gained through confidence. We entered those courts, ignoring past defeats and confident of future success. Through challenging, stressful, mentally draining matches, Lydia and I swept the competition, and the fourth-seed duo became Conference Champions. My victory in high school tennis is something to be fond of, yet something more valuable was garnered from this season. The many losses I took in tennis created a mindset in which I was neither confident in my abilities nor happy about myself. My coach’s wisdom made me realize I was not a “bad” tennis player but a good tennis player with a destructive mindset. I learned that a positive attitude is imperative to success. I lost to many worse players than myself - but were they worse than me if I lost to them? No, because they had something I didn’t: grit. This lesson would only be so helpful if it were exclusively applicable to tennis, but I have learned, through tests, AP classes, various sports, jobs, and more, that owning these elements will benefit you in multiple aspects of life. Thanks to my high school sport, I attempt to look at everything in a more positive light, and to take charge at life with a more passionate aura of confidence.

As a senior at Mona Shores High School, I have taken eleven AP classes and two honors classes, granting me valedictorian out of 295 students. Besides academics, I have actively participated in varsity tennis, cross-country, track and field, powerlifting, and volleyball teams. Moreover, I have served as a member of Mona Shores' Student Senate, a board member of the Interact Rotary Club, and the Environmentalism Committee Leader of the National Honor Society. Through such extensive involvement, I have honed my time management skills, independence, and ability to perform under pressure. These skills will help me excel in the future, whether in college or the workforce. I plan to stay in-state and demonstrate these aptitudes at the University of Michigan for a four-year or master's degree. So far, I aim to major in mechanical/aerospace engineering with a minor in finance or a double major in engineering and business. My passion for engineering grew with my love for AP Physics or any one of the four AP math courses I have taken. I need to be challenged to enjoy any subject, and mathematics combines rigor and pleasure (for me, at least). Additionally, the world of finance has accrued my interest, starting through a meeting with my neighbor, who owns a wealth management company. I became fascinated with his field and am working toward acquiring an internship the summer before college. However, given the popularity and prestige of the University, the price of tuition is costly. In order to continue to achieve academically, I must satiate the cavernous belly of college enrollment fees. Receiving this scholarship would help alleviate financial burdens, enabling me to focus more on my studies and pursue academic excellence. Fewer hours spent working minimum wage jobs will assist me in striving toward a worthy profession that improves society. Ultimately, it will open doors for better opportunities and contribute significantly to my future success.

“Yes!” I cried as the crowd behind me erupted into a cheering unison. Finally, the moment of success had come. I had waited months for this match; however, the true reason for celebration was in the matches leading up to this one. It was a rocky start to my tennis career. I had just played the first match of my sophomore season, my first match at one doubles, and my first match with a girl, Lydia Sowles, who had been permitted to play on the boy’s team so that she was able to continue her soccer journey. We lost 6-1, 6-3, not quite a score to be proud of. Although, our coach reminded us that we cannot expect success instantaneously without being enormously disappointed. That being said, the second match did not go much better. We lost that one by an even more considerable margin: 6-3, 6-0. Things did not look up from there. Lydia and I, no matter how friendly we were, struggled to connect as a partnership, seeing not only was she the opposite sex in a boy’s sport, but she was also a senior while I was a sophomore. These differences did not improve our cohesiveness at one doubles. We lost match after match, struggling to obtain a singular victory. Our future outlook toward our win-loss ratio was grim; however, our coach gave us another precious lesson. Tennis, like other activities, is essentially mental. To flourish in tennis, especially doubles, it is vital that you maintain a positive attitude (toward not only your partner but yourself included) and you do not allow failures to let you down. Whether you are physically better than the other team is partially irrelevant, for we had lost to players much below our skill level. These elements Lydia and I learned flipped our lousy streak. It was not an immediate switch, for changing our entire mentality was not an easy feat, but we turned our losing record into a winning one. Our win-loss ratio became 12:11 come Conferences. Although, there was one problem: the teams we needed to play in Conferences had already beaten us. Badly. Lydia and I were seeded fourth in Conferences because of our previous failures. Consequently, our attitudes heading into these matches were less than optimistic until we reminded ourselves of the advice from our coach and all those recent victories acquired from confident mentalities. We walked onto those courts, ignoring the past and sure of our future triumph. After hours of mentally draining matches, Lydia and I swept the competition out from under their feet, and the fourth-seed duo became Conference Champions. My victory in high school tennis is something to be fond of, yet something more valuable was garnered from this season. The many losses I took in tennis created a mindset in which I was neither confident in my abilities nor happy about myself. My coach’s wisdom made me realize I was not a “bad” tennis player but a good tennis player with a destructive mindset. I learned that a positive attitude is imperative to success. I lost to many worse players than myself - but were they worse than me if I lost to them? No, because they had something I didn’t: a confident mentality. Now, this lesson would only be so helpful if it were exclusively applicable to tennis, but I have learned, through tests, AP classes, various sports, jobs, and more, that owning these elements will benefit you in multiple aspects of life. Owing to my high school sport, I attempt to look at everything in a more positive light.

Over the summer of my junior year, I could be found knee-deep in the dune grass, picking weeds at various State Parks or places of recreation. It was itchy, windy, irritable, and sometimes I would react to the undergrowth. However, I continued to voluntarily persist through harsh conditions because I cared about something far more significant than my comfort; I cared about our community's environment. Pulling out invasive weeds protects the dune grass and prevents barren spots on the ground, which leads to less erosion and creates a healthier, prettier landscape. Breaking my back to pick plants for hours saved countless patches of dune grass from being destroyed. Now, I am the leader of our school’s National Honors Society Environmentalism Committee. I continually encourage my peers to get out and help our environment in some way and perhaps even gain a similar love for nature. However, service acts as these take hours of dedication. As a senior at Mona Shores High School, I have taken eleven AP classes and two honors classes, granting me valedictorian out of 290 students. Besides academics, I have been actively involved in varsity tennis, cross-country, track and field, and powerlifting teams. Moreover, I have served as a member of Mona Shores' Student Senate, a board member of Interact Rotary Club, as well as the Environmentalism Committee Leader of NHS. While I garnered many roles and responsibilities throughout high school and still found time to contribute 75+ service hours, I never had to work during the school year. On top of the many extracurriculars I undertake, the inclusion of even a simple job may have been the stick that broke the camel’s back. Additionally, I plan on attending the University of Michigan for a four-year or master’s degree. Considering the popularity and prestige of the University, the price of tuition is costly. In order to continue to achieve academically, I must satiate the cavernous belly of college enrollment fees, which means working long hours at minimum wage jobs. How can I participate in the many non-collegiate activities that benefit the environment and society if I hold such steep student loans? Generosity is a cardinal characteristic and generally needed more and more in society, but one cannot take care of others/the environment without first caring for oneself. Receiving this scholarship would help alleviate financial burdens, enabling me to focus more on my studies and pursue academic excellence. Fewer hours spent working minimum wage jobs will assist me in striving toward a worthy profession that improves society. Ultimately, it will open doors for better opportunities and contribute significantly to my future success.

“Yes!” I cried as the crowd behind me erupted in a cheering unison. Finally, the moment of success had come. I had waited months for this match; however, the true reason for celebration was in the matches leading up to this one. It was a rocky start to my tennis career. I had just played my first match of my sophomore season. My first match at one doubles and my first match with a girl, Lydia Sowles, who had been permitted to play on the boy’s team so that she was able to continue her soccer journey (girl’s tennis and soccer being in the same season that is). We lost 6-1, 6-3. Not quite a score to be proud of. Although, it was only the first match. One can’t expect success instantaneously without being enormously disappointed in life. That being said, the second match didn’t go much better. We lost that one by an even larger margin: 6-3, 6-0. Things didn’t look up from there. No matter how friendly we were, Lydia and I struggled to connect as partnership, seeing that not only was she the opposite sex in a boy’s sport, but she was also a senior while I was a sophomore. These differences did not improve our cohesiveness at one doubles. We went on to lose match after match, struggling to obtain even a singular victory. Our future outlook toward our win-loss ratio was grim; however, our coach gave us a precious lesson. Tennis, like other activities, is essentially mental. To flourish in tennis, especially doubles, it is vital that you maintain a positive attitude (toward not only your partner but yourself included) and that you have a strong passion to succeed. Whether you are physically better than the other team is partially irrelevant, for we had lost to players much below our skill level. Desiring success and remaining encouraging toward myself and Lydia were the two factors that flipped our losing streak. It wasn’t an immediate switch, but through trial and error, we turned our losing record into a winning one (12:11). Although, there was one problem. The teams we needed to play in Conferences had already beaten us. Badly. Lydia and I were seeded fourth in Conferences because of our previous failures. Consequently, our attitudes going into these matches were hopeless. Until our coach reminded us of those critical factors that helped us win so many matches: we must stay positive and we must want to succeed if our winning record is to be maintained. Through hours of challenging, stressful, mentally draining matches, Lydia and I swept the competition out from under their feet and became conference champions. My victory in high school tennis is something to be fond of; however, something more valuable was garnered from this season. The many losses I took in tennis created a mindset in which I was neither confident in my abilities nor happy about myself. My coach’s words of wisdom were what made me realize that I was not a “bad” tennis player; I was simply a good tennis player with a destructive mindset. I learned that a positive attitude is imperative to success. I lost to many worse players than myself. But were they worse than me if I lost to them? No, because they had something I didn’t: a propitious mental state. Now, this lesson would only be so helpful if it were exclusively applicable to tennis, but I have learned, through tests, AP classes, other sports, jobs, and more, that owning these elements will benefit you in multiple aspects of life.