I dream of becoming a filmmaker determined to create stories: From someone who used to have high standards and did things only to impress others to a position where he can attain confidence and see the value in self-worth.

I love math for how it describes our universe. More specifically, it is most intriguing when based on specific dynamics or quantum theories. In particular, I appreciate the Navier Stokes equations, PDEs which predict how a fluid behaves. Ever since their conception, these equations have provided forecasters with climate and weather modeling estimates. However, the one issue within the predictions is that turbulence is not well-understood from a theoretical standpoint. In PNAS's September 2022 issue, a research paper published by a group of physicists at the Georgia Institute of Technology shows that they may have discovered a potential framework for understanding turbulence. Contrary to turbulence's heavy reliance on statistical predictions, the researchers may have found geometric patterns for a dynamical approach. Whether the researchers have found a successful route to understanding some underlying turbulence properties is yet to be determined. Despite numerous efforts over the years in an attempt to understand turbulence, I think that any development like this deserves recognition for its ambition. In many ways, fluid dynamics are one of the essential thought experiments of our time. Firstly, an understanding of turbulence can save us from wasting large amounts of energy on extensive computer calculations required to solve the Navier-Stokes equations. Such a consequence would be a reduction of our carbon footprint, which would immensely improve our environment. Another facet that arises from a possible understanding of turbulence lies within its potential to save lives. On a macroscopic scale, it influences climate and weather patterns, many of which have had devastating effects on our world due to their chaotic nature. In conjunction with understanding turbulence, we can adjust aerodynamic craft to work against our climate's adverse effects. Although it may seem that math is at times arduous or tedious, I gain an appreciation, as both an experimenter and an admirer, of the impact math has made on our society. Without math, our current society would never be the way it is. I think it is incredible that we have mathematical tools that might be capable of predicting the unpredictable. Perhaps what I have previously stated is an understatement, but that is because math is a beast of its own, best described by its witnesses.

As a prospective student who intends to take courses at my college over the winter break, I would be lying to tell you that I am not nervous at all. Although I performed well throughout my high school education, the stress school caused fazed me to the point where I took a gap year to process my experience. However, over my gap year, I regained my sense of confidence and having selected my career field, I am eagerly awaiting the very moment when my college journey begins. The thing about college I am looking forward to the most is the change of atmosphere. While quarantined over the pandemic, my life had become a still image filled with monotony and claustrophobia. Despite my house having a decent living space, I had to endure my last two years of high school education in my bedroom. It was the only room in the house where I could use a speaker on Zoom without having distractions around me that may have interrupted the school lectures and my train of thought. However, I found great relief when I learned how to meditate throughout the day. In high school, I wanted to secure an excellent academic record; I took many challenging courses, all of which consumed most of my time and attention. However, when I meditated, I achieved stamina and focused on myself for the time-crunching process of all-nighters. Before the pandemic, despite being a vegetarian, I had retained a very sedentary lifestyle. In the high school cafeteria, I would not eat among my peers because I feared they would poke fun at my eating habits. However, during the pandemic, being in the comforts of my home and family, I ate more vegetables, proteins, and fruits that I would never have the guts to eat in person at my school district. The last thing that I have modified in my life to improve my overall health is going to the gym weekly. In high school, we never had recess, and the only exercise that I would receive was walking from one classroom to the next. Over the past year, I have frequented my local gym and found pleasure in ensuring I am physically well. Aside from all of these changes to my weekly routine, I have experienced personal development over the pandemic, which will most definitely translate to my college experience. I am excited about what my future holds, and I genuinely think college, being a more liberated type of approach to education as opposed to high school, will make for a challenging yet rewarding experience.

As a prospective student who intends to take courses at my college over the winter break, I would be lying to tell you that I am not nervous at all. Although I performed well throughout my high school education, the stress school caused fazed me to the point where I took a gap year to process my experience. However, over my gap year, I regained my sense of confidence and having selected my career field, I am eagerly awaiting the very moment when my college journey begins. The thing about college I am looking forward to the most is the change of atmosphere. While quarantined over the pandemic, my life had become a still image filled with monotony and claustrophobia. Despite my house having a decent living space, I had to endure my last two years of high school education in my bedroom. It was the only room in the house where I could use a speaker on Zoom without having distractions around me that may have interrupted the school lectures and my train of thought. However, I found great relief when I learned how to meditate throughout the day. In high school, I wanted to secure an excellent academic record; I took many challenging courses, all of which consumed most of my time and attention. However, when I meditated, I achieved stamina and focused on myself for the time-crunching process of all-nighters. Before the pandemic, despite being a vegetarian, I had retained a very sedentary lifestyle. In the high school cafeteria, I would not eat among my peers because I feared they would poke fun at my eating habits. However, during the pandemic, being in the comforts of my home and family, I ate more vegetables, proteins, and fruits that I would never have the guts to eat in person at my school district. The last thing that I have modified in my life to improve my overall health is going to the gym weekly. In high school, we never had recess, and the only exercise that I would receive was walking from one classroom to the next. Over the past year, I have frequented my local gym and found pleasure in ensuring I am physically well. Aside from all of these changes to my weekly routine, I have experienced personal development over the pandemic, which will most definitely translate to my college experience. I am excited about what my future holds, and I genuinely think college, being a more liberated type of approach to education as opposed to high school, will make for a challenging yet rewarding experience.

As a prospective student who intends to take courses at my college over the winter break, I would be lying to tell you that I am not nervous at all. Although I performed well throughout my high school education, the stress school caused fazed me to the point where I took a gap year to process my experience. However, over my gap year, I regained my sense of confidence and having selected my career field, I am eagerly awaiting the very moment when my college journey begins. The thing about college I am looking forward to the most is the change of atmosphere. While quarantined over the pandemic, my life had become a still image filled with monotony and claustrophobia. Despite my house having a decent living space, I had to endure my last two years of high school education in my bedroom. It was the only room in the house where I could use a speaker on Zoom without having distractions around me that may have interrupted the school lectures and my train of thought. However, I found great relief when I learned how to meditate throughout the day. In high school, I wanted to secure an excellent academic record; I took many challenging courses, all of which consumed most of my time and attention. However, when I meditated, I achieved stamina and focused on myself for the time-crunching process of all-nighters. Before the pandemic, despite being a vegetarian, I had retained a very sedentary lifestyle. In the high school cafeteria, I would not eat among my peers because I feared they would poke fun at my eating habits. However, during the pandemic, being in the comforts of my home and family, I ate more vegetables, proteins, and fruits that I would never have the guts to eat in person at my school district. The last thing that I have modified in my life to improve my overall health is going to the gym weekly. In high school, we never had recess, and the only exercise that I would receive was walking from one classroom to the next. Over the past year, I have frequented my local gym and found pleasure in ensuring I am physically well. Aside from all of these changes to my weekly routine, I have experienced personal development over the pandemic, which will most definitely translate to my college experience. I am excited about what my future holds, and I genuinely think college, being a more liberated type of approach to education as opposed to high school, will make for a challenging yet rewarding experience.

Our universe is a complex and rich object. What I find most interesting about the universe, as per the butterfly effect, is that minor changes will significantly influence any object's behavior over time, even the universe itself. I believe that we, as humans, are the best-known contender to understand the universe. The human mind is complex, and I think that people who believe in meditative processes and how it relates to being in tune with the universe are onto something; I also think there is a special connection between human consciousness and the fine-tuning of our universe. We, as humans, are complex, from how we live to the many nuances of our consciousness. If you remember how I spoke about the butterfly effect, even moments later after I told of it, there is something more to be said. If we can affect the trajectory of larger objects in the universe, can the same be said about larger objects affecting us? Considering my philosophies, I believe that we influence the universe more than the universe influences us; without us, the Higgs-boson and the fine-structure constant would probably alter slightly enough to end our universe altogether. Like jello, as a symbol of our universe, if one piece, no matter how small, is missing, then over time, the whole piece of jello will collapse within itself to adjust to the missing space. But this is all nonsense, and what I say is conjectural mumbo jumbo similar to the likes of wildly invalidated conspiracy theories. Sure, the sun will probably die out in a billion years, explode into a supernova, and displace energy, swapping the fabrics of space and time into what is known as a supermassive black hole. Still, if humankind does not live to tell the tale of humanity, both our existence and our legacies will end. Before attempting to understand how the universe works, we must first help sustain our places within our galaxy, starting with planet Earth (Third Rock from the Sun). As many of you know, in recent years, the environment has become a significant concern. From greenhouse gases to the dying ozone layer, I think it is just for anyone to believe that we are in danger. More importantly, our future and future generations will live a gloomy existence. Small change starts at home. As someone who aspires to be a film director, I believe cinema is about the enlightenment, the influencer, and the way modern life works. My utmost priority is communicating to the world how it can be a better place. If I ignore the environmental issue, it would be ignorant and neglectful on my part and of the audience; I intend to communicate its importance. We are the universe, and thus, the universe should mean everything to us. If the world is being set ablaze, and we have the means to prevent it, why do some of us wait for the disaster? Some people still want to blame everything on the moon because of the change in tides and their belief in the myth of werewolves.

Lydia Millet's A Children's Bible should be read by everyone because of its moral in bettering the present. In Millet's idea of a post-apocalyptic world, the setting is a seaside house. The parents and kids are separate, the kids being alone at play, while their parents are blissfully unaware and unprepared for what's to come: a climate crisis. Now, without spoiling too much of the novel, I will discuss some of the intentions and fundamentals that make this novel invigorating and powerful. A girl named Eve has a close eye for her younger brother Jack. As the crisis unfolds, Jack's children's bible reflects the strong bonds among the thriving children stacked against the ineptitude of the climate. While parents should be seen as righteous guardians, ensuring the protection and wiseness necessary for their children, this book seeks the lives of those parents who are consumed by denial, fear, and paralysis when catastrophe emerges. At the heart of this book is the importance of preserving the environment for future generations through the lens of a cautionary tale explaining the dissonance between disbelief and the will to survive. Throughout the book, the children's parents are less than willing to perform the required tasks at hand for survival, thus leaving their children to fend for themselves. In the end, the children become responsible for ensuring the survival of both their parents and themselves. This book is ultimately an effective comparison to the present day because it screams for protecting the environment in a way many of us have tried to express at some point. And when it seems no significant change has occurred, people become hopeless as they sit and await their fate on the sidelines. The ones who suffer are us, at the cost of ignorance over common sense. If more people cared about the truth and the future, our world might finally find peace. If you ever have the chance, please read this book, as it proves a quintessential meditation on humanity and the necessity of protecting our environment for future generations.

My name is Connor, and I am a college student who aspires to attain an Associate of Science in Media Production. I also intend to further my education at other institutions to achieve a Master's in Cinematic Arts. I was born in Long Island, New York. As a child, I was curious and fearless despite having speech and walking delays. However, that did not stop me from exploring the sky as if there were no limits. Eventually, my family and I left New York due to the rising cost of living preceded by the Great Recession. As a homesick kid, I felt lost, and due to being placed into a brand-new environment, I was slow to acclimate to much of this change. I had to adjust to a new home, make new friends and find common ground with my unknown surroundings. During this transition, the one constant I held close to was my appreciation for cinema. In my youth, my family used to play movies on the television. As I grew older, I enjoyed exploring works of cinema at libraries and video stores. While exploring these selections at the establishments, a childlike sensibility of wonder awakened deep within my soul. Throughout elementary school, I had to work hard. While other students in my class would discriminate against my difficulties, harassing me daily for trying to learn, I still had to stand tall and raise the bar for my own sake. I preferred to ignore rather than acknowledge others who thrived on confrontation. For the remaining years up until high school, I made friends and gained a new sense of confidence. However, once I began high school, everything changed. While I always had stiff mannerisms, it was not until 9th grade that students began to take notice. Some of my peers would question my sexual orientation for how I behaved, even going so far as to assume I was gay. Consequently, they would introduce me to boys they deemed my potential interests. In response, I felt uncomfortable and embarrassed. I also experienced run-ins with some students who thought my preferred career choice was fashion design. Others called me f***** as they passed me by in the hall. It was only at this point that every student who made my life a living hell became a living nuisance. Although I identified as queer, I felt personally attacked by these few scoundrels. They made me feel pressured and worrisome whether they were to tell others what I had not discussed outside of the closet. After graduating high school, I took a gap year away from education to process my experience. Now, I am determined to start college classes for the 2023 spring semester. I still identify as queer, but I will not let the opinions of others faze me from pursuing film. Once I pursue a degree in media production, I will direct in my vision the many characters I faced in high school. A career in the film industry feels like a natural choice because of my love and passion for cinema. Thus, I want to become a film director since cinema has inspired me just as much as I wish, among other visionaries in my field, to inspire the world. Some people had it worse than I did, so I want to express that they are not alone. We are human, and our identities should not be the things that elicit hate.

I feel that it is my responsibility to take a leadership role in protecting our environment. In addition, I think the environment must be addressed sooner rather than later. Because of my love for film, the first professional degree I aspire to attain is an Associate of Science in Media Production. While I see film directing as my career choice, I also want to earn a Minor in Computer Science. This degree will allow me to create spectacular effects that address the present and future state of our planet. Recently, the film industry has seen a rapid rise in technology to produce blockbuster movie effects. There are videos on the internet that show studios such as Pixar and Blender developing new technologies and programs to advance and push the boundaries of filmmaking. As someone who wants to become a film director, I want to delegate my vision flawlessly with complete creative control over my projects. A degree in Computer Science would ensure that I can help guide the people who create the programs for my films. As someone who appreciates math and science, a hobby of mine is understanding the logic behind them. Throughout my primary school experience, I discovered that I have a knack for spotting errors in grammar and code. After learning about my natural abilities for those skills, I found a way to blend my interests in the sciences with the art of film. One of the issues I want to address through film directing is the importance of protecting our environment. In contemporary times, global warming has become more prevalent, and it scares me how much our future generation will suffer if our society does not do something about it. I might sound a bit like James Cameron with his appreciation for the environment. However, without it, humanity would go out, not with a bang, but a whimper. A degree in Computer Science would ensure that I can produce quality films while being a helper for any programmer working on my team. It will also give me a greater depth of knowledge on tailoring my creative visions to the big screen. I hope to inspire the world to become a better place where future generations do not have to worry about being prematurely sent off to Mars by tech bigwigs like Musk. To quote Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, "I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." As for the future of our environment, I will leave you with this final quote from The Lorax, "It's not about what it is. It's about what it can become.”

Perseverance means that despite all of the hardships I have faced, I am still here and stronger than ever before. As a result of my tenacity, I am willing to succeed with fierce determination in the respective fields I aspire to conquer. In my youth, I used to have speech and walking delays. However, by middle school, after a few years of rigorous therapy, I managed to overcome both. Another thing I had to endure was scrutiny back in middle school. Over the summer, before eighth grade started, I joined the high school marching band as an alto saxophonist. It was a challenging experience, as I was endlessly scrutinized, isolated, and outcasted by my instructors and most of my peers. Aside from the toxic environment, I felt a sense of resilience up until the end of the football season. My strength diminished when a family emergency surfaced. As a consequence, I was late for a few practices. After being questioned by the head instructor about my tardiness, I addressed my situation with him via email. He responded by stating my work mattered more than my family. This response lingered in my mind, as I felt it had violated my moral responsibilities. A few days later, my mother drove me to the high school for band practice. Subsequently, I experienced a sudden mental breakdown. As I cried, I told my mother that I wanted to quit. Then, I decided to leave on my own merits to preserve my morals and dignity. In the following weeks, I received unwarranted backlash from some of my peers. Despite receiving persistent hate daily, I continued playing the alto saxophone in the high school concert band until the pandemic. Fortunately, over time, the hate lessened. From there, I prospered in high school by achieving good grades and boosting my confidence in my abilities and strengths. To this very day, not one person has apologized for the incidents. Leaving this remark on a positive note, I wish nothing but the best for them, and I hope they have matured into better human beings. In the present day, I have developed a passion for film, and I aspire to start college in the spring to pursue an Associate of Science in Media Production. Looking back at the times when I had to persevere, I realize how far I've come. I am excited about the future, and I aspire to excel in Media Production (a hybridized field that explores the science and art of film). Lastly, I want to thank my family and friends who supported me through those difficult times. “Si se puede!”

As a college student who intends on attaining a degree in Media Production, this scholarship will help offset the costs of college. Consequently, this scholarship will also help assure me that people other than my family and friends have faith in my career choice. College is expensive, and I feel that if I dive in too quickly, I may drown in debt. The dilemma lies in the fact that I am a determined student who is willing to finish my desired degree level in the shortest time possible. Media Production is also a passion of mine because I aspire to become a film director. My mind is brimming with patience, creativity, and specific visions, such that I cannot wait to be a part of the film industry. However, if I am not financially secure, I may not be able to accomplish the cinematic techniques I desire to implement through the art of film directing. In the case that I can graduate college debt-free, I will be able to communicate to audiences the importance of individualism and perspective. By way of my directorial visions, I intend to convey messages that show the importance of equality and the protection of the environment. When I think of equality, I think of compromise in a flawed world where we all strive to get along for the most part, or at the very least, coexist peacefully. In addition, I plan to advocate for the protection of the environment since the climate in its current state will devastate if change is not set in stone. Although I intend to convey pressing issues, I would also like to create good films just for the sake of making good films. In retrospect, if I handle such controversial issues, it will require that I utilize a deft mind and a steady hand, practically creating a narrative like a surgeon. The result will respect both sides of the argument, with a dose of common sense and subtlety. One should not bash perspective; one should understand perspective. I believe that equality and the protection of the environment are rights necessary to better the structure and mentality of our society. Many of the opposers of equality fight against fundamental human rights. I believe introspection and teaching of its significance is key to understanding why equality is important. In addition, I feel that the protection of the environment is common sense for the sake of future generations. Whenever I hear the calling for the protection of the environment, I think about the Lorax, and therefore, I must speak for the trees. In conclusion, I want to craft good cinema while tackling the many pressing issues that our society faces; most prominently, I will establish arguments for progress towards equality and the protection of the environment. Hopefully, if I receive many scholarships similar to this, I will be able to pursue my dream of film directing without the stresses of college debt.

My name is Connor, and the career path I am pursuing is one within the field of Media Production. More specifically, I aspire to become a movie director, as it will allow me to communicate with the world how important individualism is. In my directorial visions, I intend to craft messages of equality; a setting of an ideal world in which we are all flawed, but strive to get along for the most part, or at the very least, coexist peacefully. I also plan to advocate for the protection of the environment, as the climate in its current state will devastate if change is not set in stone. As an independent thinker, I believe that in order to win an argument, you should either compromise with those who you oppose or remind people why the issue you are fighting for is important. By way of film, one may influence and empower audiences through cinematic artistry. Although I intend to convey pressing issues, I would also like to create good films just for the sake of making good films. In retrospect, if I handle such controversial issues, it will require that I utilize a deft mind and a steady hand, practically creating a narrative like a surgeon. The result will respect both sides of the argument, with a dose of common sense and subtlety. One should not bash perspective; one should understand perspective. I believe that equality and the protection of the environment are rights necessary to better the structure and mentality of our society. Many of the opposers of equality fight against fundamental human rights. I believe introspection and teaching of its significance is key to understanding why equality is important. In addition, I feel that the protection of the environment is common sense for the sake of future generations. Whenever I hear the calling for the protection of the environment, I think about the Lorax, and therefore, I must speak for the trees. In conclusion, I want to craft good cinema while tackling the many pressing issues that our society faces; most prominently, I will establish arguments for progress towards equality and the protection of the environment. Hopefully my cinema will provide a good perspective to the audiences who watch it, but most importantly, with the process of creating it being a passion of mine, I will appreciate my own accomplishments, even if others are absolutely critical of the works that I create.

The plane who was above the sky so high Writhed in pain beneath the dying stars When cars drove below and swelled the air The height of the emissions brewed death and despair The night has dawned before the stellar lights since the eve of December 24th: There goes Rudolph Red nose trance Lady Liberty is melting Came from France The darkness rues the light of day because it wanes for simplicity: France has bread It went stale Try New Yorker It's on sale The plane was as plain as a bird in the sky Through the night, aileron, aeroflight moving on And he fails at succeeding and succeeds at failing Life goes on and it longs to go on Meanwhile, the passengers inside the plane High class auteurs, sipping fine-aged wine Enjoy themselves with a toast from the hostess with the mostest The flight attendant speaks of richness; Touched in the head by liquor she slurs, "Europe! Euphoria! Eureka!" She proceeded to succumb To the disease of yearning Among the socialites Whom she aspired To become The plane glinted innocence From his new paint smell Such that he forgot he was an airplane Since the other planes of his kind Made him gullible to question As to inquire "Why?" He was confused about his pronouns Because a mechanic once said, "Ain't she special! She's a beauty, and she's mine!" But that was a time When an imposter came in To impersonate a mechanic An operation Without a license Nothing morally grounded to suffice it And the plane did not know any better When the cops had arrived It accidentally moved an inch forward And squashed the man to his demise The cops cheered on Saying things like, "Isn't he tough?! Strong as a mule!" And they all laughed at the irony Of the inside joke 'Cause the man who was sacrificed Was a man who was to perish The man had his means A rough childhood with capricious dreams He reached for beyond But the clouds made him bound People discriminated for the filth they believed When they saw the man on the news in the present day In the comforts of their own homes On their plasma screen TV's In his youth he lead his wisdoms by the motto, "Open mind, wide third eye Seek deep and seek well 'Cause you may never know of Those miracles that you will find" And for every tissue that he pined for He wished for lightning days ahead Fastforward and amid that fateful night The plane in the sky paralleled the man's fate Wisdoms aside he expected to await A pummel with a downward spiral or perhaps A seemingly graceful nosedive It happened that the flight Was a three-day trip for a bachelor show In which all of the women were viable options For a rich stitch of a man who had extreme vertigo The plane almost veered off-course As if in autopilot, he reeked discourse And he rode with the wind Until a jolt thrust the chariots To a heart jerking halt For sake of the colt The pilot said, "You need a break! Plane! Rain!! Pain!!!" He may never ever seek to never ever go If he's not redirected to stay low-rider Among a mile high club; Jezebels dressed in satin and cashmere And as long as the ones who are closest Focus on the condition of their beloved May they have the means to right a wrong And no matter the outcome At least their conscience Will not be plagued by the dawn Of the night

My name is Connor, and I am a 19 year old who is pursuing a degree in Media Production. Although I had learning difficulties in my youth, I managed to overcome them and excelled in most of the classes that I took throughout my primary school education. The pandemic was difficult for my family as we endured loss, but on the bright side, as a result of overwhelming myself to occupy my mind in both my junior and senior years with difficult coursework, I found what fields best suited my interests. At first, I considered a degree in music since I performed well in music theory. However, I decided to not pursue it because although I appreciate music, I lack the passion to make a career out of it. Then, I contemplated a degree in English, but I made the decision to choose liberal arts as my minor when I had an epiphany to pursue Media Production. I chose Media Production as my career choice during my gap year because of the fond memories the art of cinema has provided me with. Throughout my adolescence, film would be the constant I always relied on in the best and worst of times. When I was four, my family moved to another state. As a result, I felt homesick and the new scenery challenged me to acclimate to changes: new area, new school, new people. However, as the years progressed I found a new sense of confidence and overcame the many obstacles I faced which included orthopedic and speech delays. Whenever my family entered a movie theater, the theaters that I entered were spacious and grand in scope. As a kid, and even now, as an adult, that wondrous feeling of jubilance and curiosity could not be further exemplified in any other place than the large screen in which I was entertained by countless movies. In the present day, with the corporate drag in motion, movies feel half-baked and/or uninspired. I intend on shifting that trend by crafting independent films with low budgets, while still maintaining the quality of mastery I seek, not as a perfectionist, but as an aspiring film director with a passion to create film. I plan to specialize in film directing in my graduate school education because my vision is beaming with endless possibilities. Film directing feels like it will succeed in enriching the limitless creative potential that I seek, and I hope to achieve this with as little debt as possible. Any opportunity will greatly motivate my pursuits in the world of film. I am happy to discuss my aspirations to anyone who wants to better the world as a whole.

As a person who likes being physically active, athletics have increased my stamina and focus. Throughout primary school, academics stressed me out, but whenever I played sports, it helped increase confidence in my skills and abilities. In my youth, I had some orthopedic delays that affected my walking developments. I was determined to fix this issue over two years in physical therapy, and once I overcame my obstacles with perseverance and grit, my parents found sports for me to try. I played intramural basketball, soccer, volleyball, and learned to swim proficiently. While playing these sports, I could ignore the stresses of school and focus on the primary task of being in the moment. I was not the best player in any of these sports, and I admire anyone who plays them well, but the only sport I still play in my free time is tennis. I never played this sport at my school because I felt it was necessary to not compare myself to others. In high school, I stressed myself out with academics to a fault, but playing tennis would be a constant that I returned to in order to reduce the stress. The sport helped increase my self-esteem, and for the most part, the days that followed, days in which I had to take difficult exams, I performed very well on them. For many of those exams, following a day of tennis, I received A's. However, the pandemic was a low point for me. With lockdown, virtual learning, and not being able to play tennis, it became difficult for me to perform well in high school without finding another substitute. Fortunately, I found meditation, and utilized it everyday, which in turn, helped me achieve A's in my classes. Once school was over, I took a gap year to reconnect with my athletics. After the pandemic and lockdown, I have worked out at the gym, and still play tennis from time to time. In college, I will continue to exercise in order to find the right balance again between education and personal time. In conclusion, I found out that finding the right sport, and playing it in the right environment, immensely influences the outcomes of my academics. Tennis provides me with the strength, confidence, and focus necessary for me to perform well in my classes. Sports have provided me with a better appreciation for my health, both mentally and physically. I will continue playing sports to ensure success in pursuit of a degree in Media Production.

I really do care about the environment, and I am glad, with the rise in electric cars and solar-powered energy resources, that the future of our world might be a better place. I strive to live sustainably on a daily basis by maintaining an eco-friendly lifestyle. When I start college, I will take as many virtual courses as I can to reduce gas emissions from driving. In my room, I make sure to turn off my lights to reduce electric costs. After and during bathroom breaks, I make sure to wash up in the shortest amount of time possible while still being able to maintain cleanliness. I recycle whenever I buy a plastic product, and I try to minimize how much plastic material I use on a daily basis. The food that I buy is biodegradable and organic; as a devout vegetarian for almost 12 years, I care about animals' wellbeing and safety, so that they can maintain healthy lives. Also, I minimize food waste by buying products that I can use in full capacity. I rarely use the television or any electronics, and I conserve the battery on my phone by utilizing low power mode. Over the summer, I open windows or take a cold shower to reduce heat-related illness. For the winter season, I minimize the utilization of indoor heating because I like to stay cool when I sleep. The cleaning products that I use are biodegradable and all-natural. My liquid soap is organic and the bottle that it's contained in is reusable. Typically, I find the statistics on the internet for these methods so that I can achieve the best results. Once I attain my degree in Media Production, I hope by way of film directing, to advocate for the environment and hopefully influence a positive impact to save the planet. I think of Dr. Seuss's The Lorax everytime deforestation occurs. Whenever government's or landowners find it necessary to destroy forests for city development, I feel that the more people we educate on how important the protection of the environment is, the better the chance that we have in reversing the negative impacts that increased greenhouse gases and carbon emissions have in our atmosphere. Planting more trees is helpful, but people can do plenty more things to help save the environment. I try my best to reduce my carbon footprint on a daily basis, and I will continue to learn new methods in order to maintain a more sustainable lifestyle.

As a college student, it is important for me to manage my finances because college is expensive. From tuition to books and all of those extra fees, the costs add up pretty quickly. Living expenses such as necessities can also become expensive. However, I have a few methods that I use to help manage my finances. Over the years, I have saved money in a private savings account of mine, only to be used if absolutely necessary. This account allows initiative, incentive, and safety for myself to control my finances. I intend on growing this emergency fund for many more years to come. Secondly, as an anti-materialistic person, whenever I order things on the internet, I only order the necessities. I am also a minimalist, so my bedroom/workspace has the essentials: a television that I have had for a few years, a lamp, a desk, a basic chair, and a bed. Keeping the same furniture for years has allowed me to save a ton as compared to materialists. I also buy books in advance to provide me with the knowledge of the Media Production program. This gives me the general idea, and some of the specifics that I need in order to succeed in Media Production. Lastly, I try to find sales on anything that I purchase. Browser extensions, coupons, and any product I can find on sale helps me save hundreds of dollars per year. In particular, if you have a membership at a wholesales club, you can save a lot of money with bulk purchases (just make sure that it is a product that you use often). During holidays, a ton of things go on sale, so I make sure to keep tabs over the holidays on products that I need. For school, the one thing that gives me incentive to save is by applying to scholarships. The savings alone help, but I will greatly appreciate it if I won some scholarships since their funds can help relieve some of my college finances. I am a hardworking student who ensures success in all of the things that I pursue; I am incredibly focused with my passions. By way of film directing, I have aspirations to employ my creative visions into insightful cinematic landscapes in order to make the world a better place; striving for equal rights is a massive goal of mine. I hope to graduate college debt-free and any help would greatly be appreciated!

It was Halloween, 2012; the leaves on the ground were the Kardashians, and the residents who raked them became their plastic surgeons, pulling away at their natural beauties every which way but North. I wore a pirate costume, but today made me wish I was wearing a sleeping mask instead of an eye patch. Everything between the morning routine and the end of the school day was white noise because school for me was monotonous, mentally barring, and seldom cathartic. However, when gym class started, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, so I chased it like a fly. Today, in gym class, we were instructed to perform bean bag toss with cafeteria trays. Throughout the year, I would learn the full names of every teacher. In the physical wellness department, there existed three teachers, the lucky third wheel being misplaced in teaching health via playing 90s VHS tapes on an early 2000s television. In the gym, we third graders were to be taught by Mr. Lanky and Ms. Two-for-One. Chad Lanky was a thin man with glasses, who looked the part of a university professor. He seemed physically fit for the role, but for me, he did not fit the bill. Contrary to Chad was a hefty woman named Mariah Spunkalunka (a.k.a. Two-for-One). To sum her up in one sentence would be comparable to force-feeding a duck in France nonstop, and growing it into a 250-pound behemoth. You see, Mariah most days would wear clothing that barely covered her bare midriff, oftentimes with it being exposed, then immediately being shut down by her hands like faulty blinders. At Halloween, she wore a medium-sized Captain America costume. It was all mid-section and nothing superhero. After the teachers had instructed us, as we listened with "criss-cross" applesauce positions, they informed us to pick up the trays. As I picked mine up, I discovered a piece of spit. I showed it to some students for shock value. Ms. Spunkalunka came over in silence, picked up the tray, and told all of us to "Sit Down! Now!" Then, she proclaimed with her supposedly provocative shield, that one of us would respond to the words, "WHO DID THIS!" The angrier she became, the more happy meals she exposed. I was bored and began to chuckle at her skin showing, and the more I tried to peer at the ceiling to distract myself, the less restraint I had. Then..it happened. I burst into hysterics like a shaken-up can of soda. After having made the matter into a laughing stock of my own, Spunkalunka had choice words for me. She exclaimed, "Is this funny?! THIS IS NOT FUNNY! Now, who did this?!" While she did stand up, the jiggles in her movements were akin to jello. The light at the end of the tunnel emerged from a car, and I became a still-life deer, unprepared to be hit. I looked with my peripherals, and everyone dressed in their alter-egos stared at me. I was mortified. Had I become the class clown? No. But I did realize that if you are a superhero, try to find an appropriate size.

I think the most impactful way that we, as a society, can fight climate change is to inform people that the problem is an environmental issue rather than a political one. 121 years ago, when Teddy Roosevelt was president, he was able to find ways to protect the environment for future generations. His conservation efforts helped to preserve natural lands within our nation, and his impact can be seen today in our many forests, reserves, and game preserves. A few years later, in 1912, Edison created the electric-powered automobile, an invention that was seen as eco-friendly, but financially disastrous for the oil industry. In the present day, the debate as to whether our nation should switch to electric-powered vehicles has resurfaced. In 1977, Jimmy Carter became president. Throughout his term, he expressed his concern for the environment. Out of all his proposals, he strived most prominently for solar power implementations throughout our nation. Many people, liberals and conservatives alike, who watched Carter on the news had listened, but they could not implement such methods because the means to produce such energy would have been detrimental to oil companies. Now, as evidence for climate change has been compiled into large piles of scientific research, amassed over the past 20 years or so, there is a sense of urgency that people have, which could not be said 50+ years ago. We should start by adding solar panels to our houses. After making more subtle changes to our lifestyles in order to reduce our global footprint (reducing waste, planting trees et cetera), together as a society, we can get rid of gas-powered cars. People who specialize in the energy fields of oil and gas, have jobs within the automobile industry. The transition to electric-powered vehicles might be difficult for those specialized workers who work in the oil and gas industries, as this industry may eventually become obsolete. Consequently, many of them may lose their jobs. As a result of what can happen if we act too quickly for change, we may need to take longer measures, implementing electric-powered vehicles over a short, but reasonable amount of time. How I advocate for the protection of our environment is by spreading word of mouth, my beliefs on climate change. Actual change can happen, but as a society, it is shameful that we cannot get along on this issue. However, if we fight against oil companies, we can make the world a better place for future generations to appreciate. We must learn from our past so that we do not repeat the mistakes of our ancestors, and more importantly, our own. Recycle, get a battery-powered vehicle, add solar panels to your house, reduce your carbon footprint, and spread awareness to protect the environment by word of mouth!

Back in 1st grade, I had problems with walking, and every time I moved my legs, I felt pain. What made this worse was the fact that while I had to walk from destination to destination in school, students walked over me. One time at recess, I was trampled by a few students. After feeling a sense of embarrassment and self-consciousness due to my walking issues, it took about two years until my parents found the right physical therapist to diagnose my leg problems. Many specialists said that I had no problems with my legs, but they only checked out whether my bones had any imperfections and not my muscles. However, my parents found a physical therapist who properly diagnosed my leg condition. From there, I started therapy to correct my issues. For two years, I had gone to physical therapy and eventually gained enough strength in my legs to walk properly. It took hours upon hours of perseverance, hard work, determination, and endurance, but I managed to overcome my leg issue. As a result, I could walk from place to place in just about any location that I could think of. After accomplishing this, I learned that I could overcome most challenges, as long as I put my mind to them. On the side, I like to learn more about music theory (I know how to play some instruments such as the alto saxophone, piano, recorder, and clarinet) and I also play tennis. In the case that I have additional college funds from opportunities, I intend on attaining a minor in liberal arts. With writing also being a hobby of mine, a minor in liberal arts will ensure both a backup plan and a better understanding of how to implement my writing skills to my directorial vision. My backup plan is to write novels and become a journalist on the side. I love film, so a scholarship, if any, will help me communicate stories ranging from raising awareness to support equal rights (LGBTQIA+, minorities, and gender equality) to representing the underprivileged. This scholarship would relieve some of the costs of college so that I can focus on my career in film directing. The world can become a better place for humanity, and if I can further my education to pursue my career, I will try to show the world through film, how much of a better place it can become.

Our universe is a complex and rich object. What I find most interesting about the universe, as per the butterfly effect, is that the smallest changes will have a major influence on any object's behavior over time, even the universe itself. I believe that we, as humans, are the best-known contender to understand the universe. The human mind is complex, and I think that people who believe in meditative processes and how it relates to being in tune with the universe are onto something; I also think there is an extraordinary connection between human consciousness and the fine-tuning of our universe. We, as humans, are complex from how we live to the many nuances of our own consciousness. If you remember how I spoke about the butterfly effect, even moments later after I spoke of it, then there is something more to be said. If we can affect the trajectory of larger objects in the universe, can the same be said about larger objects affecting us? Considering my own philosophies, I believe that we influence the universe more than the universe influences us; without us, the Higgs-boson and the fine-structure constant would probably alter slightly enough to end our universe altogether. Like jello, as a symbol of our universe, if one piece, no matter how small, is missing, then over time, the whole piece of jello will collapse within itself to adjust to the missing space. But this is all nonsense, and what I say is conjectural mumbo jumbo similar to the likes of wildly invalidated conspiracy theories. Sure, the sun will probably die out in a billion years, explode into a supernova, and displace energy swapping the fabrics of space and time into what is known as a supermassive black hole, but if humankind does not live to tell the tale of humanity, both our existence and our legacies will end. Before we attempt to begin to understand how the universe works, we must first help sustain our places within our galaxy; starting with planet Earth (Third Rock from the Sun). As many of you know, in recent years, the environment has become a major concern. From greenhouse gases, political warfare, and the dying ozone layer, I think it is just for anyone to believe that we are in danger, and more importantly, our future and generations that follow will live a gloomy existence. Small change starts at home. As someone who aspires to be a film director, I can see that some people think the film industry and the way film is created is admirable, but nothing more. However, I would like to argue otherwise; Film is about the enlightenment, the influencer, and the way modern life works. My utmost priority is to communicate to the world how it can be a better place. If I ignore the environmental issue it would be ignorant and neglectful on my part, and of the audience, I intend to communicate its importance. We are the universe and thus, the universe should mean everything to us. If the world is being set ablaze, and we have the means to prevent it, why do some of us wait for the disaster? I guess some people still want to blame everything on the moon because of the change in tides and their belief in the myth of werewolves.

The internet overflows with information regarding almost everything that humanity has discovered; given that most of the internet is made by influencers and random content. Although that may seem like a good thing, one must be cautious about the validity of the information found on the Internet. When it comes down to informing oneself, especially in the financial regard, validity is of the utmost importance. Being financially literate means that one will know of, and hopefully make good decisions with their finances. I feel that the best way I will inform myself to become more financially literate is by learning through valid articles on official banking sites, or ones written by experts in the field. I recall from my primary school education, how to research, and the keys to finding legitimate websites and articles. Typically, there are signs to determine whether a thing is too good to be true, but it is best to find sites by way of their URLs. Any site ending in org or net are the sites that I use because for the most part, they are funded by organizations and our governments. As long as you research those groups who fund the website, and find clarity in the ways the organizations contribute to society and the certifications of the people on the sites informing the public, then it is totally up to you whether or not you want to use the sites. If you are having trouble finding information, what I like to sometimes do is use Wikipedia or other things of its like; this may be a turn-off for some, but trust me, I have valid reasons. Despite Wikipedia, and teachers' urge against it, each piece of valid information is usually followed by a footnote. The footnote will also be matched by an entry in the references section. By way of the references sections, after following the footnote, the reference will include the source (the URL). Then, after following the link, you can use the same process aforementioned to validate the credibility of the information. In conclusion, I feel that the best way to become more financially literate is to find valid information. Finances come with many nuances, so it is best that if you do not know something, take a class at a credible educational institute or meet up with a financial consultant. I want to be financially literate to help with college costs and any other expenses that I have in the future.

When I was a kid, my parents used to find me curious and mischievous. I had a sense of adventure like no other, and I often explored the limits of our world as if it were unlimited. So, in the present day, as I look back on one of my favorite Disney films, Spirited Away, I understand why the protagonist Chihiro has remained my favorite Disney character. Chihiro is a girl, whose family is moving to a new location. However, as Chihiro's father accidentally leads them to an abandoned amusement park found in a forest, Chihiro is led on a journey of self-discovery and understanding of the dangers that lurk in the world around her. As a kid, I was traumatized to witness the film's call to action, as Chihiro's parents, disillusioned by gluttony, are turned into pigs. Unlike my parents, who are grateful for what they have, this fear always lingered in the back of my mind. Like Chihiro, I was thunderstruck to adjust when my parents decided that we had to move to another state. Throughout the film, Chihiro brings with her a sort of carefulness to her confidence, as she faces the many dangers of working in a spirited world in order to save her parents. Although I was an adventurous kid, I sustained a couple of injuries, and luckily nothing more painful than a scratch to my head after falling and hitting my head against a sharp corner of a chair. In that regard, my drain of confidence influenced by a sharp edged world is another characteristic I share with Chihiro. As the film progressed, up until the end, Chihiro gained the confidence necessary to save her parents. In transition, moving to a new state, I had to find my voice. I was a quiet kid in school, and fortunately, as I grew older, I became sure-footed and confident. I think the characters who we grow up with, and make strong connections to tend to be our favorites. Chihiro is my favorite Disney character because she embodies many of the traits and characteristics that I had as a kid and still have as a young adult. Having selected my career choice of film directing, I am eagerly awaiting the very moment when my college journey begins. I am confident in my abilities and aspire to maintain a positive life enriched with excitement and joy!

As a prospective student who intends to take courses at my college over the winter break, I would be lying to tell you that I am not nervous at all. Although I performed well over the course of my high school education, the amount of stress school had caused, fazed me to the point where I took a gap year in order to process my experience. However, over my gap year, I regained my sense of confidence, and having selected my career field, I am eagerly awaiting the very moment when my college journey begins. My mental health is important to me because it helps me achieve a greater sense of confidence. While being quarantined over the pandemic, my life had become a still-image filled with monotony and claustrophobia. Despite my house consisting of a decent amount of living space, I had to endure my last two years of high school education in my bedroom. It was the only room in the house where I could use a speaker on Zoom, without having distractions around me that may have interrupted the school lectures and my train of thought. However, I found great relief when I learned how to meditate throughout the day. In high school, I wanted to secure a good academic record, so I took many difficult courses, all of which consumed the bulk of my time and attention. It was only when I meditated that I achieved stamina and focus in order to steel myself for the time-crunching process of all-nighters. Before the pandemic, despite being a vegetarian, I had retained a very sedentary lifestyle. In the high school cafeteria, I would not eat among my peers because I had an innate fear that they would poke fun at my eating habits. However, during the pandemic, being in the comforts of my home and family, I ate more of the vegetables, proteins and fruits that I would never have the guts to eat in person at my school district. The last thing that I have modified in my life in order to improve my overall mental health is going to the gym on a weekly basis. In high school, we never had recess, and the only exercise that I would receive was walking from one classroom to the next. Over the past year, I have frequented my local gym, and found pleasure in ensuring that I am physically and mentally well. Aside from all of these changes to my weekly routine, I think that I have experienced mental health improvements over the pandemic which will most definitely translate over to my college experience. I am excited for what my future holds, and I truly think college, being a more liberated type of approach to education as opposed to high school, will make for a challenging yet rewarding experience.

As a determined student who intends to start college over the winter, it surprises me that I have made the decision to resume my education. Although I performed well over the course of my high school education, the amount of stress school has caused, fazed me to the point where I took a gap year in order to process my experience. The pandemic was a difficult time for my family, as we have endured tragic loss and the fear of the unknown. However, during the last two years of my high school education, I had gained a new sense of determination and confidence, unlike that which I would have achieved in public prior to the pandemic. Over Zoom, I accumulated stress through technological dilemmas and the fact that I still had to show my face on the camera. However, I found great relief when I learned how to meditate throughout the day. In high school, I wanted to secure a good academic record, so I took many difficult courses, all of which consumed the bulk of my time and attention. It was only when I meditated that I achieved stamina and focus in order to steel myself for the time-crunching process of all-nighters. As a result, meditation has helped me to retain a sense of calmness in public, something that I had not experienced before. Before the pandemic, I had also retained a very sedentary lifestyle. In the high school cafeteria, I would not eat anything when among my peers because I had an innate fear that they would poke fun at my eating habits. However, during the pandemic, being in the comforts of my home and family, I ate more of the vegetables, proteins and fruits that I would never have the guts to eat in person at my school district. Recently, when I have dined at local establishments in public, my nerves have calmed down significantly. This in turn, has allowed me to eat the way that I please. The pandemic was a difficult time for both me and my family, but I learned to become a slightly more extroverted introvert. I am still the same person before the pandemic, both personality and quirk-wise, but in addition, I have regained my sense of confidence along with some routine adjustments in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With my journey, I have learned that sometimes a break is all you need to realize the value of education. Having selected my career choice of film directing, I am eagerly awaiting the very moment when my college journey begins. Figuratively, I will leave you with this final note, as if college were a personified kind of entity. I feel it necessary to show you my fiery spirit, so I hope this message provides you with a slice of my own persona. "Bring it on, College! You think you're a tough guy, whose purpose is to bring me down, but you'd be wrong to think so! I will conquer you like my fears! Non ducor, duco!"

Throughout my high school education, I prioritized the importance of taking risks. By doing this, I gathered understanding in regards to the careers that would best suit my interests. As a result of my learning style, I discovered film production to be my career choice. It is vital that I keep an open mindset when pursuing my career in film directing, as I see it as a key to getting ahead in the industry. This means that when I start college, I will endeavor to work hard and extend my knowledge into uncharted territory. Learning is an important aspect of my life because as a passion-driven student, I find that the more knowledge and qualifications a person has, the more opportunity they will receive. Along with being amply qualified, I also find furthering my education as a way to ensure security. In the 21st century, given the competitiveness of the job market, many have struggled to find opportunity due to having the absence of a professional degree. Financial security is a universal goal that all people desire. Considering my virtues, and my aspirations to make a mark in the film industry, I feel that it is important to further my education in order to secure a decent job. I believe and adhere to the philosophy that experience is life's best teacher. In my primary school experience, I will admit that I had focused more on education versus experience. Rather than join clubs or extracurriculars, I found myself striving for good grades among challenging coursework. When I started high school, I was unsure about my future and my career choice. However, I felt it necessary that I worked hard, so that I could earn a boost, and by way of my academic record, I would be able to transfer to most schools, despite at the time, having the lack of confidence in a career choice. I cared about my education then, because it meant that I would be higher in my standing amongst other applicants when I applied to colleges in the near future. And in the present day, I still hold education in high regard. Now, as I enter college, I am prepared to learn whatever is necessary to excel in film directing. In order to have a chance to graduate college debt-free, I would be beyond grateful for any opportunities I am able to receive such as grants and scholarships. I am here to become a leader in my field, and I live to conquer life, one learning experience at a time. Carpe diem!

As a prospective student who intends to take courses at my college over the winter break, I would be lying to tell you that I am not nervous at all. Although I performed well over the course of my high school education, the amount of stress school had caused, fazed me to the point where I took a gap year in order to process my experience. However, over my gap year, I regained my sense of confidence, and having selected my career field, I am eagerly awaiting the very moment when my college journey begins. The thing about college I am looking forward to the most is the change of atmosphere. While being quarantined over the pandemic, my life had become a still-image filled with monotony and claustrophobia. Despite my house consisting of a decent amount of living space, I had to endure my last two years of high school education in my bedroom. It was the only room in the house where I could use a speaker on Zoom, without having distractions around me that may have interrupted the school lectures and my train of thought. However, I found great relief when I learned how to meditate throughout the day. In high school, I wanted to secure a good academic record, so I took many difficult courses, all of which consumed the bulk of my time and attention. It was only when I meditated that I achieved stamina and focus in order for steel myself for the time-crunching process of all-nighters. Before the pandemic, despite being a vegetarian, I had retained a very sedentary lifestyle. In the high school cafeteria, I would not eat among my peers because I had an innate fear that they would poke fun at my eating habits. However, during the pandemic, being in the comforts of my home and family, I ate more of the vegetables, proteins and fruits that I would never have the guts to eat in person at my school district. The last thing that I have modified in my life in order to improve my overall health is going to the gym on a weekly basis. In high school, we never had recess, and the only exercise that I would receive was walking from one classroom to the next. Over the past year, I have frequented my local gym, and found pleasure in ensuring that I am physically well. Aside from all of these changes to my weekly routine, I think that I have experienced personal development over the pandemic which will most definitely translate over to my college experience. I am excited for what my future holds, and I truly think college, being a more liberated type of approach to education as opposed to high school, will make for a challenging yet rewarding experience.

Whenever I hear "generational wealth", I think of The Kardashians or any influencers who have reaped the profits of fame and fortune from their parents. To be honest, generational wealth has no significant value to me. In a hypothetical situation where my parents were to become billionaires one day, and offer to help with my finances, I would prefer to gracefully decline the money they have offered. I feel that accepting a life filled with personal milestones and independence holds greater value than that of losing both my sense of dignity and pride in my work. However, I do aspire a comfortable lifestyle for my future, one which I can appreciate for all the work I have put into it. In my pursuit of a decent income, I intend to earn degrees in various areas of the film production field. These qualifications will help me get ahead in the film industry, and potentially aid me in finding work. While I would like to understand the technical aspects of film (hence film production), my career-specific role is to become a film director working with primarily on low-budget projects in order to craft films ranging from experimental endeavors, to highlighting the issues that many underprivileged communities face in the world. From there, I hope to be discovered, and in the hypothetical case that I am, I will work smart contracts, lucrative sponsorships, and seek out opportunities to ensure financial stability with my accumulated wealth. When in the position of retirement, I would prefer a secluded life, away from the headaches caused by modern influencers. Modern day influencing is a system which often involves taking advantage of individualism and self worth. The unnecessary lowering of esteem, worship, and obsession that comes from influencer's audiences are the general reasons as to why the planning of my retirement will be crucial. I do not want to provoke nonsense; I want to advocate for independence and the idea that the lives led by every single one of us are meaningful in their own ways. At the start of my retirement, in the case that I have some extra wealth, I will directly send checks to orphanages, cancer patients, the homeless and many more groups in need. I will become an influencer in the sense that the profits I earn will be privately funded to the cases of my choice, and hopefully my donations will be of great value to those who need it. I do not need to exploit the situations for personal gain since every case will be kept secret; no videos, no audience, and most definitely, my anonymity. Helping our next generation to thrive is the goal behind my interpretation of generational wealth, and I think if I were to have children, I would also like them to adopt these principles. Generational wealth is about our future, and helping those in need, and feeling gratified when doing so without outside influence or ulterior motives; essentially as close as one can get to altruistic means.

When I was younger, my family and I had left New York due to the rising cost of living preceded by the Great Recession. As a homesick kid, I felt lost, and due to being placed into a brand new environment, I was slow to acclimate to much of this change. I had to adjust to a new home, make new friends and find common ground with my unknown surroundings. Many aspects from this environment lacked familiarity, which left me as a lonely and vulnerable soul. However, as my mind endlessly wandered, playing on repeat the memories that I made back in New York, this period of transition would allow me to make new ones. Some of the fondest memories of mine would be derived from the music that played on the radio in my parent's car. In particular, the one song that had such a profound connection to my experience was Supertramp's Goodbye Stranger. My father had grown fond of Supertramp because of the strong bond that he had with my late grandfather. The same relationship would be established with my father and I, whenever we listened to Supertramp and their greatest hits. While many people will remember Goodbye Stranger from that one episode of The Office, it has become one of those songs that I can both cry and relate to. The name Goodbye Stranger, and the song as a whole, embodied my entire experience of moving to a new state, and it beat a rhythm akin to the emotions which pulsated through my veins at the time. Without this song, a family tradition and the strength and confidence I gathered from it might not have occurred. I will be forever grateful for this song and the power it has had over my very being.

In the years before I had considered to pursue a degree in media production, I endured scrutiny and hate from some peers in my primary school experience. Back in New York, at three years of age, I was diagnosed with both a speech and an orthopedic delay. By five, I had made friends and felt right at home, right up until the suburb where my family and I lived became impractical for a living situation. Considering that my parent's tires were constantly being slashed, due to living in a crime ridden area, and with the rise in living expenses preceding the recession, my parents decided it was best that our family moved to another state. In transition, I had to adjust to new environments: a vintage house, a new school district, and all of the other things which beamed without the comforts of familiarity. However, the one constant that remained intact, up until that point in time, was my exposure to all kinds of cinema. By way of my parent's introducing my brother and I to the art of cinema, mostly at home on our television, but sometimes in theaters, I had witnessed the beauty of cinema. Throughout elementary school, I had to work hard. While other students of my class would discriminate against my difficulties, harassing me on a daily basis for trying to learn, I still had to stand tall, and raise the bar for my own sake; my values made it so that I preferred to ignore rather than acknowledge others who thrived on confrontation. For the remaining years up until high school, I made friends and gained a new sense of confidence. However, high school was a different story. While my highs came from teacher's praise, or achieving A's in most of my classes, I had always exhibited stiff mannerisms. Some students questioned my sexual orientation for how I behaved, even going so far as to assume I was gay. Consequentally, they would introduce me to boys who they deemed as my potential interests. I also experienced run-ins with some students who assumed that my preferable career choice was fashion designing; others called me f***** as they passed me by in the hall. It was only at this point in time, that every student who made my life a living hell became a living nuisance. Although I did consider, and still identify as queer, at the time I felt personally attacked by these few scoundrels; it made me feel pressured and worrisome whether they were to rumor to others what I had not discussed outside of the closet. I am glad to be done with high school. After taking a gap year, and considering all of the career choices that I have explored throughout my high school studies, I am prepared to start the required coursework for my program in the 2022 winter semester. I still identify as queer, but I will not let the opinions of others faze me from pursuing film. Once I pursue a degree in media production, I will see to it, to direct in my own vision, the many characters I faced in high school. Film feels like a natural choice for me, and thus, I want to become a film director because cinema has inspired me just as much as I want myself, among other visionaries in my field, to inspire the world. Some people had it worse than I did, so I want to at least express to them that they are not alone; we are human, and our individual identities should not be the things which elicit hate.

I love math for the ways in which it describes our universe. More specifically, I think it is most intriguing when based in certain kinds of dynamics or quantum theory. In particular, I appreciate the Navier-Stokes equations, PDEs which predict how a fluid behaves. Ever since their conception, these equations have provided forecasters estimates to which climate modeling and weather patterns can be accurately predicted to a point. However, the one issue that lies within the predictions is the fact that turbulence is not well-understood from a theoretical standpoint. In PNAS's September 2022 issue, a research paper published by a group of physicists at the Georgia Institute of Technology shows that they may have discovered a potential framework to understanding turbulence. Contrary to turbulence's heavy reliance on statistical predictions, the researchers may have found geometric patterns for a dynamical approach. Whether the researchers have found a successful route to understanding some underlying properties of turbulence is yet to be determined. Despite numerous efforts over the years in an attempt to understand turbulence, I think that any development like this deserves recognition for its ambition. In many ways, fluid dynamics are one of the most important thought experiments of our time. Firstly, an understanding of turbulence can save us from wasting large amounts of energy on extensive computer calculations which are required to solve the Navier-Stokes equations. Such a consequence from this would be a reduction of our carbon footprint, which would immensely improve our own environment. Another facet that arises from a possible understanding of turbulence lies within its potential to save lives. On a macroscopic scale, it has influence on climate and weather patterns, many of which have had devastating effects on our world due to their chaotic nature. In conjunction with understanding turbulence, we can adjust aerodynamic craft to work against our climate's adverse effects. Although it may seem that math is at times arduous or tedious, I gain an appreciation, as both an experimenter and an admirer, to the impact math has made on our society. Without math, our current society would never be the way it is. I think it is incredible that we have mathematical tools that might be capable of predicting the unpredictable. Perhaps what I have previously stated is an understatement, but that is because math is a beast of its own, best described by its witnesses.

I can say with certainty, that my favorite scientific discovery is quantum theory. Not only does it have a rich history, but its reconceptualization of physics has spurred revolutionary ideas which provide a groundbreaking framework for how we see reality. Years before quantum theory was recognized as a theory of value to the scientific community, classical theory dominated our world's collective consciousness on what equations and ideas were concrete to understanding the underlying phenomenons in our physical universe. However, on a molecular scale, classical physics failed, so when quantum theory was developed, its uncertainty shook the entire community. When our world thinks about quantum theory, the one person who typically comes to mind is Einstein, but with this mindset, we tend to exclude the collective effort in the development of the field. Although I would like to mention these people in a list, I do not think it as a necessary thing, since the recognition belongs to the collective effort. However, I know individually, each person involved deserves their own credit in its history. It is crazy to think that there are possibilities, yet unexplored, and scientists are still finding new implementations for quantum theory. This is what brings me to my main point. I believe that the most important thing regarding quantum theory is the fact that if at some point it fails, a new revolution in physics will follow. Einstein once said, "quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing." If this is true, in order to resolve such a dilemma, we do not need another Einstein, but we need innovators filled with inspiration and creativity that are willing to take massive leaps of faith in the field of physics.