There are people and events in our life that can help define one’s character and course for the future. I started out life in foster care; moving around to 9 different homes before I even hit kindergarten. I came from a dysfunctional family that often abused harmful substances while I lay asleep in a crib. I only have snippets of memory from that turbulent time in my life; living in different types of bunk beds, switching daycares, and birth visits at the county or the park. When I came to my forever home I had a list of labels attached to my name, a learning and speech IEP, and a few Spiderman toys. My mom and dad worked for years to give me all that I had lost. They knew how much I needed to be brought up to speed with the rest of my peers. I have been blessed to have someone in my life help shape me into a responsible adult. My dad, the one who adopted me when I was 5 ½ years old, has helped instill my devotion towards family, my strength during challenging circumstances, and my desire to build and make things better. My dad and I built my first bike together so I could improve my balance. He quit his job so that he could spend more time with me and my siblings. He came to every baseball game, swim meet, and awards assembly to support me in my goals. He created a better picture of family for me than I was given in my early years. In order to help me overcome the physical challenges I had come with, my parents enrolled me into a local swim team when I was only 7. Over the past decade I have become passionate about succeeding in the water, so much that I swim and play water polo at the University of Alabama. June 19, 2021 was like any other Saturday in summer; I was at a swim meet. My mom had taken me to the pool early, while my dad stayed home with my sister. I was busy warming up when my mom received the call. My dad was being raced to the emergency room after suffering a cardiac arrest. I wish I had been at home that day. I wish I could have helped him like he has always helped me. I didn’t even know what was going on until after I finished warming up. The other parents pulled me aside and told me; my teammates and I all held hands and prayed for my dad. I didn’t know then that that moment would strengthen me the way it did. My dad’s heart stopped 3 times that day. He lived in the ICU connected to tubes, IVs, and a ventilator for 27 days. Due to COVID restrictions, we weren’t allowed to see him. While my mother was by my dad’s bedside, I felt internal pressure to be the man of the house. I wanted to fill his shoes, but they were hard ones to fill. Being in-charge was difficult for me because I didn’t realize how much I had relied on my parents. During that first week, my brother and sister were experiencing anxiety about whether or not our dad was going to make it. I had to be brave and strong. The thought that my dad; the one who raised me as his own wouldn’t make it scared me. I couldn’t imagine going through my driver’s test, swim meets, graduation, going to the University of Alabama, or any part of life without him. Thankfully I didn’t have to go through that pain. Twenty-seven days after my dad fell, he came home. He was frail, needed help to do the simplest things, and had to remain on dialysis for a few months. Upon his return, I saw myself as more grown-up, more like him. I went from acting like a young child to becoming the man that my parents raised me to be. Two moments in my life, an adoption and a medical emergency, are part of my story. Both involve loss that have helped me to understand what is important. The loss of a birth family that could have given me what I needed. That summer I also lost the innocence of thinking that the people I loved would always be around. Both have given me the drive to fight for what I want. Even now, a sophomore at the University of Alabama studying political science, I look back and remember the dedication my dad gave to get me interested in the thought of college. My goal is to graduate and give back to not only the man who raised me right, but my entire community that helped me along my way.

I started out life in foster care; moving around to nine different homes before I even hit kindergarten. I came from a dysfunctional family that often abused harmful substances while I lay asleep in a crib. I only have snippets of memory from that turbulent time in my life; living in different types of bunk beds, switching daycares, and birth visits at the county or the park. When I came to my forever home, I had a list of labels attached to my name, a learning and speech IEP. My mom and dad worked for years to give me all that I had lost. They knew how much I needed to be brought up to speed with the rest of my peers. So to catch me up, my parents taught me how to read and solve on multiplication tables. From being the slowest person in the first grade, I had excelled to become the smartest person in my entire second grade class. My second grade teacher, Mrs. Komar even started sticking me into higher class material because I had become so proficient in the elementary math topics. Flash forward to high school, I was not the only student taking the high college level math courses, but I was the only one enjoying myself. My favorite math class that I took was AP Statistics. For our final project, we had to go out and survey a random portion of my school about their average phone usage. We would then calculate the mean of all of the students based on grades. Instead of doing math because I was forced to, I did math because I wanted to. Another plus about the AP Statistics class was learning about matrices. Matrices struck me because I use matrices on a daily basis. Entering my sophomore year at the University of Alabama and majoring in political science, I see matrices in every statistic that I use. I plan on being a political statistician. An important role in society that also sees math every day. I love math.

There are people in our life that can help define one’s character and course for the future. Even at the age of just seventeen, I have been blessed to have someone in my life help shape me into a responsible adult. My dad, the one who adopted me when I was 5 ½ has helped instill my devotion towards family, my strength during challenging circumstances, and my desire to build and make things better. I started out life in foster care; moving around to 9 different homes before I even hit kindergarten. I came from a dysfunctional family that often abused harmful substances while I lay asleep in a crib. I only have snippets of memory from that turbulent time in my life; living in different types of bunk beds, switching day-cares, and birth visits at the county or the park. When I came to my forever home I had a list of labels attached to my name, a learning and speech IEP, and a few Spider-man toys. My mom and dad worked for years to give me all that I had lost. They knew how much I needed to be brought up to speed with the rest of my peers. My dad and I built my first bike together so I could improve my balance. He quit his job when I entered middle school so that he could spend more time with me and my younger sister and brother. He came to every baseball game, swim meet, and awards assembly to support me in my goals. He created a better picture of family for me than I was given in my early years. In order to help me overcome the physical challenges I had come with, my parents enrolled me into a local swim team when I was only 7. Over the past decade I have become passionate about succeeding in the water, so much that I plan to swim in college. June 19, 2021 was like any other Saturday in summer; I was at a swim meet. My mom had taken me to the pool early, while my dad stayed home with my sister. I was busy warming up when my mom received the call. My dad was being raced to the emergency room after suffering a cardiac arrest. I wish I had been at home that day. I wish I could have helped him like he has always helped me.. I didn’t even know what was going on until after I finished warming up. The other parents pulled me aside and told me; my teammates and I all held hands and prayed for my dad. I didn’t know then that that moment would strengthen me the way it did. My dad’s heart stopped 3 times that day. He lived in the ICU connected to tubes, IVs, and a ventilator for 27 days. Due to COVID restrictions, we weren’t allowed to see him. While my mother was by my dad’s bedside, I felt internal pressure to be the man of the house. I wanted to fill his shoes, but they were hard ones to fill. Being in-charge was difficult for me because I didn’t realize how much I had relied on my parents. During that first week, my brother and sister were experiencing anxiety about whether or not our dad was going to make it. I had to be brave and strong. Just a few weeks before this incident, I had gotten my drivers permit. My dad and I were building my first car. He is an expert at so many trades, that it was fun to learn about how to put the car I was going to drive together. The thought that my dad; the one who raised me as his own wouldn’t make it scared me. I couldn’t imagine going through my driver’s test, swim meets, graduation, going to the University of Alabama, or any part of life without him. Thankfully I didn’t have to go through that pain. Twenty-seven days after my dad fell, he came home. He was frail, needed help to do the simplest things, and had to remain on dialysis for a few months. Upon his return, I saw myself as more grown-up, more like him. Two moments in my life, an adoption and a medical emergency, are part of my story. Both involve a man that I hope to be like one day. He always helps others, has many skills, and is dependable. He has helped define me and will pave the way for my successful future. Even now, a sophomore at the University of Alabama, am still grateful that he instilled responsibility and integrity in me. I would never have been able to even think about college without his help. I am studying political science with a goal to help influence our community to be better and excel.

When I watched the 2008 summer Olympics as a kid, I saw Michael Phelps win 8 gold medals. I remember jumping up and down on the coffee table cheering for his butterfly race and telling my mother that I wanted to be just like him. I didn’t know what it took for him to lead his Olympic team, but it inspired me. So, the following summer my mother enrolled me with our local swim team. I started out as the slowest person in my lane, but with a very confident attitude. I knew I could swim like that Olympian I saw on TV. Every summer I swam for our local recreation league, the Tigersharks. I formed friendships while learning a life-long sport. We became a family and as I got older, I was able to mentor the younger swimmers. Years have passed and I love the sport even more. I started reaching my goals of becoming the fastest once I started high school. Last year, I went to a Nor Cal section meet. This event humbled me as I swam against people who were even faster than me. As the captain of the team, I was a leader around the pool deck. I helped other swimmers succeed and helped them academically, so they were eligible to play. I may not be Olympic bound, but I know I want to help others reach their goals to become faster or stronger in the water. Since I am passionate about aquatics I decided to give back and become a certified lifeguard my junior year in high school. My goal was to serve at my local community pool where I had been swimming for years. On top of being a lifeguard, I was also a swim instructor for 4–6-year-old children. These lessons were with children that had limited water safety. The entire experience reminded me of my first few years learning to cross the pool. I started out as an intern and then got promoted to having my own group of “minnows”. I would work with a group of children and teach them how to blow bubbles underwater, float on their belly and back, and how to get out of the pool if they fell in. They looked up to me, just as I used to look up to my former coaches. This was a great opportunity for me because I learned the importance of safety, leadership, and making myself heard. Now, three years later I am still working summers at the Recreation Pool. I value the time I can lead other lifeguards, help save lives and teach the next generation. This past year I attended the University of Alabama. Although I did not use my lifeguard skills in college, I did join several clubs where I could volunteer my time. Over the past decade I have seen how some of my coaches have led our team to reach new heights. I have seen how they have inspired swimmers to do more than they thought possible. That is the type of leadership people need. I aspire to be the type of leader for my community that not only helps but motivates.

There are people in our life that can help define one’s character and course for the future. I have been blessed to have someone in my life help shape me into a responsible adult. My dad, the one who adopted me when I was 5 ½ has helped instill my devotion towards family, my strength during challenging circumstances, and my desire to build and make things better. I started out life in foster care; moving around to 9 different homes before I started kindergarten. I had a list of labels attached to my name with a learning and speech IEP. My parents worked for years to give me all that I had lost. My dad and I built my first bike together so I could improve my balance. He quit his job when I entered middle school so that he could spend more time with me and my siblings. He came to every sporting event and awards assembly to support me. He created a better picture of family for me than I was given in my early years. Over the past decade I have become passionate about swimming; so much that I am on the recreation swim team in college. In the summer of 2021 my mom had taken me to the pool early for a meet, while my dad stayed home with my sister getting ready for a trip we were about to take as a family. I was busy warming up when my mom received the call. My dad was being raced to the emergency room after suffering a cardiac arrest. I wish I had been at home that day. I didn’t even know what was going on until after I finished warming up. My dad’s heart stopped 3 times. He lived in the ICU connected to a ventilator for 27 days. Due to COVID restrictions, we weren’t allowed to see him. While my mother was by my dad’s bedside, I felt internal pressure to be the man of the house. I wanted to fill his shoes, but they were hard ones to fill. Being in-charge was difficult because I didn’t realize how much I had relied on my parents. I had to be brave and strong. Just a few weeks before, I had gotten my driver’s permit. We were building my first car. He is an expert at many trades, that it was fun to learn about the car I was going to drive. The thought that my dad; the one who raised me as his own wouldn’t make it scared me. I couldn’t imagine going through my driver’s test, graduation, going to the University of Alabama, or any part of life without him. Thankfully I didn’t have to go through that pain. Twenty-seven days after my dad fell, he came home. He was frail, needed help to do the simplest things, and remained on dialysis for a few months. Upon his return, I saw myself as more grown-up, more like him. He always helps others, has many skills, and is dependable. He has helped define me and will pave the way for my successful future. The best part of the story was his smile when he took me to college as a freshman. When things are hard in school, I call my dad. When something is great and I want to celebrate, I call my dad. He is the most influential person in my life. I cannot imagine life without him.

"We face many changes in our lives, both good and bad. College for me has truly been a life altering experience. From figuring out how to do laundry to finding a new church, I have changed so much since last August. I have learned the important skill of how to speak up for myself and how to be more confident while conversing with people on campus. The only way I could have experienced this was through the scholarships like this one. Albert Einstein once said, “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” On the long six hour plane ride from California to the Birmingham airport, I set a plan for myself to be the most liked person on campus and to be as successful as possible. My first semester, I felt the need to always outshine everyone else. In water polo, I was known for being a ball hog. In math class, I would always raise my hand to answer any question; even if I did not know the answer. However, I felt empty. One weekend, I was playing flag football and blew out a disk in my back. I could not move. I could not play water polo. I could not even go to class. I was suffering from depression because I would see all of my friends go out and do stuff and I would be in my room or throwing up in the toilet from school-work related stress. My parents were so far away that I didn't want to worry them, but everything seemed hopeless. My roommate's parents lived close, so he would leave every weekend. I would stay in my room and hide. I didn't have to go far for food as the dining hall was on the first floor, but there were times I just ate snacks so I didn't have to go anywhere. I slept until 1 or 2 in the afternoon almost every Saturday. Weeks passed and I was starting to slip in class. I don't know what event occurred that slowly started to bring me back. I just know that I needed something to change. My push for success and always being the most well-liked person in the room wasn’t doing my mind or my body any good. So, after I got chiropractic care for my blown disc, I started looking to where I could be an asset to those around me. I went from trying to outshine everyone else to recognizing where I could be of value to others. I felt the need to help those around me, instead of rising to the top for myself. If I only did everything for my gain, nobody else would respect me. I am so glad that I came to college because I would have never had such a drastic change without it. Through this journey of ups and downs, I also believe I have started to find my direction regarding academics. When I graduated high school I declared my major as metallurgical engineering. Yet after several classes, I realized that I was struggling to find meaning in my classes. I used to love school, but the science and math courses were draining me and I was starting to question whether college was for me. Last semester, I joined a Christian fraternity called BYX, Beta Upsilon Chi, here on campus. The purpose of the fraternity is to form a brotherhood of Christian men; we do not party, drink, do drugs, or sleep around. With the help from my other fraternity brothers keeping me in check and helping me to feel valued, I feel very supported. Know that am starting to see hope in my future I hope to be able to recognize when others are struggling with metal health. I had never experienced times of deep depression before. I hope that through this experience I will able to help others if they too are struggling. Even though it has been tough, I cannot imagine where I would be in life if I hadn’t come to the University of Alabama. It is the best decision I made after high school.

When I watched the 2008 Summer Olympics as a kid, I saw Michael Phelps win 8 gold medals. I remember jumping up and down on the coffee table cheering for his butterfly race and telling my mother that I wanted to be just like him. I didn’t know what it took for him to lead his Olympic team, but it inspired me. So, the following summer my mother enrolled me with our local swim team. I started as the slowest person in my lane but with a very confident attitude. I knew I could swim like that Olympian I saw on TV. Every summer I swam for our local recreation league, the Tigersharks. I formed friendships while learning a life-long sport. We became a family and as I got older I was able to mentor the younger swimmers. Years have passed and I love the sport even more. I started reaching my goal of becoming the fastest once I started high school. Last year, I went to a Nor Cal section meet. This event humbled me as I swam against people who were faster than me. As the captain of the team, I am a leader around the pool deck. I help other swimmers succeed and help them academically so they are eligible to play. I may not be Olympic-bound yet, but I know I want to help others reach their goals to become faster or stronger in the water. Since I am passionate about aquatics I decided to give back and become a certified lifeguard last summer. My goal was to serve at my local community pool where I had been swimming for years. I had many roles on the pool deck. I was a lifeguard for both swim lessons and the open pool afternoons. During this role, I would switch with other lifeguards to maintain the safety of the guests. I was also in charge of setting up and cleaning up the pool afterward. On top of being a lifeguard, I was also a swim instructor for 4-6 year olds. These lessons were with children who had limited water safety. The entire experience reminded me of my first few years learning to cross the pool. I started as an intern and then got promoted to having my group of “minnows”. I would work with a group of children and teach them how to blow bubbles underwater, float on their belly and back, and get out of the pool if they fell in. They looked up to me, just as I used to look up to my former coaches. This was a great opportunity for me because I learned the importance of safety, leadership, and making myself heard. The famous author, John Maxwell, once said, “A leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Over the years I have valued the time I was able to lead my swim team, help save lives and teach the next generation. I am now a freshman at the University of Alabama. I wanted to be able to experience the entire college life, so I chose to participate in the college's recreation team for water polo this past fall. It was an amazing opportunity to swim against other athletes from all over the country. I plan to join the spring swim team as well. Over the years, I have seen how coaches have inspired swimmers to do more than they thought possible. That is the type of leadership people need. I aspire to be the type of leader for my community that not only helps others but motivates them.

I started out life in foster care and lived in 9 different homes before my parents adopted me in 2010. I had to work hard to overcome speech impairments and physical deficits. To help bring me up to speed with my peers, I joined a swim team when I was 7 years old. For over a decade I have been part of an aquatics team. When I entered high school as a freshman I joined their team and excelled in every stroke I entered. After COVID restrictions lifted I joined the water polo team too. I quickly became the co-captain as a junior and a captain as a senior. I loved being a part of the team and helping others get better. Over the past few years, I have worked as a volunteer camp counselor at Sierra Mountain Music Camp and volunteer lifeguard for the camp pool. This allowed me to work with junior highers and staff to make the campers' week fun and fulfilling. I have also volunteered as a youth leader at my church Sunrise Community Church. There I was able to use my skills in leadership to work during Sunday school and our week-long church camp. In August I joined a Christian fraternity called Beta Upsilon Chi. BYX is a lifelong brotherhood of committed Christian men seeking the bonds of brotherhood and unity in Christ through the avenue of social fraternity on a college campus. We volunteer, help the community, and fellowship together. In high school and during these first few months in college, I have worked hard to make a difference in my community. My mom is a teacher and she taught me a lot about how to see what others need and how to be more helpful. I want to make a difference in my community by helping others succeed in what gifts they have to offer. I am a good teammate, leader and innovator. I am blessed to be at the University of Alabama this year. I worked hard all last year to scholarship my tuition, room and board costs to get here. I know this is the place I am supposed to be, but with a single-income family, I need to work hard to finance the other three years. This scholarship will allow me to continue my degree in metallurgical engineering at the University of Alabama. It will give me the opportunity to grow into a strong and confident community member.

I want to make a difference in the society we live in. I know that any role a person takes in their life, they have a unique expectation to make the world a better place. Over the past 4 years I have worked hard at preparing myself for college. Over the past four years, I have loved my high school economics class, AP language class, AP Statistics, and all of my science classes. They have challenged me and made me love learning. Now as a recent graduate, I am committed to attending the University of Alabama and receiving a 4-year degree. I plan to enter the field of metallurgical engineering so that I can help communities succeed in areas that are lacking. Our world that we live in often lacks people with a commitment to help make this planet a greener and safer place. In my community, I see so much waste and disregard for glutinous consumption. I grew up in a family that brings our bags to the grocery store, frequently rides our bikes to work and school, and refuses to buy products with excessive packaging. It is part of my everyday life to pack my lunch in reusable sandwich bags, reduce the use of electricity at home, and eliminate unnecessary purchases. My goal is to attend the University of Alabama and major in metallurgical engineering. Reducing energy consumption would help make the world more livable because we have limited resources. Conserving natural resources is a necessity because it allows all living things to benefit now and in the future. When I major in metallurgical engineering in college, I am going to help find and develop sustainable materials so that we are using what we have, rather than producing unnecessary products. Historically discarded pieces from metallurgical plants have been found to release toxic elements and create a hazard to the environment and human health. Also, with the increase of electric cars, there is a need to figure out how to recycle nickel and cobalt from the increase in batteries. I want to be a part of the group that changes the norm and sees this waste as a potential resource. This would reduce the environmental impact and create a more sustainable planet. I want a healthy place for my children and grandchildren to grow up in. I am not satisfied with current practices and am committed to making a difference.

I want to make a difference in the society we live in. I know that any role a person takes in their life, they have a unique expectation to make the world a better place. I was adopted through foster care when I was 5 ½ years old. My parents saw the speech and physical challenges I had from coming from 9 different homes. To help me catch up to my peers, they put me in the local swim team to help with coordination and balance. For over a decade I have been part of an aquatics team, both in my community and at my school. I love being a part of the team and helping others get better. I have been voted MVP for the league for the past 2 years and will represent Casa at Sac-Juaquin Sections this May. Casa Roble Aquatics has taught me so much more than just how to swim the butterfly or freestyle. It has taught me that no matter where you start from, determination, hard work and being part of a team are really what is most important. Over the past 4 years, I have worked hard at preparing myself for college. I have loved my educational career at Casa Roble High School. I enjoyed my high school academic classes as well as several clubs on campus, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Chess Club, and LINK Leaders. They have challenged me and made me love learning. I was part of an AVID family that helped make my dream of attending a 4-year college a reality. The past four years have helped form me into the person I am today. Through community service opportunities like helping at the Orangevale Food Bank and being a recreation and camp volunteer lifeguard, I have seen how my role in the community can make a difference. As a senior in high school, I am committed to attending the University of Alabama and receiving a 4-year degree. My dad's family lives in the South and I have always loved the area. When I visited the college this past January I knew that it was where I wanted to go. I am even enrolled in their Early College classes right now. I plan to graduate and enter the field of metallurgical engineering so that I can help communities succeed in areas that are lacking. I am going to help find and develop sustainable materials so that we are using what we have, rather than producing unnecessary products. I see so much waste and glutinous consumption among my generation. It is all about having the next best thing. This kind of behavior not only is bad for the planet, but also creates poor mental health. I want to be a part of a group that changes the norm. No matter what path I take, I know that I can and will make a difference in society. I am a good teammate, leader, and innovator. The University of Alabama, and this scholarship, will help me reach all of my goals.

Many things in life set us apart, often feeling like a burden that we have to bear. However, these so-called burdens are what makes each of us unique. I started out life in foster care; moving around to 9 different homes before I even hit kindergarten. I came from a dysfunctional family that often abused harmful substances while I lay asleep in my crib. I only have snippets of memory from that turbulent time in my life; living in different types of bunk beds, switching daycares, and birth visits at the county or the park. When I came to my adopted home I had a list of labels attached to my name, a learning and speech IEP, and a few Spiderman toys. My mom and dad worked for years to give me all that I had lost. They knew how much I needed to be brought up to speed with the rest of my peers. To help me overcome the physical challenges I had come with, my parents enrolled me into a local swim team when I was only 7. Over the past decade, I have become passionate about succeeding in the water, so much so that I plan to swim in college. The famous American basketball coach, John Wooden, once said, “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” Aquatic sports have been an important part of not only keeping a strong mentality in high school, but it has also taught me the importance of each unique athlete that makes up a team. As the captain of the team, I am a leader around the pool deck. I help other swimmers succeed and help them academically so they are eligible to play. For me, the responsibility, strength, motivation and grit that I use on the pool deck is the same that I put into everything else in life. Last spring I took a week-long training course to become a lifeguard and kid’s swim instructor. I then used those skills to become a volunteer lifeguard for a summer camp. It was an amazing opportunity to give back to the aquatics community. I not only kept children safe but also taught them how to swim. The experience reminded me of my first few years in the pool. Swimming; the coaches, the sport, and my team; have given me so much that I plan to continue to give back. I want other children, no matter where they come from, to have the success that I had growing up. I have a very different background that some might think is a burden. But to me, I think being different simply means that I have something unique to offer the world.

There are moments in life that can define one’s character and course for the future. The first time for me was when I was adopted through foster care. The other was when my dad was rushed to the emergency room after a cardiac arrest. Both helped instill my devotion towards family, my strength during challenging circumstances, and my faith in God. I started life in foster care; moving around to 9 different homes before I started kindergarten. I came from a dysfunctional family that often abused harmful substances while I slept in a crib. I only have snippets of memory from that turbulent time in my life…living in different types of bunk beds, switching daycares, and birth visits at the park. When I came to my forever home I had a list of labels, a learning and speech IEP, and a few Spiderman toys. My mom and dad worked for years to give me all that I had lost. My mom is a teacher and spent summers bringing me up to grade level and helping me with all of my gross motor deficits. My dad quit his job to stay at home with me and my 2 newly adopted siblings. Adoption day changed the course of my life for the best. To help me overcome the physical challenges I had, I started a swim team when I was 7. Over the years, I have become passionate about succeeding in the water, so much so that I plan to swim in college. Last summer my mom had taken me to the pool early for a meet, while my dad stayed home with my sister. I was warming up when my mom received the call. My dad was being raced to the ER after suffering a cardiac arrest. I wish I had been at home that day. I didn’t even know what was going on until the other parents pulled me aside and told me. I didn’t know then that that moment would strengthen me the way it did. My dad lived in the ICU connected to tubes, IVs, and a ventilator for a month. Due to COVID restrictions, we weren’t allowed to see him. While my mother was by his bedside, I felt internal pressure to be the man of the house. Being in charge was difficult for me because I didn’t realize how much I had relied on my parents. That summer I matured more than I could have ever imagined. During that summer, my brother and sister were experiencing anxiety about whether or not our dad was going to make it. I remember praying with them over and over. I felt like it was my duty as an older brother to comfort their sorrow. I had to be brave and strong. Just a few weeks before this incident, I had gotten my driver's permit. My dad and I were building my first car. The thought that my dad; the one who raised me as his own wouldn’t make it scared me. I couldn’t imagine going through graduation, college, or any part of life without him. Thankfully I didn’t have to go through that pain. Twenty-seven days after my dad fell, he came home. He was frail, needed help to do the simplest things, and had to remain on dialysis for a few months. Upon his return, I saw myself as more grown-up. Two moments in my life, an adoption and a medical emergency are part of my story. These have helped define me and will pave the way for my successful future.

There are moments in life that can define one’s character and course for the future. Even at the age of just 17, I've been blessed to have experienced it twice. The first was when I was adopted through foster care by my mom and dad. The other was when my dad was rushed to the emergency room after a cardiac arrest. Both helped instill my devotion towards family, my strength during challenging circumstances, and my faith in God. I started life in foster care; moving around to 9 different homes before I even hit kindergarten. I came from a dysfunctional family that often abused harmful substances while I lay asleep in a crib. When I came to my forever home I had a list of labels attached to my name, a learning and speech IEP, and a few Spiderman toys. My mom is a teacher and spent summers bringing me up to grade level and helping me with all of my gross motor deficits. In 6th grade, my dad quit his job to stay at home with me and my 2 newly adopted siblings. Adoption day was more than just a date for me. It is the day the course of my life changed for the best. My parents’ example created a better picture of family for me than I was given in my early years. To help me overcome the physical challenges I had, I started a swim team. Over the past decade, I have become passionate about succeeding in the water, so much so that I plan to swim in college. So, last summer was like any other; I was at a swim meet. My mom and I were at the pool early, while my dad stayed home with my sister. I was busy warming up when my mom received the call. My dad was being raced to the emergency room after suffering a cardiac arrest. I wish I had been at home that day. I didn’t even know what was going on until after I finished warming up. My team pulled me aside and told me; we all held hands and prayed for my dad. I didn’t know then that that moment would strengthen me the way it did. My dad’s heart stopped 3 times that day. He lived in ICU connected to tubes and a ventilator for 27 days. We weren’t allowed to see him, so while my mother was there, I felt internal pressure to be the man of the house. Being in charge was difficult for me because I didn’t realize how much I relied on my parents. That summer I matured more than ever. During that first week, my brother and sister were experiencing anxiety about whether our dad was going to make it. With my mother in the hospital, I felt like it was my duty as an older brother to comfort my siblings' sorrow. I had to be brave and strong. For me, family is more than a bloodline. I have been surrounded by people who love me and support me. My life experiences are what formed me. I wouldn't be as strong of a swimmer, ready to tackle a college swim team if I hadn't had to work so hard as a kid. I wouldn't be driven to reach my goals if I hadn't been inspired by my adoptive parents and coaches. I plan to major in business and metallurgy at the University of Alabama because I was taught that I could do anything I put my mind to. Even in the biggest storms, I can come out strong.

There are moments in life that can define one’s character and course for the future. Even at the age of just 17, I've been blessed to have experienced it twice. The first was when I was adopted through foster care by my mom and dad. The other when my dad was rushed to the emergency room after a cardiac arrest. Both helped instill my devotion towards family, my strength during challenging circumstances, and my faith in God. I started out life in foster care; moving around to 9 different homes before I even hit kindergarten. I came from a dysfunctional family that often abused harmful substances while I lay asleep in a crib. When I came to my forever home I had a list of labels attached to my name, a learning and speech IEP, and a few Spiderman toys. My mom is a teacher and spent summers bringing me up to grade level and helping me with all of my gross motor deficits. In 6th grade my dad quit his job to stay at home with me and my 2 newly adopted siblings. Adoption day was more than just a date for me. It is the day the course of my life changed for the best. My parents’ example created a better picture of family for me than I was given in my early years. In order to help me overcome the physical challenges I had, I started a swim team. Over the past decade I have become passionate about succeeding in the water, so much that I plan to swim in college. So, last summer was like any other; I was at a swim meet. My mom and I were at the pool early, while my dad stayed home with my sister. I was busy warming up when my mom received the call. My dad was being raced to the emergency room after suffering a cardiac arrest. I wish I had been at home that day. I didn’t even know what was going on until after I finished warming up. My team pulled me aside and told me; we all held hands and prayed for my dad. I didn’t know then that that moment would strengthen me the way it did. My dad’s heart stopped 3 times that day. He lived in the ICU connected to tubes and a ventilator for 27 days. We weren’t allowed to see him, so while my mother was by his bedside, I felt internal pressure to be the man of the house. Being in-charge was difficult for me because I didn’t realize how much I relied on my parents. That summer I matured more than ever. During that first week, my brother and sister were experiencing anxiety about whether our dad was going to make it. With my mother in the hospital, I felt like it was my duty as an older brother to comfort my siblings' sorrow. I had to be brave and strong. Just a few weeks before this incident, I had gotten my driver's permit. My dad and I were building my first car. The thought that my dad; the one who raised me as his own wouldn’t make it scared me. I couldn’t imagine going through my driver’s test, swim meets, graduation, going to the University of Alabama without him. Thankfully I didn’t have to go through that pain. 27 days after my dad fell, he came home. Two moments in my life, an adoption and a medical emergency, are part of my story. These have helped define me and will pave the way for my successful future.