Financial literacy is paramount to a successful future and, unfortunately, it is not a subject you learn in school. Sure, math classes teach you the basic skills needed to be able to handle many basic financial tasks, but there is so much more that people should know about money management and investment that can only be learned by those actively looking to know more. As I am just starting in this process, I can only attest to what I have done thus far and what my plans are for the future. I plan to own my own business one day, so taking accounting classes, among others, in school is going to be a great tool for my future. Fortunately for me, my parents have a wealth of information, but also made sure I was aware that they do not know everything. When I opened my first checking account, my parents sat me down to discuss basics, such as balancing my account, in a world where everything is done electronically. They also gave me some basic guidance on savings and investment and some of their experiences with the dangers of credit cards and credit usage. Having real-life stories of past pitfalls is very helpful, but I needed more information on how others have succeeded. My parents have also begun trying to explain interest rates to me, which I have calculated in my high school math classes but I never fully understood the practical application. I feel I have a better understanding now than I did before, but I still have a lot to learn. My parents sat down with a friend who has been very successful in life because he is financially sound and they asked this friend for guidance. He gave them guidance on the amount of income they should be living off of so the rest can be invested and what to do when savings reached certain levels for the smartest investments. While my parents have had to adapt their habits to apply the advice, they made sure that both my sister and I were given that advice from day one of money management in hopes that we will actually use the advice for our success. I can only speak for myself but, so far, I am following the advice and I plan to continue doing so. My mother tried to tell me about the importance of "credit mix" when it comes to credit usage, but her explanation was not very clear, so I have also recently researched what is a "credit mix" and how that affects your credit score. This is something I believe very few understand but should be taught at a very young age. This is also something that my parents admit they did not understand at my age and believe may have affected some of their decisions when they were younger, so I am already ahead of the game. I just have to be disciplined in my own choices and future, understanding that each choice has an impact on me not just now but for the foreseeable future. As for how I plan to educate others, all I can do is help those that ask for it, but I do not mean by funding the bad habits of others. If I am as successful as I hope to be, I will be glad to share the knowledge I have with others. When I have a family of my own, I will pass down my knowledge to my family and encourage them to seek outside information as well.

Financial literacy is paramount to a successful future and, unfortunately, it is not a subject you learn in school. Sure, math classes teach you the basic skills needed to be able to handle many basic financial tasks, but there is so much more that people should know about money management and investment that can only be learned by those actively looking to know more. As I am just starting in this process, I can only attest to what I have done thus far and what my plans are for the future. I plan to own my own business one day, so taking accounting classes, among others, in school is going to be a great tool for my future. Fortunately for me, my parents have a wealth of information, but also made sure I was aware that they do not know everything. When I opened my first checking account, my parents sat me down to discuss basics, such as balancing my account, in a world where everything is done electronically. They also gave me some basic guidance on savings and investment and some of their experiences with the dangers of credit cards and credit usage. Having real-life stories of past pitfalls is very helpful, but I needed more information on how others have succeeded. My parents have also begun trying to explain interest rates to me, which I have calculated in my high school math classes but I never fully understood the practical application. I feel I have a better understanding now than I did before, but I still have a lot to learn. My parents sat down with a friend who has been very successful in life because he is financially sound and they asked this friend for guidance. He gave them guidance on the amount of income they should be living off of so the rest can be invested and what to do when savings reached certain levels for the smartest investments. While my parents have had to adapt their habits to apply the advice, they made sure that both my sister and I were given that advice from day one of money management in hopes that we will actually use the advice for our success. I can only speak for myself but, so far, I am following the advice and I plan to continue doing so. My mother tried to tell me about the importance of "credit mix" when it comes to credit usage, but her explanation was not very clear, so I have also recently researched what is a "credit mix" and how that affects your credit score. This is something I believe very few actually understand but should be taught at a very young age. This is also something that my parents admit they did not understand at my age and believe may have affected some of their decisions when they were younger, so I am already ahead of the game. I just have to be disciplined in my own choices and future, understanding that each choice has an impact on me not just now but for the foreseeable future. As for how I plan to educate others, all I can do is help those that ask for it, but I do not mean by funding the bad habits of others. If I am as successful as I hope to be, I will be glad to share the knowledge I have with others. When I have a family of my own, I will pass down my knowledge to my family and encourage them to seek outside information as well.

This question has been a difficult one to answer because my father has been both a coach and an Administrator at the schools I have attended and, understandably has had the biggest impact on who I am and the lessons I have learned in life. But for this, I wanted to think beyond my family. The coach that I would say has had the biggest impact on me is Coach Kensey Allen. Coach Allen has always been there for me throughout my high school career. He is one of the kindest people I have ever known and he always looks for the positive in any situation, looks for individual strengths and is very encouraging, especially in the toughest times. Despite efforts to the contrary, Coach Allen has repeatedly shown he believes in me and has always supported me through everything. There was a lot of staff turnover in athletics throughout my high school years. I had to demonstrate my character and motivation to each new coach every year. Despite these efforts, it always seemed as though the coaches already had certain preconceptions about what they were looking for in their players and I was not fitting the image they had in their heads. This often led to me being overlooked frequently and, at times, pressured to quit. It was Coach Allen that would pick me up during times I was at my weakest and remind me what I bring to the table and encourage me to keep pushing through. When other coaches were yelling out of anger for results, Coach Allen would yell with positive encouragement. Many of us worked far harder for Coach Allen than any other coach as a result. Through his persistence, I have learned what I really can endure and that even my toughest challenges are only temporary. I have learned that if you want others to work hard for you, you must have their trust. To gain trust, you have to treat everyone with respect and compassion. I want to continue sharing his patient, encouraging nature in my future endeavors. I have been accepted to The Citadel where I plan to pursue a degree in Business and I plan to commission as a US Army officer upon graduation. Since I will be leading other groups of people, whether it be in the Army or business, I plan to gain the trust of my peers by following Coach Allen's guidance. Everyone needs encouragement at times. Everyone needs to be cheered on for motivation. You must first gain everyone's trust if you want others to follow your lead. Believing in everyone and learning your team to use each person's strengths for the benefit of the whole is very important.

For as long as I can remember, I've been the "weird kid". My peers call me that because I don't fall in line and follow everyone else. I'm not concerned about the parties or bonfires on the weekends. I'm respectful to everyone I meet. I run ahead to open the door for others and I don't mind standing there longer if necessary, regardless of gender, age, race/ethnicity, etc. To me, it's just courtesy. Yes or no ma'am/sir is natural in my vocabulary. I am the 18-year-old "kid" who still plays with Legos and is obsessed with Star Wars. I also love learning everything I can about History and engaging others in conversations about History. I'm a very social person who can find a friend in any room and I'm not afraid to be vulnerable when the time calls for it. I do not get easily embarrassed and I never quit anything, even when the odds are completely stacked against me. On a Friday night, you won't find me partying with everyone else my age. Instead, you're likely to either find me in the gym, at dinner with my family or helping someone who asked me to help them. I don't help anyone for the benefits I receive. That has burned me during my high school career, but I still wouldn't change what I do. I'm the one that helps anyone that asks if I am at all capable, even on very short notice, and I do not ask for anything in return. But I don't keep track of who I help and when. I just do. So when time came around for National Honor Society nominations or Service Academy applications, etc., I couldn't document my "volunteer" time because I don't have set days, hours and contact persons to validate what I have done. I just know personally what I have done and I continue to do. Because I cannot substantiate all my volunteer efforts, I was passed over for the NHS nomination and it hindered other efforts. While those things of course are disappointing, I just keep moving on doing what I always do. "Service before self" has always been the way I live my life and a large part of what made me choose the school I plan to attend. I have been accepted to The Citadel in Charleston, SC. It has one of the top business schools in the country and the top Army ROTC program in the country. For an out-of-state student, The Citadel is not cheap at all and my parents are constantly reminding me that I have to figure out how I'm going to fund it. Attending The Citadel will allow me to achieve my dreams of both serving as a U.S. Army officer and obtaining a top-tier education in Business. My plan after service is to operate a sustainable fishing charter company where I can combine the activity I love most with sharing that experience, and promoting and educating others in sustainability and conservation. I sincerely hope to be successful enough to be able to give back to the community I love and call home. Because the business plan is seasonal, I want to be able to give experiences during the season and, during the off-season, volunteer where my skills are best suited around the community. I want to be in a position to financially help when I physically cannot. While my business plan aspirations may change, that is the future I see currently after military service. I want a great foundation to build on for the future to make my dreams a reality.

For as long as I can remember, I have made it a personal goal to one day serve in the United States Army as an Officer. I now have had the privilege of being accepted into the top ROTC program in the country, The Citadel. My interest in attending a senior military college was sparked by my love for my country and my patriotic heritage. My interest in serving as an Officer in the US Army is driven by my love for leading individuals or groups to success. I come from a long line of soldiers who served in the US Army or US Army Air Corps. With such a strong military background, my parents have raised me with a "service before self" mindset and it is who I am. My desire to attend a senior military college has only grown stronger year after year, as I grow closer to graduation. My desire to serve as an Army Officer is even stronger, which is why I applied to The Citadel and I will join their Army ROTC program. Unfortunately, I do not attend a high school where junior ROTC is an option, nor is there any school district near me with one that I am aware of. If it were an option, I would definitely be a part of it. I believe I have the strength of character required to be a good leader. I strive to always challenge myself in all aspects by taking the most advanced classes available to me, pushing myself every day physically, and respecting all those around me regardless of differences. I also try to encourage others around me to do their best as well and I lead by example. I am very active in Varsity high school athletics. I was captain of our Varsity Powerlifting team my Junior year. I have earned the Scout Team award for Football for the past two years and I anticipate being awarded it again this year. I have always made every effort to show respect for everyone around me, no matter their age, gender, race, or any other factor that makes them different. I have always prided myself on being the one that anyone can turn to and count on, putting their full trust in me to get the job done. I am always willing to mentor and support those who seek my help. During football season, I had the opportunity to mentor an underclassman who went from being inexperienced and uninterested in the sport to developing a genuine love for what he does and what he has achieved through my guiding and pushing him to work harder to achieve greater success than he originally thought possible. Seeing him achieve his personal goal of a spot on the Varsity Football team as a freshman was wonderful for me to see and it brings me great personal satisfaction to have been part of his journey. I can rally a group to get results, I can pick up a friend, teammate or classmate who is just having a rough time at the moment and achieve positive results, and I always lead by example by always working as hard as a possibly can in everything I do and treating everyone as I want to be treated at all times. If anyone ever needs a hand, they know to call me. While I know I do not fit the requirement of participating in Junior ROTC, it is only because of lack of availability at my school and I hope you will still consider me. Thank you.

I am currently a High School Senior at Edna HS in Edna, Texas. Throughout my High School career, I have participated in junior varsity and varsity sports (football, track and powerlifting) while maintaining a challenging academic workload. I have an unweighted 3.8 GPA/weighted 4.5 GPA and I participate in UIL events in addition to my athletic commitments. I have been raised in a military family with a long line of family members, both male and female, serving in the U.S. Army. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to follow in their footsteps. With my upbringing, leading with compassion and empathy just comes naturally to me. I can rally a group to get results, I can pick up others who are just having a rough time at the moment and achieve positive results, and I always lead by example by always working as hard as a possibly can in everything I do and treating everyone as I want to be treated at all times. Aside from leadership, I also have a strong desire to one day own and operate a successful business of my own. I have applied and been accepted to The Citadel in Charleston, SC. It has one of the top business schools in the country, the Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business, and is the top Army ROTC program in the country. For an out-of-state student, The Citadel is not cheap and my parents are constantly reminding me that I have figure out how I'm going to fund it. Attending The Citadel will allow me to achieve my dreams of both service in the U.S. Army as an officer and obtaining a top-tier education in Business. I want a great foundation to build on for the future to make my dreams a reality.

I am currently a High School Senior at Edna High School in Edna, Texas, but I live in El Campo, Texas, commuting 60 miles round trip daily as Edna and El Campo are both small, rural Texas towns. I started school at Edna ISD in 6th grade when my father became employed by the school district and, at the time, we lived 90 miles from the school (one way). After my 6th grade year, my family moved to El Campo so that we were between my mother's job in Houston and my father in Edna at the time. Just before my Senior year, my father switched school districts and is now employed by El Campo ISD as an Assistant Principal at the Middle School but applied for me to remain at Edna for my Senior year, which is the reason for my commute. Throughout my High School career, I have participated in junior varsity and varsity sports (football, track and powerlifting) while maintaining a challenging academic workload. I have an unweighted 3.8 GPA/weighted 4.5 GPA and I participate in UIL events in addition to my athletic commitments. I have been raised in a military family with a long line of family members, both male and female, serving in the U.S. Army. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to follow in their footsteps. With my upbringing, leading with compassion and empathy just comes naturally to me. I can rally a group to get results, I can pick up a friend, teammate or classmate who is just having a rough time at the moment and achieve positive results, and I always lead by example by always working as hard as a possibly can in everything I do and treating everyone as I want to be treated at all times. If anyone ever needs a hand, they know to call me. Aside from the leadership part of me, I also have a strong desire to one day own and operate a successful business of my own. Admittedly, my current plan is to operate a sustainable fishing charter company where I can combine the activity I love most with sharing that experience with others and promoting and educating others in sustainability and conservation. I hope to be successful enough to perhaps branch out into other ventures and one day be able to give back to the community I love and call home. While my business plan aspirations may change, that is the future I see currently after military service. I have applied and been accepted to The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. It has one of the top business schools in the country, the Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business, and is the top Army ROTC program in the country. For an out-of-state student, The Citadel is not cheap at all and my parents are constantly reminding me that I have figure out how I'm going to fund it. Attending The Citadel will allow me to achieve my dreams of both service in the U.S. Army as an officer and obtaining a top-tier education in Business. I understand to have a successful business you must fully understand all the pieces that go in to it (marketing, budgeting, management, etc.) and I am focused and determined to do so. Anyone can start a business but not everyone can run a successful business. I want a great foundation to build on for the future to make my dreams a reality.