My academic journey and goals have led me to wanting to make an impact through studying and having a career in chemistry. During my time in college, I hope to have found and make a career in a field like agriculture, pharmaceuticals or another. In high school, I learned just how unique chemistry is and was able to apply skills in a class setting research project. Outside of school, I volunteered in many ways, leading me to discover my passion for serving the community and helping others. These things have led to me wanting to study chemistry in order to help progress science and therefore people as well. Chemistry is my favorite subject, and one of the times that best demonstrates my experience with it is when I completed a project. Specifically, our class group was given unknown elements which we had to identify based on their reactions with each other for a project. It was assigned as homework, and I was left with the task. I was confused and frustrated because it did not make any sense to me the following period, and was due the next day. I spent the next few periods trying different scenarios, reasoning reactions, ruling options out, and creating a chart for scenarios that worked. Eventually, I was left with answers I was confident and proud of, which were mostly correct. During this experience, I was frustrated, but I used problem solving skills, reasoning and background knowledge in order to complete this project. Challenges like this and the eventual growth I took from it is what I feel personally bonds me to the subject. Throughout high school, something motivating me to volunteer is helping serve my community in the different events that meant a lot to them. I’d try my best at completing tasks as I felt it was my responsibility to give back to the community. During shifts at CALM Zoo, my supervisor would thank and let her volunteers know how much their work meant. Another time was seeing just how much our club’s involvement in a Halloween event meant for the kids and staff. Volunteering made me realize my passion for serving my community. I am now eager to reach out and try and help more people, whether it would be farmers, colleagues, or patients through discoveries in the chemical sciences. Through my major in chemistry, I hope to network with professors, classmates and colleagues. I would do this by putting myself out there, being unafraid to meet new people and join programs that provide these kinds of opportunities. By succeeding in these things, I also set myself up for a stable career in chemistry. This would allow me to research topics that need researching, and to help colleagues with their own research. Doing these things would allow me to help people who rely on advancement in science, whether it would be health, agriculture, material or environmental.

During high school, I began volunteering for my Church and two different school organizations, National Honors Society and the Mexican American Resilient Club Association. Over the roughly 90 hours I have volunteered, it has become more important to me, soon becoming my passion and an opportunity for growth. In college, I hope to learn more about my major, chemistry, and find a field that I can start my career in. Through volunteering, I have learned and built skills that will help me with this goal. I also hope to join volunteer organizations as I enjoy serving my community as well. Firstly, I enjoy and hope to continue meeting new people. Throughout the events I volunteered for, I’ve met really nice people and students who I enjoyed getting to know. Some even go to the same school as myself, meaning I could talk with people I may have otherwise not. The attendants at some of these events are nice and oftentimes outgoing as well. Through volunteering, I’ve discovered how much socializing and connecting means to me. In college, this will help me connect with peers, professors and make me more motivated to complete my bachelor’s degree. I feel it also professionally and personally develops me. Most events were given through the clubs I was part of, where we had to sign up to attend. By signing up, I commit myself to go, meaning I am responsible for scheduling and preparing myself to show up to events on time as promised. Since I don’t currently have the time for a job, I feel volunteering is a good way for me to develop punctuality. Volunteering also teaches me responsibility. Many events require some kind of service to a large number of people, like ticket accepting, hospitality and directions. So I have to follow instructions from supervisors and commit myself to completing tasks as accurately and best I can. This skill I have developed will help me search and participate in labs, attend internships and complete a work study. I also enjoy serving the community in the different events that mean a lot to them. Some of my fondest memories of volunteering have been when supervisors and hosts demonstrate how much we helped run their events. During my volunteer shifts at CALM Zoo’s HolidayLights, my supervisor would always thank and let her volunteers know how much their work meant for the everyday event. Another time was for a school related Halloween event where we helped adult volunteers in passing out candy, and stamping cards. It felt nice to help host events that a lot of people were happy to be at and needed help running. In order to continue making an impact in my community, I volunteer to help run events in any way I can. I hope to do the same in college. In college, I hope to join a campus organization or honor society that emphasizes volunteering. Here, I would continue to serve my community and continue to make volunteering an important part of my college experience. Through volunteering, I have been able to step out of my comfort zone, attend events, meet new people and experience new things. By doing this early on, I hope to not be afraid to do the same thing in college and beyond.

As a first generation, minority student, I come from a disadvantaged background. My parents’ income is very limited, in addition to needing to provide for three children. Growing up in the summers, my brothers had to work with my parents in the fields, as we needed the extra money. We received benefits like Medicaid, free lunch programs and welfare. During these summers, I would stay home and clean up as I would be the only one home. A significant challenge I faced excluding finance was time management during the first semester of my junior year. I had enrolled in an evening trade class to open up to new opportunities, but had not realized how much time it would really take. I had to cram classwork into the rest of my week. I also reached for all A’s, pressuring me even more. This experience stressed me out, I worried that the workload was too much for me to handle. I was overwhelmed and focused on completing the next task, everyday of the week. Personal responsibilities outside of school on the weekends made me feel I couldn’t ever catch a break or relax anymore. I eventually learned how to manage my time. I worked as much as I could during my public speaking class, lunch and English class. I also worked on assignments I believed I could get the most done on, no matter the due date. For me, time was valuable and I couldn’t spend too much of it stuck on an assignment. I felt calendars weren’t an option because most assignments were assigned and due too quickly for me to keep adding them. Instead, I relied on assignments themselves, online or paper, reminding me. Personally, I balanced my health and schoolwork. If I had classwork but was already stressed, I would take time off or be with friends because I couldn’t focus or be productive, worsening my mood. I found support in a friend I made at my evening class, who was also a classmate at my high school. We would simply talk about our shared classes, workload, and time management troubles, helping me see this challenge as a normal issue, and not the end of the world. I feel my biggest challenge when transitioning will be adjusting to college life. Personally, I feel leaving my family and home would stress me out and take a long time to grow accustomed to. Though my experience with time-management was itself a toll on my health, through dedication and support, I got over it. I plan to do the same by joining clubs, making new friends and finding joy in my major in order to make the transition a lot easier. If I were to win the Julius Quentin Jackson Scholarship, I would be in a much better mental environment by not having to worry about money as much. Because of this, I could focus on my academics and extracurriculars. Both these things will ensure I can properly adjust to college life.

To me, success means being happy, content, and reaching my goals. My parents’ income is very limited, in addition to needing to provide for three children. Growing up in the summers, my brothers had to work with my parents in the fields, as we needed the extra money. I would stay home and clean up as I would be the only one home. Today, several of my goals would easier to achieve if I received the Helping Hand Fund. I would avoid burdening my parents with college costs, and would make the most of it with help from my family. I could also continue to mentor my brother and live an exciting college life. If I were to receive this scholarship, I would use it with any other financial aid to the best of my ability. My parents and older brother have learned to manage money wisely over the last two decades, so I would entrust them to help me make the most of it. Additionally, I wish for my parents to live as comfortably as they can, and for my younger brother to receive as much support from them. Since I will likely attend college in town, I would use the award to cover the rest of my tuition and costs. This means I could study with no worries about finances and be in a much healthier environment. My brother will enter his junior year of high school in August. This year, I’ve shown him clubs on campus, educational preparation programs and volunteer opportunities. I wish to continue to guide him further, in his college applications. By receiving this scholarship, I can worry less about money, allowing me to continue to mentor my brother during his college applications. If I did not need to worry about money, I could join and learn more about college and preparation programs, for not only myself but him as well. Since our family has limited experience in the college application, I feel it is especially important that I am able to teach him about transitioning and preparing. My time in high school has taught me that I enjoy socializing, experiencing new things and being a part of clubs and programs. Through programs, I’ve also learned career preparation and practiced soft skills. If I were to win this scholarship, I would not need to worry about money as much. Therefore, I could pursue these clubs and not only have fun, but network and prepare myself for a career in chemistry. As a future college student, winning the Helping Hand Fund would open opportunities for me to succeed in college, and to guide my brother during and after high school. I would not have to worry about burdening my parents with tuition or whether I have enough money to finish my degree. Winning this scholarship would allow me to pursue clubs, programs and volunteering, allowing me to make the most of my college life.

Jack Terry's story inspires me to try my hardest to overcome and grow from my hardships. A significant challenge I faced that demonstrates this drive was my time management during the first semester of my junior year. However, I had done several things to deal with it and ended up learning from the experience. I wish to make an impact with my major, as I had been able to do through volunteering. I had enrolled in an evening class to open up to new opportunities, but had not realized how much time it would really take. I had to cram classwork into the rest of my week. I also reached for all A’s, pressuring me even more. This experience stressed me out, I worried that the workload was too much for me to handle. I was overwhelmed and focused on completing the next task, everyday of the week. Personal responsibilities outside of school on the weekends made me feel I couldn’t ever catch a break or relax anymore. I eventually learned how to manage my time. I worked as much as I could during my public speaking class, lunch and English class. I also worked on assignments I believed I could get the most done on, no matter the due date. For me, time was valuable and I couldn’t spend too much of it stuck on an assignment. I felt calendars weren’t an option because most assignments were assigned and due too quickly for me to keep adding them. Instead, I relied on assignments themselves, online or paper, reminding me. Personally, I balanced my health and schoolwork. If I had classwork but was already stressed, I would take time off or be with friends because I couldn’t focus or be productive, worsening my mood. I found support in a friend I made at my evening class, who was also a classmate at my high school. We would simply talk about our shared classes, workload, and time management, helping me see this challenge as a normal issue, and not the end of the world. Throughout high school, something motivating me to volunteer is helping serve my community in the different events that meant a lot to them. I’d try my best at completing tasks as I felt it was my responsibility to give back to the community. During shifts at Calm Zoo, my supervisor would thank and let her volunteers know how much their work meant. Another time was seeing just how much our club’s involvement in a Halloween event meant for the kids and staff. Volunteering made me realize my passion for serving my community. I am now eager to reach out and try and help more people, whether it would be farmers, colleagues, or patients through discoveries in the chemical sciences. I view this experience as an opportunity for growth. Though this experience brought my mental state to a low, I feel it was important for me. I learned skills I think are really important like time-management and taking care of my health. The skills I have learned in high school will prepare me for the complexities of higher education and adult life. By succeeding in higher education, I could major and later begin a career in chemistry and help people who rely on scientific advancement.

I am a first generation California high school senior. Some of the things that matters most to me is being prepared for college and career, and being able to serve my community. I do this through taking advantage of preparation programs and volunteering. Financial security and allowing my parents to not be burdened with tuition is also important to me in higher education. I have joined several college preparation programs, and two school sponsored trade programs. Through these preparation programs, I had many aspects of my college application reviewed. Like my essays, financial aid, course history and much more. Because of the help and exposure to the college application, I did not fear it nearly as much as I had during my sophomore year. The two trade programs also gave me hands-on experience in two different industries. I practiced soft skills like teamwork, cooperation, punctuality and responsibility. Now, I have a strong resume and more options to choose for a work study. I value college and career preparation very much, so I had joined multiple programs to pursue both these things. I have volunteered in my community since my junior year of high school. I started by volunteering at my church, usually by cleaning it or helping with events. I have also helped with community events by joining two school volunteer organizations. We would volunteer to help run events around the community, in addition to cleaning our campus every Monday. Through these activities, I realized how important volunteering is for me. I found out I enjoy making an impact in my community, meeting new people and building work ethic. I plan to pursue volunteering in college through organizations and honors societies. Our family comes from a disadvantaged background. My parents make roughly $20,000-30,000 annually. Needing to support three kids, means there likely won’t be a lot of financial support my parents would be able to provide me for higher education. I have been putting in a lot of effort into preparing for college. So I’ve learned how important it is to use school resources to ensure I’m on track. I wish to gain financial security in college so I could focus on participating in educational programs and clubs to make the most of my experience. In my community, I’ve made an effort to prevent bullying by including people in various activities. Whether it be something simple like in conversation, playing board games or in volunteer work. By doing this, I hope to ensure no one is saddened by feeling left behind. Online, I ensured my friends knew not to talk to strangers or accounts. If they faced trouble from friends or classmates, I would offer any support they needed.