Humbleness. One of the most mentioned traits in the identity of a man yet so many individuals and Christians fail to exemplify it in a daily manner. I would include myself in that list of people and if anything, at the top of the list. Yet this is the trait that has shown itself repeatedly in literature, the Bible, classes, and even in my experiences within my years of education. Attending FSU for a year, the Lord quite literally saved my life by allowing me to be put in a position where I had to let go of the pride I had over my life and truly submit to the will of God. At that moment I realized that my life was not my own to live, as the only reason I can write this excerpt is due to His mercy and grace. While this is the pillar of my identity and can better give a narrative to my goals and plans, which only Christ can direct, books and films have truly impacted my personal goals and self-awareness as well. A beautiful book that has developed my faith which is a crucial part of my life is Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund. The passage focuses on the heart of Christ revealed in Matthew 11:28-30. The words "gentle and lowly" are broken down into different aspects that better represent the personality of Jesus as well YHWH the Father. As I read, I felt a better sense of the forgiveness and support He truly has for us as we walk in His will, and his understanding that we really won't get it perfectly right. Being able to conceptualize this makes living out our faith at a young age a lot more practical, as these are the years where a majority of our mistakes and lessons will happen in order to better prepare us for the future. While that was something my head knew, it didn't settle in my heart until I read and understood my savior more personally. On the other hand, the film aspect of impacting my life and goals come from secular movies that are nonetheless my all-time favorites. Good Will Hunting and Midnight in Paris are two remarkable films that have very useful perspectives and simply help to emotionally connect with the audience. A rather simplified synopsis would best explain Good Will Hunting as the understanding of our potential with the perspective of what truly matters in life in our day-to-day ambition. While Midnight in Paris helps us to better see that the present beauty of our reality largely outplays the illusions of a better past or future the moment you allow yourself to dwell in the moment. Therefore, after committing my life truly to Christ, the decisions of my career and education began to be formed more toward the purpose I believe He had for me. I can confidently say that Christ has given me the gift of speaking through the Holy Spirit and with that, I would like to be a teacher of the word as a bivocational pastor after getting my degree and possibly serving in the Air Force. As a result, I decided to become a double major undergraduate studying finance and communications. Each major focuses on a practical role that individuals in ministry need to have when it comes to knowledge in order to steward said ministry correctly. Finance would develop the skills to help direct the monetary focuses and communications would focus on the preaching and ability to better elaborate ideas.

Create strong connections. Friends that will help you and push you. @_dantoolit

Leadership is the "action of leading a group of people or an organization" according to the Oxford definition. However, I believe the values go much deeper than that and include but are not limited to decisiveness, empathy, and growth. In my personal life, I have been blessed to both see, learn and be a leader which has led me to the point I am now. As an incoming freshman at Florida State University, the experiences I've had have allowed me to adapt and grow in the college environment. Growing up in Miami and then moving to Broward, I was constantly exposed to different situations in different communities. As well, with a pastoral father, I was able to firsthand evaluate one of the many forms of leadership which include religion. This later allowed me to use the skills I saw from my father such as empathy and discernment in the positions I would hold in high school and my jobs. As Vice President of Finance in my DECA chapter at CGHS, I was able to work with my teacher as well as local businesses to build funds for the chapter while also working with students to enhance the experience of the members of the club. However, due to the amount of time I had spent at the club and the experiences I had under the previous leaders in the national conventions, I was able to express advice and tips to the younger members and motivate them to reach new heights. Working with youth taught me to be patient and adapt how you lead to the people you are trying to lead in order to be more effective and passionate. With all these experiences, however, the most important key to leadership I learned was that in order to lead, you have to first learn how t be led. Once a person is able to put others before themselves and allow each person to prevail in their skills specific to them, true leadership can blossom through the ability to listen and delegate. Looking toward the future, I cannot say for certain where or when I will lead at the level I hope to in an organization. But, I can say that the best way to get to that point is to be a leader in whatever position you get first. From serving tables to signing off contracts as a CEO, I believe that in the future I will I can be a leader by working any job I am at as if it is my passion and setting an example of discipline and hard work. A leader doesn't need a title in order to lead or even a position, in my opinion, anyone who is a true leader simply needs an opportunity.

An event that inspired definitely showed itself in my current senior year of high school. After attempting to make the varsity basketball team for my school 3 years in a row, I had lost hope and devoted my time to the gym and building my body instead. After 8 months of consistent work and lifestyle changes, I had put on 20 pounds and was in the best condition of my life. My friend was convinced me afterward to attempt one more time for the team and without any expectations or emotional baggage, I agreed and to my surprise made the team. Whether this had been to my new appearance or mentality is beyond me, but what meant the most is that I had accomplished something I promised myself years beforehand. Ever since then, the rest of the school year has been a practice of keeping the mentality of working hard with no expectation in order to see the fruits of what I focus on. This has proven useful in multiple areas of my life including but not limited to academically, through my job, and especially in the relations and connections, I create as I further my networking. I hope to never forget this moment of my life since to others it may seem so trivial, to myself it was a pivotal demonstration of what I can be capable of. More so, though it may seem unrelated I owe a lot of this to my father, who has been a mentor in my life and role model like no other. Since he grew up without one, I notice the effort he puts into me in order to be something he didn't have, and without any doubt, he has accomplished that. Whether it was picking me up after practice, motivating me to try something new, or simply being someone that could listen to my issues, my father has been vital to the confidence I know use to accomplish my goals. Through this scholarship, I hope to be able to see the reward of years of academic focus and attention alongside the mental and physical evolution that has shown the light in high school. My new goal in this journey is to accomplish an undergraduate degree with as little financial support from my parents in order for them to focus on their own necessities and enjoy their hopefully soon retirement. Regardless, thank you for considering me for this scholarship and giving me an opportunity.