As I slowly press down on the power button, I hear a *beep* followed by a cacophony of fans beginning their revolutions and each electrical watt of power working on its assigned job. I can still hear the sound my brother's computer made the first time I used it. The bright screen caught my attention, sparking a rushing revelation and an unbreakable bond. I was often obsessed over how much technology was around us. I noticed it when my mother drove me to school in her 2004 expedition every morning. From the engine roaring to life to the windows going up and down on my command, I felt the amount of control I had over technology. This control intrigued me, as I frequently asked, “Why can’t I feel like this constantly?” I went through every day realizing I couldn’t control much. I couldn’t control the low amount of food we had for dinner. I couldn’t control the past, good or bad. I couldn’t control the sailing ship of emotions within me as I searched for a path. Every second spent on my computer, whether it was a game of Tetris or research for history homework, filled my life with euphoria and control which I always lacked. I had become the captain of my ship with a limitless path ahead of me. I strive to replicate the invigoration and sense of possibility I first felt by furthering technological development while inspiring others to find their true passion.

"Hey, how have you been?". Although this question may be straightforward, it can have a considerable personal impact when communicating with people. During the first year of high school, I found myself breaking out of the antisocial shell that held me captive by engaging in conversations with my peers. Struggling my entire life talking to people, I would often search for ways to communicate with little success. After heading into my sophomore year, I had found the perfect conversation starter through trial and error. Try, "Hey, how have you been?". Our school was underpopulated, so remembering faces was easy while walking the halls. My goal each period was to ask at least one person how they have been, whether I knew them or not. I found myself in daily conversations with people I had never met before, always seeing a smile on their faces the next time we crossed paths. During every conversation, I made sure to articulate myself. I would keep eye contact and speak as if I had known them my entire life by using slang accustomed to our neighborhood to get rid of any anxiety and conversating while genuinely caring about what they were saying. This simple method was effective as those same people would often greet and be more friendly with everyone, which inherently doubled my actions. Using such a fluent conversation starter throughout my day while engaging in simple conversation, I helped our school become more than just a community by becoming a family. Building new connections and relationships that would impact lives forever. Bettering my community in such a way has allowed me and others to take advantage by offering support or help when in need.

As I slowly press down on the power button, I hear a *beep* followed by a cacophony of fans beginning their revolutions and each electrical watt of power working on its assigned job. I can still hear the sound my brother's computer made the first time I used it. The bright screen caught my attention, sparking a rushing revelation and an unbreakable bond. I was often obsessed over how much technology was around us. I noticed it when my mother drove me to school in her 2004 expedition every morning. From the engine roaring to life to the windows going up and down on my command, I felt the amount of control I had over technology. This control intrigued me, as I frequently asked, “Why can’t I feel like this constantly?” I went through every day realizing I couldn’t control much. I couldn’t control the low amount of food we had for dinner. I couldn’t control the past, good or bad. I couldn’t control the sailing ship of emotions within me as I searched for a path. Every second spent on my computer, whether it was a game of Tetris or research for history homework, filled my life with euphoria and control which I always lacked. I had become the captain of my ship with a limitless path ahead of me. I strive to replicate the invigoration and sense of possibility I first felt by furthering technological development while inspiring others to find their true passion.

One personal finance lesson I find important is taking every single dollar into consideration when spending money. Whether you have hundreds of thousands of dollars or not, each dollar is important. I find this the most important due to the fact we can't have great things without having bad, or okay things at first. Such things like creating a building from the ground up, creating a business, city, house, etc. Our family's current household income is around $19,000 a year. Going into my freshman year at university, I was granted financial aid for the first time. I plan to use this money to the upmost efficiency in order to help achieve my dreams and inspire the future generation.

"Hey, how have you been?". Although this question may be straightforward, it can have a considerable personal impact when communicating with people. During the first year of high school, I found myself breaking out of the antisocial shell that held me captive by engaging in conversations with my peers. Struggling my entire life talking to people, I would often search for ways to communicate with little success. After heading into my sophomore year, I had found the perfect conversation starter through trial and error. Try, "Hey, how have you been?". Our school was underpopulated, so remembering faces was easy while walking the halls. My goal each period was to ask at least one person how they have been, whether I knew them or not. I found myself in daily conversations with people I had never met before, always seeing a smile on their faces the next time we crossed paths. I would keep eye contact and speak as if I had known them my entire life by using slang accustomed to our neighborhood to get rid of any anxiety and conversating while genuinely caring about what they were saying. Using such a fluent conversation starter while engaging in simple conversation, I helped our school become more than a community by becoming a family. Signs of shy students now being talkative, fewer walking faced down now engaging in conversation, building new relationships that would impact lives forever. Bettering my community in such a way has allowed me and others to take advantage by offering support or help when in need. Looking back, I may not have had the opportunity to give back in more traditional ways, but I can confidently say I made a positive impact on my community by using just one simple sentence. "Hey, how have you been?".

I believe the captivating gears that work within successful engineers lie within the roots of their beginnings. Growing up in East Los Angeles has built my character and cooperation. In my neighborhood, we did anything we could to get by. From purchasing ninety-nine-cent store meat to attending food banks. In addition, we occasionally borrowed rolls of toilet paper from neighbors until we had more as if we were family. This taught me the meaning of collaboration and fellowship within a community. My association in high school would translate into flexibility. Every day I shuffled between multiple clubs, three-hour football practices, supervising my disabled mother, finishing my school work, and helping others with their work. Instead of sending over the work and letting my peers copy it, I made sure they understood the lesson by thoroughly teaching them, even if it interfered with my work time. I didn't let stress consume me, as I could manage workload and schedule accordingly. My motivation for success lies within my mother and my background. What sets me apart isn't just my collaboration, flexibility, or perseverance. Where I'm from, the drive I have is called hunger. The hunger for success, rising within someone who has come from nothing. Because of my mother, I attended a private school for thirteen years despite being low income. At the Viterbi School of Engineering, I plan to innovate alongside my peers and challenge them by incenting ganas, which is "desire" in the proud language of Spanish.

As I slowly press down on the power button, I hear a *beep* followed by a cacophony of fans beginning their revolutions and each electrical watt of power working on its assigned job. I can still hear the sound my brother's computer made the first time I used it. The bright screen caught my attention, sparking a rushing revelation and an unbreakable bond. I was often obsessed over how much technology was around us. I noticed it when my mother drove me to school in her 2004 expedition every morning. From the engine roaring to life to the windows going up and down on my command, I felt the amount of control I had over technology. This control intrigued me, as I frequently asked, “Why can’t I feel like this constantly?” I went through every day realizing I couldn’t control much. I couldn’t control the low amount of food we had for dinner. I couldn’t control the past, good or bad. I couldn’t control the sailing ship of emotions within me as I searched for a path. Every second spent on my computer, whether it was a game of Tetris or research for history homework, filled my life with euphoria and control which I always lacked. I had become the captain of my ship with a limitless path ahead of me. I strive to replicate the invigoration and sense of possibility I first felt by furthering technological development while inspiring others to find their true passion.

I want my legacy to be the manifestation of what our community calls, "chill" dubbed by the people. Our school was underpopulated, so remembering faces was easy while walking the halls. My goal each period was to ask at least one person how they have been, whether I knew them or not. I found myself in daily conversations with people I had never met before, always seeing a smile on their faces the next time we crossed paths. During every conversation, I made sure to articulate myself. I would keep eye contact and speak as if I had known them my entire life by using slang accustomed to our neighborhood to get rid of any anxiety and conversating while genuinely caring about what they were saying. This simple method was effective as those same people would often greet and be more friendly with everyone, which inherently doubled my actions. Using such a fluent conversation starter throughout my day while engaging in simple conversation, I helped our school become more than just a community by becoming a family. Signs of shy students now being talkative, fewer walking faced down now engaging in conversation, building new connections and relationships that would impact lives forever. Bettering my community in such a way has allowed me and others to take advantage by offering support or help when in need. Looking back, I may not have had the opportunity to give back in more traditional ways, but I can confidently say I strive to make a positive impact on my community by using just one simple sentence. "Hey, how have you been?".