My Dad was diagnosed with ALS a little after I was born. He was a great guy, hilarious, and maybe a little inappropriate at times but one of the most charming people you'd ever come across. Even cracking a somewhat inappropriate joke to Stephen Hawking when he got to meet him (I couldn't repeat the joke on a scholarship application but from what I heard they both laughed pretty hard). He was also very bright, using the tools he had in a lot of creative ways. Technology was the only way he was able to communicate with the outside world, especially after he got on a ventilator. He created chatrooms that became very popular and learned different and fun ways to communicate with us using his computer. ALS may have taken the use of his body, but there was nothing that could take his spirit away. And that is the first way that ALS affected my life, seeing someone go through so much and still living, smiling and laughing taught me that with a little bit of humor and will, you can get through just about anything. In a way, that was also his way of helping us through losing him. So now, unfortunately, the less fun parts. Because my Dad got so sick so quickly my Mom had to drop everything to take care of him and us. She was paid to be his caretaker by the state but that was barely enough to keep us afloat most of the time. It made it very tough to focus on anything else. We all became very close because of this, I can confidently say that I have been blessed with the best family that a person can ask for. Eventually, he had to be put into care facilities so we would visit him a lot. Things got a little better since my Mom could work, but it was still hard not being able to see him all the time. My favorite memory before he passed away was visiting him the last winter before he had to be moved to a facility farther away. He had the nurse roll him up to the window so he could watch us all go down the hill. We would come back in immediately after our runs and he would give us a new trick to try and then we would go do it and make sure he could see. It was really hard losing him. ALS also taught me how hard it is to lose someone and how important family is. This scholarship would help me have more means to focus on school, so I can dedicate myself to studying. I currently have to work and go to school at the same time so it would be making that a lot lighter. I am studying Computer Science and Philosophy and am very interested in minds and consciousness. Being able to focus on this and have the skills to find more solutions to societal and technological problems would both help me grow professionally and as a person to find a career helping to build or research things to help people like my family. People who struggle with health, be that mental or physical.