I was attending a leadership retreat for college freshmen that showed leadership qualities in their classrooms, and during the retreat, everyone else was proving that they deserved to be there. However, I felt like I did not belong for the first couple of hours. Fortunately, I proved that I deserved to be there when we had free time for 2 hours and it was a nice day. I then realized that there was a basketball court and dodgeballs available and then spawned the idea of playing a game of dodgeball with everyone that felt comfortable playing. Furthermore, I started tracking down all of the participants of the retreat and asked if they would like to play with me and the others that I had the idea with. Soon enough, 15 people showed up at the court, and I started explaining the general rules of the game and then asked what everyone else thinks should be included as special rules. I waited until everyone who wanted to give an idea did, and then I came to compromisable solutions to make sure that everyone felt satisfied and heard. The group then proceeded to play a round, and after the round was over, more people joined as we debated amending the rules and adding others. Once again, I waited for everyone's feedback and then proceeded to give possible solutions that made everyone involved feel like they were being heard. After we all agreed to the amendments and additions to the rules, we played another round of dodgeball and had a great time in the process. Soon enough, even the facilitators of the retreat started joining in, and everyone was calling me the referee--probably because I was the one who made the rules in the first place. In the end, I felt like I did belong with that group and felt proud of myself for stepping up at the opportunity that presented itself. Therefore, I believe that being able to listen to others and take in their input to make fair decisions that will impact everyone involved, as well as being able to continue to adapt to changing circumstances that will improve the overall health of the society are what make me a leader. Furthermore, my humility, candidness, innovative qualities, and my ability to strongly stick to my morals about life all help me strive to be the leader that others see in me every day.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the way machines operate. From the wheels and engine on a car to the simple-looking push bar on a door, everything everywhere was once an impossibility. The idea, the design, and the production were all managed by engineers, inventors, and people who were thought to be crazy. Pursuing a degree in engineering would mean being able to unlock this almost ignored power that is necessary for the way of everyday life. My professional goals include either working at N.A.S.A. with their engineers and robotics teams, working with car companies and their high-performance vehicles, or working with energy companies. My prioritized goal would be working at N.A.S.A because of the intellect and endless possibilities of being able to use the skills I will learn in college on an everyday basis. Furthermore, as a Black man in America, I understand the barriers and limitations that are a result of ingrained systemic racism, which is still, unfortunately, alive and well in America today. However, these limitations inadvertently caused my life to be filled with challenges that have allowed me to develop my abilities in logical thinking, problem-solving skills, and my will to never give up. Therefore, with these skills that I currently possess, on top of the numerous skills I will continue to learn throughout my time in college and life overall, I am extremely excited to try to make my dreams come true. This is because there aren't a lot of black leaders in STEM, and I am committed to changing my community by volunteering my time to educate the younger black members of the community about what engineering is, the importance of engineering in STEM, and to serve as an example that if I can do it, than so can they. I am also committed to opening and widening doors of opportunity for other black professionals to be recruited and hired for positions at whatever company I am employed with or run in the future. This will help them face the intimidation of stereotypes and the common idea of them not being able to succeed in the STEM field and thus propelling themselves into their dreams. In continuation, I am the fifth out of six children, and while my parents have been able to provide a good lifestyle for us, which I’m grateful for, they were not able to cover full college expenses for all of us. Fortunately, because of my hard work in high school, I have received a partial academic scholarship. However, being awarded this scholarship would truly help with ensuring I can cover the cost of attending college with the least amount of loans possible.

I believe that no longer responding to problems of the disadvantaged with conflict is the best way for society to change as a whole. When mentally ill people are causing a problem, the usual response is to send a police unit to calm down the situation. However, this invokes conflict because the police aren’t trained enough to deal with the mentally ill. Therefore, a mentally ill person usually suffers conflict at the hand of police officers in the form of being shot, tased, or physical injuries. In this case, the best course of action would be to install a force of emergency psychiatrists and therapists that can ease the tensions of the problems being caused by mentally ill people, thus steering away from unwanted fatalities. From the beginning of this country, there have been disadvantaged portions of society. Whether it be the female population, the minority population, or the LGBTQ+ population, there have always been disadvantaged people. Frustration occurs amongst the disadvantaged due to the treatment between the advantaged and disadvantaged, and due to the privileged rarely ever wanting to negotiate possibilities of equity in our society, the disadvantaged thus become irritable, and demand a change to society. However, because the privileged usually have the fear of losing their advantage, which in most cases would be the correct presumption, the entitled respond to the frustration with conflict, causing a further fallout of distrust and instability between the two groups. Two points within this timeline could have prevented the further fallout. The first point is the point where the advantaged are not open to negotiating possibilities of equity. If they were open to negotiating possibilities, then the frustration of the disadvantaged would never come to pass. This would promote an overall healthier society because the disadvantages would be erased, if not, lessened. This would bring forth a big bang scenario of innovation and invention from the newfound inclusion of a diversity of all fields within the society because everyone would be privileged. The second point that could have prevented further fallout would be the point of the entitled making a response to the frustration of the disadvantaged. At this point, the entitled could choose to reconcile with the disadvantaged, and even engage in negotiations of possible equity, therefore causing the big bang scenario that was mentioned earlier. Therefore, conflict is averted, and fallout between the two parties ceases to exist. This is only possible if the privileged are continually accepting of the fact that they are privileged and that everyone within this society is worthy of being entitled. If they cannot recognize that fact, then I believe that society is doomed to fail due to polarization between the two parties and conflict would become inevitable.

The dream version of myself would be one free of trauma from my childhood and previous relationships. He'd also have two dogs and a cat, with a motorcycle and a Nissan GTR in the garage. He'd be working for N.A.S.A., helping them find ways to colonize Mars or doing interstellar travel. He'd travel around the world when he wants to, just taking in all cultural experiences and beliefs he can find, so he can find more clarity about what people live for.

I have been cohabitating with depression and anxiety for the past 5 years now, and living with these two mental illnesses has changed my outlook on life, as well as the relationships of the people around me. Usually speaking, most everyone else would believe that depression and anxiety are something that you have to “deal” or “struggle” with. However, I have lately been coming to terms with the fact that they aren’t something that needs to be “dealt” with, but something that can be cohabitated and managed. This is because everyone has bad days, reasons to be nervous, and moments in life where you can’t function. However, just because you have bad days and depression does not mean that you cannot manage it…live with it. The way I try to do that is by simply taking notice of the little things that everyone takes for granted all the time. The fact that we have a sun to keep us warm, that the sky is beautiful even with the clouds, and that even ants create miracles amid total impossibility. These things among countless other minute details helped me realize that there shouldn’t be anything that should make me regret decisions in life, because regret leads to the anxiety of more regrets happening, and lamentation of the accumulation of regrets, which ultimately leads to focusing on the negative. Furthermore, there will always be more good experiences in my life than the memories of depressed nights wishing that I was someone else or that my life ended at that moment. This realization came after understanding that everyone is growing and evolving, due to their versions of struggles and things that need to be “dealt” with, and in the process of their personal emotional growth and evolution, others’ feelings would be hurt in the process. Plenty of times I happened to be caught in the crossfire of everyone else’s emotions evolving, leaving me to grasp at the idea of something must be wrong with me, since every time that I get into a serious romantic situation with someone, my heart is the one that hurts that most. Granted, I do also bear the weight of depression and thus made the pain worse, but after one romantic situation in particular, I realized that I might be the catalyst for the emotional evolution of others. This thought shifted all of the relationships in my life, as I came to an understanding that because of my two mental illnesses, to truly cohabitate with them and thus release their grand hold on my health and self-esteem, I needed to be honest with myself as well with everyone else in my life about how I feel, and what I feel in the moment. I could then lead others in my life by example, to be honest with themselves and their emotions, enabling their ability to emotionally evolve and mature as well. Thus, this evolution would cause them to change their “struggles” into future cohabitations, and they would then be able to control their cohabitations on an unprecedented level. In conclusion, my ability to cohabitate with my depression and anxiety has caused me to emotionally evolve, as well as help others around me realize that they don’t need to “deal” with mental illness, but learn to accept them and let them flow like tides of an ocean and ride the waves to the end.

My previous leadership experiences include being an assistant coach to a high school soccer team, a co-captain/captain to Spoken Word groups (which is poetry), and also being involved in the Leadership program at my high school. The Leadership program at Oak Park and River Forest High School is a selective course, making students go through 1 group interview, 1 one on one interview, and a simulation of what the future leaders will be doing with current leaders pretending to be freshmen. Being a part of the Leadership program entails that leaders will enter underclassmen's rooms on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and be “secondary teachers.” Based on the agreed-upon relationship with the teacher, the leaders can either help the freshmen with their coursework if it is a general education class or let them assess the situation to determine if they should help the students with their homework, which only occurs in study halls. On Fridays, the leaders can take charge of the class and with previously planned activities, engage in a fun-filled environment to help not only ease the stress of the underclassmen, but help them grow into themselves, and find more connections in high school. On Mondays and Tuesdays, we were in the Leadership room, where we watched lectures about what it means to be a leader, how to be caring, and the principles of Leadership. A leader in my eyes, furthermore, means to be a person who sacrifices their own goals for the betterment of the group, while still motivating others to push past the limits people set for themselves. Leaders are risk-takers, innovators, inventors, or sometimes people who just don’t go back on their word, and follow a high moral code. They are also people who are extremely open-minded and are usually the ones to speak last in a group setting, this way everyone feels heard. This is important especially in workplace environments because it can lead to a better group dynamic amongst co-workers who previously were opposed to one another. Also, it allows people to feel respected in their opinions simply because the leader decided to take into account everyone's perspective before issuing their perspective on the topic. Leadership is necessary for everyday life, because if there were no leaders, then people wouldn't be able to look up to someone else and dream of following in their footsteps. This would ultimately cause people to never question anything, and abide by the walls their society and culture set up around them to ensure that they remain like everyone else.

The first way I manage wellness while attending college is by ensuring that I have no regrets. I understand that doing things out of my comfort zone can be scary and anxiety-inducing, but the regret of not doing that experience will always be greater than the fear of doing it. Therefore, even if it takes a couple of minutes to hype myself up to do it, I always end up taking risks and enjoying the positive or negative consequences, and the experience always ends up being a lesson to me. The second way I increase my wellness is by trying to learn at least one valuable piece of information every day that can apply to almost any situation, that way I am always learning and therefore growing my mind. In the physical aspect, I go to the gym 5-6 days a week, and it has been scientifically proven that working out for more than 30 minutes releases endorphins and helps minimize depression. On top of that, I usually end up going to the gym with 2 friends of mine, and we always push each other past what we think our limits are, and it ultimately helps us realize that we are more capable than we believe, not only in the physical aspect of working out, but all aspects in life. This is because we go to the gym at the end of the day, after we’ve been awake for 10 or more hours, attended 3 different classes, completed 4 or more hours of homework, and are bone tired mentally. We push each other past that threshold to prove to ourselves, and no one else, that we are more than capable of doing it all. That we aren’t just strong in muscles, but in spirit and willpower. The third way I manage personal wellness is by just taking a day off from time to time. By doing nothing, I can take in my surrounding environment and how beautiful the landscape is. I can also just go people-watching and understand that everyone has their own story and we are all trying to strive for our goals in life. It is extremely humbling as it makes you realize that the problems you face today are all in all not as big as they seem. In conclusion, I believe that working out, having a solid group of friends, having no regrets, taking a break sometimes, and never giving up your morals all strengthen your mind, body, and soul, and ultimately cause them to be as healthy as possible while in college.

I have been cohabitating with depression and anxiety for the past 5 years now, and living with these two mental illnesses has changed my outlook on life, as well as the relationships of the people around me. Usually speaking, most everyone else would believe that depression and anxiety are something that you have to “deal” or “struggle” with. However, I have lately been coming to terms with the fact that they aren’t something that needs to be “dealt” with, but something that can be cohabitated and managed. This is because everyone has bad days, reasons to be nervous, and moments in life where you can’t function. However, just because you have bad days and depression does not mean that you cannot manage it…live with it. The way I try to do that is by simply taking notice of the little things that everyone takes for granted all the time. The fact that we have a sun to keep us warm, that the sky is beautiful even with the clouds, and that even ants create miracles amid total impossibility. These things among countless other minute details helped me realize that there shouldn’t be anything that should make me regret decisions in life, because regret leads to the anxiety of more regrets happening, and lamentation of the accumulation of regrets, which ultimately leads to focusing on the negative. Furthermore, there will always be more good experiences in my life than the memories of depressed nights wishing that I was someone else or that my life ended at that moment. This realization came after understanding that everyone is growing and evolving, due to their versions of struggles and things that need to be “dealt” with, and in the process of their personal emotional growth and evolution, others’ feelings would be hurt in the process. Plenty of times I happened to be caught in the crossfire of everyone else’s emotions evolving, leaving me to grasp at the idea of something must be wrong with me, since every time that I get into a serious romantic situation with someone, my heart is the one that hurts that most. Granted, I do also bear the weight of depression, and thus made the pain worse, but after one romantic situation in particular, I realized that I might be the catalyst for the emotional evolution of others. This thought shifted all of the relationships in my life, as I came to an understanding that because of my two mental illnesses, to truly cohabitate with them and thus release their grand hold on my health and self-esteem, I needed to be honest with myself as well with everyone else in my life about how I feel, and what I feel in the moment. I could then lead others in my life by example, to be honest with themselves and their emotions, enabling their ability to emotionally evolve and mature as well. Thus, this evolution would cause them to change their “struggles” into future cohabitations, and they would then be able to control their cohabitations on an unprecedented level. In conclusion, my ability to cohabitate with my depression and anxiety has caused me to emotionally evolve, as well as help others around me realize that they don’t need to “deal” with mental illness, but learn to accept them and let them flow like tides of an ocean and ride the waves to the end.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the way machines operate. The wheels and engine on a car, to the simple-looking push bar on a door. Everything everywhere was once an impossibility, and the idea, the design, and the production were all managed by engineers, inventors, and people who were thought to be crazy. Pursuing a degree in engineering would mean being able to unlock this almost ignored power that is necessary for the way of everyday life. My professional goals include either working at N.A.S.A. with their engineers and robotics teams, working with car companies and their high-performance vehicles, or working with energy companies. My prioritized goal would be working at N.A.S.A, of course, because of the intellect and endless possibilities of being able to use the skills I will learn in college on an everyday basis. Achieving this goal with the help of this scholarship means that I will be able to go to college with fewer expenses to worry about, and ultimately help me reach this goal with as little stress as possible. I am passionate about being an engineer who can create things in a way that is environmentally sustainable, as well as affordable to all because that would mean that I could help heal the world from global warming and climate change while improving the lives of everyone around me. Furthermore, as a Black man in America, I realize the inadequacies that come with that specific stigma and the limitations that are set for my life at birth. However, these limitations inadvertently caused my life to be filled with challenges that have allowed me to develop my abilities in logical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and my will to never give up. Therefore, with these skills that I currently possess, on top of the numerous skills I will continue to learn throughout my time in college, I am not only passionate about my dreams, but also extremely excited to try to make them come true. This is because there aren't a lot of black leaders in STEM, and I would like to help close the gap of racial indifference in the engineering field to encourage younger minorities to strive for what they are passionate about. Me helping close this gap will also help them face the intimidation of stereotypes and the common idea of them not being able to succeed in the STEM field and thus propelling themselves into their dreams, ensuring that the gap will soon cease to exist.

I have been cohabitating with depression and anxiety for the past 5 years now, and living with these two mental illnesses has changed my outlook on life, as well as the relationships of the people around me. Usually speaking, most everyone else would believe that depression and anxiety are something that you have to “deal” or “struggle” with. However, I have lately been coming to terms with the fact that they aren’t something that needs to be “dealt” with, but something that can be cohabitated and managed. This is because everyone has bad days, reasons to be nervous, and moments in life where you can’t function. However, just because you have bad days and depression does not mean that you cannot manage it…live with it. The way I try to do that is by simply taking notice of the little things that everyone takes for granted all the time. The fact that we have a sun to keep us warm, that the sky is beautiful even with the clouds, and that even ants create miracles amid total impossibility. These things among countless other minute details helped me realize that there shouldn’t be anything that should make me regret decisions in life, because regret leads to the anxiety of more regrets happening, and lamentation of the accumulation of regrets, which ultimately leads to focusing on the negative. Furthermore, there will always be more good experiences in my life than the memories of depressed nights wishing that I was someone else or that my life ended at that moment. This realization came after understanding that everyone is growing and evolving, due to their versions of struggles and things that need to be “dealt” with, and in the process of their personal emotional growth and evolution, others’ feelings would be hurt in the process. However, Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the way machines operate. The wheels and engine on a car, to the simple-looking push bar on a door. Everything everywhere was once an impossibility, and the idea, the design, and the production were all managed by engineers, inventors, and people who were thought to be crazy. Pursuing a degree in engineering would mean being able to unlock this almost ignored power that is necessary for the way of everyday life. My professional goals include either working at N.A.S.A. with their engineers and robotics teams, working with car companies and their high-performance vehicles, or working with energy companies. My prioritized goal would be working at N.A.S.A, of course, because of the intellect and endless possibilities of being able to use the skills I will learn in college on an everyday basis. I am passionate about being an engineer who can create things in a way that is environmentally sustainable, as well as affordable to all because that would mean that I could help heal the world from global warming and climate change while improving the lives of everyone around me.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the way machines operate. The wheels and engine on a car, to the simple-looking push bar on a door. Everything everywhere was once an impossibility, and the idea, the design, and the production were all managed by engineers, inventors, and people who were thought to be crazy. Pursuing a degree in engineering would mean being able to unlock this almost ignored power that is necessary for the way of everyday life. I am passionate about being an engineer who can create things in a way that is environmentally sustainable, as well as affordable to all because that would mean that I could help heal the world from global warming and climate change while improving the lives of everyone around me. Furthermore, as a Black man in America, I realize the inadequacies that come with that specific stigma and the limitations that are set for my life at birth. However, these limitations inadvertently caused my life to be filled with challenges that have allowed me to develop my abilities in logical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and my will to never give up. For example, I am currently taking physics, after not taking physics since my freshmen year in high school. I struggled with physics back then and immediately started struggling with it at the beginning of the semester. However, over the past couple of years, I have learned that it is truly okay to ask for help, and professors encourage students to come to their office hours because they WANT to help. Therefore, I started to go to my professor's office hours, asking questions about assignments, trying to truly understand the concepts at hand instead of just trying to solve the work, this way I can understand the process needed to solve the work. I also started going to the tutoring center and would be there for hours at a time. Now, I can fully grasp the concepts I am learning in physics and use the skills that I currently possess to propel myself forward. Furthermore, on top of the numerous skills I will continue to learn throughout my time in college, I am not only passionate about my dreams, but also extremely excited to try to make them come true. This is because there aren't a lot of black leaders in STEM, and I would like to help close the gap of racial indifference in the engineering field to encourage younger minorities to strive for what they are passionate about. Me helping close this gap will also help them face the intimidation of stereotypes and the common idea of them not being able to succeed in the STEM field and thus propelling themselves into their dreams, ensuring that the gap will soon cease to exist.

I have been cohabitating with depression and anxiety for the past 5 years now, and living with these two mental illnesses has changed my outlook on life, as well as the relationships of the people around me. Usually speaking, most everyone else would believe that depression and anxiety are something that you have to “deal” or “struggle” with. However, I have lately been coming to terms with the fact that they aren’t something that needs to be “dealt” with, but something that can be cohabitated and managed. This is because everyone has bad days, reasons to be nervous, and moments in life where you can’t function. However, just because you have bad days and depression does not mean that you cannot manage it…live with it. The way I try to do that is by simply taking notice of the little things that everyone takes for granted all the time. The fact that we have a sun to keep us warm, that the sky is beautiful even with the clouds, and that even ants create miracles amid total impossibility. These things among countless other minute details helped me realize that there shouldn’t be anything that should make me regret decisions in life, because regret leads to the anxiety of more regrets happening, and lamentation of the accumulation of regrets, which ultimately leads to focusing on the negative. Furthermore, there will always be more good experiences in my life than the memories of depressed nights wishing that I was someone else or that my life ended at that moment. This realization came after understanding that everyone is growing and evolving, due to their versions of struggles and things that need to be “dealt” with, and in the process of their personal emotional growth and evolution, others’ feelings would be hurt in the process. Plenty of times I happened to be caught in the crossfire of everyone else’s emotions evolving, leaving me to grasp at the idea of something must be wrong with me, since every time that I get into a serious romantic situation with someone, my heart is the one that hurts that most. Granted, I do also bear the weight of depression, and thus made the pain worse, but after one romantic situation in particular, I realized that I might be the catalyst for the emotional evolution of others. This thought shifted all of the relationships in my life, as I came to an understanding that because of my two mental illnesses, to truly cohabitate with them and thus release their grand hold on my health and self-esteem, I needed to be honest with myself as well with everyone else in my life about how I feel, and what I feel in the moment. I could then lead others in my life by example, to be honest with themselves and their emotions, enabling their ability to emotionally evolve and mature as well. Thus, this evolution would cause them to change their “struggles” into future cohabitations, and they would then be able to control their cohabitations on an unprecedented level. In conclusion, my ability to cohabitate with my depression and anxiety has caused me to emotionally evolve, as well as help others around me realize that they don’t need to “deal” with mental illness, but learn to accept them and let them flow like tides of an ocean and ride the waves to the end.

The thing that excites me most about college is the endless possibilities of new connections and the fact that it is the melting pot of the next generation of creators, innovators, dreamers, philosophers, and leaders. It is the place where people can truly figure out who they are, what they want to be, what they like, and what they stand for in life. To maintain a healthy mind, body, and soul amidst the challenges that come with figuring out who I am, I am first and foremost honest with myself. I tell myself when I am put into certain situations if I am okay with being in that situation, and if I’m not, I will then communicate to others around me that I need to leave to preserve my peace of mind and body, as well as ensuring that my morals aren’t soiled in acts that will cause me to regret. This brings me to my next point, ensuring that I have no regrets. I understand that doing things out of my comfort zone can be scary and anxiety-inducing, but the regret of not doing that experience will always be greater than the fear of doing it. Therefore, even if it takes a couple of minutes to hype myself up to do it, I always end up taking risks and enjoying the positive or negative consequences, and the experience always ends up being a lesson to me. I try to learn at least one valuable piece of information every day that can apply to almost any situation, that way I am always learning and therefore growing my mind. In the physical aspect, I go to the gym 5-6 days a week, and it has been scientifically proven that working out for more than 30 minutes releases endorphins and helps minimize depression. On top of that, I usually end up going to the gym with 2 friends of mine, and we always push each other past what we think our limits are, and it ultimately helps us realize that we are more capable than we believe, not only in the physical aspect of working out, but all aspects in life. This is because we go to the gym at the end of the day, after we’ve been awake for 10 or more hours, attended 3 different classes, completed 4 or more hours of homework, and are bone tired mentally. We push each other past that threshold to prove to ourselves, and no one else, that we are more than capable of doing it all. That we aren’t just strong in muscles, but in spirit and willpower. In conclusion, I believe that working out, having a solid group of friends, having no regrets, and never giving up your morals all strengthen your mind, body, and soul, and ultimately cause them to be as healthy as possible while in college.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the way machines operate. The wheels and engine on a car, to the simple-looking push bar on a door. Everything everywhere was once an impossibility, and the idea, the design, and the production were all managed by engineers, inventors, and people who were thought to be crazy. Pursuing a degree in engineering would mean being able to unlock this almost ignored power that is necessary for the way of everyday life. My professional goals include either working at N.A.S.A. with their engineers and robotics teams, working with car companies and their high-performance vehicles, or working with energy companies. My prioritized goal would be working at N.A.S.A, of course, because of the intellect and endless possibilities of being able to use the skills I will learn in college on an everyday basis. Achieving this goal with the help of this scholarship means that I will be able to go to college with fewer expenses to worry about, and ultimately help me reach this goal with as little stress as possible. I am passionate about being an engineer who can create things in a way that is environmentally sustainable, as well as affordable to all because that would mean that I could help heal the world from global warming and climate change while improving the lives of everyone around me. Furthermore, as a Black man in America, I realize the inadequacies that come with that specific stigma and the limitations that are set for my life at birth. However, these limitations inadvertently caused my life to be filled with challenges that have allowed me to develop my abilities in logical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and my will to never give up. Therefore, with these skills that I currently possess, on top of the numerous skills I will continue to learn throughout my time in college, I am not only passionate about my dreams, but also extremely excited to try to make them come true. I will be able to uplift the community with this degree because there aren't a lot of black leaders in STEM, and I would like to help close the gap of racial indifference in the engineering field to encourage younger minorities to strive for what they are passionate about. This will also help them face the intimidation of stereotypes and the common idea of them not being able to succeed in the STEM field and thus propelling themselves into their dreams. Therefore, it will create generational opportunities for all of those that come after me and thus allow the African American community to thrive in new ways.

Since my freshman year in high school, I have been in many situations that involved drug and alcohol use, whether it be at parties, being offered drugs on the street, or within my household. One friend, in particular, is prone to being addicted to alcohol, and over this past summer/fall semester I saw them get worse. They spiraled out of control, day drinking alone in their room to try to feel something, taking any drug to get high, stealing from their mother and stopped going to school and work. It pained me a lot to see them like that, and see how their actions were affecting their mother and siblings. From being involved in that experience, it was a final push for me to take a vow against doing drugs or indulging in alcohol because I now personally believe that I am a better person without it. I also believe that it only ever acts as a band-aid on a much larger wound, as all addictions stem from some sort of trauma. This affected my career aspirations because I saw how they were ruining their life and did not care what was happening to them, and I realized that I could not end up like them. Furthermore, I have dedicated my college experience to elevating my education and the skills I currently possess, as well as new skills I will learn while in college. This will help me go far in life as it will prepare me for a position at a corporation of my desire, whether that be Lockheed Martin, N.A.S.A. or an unknown alternative that relates to mechanical engineering. That friend also affected my relationships with other people because I realized that I do not want to affiliate with people who don’t care about what happens to their future. That friend did go to rehab, as they were forced there by their mother, but it ultimately failed as they relapsed inside of rehab and lied about it for weeks after they were released from rehab. Due to this, I now believe that a person can only receive help if they truly want help. Otherwise, if they do not care enough in trying to get better, or at all, then there is no point in trying to help them. Unfortunately, I no longer keep in contact with that friend, but I do speak to their sibling from time to time to check in on them to see if they are ready to get better.

I believe my work ethic and resiliency are the things I value most in myself because, in July 2020, I was diagnosed with Covid-19. For the next week, my body was extremely weak and stubborn about moving. However, the traumatizing thing while quarantining was the fact that I lost my sense of taste and smell. This complete blackout of two of my senses lasted for two whole months. For the next eight months afterward, they were like an ocean’s tide; sometimes high and working, most times low or barely noticeable. After I received the Covid-19 Vaccine in April 2021, even though I could barely taste and smell, I started eating more again. I started playing soccer when I could. Over the summer, I ran more in preparation for soccer tryouts at my high school. Eventually, I got my fastest mile time down to 5:28. I also went to a park to practice my juggling skills, for hours at a time, even though no one was there to participate with me. I started to do more of the things I wanted to do because I realized, on top of my needing to believe in myself, I cannot wait for people who won't support me when I need them to. I needed to support myself and my reasons for wanting to live. That work ethic has forged me into who I am today, as I handle my business even when I am tired, beaten down from the day, and all I want to do is give up and go to sleep. The resiliency I learned from that experience taught me that no matter how hard the challenge may be, or how hard your body is fighting against you, you cannot give up, and must push through that pain to make a better future for the next version of yourself. This will help me in my life journey because life is all about struggles and challenges and as a black man in America, I realize the inadequacies that come with that specific stigma and the limitations that are set for my life at birth. However, those limitations inadvertently caused my life to be filled with challenges that have allowed me to develop my abilities in logical thinking, problem-solving abilities, work ethic, and resiliency. Now, my will to never give up, to go past my limits to get things done when they need to be, and my overtly positive attitude when it comes to handling challenges, will propel me into a future that will not only help myself but all of the people I care about around me.

In July 2020, I was diagnosed with Covid-19. For the next week, my body was extremely weak and stubborn about moving. However, the unexpected and most traumatizing thing while quarantining was the fact that I lost my sense of taste and smell. This complete blackout of two of my senses lasted for two whole months. For the next eight months afterward, they were like an ocean’s tide; sometimes high and working, most times low or barely noticeable. During all of these 10 months, I struggled with the idea of what it truly means to be alive...what it means to experience reality in a way where I can’t experience it to the fullest...whether or not I should continue to starve myself to death because I saw no point in eating since I can’t even have the basic human right to taste food. I could tell you that it eventually got better, through the willpower and sheer determination of my loved ones. Indeed, it did get better, but that wasn’t until eleven months after I was first diagnosed. It was a hard battle to find my willpower to keep going, to keep eating, keep finding reasons to live. It wasn’t until the realization that, unless I believe I can taste, and I mean truly believe, I will never be able to fully taste food again. Unless I truly believe that I can smell, I won't be able to have a clear distinction between the smell of cologne and trash. Unless I truly believe in myself, I will never be able to accomplish anything I desire. And so, with that seemingly minute detail, I tried to turn my life around. After I received the Covid-19 Vaccine in April 2021, I went into overdrive. Even though I could barely taste and smell, I started eating more again. I started playing soccer when I could. Over the summer, I ran more in preparation for soccer tryouts at my high school. Eventually, I got my fastest mile time down to 5:28. I also went to a park to practice my juggling skills, for hours at a time, even though no one was there to participate with me. I started to do more of the things I wanted to do because I realized, on top of my needing to believe in myself, I cannot wait for people who won't support me when I need them to. I needed to support myself and my reasons for wanting to live. For example, because I want to purchase and own a motorcycle within the next two years or so, I studied for the permit test and received my Class M permit. Afterward, I took a class that I paid for and enrolled myself in the basic functions and maneuvers of a motorcycle. I know that no one gets anywhere in the world without help, and that’s why I try to lean on my family more nowadays because they have always been there when no one else has. My father paid for the gear necessary to enroll in the class and I am grateful for that. I started talking to my mom more about how my days are and even cooked for her because I know she hasn’t eaten in hours from working nonstop at a desk in our dining area for upwards of 10 hours a day. To this day, I have not fully recovered from my loss of those two senses, but I don’t care anymore. I do the things I love because I now know that you can’t let life pass you by.

In July 2020, I was diagnosed with Covid-19. For the next week, my body was extremely weak and stubborn about moving. However, the unexpected and most traumatizing thing while quarantining was the fact that I lost my sense of taste and smell. This complete blackout of two of my senses lasted for two whole months. For the next eight months afterward, they were like an ocean’s tide; sometimes high and working, most times low or barely noticeable. During all of these 10 months, I struggled with the idea of what it truly means to be alive...what it means to experience reality in a way where I can’t experience it to the fullest...whether or not I should continue to starve myself to death because I saw no point in eating since I can’t even have the basic human right to taste food. I could tell you that it eventually got better, through the willpower and sheer determination of my loved ones. Indeed, it did get better, but that wasn’t until eleven months after I was first diagnosed. It was a hard battle to find my willpower to keep going, to keep eating, keep finding reasons to live. It wasn’t until the realization that, unless I believe I can taste, and I mean truly believe, I will never be able to fully taste food again. Unless I truly believe that I can smell, I won't be able to have a clear distinction between the smell of cologne and trash. Unless I truly believe in myself, I will never be able to accomplish anything I desire. And so, with that seemingly minute detail, I tried to turn my life around. After I received the Covid-19 Vaccine in April 2021, I went into overdrive. Even though I could barely taste and smell, I started eating more again. I started playing soccer when I could. Over the summer, I ran more in preparation for soccer tryouts at my high school. Eventually, I got my fastest mile time down to 5:28. I also went to a park to practice my juggling skills, for hours at a time, even though no one was there to participate with me. I started to do more of the things I wanted to do because I realized, on top of my needing to believe in myself, I cannot wait for people who won't support me when I need them to. I needed to support myself and my reasons for wanting to live. For example, because I want to purchase and own a motorcycle within the next two years or so, I studied for the permit test and received my Class M permit. Afterward, I took a class that I paid for and enrolled myself in the basic functions and maneuvers of a motorcycle. I know that no one gets anywhere in the world without help, and that’s why I try to lean on my family more nowadays because they have always been there when no one else has. My father paid for the gear necessary to enroll in the class and I am grateful for that. I started talking to my mom more about how my days are and even cooked for her because I know she hasn’t eaten in hours from working nonstop at a desk in our dining area for upwards of 10 hours a day. To this day, I have not fully recovered from my loss of those two senses, but I don’t care anymore. I do the things I love because I now know that you can’t let life pass you by.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the way machines operate. The wheels and engine on a car, to the simple-looking push bar on a door. Everything everywhere was once an impossibility, and the idea, the design, and the production were all managed by engineers, inventors, and people who were thought to be crazy. Pursuing a degree in engineering would mean being able to unlock this almost ignored power that is necessary for the way of everyday life. My professional goals include either working at N.A.S.A. with their engineers and robotics teams, working with car companies and their high-performance vehicles, or working with energy companies. My prioritized goal would be working at N.A.S.A, of course, because of the intellect and endless possibilities of being able to use the skills I will learn in college on an everyday basis. Achieving this goal with the help of this scholarship means that I will be able to go to college with fewer expenses to worry about, and ultimately help me reach this goal with as little stress as possible. I am passionate about being an engineer who can create things in a way that is environmentally sustainable, as well as affordable to all because that would mean that I could help heal the world from global warming and climate change while improving the lives of everyone around me. Furthermore, as a Black man in America, I realize the inadequacies that come with that specific stigma and the limitations that are set for my life at birth. However, these limitations inadvertently caused my life to be filled with challenges that have allowed me to develop my abilities in logical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and my will to never give up. Therefore, with these skills that I currently possess, on top of the numerous skills I will continue to learn throughout my time in college, I am not only passionate about my dreams, but also extremely excited to try to make them come true. This is because there aren't a lot of black leaders in STEM, and I would like to help close the gap of racial indifference in the engineering field to encourage younger minorities to strive for what they are passionate about. This will also help them face the intimidation of stereotypes and the common idea of them not being able to succeed in the STEM field and thus propelling themselves into their dreams.

In July 2020, I was diagnosed with Covid-19. For the next week, my body was extremely weak and stubborn about moving. However, the unexpected and most traumatizing thing while quarantining was the fact that I lost my sense of taste and smell. This complete blackout of two of my senses lasted for two whole months. For the next eight months afterward, they were like an ocean’s tide; sometimes high and working, most times low or barely noticeable. During all of these 10 months, I struggled with the idea of what it truly means to be alive...what it means to experience reality in a way where I can’t experience it to the fullest...whether or not I should continue to starve myself to death because I saw no point in eating since I can’t even have the basic human right to taste food. I could tell you that it eventually got better, through the willpower and sheer determination of my loved ones. Indeed, it did get better, but that wasn’t until eleven months after I was first diagnosed. It was a hard battle to find my willpower to keep going, to keep eating, keep finding reasons to live. It wasn’t until the realization that, unless I believe I can taste, and I mean truly believe, I will never be able to fully taste food again. Unless I truly believe that I can smell, I won't be able to have a clear distinction between the smell of cologne and trash. Unless I truly believe in myself, I will never be able to accomplish anything of my desire. And so, with that seemingly minute detail, I tried to turn my life around. After I received the Covid-19 Vaccine in April 2021, I went into overdrive. Even though I could barely taste and smell, I started eating more again. I started playing soccer when I could. Over the summer, I ran more in preparation for soccer tryouts at my high school. Eventually, I got my fastest mile time down to 5:28. I also went to a park to practice my juggling skills, for hours at a time, even though no one was there to participate with me. I started to do more of the things I wanted to do because I realized, on top of my needing to believe in myself, I cannot wait for people who won't support me when I need them to. I needed to support myself and my reasons for wanting to live. For example, because I want to purchase and own a motorcycle within the next two years or so, I studied for the permit test and received my Class M permit. Afterward, I took a class that I paid for and enrolled myself in the basic functions and maneuvers of a motorcycle. I know that no one gets anywhere in the world without help, and that’s why I try to lean on my family more nowadays because they have always been there when no one else has. My father paid for the gear necessary to enroll in the class and I am grateful for that. I started talking to my mom more about how my days are and even cooked for her because I know she hasn’t eaten in hours from working nonstop at a desk in our dining area for upwards of 10 hours a day. To this day, I have not fully recovered from my loss of those two senses, but I don’t care anymore. I do the things I love because I now know that you can’t let life pass you by.

During my junior year of high school, I tried out for the boy's soccer team and as a requirement, you have to run 2 miles in under 15 minutes, as well as juggle a ball for a consecutive 150 juggles. Unfortunately, I was unable to bring my endurance up to the necessary level in order to complete the 2-mile run, as well as the fact that my touch with a soccer ball could only get me to 10-20 juggles. Therefore, I did not make the team. However, with the definite fact that my senior year would be my last year to try out for the team, I made myself a promise to push myself endurance-wise, as well as push my ability to juggle a ball. So, it started out simple; for the two-mile, I started running every day or every other day, ranging from one mile to two and a half. I went to the gym and created a workout that consisted of the following: as a warmup, I would run a mile as quickly as I could. Afterward, I would ride a bike as quickly as a could to two miles. Next, I would do 4-5 sets of 10-15 reps of hamstring curls which were followed by 4-5 sets of 20 calf raises. Finally, the biggest challenge would be doing 5 sets of 10-20 leg presses. In every case, as I advanced to a new set, I would increase the weight by 10-20 pounds. As time move forward over the next couple of months, my mile time went down from 8 minutes to an astounding 5:28. In regards to the juggling aspect of the tryouts, every evening during the summer I would go to a park and juggle for hours, to the point where they would cut off the lights and I would keep going. I would sometimes juggle in my basement as well, trying to really focus on controlling the power and precision I put into juggling. Within the first week of doing this, I went from barely getting 15 juggles to upwards of 35. Most days ended with my feet bleeding, being completely covered in sweat, and being extremely exasperated. But as time went on, and the more time I spent juggling per day, I easily started getting to 200 juggles by the end of the summer. The bleeding stopped, and I would still sweat a lot, but I wasn't as tired as I was at the beginning. So, when the tryouts came in the fall, I had surpassed not only the coaches' expectations but my own as well. What I learned from all of the frustration, time, and energy I put into achieving a goal of bettering myself is the fact that it is all completely worth it. When you really put your mind to a goal, no matter how challenging it may seem, if you stick to the regiment required and truly believe in yourself, you can accomplish what you thought was impossible at one point in time. And to me, that is some of the most valuable information that a person can't buy, but has to earn.