There is no one person when the question of who has supported me is asked. Along the way, the support of family, friends, mentors, and many others has allowed me to excel. They've provided the resources, knowledge, and encouragement I needed to succeed academically. But most importantly, they gave me a sense of community that I want to give back. To honor their dedication to my success, I have promised to pass on their helpfulness to others. I have taken the role of mentoring underclassmen so that I can ensure my mistakes can help someone succeed. I am ensuring that they know of opportunities to expand their academics, improve their resume, and build their character for a future of success. I also honor them by continuing to pursue an education to be successful. These people put effort into building me up so that I could succeed. The best way to honor them is to succeed, just as they want me to. Their support continues to be a catalyst for my unwavering motivation to complete my ultimate goal of becoming a doctor. As someone who used to not attend school for weeks, disregard assigned work, and have no academic goals, their support has brought me extremely far. Knowing that I have a community of people behind me pushed me to want to succeed. Their care motivated me to move from a 2.9 GPA to a GPA of 4.5. I will continue to build upon this support by turning the lessons I learned into a foundation of who I am. Their support will also be reinforced by many whom I plan to meet in the future. Being a 13-year-old who lost his mother during the COVID-19 pandemic, I now recognize that I did not get through that event by myself. People such as my school therapist, family members, and teachers guided me through this event with support. My school therapist went through the process of handling grief and helping me understand why I felt the way that I did. This ultimately allowed me to succeed under those conditions. My family members offered close support while I continued my education. Teachers, specifically Ms. Eli, my algebra 1 teacher, took notice of the condition I was in, and she referred me to the school therapist. When she said, “Everything will be ok,” I did not believe her. But I now see what she meant. This is the support anyone needs when going through anything. And this support has allowed me to grow, flourish, and be a successful student.

Diversity plays a vital role in the world. From diversity within ecosystems to diversity among humans, it plays a crucial role in shaping various life experiences. The diversity among human beings is one of the most important factors in the experience of life. Race, culture, and where you are born all play a role in how one experiences life. These diverse experiences contribute greatly to many fields. However, the STEM field is the most important field that must have diversity. STEM includes many areas, but science is the most important one to me. Science has enabled technological advancement for the human race. However, throughout history, science has been biased many times. Scientific racism discriminated against different races and ethnic backgrounds to prove superiority. An example of this is seen in scientists like Samuel Morton, who measured skull capacities to argue that white people had larger brains and were intellectually superior to Black and Indigenous populations. Diversity in STEM can help prevent such pseudoscientific practices. Furthermore, advancing STEM requires a diverse workforce to ensure these advancements benefit all people. Individuals in STEM bring unique life experiences and perspectives that help others better understand different communities and cultures. Diversity helps create an environment where many groups are welcomed and considered during scientific research and technological development. Without diversity, important issues affecting certain populations may be ignored or misunderstood. Having representation in STEM similarly inspires younger members of underrepresented communities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Diversity in STEM has led to major breakthroughs that have improved lives worldwide. Scientists from many backgrounds have used their experiences and views to solve important global problems. For example, Tu Youyou discovered artemisinin, a treatment for malaria that has saved millions of lives, especially in poorer countries where the disease is widespread. Another example is Patricia Bath, who invented a laser treatment for cataracts that restored eyesight to many people and enhanced access to eye care in disadvantaged communities. Additionally, Mario Molina helped discover that certain chemicals were damaging Earth’s ozone layer, which led to global environmental protections that benefited the entire world. These scientists demonstrated that diversity in STEM can drive innovations that address the needs of diverse populations. Overall, diversity in STEM is necessary for both fairness and progress. Different perspectives help prevent bias, encourage innovation, and ensure that scientific innovations benefit all people rather than only a select group. By continuing to promote diversity in STEM fields, society can craft a future that is progressively inclusive, innovative, and successful.

My mother was and still is a shining star in a world of darkness. She cared for me and my sisters like no other would. Moreover, she cared for the world just the same. Her thoughtfulness and selfless demeanor brought a community together. She was legally blind, and she joined a group of people with a similar condition. Those people she met were touched by her spirit and continue to tell my family this when they are in contact. She would organize and help prepare events for this group, make them laugh, and treat them like they were family. To her, everyone was family. Her ability to be a great mother was unfounded. She taught me so much of the morals and ethics that shape who I am today. Her kindness and helpful manner taught me to be selfless in all of my acts. To want to help others without seeking anything in return. Her ability to teach me lessons also had a profound impact. From teaching me how to properly hand a knife to someone, to showing me how to lead a blind person, all of her lessons sit in my mind rent-free. More importantly, her lessons encourage me to teach others the right way to do things, whether it is in math or in life. Despite all that has been said, the most important thing she has done for me was to simply care. To care for me when I was sick, upset, tired, a nuisance, and so much more. She continued to care. I truly miss these things about her. Seeing her in the hospital, helpless with machines beeping and a ventilator helping her breathe, changed something in me. I saw my mother, who helped me in every part of my life, just lie there in a state where I couldn’t do anything to help her. I felt completely powerless. As she was in a coma, the last thing I said to her was “I promise to change and to be a better person. I love you.” She was my world, and after leaving the hospital, my world was gone. COVID-19 took her away from me and so many others. From that moment, I wanted to be someone who could help people in those situations. The mark her passing left on me transformed my desire to help others. To do this, I decided to pursue a career in medicine. The motivation from this event drove my success in high school. I enrolled in a medical program and am now a certified patient care technician. I am also in the top 5% of my class and contribute to numerous clubs and organizations. I do this because I know my mother would want nothing but the best for me. As she would always say, “You're a smart little man.” Everything she has taught me continues to live through the service I give to my community. In every service I have given, volunteering over 40 hours at a hospital, completing service projects at an elderly home, distributing supplies at a food bank, and even something as small as tutoring someone, I ensure that her memory lives through my actions. Everything she was to me, she continues to be today. Her memory will never fade. Even as centuries pass, the impact she had on everyone made a legacy like no other. I know for sure that in the future, the decisions she made in her life will impact the world through her legacy as they do today.