The essay prompt asks us to explain why we must work towards furthering our understanding of the nature of our universe...but what else is there to do? Scientists have yet to discover life beyond Earth. Although it's statistically unlikely that we're alone in the cosmos, there's a small chance that Earth is the only planet with any meaning. We must treasure that chance, and use it to understand the marvel of creation. To me, a quest for knowing seems.. self-evident, and self-explanatory. I'm writing an essay to get scholarships, so these sentiments sound nice, but talk is cheap. I mean these words, they are not lip service.. the desire to understand existence moves me to my core. I am a seeker with an insatiable curiosity that knows no limits. As a "seeker", that which I seek can only truly be characterized as the "Theory of Everything", one describing all that exists within and between the microphysics of the universe to the nature of consciousness as a whole. To know, to really "know", is a feat that might take lifetimes to accomplish, but that's not all I'd like to do with my life. I don't just want to know, I want to *do*. I want to make a positive difference in the world, to push humanity forward. Thus I'd like to share what I'm currently doing with my life and why I'm applying for the mindscape scholarship before I elaborate on the principles I will employ to further my (or, ultimately, our) understanding of the universe. Right now, I'm an undergraduate student with the opportunity to graduate in May of 2025 with a B.S in Computer Science. I've always seen computer science as a catalyst upon the ideas from the other more fundamental scientific disciplines, one that can accelerate the impact a given idea can have upon the world. However, when I started college I did so as a political science major. At the time there was all sorts of ranting and raving about how much Software Engineers are paid, but that never influenced me. My mom would always tell me "do I.T!", "do CS!", "do cybersecurity!!"...I never listened. One day, I began working on some automation software to help speed up my work at an internship polling voters on key issues. After completing the project, I realized I loved the work involved and had a knack for it too. At the same time, I'd recently finished reading "The Future of Humanity" by Michio Kaku and "Something Deeply Hidden" by Sean Carroll. My bottom-up experience with programming and top-down exposure to some key ideas surrounding quantum physics and quantum computing led me to change my major to Computer Science. Now, my curiosity about the world extends deep into the fundamental sciences comprising the universe, like physics, chemistry, and biology. I could graduate in May, work a job that pays a good salary, and move on with my life. However, if I extend my undergraduate education to December 2025, I can complete minors (and, more importantly, fundamental courses) in Physics, Biology, and Cognitive Science. Moreover, the $20,000 will be enough to fund a semester of graduate school ending in May of 2026 which will let me complete an accelerated M.S. in Computer Engineering. Modern neuroscience tells us that the brain's 'plasticity' (capacity for quick, adaptive learning) dramatically slows down from age 25 onward. So, I'm in no rush to graduate. I'd rather stay in school longer and keep on learning. The mindscape scholarship will allow me to take a series of courses that will enable me to break quantum computers down to their first principles, all the way to the fundamental quantum physics underneath the technology. These courses, coupled with research experience accrued during the next year, will also allow me to study the applications of quantum computers to the simulation of nature. There are many principles I'll use to guide my journey toward understanding the universe and making a difference for life on Earth. The first of which is to constantly remind myself that the only thing I know is: I know nothing. Although modern science has many robust theories that explain much of the observable world, there is much we do not know, and nothing we purport to know is complete. Moreover, most, if not all, of what I take to be 'knowledge' are simply ideas that I can safely bet on as reliable tools for navigating life. In truth, I really know nothing, and that which I think I know is uncertain. Take human perception for example. Our brains approximate much of the world to make life simpler for us. Our eyes can only see a fragment of the electromagnetic radiation (visible light) that exists in the universe. Similarly, our ears only pick up a small selection of possible soundwaves that can reverberate in the physical world. Thus, as I continue learning, it is important to remain flexible and nimble in my intellect, refraining from clinging to any belief system in the face of contradictory evidence. One must fit their mental framework to the life they observe, rather than trying to fit the life that they observe into their mental framework. Just as early astronomers once believed the sun revolved around the Earth, shaping their observations to fit this flawed framework, I must ensure that my mental models evolve with reality rather than forcing reality to conform to my models. When faced with new evidence, I must be willing to shift my perspective, recognizing that clinging to outdated frameworks can obscure the truth rather than reveal it. History shows that some scientists refused to accept the heliocentric model, despite mounting evidence, because it contradicted their deeply held beliefs—an example of how rigid thinking can hinder progress and understanding Another idea I'll use to guide me is the framework in which I think. My mind places ideas, as they're learned, into my own personal 'theory of everything'. Part of that mindscape is a way of thinking that involves boiling concepts down to their first principles. By connecting broad observable realizations down to microphysics, I can build a map of knowledge with individual parts that can be interchanged and updated regularly, as science advances. I've made immense efforts to do this throughout my college education, having taken extra courses in physics, organic chemistry, anatomy/physiology, neurobiology, and genetics. These courses did not count for any degree credit whatsoever, they were purely self-motivated. Becoming well versed in as many disciplines as possible allows me to think about the biggest ideas in the universe in a versatile, interdisciplinary fashion. Another principle that guides me is to be relentless and persistent in my pursuit of knowledge. For example, I've spent two years working on medical devices as a way of interweaving knowledge in the fundamental sciences with technology to build meaningful products. I worked as an undergraduate researcher in our university's biointerface lab, building a novel device for sepsis detection. I also spent a year working at a medical device startup, building an implantable medical device with a surgically inserted air pump to assist patients with cardiac arrest. By working to acquire and apply knowledge in as many creative pursuits as possible, I can gather new ways of building products which make a difference in the world. If you invest in me, your scholarship will help me seek more from life, the universe, and everything. That's all I want to do with my life.

On paper, I might not seem to qualify for this scholarship. Nothing screams "underserved" about a south asian guy pursuing an undergraduate computer science degree. If you look solely at the income lines on my family's tax form or my individual FASFA filing, you might believe I have no financial "need". However, such papers don't provide a complete picture. My parents aren't just from India, they're from Kashmir, a territory of India in the northernmost region of the country. Their childhood was ridden with war and terrorism. Their people were persecuted for their religion and killed. Any survivors were forced to leave their homes. They lost everything. They immigrated to America to give their children a better life, and have been working their asses off day after day ever since. Moreover, my father was an engineer in the automotive industry during the 2008 financial crisis, and my mother worked in education during the 2020 pandemic. Financially, these events set them back years. They've had insane medical expenses (exacerbated by travel costs) for themselves and their parents. I also have a younger brother who has yet to start college. Ultimately, my family is still living paycheck to paycheck, worried about bills, and trying to survive. My parents came from absolutely nothing. They grew up during a literal genocide, one that most have never even heard of. If that's not 'financially underserved', I don't know what is. My parents deserve respite. This scholarship could help give my parents the rest they deserve after decades of sacrifice. To that end, I'd like to share three commitments I'll make to ensure a better future for me, my family, and my community. These commitments are to constantly 'sharpen the saw', to build a meaningful career, and to be a mother to the world around me. Sharpening the saw refers to preserving and enhancing my greatest asset: me! This commitment means becoming a lifelong learner Computer science is a fast-moving field where innovations emerge regularly. Staying relevant requires constant improvement to keep skills sharp and evolve alongside the industry. This will enable an older version of myself to remain adaptable, competent, and open to new opportunities, leading to sustained personal and professional growth. This scholarship directly supports this commitment by making it financially possible for me to follow my dreams by focusing on my education now, while simultaneously fulfilling my responsibilities to my parents by bringing money in for the family. Without the burden of financial stress, I can become the best version of myself—someone who thrives in the constantly changing fields that STEM includes. My second commitment is to build a career with meaning. Careers are about more than money—they should have purpose and impact. I will create a path that allows me to contribute to solving real-world challenges and be useful to humanity by developing technology that makes life easier. My work will have meaning. Providing value that goes beyond me will imbue my career with fulfillment, and that fulfillment will allow me to transcend the struggles that come with success. Being a "mother to this world" is about taking responsibility for the world around me, it's about empathy, understanding, and doing what I can to alleviate the suffering of others. Learning is a luxury, it is important to pay that forward. By building inclusive technologies that empower individuals and by mentoring younger students, I can give those who come from challenging backgrounds but have the drive to make a difference the opportunities this scholarship is giving me. With your support, I can make a difference in this world for a lifetime. Thank you!!

I started college as a political science major. After my first semester, I was hired as a consultant for a firm helping a former professor run for a local office. My job was to poll voters on key issues. Eventually, I realized that many tasks involved in calling voters and logging answers could be automated, but I needed to figure out how. So, I taught myself a programming language called Python. Then, I learned how to use automation tools related to my work. Finally, I began implementing my idea. A few weeks later, I had a working product. It was during those few weeks I fell in love with computer science. I loved helping people by making their jobs easier. Showing off my work to friends and family brought immense joy. Being able to express my intellectual creativity through software development was incredibly fulfilling. Most importantly, I loved the *struggle*. During those late nights spent burning the midnight oil... googling relentlessly, trying, failing, debugging, and trying again...I realized I loved the work. That's when I truly became interested in a computer science degree. I quickly changed my major to Computer Science, and have been moving forward ever since. So, what will I do with my degree? Well, just like Chris, I want to help people. I'm an entrepreneur, but I'm not driven by money. I wish to be useful..to make a difference. When I consider the problems I want to spend my life working on, I think of combatting climate change and understanding human consciousness. Currently, my focus is solely on learning...venturing out to the edge of knowledge, and finding ways to engineer new technologies that advance humanity. The rest of my college education is focused on the science, software, and hardware underlying artificial intelligence and quantum computing systems. The synthesis of the simulation power of quantum computers and the learning capacity of artificial intelligence models will be a new technological revolution for humanity. I will be right there on the front lines. Quantum computing has already been employed by researchers for drug discovery. AI has already been used to generate advancements in protein synthesis. I aim to extend these efforts into the fight against climate change by investigating the engineering of biological compounds that can capture or transform carbon. Moreover, I want to use these systems to build upon existing research into the brain, the mind, and the nature of human consciousness. Now I can't say I'm the best person to receive this scholarship, but I can say I chose this path purely out of passion. No buzzwords, salary statistics, or parental pushes influenced my decision. The choice came from first-hand bottom-up experience. Moreover, any money you give me will be treated as an investment. Learning is a luxury, your investment will enable me to fulfill both my dreams and my responsibilities. If you invest in me, you are betting on the power of persistence, compounded over time. That investment will pay returns to society for a lifetime.

First and foremost, I am a seeker. Though I don't just want to know, I want to do, and I want to create! Engineering is the creative application of knowledge. These applications lead to innovation. These innovations have the potential to transform society. Engineering is a path that necessitates the application of knowledge across all disciplines to bring ideas to fruition -- that is exactly what I want to do with my life. That's why I'm sticking with engineering -- but these intellectual realizations, as authentic as they may be, do not explain *why* I initially chose engineering as my path. As an Indian guy, it's laughably commonplace for people of my demographic to get into engineering. However, I chose this path for myself. No parental pushes or fancy salary statistics were guiding my decision. No. I chose this path as a result of pure bottom-up hands-on experience. What started as wanton curiosity slowly grew into the focus of my education, then blossomed into academic research and not one, but two professional co-op rotations! Upon graduating high school, I aimlessly and haphazardly decided upon a political science major. A few weeks into college, I landed a phone banking job that had me calling voters and polling them on key issues. Soon after, I taught myself how to write a program automating making calls and logging answers. That process was a struggle. The kind of struggle that led to a fulfilling eureka moment once I made it to the other side. At that point, I knew I wanted to be a Computer Science student. The following summer, my best friend and I wanted to build a "little free library" (think of a birdhouse, but for books) for our local community, so we drew up precisely measured designs on engineering paper, went to Lowe's, purchased supplies, and spent a weekend doing hands-on construction. Upon completion, we had a friend paint the library and then coordinated with the local Parks & Rec department to install it on public property. When the library was finally handed to the parks department, I was sure I wanted to become a full-fledged engineer. The next semester, I began tinkering with electronics and taking electrical engineering classes. Eventually, I joined a research lab focused on medical devices. I was part of a small interdisciplinary group of undergraduate and graduate students working on developing a novel biosensor for early Sepsis detection. I was the only computer science major ever to join the team. Over a year, we did research, performed experiments, put together prototypes, and demonstrated them to industry partners at a conference in Europe. It was an amazing experience that validated many of my life choices. Fast-forward to the present day and I have just completed a 6-month co-op rotation with a local startup working on medical devices to mitigate cardiac arrest. During my rotation, I implemented a patient portal that enables clinicians and researchers to analyze device measurements. I'm currently getting ready to begin another 6-month co-op rotation in which I will return to the field of political science and develop an application for the visualization of information found in often-obscure campaign finance filings. Now I'm at a point where I'm torn between following dreams and fulfilling responsibilities. If I double down on my education, taking advanced engineering classes and completing a physics minor (to enhance first principles thinking), I know I can be a paradigm-breaking engineer. At the same time, my family needs money, so I need to start working. If given scholarships, I could do BOTH!

When I was 16, I was kicked out of high school twice for substance abuse issues. I used to run around popping pills, chain-smoking cigarettes, day drinking, skipping school, doing anything for an escape. I lost friends and loved ones, I got in trouble with the law, and I struggled with intense self-loathing. Overtime I began to take steps towards recovery. I took heed from the philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous and started to speak more openly about my struggles. Then I began eating healthier. I fixed my sleep schedule. I started to exercise more. Eventually I began mediating regularly. I even took up yoga. Along the way I read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. Step by step I began to heal, to really recover, all across the board. Addiction after addiction began to slip away. I saw dramatic changes in thought, in emotion, and in energy. Yet for all those changes, "I" didn't feel different...I felt more like "me" than I had in ages. That's why, to me, recovery represents a form of renewal and rebirth. It is a burning away of all that you are not, and the flourishing of who you really are at your core.