Losing my dad to suicide changed the way I look at life not because it broke me down, but because it forced me to grow up faster, to think differently, and to take responsibility for my future in a way most people my age don’t have to. I was 13 when I lost my father he missed my promotion and many other life changing events but my dad wasn’t just a father he was the example I would’ve learned everything from. He was a car guy, a business owner, and someone who built his reputation on doing things right. Whether it was paintwork, bodywork, or building cars from the ground up, people respected him because he didn’t cut corners. His work spoke for itself. That’s something I’ve carried with me ever since. When I lost him, I didn’t just lose a parent I lost a mentor before I ever got the chance to fully learn from him. And that’s what sticks with me the most. I now spend my time working toward the same things he cared about building, creating, working with my hands, but also developing myself in business and in life. One of the biggest things that connects me to him now is the car he left behind his 240SX. I had to take that car as my own project. I didn’t know everything I needed to know to finish it, but that’s part of the story. I’ve been figuring it out piece by piece, mistake by mistake, learning as I go the same way he built himself up. That car is more than just a car to me it’s a piece of him and a reminder that I can still build something great, even without the perfect blueprint or the perfect teacher. But I don’t walk around feeling sorry for myself. That’s not who I am I never felt the need to tell or let it define me I don’t want a pity party. I’m happy with where I’m going because I know what I’m working toward. I’m in school full-time at CC but transferred to Arizona State University studying Global Management. I work full-time because I’ve always believed in handling my own responsibilities and being independent. What my dad’s passing really taught me is how important it is to not waste time, to push yourself, and to stay real to who you are. He could’ve been even more successful if he had the support or resources that I’m now chasing for myself. That’s part of why I take school seriously. I don’t want to just pass classes I want to understand what I’m learning. I want to be able to travel, work internationally, and build a future where I’m respected for doing honest, quality work just like he was. Therapy has helped me deal with the loss in a real way. Grief doesn’t go away it just changes how you carry it. Working on the car has been its own kind of therapy too. Every time I make progress on it, I’m reminded that I’m moving forward. I’m still dealing with the loss, and I probably always will be, but I know how to keep going. This scholarship would help me focus more on what matters less time worrying about financial stress and more time learning, working, and improving myself. I don’t expect anything to be handed to me. That’s not how I was raised. But I do know that any support I receive will be put to good use not just for myself, but for what I’m trying to build long-term. At the end of the day, I’m driven by what could have been not in a way that holds me back, but in a way that pushes me forward. I almost had the best teacher in the world right in front of me. I didn’t get that full opportunity but that doesn’t mean I’m done learning or growing. I’m committed to working hard, staying true to who I am, and building a life that my dad would be proud of not because I’m trying to be him, but because I’m trying to take what he left me and make something even greater with it.