I have been dealt a winning hand in life. However, one of the most impactful struggles I have faced was a product of my own doing: the comparison I made between myself and my older brother, Evan. Evan was my first idol and my first enemy. From a young age, I adored him. He was kind, resourceful, intelligent, and athletic; I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. However, my adoration quickly turned to jealousy when everyone noticed his intelligence and athleticism, and I was lost in his shadow. Teachers and coaches would praise him, and I could see how proud of him my parents were. I wanted my parents to be proud of me, and I seemed to believe that the only way they would be was if I was as good as Evan. I put myself in a dark place as I would continuously push myself and then become disappointed when I inevitably fell short. While I did well in school and sports, I never did as well as he did. I felt that his success meant the lack of mine. However, this feeling of inferiority changed when I re-encountered the Lord with the help of my small group leader, Sarai. Over one summer, she reminded me that the Lord gives me all the love I could possibly need with no stipulations. Her service to me changed my life as I now live for the glory of God, and I know no matter what I doーsuccess or failure, win or lossーI am loved unconditionally. Focusing on myself and what I can do leads to feelings of inadequacy; instead, I need to focus on what the Lord can accomplish through me. I am called to serve others through tutoring and being a good listener, and not only do I benefit others, but I gain self-worth seeing the positive impact of my service. For instance, my sophomore year, I ran the anchor leg of the 4x400 for the area meet. After winning and getting our medals, the officials realized they started 2 teams at the wrong mark and made everyone re-run the race. I was exhausted after running 3 prior races, so our alternate ran for me. When we won again, I voluntarily and gladly gave her “my” medal, because her contribution was critical to our team’s success. Additionally, at the beginning of my senior track season, I broke my leg long jumping, but I still go to meets to encourage my teammates. These aren't grandiose gestures of service, but it's important they know someone recognizes their hard work and sacrifice. I still work hard in school, but now with a different goal: not to achieve recognition for myself, but to use the skills I have been given to glorify God by serving others. I am so excited to pursue an engineering degree at Texas A&M because I will get to use my love for STEM to improve the lives of others.