Imagine the typical science fiction movie. All-knowing but human-like artificial intelligence and rockets that can take humankind to the farthest reaches of the universe are commonplace in these imaginary worlds. I want to be the person who wrote the code for these inventions. I should make a quick disclaimer that this isn't a formal declaration for me dedicating my career for these forms of technology, although I definitely would be interested in contributing to their development. What I am saying is that I want to be a software developer, one that dreams big and isn't afraid to try the impossible. I want my work to have a huge impact on the world. I don't care if people know my name but I want them to know my code. Currently, I am a first year, undergraduate student at the University of Southern California. I am a mathematics major that is in the process of adding computer science as my double major. I am ecstatic to be where I am in my life right now. All of the puzzle pieces are coming together and I know what I want to do with my life. I feel very fortunate for what I have. As a first-generation, low-income woman of color, I had a lot of factors in my life telling me it was unlikely I would ever go to college, much less a private university. So many things put me at a disadvantage, yet I still was able to graduate as my high school's valedictorian and go to a top university. I am the daughter of two felons, my father having been deported for his crimes. I was raised by a single mother, who had learned from her bad decision to steal in her youth, meaning I've always known poverty. Unfortunately, college is heavily dependent on the student's financial situation. Many people can't afford to go to college without mountains of debt. This scholarship would help greatly with my education. For starters, as if the expensive tuition wasn't enough, textbooks and testing materials can also get rather expensive. I'm stressing out while trying to afford the extra costs that come with my education. It feels as if I'm drowning as the price tag gets astronomically large. I can't ask my mother for help, given she has tens of thousands of dollars in debt without my added expenses. I am on my own. Not only would this scholarship help with lowering the price tag but it would also help reduce the stress I experience. My stress gets in the way of my education. I'm spending so much time working, looking for jobs, applying to scholarships, and more as an attempt to pay for my education. This all is extremely time consuming and not all of it has paid off. If I were to get this scholarship, I would be able to focus more on my studies. Overall, this scholarship serves as my bright light. It will help me keep my head above water as I defy the expectations that people with similar backgrounds face. Earning this scholarship would help me follow my dreams in being a bright light for others. I sincerely hope that my work can be a great benefit for the world.

When I was young, my father was deported back to Mexico. This gave him the perfect excuse to not support me, since Mexican laws protected him from having to pay child support. My mother was on her own, as a felon with a GED. She struggled to find a job, given her background. No one wanted to hire someone with a criminal record, even if they’re not that person anymore. Before I was born, my mother was arrested for being with my father, who was stealing, and another time for stealing baby clothes when she was pregnant with me. The only job that would take her was Wienerschnitzel. She worked as a cashier and was able to eventually become the general manager. She jumped from location to location, wherever her boss needed her. Sometimes this meant she was traveling for two hours by bus, since we didn’t have a car. Those times were hard since I barely got to see her. She was taken advantage by her boss: working open to close and having to fight for her paycheck because it rarely came on time. I didn’t get to see her much because of how much she had to work to support us. Even so, she never missed an awards ceremony or an open house. She was always there cheering me on, even though I knew she was exhausted. She taught me to not make the same mistakes she did and encouraged me to go to college, so I wouldn’t have to live paycheck to paycheck like we always had. My mother was and still is my biggest cheerleader and inspiration. She taught me how to fight for what I want. As a woman of color, I know I am at a disadvantage. As a child of a single parent, I know I have one less person to support me. When I was at a school that oozed privilege, or at least privilege as far as Buena Park goes, I never had the same opportunities as my peers. It was most evident with our academic pentathlon. My teacher kept pressuring me to participate; however, I couldn’t since it was held far away from campus and my friends weren’t going, meaning carpool wasn’t an option. I got treated differently because I wasn’t able to participate when other children had their mothers who didn’t work to drive them. My mother reassured me that there will always be someone more privileged than me; however, I shouldn’t let it get me down. I didn’t. I may not have been able to participate in the academic pentathlon, but I went on to be the valedictorian for my high school. I now attend USC, a private school, which is something I dreamed of for as long as I can remember. Without my mother’s support, none of this would’ve been possible. I never had both of my parents but I had what I needed. She made me the strong woman I am today. I have everything I need to become a computer programmer, despite my minority background. Even in college, my mother still cheers me on. Her support is all I ever needed.

When I was younger, life always felt like I was watching it through a television. You can want something to happen but it doesn’t mean that it will. I wanted to fit in more than anything. Self-deprecating thoughts flooded my mind at all times, telling me I wasn’t smart, pretty, or fun enough. I was the outcast, watching life pass me by. Each year, it was my New Year’s resolution to be free. To not overthink human interaction and to be carefree. But like a television show, I couldn’t control the outcome, or so I thought. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned more and more about the importance of a growth mindset. The idea that you can do anything if you put your mind to it has always appealed to me; however, some things always felt more attainable to me than others. That was the case for making friends. I used to try to take matters into my own hands, feeling that with enough preparation, I too could make friends. This is where the song “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” embodies my childhood. The lyric “Searching ‘How to start a conversation?’ on a website” is something I did a lot, as a shy adolescent with low self-esteem. Eventually, I was able to leave behind this behavior and build confidence in my own abilities. I have friends and I don’t have to rely on repetitive topics to talk about. This memory is the essence of my adolescence. It represents the challenges of finding oneself as well as the challenge to fit in. For me, the entire song resonates with my childhood. Choosing a specific lyric was definitely difficult. Nevertheless, this specific lyric is something I feel can resonate with more people as something of adolescence, a time where you’re more likely to believe anything you read on the internet. This was before I took classes that taught me to be careful and make sure my sources are reliable. I’ve said goodbye to that chapter of my life. I turned off the metaphorical television and I am finally living for me. There are no more Google searches, looking for answers that I already have. I have confidence in myself and I’m no longer stuck being unable to control what kind of person I am. I don’t have to be the shy girl in my childhood anymore. I can have the friends that little girl always dreamed of having. I’ve left my adolescence behind, and now I can appreciate the nostalgia behind those memories.

Living paycheck to paycheck can teach you a lot about budgeting. I was raised by a single mom and we were forced to rely on the paychecks she earned as a fast food worker. Dinners were always something cheap, like pasta or bean tacos. We had to walk or use public transportation to get places because we couldn’t afford a car. As difficult as this was, because our poverty also limited my educational opportunities, I am glad I had the kind of upbringing that I did. One of the earliest lessons I was taught by my mother was to use the cost of things and compare it to something else. For example, when I was a child, I loved to read. If there was a toy I wanted, I would ask myself how many books I could buy for the price of that toy and decide if it was worth it or not. Once I started working, I would ask myself how many hours I would have to work to pay for something I wanted. Then I would decide if I still wanted it, knowing that. Of course, this doesn’t apply to necessities; however, this technique is useful when it comes to determining what I would actually make use of. After this lesson, I’ve learned other things, such as how to make a monthly plan for spending and saving. Nevertheless, this lesson was the catalyst for my journey to becoming financially literate. If I had not grown up with the background that I have, I may not have learned this lesson. Now I’m in college and I’ve vowed to not rely on my family, not like they had much to offer in the financial department to begin with. My mother has thousands of dollars of debt and my grandparents also have too many bills to pay after a car accident that occurred. Had I not learned these lessons early, my transition into the broke college student lifestyle may have proved more difficult. After my first semester, I am proud of myself for how I well I was able to adjust to college life. However, books are expensive and the costs of blue books and scantrons add up. Budgeting only works so much and I’m already working as much as my school will allow me to. This is why I am working to find outside funding for my education. This lesson proved useful to my journey to becoming financially literate and it has helped me be responsible with my spending. Learning this lesson early served to benefit my education.

Science fiction is a genre that typically involves technology of some form. From the Jetsons to Interstellar, we can see the advanced technology that is imagined for the future. I am a mathematics major and am hoping to double major in computer science as well next semester. My goal is to be a programmer. With this goal, I can write the code for the technology in science fiction. From robots to flying cars, computer programming is at the core of all science fiction. I’m hoping to be a part of the change that will occur to make science fiction become science fact. I am extremely passionate about coding. Ever since taking AP Computer Science Principles in high school, I’ve dreamed of working for a big technology company, where I can code our way into the future. Mathematics is also important for computer science, so I decided to major in that as well. I’m getting a solid understanding of the fundamentals of technology, so I can achieve great things in my career. I’m relatively new to the field; however, I’d love to focus on household technology. Improving cellphones, smart household appliances, and working with engineers to make new inventions a reality are all projects that I want to work on in the future. I know I want to work on something that can be seen in the average household. For example, cellphones are common in everyday life. Most people have and make use of them. They’ve had such an impact on our lives that many people can’t imagine going back to life without one. I’ll be able to consider my career successful once I’ve been able to benefit the lives of others. That’s always been my goal, even before I decided to pursue this career path. Overall, I don’t know what specifically my future has in store. I’m only a first-year student in college. I’m using this time to explore so I can come up with different ideas. All I know is that I want to make a positive difference with my code. I want to create something new that will leave my mark on the world, even after I’m long gone. I’m already on my way to doing just that. I’m a first-year student at the University of Southern California, double majoring in mathematics and computer science. I’m confident that I can make the dreams that science fiction depicts a reality.

I am half-Mexican and half-white, with my father contributing to the half-Mexican part of me. My father was absent, partly because he was deported shortly after I was born but also because he chose not to keep in contact with me. While I despise him for hurting me the way he did, I've always treasured my Mexican heritage. I had no contact with that half of my family and all I had was my ethnicity to show for it. Due to the fact that I am mixed, it's harder for me to fit in. I've been tormented by different people who hated me because I was white. Being from a primarily Hispanic area, white people were the minority in the schools I attended. Even my friends would treat me differently because of my heritage, calling me "gringa". I've always wanted my Mexican half to be acknowledged. I have the last name Lopez but most people still saw me as white. I hated that I lost half of what I considered my identity solely because my father wasn't around when I was growing up. My Mexican-American identity is important to me. After being denied that for so long by others, it's important to me that I can acknowledge it. That's one of the many things I looked for when choosing a college. The University of Southern California's appreciation for diversity is one of the many reasons I chose to attend that school. Another reason I chose to attend USC is because of the resources they provide to first-generation and low-income college students. I was raised by a single mother. She only had a high school education. She struggled to take care of me with one income. We couldn't afford a car, which made it difficult for me to do extracurriculars after school. If I chose to stay at school too late, I would miss the bus and would have to either walk home alone or ride the public bus, putting my safety at risk. Our dinners were cheap (pasta or bean tacos). I didn't want to struggle to survive like she was. She lived pay check to pay check and I saw how miserable she was every morning before work. I knew I didn't want that life. I want a career where I can make a difference. One that makes me happy to go to work every morning. I don't want to live paycheck to paycheck. This is why I knew I had to earn a college degree. I've worked hard to get to where I am today. No one in my family has gone on to college. I had to learn the college and financial aid application process on my own. I became my high school's valedictorian, which was a proud moment for both me and my family. Now, I am the first person in my family to go to college and I'm going to a top university. I've dreamed about getting to this point for as long as I can remember. I am passionate about being a first-generation college graduate because this is me taking control of my life. Many people with backgrounds similar to mine never leave a life of poverty. I'm at a good school and I'm working to pay my tuition without my family. I'm also learning Spanish to embrace for the part of my identity that often gets forgotten. I'll be a first-generation, Mexican-American college graduate. All of these pieces are crucial parts of me as a person, one not being more important than the other.

When I was four years old, I was gifted my first gaming console. It was a Nintendo DS. I had also received Mario Kart as my first game. I remember spending hours trying to improve and get the hang of playing a video game. Initially, I couldn't get out of last place on 50 cc. It wasn't long until I got the hang of it and consistently won first place on the faster speeds. I grew up with a single mother, who had to work a lot to pay the bills. My grandmother stepped in as my babysitter when I was younger. She became a second mom to me and we've always been close. Once I got better at the game, I wanted to include her as well. Just like most elderly people, my grandmother is technologically naive. I liked to watch her race. She would crash into just about every wall there was and got turned around quite frequently. We would laugh at how bad she was at the game because the kart in eleventh place often crossed the finish line long before she reached it. One day, I had the idea to make her a book about the controls. I already tried explaining them to her before she started playing but she would forget. That's why I started making the book, explaining a variety of things from how to shoot an item to what each item does. She still held up the end of the leaderboard even with the book I made her, but I could tell she appreciated the sentiment. Every time I play Mario Kart, I remember this memory I have of playing with my grandmother. Eventually, I was gifted a Wii U and we were able to play Mario Kart 8 as a true multiplayer session. But this early memory is one I hold very near and dear to me and this is why I'll always have an appreciation for the Mario Kart games.

My comfort series is Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun. I was hooked after the first episode. The art style is beautiful and the vibrant colors create a pleasant viewing experience. I'm very much aware of the funny title, but the series itself can be rather deep. In my opinion, the anime doesn't do the story justice. It shows pieces of the plot out of order, making it difficult to continue the series without redoing the first season. I've read all of the manga that has been printed in English and my love for the series grew even more once I read the series. Regardless, I still love the anime. I first saw the anime during the COVID-19 pandemic. I had been out of school for almost a year at this point and I relied on anime to keep myself from being lonely. I fell in love with the world of Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun because it reminded me of the school I could no longer go to and the supernatural, which has always been an interest of mine. The pandemic was a difficult time for me, as it was for many people. Hanako's character, in particular, stuck out to me because of his troubles. I cried after seeing how he was bullied and ultimately took his own life. After learning of his backstory, I wanted to see him happy. He instantly became my comfort character because, despite his past, he was still able to smile for Nene, the high school girl who became his assistant. I also loved Nene, because she and I were both hopeless romantics. When I was watching this, the way I cared for these characters helped me feel less alone in a lonely time. I was able to smile a genuine smile. I consider this series a source of pure serotonin because it has made it easier to deal with painful times. This is why I never get tired of this series. When I got to college, I took a class in college about Monsters. It was a writing class and for our final paper, we were able to choose a form of media with monsters in it and analyze it. Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun was the first thing that came to mind. I wrote about how the series is a statement on rumors and the detrimental effects they can have on those they surround (I wrote this thinking of the broadcasting club that spread rumors about the supernaturals of the school). I've never been much of a writer, although writing about this anime made it easy. I've watched the series more times than I can count and simply talking about it makes me happy, which is also why I can write this scholarship essay so easily. Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun will always hold a special place in my heart. The wholesome characters never fail to bring a smile to my face and the outro sequence is still my favorite, for the beautiful song and stunning visuals that represent different things throughout the series. The list can go on and on about what I love about this anime but all I can say is that it will always hold a special place in my heart and is undoubtedly my favorite anime, manga, and series.

My future self is someone who knows how to love herself, helps other people, and is always determined to make life better, for herself and her community.

"Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them." This is a quote from one of my recent reads: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. Colleen Hoover has gained more and more popularity on BookTok. From my understanding, she's an author you either love or hate. I wanted to know where I would stand on the spectrum so last winter, I finally jumped on the bandwagon by purchasing It Ends With Us. Similar to the main character Lily, my family has a history of abuse. My father was abusive towards my mother. I never witnessed it, since my father was deported shortly after I was born; however, when I was older, my mother told me about it. She hoped I could avoid being in a similar situation. But toxic relationships can be a vicious cycle. My first relationship was representative of a bad relationship. My ex never hit me; however, his anger issues made me scared he might. Sometimes, he would raise his voice at me in public. Sometimes. he got destructive. He would throw and punch things. Once he even shattered the back of his phone because I got mad he didn't get me anything for Valentine's Day. He made me feel like I deserved the way he treated me because of my mistakes. One day, he broke up with me. While this hurt me, I now realize that this was the best thing for me. Like Lily, I never thought I would be in a toxic relationship. I always assumed that — hearing of what my mom went through with my father — if I found myself being mistreated, I would leave. I became extremely tolerant of the way I was treated because I thought leaving the one I loved would hurt more than staying with him. I hoped I could change him, but that only hurt me in the end. It Ends With Us helped me let go of the guilt that I felt. It showed me that it's not healthy to sacrifice my happiness for someone else. When Lily asked for a divorce from Ryle, she explained that her daughter motivated her to end the cycle. She didn't want her to witness abuse and think that it's okay for a man to treat her that same way. This made me realize that I don't want just any family but a happy one. By reading Lily's story, I was able to heal and look to the future. I am extremely grateful that my situation wasn't as severe. From this scare I had, I was able to reevaluate my own goals. I'm in college now and my future has never looked so bright. Lily was able to move on and focus on her business and her daughter. I'm focusing on my education and health. I was able to graduate as my high school's valedictorian. I've recently joined a book club as a means of helping me socialize. I'm also taking classes that I normally wouldn't have taken at a top university. My goal is to find a career I love where I can help people. I've learned to pull myself away from the negativity and to "just keep swimming". I will reach the shore.

Many things in my life made it more difficult to succeed. I grew up with a single mother. She got her GED but never wanted to pursue higher education. I saw her struggle to take care of me on her own. She had been arrested before I was born twice for stealing, due to the bad influence of my father who chose not to be present in my life. She turned her life around once I was born. She knew she wanted me to have a better life than she did. Nevertheless, between her lack of higher education and her record, she was stuck working with fast food for most of my childhood. Most employers didn't want to take a chance on her. Watching this struggle made me realize the consequences of my decisions could impact the rest of my life. My mother taught me to not give into bad influences and live my life honestly. She didn't want me to ruin my life over immaturity. I already knew I would avoid trouble, but I wanted to make her proud. She is my best friend and I want to pull her out of the poverty we've faced my whole life. I also wanted to pull myself out of poverty because I'm tired of building my life around it. I couldn't do many extracurriculars after school because I would miss the bus or it would get too late to safely walk home. Most of our dinners were pasta or bean tacos (tortilla, refried beans, cheese, and hot sauce). These were things that we could afford to make and could last us the week. My mother wasn't the only person who didn't go to college. My grandparents, my aunt, my uncle, none of them continued with their education past high school. They didn't struggle as much as my mom did; however, they still lived paycheck to paycheck. From watching them, I knew that education was crucial to success. As I grew older, I saw more of the challenges I would face. I am a first-generation college student whose parents both have a criminal record and I'm also half Mexican. I've had people tell me I wouldn't get this far with my journey to success. I've dealt with racist people from a variety of backgrounds since being mixed sometimes means you don't fit in with either side of your identity. I've had to learn about college applications and financial aid by myself, since I didn't have someone with that experience in my family to walk me through it all. The setbacks motivate me to defy expectations. I haven't decided what I want as a career yet. Given my goals, I want to work with people. I volunteered at a church's Sunday school before the pandemic. The joy I got from helping others made me realize that my passion is where other people are. I aim to make a difference. I'm using my first year of college to try new things. I've attended career fairs and tried classes that in high school I wouldn't have taken. While I don't completely know what the goal is, I know that I have the determination to get there. Various parts of my background point people to believe that I'll just stay in poverty. I'll admit, it's harder for me to achieve my goals. Regardless, I'm proud of what I've achieved so far. I was my high school's valedictorian and I'm attending a top university. I'm still working to close the gap in opportunity but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I’ve known poverty my whole life. My mom was arrested for stealing baby clothes which hurt her ability to find a well-paying job later on. My father was deported for his crimes and used that as an excuse to not be in my life or pay child support. As a result, we had to survive on one income. We couldn’t afford a car, which limited my academic opportunities to those we could take a bus or walk to. We had to live with my grandparents, so we had limited use of the kitchen because we couldn’t get in their way. My dinners were often quick, cheap meals, such as bean tacos or pasta. My mom was overworking herself trying to earn money to support me, which meant I barely saw her. She would try to reassure me that everything is fine, but I saw how stressed she was over money. While it was difficult, I am grateful that I saw these problems firsthand. From a young age, I knew the value of a dollar. I saw my mom struggle with no college degree so I knew higher education was important to bring myself out of poverty. This motivated my efforts throughout my schooling so far. I took any advanced class I could and always strived to be at the top of my class. So far, I’ve been successful. I graduated from high school as my school’s valedictorian. I'm attending USC, a top school, with a major in mathematics and hopefully, I will be double majoring in computer science as well. I’m doing the best I can to move forward with my education but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about debt. It’s stressful trying to figure out how I’ll be able to meet the costs of the big price tag that comes with attending a private school like USC. I’ve set my own rule that I won’t rely on my mother to pay for my education since she’s overworked herself enough while I was growing up. That means I’ve had to grow up quickly so I can take care of myself. I’m a rather independent person; however, I'm still more financially dependent than I would like. Applying for scholarships and applying for jobs on campus is how I plan to fund my education. I am persevering through college because I know I'll reach the light at the end of the tunnel. My mother is my role model, because of her strength and independence. She did the job of two in raising me. She didn't rely on my father and did what she had to do to take care of me. I won't rely on a man for financial stability. My goal is to obtain a career that I can enjoy and that will pull me out of my history of poverty. I want to be able to give back to my mother for all of the work she's done for my sake, and for always being my number one cheerleader. I've learned what it means to be truly independent. It has given me the drive to obtain what I want. For me, failure is not an option.

Math is a universal language. Numbers aren't just limited to the English language. One of my high school math teachers told me about how he came to this country when he was young. He was from Mexico and he didn't speak English well. He explained that this is why he loved math, as a minority who didn't speak the main language at that school, he was able to understand math due to its universality. Math is at the foundation of pretty much any field of study and having an understanding of mathematics is necessary for any career path you could take. I love math for many reasons. I love that it can support my career indecisiveness. I don't quite know what I want to do but I know that math will be at the foundation. Another reason I love math is that it is for the most part concrete in the solutions it provides. There isn't any room for interpretation. If there is one answer, there is only going to be that one correct answer. If there are two solutions, then it will only ever be those two. English class was always something I was required to take. As much as I love reading, I oftentimes hated English as a class because, for the most part, it was always up to interpretation. There can be multiple themes behind a piece of work and that doesn't mean one interpretation is more correct than the other. The same could be said for history with historical event significance or for science with different approaches and theories behind a phenomenon. That is what makes math beautiful. The main debate can be the different approaches to solving a problem, but in the end, people will still reach the same answer as long as there isn't a computational error on their end. I am currently working towards my mathematics degree. I may not know where life will take me; however, I recognize the usefulness of mathematics in all careers. Math is everywhere. To develop an understanding of the subject would be setting yourself up for success in the future. I am determined to succeed in whatever I decide to do. That success will begin with mathematics.

Disney is something that has reached to all parts of my childhood, both happy and unhappy. It’s known for being a big deal to children worldwide because of the variety of magical characters in the films and TV shows. I also remember seeing the ads with the happy families walking around Disneyland and meeting Mickey Mouse. To be honest, I never paid much mind to its reputation or those advertisements. In fact, I’m usually of the mindset where if something has a lot of hype surrounding it, I tend to not like it as much. Disney is something; however, that broke through my typical ways and found its way into my heart My family was always a big fan of Disney. I grew up seeing my aunt and uncle go to Disneyland multiple times a week because they were annual passholders. The Happiest Place on Earth was and is their happy place. They even got engaged in line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. My mom is more of a fan of the movies and music. She loves to dance and sing, her music of choice normally being a Disney song, especially a song from the Frozen soundtracks. I loved Disney partly because of how much my family loved it. My favorite characters over the years included: Cinderella, Belle, Nick Wilde, Merida, and Rapunzel. While Disney itself was something I enjoyed, what made it leave an impact on my life the most was how it changed along with my life. When I was little, I dreamed of being a princess and finding my prince charming. I would watch the princesses move around the screen with grace, accompanied by their animal companions. I would envy their thin figures or delicate mannerisms because I myself was too much of a tomboy to be a princess. As I got older, I realized my own capabilities. I had ambitions and I was beautiful just the way I was. Around this time I started to see a change in female leads. I was inspired by Tiana’s ambitions and family values, Merida’s desire for independence, and the Frozen franchise’s message that true love doesn’t also come from a man. I love Disneyland as much as the next person and I’m consistently entertained by Disney’s films. Nevertheless, my love doesn’t come from any particular movie or ride rather it comes from the way Disney has developed alongside me throughout my childhood. Once I was old enough, it showed me that I can be a strong and independent woman. It showed me love is a beautiful thing but to not rely on it to save me. It showed me that a princess can come in many different shapes, colors, and personalities.

Selflessness is something that I recognize through community service as well as just providing a helping hand to those you love. For example, listening to a friend rant about someone they feel wronged by and then providing reasonable and helpful advice is selfless just like a big effort like volunteering. It’s something that at the end of the day will help someone else, without any benefit to you. That’s not to say you can’t feel happy after, rather it solely depends on a person’s intentions when they help someone else. This being said, I’ve always tried my best to embody selflessness as much as I can. My biggest volunteer effort, in my opinion, is when I began working with my church’s Children’s Ministry to assist in childcare. This was what showed me how much I enjoy helping others as well as pointed me in the direction of what I want for a career. I continued this work from my seventh grade year in junior high until the start of the pandemic (totaling about 3 years). I love those children and creating a safe environment where they could have fun with their peers was my utmost priority. It was a demanding job and oftentimes I’d work 5 hour shifts. Nevertheless, I considered the efforts worth it since I got to see them happy. Another example that made me consider what I want for a career is my ability to listen to other people when they need someone to talk to. When I was younger, I struggled with my mental health, so much so that it would make me physically ill. I never went to a therapist because I didn’t want to burden my mother with an extra bill. As a result, whenever I would be overwhelmed with guilt and anxiety, I would talk to her about it. She always found a way to make me feel better. Eventually, the words of encouragement she shared with me stuck, and I was able to develop the skills I needed to pull myself out of my dark place. I want to be to someone else what she was to me. Especially in the time we live in, many people struggle with their mental health. It’s for this reason that even if I’m in the middle of something, I stop what I’m doing if someone seems troubled by something. I am a Questbridge Scholar. Through this, I was able to join chats with other scholars. One person in the group reached out needing help. By the sound of their text, it seemed like something was bothering them and that they needed someone to talk to. I never really talked much in the group chat, but with this I spoke up and made myself available to them. I am proud to say that I was able to help them in the end. This is when I realized that my help in this way doesn’t have to be limited to those I know closely, rather I could be of benefit to strangers. This made me look into being a therapist, so I could do just that. I’ve had many other experiences with helping others; however, these are the ones that taught me the most. These experiences set me up on a path to continue living my life selflessly. My goal was always to help other people. Now, I finally know how.

I chose to pursue a mathematics degree because I realize that many struggle with it. Over my years of schooling, I’ve seen a lot of hate directed toward mathematics because it was seen as too difficult. Although there were times that I too struggled with learning the subject, especially geometry, I learned to love the challenge. Mathematics is seen everywhere in the world around us, which means it’s important we all have an understanding of it. My mother was one of the people who hated math. To this day, she still very openly hates the subject. Although I’ve seen mathematics play a crucial role in both of the jobs I’ve seen her hold. She worked as a Wienerschnitzel general manager and switched to quote writing, two very different fields, yet math was necessary for both jobs. Seeing that showed me that mathematics opens doors for any career you may choose. Seeing this importance, I want to work to change this hatred others feel towards mathematics. I am my school’s Math Club President. What that means is I run an organization of student tutors with the goal of those who need help in math. I am also a tutor and I now train others on how to effectively tutor the students that come into our Math Center. This gave me the experience I needed to show me that I want to be a math teacher. I’ve had many wonderful math teachers so far that have strengthened my passion for mathematics. I want to be able to do that for other students. I’ve experienced the satisfaction of seeing when a student begins to understand a concept. If I can teach my students in a way that makes mathematics seem less daunting, then I’ll consider my career a job well done. I love mathematics, from the way it’s a common factor for numerous careers to the way that it provides a challenge. I want others to love it too. This is why I am choosing to pursue a mathematics degree. I’ll educate that next generation on the foundation of all careers.

Before I entered kindergarten, I tried to learn everything I could. One thing that my family was able to teach me was mathematics. They taught me addition, subtraction, and multiplication since that was what they knew how to do. At this age, I was already aware of the reputation math had. It’s a difficult subject for most people; however, if you were good at math that made you look smarter. It is for this reason that my passion for math developed. Once I was in school, I saw what everyone was talking about. I was in advanced classes beginning in fourth grade so we were already being exposed to things like fractions, exponents, and even scientific notation. While these things are second nature to me now, I remember them being extremely difficult at the time. At this point, my passion wavered a bit since I started to like other subjects more. However, one of my teachers said “If you struggle with something, make it your favorite thing.” This stuck with me and I learned to love the challenge. I had always loved math because it was easier for me to understand than the abstracts in English or the memorization in science and history. But this showed me that I loved it for the wrong reason. It showed me that with any passion, you shouldn’t look for the easy way out and I still live by this rule to this day. I am now a senior in high school about to graduate. I am my school’s valedictorian and I have risen to the top in mathematics with what my school has to offer. Now that I have taken AP Statistics, I can confidently say that it has impacted how I viewed the world more than anything. For example, the chi-square goodness of fit test showed me whether a proportion is actually accurate to a population. Now, when I watch commercials before a YouTube video and they show some statistic like “9 out of 10 dentists recommend our toothpaste brand”, I often think of the conditions that would need to be met in a goodness of fit test. It has led me to actually question the validity of studies not just because they have to be lying but in a more scientific approach. In the end, I’d also say it improved my critical thinking tremendously. Now that I’m graduating, I have to take the next step in my future. I am a mathematics major on the pre-teaching track. My plan is to become a math teacher so I can inspire other students to pursue a commonly despised subject. Mathematics opens so many doors so whether I keep that career goal or a change it, I know mathematics will be at the center of whatever I choose.

I am majoring in mathematics on the pre-teaching track. I love the subject and I love working with children. As a form of community service, I worked as an assistant teacher for my old church’s children’s ministry. I fell in love with the job and sometimes I wondered if those children taught me more about myself than I taught them. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to work in a way that would benefit the next generation. I used to struggle a lot with mathematics; however, my teachers never gave up on me. I ended up realizing that I want to be like that for the next generation. Mathematics is so important for really any career path you could end up choosing. That is why it’s important for the sake of their future that children learn as much as they can. I’ve already become president of a club where I can tutor those struggling in math; however, that limits my impact to those who voluntarily come in asking for help and only for the four years I was able to be a part of the club. I want to be able to help people understand math so they can be successful in any career possible. With my teaching career, I’ll be able to do just that. If I can improve the life of at least one student, I’ll call that a win. My math teachers never gave up on me and I know I won’t ever give up on my students.

Something as simple as turning the light off when you leave a room or never leaving a faucet running when it’s unnecessary all can benefit the environment. I strive to do these things and more. I recycle as much as I can and I also encourage my peers to do the same. I am the president of my school’s club called the Earth Club. The previous club unfortunately disbanded due to the pandemic; however, once I was able to attend school in person again, I made the decision to get the club started again. This was my first time as a club president and it was definitely a challenge. Nevertheless, I believe it was worth the effort. I was able to inform my peers about the state of the environment and to give them tips on how they could be more eco-friendly. I’ve also started avoiding using disposable materials as much as I can. Instead of using plastic water bottles, I now bring a Thermos with me to school everyday. I don’t use straws at restaurants either unless they’re paper. I even recycle my batteries now. My old school used to educate us on the importance of being mindful of the environmental effects of our actions. They went in depth numerous times on how recycling isn’t just for glass and plastic but even batteries can be recycled at certain facilities. To be completely honest, a lot of the tips I shared with my peers is inspired from the education I received from my old school. I found their advice extremely useful so I wanted to share what I learned with others as a way to make a difference. Lately, I’ve also been able to participate in clean-ups where I would go around and pick up trash. They offered community service hours for helping. Nevertheless, I had already completed my community service requirements through tutoring so I didn’t need to help. I helped because I wanted to help. Any little bit matters in the grand scheme of things. If we all worked together we could make some huge differences to our planet. Some may believe that my efforts alone is not enough and my sole efforts probably aren’t. I still know I’m doing my part and I choose to have faith that eventually others will also choose to lead a more environmentally considerate lifestyle. We have a long way to go, yet I hope one day we’ll succeed in making our planet healthier.