The passion in pursuing a career in Cybersecurity arose from completing a Cybersecurity Engineering internship in 2022, the supervisor who guided me through the process was Brady Cusack, Brady was a very close friend to my older brother and I. I was given the opportunity to work in a sector focusing on Offensive Cybersecurity and completing two courses on Security+ and the Kali Linux Server. The topics that I found interesting during my internship was how one of the Udemy instructors for Security+ explained how data and information are considered treasure chests for potential "pirates" to acquire. The training course for Kali Linux provided a well-rounded foundation on inputting commands and access codes such as "changrp", "mkdir", "ipconfig", and "tasklist". The instructor for Kali Linux created an access group modeled after the Simpsons, allowing for more fluid and creative programming from using pop culture, developing a greater understanding of the process. The challenges and obstacles that have and still prevent me from earning my degree is Financial hardship due to difficulty finding a job remote or flexible that blends in with my study schedule. PGCC was the first college I've attended since graduating high school, while the journey there was amazing in the beginning, however by 2023, new policies regarding the Satisfactory Academic Progress or SAP appeals were required for lagging and continuing students. The opportunity arose when I submitted a transfer application for UMD College Park in the summer of 2023 in hopes of obtaining a bachelor's degree, however once I completed orientation for UMD, the cost for tuition was over 4000 dollars. I spoke with the assistant dean of Student Affairs at UMD College Park, unfortunately the dean claimed that the only source of financial assistance was an unsubsidized loan. The experiences have caused me to become depressed and aimless between 2024-2025, however my older brother has also experienced a similar situation to myself, and recommended that I enroll in another university, preferably online, which I did immediately. Another terrible experience were hackers disguising themselves as "Apple Support" and stole $800 dollars from my mother's bank account, luckily she was able to receive her money back, but the incident motivated me to pursue a Cybersecurity career, in order to prevent any more victims of fraud and phishing scams, as well stopping malicious people from living off on innocent people's misery. All things considered, Cybersecurity is one of the most in-demand and flourishing careers. Hopefully I can complete my studies without worrying about finances and continue to watch over my mental and physical well-being. The ability to combat malicious hackers and criminals from affecting and destroying the security of innocent people is a skill that is both admirable and vital to the future. Cybersecurity provides an outlet of learning everything I can to protect the things and people I care about the most, and I'll keep moving forward with my resolve never wavering.

Mathematics has been the subject that I felt a true connection towards, half of my teachers throughout the years have acknowledged my skill for mathematics and the praise I received solidified my interest. My aptitude for mathematics was challenged constantly at PGCC, from integrating into an online structure due to the impact of COVID-19 in 2020 and became a struggle to adjust in an online learning environment. After failing my first attempt at Precalculus I, I focused on the habits I often ignored because the online format for my coursework was challenging and vague. The online tutoring center was also something I ignored for the first attempt on Precalculus I; by frequenting the tutoring center, my understanding for the formulas and concepts for Precalculus greatly increased. The experience of repeating a college course for the first time, provided a new perspective and appreciation of practicing concepts instead of only memorizing formulas that enhanced my understanding and skill. The first attempt for Calculus I however, ended in great disappointment by the end of the Fall 2022 semester in my mind. The reason why I failed my first attempt for Calculus I was due to the material used on the exams. Some of the problems introduced information that I was unfamiliar with, however I still solved the problem the best I could. The experience motivated me to study harder and consult with tutors on the concepts I had trouble comprehending and they explained in immense yet helpful detail. Looking back on the last 5 years, my academic skills, particularly in English and Mathematics, have greatly improved, even though there are some concepts I can't recall. All things considered, Mathematics has opened many doors for my progression, both personally and professionally. The experience of learning from various tutors and professors, along with peer groups who share the same values and ideals, never ceases to amaze me. Hopefully I can finally graduate soon and look back on my journey that all the countless hours of studying and mistakes I've made, continue to pave the foundation of a great life.

Calculus is one of the most rigorous yet rewarding courses I've taken; I started learning Precalculus in Spring 2021 before I took Calculus because Precalculus was a prerequisite two-part course before I could advance towards Calculus since I didn't take precalculus during high school. Precalculus I was hard, even though I followed the instructions and watched videos on how to solve certain problems; I still failed the course and had to retake it in the next semester. The experience created a new outlook on improving my study habits, as well as working with tutors from the mathematics learning center for PGCC because the Knewton homework was very confusing since it was a new feature my second precalculus professor introduced. The habits I frequently used the most was consulting with tutors and forming a study group with a couple of my peers; focusing on the hardest parts of the assignments like quadratic equations, inequalities, and formulas. The group and myself watched countless videos for instructions because whenever we solved a problem for the Knewton assignments, a box titled "Correct Answer" appears and explains the correct step-by-step solution; sometimes with formulas our professor never taught. After earning a 75 for my final grade in Precalculus I, I advanced to Precalculus II where I had a much better grasp on the subjects; particularly studying the Unit Circle, learning the trigonometric functions of angles like Sine, Cosine, Tangent, Cotangent, Cosecant, and Secant. I found the concepts of Trigonometry for angles, Length times Width, and logistics more interesting and understandable than the concepts from Precalculus I. The duration of studying Precalculus and Calculus was extremely difficult yet rewarding because the greatest tool I used to gain a better understanding was practicing the concepts of the problems with not only formulas; but with structure and different perspectives when approaching a problem. Upon entering Calculus I, I repeated the same outcome like my first attempt at Precalculus I and became disappointed at the final results. The concepts from my first Calculus I course used for the exams; most of the problems were completely unrelated to what I studied constantly from practice exams and the textbook, even though one of my peers who had the same professor, strongly recommended to ignore using the textbook because she considered it useless. When the Fall 2022 semester finally came to a close; I was very disappointed initially with the final outcome, however I knew this was another wall in my path and similar to Precalculus I; I'll pass the course on the second attempt. course on the second attempt. The second attempt for Calculus, it almost felt like a spiritual successor to my second attempt at Precalculus I, though the process was better by comparison from the lessons I engraved inside my mind when approaching the same concepts from the past attempt. All things considered, Calculus has been a hardship yet rewarding because being able to correct any bad habits from understanding formulas, the concept of using PEMDAS for derivatives and integrals, and reading the questions before knowing which route or formula to utilize first. The abundance of tutorials, instructors, and peers that help better develop your skills in mathematics, which can be used in daily life, work, or planning to send your child to college with proper tools and resources. The college path has broadened my perspective on both my career and personal life, however remembering how to form solutions and visualize an everyday scenario as a derivative is something eternal.

The past 5 years I've had to reflect on my college journey from enrolling at PGCC right before COVID-19, the idea of becoming either an Aeronautical or Cybersecurity Engineer was one of the most prominent goals in my mind. The honor of transferring to UMD College Park has been both incredible and impactful for my mental and physical health. During my first semester to the end of third semester, my major was initially English Concentration because I wanted to improve my grammar and essay writing. During my first semester to the end of third semester, my major was initially English Concentration because I wanted to improve my grammar and essay writing. Near the end of my third semester however, I desired to have a more practical career and remembered the advice provided by my IEP manager Pamela Bellamy about the importance and exciting aspects of Engineering. When I started my fourth semester with General Engineering as my new major; I didn't feel anything new or different initially, however I failed my Precalculus I course because there was a major difference from my Intro to Statistics course the previous spring. During the Fall 2021 semester, I made a different approach with my homework and studying for exams by working with tutors and consulting my professors more about topics I had trouble understanding. Over the course I gained a firmer understanding of concepts and formulas, as well tips for how to visualize solving derivatives and integrals; including studying and collaborating with my classmates. The STEM week for PGCC has been an eye-opener, particularly an Engineering panel that discussed how a successful career is compared to a lifeboat. Another aspect of Engineering, particularly Cybersecurity Engineering; certifications for learning how to use and monitor programs like Security+ and Kali Linux were stated to be possibly worth more than even a bachelor's degree. I thoroughly enjoyed learning everything I could from my internship, since there was much difficulty balancing both my internship and my classes. Unfortunately the Spring 2023 semester derailed my academic progression somewhat; I was unable to receive any more aid from the FAFSA due to completing all the general education coursework for my major. After completing and passing the required courses needed to move forward, one of the SAP advisors at PGCC Chantal Dones recommended that I switch to General Education so I can finally graduate from PGCC and submit a transfer application for UMD College Park. Currently, the hope of UMGC offering not only a faster, but more assured direction that will ease any self-doubt that I can finally earn a bachelor's degree feels somewhat warm. All things considered, I've learned to accept the positive and negative aspects of moving forward, especially when balancing my personal life with building a future career. Only spending half a decade studying hard and learning how to become self-sufficient still remains a steady challenge for me; however I continue to measure the positives higher than the negatives. I always tell myself to consider other options in case finishing college takes longer and more costly than I originally planned; like earning certifications in Cybersecurity from Udemy and Code Academy or possibly becoming an Esports player. Nevertheless, I'll continue to pursue my bachelor's degree while exploring the other options I can walk towards without any lingering feelings of regret and doubt.

The most important experience in my life was during social isolation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I began to ponder the question "Would majoring in Engineering provide me with a greater and fulfilling future than from an English major?". After a few months considering this option, I switched from English Concentration to General Engineering near the end of my third semester at PGCC and I honestly felt more fulfilled going into the next semester. Going into my first courses for Engineering for the Fall 2022 semester; in addition to my internship at Poe Security for Cybersecurity Engineering. The professor, who taught both my classes, was very knowledgeable, though he was very slow on discussing subjects and caused us to become very behind on our class schedule. On the other hand, working with my supervisor over at my internship, I've felt a greater sense of learning and engaging in the cybersecurity environment; the supervisor in charge was Brady Cusack and he eagerly and patiently instructed me on various subjects of Cybersecurity like clickjacking, caches, command groups, and many more. After finishing the semester, however, I was frustrated with the engineering courses because I felt the reports my peers and I made for each assignment felt unnecessary and forced. Meanwhile with my internship, I felt a greater sense of knowledge from the material of training courses for Security+ and Kali Linux since experts who worked in the cybersecurity field gave encouraging and thoughtful advice on how to move forward for students attending college or on other paths to success. Over the past 5 years I've come to realize just how much I grew as a person both mentally and physically from engaging with my peers, learning from instructors and mentors, and balancing life and career commitments. I still remember the words of my IEP case manager from high school named Pamela Bellamy; she always told me how my ability in mathematics was a great perk for studying Engineering, even though I've never been a fanatic of science unlike my older brother. The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed a great toll on my physical and mental health, but helped me realize the direction is working in technology because technology is one of the most mainstream features in the modern world. There are members of my family in Nicaragua who work as Engineers and Programmers despite restrictions from the government. The advantages and disadvantages of being a Latino student has been both a blessing and an obstacle because there are other Latino students who are equal or more deserving of receiving scholarships, grants, or benefits. Although this disadvantage doesn't deter my ambition or path because I have and always will continue believing in myself and hope to finish the journey of college. All things considered, the experience of studying Engineering before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was extremely challenging and harsh; however the past 5 years have been fulfilling nonetheless. From seeing other students of Latino origin like myself among various others, gives me a strong sense of diversity and inclusion of being able to attend and graduate college no matter where you come from. The image of Latinos like myself entering occupations like programming, medicine, aviation, and even business; feeling like an honor of contributing to the future of Latinos has been both humble and exciting. The current generation along with newer ones have the importance and knowledge of moving forward and avoiding the mistakes past generations made and work towards a brighter future.

Technology is and still remains an up-and-coming resource that the world sometimes has both a positive and negative outcome on the environment. Initially, I didn't have any interest in a career in STEM until the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in the beginning of 2020 and being sent into isolation made me think more about my future. I took inspiration from my supervisor from my internship Brady Cusack and my IEP case manager Pamela Bellamy, advised me to pursue a career in technology. Being able to balance both studying and my personal life has been incredibly difficult at first during the early stages of the pandemic; however, I continued to seek guidance from both my instructors and counselors from PGCC on how to navigate in an online-learning environment. Once I reached the requirements for my Introduction to Engineering course alongside Programming for Engineers and Scientists, I got to learn and experience basic engineering and programming codes, structures, formulas and various others. Unfortunately, the professor for both of the courses was very knowledgeable for both subjects; the professor would unintentionally take most of the class duration to talk heavily on certain topics that impacted the class schedule. The solution to this problem was to learn from YouTube videos about how to write codes and programs on Raptor, JavaScript, Octave, and MATLAB; I found learning how to code very enjoyable from both the internship and coursework. The timeline of my PGCC journey has brought both hardships and opportunities since switching my initial major of English Concentration to General Engineering. After discussing my goals with my supervisor and a few friends of mine; I decided to pursue a career in STEM as one of my friends explained how there are many companies and corporations in dire need of Engineers. In addition, I spoke and discussed with my STEM advisor at PGCC Ms. Roi Blackwell before she left the campus; Ms. Blackwell was excited about how I already decided to pursue Engineering and she even claimed that I was already ahead of half of the students whom she mentioned were still unsure of their career path. With this information, I became even more motivated to study hard and develop relationships with a few of my peers I grew close to; in addition to my internship opening my eyes to another career path in case my ambition for Engineering doesn't go as planned. I had to overcome and still struggle with many adversities; the most significant one was complications with my 2023-2024 FAFSA application due to my parents' bizarre tax status, another was difficulty re-enrolling at UMD College Park because the undergrad admissions and registrar offices were baffled to my situation initially. I proceeded to work frequently with both offices along with the IT department to find a solution in re-enrolling, most of the time they were unsure about certain issues. All things considered, looking back at these past 5 years has been therapeutic because it has given me to reminisce on the positives and negatives of my college journey after graduating high school and surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic. I convince myself every day that failure is eternal like success and learning from the experiences of both college and adulthood can ensure a greater state of mind. Even now I constantly deal with many stressors like family and unemployment, however my older brother often tells me to never care what people, especially our parents think about me or my career aspirations. I'll continue doing what's best for both my mental and physical health; particularly to stop worrying and live my life the way I want.

The path towards a better life with higher education has been mind-blowing yet still a constant struggle because this last year, my college journey has come to a temporary halt for now. Early into my childhood, I've always dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot because my parents used to take me to the rest area near the BWI airport and I was in awe every time I saw the airplanes landing on the strip for BWI and it made me want to become part of the aviation industry. During my junior year in high school, I attended an IEP meeting with my case manager Pamela Bellamy and a few of the principal staff with my mother in attendance. Mrs. Bellamy had advised from being good at mathematics to enroll at Catonsville Community College to study Engineering while I've spoken with my school counselor that I wanted to become a pilot instead. 2 months before graduating from high school, I submitted an application for PGCC with an English Concentration major, the experience felt from both studying and embracing college life, eager to see what else PGCC had to offer aside from coursework. When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the U.S. and all students attending PGCC and other universities had to go into social isolation for almost 2 years; at first I deeply hated not being in an actual classroom, overtime I grew to appreciate studying from home without the worry of leaving my home and attend class remotely. Upon completing my Fall 2020 semester, I began to reflect on my future and if my initial major was the correct choice. A memory then surfaced of one of my older brother's friends, Brady Cusack back before COVID impacted America; advising me to pursue a career in technology, believing that I could have a more fulfilling life. At the end of my third semester, I switched to General Engineering and worked tirelessly to see if the new path I took was worthwhile for my career. The passion I felt at that point was both assuring and empowering because my path was heading towards a very good direction, in addition to a greater sense of balance. During my Fall 2022 semester I was given the opportunity of an internship for Cybersecurity Engineering under the supervision of Brady Cusack, working as the CTO for his company Poe Security. Although I desire to continue attending college and finishing my degree, I still considered other possibilities if my ambition to become a Cybersecurity or Aeronautical Engineer didn't come to fruition. During a convention I attended last January, I went to a panel with a lecture about education in Esports and I considered pursuing a career in Esports. Video games have been a lifelong hobby, which I still love to this day and I believe that a career in Esports would be quite lucrative and wonderful. My older brother supported this idea because he always encouraged me to create and live the life I desire to have. All things considered, even though my goals tend to be sidetracked because of personal circumstances, my desire for a better life is what keeps me motivated and focused. From the first semester of college to now, I felt that I've really done something not only for my future, instead I felt a very healthy mindset allowing me to pursue any career I want. These past 5 years have taught me to keep moving forward even when you're stuck and live your life the way you want to instead of others.

Cybersecurity has been an eye-opener for my goals and I hope that becoming a Cybersecurity Engineer will ensure my ambition and desire to live a full and meaningful life. In the Fall of 2022, I was given the opportunity for a Cybersecurity Engineering Internship from Poe Security under the supervision of Brady Cusack, who served as the CTO of Poe Security. The variation of Cybersecurity that Brady introduced me to was Offensive Cybersecurity and upon explaining every detail of this branch felt like I truly saw myself pursuing a career in this field. I created a career project for my Interpersonal Communications course back in Spring 2022 and I interviewed Brady since I desire to have a career in the tech industry. After the interview was finished, I made a video and posted it on YouTube as required as the final part of the project and because the submission couldn't work on Blackboard; I continued to wonder if Cybersecurity could be a lucrative career that I can finally live my life on my own terms. The duration of my internship was mostly around learning the process and practicing commands, creating group access, and assisting Brady with programs. I found the process to be both fascinating and exhausting because I was able to learn about Cybersecurity, Engineering, and Programming from both my internship and two courses from PGCC; I saw my supervisor being more energetic and knowledgeable about the topics than my professor. Another aspect was completing two courses about Security+ and Kali Linux for my internship; Brady explained how passing and earning a certificate for any field of Cybersecurity would essentially become worth more than even a bachelor's degree. Cybersecurity was in my eyes; one of the most rewarding and high in demand due to the rapid evolution of the tech industry and how everything is becoming more and more digital, technology is a resource that will never be discarded. I see myself in 10 years working as a programmer for a major company/corporation like Amazon, Microsoft, or possibly Google; on the other hand, I hope to become employed as a developer for video games working for companies like CD Projekt RED, Xbox Game Studios, or perhaps establishing my own company/studio. Utilizing programming software like JavaScript, Octave, Raptor, and Kali Linux were amazing from creating a command to speak one sentence to creating a complex flowchart. Realizing that the tech industry was one of high demand and innovation is also one of great passion and flexibility, as such I felt that pursuing a career in Cybersecurity might give a life where I don't have to feel so limited or unstable because growing up in poverty has given me a somewhat of an inferiority complex. Nevertheless, I still desire to obtain a degree and a career that I can be proud of and work towards making the lives of the people I care about even greater. All things considered, I'm still undecided on what I should pursue from engineering, programming, and cybersecurity. However, from the continued guidance and encouragement from my brother, supervisor, and the people I care about, I'll continue doing what I can to secure my future and I won't let anyone stand in my way of greatness. Finding and keeping my motivation is a struggle because my environment usually causes me to commit a few things that I'm never proud of and keep telling myself that I'm already enough.

The role of the second son of foreign-born parents is the greatest of burdens because my family is highly complex and broken, which is why I want to escape and develop a life better than my current one. Whenever I applied for Financial Aid during my duration at PGCC from 2019 to 2023, my parents' income tax reports stated that they were "married-filed jointly" before 2021; however during my final semester at PGCC in Fall 2023, the tax records for my parents were labeled as "Married-filed separately". This incident began numerous frustrating appeals to the PGCC financial office in Largo, yet the Largo office kept finding new problems with my Financial Aid application and therefore; I felt there was no other option but to drop my two remaining courses before finals week. The upside from this incident was from submitting a transfer application to UMD College Park and I was accepted last October; I've then completed all the requirements necessary for a smooth transition for the Spring 2024 semester, however the same situation regarding Financial Aid impacted my journey yet again. Similar to how I dealt with the situation with PGCC, I spoke directly with the Financial office and the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and they recommended that I wait until March where I can speak to the department of undergrad students. I was able to speak with a transfer advisor who works with transfer students from PGCC since the Undergrad department recommended that I speak with the advisor first. The advisor then suggested that I speak with the Undergrad department and the Financial Aid office to see if I can receive deferment for the Fall 2024 semester. The Undergraduate department then stated that I had to re-enroll at UMD College Park if I want to access my resources and register for courses. The decision to consult the Financial office about my financial aid/scholarships before registering for courses was beneficial because Bold.org, Niche, and Going Merry have provided great and unusual scholarships for finishing my college journey. Upon applying for the fall semester however, for some strange reason while I was able to access the Schedule of Classes, I was unable to access the registration site and Financial Aid portal and the same issues happened again. After experiencing this, I spoke with the Financial office about the issues; the office directed me to the IT department about the issue while confirming that my financial aid was ready for review. The IT department suggested that I re-enroll for the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semester, however I spoke with my older brother who is a first generation college student and convinced me if there's another way I could attend UMD again without having to re-enroll. All things considered, the role of the second son in a Nicaraguan family has had its ups and downs regarding financial and mental well-being. The completion of college is still one of the greatest challenges I'm facing, however I still have hope that I can continue and earn my degree; 5 years after graduating from high school and I still want an education to make something of myself. My family has been the highest form of support for my ambition and desire to live a better life than my parents and attaining my life goals will allow me to live without looking back at the failures of my college journey; however I'll still remember the fond memories of how I started college and reflect on my growth throughout this period in my life.

The STEM field is the most important area of occupations for thriving on an evolving tech-based planet. The inspiration and desire to join the STEM field was during the COVID-19 pandemic and I started to wonder what exactly I wanted for my future; I took the advice of my IEP case manager from High Point High School and my older brother's closest friend Brady Cusack who also worked as a CTO for a Cybersecurity company. The choice to major in General Engineering was the motivation I continue to feel and seek guidance since the world is a harsh and unforgiving place to thrive in. In the fall of 2022, I was given the opportunity to start an internship for Cybersecurity Engineering; under the supervision of Brady Cusack who instructed me to all sorts of programming languages, servers, and many others. Over the course of my internship, I developed a feeling of accomplishment and gratitude for having the opportunity to create basic programs, enable commands for the servers; but most of all, my supervisor Brady Cusack genuinely believes that I have a bright future in this field. Upon the completion of the internship, the network that I've created through Brady was the first of many networks to come in the future because from Brady having faith in my abilities inspired me to continue and believe in my own abilities as well. I fully intend to make the people who guided and supported me have the utmost of pride and respect for myself. The impact that I desire for the STEM field as one of the few of my family to attend college in the United States; it's become extremely frustrating and difficult to stay and finish college because of the FAFSA delay and new selection process. The past couple of months have been incredibly difficult to stay motivated, in addition to working with the office of undergrads at UMD College Park has been somewhat beneficial. Nevertheless, I still intend to complete my bachelor's degree because if I'm able to stay at UMD, I'll keep working hard to finish my journey and finally start a new chapter of my life; if not then, I'll just walk towards a different path without the need of a college degree. Another aspect that I hope to create a new standard in the STEM field is the use and evolving Artificial Intelligence even further. I always loved the concept of creating an A.I. whether based on an existing person or the creator themselves; in addition to using A.I. to solve highly complex issues regarding the climate, integrating alternate solutions for more plant-based diets and the restoration of the species populations. All things considered, the STEM field is the highest priority for any college graduate regardless of the major they have chosen or graduated with. The STEM field also offers various training programs like coding boot camps, seminars, internships, and even summer camps for gifted and underprivileged students. These past 5 years have taken a toll on my physical and mental health, however none of that will stop me from becoming part of the STEM field and contributing to humanity's future and evolution. Being a person of color truly opened doors for amazing opportunities and I don't have any desire to stand idly by; The long-term goal I have now is making the most out of my career without any regrets from looking back at the past.

The most favored game that myself, my older brother, and various friends of ours enjoyed playing is Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii; the reason is because my brother and I have always been super fans of Nintendo since our father bought us a GameCube in 2002 and we have been hooked on video games to this very day. Smash Bros. Brawl was my top favorite entry from the franchise and I still consider the soundtrack, the Subspace Emissary story mode, and the introduction of the Final Smash being the best and most iconic among the latest entry Ultimate. Other games for the Wii like Mario Kart, WarioWare Smooth Moves, Mario Sluggers, and various others were also amazing; however none of them could reach the standard that Smash Bros Brawl created. I fondly remember a certain session in the story mode for Smash Bros Brawl was during the final battle against the final antagonist of the game called Tabuu and he was and still is the most difficult boss to defeat in the entire campaign, even if the game's difficulty is set to normal or easy. My older brother and I spent almost three weeks trying to beat the final boss but to no avail; I decided to ask a couple of our family friends who defeated the final boss. Our friends mentioned watching a few people on YouTube doing a crouch and slam the floor technique that gave their characters a higher chance of surviving even in the most difficult setting. I showed the clip to my brother and after hours have finally defeated Tabuu and the ending of the story mode was just beautiful and shows how far the Smash franchise has come even to this day. All in all, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is still my top favorite game to play on the Wii and I still consider to rank among the best in the franchise with Ultimate coming into a tie-in. I could never understand why people hated Brawl compared to the fourth Smash game, which I consider to be the easily worst entry in the franchise. My older brother and I always have differences, however when it comes to games like this, I couldn't ask for a better teammate and opponent to play with.

The 23 years of my life I have experienced both life-changing and destructive aspects of my mental well-being because lately I have been greatly disappointed and ashamed of how the higher education system is treating students based on their Financial Aid, myself included. I was completely heartbroken and struck down on being unable to attend the Spring 2024 semester for UMD College Park and now I'm not even sure that I will be able to attend the Fall 2024 semester. Over the past few months I've tried to balance out everything for my well-being from applying for jobs and talking to the people at UMD if there's anything I could do to stay on track towards earning my bachelor's degree. The dilemma from having to go through all of this, has caused me to develop a somewhat of disillusionment towards college because in regards to how Financial Aid changed after coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The anger facing from the Financial Office of PGCC had greatly disappointed me in how they couldn't accept all the information I've provided for my father's taxes while they accepted the information for my mother's taxes. The consequences of these incidents have created a high amount of mental imbalance in my mind and facing the reality of how the choices I've made will always come back to haunt me, however I still refuse to stay idle and watch many others like myself become betrayed and isolated from achieving their long-term goals in life. The close relationships with my family and friends I have impacted my mental health in positive and negative outcomes, the most negative outcome is the relationship with my mother because lately she's been harshly critical and judgmental towards myself, my older brother, our friends, and our choices. The parent who I always felt closer to was my father because I don't think that I've ever felt close to my mother like my older brother. My mother has been suffering for possibly a couple of years of insomnia and she can stay asleep for about 4 hours and rarely dreams, however her physical health is still in good condition and the doctor advises her to avoid a few foods that could impact her health. If I'm being honest, I think this makes her behavior worse because whenever we do laundry together, she will point out how I need to focus more on laundry even though I'm doing it as fast and efficient as I could. The result from this was my opinion of my mother gradually continues to become mixed; while in my heart I love my mother, I don't believe that I could ever see her as a person who I can depend on for guidance because my older brother fills that role and I'm happy that he is the most reliable person in our household though he does a few obnoxious things and we argue occasionally. The state of my mental health has also given me a new perspective on life now because starting with my religious beliefs. Even though I'm not overtly religious as my mother and her family, I still believe in God and treating everyone equally and I desire to return to my local church because my family and I haven't attended since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Another aspect is my career aspirations changing from attending my very first semester of college since I originally wanted to be a pilot but I decided 1 year later to instead major in Engineering; around 2 more years I ask my older brother's oldest and closest friend Brady Cusack who worked as a CTO for Poe Security and he's someone I deeply admire. The internship involved an opportunity in working in Offensive Cybersecurity and learning from two courses on Security+ and Kali Linux was an eye-opener to Cybersecurity becoming more of a top career that anyone who loves computing should pursue. After going into social isolation for the first phase of COVID-19, I felt so lonely and depressed because my first semester and first half of my second semester since I started to connect and befriend numerous people compared to myself in high school. All things considered, my mental health has greatly been affected by positive and negative outcomes, however by continuing to embrace new interests, hobbies, and aspirations help guide me through tough times since I've felt so defeated and alone. From better understanding my relationships allow me to reconnect with old friends who I've lost contact with over the years to gaining new friends who I feel a sense of community with that I've never felt in my childhood. Mental Health is a topic that nobody of my generation should ignore and by understanding and working to benefit my well-being not only in the mental aspect, but also the physical and emotional aspects. The ability to perform self-care for yourself is power that only you can attain by continuing to embrace change and I'll have everything that I've dreamed of and look back on my past without any lingering feelings of regret.

The anime that I've really come to cherish is Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba because this anime has really lifted my spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic and it really brings me to tears to see the series end with a film trilogy releasing next year. When the first season of Demon Slayer came out in 2019, I initially dismissed it because the animation was very unusual compared to the anime I normally watched before 2020. The first season was then available for streaming on Netflix along with the rest from January 2021 to currently; I watched the first episode and I was instantly hooked on the extraordinary and emotional depth that Demon Slayer was widely known for. The most captivating aspect of Demon Slayer are the battles between the slayers and Uppermoon demons, particularly the Rengoku vs Akaza and Uzui & Kamaboko squad vs Gyutaro & Daki. The Rengoku vs Akaza battle is still by far my most favorite final battle from Demon Slayer and I always watch it because Rengoku is possibly still the fan-favorite Hashira and I was very heartbroken by his death from Akaza; when the Mugen Train film credits started rolling, I teared up seeing all images of Rengoku in somewhat of a memorial. After the film, I cosplayed as Rengoku for Otakon 2021 in Washington D.C. and I was extremely surprised to see so many people say "RIP Rengoku-san" to myself and there were only a few Rengoku cosplayers on the first day. I also had the privilege of meeting the voice actors from half of the main cast and received autographs and took pictures with them. After the conclusion of Otakon 2021, I remember leaving with my older brother in the car and looked back at the convention with a warm smile; something that I didn't even do at AnimeUSA 2019 has given me a whole new perception of how conventions work to bring a community together, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. All things considered, Demon Slayer has helped me grow into a more balanced person, which is something I'm still struggling with due to the harsh reality of a post-pandemic era and I feel that everything else could potentially become disastrous or extraordinary. Watching Demon Slayer again would also detail the harsh experience of living in social isolation similar to falling through an abyss with no hope of escape; allowing me to reconnect with old peers and connect with new friends in ways that I've never imagined. Being able to experience the future of anime, leaving no doubt for how entertainment will never be the same thanks to Demon Slayer along with Jujutsu Kaisen, Kaiju No 8., with many others.

The concert memories ranging from my first to my favorite that I have forever cherished; In 2022, my older brother and I went attended a concert in Columbia, Maryland featuring both Earth Gang and Gorillaz. This concert was the very first I ever went to in my whole life excluding school events; during this time, I became wary since the COVID-19 pandemic was coming out of its prime but still ongoing, I never knew what to expect at this concert. Experiencing a phenomenon of attending a Gorillaz concert with my older brother because he's adored the band since he was around 11 to 13 years old and still listens to their newer albums. Attending the concert has developed a form of comfort and community because from the very first moment of social isolation because of COVID-19; I felt so trapped by an invisible barrier between myself and the world. Upon attending my second anime convention in 2021 called Otakon, I've actually attended another anime convention in 2019 called AnimeUSA, a few months before COVID came into fruition and it was my very first convention. Otakon 2021 was the event that helped release any uncomfortable feelings of being isolated for over a year, in addition upon concluding this two conventions gave me a sense of adventure of wanting to experience newer things and opportunities. This concert was my very first and I'm grateful for the chance to become part of a community that appreciates alternative rock and rap despite from not being able to enjoy it before COVID-19. The most memorable and favorable of my concert memories range from last January attending a 4-day video game and music festival called Super Magfest. The convention hosted its 20th anniversary event and I was able to attend the concerts there for free and the band I loved the most there was the Cybertronic Spree. Going into the venue for Cybertronic Spree, I never knew what to expect because 2023 was the first time I've attended Magfest and I didn't know if the concert required paying for admission to enter the venue. Once the band came onstage, I was immediately hyped by how fluid and free the band members played their instruments while in costume as Cybertronic Spree is a Transformers-themed band. The band played numerous songs both existing and original that were based on video games and anime; I was surprised when the staff members threw objects towards the crowd and everyone kept passing around a bunch of beach balls along with other stranger objects. After an hour and a half, I was able to meet and take a selfie with the band who also complimented my cosplay; attending this concert at Magfest had developed into a real passion for up and coming bands trying to make their mark in music. All things considered, my first and favorite concert memories have manifested into a special place in my heart and I have my older brother to thank for all of that. These concerts have also reignited both my passion and appreciation of life because lately I've been through both excitement and disappointment regarding my college journey; however by reminiscing my concert memories while writing this essay has given me a sense of relief and support because looking back, I have so much to be grateful for and encourages me to continue my path through the grey dimension known as life.