In elementary school, I was a shy and timid kid, sticking to a small circle of friends. Then, one day in freshman year history class, a Sergeant Major came into our classroom and introduced us to the Marine JROTC club. At first, I didn’t really pay much attention as I had no plans of going into the military. But he went on, talking about how it builds leadership, character, and discipline, preparing students for responsible citizenship and public service. Looking back, something about what he talked about really resonated with me and I signed up to join. That was three years ago. Since then, JROTC has pushed me out of my comfort zone, taught me public speaking, and gave me the confidence to lead. I’ve accumulated over 250 hours of community service and currently serve as the company’s Executive Officer, the second-highest rank in our unit. I’ve helped coordinate events with local organizations, led groups of cadets, and learned how to communicate effectively and adapt in unpredictable situations. While my service roots run deep, my academic ambitions are equally strong. I plan to major in computer science because I’ve always loved solving problems and creating things. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved creating and problem-solving. It actually started out as a passion for origami, as with a single sheet of paper, I could create anything I wanted. This later evolved into my interest in programming. I’ve always enjoyed problem-solving and programming perfectly filled this niche. I’ve always loved creating which coding also fulfilled as there were limitless possibilities. In high school, I joined the Robotics club where I coded for our team, leading us to the VEX Robotics World Championship at Dallas after winning the programming award at State. Besides that, I’ve helped my mom at her job by programming a Google Sheets document to automatically calculate the pizza she and her co-workers need to serve in the school cafeteria. It cut down accounting time from hours to mere minutes. These are just a few examples of how I have used my skills in competing but also helping those around me. My goal is to build technology that is accessible and meaningful, especially for underserved and underprivileged communities. I believe that my experience in both programming and serving my community will effectively guide me towards this life-long goal. This is how I want to positively impact the world: using my computer skills to make my community a better place. I aim to contribute positively to the world by leveraging my computer skills to improve my community. I was recently accepted into Purdue. However, even with scholarships, the remaining cost of attendance will be around $30,000. I come from an underrepresented and underprivileged family, so receiving this scholarship would help reduce the financial strain on my family and allow me to fully focus on my studies and future work. I am committed to using the opportunities ahead of me to make a lasting, positive impact on the world and the communities I serve. Thank you for hearing my story and I hope you will consider me.