Math is a subject that is truly applicable to every aspect of our lives. It allows us to put things like the dimensions of an object or comparisons of different sized via ratios into perspective. The ability of math to allow us to quantify our lives makes it the most important subject. In my field of study, mechanical engineering, mathematical calculations allow us to place a precise, specific label on a number of machine attributes. One of my favorite engineering topics is hydraulics systems and the majority of what these systems accomplish can be attributed to simple math equations. Hydraulics involves a pump moving fluid through a piston or motor to produce a force. A majority of machinery you may see in your daily life uses hydraulics. For example, cars, buses, construction equipment, and most large machines use hydraulics. Things like the force produced by a piston, the speed of a piston, speed of the fluid pushing the piston are all calculated by mathematical equations. Math is also applicable to everyday concepts like monetary markets and technological innovation. In the stock market, computer programs run simulations using math to predict market movements. In the average person’s life, their bank uses simple math to reflect the balance of their account. In computers, All of the things that we see on the screen are converted into binary which is a system of 1s and 0s which when interpreted in the proper way correlates to a number value that when put in a specific pattern can activate a unique sequence of events that influence what the user sees on their screen. Math can be considered the building block of society and that's the major reason why I am so fond of the subject. Math is everywhere.

The meaning of life is to live for others. I believe that it is imperative that people work to serve others because I will make the world a better place by strengthening the bond between us as a species. I try to achieve it by volunteering and giving whenever I can. I volunteer as a firefighter and EMT in my college town which provides me with an opportunity to give back directly to my community in a way that I can tangibly visualize. Seeing the smile on people's faces after helping them is a reward that no amount of money could imitate. I also give blood when I can as I am aware of the blood shortage in the medical industry. I join community events to clean up parks and graffiti and I also love helping my friends out whenever they require it. When I give back to people, I notice that life usually has a way of returning the deed by letting me flourish in school and other extracurricular activities.

I show my commitment to selfless acts through a unique extracurricular activity. In my college town, I made the decision to join the local volunteer fire department. This undertaking has allowed me to experience things that a kid from East New York, Brooklyn never would have imagined experiencing so early in life. I have been on various types of calls as a firefighter and EMT including serious motor vehicle accidents, emotionally disturbed person incidents, my fair share of drunk college student calls, structure fires, wildland fires, cardiac arrests, drug overdoses, missing person searches, and everyday medical 911 calls. As a student, I not only have to manage my own emotions but also assist another person with problems that are usually worse than mine and bring them to a better mental and physical state. It is scary to go on these calls, especially as a new EMT because the thoughts of "am I doing this right?" are ever present in my head. However, I know that someone has to do this for the community. While doing this, I have gotten to meet people from all different walks of life and this has helped me with confidence and public speaking so I can truly live boldly. I feel like even though I don't receive monetary compensation, I get paid with the thank you's and smiles from patients.

I live with gratitude by showing appreciation for those who assist me and by treating my own items with respect as a way of showing appreciation. I show appreciation for my family by calling them on a regular basis to catch up with new events in their lives. Speaking with my grandparents is a great way of getting wisdom from a previous generation and an outlet to tell them about what going on in my life so we can develop a closer bond. I show my friends appreciation by getting them gifts and sometimes even making dinner for the friend group. We stand up for each other and correct each other if one of us makes a mistake or falters in our ethics. I show appreciation for the items I own simply by keeping them in good condition because material goods can be there one day and gone the next, so they should be valued and used frequently.

I practice bravery and live boldly through a unique extracurricular activity. In my college town, I made the decision to join the local volunteer fire department. Tis undertaking has allowed me to experience things that a kid from East New York, Brooklyn never would have imagined experiencing so early in life. I have been on various types of calls as a firefighter and EMT including serious motor vehicle accidents, emotionally disturbed person incidents, my fair share of drunk college student calls, structure fires, wildland fires, cardiac arrests, drug overdoses, missing persons searches, and everyday medical 911 calls. As a student I not only have to manage my own emotions but also assist another person with problems that are usually worse than mine and bring them to a better mental and physical state. It is scary to go on these calls, especially as a new EMT because the thoughts of "am I doing this right?" are everpresent in my head. However, I know that someone has to do this for the community. While doing this, I have gotten to meet people from all different walks of life and this has helped me with confidence and public speaking so I can truly live boldly.

I support diversity and equality simply by joining clubs and making a diverse presence where I don't see any. I also do my best to make information about opportunities available to my minority peers. For example, I am the only minority presence on some of my school clubs like the BAJA SAE Offroad Car Building Club. Many of these clubs previously only had white males in them until I joined. I will note that when I joined I was treated with the same dignity and respect that everyone else was given. Another organization I am a part of is the local volunteer fire department in my college town which provides fire and EMS services to my college and the surrounding jurisdiction. I was the first black student firefighter to join the ranks of the department and I have geared my recruiting efforts to getting an equal amount of people from all races and creeds to join. I also make information available to my minority peers by sharing information about specific scholarships that they can qualify for and different job openings that they aren't aware of.

My goals for the future include graduating college, a career as a law enforcement officer, and entrepreneurship combining policing and engineering. I plan to achieve success in graduating college by maintaining above a 3.5 GPA and using tactics like studying and knowing when to ask for help to ensure that my work is high quality. I plan to achieve my goal of becoming a police officer by taking the exam when it comes out and being selected to go to the academy. I have been networking with police officers from different agencies to ask them for advice. I also volunteer as a firefighter/EMT in my college town so I have experience with responding to emergency calls and dealing with mental health issues in the emergency response world. I plan to obtain a successful business and become an entrepreneur by learning what it's like to be a police officer and then using that knowledge to develop technology and items that can make police interactions with citizens safer.

My life thus far has given me wisdom and hope from various experiences. In high school, I majored in the engineering program, joined robotics clubs, and created various items related to machine processes. I participated in internships at different companies and community volunteer programs and started to mold a future for myself. One of the programs I participated in was called the NYPD Explorers program which was comparable to a police cadet/community volunteer program. We cleaned up graffiti and neighborhood parks and I was shown that all cops aren't what the news says they are and that at the end of the day they are, for the most part, people who want to see the world become a better place. Last summer between my sophomore and junior year of my Mechanical Engineering B.S. program, I interned with the NYPD doing traffic management and I got to meet more officers and see things from a different point of view. All of this has shaped my hope of one day becoming a police officer to protect my community and use my engineering background to develop newer and safer tools for law enforcement.

There are many things in my life that fuel and motivate me. I have an awesome support group of friends and family who always keep me on track and check in on me constantly to ensure that I am in a good state of mind. My larger extracurricular activity, volunteering as a firefighter/EMT in my college town not only keeps me busy but it motivates me to learn new things related to fire science and medical procedure. Going on calls for service and helping people is a great source of pride and confidence for me. Hobbies like reading, biking, hiking, and gaming allow me to relax so I can operate at 100% when I need to. My goal of becoming a police officer who can serve his community with dignity and respect motivates me to stay on the right track so I can be accepted into the academy and one day patrol the streets.

I treat others with empathy not only by labeling their emotions but by actively listening to them and putting myself in their shoes. Labeling emotions means to verbalize what they are feeling. The dialogue I like to use is "It seems like". For example "It seems like you are sad because you didn't do so good on that test". This conveys that I understand not only the situation but the exact emotion that the person feels. By making a statement rather than a question, I give the person freedom to talk or stay silent if they choose. Another way I show empathy is by actively listening. During conversations, many people are thinking about how they will respond to the other person while they are listening. To be empathetic, I have learned that listening to not only what the person is saying but the underlying emtions gives me a better understanding of the entire message. By putting myself in their shoes, I can see where the message they are trying to express and the emotions are coming from to truly understand their situation.

With all of the things going one in my life, it is crucial that I take a step back and process my thoughts before moving on to the next situation. Being in school for engineering while holding a part time job and volunteering as a firefighter/EMT in my college town is not easy. After especially traumatic fires and medical incidents, I like to go for hikes on my college trails and be one with nature. It allows me to process the thoughts with a clearer mind and come to terms with whatever happened, if that unavailable then reading and gaming are two equally great options. I also have a journal that I use to write about certain things that bother me. Drinking a lot of water is also good for my mental health as the benefits of being hydrated are as good as any supplement out there. Unlike many people who may go to someone to help process their thoughts, I like processing them by myself or while doing an activity because it allows me to be my own therapist while also having fun doing one of my hobbies, gaming, or reading.

My hobbies include reading, gaming, hiking, and 3D printing. I love reading crime novels and books related to policing as I want to one day become a law enforcement officer. The book I am currently reading is a negotiation book by former FBI Chief International Crisis Hostage Negotiator Christopher Voss. It details different methods that he uses to negotiate in both civil and critical situations. I like playing tactical fps games like Zero Hour and Battlefield 4 when I am not busy with school or my other hobbies. I hike on my college trails to get out into nature where I can relax and process my thoughts in a peaceful place. It also gives me an opportunity to exercise and reconnect with nature after a busy week. My last hobby is 3D printing which is the process of using a digital file sent to a printer that can create the object by laying down successive layers of melted material. Prints usually take a decent amount of time so I complete my other hobbies in between prints.

I have been told constantly over the years by my father that it is "of the utmost importance that you stay true in your conviction to anything you truly believe in". I hold myself to this every day by staying committed to speaking my mind. The primary way I follow the aforementioned saying is by correcting my friends when I see them do something objectively wrong. I am a person who likes and wants to see my friends grow as people so I always do what I can to help them. There was a point in my life when I was scared to share my opinion on certain topics not because they were terrible opinions but because I was afraid of confrontation and argumentation. As I matured, I learned that is better to have someone disagree with you than to stay silent because when you share your opinion, you gain the possibility of opening their mind to a new train of thought with new information, and a new way of comprehension for the topic at hand.

To me, confidence means to believe in your abilities, not in an arrogant way, but in a secure way where you are certain that you can accomplish your goal. Many people mistake confidence with arrogance but the main difference is that arrogance focuses not only your exaggerated belief in your abilities but everyone else's belief in your abilities. I am working on being more confident in myself by expanding and practicing my skill sets in areas that I struggle in. One area where I used to falter in was public speaking which is a common issue with people who do not speak in front of crowds often. I worked on this by joining various community service organizations which forced me to speak to strangers. When I realized that my fear was unsubstantiated, I decided to continue working on it since it is a valuable skill that I can perfect. By constantly exposing myself to situations where I have to work on this skill, I can only grow and become more comfortable.

My talents are related to extracurricular activities that I participate in. One of them is creativity and a knack for machines which is a valuable skill in the DIY/egineering work. An example of this is a recent activity I have started called 3D printing. A 3D printer is a machine that when operated correctly can create almost anything by using a filament which prints the object in layers. Through practice, I have been able to create everything from tools and figurines to precise machine parts. I have always tinkered with things to be able to take them apart and put them back together again. I also have a talent for public speaking. I practice my skills throughout different programs I have joined over the years. In an NYPD internship last summer, I used my skills to manage meeting and speak to chiefs of different bureaus within the department. Through other internships prior, I have spoken to groups of CEOs and also to the public at various events.

My bucket list consists of things I would like to accomplish before I die, whenever that shall be, and it is in my opinion, exciting. One of the goals was to operate the sirens on a police car. I got to cross this one of the list during an internship last summer that I completed with the NYPD where we visited different units can got to do cool things. I also got to go in a super fast boat up the East River under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges. which was another item. I completed my EMT course. exterior firefighter course, boater safety course, and hunter safety course which is apart of my bucketlist goal to get as many certifications as I can during my life time. I have been to the top of 1 World Trade Center (a 100+ story tall skyscraper) and have touched and stood next to a window at the highest floor which was invigorating but truly frightening. I hope to continue accomplishing things this year. Last year I rode the NYC portion of the NYS Empire State Trail on my bike and I hope to ride northbound from Westchester this summer with the goal of one day completing the entire 700+ miles of trail.

My goals are to graduate college with above a 3.5 GPA in the Mechanical Engineering Technology B.S. program that I am a part of. It is a difficult major that focuses on designing and constructing machines and other mechanical systems. I also want to continue with the firefighting certifications that I am earning as a member of the volunteer fire department in my college town. I want to have all the knowledge when I go on an emergency call to effectively solve the issue at hand. My goal after college is to become a police officer with the Port Authority of NY & NJ Police. They patrol and protect all Port Authority property which includes airports (JFK, LaGuardia, Teterboro, Newark-Liberty), transit systems (AirTrain, PATH), all NY/NJ crossings (GWB, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing), the World Trade Center, and various ports and bus terminals throughout the NYC-Metro area. I want to do this job because I want to protect and serve people and continue my passion for public service. I have a passion for plans so being able to serve my community while being at an airport is a dream of mine.

One strategy that is often overlooked when a student is looking to achieve success through studying is contacting the professor. I contact my professors during office hours to sit with them and understand the material that may be difficult and complex. This not only gives me a chance to understand the work because the person who taught is going deeper into detail, but it also gives me the chance to get to know my professors better. Contacting them outside of class when they are relaxed gives them a better platform to give clear answers without worrying about the time constraints of a lecture. Another study strategy is to set aside an hour each day to simply read over your notes. Keeping the lecture material fresh in my head and reviewing those things that are strange make for great questions during class which leads to a better understanding of the material. An hour is a very small chunk of time when I look at how I spend my days. I usually look over my notes right in the morning when I wake up before classes so I can go to class mentally prepared.

For me, nature is not just a place to visit. Although I grew up in a concrete jungle, I found myself in a park or forest. Nature is home for me and I am at true peace when I am walking between the trees listening to the leaves crunch beneath my feet and the birds chirp overhead. Hikes are my favorite ways to involve myself in nature. I have a small rock collection of rocks with cool shapes and colors that I keep on my dorm room window sill. I also have a small book with some leaves that I collected during the fall with awesome patterns and hues. I show my appreciation for nature by picking up trash I see during my hikes. I despise the disrespect of those who polluted the ground and litter and I speak up when I see wrongful acts perpetrated against nature. The only way we can truly heal nature from the damage caused to it is by cleaning up and reducing the harmful impact we have on the environment.

As a volunteer firefighter and EMT in my college town, some of the calls I get dispatched to are not easy to handle both medically and emotionally. One call that stuck with me particularly was a drug overdose in the parking lot of a convenience store in our jurisdiction. We arrived on the scene to a female in the driver seat of her car unconscious with pinpoint pupils and agonal breathing, all signs indicating an opioid overdose second to a cardiac arrest. This was my first ever overdose call that I was dispatched to so for a second, I was flustered. I immediately snapped back to reality administered the Narcan. We got her onto the stretcher to transport her to the hospital and started administering supplementary breathing through a bag-valve-mask. It was a 20-minute ride to the hospital and I was tasked with maintaining her airway and breathing for her via the mask. After a while, your arms start to get tired but you realize that you have a life in your hands and that you have a duty to that patient to fight through the pain to administer high-level medical care. By the time we got her through the ER doors, she was able to say a few words and was conscious.

Growing up in New York City, the only community volunteers in the emergency service world that I ever saw were from the NYPD Auxiliary Police. I was unaware that a person could volunteer to save lives in an active way until my first week of college. During the first week, the college and many community organizations hosted various events to get students interested in extracurriculars. One event piqued my interest and it was an open house for the local volunteer fire department. I was under the impression growing up that all firefighters were paid, lived in the firehouse, and ate chili all day but I learned that in much of the US, it's impractical to pay for firefighters outside of major cities and that 70% of firefighters in the US are actually volunteers who go about their daily lives and respond to the station to gear up when there is an emergency. After learning that, I took the opportunity and joined the A.E.Crandall Hook & Ladder Company in my college town, Alfred NY. The department provides primary firefighting services to the Village of Alfred and mutual aid service to surrounding departments. However, the majority of our calls come from the EMS division of the department which covers the entire town of Alfred. The Village of Alfred is home to 2 colleges which brings with it a variety of calls. The Town of Alfred, also known as Alfred Station surrounds the village and has its own fire station. I have completed in excess of 500 hours of community service with the department thus far. This includes not only the calls for service I have participated in but also the community events that we host like blood drives, food donations for the less fortunate, vaccination clinics, parades, and Breakfast with Santa. One of the largest events that I specifically managed was a food drive fundraiser for the ACCORD food bank. I assisted in organizing the event and served as a liaison with my college’s police department. I produced a video and set up a GoFundMe page and we raised over $1000 for the cause. My most significant takeaways come from the actual calls for service that I have participated in. I’ve provided medical care as an EMT on drug overdoses, cardiac arrests, motor vehicle accidents, emotionally disturbed person incidents, lacerations, and many more types of medical emergencies. I have extinguished structure and brush fires and after reflection on all of this, I have discovered that it takes a unique individual to consistently do this without expecting anything in return while also taking on a heavy course load. I could pick up a small part-time job during the afternoon in addition to my job in the mornings but I love serving the community and being available to respond when someone needs help. I consider it an honor to be able to help my local community in a way that truly matters.

The quality I value the most about myself is my selflessness. Selflessness can be likened to generosity and it is displayed when an act is performed without the expectance of something in return. This quality will help me in my life journey by allowing me to feel fulfilled and grow as a person. I like to display my selflessness in the form of community service. Community service is so important for the human race as a whole because it allows us to take a moment and reflect on the needs of those around us. When I was in high school I decided to express my selflessness by helping out in my community which is a low-income, minority community that is often neglected. I have been a part of many community initiatives during my upbringing but my biggest ones were when I was an NYPD Explorer and the work I do with an organization I am currently a part of. With the NYPD, we cleaned up neighborhood parks and painted over graffiti to increase the quality of life and the visual beauty of the neighborhood. The unit that I was a part of was in the Community Affairs Bureau and it focused on neighborhood initiatives to increase the quality of life in the area. Currently, I serve as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in my college town. I have responded to everything from motor vehicle accidents, fires, and drug overdoses to cardiac arrests and suicidal individuals. My most memorable incident was dragging a hypoglycemic driver out of a car crash. Being able to help people in these types of situations is honorable to me and it makes it feel like I am making a difference. These experiences can be traumatic but they have provided me with the opportunity to help those in my immediate community when they are having some of their worst days. I have helped classmates and friends on calls for service and I plan to continue doing this until I graduate from college in 2023. I want to continue volunteering and hopefully join an organization after I graduate and am moving up in my career field. Some of the more specific events I have managed events including setting up a joint fundraiser and working as a liaison with my college’s police department to raise over $1000 for a local food bank. I produced a video and set up a GoFund for the campaign because I believe that if everyone gave, the quality of life for all of us would improve. The smile that you see when people receive help like that is worth more than any monetary compensation.

My name is Gabriel Cooks and I believe that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is the future. STEM provides a means to innovate existing technology, develop and replace our aging infrastructure, and pave a path for future generations. Areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are based deeply on practical skills and analysis of real-life issues. STEM careers will be the ones where jobs are always available because of the sheer creativity and adaptability that they entail. Growing up in the poverty-stricken, crime-infested neighborhood of East New York, Brooklyn, I have experienced firsthand how the lack of STEM-based curriculums in neighborhood schools has led to an unfair disadvantage and even the knowledge of existence when it comes to job opportunities. I want to use my interests to become a role model in my community for other minority children to show them that there are careers out there where they can pursue a technical degree that will be based on their creativity and ability to have a meaningful effect on the future. I have started this journey to pursue an interesting and exciting STEM major and I am currently pursuing a Mechanical Engineering Technology B.S. at SUNY Alfred State College. I gained such an interest that steered me towards this degree at a young age. I would always deconstruct household items and I could always be found in my room building a train or a plane with Legos. This led to me getting involved with robotics and engineering in middle school and high school. The aforementioned degree I am working towards has high projected job growth and it gives recipients the ability to work in a variety of fields including the medical field, automotive industry, agriculture, aviation, or literally any area of study where a part or machine has to be designed and constructed for a purpose. I believe that if I can show children of low-income areas that there are plenty of interesting high-paying job opportunities that they can obtain that aren't just in the sports or entertainment industries, the conditions of my community will improve. My degree focuses on being more hands-on with tools and parts as compared to a regular engineering degree. We focus on automotive component design, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), process and component design, mechanical systems design, energy systems, product development, and technical support and sales. We are able to design, test, analyze, and install mechanical systems and this can have a great impact in uplifting the community. I plan to work in the Aeronautical Engineering field which will involve working with airplanes and their subsystems. I want to work on decreasing the environmental impact and increasing the economic efficiency of jet engines. It is a known fact that greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are at the forefront of the focus on technology innovation today. The reason for this is that they both have adverse effects on the environment which will eventually make it unlivable for various species including humans. I want to do my part to assist in those efforts using my unique skills so that future generations can enjoy the planet we have.

The wisest words I have ever heard were from my dad. These words were spoken to me on a call from him when I was working on a difficult engineering project worth a good chunk of my grade. I was stuck on a part and I got very frustrated because I stopped making progress. His words were “If you have a big problem and you start to lose your mind over it, you go from having one problem to having two problems”. After the call, I took a moment to think about the true meaning of those words. If I have an issue and I focus on it so much so that it deteriorates my mental state, I am doing myself a great disservice and wasting time. It’s never a bad idea to take a step back and relax for a second. When I am focused on something, my brain goes at 1000 miles a minute but if I slow it down and take the time to carefully examine what I have and what I want to accomplish, I can move forward with a clear mind and a level head. When working on something practical, I have learned that getting angry does nothing and that if something is frustrating me to such a level that it induces anger, walking away for a brief period of time is the most optimal way to relieve those emotions. When I applied his words to my frustration with this project, I walked away, returned and the answer hit me like a bull and allowed me to complete my project because my mind was relaxed so it had the capacity to solve the problem.

Generosity is happily giving something freely to someone without expecting anything in return. It can involve giving time, or an object. It could mean volunteering for a great cause life feeding the homeless or giving your little brother a piece of your sandwich. In my personal life, I make it my mission to be generous every single day even if it’s just a smile at a stranger. The willingness to give for the sake of giving means a lot to me. In my college town, I am a volunteer firefighter and EMT. This means that when someone calls 911, I am the person who shows up. I don’t get paid but I still do it because I feel passionate about helping those in my community. I devote many of the hours in my day to keeping up with my training and skillsets. Pulling people from cars at motor vehicle accidents, helping with lifting elderly patients, performing CPR on cardiac arrest victims, helping victims of asthma attacks breathe again, putting out fires, are all things I am happy to do for free. The happiness that I get knowing that I helped improve the day of another person is good enough for me.

One thing that gives me hope for the future is the past 200 years. It may seem strange that I am looking to the past as inspiration for a better future but the past serves as a reflection of what we as a species have accomplished. It also shows a detailed picture of where we are headed in our future. In the past 200 years, society has innovated in all aspects from geographical discovery to outer space photography. Scientific discovery has expanded exponentially and there is something new being discovered every day We have gone to the moon, made giant leaps in healthcare, and invented cars and planes and various machines of all sorts. Computers went from being the size of a room to fitting in our pockets in less than 30 years. We have access to an entire library of information at our fingertips at a moment's notice. 3D printers can print parts for machines out of thin air. We can analyze and develop vaccines for viruses quicker and more efficiently than ever before. At the rate that we are going, all of the dreams of flying cars and colonizing Mars can possibly happen in our lifetimes. In the social aspect of things, we have made a great deal of progress from ending slavery to diversity in many different career fields. Slavery has been going on for almost as long as human civilization has but it hasn’t been ended until recently when revelations in humanity and philosophy brought along deep thought. People all over the world have accepted and improved on these philosophies to achieve the accomplishments present in today’s society. This means that people are demanding improvements and change at a much faster rate than ever before which will lead to a more fair society. If the people of the world continue innovating and questioning things, the world will only become smarter from it.

I believe that better education in finance and economics would make education better for future generations because it provides students with practical skills that they can apply to everyday life. Good financial literacy especially from their teachers who they interact with the most can set them on a path to good decisions when they are adults. If students understood how taxes worked and how to set up certain accounts to get the most out of the system, they would keep more of the money they earn in their pockets. They should be taught why saving money up from a young age is so important because then they can plan for the future and perform cost analysis on current wants versus future needs. If we had better education on how the economy and stock market worked, we could offer new, innovative solutions to solve economic disparities and increase the wealth of our country. Kids would know how to invest and how to make their money work for them instead of the other way around. Making monetary decisions and a young age will even help them with everyday life situations. An example of this is showing them cost versus outcomes such as in a situation where they have to pick between a pair of shoes or a gaming console so they can learn to weigh decisions and visualize the future. Children can also be taught about holding off against their impulses and not buying something instantly because it catches their eye. This encourages them to think things through and not just make rash decisions that may have an adverse effect on those around them. They can be taught about entrepreneurship and making their own money so they don’t grow up and have to work for the rest of their life. They can learn how money works and how to find opportunities to make money.

My favorite book is called “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” by Chris Voss, former head of international crisis negations for the FBI. In this book, he details his career and how he perfected different techniques based on the human mind to gain an edge in any situation. His first chapter talks about how the FBI learned through various incidents that humans are emotional and no matter how hard we try to dress things up as logic, decisions always boil down to subconscious desires. In the second chapter, he talks about listening to understand and not to respond. He says that he struggled with this as an “A-type” person and that he perfected the method of what he calls “mirroring” which is simply repeating the last words of what someone says and staying silent. The person will start to elaborate on what they said to fill the gap and it also shows that you are listening. In the third chapter, he talks about tactical empathy and labeling emotions. A phrase he likes to use is “It seems like” followed by something to bring what they feel into words. This causes the person to see that he actually understands them. The fourth chapter talks about using “No-oriented questions” to open up the conversation. He says that when people say no to something they are usually trying to keep themselves safe. After they say no, they are open to hearing the other side because they have already created a safety net. This book has helped me in relationships and job opportunities because I am better at talking to people.

Someone I admire from history is the 35th commander in chief of the United States: President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. I truly believe that he was the last president that was actually for the people. He served as an officer in the navy during WWII and commanded two vessels. During his term in the House of Representatives, he proposed legislation calling for better housing for veterans, reasonable work hours, health care for all, a healthy workplace, and a worker’s right to strike if they believe they are being treated unfairly. He also was adamantly against communism and the Soviet Union’s activities. During his Senate term, he called for an evaluation of immigration laws and civil rights. During his run for president, he expressed the importance of the separation between church and state to American democracy. Then he beat Richard Nixon in the polls and at age 43, he became the youngest American president ever elected. In relation to foreign policy, he stood strong against the Soviets who insisted on doing what they wanted in Berlin. With Cuba and the Bay of Pigs invasion, he admitted that it was a failure and rejected plans to frame Castro because they were dishonorable even against a foe. With domestic policy, he used his New Frontier policy to fund education and aid for the elderly and rural communities. He also decreased tax rates and promised to end racial discrimination. I believe that if he was not assassinated, not only would he have been elected to another term but the United States would be a better place today. He had ambition and respect for all people he encountered.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I received was actually a fitness tip from a conversation I had with an older gentleman at the gym. He said “many people go through life complicating it, for example with a healthy lifestyle, you see people worrying about keto, fancy diets, and fasting when we all know intrinsically that the way to get in shape is to simply eat less and exercise more. Of course, that is a bit of an oversimplification but all you need to worry about is eating healthy portions even of those sweets that you love. Portion control and good gym days are all you need”. To relate this to finances, I was focused on the latest fads, like cryptocurrencies, day trading, and NFTs which are highly volatile markets when all I really need to do is look at a Roth IRA and invest in things like index funds, ETFs, and target-date funds. I learned that efficiency and patience are way better for my wallet than quick cash that I might see one day and lose the next. I learned that I need to pay myself which I compare to eating those sweets. They shouldn’t be thrown out like in a diet but they should simply be limited to a reasonable amount to accomplish my end goal. I shouldn’t be ashamed of buying what I want and should instead work what I want in with my savings and retirement plans so that I am happy. It makes it easier to stick to the plan if it is manageable and not a huge change like a diet.

Mental health is the biggest issue plaguing our world and with the lockdowns and the coronavirus pandemic, it has only worsened. Many people have tried to find ways to cope and help others but even still, the situation persists. A solution I have thought about deeply and applied to my personal life is simply: be kinder. In essence, most of us go our daily lives without giving a second thought to the experience of those around us and their struggles. Being kinder means listening, understanding, and actually showing interest in a person’s life. The listening aspect is a broad topic and it revolves around the daily conversations we have and the body language cues we pick up from those we interact with. A smile goes a long way. Being able to chat with someone, notice they aren’t acting in a jovial way, and simply express that you notice and that you are there for them can change their whole mood. Understanding is another aspect and it comes by showing respect when someone does feel like sharing their issues with you. Actively listening by allowing them to speak and repeating back what they said to show that you were listening will make the person feel like they matter and that someone is actually hearing them. Showing interest is important because it demonstrates that whatever conversation took place wasn’t just for show. Following up with the person and bringing up things they said in a previous conversation demonstrates to them that they matter because there is someone who is genuinely interested in their wellbeing.

Mental health is a growing issue plaguing our world and with the lockdowns and the coronavirus pandemic, it has only worsened. Many people have tried to find ways to cope and help others but even still, the situation persists. A solution I have thought about deeply and applied to my personal life is simply: be kinder. In essence, most of us go our daily lives without giving a second thought to the experience of those around us and their struggles. Being kinder means listening, understanding, and actually showing interest in a person’s life. The listening aspect is a broad topic and it revolves around the daily conversations we have and the body language cues we pick up from those we interact with. A smile goes a long way. Being able to chat with someone, notice they aren’t acting in a jovial way, and simply express that you notice and that you are there for them can change their whole mood. Understanding is another aspect and it comes by showing respect when someone does feel like sharing their issues with you. Actively listening by allowing them to speak and repeating back what they said to show that you were listening will make the person feel like they matter and that someone is actually hearing them. Showing interest is important because it demonstrates that whatever conversation took place wasn’t just for show. Following up with the person and bringing up things they said in a previous conversation demonstrates to them that they matter because there is someone who is genuinely interested in their wellbeing.

My name is Gabriel Cooks and I believe that STEM is the future. STEM provides a means to innovate existing technology, develop and replace our aging infrastructure, and pave a path for future generations. Areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are based deeply on practical skills and analysis of real-life issues. STEM careers will be the ones where jobs are always available because of the sheer creativity and adaptability that they entail. Growing up in the poverty-stricken, crime-infested neighborhood of East New York, Brooklyn, I have experienced firsthand how the lack of male role models and STEM majors in schools has led to an unfair disadvantage and even the knowledge of existence when it comes to job opportunities. I want to use my interests to become a role model in my community for other minority children to show them that there are careers out there where they can pursue a technical degree that will be based on their creativity and ability to have a meaningful effect on the future. I have started this journey to pursue an interesting and exciting STEM major and I am currently pursuing a Mechanical Engineering Technology B.S. at SUNY Alfred State College. This degree has high projected job growth and it gives recipients the ability to work in a variety of fields including the medical field, automotive industry, agriculture, or literally any area of study where a part or machine has to be designed and constructed for a purpose. I believe that if we can show children of low-income areas that there are plenty of interesting high-paying job opportunities that they can obtain, the conditions of these communities will improve. My degree focuses on being more hands-on with tools and parts as compared to a regular engineering degree. We focus on automotive component design, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), process and component design, mechanical systems design, energy systems, product development, and technical support and sales. We are able to design, test, analyze, and install mechanical systems and this can have a great impact in uplifting the community. I plan to work in the Aeronautical Engineering field which will involve working with airplanes and their subsequent subsystems. I want to work on decreasing the environmental impact and increasing the economic efficiency of jet engines. It is a known fact that greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are at the forefront of the focus on technology innovation today. The reason for this is that they both have adverse effects on the environment which will eventually make it unlivable for various species including humans. I want to do my part to assist in those efforts using my unique skills so that future generations can enjoy the planet we have.

My most important goals at the moment are to graduate college, obtain a job in public service, balance my extracurricular volunteer work with work and school, complete my firefighting certifications, and work on bettering my financial and technological literacy. I serve as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in my college town and balancing that with my mechanical engineering course work, the job that I have to help pay for college, and my social life is not easy. I want to work on my time management skills so that I can be more effective in all of these things. This will help me later on in my life when it comes to managing workloads and family life/work-life balances. My emergency service certifications will help me by allowing me to serve my community even more than I do by allowing me to participate at a higher level during incidents. Being able to manage all of this and keep a level head will help me later on in my career if I get a large workload. I will be able to manage it all and prioritize the most important things without getting overwhelmed. My strength to be able to do all of this will come from my family and my friends. My family has a storied history of strength and perseverance that I do my best to honor every day. I have learned that I have a rich heritage that spread across the Americas. On my father’s side, his family is spread out along the East Coast of the United States. Much of his family still remains in North Carolina in the poverty-stricken Robeson County region. They are descended from slaves that worked indigo, rice, tobacco, and cotton fields in the area. On my mom's side, her family has roots all over the Caribbean and Central America. They have a rich mix of indigenous, Panamanian, Columbian, Bajan, Trinidadian, and St. Lucian blood running through them. My maternal grandfather came to the United States by joining the army and gaining his citizenship. My maternal grandmother was one of the first women to work on the construction of the Panamá Canal. My paternal grandparents each had in excess of 8 siblings and were hard-working close-knit people. My family has a deep heritage and we have persevered through many major events in human history. I will apply this by making my family proud by graduating college and working to improve the world as they have before me. Once I achieve my career goals, I will make it my mission to give back to my people and ensure that they have the opportunities to achieve their dreams and not continue a loop of poverty and dysfunction that we see all too often. Giving back is very important because it gives me a chance to be a part of something greater than myself. I fondly remember my grandparents helping their churches with community events and I think it's a great tradition to uphold.

My name is Gabriel Cooks and while growing up in the poverty-stricken, crime-infested neighborhood of East New York, Brooklyn, I have experienced firsthand how the lack of male role models, access to career opportunities in schools, and volunteer opportunities has led to an unfair disadvantage and even the knowledge of existence when it comes to opportunities. Lack of volunteer programs has left the youth without a positive outlet or place to get away from the reality of the streets. I want to use my interests in engineering and law enforcement to become a role model in my community for other minority children. I want to show them that there are careers out there where they can pursue a technical degree or certification that will be based on their creativity and intelligence while also giving them the ability to have a meaningful effect on the future. Community service is so important for the human race as a whole but more specifically for black and brown communities that are neglected. I have been a part of many community initiatives during my upbringing but my biggest ones were when I was an NYPD Explorer and the work I do with an organization I am currently a part of. With the NYPD, we cleaned up neighborhood parks and painted over graffiti to increase the quality of life and the visual beauty of the neighborhood. Currently, I serve as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in my college town. I have responded to everything from motor vehicle accidents, fires, and drug overdoses to cardiac arrests and suicidal individuals. These experiences can be traumatic but they have provided me with the opportunity to help those in my immediate community and gain valuable crisis management and leadership skills. I have helped classmates, friends, and people from all walks of life on calls for service and I plan to continue doing this until I graduate from college in 2023. I also set up a joint fundraiser during my sophomore year and worked as a liaison with my college’s police department to raise over $1000 for a local food bank. The smile that you see when people receive help is worth more than any monetary compensation. After college, I am hoping to join the Port Authority Police Department which protects transportation assets and vital infrastructure in the NYC area. They patrol all the area airports (JFK, LGA, EWR, TEB), NY/NJ bi-state bridge and tunnel crossings, the World Trade Center, the PATH train system, and the two major bus terminals in the city. I want to work at one of the airports in the department’s Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Unit which responds to aircraft emergencies and airport fires. A future career in emergency service is my way of giving back to my community by making it my job to serve those around me. I also plan to continue to volunteer in my local community and hopefully start programs to show scarcely known job opportunities to low income youth like becoming an Air Traffic Controller or going into the trades instead of going into debt paying for college. Opening up these doors for the youth will certainly improve the conditions of our communities.

My name is Gabriel Cooks and I believe that STEM is the future. STEM provides a means to innovate existing technology, develop and replace our aging infrastructure, and pave a path for future generations. Areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are based deeply on practical skills and analysis of real-life issues. STEM careers will be the ones where jobs are always available because of the sheer creativity and adaptability that they entail. Growing up in the poverty-stricken, crime-infested neighborhood of East New York, Brooklyn, I have experienced firsthand how the lack of male role models and STEM majors in schools has led to an unfair disadvantage and even the knowledge of existence when it comes to job opportunities. I want to use my interests to become a role model in my community for other minority children to show them that there are careers out there where they can pursue a technical degree that will be based on their creativity and ability to have a meaningful effect on the future. I have started this journey to pursue an interesting and exciting STEM major and I am currently pursuing a Mechanical Engineering Technology B.S. at SUNY Alfred State College. This degree has high projected job growth and it gives recipients the ability to work in a variety of fields including the medical field, automotive industry, agriculture, or literally any area of study where a part or machine has to be designed and constructed for a purpose. I believe that if we can show children of low-income areas that there are plenty of interesting high-paying job opportunities that they can obtain, the conditions of these communities will improve. My degree focuses on being more hands-on with tools and parts as compared to a regular engineering degree. We focus on automotive component design, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), process and component design, mechanical systems design, energy systems, product development, and technical support and sales. We are able to design, test, analyze, and install mechanical systems and this can have a great impact in uplifting the community. I plan to work in the Aeronautical Engineering field which will involve working with airplanes and their subsequent subsystems. I want to work on decreasing the environmental impact and increasing the economic efficiency of jet engines. It is a known fact that greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are at the forefront of the focus on technology innovation today. The reason for this is that they both have adverse effects on the environment which will eventually make it unlivable for various species including humans. I want to do my part to assist in those efforts using my unique skills so that future generations can enjoy the planet we have.