“Anima Sana In Corpore Sano”, or ASICS, is a Latin expression by the ancient Roman satirist Juvenal, which translates to “A sound mind in a sound body.” This refers to the notion that people become happier when they challenge themselves. It further encourages the idea that a healthy and balanced physical state is essential for a healthy and balanced mental state, and vice versa. This idea, as with many others, has been a fundamental pillar of my core beliefs. The most significant experience that made my physical health, specifically my nutrition, a priority was when I was diagnosed with celiac disease: an autoimmune disorder where eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, triggers an immune response that damages the villi in the small intestine. These villi are tiny finger-like projections that absorb nutrients; thus, this damage prevents the body from properly absorbing nutrients from food. In the long term, eating gluten could cause more serious diseases such as osteoporosis and certain types of cancers in people with celiac disease. I was diagnosed with this disease about a year ago after my gastroenterologist found and removed a relatively large polyp from my colon after I experienced constant stomach pain and other digestive-related problems daily. The thing is, I spent all my life eating gluten; no person loves pasta, pizza, and baked goods as yours truly. Thus, after the doctor told me there was no cure, and that I had to adopt a strict gluten-free diet, I was shocked and terrified; I began thinking of all the Krispy Kream donuts I would be unable to eat in the future. In the end, this event taught me discipline and consistency. It taught me to look at the ingredients of everything I bought; not only making sure to pick out gluten-free products but encouraging me to buy healthy products in general such as organic products with no harmful additives. Celiac disease has and will prevent me from enjoying a traditional carbonara Italian pasta or a freshly baked croissant, but its effects had a positive influence on my eating habits. Ultimately, Anima Sana In Corpore Sano—“a sound mind in a sound body”—has long been a personal philosophy. My celiac diagnosis last year was life-changing, forcing me to give up gluten. Though difficult, it taught me discipline, consistency, and how to eat healthy—less processed foods, and more organic products. In addition, In high school, I balanced academics with physical activity through tennis, weightlifting, and consistent sleep and nutrition. My mom's guidance shaped my diet, while my dad inspired emotional resilience and focus. I now practice mindfulness, manage stress through deep breathing, and appreciate life’s small joys. As a prospective Gator at the University of Florida, I’ll continue to live by this belief, embracing physical and mental wellness. I aim to lead by example—motivating peers to explore athletic options, maintain mental health, and use UF’s countless resources. A sound body and mind are the foundation of success—and I strive to embody both every day.

"Ajo y Agua," said my instructor as I struggled to learn the difficulties of skiing in Bariloche, Argentina. Even though I was too young to understand the underlying meaning of this informal euphemism, this phrase would later become part of my everyday vocabulary. Let's backtrack to a few days before this event, when my parents decided to take my brother and me to Argentina on a chilly winter for a skiing trip. Even though I was excited to see snow for the first time and finally learn how to ski, I soon realized this challenge was more strenuous than expected. When we arrived, my parents signed us up at a skiing academy, where a coach assumed the arduous task of teaching me how to ski. Therefore, after choosing my ski set and putting on the multiple layers of clothing required to withstand the harsh temperatures, I was ready for my first lesson. In the beginning, everything was fine, as we navigated simple ski paths, mastering the beginner's wedge; however, things later started to go downhill, literally. As we explored a much more demanding and steeper ski trail, I looked down this long, towering route and succumbed to my extreme fear of heights. When I started whining and complaining, I heard my instructor say the infamous phrase: "Ajo y Agua." Knowing that this phrase translates to "Garlic and Water" in English, I looked at him perplexed and asked him what that meant; to this, he said, in Spanish, "Hold on and endure," before continuing to add that it was just a little path and nothing more. Although I was still quite confused, I stopped complaining and conquered my fears, skiing down this challenging trail. Afterward, while drinking hot chocolate in the resort, I asked him to explain further what "ajo y agua" meant. Diligently, he said it was a play of words conveying the fact that even when life sucks, no one will fix it for you, so suck it up and move on! It's like when you spill coffee on your favorite shirt before an important meeting or lose the Word document you worked on for hours before saving it. It’s the ultimate "get over it" mantra, with a sprinkle of tough love and humor. Since then, I have used this quote often, from helping solve arguments between friends to telling classmates who complained about the difficulty of school assignments. The phrase has gained so much meaning in my life that it has even become my senior quote. In retrospect, after all these years, what I value most about this phrase is its effectiveness in "breaking the ice," settling tensions, and getting things done. For me, that initial confusion does the trick; people become baffled and have no clue how to respond. In that instant, people forget what they were arguing about in the first place, calm down, and primarily focus on unraveling what that statement means. After I explain the play of words behind the "suck it up and move on," they usually just laugh, nod in agreement, and gain perspective. As I look forward to my college journey, I have no doubt that there will be times when I will complain about something or talk to friends who will whine about an assignment or an irritating ex-girlfriend; when this happens, I will make sure to say "Ajo y Agua," a quote I think even Dwight D. Eisenhower would be proud of, since he was the one that said ”A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.“

While navigating through the heart of the Venezuelan's dense jungle, where the air blends with the chorus of exotic wildlife, we saw our horizon crowned by our majestic destination: El Salto Ángel, or Angel Falls, the world's tallest uninterrupted waterfall. To reach the falls, my family and I had to endure an 11-hour canoe voyage, and, at times, when the motor was rendered useless by the river's shallow depths, we paddled our way forward, sometimes stepping out to push the canoe ourselves, feet sinking into the soft riverbed. As I reflect on this experience, I see a striking parallel to my own journey, with my personal waterfalls always in sight and relying on steady paddles, especially my parents, guiding me through calm and turbulent waters alike. Growing up in Venezuela, my parents did everything they could to shield my brother and me from the country's uncertainties. Even when I lacked access to technology, I discovered the beauty in creating deep human connections and collecting experiences. I vividly remember playing soccer with my friends, learning to play chess with my grandpa, or spending six hours fishing and cleaning 364 fish with my family. However, eventually, my parents' protection could no longer hold back the currents, so our only choice was to seek out more abundant waters elsewhere. When we first arrived in Costa Rica, we were greeted by rough dirt roads, sparse infrastructure, and a sharp departure from the comforts we were used to, causing a wave of concerns that momentarily dimmed our initial excitement. However, as time passed, I began to discover my new country's hidden charms: the people's warmth, the landscapes, and a harmonious blend of nature and human creativity. My school stood as a prime example of this balance. Situated in a place where nature and urban life blended effortlessly, it provided me with a top-notch education while nurturing my passion for science and technology. Thus, grateful for my parents' sacrifices and aware of the opportunities before me, I determinedly navigated these once-murky waters, focused on achieving all my goals. Just when things were settling down, the unpredictable currents of change struck again when my parents decided to move to the United States. Fortunately, having already mastered English and drawing from my time in Venezuela and Costa Rica, I adapted to the new environment relatively smoothly. Consequently, I focused on seizing my new country's countless potential to the fullest. From attending a school with diverse courses and extracurriculars to launching a family startup with my father and brother, I have been able to leverage my previous experiences to lay a strong foundation for my future. Furthermore, being close to family and friends from Venezuela and maintaining connections with those in Costa Rica, I feel as though I am navigating these new waters with more refined skills, pushing forward with renewed energy and propelling me further than ever before. Now, with high school coming to an end, I gaze at the approaching waterfall that will draw me closer to achieving my academic and professional goals: becoming a mathematician while gaining a respectable professional reputation and forming a family. Eagerly anticipating my college experience, I have already packed my canoe with dreams, aspirations, and a fervent desire to optimize every opportunity that comes my way. I am ready to paddle alongside my peers and professors to accomplish our personal and collective goals. Just as I once aspired to reach Angel Falls, I now aim to make my college journey as glorious, unforgettable, and monumental as when I stood before the world's highest waterfall.

“Why mathematics?” is the question I receive the most when I express my desire to become a mathematician. Most of my High School peers have always been reluctant to admit the usefulness of mathematics; they usually ask questions such as "When will I use this?", while, internally, I also wondered: "When will I use this!?" Yet, the tone of inquiry marks a stark difference. Unlike my peers, I am very excited to think about how I will apply mathematical concepts to understand the world around us. From improving our decision-making through econometric models and predicting the stock market to forecasting the weather and analyzing traffic patterns, math is the instrument that ties it all together. This leads me to my next point, as a student with an extensive range of interests, including but not limited to engineering, finance, and science, the versatility of mathematics is endless. So, while I decide on my professional future, I want to explore the boundless opportunities math will offer me. Specifically, I am excited to explore different sectors, from technology to finance to data science. Currently, I work as a Business Intelligence Specialist for IAlliances, a family entrepreneurial undertaking. The ultimate goal is to use the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program to resell products to this retail giant. In this business, my roles vary: I find wholesale distributors using Google, contact them for business proposals, analyze products with Excel, and, most importantly, create mathematical formulas for profit determination. Thus, this opportunity has allowed me to explore my passions for mathematics and economics as I navigate powerful tools such as Keepa, an Amazon Price tracking tool, and Excel, to analyze important cost-and-benefit variables to achieve a 25% profit margin for our merchandise. In addition, this work has allowed me to apply theoretical concepts in practical settings while enhancing my research, communication, and data analysis skills. Apart from the vast opportunities math offers, I am fascinated by mathematics. As a kid, entering my math classes was a surreal experience. As I started learning about fractions, algebra, and calculus, I became even more enthralled by the subject and its real-world applications. Therefore, even though mathematics is an unconventional interest, I encourage this audience to be like me, excited and asking themselves, "When will I use this!?"

Studying math in school has been one of my most valued experiences in school. Mathematics has always come naturally to me, and it always sparks my curiosity. From fractions to derivatives, learning new mathematical concepts astonishes me, especially how these concepts interact with each other and help us understand the world around us. One essential example is statistics and probability, which improves our decision-making and our society as a whole by helping us understand our economy, predict the stock market, forecast the weather, or analyze the traffic in our streets. I wish to pursue a major in mathematics because it is synonymous with pursuing my passions and interests. Additionally, it offers countless opportunities for my future. Whether it is by becoming a financial analyst for Bank of America, a data analyst for Walmart, or a statistician for the government, a major in Mathematics could open many doors to explore my passion in countless sectors. Additionally, just like John Young, I am interested in space exploration and would like to pursue a double major in Mathematics and Aerospace engineering, hopefully at MIT. Even as a kid, space always amazed me. Looking up at the stars or thinking about the enormous size of the universe sparks my intellectual curiosity. Additionally, with all the difficult challenges facing our world today – including but not limited to climate change, conflict between nations, and nuclear weapon proliferation – space may be our last resort in the future. Whether it is to escape some of these challenges or to satisfy humanity's curiosity, I believe that our future is in space. With Elon Musk's ongoing pledge to send one million earthlings to Mars in the next 20 years, space exploration is becoming more significant every day. Thus, for all these reasons, I wish to contribute towards the advancement of humanity's efforts in space exploration. I desire to create an impact by becoming the best mathematician and aerospace engineer I could ever be. My passion for these fields, accompanied by a good education, will help me acquire the knowledge and experience to make significant contributions to these fields. Whether it is by working alongside important figures or working on crucial projects for important companies, I would like to use my intellect to improve these fascinating fields. I have always been a hard-working and determined man, whether it is to achieve academic success or work on personal tasks and responsibilities. Additionally, I am very interested in these amazing fields of study, as explained above. These are the qualities that will help me achieve professional success. In addition, I wish to achieve my professional passion to become financially stable and happy. As I explained in the second paragraph, Mathematics, as well as Aerospace Engineering, offers countless opportunities to follow my passions and gain significant financial compensation. Additionally, following my passions and interests will make me a happy and satisfied man, which is what life is ultimately about.

For me, college is a place to receive an advanced education that tends to a career someone chooses. Also, it is an opportunity to make connections that last a lifetime. Additionally, college is a place to discover and experiment with different subjects, if a person doesn't know what they want to do with their life. Additionally, if you graduate from college, it can prove your expertise to future employers. To begin with, college is where someone gets educated in their chosen career. That person will get the skills and knowledge required to succeed in their profession. This will allow a person to enter the labor market and get a good job, or even endeavor into more complex adventures such as entrepreneurship, art, and others. Also, if someone graduates from college, a title will prove that said person has the expertise required to work in their field. This is very helpful for employers looking to hire people with specific skills, and for the person who has this expertise and needs the job. Next, college allows someone to discover themselves. If they are unsure of what they want to do, college lets them experiment with many different topics to find out what they truly want to do in their future. This is important because some people are unsure of what they want to study, or do, with their life. Finally, college is a place to make connections that last a lifetime. The college experience allows someone to interact with different people and have relationships. This could allow a person to make valuable connections that may be important in the future. This could be either professional or personal. Thus, college helps you find important work colleagues and friends for life! In my case, that is what college means to me. It is not just getting an education, but developing relationships with the people you will spend the rest of your life with. In my life, I want to accomplish many goals. I want to be happy and fulfilled with the life I have lived. To accomplish this, I want to graduate college and do everything I mentioned in the first paragraphs. I want to gain a good education and title to successfully enter the labor market, get a good salary, and obtain financial stability. Additionally, I want to have a professional reputation in my desired career field. Even though I am not sure what that will be yet, I know that it will be in the STEM fields. That is another reason college is important to me; it is an opportunity to discover myself and pinpoint the career I wish to pursue. On a more personal level, I have other goals as well. Being happy doesn't just mean that I want money and a reputation, it means I want people to share that with. I want to have family and friends to explore my interests and passions outside of work and provide them with everything they need to succeed in whatever they wish to accomplish. In conclusion, college is a place to get educated, make relationships, and get a professional title. It is the gateway to turning from a teenager into an adult. Most importantly, it is a place to decide what you want to do with your life and set the goals you wish to accomplish. Therefore, I believe in the value of college, and living that experience will help me accomplish my professional and personal goals.

Today, I support other people in many ways. I help my classmates in my everyday life, in High School. Whether it is helping them with an assignment, helping them study, or giving them school advice in general, I never refrain from helping those who ask it of me. I also help those who do not ask directly, but who I see is struggling. By saying that I help them with assignments, I do not mean just giving them the answers, because I don't believe that is helping. Thus, I always help people learn the information or give them tips on how to do an assignment or how to understand a topic better. As they say, if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for life. My intention is not for them to complete one assignment, but I want them to ask less of me each time, so they may become independent and help others one day too. Another way I support people is through community service. I have mainly done community service through the Books For You Miami non-profit organization. This organization helps provide education to underprivileged communities. They do this by giving them educational material, literature books, or others. Also, they have sent these materials to Venezuela, where I was born, so I feel very attached to this cause. Additionally, I believe in the value of education heavily. Just like the quote mentioned in the first paragraph, if you educate children, they can become independent in the future by gaining skills to be employed in the labor market or to make intelligent decisions. However, if you just give them money, it will only help them in a specific time frame. I helped this organization by participating in donation efforts, packaging and organizing more than 4,000 books and giving speeches to kids in the process of crossing the border. Thus, I helped support the organization and all the people it helps. In the future, I plan to help people in other ways. Not only will I continue to help people when asked, whether in my profession or my personal life, but I will take a more radical approach. I read a book called "'The Talk' (about money)" the other day, which gives insight into proper financial decision-making. This book was written by Dale Alexander and proposes that you live on 70% of your income, save 20% of your income, and, most importantly, give away 10% of your income. The arguments in favor of this, as given in the book, is that it improves the mental well-being of the donor and helps people in general. I fully agree with this and will follow this approach. Therefore. I plan to donate 10% of my income to charities that I thoroughly research; therefore, I make sure that I support charities that don't scam, making sure my money goes to people in need or causes worth giving money towards.

Jim Halpert is the character that resonates the most with me, in "The Office". Jim Halpert is a very sarcastic and straightforward guy. He is very creative and likes pranks, especially towards Dwight Schrute. He likes sports and likes to debate, he argues for a living. Jim is often seen as bored during his job as a salesman at Dunder Mifflin. The reason why Jim Halpert resonates with me is, firstly, because I look somewhat similar to him. I have been told this before by some friends. Jim Halpert is a tall, white, brown-haired man, just like me. This is shown by my bold.org profile picture. Additionally, Jim Halpert and I share some personality traits. I love to argue and debate with other people, and I also love an intellectual challenge, just like him. Also, I like sports, and Jim does too! Especially in that episode where they have a basketball game between the office people and the warehouse workers. Additionally, he is a straightforward person and likes to have fun, which is seen by his brutal honesty with people like Michael and his engaging pranks on Dwight. These are other characteristics I believe I share with Jim Halpert, which allow me to better understand his character and resonate with him. When I watched "The Office", my perspective of workplace dynamics changed. My sense of humor did not change much, I have always been a sarcastic guy and Michale's legendary joke "That's what she said" was not uncommon to me. However, I have always thought workplace dynamics are more serious than what I observed during the show. Thus, "The Office" showed me that working people are just normal people, each person has a different personality and their problems. Some people, like Dwight and Angela, are more serious, and others like to have fun and enjoy their working hours, like Michael Scott and Jim Halpert. This show also showed me the complexity of workplace dynamics, and how unique they are depending on the workers and, especially, the manager or boss. In conclusion, Jim Halpert is the character that resonates with me the most because I share some physical and personality traits with him. Thus, I can put myself in his shoes, and better understand his character and his actions during the show. Additionally, this show changed the way I view workplace dynamics. From a more serious and boring scenario to a complex, unique, and engaging experience.

This scholarship will help me achieve my career goals. For starters, let me explain what those career goals are. I am currently going to be a high school senior and the fields that interest me the most are astrophysics and astronomy, physics, economics, etc. Right now, I am considering a career in Aerospace Engineering, which requires knowledge of physics, mathematics, computer science, and, of course, space and its conditions. I have always been interested in many fields of science. In school, my favorite subjects are biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as mathematics, and these have been the subjects I have been the most interested in. Thus, I always knew I wanted to dedicate my life to some type of scientific field. In the end, after much consideration, I found that I am most interested in space, and everything it entails. I love how unknown it is, and I love that it makes me very curious and determined to learn more about it. Additionally, I like mathematics and physics, so engineering also interests me. Thus, the career that interests me the most is currently Aerospace Engineering. This is because it combines all the subjects I am most interested in. So, to answer the question, this scholarship will help me achieve my career goals in many ways. Firstly, this scholarship will help me fund my higher education at a university. I wish to apply to Ivy League schools and out-of-state schools, as well as some in-state schools in Florida, to obtain some of the best education in the country. Unfortunately, these institutions are expensive, so this scholarship could help me pay my tuition to whichever university I end up attending. Additionally, if I win this scholarship, I will be able to focus mainly on my education. I am not against having a job while attending university, but the truth is that top-tier schools and the careers I am interested in are tough. Thus, this scholarship will help me worry less about student debt and all the money problems related to paying for college. Therefore, this could help me focus on my education, get good grades, and make this money worth it by learning about my career and being fully prepared to enter the job market or become an entrepreneur. In conclusion, the money from this scholarship could help me a lot with my career goals. It would help me worry less about student debt by covering all the expenses related to college. Additionally, it will help me focus mainly on my education. Therefore, this money could help me learn, graduate, enter the job market, and become successful in my desired career field, by becoming financially stable and gaining a reputation for myself.

For me, survival gameplay has always been the best part of Minecraft. Even though I sometimes explore multiplayer servers, such as Hypixel, to dive into more complex forms of the game like PVP, dueling, or playing with my friends, I have always preferred the simple survival worlds. For a long time, I have been that type of player that plays a world for a week, dies to a creeper or lava, rage quits, and deletes the world. Then, a few months later, you remember how fun the game is and make another world. However, the same cycle happens over and over again. This only stopped around a year and a half ago, when I finally started to fully enjoy the good old survival worlds. After reflecting on my previous survival experiences, I decided that I would rage quit no more. Thus, I made my world and started playing. It is true that I died and lost all my items a couple of times, and I was tempted to quit and start another one. Regardless, I didn't quit, and I am playing that same world today, the one I started a year and a half ago! After playing for so long in my world, after exploring and mining for hours, it has gotten repetitive. So, to answer the question, I believe that survival is the best part of Minecraft. Specifically, I think that building is the best part of the game, the one that resonates with me so deeply. This is because there is always something new to build, and you can explore all your creativity, which is what Minecraft is truly about, and it is what I have been doing and plan to do with my world. In my view, there are two types of builds in Minecraft, aesthetic and mechanical. Mechanical builds are very fun, exploring with Redstone, comparators, and all the other machinery in Minecraft. When I started my world, I built every automatic farm I ever needed in my world. I have an automatic wood farm, moss and bone meal farm, enderman farm, pillager farm, and many others. I even built an automatic item sorter with more than 1,000 double chests of storage! The other aspect of building is aesthetic. One of the reasons I built all those automatic farms in the first place is to have the materials to do aesthetic builds, without spending hours to get the materials. With this, I have built a town hall, my own house, decorated my automatic item sorter, and others. In conclusion, I believe that building is the best part of Minecraft survival. This is because it is a place to explore your creativity, to build whatever you want. My big idea for my world is to make a giant village to release villagers without any mobs getting into my village. This is why building resonates with me so deeply. When you accomplish your goals, you will be able to look at your creation with pride, look back at your experience, and be happy with what you have done. I have a lot more to do in my world, and I will continue building and exploring my creativity, enjoying this beautiful game.

Out of all the actors that have had the privilege to recreate the fictional legend of Spiderman, my favorite is Andrew Garfield. Even though Tobey Maguire portrays a more original character and Tom Holland portrays a more modern version, Andrew Garfield portrays Spiderman the best. Andrew Garfield is my favorite Spiderman character because he embodies the emotional connections of Peter Parker and the complexity of being a superhero. Additionally, he has the best fight scenes! Firstly, Andrew Garfield portrays Peter Parker's normal side the best. Acting as a socially awkward and incredibly intelligent teenager, Andrew Garfield presents the most accurate version of Peter Parker in the comics. This not only makes it more relatable to modern audiences, but it represents the most entertaining and accurate Spiderman there is. Additionally, Garfield's chemistry with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is incredible. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone started dating while filming The Amazing Spider-Man in 2011. Therefore, this relationship was translated into the movie, with an engaging, reliable, and accurate representation of the romantic relationship between Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker. This is one reason my favorite Spiderman actor is Andrew Garfield. Secondly, Andrew Garfield portrays the best Spiderman. With his sarcastic personality in his fight scenes and his entertaining stunts and action sequences, Andrew Garfield portrays the best Spiderman superhero. Additionally, his realistic emotional reactions to events in the movie, such as Gwen Stacy's death, also lead me to believe that he is the best Spiderman actor. In conclusion, Andrew Garfield is my favorite Spiderman actor. Some people might say Tobey Maguire or Tom Holland are better, but I don't believe this is the case. Even though there are iconic memes from Tobey Maguiure's Spiderman movies, I have always believed that his character lacked emotion. In Tom Holland's case, I believe that such high focus in Peter Parker's high school experiences, as well as always being in Iron Man's shadow, depreciates the character as a whole and prevents Spiderman from flourishing and maturing by himself

My field of interest is mainly aerospace engineering. My passions revolve around engineering, astronomy, and mathematics. I want to follow these fields because they interest me the most, and I like to do what I am most passionate about. I have always been interested in what is beyond our atmosphere, it always blows my mind when I think about how tiny our planet is compared to the entire universe. Thus, I have gained an interest in astronomy. Additionally, since I have always been interested in mathematics and have always been good at it, I took an interest in engineering, which was accompanied by a passion for physics. Therefore, my main field of interest has been aerospace engineering because it combines all these factors I have been interested in. I desire to create an impact by contributing to space exploration and engineering. Whether it is contributing to scientific advancement, building space crafts, or working for a company to contribute to their success, I want to leave a mark on my chosen field of interest using my knowledge from high school and college. I want this scholarship to help me gain more knowledge and be able to accomplish these goals without worrying about student debt. My personal goals also contribute to my determination to follow my professional passion. For instance, I wish to become economically stable and gain a decent amount of wealth to provide for my family and help people in need. Also, I want to follow my passions and interests inside and outside my job, which can be accomplished by being financially stable and having spare time to explore these interests. Thus, these personal goals push me to become the best version of myself and to work hard. Hopefully, this hard work will help me achieve my professional goals in the field of Aerospace Engineering and Mathematics, obtain a decent income, make a reputation for myself, and most importantly, be happy by following my passions and building a family.

Success, for me, is very complex. I don't just view success as having lots of money but as many different things. I view success as being happy and surrounded by many loving people, including friends and family. I also view success as following my passions and interests in life. Additionally, I view success as becoming economically independent and building a family. All of these things are what I would want my future self to look like, and how I would define success. Hopefully, this opportunity may help me achieve my view of success. Firstly, I view success as being a happy person. For me, it doesn't matter if you are a millionaire with lots of money, being happy should always be the desire of any person. As many people say, money doesn't buy happiness, only rents it. It is the people around you that truly add value to your life. What is the point if you are rich and famous but do not have a good relationship with your family and friends? People should want to get rich to help those people, not just for their ego. Thus, I believe that success involves being happy, and having loving and supportive people all around you, whether they are your friends, family, future spouse, or even children. For me, I hope to have these people in my future. Following my previous point, I also believe success involves being economically independent and building a family. For me, building a family, having children, and becoming economically stable are one of my primary goals in life. Not only does it continue the legacy of my family, but I am able to leave some part of me in the world when I die. Also, by being economically stable with a good job, I could be able to avoid the stress of bills and payments. This could help me spend more time with my family, be less stressed, and be able to afford all my family's needs and provide for them. These are essential parts of what success looks like for me. Finally, success for me is also following my passions and interests, as well as pursuing academic excellence. I am currently in High School with a 4.0 GPA, so I would like to believe I am achieving this goal. Not only do grades matter for me, but I also value expanding my knowledge of the world. Additionally, I am following my passions and interests, I love editing videos, playing video games, playing chess, and many others. In the future, I wish to keep achieving these goals and follow my passions, because they will help me live a happier and more fulfilling life. Now, how would this opportunity help me achieve this goal? Well, for me, this opportunity will help me pay for my higher education. I wish to pursue a IB league or high-ranking college, whether inside my state, Florida or outside of it. Thus, I will most likely have a lot of college tuition, and this opportunity will help me pay this tuition. Also, by doing this, I will be able to worry less about money and be able to focus on my education and career, learn more about the world, and gain the skills necessary to enter the workforce and gain a reputation for myself, as well as becoming financially stable, which will continue to help me achieve my view of success. In conclusion, this opportunity would help me a lot by paying for my tuition, allowing me to focus on my studies, follow my passions, and achieve success. In the future, I would like to be a happy person and become economically independent, which is how I look at success.

I love math because of the complexity of it. Not only is it a challenge but it is a subject where you require certain skills, organization, and specific methods to carry out certain problems. I am interested in solving problems and math is filled with problems ready to be solved. Thus, for me, math is entertaining to its core because it provides you with a problem to be solved, it tests your skills, patience, and determination, and it allows you to prove your own merit and your own progress as you keep learning different mathematical concepts. Additionally, I love math because it improves different skills that may help you in other aspects of life. For instance. math improves your problem-solving skills, logic, reasoning, critical thinking, and time management. In short, math wires your brain and trains your brain in these skills, which may help you in other aspects of life or whatever career you wish to pursue, not specifically having to do with math. Lastly, I love math because it is beneficial. Math is everywhere, according to learner.com, 94% of workers use basic math in their jobs. Apart from basic math, professionals like engineers, accountants, budget analyst, financial planners, and others require a lot of more advanced mathematical concepts. Also, math is used in everyone's everyday life! You need math to manage your money, shop at best prices, understand loans and sports through team statistics, and many others. In conclusion, math is everywhere, it is useful and for me, it is very entertaining due to its complexity and the improvement of your skills.

Understanding the universe is an important task humanity has. The universe is enormous and complex, we are just a tiny dot in this expanding universe. Like Carl Sagan once wrote after reflecting on NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft photograph on February 14, 1990, from a distance of 3.7 billion miles from the sun, "Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us." In this case, the dot is Earth, all our politics, our conflicts, our loved ones, and our entire population of more than 8 billion people resides in that tiny dot. After I read that Carl Sagan quote, it made me realize how insignificant and tiny we are compared to the universe, and it made me realize how vulnerable we truly are. It would only take one asteroid, one gamma-ray burst or one random encounter with a space object such as a black hole, and all human life could end, in just an instant. Therefore, it is important to work to better understand the nature of our universe not only to expand the knowledge humankind possesses but to help in the preservation of human life and contribute to space exploration. Understanding the nature of our universe is important to expand the knowledge humankind has. It is in our nature to be curious about the unknown, and the universe is a curious thing. Thus, we must work to better understand the nature of our universe to satisfy the curiosity of millions of people and finally answer some of the world's mind-bending questions: Does alien life exist? Where are they? Next, understanding the nature of our universe is in humanity's best interest for defense purposes. Although it may be true that we could not do much if a black hole comes to our solar system or if the sun engulfs our planet, we can definitely deviate an asteroid. Although asteroid impacts are unlikely, we must be prepared to defend ourselves if the day comes. Understanding the universe, where these asteroids come from, and building more advanced telescopes as detection mechanisms are some of the ways and concepts we could employ to achieve this goal. Finally, understanding the nature of our universe is important for space exploration. Understanding our universe not only would give us an idea of what is truly out there, in the vast emptiness of the universe, but it would contribute to innovation, improvements in technology, and others which could allow humankind to find faster ways of space exploration for example. This could allow humankind to become a multi-planetary species, establishing colonies on our neighboring rocky planets, such as Mars. Even though it could take thousands of years, we could even leave our solar system in the distant future, and inhabit other systems in our galaxy, if we do not become extinct by that point. I have always been interested in space exploration and in the universe, I believe that with rising climates and tensions between nations which could lead to nuclear warfare, humanity may need to be prepared to leave our planet in the future for the preservation of the human race. Even though these are dark thoughts to consider, these are possibilities that may occur. Therefore, we have the responsibility not only to expand our knowledge of the universe to feed our curious nature, but to preserve humankind if a disaster occurs. Some methods and ideas I wish to employ to achieve this goal are engineering, mathematics, astronomy, and astrophysics. I am considering a career in Aerospace Engineering, which would allow me to advance efforts of space exploration by helping to build complex spacecrafts to visit our moon or other planets. Also, astronomy and astrophysics will give us more knowledge of the universe and could give us ideas of what we might expect if we go beyond our atmosphere into other planets. In conclusion, the human race needs to work to better understand the nature of our universe to feed our curious nature, for defense purposes, and for making advances in space exploration. Some methods I wish to employ to do this are engineering and mathematical concepts for the building of spacecrafts. I also hope to employ astronomy and astrophysics to better understand the universe and what it entails.

I believe that a person's character can inspire the people around them to be better. In my case, I believe that my character inspires other people to work hard to achieve their goals and pursue what they love. I am a very hard-working person, I always finish all my tasks on time and I always remind people or encourage them to do the same. Therefore, I believe those around me are inspired to act that same way. Also, I have always believed that I am a very responsible person, I don't like procrastinating or leaving things for another day. Thus, I can work more efficiently on school assignments or other aspects of life. Additionally, this characteristic avoids wasting my time since I always try to get things done and finish what I start. In my opinion, being responsible is essential for any successful person and it is necessary to navigate life. I believe that this quality of mine impacts those around me to be better. This is the case, especially with my friends and classmates. If one of my friends is procrastinating, I always let them know that they are doing something that may affect their performance in life and school. Also, I always encourage my peers to finish their tasks, especially if we are doing group work in school. Just the other day my friend from my previous school in Costa Rica was telling me that he is now getting better grades because he stopped procrastinating. I would like to think that I inspired him, even a little, to make this change in his life. Regardless, I am just happy that he improved himself, which is what I always want for people around me. Now, on the topic of my major, several things inspired me to pursue this particular major. The major that I am most interested in and that I am pursuing in college is Aerospace Engineering. I have always been curious about the unknown and I have always thought of space as something to be explored. When I start thinking about black holes, supernovas, and all the galaxies in our universe, I just get so excited and I start thinking about all the possibilities: How big is the universe? Does the multiverse exist? I also started thinking about life outside of Earth and whether we would encounter an alien being in my lifetime. Did you know that there are more stars in our universe than grains of sand on Earth? How crazy is that! If this is the case, then alien life must exist, right? In conclusion, those currently unanswerable questions is what inspires me to pursue this major. I hope to become an aerospace engineer and work at places like Nasa or SpaceX in order to build complex spacecrafts for space exploration. I hope that my contributions help answer some of the mind-bending questions I proposed in the previous paragraph. Additionally, I hope that my characteristics as a person are able to inspire more people in a positive way, whether it is inspiring my future colleagues in Nasa or my day-to-day friends and family.