College means RIGOR, I firmly stand by this. We get the chance to finally finish school and to be finished with those late nights of doing homework, enough of putting up with putting up with teaching styles that you don't agree with, enough with putting up with your peers that get on your nerves sometimes, and enough of finally having to worry about what grade you will have and how it will affect your future. But college, college means you're going to do it all again but to a more difficult extent so that you can better yourself. So in that sense college also means perseverance, to see the finish line and to shoot right past it! College means genesis, to leave something old and to start something new. College is a place where we are all going to figure out who we are gonna be and what values we hold close to ourselves when we are adults and making decisions of our own. So in that sense, college also means responsibility. So many people are taking a chance on you when you attend college, any family and friends you might have, colleges are taking a chance on you, wonderful people like yourself giving out scholarships for students like me and investing in my future, and even myself, I have to take a chance on myself and make sure that I make my goals a reality. So that all the trust everyone is putting in me doesn't go to waste, and all the effort everyone has put in to help me go this far can help me soar. What I want to accomplish is to make a positive environment around me using my words. I think communication is beautiful and I have always loved talking with others. My mom would have long talks with me and I would ask so many questions while I was growing up, and I feel like that has largely impacted the type of person I have turned out to be so far. Now I want to take things a step further and maybe do something like a crisis worker, or suicide hotline worker, or maybe even some sort of teacher. Whatever I can do to back a positive impact on the lives of other people. But I want all of my success to also reflect in what I earn, because what I also hope to accomplish is to have a family of my own that I can one day provide for. I want to set myself up now for an even brighter future. What I think college means to me, is taking everything I know about myself and making myself even better.

I love talking with others, I love having long and meaningful questions and learning new things. I am still trying to decide more on what I want but currently what I want to be is something like a suicide hotline worker to help save people that give up on themselves and life and to help them find their reason for living. I think death in general is quite sad. I am religious and so viewing death from a biblical perspective may not be so bad, but I think it's sad to pass on without the people you care about coming with you. And especially when reviewing suicide from a biblical perspective, it's wrong and I can't allow people to make that mistake for themselves not only in life but in death too. If I have been given the ability to speak with others and that is one of the core parts of who I am, then I want to use it to try to help others. Something else I am considering is being a communications teacher or a video editing teacher. I think it sounds fun to teach people skills that I enjoy, especially since I don't exactly want to teach a traditional subject but maybe something that is more like an elective. I have been impacted by so many teachers in my life that I begin to think it sounds like a very interesting job that I might look forward to pursuing. Something else that I have slightly considered is maybe being a school counselor or doing something in business and marketing. If I am a school counselor I can help schools run with all sorts of leadership and speaking skills I might have. I would get engagement with students and be able to make their time at the school I work at a little better. And as for the business and marketing thing, I am hoping that I can be a key asset to whatever business/ cooperation that I plan to join. I want to make sure wherever I am, that I can be worth the investment and let more than just my personality shine, but also what I am capable of doing for whoever I choose to work for. I want to do my best to become what I consider successful and earn enough that I can provide for the family that I plan to have one day in the future. So that I can positively impact them and teach them how to respect others and to be responsible and have high morals so that they can also help impact others for the better. It sounds far out but I like to plan ahead. This is how I plan to contribute my efforts to the community in hope that I can help make a difference in people's lives.

When I go to college, I want to go in either with a major in communications, or a major in cognitive studies. I love talking with others, and I really don't mind speaking in front of others. I heavily value the things that can come from talking with others. Sometimes it's to get support, and sometimes it's to support others. There are times we interact with others to learn, and sometimes we interact with others to teach. Regardless of what it is, communication to me is arguably the most important thing there is. And I feel as though improving my ability to talk and communicate with others will help me improve as a person and help me become desirable to any job I wish to pursue. Currently, a couple of things I want to consider pursuing is being a suicide hotline worker to help save people who are getting ready to give up. Another thing that I am considering is maybe being a sort of teacher or public speaker. I am also interested in cognitive science also because it has to do with communication. But what I like about cognitive science is that it's learning about how the brain thinks and reacts to situations and how it takes in information. It goes a bit into psychology which I am also interested in, but I want to learn about the mind and human behavior so that I can pick up on body language and social cues and be able to respond accordingly for what the situation calls for. I want to speak with others in a very friendly and effective way, so having the ability to understand others and then communicate with them is great to have. There are also other things I am considering like maybe being some sort of crisis person that tags along with the police to help settle people down during a crisis. Whatever I end up choosing from, I want to be someone that talks and has interactions with others. I think I want this because my mom and I would spend hours having long talks and asking questions back and forth. I have interactions like that with other adults and it makes me feel like a curious and inquisitive person. I enjoy getting to know more about others, and I also enjoy supporting them when they don't feel like they are at their best. This is what I feel passionate about pursing in life, this is what I want to dedciate myself to.

I get inspired by helping the middle schools in my community for many reasons. COVID-19 the 2020 Pandemic that affected the world took away most of my middle school experience. It was such a shame too because I was loving middle school. The year before the pandemic I was in elementary school and had just transferred into the district and felt isolated from everyone else. It wasn't a warm welcome and the other students in my grade heavily put me down. But in middle school everything was different, everyone was knew and everyone that mistreated me before quickly warmed up to me. My life began to change and as soon as it was the pandemic struck and ripped it all away again. I love going back to that middle school to feel a sense of nostalgia and help office staff and students. When I am there I help run any booths during school events they put on, I help some of the spare office work they might have like making pan flits and brochures for parents to review, I help students find their classes, and deliver mail from the office to classrooms. I also enjoy making connections with some of the student, it gives me the chance to make friends that will eventually come to my high school and help them feel more welcome when they come, that way no one has to feel what I felt when I was new guy. I also want to ensure the best for my school and be a role model for the students that I interact with so that they can take high school more serious and not cause trouble when they come. I hope that hopefully they will see all the success and accoplishments they could achieve and hope that they can also achieve those things. That they can be inspired just as I have been. And I also love volunteering there because I am able to get help with school work from some of the teachers, along with any life advice any of the adults might have. It is also great to talk with some of the counselors about college plans so that they can help me. It is great to see them everyday for the past couple of years and I feel very close with all of them. I love going to that school because all of the staff makes me feel more included in the district and heals the old scars that once hurt me. My life feels different now, and it is all thanks to volunteering at the middle school and meeting the people that are there. That's what inspires me to volunteer and be the best that I can be.

"Claim it, Cite it, Cement it! One day the robots will take over! Don't be a moth inside the pepper!" These are some quotes from my 11th grade AP Language teacher. I could quote many things from him but those were some to start off with. My teacher's name was Mr.Bailey, and before having him as a teacher I had only met him once before. I had been in his wife's class in my 10th grade year and there was a field trip for AVID. After the field trip there was still time in the school day and I wanted to have a look around the class because I wanted to see what his video production classroom looked like. When we arrive the substitute teacher had no control over the class and as soon as he walked in asserted himself, the room went quiet, and students were working at 200% efficiency. He scolded those who chose not to be productive, but not in a harsh way that could come off as rude, rather it was more like the type that persuade you the change your ways and help you see new perspective. I think that was one of the things that intimidate me a bit at first but also made me admire him as well. He could be assertive and talk to others in a very structured and well thought out manner. Going into my 11th grade year, two of my classes would be AP Language and Video production, the two classes Mr.Bailey taught. On the first day you could easily tell what type of man he was, he was a man of logic and reason. He would talk about how facts and evidence were everything when talking to someone. And if we gave up on ourselves or didn't put in the effort then we are letting ourselves down. He would talk about how he already has his job and considers himself successful and that at the end of the day he is still getting paid. But he would go onto say how he wants the best for us and to put in the effort for ourselves to also succeed and to one day take him out for lunch and talk about how we are more successful then he is. He would say things like "Excuses are just like buttholes, they're only worth the sh*t that comes out". I try not to make excuses much anymore and do my best to accept that I could be the problem and that I must be better. He would also talk about the moth in his pepper. One day years ago he was making dinner for his family and when he cut open the pepper and there was a moth in there. The darkness and inclosed space of the pepper was all the moth had ever known and it was too scared to leave and was overwhelmed that there was more then it ever knew. He said to pursue new things and leave your comfort zone. He believed that growing was uncomfortable. I feel like the same is applicable when I got broken up with that year by the one and only girlfriend I had ever had. I was experiencing new pain that I hadn't known before and learning lessons about myself. I was feeling pretty about myself but everyday after school we would talk about any philosophical questions we were thinking of. This both helped me heal and helped me ask better questions. He's more then a teacher, he's my mentor, and my role model. He's changed my life for the better.

I think that I can be a flexible person. Adjusting for what the situation requires. There are times that I will assume a leadership position if I see that others are not up for the job. I know there will have to be someone that leads others, and I want to make sure the job gets done. I make sure that my presence is known when I am around so that everyone feels assured with the leadership I wish to assert. But I also believe that a leader should be able to still be friends and have close bonds with the rest of their team. That way everything can run on not just authority, but trust and respect as well. However, I don't have to assume the role of a leader, if I am asked to help someone else achieve their goals I have no issue also being any sort of help that is asked of me. I think that if there is a qualified leader then everyone should avoid making things harder and do what is asked. And with this in mind and being on both sides of the equation at times, I know how the struggles that come with leading, so I try to ensure that I try not to give anyone a hard time. I feel like these are great qualities to have and I am quite proud to have these things be a part of who I am. Nowadays from what I notice around my school and community, people my age don't have much courage to be more outspoken. It is that, or they have a rebellious nature that makes them defy orders and instructions. It reminds me of the crabs in a bucket analogy, where someone finally reaches and might achieve something but they are pulled down by their peers. There should definitely be order but a sort of order that doesn't have to feel oppressive. Power is distributed with the trust of your peers and can be taken away just as easily. There are times where we do have leaders in our society that overstep with the power that they are permitted. I want to be someone that can combat anyone with corrupt leadership in my community and have the courage to be a voice for others who can't share their own voice. As for the future, I want to be someone who speaks to others very regularly and be any support that they might need from me to help them succeed. I wish to do things like that now, but not being an adult and being fully in charge of my own schedule yet makes things a little difficult but one day I will be someone that can positively support others to the best of my ability.

I believe in being productive, even in most times when I want to relax I am always looking to find something to be done while I relax. I want to utilize this scholarship to help with any school expenses I might have going into college. Whether that be tuition, text books, maybe for gas, bus tickets, or train tickets, for transportation. No matter where I decide to put the money received from this scholarship, I want to remain working during that time so that I can still be putting the money that I earn away and have that money building in a savings account. I want to get as close as possible to paying off my debt right away as possible. I hate feeling in debt to someone because it is always at the forefront of my mind until it is paid off. And I work exponentially hard until it is paid off. So although I don't have to worry about debt just yet, I want to feel prepared for when that arises. Not to mention that one day in the future I am going to have a family I am going to love and provide for. I want to be in the best position possible and have the least expenses and debt that I can possibly have to worry about. This is so that I can focus on them and not working myself to death. I want to make sure I am present for them and doing a job that I actually enjoy rather then a job that would just barley be getting me by. Many opportunities present themselves throughout someone's life, I want to make sure I take all of them, or at least as many as I can. So with that mindset I want to set myself in the best way I can so that way I can achieve later on. I love planning ahead for the future and considering all the different possibilities, and for me this is just the start, taking opportunities like this one right now. It is to my understanding that you are a principal at a high school, so you know how much it means to me as a student that I hope to succeed, not just me but to anyone you consider for this scholarship. And the end of the day we are all trying to chase our dreams with the intention to pursue happiness. But I hope you enjoyed hearing about my goals and dreams and what I find important in pursuing in my life.

I love talking, I love talking to people and having meaningful interactions with others. Something that I have learned about myself is that I also like to understand how people think and feel. And there's many things I am considering doing as a career that I still need to narrow down on. For instance, there's a part of me that considers being a teacher, maybe in video editing, maybe a communications teacher, not fully sure yet, but just to have that interaction with others and help teach them important and useful skills. Another thing that caught my attention is being a suicide hotline worker. I think suicide is very concerning and thinking of the fact that others go through with it makes my heart heavy. I have been considering this for almost a year and I want to be someone's last chance to not give up. I want to make sure that they have someone there who will talk and not give up on them. I feel very comfortable speaking with others, this could be because my mom and I had very long talks growing up, now I feel like I can be a public speaker if it was asked of me. I know that I have the confidence to speak in front of others. I also enjoy writing, but that is more of a hobby rather than something I plan to pursue. It's just a hobby of mine because I like writing however I choose, I enjoy writing with whatever emotion and energy I am feeling, and just dropping the formality because then it feels less personable and less honest to who the writer is and what they're like. By this point i'm sure you can tell that I love talking and writing, so I really hope it's been fun to hear about me and that you might consider me for this scholarship. I wish you the best, and have a great day.

Success to me is achieving what I dedicate my heart and mind to. And my mind is in it to get what my heart desires. And what my heart desires is to one day be the best son, husband, and father that I can be. I am 17 years old and will be graduating in May of 2025, so I have yet to get to the whole wife and kids part. But as for being the best son that I can be, I am still working on that and working to be someone that my mom can be proud of and someone that I can be proud of to. My mom has a lot of faith in me to achieve my goals, but she makes sure that she does what she can to not add pressure onto me. But I know one day I am going to have a wife and kids and I want to make sure that I do my part to be as successful as possible so that I can provide a great and comfortable life for them. A wife and children of mine deserve the world. And my mom deserves the very best that I can give her. My mom and I are very close and we even joke that someone forgot to cut the umbilical cord, but she has been there in my worst and best. And she has sacrificed so much for me to be the best mother that she can be. I like to think of myself as a loving person because I think that love is what matters to me most. I want to be someone that can provide and be the best I can for those I love. And this scholarship could benefit me in achieving this because I will have the resources I need for my education, or I could put it to tuition and spend less time paying back a loan and more time saving the money that I need to provide for my mom and future family. As it stands now I want to do something in communications and maybe be a teacher. Or I also love editing videos, I am also considering being a video editing teacher and also freelancing for the district that I would work at, along with coaching for the school that I work at. Other things I am considering is maybe doing something in marketing or or cognitive studies. I know what I want most in life and that is to take care of those I love most. Having an opportunity like this would bring me so much closer. This is my definition of what success is.

One of my favorite things about minecraft is it connecting me with people in my life. For instance, I used to have a great grandmother whom I love dearly. She unfortunately passed away, but when she was alive and well she would sit and watch me play Minecraft in the living room, at times she would even join me. We would build dirt houses together, and it was great because that time together and those dirt houses, were better then any other house I could have made. I also get to come home from school on some days that I am very stressed and use it as an outlet to calm any anxiety I may have accumulated throughout the day. And whenever I play with friends they are always much better than I am at building houses, but I love building the bridges leading to our house. Although I find it quite funny, my general sense of direction is bad in everything, so I tend to get lost easily when I am walking or driving around. And it's the same way in Minecraft, my friends are always either looking for me, making landmarks for me, or having to turn on the coordinates so that I can try to find my way back on my own. But that is one of the things that makes my experiences with Minecraft unique, and as annoying as it is, it's also what makes it a little more fun. And at times I am not feeling great emotionally, it's always nice to be able to come home and mindlessly play for a while without feeling like I have to follow one specific goal, it's whatever I feel like doing in that moment, I love having that freedom. All of these experiences combined is what made me fall in love with Minecraft.

I don't know how to say this, but I feel as though I started the race behind everyone else. I had left the school district that I was originally at with all of my friends, but then I transferred to somewhere new because of my mom's work. To say goodbye was a struggle but to be faced with hostility from the beginning was even harder. Over the years my relations have massively improve and I get along with others very well. I saw my environment and how I was treated and I took control of the situation and bettered myself. As for school, like many other students I had always been one to struggle with subjects like math. In middle school I felt as though there wasn't really anyone to teach me until finally I had met a teacher in my 7th grade year. There was something about the way he articulated his thoughts on the lessons we learned. I was beginning to make progress... That was until Covid-19 struck and shut down schools around the nation. From there on, all the learning turned to review. I was no longer progressing my mathematical skills and now just reviewing them. This left me very unprepared for my 8th grade year. I was now in a advanced math class that would give me credit for a year of math in High School. I managed to barley scrape by with a C, but this came at the cost of not being prepared for math in high school. Once again in both my 8th grade and 9th grade years I felt as though I didn't have teachers that could accommodate for my way of comprehending math. I was defeated, now being in the same situation that I was in years ago. I failed math in my freshman year. I moved towards sophomore year with low expectations for myself. But to my suprise, I had a teacher that had that same way of teaching as my other teacher so many years ago. It was refreshing, I could finally do well and passing tests with ease! I managed to pass my second year of Math, with a B! This being the same class I had gotten a D and a F in just the year before. I took my new skills and learning techniques into my junior year. I managed to help others and understand concepts well. And all was going well until once again I had been stopped. I found myself not being able to understand 2 units of the math. And so, when it presented itself on a pass or fail final, I failed my 3rd year. Now I am trying to make that class and a History class (that I missed in summer school) up so that I can meet my requirements and have more opportunities. I wish to change my environment just as I had done socially and better myself. And applying for this scholarship is one of my first steps.