My name is Jackson Wang, and I intend to pursue a career in Computer Sciences but also to put some time into the arts such as visual art or music. Growing up, I've always been surrounded by the arts and technology. Of course, in my adolescence, I've always thought of them as simple forms of entertainment or neat things to look at or listen to, but as I grew up I began to develop an appreciation for the intricacies of each of these fields of STEAM. Computers weren't limited to being places where I could play games and entertain myself for the whole day; they can store important personal information, do my shopping conveniently, or even talk to others across the country in the variety of social platforms the internet has to offer. Art didn't just look nice anymore, they could evoke emotions and express something the artist wanted to convey, and music could do the same in the audio medium. I listened to music, looked at art, and played video games every day, so I'm already deeply entrenched into the world of STEAM for years, allowing my sense for each field to grow and develop certain preferences for each. Pursuing a college education is the perfect storm of being able to invest time in all three of these fields, as I can learn about the things I love and spend hours of my day enjoying, in a more professional environment. I would be able to fully educate myself on subjects I want to pursue a professional career in (Computer Sciences), while at the same time gaining a deeper appreciation for the things I already love by having classes in the visual and audio mediums of the arts. And in turn, coming across something that involves the cohesion of all three would excite me to no end, since I would be able to pick out and be awed by all the various factors of music, art, and technology coming together to form something truly immaculate. The inspiration for this specific goal stems from what I believe was my first experience of witnessing all three of those fields coming together in harmony: Vocaloids or Virtual Singers. They are online voice synthesizers and are highly customizable from person to person. Producers can use whatever method they'd like to create their music and share it for the general population to hear and see as they come with an accompanying illustration or music video. These points are what I was referring to when I spoke of the harmony that comes with Vocaloids, the producers can commission art to help convey a story their song is telling in a visual medium or a simple feeling with an illustration, supplemented by their own music and voice synthesizing of the virtual singers. The expressiveness of each producer can be clearly felt in their videos, by how they tune their singers, to their personal melody or instrumental style, to their stylized videos, creating an experience unique to them and bringing people together with their music as real singers have done for centuries. I can't fathom the amount of talent and dedication the producers must have to create songs so meaningful from just their ideas and the basic tools given to them, and all the more as a daily listener to their music I appreciate what they do, and will confidently call Vocaloids a masterpiece of bringing together visual art, music, and technology.

Throughout my childhood, I was never the sociable type with the other kids in my grade and never bothered to change that part of me. They always appeared unapproachable or indifferent to me, deductions which of course, are baseless and most likely untrue. This stems from my terrible habit of overthinking everything, especially when it comes to other people, and it came with the consequences of stunting any potential friendship I could have in my younger years. This is still regrettably true as I don't remember any friends I made in elementary school. I knew it couldn't keep going as it had in elementary school, so I sought change in middle school. I took a step out of my comfort zone of being by myself and started to talk to the people next to me in class, and to my surprise it wasn't as difficult as I had made it out to be. Middle school was my turning point, where I really felt like I belonged among the numerous people learning alongside me, and it was all thanks to learning that most people are approachable and are willing to be friends, as long you give them as chance, something I neglected in my elementary years. Of course, I rectified that aspect of myself, and will continue to use what I learn to make new friends in the last of my high school year, throughout college, and beyond.

Influence is one of the strongest qualities someone can have, since it places the burden of responsibility onto you, for better or for worse. It has the ability to steer people in the wrong direction or help guide them to the right path; as long as you have influence, you also have the responsibility to use that influence to help others the best you can. For me personally, I use my limited influence within my classroom to try and promote learning school material with guided aid rather than direct answers, since I'm a firm believer that something is easier retained if guided to rather than given to. On a topic more directly relevant to the scholarship, I also try to influence every online game I play with basic sportsmanship and mannerisms, typing "Good luck, have fun" before each match and "good game" after, win or lose. Online gaming itself is greatly important to me, especially when I was having trouble making friends or talking to others in general; I've always found a comfort in being able to talk to online strangers in game chats and for several minutes and just chill out while playing before our inevitable separation. Though it can be argued that it isn't the same as face-to-face socializing, I firmly believe my time with my temporary teammates helped me be more comfortable talking to others in general. This is one of the main reasons why I want to go into the field of Computer Science or Engineering and pursue a career I that I would be both interested in and stay close to my roots as someone who loves connecting to others through technology. If possible, I want to help others make new connections, not just in real life, but in competitive and cooperative settings of online games, or by simply expanding the scope of computers' influence; after all, I myself is molded by hours of talking to and playing with other people I've never met before, but I'm all the better because of those people. That's in part why this scholarship means a lot to me, as on a personal level it resonates with me and my upbringing, and receiving it would mean I would be able to help others get those same kinds of connections that helped me so much in my youth.