I’m an Electrical Engineering student at Penn State, passionate about building real solutions for real people. My path into engineering wasn’t just sparked by an interest in circuits or coding, it was driven by a desire to take control of my future and use that knowledge to serve others. I’ve always believed that purpose gives power to learning, and everything I study is a step toward making a long-term impact. My goals are simple but bold: create sustainable systems, empower underserved communities through technology, and change the culture around education and self-discipline for the next generation. The first way I plan to make a positive impact is through sustainable infrastructure. With a growing global population and increasing strain on energy systems, efficient and reliable electrical design has never been more important. I want to contribute to innovations in renewable energy systems and smart grids, especially for communities that lack consistent access to power. These systems aren’t just about tech—they’re about opportunity. Electricity powers schools, hospitals, businesses, and daily life. By applying what I learn to build smarter, cleaner systems, I can help make that opportunity more accessible worldwide. Second, I want to bridge the gap between technology and underserved populations. Access to tech and education is not evenly distributed. My goal is to develop low-cost hardware and educational tools that make learning and productivity easier for students in underfunded schools and developing regions. Whether it's through modular circuits, open-source resources, or hands-on kits, I want to make learning STEM engaging and practical, especially for kids who might not see engineers who look like them. Representation matters, and so does relevance. I want young people to see themselves in what’s possible and believe that building a better life is within reach. Third, I’m committed to changing how we talk about education and growth. Too many students believe intelligence is fixed or that failure means they’re not cut out for success. I’ve lived that shift myself, failing my first physics class and coming back with a stronger mindset and a smarter strategy. Now, I use that experience to mentor peers, share advice online, and normalize the ups and downs of the learning process. Through short-form content on social media, one-on-one help, and transparent conversations, I’m working to reshape the narrative: discipline and strategy beat raw talent every time. This mission isn’t about going viral. It’s about giving people a mindset that lasts. Right now, I’m already contributing by showing up with intention. I host study sessions, help friends optimize their schedules and learning methods, and create motivational content aimed at college students struggling with focus, identity, or direction. It’s not flashy work, but it’s real and it’s consistent. I believe that small, repeated actions can scale into real change, especially when you combine them with strong systems and long-term vision. At the core of everything I do is the belief that engineering is not just a job, it’s a tool. And tools are only as powerful as the hands that use them. I want my hands to build things that last, uplift, and inspire. That’s the impact I’m chasing, both now and in the years to come.

I’m a third-year Electrical Engineering student at Penn State with a deep drive to build systems, both technical and personal, that make life smoother, smarter, and more empowering, especially for young people navigating tough environments. I come from a background where discipline, self-motivation, and vision weren’t just useful, they were essential. That mindset still drives me. I’m committed to academic excellence, but beyond that, I’m committed to using what I learn to help others rise, whether that’s through mentoring peers, designing better tools, or creating content that educates and uplifts. I’m not just pursuing engineering to make things work. I’m here to make people’s lives work better. What sets me apart is the way I mix technical ability with communication, leadership, and initiative. In my first year, I faced a major setback: failing my first physics class and having to drop it. It shook me. But I came back stronger, developing better study systems, adopting a new mindset, and earning a B+ in that same class the following semester. That experience shaped the way I now approach challenges with clarity, ownership, and problem-solving. I’ve since used those lessons to help classmates navigate difficult courses, host study sessions, and build small communities of support within my major. I also create personal development and academic motivation content online, specifically targeting college students who feel stuck or discouraged. My mission is to take what I’ve learned the hard way and package it into something someone else can use to level up. I plan to make a positive impact by continuing to combine engineering with mentorship and communication. Long-term, I want to design hardware systems that support sustainable infrastructure, especially in underserved communities. But in the short term, I’m already doing the work: helping students learn, holding myself to high standards, and showing up every day with the intent to grow and give. This scholarship would allow me to double down on that mission. With less financial pressure, I can invest more time in personal projects, service initiatives, and research that align with those goals. I believe I should be selected not because I have all the answers, but because I’m relentlessly committed to figuring them out and sharing them. I bring a strong work ethic, an honest voice, and a deep desire to turn my progress into impact. I want to use what I’ve been given, both the challenges and the opportunities, to help build systems that empower others to move forward too.

From the start of college, I’ve approached engineering not just as a career path but as a craft I want to master. That mindset comes from a deeper curiosity about how things work and how they can be improved. Whether it’s pulling apart circuits in the lab or designing study tools to help classmates understand complex concepts, I look at every challenge as a chance to build, improve, and share. Like Stelios, I believe in learning through doing, and that belief has shaped how I approach everything: school, self-improvement, and service. My entrepreneurial spirit shows most when I take initiative to solve problems around me. During my first year at Penn State, I realized a lot of my peers were overwhelmed by the transition to college-level STEM courses. I started hosting informal study sessions, simplifying tough electrical engineering topics, and breaking down exam strategies. I didn’t do it for credit or recognition. I did it because I saw a gap I could fill. Eventually, I began creating content for Instagram, targeting students who felt stuck or unmotivated. I wanted to make academic and personal growth more accessible, even for people who might not ask for help out loud. That willingness to act, to create solutions where none exist, comes from the same energy that drives entrepreneurs: seeing possibility where others see limits. Innovation for me is about clarity and impact. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel just to be different. I want to build systems and content that are clean, efficient, and actually work. Whether I’m experimenting with Arduino setups, writing code for a new project, or designing better workflows for how I study, I focus on making things smoother and smarter. My mindset is “What’s the best way to do this, and how can I improve it for others?” That approach has helped me not only do well academically but also help others elevate their performance too. Scholarly engagement and academic excellence aren’t about chasing grades for me. They’re about mastery. When I study, I don’t cram. I break things down, connect them to real-world applications, and make sure I understand the deeper why behind every formula. This mindset helped me bounce back from early challenges. I failed my first physics course and had to drop it, which was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. But instead of letting it define me, I used it to shift my mindset. I adopted active recall, better scheduling, and focused routines. The next semester, I earned a B+ in the same course. That change came from discipline and a willingness to grow, not just academically, but as a person. Curiosity is the fuel behind everything I do. I ask a lot of questions about circuits, about behavior, about systems, and then I try to answer them. I watch lectures beyond what’s assigned, experiment with new tools, and constantly look for ways to stretch my thinking. It’s never about checking boxes. It’s about pushing the limits of what I know so I can contribute something meaningful later. That’s the kind of curiosity that drives real impact. In all these ways, I see myself aligning with the spirit Stelios embodied. I aim to lead with intention, learn with depth, and build with purpose. Whether I’m in a lab, a classroom, or a conversation, I show up fully, ready to create, ready to serve, and always ready to grow.

What makes me different isn’t just what I do. It’s how I make others feel when I do it. I’ve always had a natural ability to teach, to break things down so people understand not just the how, but the why. But what sets me apart even more is the way I mix that with motivation. Whether it's helping someone grasp a concept in class or giving them advice on how to stay disciplined in the gym, I don’t just hand out answers. I try to light something up in them so they start to believe in their own potential. A lot of people keep their skills to themselves. I share mine. If I’ve struggled with something, time management, failure, self-doubt, I don’t hide it. I use it. I tell others what helped me shift, and I give it to them straight. People can sense when advice is real, and I think that’s why what I say sticks. Even when I don’t realize it, someone’s listening. I’ve had classmates tell me later that something I said weeks ago got them back on track. That never stops being wild to me. Social media has become another space where I lean into this. I’ve started creating content that speaks directly to people like me. Students who are hungry but overwhelmed, young men trying to stay focused, people who want more out of themselves but don’t know where to start. I share study strategies, mental shifts, gym routines, and mindset tips, all through the lens of “I’m figuring this out too, and here’s what’s working.” It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being intentional and real. What’s powerful is knowing that someone might be scrolling and see one clip or quote from me that hits at the right moment. They may never like or comment or say anything. But maybe they sit up straighter. Maybe they study for that test. Maybe they go to the gym when they were about to skip it. That’s the kind of impact I want. Quiet, lasting, and real. I don’t need a spotlight to make a difference. I just need to keep showing up with purpose. The way I carry myself, disciplined, focused, always learning, sets an example. I know someone’s always watching, even when I don’t see them. And that’s why I stay sharp. Because if someone’s going to follow my lead, I want to make sure I’m headed in the right direction. At the end of the day, my difference is this: I give people more than advice. I give them belief. And sometimes, that’s all they need to change everything.

Introduction: Starting college, I thought I was ready for anything. I had done well in high school and believed I could carry that momentum straight into my engineering courses. But my first semester hit me hard. Physics 1, a class I expected to handle, quickly became overwhelming. No matter how much time I spent reviewing notes or rewatching lectures, the concepts just weren’t clicking. As someone who takes pride in being disciplined and capable, realizing I was falling behind crushed me. Eventually, I made one of the hardest choices of my academic career: I dropped the class. Body: At first, I saw it as a personal failure. Dropping Physics 1 felt like giving up, like admitting I wasn’t cut out for engineering. I questioned whether I belonged in the major at all. But after the initial disappointment, I started thinking more critically. It wasn’t that I didn’t work hard. I had been putting in hours. The problem was how I worked. I was grinding without structure, focusing on passive review instead of active problem-solving. That break between semesters became a turning point. I stopped fixating on the grade and started focusing on the process. When I re-enrolled in the spring, I came in with a smarter system. I scheduled short, focused study blocks. I prioritized practice problems over rereading. I formed a small study group where we explained concepts to each other out loud. I went to office hours weekly, not just when I was lost. My effort became intentional. The result was more than just a passing grade. I earned a B+ in a class I once had to drop. But more importantly, I proved to myself that failure doesn’t define me. What matters is what I do with it. The mental shift I experienced helped me build confidence, not just academically but in my overall mindset. I started to see obstacles as puzzles instead of walls. I learned to enjoy the process of breaking things down and rebuilding my understanding from the ground up. That habit translated into other courses, especially those with heavy problem-solving, like circuits and calculus. Conclusion: Dropping Physics 1 didn’t set me back. It gave me a reality check and forced me to level up. I learned how to study with purpose, manage academic stress, and approach challenges with a growth mindset. That experience didn’t just help me succeed in physics. It reshaped how I handle every hard class that’s come since. Now, I don’t panic when things get difficult. I adjust, adapt, and move forward. Looking back, that setback was one of the most valuable lessons of my college journey so far. I no longer see failure as the end of something. I see it as a signal. A signal to reset, reassess, and come back stronger.

Mental health and suicide prevention have become serious conversations for people my age because too many of us are silently overwhelmed. Between school, social media, future pressure, and personal expectations, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind or not enough. Everyone seems like they’re doing fine from the outside, but internally, a lot of us are carrying weight we don’t talk about. Mental health matters now more than ever because we’re finally starting to admit that struggle isn’t weakness. It’s human. I’ve had my own quiet battles with stress and burnout. Being the kind of person who holds himself to high standards can become a double-edged sword. I want to succeed, to lead, to stay disciplined, but that drive comes with pressure. There have been moments where I felt isolated in the grind, especially when I didn’t give myself room to slow down or check in. I learned the hard way that trying to muscle through everything alone doesn’t make you stronger. It just makes things harder. Over time, I’ve become more open about my mental health. I started having real conversations with friends, not just about how school is going, but how we’re actually doing. I’ve realized that vulnerability builds deeper relationships. You never know who needs that one honest moment to feel seen. I also became more intentional about building routines that protect my headspace like lifting, walking, journaling, and even creating content that encourages discipline without self-destruction. My experience with mental health has shaped how I see leadership. I used to think being a leader meant pushing harder than everyone else. Now, I think it means creating space for others to show up fully. Whether it’s in engineering, content creation, or eventually mentoring younger students, I want to lead with empathy. I want to be someone who not only gets results but builds environments where people can breathe, grow, and feel supported. In terms of career, mental health is one of the reasons I gravitated toward hardware engineering. There’s something grounding about creating physical systems with clean logic, clear feedback, and real outcomes. It’s a space where I can focus and build, but also contribute to tech that supports human well-being. Long-term, I want to lead teams that are just as focused on culture and balance as they are on innovation. Mental health and suicide prevention are personal because they’re close to all of us, whether we talk about it or not. I’ve seen friends break down under pressure, I’ve felt it myself, and I know how much difference one conversation, one change in mindset, or one person showing they care can make. That’s the kind of impact I want to have.

Growing up in a single-parent household shaped me more than any class or book ever could. My mom raised me on her own, and I watched her work two jobs at a time just to make sure I had what I needed and was supported and happy. She never complained. She just handled it. That kind of grit became the foundation for how I move through life. From a young age, I understood what sacrifice looked like. There were nights she would come home exhausted, her hands still stained from work, but she would still ask how my day was or sit with me while I finished homework. Seeing that kind of work ethic every day made something clear to me: comfort does not build character. Pressure does. And while we did not have a lot, we had drive. I learned that you show love through effort, and that discipline is not just about routine. It is about care. My values are a direct reflection of how I was raised. I take pride in showing up consistently, holding myself to high standards, and never letting excuses define me. Whether it is training in the gym, managing a full engineering course load, or staying committed to personal growth, I bring the same energy I saw my mom bring to everything she did. I have learned that success is not just about raw talent. It is about endurance, consistency, and how you show up when things get tough. This mindset pushed me to pursue Electrical Engineering, specifically with a focus on hardware and circuit design. I want to build real systems, solve real problems, and be part of the physical layer of innovation. There is something powerful about taking raw components and turning them into something functional, something impactful. That creation process mirrors the life I have seen. Building from scratch, making the most of what you have, and turning pressure into progress. Beyond academics, I create content that helps other college students stay disciplined and focused. Through Instagram Reels, I share what I have learned about managing time, staying committed, and balancing a demanding schedule. It is my way of giving back, even if it is just by helping someone stay on track for one more day. I believe that leadership is not always loud. Sometimes, it is just showing up consistently and setting an example. My long-term goal is to lead in the tech space, whether by designing advanced hardware systems or managing teams that push the boundaries of what is possible. But it is not just about success for me. It is about creating opportunities for others. I want to be in a position to mentor students like me, those who grew up without a blueprint but still chose to show up, to hustle, and to chase something bigger. I want to invest in young engineers, fund scholarships, and build a legacy that outlives me. Growing up with one parent did not hold me back. It gave me focus. It taught me how to stand on my own, how to stay driven, and how to find purpose in struggle. Everything I do now is fueled by the work ethic and values I inherited just by watching my mom live them. I carry that with me into every classroom, every project, and every long night chasing something better. And I plan to keep carrying it, all the way to the top.

I’m a first-year Electrical Engineering student at Penn State with a passion for designing circuits and building hardware that solves real problems. But I didn’t get here by accident. It’s taken curiosity, consistency, and a commitment to growth to even begin this journey. I come from a background where discipline wasn’t just encouraged, it was necessary. I’ve had to learn how to manage pressure, stay focused, and bet on myself, especially when things got tough. Early on, I realized I wasn’t the type to just sit back and hope things worked out. I like taking control, whether that's in the gym where I train for strength and discipline, or in my coursework where I’m learning the fundamentals that power the tech we use every day. The deeper I got into electronics and hardware, the more it clicked. This is what I want to build my life around. Not just learning how things work, but designing better ways to make them work. What drives me is impact. I want to create hardware that doesn’t just impress on paper, but improves the way people live, work, or connect. That might look like designing faster, more efficient computing systems, or contributing to the next generation of AI hardware. Long term, I want to lead a team of engineers solving high-stakes, real-world problems and do it with purpose. Outside of academics, I create content to connect with other college students who are also trying to level up. My Instagram Reels focus on self-discipline, balance, and growth, and it’s become a way to serve my peers while staying accountable to my own values. It’s not traditional mentorship, but I know it’s helping people push through when they need a reminder that someone else is grinding too. The degree I’m pursuing is a critical step toward my vision. Electrical Engineering gives me the technical depth to build what I imagine and, more importantly, to understand the systems that already exist so I can improve them. Every class, lab, and late night spent studying is part of a larger plan to become a high-level hardware designer. But it’s bigger than just career advancement; I want to be someone who opens doors for others, especially students from underrepresented backgrounds who might not see themselves in tech yet. Down the line, I plan to mentor aspiring engineers, fund scholarships, and share what I’ve learned with the next generation. I want to build, lead, and give back in a way that creates momentum. Not just for myself, but for everyone coming up behind me. That’s what success looks like to me: doing meaningful work, staying grounded, and using my growth to uplift others.