I had my first experience with death at just 8 years old. I'll never forget it because it happened to the most inspiring person I have ever met: my grandpa. While my grandpa was working in the Philippines as a railroad worker, he constantly tried to get my mom a good education. And although he never finished school, he believed that a good education is essential to a stable and prosperous future, and those beliefs have been passed down to me. When I was little, my grandpa and I always loved waking up early to take walks around our neighborhood until we reached the park at the very end of the road. However, as his cancer progressed, our walks became much shorter and less frequent until, eventually, the park I saw almost every day with him became just a distant memory. As I look back on my time with my Lolo, I'll always remember how we used to watch tennis together. There was one player he never wanted to miss: Gael Monfils. There were much better players on tour at the time, like Federer and Nadal, and we watched them too, but I never saw him more excited than when we were watching Monfils. He loved how extravagant and theatrical he played. He loved his trick shots and slam dunks. He loved how he played like having fun was more important than winning. Now, as Monfils finishes his last year as a tennis player before retirement, I remember how alike he and my Lolo were. In their last years, you could see how content they were with their lives and achievements, but at the same time, it was like they didn't care that it was their last year. They were still fighting with the same charisma and smile, still trying to show the same moves they were doing ten to twenty years ago. Honestly, after my Lolo passed away, I stopped watching tennis altogether, and I didn't even realize it. It wasn't until my sophomore year of high school that I joined the tennis team and got back into tennis, despite never having played it. However, our program was dying. During my junior year, we were down to only 8 players and a retiring coach with no replacement. I had to do something. The following year, I reached out to an old teacher who was a former tennis coach and convinced him to come back to coaching. Then, we put up recruitment posters throughout the school. By the time the season started, we had a new coach and 25 new players. In the last two years of my high school tennis career, I earned my spot as team captain and MVP, and I couldn't help but think back to my living room, watching Monfils with my Lolo beside me. Tennis has become one of the pillars in my life thanks to my Lolo. It has shown me the importance of community and leadership, taught me discipline, and given me a way to express myself. Presently, my high school team has grown to 40 players. Now that I'm in my sophomore year of mechanical engineering at NIU, I want to make the same lasting impact on the world that I brought to my tennis team. Honoring my Lolo, I want to focus on improving accessibility. Reflecting on how my Lolo struggled in his wheelchair in daily life, I realized that there's still much room for improvement. This scholarship would help me focus on studying for my degree to improve society for the elderly and disabled without the burden of financial insecurity.

Growing up Catholic in a Filipino household, we always made God a part of our family and kept him close, but back then, we had to be closer to him than ever. At the age of 12, I had my first experience with death. My Lolo had died from stage 4 liver cancer. Through his battle, I saw how his life quickly crumbled as his daily walks around our little neighborhood soon went from using a cane to using a wheelchair, and then, eventually, he was not able to go out at all. My life was never the same after he was gone. It felt like everything became more serious; heavier. My little sister was hurt the most. She was only 8 years old. There'd be days when she'd come home from school early, or wouldn't even go to school at all, just because the pain in her heart was too much. As our Lolo slowly slipped away from us in the living room, she ran into the bathroom and cried, trying to hide from the fact that he was dying. At this time in my life, I knew I had to grow up, suck up my own tears, and comfort her. I put on a brave face and went in to console her. As we were lying there on the floor, I told her to pray for him because, at that point, that was all we could do. In her pool of tears, I told her that God would guide Lolo to heaven. I also told her that God will help us too, that He will console and comfort us when we miss him the most. God always has a reason for things, and I believe that without this struggle in our lives, we wouldn't have been as close to God as we are now. Throughout high school, I was struggling to pick a major to pursue in college. I couldn't decide between mechanical engineering and music composition, two of my greatest passions. Of course, I asked God for help. As I talked to Him for a couple of months, I looked back on my Lolo, and I realized that I really wanted to help people who were disabled like him, which I could do through engineering. I could make machines that could make their life much more comfortable and much easier. As I continue to pursue my degree in mechanical engineering at Northern Illinois University, I know that there will be many more tough challenges to overcome and decisions that I'll have to make. However, I will always remember to ask God for guidance and keep the memory of my Lolo in my heart because as long as I trust in God, everything will be okay.

Growing up, I loved playing sports, from baseball to basketball to soccer; and, most recently, tennis. I remember going through high school thinking I wouldn't join a sport. I was a band kid through and through, playing the drums in jazz band, marching band, concert band, even theater. However, my sophomore year, I felt as though there was something missing from my environment at school. It felt like I was playing it too safe. I asked God for some advice and I felt a calling towards tennis. I had no reason to join the team. I had maybe only one or two friends there that I knew kind of well. But, I trusted God and decided to take a risk and try something new. In the beginning, it was rough. I couldn't hit the ball well; I couldn't even serve. It was all very awkward, but that's how everything is at first. Like Stephan, I wanted to compete. I wanted to give my opponent a run for his money. So, at my very first match, I gave it my all. With my whole family watching... I got bageled, 0-6 0-6. It was horrible. When we got home that day, I felt like I wanted to drop the sport, but my family encouraged me to keep trying. "Don't give up so easily; better luck next time," they said. That night, as I talked to God, I realized a part of me wanted to quit, but the disappointment I felt in myself wanted me to push and try harder. Over the next couple of days, it's like a switch went off. I started hitting serves, putting more oopmh on the ball. My shots were gaining more power and control. I was gaining more confidence. Yet, the next match was still a bagel, 0-6 0-6. However, after this match, I didn't feel as disappointed in myself. Instead, I realized what I did wrong and what my opponent did better, and how I could improve my skills. The following practices I started staying a little late so I could practice on my own. I started running drills on my own and hitting against the wall. I started experimenting with new techniques to try and get better. Another match day came, and we were facing a top 3 school in our conference, and I lost again. However, this time it wasn't another bagel, it was 3-6 4-6. Even though I lost, I was ecstatic. I finally managed to get some games in against my opponent. I thought to myself, "Imagine if my guy wasn't a top 3 player in the conference; there could've been a chance I would've won!" I went on to keep playing tennis through the rest of high school, earning my first win just three months after I was first introduced to the sport. Later, I became captain and won MVP both my junior and senior year. Now, I play at the tennis club at NIU through the semester, but I still go back to my high school to help coach and just to see how the team is doing. My name is James Hormillosa. I'm currently studying mechanical engineering at NIU. As I read Stephan's story, I was inspired by his love for family and competition, and how he loved to express himself with his tattoos. I was reminded of my time in high school and how I also loved to compete and express myself with art through drums. With this scholarship, I hope to use it not just for me and my studies, but to remember Stephan by as well.

Most people think a mad genius is someone who has too much knowledge for their own good; take Oppenheimer for example. However, I believe a mad genius is a person who has too many ideas in their head; overwhelmed with creativity to the point that they overcomplicate the simplest things. I wrote this piece "Gears" to represent a person's mind as they try to create an invention. As the piece progresses, you could hear at times a trade off between the toms and snare, representing the conflict a person has with all the ideas in their brain. Additionally, this percussion ensemble uses unconventional 'instruments' like metal pipes and hardware drills to represent a brainstorm, the chaos of creativity, but also the physicality of invention. Through all these hard and metallic sounds however, the rain stick could be heard in the background, symbolizing the flow our brains have as we make something new. The piece starts with a bright cadence until it gradually dissolves into discord and dissonance, showing how ideas can somehow run away from us as we get too ambitious. As people listen, I want them to envision the struggles of innovation, design, but most of all, choice. This portion is to fill in the rest of the minimum word count of 300 because although the maximum word count is 200 for submitting a music file, it won't let me submit it unless there's 300 words in this text box. So now I will be typing random sentences to fill in the word count because you won't even be counting this portion of submission (hopefully). My name is James Hormillosa. I am a college sophomore attending Northern Illinois University where I am studying mechanical engineering. Some of my hobbies are music and tennis. Hopefully I'll get this scholarship. Thanks

Cancer has been affecting my family for as long as I can remember. It started with my grandpa, with whom I grew up, when I was just seven years old. One day, after he felt immense pain in his side, my parents rushed him to the hospital. When they came back after a couple of days, my parents said that he’d been diagnosed with stage 2 liver cancer. Over the next seven years came constant trips to the hospital, sleepless nights, and lots of tears. To pay for his chemo treatments, my parents started taking longer hours at work, which meant that for my nine-year-old self, I had to step up and take care of my four-year-old sister, with the help of my grandma, of course. As I grow up, I learn to balance the responsibilities of school, extracurriculars, and household care. Before he was diagnosed, my grandpa loved to be active. He’d always walk around the neighborhood every morning with his cane. In the first couple of years, he was just trying to forget he had cancer, and honestly, you couldn’t tell. His hair never fell out, his demeanor never changed, but then the cane in his hand turned into a walker, then into a wheelchair, and then, eventually, he never wanted to leave his bed. A year before he passed, the cancer had advanced to stage four, and after a sudden trip to the E.R., we found out that the chemo was no longer working. One day, before I left for a day of sixth grade, I heard him say to my dad, “I’m tired. I can’t take it anymore,” and that was when I knew the end was near. After seven years of a hard-fought battle, my grandpa succumbed to the cancer. However, that was not the end of cancer in our family. Three years later, my mom felt a lump in her right breast, and after a trip to that same hospital, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Everyone feared the worst, especially her. She started chemo immediately. Her hair fell out, and she was almost always short-tempered. There were days better than most, but those nights I could hear her crying through her bedroom door. Despite her cancer, my mom still tried to work some shifts to pay for the chemo, but eventually we had to borrow some money that we are still paying off today. As I studied throughout high school, the thought of her never left my mind. “What would happen if she leaves us?” “How would we move on?” “Will I still be able to go to college?” My sister was even worse. There were days when she wouldn’t go to school because she was up all night crying about the hypothetical. A year after her diagnosis, the cancer had spread to the other breast, and she eventually decided on surgery to remove her breasts to permanently remove the tumor. After the surgery, she was cancer-free, and we all breathed a sigh of relief. From my family’s struggle with cancer, I’ve learned that life is unexpected, and to appreciate the time we have with the people who are still here with us. Cancer doesn’t only affect the diagnosed, but also the people around them. This scholarship would help alleviate the financial burden my family has constantly had through our cancer journey. It would help me to continue my studies as I try to help the world through mechanical engineering. As I continue my undergraduate studies, it not only honors my grandpa’s memory but also everyone who has been greatly impacted by cancer.

Whether I'm looking at the tennis ball in the air, the snare drum at my waist, or the math test in front of me, I've learned that success doesn't come naturally; it requires hard work, discipline, and dedication. Like Kalia, I'm an athlete. On the tennis court, these characteristics mean to show up early for practice to get a couple of extra swings in. It means to keep trying, keep pushing through matches even if it feels like I'm going to lose. I've learned to keep calm under pressure and trust myself and what I've learned and practiced. My love for the sport pushed me to keep it alive at my school. When we reached a low of 10 players along with a retiring coach, I knew I had to act. By the next year, I convinced a teacher to become our coach, created a logo for our uniforms, and reached out to numerous students, bringing us up to 25 players. Now that I've left the team and moved on to college, I still try to volunteer and act as an assistant coach every time I go back home, continuously taking care of the plant I grew. As a percussionist, my hard work, discipline, and dedication go into hours of practice each day, perfecting timing, technique, and coordination. More often than not, I'd be practicing in the band room, repeating the same few measures until it becomes second nature. Even when creating music, repetition is key. Oftentimes, I have to go through so much trial and error until I find the right tune and rhythm that clicks in my brain. Music has taught me that patience and attention to detail are key to greatness. It showed me that excellence and perfection are built gradually, through tiny but consistent improvements. As I rehearse with the entire band, I see how each instrument weaves and flows, until we all come together into one perfect thread. It's why I value teamwork so much. In this sense, I think tennis and band are alike. While it may not seem like it in tennis, all alone on the court, when you're competing against a school, you need to win your match to gain a point for your school. So even though it may not feel like it sometimes, you are part of a greater community; you're contributing to a team. Although you might be playing your own instrument and your own notes, you're part of the entire ensemble, and your contribution improves everyone around you. Teamwork is such a valuable trait not only for the collective improvement we bring to each other, but also as a support beam. Hardships and struggles will always feel less painful because of the tight-knit family we've become. My actions, hard work, and dedication from my activities reflected inside the classroom. With my work ethic, I was taking honors and AP classes all throughout highschool; graduating with a 4.6 weighted GPA. Now that I'm in college, I still try to enjoy the hobbies I love, but I've shifted my focus heavily towards my academics as I work towards my degree in mechanical engineering. Receiving this scholarship would mean a lot to me and relieve me of some financial burden. It would allow me to focus more on my goals, give me the opportunity to keep developing my skills through college and take advantage of whatever experiences may come my way. Above all, like Kalia, it would support my goal of using my knowledge and my passions for my hobbies to give back to my community and support others.

I wasn't originally a big fan of Wicked. I was only first introduced to the music when I performed it at a concert in a wind ensemble. I thought the music was pretty good. I didn't really have that much of a connection to Wicked, other than the music. I knew nothing about the story, other than it was related to Wizard of Oz. It wasn't until my sister asked me to go see the movie with her. She said that it was really good so why not! I had no expectations going into this movie. I haven't really seen a good movie musical in a while. So, to say that this movie was simply just a movie is just plain wrong. It changed the way I saw musicals. The story was so compelling. The characterization was crisp. The colors and the cinematography were beautiful. However, the music was the best part. The way these elements came together; it made me feel so immersed in a way I haven't felt from a movie musical before. I've never expected to be so emotional from a movie musical. And the ending, oh my gosh the ending. It was perfect. It couldn't have been any better. From there on, I started listening to the music in the shower, in the car, practically wherever. I was so excited for the second part, but sadly it wasn't as good as the first one. I hoped that they would improve on the story because most people say that the story from the play was also not great. However, the results were as lackluster as the theater production. I still liked the music though. I thought For Good was so touching. One thing I have to say is that the ending for the second part in the movie is just as good as the ending in the first part. As my sister and I watched both parts, it felt like we were experience every emotion together. It was a great way for us to bond after being so busy with school and work. It was just a fun time.