I love myself enough to always be the best that I can be. At my first job, I will admit I was feeling very lost. My boss was strict and it seemed that I could not find a way to please her or earn her trust. I went to my friend who helped get me the job and asked for help. I was genuinely afraid of losing my job. He helped me out by giving more details about how my boss wanted things done. He also explained that our boss wanted people who are self-starters and motivated to do the best for her small business. I made sure to ask her about details and follow up after I completed a task to be sure it was all done how she wanted. It was that work ethic that earned me a promotion to shift lead about six months ago. I bring this same kind of determination to my academics as well. I want to do my best, not for others, but for myself. I want my mother to be proud of what I have accomplished. I want my teachers to tell me that I am doing well. Most of all, I want to be qualified for the job of my dreams: computer game design. I know this is a high-demand career. I want to be able to show my skills and work on the types of projects that I find interesting. I hope to create games that build community by friends playing together. Those are the kinds of things that make me happy. Not the one-time big reward, but lots of little acknowledgments that I know that I am doing my best every day.

My best skill is karate. I started taking lessons when I was about five years old. I take lessons twice a week and have progressed to 3rd dan black belt. When I was little, I thought karate was cool. I wanted to be able to defend myself, but I also liked the idea of being like a ninja. I learned that ninjas do not practice karate, but by then, that was all right. Now that I am older, I love staying in shape and improving my physique. Unfortunately for me, I am tall and skinny. But, one day I hope to have impressive muscles. Even if I do not, it is good to know that I am watching my weight and being as healthy as I can with regular exercise. Besides the health benefits, I still think it is cool to be able to perform the different katas I know. I have great balance and can do all kinds of kicks and combinations without stumbling. While I have physical confidence, I am also more confident mentally. My karate instructor emphasizes using karate for self-defense. Part of class time is spent doing meditation and reflecting on what we have learned. I find I do this at other times as well. When I'm feeling stressed at work or school, I like to take a moment and just clear my mind before returning to face the problem.

My favorite way to help others is to assist them in class. Education is such a huge part of growing up that missing out because someone does not understand something is a travesty. Sitting in class, being intimidated into not asking questions because of peer pressure means that some students would rather miss out on important information than speak up for a moment. So, maybe other students will not ask the teacher in front of the class, but they might just ask another student. If I know what to do and how to explain, I will readily help others who are struggling. Sometimes I notice that certain people just stopped taking notes or are spending a lot of time planning what to do. That is my opportunity to walk over and offer some simple help. Even better, for some students, is that I am not afraid to raise my hand and ask questions. I would rather admit I do not know something than feel lost during class. At my school, it seems there is this perception that only know-it-alls ask questions and volunteer. I am all right with being a know-it-all if it means that I am a more successful student. But, I do not mind standing up a little and helping others since it means they will be more successful, too. It makes me feel good to help tutor other students and to work with equal partners on projects. Reaching out to others does not take much effort, but it is important. Our educations are going to lead us to what we want to do in the future. Jobs, universities, future opportunities... all of these are aspects we can affect by studying well now while we are in high school.

I have loved computers since I was about four years old. I realized eight years ago that I want to work in game development. When someone talks about a great game they have tried out, I want to be able to say that I helped create that. Playing games is an activity that I have done with my family and friends, especially during the pandemic. When my school had to close two months early last year, I was able to stay connected to my friends online. While other people were stressing about their mental health and having to shelter in place, we were able to chat and play our favorite titles together. Gaming builds community. I value how important it is to be with other people. In addition, a game environment lets people do all kinds of things they cannot do in real life. That ability to put aside the worries of real life is important to me. I loved how many of the major companies reached out to their customers and created social events for people to feel connected. To me, that is an indicator of success. Next, I want to work in a career where I am challenged. The entertainment industry, in general, offers all kinds of unique opportunities; however, this is especially true for game development. Something that I truly appreciate is the rich and imaginative environments in each game that display the developers’ immense amounts of creativity. I want to be prepared to dive into collaborative opportunities and work with people who know the industry. I cannot pass up the chance to work on a highly creative team and reach my full potential.

I have loved computers since I was about four years old. I realized eight years ago that I want to work in game development. When someone talks about a great game they have tried out, I want to be able to say that I helped create that. Playing games is an activity that I have done with my family and friends, especially during the pandemic. When my school had to close two months early last year, I was able to stay connected to my friends online. While other people were stressing about their mental health and having to shelter in place, we were able to chat and play our favorite titles together. Gaming builds community. I value how important it is to be with other people. In addition, a game environment lets people do all kinds of things they cannot do in real life. That ability to put aside the worries of real life is important to me. I loved how many of the major companies reached out to their customers and created social events for people to feel connected. To me, that is an indicator of success. Next, I want to work in a career where I am challenged. The entertainment industry, in general, offers all kinds of unique opportunities; however, this is especially true for game development. Something that I truly appreciate is the rich and imaginative environments in each game that display the developers’ immense amounts of creativity. I want to be prepared to dive into collaborative opportunities and work with people who know the industry. I cannot pass up the chance to work on a highly creative team and reach my full potential.

I have loved computers since I was about four years old. I realized eight years ago that I want to work in game development. When someone talks about a great game they have tried out, I want to be able to say that I helped create that. Playing games is an activity that I have done with my family and friends, especially during the pandemic. When my school had to close two months early last year, I was able to stay connected to my friends online. While other people were stressing about their mental health and having to shelter in place, we were able to chat and play our favorite titles together. Gaming builds community. I value how important it is to be with other people. In addition, a game environment lets people do all kinds of things they cannot do in real life. That ability to put aside the worries of real life is important to me. I loved how many of the major companies reached out to their customers and created social events for people to feel connected. Next, I want to work in a career where I am challenged. The entertainment industry in general offers all kinds of unique opportunities; however, this is especially true for game development. Something that I truly appreciate is the rich and imaginative environments in each game that display the developers’ immense amounts of creativity. I want to prepare to dive into collaborative opportunities and work with people who know the industry. I cannot pass up the chance to work on a highly creative team and reach my full potential.

When I was in Pre-K, I brought home an advertisement for karate lessons. I wasn't doing so well at sports, but my mother wanted me involved in some activities after school. I liked the idea of playing soccer and basketball, but the coaches focused on the kids who already knew the sports. I barely got to play. Karate was completely different. My instructor is completely student-focused. If a student is having trouble with something, he takes the time to demonstrate, give feedback, and even help the student move into the right positions with physical guidance. He is also the most patient person I have ever met. For years, going to class was the highlight of my week. Now that I'm a senior in high school, I do my best to follow his examples. I help students in my classes if people have questions or need a partner for an activity. I know what it was like to feel left out, and I do not want that to happen to anyone else. A lot of time, peers do not know how to offer constructive criticism, but I have had so many examples from my karate instructor that I know to start with something positive and then to offer solutions for what can be changed to make improvements. This is important because many times other people are quick to point fingers and blame others. Moving past that is what needs to happen so that we can effect positive change. One last thing that karate has taught me is to stay involved and work for goals. When I was a little white belt beginner, I would see the adults with their black belts and knew that was where I wanted to be one day. I earned my third dan black belt last year.

I am motivated to live my best life on a daily basis. Each day, I want to learn something new and face challenges so that I am constantly growing. Doing the same thing day after day is not a rewarding existence. Monotony breeds complacency, and people who are complacent do not change. Everyone knows someone who complains about things in life, but who takes no action to do anything different. I do not want to ever be that person. When I think about living my best life, that means that I am taking action to be involved with my work, my friends, my family, and my community. I look beyond myself. By helping others, I can inspire them to improve themselves in some way. At school, I am one of the stronger computer programming students in my class. Last year and this year, I entered county competitions for programming and won first and second place, respectively. I use my talent to help other students who have the interest, but who are not as comfortable with the material as I am. This contributes to a friendly atmosphere of collaboration, not competition, in the classroom. At my after-school job, I rose to the position of shift lead because my boss recognized that I am helpful toward my co-workers and always try my best to please our customers. I realize that the store's success depends on everyone working at their best. I help train new employees and get them oriented so that they feel good about working there. This makes the whole team stronger.

The biggest problem facing the world right now seems to be how to adapt to Covid-19. Every day I see news stories discussing political propaganda, people's rights, the impact on jobs, supply chain problems, and the most depressing numbers of ill and dead. Nobody seems to have been able to predict how this would affect the world or how to curb the spread of the virus. There is a lot of blame being thrown around, but not much in the way of actual solutions. The world waited for a vaccine or a cure of some kind, and we are all still waiting to figure out what to do next. In the United States, we have all been fortunate to have good access to medical care and the vaccines. The problem is not just one country's issue, though. As we can see from daily reports, there are many communities that have been hit much harder, and they do not have the resources that we do. In the past, certain communicable diseases like measles, chicken pox, and the flu have responded well to vaccines. Due to worldwide efforts and the availability of vaccines, smallpox has been virtually eradicated. To keep the virus spread to reasonable levels and to reduce the lethality, worldwide vaccination is a priority. Until everyone has access to vaccines, there is a strong chance of continuing spread and of new variants appearing. There may not be enough supply right now to treat everyone, but working out the complications of logistics and getting the vaccine to people in need is a problem that affects everyone.

To me, joy is going beyond simple happiness. We are happy in our lives every day. We have many opportunities for mundane happiness. I enjoy my lunch- I'm happy. I pet my cat - I'm happy. I talk to my friends - I'm happy. Joy is rare and it is a much more intense feeling. When joy hits me, I cannot think beyond the moment. I seek out joy in my life by being involved. I do not sit back and wait to be invited to do activities with my friend. I think about something that I want to do and take the initiative to get them involved. Likewise, I am involved with the Drama department at my school because I enjoy acting. Every time I am on the stage, I have the chance to be more special than I am in real life. I want to be more than the average teen with an after-school job at a fast-food restaurant. I am a big believer in the idea of that saying, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." My chosen job will be to work in computer game design. This is an exciting and challenging field with opportunities to do more than just earn a paycheck. I want to be able to help create games that bring joy to others.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I ever received was to start saving early. I started searching for a part-time job after I turned sixteen. Due to the recession, most of the jobs that teens usually take in my community were still occupied by adult workers. I finally found a job after I turned seventeen and many people left work because of the pandemic. I felt bad about missing out on nearly a year of possible savings, so I have been working more hours than I should to try to bulk up my savings account. I earn about eight dollars an hour and receive some money in tips, so it is not all bad. The more I save now, the more I will have available in case of emergencies or to help pay for my college expenses. The true value of the advice to start saving early is about gaining more over time instead of trying to work like crazy in a short period of time to earn money. Since I am working during the school year, I have more earning potential for months than I do from just working during the summer. Also, I can earn a little more through gaining interest from my account. The interest is not much, only about a dollar a month, but that gives me a few extra dollars. Over time, that can add up to a useful amount, such as enough for a pizza. Saving early gives me more time to save and a longer period to gain money. I wish I could have started earlier, but by not waiting until the summer, I already have saved almost four thousand dollars. My hard work should be enough for living expenses while I attend school.

I know that a lot of people would probably call the Internet of Behaviors some kind of spyware or claim that Big Brother is watching them constantly. This technology is based on the idea of observing people in situations and collecting data about what they do. Yes, I agree this does seem invasive in some cases. For instance, people would not want to be observed at home. But, if they are working at a job that requires precision or compliance with regulations, this kind of technology is invaluable. Some ways that this can work to great advantage are to monitor for best practices. Foodservice, for example, is a high-risk job field where contamination can lead to workers and customers becoming seriously ill. Technology can help check that workers are handling the food safely, following all protocols, and maintaining safety standards. Human managers cannot be everywhere at once throughout a workday, so using technology to help is important. Another way that some companies have used monitoring equipment is to enforce Covid regulations. Many people choose to wear masks for their own personal reasons, but others are opposed to the idea. Companies that have mask mandates are currently using this technology to make sure that non-compliant employees are not putting others at risk by monitoring their behaviors and documenting those incidents. In addition, this kind of monitoring can increase productivity for businesses by ensuring that employees are active at their work areas rather than socializing or being off-task by doing things like surfing the web, watching videos, taking personal phone calls, and more. On the other hand, this technology can assist employees by providing proof that they were acting appropriately. There is a growing concern about abusive customers, so monitoring can record the employee's behavior to demonstrate that they did their best to handle a volatile situation. I am currently employed part-time in food service at a restaurant. Handling food safely, wearing a mask, and dealing with customers are all part of daily life for me. I have not yet had any major problems, but if I did, I would want some assurance that I was not at fault. That is what this technology can do for me personally.

The idea of influencing is powerful. A person's thoughts and words can be transmitted through technology immediately to a huge audience. To me, "influence" should be synonymous with "guiding" rather than the pushy attitude that many people who call themselves influencers adopt today. This is a great opportunity that should be treated with responsibility and respect, but all too often, people take advantage of those who are vulnerable to persuasion. When I influence people, usually my friends and classmates, I suggest and offer creative criticism. I do not insist on people's blind obedience. The last thing I want to do is to make someone else's decisions for them or belittle them for those choices. Facing adversity is an opportunity for growth. Last year, I had the option to attend in-person or to complete my junior year digitally. I chose to be digital since I was worried about Covid-19. During that time, I attended my classes regularly, got my work turned in on time, and found ways to study with friends. Even though this was difficult, I learned that I could handle the responsibility, and I feel this experience helped me prepare for college. I know I can be an independent learner. I plan to go into computer programming and game development. I love games and the gaming environment is important to me. When I was at home doing online classes, I did not feel alone since I was able to play with friends after I got my homework done. We were not face-to-face, but that did not seem to matter so much. I want to be able to develop games that people will love and that create community involvement. People love competition, involvement, and connections with others, which gaming supports so well. Computer gaming means much to me and to my friends. When we go off to college, this is how we will stay together. Receiving this scholarship is important to me because I need financial assistance. I know I will not leave college debt-free, but any help is greatly appreciated. There are not many choices for me with the type of program I want to pursue. I decided that I want to attend a school with a great reputation and specialist programs for game development. For me, that is Full Sail University. College is expensive for all students, but prestigious schools come with huge price tags. That is the reality of school in the United States, but I am hoping to earn some scholarships so that I can pay off that debt as soon as possible. It is not right that new graduates should start their lives with severe financial obstacles, so I am hoping to avoid that future as much as possible.

I know that I am determined. I take difficult classes at school to challenge myself. I can do that work and understand the topics, so there is no reason for me to take easier classes. I value my education, so I want to learn as much as I possibly can. Then, I decided to get an after-school job. I was not doing well at the beginning. My boss was not impressed with my lack of skills, but I was determined to improve. She even took me aside to give me a warning about what I needed to do. I was able to work with my friends at the job, so this was important to me. My friends gave me some advice about what to do so that I could work faster, but with the same attention to detail. I ended up doing much better and my boss appreciated my efforts. About a month ago, she promoted me to shift lead. She trusts me enough to allow me to close the store myself. Finally, I am determined with drama. I love theater, especially musical productions. At the beginning of the school year, we had auditions for a show where I got the lead male role. I had been practicing singing all summer to really work on my voice control. I knew I was going to do a great job and I worked hard at it. When it came time for competitions, though, our production went well and the judges hated it. I know I had fun and the audience appreciated what we had done. I am not giving up. I refuse to let those judges ruin what I enjoy. I have already tried out for the next production that my drama teacher wants to put on for ThesCon.

I stay true to myself by allowing myself to be who I am. My peers may give in to pressures in an effort to be popular or to try to get ahead somehow. I am not like that. I know what I want in life, and I work toward goals that I set myself. For example, I got a job last year because I wanted to gain work experience. Everyone likes having money, and I wanted to earn money for college and things I enjoy. My job has helped me change in a positive way. I know I am responsible since my boss made me a shift lead. I did not see myself as a leader before, but now I help train new employees. I look at this important part of my life as a way to discover more of who I am and could be. Another way of staying true to myself is through theater. I enjoy acting and have been in several school plays. I recently went to a One Act competition. We did not win, but that was another valuable learning experience. While my fellow cast members were upset, I was able to take a step back and be happy in playing the part and enjoying performing for the audience. I cannot be bitter about acting since I enjoy that too much to give up over one bad experience. Finally, I am true to myself by preparing for my future career. I knew I wanted to go into computer gaming development, so I researched schools and began taking classes that would help me get there. I will be graduating with a pathway in Computer Programming featuring two classes for apps and games. This way, I get a taste of what I will be doing in the future.