I'm Javan Barela, and I'm excited to apply for this scholarship. I am involved in many of my schools activities such as, Swimming, Guitar Club, Student Council and just recently, as the captain of the St. Pius X Men's Soccer team in New Mexico, we proudly secured the 18th state title in the 4A division. This win was a significant moment in my life because I scored the game winning goal in the 6th minute of overtime; and I was honored to receive the Domenico Marco Memorial Award for leadership and courage. This achievement means so much to my family and I because Domenico Marco was also a soccer player at SPX that led by example with courage and a strong moral compass. I believe that through earning this achievement I have inspired my teammates to aim for excellence and develop leadership qualities of their own. I plan to attend college at the University of New Mexico for Physical Therapy because I have fallen in love with the idea that I could possibly be helping people change their lives. As an athlete I constantly ended my seasons with some injuries and soreness still left in my body so I had to meet with a manual therapist who I found not just physical relief from but an appreciation for the therapists' expertise and percise care. This interaction inspired me to dive deeper into the field. It's an opportunity to apply my personal experiences as an athlete to better understand the challenges individuals face during recovery and offer them the same support and guidance that I received. I'm passionate about leadership and believe it's about encouraging and empowering others to be the best they can be while also teaching them how to inspire and motivate one another. As captain, I focused not only on winning games but also on fostering a culture of growth and motivation among my team members and we came out with a blue trophy. I'm not trying to take all the credit for my teams achievement but I believe that I have at least inspired some of them to make a difference in their perception of teamwork and brotherhood. I'm eager to utilize this scholarship opportunity to further my education and continue my journey of inspiring others and making a positive impact on the world. I want to change peoples lives for the better, so bet on me because you can always bet on a winner. Thank you for this opportunity, Javan Barela