If I’m being honest, it all began on one boring college night. With not much else to do than scrolling Youtube or Instagram, I wanted to go do something more adventurous than laying on my bed. I knew my roommate was part of our college’s rock-climbing club and asked if I could tag along. At first, I was hesitant getting into the car and driving to Vertical Ventures climbing gym. Mostly because I didn’t know if I would have the upper-body strength to pull myself up or even be flexible enough to climb. Once I arrived at the climbing gym, I nervously strapped on my harness, put on my climbing shoes, and tied my chalk bag behind my back. “Say yes, and figure it out later.” These words ring in my head when I’m doing something new. These words resonated in my mind when I grasped the first hold. As I kept moving one foot over another, reaching out for the next rock that would lift me higher. This felt like an accomplishment within itself knowing but I didn’t know that body strength wasn’t the main challenge in this sport. As I got higher on the 20-foot wall I would feel as if the air was getting thinner despite living at sea level, my heart pounding was the only thing I could hear and thoughts screaming to stop were clouding my mind. Looking back, that starter wall looks laughable but I’ll never forget the mental challenge it was. It’s ironically one of the reasons I love rock climbing. That feeling of danger and fighting with your mind that wants you to stop. The euphoria once you reach the top of a harder climbing route and getting to slap the finish sticker. Letting go of the wall and trusting that your belying partner or the auto belay will slow down your fall. With the adrenaline that comes after, feeling truly alive as if every breath I take is filled with richer oxygen, and how magical it feels. As I reflect upon how I fell in love with climbing, I realized that I have forgotten that the best moments of my life came because I took a risk. If I would have stayed in my dorm that night, I would have missed out on this fantastic sport. I would have missed out on that feeling of accomplishment and adrenaline surge. As I delved deeper into climbing, I become more and more aware of the strategic problem-solving involved, the sheer about of determination required to reach higher YDS levels, and an overall appreciation for being uncomfortable. Just like an excellent poem, climbing has been a good metaphor for life. Right now I’m climbing a difficult but not impossible mountain that is college. The academic world is just like a strenuous route that I have come to love just this sport. Where this scholarship comes into play is that it would allow me to afford the equipment necessary for this journey such as tuition and housing. Letting me to fully devote myself to my studies while still being active in my community and my climbing club. This scholarship will act as a safety net or lifeline, letting me pursue academics, take calculated risks, and reach the summit of my fullest potential. Before I end my essay I wanted to say, having lost 3 family members in the same year how sorry I am for your loss, and my condolences to Sean Allen's family and friends. I know how difficult these anniversaries can be even years later. Thank you for your consideration, Jesus Arenas

As I await to start my second year of college in the fall, I’m preparing to continue this exciting journey. I’m aware of the challenges that lie ahead and the monumental efforts required to achieve my aspirations. My aspiration of being the first in my family to get a bachelor's degree, my ambition to earn a dual degree in both math and music, and to strive towards finding my dream career. However, despite the challenges and uncertainty of life. I know I’m the creator of my own merit, and I’m ready to work to achieve these goals that I have set for myself. Growing up, I watched my parent's undying determination as they worked to make ends meet, to support both my and my sister's education, and cherish a loving family. Despite coming from a low-income family, my parents have always taught my sister and I that education is key. Key to finding a job that makes us happy to wake up in the mornings. To use college as one of the many ways to kickstart our professional life, and to bridge the wealth gap. As you may know, college is both profound in its education, its valuable opportunities, and its cost. Receiving this scholarship would not only be a great honor but also an immense opportunity. I would be able to strive towards my dual degree without the financial burden weighing heavy on my shoulders It would allow me to soar and grant me the freedom to sail towards my goals. Last year, thanks to the generosity of donors and my college’s foundation I was blessed to not have to worry about paying for my freshman-year tuition. I was able to devote myself fully to my studies and still be able to be a part of my community. Furthermore, I was able to not only work one but two internships for three amazing organizations/companies connected with my college. These internships have taught me that I want my career to be involved in media. Here I was able to expand my professional skills and network with people in my community involved in all sorts of multimedia. As a new reporter for WSLR radio, Sarasota’s local radio station, I interviewed university professors to state representatives to report on local matters and ongoing issues. Working for Solmart Media, I was part of the only Spanish radio station translating local news for our area with over half a million Hispanics. Working with the Pops Orchestra, I helped a non-profit to provide affordable music performances to the Sarasota/Manatee community while learning so much about the Orchestra industry. One of the many lessons I've learned from the Pops Orchestra executive director is that you have to report to board members and donors. I share these accomplishments to give proof that helping to fund my education is not a blind bet on a boy from Florida but on a provided track record. That helping me afford college financially is not blind faith in a stranger but in a person who is fully devoted to their studies and immersing themselves in experiences that will shape me into the person I aspire to become. That I’m willing to go the extra mile, a person whole heartily wants to be part of their community, and wants to change the world through the use of multimedia. Thank you for your time and consideration, Jesus Arenas

Hello to the Prado family, you may not know me now but I hope you do after this letter. I’m Jesus Arenas, born and raised in a small town in Florida. I love motorsport, especially Formula 1. I’m hoping Sergio Pérez (Checo) wins this session with Red Bull having a ridiculous amount of pace this year. I have a burning passion for anything tech-related and anything that is created to help people. In terms of Mexican food, nothing beats chocolate de abuelita and my dad’s charcoal-grilled bbq. But enough about myself, in terms of my family, both my parents are from Mexico and came to this country so that my sister and I would live in a country with better opportunities. Which is something that has shaped my view of the world and many other fellow Hispanics. Many of us came from families of immigrants that had very little and arrived in a country that didn’t speak their mother tongue. Yet, many persevered and made a home in the land of opportunity. I hope to be one of those so many, the many who fought against adversity, the many who worked hard, and the many who gave their children better opportunities. I hope to make my parents and myself proud by being the first one to go to university. So that I can give my future children and the next generation even better opportunities than the ones that were given to me. Unfortunately, right now there are few of us with college degrees, and I want to be part of that statistical change that will make it the many in the future. Something that I believe in is that “Mexicano que se respeta, esta preparado.” Of course, we can’t always be prepared for everything, unexpected situations are unavoidable but both my parents taught me that it’s best to be prepared whenever possible. Have a rainy day fund, have your backpack packed before you head out, and do essential maintenance on your car. Mostly because if you don’t, life tends to teach you the hard way. Not to say that you should live inside a bunker and be scared of everything. Rather than my culture as a culture of having safeguards that keep us rooted during the storm. A quote that has saved me a lot of trouble. Another way my heritage has shaped the lens of my eyes can be summed up in a phrase that my mom has always told me, “los favores no se pagan.” My mom always told me this whenever she received a favor or helped someone out. It’s not about helping someone out with their groceries or the car ride a friend gave you. It’s being part of the dawn during someone’s darkest hour that matters most. Something as simple as giving someone a ride that allowed them to get to their job interview on time. They may try to repay it back, but nothing compares to the lifeline you were during a desperate time. Something that I didn’t understand when I was younger but I live by now. I try to remember this quote that my parents gave me whenever I help someone out, it may not matter to me but it could mean the whole world to someone. This is what I valued most from my family and background. Not only the food, jokes, games, films, and TV shows. It's the wisdom past down that I believe highlights my culture best.

I love math because it has shaped my life in ways that I don’t even realize myself. From the basic IF statements in my personal finance spreadsheet to the sine waves in my synth instruments when I produce music to the complex differentiation equations run by my Toyota Corolla when I hit the throttle. It’s all around us, all the time, working it's mostly predictable magic. Although it’s more of a science than an art, I love to focus more on the artistic side of math. The same matrices and vector equations that haunted me during linear algebra are the same tools used by computers to render my favorite movie Cars. How physics explains why F1 cars take a specific racing line and create crazy amounts of downforce. How music (my second major) despite being on the completely opposite side of academia from math, uses its symmetry to build chords. I believe if people were able to see this artistic side of math, people wouldn’t see it as that one subject they have to get over with. It would be this amazing tool that we can use no matter our line of work. This is actually another reason I love math, seeing people have the “ah ha” moment and experiencing it myself. I love helping my friends and family with math problems because I have been and continue to be frustrated by math. That feeling of not understanding and thinking I never understand a concept. There have been hundreds of times when I have to keep reminding myself “Think solutions, not problems.” I know that I will understand a concept as long as I keep my head up and keep trying, which is why I don’t mind helping people with math whatsoever. Although it may sound like I have a love-hate relationship with math, which I do at times, it’s the same thing I love about it. How despite its complexity and nuance, it makes my world simple. No matter how hard it can be at times, how exciting it is to see it come to real life for other people. How the scientific side of me turns math into melodies.

Hello! I’m Jesus, and I’m a high school senior pursuing my dream to become the first college grad in my family. I served as co-caption for the robotics team competing at Florida's Technology Student Association state competition and as sophomore treasurer, I increased sales 3 fold. I was a member of my previous school’s NHS and SGA clubs, volunteering for over 200 hours. When I have free time I enjoy playing video games, biking, and exploring nearby towns. I also enjoy learning new things from playing the piano, making an FM transmitter to figuring out how to upgrade a computer. Although I have been very fortunate to live in a loving family and never had to worry about food or shelter due to finances. The high cost of college will be a burden on my family and a burden that I expect to fall solely on me. Despite this, my main goal during college will be to graduate debt free. I plan to achieve this goal by doing everything in my power before and during college to minimize the costs. To begin with, during my junior year I took the initiative to transfer schools and attend Chain of Lakes High. Despite the sacrifices I had to make to attend from staying up late doing homework to taking a 6am transit bus to be on time for a 9am class when my car broke down, I kept moving forward knowing that this school would let me attend college courses. I’m glad to say that I took use of this opportunity and I’m on track to graduate with an associate degree in liberal arts before finishing high school.This act alone will save thousands of dollars as I have already finished basically all general education courses. I plan to use the credits of my 2 year degree at an in-state university to earn a bachelor’s degree, saving me even more money compared to an out-of-state university. I want to avoid debt as much as I can since although it can be a tool, it's a double edge sword. At the moment I’m applying to every scholarship that I qualify for, such as this one, which I plan to do even during college. All in the effort to minimize the cost of college as I have seen with my own two eyes what debt, especially consumer debt, has done to both people and their families. Along with a work-study program, this scholarship will allow me to cover tuition and living expenses so I can focus on my college courses during the semester. With this assistance, I will be able to maintain a strong academic record, achieve my goal of being the first college graduate in my family ( and debt-free) and build a future for the generation after me.

Dear Jesus, Take care of yourself, freshman 15 is a real thing so try to cut down on the pizza while you're in college. Do your best to eat the right things and most importantly, be consistent with your food habits. You have been working out these last couple of months so keep it up during college, the gains will come if you put in the time. Social life, this is the best time for you to put yourself out there and meet new people. There will always be another assignment to finish, don’t become a hermit. As long as it’s not affecting your grades, put in the effort to expose yourself to meet new people. In a few years, these students around you will become grown adults, at least most of them, so it is a great time to network and make friends. Hey, you never know, you might just find the one. Classes, I mean it’s the whole point of why you’re going there right? Like I said, don’t let them define your whole life but it is not an excuse to slack off either. Go to class, office hours too, study for finals, and if you can, get that A. All I'm trying to say is to work hard in college but not to the point that it affects your health and social life. Grades matter but in the end, it’s what you learned and the relationships you build with your professors that will help you the most, not knowing that answer to question 3 was C. No matter how hard things will get, because they will, remember that you're valuable. You have a crazy good memory, it’s a gift most others don’t have. You’re great with technology, you built a robot once, technology can be a leading edge for you. You have a lot of patience so if you ever feel like someone is pressuring you, stop. You will know when is the right time to strike. One last thing, remember to call your parents once in a while. I know it's easy to get lost in the world of school sometimes but they are the ones that got you here, don’t forget where you came from. Your mom made handmade worksheets when you were struggling to understand the English ones in kindergarten and still found time to make you chocolate de abuelita. Your dad taught you how to ride your first bike and then how to drive. They are the ones that immerse you in the culture of working hard and building a better future for yourself and others despite your limitations. The ones who came from another country but still built their lives out of nothing, and now are giving you the torch.

Although it sounds like a no-brainer, it’s much more difficult in practice but balance is key to everything. I have found that in life, at least in my, I’m the best version of myself when I pace myself. For example, chemistry was one of the most difficult classes I have ever taken and wanting to just get out of my checklist, I would push myself to get 1 or 2 weeks’ worth of work done in a few days. Not surprisingly, I burned myself out and although I was proud of myself for what I accomplished, I didn’t have any energy for other classes. Additionally, when I first started to exercise I tried to going 10 miles 5 days per week on my bike but quickly found out that I could barely do 3 miles in one sitting. On both occasions I learned that I need to pace myself, overworking myself required me to relax for longer than if I had taken short but frequent breaks. I would eventually achieve my goal of biking 10 miles a day but only when I added 1 mile per week to my routine. Learning from my past, I now know that a balanced life is a great life. I want to live a life where I push myself at work but still have time for my own interests. To create meaningful relationships with my friends and family but also set boundaries on what is allowed. A life where I set healthy amounts of time to relax watching movies or playing video games but not too much because even the most exciting of games become dull over time. Overall, a life where I’m content with today but excited for tomorrow.

Main Essay: Adversity appeared in front of me when I decided to set sail and voyage to a new high school. Wanting to further my education, I took the risk to go to a new place where I would be allowed to take more dual enrollment courses. I knew that the journey I was about to begin obviously came with challenges but what I didn’t realize at the time was that some challenges couldn’t be solved by myself. I knew that coming to a new school would mean a whole lot of new all at once, but I wasn’t aware of the rough seas ahead of me. New teachers to rebuild relationships with, a new system to become accustomed to, and leaving what I knew were all a challenge. However, the rouge waves for me was leaving friends and the isolation that came with it. I missed the ability to see the people that had my back and I’m proud to say were my tribe. The people who pushed me to be better and to be the change in my community. The crew that made me feel that it was always us vs the world. To say the least, each day felt like a new wave that would, over time, add water to my boat and eventually sink me. Longing for a crew that was basically family made the journey feel impossible, and being in the mist of the pandemic just added a blanket of fog to the sea. Knowing that it was a matter of time before I capsized, I realized that I needed to change my course. A gust of wind suddenly moved the fog and made me see that I didn't have to go alone on this journey. Almost as if a small island appeared in front of me where I could land on, it wasn’t my final destination and was never meant to be but for a while, I had a place to rest. What I mean by this is that I purposely created/went to environments where I could be social. I scheduled hangouts where we could catch up and talk about what we were up to. I also pushed myself to join clubs at my new school while also becoming even more involved in clubs that I was already part of. Knowing that I could always come back to places like these when I felt that I needed help made the journey feel like a possible achievement I could accomplish. This journey is still far from over but with graduation only being months away, I can see a shoreline through the fog. What I have learned is that a support system is vital to any great endeavor. That when problems come your way, because they will, having people to call home is immensely invaluable. In a few months, I will sail on a new odyssey heading to earn a college degree, a journey that will be much harder but adversity has forced me to realize that my goals are not impossible when I have a tribe to fall back to. Adversity hasn’t changed my expectations for myself but rather has shown me how to stand stronger when rough seas try to sink me. Short Questions: 1. What does it mean to you to get a college education? My parents came to this country to give me and my sister a better life, and give us the resources to do better than themselves. Getting a college education would mean that I will be the one that changes my family class. To be the first to move up the income ladder and build an ever better launching pad for my future children. 2. Tell me about a typical day or week in your life outside of school. A typical week for me after school is based on the 3 types of days I set for myself. On what I call heavy days, usually the beginning of the week, I try to get as much work done and may only have time to enjoy a movie or talk to friends at the end of the day. On free days, days when I have finished or have little school work, I use the time that I would use for classes to volunteer, finish college applications and, learn about something that I would normally wouldn’t in a class. Finally, I don’t plan anything major on the weekends as they are very unpredictable for me. One weekend I could help my dad with a yard project, run errands, or simply enjoy the weekend and relax. 3. Tell me how you feed your curiosity inside and/or outside of school. I feed my curiosity outside of school by exploring and learning new things. For example, my sophomore year I really wanted to know how radios worked so I decided to buy a DIY FM transmitter and a cheap soldering iron. Given that it was my first time using a soldering iron I didn’t do too bad, I burned myself a few times (wouldn’t recommend) but the device worked. I didn’t have a 9-volt battery lying around so I got creative and used a spare battery that I ripped off some old wireless headphones. The quality of the audio wasn’t great, but I was so glad that it even worked that I didn’t care. Although I don’t plan to go into the radio industry, that experience drove me to explore new subjects even when I don’t have the best gear available.