The beauty of life is the resilience and determination one uses to overcome the obstacles hurled in one's path. Throughout my life, obstacles often brought me down, drowning me at a point where my body starts to shiver. However, the determination and resilience I utilized broke me free, allowing me to swim to the surface and continue my path. One way in which I lent a hand to the members of my community is through a food drive I helped co-found. When I graduated from the 5th grade, in the summer of 2017, my community went through adversity. With the lack of jobs, families across the community were barely able to make ends meet. Often, they had no food to provide for their families. Seeing the hardships they endured, I went to the elementary school church, where I met the pastor. Together, we co-launched/co-founded a food drive, created with one purpose: creating food donations to distribute across the community through the word of God. Within the food drive, members from the community, with water above their heads, were lent a hand, relieving them from the adversity they were experiencing. Additionally, community bonds were created as members came together to help create food donations, lending a hand to those in need. Within the community, individuals lacked the educational aid needed for academic scholars to become successful in their studies. Within the food drive, volunteers would bring their children with them. Once I lent a hand to the volunteers in their duties, I set aside time to teach the children how to read, do simple math, and exercise properly, lending a hand for them to be guided in the correct path. Oftentimes, it proved to be difficult as most of them were kindergarteners. With kindergarteners, they wanted to just run around and have fun. With the adversity I faced, I came up with an effective plan for them to have fun while teaching them the basics, preparing them for school. Draining them of the adrenaline they had was the key, as they listened when they were not hyper. From there, teaching them to read as a class enabled me to take my time and help them read and understand books, teaching them how to do simple math allowed me to expand my mind by presenting them with objects, and then adding/subtracting objects for them to understand math, and playing with them taught me how to disguise exercise by teaching them different sports for them to play everyday. Little kids are proven to be adversaries on their league, but with a prepared plan, lending them a hand is effective and fun at the same time. From my experiences in my community, I utilized them to further help my community within my school. AP classes are a burden to most who take them. Firsthand, I would take AP classes that weren't offered at my school online, enduring the challenge of the coursework by utilizing all of my resources available, allowing me to pass them with A's and pass the AP exams. From there, I lent a hand to my school community by tutoring scholars to be best prepared for the AP classes and the respective exams. That experience taught me to always lend a hand whenever I was able to. It allowed me to lend a hand to myself when I was at my lowest points in my studies. With my hand, I was able to, with God's help, become Valedictorian of my graduating class, becoming a beacon of help to everyone in my community. It all took a lending of hand to help.

To make a positive change in a community, one must take the initiative to start something. When I graduated from the 5th grade in the summer of 2017, my community was in desperate need of food donations; it was rough that summer for my community to work just to make ends meet. I wanted to foster change for the better, so I went to the elementary school church, where I met the pastor. I talked to him about the current situation, hoping he would help me start the necessary change for the better in the community. Together, we co-founded and co-launched a weekly food drive to foster change, bringing the community together for a common cause: creating food donations and distributing them to individuals in need across the community with the word of God. As a little kid, I wasn't always grateful for what I had on the table. Often, I would be furious for not getting what I wanted. Seeing how people in the community would wish for even a loaf of bread opened my eyes; it taught me to be appreciative for what I had, because, across the world, there are people who have nothing. From that moment, I became grateful for what I had at home, bringing hope to people in need. Seeing the positive I was able to do, I wished to further push myself, helping people through my favorite subjects: mathematics and science. Within high school, I tutored my peers in AP Calculus AB and Bc and AP Physics. As a scholar myself in high school, I had a mentor who deeply helped me in my high school journey; however, she was unable to take the AP classes I needed to take. Now that I have taken those classes, knowing firsthand the difficulty of the courses, I passed my knowledge of the classes to the underclassmen who needed help. It taught me to be the person I wished I had as a mentor when I was taking those classes. Since I was the first one in my school to take those classes, I used my love for the classes and the resources available to excel in the classes and AP exams. From there, I used my love of learning to help my school community excel in their AP studies. Using my love for those classes, I decided to pursue a career where I can implement my love for STEM while making the world a better place: aerospace engineering. With aerospace engineering, I can apply calculus with physical knowledge of aeronautics to create better, sustainable aircraft that emit less pollution across the sky, reduce spending on resources, and make air travel more efficient. Pollution levels are at record-high levels, which is devastating for human health on a global scale. To reduce the global carbon footprint, I wish to contribute to making the air breathable for the world while reducing the cost of manufacturing the aircraft. What, perhaps, is the most driving factor for me to help my community is giving back to the people who paved the way for me to reach my dreams. My community, at my most difficult times, encouraged me to never give up on my dreams. Upon graduating from college, I wish to further expand the food drive to help wherever I can, expanding my community outreach. Additionally, I wish to create educational workshops across my community to help aspiring scholars receive all the help necessary for them to be successful in their future endeavors. It takes a person to create an everlasting impact on the community, and I am ready.

"Math, a boring subject, a subject that is useless in the real world". While numerous individuals believe that mathematics is useless, especially Calculus, mathematics is essential for daily life. Without mathematics, we would not have the technological advancements we have today, especially in the STEM field. Within the ever-growing scope of mathematics, there is one aspect that is the backbone of everything STEM-related: Calculus. While people believe Calculus is a bane, it is essential to the STEM field as it is the fundamental study of change and optimization. From optimization and related rates to integration and infinite series, Calculus has been the mathematical aspect that bridges the gap between all STEM fields. From engineering to medicine, computing, or even data analysis, Calculus has been used to abstract data to solve problems, calculate rates of change, allowing for the advancements we have today. As a student majoring in Aerospace Engineering, I know firsthand the importance of Calculus in the engineering field of STEM. It is the essential backbone for the fabrication of aircraft, jet/rocket propulsion, and the maintenance of the components to make them work. Knowing this before I entered the STEM field, I pushed myself to take AP Calculus BC in high school. My route of mathematics was tarnished, however. When I was in 8th grade, I was taking Accelerated Algebra 1/Geometry A. Transitioning to high school, the next class in my route was Accelerated Geometry B/Algebra 2. Unfortunately, they didn't have that class at the high school I attended. Needing to find a way to derive a divisive plan to optimize the chances of taking AP Calculus BC, I pushed myself to learn the mathematical concepts for the classes before taking AP Calculus BC, allowing my optimization to be fulfilled. Apart from school, Calculus is an essential aspect of STEM. Regardless of simple calculus or more complex calculus, all versions are needed to impact the world of STEM and work together to find solutions. Differential Calculus is about finding derivatives of how things change, whereas Integral Calculus uses integration to find how quantities accumulate in time while calculating area within curves. While they are different, they are simultaneously used in aspects of STEM. They are embedded in the natural laws that govern the universe. In physics, for example, Newton’s laws of motion are fundamentally described using differential equations—equations that rely on derivatives to relate velocity, acceleration, and force. Additionally, to calculate work without a constant force, one must derive the work done given a specific time. Without calculus, modern physics would lack the mathematical language to describe phenomena such as gravity, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics. In the engineering field, the field I am majoring in, calculus is indispensable for designing and optimizing structures, machines, and systems. Calculus is used to determine stress and strain on bridges and buildings. Engineers rely on calculus to model heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and the motion of mechanical systems. Even something as fun and simple as engineering rides for fairs, Calculus is used to optimize the rides that are both thrilling and safe while modeling the curvatures and forces required. To me, Calculus is the required step in the STEM field to fully understand the problems to solve them. Calculus is not just a subject reserved for mathematicians; it is a universal tool that underpins the entire STEM landscape. Whether designing spacecraft, analyzing data trends, simulating the human brain, or understanding climate change, calculus allows us to model the world with precision and creativity. While people may dislike it, it is the building block for most STEM jobs, therefore, we all should appreciate Calculus.

My name is Jesus Ortiz, and I have been a first-year aerospace engineering major at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I have attended there for a year, inspired to continue my studies in the Aerospace field. Having the privilege to major in Aerospace Engineering is more than just studying; it's about making sacrificial decisions in life to reach your dreams. I learned that growing up with my family, a family of Hispanic immigrants who immigrated to America for a better life for themselves and their future children. For 18 years, I have seen the challenges my parents went through. From providing food to the table to taking care of me due to my Autism diagnosis at an early age, lacking my ability to walk and talk until a later date, my parents became the backbone of support for me to value their sacrifices and aspire to become someone in life, something they wished to do, but abandoned it for me and my sister to aim for. Growing up, I have always loved school. I loved learning new subjects in classes and pushing myself to learn more. What piqued my interest was math. I would always have a calculator with me whenever I went with my parents grocery shopping, and I would calculate how many things they bought, how much they spent, and if everything was correct. Often, I helped my parents realize that the cashiers would sometimes scan items multiple times when in reality, only one item was purchased. Seeing how I was able to help my parents using the subject I love, I decided to pursue a field where I would be with the subject I love and help people, a life-changing decision that allowed me to create a weekly food drive in my community that, to this day, continues to thrive. In the years to come, providing food on the table became more challenging than ever, especially since I reached high school. To help my parents with the burden of making ends meet, I worked with my mom on cooking food to sell in the mornings while taking more Advanced Placement classes beyond my daily school classes to be better prepared for when I attended Georgia Tech. Initially, it was difficult as it was not just about waking up early anymore; it was about making the sacrifice of changing my entire daily schedule to make adjustments for me to help my parents in their jobs, uplifting my family in the process. Being Hispanic has taught me the process of hard-working ethics, a valuable trait that has allowed me to thrive in my school environment. My senior year was a year that truly taught me the importance of what it means to be Hispanic and leaving everything in God's hands. As a Hispanic descendant, applying for financial aid became challenging as my parents' identities couldn't be verified. It was sad as that was required for me to apply for scholarships, losing the privilege to potentially be awarded said scholarships. It taught me that life will come with challenges, but God will always be there for you. Eventually, I was able to verify my parents' identities, allowing me to apply for financial aid, removing the burden I felt in my senior year. My overall life taught me that the world will always experience difficulties in navigating life, but one will be able to overcome obstacles with God's help. Thanks to God, I was able to help provide for my family and become Valedictorian of my graduating class, teaching me to be proud of my roots and to always trust God.

Living in a Hispanic household brought numerous challenges in my life. My parents worked arduously to earn enough for family sustainability. Their persistent sacrifices allowed me to obtain an education, an aspect they could not receive. Thanks to their sacrifices, I graduated as Valedictorian of my graduating class, allowing me to attend Georgia Tech, and major in Aerospace Engineering, a major I wish to use to make a greater impact within my Hispanic community. My family was in a dire situation when I started school, like everyone in my community. Resources for survival were finite, causing people to take dire measures. Hoping to make a positive impact within my community, I went to the pastor of my elementary school church. I asked if there was a way to help the community out of its current predicament. The pastor started a food drive for underprivileged individuals, and I helped ever since, allowing the community to bond and further increase the aid for all. The creation of the food drive allowed me to become a beacon of hope for aspiring young Hispanic scholars. It encouraged me to become a tutor to individuals who volunteered at the food drive. It allowed me to become a greater leader for those in the community, both volunteers and Hispanic scholars. Thanks to this everlasting experience, I can get a higher form of education to achieve my overall goal of helping everyone in Georgia in any way I can. My biggest dream is to obtain my Aerospace Engineering degree from Georgia Tech to decrease the carbon footprint in the atmosphere, expand the food drive to the entire state, and create STEM workshops to mentor aspiring individuals in STEM-related fields, especially in the ever-growing umbrella of Aerospace Engineering. The road to making a positive impact on the world starts with an individual. Numerous people dream of creating an effect, but few dare to create it. I wish to become among the few and make the world a better place where everyone can achieve their goals and dreams. As a first-generation Latin-American student, my dreams shifted because I initially thought that I would not obtain an education. Numerous obstacles were in my path in school, making it difficult for a Hispanic student to become successful. When I helped create the food drive in my community, I felt accomplished because a person from an underrepresented group, like me, was able to accomplish such a feat and become a beacon of hope. My post-high school goals significantly shifted to further help those in need and train the next generation of aspiring scholars. My identity is something that I am proud of because, with my identity, I soared past my challenges, allowing me to obtain the highest SAT and ACT scores and become the Valedictorian of my graduating class. For one to become Valedictorian in a massive school, representing an underrepresented group is something never seen before. Thanks to God, I did the impossible and achieved my goals and dreams. With that experience, I wish to further expand on my goals and create a greater positive impact, and this scholarship serves as a step closer to allowing me to further advance in my academic journey to achieve this dream.

Coming from a Hispanic household, my parents sacrificed everything for me to obtain an education, an aspect in their lives they lacked due to insufficient resources available at their disposal. From working tireless hours to making meets end daily, their persistent sacrifices enabled me to soar past all obstacles and allowed me to receive the education they wished to obtain, allowing me to enter college as a first-generation Hispanic scholar. The idea of making my parents and Hispanic community proud motivated me to pursue college as a first-generation student. Within my community, it is arduously difficult for a Hispanic individual to graduate and become successful in life outside of school. Opportunities for Hispanics became limited within school, especially when one tried to obtain advance classes. In order to become successful, one had to worked three times harder than the normal student to obtain these classes. In high school, I was able to start my freshman year with honors and AP classes, and all was carried from the persistent work I did in middle school. As the days turned into years in high school, I worked tirelessly to turn my honor classes to AP classes, causing me to average less than five hours daily to make that dream a reality. During my senior year, I wanted nothing more than to value my parents' sacrifices by getting accepted to my dream school and becoming Valedictorian of my graduating class. The road to accomplish my goals was difficult from the start. With all AP classes each semester, I was averaging three hours daily, causing me to further work harder than my fellow class peers into becoming someone who values my parents' sacrifices and become an inspiration for my fellow classmates and the underclassmen who wish to make their parents proud of everything they have done for them. The path was difficult, but rewarding in the end when I became Valedictorian of my graduating class and made my parents proud. It made me feel accomplished as a scholar and as their child as I valued all their sacrifices and was able to graduate as Valedictorian. As I soared through my senior year, I was unsure about what I wished to study when I attended college. I would jump from profession to profession, trying to figure out what I wished to attend. As a little kid, I loved the field of mathematics. As a young person, I would learn advance math because I loved the difficulty of math and would have a curiosity of learning how to solve abstract mathematics more complex than what I learned in school. With AP Calculus BC, my love for the subject increased. Additionally, I love the aspect of space and always wondered how I could contribute to aerospace. Therefore, I wish to pursue my major in the STEM field: aerospace engineering. This major within the STEM field is everything I could ask for as a person who loves math and enjoys the abstract of space. Within the STEM field, I wish to greatly contribute my findings into best helping the world and my community as a whole by reducing the carbon footprint in our atmosphere and mentoring aspiring individuals in the STEM field. The road will be arduous, but, with God's help, I will be able to achieve this and more within the ever-growing STEM field.

Living in a Hispanic household brought numerous challenges in my life. My parents worked arduously to earn enough for family sustainability. Their persistent sacrifices allowed me to obtain an education, an aspect they could not receive. Thanks to their sacrifices, I graduated as Valedictorian of my graduating class, allowing me to attend Georgia Tech, and major in Aerospace Engineering, a major I wish to use to make a greater impact within my Hispanic community. When I started to attend school, my family was in a dire situation, like everyone in my community. Resources for survival were finite, causing people to take dire measures. Hoping to make a positive impact within my community, I went to the pastor of my elementary school church and asked if there was a way to help the community out of its current predicament. The pastor started a food drive for underprivileged individuals, and I helped ever since, allowing the community to bond and further increase the aid for all. The creation of the food drive allowed me to become a beacon of hope for aspiring young Hispanic scholars. It encouraged me to become a tutor to individuals who volunteered at the food drive. It allowed me to become a greater leader for those in the community, both volunteers and Hispanic scholars. Thanks to this everlasting experience, I can get a higher form of education to achieve my overall goal of helping everyone in Georgia in any way I can. My biggest dream is to obtain my Aerospace Engineering degree from Georgia Tech to decrease the carbon footprint in the atmosphere, expand the food drive to the entire state, and create STEM workshops to mentor aspiring individuals in STEM-related fields, especially in the ever-growing umbrella of Aerospace Engineering. The road to creating a positive impact on the world starts with an individual. Numerous people dream of creating an impact, but few dare to create it. I wish to become among the few and make the world a better place, a place where everyone can achieve their goals and dreams. As a first-generation Latin-American student, my dreams shifted because I initially thought that I would not obtain an education. Numerous obstacles were in my path in school, making it difficult for a Hispanic student to become successful. When I helped create the food drive in my community, I felt accomplished because a person from an underrepresented group, like me, was able to accomplish such a feat and become a beacon of hope. My post-high school goals significantly shifted to further help those in need and train the next generation of aspiring scholars. My identity is something that I am proud of because, with my identity, I soared past my challenges, allowing me to obtain the highest SAT and ACT scores and become the Valedictorian of my graduating class. For one to become Valedictorian in a massive school, representing an underrepresented group is something never seen before. Thanks to God, I did the impossible and achieved my goals and dreams. With that experience, I wish to further expand on my goals and create a greater positive impact, and this scholarship serves as a step closer to allowing me to further advance in my academic journey to achieve this dream.