The word recover by itself means being able to overcome obstacles, independently of the situation or circumstance that you find yourself in. The days when you cannot look at yourself in the mirror because of what you have done to yourself. And not even that, the shame you feel for destroying your reputation amongst your family and friends, and the respect some people lost for you because of the addiction that you picked interest in. But the good thing is that you can always redeem the actions you have done. You have just been in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Nowadays, I can appreciate life more and the gift of having family, friends, and people that love you and want what is best for you. I had been an alcoholic for the longest time. Even though I did not cause any trouble, I knew the addiction was eating me alive, and at the same time, that has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. After much struggle, I worked on my recovery each day. My friends and family helped me every step of the way and now, I begin to share my story with others who struggle to stay clean and helping them through their struggle. Whenever I look back and think to myself, I never thought I was gonna to make it. If I could do it, others can too.

Growing up, I and my family always watched Disney Channel cartoons such as Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, Mickey Mouse, and Ben-10. That being said I grew up watching Disney almost all day. It was a part of my childhood and has become a part of who I am today. As a child, the night before I used to do the chores, so I would have free time to watch the next day. I would often stay up late that night, dreaming about the magical world that is Disney. Flashing forward to middle school, watching Disney began to become the same old thing. The long, hot days coupled with the same cartoons every year at Disney caused my family to take a couple of years' hiatus from the Disney Channel. While I’m sad that I did not have the love for Disney then that I do now, it was so important for me to grow up, get a break, and give Disney some time to add new things. I ended up going again to watch Disney with my family and friends the summer before my junior year of high school. This was easily one of my favorite times of all time, and we ended up watching cartoons all day non-stop. Getting to see someone else fall in love with Disney and experience the magic of Disney brought out my Disney love once again. Even though I have not been to Disney World yet, Disney to me now, is so much more to me than a large castle, parks, and long lines. Disney to me is about celebrating friendship, family, and love. It is about connecting with strangers (always talk to the people next to you while waiting in line; so much fun getting to meet new people!), having fun, bringing back the child in all of us, and creating memories that last a lifetime. But the funny thing about Disney attractions is that just as much as attractions speak to us and our personalities, sometimes, the inverse is true: Sometimes, our personalities perfectly fit an attraction. Our childhoods are the foundations of our lives, and the movies that you loved then — like, your favorite Disney cartoon, for instance — can often say a lot about what your love now. Every day of my life has been filled with magic and dreams and wishes. Watching Disney classics and embracing that silly, joyful, dreamer part of myself that I do not get to show on an everyday basis.

I am an international student that came to the United States to get a higher education and help my country evolve and contribute to my community. I graduated with a bachelor's in chemical engineering, and now, I plan on pursuing a master's degree in chemical engineering, with a focus on safety. I have had little volunteering experience but it was still very rewarding for me. I volunteered for the American Red Cross to help people in need. I would go to houses to install fire alarms and teach people about the importance of having co2 smoke detectors to prevent fatal accidents. American Red Cross is s non-profit humanitarian organization that provides assistance for people that suffer from disasters. I first had an interest in Red Cross when I was a Summer Campus Counselor in my undergraduate years. These firefighter guys came to give a speech to the kids about advocacy and at the end of the talk, I talk to one of them because, at that time, I was interested in becoming a firefighter too. He recommended first doing some kind of volunteer service and that is when I came across the establishment. I was part of the disaster operations relief department where we would help people that suffered from natural disasters such as tornados, and floods, by giving basic care, hygiene, and food kits. I also helped by donating blood and working for the Norman city rescue for animals, to take care of stray dogs. However, the experience that stuck with me by far, was when I was deployed to New Orleans. I was there to help the people that endured the hurricane, Laura. It was scary at first because you see all these people with nowhere to go, that lost everything during the disaster and now are desperate for aid and support. I was helping them by welcoming them to the hotel and giving them food, clothes, hygiene tools, and directions to other organizations that would provide funding as well. But over time, I was able to focus on the most important which was to help those in need. That experience taught me people are more important than assets and that my core values are to help communities, which is what I plan to do. I plan to make communities and industries safer for not only their employees but for everyone. I also, plan to provide assistance to the young generation in their education because I was also given that when I was in my undergraduate. Working for Red Cross gave me a different perspective on life, that life is fragile, very precious, and finite, so we all should work together and only that way, we are able to achieve more deeds.

Anyone who has ever achieved something worthwhile has had challenges and setbacks – because anything worth doing is going to be difficult. Overcoming adversity is a necessary step on the road to greatness. Working on overcoming adversity happens before the tough situation even happens. Train your brain to be resilient by building your inner strength and developing a growth mindset. Whether the source of disruption in your life is a global emergency or a personal tragedy—or both—living through difficult times can take a heavy toll on your mood, health, and outlook. It can leave you feeling helpless and overwhelmed by stress and anxiety. You may be painfully grieving all that you’ve lost, flooded by a slew of difficult, conflicting emotions, or uncertain about how to move on with your life. You may even feel that your life is totally out of control and you’re powerless to affect whatever may happen next. As you might expect, setbacks and adversity require different responses from people. A setback often needs a quick and specific response. It’s as if you’re driving kids to school and come to a tree fallen across the road. You’ll have to stop quickly, so as not to hit it, and then either turnaround and find another route, or move the tree so you can go on. Either way, the kids will be restless and excited, and they’ll probably be late for school. If the obstruction is large, it may take some concerted effort over some time, and perhaps a lot of interpersonal skill, to keep the organization on an even keel while you absorb and move beyond whatever has fallen in your path. The effects of many setbacks, however, are limited in time: once you’ve dealt with them, you can move on. Adversity is more like a long family trip on a bad road in bad weather: you’ll need a steady hand on the wheel and a steady focus on the road, the traffic, and the conditions until the trip is over. Your concentration has to be on getting your family safely to the end of the journey. That’s more like a leader’s role in adversity: it has to keep moving steadily forward through difficulty, bringing the rest of the organization with it. My adversity was finishing my bachelor's while my grandma was sick. When she died, that took a toll on me because I could not be there to help. I was in the United States while my family was in Angola (my home country). I plan to help my community, both here and in my hometown, by providing potable water, funding, and basic care kits to those in need.

I would say that I am very fortunate to have the childhood that I had. Not only I had good parents and siblings despite being poor, but I also had the best teachers when I was in elementary and high school. Professor Antonieta was my professor in third grade. I was amazed at how patient and thorough she was when explaining class material. She was also very caring and gentle with us, making sure we could ask her anything and that we understood the material no matter how many times it took her to explain the concept to us. She would even invite the class to go to the zoo and she would give us ice cream because she was selling ice cream at the time. It was one of the best times of my life. Then, in high school, I met my professor of chemistry, Antonia. Yes, very similar names and she was my professor from 7th grade to 10th grade. It was because of her that I got interested to pursue chemical engineering for my higher education because I love engineering and I grew fond of chemistry. I also became a tutor of chemistry at the school because she asked me and I would help her teach atomic orbitals and electron transfer concepts and help students with their homework as well. It was a very rewarding experience because I got a little taste of how to educate or explain theories to people in a way that they could understand. Because every person is different, I had to find a method to describe, either hands-on or in illustrations, the details of the subject to the classroom. These and many other professors that I met, even in my undergraduate years, are the reason why I take education so seriously now. If it was not for them, I would not be the person that I am today, both in character and professionally because school is indeed our second home. I just would like that higher institutions would be more patient with students regarding the speed of material given to them. That is why I would like to create my own educational institution that caters to education but where students are the priority. Making sure they are okay mentally and spiritually to attend classes. That is the impact or legacy that I would like to leave to the next generations. An institute where professors really care about education and not just a way to pass on knowledge to the young generation.

I am currently taking care of my fiance. She has been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. We met in our undergraduate years and I knew then that she was special. She is very brilliant, and fun, and at first, I did not notice the disorder. When the times that she would be down, it would be bad. She told me that when she was little, she used to be bullied and assaulted. Also, her dad died when she was very young due to drinking and smoking. She also drank plenty in school but I thought it was because that is what college is about, you experiment with things and I did not mind taking care of her either way. We moved in together. I was just very worried that she would get in trouble because she was fraternizing with the wrong crowd or maybe that she would get stopped by a police agent while intoxicated, which happened. I had to take her out of jail a few times because of the drinking. I also got many tickets because my work is close to our place so I could walk, and she would take the car. It has been a troubling 2 years. Then, that is when we went to the Doctor and I found out that she was bipolar. So, the Doctor advised that she get hospitalized. Even though I did not have much money, I knew how important this would be to help her. After a few months, I went o pick her up and the Doctor gave me a prescription of pills she had to take. Currently, she is on track to finish her undergraduate in psychology and I am planning on getting a Master's in Chemical Engineering in the process safety specialization. Those years were very hard for me because after getting to know her and what she went through, that is what made me go for the vocation to improve safety in both workplaces and communities in general. I wanted to stay in engineering still, but I know the work that still needs to be done regarding safety, especially in the manufacturing industries. I will not lie there was a point when everything was affecting me. Her chances of mood, especially when she used to get into suicidal episodes and even after doing whatever I could to help her at the time by holding her, and saying that she would be okay did not work, I felt miserable. My thinking was If I cannot even take care of the person that I love, what I am doing here? Even my coworkers were asking me If I was okay because they could see that there was something going on and I did not want to tell them because that was not my business to tell. Despite the fact that I have hospital bills not including utility bills, insurance, and school, It was worth it because I was really able to help her and now she is doing better. She will be an awesome therapist in the future.

I have read a few books throughout my life so far such as "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent, "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint, and "The Cowboy Necromancer" series by Harmon Cooper to name a few. Some different genres from Sci to mystery and I have also read a few murder/horror books. However, the book that marked me ever since I read it in my childhood was Bambi, or at least one of its versions. I know it sounds shocking but that is the truth. A children's book and the message resonated so much with me back then, due to my living situation, that I treasured it until now. First of all, the book was a present from my dead grandfather given to me by my mom, I did not know he was dead at the time. Second, I grew up in a very precarious environment and my family did not have much to survive. Furthermore, the civil war had just passed, so the country was in recovery. Third, my mom and dad were fighting at the time and were going through the divorce phase. Everything seemed very bad already and my half-older brother tried to alleviate the situation but it just got worst. I was 9 at the time and my siblings did what they could to make sure I did not see or heard the arguments and protected me, but I always knew. Whenever I would feel down and my siblings were not around, I would read the book. The thing about Bambi's story and why it stuck with me was that Bambi never gave up. Having his mother killed, then his dad dying afterward, and the fire in the forest, Bambi went through a lot of adversity. Eventually, he was able to get up and had the title of Great Prince of the Forest. He was even able to have kids with his childhood friend and in the end, he was respected by every animal in the forest. Just like Bambi, I never gave up. Even growing up in a low-income family, I persisted and was able to get a scholarship to come study in the United States, being the only member of my family to earn a bachelor's degree. Now, I plan to earn my master's degree and my doctoral and be able to help people achieve their dreams.

When I was a teenager, I experienced one of the worst moments in my life, which was knowing that a family member died due to sickness. It was my uncle, which I did not know that well, just had seen him a couple of times. The reason why I say that it was the worst moment of my life is because of my mom. It was her younger brother that she cared about dearly, and seeing how my mother was so devastated to the point of also becoming sick and nearly dying as well, made me really scared and think about life. What our purpose is on this earth and why there is so much violence, greed, and revenge? I experienced it too. Thinking about revenge for the people that wronged me, and it is just a vicious cycle that I was able to get out of it. We are just here on this planet temporarily, so we ought to help and grow with each other and learn from our mistakes because at the end of the day, is about the future generations and not about us. I am an international student that graduated with a bachelor's in chemical engineering, going for my master's in the Fall. It has been an amazing journey for me because I met so many wonderful people and mentors that helped and molded the person I am today, even with all the mistakes I made. Having to pay for graduate school is very stressful and not knowing how I am going to do it, sometimes takes a toll on me. However, I feel that whatever I am going through is to prepare me for the future and to teach me how important it is to pursue my goals, even if it seems unbearable. Once I am done with my Master, I plan on helping the community by creating funding opportunities for other students who may be in the position that I am currently in. Also, I plan on developing a dam to focus on purifying water to give to the communities in need, especially those that cannot afford it. I think that everyone should be able to have, not afford, the minimum conditions to live. The world is already tough enough with politics, wars, and countries competing with each other for the best potency, that we forget about human beings overall. And with everything that is going on, we are harming not only ourselves but the planet we live on. Those who have the power and means need to understand that life is not a competition. Rather is a finite marathon with no winners or losers.

Being healthy in general is a great way to live a balanced life. Especially being a student, having stress from school work, paying for school, and working simultaneously if that is the case, is very stressful and can take a toll on anyone. So, living a healthy life can ease the situation and make sure that your physical, emotional, and spiritual being is at peace. More so your emotional side because it can be affected and shaken more easily. Scheduling your me time so that you can be in tune with yourself is an important step to relax and take the weight off of you. Personally, whenever I feel distress, especially being an international student, having to deal with school and political deadlines due to visa requirements, I feel too much pressure sometimes because I feel that the system is against me. Being in economic distress, companies not offering H1B due to the economy, and having to resort to pursuing higher education and seeing the cost of graduate school in the US, is by itself demanding enough. Not counting other expenses such as housing, food, and miscellaneous. Therefore, I sometimes have to empty my head from the many thoughts of trying to figure out a plan, and I just focus on doing the little things that mitigate the pressure. I usually, go on a run early in the morning to clear my head before I have to start revising the class lesson and prepare for school. Then, I work in between classes, so there is another "meet the deadlines" situation where I have to make sure to do all the duties I am supposed to do before I leave. After, taking a break to eat and after leaving work, before I start with homework I take a few minutes to do sketches. I love to draw and makes me feel happy to just go outside and draw whatever I see, even in the small amount of time I have. Then comes the homework, and with the little time I have left I prepare and pack the food for the next day (not every day). That is roughly my weekly routine, and the weekends are mostly to finish homework, relax, and sometimes work. I still think I have to improve my time management skills, but for now, this system works for maintaining my personal wellness in check. Even though I sometimes feel overloaded with school and work, doing the things I love helps me not to despair and think about how I am going to pay the remaining balance I have for the program. And that is counting on scholarships. I am still on track to graduate on time and I feel like going through these dire circumstances, will help me later on in life to not give up on my dreams, no matter how difficult it may seem.

The dream version of my future self is having a family, a business related to operations management and leadership, and real estate too. Also, giving my parents vacations because they deserve it. Last but not least, being able to live comfortably and if possible, be a public speaker to the youth on topics about chasing your dream and respect for others.

The real-life applications of Mathematics are endless. We are surrounded by numbers, equations, and algorithms – especially in this age of data science, with huge data sets that can only be understood through statistical models and analysis. Math allows us to view the world in a way nothing else can. Unlike many other subject areas, Math is not subjective. Every question has a clear answer and when you solve it, you can either be right or wrong. There’s no grey area. I personally enjoy this objective approach and the certainty that comes with it. There is a hierarchy of Mathematical concepts; for instance, you simply cannot understand calculus without having a hold over basic algebra first. Due to this, you have to bear in mind that whenever you learn a new concept, it is something that will be referred to repeatedly as you learn the next one. As you can see how everything clicks into place, making learning more interesting and engaging. There is no place for speculation. Whenever you try to prove something in math, you need evidence. I personally believe that this is something that should be applied in other aspects of life as well… imagine the number of misunderstandings that could be prevented if visual/auditory evidence had to be provided. Every math problem is a new, fresh, and unique challenge. The adrenaline rush you get when you finally solve a problem that initially seemed impossible is unparalleled. I feel like math keeps you on your toes and never gets monotonous, so each new day of learning in this wonderful subject area is unexpected and something you can look forward to.

I was in first grade, making friends, studying, and being able to experience socialization beyond my family's boundaries for the first time; all of this was a new concept to me. Although the day began well, it was about to get worse. When I came back from school, my parents had a huge and unpleasant discussion, and they were so angry that it looked like they wanted to hit each other; therefore, my older brother had to intervene. In addition, this event kept going on and on regardless of what my brothers did to end it. Consequently, this situation reached its peak: the divorce, and it was difficult for me to assimilate all of this. Also, because of the divorce process, I went through even more hardships: finding out with whom I wanted to stay and moving to another place. Afterward, I went to live with my mother: a new home, a new neighborhood, new people, and a new life, but instead of being excited, I was horrified. I did not know what was going on with me. I know that I started acting weird, rude, and reckless as if I did not care about what tomorrow would bring. Additionally, I had to study in another school because our house was so far away from my old school, and, from this day on, things were only getting worse. To illustrate, I did not already obey my mother, I was constantly fighting at school, I was saying curse words to my teachers and friends, and I was ruining the school's property, and, for these reasons, my mother and my father were summoned 30 times by the school's director. I was in a vicious cycle in the same way that a person is addicted to drugs. Furthermore, I did not study, and I had bad grades. I was the worst student ever. So, this was my life from first to fifth grade. I was always causing issues not only for me but also for people who are dear to me like my friends, teachers, classmates, and especially my family. However, even after all I did, my family never gave up on me. They were always there to support, help, and advise me. Eventually, I woke up from the nightmare and realized that this was not what my family would want for me. Moreover, I learned that bad conduct such as disregarding others and vandalism does not solve anything but rather the opposite. Then, my life started to change, and things started improving. I started going to church, I listened to everything that my mother said or asked of me, I apologized to everyone whom I treated incorrectly, I was getting good grades, and, most important, I got a scholarship. It was tough but all of this would not have been possible if I had not worked hard and without my family’s help. It was a horrendous experience because it almost ruined my entire life, but, by the same token, it was also good because it taught me that people should never give up even after an immense obstacle or problem. With my education, I would like to help with the water shortage in my hometown. The water supply capacity is still insufficient to cater to all populations in my country, especially the lower class who must endure harsh unsanitary conditions, killing plenty of people. Hence, I want the water supply to be sanitized and to be available to people of all classes. Therefore, I will not rest until I see my country and my continent with tested and free water for everyone.

Each person has his or her own story with ups and downs. That is what identifies and makes people different from each other. So, each one learns from his or her own mistakes and losses. Likewise, I also have my own story about my failures, their consequences, how I deal with them, and what I have learned from them. I was in first grade, making friends, studying, and being able to experience socialization beyond my family's boundaries for the first time; all of this was a new concept to me. Although the day began well, it was about to get worse. When I came back from school, my parents had a huge and unpleasant discussion, and they were so angry that it looked like they wanted to hit each other; therefore, my older brother had to intervene. Arguments kept going on and on regardless of what my brothers did to end it. Consequently, this situation reached its peak: the divorce, and it was difficult for me to assimilate all of this, as a six-year-old boy who could barely understand what was happening. Also, because of the divorce process, I went through even more hardships: finding out with whom I wanted to stay and moving to another place. Afterward, I went to live with my mother: a new home, a new neighborhood, new people, and a new life, but instead of being excited, I was horrified. I do not know what it was that happened to me. I know that I started acting weird, rude, and reckless as if I did not care about what tomorrow would bring. Additionally, I had to study in another school because our house was so far away from my old school, and, from this day on, things were only getting worse. To illustrate, I did not already obey my mother, I was constantly fighting at school, I was saying curse words to my teachers and friends, and I was ruining the school's property, and, for these reasons, my mother and my father were summoned 30 times by the school's director in two years. I was in a vicious cycle in the same way that a person is addicted to drugs. So, from seventh grade to twelfth grade things got even worse. I was hanging out with gangs. I started to rob shops with them and use guns since there are no regulations in my country. I was always causing issues not only for me but also for people who are dear to me like my friends, teachers, classmates, and especially my family. However, even after all I did, my family never gave up on me. They were always there to support, help, and advise me. Eventually, I woke up from the nightmare and realized that this was not what my family would want for me in life. Moreover, I learned that bad conduct such as disregarding others and vandalism does not solve anything but rather the opposite. Then things started improving. I started going to church, I listened to everything that my mother said or asked of me, I apologized to everyone whom I treated incorrectly, I was getting good grades, and, most important, I got a scholarship. It was tough but all of this would not have been possible if I had not worked hard and without my family’s help. To sum up, this experience was horrendous because it almost ruined my entire life, but, by the same token, it was also good because it taught me that people should never give up even after an immense obstacle or problem.

I experienced my first day of school when I was about six years old. I was in first grade, making friends, studying, and being able to experience socialization beyond my family's boundaries for the first time; all of this was a new concept to me. Although the day began well, it was about to get worse. When I came back from school, my parents had a huge and unpleasant discussion, and they were so angry that it looked like they wanted to hit each other; therefore, my older brother had to intervene. In addition, this event kept going on and on regardless of what my brothers did to end it. Consequently, this situation reached its peak: the divorce, and it was difficult for me to assimilate all of this, as a six-year-old boy who could barely understand what was happening. Also, because of the divorce process, I went through even more hardships: finding out with whom I wanted to stay and moving to another place. Afterward, I went to live with my mother: a new home, a new neighborhood, new people, and a new life, but instead of being excited, I was horrified. I do not know what it was that happened to me. I do know that I started acting weird, rude, and reckless as if I did not care about what tomorrow would bring. Additionally, I had to study in another school because our house was so far away from my old school, and, from this day on, things were only getting worse. To illustrate, I did not already obey my mother, I was constantly fighting at school, I was saying curse words to my teachers and friends, and I was ruining the school's property, and, for these reasons, my mother and my father were summoned 30 times by the school's director in two years. I was in a vicious cycle in the same way that a person is addicted to drugs. Furthermore, I did not study, and, as a result, I had bad grades. I was the worst student ever. So, this was my life from first grade to fifth grade. I was always causing issues not only for me but also for people who are dear to me like my friends, teachers, classmates, and especially my family. However, even after all I did, my family never gave up on me. They were always there to support, help, and advise me. Eventually, I woke up from the nightmare and realized that this is not what my family would want for me in life. Moreover, I learned that bad conduct such as disregarding others and vandalism does not solve anything but rather the opposite. Then, my life started to change, and things started to get better. I started going to church, I listened to everything that my mother said or asked of me, I apologized to everyone whom I treated incorrectly, I was getting good grades, and, most important, I got a scholarship. It was tough but all of this would not have been possible if I had not worked hard and without my family’s help. To sum up, this experience was horrendous because it almost ruined my entire life, but, by the same token, it was also good because it taught me that people should never give up even after an immense obstacle or problem. Also, people have friends and relatives to help them on this mission.

I used to work as a volunteer for Red Cross. When Hurricane Laura happened, I was deployed to New Orleans to go help the victim's families of the disaster. It was a sad moment in my life, seeing all these people not knowing where to go, or what to do, and all I was able to accomplish is minimizing their pain by giving them basic supply kits and directions to corporations that give financial help, and registering them in the available hotels. That made me think deeply about how short life is, how we should enjoy it responsibly and to the fullest, and how we should help each other because, at the end of the day, humanity is all humanity has left. Simultaneously, I had a friend going through a rough time in her life. She had just graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Psychology. She was in the process of getting her working visa, but the process was very stressful because they had first lost her application process with the money in the mail. Then, her unemployment time was getting close, and she still had not got a job offer, so she was worried that it would be too late by the time she got the card and maybe a job. After that, she also had personal (family) problems. Her family was not supportive and talkative towards her. After that passed, she started working for a mental hospital. Working with patients that had a mental illness was also tough for her, and the management team was not helpful. It got to the point that it started to rub off on her and with those things combined, she started to get suicidal. I was just trying to be the friend that listens, gives advice, and tries to help as much as possible. I even told her to go get help from a professional like a therapist or a psychiatrist, but she would not listen to me. In contrast, I also started to feel down, depressed, and angry, and it was also affecting my life. I never had suicidal thoughts but I was at a point where I started to get angry at anyone without a reason. Being close to what she was experiencing, even though I was trying to help, was making me paranoid and skeptical about everything. Having a friend that was going through those experiences and having it, at some point, indirectly affect me, made me realize what lifeguards and police say all the time in case of an accident "Save yourself before saving others." At the time, it was not as simple because she was someone dear to me and I just could not let her deal with that by herself. However, I have come to the realization that it does not matter what I did, it looked like she did not want my help, or she was resilient towards it for some reason. It hurt me to decide to leave, but it was the best for me and probably for her as well. This part of my life taught me that relationships are as good as what you make of it. If people are not on the same level or place of mind, it will not work. As for my career, which is engineering, I would like to someday be able to have my own foundation regarding child abuse because dealing with mental illness in the earliest stage, helps make the healing process more bearable. The reason why I am saying this is because It also made me realize that she already had early traumas when she was a kid, that were not dealt with properly.