1. I'm insanely rich and don't want to spend my own money (that's how I'm rich). It's much easier to spend someone else's money on tuition. 2. I want to make a lot of money. I'll probably ace the MCAT and attend Harvard university's medical school where I will graduate with a 4.0 and become a cardiothoracic surgeon. If I don't make over 400,000 per year, I will go back to school and apply for a specialty that does. 3. My life is perfect, and I don't ever experience obstacles. If something minor comes up, I just throw money at the problem until it goes away.

One investing tip I’ve taken to heart is when my brother told me: “be prepared to lose.” I thought that stocks always went up, and I would throw in one hundred dollars and within a few months I’d double my money. It didn’t take long to learn that this isn’t the case, and depending on the state of things, some stocks go more down than up, even over long periods of time. Putting in any range of money into any amount of stocks doesn’t guarantee profits for the investor, however those are some ways to minimize losses. I’ve had to diversify my portfolio, not only into stocks, but into crypto as well in order to try and secure both short and long terms gains, and minimal losses over these same periods. Being prepared to lose my hard earned money was challenging, and took some time to truly comprehend. But once I got it through my head, I made some of the best investing decisions I could in order to make sure that didn’t happen.

You never truly know someone’s story. Coming into any situation with an open mind helps me remain empathetic in any situation. My life is different from the next person’s. Empathy is something that has lost meaning over the years, and is a skill that is harder to come by now than even five years ago. Remaining empathetic over the years for myself has become harder, however even in the toughest of situations I realize everybody deals with situations differently. I think about how to help without sounding judgmental, or how to offer some advice while still listening to the concerns this person is expressing. Remaining open minded with everyone has made it easier for me to really take in the information presented, and help offer guidance and advice without appearing sarcastic. Empathy is a skill everyone should have, but is a skill that’s hard to come by. Remain open minded.

A simple pleasure I have in life is listening to music on YouTube. The reason why this is so enjoyable for me, is because there are so many free songs that I can listen to, without the stress of paying for a subscription, or running the risk of getting my subscription canceled because I don’t have the funds in my account to pay for it each month. Listening to this music is relaxing for me because I can listen to any genre I want, any artist I want, and at any time that I want. I can listen to it while I’m in the car, while I’m falling asleep at night, or even while I’m studying for a test or exam that I have coming up at my university. Playing relaxing Lofi music helps me study, R&B music helps calm me down, and rap/hip-hop music gets me amped up for a sporting event, such as attending a football game, or playing in a soccer or volleyball game. All of this is available within one app at the touch of a button.

Giving is important because not everybody can receive the same gifts because we’re all unique in our own ways. Giving back allows somebody who’s at a disadvantage for something to receive the same care, or information as somebody else who has that advantage. For example, I am knowledgeable when it comes to my attended high school, so I would show new students around, share location information, teachers, and classrooms with them because I had been in the same school district my whole K-12 academic career, whereas the new student was disadvantaged because it was a new environment for them, so they needed that guidance, or helping hand along the way. I’m more than happy to give back when I’m confident in what I know, and would recommend others give back as well. What goes around comes around, and you never know when you’ll need a helping hand, or be the new student in a brand new environment.

Saving the planet isn’t a one man job. Carbon footprints are only increasing amongst the population. Although I can’t afford an electric car at the moment, any chance I get I carpool with friends or family. Small acts can go a long way. On top of carpooling, I ride my bike short distances, or walk when I can. I don’t leave the water running when brushing my teeth, and limit my shower time to 5 minutes or less. Lastly, I always turn the lights off when I leave a room, and don’t turn them on if I can use natural sunlight through the windows to see. Attempting to save water, electricity and gas is what allows me to make a small impact, and do my part to keep this beautiful planet sustained for many future generations to come. This scholarship would be an honor for me, and would let me know my efforts don’t go unnoticed.

An object in motion stays in motion. When I say that line, you’re probably thinking of, arguably, the most well known scientist ever. My favorite scientist, Sir Isaac Newton.

Of all of my lovely and impactful characteristics, the one I value the most is that of my friendliness. Nobody truly knows what someone else is experiencing. Until the moment comes when you walk in that persons shoes, you’ll never truly know what their battle is like. Everybody’s battle is different. My freshman year of college I was met with a battle I wasn’t prepared for. Coming from a prior education that was completed fully in person, and moving to an education was fully online was a drastic change. I never met my classmates, and never saw my teachers in person. I’d rather see people with masks than names on top of black screens. Though this wasn’t an option. I would sit, endlessly, tirelessly, and unwillingly in my college dorm for hours that felt so long I’d stop keeping track of time. I fell into a state of depression for the first time in my life. Over a three month span I lost 26 pounds. Not because I worked out and lost body fat. Simply due to the fact that I wouldn’t leave my dorm because everything around me was shut down, that I began to shut down. I would skip out on meals, and fell into the routine of waking up, attending online lecture, doing homework, and falling back asleep. The monotonous pattern took a toll on me physically. Over the next couple months I began to work out, in an attempt to replace this lost body weight with, at least some amount, of muscle. Slowly but surely I regained the majority of the weight. It took much longer for the weight to return than it did to lose it, of course. I put more and more work in to try and combat my mental health, concomitantly burying the hole Covid and lockdown had dropped me in. This series of events gave me a new light towards those who are struggling. I had never understood what it felt like to be unmotivated and lack happiness. I was, and am still known as the friendly kid. I remain this way towards anyone and everyone because even though I just recently dealt with my own battle, I’ll never know what someone else may be going through. It’s underrated how far a smile can go to make someone’s day. Society doesn’t understand how much a “how are you doing?” can change the course of someone’s day, week, or life. Wanting to be a doctor, I’m not only obligated to help patients, but also be there for them as a support, or backbone. And if I can’t be the one to do so, then I’ll be the one to recommend someone who can. I’ll continue to radiate friendliness to everyone I encounter because even though I’ll know a ton as a doctor, I’ll never truly know what someone else is going through.

A teacher that impacted me along my route of undergraduate education was my mother. A second grade teacher from a small town in the state of Michigan. Though I was unable to have her as my own teacher, she was always there for me… after school got out… because she was my ride home. I was young, and abided by the rules back then instead of challenging them. I would visit her classroom at lunch and tell her about my day, sharing the information that I had learned and why I found it interesting. She played a large role in my upbringing, both literally as my mother, and figuratively as the light that pushed me to be the best learner/student that I could possibly be. Being a mom and a teacher was hard on her because she pushed me to get good grades, though as a mother she would comfort me if I didn’t do as well as I had hoped on a homework assignment or test. She was there to teach me if I needed some extra help, and offer a guiding hand if I needed a push in the right direction to get problem-solving. She was a real Hannah Montana, living a double life, a jack of all trades, if you will. She pushed me to pursue a higher education, and is the reason why I plan to go to medical school, and receive my doctorate to be a dermatologist. She is worrisome at any inconvenience for her two little boys, though not so little anymore. Her maternal instincts kick in, and she wants to dive in and help, no matter the case or cause. She wants to help. She showed me how important it is to put others first, and share what gifts you have with others, so they can benefit too. She has a serious tolerance for kids. And her patience stands for longer than the pyramids. I believe I was put on this Earth to help people, and my mother was just the person I needed to guide my path. Other teachers have given me help along the way, and kept me on track over the years, but none of them have done the job quite like that of my hard working, strong, caring, intelligent mom. She pushes me to be better every day, and reminds me that the best version of myself is the one others should see.

My favorite scientific discovery was that of DNA. All 10 billion miles of it. DNA is quite literally what makes me who I am. It gives reasoning for why my hair is the color it is, or my eyes, or my skin. Along with the discovery of DNA, more recently, was dna modification. This brought about many moral dilemmas, and although potentially life altering- again, no pun intended- there is still much more to be learned and discussed. The reason why the discovery of DNA is my favorite, is due to the fact that such a small portion of it can create such a drastic effect in a human. There could be one defect, or mutation, in my genetic code, and I could end up with a rare skin condition or brain disorder. The impact that an ultra-microscopic material can have is absolutely mind-boggling. Although a few other scientific discoveries come close, none will be as fantastic as the discovery of DNA.

Wanting to go in the medicine, technologies at the forefront of all hospitals, creating a safe environment for both patients and doctors. One technology I’m excited about is in the healthcare field, called augmented/virtual reality surgical field. This is a headset that surgeons can wear in order to prepare for surgeries to help them prepare for all possible outcomes, without actually performing on, or injuring, a patient. This same technology could also be very helpful to train residents and medical school students by allowing them to see the plane that they’re working within, without putting the life of a patient at risk due to under experience, or lack of knowledge.

I applied to my college’s honors program my incoming freshman year. The hope was that I would graduate with an honors college degree, which would strengthen my application for graduate school. Little did I know, this would be the worst decision I could make for my personal health. The first class in my honors sequence would require roughly 12 hours of work per week. Putting this much time into one class, not including the additional time needed to focus on my other classes, took the largest toll on my mental health that I had ever experienced. I spent late nights studying in my room, sitting on my phone in the dark, and dropping down to one meal a day. In two months I lost 15 pounds. This is coming from a student who hadn’t previously struggled with any mental health issues, so all of the feelings were new to me. My roommate would check in on me, but I didn’t feel like going out to eat, or hanging out with friends. I was focused on getting a good grade in the class, and prioritized the idea over my own well being. Reflecting on this experience, I realize now I should’ve dropped the class much sooner than I did. Nothing should be more important than my own health. I slowly started gaining the weight back that I lost, though it took roughly 8 months. I reached out to my roommate who had previously experienced some depression, which helped me through my own situation. He was a light in the dark, both metaphorically and physically. He turned the lights on when I was sitting alone in the dark and told me we had to do something, then we would. I would encourage anyone going through a battle with mental health to reach out to a friend or family member. Things can get better, and I can guarantee others have experienced what you’re feeling.

Being a white male, I’m fortunate to say adversity is hard to come by. If I’m being honest, it took me quite a bit of time to think of a situation when I was in the minority. That being said: here’s my moment in time. As a freshman in college, I took a junior level Spanish course, with mostly juniors, and a class that, for the most part, spoke Spanish as a first language. I was expected to do great things in this class, being only one of three freshman, I was expected to know my stuff and speak with fluidity. I had to work much harder than I had expected coming into this course because the people I was paired with in our break out discussions spoke Spanish in their home, and really put the pressure on me to respond appropriately, even though they didn’t know it. I finished the semester out with an A-, and finished the next semester with an A. I was ecstatic with how things had turned out. As my mom always says: “you get out of it what you put into it.” This experience had proven to me just that. I don’t want to say that this experience taught me how a minority feels pressured when they’re in a room or class of white people. I don’t want to say that this changed my life in a drastic way. This event did impact me, and I felt it changed my work ethic. I had to study more, skip out on parties, and missed hanging out with my roommate, creating some bonding memories that could’ve lasted a lifetime. Instead, my head is filled with memories of late nights working at my desk, and studying vocabulary for the next day’s quiz. Every waking day, I am reminded of the fact that I’m lucky. I’m appreciative of the family I was born into, and the race of which I had no control. I still work hard when it comes to both my school work, and my extracurriculars. Nothing about that has changed. I would say, however, I have gained a newfound appreciation for those who do struggle in classes, and have to work much harder than others, and skip out on events that could bring happy memories into old age. Moving on to my future career and educational plans, I hope to graduate college in four years and whilst doing so, apply for medical school. I hope that soon thereafter I can graduate medical school and apply for a residency program. My dream is to become a dermatologist, specializing in mohs surgery, or the treatment of skin cancer. After completing my residency and fellowship, I hope to work at either a large hospital, or a private practice, where I can put my newfound surgical skills, and long developing Spanish skills, to good use. My goal is to save lives.

I’m interested in medical entrepreneurship, in the field of developing better equipment at a lower cost to underdeveloped hospitals, so they can afford similar products to high-end hospitals, and the patients would be able to receive great care at the expense of a lower medical bill when they leave. I plan on going into medical school, which means a lot of debt for myself. This scholarship would help me out a ton along my journey of research and potential product development for the future.