Ever since I was little, I have always been fascinated with creating things which led me to be interested in engineering. Engineering is a great fit for me because I've always liked creating things and being innovative. I knew once I learned what an engineer was, that’s what I wanted to be. I couldn’t find out what type of engineer I wanted to be until recently. I had thoughts of becoming an engineer that earns a lot of money. Money was one of the reasons I focused on engineering due to it being one of the highest-paying jobs. I would think about the money because I look forward to being able to provide for my family and the family I will have in the future. I wanted to have enough money to give back to everyone that has helped support me and encouraged me throughout my life. The Boy’s and Girls Club is one of the main places I want to give back to because they helped raise and shape me as a man. I like to give back what was given to me. I took part in a mentorship program called Boys 2 Men, where I mentored younger kids and taught them how to act responsible and noble. There was another program I was involved in called the Green Team, where you learn the importance of the environment and you do what you can to keep it clean. I also want to give back to the homeless that I used to help when I volunteered with a program called Rites of Passage. I helped the homeless on skid row(in Los Angeles) by giving them toiletries, blankets, and clothing while providing them with a meal. These experiences taught me to think about other people in life and not just myself. It's better to be selfless than selfish and you don't always need an award to do what’s right. Being able to give back to people who are in need is something that should always be done, especially if you are in a position where you can give back. I’ve realized that I don’t need the highest-paying job or the most money to be happy and live a good life. I want to do something that I like to do and have fun doing while working. I have always liked robotics and the aspect of creating a moving object. I started leaning towards robotics in my youth but I never got into it until later. When I was younger I had an interest in cars. I had a remote control Camaro and Lamborghini that I had enjoyed playing with. In middle school, one day I was sick at home during the week and while everyone was at school I was at home building a metal truck with a building kit I got as a gift. I was young and had a little trouble building it but I felt satisfied with my accomplishment when I finally finished the truck. I want to build and make things and look at the object when the process is over. To me, that is one of the best feelings in the world. My goal is to go to college and study mechanical engineering so I can be a mechanical engineer as a career. I would love to serve the community and give back wherever I am needed.

Everyone should always give their all in whatever they do and should be open-minded to new things. I learned that operating in fear or being scared to try something new leads to regret. The experience that taught me to be open-minded to new things is when I went to Japan in junior high. In 8th grade, I had the opportunity to go to Japan with my school. A large number of students were applying to go, and I thought that I wouldn't get chosen because I wasn’t special, especially compared to all the other kids' experiences. I wasn’t going to do the essay or interview, but my mom told me never to operate in fear, and my fear was being rejected because of not being good enough. She helped me realize that if I never try then I can't expect to be successful. Being open to trying new experiences pays off in the long run. One of my favorite quotes is from Wayne Gretzky, who says, “You miss 100% of the shots that you never take.” After I submitted my essay, I took the interview, and the next day I was on the list for the trip. From this trip, I learned that humans all over the world have different values, cultures, and experiences. Interestingly, we all come from different backgrounds but we're all humans and cut from the same cloth. I would have never had this experience if I wasn’t open to trying new things. In football, I learned to push myself even if I don’t think highly of myself, that I can do more than I give myself credit for. There were several times when I felt like giving up in practice. My football coach would add an extra sprint to conditioning when the practice was supposed to be done. Let go of the doubts, clear the mind, and focus on the task at hand. Even though I thought I couldn’t go any further, I realized that I actually could, which has helped me realize I’m able to accomplish anything I put my mind to. Another aspect of football that taught me to give my all was my experience in the weight room. When I finished all my bench press sets early lifting with one of my friends, we decided to do an extra set. My friend added an extra ten, and I told him there is no way I could rep this. He told me to push myself and that I could do it. I started to lift the weight that seemed heavier on every rep. Surprisingly, I was able to knock out all of the reps. Getting out of comfort zones is necessary to pass limits. I had to overcome my fear of not being good enough and I had to build confidence by believing in myself. Now that I have learned these lessons, I know that refusing to take advantage of an opportunity that was given to me would lead to misfortune and shame. I can never truly succeed and won’t be happy with myself if I fold by not attempting. Not believing that I can make it to a certain college before I even try applying is absurd. If I don’t apply or have the mindset that I won’t be accepted then I would have already failed my goal. Stepping out of my comfort zone is nerve-racking and makes me anxious, but I am going to give my all and open myself up to the experience.

A quote that I have memorized is "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today"(Malcolm X). Every time I need to push through and have the motivation to keep going in school I think of Malcolm X's wise words. The quote reminds me that education isn't just to learn, but is also used to help you become successful in your life. My mom would always tell me "words have power", and I agree with her. I believe that it goes beyond words and that books, education, and knowledge have power. Human beings are more capable of things than we give ourselves credit for. With even just a little bit of knowledge, you can make a lot of progress on any topic you choose to put time and effort into. Malcolm's quote speaks to me because it helps me stay on task and focus on my goals. Numerous amount of objects would not be in this world today without knowledge and education. The quote can even apply to simple obstacles and interactions that occur in day-to-day life. Going to the grocery store to get ingredients for a recipe that you learned, is setting you up for your dish for dinner. Studying for a hard exam that you need to pass is preparing you for success in the class you are taking. This can apply to sports, academics, occupations, and even exercising or working out. If you prepare yourself for life and what you are trying to achieve, you will end up achieving your goals. Those who are prepared for tomorrow will be able to take on the world with no worries. They know they are ready for whatever is ahead of them. Malcolm X was a very intelligent man and I am grateful that we have people like him in the world that can pass down valuable information that will be used for generations. The quote connects to me on a personal level because it applies to my personal life, school life, and comprehensive lifestyle.

The world is currently facing numerous problems, from pollution to global warming and shortages to poverty. Even we, the people living in this world, are separated and refuse to come together in times where unity is needed the most. We still struggle with equality and respect for other races and their cultures. We are tearing down our people while we also are destroying the only Earth we have. Climate change is a huge issue that isn't discussed enough. There is so much going on in the world with other countries, politics, and the economy. These subjects distract us from a topic not only crucial to us but to animals and future generations. Even though we know that our human actions are leading Earth to its downfall, we continue burning coal, cutting down forests, and using fertilizers containing nitrogen to produce nitrous oxide emissions. Our lifestyles and inconsiderate choices are causing more frequent and intense drought, storms, heatwaves, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, and warming oceans. These critically harm animals, destroying the places they live in, and terrorize our own people's livelihoods and communities. Even human health is affected by climate change. We need to come together and cut down the consequences of climate change as soon as possible. Over 70 percent of the coral reefs around the world have become damaged. The Golden Toad (Bufo periglenes) Has completely gone extinct due to the actions of human beings. Everyone is needed to deter the continued growth of climate change before more mourning situations happen that are not reversible. Using renewable energy is a great way to fight against climate change. Spreading awareness of Stopping climate change to future and older generations while helping stop the problem is essential for success.

Everyone should always give their all in whatever they do and should be open-minded to new things. My name is Julius Sullivan, and I attended Walnut High School. The HBCU I'm going to is Prairie View A & M University in Texas. I learned that operating in fear or being scared to try something new leads to regret. When I get into the college I'm going to study engineering so that I can become a great professional in the future and accomplish big things. The experience that taught me to be open-minded to new things is when I went to Japan. In 8th grade, I had the opportunity to go to Japan with my school. A large number of students were applying to go, and I was doubting that I would get chosen because I wasn’t special compared to all the other kids. I wasn’t going to do the essay or interview, but my mom told me that I should never operate in fear, and my fear was being rejected for not being good enough. She helped me realize that if I never try then I can never expect to be successful. Being open to trying new experiences and working hard pays off in the long run. After I submitted my essay, I took the interview, and the next day I was on the list for the trip. From this trip, I learned that humans all over the world have different values, cultures, and experiences. It’s interesting and stunning that we all come from different backgrounds but we're all humans and cut from the same cloth. I would’ve never had this experience if I wasn’t open to trying new things. Another experience that installed giving my all when doing something was in playing football. I learned to push myself even if I don’t think highly of myself, that I can do more than I give myself credit for. There were several times when I felt like giving up in practice. My football coach would add an extra sprint to conditioning when the practice was supposed to be done. Even though I thought I couldn’t go any further, I realized that I actually could, which has helped me realize I’m able to accomplish anything I put my mind to. In addition to this mindset, football taught me to give my all in the weight room. When I finished all my bench press sets early lifting with one of my friends, we decided to do an extra set. My friend added an extra ten, and I told him there is no way I could rep this. He told me to push myself and that I could do it. I started to lift the weight that seemed heavier on every rep. Surprisingly, I knocked out all of the reps. Getting out of comfort zones is necessary to pass limits. I overcame my fear of not being good enough and built confidence by believing in myself. Now that I have learned these lessons, I know that refusing to take advantage of an opportunity that was given to me would lead to misfortune and shame. I can never truly succeed and won’t be happy with myself if I fold by not attempting. Not believing that I can earn a scholarship before I even try applying is absurd. If I don’t apply or have the mindset that I won’t be accepted then I would’ve already failed my goal. Stepping out of the comfort zone is nerve-racking and makes me anxious, but I am going to give my all and open myself up to the experience.