Civil Engineering is incredibly significant to me. I understand the incredibly importance of being a great engineer to build safe, aesthetically pleasing projects that will last for a long time. It has an incredible impact on my life every day. I am still alive because somebody properly engineered the bridges I cross. My school has remained structurally intact, and the attention to detail of the construction and the time spent studying the soil has led to me being educated in safe buildings. Civil Engineering also includes projects such as dams, which hold our rainwater and allows us to better steward it for future use. The design and construction of skyscrapers also allows us to create more dense cities, which saves land, which can now be used for farmland. Parking garages also help keep cars of the street, which reduces crime. The impact of civil engineers cannot be overstated, and I hope to make similar contributions during my career. As a Christian, I have a great appreciation for human life, as we believe that the human soul is eternal, lasting forever in either heaven or hell. This sobers me to be perfect and to make sure these people are safe around these large projects and to be super careful on every calculation. As a young child, I was amazed at large construction projects; I was particularly enamored with the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ve also enjoyed working on STEM projects at school. They provided a nice break from the ordinary assignments that could get really monotonous. I’ve always craved that feeling of having a finished product to look at or take home, from the spaghetti and marshmallow towers built in the sixth grade, to participating in MIT’s CubeSat challenge in eleventh grade, where we made a small cubic satellite and programmed it to detect ocean plastics. This and the promise of hands-on learning is what led me to apply to CBU’s College of Engineering in hopes of becoming a Civil Engineer. In my junior year of high school, I was choosing my classes for the next year and a friend convinced me to take a class called Engineering Design. I’m glad I listened to him because it turned out to be a great decision! We designed and fabricated a replica Hobbit Hole, a cutting board, and our own version of the game Tower of Hanoi. These projects, along with excelling in AP Calculus A/B and achieving a five on the AP test were all signs that engineering could be my God-given talent, and that I should pursue a degree in this field. My dream job after graduation would be at an engineering firm where I can oversee large construction projects and perform physics calculations to determine what is structurally stable and what is not; so that I can inform the people who are gifted in aesthetics what freedoms they have to create a sound structure that also looks beautiful. To be honest, there are many jobs where I’d be very happy. I’m excited to see what God’s will is for my life at this critical juncture. I feel God is leading me to pursue an engineering degree at CBU and to trust in Him with all my heart, not lean on my own understanding, acknowledge Him in the path I’m on, and trust that He will direct my future.

We received the call on May 30th of 2022 that my dad's biopsies had come back as malignant for Thyroid Cancer. My dad was 48 years old at the time of his diagnosis. This began an intense period of research and educating ourselves to determine the best course of action moving forward. I remember my dad spending countless hours on the computer and getting second, third and fourth opinions, all the while trying to be strong and put up a good face for his family. I think he did a pretty good job, but I could tell on the inside that he was really scared; we all were as well. The classic and established treatment for my dad’s condition would be to have his Thyroid surgically removed. After much consulting with many medical professionals, friends and a lot of prayer, he discovered that he was a candidate for and ultimately opted treating his cancer with radio frequency ablation commonly referred to as RFA. This treatment has a long track record of efficacy in other countries but is relatively new to the United States. My dad’s procedure was a part of a clinical trial being conducted by a group of the leading interventional endocrinologists in our country seeking procedural approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). My dad and mom had to travel to New York to have the procedure done by Dr. Jennifer Kuo at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and had to pay for it out-of-pocket as the procedure is new and is not yet approved by insurance carriers. It’s now been 17 months since his procedure and so far, it appears to be working; it will take five years before we know if it was fully effective. He will now have to be scanned each year for the rest of his life to be checked for reoccurrence. This life altering experience has been so transformative for both myself and my family. I’ve learned not to take life for granted and that each day truly is a gift. In a strange way it has brought us much closer together as a family and inspired me to be the best person I can. I have become deeper as a person. I want to go to college to study to be a Civil Engineer to help make people's lives better by contributing to society in a tangible and meaningful way that will literally meet people where they live. I’m asking for your scholarship support to assist me in my endeavor to help people and seek to make the world a better place. Thank you for listening to my family’s story and for your consideration of a scholarship offer. I am truly grateful.

The single most important thing in my life is Jesus Christ. Both of my parents are Christians, and I became a Christian when I was 4 years old, listening to my dad read about the great tribulation in Matthew 24. I was scared about being left behind to endure the horrible circumstances, but I was told about how Jesus died to forgive my sins and guarantee eternal life in Heaven if I believed in Him. Looking ahead to eternity is what drives me to be the best person possible by reading the Bible and developing a strong relationship with God. I am excited for His plan for my life because He says "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeramiah 29:11)." This verse gives me great anticipation for college, the next chapter in my life. Where do I see myself at 30 years old? I would like to be working at an engineering firm, contributing to large building projects. I plan to get a Civil Engineering degree from California Baptist University (CBU) to help me land a better job. I may also become a Licensed Professional Engineer if my dream position requires it. This will leave me with a considerable student loan debt, so to minimize that, I will leverage the college credits I have earned in high school. If possible, I want to complete my undergraduate degree in 3 years, instead of the usual 4. This will save about $35,000 in tuition, but also get me into the workforce faster, enabling me to start making payments earlier, which will reduce interest. My parents have decided to help a little bit, but I will still be reliant on the generous support of scholarships to finance my education. Every dollar I receive will be carefully managed to help further my education. Any potential donor can be confident that they will be giving the money to a student who was diligent in school and who will be able to use those funds incredibly efficiently. Being a civil engineer will help me to positively impact my community by carefully calculating how to build a safe building based on soil mechanics, material strength, and the amount of strain the structure will have to bear. All of this means I can work behind the scenes to replace old buildings and bridges with newer models that will help to prevent future disasters. This will give the gift of safety to my community in the future.

My father was the primary motivator for me to go to college. He grew up in a low income household in the roughest area of San Jacinto, California, living across the street from a drug dealer and in an environment that was unsafe to play in the front yard, which was rare back then. His father (my grandfather) worked at the same minimum wage job he does even today, and his mother, though loving, didn't contribute any income. My father broke through the barrier to become a first-generation college student at Calvary Chapel Bible College. There he earned a Biblical Studies degree and pursued a career as a youth pastor. He was laid off during the 2008 recession, with 2 year old me at home, and my brother Corban about to be born. This was when I began to see his incredible work ethic, as he embarked on a new career in the water industry, where he had to take endless certification tests, and landed a job at Eastern Municipal Water District, where he works to this day. Next came his biggest challenge. It all started in the winter of 2021 when my entire family was diagnosed with Covid-19. Just about everyone we knew had it. My entire family of four were all very sick. For myself, my brother and my mom, the virus took about a week to recover from. My dad, however, did not follow the same track we did. His symptoms persisted and worsened and eventually led to Covid Phenomena. His recovery was slow and was eventually categorized as having “Long Covid”. One of his lingering symptoms was pain in his throat that would not go away. After many doctor visits, a CT scan was ordered and that’s when it was discovered that he had two tumors on his thyroid. We received the call on May 30th of 2022 that his subsequent biopsies had come back as malignant for Thyroid Cancer (papillary carcinoma, the most common cancer of the thyroid gland). Our family was devastated. We have known several people, and family members who have had cancer, but it never entered our minds that it could happen to us, at least not at this stage in our lives. My dad was 48 years old at the time of his diagnosis. This began an intense period of research and educating ourselves to determine the best course of action moving forward. I remember my dad spending countless hours on the computer and getting second, third and fourth opinions, all the while trying to be strong and put up a good face for his family. I think he did a pretty good job, but I could tell on the inside that he was really scared; we all were as well. The classic and established treatment for my dad’s condition would be to have his Thyroid surgically removed. After much consulting with many medical professionals, friends and a lot of prayer, he discovered that he was a candidate for and ultimately opted treating his cancer with radio frequency ablation commonly referred to as RFA. This treatment has a long track record of efficacy in other countries but is relatively new to the United States. My dad’s procedure was a part of a clinical trial being conducted by a group of the leading interventional endocrinologists in our country seeking procedural approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). My dad and mom had to travel to New York to have the procedure done by Dr. Jennifer Kuo at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and had to pay for it out-of-pocket as the procedure is new and is not yet approved by insurance carriers. It’s now been 17 months since his procedure and so far, it appears to be working; it will take five years before we know if it was fully effective. He will now have to be scanned each year for the rest of his life to be checked for reoccurrence. This life altering experience has been so transformative for both myself and my family. I’ve learned not to take life for granted and that each day truly is a gift. In a strange way it has brought us much closer together as a family and inspired me to be the best person I can. I have become deeper as a person. I want to go to college to study to be a Civil Engineer to help make people's lives better by contributing to society in a tangible and meaningful way that will literally meet people where they live. I’m asking for your scholarship support to assist me in my endeavor to help people and seek to make the world a better place. Thank you for listening to my family’s story and for your consideration of a scholarship offer. I am truly grateful.

My father was the primary motivator for me to go to college. He grew up in a low income household in the roughest area of San Jacinto, California, living across the street from a drug dealer and in an environment that was unsafe to play in the front yard, which was rare back then. His father (my grandfather) worked at the same minimum wage job he does even today, and his mother, though loving, didn't contribute any income. My father broke through the barrier to become a first-generation college student at Calvary Chapel Bible College. There he earned a Biblical Studies degree and pursued a career as a youth pastor. He was laid off during the 2008 recession, with 2 year old me at home, and my brother Corban about to be born. This was when I began to see his incredible work ethic, as he embarked on a new career in the water industry, where he had to take endless certification tests, and landed a job at Eastern Municipal Water District, where he works to this day. Next came his biggest challenge. We received the call on May 30th of 2022 that my dad's biopsies had come back as malignant for Thyroid Cancer (papillary carcinoma, the most common cancer of the thyroid gland). Our family was devastated. We have known several people, and family members who have had cancer, but it never entered our minds that it could happen to us, at least not at this stage in our lives. While the treatment has proven successful so far, being given the very real possibility of my dad dying was a wake up call for me. I want to continue on his legacy by working hard and earning a college degree. Where do I see myself at 30 years old? I would like to be working at an engineering firm, contributing to large building projects. I plan to get a Civil Engineering degree from California Baptist University (CBU) to help me land a better job. I may also become a Licensed Professional Engineer if my dream position requires it. This will leave me with a considerable student loan debt, so to minimize that, I will leverage the college credits I have earned in high school. If possible, I want to complete my undergraduate degree in 3 years, instead of the usual 4. This will save about $35,000 in tuition, but also get me into the workforce faster, enabling me to start making payments earlier, which will reduce interest. My parents have decided to help a little bit, but I will still be reliant on the generous support of scholarships to finance my education. Thank you for your consideration on generosity in awarding this scholarship to a deserving student!

It all started in the winter of 2021 when my entire family was diagnosed with Covid-19. Just about everyone we knew had it. My entire family of four were all very sick. For myself, my brother and my mom, the virus took about a week to recover from. My dad, however, did not follow the same track we did. His symptoms persisted and worsened and eventually led to Covid Phenomena. His recovery was slow and was eventually categorized as having “Long Covid”. One of his lingering symptoms was pain in his throat that would not go away. After many doctor visits, a CT scan was ordered and that’s when it was discovered that he had two tumors on his thyroid. We received the call on May 30th of 2022 that his subsequent biopsies had come back as malignant for Thyroid Cancer (papillary carcinoma, the most common cancer of the thyroid gland). Our family was devastated. We have known several people, and family members who have had cancer, but it never entered our minds that it could happen to us, at least not at this stage in our lives. My dad was 48 years old at the time of his diagnosis. This began an intense period of research and educating ourselves to determine the best course of action moving forward. I remember my dad spending countless hours on the computer and getting second, third and fourth opinions, all the while trying to be strong and put up a good face for his family. I think he did a pretty good job, but I could tell on the inside that he was really scared; we all were as well. The classic and established treatment for my dad’s condition would be to have his Thyroid surgically removed. After much consulting with many medical professionals, friends and a lot of prayer, he discovered that he was a candidate for and ultimately opted treating his cancer with radio frequency ablation commonly referred to as RFA. This treatment has a long track record of efficacy in other countries but is relatively new to the United States. My dad and mom had to travel to New York to have the procedure done by Dr. Jennifer Kuo at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and had to pay for it out-of-pocket as the procedure is new and is not yet approved by insurance carriers. It’s now been 17 months since his procedure and so far, it appears to be working; it will take five years before we know if it was fully effective. He will now have to be scanned each year for the rest of his life to be checked for reoccurrence. This life altering experience has been so transformative for both myself and my family. I’ve learned not to take life for granted and that each day truly is a gift. In a strange way it has brought us much closer together as a family and inspired me to be the best person I can. I have become deeper as a person. I want to go to college to study to be a Civil Engineer to help make people's lives better by contributing to society in a tangible and meaningful way that will literally meet people where they live. I’m asking for your scholarship support to assist me in my endeavor to help people and seek to make the world a better place. Thank you for listening to my family’s story and for your consideration of a scholarship offer. I am truly grateful.

The best book I have ever read is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. It is part of a 7 book that he wrote called The Chronicles of Narnia. I read it in 2014, when I was 8 years old. What made the book special was the symbolism that it had to my Christian faith. I have reread it quite often, and it has encouraged me through some hard times in life. One of the main characters is Aslan, a lion who sacrifices himself for Edmund, a sinful traitor, just like Christians believe Jesus sacrificed himself for us by dying on the cross. Lewis was a Christian and drew some of his writing from personal experiences. For example his friend J.R.R. Tolkein encouraging him in real life during the writing of the book shows up in the text when Father Christmas gives gifts to the children to help them in their battle against the evil White Witch. The book appeals to all audiences very well. I enjoyed it at 8 years old, but my parents and grandparents both loved it as well. I recently went back and read it again and figured out why it was still so impactful to me. There are character traits that relate to people that you know, and it can oftentime help people through a difficult time. More mature people can find significant meaning in the book, while younger children who may not be able to grasp these concepts can simply look at it like a great fiction novel that is very entertaining. When most people read books, they have a problem with following along and visualizing the different features in the book. Back when I read this book (at 8 years old), I was having the same difficulty reading long chapter books without pictures. I could read the words just fine, but sometimes I got lost trying to navigate through the complex language that some authors used. The unique thing about C. S. Lewis is that he doesn’t try to improve his books by using fancy words to impress the audience, he grabs attention by describing things around Narnia, such as the castle of Cair Paravel. I could actually follow along with what was happening in the book, which made it much more enjoyable. Some storylines struggle to explain things in their plot, most notably powerful relics that have no origin, which leaves the audience to speculate. Lewis explains most important features, but leaves just enough mystery about the origins of Aslan and the White Witch to keep it interesting. Overall, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis was fantastic to read. It developed the plot quickly while taking time to help new readers understand, but snuck in advanced symbolism for mature readers to enjoy. Lewis’ masterful use of simple language creates a picture inside the reader’s head that makes it very enjoyable to read. It also explained key points very well. It left such an impact on me because of my religion and also because it was the first real chapter book I read.

The Lion, the Witch, and the WardrobeThe best book I have ever read is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. It is part of a 7 book that he wrote called The Chronicles of Narnia. I read it in 2014, when I was 8 years old. What made the book special was the symbolism that it had to my Christian faith. I have reread it quite often, and it has encouraged me through some hard times in life. One of the main characters is Aslan, a lion who sacrifices himself for Edmund, a sinful traitor, just like Christians believe Jesus sacrificed himself for us by dying on the cross. Lewis was a Christian and drew some of his writing from personal experiences. For example his friend J.R.R. Tolkein encouraging him shows up in the book when Father Christmas gives gifts to the children to help them in their battle against the evil White Witch. The book appeals to all audiences very well. I enjoyed it at 8 years old, but my parents and grandparents both loved it as well. I recently went back and read it again and figured out why it was still so impactful to me. There are character traits that relate to people that you know, and it can oftentime help people through a difficult time. More mature people can find significant meaning in the book, while younger children who may not be able to grasp these concepts can simply look at it like a great fiction novel that is very entertaining. Overall, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis was fantastic to read. It developed the plot quickly while taking time to help new readers understand, but snuck in advanced symbolism for mature readers to enjoy. Lewis’ masterful use of simple language creates a picture inside the reader’s head that makes it very enjoyable to read. It also explained key points very well. It left such an impact on me because of my religion and also because it was the first real chapter book I read. I watched the movie of this book a few months after I read it, and was very impressed! Almost every book-to-film adaptation has a massive disconnect of something that is not accurate to the original book. Not here. The producers did a great job of showcasing the drastically different environments of the White Witch's castle, the England home, and the battlefield. In addition to above average acting, and WAY above average cinematography, the movie did not deviate much from C.S. Lewis' original work. This is why I think that an overall rating of both the book and the movie puts The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on top.

The best book I have ever read is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. It is part of a 7 book that he wrote called The Chronicles of Narnia. I read it in 2014, when I was 8 years old. What made the book special was the symbolism that it had to my Christian faith. I have reread it quite often, and it has encouraged me through some hard times in life. One of the main characters is Aslan, a lion who sacrifices himself for Edmund, a sinful traitor, just like Christians believe Jesus sacrificed himself for us by dying on the cross. Lewis was a Christian and drew some of his writing from personal experiences. For example his friend J.R.R. Tolkien encouraging him shows up in the book when Father Christmas gives gifts to the children to help them in their battle against the evil White Witch. The book appeals to all audiences very well. I enjoyed it at 8 years old, but my parents and grandparents both loved it as well. I recently went back and read it again and figured out why it was still so impactful to me. There are character traits that relate to people that you know, and it has often help people through a difficult season. More mature people can find significant meaning in the book, while younger children who may not be able to grasp these concepts can simply look at it like a great fiction novel that is very entertaining. Overall, I would want people to read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe because it would subtly show them about the Gospel of Jesus, which as a Christian I am very passionate about. I don't like to force my beliefs on people who don't want anything to do with religion, so I thought against making them read the whole Bible. Even if they don't care much about Christianity, this would still be a great book for them to read!

Throughout high school I have tried my best to be different. The Bible says "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23)." Having God as my "boss" helps me to maintain a proper mindset while doing my schoolwork, even work I don't like to do. The hardest class I’ve taken is AP Calculus AB. The concepts of derivatives and integrals are extremely difficult to grasp at first. Eventually I clicked and got the 5 on the AP test. I've always tried to incorporate other subjects into my high school study, even those I didn't particularly enjoy. For example, in my sophomore year I took AP English Language and AP Art History and got a 4 on both of the AP exams. My other AP scores are a 4 on Computer Science Principles and 3 for AP Literature. Another way I separated myself from my peers was in selecting coursework for my senior year. In anticipation of the impending "senioritis" that was expected, most of my classmates greatly reduced their academic load, taking five classes instead of the usual six, and choosing easy classes. I decided to combat senioritis in a different way. This year I have AP classes of Calculus BC, US Government, Macroeconomics, Statistics, Physics C (Mechanics, Electricity, and Magnetism) I ended up with A's in all of those classes, and am on track to pass all those AP exams.

The single most important thing in my life is Jesus Christ. Both of my parents are Christians, and I became a Christian when I was 4 years old, listening to my dad read about the great tribulation in Matthew 24. I was scared about being left behind to endure the horrible circumstances, but I was told about how Jesus died to forgive my sins and guarantee eternal life in Heaven if I believed in Him. Looking ahead to eternity is what drives me to be the best person possible by reading the Bible and developing a strong relationship with God. I am excited for His plan for my life because He says "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeramiah 29:11)." This verse gives me great anticipation for college, the next chapter in my life. Where do I see myself at 30 years old? I would like to be working at an engineering firm, contributing to large building projects. I plan to get a Civil Engineering degree from California Baptist University (CBU) to help me land a better job. I may also become a Licensed Professional Engineer if my dream position requires it. This will leave me with a considerable student loan debt, so to minimize that, I will leverage the college credits I have earned in high school. If possible, I want to complete my undergraduate degree in 3 years, instead of the usual 4. This will save about $35,000 in tuition, but also get me into the workforce faster, enabling me to start making payments earlier, which will reduce interest. My parents have decided to help a little bit, but I will still be reliant on the generous support of scholarships to finance my education. Every dollar I receive will be carefully managed to help further my education. Any potential donor can be confident that they will be giving the money to a student who was diligent in school and who will be able to use those funds incredibly efficiently. I am pumped to go into the civil engineering field! The excitement of designing large projects has me giddy at the prospects of making this my career, if I am able to overcome the financial difficulties. Throughout high school I have tried my best to be different. The Bible says "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23)." Having God as my "boss" helps me to maintain a proper mindset while doing my schoolwork, even work I don't like to do. Generally, school comes easy for me, particularly math and history. The hardest class I’ve taken is AP Calculus AB. The concepts of derivatives and integrals are extremely difficult to grasp at first. To drastically oversimplify a crazy journey, all of it eventually clicked, and I was able to achieve a 5 on the AP test. I've always tried to incorporate other subjects into my high school study, even those I didn't particularly enjoy. For example, in my sophomore year I took AP English Language and AP Art History and got a 4 on both of the AP tests. My other AP scores are a 4 on Computer Science Principles and 3 for AP Literature. Another way I separated myself from my peers was in selecting coursework for my senior year. In anticipation of the impending "senioritis" that was expected, most of my classmates greatly reduced their academic load, taking five classes instead of the usual six, and choosing easy classes. I decided to combat senioritis in a different way. This year I have AP classes of Calculus BC, US Government, Macroeconomics, Statistics, Physics C (Mechanics, Electricity, and Magnetism) I ended up with all A's except for a B in English 101 first semester. Of course, I still had a large amount of homework, but I was able to complete most of it during the newly created free period, allowing me to play my favorite sport, golf. Despite only playing for a year, I made the cut to play for Hemet High's golf team, and finished 2nd in the Sunbelt league tournament, which qualified me for the CIF individual championship, and being named an all-league player. I also led the team in scoring average, leading to an undefeated 9-0 league record. It was a thrilling experience to play a varsity sport for the first time. Some other interests I have are making sourdough bread with my mom, hunting and fishing with my dad, and playing guitar in the church youth group. They request me to play about twice a month, and I always accept unless I have a crazy circumstance going on. It is incredibly rewarding to see my peers fully engaged in worship. I would be humbled and tremendously grateful to accept your financial assistance. Thank you for your consideration and generosity!

As a young child, I was amazed at large construction projects; I was particularly enamored with the Golden Gate Bridge. Until just a few months ago, I was uncertain about what career path I should take. I realized that I’ve enjoyed working on STEM projects at school. They provided a nice break from the ordinary assignments that could get really monotonous. I’ve always craved that feeling of having a finished product to look at or take home, from the spaghetti and marshmallow towers built in the sixth grade, to participating in MIT’s CubeSat challenge in eleventh grade, where we made a small cubic satellite and programmed it to detect ocean plastics. This and the promise of hands-on learning is what led me to apply to CBU’s College of Engineering in hopes of becoming a Civil Engineer. In my junior year of high school, I was choosing my classes for the next year and a friend convinced me to take a class called Engineering Design. I’m glad I listened to him because it turned out to be a great decision! We designed and fabricated a replica Hobbit Hole, a cutting board, and our own version of the game Tower of Hanoi. These projects, along with excelling in AP Calculus A/B and achieving a five on the AP test were all signs that engineering could be my God-given talent, and that I should pursue a degree in this field. The critical hands-on experience that I got in my senior year confirmed that I should be an engineer. My dream job after graduation would be at an engineering firm where I can oversee large construction projects and perform physics calculations to determine what is structurally stable and what is not; so that I can inform the people who are gifted in aesthetics what freedoms they have to create a sound structure that looks beautiful. To be honest, there are many jobs where I’d be very happy. I’m excited to see what God’s will is for my life at this critical juncture. I feel God is leading me to pursue an engineering degree at CBU and to trust in Him with all my heart, not lean on my own understanding, acknowledge Him in the path I’m on, and trust that He will direct my future. As a Christian, I want to see God glorified through my integrity, a critical component of civil engineers. I know that even though nobody else is looking, I need to do the right thing anyway, because God is always watching me.

Civil Engineering is incredibly significant to me. I understand the incredibly importance of being a great engineer to build safe, aesthetically pleasing projects that will last for a long time. It has an incredible impact on my life every day. I am still alive because somebody properly engineered the bridges I cross. My school has remained structurally intact, and the attention to detail of the construction and the time spent studying the soil has led to me being educated in safe buildings. Civil Engineering also includes projects such as dams, which hold our rainwater and allows us to better steward it for future use. The design and construction of skyscrapers also allows us to create more dense cities, which saves land, which can now be used for farmland. Parking garages also help keep cars of the street, which reduces crime. The impact of civil engineers cannot be overstated, and I hope to make similar contributions during my career. As a Christian, I have a great appreciation for human life, as we believe that the human soul is eternal, lasting forever in either heaven or hell. This sobers me to be perfect and to make sure these people are safe around these large projects and to be super careful on every calculation. As a young child, I was amazed at large construction projects; I was particularly enamored with the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ve also enjoyed working on STEM projects at school. They provided a nice break from the ordinary assignments that could get really monotonous. I’ve always craved that feeling of having a finished product to look at or take home, from the spaghetti and marshmallow towers built in the sixth grade, to participating in MIT’s CubeSat challenge in eleventh grade, where we made a small cubic satellite and programmed it to detect ocean plastics. This and the promise of hands-on learning is what led me to apply to CBU’s College of Engineering in hopes of becoming a Civil Engineer. In my junior year of high school, I was choosing my classes for the next year and a friend convinced me to take a class called Engineering Design. I’m glad I listened to him because it turned out to be a great decision! We designed and fabricated a replica Hobbit Hole, a cutting board, and our own version of the game Tower of Hanoi. These projects, along with excelling in AP Calculus A/B and achieving a five on the AP test were all signs that engineering could be my God-given talent, and that I should pursue a degree in this field. My dream job after graduation would be at an engineering firm where I can oversee large construction projects and perform physics calculations to determine what is structurally stable and what is not; so that I can inform the people who are gifted in aesthetics what freedoms they have to create a sound structure that also looks beautiful. To be honest, there are many jobs where I’d be very happy. I’m excited to see what God’s will is for my life at this critical juncture. I feel God is leading me to pursue an engineering degree at CBU and to trust in Him with all my heart, not lean on my own understanding, acknowledge Him in the path I’m on, and trust that He will direct my future.

As a young child, I was amazed at large construction projects; I was particularly enamored with the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ve also enjoyed working on STEM projects at school. They provided a nice break from the ordinary assignments that could get really monotonous. I’ve always craved that feeling of having a finished product to look at or take home, from the spaghetti and marshmallow towers built in the sixth grade, to participating in MIT’s CubeSat challenge in eleventh grade, where we made a small cubic satellite and programmed it to detect ocean plastics. This and the promise of hands-on learning is what led me to apply to CBU’s College of Engineering in hopes of becoming a Civil Engineer. Now that I’ve been to CBU’s Senior preview day and heard the program presentation from Dr. van Haaster, I know the dean’s humorous opinion about civil engineering: “They just want to put their name on bridges, and then they joke, ‘oh yours was the one that broke!’” I really enjoyed his insightful presentation and he may even eventually convince me to become a mechanical engineer! Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the program and his expertise. In my junior year of high school, I was choosing my classes for the next year and a friend convinced me to take a class called Engineering Design. I’m glad I listened to him because it turned out to be a great decision! We designed and fabricated a replica Hobbit Hole, a cutting board, and our own version of the game Tower of Hanoi. These projects, along with excelling in AP Calculus A/B and achieving a five on the AP test were all signs that engineering could be my God-given talent, and that I should pursue a degree in this field At CBU, I hope to take my academic knowledge and apply it to real life situations to create products that will make the world better for everyone. From the preview day, I know that the SAE design competition would be a great way to do that. I am already salivating at the opportunity to work with a team of other talented and like-minded aspiring engineers, who are also pursuing Christ. My dream job after graduation would be at an engineering firm where I can oversee large construction projects and perform physics calculations to determine what is structurally stable and what is not; so that I can inform the people who are gifted in aesthetics what freedoms they have to create a sound structure that looks beautiful. To be honest, there are many jobs where I’d be very happy. I’m excited to see what God’s will is for my life at this critical juncture. I feel God is leading me to pursue an engineering degree at CBU and to trust in Him with all my heart, not lean on my own understanding, acknowledge Him in the path I’m on, and trust that He will direct my future.

The single most important thing in my life is Jesus Christ. Both of my parents are Christians, and I became a Christian when I was 4 years old, listening to my dad read about the great tribulation in Matthew 24. I was scared about being left behind to endure the horrible circumstances, but I was told about how Jesus died to forgive my sins and guarantee eternal life in Heaven if I believed in Him. Looking ahead to eternity is what drives me to be the best person possible by reading the Bible and developing a strong relationship with God. I am excited for His plan for my life because He says "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeramiah 29:11)." This verse gives me great anticipation for college, the next chapter in my life. Where do I see myself at 30 years old? I would like to be working at an engineering firm, contributing to large building projects. I plan to get a Civil Engineering degree from California Baptist University (CBU) to help me land a better job. I may also become a Licensed Professional Engineer if my dream position requires it. This will leave me with a considerable student loan debt, so to minimize that, I will leverage the college credits I have earned in high school. If possible, I want to complete my undergraduate degree in 3 years, instead of the usual 4. This will save about $35,000 in tuition, but also get me into the workforce faster, enabling me to start making payments earlier, which will reduce interest. My parents have decided to help a little bit, but I will still be reliant on the generous support of scholarships to finance my education. Every dollar I receive will be carefully managed to help further my education. Any potential donor can be confident that they will be giving the money to a student who was diligent in school and who will be able to use those funds incredibly efficiently. A way I separated myself from my peers was in selecting coursework for my senior year. In anticipation of the impending "senioritis" that was expected, most of my classmates greatly reduced their academic load, taking five classes instead of the usual six, and choosing easy classes.I decided to combat senioritis in a different way. This year I have AP classes of Calculus BC, US Government, Macroeconomics, Statistics, Physics C (Mechanics, Electricity, and Magnetism) I ended up with A's in all of those classes first semester. Of course, I still had a large amount of homework, but I was able to complete most of it during study hall, allowing me to play my favorite sport, golf. Despite only playing for a year, I made the cut to play for Hemet High's golf team. I am looking forward to the opportunity of playing a varsity sport for the first time. Some other interests I have are making sourdough bread with my mom, hunting and fishing with my dad, and playing guitar in the church youth group. I would be humbled and tremendously grateful to accept your financial assistance. Thank you for your consideration and generosity!

My main character flaw is expressing frustration. Too often I would get angry at people even though there was better ways to handle each situation. From my time in church, I knew I was supposed to love one another, but time and time again I failed. This came to a head when I was 10 years old, and a fight with my brother led to discipline from my parents, that included no video games for the summer, and not being able to play in the summer basketball league. This was a tipping point for me. I kept actively trying to keep my cool and stop arguing. A few attempts didn't work, until I saw the Masters on TV in 2022 and decided to give the sport a try. The sport of golf turned out to be a great way to not just keep my emotions inside, but to replace them with positive thoughts. One of the first lessons golf taught me was the important of patience. Golf's reliance on technique instead of brute force proved challenging for me, as I quickly learned the way to better results was more confidence before every shot. Every putt left short, sliced drive, and chunked iron shot slowly shaped my character. I developed from a raging golf maniac who slammed his club after every missed green, into a much calmer person who now sees every bad shot as another chance to practice. I used to always blame something whenever I hit a bad shot. Weather, firm greens, bad clubs, and many others. My fantastic golf coach from Grandfather for Golf, Bob Wadlow helped my mentality and swing greatly. He kept teaching me the basics, from "keep your posture constant" to "take the club back on a straight line." He also once told me "the most important shot in golf is the next one." This proved critical for me, as I knew that once my shot was hit, I needed to accept the result and mentally reset to enjoy the game more. Golf has been more than a sport to me. The game has placed me on a journey of personal growth and self-discovery. All of the ups and downs of the round have taught me patience, self-awareness, and resilience. These lessons from my teachers and other golfers have translated well into real life, and now I have much better emotional responses, and lead a more fufilling life