Growing up, I lived in a troubled household involving abuse, divorced parents, and constant moving between 3 families. It was taxing for me to concentrate on everything going on in my life, including school, relationships, extracurriculars, and my mental health. Although it was painful, I do not wish to experience it any differently because I am proud of who I am, and it has inspired me to set goals for what I desire to be in my future self. At the time, I was a naive and impressionable child. I did not grasp what was happening to me or what would happen in my future. I fell victim to my own ignorance and lack of self-recognition, leading to a decline in my grades, involvement in my school, relationships, and mental health. Through my struggles, is where I learned the most about myself. Firstly, I realized I was not a fan of falling behind all my peers and being regarded as the "general population." It irked me, and that disgust for myself still resonates with me today. However, today I do not look in the mirror with disgust but with pride in my progress to become better and strive for "as close to" perfection as possible, not only for my present self but for my future self, wife, kids, family, subordinates, and teammates. Secondly, I learned to be proud of myself and my progress, as well as my honors and accolades, regardless of anyone's discouragement, but not too prideful to the point of arrogance, and to respect others just as much as I respect myself. With just a few of my experiences learned from these events, I understand how to handle future situations for myself and those I care about. I remind myself to keep my head high through the most difficult situations to keep my and my subordinates' spirits high and not let setbacks or mistakes contain us forever. I do not wish for my past to be rewritten, for I am proud of what it has taught me. I want to be a man in today's society and provide for others, to be proud of myself, to be more confident, and most importantly, to love myself no matter the circumstances. Through all of my achievements in high school, between competing on a world renowned robotics team in the FIRST community and getting my team to the world level, to JROTC events across the state of Texas, my biggest achievement is how I found myself and how I found who I want to become. No trophy or medal compares to that. My journey is a reminder for me every single day that I can do anything I set my mind to. If I didn't have the mindset to begin with, then I would have no chances of being successful. It is also a constant reminder to be proud of the person I have become and the person I am becoming. This is the single most prestigous achievement I have earned.

I’ve been deeply involved in serving my community through both my JROTC program and my robotics team. In JROTC, I’ve had the honor of participating in meaningful events like laying wreaths at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery to honor fallen service members. We’ve also volunteered at the San Antonio Food Bank, planting fruit trees and harvesting crops to help local families. These experiences mean a lot to me—they allow me to give back to a community that’s supported me and my family in countless ways. With my robotics team, we’ve volunteered at events like the Universal City Pumpkin Patch, using that opportunity to introduce local kids to STEM and spark their curiosity in robotics. Inspiring the next generation is especially important to me because I didn’t always have these opportunities growing up. I want to help create a world where students have access to resources and inspiration earlier than I did. My community holds a special place in my heart. Giving back is not just about service—it’s about building a future. I hope to continue empowering the next generation to pursue advances in STEM, arts, and health, and help make the world better-one small step at a time.

STEM is the future of humanity. Whether it be space travel, agriculture, medical, etc. No matter what, our society will continuously need STEM professionals to pave the way for the human race to progress. With that being said we need idea from all walks of life. Hispanic, black, white, Asian, etc. As a Hispanic myself, I want to be apart of that movement and be a role model for other Hispanics and minorities around the world that despite unfortunate situations at home and being underrepresented, you can do anything as long as you put God first and everything ounce of effort. Success is defined as “The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” But to me it’s much more than just accomplishing something. It’s about being the person that your 8 year old self would be proud of. Growing up without a father for my later teenage years helped me realize that my main goal is to be the man that my 8 year old self would be content with for having as his father. One that his dad could look up to for inspiration, how to work hard be be disciplined, how to properly treat a woman being a good husband, and be an ideal role model. This is what motivates me to be successful. Attending a college or university shows great prestige, honor, integrity, and discipline, yet I am not in it for the glory or the fancy crest on my resume but for my future. While that may seem emulative, I want to attend College for my future family, friends, children, wife, country, and God. Being a good marine, sailor, airman, guardian, or soldier is one thing, but being a generational inspiration, a role model, a great father, husband, and man. Attending a college or university will satisfy my life goal of being a fighter pilot - physician in the United States Air Force, but it will also shape me to be a great man for those who depend on me. My ultimate goal is to wake up one day, in a graceful home, with a beautiful family and a fruitful life, and to look up and thank nobody else but Jesus Christ. The rigorous discipline, training, morality, and education will bring me one step closer to being the man I want to be for my family's future. To provide for them, protect them, and raise people even better than me. Growing up in a single-parent home makes it difficult for my plans to come to fruition through finances. Any amount of money that I can earn will be put towards my college education, so I can achieve my goals and pay it forward to my family, friends, culture, and country. As a Hispanic student, it’s not every day that I see a Hispanic fighter pilot and flight surgeon or NASA flight Surgeon. As a Hispanic myself, just like many other figures throughout history, I want to be a role model not only for my family and peers but for Hispanics around the world that even despite unfortunate circumstances, being an under-represented ethnicity, and struggling with finances to support your own goals, you can still accomplish whatever it is you want to do. College, military, trade school, etc, always do what makes you happy and be your best self at it.

STEM is the future of humanity. Whether it be space travel, agriculture, medical, etc. No matter what, our society will continuously need STEM professionals to pave the way for the human race to progress. With that being said we need idea from all walks of life. Hispanic, black, white, Asian, etc. As a Hispanic myself, I want to be apart of that movement and be a role model for other Hispanics and minorities around the world that despite unfortunate situations at home and being underrepresented, you can do anything as long as you put God first and everything ounce of effort. Success is defined as “The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” But to me it’s much more than just accomplishing something. It’s about being the person that your 8 year old self would be proud of. Growing up without a father for my later teenage years helped me realize that my main goal is to be the man that my 8 year old self would be content with for having as his father. One that his dad could look up to for inspiration, how to work hard be be disciplined, how to properly treat a woman being a good husband, and be an ideal role model. This is what motivates me to be successful. Attending a college or university shows great prestige, honor, integrity, and discipline, yet I am not in it for the glory or the fancy crest on my resume but for my future. While that may seem emulative, I want to attend College for my future family, friends, children, wife, country, and God. Being a good marine, sailor, airman, guardian, or soldier is one thing, but being a generational inspiration, a role model, a great father, husband, and man. Attending a college or university will satisfy my life goal of being a fighter pilot - physician in the United States Air Force, but it will also shape me to be a great man for those who depend on me. My ultimate goal is to wake up one day, in a graceful home, with a beautiful family and a fruitful life, and to look up and thank nobody else but Jesus Christ. The rigorous discipline, training, morality, and education will bring me one step closer to being the man I want to be for my family's future. To provide for them, protect them, and raise people even better than me. Growing up in a single-parent home makes it difficult for my plans to come to fruition through finances. Any amount of money that I can earn will be put towards my college education, so I can achieve my goals and pay it forward to my family, friends, culture, and country. With that being said, I want to be able to dedicate part of my life to serving underserved communities and minorities with unfortunate situations and provide those students access to sports, high quality education and funding for their dreams and goals. I understand what it’s like in a single parent home living paycheck to paycheck, and living out of a suitcase. In order to pay it forward of those that have helped me and my family, I want to help those that are passionate about their future and help make it possible regardless of circumstances.

STEM is the future of humanity. Whether it be space travel, agriculture, medical, etc. No matter what, our society will continuously need STEM professionals to pave the way for the human race to progress. With that being said we need idea from all walks of life. Hispanic, black, white, Asian, etc. As a Hispanic myself, I want to be apart of that movement and be a role model for other Hispanics and minorities around the world that despite unfortunate situations at home and being underrepresented, you can do anything as long as you put God first and everything ounce of effort. Success is defined as “The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” But to me it’s much more than just accomplishing something. It’s about being the person that your 8 year old self would be proud of. Growing up without a father for my later teenage years helped me realize that my main goal is to be the man that my 8 year old self would be content with for having as his father. One that his dad could look up to for inspiration, how to work hard be be disciplined, how to properly treat a woman being a good husband, and be an ideal role model. This is what motivates me to be successful. Attending a college or university shows great prestige, honor, integrity, and discipline, yet I am not in it for the glory or the fancy crest on my resume but for my future. While that may seem emulative, I want to attend College for my future family, friends, children, wife, country, and God. Being a good marine, sailor, airman, guardian, or soldier is one thing, but being a generational inspiration, a role model, a great father, husband, and man. Attending a college or university will satisfy my life goal of being a fighter pilot - physician in the United States Air Force, but it will also shape me to be a great man for those who depend on me. My ultimate goal is to wake up one day, in a graceful home, with a beautiful family and a fruitful life, and to look up and thank nobody else but Jesus Christ. The rigorous discipline, training, morality, and education will bring me one step closer to being the man I want to be for my family's future. To provide for them, protect them, and raise people even better than me. Growing up in a single-parent home makes it difficult for my plans to come to fruition through finances. Any amount of money that I can earn will be put towards my college education, so I can achieve my goals and pay it forward to my family, friends, culture, and country. As a Hispanic student, it’s not every day that I see a Hispanic fighter pilot and flight surgeon or NASA flight Surgeon. As a Hispanic myself, just like many other figures throughout history, I want to be a role model not only for my family and peers but for Hispanics around the world that even despite unfortunate circumstances, being an under-represented ethnicity, and struggling with finances to support your own goals, you can still accomplish whatever it is you want to do. College, military, trade school, etc, always do what makes you happy and be your best self at it.

STEM is the future of humanity. Whether it be space travel, agriculture, medical, etc. No matter what, our society will continuously need STEM professionals to pave the way for the human race to progress. With that being said we need idea from all walks of life. Hispanic, black, white, Asian, etc. As a Hispanic myself, I want to be apart of that movement and be a role model for other Hispanics and minorities around the world that despite unfortunate situations at home and being underrepresented, you can do anything as long as you put God first and everything ounce of effort. Success is defined as “The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” But to me it’s much more than just accomplishing something. It’s about being the person that your 8 year old self would be proud of. Growing up without a father for my later teenage years helped me realize that my main goal is to be the man that my 8 year old self would be content with for having as his father. One that his dad could look up to for inspiration, how to work hard be be disciplined, how to properly treat a woman being a good husband, and be an ideal role model. This is what motivates me to be successful. Attending a college or university shows great prestige, honor, integrity, and discipline, yet I am not in it for the glory or the fancy crest on my resume but for my future. While that may seem emulative, I want to attend College for my future family, friends, children, wife, country, and God. Being a good marine, sailor, airman, guardian, or soldier is one thing, but being a generational inspiration, a role model, a great father, husband, and man. Attending a college or university will satisfy my life goal of being a fighter pilot - physician in the United States Air Force, but it will also shape me to be a great man for those who depend on me. My ultimate goal is to wake up one day, in a graceful home, with a beautiful family and a fruitful life, and to look up and thank nobody else but Jesus Christ. The rigorous discipline, training, morality, and education will bring me one step closer to being the man I want to be for my family's future. To provide for them, protect them, and raise people even better than me. Growing up in a single-parent home makes it difficult for my plans to come to fruition through finances. Any amount of money that I can earn will be put towards my college education, so I can achieve my goals and pay it forward to my family, friends, culture, and country. As a Hispanic student, it’s not every day that I see a Hispanic fighter pilot and flight surgeon or NASA flight Surgeon. As a Hispanic myself, just like many other figures throughout history, I want to be a role model not only for my family and peers but for Hispanics around the world that even despite unfortunate circumstances, being an under-represented ethnicity, and struggling with finances to support your own goals, you can still accomplish whatever it is you want to do. College, military, trade school, etc, always do what makes you happy and be your best self at it.

Growing up, I lived in a troubled household involving abuse, divorced parents, and constant moving between 3 families. It was taxing for me to concentrate on everything going on in my life, including school, relationships, extracurriculars, and my mental health. Although it was painful, I do not wish to experience it any differently because I am proud of who I am, and it has inspired me to set goals for what I desire to be in my future self. At the time, I was a naive and impressionable child. I did not grasp what was happening to me or what would happen in my future. I fell victim to my own ignorance and lack of self-recognition, leading to a decline in my grades, involvement in my school, relationships, and mental health. Through my struggles, is where I learned the most about myself. Firstly, I realized I was not a fan of falling behind all my peers and being regarded as the "general population." It irked me, and that disgust for myself still resonates with me today. However, today I do not look in the mirror with disgust but with pride in my progress to become better and strive for "as close to" perfection as possible, not only for my present self but for my future self, wife, kids, family, subordinates, and teammates. Secondly, I learned to be proud of myself and my progress, as well as my honors and accolades, regardless of anyone's discouragement, but not too prideful to the point of arrogance, and to respect others just as much as I respect myself. With just a few of my experiences learned from these events, I understand how to handle future situations for myself and those I care about. I remind myself to keep my head high through the most difficult situations to keep my and my subordinates' spirits high and not let setbacks or mistakes contain us forever. I do not wish for my past to be rewritten, for I am proud of what it has taught me. I want to be a man in today's society and provide for others, to be proud of myself, to be more confident, and most importantly, to love myself no matter the circumstances. Attending a college or university shows great prestige, honor, integrity, and discipline, yet I am not in it for the glory or the fancy crest on my resume but for my future. While that may seem emulative, I want to attend College for my future family, friends, children, wife, country, and God. Being a good marine, sailor, airman, guardian, or soldier is one thing, but being a generational inspiration, a role model, a great father, husband, and man. Attending a college or university will satisfy my life goal of being a fighter pilot - physician in the United States Air Force, but it will also shape me to be a great man for those who depend on me. My ultimate goal is to wake up one day, in a graceful home, with a beautiful family and a fruitful life, and to look up and thank nobody else but Jesus Christ. The rigorous discipline, training, morality, and education will bring me one step closer to being the man I want to be for my family's future. To provide for them, protect them, and raise people even better than me. Growing up in a single-parent home makes it difficult for my plans to come to fruition through finances. Any help is greatly appreciated so I can achieve my goals and pay it forward to my family, friends, culture, and country.

Success is defined as “The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” But to me it’s much more than just accomplishing something. It’s about being the person that your 8 year old self would be proud of. Growing up without a father for my later teenage years helped me realize that my main goal is to be the man that my 8 year old self would be content with for having as his father. One that his dad could look up to for inspiration, how to work hard be be disciplined, how to properly treat a woman being a good husband, and be an ideal role model. This is what motivates me to be successful. Attending a college or university shows great prestige, honor, integrity, and discipline, yet I am not in it for the glory or the fancy crest on my resume but for my future. While that may seem emulative, I want to attend College for my future family, friends, children, wife, country, and God. Being a good marine, sailor, airman, guardian, or soldier is one thing, but being a generational inspiration, a role model, a great father, husband, and man. Attending a college or university will satisfy my life goal of being a fighter pilot - physician in the United States Air Force, but it will also shape me to be a great man for those who depend on me. My ultimate goal is to wake up one day, in a graceful home, with a beautiful family and a fruitful life, and to look up and thank nobody else but Jesus Christ. The rigorous discipline, training, morality, and education will bring me one step closer to being the man I want to be for my family's future. To provide for them, protect them, and raise people even better than me. Growing up in a single-parent home makes it difficult for my plans to come to fruition through finances. Any amount of money that I can earn will be put towards my college education, so I can achieve my goals and pay it forward to my family, friends, culture, and country. As a Hispanic student, it’s not every day that I see a Hispanic fighter pilot and flight surgeon or NASA flight Surgeon. As a Hispanic myself, just like many other figures throughout history, I want to be a role model not only for my family and peers but for Hispanics around the world that even despite unfortunate circumstances, being an under-represented ethnicity, and struggling with finances to support your own goals, you can still accomplish whatever it is you want to do. College, military, trade school, etc, always do what makes you happy and be your best self at it.

Coach Matthew Rydell, my wrestling coach at Roosevelt High School, once said, “Wrestling will be a spec out of the whole span of your life, but that spec will have a big impact on the rest of that period.” His words resonate deeply with me because my wrestling journey has been one of embracing the underdog role, using it as fuel to grow and achieve my goals. I began wrestling as a sophomore with no athletic experience and very little confidence. Practices were brutal, and the workouts pushed me to my limits. My anxiety spiked, and I quit midseason to focus on robotics. That decision left me feeling defeated. I didn’t want my story to end that way, so the following year, I rejoined the team determined to finish one full season. When I walked into my first practice as a junior, I was still the underdog. I wasn’t the strongest or fastest on the team, and my earlier struggles were fresh in my mind. But something had changed. I embraced the challenge head-on and threw myself into the sport. I studied Olympic matches, learned from wrestling legends like Jordan Burroughs, and became fully committed to practices, no matter how grueling. Early mornings and multiple practices a day no longer felt like obstacles but stepping stones. This shift in mindset allowed me to grow mentally and emotionally. Wrestling not only improved my strength but also rebuilt my self-esteem and gave me a stronger sense of purpose. It was no longer just about winning matches—it was about becoming someone who could face any adversity and not back down. Outside of the mat, I faced challenges that mirrored my experience as an underdog in wrestling. I grew up in an emotionally challenging household, with a difficult relationship with my father and struggles with social anxiety. These experiences weighed on me heavily, especially in my early teen years. Wrestling became my outlet, a way to channel that pain into something constructive. With each practice, I realized that adversity wasn’t a setback—it was an opportunity for growth. Wrestling taught me that being an underdog means more than just starting from behind. It’s about grit, perseverance, and the determination to improve every day. Wrestling instilled in me core values: discipline, relentless effort, respect for others, and the refusal to quit. These lessons have shaped my future goals. I aspire to become a military fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force or Navy and later serve as a flight surgeon. These are demanding careers, but I’m ready for the challenge. Wrestling taught me to embrace the grind and believe that even the toughest obstacles can be overcome with faith, discipline, and hard work. As long as I trust in God and keep pushing forward, I know I can achieve my dreams. Embracing the underdog role has transformed me. Once I learned to see adversity as a blessing, everything became possible. As the saying goes, “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life will be easy

Roosevelt High School wrestling Coach Matthew Rydell once said, “Wrestling will be a spec out of the whole span of your life, but that spec will have a big impact on the rest of that period.” Those words stayed with me. Under his leadership, I realized wrestling is about much more than taking down an opponent. It’s about grit, responsibility, ownership, and discipline. When I started wrestling as a sophomore, I was new to athletics and still finding my way on my fitness journey. Practices were grueling, the workouts exhausting, and my anxiety soared. Eventually, I quit midseason to focus on robotics—a decision I deeply regretted. Determined to make a change, I rejoined the team my junior year, intending to finish one full season. That simple goal quickly evolved. On my first day back, I fell in love with wrestling. I immersed myself in the sport, studying Olympic matches and admiring Jordan Burroughs’ relentless work ethic. I embraced early mornings, late-night practices, and the intense grind of two-hour workouts. The feeling of having my hand raised at the end of a match was addicting. Beyond the physical changes, wrestling reshaped me mentally and emotionally. My confidence soared, I found new purpose, and I developed a stronger moral compass. This transformation was due to my coach’s guidance. Without him, I wouldn’t be writing about how wrestling changed my life. At the start of high school, I struggled with social anxiety and low self-esteem. My relationship with my father was rocky, and my home life was filled with challenges. Wrestling became a safe space to channel that pain into something constructive. Over time, my struggles on the mat mirrored those off the mat, and I began to see adversity in a new light. According to the Oxford Dictionary, adversity means “misfortune.” But after three years of wrestling, I’ve learned adversity is a blessing. It’s taught me discipline, perseverance, and respect for those around me. Wrestling has ingrained in me the value of relentless effort and the belief that I can overcome anything. Looking to the future, I hope to become a military fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force or Navy and later a flight surgeon. The road will be challenging, but I’m confident the lessons I learned through wrestling will guide me. As long as I trust in God, stay disciplined, and put my mind to my goals, I know I will succeed. After all, “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life will be easy.”