It all started when I went to the MathScience Innovation Center in Henrico County, Virginia when I was around 11 years old. I was in a program where I learned computer programming using Scratch. Scratch was a drag-and-drop software application that allowed kids to create simplistic programs to do many different things. I recall creating a program that whenever a user presses the spacebar, it drives a car forward and spins somebody around. This seemingly simple project would be my introduction to one of my favorite hobbies that I still practice to this day. Around 6th grade, I was still interested in Scratch programming. I used Scratch to develop many advanced applications, such as platformer video games, a chat application, and geometric animations. This passion would continue during 7th and 8th grade. I got introduced to the world of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These are languages used to create websites. Using these languages, I was able to create more complicated projects, such as a drawing application and an analytical probability simulation. In 9th and 10th grade, I took AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A respectively. While taking these classes, my knowledge of programming increased tremendously as I learned the theory and abstract concepts of programming. During my sophomore year of high school, I learned Java, which introduced me to the world of object-oriented programming. During my first year of college, I learned more about Java programming. Moreover, I also learned C, which is a programming language that enabled me to learn more about how programs interact with computer systems and hardware. I still do programming to this day. I am currently learning Python and PHP, two different languages that will increase my programming skill set. My passion for programming has had many tremendous effects on my life. First, this passion gave me clarity on what I want to do with my life. By knowing that programming can bolster my thinking and creativity, I have finally found a passion during my youth that I was able to dedicate myself to with much enthusiasm. Programming also gave me career prospects that I could look forward to. Starting in kindergarten I knew I wanted to be some sort of scientist. By becoming a computer scientist, I could find many career opportunities that I can work towards. Essentially, programming allowed my younger self in middle school to be specific on what job I wanted to have later on in life. Programming also had an impact on my life by being a creative outlet for me. For a long time, I felt as if writing and drawing using paper and pencil stifled my creativity. Using Scratch allowed me to express my creativity in unconventional ways I have not thought of before. Using other programming languages furthered what I could make using my keyboard and my brain. The reward I got from developing something and seeing it function correctly was an astonishing experience. The act of writing code gave me an unusual way of expressing my creativity through typing and creating interesting programs. Programming also allowed me to ask and answer questions I’ve had using unconventional methods. You could say that this was a way I did simulations and experiments. Overall, I aim to become a Full Stack Developer, but to get there, I will have to start as an entry-level developer and work from there. Nevertheless, the creativity and the clarity programming gave me in my life have inspired me to go for my career aspirations with determination, enthusiasm, and confidence.

Ever since sixth grade, I have been interested in programming. It all started when I discovered a website called Scratch. It was a place where kids used drag-and-drop blocks to create simplistic programs. I made various projects on Scratch, such as a 3d renderer, math plotters, and platformer games. I then moved on to learning two markup languages: HTML and CSS. Using these languages, I was able to make basic websites. After that, I learned JavaScript. Learning JavaScript allowed me to create more creative projects. Once I got into 9th grade and 10th grade, I learned more about computer science through AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. Here, I learned Java. Utilizing Java allowed me to come up with programming solutions to harder problems. Currently, at Virginia Commonwealth University, I am studying Computer Science with a focus on Software Engineering. I am interested in creating software solutions that can help companies and people with common problems. I am interested in studying frontend and backend technologies. Right now, I am currently learning PHP, a server-side programming language. I am learning these two technologies to build up skills so that I can become a Full-Stack Developer. That is my dream job. I know some HTML, CSS, and Javascript. So, I have modest knowledge about the frontend of web development. However, I have never really focused on the backend side of things. They are really important, but I have not been aware of them for a long time. Now I am just getting to the point where I am trying to learn dynamic website development. Continuing on in my education will give me more opportunities for me to practice backend development. One great thing about programming is that you can create tools and applications that can have drastic impacts on organizations and people. These things that developers create can automate repetitive tasks, save time by doing many calculations at the same time, or even do things people thought were not possible. Using my skills in programming and web development, one problem that I would like to solve is to find an easier way to write things down that are repetitive. I want to be able to come up with some tools that can help people limit the redundancy in their writing. I have always had a problem with this throughout my writing in school, so developing a tool that can aid people while writing would allow for better writing and creativity. Learning Natural Language Processing would ensure that I would have the skillset to allow a computer to interpret, modify, and correct word choice and grammar.

For as long as I can remember, math has been an integral part of my life. Early in my life, I became infatuated with numbers. It may have been unusual, but I did mathematics as a hobby. During 2nd grade, I taught myself the powers of 2 before I even knew what “powers'' were. In middle school, for fun, I calculated the area of a 5-pointed star seen on the US flag using the side length of the star. In eighth grade, I inadvertently found Varignon's theorem: the theorem that the midpoints of a quadrilateral form a parallelogram. During my sophomore and junior years, I calculated the volume of a regular tetrahedron by hand, given side length. I also figured out why the tetrahedral bond angle is approximately 109.5 degrees. Likewise, I discovered my love of computer programming when I was young. Since sixth grade, I have been interested in programming. It all started when I found a website called Scratch. It was a place where kids used drag-and-drop blocks to create simplistic programs. I made various projects on Scratch, such as a 3d renderer, math plotters, and platformer games. I then moved on to learning two markup languages: HTML and CSS. Using these languages, I was able to make basic websites. After that, I learned JavaScript. Learning JavaScript allowed me to create more advanced projects. During 9th grade and 10th grade, I learned more about computer science through AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. In the latter class, I learned Java. Utilizing Java allowed me to come up with programming solutions to harder problems. Math has always been the subject in school I excelled at. Two of the biggest reasons I enjoy mathematics are its logical structure and the possibility to find solutions to problems. These reasons are also why I also enjoy programming. Due to the logical nature of mathematics, it is easy to tell where mistakes are made when trying to attempt a problem. This is very similar to debugging: finding where a program went wrong due to an error in what a programmer wrote. Unlike English where “correct” answers are subjective and can be interpreted in many ways, mathematics can produce a finite number of solutions that can be verified using logical mathematical procedures. These procedures can be written in code to find a way to do calculations accurately and fast. Furthermore, mathematics is especially useful in designing and creating algorithms. Algorithms are finite sequences of instructions that are implemented to solve very specific problems or to perform computations. Mathematics is the language used to understand how algorithms operate and how efficient algorithms can be. Since some pieces of code are forms of algorithms, it is correct to assume that mathematics and computer technology are interconnected. As technology advances, I can envision a special type of computer called a quantum computer solving specific mathematical problems that no modern computers can efficiently solve. As computing power increases over time, I can predict a new exploration into what calculations computers can do. In addition, I can see new branches of mathematics being developed due to the advanced computational power of future technologies. I aspire to use programming and technology to figure out analytical geometric problems in the future. I have made computer programs to determine the average distance between two random points in a unit square and a unit circle, but the geometric problems that can be solved with increased computational power are exciting to me. The process of finding correct answers can be challenging sometimes, but I enjoy the challenge.

My hobbies are not the usual or conventional hobbies one may think of first. This may be unorthodox, but one of my favorite hobbies is doing mathematics for fun. I have been doing mathematics for fun for as long as I can remember. The ability to develop and solve my own math problems is soothing to me. The analysis of geometric shapes, the process of solving a geometric problem, and the properties of numbers all intrigue me. I become engulfed in the process of finding solutions, discovering new things about 3D solids, and utilizing the laws of algebra. Another one of my hobbies is programming. The ability to write pieces of code that create something precisely in the way I designed it is incredibly satisfying. Coding allows me to explore the world of software development, a field I aspire to have a career. This hobby allows me to practice my programming skills and develop programs that can get me closer to my career goals. My final hobby is dancing. I have loved the Just Dance series of games since the third one in the series. That video game inspired me to love dancing. It gives me the freedom to move my body in quirky yet interesting ways. Dancing also allows me to relax and have fun. Altogether, doing mathematics, programming, and dancing are all of my favorite hobbies. These activities bolster my ability to relax and enjoy life. They may be weird to some people, but I love doing those activities with as much passion as I can give.

My definition of relaxing is different from most people's definition of relaxing. Let me explain. This may be unorthodox, but I like to do mathematics to relax. For all of my life, I remember math being a refuge for me from my stresses. I enjoy solving and analyzing problems. The idea of being able to become engrossed in analyzing some geometric shape or using my brainpower to do arithmetic makes me elated. The real truth to why mathematics is a relaxing tool for me is its logical and methodical nature. In many math problems, by doing calculations in certain steps, you can find a solution to that problem. In addition, mathematics allows me to take a breather and appreciate the complexities and beautiful aspects of space and numbers. Finally, the ability to come up with my own problems to solve and my own solutions to those problems is exciting! Some people may be frightened and stressed out when it comes to doing any sort of mathematical problem, but in my mind, I am up for the challenge! Doing mathematics for leisure also allows me to take care of myself mentally because it refreshes and strengthens my abilities in mental math. Math is not the only thing I do to unwind, I also watch comedic journalism YouTube videos, write code, and dance. All of these other things help me to decompress differently than math does. The humor in those YouTube videos allows me to stay informed while also boosting my mood. Writing code allows me to be productive and build up my skill set to become a developer. Dancing allows me to move my body in fun ways while also getting exercise. Overall, all of these activities, but primarily mathematics, help me to relax and take care of myself.

I started my calculus journey in 11th grade, where I took AP Calculus BC. I did well in that class, but it did not come easy compared to other math classes I have taken. Nevertheless, the rigor of that course helped me prepare for the other calculus courses coming later. During my freshman year of university, I took Calculus II and Multivariable Calculus. I had to work harder in my Calculus II class, but it turned out great. Because of that, Multivariable Calculus came easy to me. I have always said this as a motto, but if I get a job, I want to try to find a way to incorporate calculus into it. Calculus was discovered in the late 17th century. Pierre de Fermat made strides in developing calculus, but Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz are credited with developing modern calculus. Newton developed Calculus out of necessity for him to study the free fall of objects under gravity. Therefore, calculus from the beginning had real-world applications. Some of the reasons why that branch of mathematics is important to the STEM field are that it is essential to fully understand many subjects of STEM, it prepares students for STEM careers, and it can be utilized almost everywhere. Knowing calculus helps people to understand the world around them. Motion in our universe is not always at constant speeds. Planets and other astronomical objects accelerate in different directions, rotate on axes, and revolve around stars. Newton developed Calculus to help him study the motions of planets, but Calculus can also be used to study things on planet Earth. For instance, Newton also used calculus to study the effects of gravity on Earth. Thus, calculus is important to the field of mechanics. However, knowing calculus is also imperative to comprehending other fields of science. For instance, multivariate calculus is heavily used in electricity and magnetism, which our world depends on. Single-variable calculus is also useful in analyzing sigmoid growth curve graphs in biology and ecology. Calculus is also crucial in understanding fluid mechanics, orbital bodies, and reactions in chemistry. Because of all of this, Calculus is important because it allows us to grasp the underlying concepts and principles of many STEM subjects. Students learning calculus also benefit from that branch of mathematics. One of the ways calculus can make students smarter is that it pushes the students’ ability to think abstractly. Thinking abstractly is important for any career field in STEM, and calculus at its core is abstract. Calculus takes a lot of hard work and dedication to learn as well. If a student dedicates time to practicing and understanding calculus, that student can then apply that same dedication to other subjects. Doing calculus problems can also help students in STEM boost their problem-solving abilities. Practicing calculus allows students to incorporate it into other problems about STEM topics. One of the biggest benefits of calculus is its application to modern-day problems. Calculus is the area of math that deals with change, and we do not live in a static world. We live in a world where so many factors and forces cause people and objects to change. Calculus gives us a way to interpret and make decisions based on real-life changes. Calculus is used to solve various problems from those in biology and electricity to those in economics and business. Calculus can be used as a mathematical tool to optimize, analyze, and predict. That branch of mathematics is crucial for making well-thought-out plans, diagrams, and decisions. These are the reasons why I think Calculus is important in STEM.

I live in a household where all of the members of my family have different political views than I do. It can be challenging sometimes, but I make sure that I am honest with my family about my opinions on certain issues. When my family and I do discuss a controversial topic, I make sure that my voice and opinions are heard while maintaining a civil and constructive conversation. I make sure to think of the words that come out of my mouth before I say them to allow my family to be receptive. I also make sure that I am firm on some issues, but I make sure that I am receptive to their points of view as well. For these conversations to not become disorderly, I make sure to actively listen to their opinions and also challenge my own beliefs. What I try not to do is encourage groupthink because there are many instances where I have beliefs that are the direct opposite of what my family members believe. Nevertheless, when I say my beliefs, I make sure that I am respectful at all times and not ramble on. I am not afraid of being censored by my family, but there are times of high tension if I say the wrong thing to them. However, when I am passionate about a topic, I make sure to say my thoughts on it. Living in a household where everyone has a different opinion can be hard, but I make sure that I say my beliefs to my family in a respectful manner.

By the time I graduate from university, I aim to become either a Front-End Developer or a Junior Developer. These jobs seem appropriate for me because I have some knowledge needed to do what these jobs require. My long-term goal is to become a Full-Stack Developer. However, before I can do that, I need to start in an entry-level position. To achieve this goal, I have a general action plan that I will follow. First, I need to get the best grades possible in my classes. Since I am majoring in Computer Science with a focus on Software Engineering, I must get good grades because those can be used as evidence that I understand fundamental concepts needed for my future job. Second, I need to brush up on my programming skills. For me to be a successful developer, I would need to refresh my knowledge of various programming languages. These include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Java. To do this, I will build applications that exemplify my understanding of these languages. Finally, the last part of my plan is to get a better understanding of what back-end development is. For the past two months, I have begun to learn PHP, a language that handles server processing. I would need to continue learning PHP and also start learning SQL, a language that handles databases. One good way to unite all three parts of my plan together is, for one of my classes, to build a project that utilizes the languages I have specified but also incorporates PHP and SQL for database management. Doing this would allow me to showcase the skills needed for my goal career.

For as long as I can remember, math has been an integral, no pun intended, part of my life. From the early years of my life, I can remember being infatuated with numbers. During 2nd grade, I taught myself the powers of 2 before I even knew what “powers'' were. It may be unusual but I enjoy doing math as a hobby. I can recall during middle school and high school, for fun, I calculated the area of a 5-pointed star seen on the US flag given the side length of the star. In eighth grade, I inadvertently found out that the midpoints of a quadrilateral form a parallelogram. In other words, I discovered Varignon's theorem. During my sophomore and junior years, I was able to calculate the volume of a regular tetrahedron by hand given side length. Also, I figured out why the tetrahedral bond angle is approximately 109.5 degrees. Math has always been the subject in school that I excelled at. Math was the subject that contributed the most to my academic success in school. Starting in 4th grade up until 10th grade, I took math classes that were a year above my grade level. I also recall receiving perfect scores on my 7th-grade Algebra, 8th-grade Geometry, and 9th-grade Algebra 2 state standardized tests. I also took AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics in 11th and 12th grade respectively. Some of the biggest reasons why I enjoy mathematics so much are that it is logical and there are solutions to problems. Due to the logical nature of mathematics, it is easy to tell where mistakes were made when trying to attempt a problem. Unlike English where “correct” answers are subjective and can be interpreted in many ways, mathematics can produce a single solution that can be verified using logical mathematical procedures. Mathematics is especially useful in designing and creating algorithms. The process to find the correct answer can be challenging sometimes, but I enjoy the challenge. There are many reasons why I think math is important. The first reason why I think math is important is that it gives us a way to understand our world better using abstract concepts that can easily be turned into concrete examples. For instance, knowing discrete math can be applied to finite structures in computers, such as data structures and databases. These are concrete tools that can be used to build important software applications that we use daily. Also, math allows us to geometrically describe the world we live in, giving us a formal system to describe space and time. Another reason why I think math is important is how much we rely on it. Whether we know it or not, company analyses, economic decisions, hardware devices, and the internet rely heavily on mathematics. Since we live in a heavily digitized world, the ability to parse and organize data is imperative. In addition, mathematics can be used to ensure accuracy in very critical situations, such as space missions, financial transactions, architecture, and medical procedures. My passion for mathematics has not dwindled at all! Currently, I am intrigued by the geometry of algebraic plane curves, specifically closed algebraic curves. Now that I am in college, I can explore various mathematical concepts that others may overlook, such as multivariable calculus and combinatorics. I will continue to be passionate about geometry, numbers, and other disciplines of mathematics while I attend college.

This is a poem describing the first time I ever went on a drop tower at my local county fair. It is called DROP: Acrophobia, the fear of heights, The fear that limits me from having fun, The fear that makes me look like a fish afraid of the water, A coward. I hate this fear, But I can’t get over it. Maybe because I’m afraid of heights, Or maybe because I’m a coward. I dislike amusement parks Because I hate the sensation of falling, And so many amusement parks Have so many rides that make you feel like you are trapped in an elevator, Falling. But this story does not take place in an amusement park Or any torturous hell of the sort. It takes places where kids pet animals, Where the smell of kettle corn lingers in the air, Where I’m not a coward, The County Fair. In the summer of 2016, I saw the things that I hated the most: Drop towers. Those evil, evil, evil devices of torture. I swear I was not going to get on any one of those evil instruments, But a force pushed me, An unquestionable force, My guts. I step up, waiting to experience pain, I got saddled in, feeling queasy and uneasy, I saw the people next to me, saying this was also their first time, Then I saw that we were going up. I didn’t expect it to be so slow, I wanted it to be fast to get it over with, But no, no, no, My guts wanted me to suffer. I went up, And up, And up, And up. It felt like an eternity. But I had hope. I saw the view, Bird’s eye to be more specific. It was beautiful, I felt that I had all the power in the world, Like I was a giant thinking this is normal. I was happy! Until the drop. The tower made a big, “CLUNK” It let me go. All of a sudden, I felt gravity pulling me into its grasp, A situation I didn’t want to be in in the first place. I dropped, And dropped, And dropped, And dropped. I was screaming like a little child afraid of the dark. But this wasn’t the dark, It was speed. The speed was coming to get me. It got worse, And worse, And worse, And worse. It then stopped. It wasn't that bad. It wasn't that high. I went on it again two years later.

1. I abhor writing. I especially hate writing my answer to this weird question. My hatred of writing has led me to become so focused on programming, mathematics, and software development, I do not see the need for perfect writing in this response or in my future career. By awarding me this scholarship, you will reward a student based on potential and not words pasted together in a Google Doc. 2. One goal of mine that pertains to both my academic goals and career goals is to be as lazy as possible. My goal is to become so lazy with my work that I get the best grades and pay as possible while doing the least amount of effort possible. In other words, you can say that I like being efficient. 3. I gave up.

Sometimes, I feel like my own enemy. The mind is powerful. You can think of the greatest things you have done in life, and you can also remember the awkward and embarrassing moments in your life you wish you could undo. During my senior year of high school, I was in a pit of despair and hopelessness. Truly, I felt some days that I would be better off dead. It was almost like I had to fight myself to keep going in life. When people think of adversity, you would usually think of someone having to overcome something outside of their control, like bullying or discrimination. However, I take a different approach to what it means to overcome adversity by overcoming myself. I was my own worst enemy, not anyone else. There were major periods during the 2020-2021 school year in which I was unmotivated, unengaged, and unhappy. They occurred during the first-quarter and third-quarter grading periods during my senior year. I would frequently be detached from my family and say the wrong things to them. My grades were slipping, my social life was waning, and my mindset was not healthy. All of these things negatively impacted my life. I was in many dark phases during my senior year when it should have been one of the most exciting years of my life. I would have negative thoughts in my mind that prevented me from taking action, and I missed out on many opportunities. In addition, my path in life was not what I intended it to be compared to my aspirations from the beginning of my senior year. Altogether, I was the adversary of myself. I did all of these things to myself. No one is to blame for my life course but for me. Thinking about all of these things, I have to do many things to overcome myself. First, I had to put down my pride and seek help from my parents, therapist, and my teachers. This helped pull some of my grades up and gave me hope for a better future. Second, I had to think positively about myself. This allowed me to forgive myself for the unintelligent mistakes I made in my past. Third, I have to stop comparing myself to others. This action caused me to feel frequent despair, so I put myself on a social media detox to allow me to focus more on what actions I would take instead of ruminating about other people and their lives. Lastly, I had to control myself. I learned that instant gratification can hinder you from greatness. Instant gratification prevented me from being 1st in my class to being 2nd. I had the capabilities to become valedictorian, but I became the salutatorian. To correct this, I now focus more than ever on my future and my aspirations. My biggest long-term goal in life is to become a Full-Stack Developer. I have had a passion for programming since the sixth grade. However, knowing what I have learned last year, that could be a lost opportunity if I do not focus and overcome my adversary: me. I have to conquer my own self-doubts, self-pity, and self-sabotage. It is a requirement. I will take what I learned during my senior year and I will use it as a life lesson from that point forward. I will reflect back on this period of my life, and I must ensure that I do everything in my power to avoid a similar situation to this during my time in college. I will utilize the “what-ifs” during my senior year and put them into reality during my time in college. I will make sure to be confident in myself and not self-sabotage myself. Finally, I will make sure to love and respect myself, even though I can be my own worst enemy. As of today, My mental health has improved. I received excellent grades during my first year of college. I have a much brighter outlook on life. I genuinely feel ecstatic right now! My mental health journey was a unique yet understandable process that happened in my life, but I aim to better my community and others through serving, improved thinking, and adopting an internal locus of control.

Sometimes, I feel like my own enemy. The mind is powerful. You can think of the greatest things you have done in life, and you can also remember the awkward and embarrassing moments in your life you wish you could undo. During my senior year of high school, I was in a pit of despair and hopelessness. Truly, I felt some days that I would be better off dead. It was almost like I had to fight myself to keep going in life. When people think of adversity, you would usually think of someone having to overcome something outside of their control, like bullying or discrimination. However, I take a different approach to what it means to overcome adversity by overcoming myself. I was my own worst enemy, not anyone else. There were major periods during the 2020-2021 school year in which I was unmotivated, unengaged, and unhappy. They occurred during the first-quarter and third-quarter grading periods during my senior year. I would frequently be detached from my family and say the wrong things to them. My grades were slipping, my social life was waning, and my mindset was not healthy. All of these things negatively impacted my life. I was in many dark phases during my senior year when it should have been one of the most exciting years of my life. I would have negative thoughts in my mind that prevented me from taking action, and I missed out on many opportunities. In addition, my path in life was not what I intended it to be compared to my aspirations from the beginning of my senior year. Altogether, I was the adversary of myself. I did all of these things to myself. No one is to blame for my life course but for me. Thinking about all of these things, I have to do many things to overcome myself. First, I had to put down my pride and seek help from my parents, therapist, and my teachers. This helped pull some of my grades up and gave me hope for a better future. Second, I had to think positively about myself. This allowed me to forgive myself for the unintelligent mistakes I made in my past. Third, I have to stop comparing myself to others. This action caused me to feel frequent despair, so I put myself on a social media detox to allow me to focus more on what actions I would take instead of ruminating about other people and their lives. Lastly, I had to control myself. I learned that instant gratification can hinder you from greatness. Instant gratification prevented me from being 1st in my class to being 2nd. I had the capabilities to become valedictorian, but I became the salutatorian. To correct this, I now focus more than ever on my future and my aspirations. My biggest long-term goal in life is to become a Full-Stack Developer. I have had a passion for programming since the sixth grade. However, knowing what I have learned last year, that could be a lost opportunity if I do not focus and overcome my adversary: me. I have to conquer my own self-doubts, self-pity, and self-sabotage. It is a requirement. I will take what I learned during my senior year and I will use it as a life lesson from that point forward. I will reflect back on this period of my life, and I must ensure that I do everything in my power to avoid a similar situation to this during my time in college. I will utilize the “what-ifs” during my senior year and put them into reality during my time in college. I will make sure to be confident in myself and not self-sabotage myself. Finally, I will make sure to love and respect myself, even though I can be my own worst enemy. As of today, My mental health has improved. I received excellent grades during my first year of college. I have a much brighter outlook on life. I genuinely feel ecstatic right now! My mental health journey was a unique yet understandable process that happened in my life, but I aim to better my community and others through serving, improved thinking, and adopting an internal locus of control.

Influencing can either be a broadly defined or a narrowly defined term. You have likely heard the term “influencer” for people online who do trivial work and put in little effort to showcase something that has no substantial impact on the world at large. This is the narrowly-defined definition. I like to think of influence as being broad. In my view, the word influence means having the capacity to be compelling enough to bring about a positive change in the world. I influence those around me by my words and actions. I like to encourage others regardless of their current situation or emotion. I like to motivate people around me because I know the importance of how your mindset affects outcomes. During my senior year of high school, I had a lot of trouble focusing on my assignments. One part was the lockdown and not being able to be in person. Another part was my lack of self-motivation. Frequently, I had doubted myself if I could do certain assignments on time. I felt as if I was not smart enough to do them. Now, in my freshman year of college, I have learned and corrected my past mistakes tremendously. I have entered college with many credits beforehand, and my grades have been excellent thus far. I have and will continue to think of myself in a positive light, and I have changed my mindset from what I cannot do to what I can do. This has aided me in my educational endeavors. I am pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science with a focus on Software Engineering. I chose to go into this field because I have had a passion for programming since I was in sixth grade. I started programming using a website called Scratch. It allows you to connect drag-and-drop blocks to build simple programs. I made various things on Scratch, such as a 3d renderer, a platformer video game, and math plotters. In the latter years of middle school, I learned HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Then, in 9th and 10th grade, I got introduced to Java, where I built more complicated programs. Now, I am learning Python and C++. Once I enter the programming industry, I aspire to develop tools and applications to allow people to simplify repetitive tasks. This could impact so many people because it would allow them to save time: everyone’s most valuable asset. I like to think of myself walking across a long river with stepping stones acting as the “bridge” across. Receiving this scholarship would be similar to multiple stones popping up from the water, allowing me to get closer and closer to my final destination of becoming a professional developer. Receiving this aid will help lessen the impact of one of the biggest barriers to success I am facing. By receiving this scholarship, I will be able to help many people close to me and around the world by reducing their workloads and automating repetitive tasks to help them save time.

I am in one of those groups that one would expect to be well-off but, in reality, could use a little help. I come from a household that makes enough money to disqualify me from various government financial aid programs. However, my household makes too little money to afford all of the necessary expenses surrounding tuition and fees. I am of a racial background which, according to the Pew Research Center, make up 9% of all STEM jobs and only 7% of computer science jobs. Nevertheless, I am driven and dynamic, inquisitive and intuitive. I have always interacted with STEM, but I have found that programming is my favorite part of the STEM world. My love for coding started in sixth grade. At the time, I frequently used a website called Scratch, which allows a user to drag and drop blocks to form simple programs. Using Scratch, I have made platformer games and math plotters. I cannot fully express in words the jubilation I experienced when my code ran correctly and it produced the results I wanted. . I knew then that I should be doing this more. Then, in eighth grade, I started tinkering with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, programming languages used to make websites. In 9th grade, I took AP Computer Science Principles, and In 10th grade, I took AP Computer Science A, where I was introduced to the Java programming language. I have had other interactions with STEM. During 9th and 10th grade, I joined a cybersecurity team at my school where we participated in picoCTF and Radford RUSecure CTF. In 11th and 12th grade, I took two Cisco networking courses that gave me an enhanced understanding of how computer networks operate. In addition, I have participated in various local STEM competitions. Now in college, I took two courses that helped expand my knowledge of computer science. I took a course called Discrete Structures, where I learned about the fundamental mathematical concepts surrounding programming. In addition, I took another course that extended my knowledge of Java and taught me the most essential data structure and algorithms I would need to use in a developer job. I am interested in pursuing a STEM degree because of two reasons. During the process of obtaining my degree, I would learn very important skills and concepts that apply to the real world. I have already learned about important data structures and algorithms needed in a developer role, but as I continue my educational endeavors, I will learn other important concepts that I may not have heard of otherwise. The second reason I am interested in STEM is because of all of the opportunities associated with STEM. At my current university, there is a dedicated Career Services department at my School of Engineering. The fact that my university has a whole department based around careers in engineering indicates that there are plenty of opportunities available for me that would make what I am learning worthwhile. I plan to utilize my STEM education by making applications and tools that can help out people across the world. Using my programming skills, I can create applications that can help automate repetitive tasks or even solve interesting problems. For instance, I have ideas on making an application that can make finding relevant external funding for college easier without having to look on many websites or paying a price by using automation. By rewarding this scholarship to me, you would be rewarding a person that has a passion for STEM, the interest of individuals in mind, and the potential to make applications that can benefit the world.

I have a plan that will catapult me into my dream career. I am looking to attend college so I learn new things and explore new topics. I aspire to be in a college with a great program for computer science. Some of the goals I aim to achieve in college are to better my communication, note-taking, and time management skills. Using these, I will become a proficient Full Stack Developer and a well-rounded employee. One of my biggest goals in college is to develop better communication skills. I have shown a history of struggling to get my thoughts across clearly through speaking and writing. This will drastically change during my time at university. Once on campus, I will attempt to communicate with as many people as possible to understand and better my communication. Also, I will try to associate with my peers as much as possible to better my English. Communication will be crucial in my job because I will need to talk to coworkers about projects. In addition, I will likely need to write documentation for my code, comments on my coworkers’ code, and emails to my superior. So, this skill is imperative in my success in college and as a Full Stack Developer. Note-taking is a struggle of mine. This will be improved during my time in college. During my time in college, I will consider various note-taking methods and ask my professors which method is the best to use for that particular class. This skill will aid me in college to a great extent. This ability will also be very important on the job because it will help me learn new technologies quickly. Since the field I am going into will require me to learn new technologies frequently and rapidly, note-taking will essentially be a requirement in my field. I seek to better my time management during my stay in college. Not only will time management be imperative to my success in college, but it will also be crucial to my success after I graduate. Throughout middle and high school, my time management has not proven to be as efficient as it could have been. During my time in college, I will be more disciplined and focused in order for me to be successful. In order to do this, I will jot down better to-do lists and make them more realistic and practical. I will be aiming to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Computer Science when I graduate college. I have been programming since I was in the sixth grade. I have made various projects such as a drawing application, a 3D renderer, and a math graph analyzer. I would like to pursue this as a career. In order to do this, I need to obtain a degree since it is a basic requirement for many developer jobs. In addition, the process of getting this degree will aid me in refining my time management and communication skills, all of which will be important on the job. I plan to get a job quickly out of college. I will likely be a Junior Developer, and this starting job will be my entry into my programming career. As I gain more experience and practice, this job will help me become a Full Stack Developer. This way, I gain new knowledge and build up my programming skills. As a life goal, I would prefer to work along the East Coast in order to stay close to family and avoid the fierce and competitive nature of programmers along the West Coast. What excites me the most about my situation in the world right now is that my destiny is in my control. It is relieving that I am living a life full of freedom and opportunity, but with that freedom comes responsibility. I am excited to be able to better myself through my own actions. A lot of times, external powers and forces can cause devastating impacts on one’s life decisions. Nevertheless, I am fortunate to be in a state of life that allows me to pursue my programming path without the current fear of changing course. Once I have enough money to fund it, I would love to start my own scholarship program. I would love to fund a high school or college student who has demonstrated excellence in school and programming while dealing with a tough situation. That is how I envision changing the world for the better, even if it is in my own community.

It all started in sixth grade. I discovered this website called Scratch. It is a website that has drag and drop blocks that you connect to build programs. Using that website, I was able to make various projects such as a 3D renderer, a chat room, a regression plotter, and a platformer game. In the latter years of middle school, I learned about HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These coding languages are used to make websites, and I have made small web programs using these languages. In 9th grade, I took AP Computer Science Principles. In 10th grade, I took AP Computer Science A, where I tackled Java. It is fair to assume that I have a knack for programming because I got 5s on both of those AP exams. Currently, I am learning Python and C++. My passion, skillset, and ability to program drove me to pursue a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Computer Science. I want to receive a college-level STEM education because I want to learn the theory and the logical reasoning behind particular aspects of programming, such as types of algorithms, time complexity of algorithms, and problem-solving skills. Using my degree, I plan to become a Full-Stack Developer. One of my career goals is to be able to work along the East Coast. I would prefer to work in my state of Virginia at companies such as Capital One or CoStar. Once I leave college, however, I plan to be an entry-level front-end developer or a junior developer. Then, I will work my way up to becoming a full-stack developer. I feel that I am the best candidate for this scholarship because I have a clear-cut plan for my future and I am in need of more funding to achieve my plan. I know exactly which job I want to hold by the time I graduate from university. I need to go to university to absorb new skills and ideas as part of my plan. The only thing holding me back from pursuing education is monetary funding. I have a twin sister going to college at the same time as I am. In addition, I have a mentally disabled 25-year-old brother whose incontinence supplies drain a significant amount from my dad’s income. By funding me in my endeavors at college, you will be funding a hard worker whose plan can be executed and ideas can be put into reality.

Frankly, the World Wide Web would not have been possible if it was not for the work of Tim Berners-Lee. In 1989, while working at a company called CERN, he invented the World Wide Web. He conceived a standard for linking information across computers. Time Berners-Lee drafted this concept in a paper in March of 1989 titled "Information Management: A Proposal".

Have you ever wanted to go back in time? I believe that most people have had moments in their lives that they had wished they could relive. I have had my share, and I can assume that you have had yours as well. But why is that? Well, it is all because of nostalgia. Nostalgia is very powerful. It is a bittersweet feeling we all perceive whenever we long to go back to the past. Nostalgia is influenced by our memories, and our memories can be very powerful motivators and inhibitors. They can make us take certain actions or stagnate progress. Sometimes, thinking about sad memories and remembering better times in the past could prevent us from doing things in the present. Nevertheless, there is one quote that helps me with this problem. “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” These wise words were spoken by renowned author Theodor Seuss Geisel. You may know him as Dr. Seuss. When I hear this quote, I first think of a phenomenon called rosy retrospection. It refers to the process of people reflecting about the past way more favorably than they judge the present. I am guilty of this. For instance, I believe that educational television shows when I was growing up were better than the ones aired on television today. Do I have any logical reason to think this? Not necessarily, but this is just one way how rosy retrospection can supersede objectively viewing the past. Rosy retrospection can lead to us being pensive about past times, but this quote encourages us to think about those times in a different light. I also think about my future whenever I hear this quote. We cannot go back in time. We must acknowledge and accept that what happened in the past will stay there and cannot be experienced again. However, that quote helps me cope with that fact. It gives me the motivation to be grateful that I lived through such an experience instead of wasting time ruminating through what I did or what could have been. Because of that quote, I look forward to what I could do in the future instead of wasting time thinking about my past mistakes. I am not the only one who finds this quote meaningful and inspirational. This quote is so powerful that I saw it posted numerous times in the comments section while I was watching nostalgic YouTube videos. What does all of this mean? Whenever you have a moment of deep sadness because you have regrets you want to correct, do not ruminate so much that you take no action to correct those mistakes. Instead, be thankful that the moment was over and was a learning experience for you. Whenever you have a moment of despair because you cannot relive a beautiful moment, have gratitude for experiencing that moment and smiles at that thought. Whenever you get a blast of melancholic nostalgia, remember, “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

Sometimes, I feel like my own enemy. Your mind is a powerful tool. You can think of the greatest things you have done in life, and you could also remember the awkward and embarrassing moments in your life you wish you could undo. During my senior year, I was in a pit of despair and hopelessness. It was almost like I had to fight myself. When people think of adversity, you would usually think of someone having to overcome something outside of their control, like bullying or discrimination. However, I take a different approach to what it means to overcome adversity by overcoming myself. I was my own worst enemy, not anyone else. There were major periods during the 2020-2021 school year in which I was unmotivated, unengaged, and unhappy. They were during the first-quarter and third-quarter grading periods during my senior year. I would frequently be detached from my family and say the wrong things to them. My grades were slipping, my social life was waning, and my mindset was not healthy. All of these things impacted my life in a negative way. I was in many dark states during my senior year, when it should have been one of the most exciting years of my life. I would have negative thoughts in my mind that prevented me from taking action, and I missed out on many opportunities. In addition, my path in life was not what I intended it to be if compared to my aspirations from the beginning of my senior year. All together, I was the adversary of myself. I did all of these things to myself. No one is to blame for my life course but myself. Thinking about all of these things, I have to do many things to overcome my own enemy. First, I had to put down my pride and seek help from my parents and my teachers. This helped pull some of my grades up. Second, I had to think positively about myself. This allowed me to forgive myself for my unintelligent mistakes I made in my past. Third, I have to stop comparing myself to others. This action caused me to feel frequent despair, so I put myself on a social media detox to allow me to focus more on what actions I would take instead of ruminating about others. Lastly, I had to control myself. I learned that instant gratification can hinder you from greatness. Instant gratification prevented me from being 1st in my class to being 2nd. I had the capabilities to become valedictorian, but I’m now the salutatorian. In order to correct this, I focused more than ever about my future and my aspirations. My biggest long-term goal in life is to become a Full-Stack Developer. I have had a passion for programming since the sixth grade. However, knowing what I have learned this year, that could be a lost opportunity if I do not focus and overcome my adversary: me. I have to conquer my own self-doubts, self-pity, and self-sabotage. It is a requirement. I will take what I learned this senior year and I will use it as a life lesson from this point forward. I will reflect back to this period of my life, and I must ensure that I do everything in my power to avoid a similar situation to this during my time in college. I will utilize the “what-ifs” during my senior year and put them into really during my time in college. I will make sure to be confident in myself and not self-sabotage myself. Finally, I will make sure to love myself, even though I can be my own worst enemy. That is my adversity and it will be defeated.

Sometimes, I feel like my own enemy. Your mind is a powerful tool. You can think of the greatest things you have done in life, and you could also remember the awkward and embarrassing moments in your life you wish you could undo. During my senior year, I was in a pit of despair and hopelessness. It was almost like I had to fight myself. When people think of adversity, you would usually think of someone having to overcome something outside of their control, like bullying or discrimination. However, I take a different approach to what it means to overcome adversity by overcoming myself. I was my own worst enemy, not anyone else. There were major periods during the 2020-2021 school year in which I was unmotivated, unengaged, and unhappy. They were during the first-quarter and third-quarter grading periods during my senior year. I would frequently be detached from my family and say the wrong things to them. My grades were slipping, my social life was waning, and my mindset was not healthy. All of these things impacted my life in a negative way. I was in many dark states during my senior year, when it should have been one of the most exciting years of my life. I would have negative thoughts in my mind that prevented me from taking action, and I missed out on many opportunities. In addition, my path in life was not what I intended it to be if compared to my aspirations from the beginning of my senior year. All together, I was the adversary of myself. I did all of these things to myself. No one is to blame for my life course but myself. Thinking about all of these things, I have to do many things to overcome my own enemy. First, I had to put down my pride and seek help from my parents and my teachers. This helped pull some of my grades up. Second, I had to think positively about myself. This allowed me to forgive myself for my unintelligent mistakes I made in my past. Third, I have to stop comparing myself to others. This action caused me to feel frequent despair, so I put myself on a social media detox to allow me to focus more on what actions I would take instead of ruminating about others. Lastly, I had to control myself. I learned that instant gratification can hinder you from greatness. Instant gratification prevented me from being 1st in my class to being 2nd. I had the capabilities to become valedictorian, but I’m now the salutatorian. In order to correct this, I focused more than ever about my future and my aspirations. My biggest long-term goal in life is to become a Full-Stack Developer. I have had a passion for programming since the sixth grade. However, knowing what I have learned this year, that could be a lost opportunity if I do not focus and overcome my adversary: me. I have to conquer my own self-doubts, self-pity, and self-sabotage. It is a requirement. I will take what I learned this senior year and I will use it as a life lesson from this point forward. I will reflect back to this period of my life, and I must ensure that I do everything in my power to avoid a similar situation to this during my time in college. I will utilize the “what-ifs” during my senior year and put them into really during my time in college. I will make sure to be confident in myself and not self-sabotage myself. Finally, I will make sure to love myself, even though I can be my own worst enemy. That is my adversity and it will be defeated.

hroughout my life, I have always pondered what is my purpose. I have had periods of massive stagnation and productivity throughout school. As I look back, I realize that my life is filled with various activities that will likely aid me into getting into my dream school. While in high school, I have been in the Matoaca High School cybersecurity club, Future Business Leaders of America, and Matoaca SPIRIT Team, but I want to emphasize my experience with the Best Buds Club, Technology Student Association, and Matoaca High School Academic Team. The Best Buds Club is special to me because I have a special needs brother who went to my current high school. What's so special is that Matoaca is the hub for the majority of special needs students in Chesterfield County, Virginia. I always wanted to be in a club where I can interact and help special needs students. As the Historian of this club for two years, I can say I am proud to be a member of this club because not only do I record our activities, I also have input in deciding what activities we will do in our meetings that integrate special needs students and regular education students. I am one of the few members of the Matoaca’s Technology Student Association. In 11th grade, I was the treasurer. Now, I am the Vice-President of this club. We participate in district-wide meetings and compete with other schools using various technologies such as 3D printing, coding, and engineering. I was a leader at one of these conferences in 11th grade when the President wasn’t able to attend. I motivated my group to perform as best as we possibly could, and I wanted to make sure I was organizing our efforts. This leadership probably led the sponsor of my group to appoint me as Vice-President. In 11th grade, I represented Matoaca High School on Battle of the Brains, a Virginia-based academic TV show. Even though we didn’t win, I felt that this is something not many people get to do, so I’m grateful for the opportunity. I do trash cleanup in my neighborhood. I picked up trash and recyclable items from the streets, shoulders, and park in my neighborhood. I come from a well-off family, but I have a twin-sister going to college at the exact same time as me. I do not have a lot of money and I currently do not have a job. So I am applying for as many scholarships as I can. I do not have nearly enough money needed to go even to an in-state school. I am afraid college will cost more than what the college might offer to me, so this scholarship will alleviate some of the financial burden on me. My goal after college is to become a full-stack web developer. I love programming, and I’ve been doing it since I was in sixth-grade. I hope to work for a company on the east coast of the United States.