My relationship with math hasn't always been easy. As a little girl, I actually hated the subject; it felt like a foreign language I couldn’t decode. Even when I arrived at high school, Algebra was incredibly difficult for the first few weeks, and I felt discouraged. However, I refused to give up. As I pushed through the frustration, I started to see the underlying logic, and the 'hard' problems began to make sense. This breakthrough changed everything. My initial struggle grew into a genuine passion, leading me to challenge myself with AP and honors-level courses. I am proud to say that I will be taking Calculus next year. This journey from hating math to mastering it has taught me that intelligence isn't fixed—it’s built through persistence. Today, math is the tool I use to keep my life organized while caring for my three younger sisters, ages 5, 8, and 10. Whether I am calculating time-blocks for their schedules or helping them with their own schoolwork, math provides the structure I need. This passion also fuels my career goals. In anesthesiology, I will rely on precise calculations to ensure patient safety, and in real estate, I will use mathematical logic to navigate the market. I love math because it proved to me that I can overcome any challenge with hard work, and it gives me the precision I need to succeed in my future professional life.

As a high school sophomore, my life is a busy mix of school, track practice, and church service. While most people see me as just a student or an athlete, I am also working hard to become the first person in my family to ever go to college. This goal is really important to me because I come from a home that is often financially unstable. I’ve seen how hard my family has to work just to get by, and I know how stressful it is when money is tight. This scholarship is more than just a way to pay for school; it is the bridge that will allow me to actually attend college and pursue my dream of becoming a nurse. My desire to go into healthcare really started with my service at the Texas Food Bank through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When you grow up in a house where you have to be careful with every dollar, you understand the pressure that families at the food bank are feeling. It isn’t just about being hungry; it’s about the stress of not being able to afford the things that keep you healthy. Seeing people in my own community struggle for basic needs made me want to do more. I want to be a nurse who focuses on nutrition and wellness because I know that being healthy shouldn't just be for people who have a lot of money. I want to help families like mine learn how to take care of themselves even when they are struggling financially. Being a female athlete on the track team has taught me how to be tough. When I’m running the 200m or 400m dash, my legs are tired and I’m out of breath, but I have to keep going to reach the finish line. I feel like my life is a lot like that right now. Being a first-generation student means I don’t have a parent who can tell me exactly how the college process works. I have to figure out a lot of it on my own, and the financial part is the biggest hurdle. In track, you need a strong start and a strong finish. I’m working on my "start" right now in my 2026 school year by keeping my grades up and staying involved. This scholarship would be the teammate I need to help me make it to the finish line of a nursing degree. Volunteering at the GT Camp also gave me a chance to lead. I worked with students who were really smart but sometimes got frustrated when things were hard. I had to learn how to be patient and encourage them. I think those are the exact same skills you need to be a great nurse. Patients are often frustrated or scared, especially if they are worried about how they will pay for their medical bills. I want to be a nurse who understands that side of things and advocates for people who feel like they don't have a voice in the system. In the end, I know that I matter because I have the determination to break the cycle of financial instability in my family. I am sprinting toward a future where I can use my education to give back to my community and my church. With this scholarship, I will be able to focus on my education and become a nurse who leads with strength and compassion for everyone, no matter their background.

As a high school sophomore and a track athlete, I’ve learned early on how much what you put into your body actually matters. When I’m getting ready for a 200m or 400m race, I can feel a huge difference in my energy based on what I ate that day. But my interest in nutrition isn't just about sports. My time volunteering at the Texas Food Bank with my church has shown me that a lot of people want to be healthy, but they just don't have the resources or the right information to make it happen. This is why I want to become a nurse. I want to be the person who helps patients understand that food is basically medicine for their bodies. In my future nursing career, I plan to help improve people’s health by making sure nutrition isn't just an afterthought. Usually, when people go to the doctor, they get a prescription and some quick advice, but they don't always get a real plan. As a nurse, I want to take the time to really talk to my patients about their eating habits. My experience with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has taught me a lot about compassion and helping people where they are. I want to use that same approach in a hospital or clinic. I want to sit down with people and help them figure out small, easy changes they can make to eat better without feeling overwhelmed. One of the first steps I’ll take to encourage healthier habits is looking at a patient’s whole life, not just their symptoms. Working at the Texas Food Bank was a huge eye-opener for me. You can’t just tell someone to "eat more fresh fruit" if they live somewhere where the only store nearby is a gas station. As a nurse, I want to help bridge that gap. I want to know if my patients actually have access to healthy food. If they don't, I want to be the kind of nurse who knows about local community programs and food banks so I can give them real resources that actually work for their situation. Another step I plan to take is focusing on what I call "food education." When I volunteered at the GT Camp, I realized that kids and even adults learn way better when you keep things simple and fun. I want to create easy guides for my patients that show them how to read those confusing labels on the back of food packages. A lot of people don’t realize how much sugar or salt is in "healthy" looking food. If I can teach them how to spot those things, they can start making better choices for themselves. I think helping people feel like they are in control of their own health is one of the most important things a nurse can do. Lastly, I want to lead by example. Being a track runner has made me very disciplined about my own health and what I eat to perform my best. I want to bring that same energy into my nursing career. I think people are more likely to listen to someone who actually practices what they preach. I want to show my patients that eating healthy isn't about being perfect—it’s about giving your body what it needs to stay strong and avoid getting sick in the long run.

Service has been a constant thread in my life for as long as I can remember. Between the high-pressure environment of a track meet and the quiet, reverent halls of my church, I’ve learned that life isn't just about my own finish line—it’s about who I help along the way. Whether I am running a 200m dash or volunteering with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my goal is always to make sure the people around me feel supported. To me, the phrase “I matter” is a reminder that my actions can be the turning point for someone else’s day. One of the most impactful experiences I’ve had was working at the Texas Food Bank with my church youth group. On those Saturday mornings, the warehouse is loud and busy, filled with the sound of boxes being taped and pallets moving. It’s a lot of hard work, but it changes your perspective. I remember one specific time we were packing emergency food kits. I started thinking about the families who would open them—the kids who might finally have a full meal because of our few hours of work. It wasn't just about the food; it was about the community coming together to say, "We see you, and you aren't alone." That feeling of shared responsibility is something I carry with me everywhere. My faith has also given me the chance to serve in very personal ways, specifically assisting with baptisms at my church. This is a role I take very seriously because it’s such a sacred, once-in-a-lifetime moment for the people involved. Being there to help keep things organized and respectful requires a level of maturity that I’ve had to develop over time. It taught me how to be calm and focused, qualities that actually help me when I’m getting into the blocks for a race. Whether I’m at the church font or on the track, I’ve realized that being reliable is one of the best ways to show people you care about them. This spirit of helping others also shows up during track season. Back in 2025, during my sophomore year, one of our 4x200m relay runners was having a really hard time. She was talented, but she had lost her confidence after a bad handoff. In track, if you don't trust your teammates, the whole race falls apart. I stayed after practice with her for a week, just working on the timing and talking through the nerves. I told her about my own mistakes in middle school to show her it was okay. We ended up taking 2nd place that season, and seeing her smile at the medal ceremony was better than any individual win I’ve ever had. Finally, volunteering at the GT Camp allowed me to help younger students who struggle with the pressure of being "gifted." I remember one girl who was ready to quit a project because it didn't look perfect. I sat down with her and helped her realize that the "mistakes" are actually what make the work interesting. It’s funny how a little bit of encouragement can totally change someone’s mood. In the end, I believe I matter because I choose to show up for others. From the Texas Food Bank to the baptismal font, and from the GT Camp to the track, I am dedicated to being a leader who leads with a helping hand. As I look toward my graduation and the 2026 season, I plan to keep sprinting toward a future where service is at the center of everything I do.

My journey as a student-athlete began in the sixth grade, standing on a track and waiting for the crack of a starter’s pistol. Over the last several years—from my middle school relays in 2024 to my current position as a Junior Varsity sprinter in 2026—I have learned that success is a game of millimeters and milliseconds. Whether I am running the 200m dash or acting as a teammate in a 4x200m relay, the goal is always the same: peak optimization. This obsession with performance, consistency, and efficiency is exactly what led me to the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). To me, AI represents the ultimate "track meet" of the mind, where the goal is to refine algorithms until they reach their highest possible potential. My hands-on experience with technology began with a desire to understand the data behind my own athletic performance. I started by exploring how data sets can predict outcomes, which led me to experiment with tracking my progress over multiple seasons. Using foundational coding principles, I began analyzing my race times from the 2024 and 2025 seasons, looking for variables such as weather conditions, recovery time, and lane assignments. I wanted to see if I could predict my 2026 performance based on my previous growth. By organizing this data, I was able to see patterns in my starts and transitions that were not obvious during practice. Beyond the track, my work as a volunteer for the GT Camp has provided me with a unique perspective on the human side of technology. Interacting with gifted students and assisting teachers in the classroom has shown me that every individual learns and processes information differently. In the AI field, there is a significant need for adaptive learning, and my time at the camp has inspired me to want to bridge the gap between high-level technology and educational accessibility. I believe the biggest impact I can make in AI/ML is in the realm of educational equity. I foresee a future where ML models are used to create personalized curriculum paths for students based on their unique strengths—much like how a coach adjusts a training regimen for a sprinter versus a long-distance runner. As I continue my education and my track career through my high school graduation, I am committed to maintaining the discipline required to master AI. Just as I spent the 2026 school year shaving seconds off my 200m dash to take 1st place, I am prepared to spend the coming years refining my technical skills. This scholarship will provide the resources necessary for me to pursue advanced certifications, allowing me to transform my passion for patterns into a career of impact. I am ready to put in the work, stay in my lane, and sprint toward a future where AI serves everyone.