One. That’s the number of parents I’ve always had. To me, there has only been my mom. My “father” was anything but a parent. To me, he will always be my abuser and nothing more. While I would love to say that his actions and words did not affect me, that wouldn’t be the truth. One of the main results of his abuse was the way I viewed myself and therefore my future. I was told by my abuser that I wasn’t enough. It didn’t matter if he was referring to my appearance, character, or intelligence, I was lacking in all aspects. The repeated insults to my intelligence hurt me the most because I have always loved learning. It didn’t take long before the way I measured my intelligence grew distorted. I knew that all the remarks about my intelligence weren’t true but I couldn’t help to think “What if he’s right?” I believed that anything short of perfection translated to failure. I’ve struggled with this idea for many years but more recently I’ve made progress. I don’t wish to stay the same person throughout my entire life, I want to constantly change for the better. So while I still struggle with accepting that perfection doesn’t determine my intellectual value, I’ve made tremendous progress. This progress has made me determined to pursue my passions and realize I will do it well. I’ve always been a curious person and determined to find answers to my questions. I enjoy working to find answers because there can be multiple ways to do so and it’s satisfying when you finally do. I believe this enjoyment and curiosity lead me to technology, specifically computer science and engineering. In a field such as this one, I will be able to solve problems my way. I will also be able to continue learning throughout my life because technology is constantly changing and growing. I already know that I wish to apply for a 5-year program that will let me receive both a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and a master’s degree in computer science. I hope in this time that I will be able to gain experience through an internship at a company that will allow me to grow. My long-term goals consist of two parts, a career in industry and then later in academia. After I graduate from university, I want to pursue being a software architect because it will allow me to solve both technical and management problems. I believe this position will help me grow to understand all aspects of the technological world which will help me in the second part of my long-term goal. Later in life, I wish to go back to school to get another degree so that I can become a professor at a university. I wish to go back to the academic world and help others with the knowledge I’ve acquired. I have big goals and I know that for the next several years I will be in school and this comes with many expenses. On top of normal living expenses, I will have to pay to get my education for the next 5 years. This scholarship would be an astronomical help to me in achieving my goals in the time I wish to. This scholarship will allow me to get help while I prove to myself that my intelligence is not something to be questioned but fostered.

I didn’t show up, I was just there doing something any other person would do right? That’s what it seemed like to me but I was wrong. Not everyone was there and it made constantly being there that much more impactful for not only the person I helped but for me as well. We can be very close to someone but not tell them everything that has happened to us whether it be in the past or present. We may withhold the information intentionally or unintentionally for several different reasons. It’s personal, you don’t want to bother someone else, it would cause a ripple effect, it never comes up in conversations. Whatever the reason, we don't always tell those close to us about the negative things in our life (and we are not obligated to if we really don’t want to). For most, going through something that makes you feel bad is made even harder when no one knows about it. This was the case with one of my friends. Due to many types of stress in their life, they started to feel negative about many aspects of their life and felt alone. They didn’t share anything with anyone because they feared that it might be brushed aside as other things had previously been by people they believed cared about them. So at the time, I was unaware anything was wrong, I believed that everything was good. Because I believed everything was good, that my friend was happy, I didn’t change my behavior. I treated them exactly like I usually did but doing this made my actions so much more impactful to my friend and me. My friend always knew that I cared about them but they got to see my actions of love and care through new eyes. They were once again reminded of that care and love that I showed daily in various ways. It gave them the courage and desire to share what they had been going through with me and I was able to help them through the situation. The effect my normal behavior towards them had on them had a very big impact on me as well. I previously believed that I was very bad at showing any type of affection to anyone especially when I truly cared for them. I had gotten into the mindset that anything I did wasn’t good enough because I could be doing better. I often beat myself up over it and I felt out of control in that aspect of my life because I was chasing perfection that didn’t exist. But hearing my friend describe the ways I showed my affection towards them through my actions and the impact it had made me realize I needed to change my way of thinking. I realized that my way of thinking was unhealthy because it constantly set me up for failure and I set out to try and change it. Sometimes I still feel like I’m not doing enough to show I care but my mindset is so much better than it originally was surrounding that idea. It’s been a slow process but I am better now than I was before and I will continue to work on it so that I can continue to become better than I was previously.

“Everyone is different. Everyone is unique”. This is something everyone has heard multiple times throughout their life and if we can accept this as fact why isn’t it taken into account when talking about education? A variety of teaching and study methods need to be utilized in schools to ensure proper learning for all types of learners. Doing this will allow more students to feel compelled to continue learning and be successful in their educational careers. Everyone learns differently and why wouldn’t they since everyone is different. It would make perfect sense that these differences also apply to the way each individual interprets and learns things. Some methods of teaching and studying work better for some but not for others. Currently, the focus of most schools is to teach students just enough for them to pass the next exam. Because of this approach students only remember information long enough to take their tests. The cramming this requires often leads to students having a negative attitude toward education. Using different teaching and study methods will help students determine which works best for them and allow them to have a quicker, better understanding of what they’ve learned. Students will become more confident in their abilities leading to a positive attitude towards education. This positive attitude helps students feel encouraged to pursue their interests whether be in general education, continued learning at a university, or in the work field. The confidence someone feels in their learning and studying abilities also contributes to their success in their educational career. Having a variety of methods for every type of learner allows students to experience less stress when it comes to education. This is because they learn what they’re capable of and therefore can grow to feel confident in those abilities. Learning what you’re capable of also shows you what you aren’t capable of, your limitations become apparent. Students can use this information to create a realistic schedule. For example, I am a visual learner when it comes to history and use things such as mind maps and timelines. Because I know this I can study more efficiently in a shorter amount of time than if I used the current traditional method. I can then focus on other things I need to do or wish to do which reduces some of the stress that comes with school. We are constantly told how everyone is different but why isn’t this considered when discussing education? These differences apply to learning styles as well. To ensure proper learning for all types of learners, a variety of teaching and study methods need to be utilized in schools. Having something for every type of learner compels more students to continue learning and be successful in their educational careers.

I’m someone who has both seen and experienced mental health in all its forms. I’ve seen how it can cause someone to nearly give up on the idea of continuing. I’ve experienced the small everyday struggles it causes. Unfortunately, there’s a negative view of mental health and everything that comes with it. Because of this view, many individuals don’t ask for help leading to multiple issues arising as a result. To help more people who struggle with mental health, we need to get rid of the negative views surrounding the topic. I’ve personally seen the results of this negative perception. From my experiences, warped ideas begin to form in an individual’s head which leads to unhealthy thoughts, decisions, and actions. The individual begins to believe they’re the problem and therefore require change, they need to do better, be better. It causes them to lose themselves in trying to be what others say they need to be. This can only go on so long though, eventually they burnout. But if we change how people perceive mental health we can create an environment that allows people to reach out without being ashamed or scared. Topics that require discussion will not be brushed aside and ignored simply because it’s “bad, wrong, and improper”. There is a negative perception surrounding mental health and it needs to change because it leads to individuals forming warped ideas and views of themselves which leads to unhealthy thoughts, decisions, and actions. Getting rid of this negative view will allow discussions that need to be had to take place without people fearing judgment or alienation. By getting rid of the negative view surrounding mental health more people will open up and get the help they not only need but deserve.

Technology has led us to discover and create many things throughout history. Some have had a bigger impact than others but they have all had an impact. They have inspired others, me included. One piece of technology that has inspired me and makes me believe technology can make the world a better place is bionic prosthetics. Bionic prosthetics are made with compatible materials to enable the wearer with a piece of technology as close to the real thing as possible. These prosthetics offer those wearing them flexibility, mobility, and strength all while being relatively lightweight. Some even have inbuilt myoelectric sensors which means it’s directly connected to the human mind, allowing the action of gripping or holding something to become a reality at the mere thought of it. There are even some researchers trying to take this technology even further by experimenting with the idea of giving back prosthetic wearers a sensation they either lost or never even had. Touch. These researchers aim to achieve the goal of giving these individuals the sensation of touch despite their prosthetics by creating the technology needed to do so. The invention of bionic prosthetics has not only made the world a better place but seems like it will continue to do so. Bionic prosthetics inspire me and confirm my belief that technology can make the world a better place because it pushes the connection between humans and technology. This connection helps further benefit the people of the world who face a variety of issues concerning their health.

I have not always appreciated and derived pleasure from reading, when I was younger I avoided it due to having trouble with it. This difficulty lead me to actively avoid reading when it wasn't strictly necessary. When I was in 6th grade my older sister convinced me to read a book she had fallen in love with and thought that I would too if l gave it a chance. Only after reading this book, despite not being required to, did I start to enjoy reading. It soon became something I did every chance I could get. It became a simple pleasure for me because of what I was able to get out of it. When reading I get to experience the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the characters the author has brought to life for people other than themselves. These characters are a glimpse into the mind of the author so in a way, I get to learn a bit about who the author is. I get a glimpse of what the human mind is capable of, something I find extraordinary. Despite many people reading the exact same book, word for word, everyone's thought process is unique. This opens up new trains of thought despite readers discussing the same thing. I am able to form new connections within my mind as well as with others, opening new possibilities. Simply reading allows me to undergo many new things. New experiences. New trains of thought. New connections. New possibilities. AII of this is what makes me derive happiness from reading, it makes reading one of my favorite simple pleasures.

How do you end up with a family? This may seem like a strange question when it's first asked but it requires some thought. Is your family the one you're born into? Is it the people you end up surrounding yourself with such as friends and a significant other? In the end, family is whatever you choose it to be, it includes whoever you want it to include. Sometimes though people are stuck in situations where their "family" hurts them in several different ways and they put up with it because “they’re family right?”. I can understand this better than others might be capable of because I speak from personal experience. As a result of the abuse I have experienced at the hands of "family" I have questioned how you end up with family and what the word truly means. And it has led me to decide that I would like to adopt someone who went through a similar abusive experience that I did. I want to tell this person how you end up with a family and what a family is. I want to encourage them to choose to let people into their family that truly care and would never continue the abuse that their “family” inflicted on them. I know that not everyone will think helping one person is a big accomplishment, but I disagree. Even helping one person is helping. And who knows maybe this person will do the same in the future as a result of this. Or maybe I'll help more people on the way while trying to help just one. But even if I help one person, I'll be happy that that was the impact I left on the world.