My little brothers grew up with golf clubs in their hands and an affinity to hitting the ball straight. I confess that I was initially nothing like that. Instead, as a child, I loved to talk. My parents put me into competitive speech & debate and this is something I have deeply loved since I was 8 when I delivered the Declaration of Independence from memory at a 4th of July celebration before 16,000 people. Since then, I have went on to compete and win nationally in many different leagues and a variety of different events. This includes being the Coolidge Cup Declamation Champion, Sons of the American Revolution Oratorical National Finalist, American Legion National Semifinalist, STOA National Initiation Tournament of Champions Apologetics Finalist, and VFW Voice of Democracy State Finalist. I love everything from declamation to impromptu, and enjoy doing debate as well. My favorite subjects to speak on are theology, history, current events, and motivational subjects, and I can speak endlessly on economics! My passion for communication has spilled into the rest of my life. Although I got into golf later than most, I have pursued the opportunities available to me in First Tee, Youth on Course, and other programs to grow my game as fast as possible. The most valuable lesson that golf has taught me is undoubtedly the lesson of perseverance. There were often times I felt like quitting because I just wasn't as good as my own little brothers. However, my perseverance paid off as I have watched my game improve. I have begun seeing life as one long golf game: although we have birdie holes, we also have bogey holes - sometimes we just make par - but the objective is to keep cool and not give up. Although I will be joining yet another male-dominated field, my natural love for language and affinity for math has made me fall in love with programming. This is a career that empowers me to not only communicate, but also to create. I am going to study computer science and entrepreneurship at Arizona State University Barret Honors College. My dream is to own my own business, potentially in a technical field. I am working on building my own app by the end of the year. I loved to volunteer throughout high school, spending hundreds of hours giving back to my community. I volunteer at my library, tutor students internationally in disadvantaged communities to 180+ point increases in SAT scores so they can apply to American universities, and completed a congressional internship serving constituents. However, one of my favorite volunteer opportunities has undoubtedly been First Tee. I volunteer for about 6-8 hours weekly in both the freezing and melting weather, teaching children from ages 7-13 in the game of golf. This is something I would love to continue in college. Although I have worked very hard to achieve a 4.0/4.47 GPA, 1530 SAT score, and numerous extracurriculars and college credits, college is still very expensive. I am facing additional tuition costs of about $20k that is not covered by my savings or scholarships I have earned, as well as looking at buying and maintaining a car to commute to college. Receiving this scholarship would be significantly helpful in paying for college. I have faced a lot of rejection and setbacks as a homeschool student trying to navigate the college journey on my own. I want to do my best with the opportunities given to me and go beyond my circumstances to continue to contribute to my community and make a meaningful difference by having a company of my own. This scholarship would invaluably empower me to pursue such goals.

From cheering a chip-in hole-in-one to holding back tears after a series of three-putts: many of my best and worst moments have been on the golf course. I cannot imagine my life without golf, although my family was completely oblivious to the game until my younger brother introduced it to us merely five years ago. Now, you can find us at the range at least three times a week, volunteering at First Tee every week, playing the course at least every weekend, and practicing indoor putting and chipping every night. Golf has made perseverance a scarlet thread in my life. For example, my focus throughout high school was on competitive speech and debate. One of my worst moments was when I began doubting if I was speaking on the right topic in the middle of a state finals competition. Due to this self-doubt, I lacked a certain amount of passion and placed second by merely one point. My fears had been unwarranted, and I never forgot that I let fear take control over my mind. I was often deeply frustrated with my golf game and wanted to quit. I started playing the game later than most and did not excel as my little brothers did. However, my memory of letting my mind slip during that speech motivated me to keep playing. As Martin Hall on Golf Pass loves to say, “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting. Make the effort. Make the change.” I took that to heart and began to stop looking at other people’s scores and focused on lowering my own. I pushed away a previous poor shot (after analyzing it to see how I could improve) and gave the next shot my best effort. Slowly yet surely, at very specific moments, I began to see a break-through: my putts went in the hole, my chips landed near the hole, and my drives flew straight and true. Finally, after the long, dark tunnel, I glimpsed the light. This became useful when I was intimidated by challenging tasks, such as when I took a College Algebra class in three weeks or taught myself physics. However, I remembered the lessons of the golf course and broke down the mountains into sizable hills, surmounting them one at a time. I ended up graduating College Algebra with a 4.0 and a newfound love of mathematics, and physics became one of my favorite subjects in high school. This year, I succeeded in the very competition which I had failed in last year, and am heading to nationals. Finally, I shot a birdie in life. Since then (and a few good and bad games later), I now see life as one long game of golf. We often have “bogey” holes, but we have every potential to “birdie” in our next moment, rather than creating a snowball effect and ruining the rest of the round. It is not only about golf, but also the mental game that I am mastering and that I will continue to play throughout my life. When I encounter challenges, self-doubt, and find myself stuck in past failures, I remember: the next shot can be my best shot. Golf may not be a forgiving game, but it is definitely a life-changing one. This leads me to ask you, will you make the next shot your best one? Because golf is not just a game: it is a training ground for our lives. I encourage you to swing straight and true and give it your all, because your hole-in-one is waiting!

Imagine knowing that no matter what you did in your life, you would always be subjected to treatment based on where you were born. Over 1 billion people live with this knowledge: the people of India. Subjected to the caste system, these people know that no matter how hard a person works, they will always be in their caste. As my Father is from India, he has helped me gain a better perspective on this discrimination and inequality, and it has moved me on behalf of all those subject to inequality, especially over 100 million people called untouchables. Untouchables aren't even considered a part of the caste system. They are subject to severe discrimination- because of their birth or religion. This is a terrible injustice that personally grieves me. I have seen this myself in trips to India. I try to promote equality by being kind and friendly to everyone that I can, and treating them as fellow humans. I have had friends of many different ethnicities- but this has rarely mattered to me. As someone had wisely said, there is only one race, the human race. I hope to encourage you today to treat everyone with respect regardless of station, religion, or skin color. To smile and speak kindly to them. Please think of those in India who are doomed to the caste system- let us not put those around us in a caste system as well. Let us fight for the right to view everyone with equality; as in the inspiring words of Martin Luther King, Jr., that we may live in a world where we will not be judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character.

“Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is reason.” -G.K. Chesterton I looked at the blank page before me and picked up the pen at my side. I allowed my mind to throw off its shackles preventing distraction and unleash the words that brewed deep within me. Like a rushing river, unspoken words slipped from my tongue and tumbled across the blank page. Thoughts translated to text as I unleashed the passion within. Ah, writing, the blissful joy! To build worlds when before there was blank nothingness. I love being creative, and I especially value the fact that it balances my logical and analytical side. From my youngest age, I was creating worlds. I can go from drawing logical diagrams and debating economics to, in the very next sentence, chatting with imaginary characters or turning an experience into a poem. I like to see situations in unique ways and marvel at it silently. I enjoy the freedom of cooking a gourmet meal, writing an essay, building a website, or even musing the meaning of life as I pace for hours. With a few exceptions, I never like to hear people say that there's only one way to do something and I often try to do something different- even if it doesn't work out as well. I embrace my uniqueness and celebrate my craziness. I employ this creativity in school, work, and my daily life- hoping to help those around me see the circumstances around them as different, new, and exciting. In summary, the world is a place with endless opportunities and I wish to capture a small part of it and preserve the wonder of a child as I creatively explore the world around me.

The pattering rain on the roof of our house in the middle of the night. The warm sunlight softly caressing my face. The wind whistling through my hair as I run through the fields. The rustling of the leaves as the trees whisper secrets to one another. Nature is marvelous to me, and I do my best to be a good steward of God's creation. I try to pry my mind away from my busy life and simply appreciate the fragility and beauty of the world around us- from the fluttering butterfly to the roaring waterfall. I love nature for many reasons. For one, we cannot create anything more marvelous that nature; we can only attempt to mimic it. It also reminds me how small and seemingly insignificant I am in the vast world of wonder that surrounds me. Nature also brings me some peace and joy, and allows my fears and worries to melt away as I watch in awe the molten gold of the sunset or bask in the feeling of the open air. I appreciate nature by trying to show kindness and attention to the world around me. I clean up trash if I can and take care of the environment. I love taking walks and hikes with my family. I also enjoy gardening- my family's garden in the backyard has become a place of relaxation and a little piece of paradise. In summary, I love nature because it helps me to better appreciate the life I have been given and the world in which I live, and I try to show this appreciation by exploring and caring for nature as well as preserving it for the future. I hope to have encouraged you to do the same.

Does anybody in the world feel uncared for or unloved? Does anybody wish for a listening ear? Does anybody crave for someone's simple time and appreciation? Empathy is powerful because it lies within the hearts of people, passing through the barriers of age, ethnicity, and language. To understand this better, let us try to clear the confusion that often lies between empathy and sympathy. Simply, sympathy means to understand a person's pain, but empathy means to feel their pain with them. An example would be the difference between listening to a person and listening with them. When I wonder how I should act towards a person, I put myself into their shoes and ask myself what I would want if I was them. In other words, I do my best to follow the Golden Rule, "treat others as you wish to be treated." Almost always, I find that I simply want someone to be there with me. For me, showing empathy is giving an earnest ear, a helping hand, or a tender touch of encouragement. If my younger siblings ask me to listen to them, I urge them to open up about how they feel. If my friends seem discouraged, I ask them about how I can help. If someone looks lonely, I do my best to speak with and appreciate them. Whether a person is a child, a businessman, or a ruler of a nation, they simply want to be heard and appreciated. Empathy is one heart speaking with another so that both can mend. We see that empathy is a powerful weapon that dissolves the darkness of loneliness and helps bring some light to our lives- and best of all, it is one that we all possess. I encourage you today to show empathy to those around you.

“When in the Course of Human Events!” A ten-year old girl boldly declared to her stuffed animals, lined up in her bedroom. A few days later, that same girl recited the Declaration of Independence from memory to crowds of thousands, from either big stages or the center of a rodeo. She was nervous, but not afraid- she had done this before. As her father always told her, “take in the excitement and release the energy.” For a few brief moments she was no longer a child, but an instrument out of which words flowed like a river, her voice rising and falling as the breeze while others listen. --- I am a public speaker, something that I have been heavily passionate about since I was a young child. My vivacious personality and insatiable energy have often worn out the ears of those around me- while filling me with endless enthusiasm. My beginning of being a public speaker started at the age of eight when my parents prompted me to memorize the Declaration of Independence. I also became part of a speech and debate organization at the age of nine. However, just because a person may be passionate about something, it doesn’t always mean that it’s always easy for them to continue doing it. Over the years, I have sometimes found myself discouraged and haven’t work as hard as I should have. As a result, this brought a slump in my success. However, prayer and practice has brought on greater results. As John Adams practiced Cicero, I hope to inspire those around me and use my voice to channel the power of words as I continue my oration both in my bedroom and on the stage- and I thank God and my family for their never-ending support.

Life isn't based on circumstances, it's based on choices. Yes, circumstances play a large part in people. However, it doesn't define them. The beliefs that a person holds within their heart turns into actions that they do with hands- and then leads into the choices that define who they are. I'm not saying that past choices always dictate our lives and that we can't escape from them. Instead, I'm saying that what we're doing, right now, is a choice. And these choices that we make come with sacrifice and struggles with the promise of splendor, with the hope of achieving the goals that we have in our lives. This is important to me because I've realized that we often judge ourselves and others by our circumstances. However, no one can be defined or held down to such limitations. My Mother and I made a phrase once, and it went something like this, "You can choose to change, but you can also choose to stay the same." What choices are you making now in life? What are you valuing with your time and resources? To better understand ourselves, let us look into our hearts and identify the choices that we're making; let us shine the bright light of truth on the little cobwebs in the shadows and clearly see who we are. I encourage you today to choose to be positive, objective, and kind- to not be influenced by something because it’s just what everyone else says. Our lives- and what we are often remembered for- are not so much our circumstances but what we did with them: our choices. I hope to inspire you to pause for a moment and reflect: what choices are you making today?

"If only I had…If only I was like…If only I could…" The grass always seems greener on the other side. That is, until we get there. As humans we often think of happiness as a circumstance. If we had or was or could be like someone or something else, we would be happy. Our lives would be perfect. Every day would be bliss. The ironic thing is, everyone wants what everyone else has, and everyone always thinks that everyone else is happy when they're all searching for the same thing: meaning and purpose in life. The matter of fact is that happiness isn't a result of a circumstance when everything works out, because life rarely does. It's a choice, a conscious choice to lift up others and showcase positivity., even when things go wrong. Instead of relapsing or falling back into the hole of self-pity and despair, happiness means to be content with the place that we are in and strive to get better- this is an opportunity to grow and learn from, and perhaps help others along the way. What is it that makes me happy? Well, only the faith and certainty that my God is in control and that He knows the end from the beginning- I am safe with Him. I am happy to be around my family who loves me, to enjoy my friends who inspire me with their optimism, and to daily seek how I can better grow and learn. I've learned that happiness isn't something that we can buy from the things of this world- we always want more. Happiness is a choice- a choice to accept and work towards. It's not always easy, and everyone falls at times, but rest assured that you can make it- and maybe bring someone along with you.

There I am, with my friends all gathered around me as they show their wonderful art pieces to each other. As I glance at my writing sadly, one friend exclaims to me in encouragement, "Hey, writing is an art too!" I have never been known as an artist, my expertise in this aspect residing almost solely in stick figures. Yet I have been inspired with the symmetry of my father's diagrams, the handiwork of my mother’s painting, the coloring books of my younger siblings, and the wonderful art regularly shown to me by my very talented and yet humble friends. However, while I find that it is stunning scenery that moves me, it is the faces of people that inspire me. In discovering Norman Rockwell in my literature course, I was fascinated with his lifelike detail of people and the vivid stories that can be seen on every canvas. Upon seeing "The Freedom of Speech," my mother walked me through some details of the painting that I had not noticed before. The piece has a beauty to it, a clarity and intelligence. There, in a room full of people of unique ages, opinions, looks, and wages; a blue-collar worker is standing up and clearly stating his opinion. Everyone is listening raptly, with respect for their fellow man and what he has to say. The beauty of America is seen in the freedom of his speech, whatever it may be; clearly portrayed in the brushstrokes of Norman Rockwell. I find it inspiring to me as an American to understand the rights that I have been given, to know that my opinion is valued, and to speak free of discrimination. I am grateful that Rockwell preserved in canvas the beauty and power of free speech for all generations present and to come.

Investing sometimes seems like buying a ticket for the lottery- a small risk that may return in "big bucks!" However, investing is more of a science that requires careful analysis of data along with some common sense. Along with my family, I have studied investing for the past several years and have been counseled on how to be a good and productive steward with my resources. I have also started investing on my own. I was personally counseled to take risks and to not be afraid of the unknown, as I am a young person. It sounded simple at first, but as soon as I put money into my account, I realized it was much harder to follow that advice. It constantly seemed like the market was on a high that may quickly slump to a low- and I kept saving my money in the hopes for a "great deal" for the stocks that I wanted to invest in. Meanwhile, my father told me that if I had simply invested in a stable stock such as the S&P 500 index fund (a stock that holds stocks in many companies), I would be gaining money rather than it just sitting in my account. One investing tip that I have taken to heart is that it is better to take some risk rather than to sit in indecision. Indecision is an enemy that will leave us off worse than where we started. By making it a daily practice to analyze and consider stocks, even if only for a few minutes, a person becomes a more confident investor. Of course, stability is also essential, but the fundamental tenant remains that indecision is a dangerous slippery slope. I have learned that even making a small, stable investment is better than none at all.

There I was in India on a trip to visit my relatives. With both my mother and my uncle (a doctor) watching my every move, there was no way for anything to go wrong. However, they did not plan for my Grandfather to pull off on the side of a busy street to get me coconut water straight out of a coconut. I appreciated his thoughtfulness...but that did not go over well. My family has always valued health and nutrition. From a young age, I've learned that nutrition and taste are often opposites. As my father likes to say, most things in life have both a benefit and a cost in one way or another. Choosing a healthy lifestyle is a difficult choice that has long-term benefits. On the other hand, eating that doughnut we know we shouldn't eat provides immediate pleasure, along with the promise of future sweat and tears. No, I don't always make the right choice. And I find myself regretting it- sometimes. In my opinion, the best way to live a healthy life is to choose a lifestyle, not a once-in-a-while salad. This lifestyle includes a few minutes every day of going outside (if possible) and having a straightforward workout routine (even if it's just pushups). Eating green foods and enjoying fruits and nuts are also wonderful ways to improve our diets- which directly affect our health. While we can still enjoy the foods we love, it's best to keep track of what we eat and to see how it affects us. Perhaps most important, however, is spending regular time with those we love and the One who loves us above all. This gives us purpose and meaning in life- except perhaps when we're on a trip and would just like to have a good time.

I had missed the deadline again for my assignment. I hadn't practiced enough for my speech tournament. I'd found it hard to succeed at anything and often just let my mind wander. How could I ever get out of this hole? It seemed endless, relentless. Time and time again, I submitted my schedule to the tomorrow that never came. I kept dreaming of a morning when I would jump out of bed and suddenly spot a magical pill that would make me productive and happy. So the cycle continued. Grades dropped. Passion waned. Enthusiasm to do my best practically disappeared. Then I started tracking the time I spent, as my Father had told me to do for years. Over several months, I was astonished to realize how much time a day I spent in an unproductive manner. And for once, I was determined to change. I began to realize how much I could get done when I took a break from chatting with friends and browsing the internet. I started getting essays edited, speeches started, and activities accomplished. I was inspired to plan my time and to accomplish my agenda accordingly. Not only was I happier, but my family was pleased. I didn't always get "first prize," but I felt the joy of winning because I knew I had done my best. Now, several months later, I am a changed and hopefully better person. I have more time with those I love and effectively enjoy the time I spend by myself. While I still get overwhelmed at times, following a schedule has made a profound impact on my life. I've realized that you just don't wake up outside the hole- you climb out one step at a time.