My goals in life are to succeed in academics as well as make a difference in my community. Every day at school I keep busy by being actively involved in the Miami Learning Experience, a non-profit school for children and adults with developmental disabilities. My club and I walk to raise awareness and raise funds for those who have developmental disabilities in our community. I am also part of Sofia’s Hope Organization, which raises awareness for the needs of children with cancer. I help organize 5K runs that raise awareness and funds for children with cancer. My club members and I coordinate and help set up the infrastructure for the 5K run before it starts. As part of my school’s Magis Tutoring program, I tutor students after-school struggling in a myriad of subjects, such as Math, Science, English, and History. I help students complete challenging homework questions and prepare them for quizzes and exams. Furthermore, when the school’s tutoring system moved to an electronic platform, YTeach, I independently continued to tutor students. For those students who needed additional assistance, I initiated afterschool and Spring Break Zoom tutoring sessions for the Math and Science Advances Placement exams. Also, having served as Treasurer for the Science National Honor Society chapter is one of my most notable accomplishments. In this role, I petitioned the school to change the math curriculum to benefit students taking science courses. In particular, the initiative pertained to our physics course. I advocated that teachers introduce vectors, a crucial back of physics, earlier to students in 10th grade while taking Algebra II and Trigonometry. This would prepare students for the vector-based questions and mathematics applications in physics and help students perform better and more efficiently in class. Thus, this would free more time for AP Physics teachers to review for the AP exams. To facilitate this transition in curriculum, I created a unit plan detailing the amount of time it would take to teach the suggested course with sample questions and topics. This ultimately helped convince the faculty. As Vice-President of the Future Doctors of America club, a medical career-oriented club, I scheduled speakers and doctors to share their expertise with club members. I also planned certification events such as suturing, first aid, Stop the Bleed, and CPR training. Furthermore, my most special leadership experiences extend beyond the classroom. The opportunity to serve and advocate for my community is my passion. Thus, the sole reason for The City Guardians, a service organization I founded. My past activities involved providing hurricane relief to the citizens of Everglades City, Florida and assisting them with FEMA paperwork for Hurricane Ian recovery funds. The City Guardians also organized collections, donations and distribution of care packages to the homeless community in Miami during the Thanksgiving holiday. My foundation has also extended our services to special needs children at the Passion For Change Therapy Center. We volunteered our time and created fun sensory activities for the children. This past holiday we ended the year with a major holiday collaboration fundraiser for the His House Children's Orphanage in Miami. The City Guardians organized petitions for donations and brought the 144 children at the center various presents from their holiday wish list. The impetus of my organization, The City Guardians, is to make a difference in my community; to offer hope, relief and compassion. These ongoing projects define my purpose in everyday life and exemplify the leadership values I wish to pass on to my friends, volunteers and the recipients of these projects.

On April 14th of 2021, without warning, I lost complete vision in my left eye. I suffered an eye stroke, a Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). Upon examination, I could barely see from my right eye with a 20/400 on the visual acuity exam. I remember waiting for hours in the stark hospital room, each second feeling like an agonizing eternity. My head spinning just thinking about the future implications of this eye stroke and curious about what may have caused it. After countless hours of tests and examinations, the doctors weren’t any closer to finding the root cause of my CRVO. The doctors assumed it was provoked by COVID. Without answers, I put my health in the hands of the medical team and began my medical treatments. Determined, I carried on with my commitments and studies, and my pending five Advance Placement examinations. My determination and perseverance guided my studies while on the other hand, I researched every possible cause for my illness. I had a mission and nothing, even this CRVO, was going to stop me. After nine months passed, my vision slowly improved and my test scores came back, but my curiosity and determination persisted to find the root of my disease. This ordeal, helped me grow in faith and perseverance. I learned about self-growth and persistence. Ironically, the loss of my sight gave me strength, direction, and will. It sparked a sense of purpose to pursue a career that would provide better screening and treatments for patients with CRVO. Today, I'm a little closer to knowing what caused my eye stroke and vision loss; a possible side effect of a blood clotting disorder. But this curiosity is what drives me to become a doctor and immerse myself in research and collaboration in the field of biomedical engineering to create the world’s first vision-correcting eye or treatment. I feel science and research are the answer to vision loss. Science has been a long-time passion of mine, but now it has become a necessary tool to achieve my dream. My solemn promise is to restore the light taken from many, including myself. Today, I no longer fear the number 20/400. It represents my journey; a life challenge that ignited an internal flame to pursue the field of neurobiology. I am driven to let it burn brightly, and guide me as I work tirelessly to find answers and create a cure for CRVO. The last result of my last vision acuity test was 20/40 and my scores on all of my five AP examinations were 5's! Although my vision is far from perfect, I am grateful that I can see the path ahead of me.

On April 14th of 2021, without warning, I lost complete vision in my left eye. I suffered an eye stroke, a Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). Upon examination, I could barely see from my right eye with a 20/400 on the visual acuity exam. I remember waiting for hours in the stark hospital room, each second feeling like an agonizing eternity. My head spinning just thinking about the future implications of this eye stroke and curious about what may have caused it. After countless hours of tests and examinations, the doctors weren’t any closer to finding the root cause of my CRVO. The doctors assumed it was provoked by COVID. Without answers, I put my health in the hands of the medical team and began my medical treatments. Determined, I carried on with my commitments and studies, and my pending five Advance Placement examinations. My determination and perseverance guided my studies while on the other hand, I researched every possible cause for my illness. I had a mission and nothing, even this CRVO, was going to stop me. After nine months passed, my vision slowly improved and my test scores came back, but my curiosity and determination persisted to find the root of my disease. This ordeal, helped me grow in faith and perseverance. I learned about self-growth and persistence. Ironically, the loss of my sight gave me strength, direction, and will. It sparked a sense of purpose to pursue a career that would provide better screening and treatments for patients with CRVO. Today, I'm a little closer to knowing what caused my eye stroke and vision loss; a possible side effect of a blood clotting disorder. But this curiosity is what drives me to become a doctor and immerse myself in research and collaboration in the field of biomedical engineering to create the world’s first prosthetic eye. I feel science and research are the answer to vision loss. Science has been a long-time passion of mine, but now it has become a necessary tool to achieve my dream. My solemn promise is to restore the light taken from many, including myself. Today, I no longer fear the number 20/400. It represents my journey; a life challenge that ignited an internal flame to pursue the field of neurobiology. I am driven to let it burn brightly, and guide me as I work tirelessly to find answers and create a cure for CRVO. The last result of my last vision acuity test was 20/40 and my scores on all of my five AP examinations were 5's! Although my vision is far from perfect, I am grateful that I can see the path ahead of me.

I love math because the core skills can be used to make advancements and improvements to the quality of life in our world. Math requires critical thinking, problem-solving, reasoning, and analysis. These math skills are important in the fields of medicine, science, engineering, technology, economics, and finance. Math gives us the discipline to calculate, quantify, logically think, reason, collect data, hypothesize, find relationships, and provide needed answers to questions. It answers the who, what, when, where, why and how. It is the thrill of finding these answers of the unknown that drives my passion for Math. My passion for math led to one of my greatest senses of fulfillment up to this point in my academic career when I get to share my knowledge in multivariable calculus. As a tutor for the Mu Alpha Theta Society and the Science Honor Society, I encountered many levels of frustrated students who simply just need some guidance and tips. As their tutor, I try to break down the problems into a few steps by showing them instead of telling them how to solve them. My most memorable moment was getting to tutor my good friend, Danny. I knew he was a bit proud and humbled himself to ask for my help, so I had to make an effort to ease the awkwardness of the session. He is a smart student, so I casually reassured him of that upfront, and then dove right into the calculus problems. I began to give him some strategies on how to approach the questions by creating diagrams for each step. After a few successful problems, I could see his tension had subsided. He was under pressure to do well in his math, so I needed to help him regain his confidence to relieve him of that stress. Thankfully, it worked. I felt proud and accomplished for Danny. But most of all, honored when he asked me for another tutoring session for the AP exam. Today, Danny has excelled in the math and sciences. He gave me the greatest compliment that not only has he learned to be good in Math, but now shares in my very same passion. Just like me, Danny is excited to be applying his math aptitude at the college level. We are both going into the engineering and medical field.

In my eighteen years of life, I have experienced two major tragedies which have impacted and influenced my career path. As a young child, I experienced the loss of my dear Aunt, Iris, to cancer. I was too young to understand the reasons but old enough to feel the grief of her absence. Once again a few years later in elementary school, I lost my friend, Breanna, in fifth grade. I was a little older yet I still couldn't comprehend why she was taken from us. I was broken and frustrated and the medical explanations were not enough. Why couldn't the doctors treat and heal them? That was the resounding question that haunted my thoughts growing up. It was then that I decided I would make that difference. No child should have to face the prospect of losing a friend or relative, but the reality is that many people do; I did, twice. Both of my loved ones suffered from degenerative diseases of their organ tissues that eventually led to their passing. For these reasons, I am pursuing a study and career in biomedical engineering, and medicine to give people a second opportunity to fight these diseases. As a future doctor and researcher, my priority will be to fight the causes and effects of pestilence, not just its symptoms. My passion to become a doctor and immerse myself in research and collaboration is fueled by the memory of my friend and the struggles my aunt faced with her disease. I plan to use neuroscience and intertwine my biomedical engineering knowledge with the hopes of repairing the various congenital issues that affect many children and adults today. Science has been a long-time passion of mine, but now it has become a necessary tool to achieve my dream. My personal goal is to also research the area of preventive medicine to find a cure or provide innovative cancer treatments for children. Sometimes pediatric cancer patients undergo cancer treatments that are initially created for adults. More studies should be addressed on the efficacy of these treatments for children. My particular interest in brain research in biomedical engineering and cellular neuroscience would support this goal. My dream would be to learn from the various pioneers in the field and use that experience to initiate cutting-edge research to relieve the extensive and grueling treatments for pediatric patients today suffering from cancerous tumors. My solemn promise is to restore the quality of life taken from many. Today, I use the memories of my friend and aunt’s struggle as a motivation to help others. It inspires me on my journey to pursue the field of research and medicine. I am driven to let it burn brightly, and guide me as I work tirelessly to find answers for degenerating diseases, prevention of cancer, and providing innovative treatment options for children with cancer.

A young researcher, Dr. Matthew Marcos, with a peculiar connection to his field of expertise, Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience, was the person behind this breakthrough for the visually impaired, the world's first vision-enabled functional and mechanical eye.

My diligence in academic work is driven by a personal goal I set back in primary school. A silly childhood promise to myself as Student Council President to always earn good grades and help others in my community. It is this childhood memory that became my biggest challenge and motivator to succeed. My academic successes were recognized with being awarded the National Merit Commended Student and a National Hispanic Recognition Scholar, and a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. In addition, I have earned a designation of AP Scholar with Distinction for achieving the highest level of a 5 in all of the ten AP exams taken. Besides my commitment to academics, my service to others is equally important. My parents have always instilled that strong moral ethics and compassion for others are essential to becoming a true professional in any career. Thus, much of my pass time I spend finding opportunities to volunteer and provide services to those in need. I’ve been recognized for my commitment to my community with a Book Award from Brandeis University for Social Action and Civic Engagement. The opportunity to serve and advocate for my community is an honor. Thus, the sole reason for The City Guardians, a service organization I founded. My organization has engaged in many ways to help the unfortunate in our community. My past activities involve fundraising and providing hurricane relief to residents most affected by Hurricane Ian and donating clothing, hygiene products, and vitamins to homeless citizens. I have also assisted FEMA and the citizens of Everglades City, Florida by filing paperwork for Hurricane Ian recovery funds. My experiences in founding The City Guardians, have opened my eyes to the needs of our community. Last year in December the foundation helped children with social and special needs in Miami. My foundation provided holiday arts and crafts activities such as finger painting, ornament decorating, and fun outdoor games for the special needs children at Passion For Change. We ended the 2022 year with our biggest fundraiser. I petitioned local businesses and provided over 150 watches, socks and basketball shorts as holiday presents for the 144 orphaned children at His House Children’s Home. My educational goals are to become a biomedical engineer. In 2021, a life-changing event disabled me without warning. I suffered an eye stroke, diagnosed as Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). Faced with so many obstacles and uncertainties, I was determined to carry on with my commitments and studies while propped up on my hospital bed. Due to this ordeal, I grew in faith and perseverance. It motivated me to pursue a career in engineering and medicine. With my strong will and determination, I plan to immerse myself in research and collaboration in the field of biomedical engineering to create the world’s first prosthetic eye. A scholarship from Richard P. Mullen Memorial would be essential for me to achieve my dream of finding a cure for vision loss. As I plan to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, my mother has had to take an unpaid leave of absence from her teaching position and we face the possibility of enduring some financial hardships. I know my career path will be long and unfortunately expensive therefore, this scholarship will reduce my financial burden and assist in fulfilling my dream.

Sitting in a stark cold emergency room at the Bascom PaImer Eye Institute, I couldn't help but wonder about the severity of each patient's illnesses before me. I was surprised at the realization that many patients, just like me, were there due to a sudden onset of vision loss. Luckily, several months later I had recuperated my vision. Yet, I learned that less than half of patients with blinding eye diseases such as mine, were not as lucky. For most patients, these treatments do not work and patients rarely recuperate their vision. This lack of resources for treating blinding eye diseases has motivated me to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering. In college, I want to study optogenetic therapy, a rapidly evolving genetic neural engineering technology. I am interested in this approach because research suggests that it may have the ability to restore visual function in blind patients. My purpose is to fight the causes and effects of diseases, not just the symptoms. I am interested in research to learn, understand, and acquire knowledge on how to create fully functional and movable prosthetics and apply this to patients suffering from vision loss in order to restore their eyesight. There are extensive opportunities in college to immerse myself in various research activities. I will be able to advance my knowledge in the engineering field by studying with professors and attending related medical seminars. During my college career and academia, I will be able to make connections between different disciplines to integrate my knowledge into new technologies. I understand making headway in the field of ocular movable prosthetics will be difficult due to a lack of research in the field. For these reasons, I strive to make a future where biomedical engineering improves and provides a promising prognosis for patients. After college, I intend to apply to medical school and become a neurosurgeon. I believe by understanding the needs of those in the operating room, I can better respond to treating disease. All of my career goals are motivated by experiences in the early years of my life. At a young age, I was confronted with the death of two young friends. Both suffered from defects in their organ tissues that eventually led to their passing. Since then, my story shifted and life created a new chapter of strength and purpose. My passion for innovation, neurology, bioengineering and optogenetics is influenced by these experiences. Ophthalmology is a current area in medicine that lacks innovative approaches and treatments. This is why I want to be a biomedical engineer, to give people options and a second opportunity to see and write the next chapter of their story. Therefore, I believe that I would be a good candidate to receive this scholarship due to my passion and commitment to medicine and the advancement of treatments for eye diseases. As a person who has suffered first-hand vision loss and medical issues, I feel that I must address the topic of ocular health in adolescents, which often is overlooked. A scholarship would be essential for me to achieve my dream of finding a cure for vision loss. As I plan to pursue both a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering and a Doctor of Medicine, my career path will be extensive and expensive. This scholarship will reduce my added financial educational burden compounded by my recurring medical expenses for my CRVO treatments.

I live in a modest urban neighborhood lined with homes of working families. The streets come alive with bustling cars zooming in and out in the early morning and late afternoon. Throughout the day the streets are quiet and innocent. Yet, in the light of day crime does not cease to exist here. Thieves scour the neighborhoods and shamelessly steal from others. Not long ago I ordered much-needed Advance Placement Practice books for school online. Shortly after, anticipating the delivery, I found out they were stolen from my front porch. I was frustrated due to this unexpected inconvenience. I had a study deadline to meet and the new shipment of AP books was on backorder. Sadly, my neighbors have had similar incidents. We have complained to the delivery companies and filed written police reports but these crimes continue to happen. I'm sure many more citizens like me around the U.S. have faced the same frustrations and predicaments. Package theft in the U.S. is a rampant issue that affects 51% of online shoppers. Porch Pirates are a big problem in our nationwide communities. Even though many homes have security cameras in place, many brazen thieves are still stealing packages in broad daylight. According to the 2017 Insurance Quotes Survey, about 26 million Americans had packages stolen from their front porch. These thefts are costing businesses millions of dollars and the cost is being passed along to the consumers. Surprisingly, most packages are stolen by day while homeowners are out working. Although many residents have modern security cameras or video door rings which alert the homeowners, all of these crime prevention measures still do not deter thieves. Most thieves simply bypass these security features by using face coverings to hide from being identified. This is a difficult problem to solve and it will continue to cost victims, Corporate America and merchants millions of dollars to replace. In an attempt to solve this alarming issue, I have come up with a plan for a smart delivery system. With the funds to do so, I would create a Smart Application that tracks when a homeowner arrives at their home and prompt whether the delivery can take place within a certain timeframe. Upon the homeowner accepting the email or text message; either drones, smart self-driven vehicles or a common human-driven vehicle will make the delivery at their scheduled convenience. Changing the delivery method practice results in cost-effectiveness, reduction in theft, and convenience to the customer. The different mode of transporting and delivering the package provides flexibility to both the logistical company and the consumer. Another direct benefit of this delivery model is that it will improve delivery time and energy savings, as the smart device will have an algorithm matching the time the consumer is home, the time frame of delivery, and traffic patterns. The delivery will take place when the least amount of traffic is experienced. Also, since most packages will be delivered after working hours, the smart delivery system will most likely free up traffic congestion during the day and encounter less traffic at night. The smartphone application will also require the retrieval of the delivered package by the customer scanning a QR code to match it with the customer's phone. I believe this multi-drive solution requires the necessary resources to develop the tool. The funding, research, and development will make it become a reality!

My two most meaningful extracurricular achievements are my foundation, The City Guardians, and receiving the Brandeis Book Award for Social Action and Civic Engagement. These achievements represent my commitment to helping my local community. I’ve always taken the initiative to give back to my community and have never been complacent or afraid of a challenge. My past volunteer work with the homeless and special needs students have opened my eyes to the many hardships people and children face. Therefore, this led to the establishment of my community service organization, The City Guardians. I founded The City Guardians Organization, to provide services and assistance to small local communities and citizens. My organization identifies communities and people in need, gathers donations and distributes these donations directly to citizens. My goals are to offer quick assistance to various underserved communities during times of need and around the holidays. For instance, this past October of 2022, The City Guardians organized two events for the citizens of Collier County devastated by Hurricane Ian. On our first visit, The City Guardians and their volunteers delivered clothing, cleaning supplies, and detergent donations, and assisted FEMA and the citizens of Everglades City with important paperwork filing for Hurricane Ian. After further assessing the needs of the community, The City Guardians petitioned for more help and returned with more needed donations of toiletries, vitamins and medical supplies. During the Thanksgiving holiday, we collected many donations and distributed care packages to the homeless community in Miami and provided fun sensory art project activities for the autistic students at Passion For Change Behavioral Therapy Center. Last year, we ended the year, with a major holiday collaboration fundraiser event for the His House Children's Orphanage in Miami. The City Guardians brought a smile to each of the 144 children at the center by donating at least one gift item from their holiday wish list. The impetus of my organization, The City Guardians, is to make a difference in my community; to offer hope, relief, and compassion. These ongoing projects define my purpose in life and values consisting of positivity, cooperation, and a sense of community by bringing friends, volunteers, and sponsors together. During my college years, I hope to continue these projects and help those underserved on campus as well. I have learned it takes a village of community partnerships to embark on these types of projects and make them a success. Hopefully, I can inspire other college students to contribute and believe in the common good as well. After graduating from college, I hope to continue my service to the community as a medical researcher and doctor. My goal is to help others gain normalcy in their life by advocating for advancements in eyecare and conducting medical research to cure those suffering from debilitating eye diseases. I already started this initiative by participating in biomedical engineering research experiences in summer college programs. I have gained a greater understanding of the creative abilities needed to address the medical needs and problems of current society. I feel my continued work in medical research and commitment to advocating for awareness of various viruses such as Bartonella and COVID that can lead to eye diseases will bring more attention to the matter and provide more innovative treatments. As I plan to pursue both a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering and become a Doctor of Medicine, my career path will require an extensive financial commitment. By being a recipient of this scholarship, it will assist with reducing my financial burden and fulfilling my dream.

As I place my tee on the box, I clench my club and line up the shot. Routinely, I practice my swing right before and adjust my stance accordingly, but, today was different. I was interrupted; my line of sight was blurred and I couldn't pinpoint the flagstick. This was the first time I realized the impact of my stroke. Just like Samuel D. Hartley, I have been a long-time lover of golf. Since the age of 11 when my mom bought me my first set of clubs, I began to caddie for some of the golf coaches at a nearby golf range with the hopes of getting free lessons and tips. I was always fascinated by the sport and I knew golf was a game of constant improvement. I continued to volunteer at different ranges in the summers and also dedicated time to my school and community. Although I was not honored to meet Samuel Hartley, I was recognized by the very organization he was a part of, the American Legion. I was recognized and given the American Legion School Medal award for my leadership, service, honor and scholarship in fifth grade. My love for the game continued through high school as I played my way up from the Junior to Varsity teams. It was in the middle of my junior year when a sudden onset of vision loss affected my performance. Without warning, I lost vision in one eye after an eye stroke, commonly known as a Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). The uncertainty of my vision impairment was frustrating and frightening. Despite all of the advancements in medicine, there were few options to treat CRVO. At the moment my future in golf seemed grim and I was determined to fight back and persevere. It was this first-hand experience with sudden vision loss that ignited my desire to pursue a medical career. The treatments I was offered were outdated and started back in 2005, and experimental injectable eye treatments such as Avastin and Eylea were the protocols. Ironically, this lack of research and the loss of my sight gave me the strength and direction to find better options. I should be considered for the Samuel D. Hartley Memorial Scholarship because I will honor the passions we have in common. My goals are to pursue a career where I could research and create less invasive treatments for patients suffering from CRVO. Personally experiencing these painful treatments fuels my desire to find preventative practices or alternatives to this debilitating disease. My commitment to the field of biomedical engineering and neurology is to discover specific and effective treatments for CRVO and patients with vision loss. I plan to create the world’s first fully functional mechanical eye so people like me can once again play at 100%. Therefore, I believe that I would be a good candidate to receive this scholarship due to my passion and commitment to medicine and the advancement of treatments for eye diseases. As a person who has suffered first-hand vision loss and medical issues, I feel that I must address the topic of ocular health in adolescents, which often is overlooked. A scholarship would be essential for me to achieve my dream of finding a cure for vision loss. As I plan to pursue both a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering and a Doctor of Medicine, my career path will be extensive and expensive. This scholarship will reduce my added financial educational burden compounded by my recurring medical expenses for my CRVO treatments.

Sitting in a stark cold emergency room at the Bascom PaImer Eye Institute, I couldn't help but wonder about the severity of each patient's illnesses before me. I was surprised at the realization that many patients, just like me, were there due to a sudden onset of vision loss. Luckily, several months later I had recuperated my vision. Yet, I learned that less than half of patients with blinding eye diseases such as mine, were not as lucky. For most patients, these treatments do not work and patients rarely recuperate their vision. This lack of resources for treating blinding eye diseases has motivated me to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering. In college, I want to study optogenetic therapy, a rapidly evolving genetic neural engineering technology. I am interested in this approach because research suggests that it may have the ability to restore visual function in blind patients. My purpose is to fight the causes and effects of diseases, not just the symptoms. I am interested in research to learn, understand, and acquire knowledge on how to create fully functional and movable prosthetics and apply this to patients suffering from vision loss in order to restore their eyesight. There are extensive opportunities in college to immerse myself in various research activities. I will be able to advance my knowledge in the engineering field by studying with professors and attending related medical seminars. During my college career and academia, I will be able to make connections between different disciplines to integrate my knowledge into new technologies. I understand making headway in the field of ocular movable prosthetics will be difficult due to a lack of research in the field. For these reasons, I strive to make a future where biomedical engineering improves and provides a promising prognosis for patients. After college, I intend to apply to medical school and become a neurosurgeon. I believe by understanding the needs of those in the operating room, I can better respond to treating disease. All of my career goals are motivated by experiences in the early years of my life. At a young age, I was confronted with the death of two young friends. Both suffered from defects in their organ tissues that eventually led to their passing. Since then, my story shifted and life created a new chapter of strength and purpose. My passion for innovation, neurology, bioengineering and optogenetics is influenced by these experiences. Ophthalmology is a current area in medicine that lacks innovative approaches and treatments. This is why I want to be a biomedical engineer, to give people options and a second opportunity to see and write the next chapter of their story.

I’ve experienced three major tragedies in my life which have influenced my career path. I experienced the loss of my friend, Breanna Vergara, in fifth grade. Breanna was a family childhood friend with whom I grew up. She was an avid dancer and collapsed one day during practice due to sudden cardiac failure. The unfortunate reality is that her death could have been prevented through proper medical EKG preventive screening. Once again, in high school, heart failure took the life of my classmate and friend, Anthony Parodi. For many years, Anthony suffered from a weak heart and spent many years waiting for a transplant. Both of them suffered from heart defects and degenerative diseases of their organ tissues that eventually led to their passing. The lack of advanced cardiac screening in young adults has become an important issue for me. No child should have to face the prospect of losing their life due to lack of resources or technology. This prospect became even more personal later in my life. In 2020, I was reminded of my mortality when I lost most of my vision due to a stroke in my left eye. Unsure what caused my vision loss, my future became cloudy. From then on, I aimed to become a doctor and to immerse myself in research in biomedical engineering to create the world’s first prosthetic eye. My goal is to become a doctor and immerse myself in research and collaboration fueled by the memory of my friends and personal experiences. I plan to use neuroscience, computer science and intertwine biomedical engineering knowledge in the hopes of repairing the various congenital issues that affect many children and adults today. Science has been a long-time passion of mine, but now it has become a necessary tool to achieve my dream. My personal goal is to also research the area of computer science and optogenetics to create a cure for vision loss and the world’s first prosthetic eye. Brain research in biomedical engineering and cellular neuroscience would support this goal. My dream would be to participate in cutting-edge research to relieve vision loss and possible neurological treatments for stroke victims. My solemn promise is to restore the light taken from many, including myself. I am driven to let it burn brightly, and guide me as I work tirelessly to find answers for degenerating diseases and find a cure for vision loss. This is why I am applying for this scholarship. I am seeking assistance with my financial obligations so that I may pursue my studies in the field of biomedical and computer science engineering, and one day give others a second opportunity, to walk, to see, to live.

I’ve experienced three major tragedies in my life which have influenced my career path. I experienced the loss of my friend, Breanna Vergara, in fifth grade. Breanna was a family childhood friend with whom I grew up. She was an avid dancer and collapsed one day during practice due to sudden cardiac failure. The unfortunate reality is that her death could have been prevented through proper medical EKG preventive screening. Once again, in high school, heart failure took the life of my classmate and friend, Anthony Parodi. For many years, Anthony suffered from a weak heart and spent many years waiting for a transplant. Both of them suffered from heart defects and degenerative diseases of their organ tissues that eventually led to their passing. The lack of cardiac screening in young adults has become an important issue for me. This is why I support the Breanna Vergara Foundation, which provides free EKG heart disease screening for local schools and student-athletes. No child should have to face the prospect of losing their life. This prospect became even more personal later in my life. In 2020, I was reminded of my mortality when I lost most of my vision due to a stroke in my left eye. Unsure what caused my vision loss, my future became cloudy. From then on, I aimed to become a doctor and to immerse myself in research in biomedical engineering to create the world’s first prosthetic eye. My goal is to become a doctor and immerse myself in research and collaboration fueled by the memory of my friends and personal experiences. I plan to use neuroscience and intertwine biomedical engineering knowledge in the hopes of repairing the various congenital issues that affect many children and adults today. Science has been a long-time passion of mine, but now it has become a necessary tool to achieve my dream. My personal goal is to also research the area of optogenetics to create a cure for vision loss and the world’s first prosthetic eye. Brain research in biomedical engineering and cellular neuroscience would support this goal. My dream would be to participate in cutting-edge research to relieve vision loss and possible neurological treatments for stroke victims. My solemn promise is to restore the light taken from many, including myself. I am driven to let it burn brightly, and guide me as I work tirelessly to find answers for degenerating diseases and find a cure for vision loss. This is why I am applying for this scholarship. I am seeking assistance with my financial obligations so that I may pursue my studies in the field of biomedical engineering, and one day give others a second opportunity, to walk, to see, to live.

To be of service to others is what integrity means to me. I consider myself an honest person who values character and principles. I have practiced the virtues of honesty and high moral principles in the roles that I have taken from club treasurer roles, mentorships in my church, volunteer services for special needs students and donating care packages to the homeless in my community. Even at times when I over-extend myself to community activities, I never back down from a commitment. My roles have supported these principles and characteristics. My grandfather, an army veteran, was a man of honor and bravery; it's through volunteer work that I honor his memory. Many times I have come across veterans who are homeless and I take pride in knowing that I helped them, in his honor. My past volunteer work with the homeless and special needs students inspired me to pursue a bigger endeavor and founded The City Guardians Organization. It was created to provide services and assistance to small local communities and citizens. My organization honors my community and people in need, by gathering donations and distributing these donations directly to citizens. My goals are to offer quick assistance to various underserved communities in their time of need and around the holidays. This year, I have organized hurricane events, volunteered to deliver clothing, and cleaning supplies, as well as, assisted FEMA and the citizens of Everglades City with important paperwork filing for Hurricane Ian. I also assisted the homeless by distributing care packages to the homeless, volunteered my services to special needs students and set up a holiday toy and clothing fundraiser for a local Orphanage in Miami. My organization was established to honor the memory of my grandfather, Enrique Concepcion, a military veteran. I hope to carry the spirit of service just as he did. These ongoing projects define my purpose in life and his values consisting of service to my community.

I’ve always taken the initiative to give back to my community and have never been complacent or afraid of a challenge. So when I see someone in need, no matter the problem, I must help. My past volunteer work with the homeless and special needs students have opened my eyes to the many hardships people and children face. Therefore, this summer I was determined to establish my own community service organization to help our citizens. I founded The City Guardians Organization, to provide services and assistance to small local communities and citizens. My organization identifies communities and people in need, gathers donations and distributes these donations directly to citizens. My goals are to offer quick assistance to various underserved communities in their time of need and around the holidays. This past October, The City Guardians organized two events for the citizens of Collier County who were affected by Hurricane Ian. On our first visit, The City Guardians and their volunteers delivered clothing, cleaning supplies and detergent donations and assisted FEMA and the citizens of Everglades City with important paperwork filing for Hurricane Ian. Assessing the needs of the community, The City Guardians petitioned for more help and returned with more needed donations of toiletries, vitamins and medical supplies for the citizens of Everglades City, Florida. Currently, The City Guardians collected donations and distributed care packages to the homeless community in Miami. As a winter holiday event, I helped round up volunteers and set up sensory activities, such as painting canvas art, play dough activities, and ornament making for the special needs students at the Passion For Change end-of-year holiday event. We will be ending the year with a major holiday collaboration fundraiser event for the His House Children's Orphanage in Miami. The City Guardians are hoping to bring a smile to each of the 144 children's faces by donating at least one gift item from their holiday wish list. The impetus of my organization, The City Guardians, is to make a difference in my community; to offer hope, relief and compassion. These ongoing projects define my purpose in life and values consisting of positivity, cooperation, and a sense of community by bringing friends, volunteers, and sponsors together. It takes a village and community partnerships to embark on these types of community projects and make them a success. I hope to inspire, mold, and shape the mind of other young adults to believe in the common good as well.

I’ve always taken the initiative to give back to my community and have never been complacent or afraid of a challenge. So when I see someone in need, no matter the problem, I must help. My past volunteer work with the homeless and special needs students has opened my eyes to the many hardships people and children face. These experiences have shaped my career path. I desire to become a doctor to continue to help those in need around the community. This past summer, I was determined to establish my own community service organization to help the citizens of our community. Whether I helped one citizen or one community at a time, I planned to make an impact on the lives of others. This commitment came with many responsibilities of volunteering hours of service and hours of planning and coordinating. I founded The City Guardians Organization, to provide services and assistance to small local communities and citizens. My organization identifies communities and people in need, gathers donations and distributes these donations directly to citizens. My goals are to offer quick help to various underserved communities in their time of need and around the holidays. This past October, The City Guardians organized two events for the citizens of Collier County who were affected by Hurricane Ian. Before our first visit, The City Guardians, volunteers and sponsors collected toiletries and clothing items for our fundraiser. The grueling task of washing and sorting the clothes by gender and size took a week to complete. The fun part was getting to deliver the goods we collected. The City Guardians were able to deliver clothing, socks, shoes, cleaning supplies and detergent donations to citizens. I also took the time to assist FEMA and the citizens of Everglades City by serving as a translator and explaining the important paperwork filing for Hurricane Ian. Realizing the needs of the community, The City Guardians petitioned for more help and returned with more needed donations of toiletries, vitamins and medical supplies for this town. Additionally, The City Guardians collected donations and will be distributing care packages to the homeless community in Miami during the Winter Break as well as setting up fun holiday sensory activities for the special needs students at Passion For Change. We will be ending the year with a major holiday collaboration fundraiser event for the His House Children's Orphanage in Miami. The City Guardians are hoping to bring a smile to each of the 144 children's faces by donating at least one gift item from their holiday wish list. The impetus of my organization, The City Guardians, is to make a difference in my community; to offer hope, relief and compassion. These ongoing projects define my purpose in life and values; consisting of positivity, cooperation, and a sense of community by bringing friends, volunteers, and sponsors together. It takes a lot of commitment and community partnership to embark on these types of community projects and make them a success. I hope to inspire, mold, and shape the minds of other young adults to believe in the common good as well.

I’ve experienced three major tragedies in my life which have influenced my career path. I experienced the loss of my friend, Breanna Vergara, in fifth grade and then again when I lost my friend in middle school, Anthony Parodi. Both of them suffered from heart defects and degenerative diseases of their organ tissues that eventually led to their passing. No child should have to face the prospect of losing their life, but the reality is that many children do so every day. Most recently, I experienced the tragedy of seeing my aunt lose her vision due to an ocular stroke. A small blood clot traveled to the small veins of her eye and caused an edema in her right eye. This rupture caused her ocular pressure to continuously rise, which led to glaucoma and vision loss. For these many reasons, I am pursuing a career in medicine to study biomedical engineering and neurosurgery to give all patients a second opportunity, to walk, to see, to live. As a future doctor and researcher, my priority will be to fight the causes and effects of pestilence, not just its symptoms. My passion to become a doctor and immerse myself in research and collaboration is fueled by the memory of my friends and the struggles my aunt has faced with her disease. My plans are to use neuroscience and intertwine biomedical engineering knowledge in the hopes of repairing the various congenital issues that affect many children and adults today. Science has been a long-time passion of mine, but now it has become a necessary tool to achieve my dream. My most personal goal is to research the specific science of optogenetics to create a cure for vision loss and the world’s first prosthetic eye. I have studied recent studies in brain research and cellular neuroscience that would support my goal of finding a cure for vision loss. My dream would be to learn from the various pioneers in optogenetics, such as Ed Boyden, and participate in cutting-edge research to relieve vision loss and possible neurological treatments for stroke victims. My solemn promise is to restore the light taken from many, including my aunt. Today, I use the hardships of my friends' and my aunt’s struggles as motivation to help others. It guides me on my journey and I am driven to work tirelessly to find answers to these degenerating diseases and find a cure for vision loss.

I’ve experienced three major tragedies in my life which have influenced my career path. I experienced the loss of my friend, Breanna Vergara, in fifth grade. Breanna was a family childhood friend with whom I grew up. She was an avid dancer and collapsed one day during practice due to sudden cardiac failure. The unfortunate reality is that her death could have been prevented through proper medical EKG preventive screening. Once again, in high school, heart failure took the life of my classmate and friend, Anthony Parodi. For many years, Anthony suffered from a weak heart and spent many years waiting for a transplant. Both of them suffered from heart defects and degenerative diseases of their organ tissues that eventually led to their passing. The lack of cardiac screening in young adults has become an important issue for me. This is why I support the Breanna Vergara Foundation, which provides free EKG heart disease screening for local schools and student-athletes. No child should have to face the prospect of losing their life. This prospect became even more personal later in my life. In 2020, I was reminded of my mortality when I lost most of my vision due to a stroke in my left eye. Unsure what caused my vision loss, my future became cloudy. From then on, I aimed to become a doctor and to immerse myself in research in biomedical engineering to create the world’s first prosthetic eye. My goal is to become a doctor and immerse myself in research and collaboration fueled by the memory of my friends and personal experiences. I plan to use neuroscience and intertwine biomedical engineering knowledge in the hopes of repairing the various congenital issues that affect many children and adults today. Science has been a long-time passion of mine, but now it has become a necessary tool to achieve my dream. My personal goal is to also research the area of optogenetics to create a cure for vision loss and the world’s first prosthetic eye. Brain research in biomedical engineering and cellular neuroscience would support this goal. My dream would be to participate in cutting-edge research to relieve vision loss and possible neurological treatments for stroke victims. My solemn promise is to restore the light taken from many, including myself. I am driven to let it burn brightly, and guide me as I work tirelessly to find answers for degenerating diseases and find a cure for vision loss. This is why I am applying for this scholarship. I am seeking assistance with my financial obligations so that I may pursue my studies in the field of biomedical engineering, and one day give others a second opportunity, to walk, to see, to live.

I’ve seen death many times. I saw death when it took the life of my dear friend, Breanna Vergara, in the fifth grade. Breanna was a family childhood friend with whom I grew up. She was an avid dancer and collapsed one day in practice due to sudden cardiac failure. The unfortunate reality is that her death could have been prevented through proper medical EKG preventive screening. Once again, in high school, heart failure took the life of my classmate and friend, Anthony Parodi. Both of them suffered from defects in their organ tissues that eventually led to their passing. The lack of cardiac screening in young adults has become an important issue for me. This is why I support the Breanna Vergara Foundation, which provides free EKG screening for local schools and student-athletes. No child should have to face the prospect of losing their life. This prospect became even more personal later in my life. In 2020, I was reminded of my mortality when I lost most of my vision due to a stroke in my left eye. Unsure what caused my vision loss, my future became cloudy. From then on, I aimed to become a doctor and to immerse myself in research in biomedical engineering to create the world’s first prosthetic eye. This is why I am applying for this scholarship. I am seeking assistance with my financial obligations so that I may pursue my studies in the field of biomedical engineering, and one day give others a second opportunity, to walk, to see, to live.

If I could describe myself in only two words, it would be determination and perseverance. On April 14, 2021, I lost vision in my left eye. I remember waiting for hours in the hospital room for a diagnosis. Upon examination, I could barely see from my right eye with a 20/400 on the visual acuity exam. I remember waiting for hours in the stark hospital room, each second feeling like an agonizing eternity. The doctors eventually reported that I suffered an eye stroke and a Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). My head spun just thinking about the future implications of this eye stroke and curious about what may have caused it. Without a choice, I put my health in the hands of the medical team and began my medical treatments. For months, I endured painful treatments during this ordeal and overcame many obstacles to adapt to my impaired vision. Determined, I carried on with my commitments, my pending school work and Advanced Placement examinations. My perseverance guided my studies while my determination researched every possible resolution to my illness. I had a mission and nothing, even this CRVO, was going to stop me. Ironically, this experience gave me strength and direction. It motivated me to pursue better advancements for patients suffering from CRVO. I broadened my area of study to include neurology and optogenetics in the field of biomedical engineering to hopefully create the world’s first working prosthetic eye and possibly cure blindness altogether. Although many people do not recover, I was fortunate. After nine months of treatment, I regained my sight and a new perspective on life. I was given a second chance and, for those reasons, I am determined to make a difference in the field of biomedical engineering. With further research and studies, I intend to also create better prevention screenings and treatments for patients with CRVO's and other eye diseases. I feel scientific research, prevention and early screening is the answer to vision loss. Engineering and medical research has been a long-time passion of mine, but now it is a necessary tool to achieve my dream and restore the vision of others. Currently, in an effort to give back to my community, I founded the The City Guardians organization whose sole purpose is to provide assistance to less fortunate citizens. Our focus is to promote good health and hygiene practices by distributing care packages such as first aid kits, vitamins, clean clothes, and personal hygiene items. The impetus of my organization, is to make a difference in my community; to offer hope, relief and compassion. In my future career I plan to continue these endeavors by finding relief for CRVO and hope for blindness, and when that day comes, the Thomas Geotechnical Scholarship can also say they contributed to my vision!