I have deadly food allergies. Seven of the top ten food allergies, to be exact. Diagnosed as a mere baby, I had never lived a life without allergies. I felt isolated throughout my childhood. I resented being the only one who couldn't find anything at restaurants or had to decline baked goods because the people didn't know the ingredients. Searching for a place where I could eat when out with friends made me sad - I was embarrassed by my allergies. It felt like my allergies were robbing me of my self-esteem and something else I loved -- food. Out of those experiences grew knowledge. I learned the importance of reading labels and advocating for myself at restaurants. How many five-year-olds could read words like "soy lecithin," let alone understand them? But most importantly, I learned to cook. Growing up in a multiracial family that loved to cook, I was exposed to many different foods. We cooked at home almost every day. This atmosphere sparked my interest in food and inspired me to begin cooking. I would come home from school, and with my parents still at work, I would "cook" something for myself. Watching the Food Network and various food YouTubers made me think about how I could make versions of the food that were safe for me. Instead of just moping, when I saw something delicious in the bakery window, I just wondered how I could make this for myself. With the help of my parents, I tried to make what used to be inaccessible - accessible. It was fun to figure out how to make something from scratch, and it was special since, due to the restrictions of my allergies, I had to substitute "essential ingredients." Every new recipe became an experiment. My mom pointed out that millions of others face similar problems, and many do not have the same support system as me, so why not share the results of my "experiments" with others? Why not give them the resource I never had but had to figure out through trial and error? From that, "The Max Alternative" was born. It's a place to share safe food tips, recipes, ingredients, and information for people with food allergies. With the help of my parents, I started documenting my attempts at creating allergy-friendly recipes and sharing them. By doing that, I showed that it is possible to make a yummy cake without dairy, eggs, etc. While there may be failures along the way, all that matters is that I tried. I want to turn my cooking into a business to help those who either have allergies or a person with allergies in their life. I can share my knowledge and become a resource that I never had. I like knowing that my experiences weren't for naught. I'd like to think that I am helping or inspiring at least one other person who may feel ostracized due to their allergies. I've learned that, like life, food allergies are what you make of them. I am a part of something larger than myself. This scholarship would help me to be able to turn my dream into a reality. When I attend college, I plan on studying marketing and food science to turn my experience with food allergies and my passion for cooking into a business that can help. It is just an Instagram page currently, but I want to expand it into something bigger. I am one of 32 million Americans that have food allergies. Now, I don't mind being different if it means I can make a difference.