My long-term professional aspiration is to be an entrepreneur and business leader who uses enterprise and innovation to make a positive, lasting difference in the world. Business, in my opinion, has the potential not only to generate economic value, but also to make a positive difference in solving fundamental social and environmental challenges. Either by developing responsible supply chains, making investments in distressed communities, or building sustainable technology, I desire to assist in creating a future where businesses can thrive by doing well—for individuals, for society, and for the next generations. I find much inspiration in my dad. He launched a company called TrackAbout. I saw him build something with meaning—not so much cleverly, but sensitively and with tenacity. His experience taught me what it means to discover a problem in the real world and commit to solving it with hard work and integrity. I saw firsthand the risk, the sacrifices, and the failures of being an entrepreneur, but also the sense of accomplishment from creating something that matters. His legacy encouraged the kind of leader that I seek to be: one who builds responsibly, interacts with people respectfully, and uses business to create positive change. To turn this vision into a reality, I will be going to the University of Notre Dame to pursue business starting fall of 2025. Notre Dame's emphasis on values leadership, ethical decision-making, and service to others is just the right environment for me to grow not just academically, but also as an individual. I am excited to learn from highly ranked professors, collaborate with motivated classmates, and take courses that challenge me to think critically and lead with purpose. I am certain that my time at Notre Dame will provide me with the skills, vision, and contacts that will allow me to pursue my dreams with expertise and integrity. In all honesty, I had never heard of the United Disabilities Services Foundation prior to reading about this competition. I have been reading ever since about the organization's objective and what it accomplishes to help and empower the disabled, and I am impressed. I want to learn more, and if I'm fortunate enough to be awarded this scholarship, I will look to find ways to give back something—in direct form to the Foundation or by helping the greater community that it serves. It would be a privilege to connect with and support an organization that works to make the world more accessible, inclusive, and just. Thank you for considering my application.

Growing up, I always knew my father was different. While other parents clocked in and out of standard 9-to-5 jobs, mine was working on building something from the ground up. That "something" was TrackAbout, which began as an idea when he was just 24 years old and grew into a successful technology platform that changed how businesses track and manage portable assets. TrackAbout was more than a business; it was a reflection of my father's vision, tenacity, and courage. It was also the example I would follow years later in going after my own aspirations. What set my father apart wasn't that he started a business, but how he went about it. He wasn't driven by ego or hype, but by curiosity and a need to solve real-world problems. I remember watching him sit for hours at the kitchen table—a sprawl of laptops, notes, and coffee cups spread out around him like instruments in an orchestra. He worked every problem as a puzzle to understand and to perfect. There was a craftsmanship to his work ethic, a quiet confidence that showed me what it meant to be devoted to something larger than oneself. TrackAbout may have started small, but it addressed a real, too-often-overlooked niche: giving businesses visibility and control over their portable assets—things like gas cylinders, medical equipment, and industrial containers. It wasn't flashy, but it was essential. Through innovative software and rugged tracking devices, TrackAbout brought transparency and accountability to operations that were formerly chaotic and wasteful. In doing so, it made countless numbers of businesses safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. But what amazed me most wasn't the technology itself—it was the resilience. I saw my father weather the storms that every entrepreneur faces: technical roadblocks, dubious financing, having to fire employees, the burden of risk, and the self-doubt that creeps in when the going gets rough. And still, he showed up to work every day with grit and with grace. When I asked him once how he coped with the pressure, he smiled and said, "If it were easy, everybody would do it. But if it's something that's important, you just keep going." That sentence has echoed in my mind throughout my own challenges. It's a reminder that passion isn't just excitement—it's persistence. What TrackAbout did for my dad was more than a career; it gave him purpose. And what it did for me was more than respect—it gave me direction. His journey taught me that entrepreneurship is not about splashy launches or short-term wins. It's about being fearless enough to believe in your ideas, patient enough to get them right, and humble enough to learn at every step along the way. Today, as I forge my own path, I carry his story along. I remember when he summoned me to his office, talking product demos and customer feedback, not to teach, but to share the experience. I think about the manner in which he treated his crew with respect, the manner in which he envisioned technology as a force for good, and the manner in which he created space in his life for both work ethic and family. In countless ways, I am who I am today due to who he was—not merely the founder of TrackAbout, but the founder of my own faith that tremendous things are possible when you construct with heart.