The path I’ve taken toward higher education has been far from ordinary. Growing up, I experienced constant change—moving from house to house, borough to borough. The feeling of not having a stable home or support system at times made me feel like I was drifting, unsure of where I belonged. These challenges were not just external—they shaped my internal world as well. At the age of ten, when my family separated, I found myself not only grappling with a broken family structure, but also with the responsibility of becoming a pillar of support for my younger sister. Despite my own struggles, including a physical injury that shattered my wrist, I learned to adapt and step up. Even at such a young age, I found a deep sense of purpose in becoming someone others could rely on. Through these experiences, I came to understand the immense power that knowledge and financial stability can have in shaping one's life. While survival was often the priority, I began to recognize how the lack of financial education had contributed to our struggles. The constant cycle of instability was a painful but valuable lesson that pushed me to seek a way out—a way to take control of my future. I realized that education, especially in finance and technology, could be the key to breaking the cycle and creating a better life for myself and those around me. I plan to pursue a dual focus in finance and computer science—two fields that reflect both my interest in solving real-world problems and my desire to empower others. Finance is essential because it holds the key to understanding how resources flow in society, how wealth is built, and how systems can be improved to create more equity. My early exposure to financial instability motivated me to learn about budgeting, saving, and investment. I want to become someone who can design solutions that help others avoid the traps I saw firsthand. On the other hand, computer science excites me because it’s the force behind the innovation that drives our world. With the rapid advancements in technology, I see computer science as the perfect tool to design financial platforms, educational apps, and tools that make financial management accessible to all people, especially those in underserved communities. Combining these two disciplines will allow me to not only build the technical expertise I need to solve complex problems but also gain the financial acumen to ensure those solutions have a real, lasting impact. I envision developing software or apps that help individuals manage their finances, understand investment options, or learn about financial literacy. Technology has the potential to democratize access to financial education, and I want to be part of that movement. Furthermore, I plan to use my education to give back to my community. Growing up, I didn’t have access to mentors or financial resources, so I want to create programs that teach younger students about both technology and finance. By mentoring others and introducing them to these fields, I hope to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers who, like me, may not have seen these opportunities reflected in their immediate surroundings. My ultimate goal is to not only succeed personally but to create a ripple effect that helps others rise alongside me. Financial literacy and technology can change lives, and I am committed to using my education to create those changes.

Growing up, financial education wasn’t something that was openly discussed in my household—not because it wasn’t important, but because survival often took priority over strategy. Bouncing from house to house and borough to borough, I experienced what financial instability looked like up close. I didn’t learn about budgeting, saving, or credit scores from a classroom or a textbook. I learned from watching the stress that financial hardship placed on my family, and from the pressure of trying to stay grounded while the foundation beneath us constantly shifted. At a young age, I began to understand the weight money carries—not just in the physical sense, but emotionally and mentally. I saw how a lack of financial knowledge and resources created cycles that were hard to break. But instead of letting that discourage me, it motivated me. I became curious about how money worked and how I could use it as a tool, not a barrier. As I’ve grown older, I’ve taken small but meaningful steps toward financial literacy. I’ve started learning about saving, investing, and budgeting, and I’m realizing just how powerful financial education can be. It’s not just about numbers—it’s about freedom. It’s about having choices and the ability to support the people you love without sacrificing your peace of mind. In the future, I plan to continue learning and applying everything I can about finances. I want to build generational wealth, not just for myself, but for the family that comes after me. I want to break the cycle of financial uncertainty and replace it with stability, planning, and opportunity. I believe financial literacy is a key part of success, and I intend to use it as one of the main tools to shape my future. Whether I end up running a business, working in tech, or becoming an engineer, understanding how to manage money will give me the foundation to grow in any field. More importantly, I want to share what I’ve learned with others in my community—especially those who, like me, didn’t grow up with access to this kind of knowledge. Because when one person becomes financially educated, they don’t just lift themselves—they can lift others too. More importantly, I want to use my experiences to help others realize that financial knowledge is possible—no matter where you come from. I plan to mentor younger students, advocate for financial education in schools, and use my journey as living proof that with the right mindset and information, anyone can turn struggle into strategy. Financial education isn’t just about money—it’s about empowerment. And I plan to use mine to lift both myself and those around me.

“Steel sharpens steel.” – Proverbs 27:17. This verse doesn’t just speak to character; to me, it also reflects the essence of STEM—constant refinement, challenge, and growth. My passion for STEM isn’t just about a love for science or technology—it’s about how adversity has taught me to think critically, solve problems creatively, and approach life with the same mindset engineers, scientists, and mathematicians use every day. Growing up without stability—moving from house to house, borough to borough—I was constantly adapting. At around ten years old, I felt like a piece of rusted steel being hammered down. I didn’t have control over my environment, but I found something powerful in the way I learned to approach problems. That mindset—of facing challenges head-on and finding solutions even when the odds seemed stacked—mirrors everything I love about STEM. STEM is about perspective. Just like adversity can be viewed as a wall or as a ladder, science and technology are all about approaching problems from new angles. I started embracing this when I realized that being “comfortable with the uncomfortable” gave me an edge—not just socially or emotionally, but mentally. It gave me the resilience to see unscalable mountains as opportunities to innovate. Whether it was working through tough math problems or learning how systems function under stress, STEM started to feel like home. When my family separated, I stepped up—not only emotionally for my sister, but mentally. I became more curious about the systems that hold things together—families, communities, technologies. Even with a shattered wrist, I learned to adapt, to lean on others, and to think differently. That experience showed me how interconnected everything is, and how STEM isn’t just academic—it’s human. It's about solving problems that actually matter. I’m passionate about a STEM education because I want to use my experiences to fuel real change. I’ve been through the fire, and it taught me to think deeper, work harder, and never settle for surface-level answers. I want to be someone who builds systems that uplift others, just like others once lifted me. Whether it’s engineering, data science, or medical technology, I see STEM as the forge that will sharpen not just my skills, but my ability to serve. This isn’t just about a career—it’s about a calling. And I’m ready to rise, with the fire that forged me and the mindset that STEM has nurtured in me from the start. This is my relation with STEM.

"Steel sharpens steel," Proverbs 27:17. This has been my guiding principle, from the classroom to the athletic world, and during times of struggle. It is symbolic, to me, of how struggle has shaped my course. But what, truly, is struggle? Most would define it as a hurdle to be overcome, an obstacle along the path to a goal. But adversity, for my money, is the very thrust that pushes me toward my dreams. It's not something to be overcome; it's something that challenges me to succeed. The difference is subtle but telling, and boils down to attitude. I see now that struggle is something to be used, rather than suffered through. By reframing the way I think about adversity, I've learned that obstacles once seemingly insurmountable can be managed—sometimes even effortlessly. The key is being able to accept difficulty and not shy away from it, and this philosophy has informed the work ethic by which I live my life. Such is the heat of the fire to temper steel as my path has been neither easy nor soft, but transmuted. Born of the sort that I constantly moved from house to house, from district to district, with nothing physically or mentally that can be branded as a home really impacted life's outlook. At this time, I found myself constantly being reminded that I was a piece of worn steel, weakened and brittle, battered by the heat of my situation. I was ten years old then, lost and without direction regarding my position in the world. Time conditioned me to the agony. I learned to deal with difficult situations and difficult people-a skill set that would serve me for yet greater challenges ahead. This adaptability and endurance served as excellent preparation for a trying juncture of my life: when my family was broken apart, and I had to be there for my sister. Rather than giving up, I became her rock. Even when I was physically injured, with my wrist broken and my future in question, I learned to trust others and to let them trust me. This is where I learned the real meaning of adversity—not merely surviving it, but utilizing it as a source of growth. Incarceration, too, like poverty that surrounded me during my childhood, has been a crucible upon which my character was forged. It was a trial of my durability and will power, but also of my ability to change. The struggles that I encounter currently, as I attempt to pursue my education, are similar to those that I have endured in the past. Yet they differ as well. The barriers are institutional, social, and systemic, and they require more than individual grit to overcome. But my experiences have taught me how to navigate adversity and turn obstacles into stepping stones. Gaining my educational objectives is not all about individual achievement—it's about helping to provide opportunities for those who are disproportionately under-resourced, particularly in marginalized communities. It has been a way to end struggle for other people - the evidence that no matter what we experience, we can succeed. I will pave the way for others who had struggled like I did and my education becomes that mentorship and support my sister and many others needed. My education is not just the key to my success but to raise others up with us. So in this adventure, I learned that for a sharp sword, the fire must be more intense.

“Steel sharpens steel.” – Proverbs 27:17. This verse has been a guiding principle in my life, especially during my hardest times. But over time, I realized the sharpening wasn’t just about personal growth—it was also about how my trials could shape me into someone stronger for the sake of others. It was through adversity that I learned what it truly means to put Jesus first, others second, and myself third. Growing up, I didn’t have the stability many take for granted. I moved from house to house, borough to borough, never having a place to call home—physically or emotionally. At around ten years old, I felt lost, almost like I was disappearing into the clouds of uncertainty and doubt. I didn’t understand it then, but Jesus was already working through those moments, molding me through the fire. It was that discomfort that began teaching me humility, patience, and resilience. When my family separated, I was still just a kid—but I knew I had a choice. I could fall into despair, or I could become a rock for my little sister. I chose to be the pillar she could lean on. Even when I shattered my wrist and was physically broken, I learned to depend on God and others—not because I was weak, but because we were stronger together. That’s when I really began to live out the principle of putting others before myself. My pain became a tool that helped me serve and uplift someone else. But at the heart of it all was Jesus. When I stopped asking “why me?” and started asking “how can I serve through this?” my perspective shifted. My hardships were no longer just obstacles—they were opportunities. Jesus never promised an easy path, but He promised to walk with us. And in following His example, I found strength—not just for myself, but to be a source of strength for others too. Going forward, I’m committed to continuing this mindset. Whether it's in my future career, my relationships, or in everyday life, I plan to lead with service. I want to live in a way where people see Jesus reflected through my actions—where I put His will above my own comfort, others’ needs above my wants, and continue to grow through every trial I face. Like steel forged in fire, I’ve been shaped by adversity—but not just for my own sake. I’ve been forged to serve.

"Steel sharpens steel," Proverbs 27:17. This has been my guiding principle, from the classroom to the athletic world, and during times of struggle. It is symbolic, to me, of how struggle has shaped my course. But what, truly, is struggle? Most would define it as a hurdle to be overcome, an obstacle along the path to a goal. But adversity, for my money, is the very thrust that pushes me toward my dreams. It's not something to be overcome; it's something that challenges me to succeed. The difference is subtle but telling, and boils down to attitude. I see now that struggle is something to be used, rather than suffered through. By reframing the way I think about adversity, I've learned that obstacles once seemingly insurmountable can be managed—sometimes even effortlessly. The key is being able to accept difficulty and not shy away from it, and this philosophy has informed the work ethic by which I live my life. Such is the heat of the fire to temper steel as my path has been neither easy nor soft, but transmuted. Born of the sort that I constantly moved from house to house, from district to district, with nothing physically or mentally that can be branded as a home really impacted life's outlook. At this time, I found myself constantly being reminded that I was a piece of worn steel, weakened and brittle, battered by the heat of my situation. I was ten years old then, lost and without direction regarding my position in the world. Time conditioned me to the agony. I learned to deal with difficult situations and difficult people-a skill set that would serve me for yet greater challenges ahead. This adaptability and endurance served as excellent preparation for a trying juncture of my life: when my family was broken apart, and I had to be there for my sister. Rather than giving up, I became her rock. Even when I was physically injured, with my wrist broken and my future in question, I learned to trust others and to let them trust me. This is where I learned the real meaning of adversity—not merely surviving it, but utilizing it as a source of growth. Incarceration, too, like poverty that surrounded me during my childhood, has been a crucible upon which my character was forged. It was a trial of my durability and will power, but also of my ability to change. The struggles that I encounter currently, as I attempt to pursue my education, are similar to those that I have endured in the past. Yet they differ as well. The barriers are institutional, social, and systemic, and they require more than individual grit to overcome. But my experiences have taught me how to navigate adversity and turn obstacles into stepping stones. Gaining my educational objectives is not all about individual achievement—it's about helping to provide opportunities for those who are disproportionately under-resourced, particularly in marginalized communities. It has been a way to end struggle for other people - the evidence that no matter what we experience, we can succeed. I will pave the way for others who had struggled like I did and my education becomes that mentorship and support my sister and many others needed. My education is not just the key to my success but to raise others up with us.

“Steel sharpens steel,”- Proverbs 27:17. This principle has guided my entire life, whether I’m facing down the classroom, sports field, or the world. Personally, it represents how adversity has shaped me. But what exactly is adversity? Many might describe it as an obstacle to be overcome, to reach a goal. For me however, adversity is the very force that drives me toward my goals. It’s not just something to conquer; it’s what pushes me to succeed. The difference may seem subtle, but it’s all a matter of perspective. That goes for everything in life. If a person is willing to shift the way they view a complex situation and try things from a new angle, that very complex situation may start to become almost effortless. One must utilize their misfortunes fully to grasp this concept by not running away from them, but by facing them with an undaunting mindset. This idea is something I live by, in a sense it’s my ethos. This work ethic wasn’t created overnight, like steel it must first be casted in a furnace so it can be forged, then tempered and finally sharpened."Bouncing from house to house, borough to borough and not having a place to truly call home physically nor mentally changed my perspective on life. It felt as if I was going to break like a piece of rusted steel being hammered down." I was only around ten at the time, It was a time where I felt lost, drifting away along with the clouds obscuring my own path like self sabotage. It wasn’t until I got a bit older I realized it was easier for me to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, especially when it came to dealing with people I didn’t really like. That’s when I started to appreciate my adversities because the unscalable mountains became as minuscule as an ant. To me, this is when I truly began to embrace hardships. My times of moving from house to house in uncertainty prepared me for the biggest challenge I’d come across at the time."Instead of weeping in despair of the separated family, I became a pillar that my sister could look up too. Even then with my wrist literally shattered to pieces I learned to adapt, to rely on people just as much as they relied on me. This is the essence of my journey—learning from adversity, not just enduring it. These experiences, born from adversity have shaped who I am today. It is because of the hardships I was able to become the sword of hope. A blade forged from the flames of life. Strong enough to cut through mountains, and sharpened by my experiences. This cloudy vision of success which was once a dream is now my reality, because adversity has taught me one thing. The hotter the fire, the stronger the sword. I am forged to endure, because I have only begun to fight.

Hi, I’m Michael, a 17-year-old high school student with a deep passion for making a positive impact in the world. Throughout my high school years, I’ve stayed involved in various activities, each of which has helped shape my view of the world and my commitment to social change. I'm part of the track team, where I’ve consistently pushed myself to break personal records. I’m also an active member of student government, honing leadership and teamwork skills to help make my school a better place. Photography is another outlet for my creativity, allowing me to capture meaningful moments and express my unique perspective on the world around me. One of the most impactful experiences I’ve had was being involved in Club Scholas, an organization focused on limiting violence and helping those in need. As part of this group, I had the opportunity to travel around New York City, working to reduce violence and supporting soup kitchens that serve the homeless and those in need. These experiences taught me the importance of community service, and they solidified my desire to contribute to society in a meaningful way. Through these experiences, I’ve become increasingly passionate about tackling larger social issues like homelessness, affordable housing, and sustainability. I plan to pursue a degree in urban planning and economics to understand how we can build more equitable, sustainable communities and find innovative solutions to challenges like gentrification and the lack of affordable housing. What drives me is the belief that everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, deserves access to safe, affordable living conditions and the opportunity to thrive. By pursuing a career in urban planning and economics, I want to be part of the change that creates more inclusive cities where people from all walks of life can prosper. I’m eager to use my knowledge and experiences to help create communities that are both sustainable and equitable for all. I want to be able to shape adversities as well to lead and guide people.So by understanding and shaping my adversities I plan to create a positive but challenging environment for people to grow. I want to be able to push people to grow to their full potential using adversity and controlling and managing it as best as possible. I feel that all of my actives and clubs have been giving me the skill set as well as the knowable to be able to pull this off

"Steel sharpens steel," Proverbs 27:17. This has been my guiding principle, from the classroom to the athletic world, and during times of struggle. It is symbolic, to me, of how struggle has shaped my course. But what, truly, is struggle? Most would define it as a hurdle to be overcome, an obstacle along the path to a goal. But adversity, for my money, is the very thrust that pushes me toward my dreams. It's not something to be overcome; it's something that challenges me to succeed. The difference is subtle but telling, and boils down to attitude. I see now that struggle is something to be used, rather than suffered through. By reframing the way I think about adversity, I've learned that obstacles once seemingly insurmountable can be managed—sometimes even effortlessly. The key is being able to accept difficulty and not shy away from it, and this philosophy has informed the work ethic by which I live my life. Such is the heat of the fire to temper steel as my path has been neither easy nor soft, but transmuted. Born of the sort that I constantly moved from house to house, from district to district, with nothing physically or mentally that can be branded as a home really impacted life's outlook. At this time, I found myself constantly being reminded that I was a piece of worn steel, weakened and brittle, battered by the heat of my situation. I was ten years old then, lost and without direction regarding my position in the world. Time conditioned me to the agony. I learned to deal with difficult situations and difficult people-a skill set that would serve me for yet greater challenges ahead. This adaptability and endurance served as excellent preparation for a trying juncture of my life: when my family was broken apart, and I had to be there for my sister. Rather than giving up, I became her rock. Even when I was physically injured, with my wrist broken and my future in question, I learned to trust others and to let them trust me. This is where I learned the real meaning of adversity—not merely surviving it, but utilizing it as a source of growth. Incarceration, too, like poverty that surrounded me during my childhood, has been a crucible upon which my character was forged. It was a trial of my durability and will power, but also of my ability to change. The struggles that I encounter currently, as I attempt to pursue my education, are similar to those that I have endured in the past. Yet they differ as well. The barriers are institutional, social, and systemic, and they require more than individual grit to overcome. But my experiences have taught me how to navigate adversity and turn obstacles into stepping stones. Gaining my educational objectives is not all about individual achievement—it's about helping to provide opportunities for those who are disproportionately under-resourced, particularly in marginalized communities. It has been a way to end struggle for other people - the evidence that no matter what we experience, we can succeed. I will pave the way for others who have struggled like I did and my education becomes that mentorship and support my sister and many others needed. My education is not just the key to my success but to raise others up with us. So by understanding and shaping my adversities I plan to create a positive but challenging environment for people to grow. I want to be able to push people to grow to their full potential using adversity and controlling it as best as possible.

"Steel sharpens steel," Proverbs 27:17. This has been my guiding principle, from the classroom to the athletic world, and during times of struggle. It is symbolic, to me, of how struggle has shaped my course. But what, truly, is struggle? Most would define it as a hurdle to be overcome, an obstacle along the path to a goal. But adversity, for my money, is the very thrust that pushes me toward my dreams. It's not something to be overcome; it's something that challenges me to succeed. The difference is subtle but telling, and boils down to attitude. I see now that struggle is something to be used, rather than suffered through. By reframing the way I think about adversity, I've learned that obstacles once seemingly insurmountable can be managed—sometimes even effortlessly. The key is being able to accept difficulty and not shy away from it, and this philosophy has informed the work ethic by which I live my life. Such is the heat of the fire to temper steel as my path has been neither easy nor soft, but transmuted. Born of the sort that I constantly moved from house to house, from district to district, with nothing physically or mentally that can be branded as a home really impacted life's outlook. At this time, I found myself constantly being reminded that I was a piece of worn steel, weakened and brittle, battered by the heat of my situation. I was ten years old then, lost and without direction regarding my position in the world. Time conditioned me to the agony. I learned to deal with difficult situations and difficult people-a skill set that would serve me for yet greater challenges ahead. This adaptability and endurance served as excellent preparation for a trying juncture of my life: when my family was broken apart, and I had to be there for my sister. Rather than giving up, I became her rock. Even when I was physically injured, with my wrist broken and my future in question, I learned to trust others and to let them trust me. This is where I learned the real meaning of adversity—not merely surviving it, but utilizing it as a source of growth. Incarceration, too, like poverty that surrounded me during my childhood, has been a crucible upon which my character was forged. It was a trial of my durability and will power, but also of my ability to change. The struggles that I encounter currently, as I attempt to pursue my education, are similar to those that I have endured in the past. Yet they differ as well. The barriers are institutional, social, and systemic, and they require more than individual grit to overcome. But my experiences have taught me how to navigate adversity and turn obstacles into stepping stones. Gaining my educational objectives is not all about individual achievement—it's about helping to provide opportunities for those who are disproportionately under-resourced, particularly in marginalized communities. It has been a way to end struggle for other people - the evidence that no matter what we experience, we can succeed. I will pave the way for others who had struggled like I did and my education becomes that mentorship and support my sister and many others needed. My education is not just the key to my success but to raise others up with us. So in this adventure, I learned that for a sharp sword, the fire must be more intense. The trip was a raging fire that tempered me; now I am bent on utilizing that toughness in assisting others construct a greater future for all of them because I have just started the fight.

Success, to me, is not a destination but the product of my growth, forged in the adversity and challenges I've had to face along the way. As the proverb goes, "Steel sharpens steel" (Proverbs 27:17), and I believe that adversity is the very thing driving me toward my goals. It's not something to be suffered, it's the very thing that opens the doors for me. To me, success is being strong, resilient, and adaptable enough to view adversity as an opportunity to learn and be greater. The tougher the adversity, the tougher I am. I am steel hardened in the hottest flame. My path to success was not a stroll in the park. I traveled from house to house, block to block, never having a home so to speak—emotionally or physically. Here I floated, a piece of hammered metal battered tin. At the age of ten, I felt the world was pulling at me a hundred different directions and I could not remain standing. But as I grew older, I knew that my fight did not need to break me. Instead, it empowered me to change, to confront discomfort head-on, and to conquer in spite of doubt. This awareness changed my attitude towards adversity. I no longer saw challenges as anathema to be shunned or feared but as tests that could steel me, in much the same way that tempering steel strengthens it. Maybe one of the most defining periods in my life was when I had learned to be the source of stability to my sister through a family breakdown. While I may have let hopelessness overcome me, instead, I let it subside. Even when I injured my wrist and was physically disadvantaged, I was hardened by the way I learned to rely on other people and how to rely on my people, just as they had learned to rely on me. It is then, in those tough times, that I truly learned to tap into the strength of resilience and learned to embrace adversity. Success to me is not the lack of pain or strife but learning from it. It's developing a mind that can bulldoze through adversity head-on, knowing that the most difficult times yield the greatest growth. My life has conditioned me to be a person who views adversity as opportunity—opportunity to grow stronger, sharpen character, and ultimately, create my own success. The opportunity is the way forward. It gives me the chance to keep building my skills, challenge myself to become a better version of myself than I am now, and keep molding myself into a stronger, more able person. The challenges that await me in this new stage will challenge me, but I shall greet them with the same frame of mind that has seen me conquer adversity in the past: not as challenges to be skirted around, but as stepping stones to victory. I understand that with each challenge that I overcome, I shall be more keen, more effective, and more able to meet my goals. My own definition of success, therefore, is one of a journey through life—a journey that is always punctuated by what I've learned through adversity. It will be what sharpens my skills, widens my perspective towards a broader horizon, and keeps plotting the course for a future that will not judge me by how conveniently I've reached it, but by the strength which I have tempered.