When it comes to the details, success looks different for all of us. For some, it lies in graduating high school, learning a skilled trade, and joining the workforce. For others, the route to success leads to college, and on to a career. Some may study medicine; others may become electricians. In each case, the precise path to a better future looks a little different - as it should. After all, there isn't just one American dream - there are millions of them. For each citizen, with their unique hopes, ideals, and aspirations, there exists a distinct path forward. Nevertheless, we can identify some general traits of success. Whatever its form, success involves security - financial security, of course, but also the moral security which comes with a useful and productive job. Bread alone will not suffice - we all have an equally important desire to serve a useful role in our communities. Success, then, is twofold: on the one hand, it means material security - the fulfillment of our basic economic needs - but it also has a loftier dimension, involving the ability to be of assistance to others in one's community. Success means both having enough for oneself and having enough to serve others. This service, in turn, will take a variety of different forms. For some, it might be the satisfaction of seeing the products of their labor sustain a nation - the wheat they grew, or the steel they tempered, going out to support society. For others, it could take the form of designing hospitals or representing the unjustly accused in a court of law. For myself, however, there has never been much doubt about what successful service looks like. Ever since I was in the third grade, I have wanted to teach and, while the precise nature of my teaching career has varied over time, I have little doubt that I will become an educator. For me, there is an excitement to be found in communicating innovative ideas and useful knowledge to others. Learning fuels technological innovation, promotes economic growth, and enables upward social mobility, and this process is something I aspire to be a part of. This desire was what motivated me to begin volunteering as a peer tutor, tutoring students in English and Algebra at my High School. Additionally, I have served as a volunteer SAT tutor, working to provide free, high-quality test-prep services to students across the globe and in underserved communities within the US. In the future, I hope to continue this work as a college professor, working to increase access to affordable higher education. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, those with undergraduate degrees make an average of 60 percent more than those with just a high school diploma. Unfortunately, the benefits of a college education are all too frequently unavailable to rural students such as myself - while we have a higher high school graduation rate, our college graduation rate lags far behind that of suburban students, creating a difficult-to-escape cycle of poverty. As a professor, I would be able to help break down these barriers, making a college education a more attainable goal for poor and rural students. As a rural student coming from a background in which opportunities for college prep (such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes) were more limited than at larger urban institutions, I can sympathize with students feeling anxious about undergraduate work, and I would be able to work with students to ensure that they have the support they need to graduate college. Unfortunately, becoming a professor isn't cheap - pursuing graduate school, on top of the considerable expense of a BA, is costly. By supporting me in my undergraduate career, the Redefining Victory Scholarship will not only be able to help me achieve my goals, but it will enable me to use my education to help others. I would be most grateful to receive this scholarship, and I thank you for considering my application.

All my life, I have been in love with the power of knowledge. Having seen from an early age the ability of my mother, a mechanical engineer who designs healthcare facilities, to dramatically change lives for the better, the positive impact of education has always been front and center for me. Learning fuels technological innovation, promotes economic growth, and enables upward social mobility. Going to school in the small, rural town of Spangle, I have witnessed this process firsthand, and it is something I aspire to be a part of. Seeing my fellow students pull themselves up by their academic bootstraps - studying computer science, engineering, and medicine - has given me not just a powerful respect for knowledge, but a desire to help make an affordable, high-quality education available to all. This desire was what motivated me to begin volunteering as a peer tutor, tutoring in Algebra at my High School, and in Reading and Writing online. In the future, I hope to continue this work as a college professor, working to increase access to affordable higher education. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, those with undergraduate degrees make an average of 60 percent more than those with just a high school diploma. Unfortunately, the benefits of a college education are all too frequently unavailable to rural students - while we have a higher high school graduation rate, our college graduation rate lags far behind that of suburban students, creating a difficult-to-escape cycle of poverty. As a professor, I would be able to help break down these barriers, making a college education a more attainable goal for poor and rural students. Coming from a background in which opportunities for college prep (such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes) were either limited or nonexistent, I can sympathize with students feeling anxious or unready for undergraduate work, and I would be able to work with students to ensure that they have the support they need to graduate college. Unfortunately, becoming a professor isn't cheap - graduate school, on top of the considerable expense of a BA, is costly. By supporting me in my undergraduate career, the Craig Family Scholarship will not only be able to help me achieve my goals, but it will enable me to use my education to help others. I would be most grateful to receive this scholarship, and thank you for considering my application.

All my life, I have been in love with the power of knowledge. Having seen from an early age the ability of my mother, a healthcare engineer, to dramatically change lives for the better, the positive impact of education has always been front and center for me. Learning is what fuels technological innovation, promotes economic growth, and enables upward social mobility. Indeed, the story of progress in America is in large part a story of increasing educational opportunities for all - bringing the benefits of education, whether in the trades or through college, to more and more people. Going to school in the small, rural town of Spangle, I have witnessed this process firsthand, and it is something I want to be a part of. Seeing my fellow students pull themselves up by their academic bootstraps - studying computer science, engineering, medicine, and more - has inspired in me not just a powerful respect for knowledge, but a desire to help make an affordable, high-quality education available to all. This desire was what motivated me to begin volunteering as a peer tutor, tutoring in Algebra at my High School, and in Reading and Writing online. By working to provide academic support services to students who need them, I have sought to do my part in making sure that everyone has access to the tools they need to succeed. In the future, I hope to continue this work as a college professor, working to increase access to affordable higher education. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, having a 4-year undergraduate degree results in an average salary increase of more than 60 percent (compared to just a High School Diploma). Unfortunately, however, the benefits of a college education are all too frequently unavailable to rural students - while we have a higher high school graduation rate, our college graduation rate lags far behind that of suburban students, creating a cycle of poverty which is extremely difficult to escape. As a professor, I would have the opportunity to help break down these barriers, making a college education a more attainable goal for poor and rural students. Coming from a background in which opportunities for college prep (such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes) were either limited or nonexistent, I can sympathize with students feeling anxious or unready for undergraduate work, and I would be able to work with students to ensure that they have the support they need to graduate college. Unfortunately, becoming a professor isn't cheap - getting a PhD, on top of the considerable expense of a Masters and BA, is costly. By supporting me in this process, the Andy Huff Memorial Scholarship will not only be able to help me achieve my career goals, but it will enable me to use my education to help others.