My name is Nathanael Burns, a senior currently attending Oak Grove High School. My brother also graduated from Oak Grove (the first graduating class) and because of that, I’ve always felt hidden within his shadow. Most teachers start by knowing me not as Nathanael but as the younger Burns, the younger brother of the man who was so smart he took every AP he could and excelled. Due to this, I strive to make a name for myself and not be any less than my brother. I take rigorous classes every year and have so far kept every one of my final grades above 97% with a GPA of 4.5417. I participate in class as much as possible, answering questions and reaching out to other students when they need help. In the end, my work is slowly paying off. I’ve reached the level of my brother and have made a name for myself within the school as someone who is reliable and can be found for help. However, there is more to it than just trying to be someone else. During my senior year of high school, I began to realize that I am NOT my older brother. The back of my soccer jersey may say Burns but the man wearing it is not the same person. I’ve found that I am my own person with my own experiences and am therefore so different from my brother. Similar, but still different. I will pave my own path in life that will be different from my brothers; I have stepped out of his shadow into the sunlight and now strive to become someone proud of himself. To that end, I found what I want to do in life: being able to leave something behind for society that will benefit countless people. It was this notion that led me to my intended major biomedical engineering. Biomedical engineering encompasses the ability to create something beneficial for society through research. My major will lead me to research in fields such as drug delivery, nanoparticles, prosthetics, cancer, and various diseases. There are many problems in the field of medicine, and they need answers. One day we will reach those answers, and I plan to be a part of that process. I plan to spearhead the research necessary to achieve these impossible solutions. I plan to help the world by finding cures for incurable problems. After all, incurable is only incurable until a cure is found. Now, I strive to continue trying to reach my goal. I have been accepted to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and I plan to study medicine with a major in biomedical engineering. I will have access to countless resources and research opportunities to pursue my dreams and realize the impossible. However, Yale is expensive. So I’m reaching out to all the available scholarships to assist me. The only question is, will you help me?