In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment, I was sitting in class talking with my friends and the next moment, I found myself waking up on the floor surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with two forms of epilepsy. My first appointment with the neurologist took hours, most of which I don't remember, but I do recall him explaining there were things I would not be able to do for a while: ride my bike, climb trees, go swimming alone. He mentioned I would "very likely" be able to get my driver's license and live a mostly normal life. Then he added the few things in life I would never be able to do given my diagnoses: drive a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's the moment I remember most, as flying big jets had been my childhood dream. Suddenly, I was crushed. My love for aviation stems from my grandfather, who has held his Private Pilot Certificate for 51 years. He, in turn, was inspired to become a pilot by his mother, a WASP in World War II, who joined the war efforts as a transport pilot. They both motivate me to leave a positive mark in the field of aviation. As a person living with epilepsy, my career decision has been heavily influenced by my disability. Knowing I would never be able to become an airline pilot, I struggled to find something else in the field of aeronautics I wanted to pursue, and I found my calling in drone aviation after taking my first aviation class. I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. As a recipient of this scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing ethical drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am a highly motivated, hard-working student, eager to be a leader in the drone industry, its policies, and expanding its applications, while representing the epilepsy and Hispanic communities. I will continue to volunteer my time and services in my community in a wide variety of ways, from using my creative skills to bring joy and awareness to local environmental issues to utilizing thermal sensor techniques when assisting with search and rescue endeavors. Over the last seven years, I have not let my epilepsy control my life, slow me down or define me as a person, and I am thriving and resilient despite the medical obstacles thrown in my path. While my initial life plans may not be what they once were, I have not and will not, give up in finding my joy, and I am learning that I love the experience of piloting unmanned aircraft as much I dreamed I would love flying commercial airliners. Thank you very much for your consideration.

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment, I was sitting in class talking with my friends and the next moment, I found myself waking up on the floor surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with two forms of epilepsy. My first appointment with the neurologist took hours, most of which I don't remember, but I do recall him explaining there were things I would not be able to do for a while: ride my bike, climb trees, go swimming alone. He mentioned I would "very likely" be able to get my driver's license and live a mostly normal life. Then he added the few things in life I would never be able to do given my diagnoses: drive a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's the moment I remember most, as flying big jets had been my childhood dream. Suddenly, I was crushed. My love for aviation stems from my grandfather, who has held his Private Pilot Certificate for 51 years. He, in turn, was inspired to become a pilot by his mother, a WASP in World War II, who joined the war efforts as a transport pilot. They both motivate me to leave a positive mark in the field of aviation. As a person living with epilepsy, my career decision has been heavily influenced by my disability. Knowing I would never be able to become an airline pilot, I struggled to find something else in the field of aeronautics I wanted to pursue, and I found my calling in drone aviation after taking my first aviation class. I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. As a recipient of this scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing ethical drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am a highly motivated, hard-working student, eager to be a leader in the drone industry, its policies, and expanding its applications, while representing the epilepsy and Hispanic communities. I will continue to volunteer my time and services in my community in a wide variety of ways, from using my creative skills to bring joy and awareness to local environmental issues to utilizing thermal sensor techniques when assisting with search and rescue endeavors. Over the last seven years, I have not let my epilepsy control my life, slow me down or define me as a person, and I am thriving and resilient despite the medical obstacles thrown in my path. While my initial life plans may not be what they once were, I have not and will not, give up in finding my joy, and I am learning that I love the experience of piloting unmanned aircraft as much I dreamed I would love flying commercial airliners. Thank you very much for your consideration.

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment, I was sitting in my World Geography class talking with my friends, and the next moment, I found myself waking up on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with two forms of epilepsy that include tonic-clonic and absence seizures. Neither are curable and have the potential to affect me for the rest of my life, but I have successfully been able to control my seizures and make the most of my medical challenges. My first appointment with the neurologist took hours. I was hooked up to machines for multiple tests, my blood was drawn, I was started on medication, and my parents had a million questions for the doctor. I don't remember most of that first appointment, but the doctor explained there are a few things I would never be able to do given my epilepsy diagnosis, including driving a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's the moment I remember most, as flying big jets internationally had been my childhood dream. Suddenly, I was crushed. Despite this major setback, I have adapted to my disability and am successful in life. During high school, I was recognized with many awards by my local community college, high school, and even College Board, graduated high school with a 4.9 GPA, and finished my dual-credit college courses with a 3.9 GPA. Additionally, I have held one or two overlapping jobs throughout high school while still finding time to volunteer in my community and play club sports. I have learned to be independent and responsible for advocating for myself and my healthcare needs, keeping up with my medication regimen, medical appointments, regular blood work and imaging tests, and ensuring my school adaptation needs are met. My love for aviation stems from my grandpa, who has held his Private Pilot Certificate for 51 years. He, in turn, was inspired to become a pilot by his mother, a WASP in World War II. She was a pioneer of her time, joining in the war efforts as a transport pilot, and they both motivate me to leave a positive mark in the field of aviation. As a person living with epilepsy, my decision for my career has been heavily influenced by my disability. Knowing I would never be able to become an airline pilot, I struggled to find something else in the field of aeronautics I would be interested in. After after taking my first aviation class in high school, I found my calling in drone aviation. I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. Over the last six years, I have learned to not let my epilepsy control my life, slow me down or define me as a person, and I feel that I am thriving and am resilient despite the obstacles thrown in my path. While my initial life plans may not be what they once were, I have not, and will not, give up in finding my joy, and I am learning that I love the experience of piloting unmanned aircraft as much I dreamed I would love flying commercial airliners.

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. I was sitting in class and then found myself on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and school nurse. At the first visit with my neurologist, I was diagnosed with two forms of epilepsy and learned that my diagnoses will prevent me from becoming an airline pilot. The news was crushing, as flying jets had been my childhood dream. Despite this major setback, I have adapted to my disability and am successful in academics, sports, working, volunteering in my community, and am building a small business. I have not let epilepsy slow me down or define me as a person. The ever-changing world of technology has greatly influenced my career aspirations. As our lives evolve around technological advances, STEM-based careers are crucial to our society’s future. I have always loved school, technology, and airplanes. My love for aviation stems from my grandfather, who has held his Private Pilot Certificate for fifty-one years. He, in turn, was inspired to become a pilot by his mother, who had been a WASP in World War II, a true pioneer of her time, joining in the war efforts as a transport pilot. With the devastating news of my epilepsy, I was forced to consider other career options. I knew I wanted to pursue a STEM-related career within the field of aeronautics, and after my first drone aviation course in high school, I decided to become a drone operator. I am attending my dream school for the astronomical cost of over $62,000 per year. As a very goal-driven student, I set high expectations for myself, including college aspirations. My biggest challenge is not motivation or work ethic (evident by my current 4.0 GPA), but my challenge is financial. Sadly and yet unsurprisingly, eighteen years of saving for my college education will not cover even one full year of my university expenses. Although I was awarded the school's highest merit scholarship, it does not cover enough of the attendance costs for me to pursue my dreams, leaving me with an annual deficit of over $40,000 for my tuition and fees, room and board, and books and supplies. I am very conscientious about the high price tag of not just college in general, but especially of my particular university. To further complicate matters, my two siblings and I are attending college during overlapping years, adding to our family's financial burden. I worked throughout high school, occasionally juggling two part-time jobs simultaneously, while maintaining near-perfect 4.9 high school and 3.8 dual-credit college course GPAs. With this scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am highly motivated, hard-working, and aspire to be a leader in progressing the development of the drone industry and its policies, expanding its potential applications, and representing the epilepsy community through my success in college, my career, and small business. I appreciate the opportunity to apply for the “Powering the Future” Whiddon Memorial Scholarship, and for your consideration as a potential recipient. Noah Morales

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment I was sitting in class and then suddenly found myself on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and school nurse. I was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with two forms of epilepsy with tonic-clonic ("grand mal") and absence seizures. Neither are curable and may potentially affect me for the rest of my life, but I have successfully been able to control my seizures and make the most of my medical challenges. I learned from my neurologist that I would never be able to do certain things in life given my epilepsy diagnosis, including driving a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's the moment I remember most, as flying big jets had been my childhood dream. Suddenly, I was crushed. Despite this major setback, I have adapted to my disability and am successful in life. I was recognized with many awards by my local community college, high school, and even College Board, and graduated high school with a 4.9 GPA while finishing my dual-credit college courses with a 3.9 GPA. I have learned to be independent and responsible for advocating for myself and my healthcare needs, keeping up with my medication regimen, appointments, regular blood work and imaging tests, and ensuring my school adaptation needs are met. I knew early on that I had to find, and then actually use, my own voice, and show resiliency in the face of unexpected medical adversity. I learned everyone should use their own voice and advocate for themselves, no matter what they are facing. My love for aviation stems from my grandfather, who has held his Private Pilot Certificate for 51 years. He, in turn, was inspired to become a pilot by his mother, a WASP in World War II. She was a pioneer of her time, joining in the war efforts as a transport pilot, and they both motivate me to leave a positive mark in the field of aviation. As a person living with epilepsy, my decision for my career has been heavily influenced by my disability. Knowing I would never be able to become an airline pilot because of my diagnoses, I struggled to find something else in the field of aeronautics I may want to study in college and on which to build a career. I experimented with computer science and cybersecurity classes my first two years in high school but found they just weren't for me. Then after taking my first aviation class, I found my calling in drone aviation. I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. As a recipient of the Craig Huffman Memorial Scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing ethical drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am a highly motivated, hard-working student, eager to be a leader in the drone industry, its policies, and expanding its potential applications, while representing the epilepsy and Hispanic communities. I will continue to volunteer my time and services in my community in a wide variety of ways, including using my creative skills to bring joy and awareness to local environmental issues and utilizing thermal sensor techniques when assisting with search and rescue endeavors. I will also use my voice to help others find and use theirs, as becoming your own advocate is incredibly empowering. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship, I appreciate your consideration. Noah Morales

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment, I was sitting in class talking with my friends, and the next moment, I found myself waking up on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with two forms of epilepsy. My first appointment with the neurologist took hours, most of which I don't remember, but I do recall him explaining there were things I would not be able to do for a while: ride my bike, climb trees, go swimming alone. He mentioned I would "very likely" be able to get my driver's license and live a mostly normal life. Then he added the few things in life I would never be able to do given my diagnoses: drive a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's the moment I remember most, as flying big jets had been my childhood dream. Suddenly, I was crushed. My love for aviation stems from my grandpa, who has held his Private Pilot Certificate for 51 years. He, in turn, was inspired to become a pilot by his mother, a WASP in World War II, who joined the war efforts as a transport pilot. They both motivate me to leave a positive mark in the field of aviation. As a person living with epilepsy, my career decision has been heavily influenced by my disability. Knowing I would never be able to become an airline pilot, I struggled to find something else in the field of aeronautics I wanted to pursue, but I found my calling in drone aviation after taking my first aviation class. I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. As a recipient of this scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing ethical drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am a highly motivated, hard-working student, eager to be a leader in the drone industry, its policies, and expanding its applications, while representing the epilepsy and Hispanic communities. I will continue to volunteer my time and services in my community in a wide variety of ways, from using my creative skills to bring joy and awareness to local environmental issues to utilizing thermal sensor techniques when assisting with search and rescue endeavors. Over the last seven years, I have not let my epilepsy control my life, slow me down or define me as a person, and I am thriving and resilient despite the medical obstacles thrown in my path. While my initial life plans may not be what they once were, I have not and will not, give up in finding my joy, and I am learning that I love the experience of piloting unmanned aircraft as much I dreamed I would love flying commercial airliners. Thank you very much for your consideration.

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment, I was sitting in my World Geography class talking with my friends, and the next moment, I found myself waking up on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with two forms of epilepsy. My first appointment with the neurologist took hours. I was hooked up to machines for multiple tests, my blood was drawn, I was started on medication, and my parents had a million questions for the doctor. I don't remember most of that first appointment, but I do remember him telling my parents there were things I would not be able to do for a while: ride my bike, climb trees, go swimming alone. He also mentioned I would "very likely" be able to get my driver's license and live a mostly normal life. He finished by adding the few things in life I would never be able to do given my epilepsy diagnosis, including driving a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's the moment I remember most, as flying big jets internationally had been my childhood dream. Suddenly, I was crushed. My love for aviation stems from my grandpa, who has held his Private Pilot Certificate for 51 years. He, in turn, was inspired to become a pilot by his mother, a WASP in World War II. She was a pioneer of her time, joining in the war efforts as a transport pilot, and they both motivate me to leave a positive mark in the field of aviation. As a person living with epilepsy, my decision for my career has been heavily influenced by my disability. Knowing I would never be able to become an airline pilot because of my diagnosis, I struggled to find something else in the field of aronautics I may want to study in college and on which to build a career. I experimented with computer science and cybersecurity classes my first two years in high school but found they just weren't for me. Then after taking my first aviation class, I found my calling in drone aviation. I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. As a recipient of the Dr. G. Yvette Pegues Disability Scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing ethical drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am a highly motivated, hard-working student, eager to be a leader in the drone industry, its policies, and expanding its potential applications, while representing the epilepsy and Hispanic communities. I will continue to volunteer my time and services in my community in a wide variety of ways, from using my creative skills to bring joy and awareness to local environmental issues to utilizing thermal sensor techniques when assisting with search and rescue endeavors. Over the last six years, I have learned to not let my epilepsy control my life, slow me down or define me as a person, and I feel that I am thriving and am resilient despite the obstacles thrown in my path. While my initial life plans may not be what they once were, I have not, and will not, give up in finding my joy, and I am learning that I love the experience of piloting unmanned aircraft as much I dreamed I would love flying commercial airliners. Thank you very much for your consideration, Noah Morales

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment, I was sitting in my World Geography class talking with my friends, and the next moment, I found myself waking up on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with epilepsy. My first appointment with the neurologist took hours, or at least felt like it. I was hooked up to machines for multiple tests, my blood was drawn, I was started on medication, and my parents had a million questions for the doctor. I don't remember most of that first appointment, but I do remember him telling my parents there were things I would not be able to do for a while: ride my bike, climb trees, go swimming alone. He also mentioned I would "very likely" be able to get my driver's license and live a mostly normal life. He finished by adding the few things in life I would never be able to do given my epilepsy diagnosis, including driving a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's when I started paying attention, as flying big jets internationally was my career goal. Suddenly, I was crushed. Despite this major setback, I have been able to adapt to my disability and be successful in life. During my high school career, I’ve been recognized through many awards by my local community college, high school, and even College Board, and I graduated in May with a 4.9 GPA. As a person living with epilepsy, my decision for my career has been heavily influenced by my disability. Knowing I would never be able to become an airline pilot because of my diagnosis, I struggled to find something else I may want to study in college and on which to build a career. I experimented with computer science and cybersecurity classes my first two years in high school but found they just weren't for me. Then after taking my first aeronautics class, I finally found my calling: Drone Aviation. I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. This fall, I will attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to pursue my bachelor degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems. As a person living with epilepsy, my decision for my career has been heavily influenced by my disability. With this scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am confident I will be successful in college and in building my career, continuing to lead a healthy, independent, and productive life. I am highly motivated, hard-working, and aspire to be a leader in progressing the development of the drone industry and its policies, expanding its potential applications, and representing the epilepsy and Hispanic communities through my success in college, my career, and small business. I have learned to not let my disability control my life, and I believe that no matter any condition you may have, you should not let it define you as a person.

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment, I was sitting in my World Geography class talking with my friends, and the next moment, I found myself waking up on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with epilepsy. My first appointment with the neurologist took hours, or at least felt like it. I was hooked up to machines for multiple tests, my blood was drawn, I was started on medication, and my parents had a million questions for the doctor. I don't remember most of that first appointment, but I do remember him telling my parents there were things I would not be able to do for a while: ride my bike, climb trees, go swimming alone. He also mentioned I would "very likely" be able to get my driver's license and live a mostly normal life. He finished by adding the few things in life I would never be able to do given my epilepsy diagnosis, including driving a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's when I started paying attention, as flying big jets internationally was my career goal. Suddenly, I was crushed. Despite this major setback, I have been able to adapt to my disability and be successful in life. During my high school career, I’ve been recognized through many awards by my local community college, high school, and even College Board, and I graduated in May with a 4.9 GPA. As a person living with epilepsy, my decision for my career has been heavily influenced by my disability. Knowing I would never be able to become an airline pilot because of my diagnosis, I struggled to find something else I may want to study in college and on which to build a career. I experimented with computer science and cybersecurity classes my first two years in high school but found they just weren't for me. Then after taking my first aeronautics class, I finally found my calling: Drone Aviation. I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. With this scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am highly motivated, hard-working, and aspire to be a leader in progressing the development of the drone industry and its policies, expanding its potential applications, and representing the epilepsy and Hispanic communities through my success in college, my career, and small business. For the past two years, I have primarily spent my volunteer and community service time collaborating with several local artists, videographers, non-profit organizations, and business owners for photographic and film creations of large-scale murals and footage for public enjoyment, environmental awareness campaigns, and to promote their social media presence. I am passionate about protecting our environment for our enjoyment, the ecosystem, and for future generations. This fall, I will attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems. As a person living with epilepsy, my decision for my career has been heavily influenced by my disability. Like Arlin, I have learned to not let my disability control my life, and I believe that no matter any condition you may have, you should not let it define you as a person. I appreciate the opportunity to apply for the Arlin Diaz Memorial Scholarship, and for your consideration to be a potential recipient of this award.

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. I was sitting in class talking with friends, and then I found myself on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with epilepsy. At the first visit with my neurologist, I learned that given my epilepsy diagnosis, I would never be able to become an airline pilot. Suddenly, I was crushed, as flying jets was my career goal. Despite this major setback, I have still been able to adapt to my disability and be successful in my life. During my high school career, I’ve been recognized through many awards by my local community college, high school, and even College Board, and I will be graduating this May with a 3.96 GPA. My love for aviation stems from my grandpa, who has held his Private Pilot Certificate for 51 years. He, in turn, was inspired to become a pilot by his mother, a WASP in World War II. She was a pioneer of her time and motivates me to leave a positive mark in the field of aviation. While I grew up wanting to be in the aeronautical industry, becoming an airline pilot didn’t fully resonate with me. It wasn’t until my first drone aviation course in high school that becoming a UAS operator sparked my interest. Over time, I gradually realized the many diverse uses for small unmanned aircraft systems, and their ability to gather crucial data to be analyzed to solve complex problems: site mapping, agricultural surveying, inspections, public safety, search and rescue, real estate, and even cinematography - the possibilities are endless. This is where my captivation for drones stems from. I want to push the development of the aviation industry to its limits by expanding the potential applications of drone technology. Knowing I would never be able to fly because of my epilepsy, I struggled to find something else I may want to study in college and on which to build a career. I experimented with computer science and cybersecurity classes my first two years in high school. Unfortunately, these career paths just weren't for me. However, last year I finally found my calling: Drone Aviation. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what is achievable using drones, and I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. I have not let epilepsy slow me down or define me as a person. For the past two years, my volunteer and community service time has primarily been spent collaborating with several local artists, videographers, non-profit organizations, and business owners for photographic and film creations of large-scale murals and footage for public enjoyment, environmental awareness campaigns, and to promote their social media presence. With this scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am a highly motivated, hard-working student with aspirations to be a leader in progressing the development of the drone industry and its policies, expanding its potential applications, and representing the epilepsy community through my success in college, my career, and small business. Thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to apply for the Joseph Lipovits Memorial Aviation Scholarship.

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment, I was sitting in my World Geography class talking with my friends, and the next moment, I found myself waking up on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with epilepsy involving tonic-clonic (also known as “grand mal”) and absence seizures (“blacking out” for short periods of time that present as daydreaming). At the first appointment with my neurologist, I was hooked up to machines for multiple tests, my blood was drawn, and I was started on medication. I don't remember most of that first appointment, but I do recall the doctor telling my parents there were things I would not be able to do for a while until stabilized by my medication, including riding my bike, climbing trees, or going swimming alone. The doctor did mention I would "very likely" be able to get my driver's license and live a mostly normal life. Then he finished by adding the few things I would never be able to do given my epilepsy diagnosis, such as driving a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's the moment I started paying attention, as flying big jets internationally was my career goal. Suddenly, I was crushed. Despite this major setback, I have been able to adapt to my disability and be successful in life. During my high school career, I have been recognized through many awards by my local community college, high school, and even College Board, and I will be graduating this May with a 4.9 GPA. While my tonic-clonic seizures remain controlled with medication, I do still experience absence seizures, which occasionally affect my ability to concentrate and remain attentive in class and during tests. As a result, I know I must study harder and apply myself more diligently than my other classmates. I also occasionally need to take advantage of my 504 accommodations to provide extra time during standardized testing. It was hard at first figuring out how epilepsy would fit into my life and how I would still thrive as a person, a student, and eventually as a professional. The day I received my diagnosis, I began becoming more mature and responsible. Despite my young age, I quickly learned how to manage my medication, adjust my sleep and study schedule, and keep up with medical appointments and testing. I wear a medical alert bracelet and am committed to following my neurologist’s recommendation to avoid all alcohol and drugs, as they are known to trigger seizures. Learning I will never be able to fly a commercial jet because of my epilepsy turned my life upside down. As a person living with epilepsy, my decision for my career has been heavily influenced by my disability, as everything I thought I had planned was suddenly out of the question. I struggled to find something else I may want to study in college and on which to build a career. I experimented with computer science and cybersecurity classes my first two years in high school but found these career paths just weren't for me. However, last year I finally found my calling in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly known as "drone aviation." I believe that our future will be strongly affected by drones. Even just a few years ago, no one would believe movie scenes would soon be shot with flying cameras. The importance of drones is becoming increasingly significant in everyday life. From search and rescue missions to site surveying, to observing weather patterns, drones never fail to prove their usefulness. They are used in agriculture, policing, sports, marketing, and even for package deliveries. Once I took my first drone course in high school, I knew I found the perfect match, and so I studied for and earned my FAA 107 license to be a drone pilot. Over the last six years, I have learned to not let my disability control my life or define me as a person. Beginning this fall, I will be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in pursuit of my Bachelor of Science degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems. I intend to apply my degree to the further expansion of ethical applications in drone technology. Additionally, I will focus my future as a drone pilot on using UAS technology to advance applications in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I aspire to be a leader in the continuation of the growth of the drone industry and its policies, magnifying its potential applications, and representing the epilepsy community through my success in college, my career, and small business.

In sixth grade, I had my first seizure. One moment, I was sitting in class talking with friends, and the next moment, I found myself waking up on the floor, surrounded by administrators, teachers, and the school nurse. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with epilepsy. That first appointment with the neurologist seemed to take took hours. I was hooked up to machines for multiple tests, my blood was drawn, I was started on medication, and my parents had a million questions for the doctor. I don't remember most of that first appointment, but I do remember him telling my parents there were things I would not be able to do for a while: ride my bike, climb trees, go swimming alone. He also mentioned I would "very likely" be able to get my driver's license and live a mostly normal life. He finished by adding the few things in life I would never be able to do given my epilepsy diagnosis, including driving a long-haul truck across state lines, voluntarily join the military, or fly a commercial airplane. That's when I started paying attention, as flying big jets internationally was my career goal. Suddenly, I was crushed. Despite this major setback, I have been able to adapt to my disability and be successful in life. During high school, I have been recognized through many awards by my local community college, high school, and even College Board, and will be graduating with high honors. Knowing I will never be able to fly because of my epilepsy, I struggled to find something else to study in college and on which to build a career. I experimented with computer science and cybersecurity classes my first two years in high school. Unfortunately, these career paths just weren't for me. However, last year I finally found my calling in Drone Aviation. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what is achievable using drones. I studied for and earned my FAA Part 107 license to be a drone operator. I believe that our future will be strongly affected by drones, and they are becoming increasingly significant in everyday life. From search and rescue missions to site surveying, to observing weather patterns, drones never fail to prove their usefulness. They're used in agriculture, policing, sports, marketing, and even for package deliveries. I am enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in pursuit of my Bachelor’s degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems. As a person living with epilepsy, my decision for my career has been heavily influenced by my disability. Over the last six years, I have learned to not let my disability control my life. I believe that no matter any condition you may have, you should not let it define you as a person. With this scholarship, I will invest in my future as a drone pilot and focus my career on advancing drone technology in aerial site survey, construction site inspection, and bridge, roadway, and structure inspection. I am highly motivated, hard-working, and aspire to be a leader in progressing the development of the drone industry and its policies, expanding its potential applications, and representing the epilepsy community through my success in college, my career, and small business. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to be considered for the Dwight "The Professor" Baldwin Scholarship!