Throughout my life, I've been to multiple schools and each one with a different experience. With the majority being white, Hispanic, Asian and black. I've experienced every part of the world and lived in it. The diversity that I have experienced taught me many things. One of those things is being tolerant and understanding of others. Not being weak, but understanding. To understand that people come from different backgrounds and walks of life. To judge that person is not something I stand by. To judge someone because of their differences is wrong, but to look at who they are as a character and what they represent is what's right. In a world where there is so much turmoil with one another for differences, it makes it harder to shine, especially being a person of color. Like people say you have to work twice as hard as the other person being black. I’m majoring in mechanical engineering, and African Americans are represented as 3% in the workforce! For me to represent this country and my ethnicity to the world is my goal. To encourage young children of all races, no matter the color of their skin or their differences as a person. That they can achieve greatness. Diversity has not only taught me valuable life lessons but given me a purpose. A reason to keep fighting in this adversity. For the future not only myself, but my family, and the millions of people who I’m going to inspire. This scholarship will help me reach my goal to become a person that helps people no matter what. Because I am Noah. My goal is to become a professional tennis player, but my back up which will always be education is in mechanical engineering. I love the concept of being able to break things down and create new ways to help people and businesses. I would major in that and start my own company that deals with creating mechanical machines, that make either our lives or mass production companies' job easier. I feel like I deserve this Scholarship because I am a determined, creative and optimistic person. Whatever opportunity you give me I create new doors. It will further my educational career and allow me to focus on how I can change the world instead of how am I going to get past this debt. For that, I would be indebted to you, and will surely make Ms. Elizabeth proud. Thank you for your time and consideration.

College will allow me to be a part of a community that can push me to become the best version of myself. For a person to be in an environment that gives them the resources and opportunity to grow is amazing, and that is what is going to happen when I go to college. But the question arises of how I can make an impact on the world. In my community I've been a mentor to young black kids, I've started a volleyball club with over 100 members, and created a documentary about it. I’ve volunteered for people with Alzheimer’s and given blood. Now I lead my tennis team as the varsity captain, in hopes of uplifting people every day to become the better version of themselves, and I’m just getting started. I also feel like I can do more for my community, by giving back to the community that I wish uplifted me more when I was younger. As a black young boy, I have to break that generational curse and become a person who God leads me to. My desired career is to be a Mechanical Engineer. For me, mechanical engineering is a challenge, which is good because I enjoy being pushed to become a better version of myself. A big goal of mine is to work with a family friend at a mechanical engineering company that supplies machines to NASA. Becoming the CEO of that company would be a dream and a goal of mine. I've always wanted to become a mechanical engineer since I was young. Just the process of being able to break things down, and construct things to help others fascinated me. A mix of physics and math, which needs a problem- solving mind. I've always had a mix of problem- solving abilities and creativity. The concrete thinking ability and the aspect of creating something from nothing. That's why it attracted me. My family friend is also a mechanical engineer and he tells me all of these stories he had at his job and what he does. Every time we talk I always bring it up. I have a genuine fascination for the degree, and field and I know that being in the program will allow me to grow not just as a person, but as a leader in the community. I want to show the world that no matter what race, background or financial insufficiencies you may have you always can become the person you want to be, by believing in yourself and being consistent.

College will allow me to be a part of a community that can push me to become the best version of myself. For a person to be in an environment that gives them the resources and opportunity to grow is amazing, and that is what is going to happen when I go to college. But the question arises of how I can make an impact on the world. In my community I've been a mentor to young black kids, I've started a volleyball club with over 100 members, and created a documentary about it. I’ve volunteered for people with Alzheimer’s and given blood. Now I lead my tennis team as the varsity captain, in hopes of uplifting people every day to become the better version of themselves, and I’m just getting started. I also feel like I can do more for my community, by giving back to the community that I wish uplifted me more when I was younger. As a black young boy, I have to break that generational curse and become a person who God leads me to. My desired career is to be a Mechanical Engineer. For me, mechanical engineering is a challenge, which is good because I enjoy being pushed to become a better version of myself. A big goal of mine is to work with a family friend at a mechanical engineering company that supplies machines to NASA. Becoming the CEO of that company would be a dream and a goal of mine. I've always wanted to become a mechanical engineer since I was young. Just the process of being able to break things down, and construct things to help others fascinated me. A mix of physics and math, which needs a problem- solving mind. I've always had a mix of problem- solving abilities and creativity. The concrete thinking ability and the aspect of creating something from nothing. That's why it attracted me. My family friend is also a mechanical engineer and he tells me all of these stories he had at his job and what he does. Every time we talk I always bring it up. I have a genuine fascination for the degree, and field and I know that being in the program will allow me to grow not just as a person, but as a leader in the community. I want to show the world that no matter what race, background or financial insufficiencies you may have you always can become the person you want to be, by believing in yourself and being consistent.

One day in Spanish, we were going over a lesson, and my teacher saw that I seemed sad…again. This was around the time my parent's divorce was hurting the most, and she recognized it. She had expressed some concern before, but this time she told me something I'll never forget, “Smiling will trick your brain into being happy.” At this time, I had just moved from my mom's custody to my dad’s, and hurtful words and anger were being thrown around. It was a lot mentally to digest. I was the middle man for my parents' anger towards each other, and I began to internalize it. It was affecting me mentally with difficulty breathing, constant tiredness and not wanting to get out of bed at times. I even started to grow gray hair because of stress. That one sentence, the few words that came out of her mouth, sounded so silly, but it had a huge impact. I left that day with a smile on my face and hope. Whenever I felt sad, I smiled; whenever I felt mad, I smiled. I smiled whenever I didn't feel like smiling. It felt fake at first, but over the span of a few months, it started to feel natural. That's when I noticed people around me smiling; they reflected the energy I gave off. I felt more positive. I felt happier each day. I would say it truly made me happier as a person. It felt as though I started to attract more positive people. It made people want to be around me more, and it made me want to be around myself more. This past year has been the biggest challenge of my life, but learning from it, and being able to grow is what allowed me to be the person I am today. Smiling didn't change my situation with my parents. It didn't change how they responded to me. But it did change my outlook and gave me the ability to move past the frustration and negative emotions associated with my parent's divorce and the problems I faced as a person. It helped me find peace. It allowed me to become the person I am today. My friends like to describe me as “understanding, bringing positivity around with me wherever I go, and challenging people to become better.” That small quote not only changed my perspective, but how I lived my life and interacted with others, and I’ll always remember that. Always.