My journey into STEM began with a Sunday ritual: sitting with my aunt to watch the documentary, Cosmos. Seeing host Neil deGrasse Tyson was a revelation; he was the first person I saw on television in a high-level scientific field who looked like me. His success in astrophysics proved that a career in complex science was possible for a person of color, sparking a dream in me to achieve something just as profound. While I initially excelled in mathematics, I eventually realized that there is a difference between being good at something and loving it. This led me to AP Psychology, where I fell in love with the biological foundations of behavior. A late-night search for a way to combine my mathematical aptitude with my fascination for the brain led me to my "perfect future": Biomedical Engineering and Neurotechnology. My aspirations were further fueled by my family, specifically my cousins Aaron and Cami, who are on the autism spectrum. Watching them navigate a world that doesn’t always understand their neurological cues—such as the time Cami was unable to understand the simple physical cues of playing catch—sparked a deep empathy and a drive to support neurodiverse individuals through innovation. I realized how limited the general understanding of neurological differences truly is. I am now committed to a career where I can use neurotechnology to build the "bridge" that helps people like my cousins connect more fully with the world around them, ensuring their potential is not limited by their biological foundations. However, I also need to figure out a way to dismantle the financial and medical barriers that keep life-changing technology out of reach for marginalized communities. I am particularly passionate about developing affordable, non-invasive neurotechnology, such as cochlear implants made from recycled materials. Traditional medical devices often cost tens of thousands of dollars, making them inaccessible to low-income families. By utilizing recycled electronics to lower production costs, I aim to ensure that innovation is a right, not a luxury. My goal is to combine sustainability with compassion to solve global problems that hit close to home. Lastly, I intend to lead the STEM field with the same responsibility and resilience I have practiced in my own community. Whether managing finances ethically as the Treasurer of DECA or fostering an inclusive environment as President of the Psychology Club, I have learned that leadership is about accountability to others. When faced with resistance from those who attempted to undermine my leadership, I prioritized professionalism and transparency to ensure my team achieved its goals. In the STEM field, I will use these leadership skills plus the additional knowledge and experience I will gain in college to advocate for diverse perspectives, ensuring that the next generation of scientists see a path forward where their identity and their ideas are equally valued. Have a great day and thank you for your time and consideration! Nyla Medina

My journey into STEM began with a Sunday ritual: sitting with my aunt to watch the documentary, Cosmos. Seeing host Neil deGrasse Tyson was a revelation; he was the first person I saw on television in a high-level scientific field who looked like me. His success in astrophysics proved that a career in complex science was possible for a person of color, sparking a dream in me to achieve something just as profound. While I initially excelled in mathematics, I eventually realized that there is a difference between being good at something and loving it. This led me to AP Psychology, where I fell in love with the biological foundations of behavior. A late-night search for a way to combine my mathematical aptitude with my fascination for the brain led me to my "perfect future": Biomedical Engineering and Neurotechnology. My aspirations are fueled by my family, specifically my cousins Aaron and Joey, who are on the autism spectrum. Watching them navigate a world that doesn’t always understand their neurological cues—such as the time Cami was unable to understand the simple physical cues of playing catch—sparked a deep empathy and a drive to support neurodiverse individuals through innovation. I realized how limited the general understanding of neurological differences truly is. I am now committed to a career where I can use neurotechnology to build the "bridge" that helps people like my cousins connect more fully with the world around them, ensuring their potential is not limited by their biological foundations. As a person of color in STEM, I hope to have an impact by dismantling the financial and medical barriers that keep life-changing technology out of reach for marginalized communities. I am particularly passionate about developing affordable, non-invasive neurotechnology, such as cochlear implants made from recycled materials. Traditional medical devices often cost tens of thousands of dollars, making them inaccessible to low-income families. By utilizing recycled electronics to lower production costs, I aim to ensure that innovation is a right, not a luxury. My goal is to combine sustainability with compassion to solve global problems that hit close to home. Furthermore, I intend to lead the STEM field with the same responsibility and resilience I have practiced in my own community. Whether managing finances ethically as the Treasurer of DECA or fostering an inclusive environment as President of the Psychology Club, I have learned that leadership is about accountability to others. When faced with resistance from those who attempted to undermine my leadership, I prioritized professionalism and transparency to ensure my team achieved its goals. In the STEM field, I will use these leadership skills plus the additional knowledge and experience I will gain in college to advocate for diverse perspectives, ensuring that the next generation of scientists see a path forward where their identity and their ideas are equally valued.

The day I admitted I needed a break was the day I discovered what true strength truly means. For years, I prided myself on being the person who handled anything, juggling school, family responsibilities, and personal goals without showing signs of struggle. But during my junior year of high school, the weight of it all finally caught up to me. I was dealing with academic pressure, family financial stress, and the growing fear that I could not deal with all this and be me. I told myself to "just keep going," until one day I could not anymore. I began experiencing intense anxiety, racing thoughts, sleepless nights, and panic attacks that began to hurt more and more. I felt ashamed to slow down, I thought that I would fall behind, and more work would begin to pile onto me, causing me to work even more. I reached a point where I had to choose between pushing through or showing up for myself. In the end, I kept pushing forward, where I had to rely on energy drinks to keep awake through the day because I was struggling to catch a good amount of sleep. I chose to seek help. I started small: talking to a school counselor, journaling, and making time to read books that calmed my mind. I cut back on activities that drained me and carved out time each day to simply breathe and reflect. It was the first time I treated my mental and emotional health as nonnegotiable, and it changed everything. That experience taught me that self-care is not selfish; it is essential. I learned that strength is not about never breaking down; it is about knowing when to pause, ask for help, and rebuild. I also saw how common mental health struggles are, yet how rarely they are talked about, especially in underrepresented communities. That is why I have become an advocate among my peers; I speak about my experiences in my school's psychology club, reminding others that their feelings are valid and that taking care of yourself is brave. As I prepare for college and a future in biomedical engineering and neuroscience, this lesson has deeply shaped my path. I want to help create technologies that not only heal the body but also support mental and emotional well-being. I believe health must be treated as a full picture, mind, body, and spirit, and I carry that belief into every goal I set for myself. I may not have taken a perfect path, but it is a real one, and I am proud of how far I have come by learning to prioritize my well-being.

When my younger cousin was diagnosed with autism at an early age, I watched him grow up in a world that often did not understand him. He had difficulty with verbal communication, struggled to express his needs, and was frequently overwhelmed in loud or unfamiliar environments. Simple interactions, like ordering food at a restaurant or answering a question in class, became major obstacles. While his parents tried various therapies and tools, many of them were expensive or did not quite meet his unique needs. That is when I began thinking: could science offer a better, more personalized solution? Inspired by my love for both technology and neuroscience, I started researching how people with autism process sensory information and communicate differently. I learned about augmentative and alternative communication devices, tools that help nonverbal or minimally verbal individuals express themselves. But many of the commercial versions were bulky or too generalized. I wanted to design something that felt more intuitive and comforting to him. When I took a course at New Jersey Institute of Technology, I learned about BCIs and BMIs. I learned about neuroscience, more specifically about brain waves and sleep cycles. I built a hand that can be controlled using a headband that tracks brain waves. If my delta waves are the most active, the hand will do a certain motion, and if my alpha waves are the most present, then the hand will do a different motion. The project taught me how powerful creative thinking and science can be when combined with empathy. It also opened my eyes to how hard it must be for some families to be able to have these items when they may be immobilized or struggling to help themselves. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering and neuroscience so I could develop real, human-centered solutions for people like my cousin. Society has so much to gain when we use science to make the world more inclusive. Neurotechnology, brain computer interfaces, and sensory modulation devices are not just futuristic ideas. They are the keys to independence, dignity, and connection for people who are often left out of the conversation. I want to be part of building that future. Through my studies, I hope to create technologies that support neurodiverse individuals in their everyday lives, not just in labs or clinics, but at school, at work, and home. I want to ensure that scientific advancement serves everyone, especially those who have been overlooked. Helping my cousin was not just a personal project; it was the beginning of a mission. By blending creativity with science, I aim to open doors for others the way I have tried to open them for them. Because when we design with compassion, science becomes more than innovation, it becomes impact.

What if the future of humanity lay inside a virtual universe, where your dreams and reality collide? Ready Player One, both the book and the movie, answers that question with a story that’s electrifying and deeply personal. This adaptation bridges the gap between reading and viewing in a way that brings the vivid worlds of science fiction to life, cementing its place as one of my all-time favorites. Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is set in the year 2044, where society is on the brink of collapse due to an energy crisis and overpopulation. People find solace in the OASIS, a virtual reality world where they can escape the grim reality of their lives. Wade Watts, a teenage boy living in the poverty-stricken stacks (homes stacked on each other) in Oklahoma, spends most of his time in the OASIS. His life takes a dramatic turn when James Halliday, the creator of the OASIS, dies and leaves behind a contest to find a hidden Easter egg. The winner will inherit Halliday's immense fortune and control of the OASIS. As Wade progresses in the contest, he faces not only puzzles and trials but also the ruthless IOI corporation, determined to claim the prize at any cost. When I first read the book, I was captivated by the vivid descriptions of the OASIS—a place where anyone could be a hero, regardless of their real-life circumstances. Seeing that world brought to life on screen was nothing short of magical. The dazzling visuals, fast-paced action, and emotionally charged moments created a spectacle that resonated with me on a deeply personal level. It made me feel like a part of the OASIS, blending the immersive experience of reading with the thrill of watching it unfold on screen. Although the movie stays true to the book's core themes of hope, perseverance, and the value of connection, it takes creative liberties that set it apart. In the book, the contest is heavily steeped in 1980s pop culture trivia, with challenges that require Wade to solve puzzles, play retro video games, and reenact scenes from classic movies. The movie, however, reimagines many of these challenges to make them more action-packed and visually engaging. For example, the movie’s iconic race scene, which is entirely absent from the book, is a thrilling addition that highlights the stakes of the competition. Another key difference lies in the depiction of relationships. In the book, Wade’s friendships with Art3mis, Aech, and Shoto develop slowly, emphasizing trust and shared struggles. The movie speeds up these bonds, focusing more on the team dynamic to heighten the action. While some purists might miss the depth of the book’s slower character arcs, I felt the movie’s changes enhanced the story’s cinematic appeal, creating a faster-paced narrative that was still emotionally compelling. The adaptation of Ready Player One holds a special place in my heart because it did not just replicate the story—it brought it to life in ways I could not have imagined. As a reader, I loved unraveling the intricate details of Wade’s journey in both books. As a viewer, I marveled at the breathtaking spectacle of the OASIS and the pulse-pounding race to the finish. This blend of experiences deepened my appreciation for storytelling as a whole, proving that great stories can transcend mediums to leave a lasting impact.