I believe that a leader isn’t born- a leader is made. I would have never considered myself a leader when I was younger. The girl described to me her troubled home life, which at once I could see was very different from my own. Her father was quite abusive to her mother and I immediately was extremely shocked. In my community and my life, I had never experienced or heard about such a situation before. It broke my heart to see such a sweet little girl having to go home to such a problematic environment. I knew that there must be more little girls such as herself experiencing the same circumstances at home and their mothers who had to survive these situations with no one else to turn to. I knew that I wanted to do something to help these women in any way possible, as I would never want any of the women in my life to ever go through such things. From there, I decided to combine this activism with one of my passions, art. I founded an organization called Athena’s Art Deck with the help of my friends to raise money for domestic abuse survivors by selling customized stickers using digital art. We would create the stickers digitally, print them out and package each order. When we first started our organization, it was difficult to gain customers and manage our finances but we slowly learned from our varied experiences. Currently, our organization has raised hundreds of dollars to donate to women’s shelters in our community of New Jersey to support domestic violence survivors and that number is rising rapidly. We’ve also raised awareness of the issue and convinced other students in our school to get involved. However, this is a huge problem nationwide and has been a problem for thousands of years. While I realize that there is no easy solution, I hope to empower women that have gone through countless hardships and inspire others to do the same. I want to continue to spread awareness of this issue when I go to college and perhaps even get involved with real policy change to help domestic abuse survivors more. I used to be content to stay passive, but after being able to affect the lives of real people, I want to continue taking action. When I first started the organization, Athena’s Art Deck, I had no experience and no plan but despite that, it was successful. In the future, I want to go further with my volunteering and be passionate about the work I do.

“Do you want to know what the key to immortality is?” my nani, grandmother, whispered. “Listen. The key to immortality is in…a story.” And so she began. Long ago, Bharata was under siege from vicious demons, particularly Mahishasura, who was granted the wish of invulnerability against any person or God. “There must be something we can do,” Shivji, God of Destruction, mused. Pondering this for what may have been centuries, he created a solution in the form of Durgaji, Goddess of Strength. “Durga…,” but before he could finish, she eliminated Mahishasura and restored peace. “That is it, choti, little one. Although this happened around 400 CE, Durgaji is worshiped even today,” my nani explained. Now, having discovered the Sinchan Education Foundation (SEF), I understand why Durgaji has been remembered for thousands of years. In North India, indigenous Santhali people reside in Bihar. Despite the effort for global education, most Santhali women leave their education due to pressure to get married and raise children. SEF is an organization, composed of Santhali and international members, aiming to prevent drop-outs through digital literacy. I began working with SEF my sophomore year to help a group of Santhali villagers in Govindpur. I became a digital pen pal to Kavitha, a Santhali woman in her early 20’s who continued her education despite gender barriers. We would send videos to one another sharing parts of our personal stories. Through the videos, we discovered a difference: I was born in a society educating women, while Kavitha was not. She embodied Durgaji by continuing her schooling and teaching others despite negative societal pressures. I explored the reason behind our difference through research about the quantitative impacts of increased education. I worked with SEF to record the number of students who went to school at the beginning of the year compared to 2.5 years later. We correlated Santhali childrens’ increased skills from digital education to the probability of finding profitable occupations. I learned how to use linear regression analysis, finding that the more education a child has via digital learning centers, not only do they have more financial opportunities but also in 2.5 years, the village is seeing a lower dropout rate. This opened my eyes to the amazing potential of economics and mathematics to change lives by predicting future trends. It made me realize that I want to be part of the movement creating policy resolutions using numbers that, on paper, seem unremarkable. Although I have much to learn before being able to make such changes, I am excited to begin. To this day, I remember the other part of my grandmother’s story. And so she asked. “Choti, why is the lion, King of the jungle, Durgaji's companion?” Smiling, she continued. “His power is so great that his individual choices affect all the other animals' lives.” While economics is the study of individuals’ choices, it often marginalizes women. However, I hope to participate in and create networks for other women to continue the cycle. I understand that my independent choice to study economics will open doors for other women. I realize now that leaving an impression by helping others is equally as powerful as an immortality potion. Now I ask my sister, 4’10’’ at 10 years old, “Do you know what the key to immortality is?”

Accomplishments, money and love are just three types of legacies a person can leave behind. Everyone is remembered based on what they did in their life, whether they are remembered as someone who made others happy or someone who made others cry. As a high school student, I’d never really thought about my legacy before until I went to volunteer at Parker Elementary School in Trenton. I was helping a little girl, in second grade, with her homework. We were conversing amiably when she started talking about her family. The girl described to me her troubled home life, which at once I could see was very different from my own. Her father was quite abusive to her mother and I immediately was extremely shocked. In my own community and in my life, I had never experienced or heard about such a situation before. It broke my heart to see such a sweet little girl having to go home to such a problematic environment. I knew that there must be more little girls such as herself experiencing the same circumstances at home, and their mothers who had to survive these situations with no one else to turn to. I knew that I wanted to do something to help these women in any way possible, as I would never want any of the women in my life to ever go through such things. From there, I decided to combine this activism with one of my passions, art. I founded an organization called Athena’s Art Deck with the help of my friends to raise money for domestic abuse survivors through selling our own customized products and conducting art webinars for all interested in learning. When we first started our organization, it was difficult to gain customers, but it was especially difficult to manage our finances as we had never done anything of the sort before. We were constantly trying to calculate costs of each product and trying to come up with the best ways to maximize our funds to get an increased donation. Currently, our organization has raised over 200 dollars to donate to womens’ shelters to support domestic violence survivors and that number is rising rapidly. While of course I realize that there is no easy solution that will completely end this problem, I hope to empower women that have gone through countless hardships and inspire other people to do the same. I’ve also joined the Girl Up organization because “when girls rise, we all rise.” I’ve always wanted to leave a legacy behind that would benefit others. Money, riches and material objects may be appreciated, but support, care and opportunities will be loved and remembered. I am proud of the money that my friends and I have raised through our organization, but I am even more proud of the awareness we have been able to spread and the support we have given to those women. As a woman myself, it is terrifying to think about the possibility that this violence could happen to me, my family or friends simply because of my gender. In fact, it has been happening for centuries and is still happening to this very day. 97% of women have been sexually harassed or abused at least once in their lifetime. Take for instance, Sarah Everard, Vilma Kari or countless other women like them. To ensure the safety of more women, I hope to spread even more awareness on this issue and raise more money through Athena’s Art Deck to support victims. I also have encouraged and will continue to encourage students in my school to stop the rising rates of violence against women. As Michelle Obama once said, “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” Women are still fighting for their rights and it is time that we recognize their full potential together, as a united society. When I pass away, I want to be remembered for what I did to curb the issues surrounding our world. I want to be able to be remembered by little girls who realized that they no longer have to just blindly accept what they are given by the world, and that they don’t have to be afraid to take what they want or need.

I’ve tutored many children in my local community and in my own neighborhood. However, an experience that really stood out to me was when I went to volunteer at Parker Elementary School in Trenton. I was helping a little girl, in second grade, with her homework. We were conversing amiably when she started talking about her family. The girl described to me her troubled home life, which at once I could see was very different from my own. Her father was quite abusive to her mother and I immediately was extremely shocked. In my own community and in my life, I had never experienced or heard about such a situation before. It broke my heart to see such a sweet little girl having to go home to such a problematic environment. I knew that there must be more little girls such as herself experiencing the same circumstances at home and their mothers who had to survive these situations with no one else to turn to. I knew that I wanted to do something to help these women in any way possible, as I would never want any of the women in my life to ever go through such things. From there, I decided to combine this activism with two of my passions, art, and technology. I founded an organization called Athena’s Art Deck with the help of my friends to raise money for domestic abuse survivors through selling our own customized products and conducting art webinars for all interested in learning. I also coded a website over the course of a few months with my friends. When we first started our organization, it was difficult to gain customers, but it was especially difficult to manage our finances as we had never done anything of the sort before. We were constantly trying to calculate the costs of each product and trying to come up with the best ways to maximize our funds to get an increased donation. Currently, our organization has raised over 200 dollars to donate to women's shelters to support domestic violence survivors and that number is rising rapidly. While of course, I realize that there is no easy solution that will completely end this problem, I hope to empower women that have gone through countless hardships and inspire other people to do the same. I’ve also joined the Girl Up organization because “when girls rise, we all rise.” As a woman myself, it is terrifying to think about the possibility that this violence could happen to me, my family, or my friends simply because of my gender. In fact, it has been happening for centuries and is still happening to this very day. 97% of women have been sexually harassed or abused at least once in their lifetime. Take, for instance, Sarah Everard, Vilma Kari, or countless other women like them. To ensure the safety of more women, I hope to spread more awareness on this issue and raise more money through Athena’s Art Deck to support victims. I also have encouraged and will continue to encourage students in my school to stop the rising rates of violence against women. Along with Athena’s Art Deck, I hope to continue to help my future community through my future profession as an engineer. Females are very underrepresented in STEM fields, and I hope that I can inspire more that they do not have to be restricted by societal expectations. I never used to want to go into the STEM field. In fact, I wanted to do the complete opposite of math and science. I always thought that math and science were rigid subjects that relied on memorizing facts and finding the “right” answers. For me, engineering, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc. were just a set of constraints that would keep me from being able to express my creativity. However, my mindset completely changed when I realized that science, math, engineering, and research could completely change the world and help thousands of people. In high school, I began to be interested in engineering and in robotics. I joined both my local robotics team and took an engineering course in school. In that course, we were challenged to create real-world designs using different principles of math and science. One of the most impactful projects I designed was a mask to protect from the COVID-19 pandemic with specially designed features. In my design, I used concepts of chemistry to create a heat pack inside the mask with calcium chloride and water. I used principles of geometry to figure out the ideal sizing of each part. I used concepts of biology to figure out the best way to eradicate bacteria and infections that could hide in the mask. Everything I designed was my own original idea that I had the complete creative expression to make. From this project, I felt completely changed when I realized the impact I could have using STEM, which I had once hated, to change my community and to impact people’s lives on current issues such as the ongoing pandemic. While math, science, and technology may not be creative in a more typical form such as art, they have much potential for expression and exploration. It gives me hope for the future that I will be able to apply my learnings and experiences to current, real-world problems such as malnutrition to create more efficient solutions such as using biotechnologies to create more versatile soil for crops in different climates to reduce malnutrition and to succeed as a woman in a male-dominated field. As Michelle Obama once said, “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” Women are still fighting for their rights and it is time that we recognize their full potential together, as a united society.

I remember my own start in the world of chess a few years ago. I took a deep breath and opened the door of my local church, which I had never been inside before. As always, my mother had signed me up for another activity I knew nothing about, chess. It had never seemed very appealing to me before. I walked into the room in which the chess lessons I was signed up for were held. After I was given an introduction to chess and taught the basics, I played my very first game and promptly lost. The next day, I came back slightly more intrigued and slightly more experienced. I sat down with a new opponent and promptly lost my next few games again. It was, in truth, a very disheartening experience. The only chess games I was able to win for the first few weeks were the ones I played against my sister, my six-year-old sister, who didn’t have much knowledge of chess. Slowly by and day by day, I learned various combinations of attacks I could make against my opponents to make me a better player. Every day I made minuscule amounts of progress, but the first time I finally won a game was a hard-earned victory that tasted sweeter than honey to me. Playing chess, physically moving the pieces, is only part of it though. The truly riveting part of it is the processes and variations, the thoughts behind every move. There are so many combinations that can be played; chess can truly be like a miniature war sometimes. The push and pull between each opponent fighting to overpower the other, the race to find new and inventive moves, and the foresight needed to be able to see the opponent’s moves are all just small chunks that make up the game of chess. However, just these few bits alone have impacted my thinking and my life. In the future, I want to be an engineer and help better my community and the world. The skills that I have learned from chess such as problem-solving, creativity, and empathy are invaluable. Using the different problem-solving techniques I learned from chess, I can come up with more innovative solutions to different obstacles in my path. For example, during the current pandemic, I designed a mask to protect from COVID-19 with specially designed features. In my design, I used concepts of chemistry to create a heat pack inside the mask with calcium chloride and water. I used principles of geometry to figure out the ideal sizing of each part. I used concepts of biology to figure out the best way to eradicate bacteria and infections that could hide in the mask. Everything I designed was my own original idea that I had the complete creative expression to make. In chess, you have to approach every move from a different angle and consider all the possibilities. I was able to take this concept and apply it to my mask design when I used principles from different branches of math and science to come up with a unique idea. When playing chess, you also need to be able to “walk-in others' shoes”. You need to imagine the other person’s perspective which also increases empathy. I’ve always wanted to change my community and help people who are less fortunate than men in the future as an engineer. By playing many different games of chess with different people, I’ve gained the skill to be able to think multiple moves ahead based on how my opponent thinks. Being able to empathize and imagining what people in different situations go through is very important to me, so I can better understand problems that need to be solved and come up with innovative solutions. For example, in the same church that I learned to play chess, a fundraiser was held to help women survivors of domestic abuse. Though I’ve never experienced it myself or known anyone who has, I was able to speak to the victims and gather information on the topic by inserting myself in their positions. All in all, these skills are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all that chess has to offer. Mikhail Tal once said, “Quiet moves often make a stronger impression than a wild combination with heavy sacrifices.” Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was my ability to play chess.

I never used to want to go into the STEM field. In fact, I wanted to do the complete opposite of math and science. This might have been because I’ve always felt that I “had” to go into STEM. I live in an Asian dominant community and many people believe in the stereotype that Asians are only good at math and science. My family members were all into programming and science-related fields, and I felt overwhelmed with pressure to do the same. As a child, I didn’t want to be restricted into this “myth” that had been constructed for me on the basis of my race. I always thought that math and science were rigid subjects that relied on memorizing facts and finding the “right” answers. For me, engineering, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc. were just a set of constraints that would keep me from being able to express my creativity. However, my mindset completely changed when I realized that science, math, engineering, and research could completely change the world and help thousands of people. In high school, I began to be interested in engineering and in robotics. I joined both my local robotics team and took an engineering course in school. In that course, we were challenged to create real-world designs using different principles of math and science. One of the most impactful projects I designed was a mask to protect from the COVID-19 pandemic with specially designed features. In my design, I used concepts of chemistry to create a heat pack inside the mask with calcium chloride and water. I used principles of geometry to figure out the ideal sizing of each part. I used concepts of biology to figure out the best way to eradicate bacteria and infections that could hide in the mask. Everything I designed was my own original idea that I had the complete creative expression to make. From this project, I felt completely changed when I realized the impact I could have using STEM, which I had once hated, to change my community and to impact people’s lives on current issues such as the ongoing pandemic. As a high school student, and as a woman, I am often underestimated by others because I am “too young”. However, I want to prove that I am capable of creating change and innovation and that I am not burdened by my age or gender. After taking advanced STEM courses as well as participating in robotics and participating in my school’s molecular biology research club, I can finally see the appeal of the STEM field. A wise person once said, “Math may not teach us how to add love or subtract hate, but it gives us hope that every problem has a solution.” While math, science, and technology may not be creative in a more typical form such as art, they have much potential for expression and exploration. It gives me hope for the future that I will be able to apply the knowledge I can gain from the AEOP program if I am accepted to current, real-world problems such as malnutrition to create more efficient solutions such as using biotechnologies to create more versatile soil for crops in different climates to reduce malnutrition. While others may try to force me into a typical STEM-oriented Asian stereotype, I no longer let this fear of being judged determine my interests and I am thankful that I have the support of my family.

I never used to want to go into the STEM field. In fact, I wanted to do the complete opposite of math and science. This might have been because I’ve always felt that I “had” to go into STEM. I live in an Asian dominant community and many people believe in the stereotype that Asians are only good at math and science. My family members were all into programming and science-related fields, and I felt overwhelmed with pressure to do the same. As a child, I didn’t want to be restricted into this “myth” that had been constructed for me based on my race. I always thought that math and science were rigid subjects that relied on memorizing facts and finding the “right” answers. For me, engineering, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc. were just a set of constraints that would keep me from being able to express my creativity. However, my mindset completely changed when I realized that science, math, engineering, and research could completely change the world and help thousands of people. In high school, I began to be interested in engineering and robotics. I joined both my local robotics team and took an engineering course in school. In that course, we were challenged to create real-world designs using different principles of math and science. One of the most impactful projects I designed was a mask to protect from the COVID-19 pandemic with specially designed features. In my design, I used concepts of chemistry to create a heat pack inside the mask with calcium chloride and water. I used principles of geometry to figure out the ideal sizing of each part. I used concepts of biology to figure out the best way to eradicate bacteria and infections that could hide in the mask. Everything I designed was my own original idea that I had the complete creative expression to make. From this project, I felt completely changed when I realized the impact I could have using STEM, which I had once hated, to change my community and to impact people’s lives on current issues such as the ongoing pandemic. After taking advanced STEM courses as well as participating in robotics and participating in my school’s molecular biology research club, I can finally see the appeal of the STEM field. A wise person once said, “Math may not teach us how to add love or subtract hate, but it gives us hope that every problem has a solution.” While math, science, and technology may not be creative in a more typical form such as art, they have much potential for expression and exploration. It gives me hope for the future that I will be able to apply the knowledge I can gain from the AEOP program if I am accepted to current, real-world problems such as malnutrition to create more efficient solutions such as using biotechnologies to create more versatile soil for crops in different climates to reduce malnutrition. While others may try to force me into a typical STEM-oriented Asian stereotype, I no longer let this fear of being judged determine my interests and I am thankful that I have the support of my family.

I’ve tutored many children in my local community and my own neighborhood. However, an experience that really stood out to me was when I went to volunteer at Parker Elementary School in Trenton. I was helping a little girl, in second grade, with her homework. We were conversing amiably when she started talking about her family. The girl described to me her troubled home life, which at once I could see was very different from my own. Her father was quite abusive to her mother and I immediately was extremely shocked. In my own community and my life, I had never experienced or heard about such a situation before. It broke my heart to see such a sweet little girl having to go home to such a problematic environment. I knew that there must be more little girls such as herself experiencing the same circumstances at home and their mothers who had to survive these situations with no one else to turn to. I knew that I wanted to do something to help these women in any way possible, as I would never want any of the women in my life to ever go through such things. From there, I decided to combine this activism with one of my passions, art. I founded an organization called Athena’s Art Deck with the help of my friends to raise money for domestic abuse survivors through selling our own customized products and conducting art webinars for all interested in learning. When we first started our organization, it was difficult to gain customers, but it was especially difficult to manage our finances as we had never done anything of the sort before. We were constantly trying to calculate the costs of each product and trying to come up with the best ways to maximize our funds to get an increased donation. Currently, our organization has raised over 200 dollars to donate to women's shelters to support domestic violence survivors and that number is rising rapidly. While of course, I realize that there is no easy solution that will completely end this problem, I hope to empower women that have gone through countless hardships and inspire other people to do the same. I’ve also joined the Girl Up organization because “when girls rise, we all rise.” As a woman myself, it is terrifying to think about the possibility that this violence could happen to me, my family, or my friends simply because of my gender. In fact, it has been happening for centuries and is still happening to this very day. 97% of women have been sexually harassed or abused at least once in their lifetime. Take, for instance, Sarah Everard, Vilma Kari, or countless other amazing women like them who have gone missing or been harmed. To ensure the safety of more women, I hope to spread more awareness on this issue and raise more money through Athena’s Art Deck to support victims. I also have encouraged and will continue to encourage students in my school to stop the rising rates of violence against women. As Michelle Obama once said, “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” Women are still fighting for their rights and it is time that we recognize their full potential together, as a united society.

My social media handle for Instagram is @priyalguptaa: https://www.instagram.com/priyalguptaa/?hl=en. I'm proud to be a woman and part of the LGBTQ community because of the strong bonds I share with and the support I receive from the others in my community. I am proud to be different but to also be accepted and that I have a unique voice and perspective. I wouldn't want to change who I am for anything in the world.

Empowering, ambitious and passionate. Those are the three most important qualities I believe an entrepreneur should possess. Many people may be intimidated by the amount of work and confidence it takes to be an entrepreneur; however, I believe that an entrepreneur isn’t born, an entrepreneur is made. I myself would have never considered myself a leader or an entrepreneur in middle school or elementary school. However, in high school, I began to take more of an active role in my community and gradually began to grow more comfortable having to interact with people I did not know well. What really hit the nail in the head for me was when I went to volunteer at Parker Elementary School in Trenton. I was helping a little girl, in second grade, with her homework. We were conversing amiably when she started talking about her family. The girl described to me her troubled home life, which at once I could see was very different from my own. Her father was quite abusive to her mother and I immediately was extremely shocked. In my own community and my life, I had never experienced such a situation before. I knew that there must be more little girls such as herself experiencing the same circumstances at home and their mothers who had to survive these situations with no one else to turn to. I knew that I wanted to do something to help these women in any way possible, as I would never want any of the women in my life to ever go through such things. From there, I decided to combine this activism with one of my passions, art. I founded an organization called Athena’s Art Deck with the help of my friends to raise money for domestic abuse survivors through selling our own customized products and conducting art webinars for all interested in learning. When we first started our organization, it was difficult to gain customers, but it was especially difficult to manage our finances as we had never done anything of the sort before. We were constantly trying to calculate the costs of each product and trying to come up with the best ways to maximize our funds to get an increased donation. As an entrepreneur, I combined economics with leadership and business to further my impact on my community. Currently, our organization has raised over 200 dollars to donate to women's shelters to support domestic violence survivors and that number is rising rapidly. While of course, I realize that there is no easy solution that will completely end this problem, my hope to empower women that have gone through hardships and inspire others to do the same motivates me to succeed. I used to be content to stay passive and blend it with the crowd, but after being able to affect the lives of so many people, I want to continue to take action and to be able to make others’ lives better. When I first started the organization, Athena’s Art Deck, I had no experience and no plan but despite that, it was successful. As anonymous once said, “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.” Everyone has the capability to lead inside of them, but they are only true leaders when they step forward for what they are passionate about and when they inspire others to do the same. That is what I aim to do with our business Athena’s Art Deck and I hope that as an entrepreneur, I have numerous opportunities in the future to be able to have a bigger impact on the world.

I never used to want to go into the STEM field. In fact, I wanted to do the complete opposite of math and science. This might have been because I’ve always felt that I “had” to go into STEM. I live in an Asian dominant community and many people believe in the stereotype that Asians are only good at math and science. My family members were all into programming and science-related fields, and I felt overwhelmed with pressure to do the same. As a child, I didn’t want to be restricted into this “myth” that had been constructed for me based on my race. I always thought that math and science were rigid subjects that relied on memorizing facts and finding the “right” answers. For me, engineering, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc. were just a set of constraints that would keep me from being able to express my creativity. However, my mindset completely changed when I realized that science, math, engineering, and research could completely change the world and help thousands of people. In high school, I began to be interested in engineering and robotics. I joined both my local robotics team and took an engineering course in school. In that course, we were challenged to create real-world designs using different principles of math and science. One of the most impactful projects I designed was a mask to protect from the COVID-19 pandemic with specially designed features. At the time, I had no idea how big of an influence it would be on my life and my thinking. In my design, I used concepts of chemistry to create a heat pack inside the mask with calcium chloride and water. I used principles of geometry to figure out the ideal sizing of each part. I used concepts of biology to figure out the best way to eradicate bacteria and infections that could hide in the mask. Everything I designed was my own original idea that I had the complete creative expression to make. From this project, I felt completely changed when I realized the impact I could have using STEM, which I had once hated, to change my community and to impact people’s lives on current issues such as the ongoing pandemic. After taking advanced STEM courses as well as participating in robotics and participating in my school’s molecular biology research club, I can finally see the appeal of the STEM field. A wise person once said, “Math may not teach us how to add love or subtract hate, but it gives us hope that every problem has a solution.” While math, science, and technology may not be creative in a more typical form such as art, they have much potential for expression and exploration. It gives me hope for the future that I will be able to apply the knowledge I can gain from the AEOP program if I am accepted to current, real-world problems such as malnutrition to create more efficient solutions such as using biotechnologies to create more versatile soil for crops in different climates to reduce malnutrition. While others may try to force me into a typical STEM-oriented Asian stereotype, I no longer let this fear of being judged determine my interests and I am thankful that I have the support of my family. I am glad to have had the opportunity to design the mask that influenced my perception of the STEM field and changed my goals for the future. Now, in the future, I want to be an engineer for change.

Each day, 8 children brutally die from gun violence in America. Another 32 are shot and injured. The reality is, schools are becoming more and more dangerous. They aren’t the safe places they present themselves to be, because of one thing- school shootings. I still remember the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. I was just seven years old, but I remember being absolutely terrified to go back to school the next day, along with my friends. My palms were shaking and my breathing was fast because the only thought that was running through my mind was what if someone shoots me. I don’t think any child should have to be put into that position- ever- so I want to create an object that will abate these fears. One technology I want to create is a metal object that schools can safely store inside each classroom for emergency use. That object would have high-tech sensors that could sense guns and other firearms to alert teachers and students of a potential shooter entering the building. Moreover, it would be able to disable those firearms if it came into close contact with them. It would also have a button that could quickly contact the police and ambulance when pressed to alert them of a high-stakes situation. I know that this technology is advanced ahead of what we currently have, but with the scholarship money, I could research and invest in creating this object. I would call it the K.I.O, which would stand for “Keep Intruders Out”. I’ve always been interested in engineering and helping my community, and by creating the K.I.O I could combine both of my passions. I wouldn’t just be creating a tangible product, I would be creating a better future for everyone. By making this creation, I want to let everyone, especially my past scared seven-year-old self know that no one has to be afraid to go to school anymore. They don’t have to be afraid that one day they may lose their closest friends and family. They don’t have to go to school with their heart pounding loudly in their chest and silent tears running down their cheeks for the people close to their hearts. By creating technology that could disarm firearms, it would greatly reduce the number of deaths and ensure that everyone would be protected before the police could arrive. A wise person once said, “The best way to find happiness is not to search for it, but to create it.” With this creation, I want to ensure the happiness of students and teachers who work hard each and every day. Because of my passion to make helpful technology, I began to be interested in engineering and in robotics. I joined both my local robotics team and took an engineering course in school. In that course, we were challenged to create real-world designs using different principles of math and science. One of the most impactful projects I designed was a mask to protect from the COVID-19 pandemic with specially designed features. In my design, I used concepts of chemistry to create a heat pack inside the mask with calcium chloride and water. I used principles of geometry to figure out the ideal sizing of each part. I used concepts of biology to figure out the best way to eradicate bacteria and infections that could hide in the mask. Everything I designed was my own original idea that I had the complete creative expression to make. From this project, I felt completely changed when I realized the impact I could have using STEM to change my community and to impact people’s lives on current issues such as the ongoing pandemic. If I were able to pursue this passion, I would create more technologies for more important issues such as using biomedical technologies to create more prosthetic organs for people in need. In the future, I want to be an engineer for change.

In this picture, I tried making masks for my local hospital for the very first time. It was extremely challenging, and took hours of pricked fingers, locating missing needles, and sighing over ruined patterns to make the final products. However, it was all worth it when I finally finished the masks by myself and knew that they would be given to people who really needed it. It was a difficult process, but it gave me experience and new knowledge. Making masks for my community is a truly rewarding task because I’ll be able to keep more people safe.

It’s interesting that chess was once played by kings and queens in royal courts, used to scheme and plot wars. Nowadays, many people think chess is just for “smart” people who aren’t very sportive and have nothing else to do in their past time. It’s astonishing that the art of simply moving pieces on a board is such an intricate, layered process that can be just as exhilarating as any sport if played correctly. I remember my own start to the world of chess a few years ago. I took a deep breath and opened the door of my local church, which I had never been inside before. As always, my mother had signed me up for another activity I knew nothing about. This time, the activity in particular was chess. When I thought about my limited knowledge of chess, I thought about old men playing chess in the park. It had never seemed very appealing to me before. I walked into the room in which the chess lessons I was signed up for were held. After I was given an introduction to chess and taught the basics, I played my very first game and promptly lost. The next day, I came back slightly more intrigued and slightly more experienced. I sat down with a new opponent and promptly lost my next few games again. It was, in truth, a very disheartening experience. The only chess games I was able to win for the first few weeks were the ones I played against my sister, my six year old sister. She didn’t have much knowledge of chess. Slowly by slowly and day by day, I learned various combinations of attacks I could make against my opponents to make me a better player. Every day I made minuscule amounts of progress, but the first time I finally won a game was a hard-earned victory that tasted sweeter than honey to me. Playing chess, physically moving the pieces, is only part of it though. The truly riveting part of it is the processes and variations, the thoughts behind every move. There are so many combinations that can be played; chess can truly be like a miniature war sometimes. The push and pull between each opponent fighting to overpower the other, the race to find new and inventive moves, and the foresight needed to be able to see the opponent’s moves are all just small chunks that make up the game of chess. However, just these few bits alone have impacted my thinking and my life. In the future, I want to be an engineer and help better my community and the world. The skills that I have learned from chess such as problem solving, creativity and empathy are invaluable. Using the different problem solving techniques I learned from chess, I can come up with more innovative solutions to different obstacles in my path. For example, during the current pandemic, I designed a mask to protect from COVID-19 with specially designed features. In my design, I used concepts of chemistry to create a heat pack inside the mask with calcium chloride and water. I used principles of geometry to figure out the ideal sizing of each part. I used concepts of biology to figure out the best way to eradicate bacteria and infections that could hide in the mask. Everything I designed was my own original idea that I had the complete creative expression to make. In chess, you have to approach every move with a different angle and consider all the possibilities. I was able to take this concept and apply it to my mask design when I used principles from different branches of math and science to come up with a unique idea. When playing chess, you also need to be able to “walk in other’s shoes”. In other words, you need to imagine the other person’s perspective which also increases empathy. I’ve always wanted to change my community and help people who are less fortunate than men in the future as an engineer. By playing many different games of chess with different people, I’ve gained the skill to be able to think multiple moves ahead based on how my opponent thinks. Being able to empathize and imagining what people in different situations go through is very important to me, so I can better understand problems that need to be solved and come up with innovative solutions. For example, in the same church that I learned to play chess, a fundraiser was held to help women survivors of domestic abuse. Though I’ve never experienced it myself or known anyone who has, I was able to speak to the victims and gather information on the topic by inserting myself in their positions. All in all, evidently these skills are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all that chess has to offer. Mikhail Tal once said, “Quiet moves often make a stronger impression than a wild combination with heavy sacrifices.” Indeed, small, slow steps are often more useful than large steps not often made. I myself learned to play chess very slowly, but I played every day whenever I could. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was my ability to play chess.

I never used to want to go into the STEM field. In fact, I wanted to do the complete opposite of math and science. This might have been because I’ve always felt that I “had” to go into STEM. I live in an Asian dominant community and many people believe in the stereotype that Asians are only good at math and science. My family members were all into programming and science-related fields, and I felt overwhelmed with pressure to do the same. As a child, I didn’t want to be restricted into this “myth” that had been constructed for me on the basis of my race. I always thought that math and science were rigid subjects that relied on memorizing facts and finding the “right” answers. For me, engineering, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc. were just a set of constraints that would keep me from being able to express my creativity. However, my mindset completely changed when I realized that science, math, engineering, and research could completely change the world and help thousands of people. In high school, I began to be interested in engineering and in robotics. I joined both my local robotics team and took an engineering course in school. In that course, we were challenged to create real-world designs using different principles of math and science. One of the most impactful projects I designed was a mask to protect from the COVID-19 pandemic with specially designed features. In my design, I used concepts of chemistry to create a heat pack inside the mask with calcium chloride and water. I used principles of geometry to figure out the ideal sizing of each part. I used concepts of biology to figure out the best way to eradicate bacteria and infections that could hide in the mask. Everything I designed was my own original idea that I had the complete creative expression to make. From this project, I felt completely changed when I realized the impact I could have using STEM, which I had once hated, to change my community and to impact people’s lives on current issues such as the ongoing pandemic. After taking advanced STEM courses as well as participating in robotics and participating in my school’s molecular biology research club, I can finally see the appeal of the STEM field. A wise person once said, “Math may not teach us how to add love or subtract hate, but it gives us hope that every problem has a solution.” While math, science, and technology may not be creative in a more typical form such as art, they have much potential for expression and exploration. While others may try to force me into a typical STEM-oriented Asian stereotype, I no longer let this fear of being judged determine my interests and I am thankful that I have the support of my family. I hope that I can turn my potential into something useful and important if I am the recipient of this scholarship.

I never used to want to go into the STEM field. In fact, I wanted to do the complete opposite of math and science. This might have been because I’ve always felt that I “had” to go into STEM. I live in an Asian dominant community and many people believe in the stereotype that Asians are only good at math and science. My family members were all into programming and science-related fields, and I felt overwhelmed with pressure to do the same. As a child, I didn’t want to be restricted into this “myth” that had been constructed for me on the basis of my race. I always thought that math and science were rigid subjects that relied on memorizing facts and finding the “right” answers. For me, engineering, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc. were just a set of constraints that would keep me from being able to express my creativity. However, my mindset completely changed when I realized that science, math, engineering, and research could completely change the world and help thousands of people. In high school, I began to be interested in engineering and in robotics. I joined both my local robotics team and took an engineering course in school. In that course, we were challenged to create real-world designs using different principles of math and science. One of the most impactful projects I designed was a mask to protect from the COVID-19 pandemic with specially designed features. In my design, I used concepts of chemistry to create a heat pack inside the mask with calcium chloride and water. I used principles of geometry to figure out the ideal sizing of each part. I used concepts of biology to figure out the best way to eradicate bacteria and infections that could hide in the mask. Everything I designed was my own original idea that I had the complete creative expression to make. From this project, I felt completely changed when I realized the impact I could have using STEM, which I had once hated, to change my community and to impact people’s lives on current issues such as the ongoing pandemic. After taking advanced STEM courses as well as participating in robotics and participating in my school’s molecular biology research club, I can finally see the appeal of the STEM field. A wise person once said, “Math may not teach us how to add love or subtract hate, but it gives us hope that every problem has a solution.” While math, science, and technology may not be creative in a more typical form such as art, they have much potential for expression and exploration. While others may try to force me into a typical STEM-oriented Asian stereotype, I no longer let this fear of being judged determine my interests and I am thankful that I have the support of my family. I hope that I can turn my potential into something useful with the money from this scholarship if I receive it and prove that females also belong in the STEM field.

Each day, 8 children brutally die from gun violence in America. Another 32 are shot and injured. The reality is, schools are becoming more and more dangerous. They aren’t the safe places they present themselves to be, because of one thing- school shootings. I still remember the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. I was just seven years old, but I remember being absolutely terrified to go back to school the next day, along with my friends. My palms were shaking and my breathing was fast because the only thought that was running through my mind was what if someone shoots me. I don’t think any child should have to be put into that position- ever- so I want to create an object that will abate these fears. I want to create a metal object that schools can safely store inside each classroom for emergency use. That object would have high-tech sensors that could sense guns and other firearms to alert teachers and students of a potential shooter entering the building. Moreover, it would be able to disable those firearms if it came into close contact with them. It would also have a button that could quickly contact the police and ambulance when pressed to alert them of a high-stakes situation. I know that this technology is advanced ahead of what we currently have, but with the scholarship money, I could research and invest in creating this object. I would call it the K.I.O, which would stand for “Keep Intruders Out”. I’ve always been interested in engineering and helping my community, and by creating the K.I.O I could combine both of my passions. I wouldn’t just be creating a tangible product, I would be creating a better future for everyone. By making this creation, I want to let everyone, especially my past scared seven-year-old self know that no one has to be afraid to go to school anymore. They don’t have to be afraid that one day they may lose their closest friends and family. They don’t have to go to school with their heart pounding loudly in their chest and silent tears running down their cheeks for the people close to their hearts. By creating technology that could disarm firearms, it would greatly reduce the number of deaths and ensure that everyone would be protected before the police could arrive. A wise person once said, “The best way to find happiness is not to search for it, but to create it.” With this creation, I want to ensure the happiness of students and teachers who work hard each and every day. We can no longer stand by and watch thousands of innocents die when we have the potential to create technology to combat school shootings. If I was able to make this creation, I would distribute it to all the schools I could. The children of today will soon cultivate the future of tomorrow and their precious lives shouldn’t be cut short by something that could have been prevented.