My journey into computer science began when I was just a child, sitting beside my older brother with Asperger’s syndrome as he showed me how to create games in Roblox, an online platform that sparked my imagination and gave me my first taste of programming and interactive design. I was only around five or six years old at the time, but those moments planted a seed that has never stopped growing. By the time I was seven, he was teaching me the basics of web design using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I used Notepad as my first IDE, not realizing at the time just how deeply these small experiences would shape my future. Since then, I have poured myself into computer science with every opportunity I could find. At 17, I won the Congressional App Challenge with Circadian, a sleep improvement app that I built to help people improve their rest cycles. In 2024, I did a cybersecurity internship where I created a PowerShell-based IP checker tool. Whether it's software engineering, cybersecurity, or game development, I have a deep love and respect for every facet of computer science. I constantly challenge myself to learn more by building projects and seeking out people who know more than I do. Teaching myself through online resources has become second nature. My dream is to one day work at either NVIDIA or NASA, where I can contribute to the creation of groundbreaking technologies and leave my mark on the world. I want to create something meaningful, whether it brings joy through entertainment or provides a resource that helps solve a real-world problem. I see computer science as both a personal passion and a powerful way to give back to others. Despite these achievements, my path has been anything but easy. During my sophomore year of high school, I lost my mother a week before Christmas. Her passing, a result of years of alcoholism, devastated me. That year nearly broke me, but it also built within me the resilience to keep going. I carry her memory every day and have promised myself that I will succeed, not just for me, but to honor the effort she put into raising me. If only she could have seen the joy that she brought to the world, maybe she could have found her own. At home, I live with two autistic brothers, one of which is severe, and his frequent meltdowns make it hard to study. My father’s income goes mostly to care and bills, so I receive little financial support. I have just $350 left and struggle to cover class expenses. Despite applying to over 50 internships and seeking mentorship, I’ve had no interviews and little response. I believe I am the best candidate for this scholarship because I have the passion, the ambition, and the story. Like Chris Jackson, I know what it means to struggle to afford an education. But I also know the power of perseverance, and I am determined to keep moving forward.

No one in my family has completed a college degree. My father tried to complete a 4 year degree, but ultimately dropped out. My mother never had the sufficient funds to enter higher education. My brother, who is on the autism spectrum, will not be attending college. To me, being a first-generation student means that I will have access to opportunities that no one else in my family had. This was no easy feat, considering the challenges that I, along with my family, had to face over the past four years. In 2021, I lost my mother to liver failure. In 2022, I was diagnosed with clinical depression. Yet, in 2024, against all odds, I managed to get in and commit to Stevens Institute Of Technology. While I am glad that I will be attending this great college, I know it will be an uphill battle. This school is out of my family’s budget, and I am aware that I am taking a big risk by completing a degree here. My dream is to work in the field of computer science, with a particular focus on a machine learning and app development. Since my childhood, it has been my passion to work with computers and programming, and I aspire to be able to profit from this passion so I can support my family. My long term goal once I complete my degree is to get a job at a leading company in AI, such as NVIDIA. I am going to do this by pursuing and creating new projects on my own time so that I can deepen my understanding of this industry. My vision for the future is to be able to create products that are accessible to everyone and can improve people’s quality of life. So far, I have already made decent progress on this goal by winning the Congressional App Challenge. I created an app, called Circadian, that is a sleep tracker and is made of cheap, easy to obtain, 3D printed parts. In the same year, I also was the first high school cybersecurity intern at a major local company. Ultimately, I want to break the chain of my family remaining uneducated and secure my future with a high-paying job that aligns with my passion for computer science and AI. By achieving these goals, I hope to honor my family’s sacrifices and inspire others to overcome their own challenges, showing them that it is possible to turn dreams into reality, even against the greatest of odds.