1. “At what speed in miles per hour, do we have to drive if we want to reach our destination in 20 minutes with 15 miles remaining?” asked my dad in the spur of the moment. My brother and I, who enjoy a little friendly competition, began discussing strategies and shouting out answers, trying to one-up each other. My father's impromptu questions sparked my curiosity and love for math, whether it was by sending daily riddles in our family group chat or asking intricate questions as we got older. Eventually, I began to notice the use of numbers in everything I did: working out, investing in the stock market, or writing code. The numbers, algorithms, and seemingly limitless possibilities captivated me to the point that I spent hours on a given task, trying to understand different concepts and the use of math in it. It is a form of an art, in which I immerse myself by either solving a problem for long periods of time or astonishing myself with its real world applications. Problems can go from basic concepts of prime numbers and integer solutions to equation varieties to the significance of fibonacci numbers in the real world. When I work on math problems, I at-times don’t get the answer right away but when it finally clicks, I get a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Math is important because I have been able to use my prior advanced knowledge of probability, analytical trends, averages, and distributions, to grow my hypothetical portfolio in a state Stock Market Game hosted by DECA approximately 32% from the initial balance of 100K. By checking trends, examining revenue, watching slopes, using technical analysis and thoroughly studying balance sheets and income statements, my investment in the right stocks allowed me to place 23rd out of 1,845 people. From this, I qualified for ICDC, an international competition with a larger field of competitors from other states and regions. Such fervor for this subject pushed me to take Math 2 over the summer before my freshman year. Surrounded by like-minded individuals inspired me to set a goal for myself: to complete all of the math classes offered by my school before my senior year. Slowly but steadily, I achieved my goal while also taking extra math classes at a local community college during the summer. My intake of information rose with each lesson taken and assignment assigned, and now I'm taking linear algebra at a community college to further the wonder I experience when studying math. Even more importantly, the roles have been reversed: I enjoy creating and sending math riddles to my family to solve. I'm Saniya Randhawa and currently a high school senior. I have a twin sister, who is the complete opposite of me and will be pursuing a degree in the arts, while I hope to pursue a degree in computer science and engineering. I've discovered the value of coding as a dynamic tool for problem-solving over the years, whether by spontaneously building programs for real-world needs, or designing websites in HTML/CSS to raise awareness about environmental issues like climate change and fast fashion. Additionally, I’ve been working on completing the IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate, developing my fascination with AI. Pursuing a college education, can help me examining the exciting, high-impact ways I can apply AI and computer science to aid people.

“At what speed in miles per hour, do we have to drive if we want to reach our destination in 20 minutes with 15 miles remaining?” asked my dad in the spur of the moment. My brother and I, who enjoy a little friendly competition, began discussing strategies and shouting out answers, trying to one-up each other. My father's impromptu questions sparked my curiosity and love for math, whether it was by sending daily riddles in our family group chat or asking intricate questions as we got older. Eventually, I began to notice the use of numbers in everything I did: working out, investing in the stock market, or writing code. The numbers, algorithms, and seemingly limitless possibilities captivated me to the point that I spent hours on a given task, trying to understand different concepts and the use of math in it. It is a form of art, in which I immerse myself by either solving a problem for long periods of time or astonishing myself with its real-world applications. Problems can go from basic concepts of prime numbers and integer solutions to equation varieties to the significance of Fibonacci numbers in the real world. When I work on math problems, I at times don’t get the answer right away but when it finally clicks, I get a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Math is important because I have been able to use my prior advanced knowledge of probability, analytical trends, averages, and distributions, to grow my hypothetical portfolio in a state Stock Market Game hosted by DECA approximately 32% from the initial balance of 100K. By checking trends, examining revenue, watching slopes, using technical analysis, and thoroughly studying balance sheets and income statements, my investment in the right stocks allowed me to place 23rd out of 1,845 people. From this, I qualified for ICDC, an international competition with a larger field of competitors from other states and regions. Such fervor for this subject pushed me to take Math 2 over the summer before my freshman year. Surrounded by like-minded individuals inspired me to set a goal for myself: to complete all of the math classes offered by my school before my senior year. Slowly but steadily, I achieved my goal while also taking extra math classes at a local community college during the summer. My intake of information rose with each lesson taken and assignment assigned, and now I'm taking linear algebra at a community college to further the wonder I experience when studying math. Even more importantly, the roles have been reversed: I enjoy creating and sending math riddles to my family to solve.