The air carries a quality of vibrancy. A smile, a nod, and a wave are our language. A universal language. The dull rumble of human interaction brings waves of warmth - from hellos to goodbyes to how's it going's to have a great day's - flowing into my ears, trampolining off my brain and through my mouth before flying off into the world around me. This is the town of Colville, riding the edge of the Okanogan Highlands and nestled in the foothills of the Rockies of Eastern Washington, covered by a blanket of pastures and crops. Our weekends are spent hiking, fishing, paddle boarding, and camping. As a community, we find our passions in the nature we are incredibly fortunate to call home. While some may find the rurality of Colville to be restricting, I find it to be our community's greatest strength. In Colville, a neighbor is not simply the house next door. A neighbor is the person walking down the sidewalk next to you. A neighbor is the car behind you while driving down Main Street, or the cashier ringing you up at Super One. A neighbor is a classmate who lets you borrow a pencil or an AP Chemistry teacher who stays late after school to help you and your classmates study for a test the next day. A neighbor is the guy who pulls over to help you with a flat tire on Highway 395, or the lady at Ronnie D’s Diner who gives you a free milkshake after a rough day at school. As one of my greatest idols, Mr. Fred Rogers, once said, “All we’re ever asked to do in this life is to treat our neighbor—especially our neighbor who is in need—exactly as we would hope to be treated ourselves. That’s our ultimate responsibility.” We as a community live by this creed. In this town, I am supported, loved, and cared for, no matter the problems or struggles I may face. And the infectious nature of this mentality has blessed me with the ability to support, love, and care for others, no matter the problems or struggles they face. A neighbor shows up for anyone in need, and we are all neighbors here. Coville, Washington is not just a community. We are a neighborhood. It was through my hours of community service in this neighborhood that I realized my real passion - smiles. Not gratitude or geniality, but smiles of true happiness. The passion for positively influencing the world through my career and involvement within the community by bringing smiles to those in need. Through obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering before earning a Master's degree with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, while pursuing a degree in Biomedical Sciences and fulfilling Pre-Med to apply to Medical School I will further my ability to commit myself to changing people’s lives for the better - whether that be as a Doctor, a Radiologist, a Software Engineer, an Artificial Intelligence Engineer, or whichever STEAM field maximizes my positive impact. No matter my career aspirations, my most pertinent goal is to bring this sense of "neighborliness," instilled within me from my small-town upbringing, to share with my community and career of the future. I aim to better the world from my existence - through my thoughts and actions. Be there. Follow my passions and aspirations to create a positive difference in the world. Show up. Bring smiles to the faces of everyone I love, support, and live for. I care. After all, my ultimate goal in life is to be your neighbor :)

“... sometimes we're not prepared for adversity… Sometimes, we don't know just what to do when adversity takes over… And I have advice for all of us… It sounds like what you're supposed to say when you have that kind of problem… It's called Mercy… Mercy… Mercy.” - Cannonball Adderley - “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” 1966. A constant sinking feeling in my stomach. Drowning. The unyielding flow of time ticking away my success. Frantic. An exponentially growing pile of commitments and responsibilities. Suffocation. The most tremendous forms of hardship are perpetual - both physically and mentally - for the individual. The path to college has been my greatest adversity. Silverwood Theme Park, located in Athol Idaho is only a 2 hour drive from our small, rural community of Colville, Washington. I can hear them whooping and screaming as the rumble races overhead, while I watch from down below, where I hold the bags and sunglasses. My body feels faint. The beginning slowly climbing, creeping up the track, painfully, slowly rolling over the top, before suddenly plunging and twisting and turning and rotating in every direction, until we face another climb and the coaster slows down once again - building the horrifying anticipation of the next drop. Roller coasters are much like my life and the adversity the high school student faces in the pursuit of college aspirations. From meeting high academic expectations as an honors student, to choosing a future college and career, to attempting to find financial support for unrealistic college tuition and board, the stress weighing on the high school teenager is incredibly harsh. Similar to roller coasters, oftentimes the intensity of high school is a never ending feeling of terror, whether in the anticipation, or experience, of being thrown around by your commitments and responsibilities. The preparation for college has been my greatest adversity in life. People often say adversity is what shapes us. I believe we shape adversity. Over the course of my high school experience, I have learned that the negative connotation of adversity is brought by a mindset perpetuated by the obstacles we face. The only way to “overcome” adversity is not through overcoming it, but through utilizing it. Rather than thinking of taking every AP, honors, and college-credit STEM class our school has to offer as an obstacle, I think of it as a stepping stone to success. A step is not an obstacle but a tool with which to reach higher heights. Loftier goals. Greater accomplishments. Mercy, mercy, mercy. This is my advice to all those facing adversity. Not Mercy in asking for pity from a higher deity, or Mercy in asking for an easier path with which to overcome your “obstacles,” but Mercy for yourself. Mercy in understanding adversity is persistent, flitting between one form or another. Life is too short to be spent tricking ourselves into believing we are not good enough to “overcome” adversity. Too short to believe we will never “overcome” our adversity. Any individual who grows and finds definition to their lives learning from their adversity has already “overcome” their obstacles. And the perpetual nature of adversity is but a gateway to perpetual gains in knowledge and understanding of ourselves, and all those in our lives. Only through Mercy in ourselves, and Mercy for each other, can adversity bring us together as individual people. Only by showing Mercy in realizing we are not alone in our “struggles” to find support from others can the beauty of adversity become evident. Only through Mercy in the face of adversity can we truly become what we were born to become. Ourselves.

“It’s your grandson,” she says endearingly in Gujarati, “we came to visit you.” I look up to see my mother smiling kindly, swallowing back tears. Grandpa’s body lies in front of me, resembling a bundle of dusty kindling under the white sheet. His arms resting over the blanket are the end of a tree branch, light and skinny, before ending in weak tendrils floating in the wind. Green veins cling desperately to his translucent skin, rolling over his frail bones and feeble muscles. An incoherent noise creaks from his mouth, sorrowful and desperate. “Can’t cry now,” I tell myself, “I’m a big kid, big kids don’t cry.” I take a deep breath. “It’s okay Shaalin,” my mom whispers, “say hi to grandpa.” His head is tilted towards us, and as my vision rises, I can see a half frown placed on his face. His jowls sag numbly, while the shadows cast by his cheekbones remain gaunt. A gray stubble rests delicately on his skin like fluttering ashes from a campfire. Finally, I arrive at his eyes. They appear empty, unaware, and floating steadily on my mother’s face. A shell. “Grandpa?” I say, questioning the reality facing me. His eyes slide gently downwards and attempt to focus on my face. A pause. A wiggle at the corner of his mouth; A tiny wrinkle under his right eye; A dim twinkle in his left; A single tear rolling slowly down his cheek. And then I knew. Grandpa was smiling. My grandfather was one of the strongest individuals in my life. He was extremely healthy, always exercised, possessed a sharp mind, and held strong moral values. Growing up in a small village in India he worked his way out of crippling poverty to become a successful banker. I owe my life in the United States to the strong individuals who ensured the future generations of our family would have a better life. After the passing of my grandfather from terminal brain cancer I realized the time we have in this world is our most precious resource. Those in the medical profession serve humanity in guarding and maximizing our time in this world through their practice, selflessly providing the time from their lives to the lives who need it. As a first generation Indian-American with only 3 other BIPOC students in my graduating class, I take pride in the Indian culture and values instilled within me at a young age by my parents teaching me the power of persistent hard-work, an intrinsic thirst for knowledge, and a desire to create a positive difference in the world. It is through my upbringing that I am as capable of a human being as I am today. Beyond my nurturing environment, I personally possess the level of dedication required for an occupation in the Medical field as is demonstrated by my commitment to my academic and extracurricular career. I have chosen to take every Advanced, Honors, AP, and College-Credit STEM class our school has to offer all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. The caliber of my character has been proven by the trust I have honored from my peers by being elected ASB President of Colville High School, Vice President of our Rotary Interact Club, President of Band and Captain in Track and Field and Unified Basketball. I honor my commitments not just out of a sense of responsibility, but a strong passion in every activity I partake in. Through my complete identity I hold the potential to create a positive impact in the lives of others through the Medical Career. I care.

Courage is not just an expression of bravery. Courage is possessing complete control over oneself - total control over the mind, body, soul, and spirit. Courage is willful, personal discomfort for the supplementation of human growth. Courage is the catalyst for miracles. As a first-generation Indian-American, my reverence for the power of courage comes from my parents. Imagine yourself as a college student from India leaving home to study in the United States with the dream of living there one day. The intricacies of colloquial American communication are dizzying, prevalent cultural divides prevent connections from being developed with your peers, along with your entire future laying fogged by the thick steam of convoluted immigration politics, uncertain economic stability, and seemingly insurmountable cross-cultural communication. And yet you have the courage to stay. To follow your dream. Not struggling for yourself, but for your future family. This is the courage of my father. This is the reason I am provided the opportunity to go to college and live in the USA. Growing up in the rural community of Colville Washington, STEAM programs were not easily accessible to fuel my passions, yet I was fortunate enough to be inspired by the beauty of STEAM at a young age. One of my earliest memories is sitting in my dad’s lap while he was programming. I remember seeing him start with the blank canvas. I remember seeing the colorful text pop into existence as his fingers rapidly flew over the keyboard. I remember hearing the clicks of the mouse as the screen flashed between tabs. I remember him pointing and showing me the project he had completed, the cohesive website suddenly appearing as if called upon by an incantation. And I remember thinking he was a wizard. My interest in Medical School comes from the passing of my grandfather. Everyone has a defining moment in their lives when they realize that life is finite. The realization that each of us holds the most precious resource in the world. The realization that without this resource we truly cease to exist. Time. I believe that those in the medical profession are the selfless protectors and supplementers of this resource by serving humanity in guarding and maximizing our time in this world through their practice. Thanks to an amazing team of doctors, my family was provided with time to visit my grandfather in India before he passed from terminal brain cancer. I wish to have a similar impact through my career as a Radiologist. The rurality of my town ensures a breeding ground for racial prejudice and ignoracne. At a very young age I was quickly exposed to countless forms of microaggressions and legitimate racism, from flippant comments about my Indian family to stereotypical labels about my culture. Each word and action jabbed my body like a needle, with the venom of ignorance dripping from its tip, my skin tough and numb to the pain, yet not my flesh as I constantly absorbed their poison. Deeper and deeper the needles dug, pervading my existence perpetually, until I finally snapped. And I realized that in taking personal pain I was bringing importance to their ignorance. By pursuing my passion as a person of color in the STEAM field, I hope to share my culture - my identity - with my colleagues and clients. Throughout my life I hope to shift the ignorance of racially charged hatred to respectful cultural intelligence. Only through purposeful education and a common understanding between individuals of different backgrounds can these divides be bridged. Only through this understanding can true racial equality be born.