“You don’t have to win this match — but you owe it to yourself to fight for it.” I was down 0-5 in the final set. My legs were cramping, my serve had abandoned me, and my confidence was circling the drain. I remember thinking, “Maybe this just isn’t my day.” That’s when Coach knelt beside me during the changeover and looked me dead in the eye. “You’ve already done the hard part,” he said. “Now finish what you started.” It wasn’t the loudest speech he ever gave — but it was the one that stuck. That day, I clawed back point by point, game by game. I didn’t just win the match — I found a new gear inside myself, one built on grit, not glory. And that shift didn’t just help me on the court. It’s helped me everywhere since. Coach was tough. He wasn’t the type to sugarcoat things or let you settle for 80% effort. But underneath the firm exterior was someone who genuinely cared — about who we were as players, yes, but more about who we were becoming as people. He taught me that real toughness doesn’t come from yelling or slamming rackets — it comes from showing up when you want to give up. It comes from choosing character over convenience. That’s something I carry with me every day. Whether I’m grinding out a late-night study session after practice or helping a teammate find their rhythm after a tough loss, I try to lead the way Coach led — by lifting others up, even when it’s easier to just focus on yourself. From what I’ve read about David G. Sutton, I can’t help but feel like I would’ve loved playing for him. The booming voice, the never-ending wit, the loyalty to his players — he reminds me so much of my own coach. Tough, but with a huge heart. Competitive, but never at the cost of compassion. A coach who saw the whole kid, not just the athlete. Dave's life showed what it means to coach with love and live with loyalty. I try to honor that same spirit in the way I treat my teammates, teachers, friends — even strangers. I believe the true mark of an athlete isn't in the stats or trophies, but in how you respond when you’re losing, how you lead when no one’s watching, and how you treat the people around you, win or lose. If I’m lucky enough to receive this scholarship, I won’t just see it as an award — I’ll see it as a responsibility. A responsibility to keep showing up. To keep supporting others. To keep fighting, no matter the score. Just like Dave did.

This image is from my first year in Science Olympiad as a high schooler. I am the 3rd person from the right. I was honored to be nominated as team captain for my talented teammates, and we had an amazing season. Our achievements truly culminated at the 2019 national competition at Cornell University. Most significantly, my weeks of studying and constant curiosity paid off with me medalling in three events. I earned first in the nation for Circuit Lab, then second in the nation for Density Lab, and finally fifth in the nation for Game On.

Improve the world? Nah. Improve myself? Yes. Now before you pass through this essay and label it as the work of a selfish teenager, let me explain my reasoning. I cannot help everyone at once. As much as I would like to, it is not possible, but what I can do is better myself so I can do better for everyone. That is why I have constantly been trying to improve myself in every way possible, and that is why I designed a product, the Biofuelinator, for my company, Better Biofuel, for the Conrad Innovation Challenge. Throughout the creation of the Biofuelinator, I had to make sure it was logistically possible in every perspective, from guaranteeing the mutual profits of both my company and my client to ensuring the science was feasible. I created business plans, cost analyses, and market matrices. I wrote business prospectuses and technical concept reports. I directed the creation of my product on CAD software. I did all this to show the world that my product is possible and will revolutionize the globe. My hard work paid off and I was just named a Conrad Innovator, listed alongside names from all over the planet. The Biofuelinator is an extremely cost and waste efficient biofuel processor designed to completely upend our perspective on waste cooking oil. Did you know hotels and restaurants waste 3 billion tons of cooking oil every year in the US. 3 billion tons! My product was designed to show everyone that contributes to this waste that their actions are not acceptable. The climate is rapidly deteriorating, and we need to start fixing it now. That is why it is vital for the country, even the world, to see my product being used in every hotel and restaurant there is. It needs to become the gold standard so that we can finally begin to reverse the harmful effects of the onset of climate change. I created the Biofuelinator to improve my personal ability to innovate, but it took on a life of its own to help the world, and I could not be more pleased with how far it has gone.