Most people idealize success as living a lavish lifestyle in a three-story mansion with a luxury car, as seen with Hollywood actors and other celebrities. While this way of viewing success is understandable, depending on a lavish lifestyle will not get one anywhere in life, despite the perception of success. To me, success is not just about achieving financial stability. Success is defined as being able to grow professionally, freely pursuing my passions, and positively impacting the lives of others. I plan to achieve all of this through my studies for my Bachelor’s in Information Systems. One aspect of my vision of success is professional growth. My ultimate goal is to become a network administrator or a cybersecurity administrator. This position requires extensive knowledge of how network infrastructure works and how it is built to manage a network with many users. I am well on my way to achieving this part of my vision. Throughout high school, I have taken various IT classes to solidify my industry knowledge. Three courses I have taken offered certifications paid for by my school, which I took advantage of without hesitation. I am getting ready to graduate from high school with my CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and Microsoft Azure certifications. The effort I put into studying for these certifications expanded my knowledge of IT beyond what is typically expected from a high schooler. This scholarship would allow me to develop my IT knowledge further by allowing me to cover the costs of attaining additional certifications and training opportunities. With these certifications in my toolbelt, I have grown professionally, which has set me up for success in life. Growing professionally for success was impossible if I were not passionate about my career path. Being able to pursue your passions freely is another part of my vision for success. Growing up, my parents never pressured me to become a doctor or a lawyer like most Asian parents did with their kids. Instead, they encouraged me to explore my interests and decide what I want to be. Because of this, I could participate in engaging labs in my IT classes and an internship with my school district’s technology department. These experiences have provided me with opportunities to learn and connect with professionals in the IT industry, expanding my network. This scholarship will allow me to dedicate more time to these activities as I start my career without worrying about money. The IT-related activities I have and will participate in have set me up for success by allowing me to interact more with industry professionals for valuable guidance and advice for my career path. I would not have such a big passion for IT if I were not interested in making a difference in the lives of others. Positively impacting the lives of others is the last part of my vision of success. I started my internship with my school district’s technology department in September. Throughout the internship, I helped teachers and students with various technology needs, such as troubleshooting computers, installing printers, and teaching teachers how to use our new interactive panels. I always have a smile on my face when a teacher or student thanks me because I know that I was able to make their day a little easier. I also feel a sense of fulfillment, knowing that I was able to contribute to a conducive learning environment. The financial assistance from this scholarship would better position me to pursue additional internships and employment opportunities in technology. The legacy I will leave behind by impacting others is an equally important indicator of my success. Pursuing my Information Systems degree, I am determined to achieve success through professional growth, pursuing my passions, and positively impacting others’ lives. I am not just seeking this scholarship for financial stability, but for support on my journey to academic and career goals. I feel that with the support from this scholarship, I can create a fulfilling future for myself and others.

As an Asian American, growing up in a Vietnamese family has significantly shaped my identity, values, and aspirations. My parents brought me to America when I was only a few months old. They made this move in search of a better future not only for themselves but for me as well. When we first came to America, my parents encountered language barriers, financial struggles, and the feeling of being an outsider. My parents only have a high school diploma from Vietnam, and neither went to college. As a result, they have been working physically and mentally demanding jobs ever since we came to America. Despite my parents' struggles, they remained committed to working hard to ensure I had a successful future in America. Throughout my life, they have constantly emphasized the importance of education and academic achievement to be successful. Their perseverance inspires me daily, reminding me to embrace my heritage and take advantage of educational opportunities to pursue my passions. My dual heritage as a Vietnamese-American has allowed me to embrace a unique perspective on the world around me. My Vietnamese background taught me the importance of humility, filial piety, and living with purpose and responsibility. At the same time, though, I’m faced with the challenges of assimilating into American ideals, especially with personal ambition and pursuing individual goals. Despite these differences between the two cultures, I have blended positive aspects of these values into my daily life. The emphasis on community and giving back to family from my Vietnamese roots drives me to pursue my individual goals and passions. This way, I can give back to my family for all they have done for me. My decision to pursue higher education stems from a desire to give back to my family and make a difference in society. My plans for the future are to go to college and earn a Bachelor’s in Information Systems, while my ultimate goal is to become either a network administrator or a cybersecurity specialist. When deciding my career path, I did not think much about cybersecurity because I assumed the issue was being addressed. However, as news stories about cyberattacks and their effects became more common, I became concerned about the security of my personal information online. The ultimate goal I am hoping to accomplish in my IT career is to raise more awareness about cybercriminals’ growing threat to society and how IT professionals and businesses can counter this issue. I am concerned about the lack of urgency among companies and the IT industry about the growing cybersecurity threats facing society today. I want to use my education from my degree and the IT certifications to help counter this issue. Life as a Vietnamese-American has profoundly influenced my identity and passions. The lengths my parents are willing to go to provide for me have motivated me to pursue higher education and create a positive impact in society. I want to use my career in information technology to raise awareness about society's growing cybersecurity threats. I am not just going into college and this career to make my parents proud, but I want to protect society from cybersecurity threats by strengthening our cybersecurity posture with the education I attain from my degree.

Growing up, I saw how hard my parents worked to ensure I could get a good education and live my best life. My parents only have a high school diploma from Vietnam, and neither went to college. As a result, they have been working physically and mentally demanding jobs ever since we came to America. My parents do not want me to be stuck working a low-paying, high-stress job in adulthood. This is why they have always told me to focus on my education to have a promising career and live a successful life - goals I live by every day. My plans are centered around my desire to make a difference in the lives of others, especially in the realm of information technology and cybersecurity. My plans for the future are to go to college and earn a Bachelor’s in Information Systems, while my ultimate goal is to become either a network administrator or a cybersecurity specialist. When deciding my career path, I did not think much about cybersecurity because I assumed the issue was being addressed. However, as news stories about cyberattacks and their effects became more common, I became concerned about the security of my personal information online. The ultimate goal I am hoping to accomplish in my IT career is to raise more awareness about cybercriminals’ growing threat to society and how IT professionals and businesses can counter this issue. I am concerned about the lack of urgency among companies and the IT industry about the growing cybersecurity threats facing society today. I want to use my education from my degree and the IT certifications that I have to help counter this issue. One of the ways I plan to accomplish this is to join or create a cybersecurity consulting firm to provide knowledge to businesses to help bridge the gap between the business and IT industry. Additionally, I plan on using my education and IT experience to expand my network and collaborate with industry professionals to develop cybersecurity strategies and solutions that can be implemented across organizations. As a first-generation college student, this scholarship will help me accomplish these goals by allowing me to focus on my education rather than worrying about whether I will make ends meet. With this scholarship, I can focus on pursuing internships and potentially participating in study abroad programs to build my professional profile. Additionally, this scholarship would enable me to pursue additional IT-related coursework and certifications, as well as my CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications, to better understand the IT industry. The Bright Lights Scholarship will provide me with a means to pay for college and an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Investing in my education would allow me to acquire new knowledge and experience during my journey for the next four years. I ultimately want to use my career in information technology to raise awareness about society's growing cybersecurity threats. I am not just going into college and this career to make my parents proud, but I want to protect society from cybersecurity threats by strengthening our cybersecurity posture with the education I attain from my degree.

At the start of my freshman year of high school, I struggled to decide whether to pursue a career in information technology or business. I love working with computers, but hate programming. I had an interest in business management, but I was not interested in entrepreneurship. I jumped into taking IT classes just for the sake of it, where I had a less-than-optimal experience in my IT fundamentals class. I was also struggling academically and socially because I was struggling to adapt to high school. Going into high school, I was hoping that high school would allow me to reshape my identity, but instead, I was questioning my past decisions and began wondering what would happen over the next three years. After finishing my IT fundamentals class, I questioned my decision to go into IT by the end of freshman year and considered going into business. Fast-forward to sophomore year, I decided to stick with IT and enrolled in a computer maintenance class. During the first two weeks of class, my school district had a cyberattack that sparked my interest in learning more about IT. In the class, I had the opportunity to build computers from scratch and troubleshoot printers. Using what I learned from the class, I earned my CompTIA A+ certification at sixteen. I had planned to become a hardware technician, but achieving this certification encouraged me to explore other IT industry areas, especially networking. In my networking class during junior year, I took on more leadership roles in our labs, helping to improve my understanding of networking concepts and communication skills. I am most proud of my improvements in communication because I have always wanted to help others but struggled because of my social anxiety. IT provided me an opening to overcome that anxiety, allowing me to help my family and others with any technology issues they may be having. This gave me more hands-on practice with networking and cybersecurity concepts outside the classroom, which ultimately helped me earn my CompTIA Network+ certification and the GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies certification this past year. My renewed passion for IT has inspired me to find ways to improve the world. While IT remains my primary career pathway, I decided to venture back into business as a minor pathway to expand my mission. Throughout my studies in the two business classes I took during junior year, I noticed that many companies I researched struggled with implementing technology resources, contributing to inefficient business practices and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. I am concerned about companies and IT professionals not taking cybersecurity threats as seriously as they should be. My goal for college is to pursue an information systems degree to attain additional knowledge of the business sector and IT sector, specifically in networking systems. I want to use my knowledge from this degree to bring the business and IT industries together to improve business efficiency and cybersecurity practices. By doing so, the two sectors can collaborate to make society a better place for all.

Growing up, I saw how hard my parents worked to ensure that I could get a good education and live my best life. My parents only have a high school diploma from Vietnam, and neither went to college. As a result, they have been working physically and mentally demanding jobs ever since we came to America. My parents do not want me to be stuck working a low-paying, high-stress job in adulthood. This is why they have always told me to focus on my education to have a promising career and live a successful life - goals I live by every day. Going to college means to me that not only will I have a decent chance at achieving my life goals, but I will also have the opportunity to pursue my passion for information technology to make a difference in the lives of others, especially in the realm of cybersecurity. From a young age, I have always been interested in working with computers and technology in general. While I knew I wanted to pursue a career in technology, I did not know whether I wanted to go into programming, web design, or networking. While deciding my career path, I didn’t think much about cybersecurity because I assumed the issue was being addressed. I decided to go into networking as a future career path three years ago with the ultimate goal of earning a Bachelor’s in Information Systems in college and working for a technology corporation after earning my bachelor's; around that time, cybersecurity started becoming more of a concern in the IT industry. As news stories about cyberattacks and their effects became more common, I became more concerned about the security of my personal information online - especially after my school district experienced a cyberattack two years ago. The ultimate goal I’m hoping to accomplish in my IT career is to raise more awareness about cybercriminals’ growing threat on society and how IT professionals and businesses can counter this issue. Even with the countless news stories of cyberattacks and their effects, there is still a lack of urgency among companies and IT professionals about the growing cybersecurity threats facing society today. I would reach out to businesses and IT professionals by joining a cybersecurity consulting firm to provide educational resources and training on cybersecurity best practices. Additionally, I plan on using my education and IT experience to expand my network and collaborate with industry experts to develop strategies and solutions that can be implemented across organizations. Cybercriminals continue to pose a significant threat to our daily lives. As a future IT professional, it’s concerning to me that many still have this mentality despite the countless news stories of cyberattacks and their effects. Knowing that I could be affected by the next cyberattack, I want to do all I can to ensure that my personal information and others' are protected from cybercriminals. I want to earn my degree in information systems not only to earn a livable salary and make my parents proud but also to acquire more knowledge and accomplish my goal of making a difference in the lives of others by protecting society from cybersecurity threats by strengthening our cybersecurity posture.

Archaic But Still Relevant: Fair, 'Tis, Behold, Deserts—Scholars consider these words archaic, but they are still used periodically to evoke older time periods. Fair is often used to describe something impartial and without bias, but it's rarely used to describe something as beautiful, like weather conditions. 'Tis comes back to life during the holidays with Christmas carols, as seen in the famous line "'Tis the season to be jolly." Behold is still used in storytelling and many famous quotes. Likewise, desert is commonly used to refer to a sandy and dusty region with no vegetation, but it can also be used to describe an uninhabited area - something that is relevant to a modern-day desert. Senioritis Symptoms: Laziness, Demotivation, Boredom, Procrastination—Seniors experiencing the infamous phenomenon of senioritis tend to become lazy in their studies and procrastinate more on coursework. This results from demotivation and boredom, which become more prevalent as one's senior year progresses. Newspaper Names: Globe, Mirror, Post, Sun—These are the names of major reputable newspapers from around the world. Globe is The Globe and Mail in Canada, Mirror is The Daily Mirror in the UK, Post is the New York Post in the US, and Sun is The Sun in the UK. Gen Z Slang - Slay, Salty, Sus, Lit - These are slang terms have become popular among members of Gen Z. Slay means to impress someone, salty means tough or aggressive, sus means questionable, and lit means exciting in the Gen Z context.

I chose information technology as my field of interest because, from a young age, I have had a deep interest in working with computers and technology in general. As I have learned more about the field, I know cybersecurity is a major issue today more than it was a few years ago. To maximize my impact, I want to major in information systems with a minor in cybersecurity. I desire to create an impact by using my knowledge from the networking class I am taking and applying it in cybersecurity to help better secure computer systems. Today, many IT professionals overlook cybersecurity concerns when working with technology, putting my information and others at risk. My school district experienced a cyberattack last school year that raised my concerns about cybersecurity. With my knowledge from my IT classes and my studies toward my CompTIA A+ certification, I feel I can use my knowledge to compel the rest of the IT industry to start taking cybersecurity more seriously than they currently are.

I chose information technology as my field of interest because, from a young age, I have had a deep interest in working with computers and technology in general. As I have learned more about the field, I know cybersecurity is a major issue today more than it was a few years ago. To maximize my impact, I want to major in information systems with a minor in cybersecurity. I desire to create an impact by using my knowledge from the networking class I am taking and applying it in cybersecurity to help better secure computer systems. Today, many IT professionals overlook cybersecurity concerns when working with technology, putting my information and others at risk. My school district experienced a cyberattack last school year that raised my concerns about cybersecurity. With my knowledge from my IT classes and my studies toward my CompTIA A+ certification, I feel I can use my knowledge to compel the rest of the IT industry to start taking cybersecurity more seriously than they currently are.

My favorite aspect of Minecraft is the inclusion of three dimensions, namely the Overworld, The Nether, and The End. The three dimensions resonate with me deeply because they each have unique aspects that make them vibrant and interactive. The Overworld has lively villages, caves, and diverse bodies of water. It is essentially a playful twist on the real world, allowing for creativity and fun. Underneath the Overworld is The Nether, a hell-like dimension filled with lava and fires that can only be accessed through a portal. Despite the hellish landscape, The Nether has interesting fortresses and pretty forests. Just make sure a Ghast doesn't shoot a fireball at you and steer clear of the Zombie Pigs. The Overworld and The Nether are both interesting in their ways, but the most breathtaking dimension in Minecraft is The End. The End is a difficult dimension to get to since one has to venture into a mineshaft in a cave and find their way to the End Portal. Once you get to The End, you will be greeted by Endermen, but the biggest mob you will face is the Ender Dragon. A vicious and unforgiving creature, a player must defeat the Ender Dragon while destroying its healing crystals before they can even think about exploring the rest of The End. Once you're able to explore The End uninterrupted, you can venture into End Cities and maybe even find a dragon head in an End Ship. Minecraft's three dimensions are crucial to the game's foundation. Without it, there would be no Minecraft because these dimensions provide players with opportunities for exploration, fun, and creativity. The dimensions help provide players like myself an escape from the real world that allows us to explore our imaginations and play around with the game's features to create things such as towering mansions that might not be possible in the real world.

Google defines success as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. This definition can be interpreted in various ways. Success to me looks like when I know I have achieved my own set goals, not goals that society dictates. Many think success depends on popularity and fame, but these will only get you so far in life. What I feel success looks like is getting a good education and a high-paying job. The first aspect of what success looks like to me is getting a good education. A person with a bachelor's degree is more likely to be respected by others compared to someone with only a high school diploma. One of my goals is to gain this respect in my future job by showing I have the knowledge and skills to make a difference in the lives of others. I know I'll have achieved success once I earn my bachelor's degree, but I also want to use my degree to further expand my opportunities. From taking part in research projects to becoming a member of highly respected technology organizations, these expanded opportunities from a good education will make me even more successful in life. The second aspect of what success looks like to me that directly correlates with getting a good education is getting a high-paying job. Getting a high-paying job is my main purpose for going to college as I do not want to be living in poverty for the rest of my life. Studies have shown that people working minimum-wage jobs tend to have poorer outcomes in life like high obesity rates, costly health problems, and food insecurity. The thought of living like this for the rest of my life is scary to me. Getting a high-paying job is the most important indicator of success to me and I know I will have achieved it when I begin making a six-figure salary. The two aspects of what success looks like to me are easier said than done. I know that I will need to spend thousands of dollars on my education. I also know there is a possibility that I might have to take out a student loan and take on debt. This scholarship opportunity will help me achieve my two aspects of success by allowing me to focus more on my education rather than worry about student debt. Without this scholarship opportunity, student debt and other obstacles could prevent me from achieving my full potential, limiting my chances of achieving success. While others think popularity and fame are what is needed to achieve success, those will only last you for so long and will not help you achieve long-term success. A good education and a high-paying job are a must to reach success as they have long-term benefits that will not only help people like me reach my existing goals but also expand beyond that. This scholarship opportunity will help me achieve success and I hope to pay it back by using my education to benefit society.

I would have everyone read The Boy in the Black Suit because it highlights many issues minorities, particularly African Americans, still face in society. Not only does it touch on social issues, but it also discusses death and grief in a humorous way that serves to teach readers a lesson about coping with death. The book is a story about a teenage African-American boy trying to cope with the death of his mother. This book takes place in Brooklyn where many residents live below the poverty line. Because of this, there are healthcare disparities that lead to a lower life expectancy. Hence, grief and death are central to the book's plot. However, despite the nature of the topic, the way the characters behave resonates with me which is especially helpful in understanding the book's theme. Grief is something everyone has been through and people like myself have struggled to cope with death. The Boy in the Black Suit taught me that death is inevitable and grief is universal. Reading this book changed my outlook on life by making me appreciate everything that I have. In addition, it has also made me more interested in social issues and sympathetic to struggling minorities. The themes addressed have pushed me to call for change when I become an adult to help serve the needs of others. I urge everyone in the world to read this book as this book addresses topics that they can relate to. The book's themes could potentially change one's outlook on life and make one a better citizen that will push to change the world.

I would have everyone read The Boy in the Black Suit because it highlights many issues minorities, particularly African-Americans, still face in society. Not only does it touch on social issues, but it also discusses death and grief in a humorous way that serves to teach readers a lesson about coping with death. The book is a story about a teenage African-American boy trying to cope with the death of his mother. This book takes place in Brooklyn where many residents live below the poverty line. Because of this, there are healthcare disparities that lead to a lower life expectancy. Hence, grief and death are central to the book's plot. However, despite the nature of the topic, the way the characters behave resonates with me which is especially helpful in understanding the book's theme. Grief is something everyone has been through and people like myself have struggled to cope with death. The Boy in the Black Suit taught me that death is inevitable and grief is universal. Reading this book changed my outlook on life by making me appreciate everything that I have. In addition, it has also made me more interested in social issues and sympathetic to struggling minorities. The themes addressed have pushed me to call for change when I become an adult to help serve the needs of others. I urge everyone in the world to read this book as this book addresses topics that they can relate to. The book's themes could potentially change one's outlook on life and make one a better citizen that will push to change the world.