Volunteer service is one of the best ways to grow and develop as a person. It is a great way to give back to the community, make new friends, try new things, and strengthen your community. I have been involved in volunteer service since I was a little kid when my Dad would take me to the Lions Club events he would organize. I would help with the Breakfast with Santa events where underprivileged kids could have a nice meal on Christmas, get presents from Santa, and have a good holiday. In addition, I would help with the Boy Scout events, serving at a soup kitchen, picking up trash around the area, or reading books to children. I continue to volunteer in college and look forward to teaching kids about space, STEM, engineering, and so much more. I have learned many things about myself while volunteering for a long time. One important thing I have learned is I love to try new things, and it has helped me step outside of my comfort zone and do things I would be terrified of doing, such as talking to new people, organizing events, and collaborating with others. I also discovered that it has helped me with communication and leadership skills and made me a better person overall. When I went to school, I had a newfound confidence, and even on the sports field, I was becoming a strong leader and teammate. It is attributed to the service I did outside of school and the time I took to develop skills often overlooked such as soft skills and interpersonal. Some of the best times I had with my friends in High school were completing projects with them for Habitat for Humanity, Big-Brothers Big Sisters, and other events my Dad would organize. Volunteer service taught me I could accomplish anything, primarily if I work hard, focus, and, most importantly, put my faith in others and work together. Volunteer service is not done alone; you must work with many people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. This lesson was an important thing I learned about myself and life early on because, in Engineering, I have to work with others to accomplish tasks that seem impossible but can be done by working together. I often had trouble connecting with people as a kid, and community service helped open my eyes to the fact that I did have things in common with others and wasn't alone. We often care about what others think, and it helped me realize that I should do what I love and enjoy and stop caring about the opinions of those who don't care about me. I enjoy volunteering, working with others, and helping the less fortunate. All these things I learned about myself will help me continue to succeed in the future and help me become a well-rounded professional. The worst thing a person can do is be apathetic about things happening around them because they can help make a difference in the world, and it only takes a little effort and time.

I am a sophomore at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL. I study Aerospace Engineering, and I am from Tuckahoe, New York. I am very active at my school and involved in Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, AIAA, SEDS, and Rocketry Club. I am a huge sports fan, and I love going to football games, playing intramural sports, and watching the games with my friends. My dream is to be an Astronaut and work for NASA one day, which will benefit people on Earth and push the limits of human exploration in not only space but technology, medicine, healthcare, and other related fields of science and math. My passion for aviation inspired me to pursue a STEM degree. Since I was a little kid, I have loved shooting off model rockets with my Dad, watching the stars at night, and using my Grandpa's telescope to look for the planets. I loved going to the aviation museums in New York, Florida, and the Kennedy Space Center; meeting real-life astronauts was one of my favorite memories. I want to be an astronaut one day, so my degree in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Nanotechnology will help me get one step closer to my goal. My more minor and more reachable goal is to work at NASA, assisting astronauts in returning to the moon during the Artemis program and exploring further than ever before. I want to work in the public sector before one day moving to the private sector, either working at SpaceX, Blue Origin, or one of those companies located very near my school in Florida. My dreams are achievable, and my passion for aviation and my pursuit of knowledge will help me one day complete my vision. I also lead by example, showing up to events on time, always speaking up, and, most importantly, participating and doing my best to contribute. Often, leadership is choosing to do the right thing when others disagree, which can often be very difficult, and in my experience, it is. Nobody wants to make a tough decision or choose a side. I usually have to make tough decisions for my clubs, either choosing people or choosing a direction to go. In the fraternity, it is hard sometimes to confront your brother and tell him to stop being dumb and to listen to your advice. I also like to lead through community service, bringing people to events, organizing events, and ensuring the work we do is of the best quality. In all parts of my life, I make sure I am a leader to live every day the best I can and be the best possible person.

Legacy is having a meaningful and lasting impact on the world, your community, and others. People often pass without making their mark on history, and having a legacy makes it possible for people to be remembered and complete their time on earth. Legacy means more than an impact because it can be improved upon by others, including future generations in your family, business, or community. Some people embody good people; their Legacy is being the best person possible and helping others be better, too. Leaving a legacy behind is one of the most important things to me as I grow older. I look to people like my grandparents, parents, and family members and see how they have made a legacy for themselves and what I want to leave behind. One story that has stuck with me that my Dad told me was about his Grandfather. When he died, no one cried at his funeral because he was an awful human being. The thought of my family, friends, and others whom I care about not being upset about me dying is a horrible thing to think about and would haunt me. My Dad is the man who I want to be and who I try to be. His kindness, his loyalty, his work ethic, and the values he embodies make him great, and he leaves a great legacy every day. In the Jewish religion, one of the most important things to achieve is to become a mensch, a person of integrity and honor, and that is what Legacy means to me and what I want to become. My upbringing has impacted my life because my parents have supported me, helped me improve, and taught me that education and knowledge are essential. We can only control minimal things in our lives, and some of those include how we act and treat others, our decisions, and what we want to achieve. That is the definition of our "legacy". It can be passing down traditions or raising a family to some, while to others, it could have a different meaning. I want to continue the cycle my parents have passed down to me through good habits, service, kindness, and developing into a great person. We are only here for a limited time, and it can end anytime, so making the most of our lives is essential. Most do not think about their Legacy because it can be a secondary thought, but it is a crucial part of our lives that can not be understated. The world we leave behind and our impact on the people around us is ultimately our purpose in life.

Living sustainably is the way of the future. As our world continuously gets hotter, climate change deniers increase, and governments around the refuse to take action, it will be up to regular individuals to fix the problem before it is too late. I live sustainably by using water filters, eating from my school’s dining hall, riding a bike to class instead of driving, and using timed lights so they turn off. I often forget to turn them off, so I have these motion sensor lights. Living sustainably as a college student is more problematic, but I try my best. I believe it is crucial to reduce my carbon footprint because the problems we are having due to high carbon emissions are destroying the planet and making it harder to live on Earth, especially as time goes on. If space exploration does not work and we ruin the world, then we are most likely going to be wiped out along with the rest of life on Earth. If we are not responsible and take care of what we have now, we will regret our past decisions and wish to return to our bright blue and green Earth when we have nothing left. Companies, corporations, and the government keep benefiting from increasing carbon emissions without realizing the consequences greed has on the future of humanity. Global temperatures, water levels, food shortages, and populations are growing; more problems will arise, and further chaos will be created. I have seen these problems on my college campus, where they order tens of thousands of pounds of food, and a ton of it goes to waste at the end of the day, and they have to throw it out. Or when me and my friends go to Dunkin Donuts before they close to get free donuts because they have to throw them out, it is not a sustainable way for humans to survive. If we could reduce our carbon footprint by half or a quarter, it could slow global warming and give us a fighting chance to not all be wiped out by a natural disaster. I live in New York but go to school in Florida. And I am there when hurricane season is around; since I arrived last year, it has worsened each time. When natural disasters hit, relief efforts cost tens of billions of dollars to fix and large amounts of time and effort, and some people lose everything they own. It does not help with unemployment issues either. I have a much different view than my grandparents, who still argue that climate change does not exist and it is a “hoax,” but I tell them to look around and see all the problems and then tell me if it is a lie. Yes, companies and governments are recognizing the severity of climate change now, but if they listened to Al Gore 20 years ago, we would be in a much better place than we are now. As the population continues to grow, forests are being cut down quickly, and the political divide between people grows, the worse this problem will get. Humans must reduce our carbon footprint, save our Earth, and save civilization from collapse. The time to change is now, and we must be the ones to change the world, literally and figuratively.

I am highly involved in my community and continue to give back, even being away from home and in college. I am involved in various organizations, including the Lions Club, Habitat for Humanity, and many more. I am also interested in my professional organizations and serving to give back in that way. As an engineering student, working with and helping others is critical to my and others' success, so I like to stay involved as much as possible. I want to volunteer with the AIAA and rocketry clubs and visit local schools to teach students about STEM engineering and stress the importance of education and working towards their dreams. I am a Lucy Ambassador for NASA, a motivated and passionate volunteer who wants to present current NASA programs and events and inspire the next generation of NASA professionals. I love giving public presentations about these topics, which brings me closer to my community. I can see the actual impact on kids, young people, and even adults who are interested in learning. I have been a member of the Lions Club in my hometown of Tuckahoe, NY, for over three years now. I help run the social media, organize events, recruit new members, and plan ways for the club to work with other organizations to do events. I have been a member of Habitat for Humanity since I went to high school, and I am even a member at my college. I love learning new skills and helping make a positive difference in my community, and the best part is seeing the people's faces light up with a smile when their house looks brand new and improved. I am currently giving back to my community through my fraternity by volunteering at soup kitchens, doing garbage cleanups, setting up church events, and collaborating with other clubs to work together and make a substantial positive impact on campus. I do not plan to stop volunteering after college or move away from home. I plan to continue my work through my career, too. Many of the engineering companies, especially where I am in Melbourne, FL, are incredibly involved in the surrounding areas through beach cleanups, food bank donations, education outreach, and programs that kids and young adults can take advantage of. I would love to help organize events, develop new ideas, and work with local organizations to make a difference throughout my work. It might seem like lofty goals, but I can balance working, going to school, being involved on campus, traveling, and applying to internships all at the same time. Hence, I can achieve my service goals and be a consistent and valued community member. My Dad taught me that community service is essential to developing and becoming a good citizen, so I will pass down these values to my kids and family by staying involved, working hard, and doing the best I can to make sure my community is strengthened.

Passion is an understatement of how much I love my sport. My sport is Golf, and I was introduced to it when I was seven years old by my Dad. I was a big baseball player, and the camp I went to ended early for some reason, so my parents enrolled me in a two-week golf camp. It was my first taste, and I could not get enough. I live in New York, so in the summer camps, they would take us to the golf tournaments to watch the professionals, and watching them was like watching art. The accuracy, focus, and skill of these guys were incredible, and my Dad would even take me to see the LPGA events, and they were great, too. I have hats from those years signed by Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Ricky Fowler, and, of course, the man himself, Tiger Woods. Those guys inspired me to compete try my best, and helped make me fall in love with the sport further. I loved the intensity, the focus, and, most importantly, competing against others. My Dad would always say I was so competitive that even as a small child, I would try to finish eating first to beat everyone else. Golf opened up a whole new world to me that I never had before, and it opened up my shell and helped me make new friends and learn important lessons like etiquette, honesty, and integrity. I liked how honest you had to be, especially while playing because you could claim you got a par but got a double bogey, and you would only be hurting yourself because you didn’t try to improve. After all, it brought me closer to my family and especially my Dad because it was our favorite activity, and we created an unbreakable bond. When I was a little kid, my Mom would work long hours, and I didn’t get to know her well until we started playing Golf together; it brought us closer than ever before, and I am grateful Golf allowed me to do this. Golf allowed me to grow my confidence in my communication skills and helped me develop into a great leader. In High School, I became a golf captain, and I was able to win awards and scholarships, help my teammates succeed, and help me grow as a person. Sports like Golf have taught me that I love trying new things, competing against others, and spending time with my family doing fun things together. Without Golf, I would not be who I am, and I wouldn’t even apply for a scholarship like this because past me would be too afraid of failing. Sports have opened the world to me, and I could not be more appreciative of finding Golf and its part of my life for so long. Hopefully, I can create the same bonds with my future kids using Golf and help them develop into great people, too.

My name is Steven Zimmerman. I am currently a sophomore at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL, and I study Aerospace Engineering. I am a huge sports fan, supporting the Green Bay Packers and all Wisconsin teams. I love playing soccer and golf, and I have gotten into bowling, too. I have two parents, who both work in New York, and I have no siblings. I have a decently sized family, and my family immigrated from Poland and Eastern Europe to the United States a couple of years before WW2. My family and I are Jewish, and I was bar mitzvahed at 13 and am planning to travel to Israel in a couple of years. I started going to college in Florida after I graduated high school in June of 2022. New York did not have any colleges that had my current degree or what I wanted, so I decided to change scenery and go to college in the south. I have some engineers in my family; my Uncle is a software engineer, and my cousin is a Mechanical Engineer at Boeing in Seattle, WA. They inspired me to pursue a career in engineering, and I love how the field challenges me, pushes me, and makes me excited to wake up every day for class and learn something new. My plans after college entail working at NASA, which is my dream, and I would love to help return humans to the moon and push human exploration further. I watched the Artemis rocket launch in November of last year, and the excitement, passion, and dedication of these people who helped make that happen is precisely what I want to do. After working in the professional field for a couple of years, I plan on applying to graduate programs at Florida Tech or some other programs and studying Spacesuit Engineering or Orbital Mechanics. These are two fields I have researched for papers for the AAIA (American Aeronautics and Astronautics) club at my school, so either would work and make me even more valuable to employers and give me a chance to return to school to learn more. I then want to return to work in the private sector at a company like Collins Aerospace, SpaceX, or somewhere else where I could be creative and use my skills and experience to help develop exciting new technologies, inventions, and ideas. The work I would do in the private sector would help open up my creativity and support NASA and other agencies by winning contracts to build new tech and support their missions. My final step in my professional career is to be an Astronaut. The experience, knowledge, skills, and jobs I worked before then would make me a great candidate to one day be an Astronaut for NASA or some other space agency, and I would want to be part of the future colonies on Mars or the Moon. I have many goals in my career, but through hard work, perseverance, and doing my best in all aspects of my life, I can accomplish anything.

My name is Steven Zimmerman. I am a passionate Aerospace Engineering Student at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL. I am a big sports fan, supporting my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers. I love playing golf, and I love space and everything engineering-related. My long-term goal is to be an Astronaut. Ever since I was a little kid, when I visited the Kennedy Space Center countless times, meeting real-life astronauts and learning from them was one of my favorite experiences, and it helped me set my goal of becoming one of them. My career aspiration is to first work at NASA upon graduation as an Aerospace engineer, get experience in work, and start to develop new skills. After working at NASA for a couple of years, I want to return to school to get a master's degree in either spacesuit engineering or orbital mechanics, which are two fields I have explored and written papers on for the AIAA club at my school. After completing my master's in one of those fields, I want to return to work in the private sector. I believe the private sector will help me flourish in being creative and getting more experience in creating new technologies, developing new ideas, and playing a role in helping support more extensive missions to space and beyond. I would eventually want to return to NASA for a couple of years because I believe by that time, we would have already established a long-term presence on the moon or Mars or both, and it would open up even more opportunities and allow me to return to where it all started. I believe that the degrees, experience, passion, and skills I developed over my professional career would allow me to become a candidate to become an Astronaut for either NASA, The European Space Agency, or some other agency, which would help me complete all my dreams. I hope to one day be traveling through space, and only then will I be satisfied that I have met everything, and I will never give up on achieving my dream. I have also experienced many ups and downs in my life, like everyone else. Most recently, I experienced emotional weakness when I had to help my best friend who was struggling and called me at 2 a.m., threatening to end his life, and it was one of my worst days ever. I reached out to his family, people on his campus, and people there to help him, and I stayed on the phone the entire time while talking to him. What made it so hard is I have known him since the first day of kindergarten, and without him, I would lose a big part of myself, and I could not imagine a life without him. I have lost friends to suicide before, and it is terrible. I always try to search for the clues, and I wish I could have saved them. Fortunately, my best friend is doing better now. Still, by showing emotional weakness to him and showing my emotions, I felt I helped the situation because I worked to try to understand how he was feeling and help him in any way possible. Being open about my weaknesses enabled him, so being honest, open, and showing my emotional side helped save my best friend. We are all humans, and sometimes, we need someone to listen to us, and I feel I did that job for my friend.

It is tough to choose from all the great spidermen we have watched on the screens throughout the years. My favorite Spiderman is Tobey Maguire Spiderman. I remember watching those movies with my Dad when I was like 4-5 years old and being amazed by the story, the action, and the emotion of the actors. I love re-watching his movies with my parent's friends, and I was so excited to see him return in Spiderman Homecoming. Tobey's Spiderman movies have also brought many great memes, moments, and memories with my friends and family and have become an iconic part of pop culture and movie history. I liked Tobey as Spiderman, too, because he was relatable, and his story was the way most people think of Spiderman and his origin story besides the comic books. Don't get me wrong, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland are phenomenal actors, and I enjoy their movies, too. Still, the nostalgic aspect of Tobey's Spiderman and the iconic characters in his films were so much more memorable and remarkable. Kristen Dunst, Willem Dafoe, and James Franco made his movies so funny, and me and my friends still reference the memes and the moments, and it has cemented our love for Spiderman and all his films. Watching Tobey's Spiderman miss Mary Jane after such an epic scene has been ingrained in my mind for years, and I wish that part were different, but then it would not be Spiderman because they have all lost someone dear to them. The Spiderman games on the DS, Wii, and Xbox 360 also helped me remember Tobey's Spiderman a lot more, and the game will forever be in my head. The new Spiderman movies are outstanding, especially Miles Morales so I will have a different opinion than a younger kid than me. This essay is a shoutout to all the Tobey Maguire stans out there like me, and I hope I can represent those people.

My experience with mental health has influenced my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations in good ways but sometimes in some negative ways, too. Mental health has always been important to me as I have lost many friends to suicide and other mental health issue-related problems, and most recently, my best friend called me at 2 a.m. and was on the verge of ending his life. Life can be insensitive sometimes, and it is hard to get down and feel like the world is ending, but there is always someone who cares and has something to live for. The most important thing to me when dealing with mental health is being honest to the people who care about you and reaching out if you are struggling or feeling like you are drowning under the pressure. Mental health has influenced my beliefs because I know If I work hard, try to be a decent person, and do the best I can, then good things will happen, and the dark times will end. Staying positive and focusing on your goal is a great way to keep out of trouble and on track. The rough time of my mental health has influenced my beliefs, and I feel my morals have strengthened. My relationships have been affected by mental health and sometimes in some adverse ways. When I lost my grandma and my best friend moved away last spring, I was in a bad place and tried to deal with the pain by going out every night, ignoring the people around me, and trying to avoid talking about the problem. I almost pushed away my last girlfriend because I was afraid of opening up and talking with her, and I thought she wouldn't love me anymore because of my problems when all she did was care and wanted to help me. I found it difficult as a kid to talk to or connect with my family, but as I grew older and built better relationships with them, I was able to create my support system and knew I would always have people in my life who were by my side. I have been working to break my habit of pushing people away when I am struggling, and I have been going to talk to a therapist and a counselor to work on this issue. I have very high career aspirations, and I plan to accomplish a lot during my professional career. I want to work at NASA upon graduation and then return to school to get my master's in Spacesuit engineering or Orbital Mechanics. After spending time at NASA and helping humans return to the moon, I want to go to the private sector, which will allow me to be more creative, help create new inventions, and push human exploration farther than ever. I plan to use that experience in all those fields and those degrees to work towards becoming an Astronaut and working on whatever goes up in space after the ISS comes down. It has been my dream since I was a little kid to look up at the stars with my Grandpa and Dad, visit the Kennedy Space Center and the Aviation museums, and even meet real-life astronauts. I study Aerospace engineering, and I often wonder whether I can get this degree, complete a class, or balance school and clubs and fun, which I usually get in my head. Many people in the STEM field experience the "imposter syndrome" or feeling like they are not good enough to do something, and I have felt this way when I go to class or an aerospace club meeting. I think talking about these feelings will help me overcome them one day, and focusing on my mental health and working hard will result in me accomplishing all my goals in the future. I have found people like me on my campus, and being part of the Its on Us club, which raises awareness about women's mental health and sexual assault awareness, has helped me mentally, too. It is imperative to check on others and be open about your problems because if people do not know you are struggling, they can not help. While writing this essay, which took about 20-30 mins, 2-3 people most likely committed suicide, which is a horrible thing to think about and something we must do better as a society to fix. As my mom always says, nothing is unfixable, and there will always be people who care. We can be the most physically fit people, put on a brave face, and go out in the world, but it is tough to tame the demons inside, and our psychological health is something people often neglect but by far the most important one to take care of. To the friends and people I have lost, you are not forgotten. We love you, and I hope I make you all proud and we will meet again.

Super Smash Bros is by far my favorite game to play in co-op mode. I remember discovering the game when I got a Wii. My friends would come over after school, and we would play the game nonstop for hours until my Mom would kick them out to go home. I was in this after-school program, too, and we would spend so much time playing that the counselors would get mad at us and send us outside, and we would then keep talking about the game and watch YouTube videos on it. My friends and I rekindled our love for the game during COVID-19 when we would spend hours upon hours playing against each other and pass the time during difficult times. Once we discovered the DLC packs, too, it made the game even better, and being able to play as the Joker or Minecraft Steve was such a great experience. I now miss my time with my friends because we made such outstanding bonds, which helped us connect again. A memorable experience from our time playing the game has to be being in our friend's basement, and we were having a "tournament." The tournament had been approaching its finale as the competition narrowed down, and it was down to our last two friends out of about 20-25 people. In this basement, with loud music playing, all our friends yelling for each person, and the temperature through the roof, each player is down to his last life, and you can see the sweat and focus on each of them. As each player's health percentage grows lower, the pressure in the room gets higher, and each player gets more intense. It's late at night, and the temperature is boiling. Then the deicing moment is when our friend who was using Ganondorf uses his special and obliterates our friend, sending him to the other side of the screen, with the screen ending with "GAME!". One half of the room goes wild while the other is silent from the tough loss, and you can see the difference between our two friends. It was the most intense and fun experience I have ever had with my friends. During our breaks now, we still play super smash bros a lot and even sometimes play together online at our colleges, which is an excellent way for us to stay in touch. Super Smash Bros has a special place in my heart and is the best Nintendo game.

My extensive volunteer experience has dramatically influenced my core values and what I hope to accomplish in my career and life. I have been involved in volunteer work since I was a little kid when my Dad would bring me to his Lions Club service events, and I would help make pancakes to raise money, set up Boy Scouts events, collect used eyeglasses, and help recycle them so people in need could get them for free. As I grew older, I took a more prominent role in the Lions Club, helping set up clothing drive events, running the social media, and helping organize young participation and gathering new members. I then joined the Habitat for Humanity club in my school with my friends, and we did some great work helping repair houses after hurricanes, working together on demanding projects and giving back to the less fortunate by making their homes a little bit more comfortable. I became a member of Big Brother Big Sisters, an organization that runs clothing drives and helps lesser-income families get needed supplies for their families. Volunteering from such a young age has made a significant impact on my core values. I am Jewish, and the most important values to me are being honest, having integrity, doing good work, and trying to become a mensch, or good man, in the Jewish religion. The work I have done for my community has strengthened those values and reinforced my belief that we are here on Earth to help others and try to improve everyone's life around us. Now that I am in college, I often see people who are lazy, ignorant, mean, and overall people who lack core values and discipline. I try to learn from others' mistakes and be the best version of myself, which is why community service and charity involvement lead to a better life. I am working towards my lifelong dream of working at NASA and becoming an Astronaut. I want to work at NASA and help humans return to the moon, further space exploration, and create new technologies that will help benefit people on Earth. After working at NASA, I want to go back to school for a master's degree in either Spacesuit engineering or Orbital mechanics. Then, I want to work in the private industry, which will allow me to be more creative and have the freedom to explore and develop new products for the space industry. Although it will be a challenging goal, I want to be an Astronaut, and the schooling, work, and service I have done will help me achieve my goal. I do not plan to end my community service once I graduate. I want to continue to give back by teaching kids about STEM, giving presentations, and emphasizing the importance of education. I am a Lucy Asteroid ambassador, a passionate volunteer for NASA who gives presentations to all ages about the Lucy asteroid program. I am still highly involved on my campus, and keeping up my service will not only help others but continue to allow me to grow as a person.

Calculus is a crucial part of STEM. As a future Aerospace engineer who has taken all three calculus courses and now onto differential equations, calculus is the basis for all my physics classes for my major. It is a foundation for everything else I will learn. Calculus makes it possible for my career to exist, and with it, we made it to the moon, explored the stars, and pushed human exploration farther than ever before. It is essential to my field because so many great inventions, discoveries, and how fast our civilization has developed would not have been possible without first discovering calculus. With calculus, space exploration is possible, and telecommunication like satellites, TV, radio, all engineering fields, medicine, business, finance, and even predicting the weather and the field of meteorology is possible. My physics teachers often talk about how significant Newton's discovery of Calculus is. Still, I only understood how important it is once you have to use it every day and apply it to real-world problems. As a student, sitting through those classes was painful, and I would think, why would I ever need this? But the reality is it makes our lives easier and makes so many impossible things possible. I want to help humans return to the moon, and my dream is to be an Astronaut, so a strong understanding of calculus and how the world and universe work around us will make my job easier and help me achieve my goals. As a STEM major, it is easier now to realize how paramount calculus is and what it means, but it is much harder to convince people in other fields why it is such a great tool. It is great to see the calculus I've learned in college be applied to my aerospace classes; using it on my projects and CAD modeling has made it worthwhile. As I progress through my career, the Calculus I learned as a first- and second-year student will not only make my work easier but continue to help my field grow and continue to achieve incredible feats. Calculus helps us understand patterns, relationships, and abstract concepts that would otherwise not be possible. Proficiency in calculus is essential to grasping other STEM fields, for it is the language in which scientific and technical ideas are communicated. It is often hard to appreciate math, especially when studying for tests or doing homework. Still, once you take a more extensive look at it, it is essential that calculus exists, or our lives will be much more difficult. People in STEM fields notice the importance of Calculus, and its power is heavy.

I found the Ode to Millennials a very fascinating piece to read. It hit many complex topics and situations that my Generation must overcome to become "The Greatest Generation 2.0". I'm afraid I wholeheartedly have to disagree with claiming my Generation will be the best generation part two. My Grandparent's Generation being called the greatest Generation is absurd to me. They Lived through two major world wars, the great depression, segregation, and horrible treatment of minorities and other groups. Then, the baby boom comes around and further sends the world into chaos. My Generation was born and already behind the 8-ball, and gigantic problems like insurmountable debt, school shootings, deep political divide, racial tensions, and so many more issues will keep us from becoming great. We were born into a broken world and are expected to fix many unsolvable issues, and we will descend further into chaos. Besides the situation my Generation came into, the people could be better. We are all so obsessed with our online image, worrying about other people's thoughts and afraid to be our true selves. I find my Generation extremely lazy, superficial, and intolerable, and they refuse to put in effort or work hard. We can't pick up the phone, are bad communicators, and ignore our "ghost" people for nothing. I am a college student now, and I am apprehensive about my future because school is getting so expensive that people will have to loan their house one day to pay these ridiculous tuition rates. I studied abroad in Oxford, England. I wish I stayed there because the education would be better, the cost would be much lower, and I wouldn't have to decide whether to eat or pay tuition bills. I see why the earlier generations said we would fix everything because that's what the generations before them passed down, and people keep putting off the problems instead of fixing them. I believe the United States is one of many countries with significant issues like the ones we face, but we must try to correct the problem. All we do is fight and perpetuate violence against one another. I am sick of my Generation's obsession with their phones. It is as addicting as cigarettes, and nobody has meaningful conversations without texting, snapping, Instagram, etc. Then we wonder why suicide rates among younger people go up because people always try to be perfect, look perfect, and be a standard that is impossible to achieve, and the pressure on them builds and builds until they can not take it anymore. Nobody wants to go outside and do activities anymore; instead, people sit inside playing video games, texting, watching TV, or using their time for wasteful things. I do not hope any of these problems will get dealt with because it seems a new issue arises daily. How will I pay for school when the tuition rate will be the value of my house by the time I graduate? Education is one of the best ways to escape horrible situations, poverty, societal issues, etc. Without cheap and easily accessible education, people will continue to grow ignorant and unaccepting of one another. Education is a right for all, and the generations beforehand have made it extremely difficult for this right to continue, and the situation will only worsen. The Ode to the Greatest Generation opened up my mind to many new ways of thinking and helped me analyze the situation my age group is in right now.

Leadership is the ability to lift others when the cards are down. It is an ability that someone has or does not have. It can be developed, but the best leaders are the ones who help others around them even when they might not be doing the best. Leaders must be able to provide guidance and motivate others to move towards a common goal. Leaders must help craft a vision and unite people around a common cause. Leadership has been simply encouraging your teammates, helping your friends and people around you, and being someone people can admire. We often think of leaders as heads of major companies, celebrities, or other famous people. True leaders are the people who stick to their deeply held principles, try to be upstanding, and leave a good example for others. A leader to me is my Dad. I want to be as great as him, and the way he always stands up for what is right, works hard, is a good role model, and sticks to his moral guidance. People nowadays often need more or some of these qualities and can not be deemed real leaders. You do not have to be a genius, a big-name person, or in a top position to be a leader. The leaders consistently do their best, keeping their nose to the grindstone and trying to do their best in everything they do with utmost integrity, and always do the right thing even when no one is watching. It is straightforward to falter under challenging situations, but real leaders stick to their decisions and do not lie or exaggerate the truth when things get tough. Although these are great qualities to have as a leader, they are not the most important of them all. The most crucial quality a leader has is admitting when they are wrong and being able to admit when they have made a mistake. Leaders show the great sides and the weaker sides, too. Showing vulnerability and some personability is a great trait to have. No one is perfect, but admitting when you are wrong and working to correct the mistake is the test of whether a person is a leader and refuses to acknowledge they are wrong. Many “Leaders” lack integrity, ultimately failing to be great leaders. Being a leader is not a simple task, and I believe it takes dedication, hard work, persistence, learning from mistakes, and growing as a person to achieve being a better leader.

I embody selflessness in many aspects of my life. I have learned to be selfless through my parents, who are the definition and meaning of being selfless people. My Parents taught me the importance of community service, helping others, and being the best person you can be in all parts of your life. Since I was five years old, I have been helping my dad with his Lions Club events, joined the Habitat for Humanity club at my college, and am even the philanthropy chair in my fraternity to help raise money for JDRF. This charity focuses on ending diabetes for all. Selflessness is doing things without being asked, taking initiative, and being a great role model. I embody selflessness because the most recent example is my best friend was doing very poorly and was on the verge of suicide and or hurting himself. My friend called me at 2 a.m., and I stayed on the phone with him until 6-7 to make sure he was alright and to contact his parents and get him some help. I continued checking up on him, calling, texting, and working with his family to ensure he got the help he needed. What made this even more challenging is that he goes to college in upstate New York, and I am far away in Florida with no quick way to visit him or drive up quickly to see him. My friends and I worked tirelessly to help our friend in need, and we were able to get him a therapist and a support group and worked with his college friends to support and care for him. He is doing much better now and even got a date with a girl he liked. He is joining clubs, doing better in school, and seems on the right path, and it couldn’t make me more pleased. The situation I described above is not the first time I have had to do this for someone because it is tough being a college student, and failing an exam or failing a class can seem like the entire world is falling apart. I have had times where I get imposter syndrome or doubt myself, and it is effortless to get in your head and cause your downfall. I love doing community service, and I have racked up many hours serving at soup kitchens, collecting eyeglasses to get recycled and go to people in need, and helping set up church events, sports events, and fundraising events for different charities. It is elementary to be numb to being decent or selfless because people are often selfish, and I believe through my hard work, care, and persistence, I am an excellent example of a genuinely selfless person.

In my daily life, I embody each of these five traits. I show strong leadership and communication skills by being very active on my campus, including being on the executive board for my fraternity, a leader in rocketry and robotics clubs, and a leader in school by tutoring others and helping others understand. I am resilient because I study aerospace engineering, an extraordinarily challenging and complex major that gives me and often other students nightmares. As I reach the higher level classes of my degree, they demand even more time, and it takes work to do well on tests. I am resilient because, after these tests, I study, review, get tutoring, and try to learn from my mistakes to improve next time. I spend hours looking in the library, working with other students, and trying to improve my grades and knowledge daily. I am incredibly unselfish, helping my roommate's friends with homework and studying, devoting my time to helping them while also balancing the responsibilities that I have to do. I volunteer for many organizations, help others in my free time, and give back to my community, whether my school community or the outside world. I am very determined. I have a clear plan to achieve my goals; completing NASA programs, being involved in school, and keeping up my grades will allow me to one day achieve my dream. It is often easy to get distracted, especially in college with significant breaks. Still, I am focused, and I use a planner to plan my time wisely, complete obligations on time, and stay on top of everything that needs to be done. I wake up every morning excited to go to school and learn something new, meet new people, continue to grow my network, and explore new hobbies and interests on campus. My work ethic is often unwavering, and it is hard not to go out or do fun things sometimes because school and my future are so much more critical, and my parents taught me the importance of education. My passion for space inspired me to pursue a STEM degree. Since I was a little kid, I have loved shooting off model rockets with my Dad, watching the stars at night, and using my Grandpa's telescope to look for the planets. I loved going to the aviation museums in New York, Florida, and the Kennedy Space Center; meeting real-life astronauts was one of my favorite memories. Leadership is a quality that people are born with, and they are innate leaders in all aspects of their lives. Leadership is lifting people when the cards are down and ensuring success when all odds are against you. Someone can view Leadership as motivating others, lifting others, and, most importantly, practicing what you preach. You can yell and scream at people all day to do what you need them to, but a natural leader can do it without the threat of repercussions or consequences for others. Leaders also have solid moral commitments and follow their word.

I am a sophomore at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL. I study Aerospace Engineering, and I am from Tuckahoe, New York. I am very active at my school and involved in Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, AIAA, SEDS, and Rocketry Club. I am a huge sports fan, and I love going to football games, playing intramural sports, and watching the games with my friends. My dream is to be an Astronaut and work for NASA one day, which will benefit people on Earth and push the limits of human exploration in not only space but technology, medicine, healthcare, and other related fields of science and math. My passion for aviation inspired me to pursue a STEM degree. Since I was a little kid, I have loved shooting off model rockets with my Dad, watching the stars at night, and using my Grandpa's telescope to look for the planets. I loved going to the aviation museums in New York, Florida, and the Kennedy Space Center; meeting real-life astronauts was one of my favorite memories. I have exemplified leadership qualities throughout my life. Leadership is being able to lift people when the cards seem down. I am a leader in school, outside of school, and in everything I do. I am on the executive board of my fraternity, and I need to make people attend events, participate in brotherhood, and build a sense of community and trust. I am also part of many clubs and organizations on campus and play a significant role in the Rocketry and Robotics teams. I also lead by example, showing up to events on time, always speaking up, and, most importantly, participating and doing my best to contribute. Often, leadership is choosing to do the right thing when others disagree, which can often be very difficult, and in my experience, it is. Nobody wants to make a tough decision or choose a side. I usually have to make tough decisions for my clubs, either choosing people or choosing a direction to go. In the fraternity, it is hard sometimes to confront your brother and tell him to stop being dumb and to listen to your advice. I also like to lead through community service, bringing people to events, organizing events, and ensuring the work we do is of the best quality. In all parts of my life, I make sure I am a leader to live every day the best I can and be the best possible person.

I am a sophomore at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL. I study Aerospace Engineering, and I am from Tuckahoe, New York. I am very active at my school and involved in Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, AIAA, SEDS, and Rocketry Club. I am a huge sports fan, and I love going to football games, playing intramural sports, and watching the games with my friends. My dream is to be an Astronaut and work for NASA one day, which will benefit people on Earth and push the limits of human exploration in not only space but technology, medicine, healthcare, and other related fields of science and math. Engineering can be seen as a healthcare field, which can seem like a stretch, but I don’t think so. Biomedical, mechanical, and chemical engineering all work in healthcare, so aerospace engineering doesn’t seem too far off. Astronauts, which I hope to be someday, can impact healthcare by being examined daily, new drugs tested on them, exercise routines, and ways to take care of yourself. Engineering can open many doors for other fields, positively affect healthcare and medicine, and be an excellent addition to society. My work in my area can help develop new treatments, explore new ways to help people psychologically or physically and pave the way for new ways to live. Engineering a new exercise machine, a new ergonomic chair, and an AI that can assist doctors with diagnoses and treatment are all beautiful ways engineering can help us. I plan to patent some ideas and work with other engineers to help change the world through inventions, collaboration, or simply applying old ideas to help influence the next generation. Especially with the amount of money, funding, interest, and developments in the space sector will lead to even more significant benefits for people on Earth. The interest in space will continue because it will help inspire kids, young people, and adults in space and grow fields related to it, like nursing, doctors, and other careers in STEM and science. I love engineering because it challenges and excites me, and I contribute to the betterment of others and people worldwide. In the future, I can become a space doctor or someone who helps astronauts or others who travel to space. Through research, experience, and working with others, my field will help make the world a better place and make the impossible possible. I have a plan forward and a way to accomplish my dream, and scholarships like this that help support my expensive education make life a little bit easier and my goal closer to becoming a reality.

My anime addiction is Attack on Titan. That show never fails to entertain, surprise, make me emotional, and provide a superb cinematic experience. I was not a big anime guy, and I often disregarded my friends' efforts to try to make me watch any of it until my college roommates watched Attack on Titan, and I decided to give it a chance. My roommates are colossal anime fans and would often watch in the living room, but I only gave in once they started watching this show. From the start, I was captivated and caught up in the story, the animation, the dialogue, and the sheer creativity of the show. The episodes were entertaining but long and could sometimes drag on due to small things. However, enjoying the show with my friends made it a much better experience, and watching anime with others made it easier to get immersed in. My roommates often told me that it only takes one great show for you to get addicted for life, and they were correct. I am incredibly excited for the next part of Attack on Titan, and I can't wait to see how the rest of the show pans out and if the good will overcome. I plan on reading the books after, too, and I am counting down the days to watch the show with my roommates again, sitting in silence and taking in every detail and word like it's the most important thing we have ever heard. Anime makes my life and many enthusiasts like me so much better, and it provides a way for us to shut off our brains and enjoy a masterpiece after a long day of school or work. Attack on Titan is probably a show many people will refer to in their essays, but what makes the show so much more significant to me is having others to watch it with and obsess over and talk about every day and refer to it and send memes to each other. I even bought a Levi's shirt, and we like to say hello to each other by saluting by holding one hand on our chest and one behind our back. Like my friends, I am on my way to becoming an anime superfan, and AOT has improved my life.

My financial situation has made it harder to continue my education. My Grandma's death, my Dad losing his job, and my Mom's new medical bills have strained my education. My parents work extremely hard to put me through school, and even with me working part-time and doing work study, it makes it difficult for me to study and try to earn my degree. I study Aerospace Engineering, and my Dream is to be an Astronaut. Engineering degrees are costly, and people often do not complete the degrees in 4 years because of the insanity and difficulty of the classes, which makes it even more challenging to pay off and pay for over a long period. I am a sophomore now and still have another two and a half years to go, and the cost of books, food, and housing adds up, especially at a private school. It is a struggle sometimes, but through hard work, perseverance, and many hours in the library and tutoring, I will achieve my Dream and earn my degree. Earning a scholarship will not completely solve the problem, but it will help relieve some pressure off myself, my parents, and loans and other payments that need to be made. Students like myself should be able to go to school without worrying if they can eat that night or not, and sometimes situations can arise like that. Even a small amount of money can be a massive help in the long run and help pay for cheap books, housing, food, and other necessities needed to continue studying. I spend hours per day writing these essays, learning, and working, and a little financial assistance could put less strain on my already stressful life. Scholarships have helped me pay for about a year of school so far, so I plan to continue to work hard and earn them so I do not have to spend eight years in school for a 4-year degree. The faster I get out of school, the faster I can pay back loans, help my parents, and start to build my life. Unfortunately, school is expensive, putting unnecessary stress on families and students like myself. These scholarships are a lifesaver to many people like me. My Dream will have a substantial positive impact on society. Engineers play an essential role in developing the community through fixing problems, working with others, and improving various issues. Phones, water filtration systems, GPS, satellites, and all the inventions we take for granted could not be possible without engineering and Astronauts, which I strive to be. Astronauts make it possible for future exploration to occur, and without them, life on Earth would be a lot more complex, and the knowledge we gain in space can be applied to Earth, too. I want to continue a positive impact by getting kids into space, STEM, and engineering-related fields and continue the message that they are the future and can accomplish anything. If I can make it through school, earn my degree, and work hard as a professional engineer, my real Dream will come true.

If this scholarship is awarded to me it will help me achieve not only my future goals but also my dream career. Education is very expensive, and studying engineering is not only a long path but can have many setbacks too. Engineering programs are supposed to be 4 years but people often graduate in 4 ½ to 5 years because classes are extremely hard and get tougher as time goes on. The money will first help me get through schooling and then possibly be able to pay for some graduate school. After getting my current bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering I plan on getting a master's in either Spacesuit Engineering or Orbital Mechanics. The scholarship would help me pay for books, professional memberships and club involvement. I am a sophomore now and still have another two and a half years to go, and the cost of books, food, and housing adds up, especially at a private school. It is a struggle sometimes, but through hard work, perseverance, and many hours in the library and tutoring, I will achieve my Dream and earn my degree. Earning a scholarship will not completely solve the problem, but it will help relieve some pressure off myself, my parents, and loans and other payments that need to be made. Students like myself should be able to go to school without worrying if they can eat that night or not, and sometimes situations can arise like that. Even a small amount of money can be a massive help in the long run and help pay for cheap books, housing, food, and other necessities needed to continue studying. I spend hours per day writing these essays, learning, and working, and a little financial assistance could put less strain on my already stressful life. Scholarships have helped me pay for about a year of school so far, so I plan to continue to work hard and earn them so I do not have to spend eight years in school for a 4-year degree. The faster I get out of school, the faster I can pay back loans, help my parents, and start to build my life. Unfortunately, school is expensive, putting unnecessary stress on families and students like myself. These scholarships are a lifesaver to many people like me. My Dream will have a substantial positive impact on society. Engineers play an essential role in developing the community through fixing problems, working with others, and improving various issues. Phones, water filtration systems, GPS, satellites, and all the inventions we take for granted could not be possible without engineering and Astronauts, which I strive to be. Astronauts make it possible for future exploration to occur, and without them, life on Earth would be a lot more complex, and the knowledge we gain in space can be applied to Earth, too. I want to continue a positive impact by getting kids into space, STEM, and engineering-related fields and continue the message that they are the future and can accomplish anything. If I can make it through school, earn my degree, and work hard as a professional engineer, my real Dream will come true.

My financial situation has made it harder to continue my education. My Grandma's death, my Dad losing his job, and my Mom's new medical bills have strained my education. My parents work extremely hard to put me through school, and even with me working part-time and doing work study, it makes it difficult for me to study and try to earn my degree. I study Aerospace Engineering, and my Dream is to be an Astronaut. Engineering degrees are costly, and people often do not complete the degrees in 4 years because of the insanity and difficulty of the classes, which makes it even more challenging to pay off and pay for over a long period. I am a sophomore now and still have another two and a half years to go, and the cost of books, food, and housing adds up, especially at a private school. It is a struggle sometimes, but through hard work, perseverance, and many hours in the library and tutoring, I will achieve my Dream and earn my degree. Earning a scholarship will not completely solve the problem, but it will help relieve some pressure off myself, my parents, and loans and other payments that need to be made. Students like myself should be able to go to school without worrying if they can eat that night or not, and sometimes situations can arise like that. Even a small amount of money can be a massive help in the long run and help pay for cheap books, housing, food, and other necessities needed to continue studying. I spend hours per day writing these essays, learning, and working, and a little financial assistance could put less strain on my already stressful life. Scholarships have helped me pay for about a year of school so far, so I plan to continue to work hard and earn them so I do not have to spend eight years in school for a 4-year degree. The faster I get out of school, the faster I can pay back loans, help my parents, and start to build my life. Unfortunately, school is expensive, putting unnecessary stress on families and students like myself. These scholarships are a lifesaver to many people like me. My Dream will have a substantial positive impact on society. Engineers play an essential role in developing the community through fixing problems, working with others, and improving various issues. Phones, water filtration systems, GPS, satellites, and all the inventions we take for granted could not be possible without engineering and Astronauts, which I strive to be. Astronauts make it possible for future exploration to occur, and without them, life on Earth would be a lot more complex, and the knowledge we gain in space can be applied to Earth, too. I want to continue a positive impact by getting kids into space, STEM, and engineering-related fields and continue the message that they are the future and can accomplish anything. If I can make it through school, earn my degree, and work hard as a professional engineer, my real Dream will come true.

My financial situation has made it harder to continue my education. My Grandma's death, my Dad losing his job, and my Mom's new medical bills have strained my education. My parents work extremely hard to put me through school, and even with me working part-time and doing work study, it makes it difficult for me to study and try to earn my degree. I study Aerospace Engineering, and my Dream is to be an Astronaut. Engineering degrees are costly, and people often do not complete the degrees in 4 years because of the insanity and difficulty of the classes, which makes it even more challenging to pay off and pay for over a long period. I am a sophomore now and still have another two and a half years to go, and the cost of books, food, and housing adds up, especially at a private school. It is a struggle sometimes, but through hard work, perseverance, and many hours in the library and tutoring, I will achieve my Dream and earn my degree. Earning a scholarship will not completely solve the problem, but it will help relieve some pressure off myself, my parents, and loans and other payments that need to be made. Students like myself should be able to go to school without worrying if they can eat that night or not, and sometimes situations can arise like that. Even a small amount of money can be a massive help in the long run and help pay for cheap books, housing, food, and other necessities needed to continue studying. I spend hours per day writing these essays, learning, and working, and a little financial assistance could put less strain on my already stressful life. Scholarships have helped me pay for about a year of school so far, so I plan to continue to work hard and earn them so I do not have to spend eight years in school for a 4-year degree. The faster I get out of school, the faster I can pay back loans, help my parents, and start to build my life. Unfortunately, school is expensive, putting unnecessary stress on families and students like myself. These scholarships are a lifesaver to many people like me. My Dream will have a substantial positive impact on society. Engineers play an essential role in developing the community through fixing problems, working with others, and improving various issues. Phones, water filtration systems, GPS, satellites, and all the inventions we take for granted could not be possible without engineering and Astronauts, which I strive to be. Astronauts make it possible for future exploration to occur, and without them, life on Earth would be a lot more complex, and the knowledge we gain in space can be applied to Earth, too. I want to continue a positive impact by getting kids into space, STEM, and engineering-related fields and continue the message that they are the future and can accomplish anything. If I can make it through school, earn my degree, and work hard as a professional engineer, my real Dream will come true.

I believe I should be considered for this scholarship for a couple of reasons. I know what my dream is, how I am going to accomplish my dream and the steps I have taken to start my path to success. I decided to pursue a higher education to achieve my dream of becoming an astronaut. I knew I wanted to work in engineering, so I am actively pursuing an Aerospace Engineering degree. I plan on working towards a masters when I graduate in Spacesuit Engineering and Orbital Mechanics. My family motivated me to pursue higher education because my parents never got to work in their dream field, so they want to see me happy and doing something I will love for the rest of my life. I have known my calling for some time now, and every day, I wake up motivated, ready, and excited for a new day. Every assignment I complete, and everything I learn is one step closer to achieving my dream. I have a couple of engineers in my family, ranging from software engineers to mechanical engineers and cross-disciplines. I enjoy the challenges of engineering and I love being able to think critically, evaluate situations, and work with others on what seems impossible but make it a reality. Education is also crucial to me. I am a Lucy Ambassador, a volunteer speaker for NASA who travels to schools, libraries, and other places to teach kids about space, STEM, and the Lucy Asteroid program. I love speaking to the kids, getting them excited about things I am passionate about, and inspiring future scientists, engineers, and leaders. I am so happy and passionate about my respective field because it is an essential and growing field that will help the world develop, too. Engineering unlocks the world's secrets and shows us how complicated and remarkable it is. I hope to someday travel on a rocket to Mars or the moon and push the limits of human exploration to points that were never possible before. My career also has positive impacts on the planet. Space travel will only be possible with new food-growing techniques, technology, weather devices, and more. People often think space is a waste of time because of our problems here on Earth, but the benefits outweigh the costs by a large margin. Technology, medicine, and advancements in many fields have benefited people all over the world without people realizing it. Without space development, portable phones, water recycling systems, and many vital inventions, we often take them for granted. When I look at my NASA posters, model rockets, and other space items in my room, I look at them with a passion in my heart that I am in the perfect field for me. I am fortunate to know what I want to do and have a clear plan and path forward.

My financial situation has made it harder to continue my education. My Grandma's death, my Dad losing his job, and my Mom's new medical bills have strained my education. My parents work extremely hard to put me through school, and even with me working part-time and doing work study, it makes it difficult for me to study and try to earn my degree. I study Aerospace Engineering, and my Dream is to be an Astronaut. Engineering degrees are costly, and people often do not complete the degrees in 4 years because of the insanity and difficulty of the classes, which makes it even more challenging to pay off and pay for over a long period. I am a sophomore now and still have another two and a half years to go, and the cost of books, food, and housing adds up, especially at a private school. It is a struggle sometimes, but through hard work, perseverance, and many hours in the library and tutoring, I will achieve my Dream and earn my degree. Earning a scholarship will not completely solve the problem, but it will help relieve some pressure off myself, my parents, and loans and other payments that need to be made. Students like myself should be able to go to school without worrying if they can eat that night or not, and sometimes situations can arise like that. Even a small amount of money can be a massive help in the long run and help pay for cheap books, housing, food, and other necessities needed to continue studying. I spend hours per day writing these essays, learning, and working, and a little financial assistance could put less strain on my already stressful life. Scholarships have helped me pay for about a year of school so far, so I plan to continue to work hard and earn them so I do not have to spend eight years in school for a 4-year degree. The faster I get out of school, the faster I can pay back loans, help my parents, and start to build my life. Unfortunately, school is expensive, putting unnecessary stress on families and students like myself. These scholarships are a lifesaver to many people like me. My Dream will have a substantial positive impact on society. Engineers play an essential role in developing the community through fixing problems, working with others, and improving various issues. Phones, water filtration systems, GPS, satellites, and all the inventions we take for granted could not be possible without engineering and Astronauts, which I strive to be. Astronauts make it possible for future exploration to occur, and without them, life on Earth would be a lot more complex, and the knowledge we gain in space can be applied to Earth, too. I want to continue a positive impact by getting kids into space, STEM, and engineering-related fields and continue the message that they are the future and can accomplish anything. If I can make it through school, earn my degree, and work hard as a professional engineer, my real Dream will come true.

I resonate with Dwight out of all the great characters from the show. Dwight is often overlooked but plays a vital role throughout his time on the show. He is extremely hardworking, funny, a good person, and a loyal friend and worker to Michael. He also faces many challenges, especially connecting with the other people in the office, sometimes feeling alone, and not fitting into a particular group. He can also be seen as the lone cowboy. I connect with Dwight because I often struggle to find my place in school, with friends, clubs, and family. I know I can do anything, but it is hard to do things alone, and it is better to have others around to support you, which I lack sometimes. Especially since I am studying engineering, to be successful, I need to work well in teams through communication, collaboration, and setting a common goal. Dwight often wants to do everything by himself, and his loyalty to others is often not rewarded. I feel the same because people leave, and it is a tough pill to swallow when they do so. The best way I relate to Dwight is even though he is just a paper salesman, he always does the best work and tries to accomplish the most he can, and his coworkers often need more motivation and do not want to do good work or slack off. As a student, I relate to this because it is hard to find people who want to work hard, are passionate about their careers, and want to make a difference in the world. I can’t relate to many people I meet because they study this field to make their parents happy, earn a lot of money, or do it for fun. I want to be the best professional I can be and be the best well-rounded person I can be. Dwight embodies the traits necessary to survive in and outside the office. The show has shaped my honor because it relates to an intern and future office worker. I see these types of people all around, and it is funny that the show is not too far off. It is not always realistic, but we always have the Stanleys waiting for the day they can retire: Jim, the hard worker and comedian; Pam, the friendly and good receptionist, and the loveable goofball. People can be characterized, of course, but they are all different in their way but share some qualities of the people in the show. The show has prepared me for people who are impossible to work with, people who want to do everything themselves, and the suckups. I see these people at school, and people often do not change, so it will be intriguing to see what happens when they get to the actual workplace. I wish this show were on for much longer because it is a classic, and my Dad and I will never tire of binge-watching it. Shout out to all the Dwight stains; I hope I made you proud with my description and that you can do anything; you’re not alone.

Minecraft is a game that I hold deeply in my heart. I remember first playing this simple yet captivating game with my friends in the computer lab in elementary school. It was my favorite part of my day in school because you could create, explore, work with friends, do anything you wanted, and defy reality. My favorite aspect was creating a survival world with all my friends. We would spend hours working together, designing and developing ways to accomplish our goals in the game and make the best out of it. We could create the world we wanted through collaboration and effort. Some of those worlds we still visit, and when we get that two-week Minecraft addiction urge, we pick up right from where we left off. I look back with a smile, remembering watching all the SkyDoesMinecraft videos, SkyBlock, survival Minecraft, and all the YouTubers we would care about for hours. Besides YouTube, this game means much more to me than others because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the world was seemingly ending in 2020, my friends and I would stay inside and work on our Minecraft world together and pass the time, and it was a comforting experience for all of us. The calming music, the game's aesthetic, and the achievements we could get were more than enough motivation to spend hours on this game. Minecraft would take our minds off all the problems going on in the world and allow us to shut our brains off and focus on something that meant more than a game. My uncle was in the hospital with COVID-19 and almost died, and my grandma, so this game also helped my friends make me feel better and gave me some hope that everything would be okay even when it seemed my whole world was crashing down. Minecraft also brought me and my friends to a simpler time when we didn't need to worry about money, grades, school, college applications, and everything that takes up our time nowadays. I sometimes miss laughing and talking and working with my friends because it is a bond that will never break between us, and even when we go our separate ways in life, we can always look back on that time with fond memories. Kids nowadays do not view Minecraft the same way my friends and I do, but I know they will share similar experiences, and it is a game that brings all ages together.

Life is often complicated, and we grow and develop by overcoming challenges and obstacles that shape us into the people we are today. One of my biggest challenges was that I was born with growth hormone deficiency, a genetic disease that affected my growth, health, and well-being. My Dad remembers taking me to sign up for kindergarten, and the people refused to believe I was five because I was so short and skinny and highly below average. As a result, I was taken to a specialist, and I had to take shots in my arms and legs every day for about eight years. I remember the first time I saw the long needle screaming, crying, and trying to free myself from my parent's grasp, holding me to ensure I didn't escape. It was tough on my parents, too, because they thought it was their fault when nobody could have known I could be born with this kind of genetic disease. I always felt different from my family, and I never felt a part of them as a kid because I was even afraid of talking to the people related to me. I had nobody who could relate to my situation, which made it even more challenging because I felt like the only person in the world. I was highly bullied in school and was the odd man out from the first day I stepped foot into school. It is tough to fit in, even as a kid, and I had to start behind the eight ball, being so short and intimidated by others. It was even difficult to register for soccer as they would try to put me in the lower age group because I was so small, and it was hard to make friends. Eventually, one day, my Dad sat me down and told me to keep my head high and ignore those people because it would take their power away. I decided to heed his lesson and just be myself and do what I loved, such as playing soccer and golf and spending time with my family. I started improving in school, made new friends, and became a well-rounded student-athlete. Through the support of my parents, my newfound friends, and going to talk to a psychiatrist, I started to gain confidence and break out of my shell. The shots began to help my growth, and the combination of confidence and growth in my body helped me develop well. My Dad said he always looked up to me because I always thought of myself that I was 6 feet tall and acted like a big shot, even in the face of adversity. Even the most minor thing can be the mightiest in character, personality, and overall qualities. The human spirit is the most vital thing in the world, and my story and overcoming my challenges prove that. It does not matter how we start but how we progress, develop, and eventually finish. Life is too short to focus on a singular problem, and we need to continue to work hard to become better and the people who love us will be there for our best of times and worst of times.

Volunteer service is one of the best ways to grow and develop as a person. It is a great way to give back to the community, make new friends, try new things, and strengthen your community. I have been involved in volunteer service since I was a little kid when my Dad would take me to the Lions Club events he would organize. I would help with the Breakfast with Santa events where underprivileged kids could have a nice meal on Christmas, get presents from Santa, and have a good holiday. In addition, I would help with the Boy Scout events, serving at a soup kitchen, picking up trash around the area, or reading books to children. I continue to volunteer in college and look forward to teaching kids about space, STEM, engineering, and so much more. I have learned many things about myself while volunteering for a long time. One important thing I have learned is I love to try new things, and it has helped me step outside of my comfort zone and do things I would be terrified of doing, such as talking to new people, organizing events, and collaborating with others. I also discovered that it has helped me with communication and leadership skills and made me a better person overall. When I went to school, I had a newfound confidence, and even on the sports field, I was becoming a strong leader and teammate. It is attributed to the service I did outside of school and the time I took to develop skills often overlooked such as soft skills and interpersonal. Some of the best times I had with my friends in High school were completing projects with them for Habitat for Humanity, Big-Brothers Big Sisters, and other events my Dad would organize. Volunteer service taught me I could accomplish anything, primarily if I work hard, focus, and, most importantly, put my faith in others and work together. Volunteer service is not done alone; you must work with many people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. This lesson was an important thing I learned about myself and life early on because, in Engineering, I have to work with others to accomplish tasks that seem impossible but can be done by working together. I often had trouble connecting with people as a kid, and community service helped open my eyes to the fact that I did have things in common with others and wasn't alone. We often care about what others think, and it helped me realize that I should do what I love and enjoy and stop caring about the opinions of those who don't care about me. I enjoy volunteering, working with others, and helping the less fortunate. All these things I learned about myself will help me continue to succeed in the future and help me become a well-rounded professional. The worst thing a person can do is be apathetic about things happening around them because they can help make a difference in the world, and it only takes a little effort and time.

Mental health is a crucial part of our lives. I have often seen why it is essential because we all have to care for ourselves sometimes. Life is often stressful and challenging, and things do not always go our way, and it can start to affect us. We can accomplish anything when we have a clear mind and focus. I have sometimes found my mind clouded, and it is challenging to escape tunnel vision. I recently had a friend struggling with his mental health, and I took the time to talk with him and try to cheer him up; the most important thing is to listen. Sometimes, we need to rant or have someone who can listen while we cry, scream, or yell, and we can feel better. If life was so easy and we could do it ourselves, we would not need other people. We need others like our family, friends, acquaintances, coaches, etc. Fortunately, humans are social creatures, and we need others to support and be there for us in our best and worst times. To succeed, we need to have good mental health and sometimes put ourselves first. Mental health affects our minds and how we feel, think, and act in our daily lives and with others. If we do not have good mental health, it is more difficult to handle stress, relate to others, and make positive choices. We cannot escape our mental health as we need it from birth until our last day on earth. What we tell ourselves is very important, and sometimes, the little voice inside can plant a tiny seed of doubt that will grow if we do not address it. I often use several ways to ensure my overall mental health stays good. My favorite thing to do is call and talk to my parents each night and tell them about my day, problems that happened, something I accomplished, and ask them for advice. Besides my parents, I like to text my close friends and family and see how they are doing, and I don’t hesitate to ask them if I could talk to them if I need something. I also am part of the Delta Fraternity on campus, so I always have my brothers to turn to, and they will be there for me at any time of day and anywhere. Another vital way to maintain my mental health wellness is by taking the time to relax, take time for myself, and do things that I love to do. A nice warm shower, blanket, and book sometimes sounds like a perfect night. I love watching football, playing flag football or intramural soccer, or going to the local golf course and playing a round. I also find reading, learning, and trying new things another fantastic way to ensure I continue to grow and not get into a slump. It is often problematic for people to step outside their comfort zone, and I think it is an easy way to open up your horizons and make you a more well-rounded person. Always be yourself and start the day with a smile and a positive attitude. The little things you do for yourself go a long way and can distinguish between a great day and a bad one. I hope how I care for mental health can positively impact others and improve their lives.

I am Jewish, born to two Jewish parents. My Dad was originally orthodox before his grandfather died, and then his Dad decided to raise them reform instead. My Mom is reform as well. I had my bar mitzvah in 2018, and it was a fantastic event. It was great to see all my hard work paying off after studying hours with the rabbi, attending Sunday school, and working hard towards making my parents and family proud. I am from a large and proud Jewish family, and my Dad's entire side is either bar or bat mitzvah. It is often demanding to be Jewish as people are not always accepting, especially what happened with Kanye West; the Unite the Right movement and the internet are not always a haven either. I live in Westchester County, New York, and last year, I started studying Aerospace Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL. My heritage helped influence me to choose my major. I think engineering matches the Jewish spirit that I can overcome any problem, face new challenges and confidently deal with whatever is thrown my way. In addition, I have a couple of engineers in my family and seeing what they do is fascinating. My dream is to be an Astronaut, traveling to the moon or Mars, making my family proud, and be the first Jewish person to step on another planet. I love engineering as it challenges and pushes me to improve, and I will enjoy doing it for the rest of my life. My current position is being a Lucy Asteroid Ambassador, a passionate public speaker for NASA who travels to schools, libraries, and places to educate people about NASA's Lucy Asteroid program. I also judge kids' STEM projects online for Future Engineers, and I love to provide feedback, encourage the students, and see a smile on their faces when they win a prize for their hard work. I love getting kids excited about NASA, space exploration, and STEM. It is imperative to make sure the next generation knows they can do anything, and I hope I can positively impact those kids to help change the world one day. My personal goal is to work at NASA, my dream job, and then move to the private sector after participating in the NASA Artemis program, which will send humans back to the moon and Mars within ten years. After completing some time at NASA, I want to work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, and work on some Mars missions and help develop future technology needed for deep space exploration. I also plan on going back to school after some time working to get my masters in either Spacesuit Engineering or Orbital Mechanics. I want to help pave the way for future generations to live on other planets, create a permanent colony on one, and help make it possible for interstellar travel. By sticking to my plan, working hard, and focusing on my dream, anything is possible, especially nowadays, without the amount of companies and interest in space. It was a shame we stopped at just stepping foot on the moon when we should have pushed the limits of human exploration even further and been to Mars already. However, that is where I step in, and with my drive and determination, future generations will be able to do the things that only people could dream about in the past. I aim to reach as many people as possible and have as much of a good impact as possible during my time here on Earth.

I have learned many money lessons since trying to become financially literate. I have taken Dave Ramsey's financial literacy course and wanted to apply for it, but it is challenging. It is easy to watch and nod and be like I'd never do what that person did, but unfortunately, it is elementary to repeat the same mistakes of others. My Dad has also sat me down and taught me how to organize my money, create spreadsheets, invest wisely, and much more. I have made many mistakes, especially ignoring and just spending money like water, not creating budgets, and sometimes racking up large purchases. I have spent a lot of scholarship money, blowing through savings and making unnecessary purchases. You can learn the best lesson by going out there and making mistakes. It might seem simple and easy to overlook, but it is essential to becoming financially literate. I am an example of this because you can learn all you want from videos, talking to people, and trying to learn from others, but financial literacy is tricky. As I approach the middle of my college career, money is more challenging, and working 5-6 hours after school is no longer possible like I did in middle and high school. I am feeling the mistakes of my past now because I can not go out as often, and it is more challenging to have fun and have the whole college experience. However, I am grateful for making these mistakes now so I do not make them again in the future when I have a family, kids, car payments, and rent payments. The best money lesson I could give to a person is don't be afraid to make mistakes. Most people will learn this harsh lesson above when they can't afford to, and it is better to learn from your past earlier rather than later. I am not encouraging you to blow all your money, make bad investments, and make as many bad decisions as possible. But it is okay to fail, dust yourself off, and get back on your feet. There were many times I just wanted to give up after making mistakes, especially financial ones, but you realize it is not the end of the world, and we are all human. I have found that when you make these mistakes, open up to your family, friends, and those who support you because it makes overcoming them easier. The best lessons I have learned have been from my Dad sitting me down and telling me about his own and supporting me. My story and the lesson I provided can help others avoid repeating the same mistakes of my past.

I decided to pursue a higher education to achieve my dream of becoming an astronaut. I knew I wanted to work in engineering, so I am actively pursuing an Aerospace Engineering degree. I plan on working towards a masters when I graduate in Spacesuit Engineering and Orbital Mechanics. My family motivated me to pursue higher education because my parents never got to work in their dream field, so they want to see me happy and doing something I will love for the rest of my life. I have known my calling for some time now, and every day, I wake up motivated, ready, and excited for a new day. Every day, every assignment I complete, and everything I learn is one step closer to achieving my dream one day. My family has a couple of engineers, ranging from software engineers to mechanical engineers and cross-disciplines. Engineering challenges me every day, and I love being able to think critically, evaluate situations, and work with others on what seems impossible but make it a reality. Education is also crucial to me. I am a Lucy Ambassador, a volunteer speaker for NASA who travels to schools, libraries, and other places to teach kids about space, STEM, and the Lucy Asteroid program. I love speaking to the kids, getting them excited about things I am passionate about, and inspiring the following: scientists, engineers, and leaders. I am so happy and passionate about my respective field because it is an essential and growing field that will help the world develop, too. Engineering unlocks the world's secrets and shows us how complicated and remarkable it is. I want to travel on a rocket to Mars or the moon and push the limits of human exploration to points that were never possible before. My career also has positive impacts on the planet. Space travel will only be possible with new food-growing techniques, technology, weather devices, and more. People often think space is a waste of time because of our problems here on Earth, but the benefits outweigh the costs by a large margin. Without space development, portable phones, water recycling systems, and many vital inventions, we often take for granted. When I look at my NASA posters, model rockets, and other space items in my room, I look at them with a passion in my heart that I am in the perfect field for me. Fortunately, I know what I want and have a clear plan and path forward.

My passion for space inspired me to pursue a STEM degree. Since I was a little kid, I have loved shooting off model rockets with my Dad, watching the stars at night, and using my Grandpa's telescope to look for the planets. I loved going to the aviation museums in New York and Florida and Kennedy Space Center; meeting real-life astronauts was one of my favorite memories. As a future engineer, my work will help benefit life on earth. Engineers help improve life worldwide, solve complex problems, create new technologies, and conduct research. My family has many engineers, including mechanical and software engineers, so since I was a little kid, I have been able to learn from them and grow my passion for STEM. Learning how to code from my uncle, develop simple games, and also learn how to think critically and be creative. I also love using the computer to create, design, and experiment to make rocket models. I am an avid CAD enthusiast and CREO, Matlab, and Fusion360. Rockets and planes are so fascinating to me, and I want to help grow the technology in those industries and help humans inhabit other planets. The space industry is so exciting right now, especially with all the private companies coming in and helping NASA. It is so refreshing to see new life going into this industry, and the private companies bring the funding and excitement of the public that brings momentum to return us to the moon and beyond. It was so upsetting as a little kid to see the space shuttle program retire since I loved that program so much, and to see the technology and developments coming now is so exhilarating. Now that the excitement has come back, especially the money, it will make the space industry grow even faster. I dream of being one of the engineers that can say that I helped return humans to the moon, helped create the rocket that brought us there, and then established a habitable space for humans. However, there will be many problems. One, we need to find more renewable resources, reduce space flight costs, and ensure the rockets are reliable and reusable. As a future engineer, I know it is crucial to ensure our work is ethical and can improve life here on earth without too many negatives. My goal as an Aerospace Engineer is to first work for NASA since it has been a dream of mine to work there since I was a young kid. Then, I want to go to the private sector since it will have lots of funding and help increase the public's interest in space flight, allowing me to be more creative and flexible. I have always been highly competitive, driven, and motivated, and it will be easy to accomplish my goals. Engineering is my passion, and I will not allow anyone or anything to get in my way.