My philosophy about spirituality and science is that they are not two separate thing; Moreover, they are the exact same, it just depends on who's explaining it. Spirituality can be tied with religion. In Islam, there are many mentions of science concepts like the Big Bang. According to the Quran, the Holy book in Islam, it explains that the universe began from dust. This can be translated into the gaseous particles in space. To become a believer, one must believe in all of what the Quran has to offer. From there, the spiritual connection reinforces the sciences, and what is science without math?

As a child with a great attention to detail, I was always found with a pencil and paper. Drawing my favorite TV show characters, and presenting a social studies project for the topic of "Transportation" by replicating an extremely detailed sail ship. It is one of my proudest works. After seeing my capabilities, my mom put me in a "Drawing for beginner" class at the local park. From my first day, my teacher said that I was far more advanced than the rest of the students. Upon reaching eighth grade, I was assigned to create an abstract painting. I decided to create a bright-colored painting of an acoustic guitar, inspired by my childhood best friend who loves playing it. It was so inspiring and beautiful that the principal hung it on her wall in her office. It meant so much to me that I was appreciated for my efforts into expanding our schools artistic aspects. Beyond that, my family moved to the United States. Trying to adapt and understand the culture shock, I was distracted from all of it. All the colorful, majestic paintings. Living through high school was difficult. Current day, I am in college and I want to continue pursuing my passion. This scholarship can help me in many ways. It may be used to help me pay for college, providing me with free time to practice painting and drawing. It may also help pay for an art course where I can build-up my skills. Either way, this scholarship would be very beneficial. I am glad to have to opportunity to share my enthusiasm and hopefully receive the help necessary to continue.

Palestine is where my heart lies. I hate to have to explain the pain of the many Palestinian families to people, and why I defend my home. The Palestinian vs Israel "conflict" is being put under debate. People are questioning whether they should support the Palestinians or not. They have endured so much hate and suffering. But what keeps them going, and what keeps me going, is the belief in religion. Every religion to which I have a connection to, claims to have a judgment day. That is what gives me hope. The sadness of millions of Palestinians will be converted into nothing but love and happiness. There would be nothing, but good. That is what keeps me going.

My ancestors are what caused my obsession with natural foods. My family is from an area in Palestine called "Mount Olive." From its name, it is known to be one of the best areas to grow olive trees, as olives also hold great significance in my religion as well. Growing up, I would visit family in Mount Olive, and witness the beauty and effort they put into their olive. Not only that, but trees of pomegranates, apples, grapes, pears and many more. I specifically remember a certain flower, placed at the doorway. It blooms during the night and hides during the day. One of the best and authentic aspects of Mount Olive is that we make our own olive oil. After all the hard work, we eventually receive our prize. As part of being Arab, olive oil is one of the most important foods. In Arab cuisine, almost every dish is a natural healthy dish that provides lots of nutrients, and impeccable flavor. Along with growing up around descendants of farmers, as an individual who values science, the environment is always a concern. Protecting it must be a priority because our wellbeing depends on its success. Personally, I do not want to live a life full of guilt towards the way the human population treats Earth. Moreover, the use of proceeded food causes harm to both people and Earth. It does not provide the necessary nutrients for a healthy lifestyle, but it also allows the use of plastic and release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

He was the first one I'd ever been taught as he created something out of thin air. It was during English class third grade, reading a story of different inventions. I never forgot his name after that; his name was Thomas Edison.