Through my studies at Pepperdine University, I have changed my perception of finance from a data-driven field to a discipline of translation. As the study entails, finance in itself is a large division, and everything from basic financial literacy to understanding volatile trends and sorting through massive amounts of data all have their time and place of importance. Numbers and data, although helpful, are useless if those who wish to understand them are unable to do so. Because of this, I have brought my studies outside of university grounds and into an environment where that can be shaped and molded into practical skills that can be used everyday through my company: Scala. Scala is a US-facing commercial interiors partner for coffee shops, restaurants, hospitality, retail, brands, and developers, focused on reinventing how to shape unique buildings and spaces through both creativity and imagination. Each industry has been specifically chosen and targeted in order to maximize the benefits and create immediate change to such important industries. A coffee shop in the right area can be a third home for someone; a well made restaurant can shape the memories made with friends and family; hospitality spaces set the tone for how people feel when away from home. This is the gap in which Scala exists. From fully revised architectural documentation to in-house construction and work flow, my team and I create a fully loaded interior package for our clients that begins with briefs on their design vision and work with them all the way to logistics and delivery. Additionally, our work will focus on small to mid-size firms and brands that are weary of working with multiple firms that all specialize in one aspect of design or architecture or are in need of our all-in-one package. By sourcing our materials and connections from all over the world, we will be able to build our ideas and structures with resources that are out of reach for other people in our industry. With this business model and innovative strategies, we place ourselves in an advantageous position of service, having the sole purpose of bringing brilliant, elaborate, and unique designs to spaces that will affect society directly. Through both failure and success in my company and studies, I plan to take my knowledge of the system and lead others to gaining a better financial position in their lives. By being their ambassador, I will be able to guide those who wish to learn away from the snares and pits that I fell into, resulting in their goals being closer in reach. From my future family to the next generation of business leaders, understanding finance will be the most valuable thing that they chose to study.

To smart small and to dream big, what is the significance behind it? Anyone can start their own business, and some will always have more resources and expertise than others, so what makes the person who has little and dreams big so special? In short, it all comes down to two words: humility and confidence. When a person with little capital, few materials, and limited opportunities chooses to risk their time and effort on their ideas, they must humble themselves by recognizing three truths: mistakes are inevitable; success does not come overnight; and wisdom comes from acknowledging and confronting one’s weaknesses and gaps in knowledge—not from pridefully overlooking them and deceiving themselves into thinking that they have no weakness. On the contrary, humility without confidence is passivity. Confidence is what gives your humility action and a purpose for growth; humility gives you the reason, confidence gives you the action. At this moment in time, I am currently majoring in finance at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. While many business-focused majors prioritize similar skills and topics, I chose finance because, beyond needing to be well-versed in communication, business is fundamentally a numbers-driven field. In the near future, I plan to use the experiences and knowledge I have gained in order to begin growing my own architecture and design brand: Scala. Scala is an interior and exterior design and architecture corporation that focuses on reinventing how to shape spaces and buildings through both creativity and imagination. From architectural documentation to in-house construction, my team and I will be creating 3D renders and visuals for other start-ups and brands in order to help them grow. Additionally, by sourcing our materials from all over the world, we will be able to build our ideas and structures with resources that no one else has. With this business model, we place ourselves in an advantageous position of service, having the sole purpose of bringing brilliant, elaborate, and unique designs to the world. With this scholarship, I plan to reinvest the money to further my education in finance so that when the time comes, I will be ready to tackle any short-term and long-term obstacle that comes against my goals. Each small amount of capital I raise is another contribution to building something that will bring value to the world and leave a lasting mark. Through both humility and confidence, combined with the education I bring from my time at Pepperdine University, the obstacles stacked against me and my company will not prosper.

At this moment in time, I am currently majoring in finance at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. While many business-focused majors prioritize similar skills and topics, I chose finance because, beyond needing to be well-versed in communication, business is fundamentally a numbers-driven field. In the near future, I plan to use the experiences and knowledge I have gained in order to begin growing my own architecture and design brand: Scala. Scala is an interior and exterior design and architecture corporation that focuses on reinventing how to shape spaces and buildings through both creativity and imagination. From architectural documentation to in-house construction, my team and I will be creating 3D renders and visuals for other start-ups and brands in order to help them grow. Additionally, by sourcing our materials from all over the world, we will be able to build our ideas and structures with resources that no one else has. With this business model, we place ourselves in a position of service, having the sole purpose of bringing brilliant, elaborate, and unique designs to the world. Of course, the idea of Scala was not sudden, but grew gradually into fruition. From a young age, I have been exposed to the world of business and its many types. Over time, I decided to branch out and look beyond a business career in order to see if there was something else I would like to dedicate my time and career to, but every path I walked led me back to an entrepreneurial career. Business, unlike other fields of study, is flexible and fits into any model, allowing a person to maximize the impact and value they bring into any industry. While many people have similar business endeavors like me, my story will turn out differently. After taking extensive studies outside of my major on the topic of money and investment, relying on an incredible family support system, and witnessing the manufacturing and resources used from around the world to build modern-day empires, I can say that I have been blessed enough to have been given the opportunities and knowledge to succeed. However, my success in my line of work does not come from the profits made, but rather comes from the people I assist who have dreams and goals just like me. With this, I go through each day with the constant reminder that my ideas and services are for the benefit of other people.

What is a best friend? More importantly, what does someone need to do in order to become your best friend? Frequent visits? Sharing stories? Going out together? Experiencing life together? As it turns out, all of these actions are things that best friends often do together, but they are not things that determine if someone is your best friend; after all, you could do all of these things with a stranger or acquaintance. When looking at traits, what are the most prominent in a best friend? Reliable? Consistent? Kind? Above all, the traits that I look for in a best friend are love and sacrifice, and that is the very essence of who my father is. Throughout my life, my father has made countless sacrifices and, in his words, ‘given his life for his children’. To this day, he continues to show his love through his actions, anchoring our family through everything he does. Each day, he chooses to live in a Christ-like manner, working with an unshakable diligence in order to produce the fruits of his labor. Over the course of my life, I have learned that to love someone is one thing, but how you show your love determines how much someone loves you. In the case of my father, he shows his love with every interaction. When I have complications in my social or academic life, he becomes a listener and counselor. When I am confused by questions I cannot answer, he becomes my teacher—not by simply answering them, but by guiding me with questions until I reach the answer myself. When I simply joke around or spend some quality time with my father, he always makes sure that every encounter has its own hidden meaning. One message that my father would never let me forget is this: “Everything I do has a meaning behind it”. In the past I sometimes didn’t believe him, but now I see that he had years of development planned with every word, thought, and action he had toward me. As of today, my father sacrifices things that I don’t even ask for, no matter how mundane it might seem. Our relationship has gotten to a level where he knows everything I am thinking about! Even now, as I am now in college at Pepperdine University, my father still shows me his unconditional love in every text, phone call, and weekly conversation I have with him. To my father, his children are his world; to me, my father is my world, for everything he has shown me in my nineteen years of life has made me into the person I am now.

At the age of fifteen years old, I had reached rock bottom both physically and mentally. My self esteem had vanished completely, and each time I looked in the mirror I saw the fully raw version of myself: a tall, skinny-fat teenager with zero confidence in himself and twigs for arms and legs. Fortunately, I eventually decided to quit my sulking and make the first step toward real change in my life. When the first month of sophomore year began, I took it as the perfect opportunity to begin my fitness journey in the gym and started working on real bodybuilding. Although I was extremely skinny, I was still strong, boiling the first few months down to simply learning how each exercise was performed. Once I started seeing the fruits of my labor, the gym became more than just a pit stop during each day, it became my second home. Even though I sometimes overdid my training, I felt satisfied with constantly breaking down my body in order to build it back stronger. Over time, other people started to notice my progress and even congratulated me on how far I've come. This positive reaction was something I rarely saw from others, and using their words of encouragement I pushed myself as hard as I could in the gym. Unfortunately, after over a year of bodybuilding I had hit a plateau in my progress. This period of stagnation had crushed me, because no matter how hard I worked I wasn't moving up in strength or size. I stopped receiving positive feedback from others, and soon afterward I had developed a severe case of body dysmorphia. I pushed myself harder than ever before, even to the point of muscular injury and exhaustion. With joint pain, cardiovascular fatigue, and many sleepless nights, I looked into that same mirror and saw the same version of myself, only this time with a few more pounds of muscle. I soon realized that I had lost sight of why I go to the gym, that I had been doing it for recognition and not self-improvement. Although my physical body had grown, my mental and emotional side had never grew at all. Grasping this revelation, I refocused my attention not only on my original reason for bodybuilding, but prioritized the growth in my relationship with Jesus Christ. After much needed contemplation and rest, I combined the physical and spiritual parts of my life in the gym. Due to this, I started to make progress in the gym again, but instead of using my physique as a billboard for complements, I used my physique to glorify the Lord and inspire others to start their fitness journey. Now with three years of bodybuilding experience and in the best shape of my life, I now teach others how to grow physically while also assisting them mentally and emotionally so that they don't make the same mistakes I did. In addition, the discipline and consistency I had learned in the gym had fallen into every other aspect in life, helping me excel academically and in my personal and social life. As I now move toward my first year at Pepperdine University, the skills and lessons that I have learned in the gym will accompany me and become the catalyst for my success.

During my junior year of high school, I had the privilege of serving and assisting the homeless in Long Beach by contributing my effort toward the Long Beach Rescue Mission. This Mission as a whole provides daily meals, emergency shelters, learning programs, and continues to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through both words and actions. During my volunteering, I accompanied several other volunteers and employees in distributing, serving, and preparing meals for over hundred people who were homeless, disabled, or financial struggling. With each plate that | served and prepared, I was able to see the genuine gratitude on each of teir faces. Every person came from a unique background and had their own personal story, and interacting with each individual broadened my perspective on what the harsh reality of the world is like. Some people that I had spoken with told me that they haven't eaten a meal in days, while others had just spent the last dollar that they had and were completely broke. In spite of this uncompromising truth, many people that day had regained a new sense of hope, a new sense of motivation to better themselves and improve their lives as well as the lives of others. After three rounds of service, everyone had finished eating and was ready to go to the chapel. During the sermon, the preacher emphasized the significance of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how we should strive to reflect Christ's way of living in our daily actions and behavior. As he was giving the sermon, a certain, unexplainable peace fell upon everyone who listened to the message, and each person put their hands together and continued to praise God for his abundant love. After the volunteering and the sermon, I walked away with a newfound understanding of what leadership truly is. Service is not merely a component of leadership; it is the embodiment of leadership itself. Just as Jesus Christ came down from heaven not to be served, but to serve, so must we put ourselves in the position of service for others as a way of exemplifying Christ in our lives. Days after finishing my service at Long Beach Rescue Mission, I began applying my understanding of leadership to every aspect of my life, serving others through my words, actions, and, most importantly, my preaching. I spoke the gospel to other students on my campus, speaking to them with kindness and compassion, showing them the true image of God. With Christ Jesus's assistance, my preaching had touched the hearts of many, and each person that I spoke to would later on begin to grow their relationship with Christ. With Christ's version of leadership, I continue to see God work wonders, and I am eager to continue seeing his work unfold through my service.

"What does it mean to be a "Follower of Christ?". For years I left this question unanswered, and despite growing up in a Christian home, I chose to live my life as if I had never known who Jesus Christ was. Instead of answering this question, I tried to find joy and peace and purpose in my life through my earthly surroundings. Lacking a clear sense of meaning, I found myself aimlessly wandering from place to place, drawn to whatever seemed appealing to me, even if it only lasted for a moment. I turned to outside sources and other people to find worth in my purposeless life. During that time, a person's opinion about me was Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket, a one of a kind, whether it was positive or negative. Over the course of time, this mindset caused severe damage to my self-esteem, leading me to become very cynical toward myself. I judged myself harshly for the smallest and most inconceivable things while simultaneously forgiving others for their faults against me, no matter how much it hurt my soul. This way of thinking killed me from the inside-out. To others I was an overbearing, clingy, pathological altruist who idealized others, but on the inside I had wounded myself to a state of depression, sadness, and exhaustion. Once I hit rock bottom, I had no other option but to ask for God's forgiveness for my sins and assist me in changing my ways. When I finally turned my sights toward Jesus Christ, I was overcome with a sense of peace and joy that I had never experienced before. God had given me a clean slate, a second chance to improve my life by putting my faith in Him. I began to pursue the Lord, and over time he continued to mold my character into someone who is able to truly love others the way Jesus loves us. I grew in confidence, knowledge, and overall discipline over my thoughts. As of today, I continue to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and my testimony, trusting in God's help to transform the hearts and minds of others. With God's assistance and guidance, I have been blessed to be accepted into Pepperdine University. However, this acceptance comes with one of the highest tuition rates in the country. Despite my estimated financial aid package, I am still short approximately $30,000 for each year of tuition. With your investment into my education, I will be able to pay for my studies in Finance and strengthen the fellow brethren who are on campus with me. This is my redemption, putting myself to the test to see if I truly know the answer to the ultimate question: "What does it mean to be a Follower of Christ?"

Growing up, I was raised by a loving christian mother and father who sacrificed themselves for their children everyday. Each day they would work under extreme pressure to give me and my siblings the life that they never hand growing up. As an early teen, I didn't understand this type of mentality and frankly, overlooked their sacrifices, becoming extremely rebellious as a result. I truly believed that my way of thinking was superior and trusted in my own abilities, closing myself to any outside advice or compassion. Isolating myself from Jesus Christ and my parents, I turned to the world to find happiness and joy, completely unaware of the beat down I would eventually get from the world. I began to please everyone around me, holding each person on a pedestal above me and doing sometimes unspeakable deeds in order to gain other people's approval. As a man, I became exceedingly emotional, having outbursts of wrath and anger toward the people that cared for me the most daily. I hardened my heart and built calluses over my eyes, becoming spiritually blind from God's love, and in turn unable to love myself or others. I continued down this rabbit hole, this void, until the pain I felt exceeded the approval I wanted. Life had chastened me so much I could hardly recognize myself in the mirror each morning. At that point, I had to admit that my thinking was wrong, and asked God to forgive my sins, turning back to Him and finding a new path to walk on. Over time, my heart softened toward others and through that painful era of my life, I learned how to have true compassion on others, loving them the same way I expected to be treated. Through building my relationship with Christ Jesus, I learned how to say "no" to others, building my overall confidence and learning how to love myself. While building my relationship with Christ, I also rebuilt my relationship with my parents and decided to follow in my fathers footsteps as an entrepreneur. Over the course of my high school career, I took it upon myself to learned the foundational principles of both marketing and finance. With college being in sight in just a few months, this scholarship will give me the ability to gain not only a degree in finance, but enable me to build national connections with other like-minded students and teachers. With the help of Jesus Christ and your investment into my development, I have no doubt that I will be able to become a successful entrepreneur, bringing an intrinsic value into the world while establishing my expertise to teach the next generation of young entrepreneurs.

I love my little sister, but sometimes she can be a real drama queen when things don't go her way. Whenever she was in a bad mood, I would initially try to argue with her logically, attempting to reason with her and come to a solution. Unfortunately, this approach would backfire on me in the form of complaints and a moody attitude. Eventually, I was able to find a way to deescalate her moody nature. When she was in a good mood, I promised her that every time she would complain about something, I would tickle her until she laughed so hard that she couldn't breathe. She didn't take my promise too seriously, and in a few hours she found something else to complain about. This time around, I was ready. The minute she was about to start causing drama, I picked her up and squeezed her tightly, digging my hands into her sides. It didn't matter how mad she was or how many times she told me to stop, she couldn't stop laughing! When I finally let her go, she pushed me away with a grin on her face, and for the rest of the day she was in a happier mood. Sometimes you can't solve every problem logically; we are emotional human beings, and a good laugh is sometimes all it takes.

Imagine living a life where you called yourself a Christian, but in reality you never took the time to learn or understand what it meant to follow Jesus Christ. Each time you woke up in the morning, you woke up to another day that didn't have a purpose, a goal, or something to strive towards. As the day goes on, you'd find little to no satisfaction in anything you do, leading to a sense of demotivation and, over time, devolving into a sluggish, slothful lifestyle. To fill this hole in your soul, you turn to living a life of sin, thinking that fulfilling the lust of the flesh will fix the void in yourself. Little did you know, that the longer you lived in sin, the bigger that void became, but despite knowing this fact you continue descending into this rabbit hole that the world calls "satisfaction". This is the story of my life, and after living in this lifestyle all my life, I hit a breaking point. I couldn't continue living this way, the void in my soul had gotten too big. Once I had hit rock bottom in my life, I was able to see that the only way out of this rabbit hole was Jesus Christ. After I finally put my full faith in Christ Jesus, I started to pray and study the Word of God. The hole in my soul was finally starting to shrink. I became compassionate, loving, intelligent, and felt like I was living life for the first time. Unfortunately, my old habits wouldn't let me go that easily, and I have been in constant warfare with my flesh. But despite these daily obstacles, I am able to use the Word of God to fight against the lies and temptations of the devil, learning to listen to the Holy Spirit. Through daily devotion to prayer and study, I have conquered and put to death some of the most dangerous and sinful habits a person can have. As of today, I go into the world everyday preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ, sharing my testimony with others and encouraging each individual to start building their relationship with God. Looking back on my past experience, I can say that I am glad that I hit a dead end in my life, because having to go through hell has allowed me to find Jesus Christ when I needed Him the most.

Growing up, I was raised by a wise and knowledgable father, who has and is still passing down all of his knowledge onto me. He has gone through both failure and success in his life, both in business and his personal life. But through it all, he has shown me many wonders and opportunities to learn from in life that I didn't think were possible. My father isn't just an entrepreneur, he is a man of God who has sacrificed so much for his family, making sure that the next generation of his family has the knowledge and the opportunities that he didn't have growing up. As of today, I continue walking in my father's footsteps, shadowing his movements and continuing to learn from a young age. During my academic journey, I have achieved an astounding 4.3 GPA, demonstrating excellence in my studies. In addition, I have continued my own studies in business by building my foundational knowledge in marketing and finance. In the future, I want to be the entrepreneur that brings value into the world through my business. Alongside my own personal growth, I wish to not only provide service to people from a business standpoint, but to also help people from a spiritual standpoint. In 2022, I was personally saved by Jesus Christ from my sins and had a personal revelation from him in dreams and in my daily life. With God's assistance, I have been able to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ boldly, both on and off campus, praying with others and planting a seed in every individual's hearts. Furthermore, I have a few of the fellow brethren on campus with me, studying the Word of God together with me and showing brotherly love toward one another. Like my father, I wish to become an entrepreneur who is lead and driven by Jesus Christ in every decision that I make. With God's guidance, I plan to attend a four-year university to study finance and accounting, aiming to gain the knowledge needed to evaluate and make crucial decisions for my future business. Through both Jesus and business, I plan to live a life in service to others, helping them grow in their relationship with God and providing services through my business. I aspire to use my success not only as a means of financial stability but also as a way to live for others, offer support, and create opportunities for those who need them. By putting Christ first in all my endeavors, I hope to be a positive influence, demonstrating integrity, compassion, and generosity in every aspect of my work.

One year after being saved by Jesus Christ, I found myself preaching the Word of God on and off campus. As I was reading my Bible on campus, I had a friend sitting next to me who did not believe in the Word of God. Filled with compassion and boldness, I decided to preach the Gospel of Jesus to him. I explained who Jesus was, His death and resurrection, and why He died for our sins. As an atheist, my friend had many objections and reasons against Jesus Christ and the Bible's credibility. I tried to reason with him through the Scriptures, but because of his hard heart he continued to disregard any evidence that was contrary to his belief. This dilemma continued for a long period of time, but I did not give up on him. I continued showing him the love of God through both my words and actions. Eventually, I stopped seeing him around school, which deeply saddened me. Still, I had faith that I had planted a seed in his heart that would one day open him up to God's love and mercy. Three months later, I got a call from him, and he was a completely different person. Speaking through joy and excitement, he explained how he had a personal encounter with the Lord, experiencing a peace and love that he had never felt before. I rejoiced, thanking God for the privilege of preaching the Gospel to him. After that call, he eagerly shared his testimony with his friends, and together with him, I decided to start a Bible study group with him and a few other fellow believers. Together we study and preach the Word of God on a diverse campus full of people from every background. As for myself, I continue to spread the message of Jesus Christ to people who come from a variety of different backgrounds, both on and off campus. Each person, each backstory, each conversation I have with someone else can end with prayer, gratitude, tears, or a conversation about God's existence, either way, I'm thankful for all of them. At the end of the day, It's not about me, it's about Jesus working in other people's lives, and I am simply planning a seed in their hearts. God has used me to help multiply the number of people who have listened and given their life to Christ, and I continue to see His work unfold in amazing and sometimes unimaginable ways.

June 5th, 2022, 8:30 pm. This was the night that changed the course of my life. Sixteen years of living for the pleasures of this world will finally end on this night. Engulfed in sadness and depression, I see a light radiating from my desk, a hope that does not come from this world. As I walk over to my desk, I find the Bible sitting there waiting for me to open it. I sit on my couch and open to the Book of John, and I was immediately filled with a peace of mind that I had never felt before. Each verse erased my anxieties and fears as I sat in God's presence. Reading in silence, I lost all sense of time as I emptied my mind and read the words of Jesus, being flooded with joy and gratitude for Jesus's death and resurrection. I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop. I didn't want this moment to end, everything I questioned about life was being answered before my very eyes. Each day I read and prayed continuously to strengthen my faith, learning true discipline and how to show compassion to others while living a Godly life. Old friendships, toxic relationships, each chain that was attached to me was being broken on the daily, as if I was put through a fire to burn away any impurities that resided in me. My heart grew, my conscience became new, God had turned this lump of stone in my chest and this seared conscience of mine into a living soul. After that night I went out into the world with a new purpose, being emboldened to preach and to spread the Good News of Christ. Old friends and acquaintances judged me wherever I walked, spreading rumors and false information about my actions. I didn't care, I had a new goal and a new hope and a new purpose in life, to live and advance the kingdom of God. I go forth in life with a renewed mind, walking through the trails and tribulations of this world, overcoming every challenge and hardship the world throws at me, living the life that I was intended to live. As of today, I have found other like-minded believers who share the same faith that I have in Christ Jesus. These fellow brethren and I live by the Word of God through both word and action, to the point where during daily hangouts, we all knew that Christ was in the midst of us. Although I am still still building my relationship with Christ, my walk with Him has caused this sinner to become a living spirit who is called a Child of God. I pray that whoever is reading this, who isn't a believer in Christ, let my testimony be the beginning of your faith in Christ, who wishes for your heart and that you come to Him. God bless you and thank you for reading my application.

Growing up, I found my love for the business industry at an early age through my fathers entrepreneurial spirit. Since I was little, my father had always taken me under his wing and allowed me to observe firsthand how every component of business operates. This early hands-on experience has driven me to continue my study in business outside of my normal academics, with the goal of one day building my own corporate business. Because of the ever-changing landscape of the internet, I decided I would take my first step toward my goal by learning the fundamentals of marketing and e-commerce in my sophomore year. In this six month course I was able to acquire an expertise in email and social media marketing, search engine optimization, and the different types of loyalty services a business can choose from. This knowledge would prove to be vital for my development, as after finishing this course in my junior year, I took an international business trip with my father to China. Throughout the entire trip, I applied my marketing and e-commerce knowledge to better understand my surroundings, linking my foundational insights into marketing with broader concepts in sales, finance, and business operations. A year after this trip during my senior year, I decided that I would major in finance and started my study into the subject. To accomplish this I took a free intro course into finance from the University of Michigan. During this course I learned about the correlation between time and money, and well as managing the risk in different types of investments. Because of my proactivity and God's strength, I was able to learn how different components of business work together effectively in order to generate growth for a business before ever enrolling into an accredited university. By mastering these fundamentals, I've made my college experience more manageable, allowing me to shift my focus to more advanced business specializations. Through the success of my education, I would have a greater likelihood of creating a business that is able to put value into the world, holding an intrinsic value that is prominent in people's daily lives.

June 5th, 2022, 8:30 pm. This was the night that changed the course of my life. Sixteen years of living for the pleasures of this world will finally end on this night. Engulfed in sadness and depression, I see a light radiating from my desk, a hope that does not come from this world. As I walk over to my desk, I find the Bible sitting there, waiting for me to open it. I sit on my couch and open to the Book of John, and I was immediately filled with a peace of mind that I had never felt before. Each verse erased my anxieties and fears as I sat in God's presence. Reading in silence, I lost all sense of time as I emptied my mind and read the words of Jesus, being flooded with joy and gratitude for Jesus's death and resurrection. I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop. I didn't want this reading to end, everything I questioned about my life was being answered before my very eyes. Each day I read and prayed continuously to strengthen my faith, learning true discipline and how to show compassion to others while living a Godly life. Old friendships, toxic relationships, each chain that was attached to me was being broken on the daily, as if I was put through a fire to burn away any impurities that resided in me. My heart grew, my conscience became new, God had turned this lump of stone in my chest and this seared conscience of mine into a living soul. After that night I went out into the world with a new purpose, being emboldened to preach and to spread the Good News of Christ. Old friends and acquaintances were always their to judge me wherever I walked, spreading rumors and false information about my actions. I didn't care, I had a new goal and a new hope and a new purpose in life, to live and advance the kingdom of God. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with anger and embarrassment, I blessed those who spoke harshly about me. I go forth in life with a renewed mind, walking through the trails and tribulations of this world, overcoming every challenge and hardship the world throws at me, and living the life God had planned for me since the beginning of time.

Each time I wake up in the morning, I thank God for another twenty four hours to breath, learn, preach, and show others the love of Jesus Christ. Everywhere I go I try my best to live out God's Word not only through my own words, but also through my actions, putting on the full armor of God to combat life's daily challenges and the devil's schemes. Like Kalia, I continue to encourage others in their walk with Christ, being a light to others by sharing my testimony with other like-minded Christians to increase their faith in Christ. My story comes with its own hardships and struggles, as a few years ago I continued to deceive myself, telling myself that I was a Follower of Christ while simultaneously living an incredibly sinful lifestyle. It was only until the Lord had chastened me that I was fully convicted of my sin, and afterward repented and turned away from my sinful habits to live in a godly manner. Later on, I had a personal encounter with the Lord through a dream, and in this vision God had showed me how the world would treat me because of my renewed faith. At the end of this vision I saw a bright light at the end of the road I was walking on, and then I suddenly woke up. I understood that God had called me to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to everyone, regardless of how each individual would take the message. This is my testimony, and like Kalia I continue do my best to excel in every area of life. By the grace of God, I have found my passion in the business industry, and I wish to go to college in order to increase my knowledge in business, with an emphasis in the field of finance. This scholarship would aid me in my study of the business world, and would ultimately assist me in starting my own path of entrepreneurship, with the goal of building my own corporate business. Just as Kalia was embolden with ambition, I also share this same ambition toward my own goals. With God's strength and wisdom, I will find success in my career, and I hope to one day teach others how to run their own business while keeping God as their top priority. I thank you for reading my application for this scholarship, God bless you and I encourage you to come to Jesus Christ if you haven't already.

Growing up as a Christian, I didn't have many movies or TV shows that took inspiration from the Bible. This cinematic drought finally came to an end when I first discovered The Chosen on Peacock. This show was meant to provide a visual for all of Jesus's lessons, miracles, and teachings that he accomplished when he was here on earth. However, because of my past experiences with "Christian shows", I was skeptical if this TV show really did turn the New Testament of the Bible into an accurate film. Despite my skepticism, I was overall glad that there was a show that was bold enough to tell the story of Jesus Christ on the big screen. I sat down, I turned on the show for the first time, and I was immediately blown away by how accurate the show was to the Bible. Each episode was a blend of all four of the Gospels in the Bible and all of the episodes connected to one another seamlessly. The depiction of Jesus's love and humility could be felt through the screen, pulling at my mind and soul. In addition, every encounter that Jesus had with the Pharisees and Sadducees, along with the blind, lame, deaf, mute, crippled, and demon-possessed were almost exactly how the Bible depicts them. Unfortunately, because the disciples have only a few instances of appearance in the Bible compared to Jesus, the show took some civil liberties with the characters in the show. For example, the disciple Peter in the show has a wife named Eden, a character who the Bible does not mention. Another would be the addition of a character named Ramah, a partner with the disciple Thomas and who strangely dies in season four of the show, an event that never takes place in any of the four Gospels. Although I don't agree with all the characters chosen to be in the series, they contributed to the overall narrative of each episode and enhanced the character development of all twelve of Jesus' disciples. Even after watching all four seasons of The Chosen, I still went back and rewatched almost the entire series again. In my opinion, the best part about this series is that it is still in development, and there are more seasons coming out that have not been released yet. With the climax of the show coming soon in season five, I can't wait to see how they depict Jesus's death on the cross and his resurrection, when He comes back and has successfully removed the sin and iniquity of mankind.

One year after being saved by Jesus Christ, I found myself preaching the Word of God on and off campus. As I was reading my Bible on campus, I had a friend sitting next to me who did not believe in the Word of God. Filled with compassion and boldness, I decided to preach the Gospel of Jesus to him. I explained who Jesus was, His death and resurrection, and why He died for our sins. As an atheist, my friend had many objections and reasons against Jesus Christ and the Bible's credibility. I tried to reason with him through the Scriptures, but because of his hard heart he continued to disregard any evidence that was contrary to his belief. This dilemma continued for a long period of time, but I did not give up on him. I continued showing him the love of God through both my words and actions. Eventually, I stopped seeing him around school, which deeply saddened me. Still, I had faith that I had planted a seed in his heart that would one day open him up to God's love and mercy. Three months later, I got a call from him, and he was a completely different person. Speaking through joy and excitement, he explained how he had a personal encounter with the Lord, experiencing a peace and love that he had never felt before. I rejoiced, thanking God for the privilege of preaching the Gospel to him. After that call, he eagerly shared his testimony with his friends, and together with him, I decided to start a Bible study group with him and a few other fellow believers. Together we study and preach the Word of God on a diverse campus full of people from every background. Through my boldness and compassion, God has allowed me to help multiply the number of people who have listened and given their life to Christ, and I continue to see His work unfold in amazing ways. Success in my eyes is the same as success in God's eyes: to save all the lost souls on earth that are spiritually dead and bring them back to the light. Success to me is thanking God everyday for another twenty four hours to learn God's ways, spread his Word, and love others the same way Jesus loves me. Success to me is growing my relationship with God and being an example to others by doing what I preach. Success to me is helping to build the Body of Christ, as well as aiding the fellow brethern to grow in their faith alongside me. Success is being able to smile at persecution for your faith, knowing that you were able to suffer for Christ as Christ suffered for you. In short, Success is love. In this world materialistic things perish, people come and go, but God's love for mankind is eternal. With this knowledge, I am able to wake up every day knowing that "Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord". -Romans 8:38-39

One year after being saved by Jesus Christ, I found myself preaching the Word of God on and off campus. As I was reading my Bible on campus, I had a friend sitting next to me who did not believe in the Word of God. Filled with compassion and boldness, I decided to preach the Gospel of Jesus to him. I explained who Jesus was, His death and resurrection, and why He died for our sins. As an atheist, my friend had many objections and reasons against Jesus Christ and the Bible’s credibility. I tried to reason with him through the Scriptures, but because of his hard heart he continued to disregard any evidence that was contrary to his belief. This dilemma continued for a long period of time, but I did not give up on him. I continued showing him the love of God through both my words and actions. Eventually, I stopped seeing him around school, which deeply saddened me. Still, I had faith that I had planted a seed in his heart that would one day open him up to God's love and mercy. Three months later, I got a call from him, and he was a completely different person. Speaking through joy and excitement, he explained how he had a personal encounter with the Lord, experiencing a peace and love that he had never felt before. We spoke for a long time during that call, having discussions about his testimony, his many questions he had about God, and how to move forward on his path of becoming a Follower of Christ. As we read the Bible together, his mind was utterly amazed by the wisdom and hope it provided, giving answers to questions he had been seeking his entire life. I rejoiced, thanking God for the privilege of preaching the Gospel to him. After that call, he eagerly shared his testimony with his friends who are also fellow believers, and together with him, I decided to start a Bible study group with him and a few of his companions. By one act of kindness, my friends testimony had helped to increase my faith and the faith of all of our fellow brethren. This encouraged us to preach about Jesus Christ even more, educating others about the Word of God and spreading the love of Jesus Christ on a diverse campus. Through my boldness and compassion, God has allowed me to help multiply the number of people who have listened and given their life to Christ, and I continue to see His work unfold in amazing ways. As of today, our preaching has touched many on campus, with each of us sowing a seed in the heart of every listener. Despite the few instances of backlash, a multitude of people have been open to hear the Word of God, even as far as joining us in prayer. We have seen lives begin to shift, hearts softening, and new connections forming as people seek a purpose in life. I thank God for allowing me to be a vessel for His purposes and pray that He continues to use me in fulfilling His plans.

Each time I wake up in the morning, I am reminded that I have to fight the same battles I fought the day before. I get up, make my bed, change my outfit, and immediately I am presented with two choices: should I pick up and read my Bible, or should I open my phone, that would most likely result in mindlessly scrolling through social media? Suddenly, my soul goes for the Bible, but my body pulls me toward my phone, spilling my conscious between which side should follow. During this battle, I called on the Lord and He reminds me what I must do: crucify the flesh. I listened to the Lord and read the Bible that morning to start the day. After I finished reading, I thanked the Lord and continued with the rest of my day. Once I sat down to begin my work, I am faced with a variety of interruptions. Because of these various interruptions, I begin to lose focus on my work and instead focus on the distractions around me. I am yet again faced with another question, How do elevate this burden and focus on my priorities? Instead of attempting to push through my work despite the constant interruptions, I turn to God, seeking His strength to complete my tasks and patience to navigate the distractions around me. Like King David, I leaned on the Lord to help me focus on my work and overcome the problems around me. Following the completion of my work, I walk out of my office to the sound of an agitated family member. They were reacting in a very emotional way to all of their surroundings, pushing away anyone who tried to help them. This caused my family to quarrel over this problem. Rather than joining this argument, I once again turned to God's guidance and council in this matter. Immediately I had received my answer as God had reminded me what 2nd greatest command was: to love your neighbor as yourself. With patience and compassion, I was able to diffuse the argument and ease the tension between all of my family members. From the beginning of my day, I am in need of God's everlasting strength. Despite how my flesh fights against me, I continue to seek God's wisdom in how I react to life's uncomfortable situations. Relying on the Lord is not a one-time act; with every breath I take, I need Jesus in every situation.

One day after school, I came home tired and exhausted from the mind-numbing curriculum in each of my classes. I decided instead of trying to muscle through my homework, I was going to do something I love. I went into a room, closed the door behind me, and grabbed my Bible. I sat down on my bed and immediately flipped to the last page I read. As soon as I opened the Word of God I was overcome with a peace of mind. My consciousness began to empty itself from all the stress and worry I had before opening the Bible, devoting all my attention to Jesus Christ. As I began reading, I slowed my breathing, letting each verse I read to be fully comprehended. Once I had finished reading, I looked up to pray and thanked God for the peace, comfort, and wisdom that he had given me throughout the day. My relationship with the Lord is all that I truly care about. In almost every event in my life I seek God's council and guidance, aiming to grow in my discernment. In addition to strengthening my own personal relationship with the Lord, I seek to educate and bring other people from all backgrounds to Christ, whether they accept Him or not. Through conversation, I wish to understand people's fears, doubts, and objections against Christ without them feeling like they are being judged. By giving them a new perspective, I demonstrate my interest to someone else, planting a seed in their hearts, and trusting that God will give the increase. My interests, my thoughts, my love—everything depends on the Lord. Through his internal love and mercy, I am able to do good works and treat others with kindness and understanding. Through his wisdom I am able to discern from good and evil, as well as finding joy in the fruit of my labor. Each day I wake up, I remind myself that every action I take reflects what it means to be a Child of God.

Growing up, I had the privilege of being raised up by two loving business owners. Because of this I was surrounded and exposed first hand to the innovative requirement of business. This divergent thinking allowed me to able to practice improvising in many situations at a young age, challenging me to grow in an entrepreneurial mindset. Due to the fact that I live in Eastvale, a newly incorporated city, I see a variety of issues that need to be resolved in order for the city to grow. Following its incorporation in 2010 , the rapid construction of new homes has significantly increased the cost of living in the area. However, the scarcity of businesses within Eastvale has led residents to work and spend their money outside the city, negatively impacting its economic growth and depriving Eastvale of a stable revenue stream. To tackle this pressing issue, I advise a number of incentives that support each other in making a resolution for this pressing issue. My first solution to address the economic decline is by providing new businesses with a deferred tax liability. By increasing the timeline before the first sales tax by twelve to twenty four months, it gives new and established businesses a smoother transition into the city of Eastvale. Providing this grace period allows businesses to focus on the residence they are providing products and services to instead of the upfront tax obligations. Once a business deferred tax liability finalizes, the city of Eastvale will benefit from the sales tax on businesses as a reliable source of income. In addition to deferred tax liabilities, I recommend providing discount business fees. Lowering this barrier would encourage first time entrepreneurs to start their businesses in Eastvale. In support of this proposal, I also conclude that a streamlined process should be put in place to obtain grant permits for new business ventures. By simplifying this complex process, the city would attract a wider range of business, causing growth in the local economy. With a combination of these incentives, businesses are further equipped to motivate residents in spending their money in Eastvale, collecting a great sum of revenue to expand the community. In short, providing a variety of incentives to businesses and first time entrepreneurs encourages a great deal of business activity in the city, soliciting citizens to put their money back into the community and creating a positive feedback loop that would lead to local economic growth.