When I was 6 years old, my mom would always make me do math practice. I resented this, especially during the summer when I wanted to be outside like other children my age. Despite my protests, my math teacher mom assured me that I was smart and gifted when it came to math. However, at that time, I only cared about building Lego sets and watching SpongeBob SquarePants. Over the next few summers, I continued to practice math, and my resentment towards the subject grew. It became my least favorite subject in school. Ironically, my proficiency in mathematics allowed me to skip ahead to Integrated 3 as a freshman. My peers regarded me as a genius, unaware that all I did was practice math continuously in my free time. However, I didn't feel like I belonged in the class. I was surrounded by kids who were 3-4 years older than me. It was then that I realized how grateful I was to have a mother who cared deeply about my future success and pushed me to refine my mathematical skills. Understanding where I stood in relation to my peers, I developed a newfound appreciation for the subject I once resented. This journey has inspired me to pursue architecture. My background in mathematics has shown me the power and beauty of numbers and their practical application in the world. I see architecture or engineering as a creative outlet that combines my mathematical aptitude with my passion for design. Through architectural engineering, I hope to create structures that not only serve their purpose but also inspire and captivate people. By merging my mathematical skills with my artistic sensibilities, I aim to contribute to the built environment in a meaningful way. In conclusion, my early struggles with math eventually led me to realize the value of my mathematical abilities. My mother's unwavering support and insistence on practicing math laid the foundation for my success in the subject. Now, I am driven to channel my passion for mathematics into the field of architectural engineering, where I can utilize my skills to create innovative and impactful structures. To help pay for my various extracurricular activities, I have multiple part-time jobs, including tutoring struggling high school students and being a referee for youth sports. Both of these jobs have provided me with a unique perspective on patience, practice, and problem-solving and have definitely contributed to my pragmatic nature.

My two favorite Disney Channel shows as a kid were Handy Manny and Mikey Mouse Clubhouse. To this day, I sometimes catch myself going out to the shed toolbox and grabbing a Phillipe, Pat, or Stretch when my dad asks for the Phillips head screwdriver, the hammer, or the tape measure. It's is actually quite comical when my Dad asks for a screwdriver and my brother, who is 17, will ask him if he wants Phillipe or Turner. When my brother can't find something, I will occasionally let an "Oh Toodles" slip. If we combined Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for a crossover episode, it would be fantastic! Handy Manny has been on shows with Special Agent Oso (now that I'm older, I realize it was a play on James Bond), but not with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So I think an episode of Having to Fix Toodles will be a wonderful cross-ever event. Title: Mickey Needs a Hand Something is amiss at the clubhouse! When the gang calls out "Oh, Toodles," they find that Toodles is broken and unable to display the four helpful tools they need. Suspicious of foul play, the friends suspect that the notorious Stinky Pete is behind the mishap. The episode begins with the gang enjoying a day at the clubhouse. Suddenly, they notice things going wrong and realize they need Toodles to help solve the problem. But when they call "Oh, Toodles," Toodles appears but cannot open to show the tools. Mickey and friends investigate and discover that Toodles is indeed broken. They suspect Stinky Pete, known for his mischievous antics, might be responsible. Goofy suggests calling his handy friend, Handy Manny, who is always ready to fix anything. Handy Manny arrives with his toolbox of talking tools, ready to assist. With Manny and his tools' help, the gang works together to repair Toodles. Each tool plays a crucial role in the repair process, teaching kids about teamwork and problem-solving. During the repair, Stinky Pete appears, initially smug about his mischief. However, he soon realizes that breaking things is not fun and feels guilty when he sees how much trouble he caused. Stinky Pete apologizes for his actions, and the gang forgives him. They explain the importance of being kind and helpful to others. With Toodles fixed and Stinky Pete having learned his lesson, the episode concludes with everyone singing and dancing together as friends.

As we headed down the backroads from the airport, someone in the truck we were following threw a box out of the window. It was early in the morning, and we had just gotten back from the East Coast. As tired as we were, we were lucky enough to spot this peculiar box. As my dad and I exited the truck, we approached the box. My curiosity took the better of me as I peered in without taking caution. To my surprise, three abandoned kittens lay inside the box. We found them at the right time as they seemed so frail and skinny. We hurried to the nearest feline rescue center in the area, only to find that they were over their capacity. We were told that no one would want to adopt these cats, as they were viewed as outcasts - unwanted and unloved. At that moment, I decided I wanted to solve that problem. That summer, we decided to foster the kittens and raise them until they were fit for adoption. I started and promoted a community recycling campaign to pay for the costs of fostering the kittens. I volunteered at the feline rescue center and learned about the feline adoption system. In this process, I learned to take pride in my responsibility for caring for these three kittens. When the time came for adoption, the center took the three kittens back and advertised them. On the same day, two of the kittens were adopted in record time. The third cat, Flight, was stuck in the cages with the other outcasts as people didn’t find him or the others appealing in the slightest. After two weeks, my family decided to adopt Flight, as we couldn’t bear the thought of him living in a shelter any longer. But that wasn’t enough for me. I saw the looks on each of the kitten’s faces; these supposed outcasts lacked love and attention. I discovered that the advertising and marketing of said cats were lackluster. As a way to help find these amazing cats a home, I took it upon myself to further volunteer at the shelter and make promotional videos for the shelter to put on their website and spread across social media, showcasing the numerous amount of abandoned cats within our community looking for a sense of cherishing and love. My promotional videos included interviews with the staff and information about the adoption process. The promotion campaign was a success, as cats were flying out the facility left and right after publication. Now a few years later, the same promotional videos are still used by the feline rescue center, and I still reach out every now and then to check on the latest with my favorite feline friends. This experience has helped shaped many of my core principles as I become an adult, including the need to: 1) help those that can’t help themselves; 2) the power of positivity; and 3) hard work and determination can fix seemingly unsolvable problems.

It was a warm Summer evening; my brother and I got out of the pool and dryer off, heading inside for the night. Mom was preparing bowls of strawberry ice cream for both of us. As I headed into the living room, I already knew the words that were to come from my brother's mouth: "Mariokart. Rainbow Road. Right now. Winner gets both bowls of ice cream." As the older sibling and player 1, I could not just let little brother and player 2 call me out like this. Challenge accepted. I select my go-to character, Toad, and he selects Yoshi. For what most would consider a chill time to have fun and enjoy the night, my brother and I saw this as life or death. As I make my kart customizations and selections, I can start to feel my palms sweat. The race began, and we drove with all the skill our young minds could muster. One lap in and he's narrowly in the lead. There was an extra bowl of ice cream on the line; I knew I needed to step up my game. I dominated the second lap very convincingly. As we race toward the end of the finish line, I glance over at my brother. In the midst of the greatest competition in the entire world, I see a beaming smile. This was when I realized I didn't care if I won or lost. I mean it was just ice cream at the end of the day. All that mattered to me was seeing my brother smile and make the best memories. To me, that's worth one thousand bowls of ice cream. So when we were neck and neck at the finish line, I got 'hit by a red shell.' And while it bummed me out to have to witness my brother gloat in my face, deep down I knew that he would remember these moments with me and I gave him a cherisable memory. But don't get it twisted; I'll always be player 1.

When I was 6 years old, my mom would make me do math flash cards. I resented this. Despite my protests, my math teacher mom assured me that I was smart when it came to math. Over the next few summers, I continued to practice math, and my resentment towards the subject grew. It became my least favorite subject in school. In high school I took Integrated 3 as a freshman. My peers regarded me as a genius, unaware that all I did was practice math continuously in my free time. However, I didn't feel like I belonged in the class. I was surrounded by juniors and seniors who were 3-4 years older than me. It was then that I realized how grateful I was to have a mother who cared deeply about my future success and pushed me to refine my mathematical skills. Understanding where I stood in relation to my peers, I developed a newfound appreciation for the subject I once resented. This journey has inspired me to pursue architecture. My background in mathematics has shown me the power and beauty of numbers and their practical application in the world. I see architecture as a creative outlet that combines my mathematical aptitude with my passion for design. Through architecture, I hope to create structures that not only serve their purpose but also inspire and captivate people. By merging my mathematical skills with my artistic sensibilities, I hope to contribute to the built environment in a meaningful way.

When I was 6 years old, my mom would make me do math flash cards. I resented this. Despite my protests, my math teacher mom assured me that I was smart when it came to math. Over the next few summers, I continued to practice math, and my resentment towards the subject grew. It became my least favorite subject in school. In high school I took Integrated 3 as a freshman. My peers regarded me as a genius, unaware that all I did was practice math continuously in my free time. However, I didn't feel like I belonged in the class. I was surrounded by juniors and seniors who were 3-4 years older than me. It was then that I realized how grateful I was to have a mother who cared deeply about my future success and pushed me to refine my mathematical skills. Understanding where I stood in relation to my peers, I developed a newfound appreciation for the subject I once resented. This journey has inspired me to pursue architecture. My background in mathematics has shown me the power and beauty of numbers and their practical application in the world. I see architecture as a creative outlet that combines my mathematical aptitude with my passion for design. Through architecture, I hope to create structures that not only serve their purpose but also inspire and captivate people. By merging my mathematical skills with my artistic sensibilities, I hope to contribute to the built environment in a meaningful way. I’m fascinated by architecture - I would’ve loved to have witnessed the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Not only would I envision myself as an observer, but more so as an active participant. I would love to have the opportunity to provide my skills to the construction site and hopefully learn a thing or two about construction and design. I could meet the people working on the project, hear their perspective on design and purpose, as well as how they have persevered through such hard times. Leadership would be the skill I would need to thrive during this time period, to help lead people to prosper during these hard times. Maintaining a positive attitude, as well as bringing people together is what would be needed to complete such a large construction project. Communicating openly with the various workers (engineers, architects, iron workers, etc) and building relationships can help navigate us to success.

When I was 6 years old, my mom would always make me do math practice. I resented this, especially during the summer when I wanted to be outside like other children my age. Despite my protests, my math teacher mom assured me that I was smart and gifted when it came to math. However, at that time, I only cared about building Lego sets and watching SpongeBob SquarePants. Over the next few summers, I continued to practice math, and my resentment towards the subject grew. It became my least favorite subject in school. Ironically, my proficiency in mathematics allowed me to skip ahead to Integrated 3 as a freshman. My peers regarded me as a genius, unaware that all I did was practice math continuously in my free time. However, I didn't feel like I belonged in the class. I was surrounded by kids who were 3-4 years older than me. It was then that I realized how grateful I was to have a mother who cared deeply about my future success and pushed me to refine my mathematical skills. Understanding where I stood in relation to my peers, I developed a newfound appreciation for the subject I once resented. This journey has inspired me to pursue architecture. My background in mathematics has shown me the power and beauty of numbers and their practical application in the world. I see architecture as a creative outlet that combines my mathematical aptitude with my passion for design. Through architectural engineering, I hope to create structures that not only serve their purpose but also inspire and captivate people. By merging my mathematical skills with my artistic sensibilities, I aim to contribute to the built environment in a meaningful way. In conclusion, my early struggles with math eventually led me to realize the value of my mathematical abilities. My mother's unwavering support and insistence on practicing math laid the foundation for my success in the subject. Now, I am driven to channel my passion for mathematics into the field of architectural engineering, where I can utilize my skills to create innovative and impactful structures. To help pay for my various extracurricular activities, I have multiple part-time jobs, including tutoring struggling high school students and being a referee for youth sports. Both of these jobs have provided me with a unique perspective on patience, practice, and problem-solving and have definitely contributed to my pragmatic nature.

When I was 6 years old, my mom would always make me do math practice. I resented this, especially during the summer when I wanted to be outside like other children my age. Despite my protests, my math teacher mom assured me that I was smart and gifted when it came to math. However, at that time, I only cared about building Lego sets and watching SpongeBob SquarePants. Over the next few summers, I continued to practice math, and my resentment towards the subject grew. It became my least favorite subject in school. Ironically, my proficiency in mathematics allowed me to skip ahead to Integrated 3 as a freshman. My peers regarded me as a genius, unaware that all I did was practice math continuously in my free time. However, I didn't feel like I belonged in the class. I was surrounded by kids who were 3-4 years older than me. It was then that I realized how grateful I was to have a mother who cared deeply about my future success and pushed me to refine my mathematical skills. Understanding where I stood in relation to my peers, I developed a newfound appreciation for the subject I once resented. This journey has inspired me to pursue architecture. My background in mathematics has shown me the power and beauty of numbers and their practical application in the world. I see architecture as a creative outlet that combines my mathematical aptitude with my passion for design. Through architectural engineering, I hope to create structures that not only serve their purpose but also inspire and captivate people. By merging my mathematical skills with my artistic sensibilities, I aim to contribute to the built environment in a meaningful way. Outside of the classroom when I am not volunteering or working somewhere, basketball is my passion. It can both calm me down and excite me. I started watching it when I was two, and playing it when I was three, and have kept playing it ever since. I am always looking for opportunities to get shots up. Over the years I’ve averaged at least two hours per day doing some type of basketball related practice - ball handling, shooting, footwork, speed, strength, stamina, etc. This passion has afforded me the opportunity to play for sponsored AAU travel teams, allowing me to play the sport I love all over the United States, something my family would not have been able to afford to do otherwise. It is likewise an honor to represent my high school and play for our school team. We have played all over the state, and are currently the defending Sac Joaquin Section Champion. The sport has taught me so many life lessons, including the benefits of hard work, determination, how to handle adversity and leadership. As an individual, I am not very comfortable getting up and speaking before a large audience. Yet as a basketball player, I am learning to handle the pressure of performing in front of thousands of people at our games, and more importantly, I have learned that I can lead my teammates by the example I set for them, and ‘speak’ to them via my play. I’m honored that my teammates have selected me to be their Captain for our Varsity team this year. On a personal level, I believe that I am an optimistic pragmatist. I prefer to seek out and find common ground with people - regardless of their background. As a society, we have a lot of problems that need to be solved. Some of these problems are simple, some extremely complex. I think too often we spend time arguing over differences instead of looking for common ground and reasonable solutions that ultimately could benefit everyone. During the past several years, I have worked multiple jobs, including providing tutoring for special needs high school students and being a referee for youth sporting events. Each of these jobs has taught me many things, including patience, quick thinking, and conflict-resolution strategies. Both have strengthened my belief in the need for more pragmaticism.

As we headed down the backroads from the airport, someone within the truck we were following threw a box out of the window. It was early in the morning and we had just gotten back from the East Coast, and as tired as we were, we were lucky enough to spot this peculiar box. As my dad and I exited the truck, we approached the box. My curiosity took the better of me as I peered in without taking caution. To my surprise, three abandoned kittens lay inside the box. We found them at the right time as they seemed so frail and skinny. We hurried to the nearest feline rescue center in the area, only to find that they were over their maximum capacity. We were told that no one would want to adopt these cats, as they were viewed as outcasts - unwanted and unloved. At that moment, I decided I wanted to solve that problem. That summer, we decided to foster the kittens and raise them until they were fit for adoption. I started and promoted a community recycling campaign to pay for the costs of fostering the kittens. I volunteered at the feline rescue center and learned about the feline adoption system. In this process I learned to take pride in my responsibility of caring for these three kittens. When the time came for adoption, the center took the three kittens back and advertised them. On the same day, two of the kittens were adopted in record time. The third cat, Flight, was stuck in the cages with the other outcasts as people didn’t find him or the others appealing in the slightest. After two weeks, my family decided to adopt Flight, as we couldn’t bear the thought of him living in a shelter any longer. But that wasn’t enough for me. I saw the looks on each of the other kitten’s faces, these supposed outcasts lacked love and attention. Zero appreciation for a majority of the felines at this center. I learned that the problem wasn’t necessarily the kittens themselves. I discovered that the advertising and marketing of said cats was very lackluster. As a way to help find these amazing cats a proper home, I took it upon myself to further volunteer at the shelter and make promotional videos for the shelter to put on their website and spread across social media, showcasing the numerous amount of abandoned cats within our community looking for a sense of cherishing and love. My promotional videos included interviews with the staff and information about the adoption process. The promotion campaign was a success, as cats were flying out the facility left and right after publication. Now a few years later, the same promotional videos are still used by the feline rescue center, and I still reach out every now and then to check on the latest with my favorite feline friends. This experience has helped shaped many of my core principles as I become an adult, including the need to: 1) help those that can’t help themselves; 2) the power of positivity; and 3) hard work and determination can fix seemingly unsolvable problems.

As we headed down the backroads from the airport, someone in the truck we were following threw a box out of the window. It was early in the morning, and we had just returned from the East Coast. As tired as we were, we were lucky enough to spot this peculiar box. As my dad and I exited the truck, we approached the box. My curiosity took the better of me as I peered in without taking caution. To my surprise, three abandoned kittens lay inside the box. We found them at the right time as they seemed so frail and skinny. We hurried to the nearest feline rescue center in the area, only to find that they were over their maximum capacity. We were told that no one would want to adopt these cats, as they were viewed as outcasts - unwanted and unloved. At that moment, I decided I wanted to solve that problem. That summer, we decided to foster the kittens and raise them until they were fit for adoption. I started and promoted a community recycling campaign to pay for the costs of fostering the kittens. I volunteered at the feline rescue center and learned about the feline adoption system. In this process, I learned to take pride in my responsibility of caring for these three kittens. When the time came for adoption, the center took the three kittens back and advertised them. On the same day, two of the kittens were adopted in record time. The third cat, Flight, was stuck in the cages with the other outcasts as people didn’t find him or the others appealing in the slightest. After two weeks, my family decided to adopt Flight, as we couldn’t bear the thought of him living in a shelter any longer. But that wasn’t enough for me. I saw the looks on each of the other kitten’s faces, these supposed outcasts lacked love and attention. Zero appreciation for a majority of the felines at this center. I learned that the problem wasn’t necessarily the kittens themselves. I discovered that the advertising and marketing of said cats were very lackluster. As a way to help find these amazing cats a proper home, I took it upon myself to further volunteer at the shelter and make promotional videos for the shelter to put on their website and spread across social media, showcasing the numerous amount of abandoned cats within our community looking for a sense of cherishing and love. My promotional videos included interviews with the staff and information about the adoption and foster process. The promotion campaign was a success, as cats were flying out of the facility left and right after publication. Now, a few years later, the same promotional videos are still used by the feline rescue center, and I still reach out every now and then to check on the latest with my favorite feline friends. https://youtu.be/9n2qrvWedJI?si=Y_8c35xZ_qqs_wKE (the video I made in 7th grade) This experience has helped shape many of my core principles as I become an adult, including the need to: 1) help those who can’t help themselves; 2) the power of positivity; and 3) hard work and determination can fix seemingly unsolvable problems. I believe that college will be a great environment for me to enhance and expand upon these principles, and I am excited for the opportunity!

After losing 75-71 to Granite Bay, my high school had just lost five games in a row. This was the lowest point I had reached in my basketball career. Despite making shots and playing good defense as an individual, that’s all it ever was at that point. Everyone on my team only worried about personal stats. Attitudes and egos continued to grow as we kept losing. Tensions were through the roof, with everyone blaming each other for our faults. Despite our talent, we couldn’t win a basketball game to save our lives. I had to take some time for serious self-reflection. Why were we losing? I confronted our team captain, Jadon, about the issue and how to turn it around. We agreed that the energy needed to shift, and accountability needs to be our number one priority. If we can hold each other to the highest achievable standard in practice and work cohesively as a team, the results will come to the court. If a teammate doesn’t touch the line on sprints, we’d call them out and run again. If a teammate tries to skip shooting the correct number of free throws, we’d ensure they finished. We could not cut any corners; we needed to push ourselves. Our work ethic in both practices and the weight room was like night and day. The urgency for success was so extreme we needed to scrape out a win. After going 1-4 in the first round of league play, we won 4 straight and went 4-1 in the second round. Finishing in 3rd place in the Sierra Foothill League, we got the 7th seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs for Division 2. Two weeks prior, we weren’t sure if we had a record sufficient even to get a playoff opportunity. The results of our hardwork and determination as a brotherhood showed, but it wasn’t enough. We were playing the best basketball at the right time. After handling Vacaville at home pretty easily, we advanced. Our next opponent was the number 2 seed, Atwater, with an unprecedented record of 29-0. Undefeated. But they had to play us. The environment was hostile, as the small town packed its gym with thousands of fans. We were the underdogs. But because we stayed together and played together, we managed to sneak out of Atwater with a 58-45 statement win. In the semifinals, we faced off against a sound Ponderosa team on the road traveling to Shingle Springs. Just like Atwater, the whole town packed the gym. Despite the adversity from both the prejudiced fans behind our bench and the physical playstyle from Ponderosa, we stuck together and won 69-61. We just punched our ticket to the Section Finals. As we celebrated in the locker room, jumping around with my teammates and coaches, we received a text. “Granite Bay just upset the number one seed Rio Americano!!!” We had lost to Granite Bay three weeks prior and sulked in their locker room because we had lost five in a row. Now, we got our chance for redemption, a true showcase of how much we developed as a team. Playing at the Sacramento Kings's home - Golden 1 Center, we won the Section Championship, beating Granite Bay 61-56. Growing up, my dad often repeated the Heywood Broun quote “sports don’t build character, they reveal it.” Having gone through the journey to the Section Championship with my teammates, I believe playing basketball has both built and revealed our character, and I know now off the court that with dedication and determination, I can achieve anything I set my mind to.

Outside of the classroom when I am not volunteering or working somewhere, basketball is my passion. It can both calm me down and excite me. I started watching it when I was two and playing it when I was three, and have kept playing it ever since. I am always looking for opportunities to get shots up. Over the years, I’ve averaged at least two hours per day doing some type of basketball-related practice - ball handling, shooting, footwork, speed, strength, stamina, etc. This passion has afforded me the opportunity to play for sponsored AAU travel teams, allowing me to play the sport I love all over the United States, something my family would not have been able to afford to do otherwise. Representing my high school and playing for our school team is an honor. We have played all over the state and are the defending Sac Joaquin Section Champion. The sport has taught me many life lessons, including the benefits of hard work, determination, handling adversity, and leadership. As an individual, I am not very comfortable getting up and speaking before a large audience. Yet, as a basketball player, I am learning to handle the pressure of performing in front of thousands of people at our games, and more importantly, I have learned that I can lead my teammates by the example I set for them and ‘speak’ to them via my play. I’m honored that my teammates have selected me to be their Captain for our Varsity team this year. This reminded me of a time during our season when we hit a slump. Coach French was speechless. The locker room was dead silent. After losing 75-71 to Granite Bay, my high school had just lost five games in a row. This was easily the lowest point I had ever reached in my basketball career. Despite making shots and playing good defense as an individual, that’s all it ever was at that point. Everyone on my team played for themselves, only worried about personal stats. Attitudes and egos continued to grow as we kept losing. Tensions were through the roof, with everyone blaming each other for our faults. We couldn’t win a basketball game to save our lives despite how talented we were. I had to take some time for serious self-reflection. Why were we losing? I took action. I confronted our team captain, Jadon, about the issue and how to turn it around. We agreed that the energy needed to shift and that accountability needs to be our number one priority. If we can hold each other to the highest achievable standard in practice and work cohesively as a team, the results will come to the court. If a teammate doesn’t touch the line on sprints, we’d call them out and run again. If a teammate tries to skip shooting the correct number of free throws, we’d ensure they finished. We could not cut any corners, and we needed to push ourselves. Our work ethic in both practices and in the weight room was like night and day. Having gone through the journey to the Section Championship with my teammates, I believe playing basketball has both built and revealed our character, and I know now off the court that with dedication and determination, I can achieve anything I set my mind to.