“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength" (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 2). The main idea behind Marcus Aurelius’s statement is that real strength comes from controlling how we think rather than trying to control everything that happens around us. In this short passage, Marcus Aurelius argues that people often waste energy worrying about things they cannot change, when their true power lies in how they respond to those things. He is not saying that outside events do not matter. Instead, he is suggesting that our happiness and peace of mind should not depend entirely on circumstances that are beyond our control. By learning to focus on our thoughts, attitudes, and actions, we can develop a stronger and more stable sense of self. At first, the quote seems simple and almost obvious. Everyone knows that many things in life are outside their control. People get sick, relationships end, jobs are lost, and unexpected problems appear. However, Marcus Aurelius is making a deeper point than simply recognizing this fact. He is challenging the way people naturally think. Many of us believe we will be happy once everything goes according to plan. We want other people to act a certain way, we want success to come easily, and we hope life will be predictable. When these expectations are not met, we become frustrated, anxious, or disappointed. Marcus Aurelius argues that this happens because we place too much importance on things we cannot fully control. One of the most interesting parts of the passage is the way it redefines power. Most people think of power as the ability to control events, influence others, or get what they want. In everyday life, powerful people are often seen as those with money, status, or authority. Marcus Aurelius offers a different perspective. He suggests that external power is limited because it can disappear at any time. Wealth can be lost, positions can change, and public approval can fade. If these things can be taken away, then they cannot be the true source of strength. Real power, according to Marcus Aurelius, comes from something much more reliable: the ability to govern your own mind. This idea becomes even more meaningful when we remember who Marcus Aurelius was. He was not simply a philosopher writing from the sidelines. He was the emperor of Rome, one of the most powerful people in the world at the time. If anyone had the ability to shape events around them, it was him. Yet even with all of his authority, he understood that many things remained outside his control. Wars, disease, natural disasters, and death could not simply be ordered away. His experience taught him that no amount of external power can remove all uncertainty from life. Because of this, he focused on developing inner strength rather than relying on circumstances. A key part of the passage is the difference between events themselves and our interpretation of those events. Marcus Aurelius believed that while we cannot always control what happens, we can control how we think about what happens. Two people can face the exact same challenge and react in completely different ways. One person may see a setback as proof that they have failed, while another may view it as a chance to learn and improve. The event is the same, but the response is different. Marcus Aurelius is arguing that this response is where our greatest power exists. Our thoughts and judgments shape our experience far more than we often realize. The word “realize” is especially important in the quote. Marcus Aurelius is not telling people to gain a new ability. Instead, he is encouraging them to recognize a power they already possess. Many people go through life believing that their emotions are controlled by circumstances. They assume that success automatically creates happiness or that failure automatically creates misery. Marcus Aurelius challenges this way of thinking. He wants readers to understand that they have more control over their inner world than they may think. Once a person truly understands this, their relationship with challenges and difficulties begins to change. The idea of strength in this passage is also different from how strength is often understood today. Many people associate strength with dominance, confidence, or the ability to overcome others. Marcus Aurelius focuses on self-control instead. To him, strength means remaining calm when things go wrong, staying disciplined when emotions become intense, and continuing to act according to your values even during difficult times. This kind of strength is not flashy or dramatic, but it is incredibly powerful because it cannot easily be taken away by outside circumstances. Another important meaning behind the passage is its connection to personal character. When people become too focused on achieving certain outcomes, they may be tempted to abandon their principles in order to get what they want. Someone who desperately wants approval might stop being honest. Someone who values money above everything else might make unethical decisions. Marcus Aurelius believed that focusing on what is within our control helps protect our character. If our sense of worth comes from our actions and values rather than from outside rewards, we become less likely to compromise who we are. The passage also encourages acceptance, although not in the sense of giving up. Marcus Aurelius is not telling people to stop trying or to become passive. Instead, he is encouraging them to accept reality as it is while still making an effort to improve it. There is a difference between doing your best and believing you can control every outcome. A person can work hard, make smart decisions, and pursue meaningful goals while still understanding that some results will always remain uncertain. This mindset allows people to stay motivated without becoming overwhelmed when things do not go exactly as planned. At a deeper level, the passage addresses a common human fear: the fear of uncertainty. People naturally want stability and control because uncertainty can feel uncomfortable. We often believe that if we could just manage every detail of our lives, we would finally feel secure. Marcus Aurelius disagrees. He argues that true security does not come from controlling the world. It comes from building a mind that can handle whatever the world brings. Life will always contain unexpected challenges, but a person who develops resilience and self-discipline is better prepared to face them. Even though Marcus Aurelius wrote nearly two thousand years ago, his message remains relevant today. Modern technology gives people more control over certain aspects of life than ever before, yet many still struggle with stress, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. This suggests that external control alone is not enough to create peace of mind. Marcus Aurelius reminds us that inner control is just as important, if not more important. His philosophy encourages people to focus less on changing every circumstance and more on developing the mindset needed to handle those circumstances effectively. Ultimately, Marcus Aurelius’s statement teaches that genuine strength comes from within. The quote challenges the belief that happiness depends on controlling the world around us and instead argues that our greatest power lies in controlling our own thoughts and reactions. By recognizing the difference between what we can and cannot control, we become more resilient, more confident, and more at peace with life’s uncertainties. The lasting importance of this passage comes from its simple but powerful message: while we cannot always choose what happens to us, we can choose how we respond, and that choice is where true strength is found.

Growing up, my sister never had the ability to walk or talk. She was born with a brain tumor and throughout all of the surgeries on her brain as a baby, she now is wheel chair dependent, unable to talk, etc. Through this experience, as a family we grew up going to a camp for other families similar to us. Camp Hole in the Wall is a nonprofit organization for children and their families going through chronic illnesses such as cancer, sickle cell disease and many others. I grew up going to this camp during family weekends and for a full week for sibling week which is a week for all the siblings of these family members to come together and cope and have a blast. This place has shaped who I am today and has helped me get through some of the hardest times in my life. It is a place where I felt appreciated, understood and loved. So many families feel this way because of this camp. Once I became old enough, I began to volunteer each summer at this camp to give my time back and be somebody that can help these kids in any way they need. We learn to meet the campers where they're at wherever that may be. Personally, I always connected with the counselors more than the campers at camp, and being able to go back as a counselor now connecting with campers is the most incredible experience ever. I look forward to going every summer because I feel like I can actually make a difference at this camp. I've learned how to have good perspective in this life from this place and how to have a positive outlook on life even when it has knocked down these families over and over again. It teaches you how to be truly grateful and appreciative of the hard times because they shape who we are, and ultimately we can bring that back home from camp to show that perspective to others. I plan on continuing to volunteer at this camp for as long as I possibly can. Another time I have had experience with volunteering is at my high school. I went to a jesuit, catholic high school where we had many volunteering opportunities available. One of those that I participated in was the St. Louis Project where we would go into downtown Boston, and we would hand out gift packages to the homeless. We would pack together clothing, hot chocolate, etc. and we would walk around having conversations with the homeless who we called "our friends" and give them a little care package. That was a great opportunity that taught me to treat everybody equally and to remember that we are all here together going through similar journeys where we experience hardships. It taught all of us to spread some more love throughout the world and to not ignore those who are ignored and overlooked.

I have been playing baseball for as long as I can remember. My earliest memory was my dad throwing me Wiffle balls, and me smashing them into a fence seeing how many I could break. Playing in little league and making a run for the most homers of the season, to playing AAU and grinding either at five am or Midnight, to my five years of playing with the American Legion and ultimately to winning a state championship with my brothers my senior year at Boston College High School have shaped who I am today. The experiences and memories made throughout these years mean so much to me. Baseball was always the best outlet for me. Whenever anything tough was going on with family, the loss of a pet, the struggles of being in high school, or my sister who faces lifelong challenges being disabled, baseball was the outlet for me to turn to. It helped me cope with these things, and it gave me a circle of people who would always be there for me no matter what. I am truly appreciative of that. Being a younger player on a team has taught me about what mentorship means. Having somebody to look up to and want to become is so important for growth, and it ultimately taught me who I wanted to be in this world along with what values I wanted. They have such a huge impact. Perseverance is not always easy. The year that we won the State Championship, we were facing a team that beat us both times that year in the regular season, along with the prior year as well. As a team, we only had one hit off the pitcher that they were throwing for the championship game in the last two years. A lot of the time it can be easy to fold under pressure in that situation, and not persevere and push through. It can be hard to believe in yourself. We decided to not let that stop us. We would watch film on all of our strikeouts and bad at bats against this pitcher and talk about it as a team to understand what we have done wrong in the past and how we will overcome that and change. Ultimately, that is what won us our Division One State Championship, along with our trust in each other as a team. Being a team and working together is the most important part of a baseball team. Having your teammates back and supporting each other when there is so much failure and humility that comes from the sport is what grows you closer together and builds those life lasting bonds. Winning or losing as a team and always coming back together and continuing to work and not letting that loss tear you apart or the wins letting you think your better than anyone else is so important because baseball teaches you that you can't get to high when your up and you can't get too low when your down. It teaches you to be in the present moment, and do everything you can in that moment to be your true best self. That is what I love about this sport and what is has taught me throughout my life. My coaches, mentors, teammates, and family have all inspired me throughout the years to hold onto these values even after I finish playing this amazing sport, and to apply it to my life in the future. I work everyday to live out these values, and to apply them to every aspect of my life.

Growing up with a single mom, two sisters, and one without the ability to walk or talk due to being born with a brain tumor was not the easiest. For a while, my mom was not able to work and had to stay home taking full time care of my sister, Sydni, who was severely disabled. She worked so hard to take care of all of us despite all the challenges. Growing up with my mom being so hardworking, loving, committed, optimistic has had a huge impact on the way I am today. She has taught me to look at the positive in everybody, even my enemies. She taught me to love others despite our differences because growing up with Sydni really shows you some perspective about what is really important in life: spreading as much love and support as you can throughout a world that can be so challenging for all of us and for all different reasons. My mom introduced me and my two sisters to Camp Hole in the Wall. This place changed all of our lives. It is a camp for people with life threatening illnesses, so our family was able to go. I spent every summer there growing up for a week, along with family weekends here and there. Being around a place like that really allowed me to learn more about my life and how I am not alone, and it really helped me with loving myself more and being proud of me and my family. I was able to be my true self around other families who were just like mine, and encouraged to take that into my real life back home. My mom was a huge part of that encouraging. Now that I am 18, 19 in August, I have been going back year after year being a part of the Junior Staff team, to becoming a Volunteer in one month, to hopefully working there for the entire summer as a part of their staff team. That is another thing that growing up with my mom has taught me. Give back to those who have helped you and been there for you at your lowest moments. She eventually started working in our hometown, and Tari and I began to work as a PCA (Personal Care Assistant) to take care of Sydni more, and we have had many other PCA's coming to help our family. I have learned from my mom as well that it is okay to ask for help from others. She truly is my biggest inspiration in this world, and I strive to be like her everyday.

My sister, Sydni, has spent 18 years of her life facing adversity. From her chronic medical condition, she cannot walk or talk. She faces so many challenges that I don’t know if I could ever handle myself. With that being said, Sydni is without a doubt the person in my life who had the greatest impact on my education. Growing up with Sydni, I learned about the importance of gratitude, hope, love, and family. As my parents went through a divorce when I was young, Sydni and my other sister, Tari, were the only people who I felt truly had my back. This made me so much closer to both of my sisters. Sydni has taught me how to love across differences, to be grateful for the good moments in life, to not get too high from the good moments or too low from the bad, to advocate for others who sometimes can’t advocate for themselves, to advocate for myself, to be compassionate and sympathetic, and with every part of who I am today. Growing up with Sydni, I did not always see life as fair. I would think about how is it fair that bad things happen to good people like my sister. Sydni taught me how to see moments from a different perspective. Throughout the countless trips to the hospital from recurring seizures, surgeries, etc, Sydni always seems to have a smile on her face, and she is always putting a smile on others. She taught me about having this perspective of truly finding the light in everything. From my Jesuit education at BC High, I related this idea to the idea of finding God in all things. I’m starting to see everything that one may see as negative moments in my life as gifts from God and as moments that make my life unique. I have Sydni to thank for who I am today, and for the way that I will continue to learn for the rest of my life. She inspires me to excel as everything I do because despite all of her challenges, she still finds a way to smile through everything which I think is super important to implement into our lives. I seek to impact the world by giving back to my community in any way that I can. A start is giving my time to the camp that has been there for my entire family. It is a camp for families with life threatening illnesses, and I grew up going to this camp every summer. I have become a Junior Staff member at the camp, I am volunteering this summer, and I plan on working full time there next summer. Bringing the optimism and growth mindset from all of these challenges to those around me is really important to me and the best way I feel that I can give back to those around me.

Coming from Boston, MA, I was super nervous to attend a school in California. All I wanted to do was make sure that I got involved within my school community, and I wanted to be a part of something that felt special. I also wanted to learn as much as I could from the incredible school of Engineering and Business here at the University of San Diego. Since I have been here, I have been involved in way more ways than I ever could have imagined. I became the school mascot within my first month and a half of school. I joined clubs such as club baseball, pickleball, and intramural basketball, flag football, and soccer. I got a job with the Athletics Marketing team, and I learned so much more about that field. I learned things like playing the guitar which I thought would just be a personal hobby, but turned out to be something that the school noticed me for. I would play for people on tours of the school, I would play Kiss Me by Sixpence while weddings were going on right outside of my dorm room, I would play for people in the coffee shop below my balcony. Eventually, I got reached out to by a school representative and was featured on the University of San Diego’s instagram following an interview with that USD representative. I started a "Good Guy Local Guy" instagram page that recognizes people doing good deeds around campus and encourages others to do good things and send it to the page. I have found countless ways to be creative about being involved with USD, and it has meant the world to me. This school has given me so many opportunities to grow as an individual, and to learn more about myself in the process. I have been able to go through experiences in and out of the classroom that range from giving back to the community, and receiving an incredible school education. This semester I plan on continuing to experience and learn as much as I can. Working as the school mascot and as an Athletics Marketing Intern, I have been able to get some help with paying for school tuition along with gaining incredible in field experience. I am able to give back to my school by spreading as much school spirit as possible, and I have been able to learn more about the Marketing field in a university’s athletics setting. Money has always been one of the most important factors in whether I can go to school in California, and this scholarship would be a huge help in continuing to allow me to make a difference within my community in countless ways.

My sister, Sydni, does not have the ability to walk or talk because she was born with brain cancer that she ultimately defeated but had to face other challenges after the fact. Sydni just recently turned 18 which means that she needs a legal guardian since she cannot speak and make decisions for herself. This is something that my mom and dad fought a lot about in court, and it was never easy being placed in the middle of that. I lost my relationship with my father entirely, not going over to his house, getting rides to or from school, seeing our dogs, driving to sports, and more. My relationship with my father was cut down to nothing for about 6 months, which took a toll on me. Being in a family that seems to be broken up into sections has never been easy, and I have not always desired talking about it. What helped me overcome and navigate these challenges was get involved in my community. There was this club that met during lunch on Tuesdays called The Better Men Project. It is a circle led group that talks about problems like toxic masculinity, racism, family issues, and more. It is like a huge therapy session with other people who share their experiences. The Better Men Project has allowed me to open up more about those experiences in my life. Although there are definitely a list of negatives that come from our struggles in life, there is still unique positives that come from that. Coming from Boston, MA, I was super nervous to attend school in California. I wanted to make sure that I got involved within my school community. Since I have been here, I have been involved in way more ways than I ever could have imagined. I became the school mascot within my first month of school. I joined clubs such as baseball, pickleball, and intramural basketball, flag football, and soccer. I got a job with the Athletics Marketing team, and I learned so much more about that field. I learned things like playing the guitar which I thought would just be a personal hobby, but turned out to be something that the school noticed me for. I would play for people on tours of the school, I would play Kiss Me by Sixpence while weddings were going on right outside of my dorm room, I would play for people in the coffee shop below my balcony. Eventually, I got reached out to by a school representative and was featured on the University of San Diego’s instagram following an interview with that USD representative. I started a "Good Guy Local Guy" instagram page that recognizes people doing good deeds around campus and encourages others to do good things and send it to the page. I have found countless ways to be creative about being involved with USD, and it has meant the world to me. This semester I plan on trying out more new things. Money is one of the most important factors in whether I can go to school in California, and this scholarship would be a huge help in continuing to allow me to bond with my community in countless ways. Philately represents significant historical events and global cultures which helps people develop more of an understanding of the world which is why it is important. I would encourage young people to pursue this hobby by making it interactive. Whether that be having a trading of stamps event or creating artistic stamps event, making it interactive with younger people will be more engaging.

Money has always been the most important priority when it came to college, but I also fell in love with San Diego. The only problem is that it is across the country, and with flights, tuition, move in, etc, it will get very expensive. Being offered this scholarship will open up more opportunities for me to thrive and make a difference in San Diego. Coming from a Jesuit school that values being a man for others, open to growth, intellectually competent, loving, committed to justice, etc, I spend a lot of time with service and giving back to the community. This scholarship won’t change that, but will allow for more time giving back to the community over worrying about how I am going to pay for my dream school. This scholarship will make a difference not only in my life, but my families. My mom has already worked so hard for me to be able to attend San Diego, and she tirelessly continues to work more, even while providing full time care for my disabled sister, Sydni, who cannot walk or talk because of a brain tumor that she had when she was a baby. Along with these struggles of being in and out of court with my father over legal guardianship of Sydni, I have another sister who just graduated college, so it will be a struggle to have to pay for college for another four years. I help to the best of my ability by working as a Personal Care Assistant for Sydni, as she needs 24/7 care and assistance. I would help her with position changes, filling medications and formulas, pickup off the bus, time her seizures, etc. Working for Sydni is one of the ways that I can help my mom out when she also has to find time for work. Despite all of the struggles within my family, we are still able to be involved in my community and make a difference in others lives. I have always been interested in Computer Science and Engineering. Growing up with Sydni, my intellectual curiosity tried to come up with ways to code a program that might be able to help people like her. I worked on this one project that was similar to a device that she uses that allows her to talk through eyesight. She looks at an image or a word and the machine will say it out loud. I tried making a different version. Computer Science or Engineering is one of the ways I can see myself making a difference in the world and paying it forward to my community and family, which is why I am more than excited to pursue it in the upcoming years.

Showing up to school especially towards Junior year of high school was pretty rough for me. My sister, Sydni, does not have the ability to walk or talk because she was born with brain cancer that she ultimately defeated but had to face other challenges after the fact. Sydni just recently turned 18 which means that she needs a legal guardian since she cannot speak and make decisions for herself. This is something that my mom and dad fought a lot about in court, and it was never easy being in the middle of that while still having to show up for school and fulfill all of my obligations there. I lost my relationship with my father entirely, not going over to his house, getting rides to or from school, seeing our dogs, driving with him to sports, and more. My relationship with my father was cut down to nothing for about 6 months, which took a toll on me. My friends even started to notice something different about me through the way I acted in school. I did not have any place to let any of this out, so I found myself letting it all out at school, especially when I was at practice. I would lash out on people who I called my friends for no reason, I would not do assignments and get super defensive when I was confronted about it. I was not handling any of this good; it made it super difficult for me to go to school on a daily basis. Being in a family that seems to be broken up into sections has never been easy, and I have not always desired talking about it. What I had to do in order to adapt and overcome these circumstances was get involved in my community in and out of school. There is this club that meets during lunch on Tuesdays called The Better Men Project. It is a circle led group that talks about problems like toxic masculinity, racism, family issues, and more. It is like a huge therapy session with other people who share their experiences. The Better Men Project has allowed me to open up more about those experiences in my life and to find what good has come from it and what bad has come from it. Although there are definitely a list of negatives that come from our struggles in life, there can be unique positives. I became super close with the Better Men Project, and they helped me out a lot throughout this challenging time. I would look forward to school now because I now had the support system that I didn’t know I needed. It taught me to have more of a positive attitude, even when things seem so low. There is always something to find on the bright side of every dark situation, and this showed me the type of person that I want to be.

Money has always been the most important priority when it came to college, but I also fell in love with San Diego. The only problem is that it is across the country, and with flights, tuition, move in, etc, it will get very expensive. Being offered this scholarship will open up more opportunities for me to thrive and make a difference in San Diego. Coming from a Jesuit school that values being a man for others, open to growth, intellectually competent, loving, committed to justice, etc, I spend a lot of time with service and giving back to the community. This scholarship won’t change that, but will allow for more time giving back to the community over worrying about how I am going to pay for my dream school. This scholarship will make a difference not only in my life, but my families. My mom has already worked so hard for me to be able to attend San Diego, and she tirelessly continues to work more, even while providing full time care for my disabled sister, Sydni, who cannot walk or talk because of a brain tumor that she had when she was a baby. Along with these struggles of being in and out of court with my father over legal guardianship of Sydni, I have another sister who is a senior in college this year, so it will be a struggle to have to pay for college for another four years. I help to the best of my ability by working as a Personal Care Assistant for Sydni, as she needs 24/7 care and assistance. I would help her with position changes, filling medications and formulas, pickup off the bus, time her seizures, etc. Working for Sydni is one of the ways that I can help my mom out when she also has to find time for work . Despite all of the struggles within my family, we are still able to be involved in my community and make a difference in others lives. I have always been interested in Computer Science and programming. Growing up with Sydni, my intellectual curiosity tried to come up with ways to code a program that might be able to help people like her. I worked on this one project that was similar to a device that she uses that allows her to talk through eyesight. She looks at an image or a word and the machine will say it out loud. I tried making a different version. Computer Science is one of the ways I can see myself making a difference in the world and paying it forward to my community and family, which is why I am more than excited to pursue it in the upcoming years.

Throughout my time at BC High, I have been awarded with 16 different High Honor achievements throughout 16 different quarters. Along with that, I was elected as one of two Vice Captains of Gonzaga House, which means that I was responsible for being a servant leader and to know and care for the 90 students in Gonzaga House, along with our Captain. I was also able to be a leader on a retreat, Kairos, that spends a lot of time with reflection, discernment, and vulnerability, and was awarded for that as well. While I led Kairos, I was also a student during the retreat before leading it, which was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my high school career. Building a community of love and trust is so important to me and something that I got to be a part of on this retreat. As far as athletics go at BC High, I tried a little bit of everything. I played Football, Basketball, and Baseball Freshman year. I played Baseball Sophomore year. Junior year, I did Indoor Track, and Baseball. Finally Senior year, I joined the Swim team, and played Baseball. I also was the Stage Crew Captain for the musical at BC High my Junior year, Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief, and I was an actor in the musical Senior year, Bright Star. Throughout the variety of sports and activities throughout BC High that I have been a part of, I loved being able to put myself into different experiences that I wouldn’t always expect, and being able to learn more about myself in them. I met so many great people that have had a huge impact on my life, and I have learned so much from those around me throughout all of these different teams that I have been a part of. I work as a Personal Care Assistant for my sister, Sydni. Sydni was born with a brain tumor and defeated the cancer, but now cannot walk or talk and needs 24/7 care and assistance. I would help her with position changes, filling medications and formulas, pickup off the bus, time seizures, start and shut off the feeding machine, etc. Another time when I grew closer to my classmates was on a service immersion trip to Guatemala. A group of us stayed with an organization named Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, NPH, which is an organization that provides a home for many orphans and abandoned children. We spent about a week there and bonded with many different people: pre-schoolers, teenagers, the elderly, and people with disabilities. We would play and get to know these different people at NPH, help feed the elderly, fold clothes, clean up beds, build a clothesline area for the kids, etc. Towards the end of our day, we would gather as a school, reflect on the day, and think about how we can continue to make an impact. I spent some time volunteering with Tenacity, a Tennis and Reading camp, where I was formerly a camper while growing up. I would be with fourth and fifth graders and teach them the game of tennis and all that you can learn from it like self-confidence, communication, decision-making, and more. I would also help tutor with things like reading, or any type of school work that they had. This was an experience that was close to my heart because, coming from being a camper at Tenacity, I loved being able to give back to the team that has taken care of me every summer and made me feel a part of a community.

Throughout my time at BC High, I have been awarded with 16 different High Honor achievements throughout 16 different quarters. Along with that, I was elected as one of two Vice Captains of Gonzaga House, which means that I was responsible for being a servant leader and to know and care for the 90 students in Gonzaga House, along with our Captain. I was also able to be a leader on a retreat, Kairos, that spends a lot of time with reflection, discernment, and vulnerability, and was awarded for that as well. While I led Kairos, I was also a student during the retreat before leading it, which was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my high school career. Building a community of love and trust is so important to me and something that I got to be a part of on this retreat. I spent some time volunteering with Tenacity, a Tennis and Reading camp, where I was formerly a camper while growing up. I would be with fourth and fifth graders and teach them the game of tennis and all that you can learn from it like self-confidence, communication, decision-making, and more. I would also help tutor with things like reading, or any type of school work that they had. This was an experience that was close to my heart because, coming from being a camper at Tenacity, I loved being able to give back to the team that has taken care of me every summer and made me feel a part of a community. I also spent a lot of time with the Better Men Project, a small group that reflects on self-awareness, sexism, toxic masculinity, misogyny, identity, and more, which was a big part of my personal growth as an individual throughout my time at BC High. There would be countless conversations during this Club that would engage personal stories from those around me, along with myself, and I was able to learn from what others shared meanwhile reflecting on where I can find some improvement in my life as well. This has taught me how to work on personal growth in a way that builds my community up with me and strives for a loving community. I work as a Personal Care Assistant for my sister, Sydni. Sydni was born with a brain tumor and defeated the cancer, but now cannot walk or talk and needs 24/7 care and assistance. I help her with position changes, filling medications and formulas, pickup off the bus, time seizures, start and shut off the feeding machine, etc. Working for my sister, the person who has taught me the most about life, is great. The PCA Organization has so many great people who have true compassion and sympathy for others which are traits that I aspire to grow in as I get older. This helps me leave a legacy on my family as well as community because families with disabilities go through a lot, and being someone who can share experience whilst additional help if needed can be very helpful for some families, especially with my family.

I used to do a lot of computer programming when I was younger, and many of the projects that I liked working on were for people with disabilities. I grew up with a sister who lost the ability to walk and talk as a baby, and my intellectual curiosity tried to come up with ways to code a program that might be able to help people like my sister. I worked on this one project that was similar to a device that my sister uses that allows her to talk through her eyesight. She looks at an image or a word, and the machine will say it out loud. I tried making a different version. I went to MIT for the Scratch Day celebration, and I presented to a group of people my project which consisted of basically what my sister’s device was, but rather than through eye contact, it was through mouse clicks. This example of my sister’s device, and the solutions that can come from programming as well, is a great example of ways that Science has led to an innovative solution to the everyday challenge for people with disabilities because these devices now give some people the ability to be able to communicate with others on a daily basis when they would not be able to prior to these devices. I want to be able to create something for others whether that be for cyber security, assistive technology, or anything that can help my community. Coming from a Jesuit background at Boston College High School, I value being a man for and with others, being loving, open to growth, committed to justice, paying it forward, and countless more ideas that all circle around making the world a better place. I want to be able to make this world better than when I came into it and, from since I can remember, Computer Programming and Computer Science has always been the thing that would keep me up at night to figure out a code or find a way to solve a problem. I love the work that STEM does for society, and the way that it is constantly improving and becoming better. I would be more than grateful and honored to be able to be a part of a community in STEM that is committed to making the world better, and I will always do my best to improve myself and others around me within the STEM community so that we can continue to find innovative solutions to everyday societal challenges for people like my sister, and for many others.

Throughout my time at BC High, I have been awarded with 16 different High Honor achievements throughout 16 different quarters. Along with that, I was elected as one of two Vice Captains of Gonzaga House, which means that I was responsible for being a servant leader and to know and care for the 90 students in Gonzaga House, along with our Captain. I was also able to be a leader on a retreat, Kairos, that spends a lot of time with reflection, discernment, and vulnerability, and was awarded for that as well. While I led Kairos, I was also a student during the retreat before leading it, which was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my high school career. Building a community of love and trust is so important to me and something that I got to be a part of on this retreat. Another time when I grew closer to my classmates was on a service immersion trip to Guatemala. A group of us stayed with an organization named Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, NPH, which is an organization that provides a home for many orphans and abandoned children. We spent about a week there and bonded with many different people: pre-schoolers, teenagers, the elderly, and people with disabilities. We would play and get to know these different people at NPH, help feed the elderly, fold clothes, clean up beds, build a clothesline area for the kids, etc. Towards the end of our day, we would gather as a school, reflect on the day, and think about how we can continue to make an impact. I spent some time volunteering with Tenacity, a Tennis and Reading camp, where I was formerly a camper while growing up. I would be with fourth and fifth graders and teach them the game of tennis and all that you can learn from it like self-confidence, communication, decision-making, and more. I would also help tutor with things like reading, or any type of school work that they had. This was an experience that was close to my heart because, coming from being a camper at Tenacity, I loved being able to give back to the team that has taken care of me every summer and made me feel a part of a community. As far as athletics go at BC High, I tried a little bit of everything. I played Football, Basketball, and Baseball Freshman year. I played Baseball Sophomore year. Junior year, I did Indoor Track, and Baseball. Finally Senior year, I joined the Swim team, and played Baseball. I also was the Stage Crew Captain for the musical at BC High my Junior year, Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief, and I was an actor in the musical Senior year, Bright Star. Throughout the variety of sports and activities throughout BC High that I have been a part of, I loved being able to put myself into different experiences that I wouldn’t always expect, and being able to learn more about myself in them. I met so many great people that have had a huge impact on my life, and I have learned so much from those around me throughout all of these different teams that I have been a part of. Paying it forward is something that means a lot to me. Whether I get this scholarship or not, I will continue to pay it forward, and I will try my best to make others around me feel loved, seen, and a part of a community because that is one way that I can better the people around me.

Throughout my time at BC High, I have been heavily influenced by a club that I have been a part of named The Better Men Project. The Better Men Project actively talks about experiences of mental health in today’s society. Through school shootings, toxic masculinity, sexism, etc, I have had many circle led discussions that take a deep dive into the mental health aspect of these injustices in today’s society. Learning about these experiences and injustices are important in understanding the importance of asking for help and focusing on mental health. In the Better Men Project, we also share personal stories about our lives, the struggles and the triumphs. Having a space and a community of people that is built on trust, honesty, and being committed to justice in a harsh world, is a huge way to start spreading awareness to mental health. Not only has Better Men Project shared experiences of those around me with Mental Health regarding peer pressure, how to fit in, and ways to continuously improve oneself, it has also opened me to the times in my life where I have struggled, and held things in. For me, I have had a hard time with my relationships with my parents and sisters. My parents have been divorced for many years now, and it has never been great between them which sometimes makes me feel like I am in the middle of their fights. My sister, Sydni, does not have the ability to walk or talk because she was born with brain cancer that she ultimately defeated but had to face other challenges after the fact. Being in a family that seems to be broken up into sections has never been easy, and I have not always desired talking about it. The Better Men Project has allowed me to open up more about those experiences in my life and to find what good has come from it and what bad has come from it. Although there are definitely a list of negatives that come from our struggles in life, there can be unique positives. One of those positives in my life has been Camp Hole In The Wall Gang Camp. This camp is for families like mine who have or have had someone in their family with a life threatening illness. There is a week over the summer at camp called sibling week, which is for the siblings of the patients. This has been a place in my life where I can be vulnerable and open with others. It has been a place where mental health is so valued and where everyone is encouraged to be their true selves. Going through this journey of hiding from my mental health and facing it has really highlighted to me the importance of spreading awareness for the kid who was like me and for anyone in general because mental health is a conversation that isn’t meant to be had once. Focusing on mental health is something that I do and will do throughout my entire life, and it allows me to continue to improve myself and grow. With that being said, although I am not entirely sure of where I will be ten years from now, I know that mental health will always be something that I spread awareness about whether that is through my career or through being that person in someone else’s life to talk to. I plan on continuing to be involved with Camp Hole In the Wall every summer through volunteering. As someone who connected deeply with the counselors and volunteers at camp when I was a camper, I would love to be that counselor who can be there for however many campers possible, and to help make these hard experiences in life just a little bit easier with some more love.

Growing up I would tell you the opposite. I very much disliked math. It was always so hard for me, and I never seemed to understand any of it no matter how hard I tried. It just seemed to me like I didn’t get it, and I never would. Well, that completely changed after the 3rd grade. At my elementary school, 3rd grade, I had the best math teacher ever. She really helped me so much with the whole subject, and she had the most interesting ways to describe math and the subjects that we were doing to help me understand better, and it always worked. After the whole year of me being engaged and super excited to come into her class because she was the first teacher to get me excited about any subject in school, I continued to love math from there on out. Every year there was a big math contest throughout many different schools. Going into the 4th and 5th grades, I was completely caught up with my peers, if not ahead of them because of my love and interest in math. I thrived in class and made it to the final 2 candidates for being selected to represent the school during the math contest. Just missing being the selection, it didn't bring me down, it made me even more eager to learn math and continue to thrive in it. I got better and better. Still today, from random algebra to AP Calculus BC. Math has been my thing every single year going into the present day, and I always gravitate toward math whenever people ask me my favorite subject, or what I like to do outside of school, it's always something to do with math. I think math is so important because there is always an answer to find, and if you can remember the right steps to get there if you can have the ability to have the patience to double-check your work, you are essentially doing what is important in life. Moving forward in life it is important to make a smart decision, so double-checking yourself, looking for the right answers and decisions, and trusting where you go are so important, and those are all things that I learned from math. In 8th grade year, I was at a new school, and my teacher was somebody who loved math just like me. This was another year that was super important for me during math because I joined a math club, and I would always come to my teacher's class during free time to do random hard math problems on the board for fun, sometimes with a friend and do a competition. This teacher would tell me about how much she loves math, how hard Calculus was for her, and how she struggled during that time, so it made me wonder if I would ever make it to taking Calculus, and if I would not like math anymore because of it. Well, this past year I took AP Calculus AB, and this upcoming year I'm going to take AP Calculus BC, and I can confirm that Calc is a very hard course. Although it is very difficult, it is super interesting and just confirmed my love for math so much more. I realized I love the challenge, and trying to understand the why behind every step of the problem that I'm doing. It is super interesting, and just because it is very hard, I love trying my best every day in that class with my friends beside me.