"Are you even putting in any effort?" I have always put forth my best effort in anything that I have done, whether it be in school or helping out around the house. My parents always taught me that if I were to do something, I better do it right. Their support pushed me beyond what I thought was my limits, which made it even more crushing when they both passed away. My mom had died from cancer when I was only in middle school, and my dad in my freshman year of high school. Up until that point, I had only done what I was told to do, but without any guidance I realized I was lost and had to change. As I arrived at Oxnard High School as a Sophomore, I knew no one, but I had one goal in mind; find a career that I wanted to pursue so people would not have to go through what I was going through. It was here that I discovered my love for computer science. From the first day I entered the classroom to the present, computer science has fascinated me since it is extremely versatile. My exploration of this specific facet introduced my to other areas including parts of mechanical engineering which helped me better grasp the design parts of computer science. Learning about the possibilities of computer science made me realize that I could use my skills to help other people. I began to look into different areas of computer science where I discovered a surgical machine that increases the likelihood of survival immensely. The machine works using tiny hands that a surgeon can operate that makes precise cuts and motions that reduces human error. I realized that if this machine was possible, then there could be more complex technology that can be created to benefit everyone. That gave me an idea, if I were to improve the PET scanner, cancer would be detected faster in patients and no one would have to go through the struggles of chemotherapy which I witnessed the effects it had on my family. As a first generation college student, I am motivated to leave a good example for my younger brother and those that come after me. As I am in my last year of high school, I am certain in my future of working in the computer science industry to create new and improved technology created to help families detect the cancer cells faster and reduce risk of cancer cells spreading. By joining the computer science industry, I hope that my hard work helps people worldwide and significantly reduces the risk of death because no family deserves to go through that type of hardship. I feel that by doing this, I am both following my desires, and my parents own words that if I am to do something, I better do it right. My plans as of now are to attend UC Irvine if I get accepted and join their computer science program to further my knowledge on computer science. In the future, I hope that when I do become a computer scientist I am able to help people no matter their status and I hope that my family is watching over me and happy that the lessons they taught me are being used for good.

Losing a loved one is nothing anyone should deal with, but it is a natural occurrence. Coping with losing my parents made me focus on my education even more since they always told me to do my best. While losing my parents made me incredibly sad, it motivated me to do better and not waste their efforts raising me as a child. My mom died of breast cancer when I was 12, which made me focus more on school than I already was. When my dad died in 2022, all I wanted to do was make both of them proud and strive to be the best person I could be. Since losing both of my parents, I have taken more complex classes to challenge myself to do my best. A few challenging courses I have taken include Honors English and AP World History classes. Even after moving away from home, adjusting, and making new friends in a new area, I stayed focused on my studies to become the best me and someone who could make my parents proud. Part of "fighting" for my future included taking college classes to get ahead and going to school to focus on the lessons I needed to take to get my degree faster and work earlier.